Louise Pentland, the blogger behind Sprinkle Of Glitter, talks us through the hero beauty products that have earned pride of place on her dressing table…
'My first foray into makeup was those stackable lip balms you could collect from Boots. They came in pots of 3 but you could buy more and screw them on. I was crazy about them! No girl needed that many tinted lip balms but there we are, I had them all! My mother died when I was 7 and my strict girls school banned makeup so I didn't really start experimenting with beauty until I was at university - a late bloomer I know! I started off with hideously garish green eyeshadow (thinking it made my eyes 'pop') but then discovered YouTube and learnt a lot very quickly - thank goodness!
As I've gotten older, I've become more and more comfortable in my own skin and so my beauty style has changed to reflect that. Rather than a full face of makeup every day, I tend to reach for my brow pencil, mascara, a light foundation and a highlight and leave it at that. To pull it all together I'll go for a moisturising bright lipstick and call that 'done'. If it's a special event I'll put more effort in but day to day, that's my lot!
Coverage-wise, every time I finish a tube of MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation, £27, I think I'll try something different. I do, and then months later treat myself to another and wonder why I ever left. The coverage is flawless, it blends beautifully and never breaks my skin out. NW15 in the winter, NW20 with a tan. Huzzah. The product I go to when Studio Sculpt runs out and I try something 'new'? Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation, £8.99. It leaves you glowy but not shiny and is easy to build up to a full coverage. Also, the price point is excellent.
L'Oreal Carbon Gloss Liner, £6.99, is the king of all liquid liners, a God amongst men if you will. The day they discontinue this is the day I make my protest signs. I'm also a big fan of eyeshadows. Kiko stores are popping up all over the place and are just great for high quality affordable beauty products. I quite like their neutral individual shadows, £1 each, to be kept in my makeup bag and used as a 'quick swipe' jobby. You know, when you're in a rush, don't have time for brushes or blending but do want to quickly add something with your finger? These are the bad boys you want. Stila Eyes are the Window (Soul) Palette, £30, is my most used palette. I like to think I'm a colourful, carefree spirit but if my sensible and easy-to-blend browns, golds and nudes are anything to go by, I'm not. I also love a bit of glitter so always have a pot of Illamasqua Beguile, £17.50, floating about.
I'm a self confessed mascara whore and I chop and change regularly but Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara, £21.52, is one I come back to time and time again. It makes my average lashes feel thick and long and I never have to worry about clumps or the dreaded 'three stabby lashes' that you can get if you use a bad product. Benefit Goof Proof Brow Pencil, £20, has changed my brow game for the better. Before I was an angled brush in shadow kind of a gal but when this little beauty landed in my stash it was a heavenly day. The nip is thick so you don't feel like you're cutting your skin every time you use it and it helps you create a really nice shape, even when you need a bit of a pluck (like I do right now).
MAC Mineralise Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle, £24.50, is my all-time forever and ever favourite highlight. Like a lot of things, I try something else but run back to it. It gives you a perfect glow and is the number one thing I'm complimented on, which is always a good sign. Also, despite being a bit pricey, it lasts a-g-e-s. The only way they could improve it for me would be to make the compact easier to open.
I don't go a day without treating my lips to Kiehl's Lip Balm, £9.50, Now that I've experienced such luxury, no other balm (not even the stackables of my beloved youth) will match up to it. My lips feel like they've drunk a pint of water and I'm sure I can hear them whisper, 'thank you', after each application. Caroline Hirons will mame me for this but....Johnson's Face Care Makeup Be Gone Refreshing Wipes, £3.19, are often my saviours. I KNOW you should fully cleanse, tone and moisturise every night but sometimes a gal's just gotta have a quick wipe, ok?!
