Top 5, under £5

Everyone loves a good make up bargain right? Especially me.. and especially at this time of the year as 90% of my money is going on birthdays and Christmas presents. So I thought it'd be a good time to pop together my top 10 under £10, and also my top 5 under £5 make up products.

Budget Blendable Eye Liners from Rimmel

Once upon a time I lived in black eyeliner. I had one from Chanel that I got from the duty free and I wore it religiously. And it wasn't just on the lash line on the lids, oh no - it was all around the waterlines - top and bottom. So I resembled a panda somewhat. As my make up tastes grew I swiftly moved away from this interesting look and haven't really touched liners much since. However - I wanted to talk to you today about a range of eyeliners which have bought my love.

The How To | Stepping Aware from Liquid Liners

As you may know I'm a bit of a winged liner fan, I don't feel quite myself without that little solid black flick at the end of my eyes. However, one thing I know from experience is that liquid liners don't tend to fair brilliantly if hot weather and with summer coming up I thought I'd try some alternatives...

The Review | Rimmel Exaggerate Lip Liners

Lip liner is never something I thought I would need in my collection, however these little budget beauties have completely changed my mind. These products seem to be having a bit of a moment right now, especially one certain colour, which is why I decided to pick them up - was the fuss worth it?

The Mani | Trialling White Nails

These seem to be EVERYWHERE at the moment. Honestly, I was holding off as it reminded me of when I used to put tippex on my nails at school. But you know, I thought I would give it a whirl! It wasn't something I was 100% confident doing it but you know, everyone else seemed to like it so why not!

I'm loving the Rimmel nail polishes at the moment so I picked up Rita Ora's White Hot Love. It only took two coats to this really opaque white colour. I was worried about how sheer white could be but this was so thick it really didn't need too many coats. For the first few hours I was quite conscious about them, but they definitely grew on me and I got so many compliments! Even from guys...

I was very surprised at how white and clean these stayed as well. For me white is usually dirty so quickly but these stayed white and in tact for a week which is very impressive. I'm still not 100% about white nails, but I'm glad I tried it and I would wear it again.

What nail trends should I try next?

The Favourites | Comeback Kids

We all have those products, the ones we forget we have that we once loved, replaced by a newer more exciting product - only exciting because it's new. Yup, everyone does. I have a bucket load (curse of the beauty blogger). Recently I cleaned out my bathroom and rediscovered some delights... 

#1 | Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer

Why did I ever stop using this? The perfect under eye concealer, it lightens and brightens so my now constant dark circles (curse of the communter) are disguised mwaha. Cheap and cheerful it's a winner. It stays for a good few hours and doesn't slip or crease. I pop this on top of my foundation/tinted moisturiser and blend with my buffing brush. On top of blemishes it's not quite as amazing - it's definitely one for under eyes - it highlighters more than hides in this case. Otherwise, total winner winner, chicken dinner.

#2 | 17 Instant Glow Gold Bronze Shimmer Brick
I gave this up a little while ago in favour of a more matte bronzer. I went off shimmer for a while, however my matte bronzer died (long story) so I picked this back up. I've been using the darkest shade for contour, which I didn't before, and the middle two colours for added colour in my cheeks. I've fallen back in love with this product and I love how the tones match my face and the glow it gives. It's a beaut of a product and I can't believe I ever stopped using it.

#3 | Origins Zero Oil Cleanser
This somehow got lost and I was devastated. I didn't want to fork out for another so I thought it'd be the perfect time to try something new, which I did and I did fall in love with it. However, I recently refound this and have been using it again ever since. Nothing cleans my skin like this and nothing sorts my skin out as much as this as well. It's the perfect cleanser for oily, blemish prone skin and well, it just works.

#4 | Gosh Intense Eye Liner Pen in Brown
This was one of the first things I was ever sent to review on the blog and I loved it from the off. I put it away to play with some newbies which was pretty much all black. Some I loved, some were a bit meh. I decided to try again with this when I was using a lot of nude and brown shadows to create a brown everyday smokey eye and this looked amazing as opposed to black liner with this and this has become my everyday look.

#5 | Nivea Daily Essential Express Hydration Primer
Last, but definitely not least, is this beauty of a day moisturiser/primer. I don't really see it as a primer but as a very light gellish moisturiser that I use every morning. I'm not even entierly sure why i stopped using this as it is amazing, not gonna lie. It's super super nourishing for my skin and is the perfect pre make up moisturiser as it really smooths the skin and isn't too heavy (hello primer properties). This isn't leaving my side again, like, ever.

