HIGH END EYES

When it comes to makeup, I am very much a drugstore/high street kind of a gal, but I think it's safe to say that on the high end front I have the most products which slot into the eye category. I'll talk you through what's in my collection...

Bases: For some odd reason, I love a good base, and I have 2 which I have been loving recently. For a standard primer, there is the Smashbox Photo Finish Lid Primer, which just primes the eye like a dream, and my eyeshadow wears like steel on it. For something more creamy, with a bit of shimmer, is MAC Bare Study Paint Pot. The champagne, shimmery goodness makes me weak at the knees every time I open it.

Shadows: Of course, I have the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette, which was purchased as a rather large impulse buy at the end of 2012 for my birthday - wild, I know. This is just the perfect palette with endless amounts of looks housed in a travel friendly metal tin, and only writing this has made me realise that I have been neglecting this guy a bit recently. The brush is pretty good too. Next up, I have this Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color Quad (mini) which I cannot find the name of anywhere, but it contains the shades Seashell, Bronze Lustre, Truffle, and Cinnamon, and this is an eye look in a quad, which I have been reaching for a lot recently. Last on the shadow-front, we have MAC Woodwinked, which is my first MAC Shadow. This bronze, sheeny shadow is perfect all over the lid and feathered out for an effortless approach.

Liners: Strictly speaking, I'm not sure whether Stila is considered high end, but more so somewhere in between, but the quality of the Smudge Stick Liners is good enough to be classified high end in my eyes (excuse the pun). In particular, I have been using Angelfish (the taupe-nude), and Oscar Fish (the chocolate-brown shade) all over the lids and blended, and they don't budge.

Mascara: I never really thought of buying high end mascaras, because I am perfectly satisfied with the drugstore offerings, but when this Too Faced Lash Gasm mascara came in a set, I was shocked at just how good it is. It holds a curl amazingly, lengthens and adds volume, and I just love it. My only fault is that it isn't waterproof. Although, this is being rivalled in my collection by a certain Thick & Fast by Soap and Glory, so we'll see how that goes.

Yet again, another ridiculously long post, but perhaps I have enabled some purchases. Apologies..

SMASHBOX IT'S YOUR PRIME

Since the day I started watching Youtube videos, someone has always been talking about the Smashbox Primers, and I got my fair share of the cute minis from the It's Your Prime set this Christmas. It contains 3 of their primers, 2 well-loved staples, and one new release. I'll give you the low down on the trio.

Photo Finish Foundation Primer: This is the one that everyone talks about, but also the one which some people don't like. I'm fairly sure it is silicon based, which breaks out a handful of people, but I am yet to experience that *touches wooden desk*. For me, I wouldn't say this dramatically increases the longevity of my makeup, just more so helps it wear off more evenly, so I don't have any weird marks where it settles.

Photo Finish Hydrating Under Eye Primer: This was the exciting newly released one, which isn't like many others on the market. This primes the under eye area, in order to prevent concealer creasing or drying out too much. I do really like this, and I find that concealer does apply and wear much better on top.

Photo Finish Lid Primer: For some reason, I am a lover of eye primers and I always want to buy more. This one though, makes me want to buy the full size (maybe my purse wouldn't agree). This is a lid primer which mattifies the surface, smooths, and blanks any colour out, and creates the perfect base for shadows. I definitely find that this guy makes my eye makeup wear for so much longer, without any signs of creasing. I am using this sparingly, because the pot is so diddy, and I love this stuff. Maybe I will fork out the £15 for a repurchase one day.

So, I am sitting on the fence with some, and totally smitten by others, but who would say no to cute little minis like these?