Here is a list of what I think are the best make-up and the best beauty products that are available to buy in the UK. I've added links where I can - all prices are approximate and I'll update when I find anything else I think is worth recommending. I've put a * but my favourite in each category.
You can shop my favourites at the bottom of the blog.
You can shop my favourites at the bottom of the blog.
FOUNDATIONS and TINTED MOISTURISERS
- Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow foundation - perfect dewy medium coverage. Easy to apply with hands, brush or sponge. Could do with more colours in the range. £26.50 *
- Chanel Vitalumier Aqua - lightweight but great coverage. Make sure you shake before you use. £32
- Diorskin Star Fluid Foundation - a medium to full coverage but with a luminous finish. My go-to foundation when I'm going out out. £30
- Estee Lauder EE Cream - frustratingly few colours available but a lovely light coverage with dewy, natural finish. SPF30. £34
- Origns GinZing Tinted Moisturiser - my absolute favourite, my ride or die product for my face. An SPF of 40, this is genuinely moisturising, incredibly lightweight and with a beautiful finish. £30*
- Dr Hauschka Day Tint - one shade and too dark for me unless I sheer it out but this combined with the Estee Lauder EE Cream it gives the most beautiful finish. £28
- Clarins Instant Concealer - my current favourite, the one I would pick if I could only choose one. Only three colours. A little goes a long way. Miraculously manages to do both blemishes and under eyes. £22*
- Pixi by Petra Correction Concentrate - comes in two shades Brightening Peach and Awakening Apricot. Very nice consistency either on it's own or under concealer. £14*
- Hourglass Hidden Corrective Concealer - great for spot coverage and the stick format means its also perfect for your handbag. Long lasting and blendable. £25
- Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder - Diffused Light and Dim Light are my favourites but I would happily own, and use, all 6 of them. As of yet unbeaten.£40 *
- Sleek Makeup Luminous Pressed Powder - a high street powder that's worth buying (finally). £7
- Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder - if you are someone who regularly uses under eye concealer and you want to set it this is the powder for you. Incredibly fine but, as the name says, brightening so don't use anywhere else. £22
- Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush - in Golden Glow. Though technically a blusher this is one of the few bronzers I can carry off without looking like I have a dirty face. £15
- Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer - Luminous bronze works for me and then I have to be sparing but a really beautiful, luminous (as the name implies) finish. £45
- NARS Sun Wash Diffusing Bronzer - I love this. Perfect for paler skins and has a beautiful finish. I hate that they now sell in China as this bronzer is The One as far as I'm concerned. £29*
- Benefit Sugarbomb - lovely for everyday use because it's not too much of any one colour. Will not work on some skin tones though so try before you buy. Don't drop it. £23.50
- Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush - a beautiful finish and a must for those who want a really natural, beautiful look. My favourite is Rose Glow. £15*
- Louise Young Blusher - I love all of these but particular favourites are Coop, Maudie, Mae and Dolly. £14
- Benefit Hoola - is quite dark so needs building up but is great for colour and contouring. £24.50
- Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel - cream gel bronzer with velvety finish. Not suitable for really pale skin £36 *
- Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow - believe the hype this is a beautiful product and worth investing in. £49 *
- House of Glam Dolls Glam Base Wheel - everything you need for creating perfect skin in one place (including Illamasqua Hollow). Contouring with creams is much more subtle. £25
- Illamasqua Cream Pigment in Hollow - not strictly a contour but perfect for subtle shaping for very pale skins. £17.50
- Marks and Spencer Limited Collection Bronzing Powder - soft, cheap and great for contouring. £5
MASCARA
- Diorshow - this isn't cheap, there's no getting around it but it is fantastic and if you want to splurge on a mascara I think this is the one to do it on. Comes in 4 colours. £25.50.
- Lancome Hypnose Drama - love the shape of the brush and the fact that its an old school, non-plastic one. Can clump. £24.50
- Max Factor Masterpiece Mascara
- this is my favourite mascara despite it's plastic brush. It does what it says on the packet. £9.99
- Maybelline Great Lash BIG - worth trying if you hate the original. This has a bigger brush and gives beautiful volume with feathery tips. £5.99*
- Collection Extreme Felt Tip Liner - fantastic value and great staying power. The ideal handbag liquid liner. £2.99
- Inglot Gel Liner - it's matte, it's soft and easy to use and my number one liner. £10.*
- Lancome Artliner - really like the formula on this and the shape of the pen. A good reliable feltip liner. £23
- Make Up For Ever Ink Liner - a bit trickier to use than other ink liners as you get a lot of formula on the tip. Very black, dries matte and lasts all day. Worth mastering. £17
- Avon Supershock Gel Liner - true black, goes on the waterline absolutely perfectly. Lasts all day. £6
- Benefit's BADgal Pencil - this is really thick and I love it to go over liquid liner to make the line thicker and smudgier. £14.
- MAC Eye Kohl in Smoulder
- I wear this everyday. Lasts for ages and is great for using on the waterline. £13 *
- Lord & Berry Kajal - great for a smudgey grungy look - this will move. But in a great way. £12
- MAC Eye Kohl - Powersurge - a lovely bronzed-brown with golden shimmer. Lovely all over the lid as a base. £14.
