Product Wishlist | High End Edition

Clockwise from top

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow Pomade - Very much becoming more and more obsessed with my eyebrows as the year goes on, this little product has been at the top of my wishlist for months. I've heard nothing but brilliant things about it, however after putting myself on a makeup ban i'm having to wait until i've ran out of my current eyebrow product until I can purchase.

Illamasqua Pigment in 'Androgen' - This multipurpose product is my shade of peachy pink down to a T. I think I will always favour the age old 'smokey eye, nude lip' combo, and Androgen is a beautiful shade that I can see myself getting a lot of use out of. 

NARS Creamy Concealer - I'm currently on the last remains of my current concealer and NARS' creamy concealer seems like the perfect replacement. It's luminous finish and buildable coverage is exactly what I need to help cover my stubborn under eye circles. 

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer - I'm going a bit concealer mad but I recently swatched this at my nearest counter and instantly fell in love. The coverage is gorgeous and easily covered a lipstick stain and freckles on my hand, leaving a natural finish without looking cakey. 

Illamasqua Masquara - I'm currently on the hunt for a new mascara that could easily become my holy grail and 'Masquara' by Illamasqua seems like it could just be the one to do it. The product lengthens and defines lashes and (apparently) doesn't flake. It's very very black and the more I look at it the more I want it. 

MAC Fix + Setting Spray - Apologising in advance, but I'm afraid I commit the biggest beauty sin and set my makeup with hairspray. A setting spray has never been at the top of any wishlist of mine, however just lately i'm finding myself wanting one a lot more. Fix+ sets makeup whilst refreshing the skin and taking away the 'cake' that too much foundation and powder can sometimes cause. Gimme!  

My top 5 | High Street False Lashes

Over the past few months my love affair with false lashes has reached an all time high, however, I've been wearing false lashes on and off for the best part of six years and I've tried and tested my fair share during this time. For me, Eyelure come head and shoulders above the rest; they're cheap and cheerful, reusable and look and feel light and natural when applied to the lash line. Still, there's a few even cheaper surprises hiding within the high street - here's five of my faves for under a tenner.

1. Eylure Nadine Coyle Girls Aloud - £5.59 @ Boots

Pretty much my fail safe lashes these are perfect for creating volume, length and texture. They're a dream to apply, can be used four or five times before they start to show wear and tear and I never find myself having to re apply throughout the night. All the lashes in the Girls Aloud range are gorge depending on what you're looking for and the Kimberly ones come a close second to these for a more natural, however still dramatic look. Described as a 'plush, layered style for a cool, offset look', these lashes do exactly what they say on the tin.




2. Collection 2000 Luscious Lashes Natural - £2.99 @ Boots

Despite only offering two different styles of lashes, these Collection 2000 naturals are perfect for daily wear. Before discovering these I'd never even considered wearing false lashes on a day to day basis, however these create a very natural effect, giving your own lashes a bit of extra length that, unless you're truly blessed, mascara just can't achieve. They do sometimes need a bit of a trim at either ends as the strip runs slightly longer than the lashes and can cause some discomfort, but at less than £3 a pop and the ability to reuse them around three times, who's gonna complain?

3. Eylure 'Ultra Glam' 120's - £5.39 @ Boots

A step up from the classic 116 lash, Eylure 120's add length and volume without being too dramatic. As with all Eylure lashes these apply with ease and last throughout the day and night without unsticking at the corners. The longer spikes that sit between much shorter lashes give the 120's an evening look without overcrowding the eyelid, making them perfect for gals with smaller eyes such as myself. I'd happily wear these both throughout the day or during a night out when I want to mix it up a bit and give myself a bit of a break from my typical Girls Aloud choice. Cheap, comfortable and versatile - a winning combo. 



4. Hedkandi 'Twisted Disco' by Eylure - £6.50 @ ASOS

Described as a collaboration perfect for ensuring that your lashes last as long as the music when away on a girls' holiday, the Hedkandi by Eyelure range does exactly that. I bought the 'Twisted Disco' lashes especially for Ibiza and they managed to withstand hours of drinking, dancing and sweating. Not as heavy as I'd usually wear when it comes to an evening lash, the 'Twisted Disco' lashes accentuate your lashes with length and volume, without feeling at all uncomfortable and have become my go-to holiday lashes.

