MY EVERYDAY MAKEUP KIT inc Lush, Topshop, Sleek & The Body Shop

I have a fair amount of makeup but I don't A) store it nicely or B) look after it correctly. I'm not proud of this - it's just, I think, that makeup is by nature messy. Coloured liquids, glosses, powders all spilling out and getting trashed. I wish I had a beautifully arranged area for makeup with draws and units or sections, just like Zoella the YouTube star. But I keep my makeup like I keep art equipment, all crammed in to one box with no order, just waiting for the happy day when I decide to try a different shade of eyeshadow (I get stuck on one product which I keep in my everyday beauty bag, and call me lazy, but it takes me months to change the contents, despite a multitude of choices only feet away in a draw).

That's not to say I don't have some great makeup which I could be using in some kind of display in my bedroom (?) or featuring in countless 'favourite' YouTube videos. It's the kind of makeup that I love and have a lot to say about, it's makeup that's so pretty it deserves some attention. But, no, it is destined to remain in the dark top draw.

However, since I came back from travelling just over a month ago, I quickly began experimenting with makeup again. This may have been down to my makeup collection  being absent from my life for months, and therefore it was a novelty having all this 'new' makeup to try when I returned. It could also be down to the fact I've come back with a bit of a tan and so different products/colours suit me now. A few days in to coming back, I'd found a range of products which I was very happy with - a quick, easy and effective morning makeup routine using a miminal amount of products, but good quality ones that I love. Here it is...

My daily face, laid out on a dirty rug...

1) The Body Shop Brow Definer in 03 Dark Brown: I like this guy. It's a soft kohl pencil so it goes on nicely and the shade doesn't contain any red tones so it's a more natural colour. Nowadays I get my brows tinted at a salon otherwise they'd be two barely there lines, but this pencil is great when I want extra definition, or the brows are due a tint

2) Topshop Kohl Pencil in Black: What do you think about Topshop makeup? I like it, a lot. This one is a great eyeliner pencil with a lovely soft formula that goes on easily, great for creating a flick, which then stays put

3) MAC Pearlglide Intense Eye Liner in Black Swan: I found this in my makeup box after I came back from travelling. Thanks Becky, I think? I use this alongside the Topshop pencil on goth days, it works like a thick smudgey colour, perfect for filling in the outer corner of the eye. I then use the Topshop pencil to create a small flick. I love this eyeliner

4) CARGO OneBase Concealer and Foundation in 02: A makeup artist friend gave me this, it gives great coverage, suiting my more tanned complexion to a T right now. I use another coverage product alongside this so I wouldn't say it's an all in one product, but it's great under the eyes and on blemishes as a light but effective liquid concealer

5) L'OREAL The Minerals True Match Mineral Powder Foundation: I'm crazy about this! I took one travelling and used it for the duration (it contains SPF too don't you know). The powder offers a light foundation like coverage which really does disguise flaws. I used this on its own whilst away, but now I sweep a tiny bit over the Cargo concealer and that's my base (almost) done. The one criticism is, if you have oily skin like I do, it doesn't mattify the skin, so I now sweep a tiny bit of translucent powder over the top to finish

6) N07 Stay Perfect Eyeshadow in Starry Lights: A great cheap (ish) eyeshadow that has just the right amount of shimmer, opens up your eyes and makes a fantastic base for other shadows or eyeliner, my go to for a basic fuss free day face

7) Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Blackest Black: A good standard. It's reasonably cheap, doesn't gloop and kinda just does the job. Excuse my lack of enthusiasm - I'll come clean. Since taking this photo of my makeup bag, I've started using Benefit's Roller Lash Mascara - a free sample I got from a magazine, and it's INCREDIBLE. I'm not normally one to be bothered about mascaras as I could never notice a significant difference between one and another, but the Benefit one is totally different and amazing, I will blog about it soon

8) CARGO Cheek Activator: A subtle shimmery liquid blush/highlighter, again given to me by my makeup artist friend. I dab a little along my cheek bone after applying foundation and powder, and it gives a slight glow, not overally noticeable, but nice if you just want a little glimmer or if used as a highlighter alongside a blusher or bronzer

9) Lush Eyeliner in Control: I'm a BIG fan of Lush's makeup range. I love the concept of colours to suit moods, and colour therapy applied to makeup. Makeup is transformative after all, therefore the psychology of colour fits nicely with it. This liquid eyeliner is a beautiful mermaid sea blue, and swept over your eyelid it looks fantastic. I particularly love this colour right now because my hair is a peachy pink, and the two colours just work together. Also, the name, 'Control' appeals too. Yep, I think I'd like some more control in my life at the mo

10) Sleek Lipstick in Mystic: I LOVE LOVE LOVE this lipstick. It's one of my favourites of all time! It's a beatiful purpley pink - not my normal lip colour palette of choice,  but it also has quite a dark, deep rich plum tone to it which makes it a goth 90s dream. The formula is matte and it stays on for ages. People got really obsessed with it for a while. There was a time not so long ago when this lipstick had sold out in all Boots and Superdrugs. I tried to buy it online and the only one I could find was selling for £65 on Amazon! This baby normally only retails for £5