I do think it's so much fun going back through your collection and finding old products you've forgotten. Love it.

What are your favourite comeback products?

The Favourites | May Beauty Picks

May has been one of the best months I've had for a long time. I left my job in retail, got my first tattoo, went on holiday and started a new career in London. In terms of favourites, I've been using a lot of new stuff towards the end of the month so there aren't many for May! Click here to see the video and all the details - don't forget to subscribe!

The Mani | Rimmel Breakfast in Bed

RIMMEL 60 SECONDS RITA ORA NAIL POLISH IN BREAKFAST IN BED

Oh my, let's just all sigh at the prettiness of this shade. IT'S SO PRETTYYYYYYY. Moving on... I picked this up on a total whim in my local Sainsbury's where I was supposed to be buying food for our trip to the Forest of Dean... Whoops. It was something like £2 reduced so I couldn't not - it just called to me.

So, Rita Ora has done a little collection for Rimmel which includes nails and lip crayons - this is my first from either collection and I am super impressed by the range of colours. The names are incredibly sexual (Orgasm, Blindfold Me Blue, Lose Your Lingerie etc) so they don't really have anything to do with the colours. I did have a bit of a chat with the guy doing my tattoo about the name of this I must admit. Anywho... I was so impressed by the quality of this polish. I've not used any of their 60 second stuff before so I'm so mad at myself cause I've been missing out big time. It's a big thick brush and the solution is really nice and thick so you get amazing colour with just one coat. I applied a second literally just for continiuity sake, and just to make sure it was all even but to be honest you really don't need to.

Longevity wise this has lasted a good four days without chipping yet so I'm super impressed. For just under £4 usually this is a seriously good quality little polish and I will definitely be picking up some more shades from this range. 

Which colour would you pick from this range?

The Review | Rimmel Volume Flash Mascara

RIMMEL WATERPROOF VOLUME FLASH MASCARA £5.99

A couple of weeks ago I very sadly ran out of my favourite masara by No7 (see review here). This made me incredibly sad but at the same time excited that I get to try a new product! This was part of my £20 Boots haul so I was looking for a really good bargain. I've heard Rimmel do some great mascaras so I spent some time looking at them and ended up with this one. I have to say, I haven't heard anything about it on the blogosphere and that was one of the reasons I reached for it. Plus it was waterproof and blue so I was going to love it.

So let's talk about what makes a mascara in my opinion, the brush. It's smaller than what I really like. The bristles seem to be grouped together in small bits. It's a sturdy brush that goes over the lashes very easily. To begin with I found it quite clumpy, however if you use a rocking motion when applying this reduces the clumps that form on the lashes. Personally I prefer a bigger brush with a different layout of bristles.

The formula is very wet - so it takes a little longer to dry then other mascaras that I've used and I do find that if I blink very soon after applications it does transfer onto my lower eye. I also find it lengthens the lashes very well - that's definitely a plus point. However, it doesn't do too well with curving - I'm not sure if that's because it has a smaller brush. 

Overall I will keep using this because I do like the length it lends my lashes, however I wouldn't repurchase it and I probably wouldn't recommend it to others.

What drugstore mascaras would you recommend?

The Haul | £20 in Boots

I had like, £25 worth of Boots points on my cards, so when make up goes 3 for 2 it would just be rude not to abuse it. Right? Well, abuse I did and I got 6 products for under £20. I'm so excited I wanted to pop them up ASAP for you guys to see... So asap I bought them this morning, and I'm posting now. Hello real time blogging! Because I was budgetting myself I wanted to stick with some brands I don't usually head for, such as Collection, Seventeen and Rimmel (sorry Rimmel). So what did I buy?

COLLECTION SHEER LOOSE POWDER IN TRANSLUCENT £2.99

I've recently got a Bourjois loose powder and love it, so I thought I'd give this a go. Kat from Jemima and Ted always used to rave about it to me so it comes highly recommended and let's face it, at just under £3 how on earth could you say no to this?

RIMMEL GLAM EYES HD PALETTE IN BRIXTON BROWN £6.99

Yeah, I'm sure you've seen this doing the rounds in the blogging world at the moment. This was the last one left in my Boots so I snapped it up and didn't let it go. I love the colours in this and it comes highly recommended from Lily Pebbles, so I'm not going to brush that off so easily!

COLLECTION WORK THE COLOUR NUDE EYESHADOW PALETTE £3.99

Yes, £3.99 for an eyeshadow palette. Bargain! I love the shades here, more nudes (opps). I was very tempted by the purple palette, but I don't wear purple so it seemed a bit of a waste. I cannot wait to try this out and rave about it (hopefully). I may be heading back for the purple one after all!

