telling you things i think you need to know

Zoé, 30, England. Journalist, baker and makeup enthusiast. Twitter: @zoewickens

[holdingmysoultogether]

After seeing a couple of beauty bloggers I follow on Instagram talk about this foundation, I thought I'd give it a whirl. It's only around the £5 mark, so I figured if it wasn't for me I hadn't wasted any money.

Boy, was I surprised! Not only does the shade 008 Fair Beige very closely match my skin colour, but it has a really nice soft matte finish. It's marketed as being mattifying, as well as sweat and waterproof, and it definitely ticks the first two boxes as it hadn't budged after a 45 minute exercise class! I haven't tested whether it's waterproof as swimming's not my thing 😆

The foundation is formulated with Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) in order to support a refined skin appearance over time. I've never got on well with this particular ingredient before (it's previously caused break outs), but it hasn't affected me that much so far. It's also vegan and microplastics particles free, as well as having no parabens or mineral oil added.

You apply the product using a pipette, which I've never used with a foundation before. It can be a bit messy, if you're as clumsy as I am you may need some Vanish on standby in case it drips from your face onto your clothes! A cleaner way may be to put the foundation straight onto a brush or your hand instead of directly on the face.

Overall, I'd definitely recommend this. It looks much more expensive than it is in a luxe looking glass bottle. Catrice does multiple shades and has a whole range of makeup and skincare products to try!

[whetheritsmorningornight]

Back in May, I made a Bite Beauty order as the brand is discontinuing all its products apart from its Lip Lab range. Everything was 50% off, how could I refuse? 😆 I love the brand's lipsticks so thought I'd give its mascara and primer a go.

The Upswing Full-Volume mascara is a pretty good one in my opinion. It claims to be volumising, lengthening, lifting, curl enhancing, smudge resistant and offer intense colour. It definitely does the first four, the fairly chunky brush is wider at each end and smaller in the middle in order to catch every lash and really lift and thicken them.

Although it's not waterproof, it doesn't smudge throughout the day and is easy to apply - you don't need loads of coats to get a lovely look.

The Changemaker Skin-Optimising primer is also a great product. I've used many foundation primers in my time and this one works a treat. It includes Bite's Powerpure Maqui Berry, which helps to hydrate and mattify with its antioxidant properties. Other ingredients are olive oil and hyaluronic acid complex that hydrate the skin, and willow bark that controls shine and minimises the look of pores.

Bite does two varieties of this primer, one for more oily skin and one for dryer skin. I got the one for oily skin and it really does help to mattify and control shine, which is an issue I always have. It helped my foundation to last all day in pretty warm weather when I tested it, so it's a winner in my books. You can still buy this on Feel Unique, so I'd recommend heading there to pick it up, but be quick!

[whetheritsmorningornight]

Through its Lacura brand, Aldi does beauty and makeup products that have become somewhat well known for their packaging 👀 if you know, you know 😆

I thought I'd give the Show Up highlighter and Volume Effect Mascara a go when I saw them in my local Aldi; the two cost under £10 so it would have been rude not to!

The highlighter is in a square box packaging that seems vaguely familiar 😆 it has a little mirror and comes with a brush for application. The powder highlighter itself is a pale champagne/gold colour and looks really nice when applied, a little goes a long way. I was pleased that the brush is both easy to use and effective, you can see the lovely glow in the photo above.

I wasn't as much of a fan of the mascara tbh. I prefer curved and fluffy brushes and this one is long and thin. Although the liquid is enriched with Vitamin E and argan oil, it made my lashes look clumpy. I also had to use a fair amount to get my desired look, which is not something I really want to do. Not the mascara for me.

Overall, sometimes you get what you pay for and then other times you're nicely surprised. I just happened to have both of these experiences in the same makeup application session! Have a look in the middle aisles in your local Aldi, you never know what you might find.

[whetheritsmorningornight]

I bought this YSL Rouge Pur Couture lipstick heavily reduced a few months ago, put it in my lipstick stand and then promptly forgot I owned it 😂 It's one of YSL's most iconic lipsticks with its simple gold square exterior and the well known logo on the side.

This shade is called Decadent Pink and I'd say that sums it up pretty well. It's a deep, rich pink that goes perfectly with neutral/barely there makeup (as I try to show in the photo). It has a fairly matte finish with the tiniest hint of shine to it, which is lovely.

It's pretty long lasting, although you may have to touch it up after eating and drinking, and feels nice to wear. It dries fairly quickly after applying, but won't dry out your lips.

As YSL is one of the more expensive makeup brands out there, this means you'll be shelling out a bit more if you want one of these lipsticks. Is it worth it? Well, there are lots of other great and cheaper lipsticks out there, but this is a nice treat if you can spare the money. Or hunt the sales as I do!

