New beauty products
are launched on an almost daily basis and touted as ‘must-have’ or ‘the only thing
you need’. Many are a great big waste of time and an even bigger waste of money
(don’t worry, we’ve all fallen victim to a glossy ad campaign in our time…), but
which ones are worthy of the bold claims? Beauty junkie Kay Hardy shares the products
that are truly worth the hype. – Sarah
x
With the British weather living up to its reputation and
snow flurries every five minutes, my obsession with anything ‘beauty’ has
reached a new peak. Like most, cold dreary days do me no good, especially as I
am convinced I’m part lizard and should always be in sunny, hot climes.
I have even started to turn food shopping into an opportunity
to browse new products, sometimes forgetting the bread and milk in favour of
buying a body butter or hair mask. However despite the random buying, there are
some products that I will continually re-purchase because they live up to the
hype and are simply worth buying.
1. NARS LAGUNA BRONZER
NARS is well known for creating high end, quality, products, and
their Laguna Bronzer is my favourite. Reviews pay homage on a regular basis and
after reading blog after blog about Laguna’s wonder, I took the plunge and
bought my first one last year. I am now a convert and use it daily, and despite
this I have only just hit pan and still have plenty more product to go. With a price tag of £26 you want the product to last, which it certainly does and is on par with
other high end prices such as Benefit’s Hoola (£23.50) and Bobbi Brown’s
Bronzing Powder (£27). Having tried both I can say that NARS Laguna has the
edge, as it can be used for a gentle glow or contouring.
Laguna is a dark, golden powder, with a fine shimmer. It
appears to have a dirt brown look about it, but is quite the opposite on skin, where
a subtle, warm colour appears and the shimmer illuminates. I use it for
contouring, and because of its ability to blend with highlighter (liquid, stick
or powder) it creates a natural look that allows cheek bones to ‘pop’. Hurrah!
2. MAC PREP + PRIME HIGHLIGHTER PEN
MAC's Prep + Prime Highlighter Pen is truly one of the
best I've tried. I am a devoted fan of YSL's Touche Éclat but MAC's version not
only highlights but conceals dark circles beautifully. After Kim Kardashian’s
highlighter and contouring secrets were blogged and numerous tutorials made, it
was difficult to find. It gained attention left, right and centre, which is
wholeheartedly deserved.
The pen style structure and twisty top makes the product
easy to dispense and distribute under the eye and on the cheek bone. The brush
is soft on application, so it does not drag the delicate eye area. The creamy
pink Radiant Rose highlighter covers fatigued circles and brightens the face,
and it blends well in all weather conditions. It costs £17.50 and comes in
three shades; Light Boost, Radiant Rose and Bright Forecast. They are worth
swatching to find the colour that suits you best.
3. REVLON COLORBURST LIP BUTTERS
Every person and their dog have raved about Revlon’s ColorBurst Lip
Butters. The moisturising hydrating formula combined with bright colour pay
off makes them worth every penny and one of the most talked about lip products
of last year. At £7.99 each they
do not do too much damage to the bank balance and come in a variety of colours.
For winter Berry Smoothie is my favourite, which is a cranberry colour. Candy
Apple is an orangey/red that suits any time of year and gives a pop of colour
that isn't terrifying.
The only
issue with the product is
that because of its moisturising properties, the stick can become a little
smooshed in its packaging. Nevertheless I would happily re-purchase any of the
colours I already have and according to the Boots website more have been
released. Brilliant!
4. URBAN DECAY NAKED PALETTE ORIGINAL AND NAKED
PALETTE 2
These palettes have been featured in numerous favourites YouTube videos, blogged to high heaven and have sparked the whole Naked range
from Urban Decay. Both palettes have twelve colours and although the Original
tends to be favoured for its earthy colours, personally the metallic based
Naked 2 is my preference.
The colours are extremely pigmented and have a healthy life
span, and if you’re travelling these palettes are a perfect companion. They are
compact and between them contain the majority of colours you will need. I've
taken them on the last three holidays and not missed any of the sets that I
left at home. They are the most useful eye shadow palettes that I have
purchased and sit currently at £36. Considering that’s £3 per shadow,
that’s a steal.
5. MAYBELLINE MASTER PRECISE INK PEN EYELINER
When purchasing an eyeliner, I think about two things; will
it be precise and will it dry out? The Maybelline Eyeliner Pen is a good shape,
that enables a thicker line to be drawn with ease and its fine point makes
winging and delicate lines easy to do.
Having had so many eyeliners dry out, mostly high end
products, I am smug that this liner lasts for quite a while (4 to 5 months) and
is only £5.99 at Superdrug. The Maybelline Master Precise Eyeliner pen is proving
to be such a little gem. So much so, I have already bought two in reserve.
Obsessed? Perhaps.
– Kay Hardy