COLLECTION GOTHIC GLAM LIPSTICK IN SEDUCTION £2.99

The reason I got this was because the colour really reminds me of Plumful from Mac, one of my fave lipsticks so I really wanted to see if this compared as closely as I'd hoped. Dupe on the way I'm thinking! Plus you know me, I had to get a lipstick in there somewhere...

RIMMEL WATERPROOF VOLUME FLASH MASCARA IN BLACK £5.99

I need a new mascara and everyone raves about Rimmels so that was my first point of call for one. I was tempted by Scandaleyes but I loved the blue of this packaging, plus it's waterproof which I always go for so it was a win win for me. So far I am liking it... To be continued...!

SEVENTEEN WON 3 WAY HIGHLIGHTER £5.99

I'm getting into my contouring lately which means I need a good highlighter, I've ummed and aahed about getting this for a while so I snapped it up pretty sharpish when I went in today. After seeing Lily Pebbles tutorial on highlighting with Touche Eclat I'm definitely going to be applying that to this product.

What will you be buying in Boots 3 for 2?

Make Up | Rimmel Stay Matte

STAY MATTE FOUNDATION IN SOFT BEIGE £5.99

It actually kind of pains me to write this post. Making me sad, however - let's leave the sad stuff until after. As you all know I'm an oily skinned kinda gal, so as soon as a new matte foundation comes on the market I'm straight there - especially if it's a budget one. Enter Rimmel Stay Matte foundation. A hybrid of a moose and liquid, though leaning more towards mousse, this is a new type of foundation for me.

Mousse foundations have scared me since the whole Dream Matte Mousse years of teenagedoom, but I was intrigued by this - and rightly so. I love how easy this is to apply, how nicely it applies and how soft it is. It blends in beautifully and has great medium coverage, perfect for the colder months. The shade I have is a little bit darker than needed probably but it's working at the moment with my tan left over from the sun. Overall, this is a really nice foundation. It keeps my skin nice and matte, the shine is at bay and I look like a slightly flawless person.

Now is the sad bit... After about a week of loving this and swooning over it's brilliance and price, then came the spots. Major major turn off for me. I don't know what it is with me and Rimmel's foundations! I love them, they are lovely lovely foundations, but they always bring me out in spots and I don't know what it is. Having said that - I do still use this on the odd day that I need that little bit extra coverage or a velvety soft finish, it's just not one that I can use everyday.

Have you tried Stay Matte foundation? Are you trying any mousse foundations?

Make Up | Stay Blushed

STAY BLUSHED LIQUID CHEEK TINT IN POP OF PINK

I was not overly optimistic about this when I bought this, so god knows why I bought it. It was definitely a whim. Having bought it I am really glad that I did. I had used one of Rimmel's cheek tints before (here) and liked it - but to be honest I didn't really know how it would differ.

Wake Me Up's version is a lot more shimmery, where as this reminds me a lot of BeneTint. It's more of a solid colour with no shimmer. The colour is a gorgeous rosy pink. You really only need a tiny bit of it, a little really goes a long way and it lasts for hours. It's a great little product and I am really enjoying using it.

I've been popping this as my blusher with Mac Mineralize Skinfinish in Adored on top and the two work really well together.

For a small price tag it is a great, long lasting product that I would highly recommend. The only thing that does gripe me is that I think it's starting to bring me out in spots along my cheek bone. The new Stay Matte foundation has done the same to me as well (review pending) and the other cheek tint from Rimmel did as well. I'm thinking maybe Rimmel face products just really don't agree with my skin. I'm hoping I'm wrong and will of course keep trying, but at the moment it does look that way.

Also - happy October!! Where on EARTH did September go?! I don't mind so much as my birthday is in November so I'm getting excited for that, but it just seems this year is zooming by!

Have you tried Stay Blusher? What cheek tints would you recommend?

Nails | Mini Nail Haul

I went on a little shopping spree with my Mother the other day and somehow came back with four different nail polishes (among some other bits and pieces) so I thought I would pop them on here and show you some of the autumn colours I'll be sporting.

Revlon Moon Candy in Satelitte

I've wanted to try one of these for a while, you get polish one end and a glitter top coat on the other. I chose this shade as it matched a new dress I'd bought and it was also a very autumnal shade. It's not the easiest to apply as it's quite a long tube, but the colour is gorgeous and I love the glitter affect.

Rimmel Salon Pro Lycra in Grape Sorbet

Usually I don't go for an irridescent shade, but I love the colour of this for autumn. It's a gorgeous pink purple that's infused with Rimmel's lycra formula which I find lasts for days without chipping and has a wide brush which makes it super easy to apply.

