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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?

If you've read my blog for a while you'll know that Nars is one of, if not my fave, makeup brand. I love the whole look and feel of the packaging, it doesn't feel as luxurious or lavish as YSL or Charlotte Tilburry, but it's just got something about it. And, most importantly I love the products ha! I'm yet to find a product I dislike or am even unsure of. I don't have a huge Nars collection but what I do have I use all the time!

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation
This is my fave Nars product and my fave foundation. It's not sheer and it's not that glowy (despite the name) but it gives a beautiful skin-like finish to the skin, whilst still giving medium to full, and definitely buildable, coverage! The shade Mont Blanc is also the best match to my natural, untanned skin that i've found. A must try if you haven't already.

Nars Bronzer- Laguna
What a classic! I remember back in the old YouTube and Blogging days this was talked about so much. Pretty much everyone had it. I dreamt of trying it for years but I couldn't justify spending that much on a bronzer when I was a teenager- it still makes me squirm, hence the reason i'm running desperately low on it! With just a hint of shimmer, it gives a lovely tanned finish without being too orange or too brown. I also love to use it as an eyeshadow (shown in my first makeup YT vid aahh!) for an easy, everyday look.

Nars Blusher- Orgasm
Another absolute classic here! Easy to wear everyday and the rose gold-ish reflection means it gives a glowy, rosy flush to the cheeks. It's very pigmented, so a little definitely goes a long way.

Nars Highlighting Blush Powder- Albatross
I don't know why this is called a blush powder, because it's definitely not. I recently wrote a blog post about this >> The Summer Highlighter << so check it out if you want a more detailed post. As the post name suggests, I particularly love this for the summer, since despite looking white in the pan, it has a serious gold undertone to it, making it look amazing with a tan. 

Nars Blush- Nico
This is another one that isn't really a blusher. I've also done a blog post on this >> Nars Nico << as part of my Hidden Gem series in 2016. I don't use it as a blusher, but instead as a multi-use powder; to fix, set and lightly highlight. Being a light beige with a hint of shimmer, it can set the under eyes, soften a heavy hand with blusher or bronzer or as a very subtle highlight. I class it not a must-buy but a maybe for Nars or makeup lovers.

Nars Illuminator- Copacabana
Another one i've wrote a longer blog post on >> The Liquid Highlighters <<. This actually comes close as my fave highlighter. I absolutely love the glowy finish it gives and how being liquid, it's so versatile. A little side note: I find that Copacabana blends the best and looks the best when i'm wearing the Sheer Glow foundation. 

Nars Audacious Lipstick- Anita
The only product that's not for the face in my collection. A classic rose shade- it is perfect for everyday. It's pigmented, so you only need a couple of swipes and creamy, but doesn't slide off. 

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?

I've had the Daniel Sandler Watercolour Creme Bronzer for well over a year now and when I first got it i was bitterly disappointed. I don't know what it was but I found that it didn't do much and seemed to be a bit of a 'blurgh' product, something that promised so much but left me wishing I hadn't spent the £15 price tag.

A week in the sun and getting (only slightly) tanned has caused me to strip back on my makeup. Less is definitely more when it comes to warm weather and holiday skin with accentuating the bronzed skin look being my main makeup aim. Living in the UK, i find that when i go abroad to hotter climates, the sun does wonders for my skin (although i do keep topped up with SPF), clearing it up and generally making it look fresher and glowy. 

The Bourjois Bronzing Primer lightly buffed over my skin is my first step, followed by the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum. Next up is Collection Lasting Perfection concealer of course, dotted under the eyes and on any redness, followed by a small amount of Rimmel Stay Matte Powder mainly on the t-zone. For brows I've been loving a more soft approach, using Naked 2 from the Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette which is perfect for fair eyebrows. Nars Laguna Bronzer (as always) I basically dust all over before applying a small amount of blusher just to pop the cheeks slightly with either the standard Mac Well Dressed or MUA blusher in Shade 3. Lashings of mascara (Avon Super Enchant Mascara) is the final step for an everyday look therefore keeping lips natural to avoid high maintenance. 



However to jazz it up for the evening i simply add a bright lip, which i think accentuates a tan even more, such as Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Moss in 107 or 12 or Avon Lipstick in Rouge Luxury as well as a sweep of highlighter on the top of the cheeks.