The Travelling Base/Face Products

I recently did a post on the five lipsticks I took with me while I was away in Lincoln, which you can read here, and today's post is going to be on the products I took with me for my base makeup including foundations, concealer, powders, blushers, contour and highlighters. I was originally going to include eye and eyebrow products as well but realised the post would quite possibly be longer than the River Nile (Geography Goddess in the building) and so the final post on these items will be up later in the week.

Having to pack lightly made me realise which products I truly love enough to take on a journey with and accompany me, think of them as my children but in cosmetic form. Or don't. Admittedly that would be kind of hard to imagine.

FOUNDATIONS AND CONCEALER

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation, 100 Ivory- £6.99

For day time wear I prefer a light/medium coverage and this foundation is exactly that while giving a really healthy, dewy finish to the skin. I mentioned this foundation in more detail here (forgive me for my lack of detail, I WAS YOUNG AND UNAWARE).

Revlon Colorstay Foundation, 150 Buff- £12.49

For nights out I prefer a heavier coverage foundation as I find my base has to look more perfect if I'm wearing more makeup so it all comes together better. A dewy finish to the skin would just translate into 'greasy mess' on camera and so that's why I brought two foundations with me. I did a post on this foundation in more detail here.

Maybelline Better Skin Concealer, 02 Light- £5.99

This was the only concealer I took with me and it was a bit of a risk considering I'd only owned it for a few days beforehand but that is how much I felt I loved it. This was perfect and so good for covering my dark circles but I did wish I had taken along a Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer with me to cover up spots as my skin decided to be really nice and give me some hideous ones, thanks life. I did a post on this concealer in more detail here.

POWDERS

Collection Sheer Loose Powder, Translucent- £2.99

This is the only face powder I own as my other Rimmel ones broke (so traumatising) a few months ago and I decided to use this powder up completely before buying any other face powders so I didn't have any choice which to take. This does the job at setting my makeup and mattifies the skin but is so bulky and makes it such a pain to shove in your bag, also it makes such a mess, or maybe I'm just disastrous when it comes to loose powders.

Soap and Glory Kick Ass Concealer Setting Powder, Light- £10.00

Honestly you're probably thinking 'what on earth is that monstrosity on the right?' and I won't blame you; basically I bought the Kick Ass concealer quite some time ago but the screw fell out that held the little compartments together and for the longest time I left the product sitting there on my windowsill, not getting any use out of it, until I decided to have a go using the powder to see if it would stop my concealer creasing. After using it I was so impressed with the lack of creasing under my eyes and have been using it ever since, I'm aware I'm probably violating hygiene rules (I did consider wrapping cling film round it haha) but I'm not sure what else to use as an under eye setting powder?! Any suggestions are welcomed with open arms unless you're afraid of personal contact with a stranger.

BLUSHERS

Sleek Blush By 3, Lace- £9.99

It only made sense to me to bring along this palette, not only for the three completely different shades but also the massive mirror which, by the way, turned out to be so useful, yes I was one of  those annoying girls who was doing their makeup on the train half-asleep. I mentioned in a post previously how I don't seem to get much use out of this palette (here) but really wanted to make an effort to use it more and now I seem to wear the colours a lot which I'm really pleased about as the pigmentation is insane.

Seventeen Blush, First Flush- £3.49

As the Lace palette doesn't contain a matte pink shade I brought along this blusher as it's also highly pigmented and is such a lovely colour; I've owned this blusher for quite a while now and am planning on doing an individual review on it as I never hear much about Seventeen blushers.

CONTOUR AND HIGHLIGHT

Sleek Contour Kit, Light- £6.49

Does seeing the pan in the bronzer bring joy to your heart? No? Just me then. For a contour product this is the only powder that came to mind as other bronzers I have I feel lean too orange to work as a contour. The fact this palette comes with the loveliest highlighter as well made life so much easier, as a huge highlighter fan I really didn't know which to take with me so just brought this duo to save space.

George at Asda Under Eye Concealer, Light- £4.50

This product is a highlighter/concealer hybrid but I personally use it for highlighting as the pinkish tone doesn't work well with my skin tone to conceal but love blending it on my brow bone and into the inner corners of my eyes as it instantly brightens my face. I did a post on this concealer in more detail here.

