The Cult Beauty Products That Actually Live Up to The Hype

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.

It's A Swing Thing

Aren't you a diamond? Earrings £17.00 from & Other Stories here

Okay, so it's almost been a week since pay day and, I don't know about you, but I've been really super-duper good since then. I've only eaten out once (Roti Chai, since you asked) and I've totally resisted the urge to spend all my hard-earned cash on faux suede separates and peep-toe ankle boots. I think it's called living within my means.

Still, such great behaviour surely warrants a little self-gifting? Any excuse. For a treat that won't break the bank- leaving just enough dollar to travel and eat and all those other annoying things you need to do to live- make a beeline for & Other Stories. I've fallen head over heels for the Scandi superstore's spring collection, and these swing drop earrings are le pièce de résistance.

Unique but still suitably pretty, they offer an instant update with plenty of pizzazz, adding interest to even the most boring white shirt and skinnies pairing. The best part? The kaleidoscopic glass crystals will take on the colour of whatever you're wearing, so you can rock them all around the clock. Or until you lose one, which is pretty much inevitable.

Anyways, I'll stop my rambling now, and continue compiling my 30-strong list of must-have pieces on & Other Stories' website. Standard.