My favourite foundations at the moment.

Hi my loves just a little post on my fave foundations at the moment. I get lots of questions daily about foundations. I personally have oily skin so if you have dry skin some of these might not work for you, but if you are interested in any of these foundations head down to your makeup counters and ask for a sample!

 I always start off by priming my skin with the MAC Natural Radiance primer and I use a damp beauty blender to apply my foundation/concealer.
My favourite foundation right now is the EX1 Invisiwear liquid foundation. I really really love this foundation. I wrote about it in my 2015 Favourites post. It's just so natural but gives a nice coverage. It's enriched with light diffusers to cleverly detract light away from lines, wrinkles and blemishes. It's creates a natural, skin-on-skin effect. I think this foundation would work for dry, combination or oily skin. I have no issues with it at all and I don't powder my face. I get mine from Lookfantastic.com. 
Next is the foundation I used before the ex1 foundation, it's the Nars All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation. This foundation is very different to others I've used. It's super full coverage but natural looking and very highly pigmented. You only need a little bit and it goes a very long way, but it's very lightweight. If you have dry skin i'm not sure if you would like this. I've heard it's not the best for you drier girlies. Get a sample if your curious! Next is an oldie but a goodie, MAC Studio Fix Fluid. This is a full coverage foundation with a matte finish. This foundation is macs most popular foundation I would say and this is the main foundation in my kit as it does what it says! It's long wearing and perfect for girls going on nights out. I used to wear this as my everyday foundation. I work with this foundation at work every day and it really is a great foundation. I also really love this foundation to mix with some others. I've mixed this foundation with the Chanel Vitalumière, which is a lightweight foundation, I would say it's a lightweight light/medium coverage. I love it mixed with the studio fix for a long lasting foundation with a slight glow to it, as i'm oily I don't like to much shine. I also love it mixed with the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk. It's a lightweight 'buildable' coverage, I would say it's more a light to medium coverage. It says it's for all skin types but when I use it on it's own it wears off my skin really quickly. I know some oily girls love this and I know that the girls I work with who have dry skin loooove it. 
There are so many foundations out there and the only way to find the perfect one for you is to try them. I really want to try the Too Faced Born This Way foundation. Remember these are the foundations I've been liking and they might be different for you! 
I hope you liked this post. 
Lots of love 
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Must Have Makeup Brushes!

I did a 'must have makeup brushes' post back in 2014, and since then my brush collection has grown and I want to share my new favourite must have brushes with you!
Lets start with eye brushes. My absolute favourite brand for eyeshadow brushes is ZOEVA. I did a blog post back in January about the Rose Golden Complete eye set (click here to read that) and since then I have purchased TWO more of those sets. The brushes are incredible. 

