Holy Grail Makeup (Drugstore)

I recently published a post on my Holy Grail High End Makeup  and I was delighted to see that many of those products were also your favourites. So, I thought it was time to share my Holy Grail Drugstore products. As mentioned in that post, I classify products as Holy Grail if I have repurchased them, have backups or reach for them consistently through the week. I have quite a collection of beauty products but these Holy Grail products leave me coming back for more....


L'Oreal True Match Foundation//Link
Of course, this had to be the first product on the list. This was the first foundation I picked up when I was writing this post. I just love everything about it. It is lightweight with medium-full coverage. It is also long lasting although you need to use a primer and set with a powder. I really don't mind doing this at all. It is perfect as an everyday foundation and it's one I reach for when I am not using my NARS Foundation. It's also under £10 so you can't go wrong at all. I have a review here.


Rimmel Lasting Finish Primer//Link
This is a new entrant and I can say hand on my heart that it has quickly climbed to be my favourite drugstore primer. I find it really hard to find a good primer in the drug store and I only got this because it was on offer. I now wish I purchased a few back ups. It goes on really well although it comes off as a thick cream/lotion but it gets absorbed really well. It really does what it says and that's simply helping my foundation last much longer. It is definitely a staple and I have used it with a variety of foundations.

Revlon Colorstay Concealer in Deep Fonce//Link
I don't think I have tried any concealer that combines the right coverage with right texture. I absolutely love it. I use this mainly as my under eye concealer because it feels ever so light. It does not crease at all and I just love it so much. I feel it is very underrated in the drug store but it is seriously amazing. I don't think it fares really well as a blemish concealer because it doedn't offer as much coverage. I reserve it exclusively for under my eyes. I actually purchased a back up already because it is that amazing!! I have a review here.

Maybelline Color Tattoos//Link

I personally don't think any cream eyeshadow will come close to the quality of these Maybelline babies. They come in a variety of shades and you would definitely find one you like. They work well as a base for eyeshadows or on their own and the pigmentation is incredible. I don't have the entire collection but I recently added a few more shades which I had been eyeing. They are easy to blend, well pigmented, long lasting and affordable. I have not experienced any drying at all. My favourite shade is the On-and-On Bronze which I use a lot. I have a full review with swatches on this collection here


Sleek Blush in Sahara//Link
This is my all time favourite blush and I think this may even be my second or third pan. It's just one I reach for so often because it looks really flattering on my skin tone. It goes on so well and I always use it with a light hand because it is very pigmented. I recently started using it as an eyeshadow particularly for my crease and it's incredible. It warms up my crease really well. I am just obsessed with it and I use it everyday.


L'Oreal Super Slim Eyeliner//Link
I have also raved about this over here a few times because I absolutely love it. I have tried a few drug store eyeliner brands but none comes close to the L'Oreal Super Slim Eyeliner. It is a felt tip pen with a really pointy tip which is easy to control and gives a lovely wing and flick if you prefer. It is really black, long lasting and does not smudge once it sets. I have a feeling that L'Oreal is playing up with the formula but I hope it is just my imagination because I love it so much. It has been repurchased countless times.


Soap and Glory Brow Filling Pencil//Link
After I tried the Anastasia Brow Wiz, I just kept wishing the drug store will create a lovely dupe and my prayers were answered! Soap and Glory launched their Brow Filling 2-in-1 Pencil and I tried it and fell heads over heels in love. It is so similar to the Anastasia Brow Wiz and I have already spoken about them here. The pencil itself is not as soft as the ABH Brow Wiz but it gives off really good pigmentation for a drug store brand. It can be rolled up and down. My shade is Hot Chocolate and I am so pleased it suits me because there are only two shades.


Makeup Revolution Baked Bronzer (Rock on World) //Link
I don't think I have spoken at length about this Bronzer but it is seriously amazing. I use it as soft bronzed blush because it has some slight glitter. It has been compared to MAC Gold Deposit and I have not tried it though so I can't comment. However, it gives such a beautiful bronzed gold colour to my face especially when I feel my foundation is a bit dull. I have been using this a lot recently because the days are getting warmer and I am enjoying the sun kissed look this Bronzer gives me. It is very pigmented so a light hand is very much needed. It's indeed such a beautiful bronzer especially at its affordable price.

