11 beauty hacks

It seems like the last couple of years that every girl in the world has become a qualified make up artist (or so they like to act) and thanks to YouTube, everyone is the expert on all things beauty. Now, I'm no expert (I feel like a teacher when they 'I'm no artist' before they draw on the whiteboard) but I have always loved make up and I have quite an extension collection (apparently there is no limit on how much acrylic storage one girl can need). So I thought I'd share with you my top hacks, hints and tips that I've picked up along the way.

1. Invest in some good brushes

Remember those tragic times when everyone used to put foundation on with their fingers and ended up smeary lines all over their face? Well those days are long gone - invest in some good brushes and you will 100% notice the difference. They don't even have to be expensive ones - some of my favourites are Real Techniques, Morphe and Primark!

2. Lipstick fixes everything

I've said it before and I'll say it again (but louder for the people in the back) - no look is truly complete without a lipstick. I really don't like the nude glossy lip look either; I like to go with proper colours (usually matte). My collection is ridiculous but a few of my favourites are Taupe by MAC, Ginger by Kylie cosmetics and Pumpkin by Lime crime.


3. Always curl your eyelashes

I feel like this one is such an obvious one but some people still don't bother! Honestly curling your lashes will open your eyes up and make your mascara look so much better - plus curlers are literally £1.50 from primark so why wouldn't you get some?

4. Cheap brands are often the way to go

If you follow my instagram then you may have picked up on the fact that I'm slightly obsessed with Revolution make up right now. It's literally so cheap (this highlighter was £3) and so amazing - I actually prefer this highlighter to my Urban Decay one which was 8 times the price!

5. Sometimes you have to splash out

Okay so that may be a complete contradiction but some things you just have to spend a little more on. Like concealer or foundation or lipstick. This ABH concealer is amazing and even though it was kind of expensive, it will literally last me ages.

6. Make sure you have cotton buds to hand

People who don't keep cotton buds in/near their make up bag make me nervous. When you do your eyebrows uneven or sneeze mid-mascara, they are a life saver.

7.  Look after your lips

If like me, your wear a lot of matte lipsticks then you will know that they can be quite drying on your lips. So I always put Vaseline on before I go to bed to keep my lips hydrated - how cute is this lulu guinness one though seriously?!

8. A spoolie is the best investment you'll ever make

I can honestly say that buying this spoolie changed my life. It's a Morphe one from beautybay.com and only cost like £8 but seriously, I don't know how I used to do my eyebrows without it - amazing!

9. You don't need to buy every product out there

I think we all fall in to the trap of buying beauty products we don't need just to try them or because we've seen our favourite blogger using them. There are literally so many products in your make up bag though that can double up as other products. Bronzers/eyeshadows, lipsticks/blushers, highlighters/shimmer eyeshadows - to name a few. I've been using this Urban Decay eyeshadow primer since I bought it in America and to be honest, it doesn't seem to work any differently to moisturiser (which is what I used before). Save yourself some money and make the most of your products!

10. Felt tip liner is your friend

We've all been there; your eyeshadow has gone perfectly, you've carefully chosen your shades and spent about 4 hours blending them together. And then comes the eyeliner and totally ruins it. Well once you go felt tip, you never go back (that has such a good ring to it, I know). It gives you so much control and precision and it's so easy to just touch up anywhere that's uneven without making it even worse. I no longer get liquid eyeliner fear!

11. Get to know your own face

This is the reason why you never seem to like make up that someone else does on you (even the most talented of professionals) quite as much as when you do it yourself - because you have to get to know your own face. It takes time (plus trial and error and some shaky phases when you were 14/15) to work out what suits you and what works best for you. For example, I have quite small round-ish eyes so I like to do my eyeshadow tapered upwards in the corners and I always like to wear eyeshadow/eyeliner & mascara on my bottom lash line. False lashes that are almost the same length all the way along are the ones that suit me best and brownish nudes and warm toned lipsticks work best with my skin tone. I have quite a square-ish face with cheek bones that you can already see (in nice lighting) so face contouring works pretty well but nose contouring is an absolute no-go because of the bump in the middle. It's all about making the most of your best bits (and hoping noone notices your not-so-favourite bits)!