My day-to-day makeup staples never really change. Once I find something I love, it takes a pretty outstanding product to turn my head. My current favourites include a small selection of products which right now, I’d say were some of my all time favourites; and they’re so easy to use that a full face of makeup can take as little as 10 minutes.
For those that know me, there’s no surprise about the appearance of some Hourglass in here. Hourglass is truly my favourite brand EVER. I first became hooked on the Ambient Lighting Powders and haven’t looked back since. I now own products from across the range, so as my collection builds, I tend to use those products more than most others. Keep your eyes peeled for a ‘Spotlight On: Hourglass’ soon.
But back to my current favourites – keep on reading if you want to know which products I’m currently using every day and why!
First, let’s talk about base. I still haven’t found a primer I love enough to mention here, so I’m going to skip straight to foundation & concealer. Right now, I cannot get enough of the YSL All Hours Foundation & Concealer. Together, they work like a dream for my oily skin. They keep me looking fresh-faced and flawless all day, without the need for touch-ups and whilst the foundation is definitely full coverage, it still looks natural. It gives a matte finish but with a very subtle healthy glow, so it really looks like your skin. One thin layer applied with a damp beauty sponge is all you need. Topped with the matching concealer to cover any dark spots or blemishes, it’s the perfect base for any makeup look. And the claims that it lasts up to 24 hours? I believe it. I’ve had over 15 hours out of this foundation on a particularly hot day out, and by the time I removed my makeup, it didn’t look any different to when I first applied it that morning. I was a little dewier but I certainly didn’t look greasy and the product hadn’t shifted or broken up. Nothing a very light dusting of powder wouldn’t have fixed, but I didn’t think I needed it as the glow looked very natural.
I use the foundation in the shade BR10, and the concealer in shade 01.
To set my base, I use the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders in Diffused Light and Dim Light. They work perfectly to set the base and also provide a very subtle, healthy glow which just makes your skin look luminous. Diffused Light is great for an all over glow which also counteracts redness, and Dim Light is a great subtle contour for very fair skin like mine.
I purchased the Ambient Lighting Edit – Volume 3, which contains both shades (top left and right in the image above) alongside THE MOST BEAUTIFUL powder highlight (top middle), bronzer (bottom left) and blush shades (bottom middle and right).
The annual limited edition palettes are a great way to invest in Hourglass if the individual products are too pricey, as they generally come in at just under £70 for 6 powders. It’s great for travel and if I’m out at an event, fits perfectly into my clutch for touch-ups. I think this current palette (from Christmas 2017) is out of stock everywhere now, but keep an eye out for the next limited edition palette, which I would expect anytime from October this year.
Once I’ve set my base, I gravitate towards the bright pink blush shade in this palette, which gives a youthful, bright glow along with the champagne gold highlighter for my cheekbones, bridge of my nose and my cupids bow. You only need the tiniest amount, so I’m hoping my excessive daily use of this limited edition blusher doesn’t make too much of a dent in it; I’ll be devastated when it runs out!
Depending on my mood I’ll either do a full contour using the Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow, or I’ll use the Hourglass bronzer shade for a subtle sun-kissed look. Much quicker and easier than a full contour!
The Hourglass palette is also great to use on the eyes if you’re travelling and don’t want to take an eye palette with you. Diffused Light is great on the lid to set concealer or primer, then Dim Light provides a very subtle transition shade for the crease. The bronzer looks great in the crease or all over the lid for a bronzy wash of colour, but I love using the plum blusher shade too, for a vampier nighttime look.
To finish the eyes, I’ve been using Benefit’s new Bad Gal Bang mascara. Upon first application I was blown away by the length and drama this gives my lashes, and haven’t been able to stop using it since. It claims to use the very latest space technology with gravity-defying aero particles for massive volume without weighing lashes down. And it really does. Largely, the reviews on this mascara are positive, but some have struggled with transfer. I have experienced some very slight panda eyes with this formula but this is a more recent problem I’ve been experiencing with all of my mascaras, so it’s more likely due to my watery eyes and oily skin than the mascara itself. It isn’t waterproof, so some transfer is to be expected if you have watery eyes like me. But even so – I’d still use this every day as I love the way it makes my lashes look! It’s like walking around with a permanent Snapchat filter on your lashes!
For brows, I use the Soap & Glory Archery Brow Sculpting Crayon & Gel in the shade Brownie Points. I think I’ve mentioned before just how amazing this brow gel is – NOTHING budges brow hairs when this is used to set them. This shade is good, but it can look a little too warm if overused, so I’m on the hunt for a more ashy shade.
I’ve also been loving the Jo Malone Myrhh & Tonka Cologne Intense to finish off. It’s a beautiful sweet fragrance which lasts all day, with a base note of Tonka bean, mid-notes of Myrhh and Omumbiri and top note of Lavender. It’s a great choice for those of you that loved the 90’s classic of Body Shop’s White Musk perfume – it’s a much more grown up version!
I’d love to know what you think of the products I’m loving right now, and would be really interested to hear about your current favourites. What products are you using every day?
Loved by Leanne 