How much makeup can you finish in a year?

Its no secret that I'm a makeup addict, Charlotte Tilbury, MAC, NARS, Bobbi Brown, are all my drugs of choice and we all know addictions don't come cheap. 

Last year I finally got my dream job, working on a magazine and I'm now in the position where I can get makeup for free through my job, something I'm sure Natwest are incredibly relieved about. 

As I stopped buying so much makeup, I started to realise just how much stuff I had, sitting in drawers going unused and it made me feel pretty guilty. At the end of last year I decided to make a conscious effort to downsize my makeup collection by using up the products that I had. 

Rather than using different products every day, I tried to use the same product until it was finished. Slightly boring from a blogging point of view, but it actually meant I used stuff up.

I kept all my makeup empties in a bag (Sephora of course) and have been saving them for a whole year, since last November. I also kept a note of how much everything I finished cost, just for that added shame value.

So, this is what a year of used of makeup looks like.

Primers

Diorskin Nude Glow Natural Glow Complexion Enhancer £28.50

Adds radiance to your face, without any shimmer. Not amazing and now discontinued.

Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray £21.00

This stuff genuinely works, although I do prefer the De Slick version.

Cover FX Illuminating Primer £29.00

Pricey, not particularly illuminating and didn't make any difference to the wear time of my makeup.

MAC Prep & Prime Skin Base £21.00

Slightly thicker primer but keeps your makeup on like glue. I used this on my Sister for her wedding makeup and it lasted all day in the summer heat.  

Foundation

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup £27.00

This foundation photographs beautifully, I often use it for Wedding makeup and wore it myself when I was a bridesmaid for my Sisters wedding.

Diorskin Star Foundation £32.00

One of my favourite foundations of the year, lightweight and very natural looking.

Giorgio Armani Lasting Silk UV Foundation £36.50

A long lasting foundation, that looks natural and doesn't suck the moisture out of your skin. Worth the hefty price tag.

MAC Studio Fix Fluid £21.50

This was probably the oldest foundation in my collection. High coverage, smells like paint, not for me.

No7 Instant Radiance Foundation £12.50

My favourite summer foundation, gives you a glow that rivals Jennifer Lopez without feeling like you are wearing foundation. I would definitely buy this again.

MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation £25.50

Not the best for oily skins but on normal to dry skin this gives some serious glow.

BB/CC Creams/Tinted Moisturisers

Diorskin Nude BB Creme £30.00

This was a godsend after months of wearing MAC Studio Fix Fluid. The perfect BB Cream for oilier skin types.

Rachel K Original CC Cream £26.00

A traditional CC cream from Korea, nothing like the westernised tinted moisturisers we have. Brightening, mattifying and actually worked really well as a primer.

Origins VitaZing £29.00

Not really a makeup item, more of a moisturiser with a hint of tint, no coverage at all.

Concealers/Correctors

MAC Prep & Prime Highlight in 'Light Boost' £19.00

This pale yellow colour makes for a great under eye highlight. This is the 3rd of 4th tube I have gone through.

MAC Prep & Prime Highlight in 'Light Boost' £19.00

A peachy tone for correcting dark circles under the eyes. Light Boost is better.

Bobbi Brown Corrector in 'Light Bisque' £19.00

An under eye miracle, if you suffer from dark circles make this your BFF.

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer £17.00

Amazing concealer that you only need the tiniest amount of. Annoying packaging that pumps out too much.

Dior Hydra Life BB Eye Creme £30.00

Cannot put into words how average this is and I spent thirty bloody pounds on it.

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer £17.50

My BAE, my ride or die, my angel. So much better than the NARS Radiant Creamy concealer.

L'Oreal Lumi Magique Concealer £8.49

A bit blah compared to the Lumi Magique foundation which I love.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer £4.19

Believe the hype.

Giorgio Armani Master Corrector £26.00

Not a patch on the Bobbi Brown Corrector.

Josie Maran Argan Creamy Concealer Crayon £13.00

I miss having this in my makeup bag. It was the one thing that would instantly pick me up if I was going straight out from work and had no time to re-do my makeup.

Powder

Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder £33.00

The most expensive, but nicest powder I have ever used. Feels like velvet and genuinely does make your skin look flawless (I have another two in my drawer, ssshhh)

Too Faced Primed & Poreless Pressed Powder £24.00

Buy this if you want your skin to look ashy AF. Just buy Rimmel Stay Matte instead please.

MAC Prep & Prime CC Compact in 'Neutralize' £20.50

A yellow toned powder designed to brighten the face. Actually works really well but its so hard, its near impossible to pick any powder up with your brush.