Essie Chubby Cheeks

I just loved the name of this, so cute. It's the perfect autumn orange as it's not too bright. It's more of a burnt orange which adds that touch of autumn to it, but it's also not an out right red with screams Christmas to me. Not quite there yet! Again has the wide brush for ease of use and the usual fab Essie formula.

Essie Mint Candy Apple

Okay, so not the most Autumny shade, but I really do love this colour. I've been putting off buying it for a while but I couldn't help myself. It could be an autumn shade - it has a gorgeous tone to it that could be worn all year around and really is pretty.

I haven't bought many nails stuff lately as I've been getting gellish from the boy's Mum (she's bought herself a kit) but to be honest, I like to change my nails as much as possible so I'm back to my magical colouring box of nail paints - so be prepared to see more nail posts! Hope you don't mind...

What's your favourite autumn nail colour?

Trends | Pink Lips

Continuing the exploration of my lip drawer this week I have decided to focus on pink lips. Bright loud pinks, to pale baby pinks. I love pink lips - any kind of pink. I don't wear pink anywhere else so I like to make the exception somewhere - and that would be my lips. Mwah!

RIMMEL MOISTURE RENEW LILY EXTASE

Loving this range of lipsticks from Rimmel, it's incredibly moisturising and pigmented. This colour is a beautiful blue toned bright pink and I love it. It's very bright, long lasting and incredibly comfortable to wear. I've done a full review here so check it out, but this is definitely one of my faves.

L'OREAL CARESSE IN LOVELY ROSE

A pale baby pink balm that sits on the lips perfectly and comfortably. It feels like a balm more than a lipstick and it lasts on the lips for a good couple of hours. It is a very pale pink so not brilliant for those with a pale complexion already, but very pretty. 

RIMMEL APOCALIPS IN NOVA

Apocalips were everywhere when they were released, and I still love them. This is one of the four shades I have and it's incredibly pinky. It's another blue toned bright pink, that is very wearable for everyday situations and incredibly long lasting and pigments.

MAC LIPSTICK IN PINK NOUVEAU

The newest addition to my Mac lipstick collection is this gorgeous, yellow toned pink. Bright and very 80s in my opinion. Not a colour I've used before but I really like it. It's very different, long lasting and comfortable. Definitely a favourite for me, even if it is on the pricier side.

REVLON LIP BUTTER IN SWEET TART

Very similar formula to the L'Oreal Caresse, but a bit more balmy and pigmented. This is more of a deep blue toned pink, less heavy than a lipstick so quite light and perfect for the summer. A gorgeous summer shade as well. Bright, but subtle enough to be everyday.

What's your favourite pink lip?

Trends | Top 10 under £10

I got the idea for this from Fleur's channel (video here). I loved the idea of this and considering most of my make up is drugstore this would be fab to try and do. I have tried not to use any of there Top 10 to create a big of variety! I actually found it really really hard to whittle some of these products down. I've tried to use products for every kinda face part as well (if that makes sense...) so let's take a peek!

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation £9.99

A cult classic really, or it's turned into one anyway. I really love this foundation. It's a medium weight foundation that has fantastic coverage and is really long lasting. For me as well it doesn't clash with my oily skin which is always going to get a thumbs up in my book.

Max Factor Miracle Touch Cream Blush in Soft Pink £4.99

A gorgeous cream blush, incredibly easy and quick to apply. Small packaging so perfect for travelling, yet lasts for a while. Again, really good quality and very long lasting and I love the colour of this. It looks really natural on and as it doesn't go powdery on application it's great for lips as well.

Essie Mini Collections £9.99

Essie polishes are normally £7.99 from Boots, so these mini collections are a great way to nab three of the current collection and work out at around £3.34 each - so not bad at all! Yes they are mini, so not as much product, but they still have the same Essie quality and the ones I have so far are fab.

Bourjois Bronzing Powder £6.99

A bronzer I've had for about a year now and still not touched the pan. It's a gorgeous subtle matte bronze that's perfect for us paler types, but helps to warm up the complexion and is a dab hand for contouring as well. Great price and it smells like chocolate. They know how to market to us girlies!

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipsticks £6.29

Probably one of the best quality high street lipsticks I've ever tried. Really pigments, great coverge and good longevity and a wide range of colours. I love these and I'm always reaching for them. A really good price and something I think is quite overlooked in drugstores - needs much more hype then it currently has!