[whetheritsmorningornight]

I love lipstick. I don't seem to wear it as much now since I started working from home and wearing masks almost everywhere, so it's always great to reintroduce it to my look if the opportunity strikes.

The shades I'm wearing in the above photos are by Charlotte Tilbury, a brand that has a reputation for producing decent lipsticks. The lighter shade is part of its Matte Revolution range and is called Super Cindy after the supermodel Cindy Crawford. It's a pale pinkish brown colour and is really pretty.

The other is one of the famous Pillow Talk hues; Pillow Talk 3 Intense. It's a fairly deep brown, a colour that was very popular in the 1990s. The first Pillow Talk shade by the brand is a dusky pink, and this is a darker version of that.

They're both matte shades and are pretty long-lasting. They'll suit anyone and be an ideal finish for any day or night time look. Any Charlotte Tilbury fans will know that the products are priced higher than high street brands, but they are worth spending a bit extra on for a good quality item.

[whetheritsmorningornight]

I won these two Bite Beauty Power Move lipsticks in a Twitter competition recently, which I was both really pleased about and intrigued, as I'd never heard of the brand before so was unsure of the quality.

Any initial hesitation faded away quickly, as these soft matte lipsticks are just that, really soft and wearable once applied with a lovely matte finish. Enriched with cocoa butter, there's no chance of these drying your lips out. They may need reapplying throughout the day, but that's standard for most lip products really.

I have the shades Sugar Buns, which is a pretty dusky pink, and Hot Tomato, which is a bright red very reminiscent of the fruit. I love both colours and thankfully they both appear to suit me (well, in my opinion anyway 😆). They would suit any skin tones, but if you're not a fan of these hues, Bite Beauty has a wide range for you to take your pick!

[whetheritsmorningornight]

I bought this Physician's Formula Butter Bronzer a few months ago and am just getting round to use it after finishing my other bronzer. An American brand, it's made its way over to the UK and is available at many cosmetic stores and websites now.

It contains murumuru butter, which is very soothing and smells like coconut, so has a summery feel to it. I can see why it's so popular, it's really easy to apply and build up to your preference.

The product comes in a plastic compact and features a mirror under the bronzer part and a sponge for application, although I prefer a brush. It does feel a bit chunky, but will still fit into most makeup bags.

I like it, it smells amazing and helps to give me a healthy glow, which is needed in the colder winter months!

[whetheritsmorningornight]

I got this Fenty Beauty shimmer powder and brush set a few weeks ago and have just got round to trying it out.

The shimmer powder is called Rosé on Ice and is a lovely pink shade with some coral flecks when in the light. It works as both a blusher and a highlighter, and looks really pretty on anyone. The product also smells amazing, it's got a lovely warm vanilla scent to it.

The brush is called a cheek hugging highlighter brush and is shaped in such a way that it fits the shape of your cheeks when applying. I'd say it does that, but I'm not sure if it's better than either my usual blusher or highlighter brushes.

Overall, the powder is a great product, and you should definitely give it a try if you like powder blushes and highlighters!

[whetheritsmorningornight]

I was excited to try Rihanna's Fenty Beauty Mattemoiselle plush matte lipstick when I bought this recently. I didn't need another lipstick but I couldn't resist a Fenty Beauty product!

This shade is called S1ngle and is a mix of rose/coral colours. It's really pretty and is a lip shade I naturally gravitate towards most of the time.

It's super creamy and comfortable to wear. It's fairly long lasting but you would probably need to reapply after eating or drinking. Don't let that put you off though, it's a lovely product. It's not completely matte in my opinion, it has a hint of shine to it that will suit anyone.

Shout out to the boss RiRi for creating a great product!

[whetheritsmorningornight]

Social media star Soph (@soph on Instagram) recently released a new makeup collection with Makeup Revolution. Everything looked so pretty, but this two lip balm and lip liner duos caught my eye and at just £8 each, I couldn't say no.

The two shades are Candy Icing, which is a mid-toned pink, and Toffee Drizzle, a brown/deep pink shade straight out of the nineties. Think Monica from Friends' lip colour! I love Candy Icing and knew I would just by looking at it on the website, but was unsure about Toffee Drizzle as I'd never worn a brown shade before. I was surprised actually by how much I like it, it's quite pretty!

The lip liners are very soft to use and glide well over your lips. I go around the outside of my lips and then fill them in a bit, then apply the lip balm over the top. They both feel very comfortable on, with a fairly matte finish and a hint of shine. They are unlikely to last you eating and drinking, but you can easily and quickly reapply if needed.

I have absolutely nothing bad to say about these lip liner and balm duos, they're so easy to use and give you such a pretty lip look. I'm open to more shades of these being introduced if you are, Soph!