MAC Blot Powder Pressed £20.50

Proof that you can't always trust the reviews on Makeupalley. I thought this was the secret to an oil free face…..spoiler, it wasn't

Bronzer

Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel £32.00

The infamous cream bronzer, difficult to apply but worth persevering with if you like that bronzed look.  

MAC Alluring Aquatic Bronzer in 'Aphrodite's Shell' £24.00

Limited edition from one of MAC's summer collections. I really liked the sheen this gave my skin.

Highlighter

Kevyn Aucoin The Celestial Powder in 'Candlelight' £34.00

It was a sad day when I finally finished my beloved. This is my all time favourite highlighter and its taking all my will power not to run out and buy it again.

NARS Illuminator in 'Copacabana' £23.00

Mix a blob of this in with your foundation for some serious glow. 

Eyebrow Pencils

Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil in 'Soft Brunette' £ 26.00 each

My favourite brow pencil.

Bobbi Brown Perfectly Defined Long Wear Brow Pencil in 'Taupe' and 'Grey' £29.50 each

Very similar to the Hourglass pencils, but not as good I'm afraid.

Smashbox Browtech Gloss Stick in 'Brunette' £16.50

Glossy brows might sound a bit weird but I kind of love this pencil and would definitely buy another.

Soap & Glory Archery in 'Brownie Points' £10.00

The best eyebrow pencil on the high street.

Eyeshadow

By Terry Ombre Blackstar's in 'Misty Rock' and 'Frozen Quartz' £29.00 each

My all time favourite cream eyeshadows. I wouldn't buy Frozen Quartz again but Misty Rock is the bomb dot com and I can guarantee anytime I wear this someone will ask what eyeshadow I'm wearing.

Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chameleon in 'Champagne Diamonds £19.00

I prefer the formula of the By Terry sticks to these, but the Charlotte Tilbury have some serious glitter in them, perfect for a quick night out eye.

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Cream Shadow Stick in 'Golden Pink' £20.00

This is basically MAC's All That Glitters in cream eyeshadow form <3

Luna Twilight Bella Palette £19.00

I have zero shame in admitting this is a Twilight makeup palette. I'm all about the warm tones and you can't get much more warm toned than New Moon. 

Eyeliner

MAC Technakohl Liner in 'Brownborder' £14.00

Creamy but also prone to smudging, get their eye kohl in 'Teddy' instead.

Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long Lasting Eyeliner in 'Grenat' £19.00

I loved this russet shade, which was a limited edition from their Christmas collection a couple of years ago.

Mascara

Tarte Lights Camera Flashes Mascara £15.00 each

Possibly my all time favourite mascara…of course you can't buy it in the UK though :(

Bobbi Brown Smoky Eye Mascara £23.00

Never judge a book by its cover, this mascara is bloody amazing. Volume, length and zero smudging or flaking. One of my favourite discoveries of the year.

Clinique High Impact Mascara £8.00

A bit underwhelming.

Benefit Roller Lash Mascara £4.00

Lengthening, but not volumising. In hindsight maybe not as good as I originally thought.

Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara £13.00

Sounds completely unnecessary but if you struggle to find a mascara that doesn't smudge on your bottom lashes, its completely necessary.

Lip Balm

Shell Lip Balm £14.99

If you have been into the world of beauty blogging/YouTube for a few years you will recognise these!

EOS Honeysuckle Lip Balm £5.95

Yes, that is what an empty EOS looks like. What does it say about my life if this is one of my proudest achievements?

Korres Lip Butter in 'Jasmine' £8.00

Highly moisturising and I love the range of colours.

Lipsticks

Revlon Lip Butter in 'Berry Smoothie' £7.99

Loved the colour, didn't love the fact it transferred to my teeth every day, without fail.

MAC Lipstick in 'Cosmo' £15.50

I didn't just buy this for the name I promise. My favourite kind of nude.

MAC Lipstick in 'Hug Me' £15.50

A brown toned nude, one that you can slap on without a mirror.

MAC Lipstick in 'Lustering' £15.50

Made me realise I hate MAC's lustre finish lipsticks. They have zero lasting time and really dry your lips out. 

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Lipstick in 'Boy' £25.00

A pretty everyday nude, but nothing particularly special.

Urban Decay Sheer Revolution Lipstick in 'Liar' £15.50

Love this lipstick and how full it made my lips look. Will definitely repurchase at some point.

NARS Pure Matte Lipstick in 'Montego Bay' £19.50

Another favourite and one that I have to keep stopping myself buying. 

