Favourite Products of 2018

There have been so many products I've been loving this year, it's safe to say I've definitely spent way too much money at Feel Unique and Cult beauty over the past 12 months. Towards the start of the year, I was still absolutely obsessed with the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer. I've raved about this for years and it's always been a staple in my makeup collection. This gives such good coverage so it's always been on hand throughout my years of terrible skin to hide blemishes and intense redness from breakouts. Towards the end of the year, I decided to try out a new concealer and made an impulse purchase of the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Away Concealer. I've written a full post about this product which you can read here but in short, it's the most moisturising concealer I've tried. It applies so easily to the skin and I also feel like it adds a really lovely healthy glow so it makes my under eyes look bright and radiant, even with very little sleep. When I purchased this concealer, I also decided to try out the Light Wand Highlighter which is 100%, hands down, my favourite product of 2018. I cannot describe how much I love this product, it is a beautiful liquid highlighter that can be incredibly natural or it can create a much more dramatic glow. I have tried liquid highlighters before that can cause foundation to break down and require a fair amount of blending, this product is so easy to apply and blends in seamlessly with my base, even over powder. Another highlighter I've discovered this year is the Becca Opal Pressed Highlighter, I've tried this product before but in the shade 'Pearl' which is a firm favourite too. This is a more golden shade which is more warm than the 'Pearl' shade. Even with a tiny bit of product on the brush, it gives the most unbelievable glow. The Charlotte Tilbury product is more natural than the Becca one so if you like a more subtle glow, I'd recommend that but if you really like your cheekbones to shine then definitely try the Becca one! 
I've spoken constantly about the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz and you're probably bored of hearing about it but it's one of my favourite brow products because it's so easy to use and you can make it look extremely natural or create a much more dramatic brow. The only downside to this product is that I find I finish it very very quickly and I am constantly repurchasing it! My lip favourite is the Hourglass Liquid Lipstick in Raven, this is a really vibrant orangey red shade. I really like the finish of this as it's not too drying but it does set matte and last a really long time on the lips. I definitely want to try more shades of this but I am in love with this shade for a dramatic but wearable lip. I think I mentioned the Stila Liquid Glitter in my favourites post last year but I've been obsessed with it again this year. As it's liquid, you don't get any fallout and the glitter doesn't stray and end up all over your face. Once you apply it, it's there to stay and it is incredibly pigmented! I currently have the shades Kitten Karma and Diamond Dust but I will definitely be purchasing more! This is a product you absolutely must try and I recommend it to absolutely everyone!
Which product have you loved this year?

Beauty Blender Bounce Foundation

Beauty Blender Bounce Foundation £32
I have loved and used a Beauty Blender for years. It's the only tool I use to apply my foundation and it's a product I would not be without so I was so excited when I heard that the company were branching out and planning on bringing out their own foundation. They've made the packaging so you can pump the foundation onto the white plastic and use your Beauty Blender to apply it, therefore saving you using the back of your hand. When it comes to the packaging, I'm not a fan. I find it quite clunky, bulky and annoying to use. There is a little switch on the back of the packaging which closes and opens the pump so you don't accidentally lose foundation while it's in your bag which is a handy feature. However, the way it's made just means it gets really clogged up and it ends up all around the end of the pump. I also had issues with the pump and it shooting foundation everywhere, including onto my clothes which wasn't great.
I would say the coverage is medium to full, it's definitely not the most full coverage foundation I've tried but it did still cover everything I needed it to without feeling really heavy on the skin. Beauty Blender claim the foundation has 24 hour wear formula, I'm not sure I would 100% agree with this as I found it did come off slightly on my chin area towards the end of the day. However I would still say it lasted a fair amount of time and I didn't have to worry about adding concealer, powdering or touching anything up during the day. Beauty Blender describe the finish as 'velveteen' with a semi-matte finish which I would definitely agree with. It didn't sit matte on the skin and it definitely isn't a dewy product in the slightest but I also didn't have any problems with it clinging to dry patches. 
While I really don't like the packaging, it is quite useful not to use the back of my hand to apply foundation. I have only tried applying it with my Beauty Blender as this is my favourite way to apply ever foundation I try and as per, it works really well to get an even finish. The shade range caused a lot of conversations in the beauty industry due to the lack of diversity when it came to darker shades so hopefully in the future they do try and create more variety of shades so there is something for everyone to wear.
Overall, I haven't decided if I would repurchase this foundation. I did like it and I had few issues with it, however it's not one that wowed me or was particularly groundbreaking in any way. If you have the money and want to try it out then I think it's worth trying to see how you get on with it as you may really love it.
If you want to look into purchasing it, you can buy it here.

