Ya know how sometimes you just have certain beauty products you keep going back to? Sure, you might be swayed by a particularly convincing salesperson at a beauty counter to try something new or you might have bought something different because it was on sale that day or maybe you saw a YouTuber who looked amazing so you thought you’d purchase whatever they were using thinking perhaps this other product would wow you even more.
And then you finally try that new product and well, it just doesn’t live up to ol’ faithful. Yep, me too.
Today, I thought I’d share five different beauty products that I’ve bought over and over again. I’ve tried the others and yet I just can’t seem to stop myself reaching for these ones again and again. So I thought I’d share and perhaps they’ll become your ol’ faithfuls too.
Mary Lou Manizer Highlighter
I swear, I must have about 10 different highlighters. But The Balm’s Mary Lou Manizer has just the right combination of rosy gold glow so it’s the one I just seem to wear all the time. In fact, I’ve bought it multiple times because I just can’t be without it.
It’s not too glittery either – it just gives you a lovely soft shimmer that looks beautiful when it catches the light. Apply it just around the tear duct at the corner of your eyes, along the bridge of your nose and the very tip with a tiny eyeshadow brush and then along the top of your cheekbones and your cupid’s bow with a fan brush for a goddessy glow.
Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper
I have worn some form of black eyeliner for as long as I’ve been wearing makeup and I’ve been trying various forms – from pencils to creams to felt tips – for just as long. I tried Kat Von D’s Tattoo Eyeliner in the colour Trooper about a year and a half ago and never looked back. The precision felt tip pen is flexible enough to glide over your eyelid without much resistance but retains enough stiffness to create a precision line.
I also love the fact that it dries to a matt black – there’s no shine to it and it simply doesn’t budge. You can create big thick wings or delicate flicks so easily too so it’s perfect for someone just trying to get to grips with creating the perfect wing!
Benefit Hoola Bronzer
While Benefit’s Hoola is listed as a bronzer, I actually use it as a contour and have been now for the last year. The problem I find with bronzers is that they either have way too much shimmer or they are too orange on my skin. This one has neither.
It has a wonderful cool undertone to it that makes it the perfect contour shade. I use it with a slim brush in the contours of my cheekbones and along the sides of my nose for a slimming effect. I also will dust a bit under my jawline. At the moment, I’ve hit the pan (for the second time!) so it’s time to buy another!
Maybelline Anti-Age Eraser Eye
If you suffer from dark circles under your eyes like I do, then may I introduce you to your new best friend. Maybelline Anti-Age Eraser Eye is crazy inexpensive and yet, I find it’s better than Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer, better than Touche Eclat, better than any high end concealer out there. I use the Light shade which has the perfect yellow base to cover the blue shadows under my eyes.
I’m almost to the end of my 3rd bottle so have just purchased my 4th. The applicator is a twist up sponge which glides under the eye with minimal effort. I normally apply it in a triangular shape under my eye and along each side of my nose for a highlight effect, blend it in with a dampΒ Beauty Blender (one of my favourite tools but we’ll get to that in another post) and then give it a very light dusting of translucent powder. It doesn’t crease, it doesn’t move and it doesn’t look cakey.
Ardell Demi Wispies False Eyelashes
And finally, while I don’t wear them every single day, Ardell’s Natural Demi Wispies eyelashes could easily be worn daily and you’d never even know they were there. I thought for years I wasn’t able to wear false eyelashes as they felt heavy and uncomfortable on my eyes. These have a micro thin band so you can bearly feel them on your eyes and yet they add a wonderful thickening and lengthening effect to your natural eyelashes.
I use Duo Brush On Adhesive for these and I find they don’t irritate my eye nor do they budge all day. You can buy the multipackΒ of 4 pairs for less than a tenner (a total bargain) which easily last me a month or two. I simply clean them after use (I use tweezers to pull any excess dried glue from the bands) and pop them back in the case until next time I want to add a little drama to my eye look. The band is so delicately bearly there that you don’t even have to wear eyeliner with these and they are the perfect cheat to a wide-awake fluttery look without feeling like you are way too overdone.
So those are some of my top picks for beauty products I absolutely love and buy again and again. I’d love to know if any of my favourites are your favourites or what your hero products are that you simply can’t replace? Also, as this is my first ‘proper’ beauty post, I’d love to know if you enjoyed it or what else you’d like to see here on Swoon Worthy! Let me know in the comments!
Absolutely love this hun! That highlighter looks amazing and wow so do you! Love this beauty post so much and keep em coming! You’re such a fantastic role in how to look so youthful and glam! Love it! Xxx
Aww you are so sweet my dear and thank you so much for the encouraging words! Definitely try the highlighter, it’s just so gorgeous :) Mwah! xxx
Lots of lovely cosmetics. Will have to try x
Thanks so much, do let me know if you do! xx
I love the detail on the bag – good as gold – cute.
I personally enjoyed the review, even thought I don’t wear a lot of make-up. I agree that Duo is the best falsie glue though having used it for dance performances.
BTW – I think You have a very pretty eye shape for the flicks – highly jealous xx
The bag is so cute, isn’t it? Was a gift from a friend who knows me well! Ha! Duo is such a good glue, I have found others that have irritated my eyes so it’s a very good find :) And you are too sweet – I always think my eyes are much too round (I wish I had a more cat-eye shape) but I suppose you always want what you don’t have ;) xxx
Abslolutely love this post hun!
