All Time MakeUp Favourites

These are what I consider to be the best of the best of my makeup collection. Compiling this list was no easy feat. Do you know how much makeup it is possible to love?  In my case rather a lot. I've done the best I can to whittle it down to one or two from every category. So here goes.

Lipstick

Daywear
Winner: MaxFactor Colour Perfection in Ultrasuede (Discontinued)
Runner Up: Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate in 03 (Boots, €6.99)

For daywear I have used MaxFactor Colour Perfection in Ultrasuede for a long time but this line of lipsticks have been discontinued and I can't quite seem to find something the same.

When this runs out I will probably use my Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate in 03 but it's not the same.

On the top is the Rimmel 03 and and on the bottom is Ultrasuede.

Nightwear
Winner: Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate in 01 (Boots, €6.99)
Runner Up: No.7 High Shine Lip Crayon in Berry (Boots, €11.75)

These are really great affordable lipsticks, but I do usually need a lipiner under this deep red colour to stop it from moving. I use my No.7 Precision Lips Pencil in Fire.

This lipliner also works with my MAC Russian Red and Miss Sporty Perfect Colour in Dream.

On the top is a swatch of the Rimmel in 01 and on the bottom you can see the colour of the liner.

Close behind but not quite there is my No.7 High Shine Lip Crayon in Berry. This does not quite have the depth in colour that I would need it to if it were to be my favourite. You  can see more information on this product in my Make Up Haul Blog Post. 

Eyeliner

Winner: Mac Dupe Eye/Lip liner with aloe vera & vitamin E
Runner Up:Maybelline New York EyeStudio Lasting Drama Gel Liner in 01 Black (Boots, €11.99)

My favourite eyeliner of the moment is a MAC dupe which I acquired some time back. I'm not sure where exactly I got it from but I am aware that it is not a genuine MAC eyeliner.

Although I am aware that it is a fake, that doesn't stop it being a quality eye pencil. It lasts and doesn't move if I wear it all day, and it doesn't irritate my eyes like a lot of other liners do. 

I have had Maybelline New York EyeStudio Lasting Drama Gel Liner in 01 Black since it first came out in 2010 and I'm still not even close to running out. 

I realise that makeup goes off but I haven't had any problems yet and I can't afford to be throwing out makeup willy nilly. 

This liner is much darker and thicker than a pencil and I only really use it for going out at night. I think it would be too much for daywear. I don't rate the brush that comes with it and prefer to use my Louise Walsh Angled Eye Brush to apply the gel. 

Mascara

Winner: Estée Lauder Magnascopic Maximum Volume Mascara (Debenhams, €25)

Runner Up: Mac Zoomlash (Brown Thomas, €18)

I don't own either of my favourite mascaras at the moment as I love trying out new brands and I have lots of other mascaras at the moment to use but none of them measure up to these. 

Estée Lauder Magnascopic Maximum Volume Mascara is the best mascara I have ever used. It creates full voluminous lashes without causing spider legs. I cannot rate this highly enough and I can't wait to repurchase it. 

Mascara is one of the places in my makeup bag that I won't hesitate to spend money because where I'm concerned you get what you pay for. The only problem with MAC Zoomlash for me is that, at the beginning of the bottle before you use it for a while, too much comes out on the brush and it is so easy to end up with spider legs. Once you use it a bit, it evens out and it is much easier to use. 

Blush

Winner: Nars in Orgasm (www.brownthomas.ie, €29)

Runner Up: Sephora Dupe (Not Available in Ireland)

My favourite blush is Nars in Orgasm 

but as this is not readily available to me in Ireland, when I ran out I never repurchased it. While on holiday in France two years ago I found a gem in a Sephora store. 

This set comes as six shelves, each with 4 shadows, 2 lipglosses and a blush and each shelf has a colour scheme, green, brown, blue, pink, purple and black. These shelves all slot into a drawer unit which also comes with a hollow compact to slot your favourite shelf into when you are on the go.
In the green shelf there is a blush which is very similar to the Nars blush I love so much.

As you can see it is almost gone and then I will be on the hunt for a new blush. If you have any suggestions please leave them in the comments below.

Bronzer

Winner: Strictly Come Dancing Bronzing Set (Discontinued) 

Runner Up: Benefit Hoola (Boots, €34)

Last year after Christmas I picked up a Strictly Come Dancing Bronzing Set in the Boots sale for less than €15 and little did I know what a gem I had acquired. 

