My 10 ‘go to’ beauty products

I know some of you might not be interested in beauty, or might not wear makeup, but makeup is a big part of my life and I don’t often leave the house without it! I think of makeup as part of my outfit; it makes me feel put together and confident to take on the day. I’m an avid watcher of beauty bloggers on You Tube, and I often take their recommendations, though I tend to stick with drugstore/high street priced items that aren’t heavily scented. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to buy all my beauty products from Space NK, but my budget simply doesn’t allow me to do so.

My goal each morning is to get my makeup done in under 10 minutes, so you can think of this post as an insight into my morning routine, how I manage my time, and how I balance my love of trying new products with a professional, natural look. So here are my 10 ‘go to’ beauty products when I need to get ready for a normal work day.

These products are listed in the order that I apply them.

Foundation:

Aside from always putting on a moisturiser and SPF to prime my face, I nearly always have on a light-medium foundation. I’m not a huge fan of heavy coverage and I’ve found after sampling many foundations over the years that the Bourjois Healthy Mix is my favourite. I’m currently trying the new formula in shade No. 52 vanilla, which came out this year, but I prefer the gel serum version. I apply it with a damp Real Techniques sponge.

Concealer:

Thankfully I don’t get many breakouts, so I don’t bother concealing my face on a daily basis. However, I do have to cover those dark eye circles EVERY SINGLE DAY. My ‘go to’ eye concealer is Maybelline Age Rewind (called The Eraser Eye in the UK). It has great coverage and doesn’t get much creasing. I really want to try the brightening version next, which only recently became available in the UK. I apply this with the pointed end of the RT sponge.

Bronzer:

I only got into using bronzer daily about a year ago. I don’t like contouring powder, so I find a non-orange bronzer works great for a light contour! I just apply it on either side of my face with the “3” shape (i.e. under the chin, cheekbones, and up to the forehead). My favourite at the moment is Rimmel Natural Bronzer (waterproof and SPF 15) in the shade 021 sun light. This bronzer is inexpensive and doesn’t have a shimmer overlay; it’s natural-looking and has a light scent. I apply it with an Eco Tools blush brush.

Blush:

Using the same brush I used for the bronzer, I then apply my blush. I have a cream blush from Revlon (but I find it too blue toned), so my ‘go to’ is Milani Baked Blush in 05 Luminoso (a cult favourite). I had to order this product off Amazon since we don’t have Milani in the UK, but it was worth it. It’s a light peach colour with a bit of shimmer and isn’t overly pigmented; it gives me a natural glow and I can skip highlighter if I’m short on time.

Powder:

I only really use powder to set my under eye concealer and cover my t-zone. If you’re also into beauty it should be no surprise that I use the Rimmel Stay Matte powder in 001 translucent. This is a very budget friendly product and it works great. My only gripe is that the container always breaks and it’s definitely not travel friendly. I apply my powder with a Sephora 43 powder brush.

Eyeshadow:

Depending on how I’m feeling, I usually go for one of two options for eyeshadow. The first is the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in 35 On and on Bronze. These little cream pot gems are affordable and I’ve never hit pan. Their staying power is pretty good, but the shadow usually creases by the end of the day. The good thing is that you can apply it with a finger and sort of re-smudge it towards the end of the day.

My second eyeshadow favourite is probably my only high-end item (and it isn’t even that pricey). Santa Claus was kind enough to get me the Naked 2 Urban Decay Basics palette. I was going to go for one of their larger palettes, but really I only need a few basic shades and the 2 palette is more warm toned than the 1. The quality of these shadows is outstanding (buttery and very pigmented). I tend to put the lightest shade (skimp) all over my eye up to my brow, apply the second lightest shade (stark) all over my lid, and then I blend the shade cover in my crease, focusing on the outer corner. I find that the other shades are a bit dark for daily use, but sometimes I line my lower lash line with them. I use the mirror in the palette to do my eyes, and, because I’m tight for time, I normally do all the application and blending with a Sephora pro crease brush 10.

Mascara:

Again, another product I almost never leave the house without! There are so many varieties of mascara out there that it’s hard to pick a favourite. I tend to not like waterproof because it’s hard to get off (I had particular issues with the Maybelline Falsies). I really like L’Oreal mascaras, particularly the false lash flutter, and I’d like to try the volume million soon. Currently my favourites are Max Factor Masterpiece Transform in black brown and (what is essentially the Canadian/US equivalent) Covergirl The Super Sizer in very black. Both give me volume and some length, and there’s no clumping!

Eyebrows:

This is where I struggle. I have very dark thick eyebrows anyways, so I don’t actually have to draw on my eyebrows. I find powders and pomades too much for the look I go for, and, although I’d like to try the higher end pencils, I simply don’t want to spend £15-20 on a brow pencil. Currently I’m using a Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil in 001 dark brown. It’s not the best, but it does the job of filling in any gaps.

Lips:

Last, but certainly not least! I apply my lipstick just when I’m headed out the door and regularly throughout the day. I HATE dry lips, so I don’t frequently wear liquid lipstick. The lippy I reach most for is Tanya Burr’s cream lipstick in Pink Cocoa. This is a pinky brown shade that’s a slightly bolder choice for work, but is a perfect autumn shade. For an everyday balm, my favourite is Max Factor Colour Intensifying Balm in Sumptuous Candy (I think it’s the first lipstick I’ve used up!). I also have to give an honourable mention to the Burt’s Bees lipstick in 501 blush basin, which is my ‘go to’ pinky nude shade. However, the lipstick is getting a bit bumpy/grainy (perhaps going off or due to the all-natural ingredients) so it doesn’t quite make the cut.

I hope this post has inspired you to mix up your daily makeup routine and try some new products. Let me know what your ‘go to’ beauty products are!