July Makeup Picks

It's been a while since I've done a makeup related blog post, so I thought I'd share my thoughts on some products I've been using recently.

May and June were pretty much makeup-free months for me - I was busy revising and taking exams, so the last thing I wanted to do before a day full of revision or a three hour English paper was sit and put a full face of makeup on!

Since I've finished college, I've been enjoying taking my time with my makeup in the morning before I leave the house and also trying out new bits in my collection, or similarly, other pieces I've had a while and just haven't used in a few months. 

EYESHADOW PALETTE ON THE LEFT:
Sleek 'i-Divine' Eyeshadow Palette  // in 'AU NATUREL 601' // £8.99
I hadn't actually investigated Sleek makeup until quite recently, but my friend recommended their eyeshadow palettes to me, so I thought I'd check them out. I do have some high-end eyeshadow palettes too (the Two Faced 'Chocolate Bar' Palette and the Urban Decay 'Smoky' Palette), but I also have quite a few drugstore palettes I love.

This palette has 12 shades, all lovely and neutral. I think this palette would perfect if you're just getting into makeup, and want something nice and simple, without a complicated 'look'. It's also under £10, so it's a nice palette to buy if you just want something to put on your eyelids, without being too OTT.

I often use the orange-tones to create a champagne type look that pops nicely on the eyes, along with often mixing and matching with the other palette. You can create a number of looks using this palette and I would definitely recommend it. The pigmentation is only slightly weaker than my higher-end palettes, which is impressive from the drug-store. I've been using this on days where I want a slightly lighter makeup look, and it's served me well.

Sleek 'i-Divine' Eyeshadow Palette // in 'VINTAGE ROMANCE 141' // £8.99
Unlike the previous palette, this is filled with bold, colourful, bright shades with plenty of shimmer in them. This would be good for a night out, or maybe just a day where you feel you can go bolder with your makeup. I often use the 'Au Naturel' palette to create a base, then use a couple of colours from this palette so that I can layer it up a bit, and use some shimmer on the top and inner crease. I feel that Sleek palettes are so underrated, but this one is definitely worth getting your hands on.

Rosie For Autograph Highlighting Powder // in 'ROSE BUD' // £18
I was lucky enough to have this bought for me as a present for finishing my A-Level exams, and have been hooked ever since. It is a very fine powder, so you don't need much to create a lovely highlight on the top of your cheekbones. I find that this is both a subtle highlight, yet pops nicely in the sun. You only need a tiny amount to make a lovely glowy look on top of your foundation. At around the £20 mark, it is slightly pricier than your average highlighter (there are plenty of drugstore alternatives that are similar), but the luxury just oozes out of this. I genuinely think that this has made such a huge difference to my makeup since I've started wearing this, and would recommend purchasing.

Urban Decay 'All Nighter' Setting Spray // TRAVEL SIZE // £9
Again, I was lucky enough to have this bought for me. I received this for my birthday (hence the old packaging - the new version is a navy and purple rather than white), and I have to say, I can definitely see why there is a hype around this product. I have been using this product on and off, but got back into using it a couple of weeks ago, and I don't know why I didn't get back into using it sooner! I love this product so much - I have no clue what I'd do without it in my makeup collection. It just sets a lovely light mist over your face, and makes your base look absolutely flawless, as if your face has been edited in a photoshoot. I will definitely be picking up the full size version when this runs out.

Soap & Glory Lipstick // in 'NAKED TALENT' // £9
This lipstick isn't matte, but isn't incredibly shiny either. It does have a nice sheen to it, and sits comfortably on the lips. I find even after food, I'll only have to top this up once during the day, rather than multiple times (as you find with some lipsticks). I love this colour, as it is a pink-toned nude, adding just a bit of colour to your natural lip colour. Even the packaging of this lipstick is super classy - it's in gold casing, with a 'S&G' on the lipstick as well, which is a nice touch. I'm quite pale, and I find this shade to be perfect - not too dark and make me look white, but not too pale and look strange on the lips. 

So, there you have it - my top makeup products I'm enjoying during July! Let me know in the comments below the makeup you're loving below - I'd love to hear what you've been using and recommend.

Katy x