Makeup Bloggers Tag

What is the Makeup Bloggers Tag?
I first discovered tag posts when I started to watch YouTube and I think they are awesome. I adore tag posts because I get to find out about the person doing it, it stimulates the nosy side of my personality. There is a voyeuristic quality to posts that probe into the lives of people and the things that make them tick, it feeds my whole love for psychology and why we do things the way they do.
I was not tagged by another blogger but I was desperate to share these answers with you all so I visited LaBlogBeaute’s post and took the questions from there.

The Questions

Do you remember your first makeup item?
I do not remember my first makeup item but it was possible it could have been a Rimmel lipstick. When I became interested in makeup again I remember buying ‘Heather Shimmer’ because I remembered this lipstick from the 1990’s. Makeup items that I do remember using were the Collection 2000 retractable eyeliner pencil and the liquid eyeliner along with Barry M dazzle dusk and Blue hair mascara.

Describe your perfect mascara. Have you found ‘The One’?
My perfect mascara exposes me as an old school girl; old-fashioned, natural-bristled wands are the way to go. I love the thick, large bristled wands that add volume and length. In terms of mascara formula, I prefer them to be on the dry side. I once got a sample of the Chanel mascara and I fell in love with it, I think that it may be the perfect mascara but at around £20 it is on the pricey side. In terms of drugstore mascara’s I have two favourites; the Essence Forbidden Volume mascara and the Primark PS Lash Out mascara. Both of these mascaras are similar to the Chanel mascara but at a fraction of the price.

What coverage do you like in a foundation?
I am fortunate that my skin is usually quite clear and so I do not need a high coverage foundation. I prefer my foundation to be a light to medium coverage and one that has a dewy/illuminating finish. I am currently trying a CC cream and mixing that with my current foundations to get a lighter coverage as well as adding some moisture to my skin.

What’s your favourite high-end brand?
I do not have a large quantity of high-end makeup so I have not tried many brands. I think that if I chose a brand I liked the most, it would be Anastacia Beverly Hills. Despite the fiasco with the Subculture palette I still believe that as a high-end brand they offer good quality. I have two products that I consider holy grail products in my makeup collection; the Nicole Glow kit and the Modern Renaissance eyeshadow palette. Many high-end brands are not cruelty-free and that is a massive reason not to try them but also, ABH is a quality brand that does offer great products if you want to splurge the cash on high-end products.
What cosmetics brand are you desperate to try but haven’t yet?
I am quite intrigued to try Zoeva, I have never heard anything bad about them as a brand and people rave about their eyeshadow palettes and brushes. I am also desperate to try a Laura Geller highlighter as I have heard great things about their highlighters on mature skin. I find that, as my skin changes, some of my highlighters emphasise the texture of my skin and so I believe I need to get a more subtle highlight.

Favourite drugstore brand?
This has to go to Makeup Revolution because I am so obsessed with them and they offer amazing products that are not only cruelty-free but they also make dupes of higher end products, thus bringing the latest beauty trends to people that would otherwise not be able to afford it. Of all the drugstore brands that I have tried, Makeup Revolution and TAM Beauty offer the best quality eyeshadows for the price and I adore their new concealer that I got in a recent haul.
Do you wear fake eyelashes?
I wish they made shorter false eyelashes, as a glasses wearer I find it so hard to find fake eyelashes that do not bang against my lashes. For this reason, I do not wear false lashes often. I also find them annoying to apply so that also puts me off, I give full credit to the beauty addicts that wear them all the time, you have more patience than me.

Is there any makeup you can’t leave the house without wearing?
I am not afraid to leave the house without makeup as I spent so many years not wearing makeup. I always usually wear a full face of makeup but if I had to do a minimal it would have to be concealer. I think that looking brighter and awake is the reason I wear makeup so concealer under my eyes is a must. If I did a minimal makeup look it would be brows, concealer, winged liner, mascara and lipstick, that is about as minimal as I get.
What is your most cherished beauty product?
This has to be my collection of Makeup Geek eyeshadows. It was early in my makeup journey that I discovered Makeup Geek and the concept of customisable palettes. This idea appealed to me straight away as I often find that ready-made palettes always have a few shades in that I do not like or use and this is wasteful. I first started with an Extra Large Z palette and got a few of my favourite shades. I was hooked in an instant; they are fantastic quality and they blend beautifully and are super pigmented. My collection has grown to three different palettes; browns and neutrals, a green, blue and yellow and a pink and purple palette. It is safe to say that my Makeup Geek collection is my pride and joy and something that would be hard to replace.

