Little Penguins: Favourite Products

So I thought I'd do a little post today on my favourite products at the moment as well as a FOTD with them.

I'm starting off with my naked face (scary!). You can see that although my skin is quite good it's a little uneven in colour with redness around my nose and mouth and I have a couple of spots. Apologies for all the squinting in this post by the way, the sun was just hitting my eyes.

For the last 3 years I've been using Bourjois 10 Hour Sleep Effect foundation and I really like it. It covers up any blemishes without covering my freckles too much or being masklike. Also in the lightest colour (71) it's exactly the right colour for me.

The Healthy Mix foundation came out here quite recently, maybe a year ago or so. I ran out of foundation a few weeks ago and when I went to buy a new bottle Boots didn't have 10 Hour Sleep Effect in my colour so I bought Healthy Mix instead. So far they seem similar, Healthy Mix gives slightly better coverage and lasts longer on your face. It also seems a little less oily, it's not essential for me to set it with powder like it is with the 10 Hour Sleep Effect.

As you can see in this picture, the redness in my skin is gone after a light application of Healthy Mix and all my face is the same colour. I just used my fingers to apply it and moisturised beforehand. (Note: I changed the settings on my camera inbetween the first photo and this one, so the foundation doesn't really make me look that much paler than normal.)

I've been using Bourjois Apricot Complexion Enhancer for almost as long as I've used their foundations. It's very handy in the summer because it warms and darkens up your foundation just a little and saves you having to buy a new foundation if you tan just a little in the summer.

If you have warm toned skin like I do you may have trouble finding foundation with that yellow tint you need. If your foundation is a little grey on you, add a little of this to warm it up. I've been using it like this for the last few weeks. I was waiting to get paid so I could buy new foundation and while I was waiting I was using a foundation which was too pale and cool toned for me.

The Complexion Enhancer can also be used as a gel blusher. I use it as a blusher when I'm in a hurry and just want to wear foundation and blush.

I look much less dead with it on.

MAC Hipness blusher came out in the FAFI collection in Spring 2008 I think. It was then repromoted this Summer with To The Beach. It's a pinky coral with a little gold pearl and is my favourite blush ever. In fact I love it so much that I haven't bought a new blush since. I was going to buy a backup when To The Beach came out but I haven't even hit the pan yet so I doubt (hope) I won't run out any time soon.

I apply it with a MAC 187

Another Bourjois product next, this time their Highlighting Powder, which is my go-to face highlighter. I sometimes use MAC Vanilla pigment but this is just less messy to apply. I rarely use this as an eyeshadow highlighter, I prefer to use MAC Shore Leave e/s for that.

I apply this to my cheeks, nose, cupid's bow, chin and a little on my forehead using a flat foundation brush- a Ruby and Millie one.

It was hard to pick my favourite eyeshadows but I went with two Fyrinnae ones- Newcastle and Platinum. I've had these for quite a while and they get a lot of wear. I could actually do with ordering a new pot of Newcastle, mine is nearly empty. Platinum is a silvery champagne colour, it reminds me of UD's Midnight Cowboy without the glitterbomb. Newcastle is a burnished old gold and looks good on everybody. I ordered some Pixie Epoxy yesterday and I can't wait til it arrives to see how these look over it.

I applied Platinum to the inner half of my eyelid, over some UDPP.

Then applied Newcastle to the rest of the lid and the crease.

And then used a No.7 blending brush with a little of the Bourjois Highlighter on it to blend it out (slightly unevenly, oops).

Urban Decay's 24/7 liners are, along with GOSH Velvet Touch liners, my favourite pencil eyeliners. The apply so smoothly and colour range is perfect. Yeyo is great for using as an inner eye highlight or as a base for eyeshadow.

I placed a bit of it in the inner corner of my eye and blended it out with my ring finger.

1999 is one of my favourite colours from the 24/7 liner range. It's a lovely dark purple with a little sparkle, similar to MAC's Deep Chestnut eyeshadow.

I applied it to my upper lid and winged it out slightly.

I bought the Essence Asia navy liner from a clearance bin in a chemist and I'm impressed with it. It's a beautiful navy blue with a tiny bit of shimmer, it applies easily and wears well.

I applied this to my lower lid and blended slightly with my ring finger.

For the last few years MAC Blacktrack fluidline has been my HG black liner. I ran out of it a while ago and my sister lent me her ELF black gel liner (which I think she's forgotten about!). I'm super-impressed by it, it's actually less dry than the MAC one and so is easier to apply and it wears just as well.

I applied this to my upper and lower waterlines using a MAC 208 and then blended it with a little more of the Essence liner. For some reason I didn't take a picture with both eyes done, but here you can see my right eye is lined and my left is not.

For the last few months I've been using Maybelline The Colossal Mascara. It's quite good, one of the better mascara's I've used. It's time I bought a new mascara actually so if anyone has any recommendations on good volumising and curling mascaras that are relatively cheap then please let me know.

Naked lashes

With the Maybelline mascara

My favourite lip colour to wear is dark red and in the last few weeks I've been mixing up my own. I use MAC's Russian Red which is probably my favourite lipstick. It's a beautiful colour and lasts for hours, even through eating and drinking. I bought Revlon Black Cherry a few weeks ago on Clearance in Boots for €3. I love the colour but unfortunately the staying power is pretty crap. However when you mix the two together you get decent wear time and a colour which is easier to wear than the Black Cherry alone.

I mixed them on my lips with my Ruby and Millie lip brush.