Beauty Staples

1. Body Shop eyebrow kit £10.00 2. Benefit they’re real mascara in black £18.50 3. Nars powder blush in Orgasm £21.00 4. Mac Matte lipstick in Velvet Teddy £14.00 5. Bobbi Brown lips and cheek Rouge pots in Pale Pink and Calypso Coral £18.00 6. Collection 2000 black eyeliner £2.99 7. Mac powder blush in Peaches £17.50 8. Maybelline Satin Liquid foundation in Nude £6.99

Like clothes your make-up bag needs staple items, products you can turn to without fail, know how to work and trust they will make you look your best. Staples to me form the very foundation of any make-up bag and are normally the products worn on a daily basis and are things you will invest in over and over again regardless of cosmetic trends. I am sure that almost everyone who wears make-up regularly will have a daily regime and daily ‘look’. It could be a simple dewy completion and a thin lick of mascara or a smear of pearly eye shadow and flushed checks or everything combined. As a huge 60’s fan my make-up has been stuck in a time-warp for some time now but if it aint broke why fix it, right? So, my daily make-up consists of a thick black sweep of eyeliner with a flick – remember it’s 60’s inspired, with a natural nude completion, peachy cheek and nude/coral/soft pink lip. As a lipstick fanatic my colours can change, even throughout the day but no matter what I don’t go anywhere with bare lips, they have to be coloured to finish off the overall look in my book. Here are a couple of pictures that grasp my ‘daily make-up look’ and as you can see I have opted for a subtle pink lip here. Listed above are the products that never leave my make-up bag and products I wear almost every day and here is why...

11. Body Shop eyebrow kit £10.00: Ok so first up eyebrows are an incredibly important feature to everyone’s face and should always be enhanced. If you don’t get them regularly tinted at least get them regularly shaped – there is nothing worse than over-grown unkempt eyebrows. I am going to do a feature all on eyebrows, how important they are when shaping the face, how to get that illusive arch and keep them looking in perfect condition, so look out for that soon. Anyway, for now I shall just discuss how important it is to fill in eyebrows and if you’re new to this it is easier than it sounds and I know once you have tried it that you will be hooked. I use the Body Shop eyebrow kit which you may think is expensive at £10.00 but on average it lasts me around a year and is actually one of the cheapest on the market. It lasts all day and comes in a range of perfect shades that give you a natural look.

22. Benefit they’re real mascara in black £18.50: Everyone raves about this product and rightly so, it is amazing and I would probably go as far as saying the best mascara I have ever had apart from their other mascara BadGal Lash – which is also fantastic and a bit cheaper. Both combined is like wearing full, thick and long fake eyelashes! Eyes are a bit of a statement piece for me and I like to invest in good mascara that I can count on to give me them long lushes lashes that I crave. Try it and see how it compares to your old mascara, will you ever back?

33.  Nars powder blush in Orgasm £21.00: Another beauty favourite that is said to suit all completions. It comes in gorgeous Nars packaging and has a peachy pink hue with gold flecks. Sheer, light, smooth and slightly glittery it lifts the face and gives an instant glow without the blotchiness that some cheaper, heavier pigmented blushes can give.

  

44.  Mac Matte lipstick in Velvet Teddy £14.00: It was hard to pick one lipstick out of my dozen for the staples range but this one I think is ideal for me and fellow dark haired women. It is a medium dark matte nude with a hint of dusty peach and warms the completion when worn. My lips look and feel fuller with this lipstick and the shade is natural enough to be worn daily. Adding a smear of shiny lip-gloss over the top takes it to another glamorous level.  

55. Bobbi Brown lips and cheek Rouge pots in Pale Pink and Calypso Coral £18.00: One of my favourite brands Bobbi-Brown provide these lovely Rouge pots that cater for the lip and cheek – how staple is that? I am wearing Pale Pink on my lips in the photographs. I think I prefer the Calypso Coral shade as it looks amazing with a tan. This product has won tons of awards and I think rightly so!

66. Collection 2000 black eyeliner £2.99: It is cheap and it is fabulous. Do not invest in expensive eyeliner, this one lasts me all day, is super easy to apply and comes in the deepest black. I tend to put three coats of this on to build the coverage and colour but once I have done that I am set to go, smudge free. This little pot can last me up to three months and that is with wearing it every day. A tip is to add a drop of water to it when it starts getting dry to loosen the liquid – you end up getting weeks more out of it.

77. Mac powder blush in Peaches £17.50: Mac have a great and vast range of blushes - some are really wonderful and others are a let down. This shade is cheaper that Nars and is similar in colour but is matte so, is a better choice in autumn/ winter. It isn't too girly and one pot has lasted me nearly two years, but that isn't with daily wear.  Still it is a product I keep returning to again and again.

88. Maybelline Satin Liquid foundation in Nude £6.99: I have yet to find a luxury brand foundation better than this high-street beauty that offers me medium coverage, near perfect shade (nude) and a dewiness that makes me look healthy and glowing. Don’t rely solely on expensive buys to get your beauty kicks, always check out the high-street too as they can have equally if not better results. So the packaging isn't anything groundbreaking but it works for me and I’m sure it will work for you too.