NEW YORK WISHLIST #2 // drugstore

The second instalment of my New York beauty wishlist is here, containing drugstore items. I have a feeling I'll receive some strange looks from US residents as I run around CVS and Duane Reade in excitement. To them, its a pharmacy, to me its a world of well-priced makeup I've never been able to try before...us British love a good drugstore and the same old Boots and Superdrug only have so much to offer. Here's a list of what I'm planning on picking up the US drugstores...

WET'N'WILD EYESHADOWS// probably the thing I see cropping up in a 'US Beauty Haul' the most...wet'n'wild palettes are so popular, with gorgeous shades and apparently brilliant quality, not to mention the insanely cheap price tags.

COVERGIRL LASHBLAST// covergirl is another brand unavailable to us here in the UK, and I've heard good things about their mascaras, and being a mascara whore lover, I'll definitely be picking one up to try!

NYX SOFT MATTE LIP CREAM// I believe some Next stores stock NYX, but unfortunately none around where I live do, so I plan on picking some products up, one (or two) being the Soft Matte Lip Creams which I've heard are great.

NYX JUMBO EYE PENCILS// The other NYX product I've heard loads about are the Jumbo Eye Pencils. I plan on picking up the famous Milk, a white base, and probably a bronzey shade, because who doesn't love a bronzey smokey eye?

MILANI BAKED BLUSH// Despite not really being a blush fan/wearer, I'm wanting to pick up some from Milani after hearing good reviews. If not them, then something from Milani as a brand as it isn't available in the UK!

MAYBELLINE COLOUR WHISPER// Maybelline's answer to the Revlon Lip Butters (which I love anyway), but not available in the UK yet, I'll be looking out for these!

MAYBELLINE COLOUR TATTOO// finally, something that is available in Boots and Superdrug, but if I'm not mistaken, the US have a wider range of shades, including a lot more neutral/wearable shades. Already owning and loving two (Permanent Taupe and On and On Bronze) I'll be seeking out some other shades!

No doubt my two lists will grow and grow closer to the time I go to the US (r.i.p. bank account) but those are the bits I'm planning on picking up! If you haven't read my first wishlist, featuring products from Sephora/high-end items, you can read it here!

Any recommendations for things to pick up are very welcome!

TODAY'S MAKEUP MESS // fotd

I dug out my Revlon Colourburst Lip Butter in Candy Apple last week, put it on, and forgot how much I love it. Here's my makeup look which I wore with it with some everyday favourites...

BASE// 

Benefit The Porefessional - beautiful to smooth over pores and keep makeup in place.

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation - an old favourite which gives a beautiful velvet finish to the skin with a medium coverage.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer - a classic which covers dark circles and blemishes in a flash.

E.l.f. High Definition Powder - a life-saver if you're like me where any concealer creases under the eyes.

CONTOUR//

Benefit Hoola - I've had this sample size since last christmas and haven't even hit pan yet. I love the pigmentation and the warmth and shape it brings to my face.

theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer - I rarely go without highlighter and this is the newest edition to my collection. Put on the top of the cheeks gives a gorgeous natural glow, read my full review here

BROWS + EYES//

E.l.f. Eyebrow Kit - this is the first brow kit I've owned with a waxy texture and I find it works well, is a good match and stays in place all day,

Maybelline Colour Tattoo in On and On Bronze - another classic which I use regularly. It gives you a perfect subtle bronze eye with minimum effort.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Micro Precision Liner - not my favourite for application or opaqueness, but the waterproof aspect is what I like about it. I simply layer it abit to create a black line with flick.

Estee Lauder Dual Kajal - The blackened-black end is an absolute must-have for me everyday to tightline my eyes and thicken my lashline.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kajal in Bronze - I used this on my outer bottom lash-line to tie in the Colour Tattoo and love the slight smokey effect it gives.

Benefit They're Real! Mascara - The waterproof formula which holds a curl and gives insane length and volume. A fave.

LIPS//

Revlon Colourburst Lip Butter in Candy Apple - I bought this ages ago and after shopping my stash have fallen in love with it again. Super moisturising, and a complimenting subtle red.

Current favourite makeup products?

an ode to my favourite mascara

I know what you're thinking...don't worry I used an unloved mascara to do that ^^

Confession : I'm abit of a mascara whore junkie. BUT after trying loads, both drugstore and high-end, I've found it. I've found the one. Ladies (and gentlemen?) I present to you, Lancome Hypnose Drama Waterproof : my fave. Here's why I love it so much...

excuse how creepy this looks haha!

I took these photos without liner on to show the full-effect. On one stroke there is instant length and volume, and with two, there's the amount of volume and length I stick with day-to-day. Its so easy. I do curl my lashes everyday, but this mascara adds to the curl, and holds it, due to it's waterproof formula. 

The brush is also really nice - not too big, not too small. Its also curved to help grip all of the lashes and really coat them well with the first stroke. I also love the packaging. I think we can all agree I basically just love this mascara.

annnndd let's all ignore the open wardrobe and it's messy contents...it's on my to-do list i promise...

I hope from the photo's you can see the fluttery lashes you can achieve with this mascara. Of course, the drugstore has so many amazing mascaras on offer, and being a junkie I'm eager to try the famous Max Factor and L'Oreal ones. I can recommend the Maybelline ones HIGHLY including The Rocket Volume Express and The Falsies (the Falsies probably more comparable to HypnoseDrama because of it's brissle brush, whereas The Rocket has a plastic wand). Yet, after a long love affair with what Maybelline has on offer, I think I'm converted (they will, of course, still have a place in my heart...and I'll probably go back to them...being the mascara addict I am...). But for now, Lancome Hypnose Drama Waterproof is my favourite.

So if you love everyday big lashes, with bags of volume and length without hardly any effort, this one's for you. 

What's your favourite mascara? Tried this one?

the restock | essentials

You know when your luck when you run out of your basic beauty bits, all at the same time? yep, that happened to me last week and as I didn't buy the exact same products to replace my old ones, I thought I'd tell you what I picked up...

the liner pen | I'm one of those people who can't go without eyeliner, whether that's a sharp liquid line on the upper-lashline, or a khol pencil smudged to look subtle and smokey.I had been using the Rimmel Scandaleyes Micro Precise Liner before which had a tiny nib, and I took quite a long time to build up a line I was happy with. So I chose the Maybelline Master Precise Liquid Eyeliner pen in black because the swatch I made on my hand seemed pretty decent and long-lasting, plus the nib was longer. 

the powder | I have been pretty loyal to the cult Rimmel Stay Matte powder over the past few months, but as I drastically hit pan on my last one, (and kinda because Maybelline had a 'buy one get one half price' offer on in Boots at the time...) I restocked with the Matte Maker, which I believe is a relatively new release. I did want a translucent powder, but I couldn't find one on the counter so went for 20 Nude Beige. I actually really like the finish of this and found it does the same job as Rimmel Stay Matte.

the concealer | Of the three, this concealer isn't a change from before. The Collection Lasting Perfection concealer is all kinds of great for blemishes and dark-circles with a thick but blendable consistency. I managed to take a photo before all the words scraped off the packaging...it's one flaw. I got this in Warm Medium and I can see myself repurchasing again and again...

I'd love to know what your beauty essentials are!