I’m definitely in the same boat. Once I find something I like, I struggle to find alternatives that match up to it. Love that eyeliner too. Love that Kat von D’s stuff is cruelty free, and even better that it’s now available here. I used to stock up whenever I went to the states haha
Ahh thank you darling! Kat Von D’s stuff is so great – I have quite a few favourites from her collection and love that it’s cruelty-free (and available at Debenhams! Yessss!) ;) xx
Thanks for sharing your faves! I’ll have to give false lashes another try since you recommended these. Since you asked for our favorites, I always go back to Benefit’s Coralista, Roller Lash mascara, and Stay Don’t Stray (which I use as an undereye concealer). I’m not brand loyal, I just really love those three products! I also can’t live without Dr. Jart’s BB cream.
Ahh thank you Shannon! Definitely give the Demi Whispies a try – I always find the bands on other lashes are so thick and uncomfortable and these are just feather-light and so easy to wear (and they don’t look unnatural!) :) I have quite a few favs from Benefit myself and I’ve heard good things about Roller Lash so will have to give that a go! :) xxx
You’ve given me so much inspiration to go update my makeup bag now, thanks Kimberly! Such fantastic shots of you too, just beautiful.
Aww thank you so much lovely!! Mwah! xxx
Love this! I swear by a good liner and a pair of Demi-Wispies, I have such small eyes that I find other lashes make me look a little bit crazy lol!
Keep the beauty posts coming girl!
x
Ahhh love that you agree, Marie! I’m the same even with my big eyes, so many other false lashes just look bizarre on me and way over done! They really are my favourites – and so inexpensive too! Bonus! :) xxx
I for one happen to love the beauty products post. I am obsessed with makeup, but barely wear any. I seriously suck at false lashes and have tried many times. I also like that you have dark hair and eyes like me, so what you recommend will work for me.
Aww thanks so much Mary!! The false lashes take practice – I took about 2 weeks wearing them every day (around the house – very glam hahaha) just to get used to putting them on but I find a pair of tweezers really helps. I stick the middle bit on first and then adjust each end to sit close to my eye with the tweezers! :) xx
More posts like this please! Plus ones on how to apply eyeliner! I barely wear make-up but I still love reading about it and I’ve tried eyeliner flicks with no success. Also, I’d love to know what you use to get your make-up off, particularly eye make-up so posts on things like that too. P.S. Love that Maybelline concealer too!
Yay! Thank you Kate and I have made a note to do one on eyeliner application and something about my end-of-day skin routine :) Oh and so pleased you like the Eraser Eye as well – it’s so good, right?! And such a bargain price as well, can’t beat it! xx
Love this post! You are absolutely beautiful and I love that your products list features high and low. I’ll have to try the Maybelline concealer. I’ve been using Lancome forever, nothing else seems to measure up, but it is a bit pricey. Would also love to try the Kat Von D liner. I’ve been using a Marc Jacobs deluxe sample and it’s great, but if I do a late night oily face touch up, it smudges. Thanks for the tips!
Oh you are so sweet Jill! I try so many different products – high end and low – and there are great products and not-so-great on both ends of the spectrum for sure! Definitely try the Kat Von D liner, I honestly can’t live without it now ;) xxx
I need to try the Kat Von D stuff- keep hearing loads of positive things
I love so many of the Kat Von D products but the liner is my favourite. Quite love her lip paints, the translucent powder and the fixing spray too! Actually now thinking maybe I need to do a post on her products! Ha! Thanks lovely xxx
I swear by Chanel for Mascara and Bronzer. Very pricey but the only products my sensitive skin accepted so far. Last year my daughter convinced me to try a concealer and I decided to give it a try. My ultimate choice is the Maybelline one! It’s so cheap and so good-I’m convinced forever…
I’ve always loved Chanel’s foundations as well – they are so gorgeous but yes, a bit pricey. Sometimes worth it though if you find your skin really loves it! Funny about the Maybelline concealer, though, right? It’s such a bargain but an absolutely wonderful product! xx
You look amazing hun and I’m now determined to step out of my comfort zone and buy some darned lashes. Love this post. x
Nice post, Kimberly! It’s always interesting to have a peek in someone else’s make up bag :) I might have to give those false lashes a try – never ventured there before, but I’d love to rock them on a night out! Xx
What a fab list! I’ve been dying to try the KVD Tattoo Liner for ages, glad to know you love it so much! x
First of all thanks Duran
Amazing this post! You are absolutely wonderful and I love that your beauty products list features high and low. Enjoy weekend.
Dealman
Great post – really interesting! Love the pictures too – you look gorgeous! (And what a delightful gold make-up pouch!)
I have been thinking I need some help with the shadows under my eyes and have been considering Touche Eclat as I’d heard good things about it. I was worried about spending the money on something that might not work well for me, though, so I’m glad I read this first! I bought the Maybelline Eraser Eye thingy yesterday!! I’ll let you know how I get on!
xx
Great post Kimberly. I can’t put false eye lashes on I always poke my self in the eye. Xxx
Ah the Kat Von D Tattoo liner is a staple for me too! I kinda feel like winged liner has become one of my facial features… ha! I’ve never tried anything by The Balm but hear great things (and their packaging is the cutest!) … It may well be time. Rx
Am yet to try the Hoola bronzer, will be sure to give it a go after reading. Great advice!
Thank you so much for the Maybelline concealer tip. I just purchased it and it’s fantastic! It seems to have a cream-to-powder texture, does not look cakey (just like you said), and goes on like a dream. As a woman of a certain age, the dark circles have just gotten worse and harder to conceal or minimize because of the loss of collagen in my skin. I’d given up on finding a concealer that didn’t look terrible. Thanks again!
Ahh that’s music to my ears, Ruth! So pleased you like it as much as I do! xx