I feel like there are so may drugstore starter kit posts floating about in the blogosphere at the moment. Now don't get me wrong I love those types of posts but today I thought I'd do something a little different and show you my high end starter kit. These are the products that I would recommend if you were looking to start or increase your high end collection.
Base
Foundation - Nars Sheer glow - If you are a regular reader you will know that I absolutely adore this foundation. I find that on my dry skin it's just hydrating enough that it doesn't emphasise any dry patches yet it still has a really stunning full coverage and a lovely slightly glowy finish. In all honesty I have absolutely no idea why they decided to call it sheer glow but despite the fact that the name is rubbish the product itself is really lovely. However I will say the one gripe I have with it is that it doesn't come with a pump which is a little annoying. I definitely have to give the Bare minerals Complexion rescue a little honourable mention here, if you are into lighter hydrating bases this one is definitely for you. If you want to read a little more about my review is //here//
Concealer - Clarins Instant light concealer - This is possibly the best concealer I have ever tried which is a big claim as I've tried a lot recently. This is so beautiful and lightweight for under the eyes yet it has plenty of coverage and also works really well on any blemishes. The only thing with this is the shade selection is a little limited so if you can't find a shade that works for you my honourable mention has to go to the Urban decay Naked concealer which is a really lovely texture and has a nice amount of coverage.
Setting spray - Urban decay All nighter makeup setting spray - I'm going to be honest I thought this stuff was a massive gimmick but curiosity killed the cat and all that. Turns out on this occasion curiosity led to the cat's makeup being completely flawless all day. I have no idea what is in here but it really does make makeup stick to your face and not go anywhere.
Bronzer - Benefit Hoola - Guess who forgot to put my bronzer in the photo (I also forgot to put in the highlighter aswell #fail) I absolutely love Hoola it is the most perfect super natural bronzer which just adds a little bit of shape and shadow to the face without looking muddy. I personally find that I can't really get away with it for a full blown contour as it ends up looking a little muddy on me however I can imagine someone with a skin tone that is a little darker would really get on with it as a contour. In terms of honourable mentions it has to go to the Nars Laguna bronzer and the Smashbox contour kit.
Highlighter - Benefit High beam - Now if you are one for super intense highlights High beam might not be for you but I personally love it on days I don't want to go really intense with my highlight. It is a stunning pinky shimmer which adds the most beautiful natural glow to the face. It is also really lovely mixed into foundation to add a little more glow. If you are looking for a more intense highlight Nars albatross is absolutely stunning however isn't on for people who don't like glitter.
Blushes - Illamasqua blushes - Okay so I couldn't actually narrow down this as I love all three of their blush formulas. Their powder blushes are so stunning, they have incredible pigmentation and come in some absolutely crazy colours however they still blend beautifully and can be sheered out to whatever pigment you want. The cream blushes are quite wet blushes however once on the skin they just look so glowy and natural and finally the velvet blushes which are somewhere between a cream and a mousse and leave a matte finish on the cheeks. My honourable mention here has to go to the Clinique Cheek pops which are just the most beautiful blushes I have ever laid my eyes end.
Brows and Eyes
Brow colour - Smashbox Brow tech matte pencil - One of the reasons I love this pencil so much is how thin the nib is. I find it is so easy to get a really precise brow when using it. I also really love the formula it isn't to waxy so it's hard to work with but it has enough grip to not move around all over the place. I had to mention Anastasia dip brow as my honourable mention however if you are new to makeup I'd definitely say go for a pencil first!
Brow Gel - Benefit Gimme brow - I really wasn't sure if this one would live up to the hype however I am so impressed with it. I have the most untameable brows ever and this stuff manages to keep them glued in place for pretty much all of the day. I really wish they would expand their shade range though as it is currently only available in two shades.
Eye Primer - Urban decay Eyeshadow primer potion - I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this on my blog about a million times however it is one of those holy grail products that I just couldn't be without. I have the oiliest eyelids in the world despite the fact that my skin is drier than the Sahara and this keeps shadows on all day with very very minimal creasing. Honourable mention in this case has to go to my Mac Bare study Paint pot which isn't quite as long lasting however if your eyelids aren't so oily it would probably be absolutely perfect.
Eyeshadow - Urban decay - I mean what else was I going to pick really. I'm personally not a fan of Mac shadows so Urban decay are my go to when it comes to high end eyeshadow. There eyeshadows are all so beautifully formulated and I can honestly say I have never found a dud shade. My two favourite palettes from them are the original naked basics and the Gwen Stefani palette. For my honourable mention here it has to go to the Stila in the light palette.
Mascara - Benefit They're real - I'm going to be honest this is one of the very few high end mascaras I've tried however it's so good I don't want to try anymore. I have a massive problem with mascara smudging under my eyes and this one is the only one I've every used that doesn't do it.
Lips
Gloss - Clarins Instant light natural lip perfector - I am really not a lip gloss person however I really love these. My favourite shade is definitely number one which is a mid-toned pink shade. I love how glossy these are without being super sticky.
Lipstick - Clinique Lip pop - These have the loveliest hydrating formula and are perfect for someone who has really dry lips. I've found that despite the fact they are hydrating they don't slip about on the lips however if you do layer them to much they can bleed a little bit. I really love the colour selection and I will definitely be picking up some more shades in the next couple of months. I have so many more lipsticks that I really love but my honourable mention had to go to the Charlotte tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G lipsticks.
Lip liner - Charlotte Tilbury lip cheat in Pillow talk - I think this is definitely in the running for worlds most talked about lip liner along with the likes of Mac whirl and soar. I just really love the formula of this liner and the fact that it basically goes with any lipsticks as it is almost the same colour as my natural lip colour. It also has a really lovely texture and isn't drying at all as I find a lot of lip liners can really suck all the moisture out of your lips.
So that's it for todays mammoth post I really hope you guys enjoyed this and I'd love to hear what your favourite high end products are!