So that's everything I took for my base and face products, to be honest I really don't think I brought that much with me considering my huge makeup collection haha! Also sorry for the seemingly endless linking back to other posts I've done, I thought it'd be easier to click the link if you wanted to read it rather than looking around on my blog, it's not a shameless plug.

Would you take any of these items away with you? What are your makeup travel essentials?

Autumn Berry Lips: Cheap, Cheaper, Cheapest

For me there is something so terrifying about dark lipstick, from the application to the overall look of it, it scares me. It's something I want to wear so badly but, as I have thin lips, dark colours can instantly make them look thinner and, if you make a mistake when applying, it is so obvious as well as the fact if you knock your lips you'll have a beautiful smudge mark. In a bid to be more confident with wearing dark lipsticks I've chosen 3 of my dark, berry lipsticks that are really cheap so, even if you don't end up wearing them daily, you haven't made a huge investment. I'm not going to go into a lot of detail about the lipsticks just a brief overview (I'm so wordy and annoying I need to tone it down damn it).

When I was taking pictures of these lipsticks I was planning on doing a post to compare the 3 but then, when looking at the swatches, I realised the colours are honestly nearly identical so bare with me through my last minute journey of a cheap, cheaper and cheapest transformation and also ignore the fact that the most expensive lipstick is in the middle. Cry.

The cheapest lipstick I have chosen is Collection's 1 Seduction from their new range Gothic Glam retailing for £2.99. This lipstick leaves a really nice stain and, like with all Collection lipsticks, I'm really impressed and would recommend for people to try this out for themselves or the other two shades from the Gothic Glam collection as all shades are aimed towards Halloween and the colder months.

Next is Rimmel Kate Moss' Matte Lipstick in 107 which I can only assume the whole universe has heard about. This is the lipstick the majority of people probably think of when they hear the term 'Autumn lips' and, at £5.49, it is the most expensive lipstick from the 3 but still entirely affordable. As this is a matte finish I find it less scary to wear because once it's on it's harder to accidentally knock whereas the Collection and Barry M one I find I'm more aware of when wearing them. However, this lipstick does tend to leave my lips quite shrivelled and unattractive looking so I wouldn't wear this for a whole day, maybe just for popping out or going out for a bit in the evening.

Lastly is Barry M's Lip Paint in 160, also shown as Black Cherry online, and retails at £4.49 so is the middle ground lipstick. This lipstick is part of Barry M's Ultra Moisturising range, however, I feel like this lipstick drags the most on my lips which I personally don't find to be a problem because it makes me think the colour is grabbing my lips more (or is this just me?) but is worth noting if you don't want that in a lipstick.

From left to right: Collection's Seduction, Rimmel's 107, Barry M's 160

Each of these lipsticks are worth giving a try for this season as every blogger seems to be talking about berry, Autumn lip shades and I feel these shades are wearable without making you look extremely pale and ill. The shades lean more towards dark reds and purples with hints of pink as well rather than a straight up black/brown.

Does anyone have anymore suggestions for cheap, affordable berry toned lipsticks? I have Beguiled from Topshop, that used to terrify me but not so much anymore, that is also similar in colour to the above 3 but is more expensive at £8 and so I didn't feel was worth mentioning.

Collection Lasting Colour Lipsticks

Seeing as my post on my Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick collection was so popular I thought I'd do another one of my lipstick collections this time by the brand Collection (collection...Collection..hawhaw). The 4 lipsticks I have are from the Lasting Colour range but I did previously own 2 more shades from the same range, Bubblegum and Passionfruit. Bubblegum is a cool-toned, powder pink that looked truly awful on me as it completely washed me out so I ended up throwing it while Passionfruit has shimmer/glitter that I couldn't get on with so gave to my mum.

These retail for £2.99 here with a total of 11 shades ranging from nudes to deeper tones and also contain an SPF 15. The packaging is pretty simple and is in a basic black case but I much prefer the recently launched Deluxe lipsticks which I did a review of here.

From left to right: 2 Pink Shock, 8 Sweet Tart, 11 Orange Punch, 14 Mango Tango

2 Pink Shock- This is a really bright, verging on fluorescent pink that I absolutely love but has quite a powdery texture that shows dry patches so isn't a shade that you can throw on in a rush. It might not be suited to people who suffer from dry lips because of this and I find it can make my lip line disappear if I'm not careful. Regardless of these things I still wear it regularly and find it wears well but can do with a reapplication throughout the day to maintain the brightness.

