guest post: holy grail products

Today's post is by Julianne, who blogs over at Julz' Obsessions and today she's going to share her holy grail products!

Hey Everyone!

One of the main reasons why I blog, is that after all the swatching, buying, trying and opinion making, I can say that I have discovered a product which is perfect. A product which is the best of its kind that I have tried and that when it is used up, I will immediately repurchase.

In proportion to the actual amount of makeup bits and bobs I have tried, I have actually discovered very few Holy Grail items. So far, I have 5 items in my makeup collection that I'd be lost without:

Real Techniques Stippling Brush

After using a flat foundation brush for so long, this brush was a complete God send. It is super sturdy, looks really good and unlike all the other brushes I have, it stands on a surface. The results you get with this brush are amazing - applying foundation is so easy and I don't even know the meaning of foundation lines any more as it blends the product so well. If this doesn't do a foundation justice, in my opinion, the foundation is bad. Although £11.99 is more than I would usually spend on a brush, this was so worth it - I have used it almost everyday since buying it in March.

Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation (Shade Ivory)

As you can see in the photo, this foundation has been well loved- I think I only have a few pumps left! I don't think this foundation receives as much hype in the blogging world as it deserves: I personally prefer it to Wake Me Up. It is perfect for my normal/dry skin, gives medium coverage and actually lives up to its 'lasting' and 'transfer proof' claims. And the best part? It's a complete bargain!

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer

I think this is my ultimate HG item. I have used this everyday since I bought it and wouldn't even consider trying another concealer. It gives full but blendable coverage and is perfect for red areas, under eyes and blemishes. It is another bargain at only £4.19 and has lasted me months. If you were to go out and buy only one of my HG items, I'd definitely say try this.

Benefit They're Real Mascara

It took a bit of thought as to whether I consider this a HG item, as I definitely wouldn't rule out trying other mascaras in future and I'm not sure if I would immediately repurchase when it runs out but I concluded that it deserved a place because it's the best mascara I've tried to date. I'm a complete mascara junkie and I have huge expectations for mascaras. It has to be volumizing, lengthening, smudge proof, easy to apply and easy to take off. I guess 3/5 ain't too bad. This mascara gives amazing results, but I have problems with smudging (though I do have oily eyelids) and it quite difficult to get off. However, I still say it's completely worth the price.

MUA Undressed Eyeshadow Palette

This is my go-to eyeshadow palette. I'm a neutral shadow kind of person, but what I love about this palette is that it goes slightly beyond browns and creams with its shimmery pinks, khaki and deep blue but is still 100% wearable day to day. I also love the colour selection because they all harmonize so well. The shadows are super pigmented (except the matte ones which aren't as great) and blend easily. The lasting power is a bit contradictory, sometimes it will crease, sometimes not, but I don't care in the slightest because its such a good price. 

So there we have it: a round up of my Holy Grail makeup items. I'm always really interested to get past all the gobbledygook and find out someone's ultimate favourites - as they might be mine too.

I'd like to give a great big thank you to Natasha for giving me a guest posting slot, and I'd ask that if any of you are interested in hearing more from me you pop over to Julz' Obsessions and be sure to also let me know your HG products!

Thanks to Julianne for writing up such a great post and I for one am really tempted to buy the Real Techniques Stippling Brush, it sounds amazing!