Beauty products I'm loving at the moment

We've come a long way since the days of Boots No. 17 Heather Shimmer lippie, circa 1996! For those who don't remember, it was the lipstick of the moment- a fetching lilac with a strong silver shimmer, which was enough to make even the liveliest gal look like she'd passed over.

Here are my must-have-holy-grail-can't-live-without products:

Dream Matte Mousse in Fawn 

I have been bestowed (cursed?) with terribly oily skin, which needs to be powdered several times a day to avoid resembling a highly reflective surface. I fear one day a bystander will use their reflection in my face to touch up their own makeup - “Can you hold still please? I’m nearly done”.

Though my own blogger-stalking, I know that DMM is definitely not for everyone, particularly those with drier skins - I imagine it would cake terribly and probably worsen the dry/tight feeling. Those firmly attached to liquid foundations might find it hard to get used to the very dry, almost powdery formulation.

I buff it into the skin with a Real Techniques stippling brush and find it gives me a flawless matte look, with good coverage, and is a perfect base for powdered bronzer/blusher.

Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer

This is my best beauty find ever. EVER. Three cheers for Urban Decay!

I saw this product featured in a few magazines and thought it would be worth a try, as due to my said oil production (refer above), my eyeshadow would have migrated into my eyelid creases by lunchtime, requiring a complete reapplication for after-work activities.

Applying this creamy product before applying eye makeup creates a base for the shadow to cling to, in addition to absorbing oil from the eyelid. I’m not exaggerating when I say my eyeshadow lasts long into the evenings now and doesn’t slip or slide at all any more. I find it also improves the intensity of the colour, compared with application onto bare skin.

I’ve recommended this product to a number of my friends, who have then passed the recommendation to their friends, so the love seems to be universal for this one. Huzzaah!

Revlon Lip Butters - Cotton Candy and Strawberry Shortcake

The most blogged about lip products ever?

I initially rejected the hype and instead opted for L’Oreal’s Rouge Caresse range. I bought six of their colours because I liked the sheer but pigmented formulation. HOWEVER after a few weeks of use I started to notice my lips were really dry, peeling and sore. Since these were the only lip products I was using at the time (and I generally have quite robust skin) I had to deduce the Rouge Caresse was causing it. I have sent them back to L’Oreal, response pending. Shame!

So, I’ve joined the herd and bought lip butters in the two light-ish pink shades. So far, so good! I’m really liking them - they are much more moisturising than the RC’s and I really like a slight shimmer in my lip products, which the LB’s have and the RC’s didn’t.

Picture: Cotton Candy (left), Strawberry Shortcake (right)

 Miss Glamorazzi has posted a great comprehensive review of these lip butters.

Look Blusher in Flirt

This is a lovely corally-pink with some gold shimmer shot through. The blusher is super-pigmented and easy to apply (being careful not to o/d!).

 I bought this on Lily’s recommendation.

Famous by Sue Moxley Eyeshadows

I love the pigmentation, and the colour range is a gorgeous mixture of nudes and brights. I currently own the Café Culture palette, a shimmery taupe (Shade 3), browny purple (Shade 15), the bright bright purple (Shade 12) and the shimmery black (Shade 18).

For those who love a strong shimmer/glossy look to their eyeshadows (which I LOVE for a night out), these shadows are superb. Score!

Available from selected Superdrugs.

Urban Decay’s Naked Palette

Who hasn’t heard of this palette?? You can tell from the picture which colour I like best for everyday wear, but the matte browns are also great for eyebrows.

I wouldn’t say I’d repurchase this palette, as I just don’t use enough of the colours (the gold-y ones in the middle are too warm for me), however it has definitely persuaded me to buy ‘Sin’ as a single shadow (provided it’s stocked as one).

Avon Mega Impact a.k.a SuperShock Gel Eyeliner

I have a lot of love for this eyeliner - a gel in pencil form, as it’s the only one I’ve used which STAYS PUT all day and has fantastic pigmentation. It’s reasonably priced too - yay!

It was Pixiwoo’s recommendation on their YouTube channel whichencouraged me to first buy this a couple of years ago.

(Disclaimer: I’m no beauty professional, just a long-standing product junkie!)