Sleek Face Form/Sleek Contour Kit//Link
I don't think I need to talk so much about this because it has been featured on here a couple of times. I have not tried any other powder contour at all because this just works for me. I have gone through a least two or three palettes and I will always repurchase, The contour section is incredibly pigmented as expected with Sleek Makeup but it blends out really easily as well. It is always important to use a light hand and build it up as you go along. It is really ideal for beginners and you honestly can't go wrong with it at all. I don't really care so much for the highlighter bit in the palette but I guess it's not bad that it's included to balance out things. I have a review here. 

Maybelline Color Drama Velvet Lip Pencils//Link
I actually should have included the Maybelline Lip Glosses (review here) as well but I wanted to keep this really short. The Maybelline Color Drama Velvet Lip Pencils (review here) are my all time favourites and I have got a few backups as well. They are really pigmented and go on so well on the lips although the lighter/nude colours do not apply as smoothly as the brighter coloured ones. Nevertheless, they are one of my absolute favourite lip products. Once they are applied, they last a really long while even after I eat/drink. I particularly love how affordable they are and they have a wide range to choose from.

Makeup Revolution Eyeshadow, L'Oreal La Palette Nude (Link) and Sleek Eyeshadow Palettes
I think these eyeshadows are definitely my favourite from the drug store. The Sleek Eyeshadow Palettes definitely has the best pigmentation of the lot and I love how there is a wide range to choose from. The Makeup Revolution Hot Smoked Palette is perfect for Autumn/Winter looks. My current holy grail neutral palette is definitely the L'Oreal Palette Nude Beige (review here). It does not have the best pigmentation compared to the other two but the mix of colours makes it really handy for creating simple neutral looks. I find my self reaching for it on a daily basis for simple looks. It's a really good palette to start with.


Overall Thoughts
I definitely love my drug store products and I am very pleased that drug stores are improving their quality by the day. They are always releasing new products and I always feel excited going into Boots or Superdrug (although not the best for my wallet). I hope you enjoyed my holy grail drug store picks. What's your holy grail drug store product?
*Affiliate links may be used above, read my full disclaimer here.

Mini Drugstore Haul...

I have to admit I have not bought a lot of makeup this month compared to the past few months. However, I picked up a few things which I have not reviewed on here yet but they are really good. Most of the products are from the drug store and the only high end one was a free gift. I just love popping into Boots and Superdrug to see what's new. Last week, I found so many new releases that I had to Instagram it over here. I did not pick up any new releases just yet because  I am waiting to read some reviews. I have my eyes on the Bourjois Color Bands because I swatched them in store and they looked incredible; so that's on the radar. I also definitely want to pick up the Sleek Brow Perfector which is a new launch and I hope it turns out well. Why am I rambling?Let's dive into this post....




Rimmel Lasting Finish Primer
I saw that the Rimmel Lasting Finish range was massively discounted in Boots and I had to pop a few products from the range into my basket. I already spoke about the Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation here if you fancy a read. The Lasting Finish Primer was only £3 and I thought it would be nice to try it as it promised to be long lasting. I am actually surprised that it works well. It feels like a thick cream/moisturiser but it eventually gets absorbed into the skin once you blend it well. It definitely helps my foundation last longer and it works incredibly well with the Rimmel Foundation. If you have very dry skin, it may be too dry for you because it feels matte (but not dry) once it absorbed the skin. It may also cling to dry patches. However, it works a treat on my combination oily skin and I love using it. I recently paired it with my By Terry Cover Expert Foundation (review here) and it worked incredibly well. I can't fault this at all and I wished I picked up a back up as it back its original price :-(



Revlon Nearly Naked Powder in Deep Fonce
I have been on the haunt for a good drug store powder to pop into my makeup bag.  I still have my Chanel Les Beiges Powder (review here) and MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural (review here) but I just wanted something with a lighter coverage. Most times, I don't really need to do a massive amount of powder touch up except to take away the shine. I find that using my MAC MSF adds more colour to my face which I don't necessarily want. I finally found the Revlon Nearly Naked Powder and I am impressed with it. The shade match is fantastic and it does not add any more coverage to my face which I like. Instead,  it just takes away the shine and complements my makeup making it look natural. The only snag is the packaging (it's white) is a pain to keep clean because the powder particles lightly swirl on the edges on application. It absolutely does my head in and I literally have to wipe it every time I use it (I cannot stand messy makeup). I still like it a lot and will use it till it runs out as it's a great touch up powder.




Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara
I think I may have already talked about this on Monday here. I got this Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara after reading a few reviews and seeing it plastered everywhere in the drug store. To be fair, it is actually a nice mascara for every day wear especially if you prefer a mascara that holds a curl. I prefer lengthening mascaras and any mascara that lengthens with some volume is a winner in my book.  It does a decent job of lengthening but since my lashes are short and curly, I need something with more oomph to make my lashes look longer. I still use this mascara but it's not one I reach for everyday or one I would repurchase. If you want a good drug store mascara that holds a curl, I think this is one to check out as people have compared it to the Benefit Roller Lash Mascara.




Clinique Chubby Stick in Curvy Candy (14)
Clinique announced a few weeks ago via Instagram, Twitter and Facebook that they were giving out free Full sized Chubby Sticks Lip Balm (they had 2000 to give away) at their Selfridges Counter. I live and work far away from Oxford Circus but I was lucky to be attending a work meeting in Cavendish Square (6 mins walk from Selfridges). I was delighted because I just popped in to Selfridges before my meeting to pick up this lovely Chubby Stick in Curvy Candy. Would you believe there was a massive queue even though I was there quite early in the morning?.  I was shown how to use it by one of the sales ladies and I quite like the shade. She used a concealer over my lips first before this and it looked much vibrant than without a concealer. It is a light pink shade which looks really subtle and understated on my skin. I really like it for minimal makeup days. It was really lovely but I had to dash off to my meeting. That's all folks. I love drug store makeup and these days they have been releasing really good products. What have you been buying recently? See you in my next post....xx

Drug Store Foundations Review/Roundup

A little while ago, I never gave Drug Store foundations as much as a glance mainly because I could not find any that matched my skin tone at all. It's only recently that many drug store brands have realised that they indeed have a market among darker skin ladies. When Maybelline Fit Me foundation (review here) launched and I received a sample to try, I was shocked to find that it was a perfect match for my skin. I loved it so much and I promptly purchased the full size. It definitely set the standard for other foundations and that pretty much ignited my interest in drug store foundations. 



Some drug store brands are still quite limited in their shade range because they only have my shade as the darkest so if your skin is darker than mine, you may have to stick to only Revlon, Sleek and L'Oreal. I know in the US many of these drug store brands stock foundations for darker skin and I really wish they could do the same here in the UK :-(. I hear it's the same thing for paler/very light skinned ladies as they also struggle to find a suitable foundation shade that doesn't make them look too yellow, pink or completely washed out. It's a common struggle! I still love my high end foundations and I will definitely favour them over many drug store foundations. However, there are still really good drug store foundations that are perfect for everyday use.



The presence of a pump in the packaging definitely influences my purchase as I can't deal with foundations (high end or drug store) that have no pumps. I made an exception for the Maybelline Dream Flawless Nude Foundation because it has a pipette/dropper/wand applicator. I  have rounded up all my drug store foundation for mini reviews and I hope you find it useful..

L'Oreal True Match Foundation (£9.99) (N6.5)

Of course, I had to start with my favourite drug store foundation of all time. I have gushed about this foundation over here so I would try not to regurgitate everything. Long and short story- it's the best drug store foundation I have ever tried. L'Oreal released more than 20 shades of the True Match Foundation so you are very likely to find your closest shade, if not, your true match. It's great as an everyday foundation and offers medium coverage which can be built to full coverage without looking caked on. It is long lasting with a semi-matte finish but it's not drying. Some people have said it breaks them out but I haven't had any and I think it may be best if you have normal, combination and/or oily skin.



Barry M Flawless Matte Finish Foundation (£5.99) (Tan-5)
Barry M is the most unlikely brand I would look to for a foundation so you can imagine my shock when I tested this instore and saw it was a good match for my skin tone. I have to say I am impressed with this foundation because I didn't really expect much from it. My shade is Tan 5 which is the darkest shade (they only have five shades by the way). It is a matte finish so if you have dry skin, this may not be the best for you. It is a light to medium finish but I try not to build it up too much because it tends to look cakey. It's perfect for weekends if you just need a light but matte coverage. I have a review here. It is super affordable and the packaging is really cute; a little too girly for me but it has a pump and that's all that matters.