Total used up makeup = £1,250.61p

BRB, just off to do some recycling

The Sephora Pilgrimage

This blog post has taken me so long to write, I feel like Chaucer. Not that I'm comparing The Canterbury Tales to a blog on makeup……

Anyway, my biannual trip to the States and subsequent Sephora pilgrimage has been and gone (sob sob) and as is tradition, I am here to share all the makeup that I did not need, but yet still purchased. 

Just don't call it a 'haul'

Peter Thomas Roth Camu Camu Power C x 30 Vitamin C Brightening Moisturiser

I was planning on repurchasing my beloved Kate Somerville Goat's Milk moisturiser, but this caught my eye instead. The Camu Camu berry has 30 times the vitamin c content of an orange (fun fact) and this moisturiser is meant to revitalise dull, ageing skin. (It doesn't stop you getting a cold though FYI!)

I have used this quite a lot and I do really like it, it has a strong orange scent, which I love. It's slightly thicker than the normal moisturisers I go for, so perfect for this time of year. It absorbs quickly into my skin and gives it a real glow. 

FYI, you can buy Peter Thomas Roth products from Beauty Bay in the UK

Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil

Excuse me ladies while I hitch up my skirt and jump on this bandwagon. Sunday Riley has been very much hailed in the blogging world, but it doesn't come cheap. I won't lie, I was definitely suckered in by the hype but at £85.00 I just couldn't bring myself to buy it. I decided to buy it in America, as it works out cheaper (I paid $105 which is about £69.00 excluding tax) plus holiday money isn't the same as real money…am I right?

I tried this the first night I got home because my skin just felt so horrible and dry after all that time on a plane. It is a very dark blue colour, which really reminds me of Formula 86 (if you've seen The Witches you will know what I'm talking about.)

It's not a very oily oil, great description I know, but it sinks into the skin quite quickly and isn't greasy feeling. I went to bed, literally expecting to wake up with a new face but instead when I woke up and rubbed my face, I was shocked at how smooth my skin felt. Honestly I was lying there for a good 5 minutes just gently stroking my cheeks (well, no one else will). I couldn't see a difference but I could feel it.

I'm sold and have been using it at least once a week. I imagine a bottle would last about a year, so at least I won't have to think about repurchasing it anytime soon.

In the UK you can purchase this from Space NK

Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist

This was on my list to find in the US but I didn't realise Sephora stocked it. I was searching all the department stores trying to find it. BTW it's about time Macy's had a serious upgrade, as my friend said its like Allders in Croydon, but worse. Anyway I digress, I ended up stumbling across this in a Sephora in Seattle (woohoo).

This is a spray serum which as well as having skincare benefits, gives your skin the most beautiful radiant glow. I think I remember reading that Kim Kardashian's makeup artist uses this, which is where I first heard about it.

I have only used this once, but the glow was immense, you definitely don't need much of this stuff and its not something I would use everyday, but for special occasions or when I want to look healthy as fuck I will be liberally spraying this.

US only I'm afraid :(

Tony Moly Pocket Bunny Moist Mist

This was a moment of complete weakness because a) the packaging is adorable and b) they put it right by the till. Tony Moly is a Korean brand and Korea is known for its advanced beauty technology. This isn't a makeup setting spray, more of a reviver if your skin is feeling a bit dry, tired or sensitive. I don't know if it will do anything and I haven't tried it yet, but its in the shape of a bunny so I don't care.

US only (sorry)

Too Faced Born This Way Foundation

I ended up getting this in Portland where shopping is tax free (and the men are mighty fine). I had heard good reviews about it and thought what the hell, I'll throw it in the basket. I used it on holiday for a night out and have used it since on a couple more nights out. As you can probably tell for me its a definite night out foundation. Its a medium to full coverage and I just prefer something lighter in the day. This does give you flawless skin, which also photographs beautifully. My new favourite 'special occasion foundation' (how wanky).

Available in the UK from Debenhams

Too Faced Hangover Replenishing Face Primer

Another item that was on my list to hunt down, but it proved quite difficult as it was sold out in every Sephora in Canada, but I finally found it in Seattle. I haven't tried this yet as I'm finishing my Tom Ford primer but just from testing this on my hand and the description alone, I am sure I will love it. I hate silicone primers and this is very light, with coconut water (side note, there was a Marc Jacobs coconut water primer which also felt amazing).

This isn't available in the UK yet but its coming early next year!