[whetheritsmorningornight]

Thanks to @ladywrites (on Instagram), I now own another Huda Beauty eyeshadow palette 😂

This one is called Topaz Obsessions and is full of neutral/brown shades which would suit any skin tone. There are five pressed matte shades and four looser glitters, all of which are suitable for any time of year, but I'm getting autumnal vibes from the colours!

The shades are pretty pigmented, and apply and blend easily. You do get a bit of fall out, but that's nothing that a tissue can't fix. I find a damp eyeshadow brush is best to apply the glitters, as a dry brush won't pick up that much product. I'd recommend using an eyeshadow primer as your base, it really helps the product not budge and last all day!

Again, it's on the more expensive side for nine shades but it is very pretty, so that sort of swings it for me 😍 there are so many different colour combinations available, you're bound to find something you like!

[whetheritsmorningornight]

This is my first Huda Beauty product (and my sixth eyeshadow palette, which I definitely needed 😂)!

I chose the Gold palette, which features a mixture of shades for your crease, a pop of colour and some looser glitters. It's really pretty and can create a whole array of looks for either the day time or the evening.

I have to say you do get a bit of fall out when applying, but that can just be wiped away with tissue. It is also a bit on the pricey side for what is only nine small sections of eyeshadow, but it's a decent palette that will serve you well.

There are a whole range of different palette shades available to chose from if these particular colours aren't for you. I recommend trying some out!

[whetheritsmorningornight]

The number one issue I have with my skin is that it's oily. I've tried to find a good face powder to set my makeup for years, one that stops the oil coming through and ensures my face stays shine free for longer than a couple of hours.

I'm pleased to say that this is the one. The one that does all that and more. Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder has one hell of reputation, it's highly recommended by many people and I can definitely see why. It literally lasts all day, with my skin only looking a tiny bit shiny by the evening. Honestly, this is a miracle by my standards, long gone are the days when I have to take powder with me everywhere to top up my makeup (and not just because we can't go anywhere currently, shout out to England's third lockdown).

It isn't the cheapest of powders however, but it's a fairly sizeable tub at 29 grams and you don't need a huge amount. Just a couple of swirls on a big fluffy powder brush will do the trick. The translucent shade is ideal for a majority of skin tones too, as it blends in effortlessly with your foundation or other kind of base. I highly recommend giving it a go!

[whetheritsmorningornight]

A good friend of mine gave me this super cute eyeshadow palette by Kiko recently so I thought I'd test it out.

This mini palette features four baked shades: shimmery cream, gold and copper, and a matte cool-toned brown. You do get a bit of fall out when going in with your brush, but they apply well and they aren't too difficult to blend. I don't think the finished look is too bad at all, although my skin has seen better days - but hey, we're in a lockdown!

Overall, it's a good little palette by Kiko that will allow you to create some lovely looks, and it's small enough to fit in pretty much any bag!

[whetheritsmorningornight]

Good foundation primers that won't break the bank are hard to come by in my experience. This is why I'm happy to have stumbled upon this - High-Adherence Silicon Primer by the cult brand The Ordinary.

Used as the last step in your skincare routine before applying makeup, it helps to support makeup adherence, visible surface texture and hydration.

It seems to work well with my oily skin and matte long-wearing foundation. I do have to say that wearing a mask (as we do now, it's a pandemic folks) doesn't help much when wearing makeup, but this primer helps to maintain my foundation for a lot longer than when I go without it. It's a white cream that melts easily into the skin and doesn't leave a white cast.

I highly recommend this primer as not only does it work, but it's also under £10. What's not to love about that?

[whetheritsmorningornight]

I picked up this Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Balm a couple of weeks ago as it had good reviews online. Most of my makeup brushes are by Real Techniques, so I thought it would be a good fit.

I've used it twice so far and am impressed. You swirl your slightly dampened by water brushes around on the surface of the clear coloured balm and rub it on the little round pink bobbly mat before rinsing in warm water. The only brush I've struggled to get clean with the balm is my Real Techniques 200 foundation brush but I wear a long-lasting matte formula, so many cleansers fail to lift it. This is where Fairy Liquid comes in handy!

Overall, I'd recommend this as it's under £10 and does a good job. I do wish the pink mat was a bit bigger, but you can buy bigger alternatives in shops and online.

[whetheritsmorningornight]

I've had this Maybelline Lash Sensational mascara for a while now, so have had plenty of time to test it.

It's considered to be a bit of a cult product with beauty influencers and YouTubers, and I can definitely see why. The lash multiplying brush, which is curved to the shape of the lash line, makes your lashes visibly fuller and multiplied with only a few applications. The brush will reach all of your lashes in one go, which will save you some time when applying. I occasionally end up with some mascara on my eyelids, but that's easily fixed.

Another positive point is the price. For under £10, you can get a really stellar mascara that will do the job just as well as a more expensive one would. What more could you want?