Top 5: Medium & Full Coverage Foundations for Oily and Dry Skins (Drugstore & High-End)

A good foundation makes the world of difference to any makeup look and I think it is one of, if not the most important aspects of cosmetics. While eye makeup is fun and everything, a good foundation can make your skin look flawless and change the overall appearance of your look.
I've tried a lotttt of foundations from different price ranges and while some high-end foundations are nice, I have found a lot of budget friendly bases that are very comparable to higher-end ones. Although I have oily skin, I have found that some of these work better for a dryer skin type, and some are best suited to an oily skin.
One important thing to keep in mine is that all of these foundations are medium to full coverage and very long lasting. While I wear most of these daily, a full coverage isn't for everyone all the time and so might be something to try for a special occasion or night out. I hope this post helps some of you who are on the hunt for decent full and flawless coverage!

The Lip Product Addict Tag!

If you've been on my blog or Instagram for more than 10 minutes, I'm sure you've probably guessed that I like love lipsticks. I wasn't tagged specifically by anyone but when I saw the lovely Hannah from Love Life and Makeup do the tag last month I knew I had to seize this golden opportunity to talk (even more) about lipsticks and some other lip products I love! If you've tried any of these products or have any lipstick recommendations then please let me know :)

1. Favourite Balm/Treatment?

I can safely say that my lips are drier than a camel's behind 99.9% of the time so I always seem to have at least 3 lip balms handy at the bottom of my handbag and dotted all over my house. I should probably start by saying that the germaphobe in me hates travelling with potted lip balm so I tend to keep those to the comfort of my own home. I really don't think you can go wrong with good old Carmex (original or cherry!) as they are super moisturising and have an SPF which is great if you're out during the day. It also comes in a travel friendly squeeze tube which is perfect to throw in your bag. I'm also a fan of the EOS lip balms, but I won't lie... it's majorly for the smell and packaging (I mean... it's in the shape of a little egg!) and use this when I'm on the go because I don't have to deal with lip balm all over my hands. Treatment wise and because my lips are so dry, I always use Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream on them before I go to bed at night.

2. Best Eye-Catching Red?

I love red lipstick and found it so hard to narrow it down to just one. However, my fool proof eye-catching red that never fails me has to be Ruby Woo by MAC. Ah, Ruby Woo - the red that needs no introduction. The best long lasting pin-up matte red there ever was. Pair this with Cherry lipliner and you will never want to take it off... in fact, pair Ruby Woo with any lipliner and it probably never will come off!

                                            

                             

                                               

3. Best Luxury and Best Drugstore?

In terms of very high-end luxury I would have to say Tom Ford.. Not that I own many TF lipsticks but they really are fantastic! Casablanca is the newest edition to my teeny collection and it is a beautiful plum mauve that would flatter a lot of different skin tones. If we're talking middle of the road high-end then I can't recommend MAC and Urban Decay lipsticks enough! However, I also think you can find so many brilliant drugstore lipsticks like Rimmel, Barry M and Sleek, but my favourite has to be the Wet n Wild ones. The formula is wonderful and very comparable to a lot of MAC lipsticks. I have an entire blog post (here) dedicated to swatching and comparing dupes if you're interested!

I just want to look at the packaging all daaaaaay.

4. Best MAC Lipstick?

Ahhhhh... so hard! Possibly my worst nightmare seeing as I probably have the most MAC lipsticks out of everything. I have to agree with Hannah and say my most reached for nude/pink is Creme Cup and if I had to go with anything else I would say Diva because it is hands down my favourite dark lipstick. Frankly, I was shocked and appalled to see that I didn't already have a photo or swatch of Diva on my blog but I'm sure it will make several appearances when Autumn/Winter comes... until then, have a crappy old lip swatch type selfie thing (shout out to my silver Cinderella hair... RIP, you were taken too soon)

                           

5. The Most Disappointing? 

Have to completely echo Hannah again here and say the Rimmel Apocalips. Very unpopular opinion because I know the blogging world when cray cray for them when they released but we just never really got on and the 2 I bought pretty much sit at the back of my mirror untouched to this day. They stay glossy and thick, bleed horribly, smudge and feather out to my ears within an hour of wearing them and I just don't think anybody has time fo' dat. I bought Nude Eclipse and the super bright shade Apocaliptic. The former preformed slightly better than the latter, but I think that it was just because it was a nude and didn't show up feathering half as much. I really wish I got along better with these, because Rimmel lipsticks are some of my favourites.

