Shop My Stash

I am not quite on a spending ban, but with less money than I can shake a stick at I am just not spending. As a beauty addict who thrives off trying new products this is so hard, but after watching this Lily Pebbles video I decided to 'shop my stash' and rediscover some old favourites. And it's almost as good as going to Boots, right?

First up has to be the Avon True Colour Eyeshadow Quad in Mocha Latte which I rediscovered when collected eyeshadow palettes for my Weekend Road Trips post. This is such a beautiful quad and at only £9 you can't go wrong. The quality rivals some of my high-end eyeshadows as they are so creamy and buttery they can be easily built up and blended in. Shade 3 is the most beautiful coppery bronze shade which looks stunning as a one-wash-wonder but can be easily turned into a neutral smoky eye using the matte shades 2 and 4.

When it comes to bases I can be very fickle, I will find one I adore and use it everyday, but as soon as I find a better one I switch completely. In the lightwieght bases category I started with No7 Essentially Natural Foundation in Calico, then ditched that for the Bobbi Brown BB Cream in Extra Light, and now the only one I am really using is the bareMinerals Complexion Rescue in Opal. So when 'shopping my stash' I rediscovered the No7 Essentially Natural Foundation and it is brilliant! It creates a lightwieght, dewy base, but can easily be built up to a medium coverage or sheered out for a really natural finish. It's perfect for drier skin types as it doesn't cling to dry patches, and although it's at the higher end of the drugstore, at £9.95 it doesn't break the bank.

Sticking to the base theme, the Seventeen Stay Time Concealer is by far my favourite drugstore concealer, but it got discarded once I discovered the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer. This £4.49 product gives amazing coverage without being a drying as the Collection Lasting Perfection, which I never really liked. It works as well on dark circles as it does on blemishes so is the perfect all-rounder. My only issue is the shade range. There are only three colours, extra fair, fair and medium, so it will not be accessible by all. 

During summer I usually skip the blush as it is hot, and I get very red, so my No7 Blush Tint Stick in Blossom gets made redundant. But I am so glad I have rediscovered it as it is a beautiful, subtle rosy pink shade which looks very natural on my paler than pale skin. It is really easy to apply, I just dab a little on the apples of my cheeks straight from the stick, and then blend with a Real Techniques Stippling Brush, to create a dewy look that doesn't interfere with the makeup underneath. 

I only bought the next product a couple of months ago, but it was just before the lips explosion (not literally) episode so it got put into my collection and forgotten about, but now I can wear lipstick again this will be a firm favourite. The Urban Decay Sheer Revolution Lipstick in Sheer Ladyflower looks like it should be a really hot pink but given it's 'sheer' finish, it is a really wearable shade. It is definitely not as hydrating as I would expect it to be, but it isn't overly drying and it does feel pretty comfortable on the lips.

The final products I've rediscovered in my stash are the Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencils in Dolce Vita and Cruella. I know, I know, how could I forget about these? I don't know! I've just been more into creamy lip crayons recently and the mattes have drifted out of my mind when doing my makeup. I am sure I don't need to bang on about how amazing these are, and how great the lasting power is as everyone and their Nan has heard of these. However, it is the shade range that really appeals to me, Cruella is a stunning true red which will suit everyone, and Dolce Vita (my personal favourite) is a rosy my-lips-but-better-shade which goes with every eye look.

I have really enjoyed rediscovering some old favourites and forgotten products and will definitely be using the ones mentioned here much more often.