Back in the day YouTube was all about the “makeup collections” and showing off the huge amount of products you’d hoarded over the years.

“In this drawer I keep my lipsticks” *opens drawer to reveal 500 lipsticks*

But the concept of drawers and drawers of makeup feels a bit alien to me now, especially since downsizing my collection earlier in the year. It’s been a gradual process for me, but now everything fits into one large drawer in my vanity desk and I’m trying to keep it that way. Now let’s be real, I’m well aware that my makeup collection is still bonkers compared to the average gal, but considering the amount of products that come my way, I’d say it’s become a bit of a skill to decide what works for me and what doesn’t.

The way I think about it is what use is gorgeous makeup if it’s just sitting in a drawer waiting to be used? I only have one face and someone else could get much more pleasure out of it by actually using it. So I often do charity sales (usually either for Coppa Feel or Rett UK), share with friends and family and I keep on top of expiry dates so I don’t keep hold of old products for too long.

I’ll try new products because it’s part of my job, but I can tell almost straight away if it’s something I want to pass on or add to my stash. If it’s something I want to try work into my routine I’ll either use the ‘one in, one out’ rule (if I’m feeling strict that day) or squeeze it in and give it a few weeks before making my final verdict. Usually after a few weeks I either can’t be without it or feel indifferent and in that case I’ll pass it on for someone else to enjoy.

It’s ok to have fun with makeup, you go buy that palette and love it, I know I do. But I also think we’re all striving to live a more minimalist life these days and it can almost feel like a burden having more products than you have time to try. Maybe now it’s about using less products, but using the ones you really love daily until they run out. Well that’s more what it’s like for me now anyway.

Photos by Lydia Collins

I rarely change up my whole makeup routine, instead I occasionally add in a few new pieces to my daily makeup edit and after a few days I usually know if they’re going to become favourites or get switched out for something else. There are a few new products that I’ve recently been reaching for time and time again, so I thought I’d share my findings… warning, hide your purse!

Kiehl’s Glow Formula Skin Hydrator 

Technically this is a moisturiser but I use it more as a primer. After I’ve done my skincare routine it’s usually a little while before I do my makeup so I always need a little extra help with hydration before I start my base. The Kiehl’s Glow Formula is quite a thick cream and it’s infused with antioxidant Pomegranate Extract and Illuminating Minerals, and has a very slight tint to it. I like to mix it with a more fluid primer and it adds a really gorgeous glow to my skin. Sometimes I’ll also just tap on a small amount to my cheekbones at the end of my makeup routine and it really gives you healthy looking skin! A glow primer with good skin benefits too? Yes please.

Chanel Les Beiges Sheer Healthy Glow Tinted Moisturiser

On working from home “no makeup, makeup” days I don’t waste time blending in my foundation and layering on the concealer, instead I’ve been using this new product from Chanel. I shake it up, squeeze a small amount onto my fingers and work it into my skin using my hands. It’s very sheer, but it smoothes out the skin, adds a small amount of tint and just makes me feel like I’m wearing something without being too heavy. This would be the perfect tinted moisturiser to take on a holiday and it includes SPF 30 (although I would always advise still wearing SPF underneath). If you’re a natural, no foundation girl, you’ll like this!

Bare Minerals Bare Pro Full Coverage Concealer 

I am so in love with this concealer!! For me, it’s the perfect medium between the Glossier Stretch, which is super hydrating but lacking in coverage and the NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer, which is very full coverage but a little on the dry side. I love how easy it is to swipe on without having to stick your finger in a pot and it blends out like a dream, with the perfect amount of coverage and hydration. I can’t rave about it enough and it’s become my number one concealer recommendation!

Benefit Bad Gal Bang Mascara 

I hated the hype around this mascara, but there’s no denying how good it is! The long, plastic, bendy wand gives you really stretched out long lashes. I also like the rubber grip which makes it a lot easier to apply. It’s worth a try if you like definition and length to your lashes, as well as a super black finish. Since taking these photos I’ve also been using the IT Cosmetics Superhero Mascara which is amazing for different reasons. The brush is fluffier, giving more volume to the lashes – I’d use this mascara for a more evening, fluttery lash look!

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Luminous Multi-Colour Powder

I’d say I probably use around three bronzers a year and once I find one I like I really use it all up! It’s a step in my makeup routine I can never miss and I just feel naked without it. This new “multi-colour powder” from Chanel is beautiful. It has a mix of bronzer shades; a light, medium and dark as well as quite an orange/coral stripe that runs through the middle. When all mixed together using a big fluffy brush, it gives the perfect “I’ve just been on holiday and got a bit of a tan” look. The warm undertones (instead of grey tones like a contour) give it a really natural sun kissed feel and the Chanel signature scent and packaging makes using it a dream!

So these are my top picks from the month if you were looking for anything new to spend your Boots points on, add to your birthday Wishlist or to just treat yourself because you can!

