Beauty post!

Okay, this is totally random, but I'm in a girly mood and feel like talking about makeup. I'm not an expert, but here are a few staples that I CAN'T live without (which are all 'present' in the pic above!):

Laura Mercier Mineral Pressed Powder SPF 15 in Rich Vanilla

Yep, I'm STILL using this - I've been using this for over a year now, so this lasts forever, given that I use it 99.9% of the time I step out the door! I used to have this tedious routine of applying M.A.C concealer and L'oreal foundation, then topping it off with a pressed powder...but now all I do is pat this powder on and I'm done. It definitely rids you of that blotchy skin look, and is quite matte...so I always apply moisturiser beforehand. I have a feeling I might convert to Bare Minerals though, since everyone has been raving about it! After I finish this compact I might give that brand a go.

Maybelline BrowDefinist in 01 Dark Brown

I am extremely lazy when it comes to tweezing, plucking and threading, so my excuse is that I'm going for that heavy eyebrows, Brooke Shields look most of the time. Ahem. So this brow powder works in two ways for me - the brush helps 'comb' my eyebrows into place, and the colour fills the gaps evenly. I never NOT use this especially when I've got an event to go to...I seriously feel 'unpolished' without it. People, if you're lazy ass when it comes to maintaining your

eyebrows, don't go without a little bit of 'eyebrow enhancement'! Even a pencil would do. It complements your eyes and does wonders. Brow pencil/powder = good. No excuses.

M.A.C Shimmer Blush in Dollymix

M.A.C Sheertone Shimmer Blush in Dollymix and (recently) IN2IT Long Wearing Blush in 02 Kiss

Okay, everyone who knows me knows that I'm big on blusher. I am obsessed with blusher. I cannot LIVE without blusher. Yes, sometimes I kind of overload on it, but I try to catch myself before I do - and hastily tone it down with powder if it's too much! Alright, this one's a bit of a tricky one because I've tried zillions. But right now I'm using MAC IN Dollymix which is a very

pinky sort of shade, so you've gotta go lighthanded on this one. What I like to do is just dab a little on my puff, and just lightly dab on my cheekbones for a much needed pick-me-up (refer to photo!). It gives you this sweet little flush, and I'm guessing this particular shade is going to last

forever, seeing that I use it so sparingly. The IN2IT blusher in Kiss is a very very light pink, almost sheer shade which is so natural-looking, you might have to layer it on if you want it to look more noticeable. Again, what I do is use my compact powder puff to dab it on my cheeks.

But it's awesome for daytime and when you want to look like you were just born radiant. Right

now, I mix these two blushers up for a pretty glow - Kiss for the apples of my cheeks, and Dollymix for the outer cheekbone area.

The BodyShop Liquid Eyeliner in Black

Ok, honestly, if you're not wearing eyeliner something must be wrong with you. Either that, or you were born with automatically eyeliner'ed' eyes (bitch). Don't underestimate the power of perfectly eyeliner'ed' eyes. My eyes look so sepet without eyeliner it's ridiculous. So what do I do? You guessed it - line, line, line. If you don't know how to use liquid eyeliner, please, by all means, practice. But if you still can't get the hang of it, walk away from liquid and just go with pencil or cream eyeliner. Because there's nothing more weird than badly eyeliner'ed' eyes!

Seriously, it's super distracting. And if you're the type who has watery eyes, either: 1) use

WATERPROOF eyeliner or 2) Don't go with liquid. My sister has eyes that water like there's no

tomorrow, so she is a bad candidate for liquid, hence she should use pencil instead. I've been using Bodyshop's liquid eyeliner since I was in diapers, so this brand works for me. The brush isn't too soft so you don't struggle to draw a decent line, and the colour is thick. If it's anything I'm allergic to, it's un-intense black liquid eyeliner. Black liquid eyeliners should be BLACK, not light black. People, please. I love this particular eyeliner because it doesn't give that hard-up, waxy finish like most liquid eyeliners do (cheapo ones tend to do that). But, if you have 'runny' eyes, don't use this brand. It is awesome, but only if you can 'control' your tears. Experiment to find out which eyeliner technique works to enhance your eyes. I find that I look pretty weird using liquid eyeliner all the way across my top eyelid, so I usually just apply it to the outer corners of my eyes, to 'open' them up more (again, refer to above pic to see what I'm talking about). Say it with me everyone: Eyeliner is what makes the world go round.

Laura Mercier Lip Stain

Urban Decay Lipstick in Jilted

Laura Mercier Lip Stain in Scarlet + Urban Decay Lipstick in Jilted

I love, love, love a red lip. I do. I don't care if my husband doesn't really like it, but I think red lips are so classic looking. There's something about red lips that just jazzes up an outfit. Don't you think? Subtle lips are so blah. And I'm in love with the colour of my lip stain, but I usually need to build up the colour quite a bit to achieve a dramatic shade - since it's a stain, the consistency isn't as thick as lipstick. But that makes it excellent for daytime when you want that I-just-

finished-sucking-on-cherries look. It also tends to disappear after a while, so you need to constantly reapply. But I don't care, because the shade's lovely. The Urban Decay lipstick was a gift from Mar, and it smells like liquorice! Yum. The shade is a slightly dark fuschia though, so I usually mix it up with my other reds, to get the shade I want. If you've never tried red lipstick in your whole life, walk on the wild side once in a while! Rowrrr.

Dior Diorshow Iconic Mascara

God knows I've tried my share of mascaras. And this one, is by far, my absolute fav. I always forget to put on mascara because I don't really see the point when I'm wearing eyeliner and my lashes are barely visible, but when I go sans eyeliner, this mascara really helps to 'open up' my eyes. I swear by it.

There you have it. My 'bare' essentials. These babies are always in my handbag. As long as I have them with me, I'll look human. Feel free to share what yours are, I'm always curious.

xxx