2013 Makeup Favourites

So with it being 2014 and this being a new blog I figured it was only right that I tell you all my favourites from 2013 which inspired me to start this blog in the first place! Since I'm still a bit of a novice these are my go to products which I know work for me and have made me realise what is actually out there and what little miracles can be achieved with a bit of searching! These are only my makeup favourites since I didn't want my first post to be so long you lose interest. Hope you like it.

Makeup

This is the place I have had the biggest learning curve and have kissed the proverbial makeup frogs in order to find these gems. I'm sure they will be replaced in my heart at some point in the future but at the minute they are the miracle workers that make me presentable to the public with the minimal amount of stress. No mean feat I can tell you!

Fave Primer- Benefit - the Porefessional. This balm has a great consistency to it and works well with your foundation to hide those pesky open pores you wish didn't exist. I have tried a fair few primers this year in the hope they could make my skin the pore free satiny silk I wish it was and have returned to this product every time. Nothing works quite as well and goes on quickly and easily with fingers. 'Nuff said. 

Fave Eye Primer - Urban Decay - Eyelid Primer Potion in original. Cements eyeshadows and with UD eyeshadows it does actually brighten the colour so ends up being great value for money. I have very oily eyelids so this is a definite necessity in order to avoid the dreaded panda eye!

Fave Foundation - Estee Lauder - Doublewear foundation in Shell - Yes its a cliche and everyone has fell for this foundation at one point or another but as a newbie to this I couldn't help but love it. It matches my skin tone so well and gives a slight glow without looking oily. Considering how pale I am as well finding foundations that match my skin tone is usually a painful task which I dread the moment I begin to run out of product! This is definately one for the vault for when I am losing the will with testers.

Fave Concealer - Bobbi Brown Corrector in Porcelain Bisque and Origins Plantscriptions in Light. Since I have the curse of the dark under eye shadows. The pigments in the corrector neutralise the blue tones and creates a great base for further concealing. The Plantscriptions blends really well without caking and has a good level of coverage. 

Fave Setting Powder - Bare Minerals - Mineral Veil - A translucent powder which mattifies your skin without adding extra coverage. Not a product I always use but definitely helps on those days your makeup needs extra staying power!

Fave Blusher - Benefit - Coralista - Not something I expected to love as it was a bit of an impulse purchase and with my pale skin I expected it to look slightly odd. However it adds just the right amount of warmth to my skin in a natural way. It also works well with a bit of bronzer so I don't have to look so deathly pale in the summer either!

Fave Cream Blusher - Bourjois - Blush Exclusif - This new release from Bourjois this year adjusts itself so you have your own personalised pink. The cream to powder formulation goes on easily and blends well. I didn't quite know how to apply it at first but once I got the Real Techniques Buffing Brush out I was well away with it. 

Fave Bronzer - Loreal - Glam Bronze in 101 blonde. Yes I am not blonde but I am as pale as a ghost and this is the nicest matt formula bronzer which gives me a healthy glow without looking tangoed! The colour is a lovely golden brown and is quite build able so you get the right amount of colour with not too much effort. 

Fave Highlighter - Benefit - High Beam - A beautiful pearly pink great for the palest of skins gives a nice dewy glow. If you find it a bit too much then it is great put onto bear skin before foundation to give a natural luminescence to the skin. This little discovery makes it a great all round highlighter. 

Fave Eyebrow Product - Soap and Glory - Archery in brown. I LOVE THIS! After years of using powders with mixed results and being unhappy about the unnatural end result this is a dream come true. I can fill in my brows naturally with the tint and can up the ante on particularly sparse days using the brow wax. 

Fave Eyeshadow Pallette  - Urban Decay - Naked 1 - All the neutral browns and plums a girl could want with easy to blend formulas. Allows you to create lots of different looks quickly and easily. 

Fave Gel Eyeliner - Maybelline - Eye Studio Lasting Drama in Black - Comes with a great little brush the formula sweeps on easily to create sharp lines. Its long lasting and can be used to create a variety of looks. Great for beginners and can get similar results to liquid liner in half the time. This definitely speaks to the lazy person in me. 

Fave Pencil Eyeliner - Soap and Glory - Smoulder Kohl in Super Black. The waterproof formula makes it long lasting and the creamy consistency makes it easy to apply. Plus doesn't dry out compared to other pencil eyeliners I have tried. 

Fave Mascara - Bourjois - Volume Glamour Max. The main things I look for in a mascara are definition, no clumping and more volume than you can shake a stick at. This delivers on all 3 and manages to remain long lasting to boot. 

Fave Lip Balm - Nuxe - Reve de Miel. Well it turns out the hype is well deserved for this lovely little lip balm. It smells amazing and is really soothing on dry chapped lips, needless to say it has been a staple during the winter months!

Fave Lipstick - Mac - Russian Red/ Rimmel Kate - 107. I had to put both of these down because as red lipsticks go the Mac has great staying power and is a great true red. As for the Rimmel the dark berry is so versatile and can be used as a lip stain when applied with fingertips with great results. 

Fave Lipgloss/laquer - Rimmell - Apocalips in Nova. This was definitely my summer pink and the long lasting but nourishing formula is great for a bold wash of colour with intense shine. Blotting it gives a slightly matt finish and allows it to retain its long lasting finish. Its a much more affordable than the Hourglass version and at less than half the price its much more purse friendly. Also the colour range is expanding this month so its one to watch if you need to inject a bit more colour into your makeup bag.