My first must have is the Zoeva 228 Luxe Crease. This brush is exactly like a MAC 224 but it is so much softer. As I can find the 224 a little bit scratchy. This is the first brush I use when doing my eyeshadow it's my favourite blending brush! Then we have the Zoeva 227 Luxe Soft Definer, this could be compared to the MAC 217 but I find it's flatter and bigger, I still love this brush I use this to add a darker shade into my crease to add more depth it's super soft and blends shadows beautifully. Next is the Zoeva 231 Luxe Petit Crease, I LOVE this brush. When I first got it I didn't really rate it but now I love it and I use it every time I do my eyes. I use this to put colour (usually a dark shade) on my outer V. I really love this brush for that. Then is the Zoeva 224 Luxe Defined Crease, this is a skinny tapered blending brush, it's perfect for making all of your eyeshadows really really blended, I like using this to apply a transition colour and just building up the colour. Then we have the Zoeva 234 Luxe Smoky Shader, this brush I have so many of, it looks like the MAC 239 brush and it performs the exact same. This one is 100% a must have. Next is the Zoeva 317 Wing Liner, personally on myself i don't really wear liner but when I do I use this, but this is the brush I use on my clients for the really sharp winged liner. Then is the Zoeva 237 Detail Shader, I love this for my inner corners, my brow bone, pigments/glitters, this brush can be used for all kinds of things. I love it!  All of the brushes I just spoke about are from the Zoeva Rose Golden Complete Eye Set, the set comes with 12 brushes. All of them are amazing but these are just my must have brushes. Then we have the Zoeva 223 Petit Eye Blender, I personally don't use this for blending as the brush is very dense and tiny. I love this for highlighting my inner corner. I love a really intense inner corner highlight and because the brush is so dense this give me exactly what I want. Now for my last Zoeva brush, the 232 Luxe Classic Shader, I originally bought this thinking it was a flat shader, which it is but it's slightly longer. I hadn't really used this brush until recently, I have started using this for buffing eyeshadow under my lower lash line, which I have to do! My makeup isn't complete without a blended under eye. This brings me to the next brush the MAC 252, this is THE BEST brush for blending out under your lower lash line, I don't know what it is but it just works. This brush is quite expensive that why I included the last Zoeva brush, but nothing does it better than this brush! Then is a must have for everyone, the MAC 242, i'm sure you've heard about this brush, it's great for carving out your brows and it's the best for getting pigments and glitters on the lid. I'm a huge pigment girl so this brush is a staple in my collection. Then is probably the most famous brush ever, the MAC 217. It's the perfect shape, it can be used to blend, pack colour on the outer V, it's just a classic brush. Then lastly for eye brushes is the MAC 263, this is the brush I use for my eyebrows, it's not super dense so it doesn't apply too much product or make them look harsh, it's perfect. I just want to say the Zoeva brushes are the quality of MAC but there prices range from £6 for eye brushes! Which is just amazing. And I can honestly say I have never seen a Zoeva brush shed any of it's bristles! 
I do have 3 favourite face brushes, but for my foundation/concealer I still swear by the

Original BeautyBlender! Highlighting is my favourite part of doing my makeup and I was on the hunt for the perfect brush for so long and I finally found it! It's the Anastasia Beverly Hills A23 Pro Face Detail brush. It is so soft and it is the perfect shape for highlighting! I love love lovvvvve it!! Next is my favourite bronzer brush, the MAC 129. I think this brush is the perfect size and it does the job well! I'm yet to find a more affordable dupe for this. Lastly is the brush I use for blush, you could 100% use the one I just talked about but I love the MAC 129 SH (Short Handled) brush. It is the exact same brush but it has a shorter handle. I just prefer using this one for blush, the shorter handle give me more control. I will leave links down below where you can purchase the brushes I have mentioned today! To clean all of my brushes I use the MAC Brush Cleanser. I have used this for years and I find it's the easiest/quickest way to clean them! 
I hope this wasn't to long for you all and I hope you find some brushes you love! Let me know some of your favourite brushes! Don't forget to follow my Instagram @ellietaylorrxx for daily posts! 

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Zoeva Rose golden Complete Eye Set -
1. http://www.beautybay.com/cosmetics/zoeva/rosegoldencompleteeyeset/
2. https://www.love-makeup.co.uk/zoeva-rose-golden-complete-p-6373.html

Zoeva Petit Eye Blender - http://www.beautybay.com/accessories/zoeva/223petiteyeblenderbrush/

Zoeva Luxe Classic Shader - http://www.beautybay.com/accessories/zoeva/232luxeclassicshaderbrush/

MAC brushes eye - http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk/product/145/288/Products/Brushes/Eye/252-Large-Shader-Brush/index.tmpl
MAC brushes face- http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk/product/146/304/Products/Brushes/Face/129-PowderBlush-Brush/index.tmpl

Anastasia Beverly Hills A23- https://www.cultbeauty.co.uk/anastasia-beverly-hills-pro-face-detail-brush.html#c=10-category

(ALL ZOEVA BRUSHES CAN BE BOUGHT INDIVIDUALLY)  

2015 Favourites.

2015 was a fab year for makeup. I've definitely had a lot of favourites. I'm going to be picking out some of my must haves of the year and also some of my favourite brushes. Would you like me to do an updated favourite brushes? As a lot has changed since the last post. I will leave links down below on where you can buy the products I talk about today. 

Just some of my favourites!