6. Liner - Yes or No?

I never really wear a liner with nude lips but with a bright or dark bold lip then I would say it's a must! MAC probably do my favourite lip liners in terms of bold shades, but you can find some great cheaper ones with Kiko, Rimmel and Barry M in particular! In terms of MAC, my favourites are Current/Vino, Beet, Cherry and Magenta.

7. Best Gloss?

I detest lipgloss so I'm going to be short and sweet here and say I don't think there is such a thing. I haven't bought a lipgloss in I don't know how long!

8. Something Extra?

I had seen so much online about OCC Lip Tars since they first came out a few years back and always wanted to try one but could never decide on a colour. I'm sure everyone and their mother knows about Lip Tars but they're essentially liquid lipsticks that you can mix together to create custom or more avant garde shades.When they came out with Black Dahlia I fell in love and knew I had to have it because it's a colour I gravitate towards anyway and was sure I'd be happy with it on me. I eventually came round to buying it from Cult Beauty about 2 weeks ago and have fallen in love! Although it definitely isn't a typical summer shade I've been wearing it a lot and will definitely be doing a small post on it soon, showing tips and tricks on how to apply it. I think that these are fantastic products for both makeup enthusiasts and (especially) professionals! They have a variety of shades to choose from and now come in a glossy stain formula. I'm so excited to try more but cannot for the life of me decide on what colour to choose next so if you have any OCC recommendations I would be so grateful!

                             

I really loved doing this tag and I hoped you enjoyed reading! I of course tag anyone who wants to do this or tell me about their favourite lip products below. I specifically tag Susan from whatsnewwithsuzieq because I really just want to have a nosy at her lip picks! ;) 

April Favourites!

Make-up items I've been using/loving this month. Some new ones and some oldies (but goodies!). I love 'favourites' posts because they give you a general overview of the products someone has been using that month. Seeing a mix of products introduces me to new stuff and also reminds me of older products I have, loved and need to start using again! Anyway, this month was pretty unexciting in terms of eyeshadow, nothing too colourful. Looking back on these pictures, I definitely wore a lot more pink tones, especially on my cheeks and lips. This only ever really happens in Spring and Summer so I guess it's finally here! This is solely a make-up favourites but I will definitely be including hair, nails and other beauty items in the future. I'll also be doing plenty of hair and nail related posts/reviews very soon so if that's something you're interested in then keep an eye out :)

April Favourites

First up is the Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser. I don't know about instantly erasing all my pores until I look photoshopped for days but, this is a really nice siliconey and velvety primer for the price. It is definitely lightweight, non greasy and makes my make-up go on a better, making it look a lot nicer. And because I'm a sucker for packaging, I think it's pretty cute!

Maybelline Baby Skin

Unfortunately, it seems that this month was the month of liking all of my limited edition products (sorry!). MAC Minieralize Skinfinish in Perfect Topping is such a beautiful highlighting powder. MSF's are one of my favourite products from MAC, especially in terms of their limited edition collections and because they're so unique looking and beautiful on the skin, they're definitely worth picking up if you can get your hands on them. Perfect Topping is a rose-beige base with some very subtle purple/lavender veining. The sheen it gives on top of the cheekbones is beautiful - nothing too glittery or chunky looking. If this is ever rereleased in future collections, absolutely get your hands on this gem!

MAC MSF - Perfect Topping (Limited Edition)

It was only a matter of time before this blush featured somewhere on this blog! Nars Orgasm is probably one of the most talked about blushes on earth - and with good reason! I know many other brands have done an 'Orgasm-esque' blush but they're really never the same... Nars blushes are fantastic and this colour is beautiful on pretty much every skintone. I hate to be that person but it really is a 'peachy/pinky' blush with gold shimmer. This colour really brightens up the face, goes great with most eye looks and is a great every-day blush to have if you're not wearing much else on your face. Unlike a lot of people, this wasn't the first blush from Nars I ever bought - it took me about a year to eventually buy it. I didn't see the hype for ages until I had used it 3-4 times. Now, I can't imagine my life without it (dramatic, but frighteningly true... ish).

Nars Orgasm

This blush came out with the Archie's Girls collection from MAC about a year ago but Nars Desire is pretty similar. Prom Princess is a beautiful hot pink with purple undertones, shot through with a very subtle silver shimmer. This is easily one of the most pigmented blushes I own so I like to apply it with a small stippling brush for a more subtle wash of pink on the cheeks. Throughout this month I've just been really enjoying a bright pink cheek with a matching lip!

