5 Beauty Products Worth The Price Tag

Sometimes, being a beauty addict is hard. Buying high end make up is a gamblers game; sometimes you hit gold, other times you don't. If it's the latter, parting with what seems like extortionate amounts of money for something that runs out, dries up or becomes abandoned in the abyss otherwise known as the beauty drawer because it didn't live up to expectations can be soul destroying. But when you hit gold and find that product you would sell your left kidney for, let alone £40, you know your make-up bag will never look the same again and all the risks would have paid off.

The following 5 products are, in my opinion, worth every penny and will repurchase time and time again...


Tom Ford Brow Sculptor

Since I bought this product, I have never had a bad-brow-day: bold statement, I know. When I use it, it is impossible to have a bad-brow-day as it just makes them perfect. I don't know how it does it; it is truly magical. At £35, this bad boy is pricey, but in my opinion, you can't put a price on great brows.
The sculptor has two ends: one a spooly, the other a waxy textured pencil-crayon thing (very bad description, sorry) and also has a pull out sharpener which keeps the tip nice and sharp. The 'calligraphy' tip means that you can use thin strokes towards the end of the brows, but wider and softer strokes towards the front. The formula is soft and waxy which makes the filled in brows look natural but also stays in place all day.


By Terry Ombre Blackstar

Over the last couple of years cream eyeshadow sticks seem to have been all the rage, and for good reason. Due to their popularity, the market is awash with what seems like 1000's of different brands, colours, textures and finishes but nobody does them quite as well as By Terry. I have two shades: Frozen Quartz and Misty Rock. Frozen Quartz is a beautiful pale shimmery pink, and Misty Rock a bronze/mauve-y brown colour. They apply ridiculously easily, literally swipe a bit on, blend it a bit with your finger or a fluffy brush, and your good to go. The formulas are incredibly long lasting and the packaging is simple and elegant. They are expensive at £29, but a little goes a long way and they last a fair amount of time before running out or drying up.


Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette

I did a full review on the Vintage Vamp palette last year (check that out here), but since then I have also bought the palette in The Sophisticate. If you are a neutrals girl like me, this palette is perfect for you. It has four matte neutral shades: a pale cream, a light brown, a dark grey and a dark chocolate brown. With this palette you can create a natural, barely there day look, or a dramatic brown smokey evening look. As with all Charlotte Tilbury products, the packaging is beautiful and the formulas and pigmentation are perfect.


YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick

YSL is my favourite brand for high end lipsticks. I love the packaging, smell, formula and colour range; I can't find a bad word to say about them. The shades I have are Rouge Eros (which I can not find anywhere, think it's time for a major make up tidy up - so you can read a mini review I did last year of this shade here) and I have recently got the shade Rose Stiletto (pictured). I find the formula really pigmented, moisturising and super long lasting.


Charlotte Tilbury Colour of Youth Lip and Cheek Glow

Sophie kindly surprised me with this blush for my 21st birthday. Before we go any further let's all just take a few seconds to appreciate the packaging... This cream blusher is part of Charlotte Tilbury's new limited edition collection which celebrates the work of famous photographer Norman Parkinson, the beautiful woman gracing the compact is Wenda, Norman's wife and muse. The blusher is a subtle and delicate rose glow, it is weightless and creamy and lasts all day.

What beauty products do you feel are worth the price tag?

Haul #5: London

Last week I went to London to apply for a Visa to study in America from August for a year. My appointment at the US Embassy was at 11:00 and lasted only 2 hours and now I'm officially going to America! I booked my return train a lot later in the day though, which gave me a chance to go on a huge beauty haul (which may have not been the best idea for my bank account!).

Space NK

My first stop was Space NK just off Oxford Street. There was one product I really wanted from there and it was the By Terry Ombre Blackstar. I hadn't quite decided what shade to get but as soon as I tested Misty Rock on the back of my hand I fell in love. It's a gorgeous shimmery taupe purple shade that is great for a day or nighttime look. At first I was reluctant to buy an eyeshadow stick for £28 but I'm glad I did. The texture is really creamy and a little goes a long way. It's also a really easy product to use and you could just simply swipe your lid with this to get a great eye makeup look, perfect for when on holiday or travelling. I'm so happy that I listened to beauty bloggers like Tanya Burr and Vivianna Does Makeup because they are so right about this product! 

Selfridges
Selfridges is one of my favourite shops, ever, especially the London one because it's so huge! I had a few hours to kill but ended up spending nearly all my time there. The beauty department is just to die for! I ended up buying products from three counters in Selfridges, as well as getting a quick Pinkberry as a break from all the shopping.

Charlotte Tilbury

The first counter I purchased from was Charlotte Tilbury. I found it so difficult to limit myself to what I bought. I spent so long testing out the products on my hand, asking the friendly staff on their suggestions and having them try some products out on me. Eventually, after much deliberation and re-testing (I'm the worst decision maker ever!), I finally decided on a K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick in Bitch Perfect and a Rock 'n' Kohl eyeliner in Bedroom Black. I already have the Lipstick colour in So Marilyn and I love it but it's such a true bold red that I don't get a chance to wear very often therefore I wanted a more of an everyday shade and Bitch Perfect is that perfect shade! I'm so glad I chose this shade as it's just a classic pinky nude that lasts a while, smells delicious and has a great texture to it. I find myself reaching for it all the time for an everyday look. I also decided to go for the Rock 'n' Kohl eyeliner because I've not bought a pencil eyeliner in ages and all the women at the counter recommended it to me. This is such a great eyeliner. It lasts a ridiculously long time without smudging yet it glides on so easily. It's a great one for the waterline too. The black is very bold though so I try to use it more for the evening when I'm going out. 

