January's Beauty Uniform

Somehow we're now over halfway through January and I'm no longer in that festive lull of not quite knowing what to do with myself anymore and life is resuming as normal. As I'm on the quest to seriously use stuff up I've had a good root through my beauty stash and selected a few things that I've not used in a while as well as sticking with a few classic staples in my routine. So here in detail is my January beauty uniform;

CLARINS INSTANT SMOOTH PERFECTING TOUCH PRIMER*: This is easily my favourite primer of all time as it does all sorts of wonders to the complexion but it's not something I've used for a while as there are always plenty of new things to try. When I discovered it in the Clarins beauty advent calendar I couldn't wipe the smile off my face as like I said it's my favourite. When I first tried this again after a good year or so without it I fell back in love with it instantly. It smoothes out the skin beautifully and works perfectly with combination skin types as it controls the oily patches and hydrates any dry areas of skin. It glides over any imperfections and fine lines perfectly rather than enhancing anything which is perfect for when you're struggling with pesky blemishes. A little goes a long way with this and sometimes I don't even need to use it all over my entire face and rather just in my problem areas.

BAREMINERALS COMPLETE COVERAGE CONCEALER*: I'm sure everyone is sick of hearing me prattle on and on about this concealer but as of right now it's the only concealing product in my beauty stash. Weirdly it's the one product in my life that I never have more than one of on the go at a time. To cut a love letter short, it's a brilliant creamy high coverage concealer that covers everything from blemishes, scarring and dark circles. I'm usually not one for high-end concealers but this one is really worth it and trumps anything else I've ever used.

MAKE UP FOR EVER AQUA WATER BLEND FOUNDATION*: Currently, my skin is reasonably clear so I'm not reaching for the higher coverage bases that I have been using over the past few months and I've been able to reach for something a little lighter. We've had a real cold snap in the UK lately and my skin has definitely been feeling it and I've been slacking with the moisturising masks which isn't helping either. The Water Blend foundation from Make Up For Ever is much like you'd expect, very lightweight and you need to shake it to mix it up as it's water based. Even though it's incredibly lightweight on the skin it still offers up a beautiful level of coverage and wears wonderfully throughout the day. Wear time on its own isn't incredible but in combination with a primer and powder you can get it through the day.

BEAUTY PIE POWDER*: I've got other powders in my stash that need using up but I can't quite tear myself away from this release from new brand on the block Beauty Pie. It's without a doubt one of the best powders I've ever used for mattifying the skin without making it look cakey or dry and dull. It's just perfecting and glides over the skin and as it doesn't contain talc you don't get that horrible uncomfortable feeling like you typically do with products containing talc. It's also translucent which is perfect for a powder as you can use it in any season as you don't have to worry about it matching your skin perfectly.

MAC MINERALIZE SKIN FINISH IN LIGHTSCAPADE: Now we're out of the festive season I feel like I can't quite get away with the real shimmery highlight that I was wearing in December. Years ago I used to use the MAC MSF in Lightscapade as an all over setting powder but right now I'm using it as a very subtle highlight. It's such a beautiful colour and it's so subtle on the cheek that you can barely detect it until the light hits your skin and it gleams. It's a really lovely shade on pale skins but sadly I'm not quite sure how well it would work on darker skins. As usual with MAC powders they are incredibly finely milled so they never look unnatural on the skin.

TOPSHOP BLUSH IN DREAM PHONE: I've not used this blush in years and it's something that really needs using up as it's gone a little unloved in my beauty stash. If there is one beauty product that Topshop does really well it's blusher and their cream blushers were quite the blogger product circa 2011. This is a powder blush in a beautiful berry shade which in winter against my pale skin and green eyes is one of the most flattering shades that I can apply. The formulation is lovely, it's not quite as buttery smooth as some of my other options but still blends with ease and a little really goes a long way with it.

CLARINS OMBRE IRIDESCENT EYESHADOW*: As we are now truly into the Winter months I'm naturally gravitating towards much cooler toned products and this Clarins eyeshadow is my favourite way to still get my champagne eye fix but in a cooler fashion. It's more of a taupe based champagne and it's incredibly flattering on the eye. Even though I think the price point is very steep there is no denying how incredible this looks on the lid and it adds so much definition with just one swipe. It's so long lasting on the eye too and even without my beloved shadow insurance, I don't have to worry about this moving around or creasing.

TOO FACED CHOCOLATE BONS BONS PALETTE*: This palette was one of my favourite beauty discoveries last year and I'm still absolutely smitten with it. Some shadows are definitely a little questionable there is no doubt about that and I'm never going to be sweeping a hot pink shadow on my lid. But the cool toned mattes are all I reach for when I want to add a little something through my crease for added definition and interest. As I've been reaching for a cooler champagne on my lid I've been going for the shade Almond Truffle which is a beautiful greyish mauve which is so flattering against green eyes. It goes without saying how sublime the Too Faced Shadows are, truly some of the best on the market.

MAC MYSTERY EYESHADOW: For years and years, I never strayed from using MAC Mystery eyeshadow throughout my brows to help create definition and fill in any sparse areas. And recently I've gone back to it as it really could do with being finished and then if I want to I can always pick it up again as I really do think it's the best colour match I've ever found for my brows. It's not too warm and it's not too cool either which can often be the problem with brow products. Of course, it's a MAC shadow so it's really easy to work with and it's really hard to overdo this through the brows I've found.

CLAUDIA LOUCHE VOLUMISING MASCARA & CLARINS MASCARA: Most of the time I always use two mascaras as I find that there is never just one [apart from the YSL Babydoll] that can give me the exact lash look I like. And the combination of the Clarins and the Claudia Louch mascara are perfect at giving my lashes some serious lift, volume, separation and hold throughout the day. This combination never smudges on my lids and even though neither of the products is waterproof they can withstand a good cry [I've put it to the test way too much recently]. They're a seriously pricey combination together so it's not something I'm comfortable recommending but they really do look awesome on the lashes and they're seriously long lasting but aren't a nightmare to remove either.