MAC Prom Princess (Limited Edition)

Catrice has quickly become one of my favourite drugstore/lower-end/pharmacy brand - it's so good! I've seen a few people online talk about their Liquid Metal Eyeshadow and decided to give them a go. I picked up Gold n' Roses, a very pale pink shade with lots of gold shimmer/glitter. They come in a few different shades, more neutral and then some bright blues and mauve purples but this was the most unique to me. The texture is wonderful and really reminds me of the MAC In Extra Dimension range. I love to pat this on top of a matte neutral lid, in the inner corners, or used wet on the lid for more of a 'pink' effect.

Catrice Gold n' Roses

I picked the I <3 Extreme Crazy Volume Mascara up not really expecting much from it but it is such a great pharmacy find! The brush is quite fat and plastic, with short spiked bristles along the edge and tip (the tip is some-what similar to Benefit's They're Real!). The interesting thing about the brush is that there are some flat panels inbetween the bristles which have tonnes of product. These panels coat the lashes with mascara and then I like to turn the wand with the bristles to my lashes and wiggle the product through. This gives a very dense, black and volumised lash. I've heard a lot of people say that it's a respectable dupe for the MAC In Extreme Dimension 3D Black Lash. My friend is a huge advocate of that mascara and while I haven't personally tried it, I have compared the wands and they look very similar so I'm assuming they do a similar job!

Essence I <3 Extreme

Magenta lipliner is such a great pencil to have if you wear a lot of pinks/purples. It can definitely transform a lipstick and I love to wear it with the likes of Violetta, Girl About Town and Up The Amp.

I've been really favouring a nude or brown pencil on the waterline this month because I've been doing very basic, neutral looks and want something a little less harsh than black (patricularly if I don't have any winged eyeliner on) The Rimmel Scandaleyes Nude Eyeliner is a great fleshtone colour that really opens up the eye, making you seem more awake and doe-eyed (It's a lot less harsh than a stark white). The texture of these pencils is really nice, creamy but has very good lasting power.
Hot Chocolate is just a very basic, warm toned brown that looks very flattering on the waterline, or smudged on the upper and lower lashline. The staying power of the pencil is pretty good, especially for the price!

MAC Magenta, Rimmel Nude 005, Essence Hot Chocolate

Ah, possibly my favourite part of any favourites post... lipstick! As I said already, this month was a very pink toned one. A bold lipstick with some mascara and eyeliner can really make it look like you've put in a lot of effort to your look when you haven't at all.
Catfight is a hot pink with a very red undertone. The formula of the Urban Decay lipsticks are unlike any other and I think I might do a whole blog post with swatches and more in-depth thoughts on them. Catfight is creamy and super super opaque... and look at that packaging! (Urban Decay marketing and packaging: 1, Grace's bank account, 0)
Daddy's Little Girl also came out with the Archie's Girls collection. It's a bright pink-violet. The purple undertone of this lipstick really flatter the Prom Princess blush. It has a satin finish but goes on very smooth and creamy. Unfortunately I found it really hard to give a dupe for this from my lipstick stash that wasn't also limited edition. WHY DOES MAC DO THIS TO ME?!
Finally, something cheap and cheerful to end this post with. I remember the exact moment when I found out that Wet n Wild had come to Ireland: I complimented my friend on her lipstick and asked her what it was. She replied casually "oh some really cheap one by eh.. wet n wild I think?" After the initial shock of finding out that it was bought in Ireland and not stateside, I raided every Dunnes Stores high and low, far and wide.. (Okay, so I went to one in Galway and one in Dublin but we'll go with it for dramatic effect) Anyway, enough of that pointless anecdote.. Think Pink is a gorgeous pale pink with very subtle peach undertones. While it is bright, it's not overbearing and I regularly wear this on a day-to-day basis! The formula of these lipsticks is insaaaaane, especially for the price! There's no shimmer, it's definitely a cream formula that almost dries to a semi-matte/satin finish and is very long lasting!

Urban Decay Catfight, MAC Daddy's Little Girl (Limited Edition), Wet n Wild Think Pink

Catfight, Daddy's Little Girl, Think Pink

Follow me on Instagram and Twitter: @DrnkTxtRmeo_ :)