MAC

My next stop was MAC. I had a slightly clearer idea of what I wanted from there but still spent some time trying to narrow down my options. One thing I definitely knew I wanted was a 4 eyeshadow palette so that I can travel without taking all of my MAC eyeshadows in my 15 palette with me. I also knew I wanted one last eyeshadow to fill my 15 palette. I originally wanted Mulch but when I tested a few shades on my hand I finally decided on Twinks and the lady at the counter said this colour would bring the blue out in my eyes more. It's a beautiful bronze/brown shade with a hint of plum. I also bought a new lipstick as I haven't bought a MAC lipstick in about 3 years (such a long time!). I went with the colour Craving in the end because I'd done some research beforehand. It's a beautiful warm plum colour with a creamy finish and smooth texture. It's also a great shade to wear as a slightly bolder lip look in the day or a nice deep shade for an evening. I haven't got much use out of it yet but I can't wait to try it out more!

Chanel

Finally my last purchase of the day was at the Chanel counter. Last year I'd heard loads about the Summer Collection and luckily I reserved products at John Lewis so they didn't sell out (I ended up choosing some products that sold out immediately). However this year I'd not heard much hype about the collection so decided to ask at the counter when the 2014 collection would be released. I spoke to the nicest woman who told me that they had the products a week early and not many people knew (so if you want any of the collection they should be out everywhere now!) Because they had the products there I decided to buy one thing from the collection and that was the Illusion D'ombre in New Moon. This is such a gorgeous bronze colour and it's so glittery, I'm almost too scared to wear it. The formula is also so creamy and it glides on so easily, I'm looking forward to using it a lot more in the future.

I'm so happy with all my London Haul purchases and I went home on the train feeling both happy but also with sore feet and a sore bank account! I have decided to go on a makeup ban for at least a month now because I bought so much in this haul, let's see how long I can last!

May Wishlist

It's time for the Monthly Wishlist and Favourites again! (see Jess' April Favourites here). There is no real theme to my Wishlist this month with a mixture of products, some of which I've wanted for ages and some I've only just discovered and want to try out. Here is my Wishlist for the month of May.

Ombre Blackstar By Terry - £28

On a recent trip to Space NK and after reading and watching Vivianna Does Makeup's blog and YouTube videos, I came across these eye shadow sticks from By Terry. After seeing more raving reviews I really want to try this product. I love a good eyeshadow stick, my favourite being my limited edition Chanel stylo in Moon River. I love the shades available but I think the one I'd like to try the most is Bronze Moon.

MAC Eye shadow and Palette - £20 & £10 

Now I've almost completed my MAC palette with only one eye shadow left to fill, I want a new palette as mine is the really old one with no see through plastic on top and it's covered in powder and eye shadow. I prefer the newer design so much more. I really want a small palette too, perfect for when I'm travelling and only need a few shades instead of carrying around my 15 slot palette. Also if I'm buying a new palette I might as well complete it so I want a new eye shadow too but I can't decide what my last one should be, any suggestions?

YSL Vernis À Lèvres Glossy Stain - £25

I love YSL makeup, it seems so luxurious and I love all of the products I have tried from them so far. One thing I paticularly love about YSL is their lip products. I recently bought a Lipstick in a beautiful berry/rose colour that I can't get enough of. Also a while ago I bought one of their famous lip stains from the rebel nudes collection (a review is coming soon!). I had completely forgotten about it until I came across it in my collection recently and I forgot how much I like it. The colour lasts a long time and I love the formula. Now I want to try one in a new colour and luckily YSL has so many great shades to choose from.

L'oreal L'Extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick by Color Riche - £8.99

After reading Vivianna Does Makeup's blog I came across a video on these L'oreal lip stains that are supposed to be very similar to the YSL ones but for a fraction of the cost. I'd like to try one of these out and compare it to the YSL ones. There a less colours available compared to the YSL ones but I like the shades that are available. I'm tempted to go for a bold one like a bright red shade called Rouge Soprano. 

Kate Moss for Topshop Scallop Shorts - £46

Kate Moss recently released a new collection of clothing for Topshop on the 30th of April (if you haven't heard of it already). I love the collection and most of the items have sold out online already but one piece that stood out for me, that was also reasonably priced and something I would actually wear was these Scallop Shorts. I love a good pair of shorts and these are quite a unique design and unlike any others I have. Unfortunately they've sold out in my size so I'm hoping they come back in stock soon!

Eucerin Skincare - £9.25 and £9.50

My favourite Dermalogica Moisturiser, Active Moist, is about to run out and seeming as it is quite expensive I thought I should try a cheaper alternative. One brand that I have heard that is good for skincare is Eucerin. I had a look on the Boots website and they have a category for my skin type, oily/acne prone skin. One of the products I came across was the Dermo Purifyer Adjunctive Hydrating Care SPF30 50ml. I like that this moisturiser has an SPF and is only £9.25 for 50ml. I also came across the Dermo Purifier Concentrate 30ml to help the overall condition of skin for £9.50 which I think I'll try too. 

What is on your wishlist for the month of May?

Blogmas Day 16: December Beauty Wish List

Here are all the beauty related things that I've seen this month which I really really want to get my hands on!

Tom Ford Lip Color in Crimson Noir

Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream

Louise Young Cosmetics Essential Eye Shadow Palette 

Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir Cologne

By Terry Hyaluronic Face Glow 

Jouer Cosmetics Creme Eye Shadow Crayon  

Hydraluron Moisture Booster

Charlotte Tilbury Bar Of Gold