Makeup Favourites Archives - Let's talk beauty

Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic

I adore using this toner as part of my morning skincare routine. Its so soothing, calming and refreshing on the skin. It contains so many skin loving ingredients (as you expect from skincare experts Liz Earle), including active ingredients aloe vera to revitalise and soften and calendula, chamomile, cucumber and natural source vitamin E to soothe and refresh the skin.

This feels so gentle and soothing nice on the skin and the formula is alcohol free. It does have quite a strong floral / botanical scent, which I like and find relaxing. I pour a little product on to a cotton pad & sweep all over my face and neck every morning. Its not at all drying and leaves your skin feeling leans and hydrated, ready for the next step in your skincare routine. This paired with the Eye is the complete package! Now that Liz Earle is sold at larger Boots stores it is even easier to get hold of, which is ideal.

Max Factor Creme Puff Blush in Gorgeous Berries

I always come back to this blush more than any other in my collection. Its just beautiful. I love the packaging, the fact that its a baked blush and the colour looks a little different each time I wear it. This blush has a marbling effect and I have heard them described as dupes for the much coveted Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blusher, I haven’t used those so I can’t compare. Although I can say its incredible quality for the price.

The Max Factor ones are buttery soft and extremely pigmented, I have the shade Gorgeous Berries which is a deep mauve berry shade. It is the darkest shade in the range and it gives the cheeks a beautiful flush of colour, if you want to build up the intensity you can go all out. These wear really well and the colour lasts all day. This shade does have a slight sheen to it but I wouldn’t say it was anything on par with a highlighter.

Maybelline Dream Flawless Nude

Again this is a foundation I have had in my collection for some time now and its one I love to go back to. The consistency is so fluid that I find it easy to blend and get a good even coverage. This is quite a dark shade compared to what I would usually wear but it works for the warmer months when I have a little more colour, so I am making the most of it. This gives quite a light coverage but it is build-able and it gives the skin a velvety smooth flawless (as the name suggests) finish. I really like the way it makes my skin look and it feels lightweight. Unlike some bases it actually looks better throughout the day, bonus!

Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in BackTalk*

I have been wearing this lipstick almost everyday, the colour is so easy to wear. Its is a comfort matte finish but it doesn’t make my lips feel overly dry. Its not a faff to apply and it just makes me look like I have have made more of an effort with my makeup (when I am wearing bare minimal). BackTalk is a gorgeous mauve pink nude shade and I just can’t get enough of it.

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Cream Shadow Stick in Golden Pink

I know I am not alone in loving cream shadows, they are a lazy girls best friend. You just sweep the product over your eyelid & blend it out using your finger & it always looks amazing. This Golden Pink is not what I would call a pink, it is a lot more a golden and has a pretty metallic finish. These cream shadow sticks are easy to blend but after a couple of minutes they dry done and do not budge. These are very similar to the Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks which I have quite a few of and I’d say the quality of them is identical. I always travel with cream shadows, because they take up no space, they don’t break in your makeup bag and you don’t need a brush.

•PR Sample

I have tried quite a few Clinique products from their Take The Day Off Balm to their Chubby Sticks but I haven’t tried many of their eye products so I was excited to put these three to the test. I have heard positive things about their High Impact Mascara but haven’t heard too much about this Extreme Volume version.

Clinique High Impact Extreme Volume Mascara* £19

This comes in a really nice chunky metallic silver tube and it has a really long chunky plastic wand. The bristles are quite short but close together so they coat each lash effortlessly without applying too much product at once. I like that the brush doesn’t hold a lot of product because I like dramatic lashes but I don’t like the spidery / clumpy lash look, so you can apply a few coats of this mascara without building up too much product, making your lashes look long, thick and fluttery. Its not heavy and doesn’t weigh down my lashes so its damn good at holding a curl.

The formula is JET black and doesn’t flake or transfer throughout the day. I do think the brush could have a slight curve or have a tapered end, just to help get at those smaller harder to reach lashes right in the corner of your eye. I think the High Impact Mascara wand looks a little better & would prefer to see that in this mascara.

Clinique Quickliner for Eyes in Smoky Brown* £15

This is a pencil eyeliner on one end which twists up, (no sharpening needed) and at the other end you get a smudger sponge that is a really good shape. I have a lovely brown shade which is an easy shade to wear and a nice alternative to black. The formula wasn’t as smooth and creamy as the skinny stick liner but it did last well throughout the day. It is also water resistant so if you are like me & get watery eyes then that will please you. I really want to try this in the grape shade, its looks so pretty. This liner comes in 10 shades – as you would expect from Clinique they’re all quite neutral apart from a really bold blue & a purple shade.

Clinique Skinny Stick in Skinny Jeans* £15

I love Clinique’s Chubby range and now I’m a fan of the skinny liners too. This is a twist up pencil so again no need to sharpen and I have a pretty blue shade called Skinny Jeans. Its a really pigmented colour and the formula is my favourite out of the two, its creamy and applies evenly and effortlessly to your eyelid. The nib is so precise and slim so ideal for getting that sleek slim eyeliner look. I wear liner most days & even though this is a blue it didn’t look 80’s or too bright for everyday wear.

I like the shade I have and I’m going to get a black one too, as black is the shade I wear the most. I loved this product and recommend it if you’re in the market for a new pencil eyeliner. This liner comes in 8 shades & they include a white and a bright yellow.

What are your favourite eyeliners & do you think you’d prefer the skinny stick or quickliner?

*PR Sample

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