What's Hot | Beauty

The Body Shop Skin Primer - Matte It £12.00
No 7 Stay Perfect Eyeshadow Trio in Good Earth £9.50
The Body Shop All-In-One Blusher in 05 Bubblegum £8.00
Real Techniques Buffing Brush (part of the Core Collection) £21.99
Carmex Moisturising Lip Balm in Strawberry £2.69
Bourjois Paris So Laque Nail Polish in Lime Catwalk £5.00

I must admit when it comes to beauty products and make-up I'm stuck in a bit of a rut. Most of my beauty and make-up routine has remained the same for years and because I get on so well with the products I use everyday, I am very resistant to change. Since I've started blogging, the blogosphere has opened me up to a whole load of beauty secrets and ideas, and in the past six months or so I've been delving into new brands, opened myself up to new ideas and have got my hands on some great products for it. I think once you've found a product you like it's very difficult to be swayed to something that the whole nation is hyping. Having said this, I'm very individual when it comes to my make-up routine, I'm a low-end brand budget hunter, combined with a few products with slightly pricier tags. This post features just a few of the products I've been experimenting with recently, from color pop blushes and gel primers to neutral earthy toned eye palettes and sweet sugared lip smack.
The Body Shop primer is definitely a product that I will continue to use on a daily basis before I begin my morning make-up routine. This product is the perfect base and the perfect texture. The gel formula helps to give your make-up a long-lasting and flawless finish, by creating an even and smooth base. What I love most about the matte finish is that it leaves no shine and is incredibly gentle on the skin. I also apply a little bit in my eye contour to give my eye shadow a smooth base for long lasting color. Also from the Body Shop, these gorgeous all-in-one blushes are the perfect pop of color for Spring. I opted for bubblegum as I like to achieve a natural pink cheek for a day time look. An ultra-fine powder that achieves a buildable, natural color with a long-lasting finish is definitely one that makes it to the top of my list.
Despite still sticking to neutrals, browns and blacks I picked up the No 7 Eye Palette trio in Good Earth  on whim. I use this product everyday and it's great for creating both a toned down natural color or to achieve a smokey eye. I think it's the perfect palette for building colour; I use the light pink/cream shimmer first by applying it to my eye contour and under my bottom lashes to highlight and brighten my eyes, I then apply the second color which is a light metallic brown, followed by a slightly darker shade to build a dark, smokey eye. All three together are a great combo & I'd definitely recommend trying this if you like wearing neutral/brown eyeshadows.
In the winter, I decided to ditch the Vaseline and head back over to a favorite lip product of mine: Carmex. The cold weather is a nightmare for my lips, leaving them feeling dry, chapped and sore. This is my savior. It's handy and compact to carry around at all times and it comes in original, cherry or strawberry. I don't know why, but I prefer the tube to the pot as I personally think it's more hygienic.
My make-up brushes have always been from the Body Shop, but I decided after hearing such good reviews about the Real Techniques make-up brushes I'd buy a few to play around with. Now 6 Real Techniques brushes down & I'm still investing. I honestly don't know why I didn't try them sooner but oh boy they've made a hell of a difference to not only how I apply my make-up but also how I think about make-up. I ain't no make-up artist, but I do take pride in how I apply it, but boy I did not know there could be so many different names for brushes. I particularly love the buffing brush, hence why I sneaked it in on this post. My make-up has never looked so flawless up until recently and really holds throughout the entire length of the day.
Lastly, I've been buying way too many nail polishes recently, buy hey Spring/Summer' on it's little ol' way so why not. I've had my eye on the Models Own Neon Range and I'm currently head over heels for bright yellows and acid limes, and the other week I opted for this Bourjois So Laque Nail Polish in Lime Catwalk. This adds a pop of color to your nails, will contrast great against any outfit, and creates a long-lasting hold.
Have you tried any of the products featured in this post? What current beauty/make-up products do you think are worth the hype?