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| 1. NARS Audacious mascara £21.00 here 2. Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Lip Cheat pencil £16.00 here 3. Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish hot cloth cleanser limited edition pink pepper and mint £20.75 here 4. Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder foundation £50.00 here 5. Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in Apricot Shimmer £18.00 here 6. YSL Touché Eclat Kiss & Love limited edition £21.25 here Anya Hindmarch makeup pouch, £225.00 at Selfridges (how gorgeous!) |
Working in the fashion media, surrounded by magazines, websites, bloggers and Instagram hype, it's hard to know who to trust when it comes to beauty products.
Product reviews are often paid-for, sponsored, or part of a broader brand agreement and it seems honesty is no longer the best, nor the most profitable, policy for bloggers and editors.
I say this as I have spent far too much money on hyped-up products promising me Blake Lively-level hotness overnight, only to wake up looking exactly the same, if a little sad to have spent so much on a teeny-tiny pot of nothingness.
There are, however, a handful of beauty bits that I am pleased to say live up to their cult status and are worth trying out for yourself. Behold; the no-nonsense, hard-working beauty heroes that I simply can't do without.
NARS AUDACIOUS MASCARA
New this year, the audacious mascara is every bit as fabulous as the name suggests. I do believe mascaras are subjective, but for me this one ticks all the boxes, creating long, voluminous eyelashes in the blackest of black.
CHARLOTTE TILBURY LIPCHEAT PENCIL IN PILLOW TALK
In the year that teeny-boppers everywhere became obsessed with one of the Kardashian clan's every-expanding pout, I became equally obsessed with Charlotte Tilbury's miraculous lip colours and pencils. Pillow Talk is everything – if, like me, your lips are a bit on the thin side, take the pencil just beyond the lipline for a flawless plumping effect.
LIZ EARLE CLEANSE & POLISH IN PINK PEPPER AND MINT
I'm a little late to the party on this one, but I have never tried a more effective, luxurious cleanser. If you are one of those girls who really can't be bothered taking her makeup off at the end of the night, this rich, creamy cleanser is sure to sweeten the deal. The hot muslin cloth gently polishes the skin without stripping it of essential oils, making it ideal for sensitive skin.
HOURGLASS IMMACULATE LIQUID POWDER FOUNDATION
Yes, it's a little pricey, but Hourglass is undoubtedly my favourite beauty brand. The formulas are second-to-none, the packaging is gorgeous and the shades are spot-on. The arch eyebrow pencil almost made the cut here, as there is a Platinum crayon for blondies, but I felt this foundation needed a mention. As the name suggests, this lightweight foundation smoothes out imperfections for an airbrushed, photo-ready complexion. It's a party season must.
CLARINS INSTANT LIGHT LIP PERFECTOR
At high school, my signature dance move was applying lipgloss on the dancefloor – it's my one true love. I've tried so many different glosses, but this is the one I keep coming back to – sitting between a balm and a gloss, with just a hint of neutral colour, Clarins' Lip Perfector creates a subtle, creamy sheen on the lips, without too much sparkle. My go-to is Apricot Shimmer, layered over Tom Ford First Time and Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk.
This one goes without saying. Whenever I'm tired or just in need of a little pick-me-up, Touché Eclat is my first port of call. Try it under the eyes to banish dark circles, dotted in the cupids bow to accentuate the lips or apply it down the bridge of your nose and blend for a slimming effect. It really does work miracles.
What are your go-to beauty buys? Tweet me @SWfashion_