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette

You would think that as I now get to write about makeup all day, the last thing I would wanna do is talk about makeup but no, I'm still as obsessed as ever. I love finding out what everyone is using and I always ask my fellow beauty writer, Lucy Parts what she's loving. Lucy has raved about this palette to me before, she's even used two of them up! You can get this in the UK, but I figured it might be a bit cheaper in the US so I waited. 

I used this the day after I bought it and I honestly don't know why I didn't try this before. I use this as an all over face powder, swirling my brush in all three colours. As you can tell, I love my skin to look luminous and this does exactly that. Its subtle, there's not glitter or shimmer but I can tell a big difference.

Available in the UK from Space NK

Kat Von D Lock-It Powder Foundation

I have been a huge fan of Kat's makeup line for years but I only bought two things on this trip as everything was sold out everywhere (grrr).

I don't touch up my makeup during the day, but I like to keep a powder foundation in my bag just in case of emergencies and for sweaty nights out.

I haven't tried this yet as I'm still finishing up my MAC Studio Fix powder, but if its anything like the rest of her makeup line, I know I will love it.

Sephora only 

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in 'Moonstone'

Word of warning, never 'swatch' one of these highlighters in a shop because if you do, you will have to buy it. I have the Jaclyn Hill Champagne Pop shade, but I was weak and decided I wanted this one too. Its a bit lighter than Champagne Pop, less gold so you don't need to be as light handed.

Available in the UK from Space NK

Tarte Coloured Clay CC Under Eye Corrector

Once you have used an under eye corrector, its difficult to go back to just a concealer. They brighten dark shadows so much more than regular concealer. My favourite by far is the Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light Bisque, but I thought I would try this and see how it compares.

Not available in the UK (boo)

(Note - I clearly gravitate towards a certain shade of lipstick!)

Bite Agave Lip Mask in 'Smashed'

You can't get Bite Beauty in the UK, so I was desperate to try something from the brand. The whole ethos behind Bite is that their ingredients are all food graded, so technically you could actually eat them.

Their Lip Mask is their hero product but as I always have to wear some kind of lip colour, I opted for the tinted version. The is basically an amped up version of a regular lip balm. I used this after the plane and it felt very moisturing, plus I loved the sheer red colour.

Sephora only :(

Bite Butter Cream Lipstick in 'Heather'

These lipsticks are 'hand cut' that's why its squared off. Apparently this removes the outer waxy layer of the lipstick, so you are left with the creamy centre. I don't know about all that, I just liked the colour.

Sephora only :(

Marc Jacobs New Nudes Sheer Lip Gel in 'Let Them Eat Cake'

I love the packaging of the new line of Marc Jacobs lipsticks and this was really the only shade I liked. This is my first Marc Jacobs lipstick, so I have nothing to compare it to. The finish is quite glossy and you can build up the colour, depending on how opaque you want it to be.

Sephora only :(

Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick in 'Lolita'

Really I wanted to try some of Kat's Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks but I kid you not, they were sold out everywhere. I ended up picking this lipstick because Lolita is her cult shade and its normally always sold out as well. I like that these have a matte finish but I have to say, they are definitely more of a drying matte. Make sure you have a lip balm to hand!

Sephora only :(

Kat Von D Shade and Light Contour Brush

Another Kat Von D item that was almost impossible to find! I didn't buy her contour palette because I already have the Anastasia contour kit and to be honest I don't ever really contour…who has the time?! 

I love the idea of this brush, especially for travel but I have to say I'm not blown away by it. The bristles are soft and it does come in its very own coffin, which is kind of cool, but I just don't think its anything special. I will use it but its definitely not a must have.

Sephora only :(

Kate Spade Walk on Air Rollerball Perfume

So technically I bought this in Nordstrom, not Sephora but never mind. I'm pretty loyal to my Bobbi Brown perfume, so I wasn't looking for a new scent but when I sniffed this I fell in love. This is a very fresh, clean scent, which I like. Its quite light, as the name suggests. I did contemplate getting the full size but decided a roller ball would do.

Available in the UK from Kate Spade

Sephora In the Nude Hair Ties

Because these are the best hairbands. They don't stretch out, snap, or break, but you can still loose them. 

Sephora only :(

Anastasia Brow Wiz in 'Caramel'

I have fallen in love with these eyebrow pencils recently. I'm normally super loyal to my Hourglass pencil but I fancied a change and it pains me to say it, but I think I prefer these. Its funny because I tried this a few years ago and hated it, I actually gave it to my friend I dislike it so much. I don't know if its me that's changed or my eyebrows, but either way I love the fine nib, you can draw very fine hairs so your eyebrows looks neat but not drawn on.

Available from Cult Beauty in the UK