5. 'Star Eyes' 2 Pack Natural Lashes - £1.59 @ Home Bargains

I know what you're all thinking already and I was as dubious as the next person when first trying these, but they're absolutely brilliant. I use an Eylure glue with these lashes so I'm unsure as to their staying power if used with the glue included, but they're incredibly easy to apply, comfortable, long wearing and can be used easily over five times. They're good enough to rival lashes five times their price and are my new go-to lashes that I've found myself reaching for daily. A perfect dupe for Eylure 116 and the Collection lashes mentioned above - albeit slightly shorter in length -, I can't sing the praises of these lashes enough. Don't knock 'em until you've tried 'em!

A high street surprise | Maybelline colossal volume express mascara

I'll admit it, i'm a make up snob! I rarely try any high street products and the ones that I do i'm never completely satisfied with. 
However, a couple of months before christmas i'd come to the end of my trusty Benefit mascara and needed a new one. Being a student, money is tight and I couldn't bring myself to part with £20 on one mascara. So I headed to the high street. 

I'd used a variety of Maybelline mascaras throughout college when I was 16/17 and a bit of a makeup amateur, not yet familiar with any high end brands other than MAC. Whilst browsing my local Boots store I remember how much of a fan I used to be of the 'Colossal volume express' mascara and 'The Falsies' mascara, both by Maybelline. It was a toss up between the two but in the end I opted for the 'Colossal' because I much preferred the look of the brush and was a fan of the similarity that it had to Benefit's 'Bad Gal Lash'. 

Although significantly smaller than 'Bad Gal' (will any brush beat it?) the Maybelline Colossal brush is a dream to work with. It's big enough for me to achieve the look I want, however not too big as to become uncontrollable. I very much favour volume mascara's over length as my eyelashes are quite long to begin with, and the colossal volume express mascara is perfect for achieving this.

The colour is very very black and I find that it stays on my lashes all day. I found myself almost disappointed when it ran out and I went back to using Bad Gal Lash. Don't get me wrong, Benefit mascaras are pretty much unbeatable, but for pretty much half the price, Maybelline Colossal is ultimately the perfect dupe and a great stand in until you can afford something that little bit more expensive. 

The one down side of this mascara is that i'm not necessarily a huge fan of the packaging. I find the bright yellow very garish and not fitting with the rest of my makeup. But for all it's plus points I can definitely let this point slide and will no doubt find myself picking up another once my current mascaras have dried up and ran out. 

The V word

The day rolls around every year and slowly but surely reminds us singles just how very single we really are. Yep, you've guessed it! I'm talking about Valentines Day.
Now, whether it's to do with the fact that i've never in fact been in a relationship on valentines day (says a lot about my love life doesn't it) or because i've grown up in a house where little to no fuss has been made on the day, I don't know, but I just don't get it (i'm not bitter, I swear!). 

The idea of having a day to declare your love to your partner seems almost alien to me. Call me old fashioned but whatever happened to showing your significant other how much they mean to you every day of the year? To me it's always just been another day, but I can almost guarantee that the day that I am in a relationship on valentines day, I won't be making a fuss. 
Despite the idea that teddy bears holding hearts telling me i'm the 'only one for them' makes me cringe beyond belief - I never have been one for cheesy, needy declarations of love and a teddy, seriously am I 12 years old?! - wasting money on a box of chocolates and flowers that i'd appreciate much more if I was surprised with them any other day of the year seems like a complete waste of money. 

I'm all for showing your parter how much they mean to you, but the sickly connotations that accompany valentines day makes me want to crawl into a ball and let the ground swallow me up. Comparably, my parents have been together for the best part of 20 years, have not once celebrated a valentines day that I know of, and are still in as much of a happy and committed relationship as the day that they met. It just goes to show that you don't need to lumber your partner with embarrassing gifts on one over hyped day of the year to secure a long term relationship. 

I've never been one of those girls that needs a man in their life to make them feel happy (all the women who independent, throw your hands up at me etc etc) so it's easy for me to push the idea of valentines day under the carpet and completely forget it exists - despite the fact that everywhere you turn there's something, somewhere advertising it - but I can appreciate that there's some girls out there that feel the opposite. 

Seriously though girls, if you're holding our for a man that's only going to show his affection on one day, you're wasting your time. I'd much rather be in a relationship with someone that worships the ground I walk on every other day of the year and completely ignores the concept of valentines day; at least then I'll know that his affection is sincere and a hell of a lot more genuine than some half-arsed card and stuffed toy thrown my way on 14th february each year. 

I'll be spending my valentines day with my girlfriends, a bottle (or two) of wine and a takeaway. All together now ALL THE SINGLE LADIES....