Rimmel Lasting Finish (25hr) Foundation (currently £4.99 in Boots) (400 Natural Beige)
Rimmel is another brand that has some great foundations but they don't really cater to darker skin tones as much. I only picked up the Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation from Boots because they were having £3 off this range. I have to mention that the way it looks in the bottle does not translate to how it looks on the skin so a swatch in daylight is necessary. I actually like this foundation a lot more than I thought I would. It also has a semi-matte finish, almost velvet-like, which you know I love by now. I am not about the dewy finish life at all. It claims to have a 25 hr lasting time/longevity; I don't think anyone would wear foundation for that long. However, it really lasts for a long time and I dare say it's the longest lasting drug store foundation within my stash. It also offers full coverage but still looks natural which is really impressive. The texture is slightly creamy to touch but it's easy to blend and lightweight once it hits the skin. I love it !



Maybelline Dream Flawless Nude Foundation (£8.99) (Sun Beige-48)
This is my most recent purchase and I have not completely made up my mind about it yet. It's the only drug store foundation within my stash without a pump but at least it has an applicator. I really like the packaging because it looks so different and very portable even though it's made of glass. It only contains 20 ml which is a little annoying because it makes it really expensive in the grand scheme of things. The shade range is very limited as well which is odd because Maybelline always caters to a good range of skin tones but I guess they may be releasing some more shades soon. My shade is Sun Beige 48 which is a close match to my skin tone. It has a very liquid texture and when you shake the bottle, you can literally hear the foundation swishing about in the bottle. As expected with any water-based foundation, it feels really light on application and it is super easy to blend. It has a funny texture when it sets; it reminds me of the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipgloss and I have no idea why. I like the matte finish and it offers good coverage (maybe light to medium) but I don't like building it up past its normal coverage because it looks funny and unnatural on my skin. A full review will be up soon but these are my initial thoughts. Nevertheless, I really like it and I am keen to see how it would fare during Spring/Summer.



Revlon Photoready Foundation (£12.99) (Caramel)
I left my least drug store foundation at the end of this post (sorry Revlon!). I already have a full review of this foundation here and I know it is a firm favourite for many people. However, it's not for me mainly due to its finish and how dull my skin looks when I use it (I have no idea why). I have tried several primers underneath, used it on its own, set it lightly, even used my Chanel Healthy Glow Powder to set it but all to no avail. You may have noticed from all the foundations finishes above that I lean towards foundations with a matte, semi-matte or velvet finish and I am not a fan of glowy or dewy foundations at all. My combination/oily skin just can't seem to handle it at all. If I need some glow or dewiness, I spray MAC Fix Plus or any makeup spray and I am good to go. This Revlon Foundation is actually a good colour match for me and it offers really good medium coverage for my skin. The packaging is lovely and may even be one of the sturdiest among my drug store stash. I still use it every now and then but I think I may be passing it off to a better home.


That's all folks! There are other lovely drug store foundations like the Revlon Color Stay Foundation (it has no pump so it's not an option for me), Sleek Foundations (I could not find a proper shade for my skin tone) and Bourjois Healthy Mix/Serum Foundation (No proper match for my skin tone). I have heard many good things about them. What are your favourite drug store foundations? Let me know any other good recommendations in the comment box...See you in my next post...xx
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Eyeshadow Palettes Under £5

Eyeshadows are one of my favourite makeup items (apart from foundations, of course) but I absolutely love eyeshadow palettes because they are so amazing and very travel friendly. Most of these eyeshadow palettes were all bought on whiff and I am so pleased I purchased them when I did. They are all from the drug Store as you can tell from the title. Not all of them are actual eyeshadows but shhhhh no one can tell once they are on your eyelids as the color pay off is impressive. I always pair most drugstore eyeshadows (and even high end ones) with a primer because they help them last longer and appear more vibrant. Also, most of these eyeshadows will suit many skin tones and complexions and they cut across warm and cool tones and also from everyday neutral to a little pop of colour...let's dive in..

