FOUR DIFFERENT NUDE LIPS

What? Surely a nude is just, well -  a nude? Apparently not, as I reel off the 4 different types of nudes that rule my collection.

The Brown Nude - Maybelline Colour Sensational Lipstick in Coffee Craze. I hadn't tried out the brown-nude trend until very recently, because it did quite scare me. This Maybelline offering is a nice introductory option as it isn't super dark, and it is quite cool toned too. I have to be slightly more careful with this when pairing it will a full makeup look as I can sometimes tend to look washed out but it's pretty manageable.

The Orange Nude - Kiko Smart Lipstick in 901. This was my go-to nude for a good few months at the start of the year and a recent rediscovery for me too. It is basically a nude with a slighty peachy/orange tinge to it so nothing too dramatic, but I really love this one with my skin tone. This might be my favourite formula of the bunch too.

The Pale Nude - Natural Collection Sheer Natural Lipstick in Autumn Sunset. This was actually one of the first products I can actually remember buying for myself, and it's gone through multiple melt repairs, but it is a sheer, balmy, slightly paler peachy pink nude which is super pretty and subtle for those only just starting out with lipsticks - hence why it was one of my first buys.

The Purple Nude - Essence Long Lasting Lipstick in Cool Nude. This one is another more recent addition, and is quite the Kylie Jenner shade in my opinion. It is quite dark and intense, and also has a cool pink/tint of purple tone to it, which I really quite enjoy, and it works really well with a very simple matte eye and a slick of liner.

4 nudes, 4 different ways to wear them. Who wants to bet on how many more I'll be adding to the collection?

KIKO SMART LIPSTICKS

KIKO is a brand I don't own very much from, as I don't live in London, and I often don't want to make a full on order online, so KIKO products are very few and far between my ever growing makeup collection. I do own three of the Smart Lipsticks though, and I do love them.

The formula is quite creamy, and by no means matte on the lips, so not majorly long lasting, although for a slightly sheen-y product they do have pretty good staying power. I seem to have accumulated colours across the spectrum, and I'm fairly sure they are cheap (I'm talking around the £3 mark from what I remember).

908 is the true red, and surprisingly one of the only reds I have ever found to suit me. It's so so pigmented, and one coat has the lips ready to go almost, and I think the fact that it's slightly more glossy than a matte means I find it a little less 'bold' if you will.

912 is a medium pink, that has a slight red tone to it, so it isn't anything fuchsia here, and is one of the first bold lip colours I actually felt comfortable wearing. I'll also add, these smell pretty good, as I find a lot of lipsticks to smell too plasticy, whereas these are slightly sweet.

Finally 901, that I'd describe as a brown nude that is slightly peachy (quite a throwback shade I guess) and I really enjoy wearing this one on a daily basis, as the consistency and the colour is so wearable.

I hope to grow my collection of the KIKO Smart Lipsticks, but I don't know where to start! Do you have any colours from the collection?

SEASONAL EYE COLOURS

It's that time again where the dark lips and dark eyes come around, and I swear I love it more and more each year. I'm a huge fan of a dark lip (recommendations please) but sometimes my natural eye makeup takes control and I feel like I need to shift the dark colours to my lids for a change, so I've devised a group of colours I think are a nice way to ease into things.

The first is Smashbox Limitless 15 Hour Wear Cream Shadow in Gemstone. It's fairly subtle, as blended out of the lid it gives a bronze-mauve/reddish tone and I really enjoy it for quick looks when I can't be bothered but want my look to be rather sultry. The other cream is the Maybelline Leather Colour Tattoo in Chocolate Suede which is a rich bronzed brown which I really need to come to terms with using without looking like I've rubbed my eyes too hard. It sets to a semi matte finish with a little shimmer mimicking that leather look, so it's hard to make the blending look good with it being such a dark colour.

As for powder, I find these need a little more work, but you really cannot beat the finished look. The first is KIKO 137 which is a strong red tone, which everyone was going mad for with the likes of Cranberry from MAC last year. I wanted to ease into it at a cheaper price and last year this was one of my favourites to wear on weekends with minimal makeup elsewhere. Finally is MAC Woodwinked; a gold, bronze, copper blend that slapped on the lid and buffed out gives a sheen of warmth that just reminds me of autumn leaves - how poetic, but there is some serious love for these shadows, and I've already cracked them out this year.

NATURAL LOOKING CONCEALERS

Concealing is one of those steps I enjoy in my makeup routine - delicately tapping on precise dots of product really is quite satisfying. But sometimes, the end result isn't as satisfying, especially when you look like a you have caked on your concealer with a paint brush, which is why I have been on the hunt for new additions to my collection that look a little more natural.

For under eyes, on top of something a little more heavy duty, or alone, my favourite offering is the KIKO Natural Concealer in 01. As the name suggests, it is natural, and very fresh looking. It is brightening, a little dewy and has a more pink tone to counteract any more darkness under your peepers. I am almost out of this, which is a shame because I live rather far from London. Maybe an online order...

For both blemishes, under eyes, and a little dewy highlighting, we have the Sheer Cover Conceal & Brighten Trio which offers 2 shades of concealer, and a light cream to highlight, which brings the glow to a new level. The concealers have a fairly light coverage, but can be built up to cover blemishes and banishes some of the under eye darkness you may have.

One which has been gaining more and more use from the Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer. I have recently rediscovered the Serum Foundation from the range too, and the two go hand in hand for a natural base. This is fairly yellow, but once blended just matches seamlessly to the skin. I'd give this one a  medium coverage status, with a satin finish, but not one that looks or feels drying in the slightest. A new love perhaps?

I am a bit of a concealer junkie, I confess. I am predicting that we'll be seeing another concealer-centric post fairly soon...

TWO NEW CONCEALERS

I'm a slight concealer junkie, and although I will always be loyal to the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer, I like to try new ones now and again, and I have recently found two which I do really like.

I have been using the Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer for around a month now, and I am really enjoying it. It has the typical Healthy Mix smell, which makes using it 10x better. Scents aside, the actual product is great too. It is quite yellow, but I find that once blended it looks fine, and offers a good coverage. It sets to a satin finish and I have never found it to look cakey whatsoever, which is a big winner. I tend not to use this one under my eyes, purely because I much prefer the next offering for that.

So, they Kiko Natural Concealer in 01 has been getting daily wear under my eyes. It is slightly pink so helps to cancel out darkness. I have ridiculous under-eye puffy bags that runs in my family so I have learnt to live with them but whatever I can do to take the harshness away I will do. I really like the way this wears, as it has never creased on me at all, and I find it to look so natural.

Two new concealers in my collection which I am getting on with so well. I can guess that at some point, I would repurchase these once again if they run out before I find anything even better.

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A BELATED AUTUMNAL SMOKEY

There are a number of bandwagons in the blogging world - most of which I jump onto a good few months late, including the red/burgundy autumnal smokey eye, but I thought it deserves a post anyway.

You are probably all screaming at your screens waiting for me to quit the rambling and get on with explaining what products I used, so I'll do it now. I began by priming the lid with the Smashbox Photo Finish Lid Primer, which is my new favourite primer, and I followed that up with MAC Bare Study Paint Pot all over the lid. I used my trusty MUA Undressed Palette and used Shade 2 all over the lid, followed by Shade 9 on the outer half and along the lower lashline. I then took the Kiko Eyeshadow in 137 through the crease and blended it thoroughly and then went in with 133 to deepen it up slightly.
Finally, I finished off with Soap and Glory Thick & Fast Mascara and the look was complete.

I may be late on this, but I will continue to go for the winter looks until I see a ray of sunshine through the clouds and I personally declare it Spring.