How often do you buy a makeup product?
I have lost track but at one point it was once a week but now I buy a lot less as I have discovered that I do not need all this new makeup. Recently I have bought makeup about twice a month but this month I have not bought anything yet and intend to hold out for as long as possible until I make my next purchase.

Do you have a monthly beauty budget or spend freely?
I do not have a budget but I also do not go overboard either. I talk about this in much more detail in my Q and A post where I discuss mine and my husband’s budgeting.

Do you utilise coupons, reward cards and sales for your beauty products?
I try to use them but the offers never happen when I want them to, I can never find makeup I want when the offers are on at that specific time. I did buy my holy grail setting spray, the Gerard Cosmetics Slay All Day from the Beauty Bay Black Friday sale, I saved 30% so I stocked up for a few months.
I sometimes use the Superdrug three for two offer whenever it comes about; I make sure that I am not buying things that I do not need and that the cheapest item matches the price of the items I have paid for.

Which beauty product do you buy the most of?
As you can guess from my nickname, shadowqueen, it has to be eyeshadow. I am addicted to eyeshadow and it is what started my makeup obsession. I love to experiment with colour and different combinations of colours; the possibilities are endless. I will never get bored of playing with my eyeshadow palettes, it is a great form of meditation.

Is there a brand that you don’t like?
This has to go to Too Faced. I have not, nor never shall purchase from this brand for numerous reasons. The first reason is the way they present themselves as a company and I feel like their ethics and the way they run theircompany is not to my taste. You can find out the ins and outs of this in my shady business post. Another reason is theiractual products, for the price that they charge, they do not excite me. There appears to be a set formula for Too Faced palettes; mainly boring nudes and one or two pops of colour. I have also heard that some of theireyeshadow formulas are hit an miss; I would rather buy from Makeup Geek or Sugarpill where I know I am getting quality.

Do you avoid certain ingredients in cosmetics like parabens or sulphates?
I try to but it is hard to work out what is in the products without having a degree in chemistry. I do try to avoid products with silicone in as they weigh down my hair and make it more greasy. I am currently starting to go to all cruelty-free products so once I use up all my stuff I will be doing some investigating. I used to use a coconut water shampoo that was good, which was paraben free, I will be checking that out again.

Do you have a favourite place to shop for makeup?
This award used to go to Beauty Bay but since I have been buying more drugstore makeup it has been Superdrug. I used to always have a cart on my Beauty Bay with various Makeup Geek eyeshadows in but since I have had a few problems with them I have not bought as much, plus I have most of the things I want. I much prefer to buy direct from the brand’s site if I can; I recently bought from Illamasqua and had an annoying experience with their customer service team.
Do you like trying new skincare products or sticking to a routine?
I have some old faithful skincare products that I stick to but for the most part, I tend to change my skincare around because I am always searching for the perfect skincare items. I am currently using La Roche Posay skincare but after I use that stuff up I will be changing it around again.

What’s your favourite Bath & Body brand?
This would go to Lush but I am not that into bath and Body brands as I am with makeup and skincare. I went through a stage of loving Lush’s bath bombs and bubble bars but then I remembered how much I dislike baths, I much prefer showers. I like anything that smells fruity so if it falls into that category then I am happy.

If you could only buy from one brand, who would you pick?
It has to be the one and only Tam Beauty who make Makeup Revolution, Freedom and Makeup Obsession. I have always been a girl who likes to get as much as she can out of her money, if it is something I like and it looks good, I do not care about the name. The same concept I apply to makeup. I feel that Tam beauty has revolutionised the idea of drugstore makeup and made it accessible to a wider audience. I love their products and have done several hauls here at Life with Mrs T.

What do you love about makeup?
I love makeup because it allows you to create and define your own identity and individuality. I love how makeup is individual to everyone and it can be used artistically or as a way of increasing that person’s confidence. The power of makeup is a power like nothing else, it breaks boundaries and brings people together.
I hope you enjoyed this tag post; I would like to tag anybody who fancies having a go at doing this tag post. I look forward to hearing your answers. Do you agree with any of the things I have said? Please let me know in the comments.
Ciao for now beauties xx