- MAC Eye Kohl - Teddy - an intense bronze with gold flecks. Great with green eyes. £14
- Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chameleon - easy to use and great that they are eye colour coordinated making it easy to choose the right one for you.
- Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerise - lovely colours and long-wearing. All these are beautiful. £22
- Laura Mercier Metallic Creme Eye Colour - I wore Gold for my wedding. It is beautiful, long lasting and a joy to have in your make-up arsenal. I want all colours. £18.50
- NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils - a wide range of colours making this an affordable way to experiment. £5
- MAC Paint Pots - Painterly, Groundwork and Bare Study are great for a natural looking base. £14.50
- Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream - easy to use and incredibly long lasting.£18.25*
Nude -
- Chanel Rouge Coco in Jersery Rose - a gorgeous nude although can look orange on some skin tones. Great for weddings.
- MAC Please Me - lovely matte, quite 60s but pinky. £13.50
- Charlotte Tilbury Bitch Perfect - soft matte so great if you find matte's drying. £24*
- Louise Young Lip Trio in Freebird - you can mix the perfect nude to suit what you are wearing or your mood. £22
- MAC All Fired Up Retro Matte - perfect deep, almost-red, pink. A great alternative to a classic red. £16.50 *
- MAC Impassioned - a really bright, hot pink.£13.50
- MAC Lustering - this can be as deep or as light as you like. Quite a dark pink so my favourite grown up every day choice. £13.50
- Dior Rouge Baume in Lili - part balm part lipstick. Great to have in your coat pocket. £22 *
- Louise Young Lip Trios in Enigma and Pin-up - Great for creating the perfect colour to suit your mood. Enigma is always in my handbag. £22
- MAC Dangerous - another retro matte and really bright tomato red.£16.50 *
- MAC Lady Danger - this red is slightly orangy and looks great on everyone. £16.50
- Louise Young Lip Trio in Allure - a must for anyone who struggles to find the perfect red. You can make your own. £22
- Revlon Fire & Ice - a bit of a classic and affordable too. £7.99
- Lord and Berry Vogue Matte Lipstick in Mandarinio - bright orange and perfectly matte. £11
- Beauty Blender - the original and best. £18
- Eco Tools - I was late to the party on these and don't love them all but most of these are fantastic quality for such an amazing price.
- Em-J Company - my absolute go-to for my pro kit. I have their set bag, brush rolls, brush bell, brush pots, zip bags, mats and pencil rolls. All cruelty free, all made in the UK and amazing quality.
- Louise Young Brushes - my absolute favourites and found in make-up kits all over the world. *
- Real Techniques - another great cruelty-free brand at affordable prices on the high street.
- Zuca - I absolutely love mine. Saves your back, stores everything neatly and you always have somewhere to sit on long set days.
CLEANSERS
- Bioderma Crealine H2O - Removes makeup really well. A french pharmacy cult now widely available everywhere. £7
- Emma Hardie Amazing Face Natural Lift Moringa Cleansing Balm - a gorgeous balm worth every penny of it's £36 price tag
- The Body Shop Nutriganics Softening Gel Oil Cleanser - a great high street alternative to the Emma Hardie. Perfect for normal to dry skins. £10
- Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel - my new favourite. I adore this. £29
- Darphin Intral Toner - great for redness-prone skin and usable everyday. Seems to help my skin whatever the problem. £27.50
- Pixi Glow Tonic - my skin changed overnight when I started using this. Brighter, smoother. A constant in my cupboard now. If I was only allowed one toner this would be it. £18*
- First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads - I love these and usually alternate them with the Pixi Glow Tonic. Tone and exfoliate and gently enough not to irritate. £20*
- Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2 - harsh but fair. You can feel this removing dry, dead skin and as long as you moisturise afterwards this works wonders on your skin. I really advise trying this before you buy £15
- Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Pads - a great way to see if AHA's are for you. OK to use on sensitive skin and really effective. Fantastic price. £5.99
- Dr Dennis Gross C + Collagen Deep Cream - does brighten, easily absorbed, moisturising and a great way to get some Vitamin C into your skincare regime. £70
- Oilatum Natural Repair face cream 50ML
- amazingly priced and probably the best moisturiser you can get for normal or dry skin. £6.10
- Origins Make a Difference - I am actually obsessed with both these moisturisers and I'm not the only one - Kylie loves this cream. Silky smooth and really hydrating if I could only have one moisturiser it would be this one. £30 *
- Ole Henriksen Truth Serum - a vitamin shot for your face and one to suit all skin types. Available in 3 sizes. £18-£65
RETINOL
- Skinceuticals 03 - strong but effective. £51.45
- Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Deep Moisture Body Lotion for Dry Skin - the only moisturiser that keeps my dry skin moisturised for 24 hours. £5.99*
- Deciem Hand Chemistry - I adore this. £19.99 (for 100ml)*
- La Roche Posay Cicaplast Hand cream - feels like a smooth primer going on to the hands. Moisturising though slightly present I keep this by my bed for night time application. £6
- Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Concentrated Hand cream - really moisturising, not sticky, clammy or oily and very long lasting. Incredible value. £2.50
- Kiehls Ultimate Strength Hand Salve - absolutely incredible. £22*
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