The Touch Up Kit

To start I'm going to give you guys a summary of what my skin is like. I have oily, acne prone skin with scarring around my cheek area and a VERY dark eye area, and although there are products I use and steps I take to make my makeup last as long as it possibly can and look as good as when I first applied it (more on that in an upcoming post), a touch up once throughout the day is a must for me.

So around 6-7 hours after first application I do get quite shiny, particularly through my T-zone and I've often gotten the "You're looking sweaty" comments from people whose skin is a lot better than mine and are not above judging (you know the ones). So I get my travel mirror out and I'll use blotting tissues to remove the layer of oil thats sitting on top of my makeup. This does sound a bit disgusting but trust me when I tell you it's well worth it and will stop any possible caking that can happen when you go in with your powder. They're fairly cheap and any will do the job, I'm currently using the Swisspers ones.
After that I'll take my Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in Fair and swipe this under my eyes and around my nose and mouth which are typically where my makeup tends to disappear. I like this one because its great coverage, easy to apply on the go and easy to blend out with fingers.
To lock that all in and get rid of any shine that the blotting tissues didn't take care of I use the Bourjois Healthy Balance Powder in 52 Vanille, which is one of my favourite powders I have ever tried. It locks my makeup in place without making me look too flat and absolutely never cakes up. I apply this with a Real Techniques Retractable Kabuki Brush because again its easy to use on the go and comes with a lid to keep it clean.

Finally I tackle lips and if I'm not using lip balm I go for the NYX Butter Gloss in Vanilla Cream Pie, its a beautiful warm pink shade that is seriously creamy and makes your lips look nice and full. If I'm not feeling that one then I go for MAC Patisserie lipstick which is my favourite pinky nude in the world. 

A Rimmel Affair

Rimmel have been a stand out drug store brand for me over the past six months. I tried some of their products years ago and they never wowed me, and ever since then I had no interest in trying anything from the brand.

The first thing I picked up was the Match Perfection foundation, after seeing it in a lot of Tanya Burr's videos. It feels really lightweight on the skin while still giving a decent amount of coverage and blends very easily. The shade range is quite large compared to other drug store foundations. I have the shade 100 Ivory which is perfect for me and for girls with oily skin this dries semi-matte and will last all day. Ive been enjoying this so much I think it has become my favourite drug store foundation ever!

The Wake Me Up concealer also became another favourite. I love this for under eye circles especially on mornings when you can tell Ive spent too long in front of the computer the previous night. I blend this in with fingers and it never creases or looks cakey on me.

I hit pan pretty quickly on the Stay Matte powder in Transparent. I use this with a big powder brush, swoosh it around in the pan and then I stipple it on my face to set everything. Again, never looks powdery and has gone on the 'Must Always Repurchase' list. 

Finally, the Scandaleyes kohl liners have been a standout to use. They're probably the smoothest pencil liners I have ever tried, they never tug on your eyes or look too heavy. I love using the nude colour in my waterline because it doesn't budge and makes me look more awake. 

I'm looking to try more from Rimmel but every time I go I can never decide. Let me know what you guys have tried and what other products you recommend. 

The Review #1

Since I've started wearing makeup the only brushes I've ever used were either Sigma or MAC. I bought the Sigma 'Make me Crazy' set first, and then I bought the F80 kabuki brush for my foundation, a highlighting brush and blush brush to complete my set. I also have a a few eyeshadow brushes from MAC which were a little treat to myself. 

I've seen the Real Techniques brushes for a while but never thought to pick them up or try them because I was content with my own little set and also because they are ridiculously overpriced in Australia.

I got two to start with, the powder brush and the blush brush. I have to say I'm so impressed with the quality of these brushes they are seriously giving my Sigma faithfuls a run for their money. They are so soft and each brush is synthetic and washes so well (my Sigma brushes take so long to dry). 

I've found a site called iHerb.com which has all the individual brushes and sets for the American price and they only charge $8 shipping to Australia (bargain). They're so cheap and amazing. I have 100% been converted.