Mascara: So you will probably know by now that I LOVE mascara, so this is the hardest choice for me to make, but one really stands out and that is Maybelline’s Lash Stiletto.  I am in love with this product, it doesn’t totally give me the thickness that I want and it smells a bit funky, but the amount of length that it gives is amazing! That coupled with the fact that it doesn’t clump or give you spider eyes makes this my favourite mascara of all time! (Too see full review please go to the mascara section of prettyhead).

Foundation: I didn’t know how to choose between No 7 Stay Perfect foundation and Maybelline’s Dream Satin Liquid, but after a long hard think I am going to go with the Dream Satin. This provides amazing coverage and the reason that it is my favourite is because of the price, £7.00 in the shops (and a lot cheaper on eBay), means that you are getting a great quality product for an affordable price, which in this economic climate is very important! It provides great coverage, is quite moisturising and lasts for a long time, everything that a foundation should be!

Eyeliner:  Ok so my winner in this category hasn’t been reviewed yet on prettyhead but it will be soon, I think Elizabeth Arden’s eyeliner pot (half blue half black), is amazing. It comes in a little tub, rather like lip balm, and you use the eyeliner brush provided in the set to apply. I paid £6.50 for it on eBay and it costs about £14 new, but I believe that it is worth every penny!

Lips: I would not be without Rimmel’s Shock Gloss, it hasn’t yet been reviewed on here, but it is awesome! It comes in 5 shades but clear is the best and it is super shiny, makes your lips look amazing! I love the applicator as well, instead of a little sponge on the end of the stick, it is a brush, which feels really nice against your lips as you apply. At only £3.99 in Superdrug Rimmel’s shock gloss is a bargin!

Skin: As far a skin care goes there is a clear winner, No 7 protect and perfect beauty serum! It is quite pricey but hey if it works (and scientists say it does!) then I would pay anything!

Hair care: Now this is where I have to cheat and pick 2, anyone that has read my hair care reviews will know that I swear by Pantene conditioner for dry and damaged hair, however a few months ago I discovered a little miracle. Dove’s heat defence therapy spray, designed to protect hair during heat styling, however it made my normally curly/wavy hair rather straight with just hair drying alone! This meant that I had to spend less time straightening and therefore managed to save my hair a little from the damaging effects of straightners. Also my hair held its style all day and all night and then the next day too! I am a huge fan now and have been converted from TRESemme!

So there you have it, those are the products that I love and couldn’t live without, there are loads more, including Barry M dazzle dust, but with so many colours I wouldn’t be able to pick just one! If you have a list of fav products you would like to share, feel free to email me at Faye@prettyhead.co.uk and I will do my best to put yours up here asap!

This concealer comes in three different shades, Ivory, Natural Beige and Sand, meaning that they do not cater for people with darker skin tones. There weren’t any testers available when I purchased it, but I presumed that I would be the same colour in this as I am in their normal concealer, Sand. This was my first mistake, when I put it on it was very orange and really stood out. The Ivory in the regular concealer is far too light for me, however in this concealer it might have been a better match, although I do not think that my skin tone could be classed as Ivory at all. My skin can often be prone to dryness and even though I had moisturised, trying to put this on my skin was quite rough and it felt really dry and nasty, not moisturising at all like the regular cover stick. It was easier to apply this with a concealer brush, however it still didn’t go on very nicely. The overall coverage it gave to my dark circles and blemishes was ok, not amazing but not bad either, personally I felt the original cover stick gave a better coverage. This coverstick also smelt quite a bit, it wasn’t a particularly unpleasant smell, but a smell that you would attribute to skin care products designed to give a clear complexion.

I would not recommend this coverstick for anyone with dry skin as it really doesn’t go on very easily or look nice; however I can see how it would be good for people with oily skin as it has a drying effect. I didn’t really notice a reduction in blemishes on my skin whilst using it, but as stated before maybe it would work better on people who are prone to oily skin and have blemish problems related to that. I used this concealer every day for a month and still had over half left when I discontinued using it due to not liking the results it gave.

Pros: Lasts a long time, gives ok coverage and could work really well for people with oily skin.

Cons: Does not cater for darker skin tones, doesn’t work well on dry skin and it smells a bit.

The cover up stick comes in a plastic case just like lip balms and the actual concealer looks just like a brand new lipstick. The concealer doesn’t come stuck to any plastic or cardboard so on an environmental front Rimmel has done quite well! To use you simply pull off the cap and twist the base, just like any lip balm or lip stick, which is probably the reason why there are not instructions needed.

I have quite bad dark circles under my eyes and get the odd spot, so I rely on concealer and it is a must in my make up bag. It seems that even within the same brand the colour that best matches my skin tone differs depending on the product, for example I have to get Rimmel’s foundation in natural beige and this concealer suits me best in sand, with beige being too orange. Due to this I would recommend that people always try the testers before purchasing, as you can never be exactly sure as to what shade you are.

I apply the concealer under my eyes, to the sides of my nose and on to any other spots or blemishes that appear with a concealer brush after putting on my foundation. . Rimmel claims that this ‘creamy concealer stick that blends to camouflage any skin imperfections’ and can give your ‘complexion a smooth even appearance’. After setting it with powder it would seem that I have a nearly flawless look, with any blemishes only visible up close. One thing I really like with this concealer is that it is quite rich and moisturising, definitely living up to Rimmel’s claims of being creamy, which is really useful as my skin can be prone to dryness and when a non moisturising concealer is added to dry skin it looks horrible and flaky.

The concealer lasts ages as well, you can get a good 4 months out of one stick, so this is very good value for money. If you don’t fancy paying £3.99 for a product you have never tried before, try buying one cheaper on ebay  – links to which can be found further down the home page.

I would recommend this concealer for anyone wanting a natural make up look or for bridal makeup and every woman wants to look flawless on their big day!

Pros: Lives up to Rimmel’s claims of being creamy and giving a smooth and even appearance, lasts for ages and is good value for money.

Cons: By the end of the day it has started to wear off, but you would expect this from most products!