Huda Beauty Faux Filter Foundation

Huda Beauty Faux Filter Foundation £32

 Huda beauty products are definitely very hyped up and I was dying to try the Faux Filter Foundation for ages. I didn't know which shade I would be so I waited until I was in store to test out which one was best to get the perfect colour match to my skin. I ended up buying the shade 'Angel Food' which matched my skin really nicely, to be honest there were a few shades I definitely could have got away with using as there wasn't too much difference between them. As with most foundations I review, this claims to be full coverage and oh boy do I agree with this. This is probably one of the most full coverage foundations I've tried, it's very similar in coverage to Estee Lauder Maximum Cover Foundation which hides everything and makes your skin look perfect. A lot of full coverage foundations I try, don't feel heavy on the skin and are extremely wearable, this is definitely not. This product feels heavier than any other foundation I've tried, it is extremely thick and takes a lot of working into the skin to distribute and blend out. I only used a Beauty Blender to apply this which usually works a lot better than makeup brushes as I really don't like the way they make foundation look on my skin however even with a Beauty Blender, it was really hard to blend in. I personally think it's difficult to make this not look cakey on the skin, it's never going to be a product that looks natural or feel lightweight on the skin and people will definitely know you're wearing foundation.

I'm not a massive fan of the packaging of this product, for a foundation in this kind of price point, I would expect something more than this chunky plastic packaging. It feels quite cheap and doesn't feel like anything special compared to other high end foundations I've tried. I tried this foundation a few times before I had a really bad reaction to it. My skin broke out horrifically and I couldn't use it again, I wasn't too disappointed as it wasn't a foundation I was that in love with. It gave good coverage which I like but it did feel heavy and look quite cakey no matter how I applied it. If you're used to really heavy foundations, it's one you might want to give a go and see how you feel but if you're not one for heavy full coverage foundations or have sensitive skin then I would probably give it a miss and go for something like Estee Lauder Maximum Cover or Kat Von D Lock It foundation. 

Have you tried this foundation before, if you have, let me know your thoughts in the comments. If you did want to give it a go, you can buy it here.

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Away Concealer

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Away Concealer £24

I haven’t tried Charlotte Tilbury products for quite a while, I went through a period of being obsessed with trying out their beautifully packaged and luxurious feeling products and would save up to buy their different releases. However, for some unknown reason, I had gravitated away from their products. I found myself in one of their stores recently (I didn’t have a great experience but I’ll let them off because they have pretty makeup), had heard a couple of things about their new concealer and was in the mood to buy some makeup, as per, so I decided to give it a go.

As with everything that Charlotte Tilbury sell, the packaging feels really high end and fancy so in that respect, it’s one that’s lovely to whip out of your makeup bag. You have to twist the bottom for the product to be pushed to the top and you use the sponge applicator to apply. I do have a slight issue about the applicator, it’s not the most hygienic way to apply makeup and I do feel like after having this for a while, this will get clogged and be a little bit gross but hey, that’s just my opinion. The actual product has a really nice consistency, it’s really hydrating on the skin which is something that is important to me due to my dry skin. I use this both under my eyes and on blemishes and it works really well for both. Hydrating concealers work much better for blemishes because the blemishes are usually already quite dry so it ensures they aren’t dried out further. This concealer is marketed as full coverage which I personally don’t agree with, I do find it covers well and I've not had an issue with my blemishes being hidden but I wouldn't compare it to the likes of the IT Cosmetics Concealer which covers every blemish and under eye circle in sight. 

