c1831

I love blog posts or videos on this sorta thing as I love a good bargain! However, I'm genuinely terrible at making decisions. So ranking each product in order has been hard. I'm pretty happy with it now- quick read on before I change my mind again ha! Let's count down from 10 to 1. 

10) Bourjois BB Bronzing Cream- £9.99
This was the first product to be featured in my Hidden Gem Series- the products that you don't reach for everyday, can often be overshadowed, but when you properly think about them, you realise how good they actually are. That is the perfect way to describe this. I love it because it's multi-use; I use it to cream contour, to darken light foundations and as a BB cream when i'm on my summer holibobs! 

9) Sleek Highlighting Palette- Solstice- £9.99
This also just manages to make it in the under £10 category. With 3 powders and 1 cream, this is a beautiful highlighting palette that'll make you glow. And I mean glow!

8) Revolution Flawless Matte 2 Palette- £8
The newest addition to my collection in this list and I know I've spoken about this a fair few times on the blog already, but at £8 for 32 good quality shadows, it just had to be included. The eyeshadows are pigmented, blend easily and the palette has a huge mirror. You can find my full review >>here<<

7) Wet n Wild Eyeshadow Duo
Before the Huda Beauty palette came into my life, this bronze eyeshadow was my lil love. I wrote a post (The Bronze Eyeshadow Showdown) back in 2015 about my fave bronze eyeshadows, where I featured this. I classed it as my ultimate fave due to being pigmented, easy to blend and not creasing. It's not as high up in my list as it would be, since I don't wear it so much anymore. But for my first uni years, I would regularly just wear this for a night out- a sweep of colour and lashings of mascara- and be good to go. This is making me want to wear it again! (It does seem to be that old that I can't find a link to it anywhere, soz!) 

6) Sleek Face Contour Kit - £6.99
I've had this palette in my collection for several years now, hence the battered packaging- I should probably get a new one! But this is a really good contour / bronzer which is not too brown, red or orange. The highlighter is beautiful too and is so pigmented you only need to dip your brush in.  

5) Rimmel London Kate Nude Lipsticks- £5.50
I love several of the Kate Moss lipsticks. 107 used to be my absolute fave of all time, i've stopped wearing it so much now (i still love the shade) and have instead been reaching for 42 from the nude collection. It is perfect for a night out since it's so easy to wear and goes with just about any makeup look.


1) Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer- £4.19
This just had to be number one. The only concealer I know will cover everything and the only concealer I must have in my makeup collection at all times. Is there anything more that needs to be said?

We're quickly heading towards summer where bases get a little lighter, lipsticks get a little brighter and I go a little heavy on the bronzer! I've picked out a few makeup items that'll serve you well through this transition period from spring to summer. Talking of summer- let's have a good one please?


It all starts with the base and generally something lighter, with less coverage is my go-to. But first of all this gal needs primer, makeup seems to just disappear from my face so anything that claims to help it last longer, i'm down for. The PUR Correcting Primer Illuminate & Glow does what it says on the bottle- gives the face a natural radiance but also gives a little bit of colour. So if you've got great skin that doesn't need much coverage or your heading to the beach and just want a lil something something' on your face, this could be your guy. 

When my skin is behaving better in the summer months I love the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation. It's definitely a light coverage but it just makes your skin look like skin, which I looove. I also like mixing my foundations so if i'm ever having a bad skin day (i.e quite a lot), I mix it with one of my heavier duty foundations. Overall this is a lovely light foundation perfect for the Summer months (and has a nice smell!).


Spring/summer is when I bring out the cream products. You just can't go wrong with a cream blush when you want your cheeks giving off that rosy, flushed vibe. The Stila Convertible Cream Colours are so pigmented you need the tiniest amount. It's easy to apply, blends in smoothly and doesn't rub your foundation off underneath. It also doubles up as a quick and easy lip tint. I love the shade peach blossom for a peachy glow to the cheeks.

What spring/summer makeup is complete without the signature coral/orange lipstick. Here's three to pick from depending on how bright and daring you wanna go. For the brightest of brightest shades you can't go wrong with Topshop's Lipstick in Infrared. This looks amazing in the summer with a tan, glowy skin and just mascara on the eyes. If you don't wanna rock the full on orange lip, the Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in No.12 is a good pick. It still has that orange vibe, but has a much more red undertone, making it less 'out there'. Finally, for a sheerer, glossier and much more coral lip look, the Bourjois Rouge Edition Lipstick in No.03 is the one for you. 

What are your spring to summer makeup picks?

• Hourglass Ambient Lightning Palette- Most definitely a splurge item and not an essential but just look at it!?

Where do I start? I haven't written a blog post in such a long time. *Edit- I wrote this a few months ago then forgot to post, doh!* I've been so busy with life and working that this little space went to the back of my brain and just wasn't a priority. I want to get back into the swing of things though and that starts now! So i'm going to ease myself back into it with an updated everyday makeup routine. This is the makeup I've generally been wearing everyday for work, so it needs to be quick and easy! I don't have the time (or effort) to be spending ages on my makeup at 7 in the morning!

I'm starting a new series on my blog, called 'hidden gems'; those products in your makeup collection that you may not reach for everyday and can often get overshadowed but when you properly think about them, you realise how good they actually are. Time to share the love. 



The first product under the spotlight is the Bourjois BB Bronzing Cream 8 in 1; a versatile, multi-use product for under a tenner. I use this in 3 different ways and I love each one. The first way is the way it's intended to be used, as a BB cream as the name suggests. I only ever do this when i'm having a really good skin day, which is mainly in the summer as it slightly evens the skin tone and adds a bit more colour to your face, perfect for achieving natural, summer skin!

I also use a small pump of this mixed in with my paler foundations so that they match my skin tone when i'm more tanned. This means you don't have to buy your favourite foundations in different colours, saving lots of money!

The final way i use this is as a cream contour. A little goes a long way and it blends really well to give a 'natural' contour. 

So there you have it, the first hidden gem is a great little product that more people should know about. It can be bought from Boots or Superdrug or online at ASOS or Feel Unique for only £9.99, bargain!

I received a 30% off beauty email from ASOS in my lecture and i knew exactly what i would be doing when i got back. I had to constrain myself from spending all of my student loan but you've got to make the most of a sale, right?!

Stila Convertible Color Dual Lip and Cheek Cream- Peach Blossom
I've wanted to try this for ages after hearing very good reviews but I've never got around to actually buying it. First of all i love the packaging, its small, cute and pretty. I think the shade works for all year round but will be especially good in Spring and Summer. On first glance it also seems to be really pigmented and blends like a dream, why didn't i get my hands on one sooner?!

Bourjois Healthy Balance Powder
I only ever really use the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder and i've been wanting to try something different for a while. I love the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundations and so i thought this would be good to try, especially as it apparently still leaves a glow to the skin which i'm liking at the minute.

Bourjois Gold Bronzing Powder
I actually bought the wrong bronzer here and i'm gutted! I meant to buy the matte version so i could contour with it as well but bought the shimmery one by mistake and i'm not the biggest fan of shimmery bronzers. It still smells amazing and blends really nicely and i'll probably make good use of it in the summer but for now its going to the back of my makeup collection. 

Rimmel Kate Moss Nude Collection Lipstick- 43
I love nude lips and i love the Kate Moss Rimmel lipsticks and so what is not to love about this? I did actually buy a shade darker than i wanted but i still love it and i'm definitely going to get good wear out of it. I'd say it is a brown peachy shade which would definitely suit a lot of skin tones. Rimmel and Kate Moss just seem to smash it when it comes to lipsticks and they are such a good price, definitely one of my favourites!