The bronzer has three shades in it, a shimmery white, a shimmery beige and a darker brown colour. I used the white alone as a highlighter, with the beige for a daytime bronzer and mixed all three together for a night bronzer. Unfortunately mine has broken and I can't find anywhere to repurchase this. 

I like Benefit Hoola but I find Benefit's products to be very overpriced and it kills me to repurchase them. Recently a friend of mine gave me the Sleek Face Contour Kit in light. 

The bronzer in this is quite similar to Hoola and much more reasonably priced. I will definitely repurchase this. 

Brows

Winner: Rimmel London Professional Eyebrow Pencil in Hazel (Boots, €4.75)

 I like the Rimmel London Professional Eyebrow Pencil in Hazel because it works just fine and is as cheap as chips. 10/10 in my book. Will definitely repurchase. 

Concealer

Winner: Benefit Boiing in 02 (Boots, €24.00)
Runner Up: No.7 Match Made Concealer in Cool Ivory (Boots, €9.75)

This is one of the few Benefit products that I rate at all. The concealer is brilliant!  It really is industrial strength. Usually I will use it only at night but on the odd occasion if I am having a particularly bad skin day I will pop it on with my regular daytime foundation and it does the job. I am on my second tub of this and I will definitely repurchase. 

At the moment I am down to the last bit of my No.7 Stay Perfect Blemish Cover in Medium. I have already repurchased but what I didn't realise when I was in the store is that they have rearranged the line and now No.7 Match Made Concealer comes in the same shades as the No.7 Stay Perfect Foundation. This suits me perfectly as I now own the matching concealer and foundation in the shade Cool Ivory. The reason this concealer is not my winner is that it just doesn't have the same coverage as the Boiing but on a normal day it does just fine. 

Powder

Winner: Rimmel London Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Translucent (Boots, €5.99)

Runner Up: No.7 Perfect Light Pressed Powder in Light (Boots, €14.95)

I don't really have a problem with oily skin so I don't have a huge grá for powder. I use it most of the time to be safe but the only time I really need it is in the Summer when I'm away in a hot climate. I find Rimmel London Stay Matte Long Lasting Pressed Powder in Translucent does the trick for me at home. I've never taken it away with me to comment on it but if I'm still using it in the summer I will find out then. I have used this before and recently repurchased it. I have also turned other people onto it and they've been happy with the results. 

I also really like the No.7 Perfect Light Pressed Powder in light. 

It does the same job for me as its Rimmel counterpart and I just don't really feel like paying the difference. 

Bases

Winner: MAC Mineralize Satinfinish SPF15 Foundation in NC25 (Discontinued)
Runner Up: Rimmel London BB Cream 9in1 (Boots, €8.95)

My favourite foundation is MAC Mineralize Satinfinish SPF15 Foundation in NC25. It gives a lovely even coverage with a nice glow. I am almost out of it at the moment but it makes me want to cry that it has been discontinued. 

Recently while trawling through Boots in Limerick's Crescent Shopping Center I came across what I think is a real gem, Rimmel London BB Cream. I wrote more about this in my Make Up Haul Blog Post. 

Palettes

Winner: Urban Decay Naked Palette (Debenhams, €44)

There is only one real winner where I am concerned when it comes to Palettes and there standing above the crowd is the Urban Decay Naked Palette. Admittedly it is expensive but in my opinion, worth every penny. I have used every colour in it some stage, some more than others, and I love it. Recently I have been forcing myself to use other products when I am doing my eye makeup. 

Tools

Winner: No.7 Eyeshadow Blend and Contour Brush (Boots, €9.50)

Runner Up: Real Techniques Buffing Brush (Available in Core Collections set €28.99)

I absolutely adore this brush. I bought it with a voucher as an impulse buy in Boots so it cost around €5, which is an absolute bargain. I don't use it to apply my contour eyeshadow as I use an angled eyeshadow brush for that but I always use it to blend my shadows after I put them on. As far as I am concerned EVERYONE needs this brush.  

I bought this brush in Boots and fell instantly in love with it. I wrote more about this brush in my Make Up Haul Blog Post. 

Highlighter

Winner: Benefit Watts Up (Boots, €35)
Runner Up: Sleek Face Contour Kit in Light (www.sleekmakeup.com €7.99)

I really like the pearly dewy look this highlighter gives. I usually apply it on the cheekbones, down the center of the nose, on the brow bone and on the cupid's bow. It is a tad pricey so I try to save it for night time and use my Sleek Face Contour Kit for daywear. 

So those are my makeup favourites. Do you have any that I've missed or maybe we have some of the same favourites. Please let me know in the comments below. My next post will be addressing the makeup trends for spring which emerged at LFW.