It claims to minimise the appearance of Crow's Feet which luckily I don't have so I can't really comment on and it also claims to plump skin, leaving it firm, smooth and lifted. It definitely brightens my under eyes and hides the obvious signs of my lack of sleep but I'm not sure if I could say anything about it being plumping as I personally haven't experienced it. The price point is fairly normal for Charlotte Tilbury and while it is on the more expensive side, it's not something that bothers me too much as I really like the product and it's around the same price I pay for my trusty Nars concealer. Overall, I really like this concealer and have been impressed with it so far. If you like a concealer that is hydrating and moisturising on the skin while giving decent coverage then it's definitely one to try out.

Check out the concealer here!

Current Makeup

To prep my skin, I've been using the Too Faced Hangover Primer. I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about this primer, I haven't noticed too much of a difference in how my makeup looks or whether it stays for longer but it's one I've decided just to keep using until I finish it. I probably won't repurchase it as it hasn't blown me away! A recent foundation purchase was the L'oreal True Match Foundation, I had tried this years ago as a teenager but couldn't remember what I thought about it other than I think I had previously found it slightly drying. I recently asked someone what foundation they were wearing and they said this so I quickly went out and purchased it to give it a try. In short, I've been so impressed with this foundation. The shade match is great for me, the finish is lovely, it's not matte and not dewy but somewhere perfectly in between. I also love the coverage, it definitely offers medium to full coverage but it doesn't feel heavy in the slightest. I'm so used to really thick, full coverage foundations so this is such a nice change but I still get the perfect coverage that I want! As per, I use the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer. I've used this concealer for years and will continue to use it for the foreseeable future, it's got really good coverage and blends really nicely into the skin. To set my makeup recently I've been using the YSL Souffle Powder, I really like this powder, it leaves a really nice finish on the skin without making it look too powdery or cakey. It is very expensive but I have had it for quite a few months and there's still loads of product left so I do think it's worth the money.  I recently purchased the Anastasia Soft Glam Palette, I was obsessed with the Modern Renaissance palette so decided to give this one a go. If I'm being honest, I'm not in love with this one, I feel like it has a lot more fallout than the Modern Renaissance palette so it doesn't blend as smoothly. It is a decent palette but I would say if you're trying to decide between Modern Renaissance and Soft Glam, definitely go for Modern Renaissance! I had a bit of a break from liquid eyeliner but I am now back to using it daily, my favourite of all time is the Kat Von D Liquid Liner as the brush is really precise and it lasts such a long time. It's so easy for me to throw on in the morning in my tired state so it's a must have for me! To complete my eyes, I add the Maybelline Total Temptation Mascara which is a new one for me. It's a lovely mascara and definitely adds volume to my lashes, I don't find it very lengthening but I don't need length to my lashes so it's one I've been enjoying a lot! I've been wearing different products on my brows recently but mainly I've gone back to the Anastasia Brow Wiz which I like to create a natural looking brow. I've used this product for years and really enjoy using it as it's quick, easy and always looks great.
Which products have you been using on a daily basis?

March Birchbox

Birchbox £12.95*

Blaq Hydrogel Eye Mask £22

Benefit BADgal BANG! Volumising Mascara £21.50

Glamglow Supermud Clearing Mask Treatment £42

Oribe Apres Beach Wave and Shine Spray £36

Nuxe Reve de Miel Body Scrub £19.50

This month, Birchbox are championing the importance of me time and the art of self-care by curating a box of beauty bits perfect for when you want to relax and de-stress. I think this box is one of my all time favourites from Birchbox, there is such a mix of brilliant brands and products I've wanted to try. After seeing such a hype around the new Benefit mascara, I was so excited to receive a sample version in this month's box. The consistency of this is quite wet, the brush works really well to separate the lashes which makes the lashes look really nice, you do have to be quite careful not to apply too much product as it can get clumpy if there is too much product on the brush. I've used a Glamglow mask before and loved it for clearing my pores so I was really excited to receive this in the box. This is a great weekly mask which draws out impurities and unclogs my pores!

I love receiving Oribe products in my Birchbox as the full size items are pretty pricey! This Beach and Shine Spray helps to create tousled and textured hair in very little time, it's super easy to use on dry or wet hair! I always prefer my hair to look slightly textured so this kind of product is always super handy!

What do you think of this month's box? 