Photos by Lydia Collins 

The lovely team over at NARS sent me their new launch and I just had to jump on here and share it with you guys. I personally love a highlighter but I think they are still one of those products that seem to just intimidate people. If I were to ask my non-Internet friends what’s in their makeup bag, I could pretty much guarantee there would be an untouched hand-me-down highlighter from my collection that they’ve wanted to try but never really had to guts to, or there wouldn’t be a highlighter at all.

So what is it about highlighters that scare us so much? Maybe it’s just that extra effort we can’t be bothered with, because who has time to worry about how the light looks when it hits your cheekbones? Or is it the tools – don’t have them, don’t know which ones to use? Or the fear of ending up looking like Edward Cullen on a sunny day…?

When I’m in the mood for a really poppin’ highlight I’ll use the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector as it’s a really creamy powder that can be layered to be quite intense. When I want a more dewy, creamy highlight I’ll use MAC’s Hush and just press it onto my skin with my finger tips. But when these new highlighting powders from NARS came in the post I was very excited and immediately got stuck in, testing out all the shades.

There are six; Albatross (an opalescent gold), Fort de France (champagne), Capri (crushed pink pearl), Ibiza (yellow gold), Maldives (rose bronze) and St Barths (warm bronze). They’re £28 each and sold exclusively at Harrods (in store only) until 1st April when they’ll be available nationwide.

Let’s first talk about the packaging, because it’s new-ish. Just like their Diffusing Bronzers (launched last year) and all of their new palettes from now on, the packaging has had a slight upgrade from the more flat design they used before. It’s still matte and so it still gets covered in makeup , but I really like the more square design as it feels higher quality, it’s easier to open and you get a huge mirror inside.

I think the formula of these highlighters are perfect for someone who wants a subtle glow without the glitter and without the intensity of a highlighter like Becca’s. Using a small fluffy brush, like a giant eyeshadow blender brush, you can swipe a bit of this onto your cheekbones and down your nose to add something a little bit extra to your makeup. But it’s not intense and it’s not particularly easy to make intense, which is what I think is so nice about these. If you want to see them in action, head over to my YouTube channel tonight to watch today’s vlog as I use them on camera to show you a little closer.

MY HIGHLIGHT EDIT 

I haven’t really felt the need to run out and haul a load of beauty products for a while, honestly it’s probably because I’m lucky to be sent a lot of from brands and PR agencies. But something happened over Christmas, maybe it was to do with the videos I was watching, I don’t know, but I came into the new year with a huge list of beauty products that I just had to get.

I filmed a haul video and first impressions, which you can watch at the bottom of this post, but I thought I’d pick out my top five purchases and break it down and highlight why these stood out to me.

Smashbox Primerizer – link 

This product (as well as the next one) was completely enabled by Allana who raves about this primer. For me, it sits somewhere between a hydrating serum and a silicone primer, which is perfect. It hydrates the skin using the hyaluronic acid in the formula but at the same time smoothes it out getting it ready for your base makeup. I hate a primer that feels greasy and this one doesn’t at all, so I can see it becoming a staple favourite of mine.

Lancôme Monsieur Big Mascara – link

I love trying out new mascaras, so this was next on my list and I was really impressed by it. For some reason, the first time I used it I wasn’t obsessed, it seemed to make my lashes look a bit thing but from the second time using it, I started to really love it. The large brush adds a lot of volume and length to my lashes but not in a clumpy way. It’s definitely a mascara worth checking out!

Fresh Fresh Face Luminizer – link 

I wasn’t sure which shade to pick this up in as it comes in a silver and gold, but I went for Starlight (the more silver shade) hoping it would look more natural. I love it! It’s a cream highlight that feels like a moisturiser and you can use it in so many ways. I sometimes tap it onto my cheekbones for a more concentrated highlight or rub it between my fingers and press it all over my face for a dewy glow. You can also mix it with your foundation for something all over but subtle. It’s great and now has a permanent place in my makeup set up.

Charlotte Tilbury ‘English Beauty’ Matte Revolution Lipstick – link 

I’ve always been in love with the Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution lipsticks, her Red Carpet Red in my go-to red lip and Pillow Talk is my everyday nude. So when I saw that she’d brought out another nude called ‘English Rose’, I had to have it. It’s very similar to Pillow Talk, both matte of course, but English Beauty is slightly warmer with a peachy undertone compared to Pillow Talk which is cooler and more pink. Both are gorgeous.