Let's start off the 2015 faves with face products! Still the same as last year, my favourite primer is Natural Radiance by mac cosmetics. This primer just really works for me and for my clients, I've tried so many primers and I always come back to this one. I've gone through four of these! Now for foundations. I have had a few different favourite foundations this year, but the one i'm currently using and i'm half way through my second bottle is the EX1 Invisiwear foundation. This only comes in 5 shades, I use F100 (I have just bought two more bottles as we speak). I have never wore a foundation and had so many compliments on my skin! Everyday when i'm working I get so many compliments. It gives a nice coverage but it looks like skin! I have already had lots of people ask me about this on Instagram, I have very oily skin and this foundation works for me. I wear my makeup for over 12 hours a day and this stays put. I love it! My favourite way to apply it is with a damp Beauty Blender. Onto concealer. I've used a few different ones this year, my two favourites being the Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer and the Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer. Both of these are full coverage, the Kevyn Aucoin sensual skin enhancer is very expensive, I have used mine since summer and it looks like I've only just scratched the surface a little bit goes a very long way. My favourite bronzer is the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer in Luminous Bronze. I don't know what it is about this bronzer but I just love it. It isn't matte or a shimmer it just gives a beautiful satin look to the skin. I love the colour, it makes my skin look naturally sunkissed. For blush my favourite blushes are from mac cosmetics. They have a huge selection! I love Trace Gold, Make You Mine, Margin and Cantaloupe. I also love Becca Cosmetics blushes. Now for my favourite makeup item Highlighter. There has been two mega ones this year that I cannot live without, Becca Cosmetics X Jaclyn Hill's Champagne Pop! I bought two on the launch date and then when I got it I loved it that much I bought another. I had to get mine on sephora but now it's sold on Cult beauty and Space NK in the UK. And then I think i'm number 1 fave is Anastasia Beverly Hills Illuminator in So Hollywood. This is the most perfect highlighter ever. If you don't like an intense glow then you won't like this, it's so shiny and metallic! Which I LOVE!
Now eyes/brows. My favourite brow product of the year is the Brow Fluidline in True Brunette by mac cosmetics. I love this products. It's similar to the ABH Dipbrow but the texture is softer. It lasts for ages! Now onto eyes. If you didn't read my last blog post (I'll put a link) it's very clear that my favourite eyeshadows are Makeup Geek! They are the most pigmented, easy to blend shadows I've used! And there are SO many colours to choose from. I also love loose pigments. Some of my favourite brands for pigments are mac cosmetics and Peaches and Cream (Stella & Disco are my FAVES), I've also been obsessed with glitter and mac do my favourites. My favourite base to apply before my shadows is the Soft Ochre Paintpot by mac! I wear false eyelashes every day and I have so many favourites. I love the Eldora lashes in H167's they are sold out at the minuet and i'm desperate for more but this brand has amazing lashes! Deffo check them out if you love lashes. I also use these lashes in my freelance kit. I also love the Wispie Sweet Nothings by Velour Lashes and the Lilly Lashes in Miami. I also really love the House of Lashes lashes in the style Siren! I love a feathery wispy lash. For lipstick/lipliner there is one brand I can always rely on. Mac cosmetics have the best lipstick and lipliner selection. Some of my favourites are (lipliners) Stripdown, Spice, Nice and Spicy, Morning Coffee, Double Time (lipsticks) Myth, Shy Girl, Pure Zen, Sweet & Sour, Peachstock. 


Well guys I hope you find some new products to try and here's to a new year full of more fabulous faves! 

EX1 Foundation- http://www.lookfantastic.com/ex1-cosmetics-invisiwear-liquid-foundation-30ml-various-shades/10789049.html
Urban Decay concealer- http://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_123932039699_-1
Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer -http://www.beautybay.com/cosmetics/kevynaucoin/thesensualskinenhancer/
Hourglass bronzer- http://uk.spacenk.com/en_GB/ambient-lighting-bronzer/MUK200015117.html
Champagne Pop- http://uk.spacenk.com/en_GB/jaclyn-hill-shimmering-skin-perfector-pressed-champagne-pop/MUK200015845.html
Makeup Geek Eyeshadows- http://www.beautybay.com/makeupgeek/
Makeup Geek blogpost -http://ellietaylorx.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/my-makeup-geek-eyeshadow-collection-top.html
Peaches & Cream pigments- http://shop.fabulousmakeup.co.uk/makeup/loose-eyeshadows
Eldora Lashes- http://www.eldorashop.co.uk/epages/es133037.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/es133037/Categories/Real_Hair

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My Makeup Geek eyeshadow collection & Top 10

Hello my loves. I am so sorry for being gone for so long but I have even super busy with work. So I thought I'd kick off my 2016 with a MAKEUP GEEK EYESHADOW COLLECTION and my top 10 favourites/must haves. 

