5 PRODUCT FACE

Although I love having my me time and applying makeup in the morning, sometimes I want a more minimal look that doesn't call for a lot of products or time. On a day where I'm rushing, don't feel like having stuff on my face, this is what I usually go for:

1. Undereye concealer

I'm not the kind of person that stays up late at all. I'm usually in bed by 10/11 and asleep by 12. For some reason though, I have really dark under eyes that no amount of sleep or hydration can fix. This can easily make me look tired/sick when I'm not so i usually like to cover those babies up. My current favorite product for this is the Maybelline Eraser Eye Concealer (£7.99). It's light, doesn't crease, and has good coverage - all the things I look for. I also dot it between/around my eyebrows and down my nose as that's where I get redness. Another favorite of mine is the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer (£22.00), but I've run out and I'm trying to use up other ones I have around to justify my repurchase.

2. Brows

I feel (as a lot of people do) that my face looks odd if I have any kind of makeup on with no brows. Mine aren't super sparse or thin or anything, but they're quite patchy so when I'm going for a natural look I like to fill them in with a light powder to make them full but natural. This means I go for non other than my Anastasia Brow Duo (£17.00). I find a powder to work best for this as pencils or pomades can look too strong and drawn on.

3. Mascara

I love me some mascara. After lipstick, this is probably my favorite makeup product. It can seriously make you look a lot more awake and alert than you really are - something we all need in the morning. I don't have any I'm really loving right now, just alternating between what I have open to finish them up.

4. Blush

I never thought this would be in my minimal look, as although it's something I use everyday, I didn't think it essential. However, I find that a nice blush can really perk up your skin and add diminution, especially if you're looking a bit tired. With a minimal look I like to use a one with a shimmer running through it to add a nice glow to the cheeks. My go-to is the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette (£56.00) as the three colors are all lovely, easy to blend and stay put.

5. Tinted balm/Sheer Lipstick/Lipgloss

My final step is always lips. No matter how minimal the look I like to have a sheer color on my lips be it from a gloss, balm or lipstick. Nothing too bright or bold though, as it can look imbalanced if the look is very minimal. Something like the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatments ($22.50), Jouer Sheer Lipsticks (£18.00), or Maybelline Color Elixirs (£6.99) are great for this, but the options are endless really.

I also usually do a quick translucent powder down my T-zone to decrease oiliness throughout the day, but that's totally optional if you don't usually powder, or don't live in a super hot country like me. Let me know what some of your 5 product face essentials are, I'd love to hear.

PRIME TIME (EYELID EDITION)

I have very oily eyelids. There's no other way going about it. If you've never thought about it or don't have any problems with eyeshadow, this may seem really strange, but i'm sure there are many of you out there who know exactly how i feel. Eyeshadows crease on me like crazy. No matter what formula or brand i use, within a few hours most of it will have smudged or collected in my crease in a weird and very unattractive fashion. But i have good news, as today i come with a solution.

NARS Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base, £19.50

 I decided to try out the Nars eyeshadow primer after hearing youtuber Ingrid (Missglamorazzi) rave about it so much. I had tried other alternatives such as Urban Decay's Primer Potion, which helped but didn't completely eliminate creasing, so i wasn't TOO hopeful about this. I'm glad to say i was completely wrong.

Using the doe foot applicator, i smush (yes, that's a word) what comes out onto both lids, and use my fingers to blend it all out. It has no color or strange texture, and sinks into the skin almost immediately leaving no weird wetness or anything behind. From there you can just go ahead and apply your eyeshadow/eyeliner etc. the way you usually do. For me this totally eliminates any creasing and unwanted blending of any sort, and also helps the color of the eyeshadows appear more vibrant. My eye makeup looks exactly the same after 12 hours as it did when i first applied it, which are better results than i could have ever asked for. I've also come to using it even if i don't have any eyeshadow or liner on, to avoid an oily pool collection (gross) on my lids.

 If you haven't tried this primer out, i highly recommend it. If you have, let me know what you think, and i'd love to hear some other favorites of yours. My new mission is to find a drugstore dupe for this NARS one.