2013 Favourites!

Hello everyone! (Or no one, as it stands right now)  This is my first blog post of many, I hope.  I’ve been wanting to start a blog for years but was always too worried about how it (and I) would be perceived.  For 2014 I’ve vowed to stop being so cautious and have more faith in myself, so here we go..


Primer - Benefit//The Porefessional and That Gal
I know this is slightly cheating so I thought I’d get it out of the way first.  I couldn’t choose between these two primers, as I use them together!  I don’t have visible pores (yet) so primer isn’t necessarily an everyday makeup step for me, however when wearing heavier foundations or when I know I’ll be rushing around all day I like to include it.  The way I mix them is to use a small bit of The Porefessional around my nose, forehead and chin to give a smooth base, and then use That Gal on my forehead and cheeks to brighten my complexion from beneath my makeup.  Using a combination of the two was recommended to me by a make up artist at a Benefit counter and I have to say it really works - it gives such a natural looking radiant glow!


Foundation - MAC Studio Sculpt//NC15
Although I have olive toned skin, if I haven’t been in the sun for a while I am extremely pale.  I had tried a few MAC shades and foundations before finally settling on this one, and I absolutely love it!  I’d recommend Studio Sculpt for those with normal-dry skin who are seeking a dewy (but not at all oily) complexion.  This is regarded as my “heavy” foundation, as it’s the highest coverage I would go for.  I’d describe it as a medium coverage foundation but it would be easily build able!



Blush - MAC Pearlmatte Face Powder//Pink Buttercream
I have used this face powder as my blush/highlight combination everyday since I bought it! It’s very subtle so is perfect as a blush for paler skin tones, or as a beautiful highlight for darker skin.


Highlight - Benefit//High Beam
Highlighter hasn’t frequented my face too often in 2013 but when it did, it was always High Beam.  It’s a must for when I have a night out as I’m not a massive fan of contouring, so highlight is what really brings out my cheekbones.  High Beam will always have a special place in my heart as it was one of the first high end products I used.  (I say used, as I actually stole it from my mother’s make up bag about six years ago!)  My mum bought me a brand new bottle for Christmas as, although the original one still has some product left, six years is a bit too long to be using makeup.  I still can’t bear to throw it out!


Eyeshadow - Urban Decay Naked Palette//Sidecar
I thought this would be a difficult decision as eyeshadow isn’t part of my regular makeup routine - normally I just get up, put some moisturiser on and head out to uni - but I realised that I incorporate this shade into almost all of my heavier eye makeup looks, as well as during the day when I’m up early enough to care what I look like!  Sidecar is a beautiful eyeshadow with the perfect amount of colour and shimmer to be almost unnoticeable; it’s more of an enhancer than a show-stopper so it adds to your natural beauty.


Mascara - Benefit//They’re Real
This is a strange one for me, as I received this for Christmas 2012 and absolutely detested it.  I’m a real mascara girl so love very lengthened and volumised lashes, and originally found this mascara to do the opposite.  However upon repurchasing early in 2013 (I can’t remember why I did) it completely changed my mind!  This is now my go-to mascara and does everything I thought it didn’t in the first place.  I’ve just bought another tube though, so I wouldn’t be surprised if I suddenly hate it again.


Lips - Elizabeth Arden//8 Hour Cream
I can’t rave about this product enough, so instead of doing so I’ll make it quick.  I decided to try this product after watching Tanya Burr talk about it so much, and I was very impressed.  I use this at night, or during the day if my lips are particularly dry.  I’ve always suffered from quite chapped lips, especially during winter, and this has completely saved them!  I apply it quite liberally just before I go to bed and without fail wake up with soft, smooth lips.


Lips - Maybelline Baby Lips//Repair, Hydrate and Pink Punch
Baby Lips are my day time lip product, as the Elizabeth Arden one is a bit too shiny to be seen wearing.  I own three of them and take them all with me every day in my bag!  The blue and yellow are the best for nourishing and hydrating lips and I don’t see much difference between them, whereas the pink is great if you’re in need of slight lip colour for later in the evening or simply for looking a bit more “made-up.”  I can’t recommend these enough and they’re so handy to just chuck in your bag and go!


Brush - Real Techniques//Buffing Brush
This is my absolute favourite brush for applying foundation of all kinds.  I’ve tried it with compact, cream, liquid and mineral foundation and it works fantastically for all of them.  When you really buff the makeup into the skin it looks very natural yet keeping the coverage at your preference, which is amazing!  I have also used it for contouring, powdering and covering up makeup mishaps.  I just wish it would be brought out separately as opposed to in a set of brushes, as I’d have at least five if that were the case!


Nail Varnish - Topshop//Daredevil
I’m not a huge fan of nail varnish, as I find painting my nails to be so laborious and it seems to get ruined within a day.  However, this is a recent purchase of mine and I absolutely love it.  It’s the perfect colour for day and night and would work all year round.  The deep red colour is so beautiful that when wearing it I tend to try to coordinate my outfit to suit it, instead of vice versa!  This shade of polish does suit most colours so it’s great if you’re low maintenance in terms of your nails like me and don’t want to paint your nails every day to suit your outfit.



There we are, my 2013 favourites!  There were a few extra products I wanted to include but I ultimately decided to just talk about the products I’ve been loving for the whole year, and post about newer finds when I’ve had long enough to see their benefits (or their drawbacks!) as they will then be more honest reviews.  Thanks for reading!

Emma x

Unknown

LVNGLDN is the alias of Emma, a 20-something Irish law student living and working in London.

1 comment:

  1. Hello lovely, this is a great post - thanks for sharing!

    I love absolutely everything Benefit, it's just awesome! :)

    http://electricsunrise.blogspot.co.uk/

    xoxoxox

    ReplyDelete