Collection All about the Eyes Palette (£2.99)

I remember seeing this pop up on AmeliaLiana's blog and see it in action on her YouTube Channel and I was completely sold but I could not get my hands on it. Luckily for me Superdrug restocked it and I grabbed one. I even spied this recently in Boots which is amazing! I find that this palette is suitable for many skin tones but I think it may look more flattering on Olive and Darker skin tones than cooler ones. It is a typical Day to Night Palette which has 6 shades: . I particularly love the gold shade and the brown one for the crease. I hardly use blackbird the darkest shade because I rarely do the smokey look.

NYC Best of Broadway (2 for £5 from Superdrug)

I was very impressed with NYC Best of Broadway Palette as it is so easy to use and they are a variety of shades to choose from depending on what colour your eyes are. Although I have brown eyes, I chose two palettes; one for green eyes and one for brown eyes. I particularly like the one for green eyes because it contains purple eyeshadows which look very flattering against my brown eyes (I don't know why). These palettes all contain a primer, illuminator, base eyeshadows, brow bone colour/highlighter and crease colours and you can create a variety of looks with this palette. I totally love it. The one for brown eyes is reserved mainly for everyday use and I transform my looks in the evenings or weekends with the purple based one. You can read a full review here

Makeup Revolution Eyeshadow Palettes (Iconic Redemption Palette and Hot Smoked) (£4)

I don't think this would be complete without including Makeup Revolution eyeshadow palettes which have taken the blogging world by a quick storm. They are true to all the hype as they offer a wide variety of shades and are very affordable delivering excellent pigmentation every single time. I have two palettes from them at the moment and they are amazing. One is more of a warmer range/pinkish toned (Iconic 3 palette) and the other is Hot Smoked which is more cool toned and autumnal. I love both of them although I reach more for the warmer one because the colours are so pretty. The Smoky one is perfect for A/W and I can see it getting more use this season. You can find a full review here

Seventeen Instant Glow Bronzer (Gold Bronze) (£4.99) from Boots

I told you not all of them are eyeshadow palettes; this is actually a bronzer and I have briefly mentioned it over here. I bought this as a bronzer because I'd heard a lot of good things about it and it looked so pretty and pigmented on the pan;  Alas! when I swatched it, it just blended into my cheeks/face when I tried it out at home. I thought it was too pretty to waste so I tried it on my eyelids and it was the most amazing shade ever and the pigmentation and lasting power is rather impressive. The golden and bronzey colour just looks very flattering on my eyelids and reminds me of MAC's Amber Light eyeshadow which is one of my favourite eye shadows. 





Milani Glimmer Stripes in Honey Glimmer (£4.50) from Ebay
And of course, I had to experiment with the Milani Shimmer Brick I had sitting somewhere in my stash and it did not disappoint as an eyeshadow in the least. I really like this on my eyelids and it comes off really pigmented. Although it looks similar to the Seventeen version, it has more of a pinkish tone/hue to it which looks more feminine and soft and I love creating looks with this palette. This one still functions as a highlighter for me and it just gives such a nice subtle glow but I am not too keen on highlighting so it now functions mainly as an eyeshadow palette




&Other Stories Brocade Aegean (£3.60) on Sales
OK, I am cheating a teeny weeny bit because the original price of this palette was a little over £10 but I purchased it for way cheaper (£3.60) earlier this year in the &Other Stories January Sales and I love it. The colours may look rather bright but they are lovely on the lids and complement each other well especially the diagonally opposite colours. The pigmentation is also impressive and I love it although it is one I reserve mainly for the weekends and I have a full review here.




Random Rimmel Mono and Duo Eyeshadows which are not quite palettes
I think Rimmel makes the most monos and duos in the drug store and I like a few of them. I think I love their duos much more than their quads because for some bizarre reason the quad pigmentation seems less vibrant than the duos. Generally speaking, I find that the Rimmel Eyeshadows don't have the best pigmentation or lasting power but they have a wide selection to choose from which is why I own a few of them which include my favourite Spicy Bronze (mono) and 322 Sweetheart (Duo). I hope you have enjoyed this little post on affordable eyeshadow palettes under £5 and let me know if you know other palettes (under £5) that are worth a try...See you in my next post...x