It's been a while since I updated the blog but I'm back with a roundup of my makeup favourites I've tried in the past few months. They are not all new releases, some are just new to me so I've made a selection with what I liked the most. I've included here my top picks for bronzers, eyeshadows, foundations, concealers and mascara.
BEST CONTOURING POWDER
To be honest I am not really into this makeup contouring trend, I usually lightly sculpt my face with bronzers but I've recently discovered the Dior Backstage Contour and Highlight Palette and I am absolutely loving it! The powders are so silky and easy to blend without looking patchy, the colours are beautiful and I like that they are not too ashy so you can use them for both contouring and bronzing.
The quad comes with two medium neutral toned shades, one dark shade that leans more reddish and a highlight colour. The highlighter is not quite what I expected, it is rather matte than shimmery and looks very subtle on my skin so to me it doesn't really serve it's purpose of illuminating. But I like to mix it with the other shades and make them lighter when I want a very soft contour and the combination is just beautiful. You can use this palette in so many different ways, it's so versatile and suitable to almost all skin tones.
BEST EYESHADOWS
To me Charlotte Tilbury products will always be worth the splurge, I loove them! The Pillow Talk Eyeshadow Palette is a gorgeous quad that contains two mattes, one shimmer and one glittery shade. It has the prettiest mix of soft rosy shades and an ultra fine texture, I mean they blend like a dream really.
I love the sparkle shade, it has a stunning finish especially when applied over a matte eyeshadow. I like to apply a tiny amount in the centre of the lid with the finger to add a touch of glimmer to the eyes and the effect is just stunning! I can't wait to shoot a makeup look with it to show you how gorgeous this is!
Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette of Mattes Desert Haze was released last year and at first I said I would not buy it because I already have some other eyeshadow palettes with orange colours but then I thought it looked just too beautiful not to have it. I love to wear warm eyeshadows especially in the summer, I think they look so nice on bronzed skin and pair really beautifully with blue or green eyes.
The colours are very pigmented and pretty intense but you can also achieve a soft makeup if you mix them with the lightest shade. The texture is so buttery and smooth, pigment is amazing and they blend extremely easily without enhancing fine lines. In my opinion Charlotte Tilbury's and Tom Ford's eyeshadows are really the best on the market , especially the mattes. If you like warm eyeshadows I'm sure you'll love this palette!
CONCEALERS AND MASCARA
I have very thin, blonde lashes so I don't expect too much from a mascara. I mean no mascara could give me those thick, voluminous lashes I've always dreamt of so my expectations are pretty realistic. A little bit of volume and definition is all I need and Lancome Hypnose Drama Instant Volume Mascara is my favourite so far. It gives my lashes curl, length, volume without looking clumpy, it doesn't flake throughout the day and most importantly it does not irritate my eyes. Even when I wear contact lenses. It's so comfortable to wear compared to other formulas I've tried.
When it comes to eyebrows, Maybeline Sculpting Brow Mascara is the only one for me ! Of all the brow mascaras I've tried ( Benefit, Anastasia BH, Lóreal and many more ) this is hands down my favourite. I love how it makes my brows look fuller while still looking natural and not too overdone.
The formula is really good, it helps my brows look thicker and stay in shape all day. I don't really like the wand shape though, I would have preferred a thinner one however it manages to coat every hair pretty good. I also like the colour very much, I have it in the shade Dark Blonde and it's perfect for me. Not too ashy, not too warm either, if you have natural blonde brows, just try it and thank me later. I use this together with the Anastasia Perfect Brow Pencil ( review here ) and I cannot recommend them enough, especially if you like that "busy brow" look.
Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer. I generally haven't tried many concealers as I don't have very visible dark circles and usually the foundation alone is enough to cover them. And this is the one I like the most, it applies and blends beautifully and I love the creamy and hydrating formula. It doesn't dry out the skin under the eyes and has a gorgeous luminous finish that brightens up my face instantly. If you have dry or mature skin, this would be a very good choice. I use the shade Honey when I have self tanner on and Honey when I am more fair but I also like to mix them to get a perfect matching shade.
BEST BRONZERS & HIGHLIGHTERS
I'll admit I have a weakness for Bobbi Brown bronzing powders. To me they are the best and the most natural looking bronzers I have tried so far and I highly recommend them to anyone. I have written a blog post about them here if you want to read more. The Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder Duo in Medium Telluride was released last year, as a part of their summer makeup collection but I only bought it recently. As I said, if it's Bobbi Brown, I can't resist. It's gorgeous and I like the blush shade very much, it has a rosy-mauve hue that looks beautiful and natural on both fair and tanned skin. Highly recommend, with Bobbi Brown you can never go wrong especially when it comes to bronzing.
I feel like I could add practically anything from Charlotte Tilbury line into this list because I really love every single product I've tried from this brand. This travel version of Film Star Bronze&Glow was released a few months back and it's just as gorgeous as the original full sized one. The only small difference is that the bronzer is a tad less pigmented and the highlighter is softer and slightly less golden, it's more neutral toned. The difference is very subtle but it's noticeable if you used the full size version. If you've never tried it, you probably should. It is amazing.
If you are looking for a light wash of sun kissed colour on your face and you are fair skinned, you will love this palette! But for medium to deeper skin tones I think the bronzer will not show up too much on the skin. The highlighter may work fine since it has a sheer finish that doesn't change the skin tone too much.
Kevin Aucoin The Neo Bronzer - Dusk Medium. I've read so many great reviews about Kevin Aucoin makeup line that I was curious to try at least one product and see if the brand is really worth the hype. And I really like it. The texture is buttery soft and blends beautifully, it is very pigmented and I like that it comes in gradient shades so you can use a different intensity depending on the level of tan you want to achieve. Such a versatile product that can be used to bronze or contour or even as an eyeshadow.
Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Mini- Bronze. I always prefer to buy mini sizes when availabale because for me it just takes forever to finish a highlighter. I've used this one for several months and still looks like new. It's a beautiful bronzy illuminating powder that adds radiance to the face without being too shiny. It is a multitasking product that can be used as a highlighter, bronzer and blush but it also looks gorgeous applied on the lids.
I hope you found this roundup helpful. Let me know in the comments if you have any questions or you can also share your favourites.
xx