11) The Body Shop Mango Lip Butter: Nice, standard lip balm which does the job. Try their Shea lip butter instead, it smells like toffee popcorn. I kind of like the mango one but it's a but sickly sweet

12) The Body Shop Eyeliner Pencil in White: I worked at The Body Shop for a while. My old boss who is a makeup extraordinaire taught me how to make my eyes look bigger by lining the lower water line with white. It really does work

There you have it. I love writing about makeup, I should do it more

A LUSH LOVE

My dear and talented friend Abi (aboids4abi) has just got herself a job at Lush, and as a Lush employee she will learn to have an in depth knowledge of products, their benefits, their bad points and who they're suited to. So, to be a helpful friend and also because I really love writing beauty reviews, here's a top five of my most beloved, tried, tested and consistently used Lush products:

1) BOHEMIAN

This soap is beautiful and simple. It's made from just lemon oil, soap and glycerine. You can plop it in the bath for a bit to give the bath lemony scented joy (don't leave it in there for too long though, expecially if your bath is super hot, as you'll have no soap left), or use it as a regular soap in the bath/shower. Another plus is that it makes the whole bathroom smell amazing! For me the name and smell conjurs images of 60's hippies making their own soap, did they do this? I hope so. When I smell it I think of San Francisco, The Beatles, sunshine. Soap is much better for the environment than shower gel too, both in terms of the packaging and how it reacts when it goes down the drain. I always go for a nice big £6 or £7 pounder. Hunk of dreamboat.

2) VANISHING CREAM

Having crappy skin for 75% of the year, I struggle to find facial products which don't make the face dwellers more angry. It's a dull subject really, so I won't elaborate- see below for my Clinique review and more in depth moans. Anyway, this stuff is divine. I've been using it as a night cream for the past 4 months and it has improved my skin both in appearance (far fewer spots) and texture (soft and matte). This product prides itself on being easily absorbed - it is. I personally wouldn't use it as a day cream as it would probably be a little too heavy for a base under makeup, but yep, night cream all the way. At first I was sceptical when it was given to me as a tester by a Lush employee, as in the past some Lush skin care products have definitely made my skin worse, but this stuff is different. It smells so good too, like lavendar and rose essential oil. It has no cocoa butter in it which can be too heavy on some skin types and clog pores. No wonder it's Lush's best selling moisturiser. I can't sing it's praises enough, as you can tell.

3) LUST SOLID PERFUME

Mmmm. This particular scent is described as 'sexy jasmine', it's other main notes are ylang ylang, rose, vanilla and sandalwood. It's quite a heady smell and perhaps it would need to grow on some people, but I have loved it from day 1. I would be it's groupie. It's a warm, unusual smell that also reminds me of bohemia, forests, hippies, festivals. I particularly like the solid perfume as its very portable, easy to whip on when your out and about, and the solid aspect gives it an enduring yet subtle smell. I would always choose Lush scents over designer or fashion house fragrances. I do like a select few of such perfumes, but most of them are so pumped up with alcohol and chemicals that you're left smelling like a vodka drink. Lush wins again.

4) WICCY MAGIC MUSCLES

This solid massage bar is my favourite for giving massages to 'one's boyfriend', but also to my own back if I can reach. It packs a punch with cinnamon, peppermint, and softer tones of shea butter and coconut oil. It has these cute seedy beads that you can use to give a good massage to achey shoulders and knotted muscles. It would be ideal for people who jog or go to the gym, unfortunately I hate sports but not to worry! It has a wonderful moisturising effect too, it lasts for a long time if you keep it well (i.e. in a tin) and works wonders on over worked bodies. The ONLY downside is that you have to tidy away the little blighter seeds that have escaped.

5) EMOTIONAL BRILLIANCE 'AMBITION'

This is my absolute favourite red lipstick, and I've tried a few. My need for red lips and desire to be Courtney Love began my voyage of discovery in to red lipsticks from an early age (like 14...15, not when I was a baby). Basically what I'm saying is...I've tried them all and this one wins. It comes packaged in a little glass bottle with a screw on lid, the texture is thick and almost powdery. I have tried applying it straight to my lips for a thick, high pigment effect and also applied it with a lip brush over a thin layer of balm. Both techniques work very well, it just depends on what you want. To apply straight to lips you must have a well moisturied and flake free pout otherwise your lips will dry out further and the colour will get stuck in the flakes. OW. Lush's beautiful makeup range is based on an 'emotional brilliance' philosophy, so each colour is associated with a different mood, state of being or feeling. Do investigate further, there's a game featuring this idea on the LUSH website which I would recommend. Note: In the above picture, you can see 'Ambition' on the right and 'Bubbly' on the left, which I also bought. Bubbly is lovely too, pink and glittery for Spice Girl moments.

Lush, I love you. Abi, good luck!

*top image courtesy of Lush and www.fanpop.com