I’m sometimes gifted beauty products at my day job (Grooming at GQ) or writing for Sassy. The common preconception is that writers will feature anything and everything after sometimes not even trying the product just to keep the PR’s happy or to churn out a frequent turn over of blog posts. Personally, I don’t work like that and have written about integrity in my disclaimer.

Quite simply, if I don’t like something I just won’t write about it. Trust me, working in the beauty and grooming industry you do come across a wealth of junk. One’s that claim to do things that realistically speaking, are rather impossible given their ingredients and lack of supporting evidence. They are useless or smell unpleasant but have a strong marketing budget behind them. Speaking candidly, because of my day job and client relationships, I would never write a negative review of a product. If I try something and don’t like it, you just won’t see it on the blog.

Given the nature of sampling, it’s easy for writers to continually change their skincare, fragrance and makeup routines because of the demand versus supply. For me however, if I find a product that I love (usually after trying lots of others) then I feel confident that I will use it until it’s completely finished. I’ll remain loyal to the product and will keep buying it again and again. So on that note, here are my current ’empties’ and what I will 100% be stocking up on again.

1.The Estée Edit by Estée Lauder

This green algae cleansing bar is super easy to use; just wet face, massage into skin and rinse.

Usually I’ll use this in my morning shower and remove makeup in the evening.

It contains an ingredient, ‘Chlorella’, which is a tiny green algae that grows in water and is packed with Vitamins B, C and E.

The cleanser is very mild with no irritation yet is super powerful at cleaning. I’m now down to the very last few pieces as you can see on the pic and I’m worried I won’t have time to purchase another quick enough. I’ll have to use something else from my cupboard in the meantime. It really is that good!

You may have seen that I posted on Instagram 17 weeks ago! It’s super long lasting – I’ve only just come down to the last few bits of remaining soap. Mega Chorella Bar, Estée Lauder.

2.Rodial Dragon’s Blood Hyaluronic Tonic

You’ll have probably read this previous post on this interesting product from Rodial. It’s one that as soon as I started using it, I became addicted. There’s such a noticeable difference both the moment I apply it and for the month that I continue using it. My skin felt cleaner, more hydrated and much clearer. My pores are definitely smaller and more refined because of this. I did manage to get through it quite quickly as I did use it morning and evening after cleansing and throughout the day if I felt I needed a boost of hydration over my makeup. Don’t be put off by the words ‘Hyaluronic Acid’, it’s not over powering and it’s just a severe name for something that absolutely helps plump skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines.

3.Givenchy Mister Radiant Primer

I started using primer under my foundation only around a year ago so I’m still exploring the world of primers and smoothing bases.
A  few primers started clogging my pores and leaving me with greasy skin so I chose to jump up the premium brand scale a bit on this one and go for the Givenchy Mister Radiant Primer. It’s essentially a sheer primer ‘gel’ that leaves skin looking like it’s covered with a very thin veil of colour thanks to it’s nude pieces that burst open when applied.
The tinted micro-beads help to make skin look more radiant and healthy without a thick gunky look. If I’m not using this as a base I definitely notice a difference in the longevity of my foundation.
 

4.Guerlain Terracotta Joli Teint

This luxurious foundation (below) is one that I got on the slightly darker side so I use this to mix in with a lighter colour or to contour. The idea is to leave skin with a sun-kissed radiance and a stunningly flawless complexion. It does just that. When I’m on holiday, I’ll take this with me for when I get that little bit of a tan. Perfect for holidays as it’ll give that soft finish and won’t look like it’s melting if you get hot.
It’s light in terms of texture and feel so you don’t need to pile this product on. It’s a real satin finish and contains SPF 20.

5.Rimmel Exaggerate Eye Liner

I know I’m not alone in the obsession with Rimmel’s liquid eyeliner (above). I started using this when I around ten years ago and even though I’ll occasionally try out a new liner, it’s always one I fall back on. It has a perfectly sized cone shaped applicator and as the other girls will tell you, it’s extremely long lasting.

The product in texture is quite thick so it doesn’t run and stays where it’s put. It’s easy to create a winged effect and equally it’s just as simple to achieve a thin straight line. At around £5 it’s super affordable and one that you don’t mind picking up from Boots whenever it’s getting low. 

6.Avon Lip Tint Pen

I’m forever on the search for the perfect popping lip colour so when I tried this pen from Avon, I initially had low expectations. How wrong I was.
Long lasting and tinted, in colour Flamingo this pen is nothing short of amazing.

I ran out of this quite quickly, probably down to the amount of times I keep reapplying. It’s completely worth the money though and I’m about to order another. The colour is slightly different to that on the image, it’s more of a raspberry finish. It’s neither matt nor sheer as it’s a stain so it looks natural. It’s best used when it’s quite wet so when it’s running out I do struggle to keep the product coming through the soft nib.

7.Givenchy Mister Brow Filler

If you have seen my little makeup video on Youtube, you would have seen me demonstrate how to use this incredible brow filler. The wand is bridge shaped making it easy to shape the hair and it’s curved edge makes precise defining easy. Colour is true to packaging so is the perfect shade of brown for my hair colour. It leaves a powder finish with hairs stiff in place so I always feel confident that I don’t need to reapply throughout the day. TIP, careful not to keep the wand out of the tube for too long as I did notice it can get a bit dry.

Have you tried any of these products? What is your essential beauty product that you remain loyal to? Comment below Xx