L'Oreal Micellar Water £3.33

A really fab drugstore version that I've been reaching for continually. It's calming on the skin and amazing at removing make up. It's a very watery version compared to Bioderma, but it's such a good price for the quality of product that you get. I've fallen head over heels for it. 

Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeshadow Pencil £4.49

I love these crayons. So so easy to use and apply and really long lasting as well. Great product for such a small price, and a fab dupe for the Clinique Chubby Sticks. Not a huge range of colours, but I love the champagne and bronze colours - great for everyday wear. 

Soap & Glory Whipped Clean Shower Butter £8.00

My ultimate favourite shower cream/gel/wash ever. It's amazing as a shaving cream - it keeps the legs moisturised instead of dry and flaky and is actually just amazing on the skin. Pricey for a shower product, but definitely worth it for me as I really struggling after shaving.

L'Oreal SuperLiner in Black £6.49

My perfect eyeliner. It's got the easy to use felt tip applicator and fantastic pigmentation. It's really easy to apply over eye shadow and doesn't transfer onto the top of the lid, and is really long lasting. A great price as well for a liquid liner.

No7 BB Lips £8.50

A new addition to my routine but one I absolutely love. They are so comfortable on the lips and also protect really well against the sun. I love the subtly of the colours as they are perfect for everyday wear at work as well and they are just altogether fab to me.

I have literally rewritten this so many times. I did notice that there isn't a lot of skincare on this... Unfortunately I tend to go for the higher end bits for skin care - make up however I have found you can get some amazing bits for a low price. I'm sure I've forgotten something... O well, here is my top 10!

What's your top 10 under £10?

Nails | Salon Pro Peppermint

RIMMEL SALON PRO NAILS IN PEPPERMINT £4.49

These little pots of paint are all over the blogosphere lately and I'm not surprised. I bought this little pot a couple of months ago on a whim with the bestie Amber (she bullied me into it I swear). I loved the look of this colour and thought it'd be the perfect summer shade.

As with all the other blogs, it's an incredibly long lasting nail polish - such good quality for such a small price. When i think of how much you spend on a Chanel (goodbye £18) and how long they last (a day if you're lucky) and how much these are... I wonder why I have any Chanels (because they have gorgeous colours and I'm a sucker for them). But honestly these are fantastic. 

This colour is gorgeous as well, its a pale blue aquamarine type colour that just has "Lisa" written all over it. They have such a large range of colours in this range as well, I'm coveting Hip Hop and Reggae Splash.

Which of these polish's would you wear?

The Favourites | My Lips but Better

I work in retail, to be specific a stationary shop, which means that make up wise I can't be too adventurous, which is no fun. This also means that I have acquired a ridiculous amount of lip products that all look like my own lips, just that bit nicer. So I thought I'd pop my top five up on here to show you all. Now, in no particular order...

17 MIRROR SHINE ON LIPSTICK IN BELLE £4.79

I love this lipstick. It's completely natural, the perfect neutral shade with enough gloss within the stick to forgo added gloss, but not too much that it looks over ick. It's so affordable and really long lasting. Definitely one of my faves and I would recommend any of the mirror shine on lipsticks.

BOURJOIS ROUGE EDITION LIPSTICK IN SHADE 04 ROSE TWEED £7.99

More of a matte everyday shade, a yellow toned pink that applies gorgeously, lovely coverage and really good lasting time. This is definitely in my top two I think. It has quite a chalky finish, so alone or with a slick of gloss it's perfect for work.

RIMMEL APOCALIPS IN CELESTIAL £5.99

The toast of the blogging world this year, Apocalips are incredibly pigmented and glossy, long lasting lip lacquers that are affordable and actually great. This colour is probably the most neautral out of the lot and great for a long day at work if you don't have the chance to top it up.

MAC CREMESHEEN LIPSTICK IN FAN FARE £14.00

The priciest of the five, and probably my favourite. A truly gorgeous yellow toned pink that lasts for hours, has a lovely natural sheen to it. This is currently my most worn and recommend it to everyone who wants a natural colour for Mac. Go buy now!

L'OREAL GLAMSHINE SPLASH STAIN IN LOLITA £7.99

Definitely a gloss as opposed to a stain, and one I wear a lot with the Bourjois beauty above. Not a huge fan of the wand by the gloss itself is very comfortable and long lasting, not too sticky thankfully. For a natural gloss, this is perfect.

Looking through all these it has occured to me that they all start to look identical. Opps. This is definitely my most worn colour and I think it's the perfect way to get into lipsticks if you're not brave enough to try the bold colours. Hope you enjoyed!

What's your favourite lips but better product? Have you tried any of the above?