So the smaller palette at the bottom with the 9 eyeshadows in are the eyeshadows I first got off the Makeup Geek website and I have a post on them I'll add a link at the bottom of the page if you want to see what I thought. 
These eyeshadows are hands down my favourite ever eyeshadows! And I have really exciting news, now for us makeup artists in the UK BeautyBay.com has started selling them, the large Z palettes are full of ones I bought off there. So I have the palette on the left with more neutral tones in and them the palette on the right which is full of bright colours! These eyeshadows are £4.95 each!!! The quality and pigmentation is amazing! Better than any other eyeshadows I've used. The brand do a few different formulas of eyeshadows, Foiled eyeshadows and DuoChrome eyeshadows and then there normal eyeshadows which come in lots of different finishes including shimmers, frosts and there new Matte shades! If it's not obvious I've gone a little crazy buying more than 40 products since they launched on BeautyBay!! I will name all the shades I have! In the first palette (on the left, going from top to bottom l-r) I have Mai Tai, Cupcake, Petal Pusher, Unexpected and Vintage. Then Mango Tango, Roulette, Bitten, Cherry Cola, Mocha, Bada Bing and Americano. Then Mirage, In the Spotlight, Starry Eyed, I'm Peachless, Beaches and Cream, Magic Act and lastly Desert Sands. A quick sidenote Desert Sands is a Dupe for MAC's Uninterrupted, which has been discontinued, so if you love that eyeshadow you will love this one even more as the pigment is SO much better! Moving on to the Colours. From top to bottom (L-R) Boo Berry, Centre Stage, Duchess, Caitlyn Rose, Motown, Curfew, Day Dreamer. The one on its own is Mermaid. The next row of greens, we have Houdini, Envy, Enchanted Forest, Dirty Martini, Jester, Havoc and Karma. Then lastly Corrupt, Barcelona Beach, Concrete Jungle, Graphite, HighWire and Charmed. If you have been considering these eyeshadow I couldn't recommend them enough! Now on to my Top 10. 
These would be the eyeshadows I would reccomend a first time Makeup Geek buyer (that is if you love warm tones!!) 

1. Magic Act, this is a Foiled eyeshadow. So if you don't like shimmer maybe stay away from these but these are like no other eyeshadows I've used. 2. Peach Smoothie, if you follow me on Instagram if not.. @ellietaylorrxx. You will know that i used this eyeshadow every day! I bought this one back in spring last year and I had just ran out when they launched on BB. This is my second. 3. Crème Brulee, a slightly darker version of Peach Smoothie but I love this for different reasons! 4. Frappé, again another step darker. This is like mac Texture. A must have. 5. Grandstand, another foiled eyeshadow. It's a warm soft bronze/rose gold. It's beautiful. 6. Cocoa Bear, this is a MUG classic! It's a super warm rich brown. I love this one! 7. Roulette, a beautiful rose gold/copper. It is sooo pigmented and gorgeous. 8. Bitten, this shade I wanted from the first order I did but was sold out. I waited so so long to get this one. It doesn't swatch great but when it's applied it's amazingggg! 9. Americano, this is a deep brown with a slight burgundy undertone. I've been using this one every day. 10. Bada Bing, this is a really dark classic brown, it has flecks of gold glitter in it but it doesn't pick up on the eye.

So that's it guys. My makeup geek collection and top ten. I am still waiting for one to be delivered as I got sent a wrong shade and there are still lots and lots of shadows I still want. I put mine in a Large Z palette which I also buy from Beauty Bay. Head over there and treat yourself to some of these amaaaaazing eyeshadows!
If you want to know anything else, leave me a comment! Have a fab day! 
HAPPY NEW YEAR. 

http://www.beautybay.com/makeupgeek
http://www.beautybay.com/zpalette/ 
First makeup geek post - http://ellietaylorx.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/makeup-geek-eyeshadows.html