Fenty Beauty Pro Filtr’ Soft Matte Longwear Foundation – link

It took me a while to jump on the Fenty bandwagon, and as you’ll see in the video not every product I bought blew me away. But this foundation was just how I imagined it to be and it’s definitely one I’ll keep wearing. It’s not totally matte, it has enough glow to it that dry skin girls can still wear it, but it does dry fast so I have to quickly blend it using a damp beauty sponge. It leaves a medium coverage that is seriously long wearing so it’s great for days where I’m out all day on filming/having photos taken. Sometimes I mix it with my IT Cosmetics CC cream for an in-between glow but long lasting finish.  

photos by Lauren Shipley

If you saw yesterday’s video you’d know that I decided quite last minute to film a 2017 beauty favourites after enjoying watching everyone else’s online. It wasn’t difficult to pick my top products because unlike my past self, in 2017 I used a lot less product, focusing on the things that really work for me.

For this post I thought I’d set myself the task of picking out the top five from my list of favourites, really highlighting the top products I can’t live without.

Dr Jart+ Ceramidin Cream – link

I discovered this moisturiser whilst in Sephora last year and I’m not on the third tube! It’s the perfect consistency for a daily moisturiser whilst still being thick enough for those of us with dry skin. It’s so gentle that even my friend who’s allergic to most beauty products can use it, so that’s a massive win! I love the packaging, it’s great for travel and I’ll continue to repurchase this time and time again.

IT Cosmetics CC Cream – link

You’ve heard me bang on about this product for years now, but it’s still a firm favourite. Don’t be fooled by the name, this product is basically a light/medium coverage foundation with a gorgeous glowy finish. I find it so easy to blend out with a damp sponge, it lasts well on my skin and it really brings to life my quiet dull looking skin. This is my all-time favourite foundation and it really has zero competition!

NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer – link

Everyone and their mum has mentioned this as a favourite this year and for good reason too. This was a massive launch for NARS and I really don’t know anyone who doesn’t love it. Despite the name, it’s not a drying, heavy concealer, it’s so easy to dab with your fingers in the places you need coverage and it blends out like a dream. A concealer that works on spots and under your eyes?? Win.

MAC Cream Colour Base in Hush – link

If I had to pick one highlighter that I used the most in 2017, this would be it. It’s incredibly easy to use, I swirl my finger around the pot and dab onto my cheekbones and it gives a really pretty, slightly pearly pink highlight. I always get compliments when I wear this and because of the creamy formula it doesn’t sit on top of the skin like some powder highlights, it blends beautifully into it.

Glossier Balm Dot Com – link

This is one that took me a little while to fall in love with but now I can’t live without it. The Balm Dot Com is like a matte lip balm, so it’s perfect for lipstick free days where you just want a bit of moisture but it’s also great for layering underneath lipsticks. My favourites are the original and the coconut, but if you want something a bit plumping and special, the birthday balm has a slight shimmer in it and it’s super sweet.

So there you have it, my top five products of 2017. Just call me the enabler…

photos by Lauren Shipley. 

I’m so excited to be kicking off this year’s Christmas content with this exciting L’Occitane collaboration. Since visiting Provence with the brand earlier in the year, Anna and I have been working closely with L’Occitane to bring you guys something quite special; the first installment this month and then we’re also going to be doing something really exciting early next year, but you’ll have to wait to find out about that – ooh such a tease. 

But for now I get to show you our very own exclusive beauty bag; a collection of our joint favourite products from L’Occitane. The cosmetics bag they come in is so great, it opens up really wide so you can stuff it full when you’re travelling, and with it comes a limited edition sleeve with the cutest illustration. I’m so in love with the illustration of Anna and I, it’s definitely something I’ll keep forever as a memory. So let me tell you what’s inside, although I’m sure you guys can guess. The Almond Shower Oil – duh – we’re both obsessed with this, especially in the colder months. Then we have the Lavender Foaming Bath, a product I use on a weekly basis as a pre-sleep pamper (I usually go a bit overboard with the bubbles) alongside the Relaxing Pillow Mist. I’m so excited by the mini pillow mist because the full size is too large for travelling so this one I’m keeping for my next trip! There’s a mini of the Precious Cream which is a really luxurious face cream and then finally the Almond Hand Cream which is the perfect handbag size and I love the scent of this one.

To purchase our exclusive beauty bag, click here.

As well as the beauty bag there is a huge range of Christmas Gifts to pick from, there’s something for everyone from skincare to body care, both men’s and women’s. I’ve narrowed down all my favourites here. There are two advent calendars, my favourite being the illustrated Classic Beauty Advent Calendar which is full of some of their best selling products. If I had to pick my favourite gift box it would have to be the Almond Voyage Collection, for obvious reasons, it comes with my favourite Almond Shower Oil but in the perfect little travel-size!

My edit of favourites can be found here.

If this wasn’t all enough, L’Occitane are offering you guys free delivery when you spend £15 and a free Festive Handy Treat Tin with any order over the next two weeks! Just use the code LILYLOVE at checkout. So if you’re starting to put your Christmas shopping list together, L’Occitane seriously have you covered!

This blog post contains a paid for advertisement by L’Occitane.

Photos by Lydia Collins