Mother's Day Gift Ideas

With Mother's Day around the corner I thought I would share some ideas if you are stuck on what to get your Mum this year or just need a helping hand. My gift for my Mum this year is The White Company Seychelles Bath & Body Gift Set, she loves the candle and diffuser in this scent so I thought she would love to have a body lotion and shower gel. The White Company always feels very luxury so anything from there would make the best Mum gift! Perfume is always a good shout for a Mother's Day gift, my favourite perfume is the YSL Black Opium Floral Shock, it's a really strong but feminine scent which works all year round. The bottle is also so beautiful and looks lovely on my dressing table. I recently purchased this pale pink Bucket Bag from Katie Loxton and I am utterly obsessed with it. It's such a good size, easy to carry and comes in a range of really pretty colours. I think this would be perfect if your Mum is as handbag obsessed as I am.

Other Items:
Personalised Cashmere Scarf
Cluse Rose Gold Watch
Pea in a Pod Necklace

 

Hand cream is always a really great gift and comes in handy for anyone. This duo from Yardley is really affordable and comes in a pretty tin, you get two scents, English Rose and English Dahlia. It's also super affordable and currently on sale so if you're looking for a little extra gift, this would be perfect. Another body gift set is this trio and cosmetic bag from Woods of Windsor, this comes with a Shower Gel, Body Scrub and Body Lotion. I love the cosmetic bag which is a lovely gift on it's own! If your Mum is a fan of makeup, eyeshadow palettes are always a makeup gift that you can't go wrong with! The Urban Decay Naked palettes feel really luxurious so are the perfect gift, I have bought my Mum the Naked Basics Palette numerous times because she loves it! 

 

What have you bought your Mum for Mother's Day?

Fenty Pro Filt'r Foundation

Fenty Foundation £26

When the Fenty beauty range was originally released, I was fairly unfazed. I've never been one for 'celebrity' makeup releases so wasn't too fussed when I heard Rihanna had created a makeup line, however as I saw the reviews and 'first impression' videos stack up, I was interested. The foundation had gained a lot of positive reviews and whenever I hear the words "full coverage" I immediately take notice and usually end up purchasing said foundation. I chose the shade 120 based on a little bit of research, I'm usually NC15 in Mac so generally I'm one of the fairest shades in foundation. 120 is the third lightest shade and is still a little light for me, it's workable but ideally I should have gone a shade darker. The shade range is a huge selling point for this product, it has 40 shades altogether which start from the palest shades and go up to deeper shades so there is a shade for pretty much every person.

The foundation claims to be medium to full coverage with it being buildable. I would definitely agree with this, it covers really well but it's nothing like Estee Lauder Maximum Cover or Kat Von D Lock It in terms of coverage. It doesn't look cakey if you do want a fuller coverage look so it's definitely easy to build up product for more coverage. The finish is described as 'soft matte' which I would agree with, although on me it is pretty matte as I have dry skin. I do have to make sure to moisturise a lot with this and I don't think it would work too well if you have very dry skin as it can cling to dry patches and accentuate them. I think the thing I like most about this is how long lasting it is. It stays on the skin all day without needing to be touched up or re-powdered and it's the foundation I tend to reach for if I know I need something to last all day. As with all my foundations, I apply it with a Beauty Blender. I think if I used a brush it would cause issues with it clinging to dry parts of my skin, the Beauty Blender applies it evenly and creates a flawless finish.

  I like the packaging of this product, I think the frosted bottle is really nice and feels quite luxury. I'm not a massive fan of the white plastic lid but that's only a small gripe and not something that bothers me too much. The foundation retails for £26 which I think is quite reasonable for a higher end foundation and it's fairly mid-range in terms of price. Overall, I think this is definitely one to try out if your skin isn't too dry and you like foundations that offer slightly more coverage. I've been really impressed with the finish and how nice it makes my skin look, it gives me flawless looking skin while still feeling really light and not heavy in the slightest.

Have you tried any Fenty products?

Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Wear Foundation

Lancôme Teint Idole Foundation £30

I had heard so much about this foundation before I bought it and it doesn't take much to convince me to buy a full coverage foundation. Choosing the right shade was fairly easy, I think the shade range is really great as there are 40 shades to choose from which range for the fairest skin to the darkest which is great compared to a lot of other brands out there. As with all my foundations, my favourite way of applying it is with a Beauty Blender as this distributes the product evenly on the skin and blends in seamlessly. The coverage is definitely medium to full, it is buildable without looking cakey or heavy on the skin and it covers every blemish I need it to. Using a Beauty Blender probably makes it slightly lighter coverage than brushes but I prefer how quick and easy the Beauty Blender is. The foundation claims to last 24 hours, while I don't think it lasts this long (after accidentally testing it by falling asleep in my makeup), it is still one of the best foundations I've tried in terms of not needing to be touched up throughout the day.

I have slightly dry and dehydrated skin that tends to get a little oily throughout the day around the nose area so it can be difficult to find a foundation that works on my combination skin. I find this gives more of a matte finish rather than a radiant look but it doesn't dry out my skin or cling to any dry patches either. Throughout the day, most foundations separate on my skin or start to move around, this foundation stays in place without me needing to add more product or powder my skin.

I really like the packaging, it comes in a slightly frosted glass bottle that feels high end with a pump dispenser so it's handy for distributing the right amount of product. My only slight gripe about the product is the smell, it's not overly offensive but it has a bit of an "old lady" scent to it which isn't particularly nice. This doesn't bother me too much as once it is blended into the skin, the scent disappears but if you are sensitive to scents, it may bother you.

This has become my staple, daily full coverage foundation. It's one I can rely on to stay on my skin all day, looking flawless without having to worry about it separating or needing to be touched up. It retails for £32 which makes it a high end product, however it's one I would recommend investing in.

You can buy it here!

Favourite Products of 2017

This year I have discovered some new products that have become firm favourites along with continuing to love some of the staple products in my collection. I decided to try out the Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Wear Foundation after falling out of love with most of my foundations because I found they weren't working for me anymore. This foundation is full coverage and covers everything while still looking natural on the skin, while I don't think it lasts 24 hours like it claims, it is still really long lasting. I tend to apply it with a Beauty Blender which helps to make it look natural and apply evenly. The Becca Pressed Highlighter in Pearl has been a staple in my collection for quite a while, it adds a beautiful glow to the skin while still looking natural and not too over the top. These also last such a long time, I'm still yet to hit pan on this one! The shade Pearl is the lightest shade and works on my super pale skin but I also really want to try Moonstone.

 

I've been wearing liquid eyeliner a lot recently and my absolute favourite for both simple liner and winged liner is the Kat Von D Tattoo Liner, it has a really precise point so it makes it really quick and easy to get perfect eyeliner. I sometimes have issues with eyeliner smudging and flaking but I've never had any issues with this product, it lasts all day. My top product of 2017 is the Stila Liquid Glitter Eyeshadow, I originally bought the shade Kitten Karma and I am obsessed with it. I have received so many compliments when I wear this product, it's so pigmented and it stays put all day. I have since bought the shade Diamond Dust too. These are perfect for creating beautiful makeup looks without having to deal with glitter glue and the fallout you get from normal glitter, once these dry on the skin, they stay put. The final makeup favourite of 2017 are the Eylure X Fleur De Force lashes. I have tried Petit Fleur (my favourites), Fully Fleur and Fleur Loves and they're all really natural lashes. I like how Petit Fleur and Fleur Loves are 3/4 lashes so they're not as long as normal strip lashes which makes them look even more natural. They look natural enough to wear everyday without your makeup looking way too over the top or anyone knowing you're wearing falsies.

 

I have two skincare favourites for 2017, one is a new product and the other is an old trusted favourite. The Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser is a product I had heard a lot about, so when Glossier launched in the UK, I quickly purchased this. After using this, I noticed such an improvement in my skin, it calmed down and my spots pretty much all disappeared, my skin has genuinely never looked better. I've been loving using this for the past few months and will definitely repurchase when I run out. Whenever my skin is feeling in need of TLC, I use the Eve Lom Rescue Mask which works really well to calm my skin and dry out any blemishes I do have. I use this weekly or whenever I'm having issues with spots or blackheads and I love what it does to my skin.

 

What were your favourite products of 2017?

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