8 Sweet Tart- This is the shade that most people would deem as an everyday shade and is a really nice, quite subtle pink that feels really moisturising and light compared to Pink Shock. I would recommend this to people who want a hint of colour without anything too dramatic.

11 Orange Punch- Arggggh my absolute favourite Collection lipstick and orange lipstick in general is this and it's been discontinued! I actually found this in a Morrisons makeup sale box for 50p which is unbelievable but I am so upset that they've discontinued it! Every lipstick collection needs an orange :( I love this shade of orange as it's bright but darker than some oranges so I find it to be more flattering. It lasts literally all day on me and is just amazingggg. I've had a look on discounted makeup sites but can't find this shade but if you know where I could get it please let me know.

14 Mango Tango- This is one of the first brighter lipsticks I bought when I was getting into makeup and I wore it for weeks on end throughout Year 12 at school. However, since I've tried other lipsticks, I don't find this that great anymore, I love the colour but it seems to apply much more sheer and with more of a gloss finish and so doesn't last long on me. I find this annoying because I don't want to reapply my makeup throughout the day but I love the coral colour so I wear it when I know I'm going out quickly and won't be eating or drinking. I am a camel, I need not stay hydrated for the sake of lipstick. I joke I actually carry a bottle of water everywhere with me when I'm out and about.

From left to right: 2 Pink Shock, 8 Sweet Tart, 11 Orange Punch, 14 Mango Tango

I think these lipsticks can be a bit hit and miss in terms of the formulation but nothing too drastic and it wouldn't stop me repurchasing them if I ever run out, which I highly doubt.

Collection Deluxe Lipstick: Speak Easy

I bring exciting news in the form of a lipstick, but, when is lipstick ever NOT exciting I may hear you ask... or not depending on your levels of sanity. Collection (must resist urge to type 2000) have released a new range of 'Deluxe' lipsticks which caused me to violently crouch on the floor of Superdrug to begin swatching the colours. After looking on the Collection website I found that they hold a 70% blend of lip conditioners, antioxidants and hydrating properties and are said to be creamy with a velvety finish. There are 5 shades currently available, all of which are said to be retro inspired, and so I opted for one of the pink shades, Speak Easy.

I hadn't heard a thing about these lipsticks, not a blog post, not an advert, not an email nor a pigeon bearing a letter which I find odd considering I've heard and seen so much about their recently launched Eyeshadow Pencils. I am a big fan of Collection's Lasting Colour Lipstick range as they're incredibly long-lasting and have some really nice shades and are a brand of lipsticks that I always recommend if people ask for affordable, good lipsticks. I had to try out one of their new lipsticks especially as they are currently available at an introductory price of £2.99 as opposed to their usual £3.99 in Superdrug but, strangely, I haven't yet seen them in Boots. I can't find them online at Superdrug but they are available from Boots here.

I really love the packaging of these lipsticks as they look so much more expensive than the usual black and pink plastic casing they opt for. Appearance wise they remind me of Bourjois lipsticks and the only tell-tale sign that they belong to Collection is their dotted logo on the top of the lid casing.

Speak Easy is a natural, mauve toned pink that I find is really forgiving and easy to apply without a mirror. The formula is incredibly creamy, as claimed, but is still long-lasting but not so much as the Lasting Colour lipsticks. My mum commented on how they have the same smell as lipsticks did when she was younger so if you're a fan of that smell this may please you, if like me you're completely unsure on what old lipsticks smell like then you are granted permission to absent-mindedly nod.

I'm impressed with this new range and love how soft the lipstick formula feels. The other 4 shades aren't colours that I'm too fussed about buying but I'm hoping they will release some more colours eventually (cough coral and orange).

Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick Collection and Swatches

Lipsticks are my favourite makeup item to buy as I rarely wear eyeshadow and so like to put the colour and emphasis onto my lips. I own so many it's kind of ridiculous and my obsession started when I convinced my mum to buy me the Barry M Touch of Magic green lipstick that changes colour depending on your skin tone and, ever since, I have loved lipstick. A small minority of my collection is from the Rimmel Kate Moss range; I own some from the original lasting finish collection and some from the matte lasting finish collection.

From left to right: 01, 12 and 16

Firstly are the three shades I own from the original lasting finish collection; I love the formula of these lipsticks as they feel really creamy, are moisturising and don't dry out my lips at all. I also find them to be very long lasting which I love because I hate the idea of reapplying lipstick throughout the day- I just want it to stay put. I also love the smell of these lipsticks, to me they smell like a mix of a load of different smells like fruit, sweets and cinnamon. They retail at Boots and Superdrug for £5.49 which I believe is entirely affordable especially as lipsticks tend to last me ages.

Shade 01 is quite a deep, dark red shade as opposed to a bright and true red which I, personally, love because it makes it more wearable for daytime but can also be worn through to the evening. I feel like this lipstick has quite a vintage and classy feel to it and would look really good with a dark eye makeup look.I don't wear this lipstick all too often, mainly because I forget I own it, but, also, because it's been warm and sunny, I feel like a dark lipstick shade doesn't match up so I opt for oranges and vibrant pinks instead. I recently lent this to a friend who is Sri Lankan for her prom and she suited it so well so I would definitely say this colour is a universal shade and would suit most skin tones.

Next is shade 12 which I honestly do not like on myself as I feel the colour looks completely different on my hand than it does on my lips. In the swatch above it appears to be a vibrant, bright orange, however, on my lips it comes out a dark orange shade which I just don't find flattering on myself. I find this really disappointing because I want to love it because I'm a slave to orange lipsticks but I just can't bring myself to wear it no matter how much I try to convince myself otherwise. I would recommend this shade for people who want to wear an orange lipstick in a subtle way, unlike people like myself who prefer real orange shades.

Finally from the original range is Shade 16 which I absolutely love! It is such a perfect baby pink colour that looks so feminine and girly. This is the nudest shade of lip colour that I will willingly wear and it's not even that near a nude shade to be honest haha. I love wearing this for a natural makeup look and just for if I was going out quickly to the shop or to walk my dog and wanted an easy colour to wear and apply but still wanted it to be clear I was wearing lipstick. This lipstick just makes me so giddy with joy and especially because it is from the Spring collection which makes it seem like such a happy shade.

From left to right: 110 and 107

Next are the two matte lasting finish shades I own: 110 and 107. Both of these lipsticks seem to be really popular among bloggers and YouTubers and it feels like every person in the world owns these two shades and I understand why! They share a similar (if not the same, I can't actually tell haha) smell to the original lasting finish lipsticks but differ in that they obviously have a more matte finish to the other collection. Although they are matte shades I wouldn't say they are completely so as they do seem to have some sheen to them but I didn't buy them for the matte effect, I bought them for the colours. On the lips they feel just as moisturising as the previous lipsticks but I would say they are longer lasting, particularly 107 as it leaves a dark stain to the lips. The only thing I would say about these lipsticks is to make sure you exfoliate your lips before wearing them because, on me at least, they seem to accentuate dry areas.

110 is a really nice orangey, corally shade that I love but I also always forget to wear this one as well (sorry Kate)! It's one of those shades that add a splash of colour to your makeup without being too in-your-face and it gives a healthy, alive look to your appearance. It's a colour that's really nice to own even if you weren't to wear it all the time just because it differs from the usual pink and coral shades.

Lastly is 107 and, oh my word, I am in love. It is my favourite from the five lipsticks and I am so happy I bought it. I usually steer clear of dark lipsticks and, after a bad experience with Topshop's Beguiled which basically made me look ill as it had too much purple in it, I never took interest in them. However, 107 was one of those lipsticks I always swatched when going into Boots or Superdrug but never bought because I felt it would be a waste as I wouldn't use it but I was wrong! It's a lovely purpley, plummy shade that I feel looks really sophisticated and adds a twist to a girly outfit. I feel a bit grungey when I wear it (this feeling is ridiculous as I am probably on the furthest point away on the grunge spectrum) and I wish I bought it in Winter as I really feel like it's too deep a shade for Summer! CURSE YOU SUN RUINING MY 107 WEARING LIFE! Although, despite my burst of capitalisation, I have worn this a few times during the day (I will pretty much wear any lipstick in the day as I don't separate them into a day and night category) and haven't felt overdone or too dressy wearing it. I really think it is one of those colours people should buy to step out of their comfort zone with because of the affordable price. I've also been on the hunt for darker lipstick shades since buying this one but so far I haven't found any that I like, any suggestions?

I'm looking to extend my collection of these Rimmel lipsticks because of the value for money and I love the extent and variation of the colour range. I am thinking 05 and 13 next (dear heavens above control me).