Today, I’m sharing my Holy Grail makeup products that I would choose if I was told I could only have one product from each category!
What makeup would you choose if you were told you could only keep one thing from each category?
I’ve been thinking about this for days and it was such a difficult decision. I own so many products, probably way too many in some people’s eyes and there are so many products I adore.
I sat with my collection and really thought about the products I can’t be without, the ones I would miss in my collection, the ones I would actually repurchase.
DISCLAIMER: John Lewis links are affiliate, no others are. I purchased all the products myself.
As I gave it more thought I started to find the gems that I would take with me to a desert island. I feel like there are lots of products I love, lots I just like, but it’s very different when you think whether you would actually purchase them again!
HOURGLASS VEIL MINERAL PRIMER – £68 FROM CULT BEAUTY
This primer… oh my goodness. I so wanted this not to live up to the hype because it’s so expensive!
It is as good as everyone says though, it’s the best primer I’ve ever used. It makes my makeup last all day, it smooths my skin, it doesn’t break me out, it doesn’t sit on my skin funny and everything I put on top just blends seamlessly.
If you can get a sample, I would definitely recommend you do it and try this awesome primer for yourself!
ARMANI POWER FABRIC FOUNDATION – £42 FROM ARMANI BEAUTY
I searches for years to find my holy grail foundation and this is it. It’s just stunning. Blends beautifully, great coverage, lasts all day, doesn’t settle into lines or pores.
I can put this foundation on at 8am and it will still look great at 9pm, it’s the first foundation I’ve actually got close to finishing and I will definitely buy it again.
I was worried they wouldn’t do a shade light enough for me as I’m pale as a ghost, but shade 3 works great for me. I use one pump, dot it over and blend with a kabuki foundation brush. Press it in with a damp beauty blender to finish and it lasts all day. I don’t even set it with powder all over, I just spray with Fix plus and off I go.
NARS RADIANT CREAMY CONCEALER – £24 FROM NARS
I can’t tell you how many tubes of this stuff I’ve gone through! I think I’m on my 7th tube. This is the only concealer I can get to work on my spots.
There’s only 7ml of product in so I have tried and tried to find other concealers that are either cheaper or have more product in that work the same, but non do. I come back to this one every time.
HUDA BEAUTY OVERACHIEVER CONCEALER – £23 FROM CULT BEAUTY
This baby is my perfect under eye concealer. I have never been able to find one concealer to work both under my eyes and on my spots, so I have two.
This one is ridiculously full coverage, but lightweight. It also genuinely doesn’t crease… it’s the first concealer I’ve ever used which doesn’t crease on me. And it actually covers my dark circles which is a miracle.
HOURGLASS VEIL TRANSLUCENT SETTING POWDER – £42 FROM CULT BEAUTY
I’m someone who has gone back and forth over powdering. I have combo skin and there have definitely been times where I’ve been oilier and needed to powder, but other times where I’ve powdered in the morning and then been cakey as hell by lunch time. I’m aware this could be application, or the powder, but it left me feeling like maybe I didn’t need powder.
For a while I didn’t powder… then this powder came into my life and I tried it.
Oh my goodness me, you will have to prise this from my cold, dead fingers. It’s amazing! It NEVER goes cakey, gives this luminosity which makes you look healthy and it’s the most finely milled powder I’ve used.
I lightly brush it through my t-zone and that’s me done for the day.
IT COSMETICS BROW POWER UNIVERSAL EYEBROW PENCIL – £19 FROM IT COSMETICS
I have warm golden brown hair and cool brown eyebrows. It can make buying brow pencils very difficult. The amount of times a salesperson has almost sent me off with orange tinged eyebrows when I’ve asked to be shade matched, not a good look.
I have fairly decent eyebrows, so for a while I just put clear gel through them to keep them in place, but then I tried this pencil. At first when I read the claims of it being perfect for anyone from dark brown to grey I was apprehensive, but it works!
No more orange brows for me!
URBAN DECAY ALL NIGHTER MAKEUP SETTING SPRAY – £24 FROM URBAN DECAY
I have tried many setting sprays and I always come back to this one. It does what it says on the tin! My makeup lasts all day and it also works great if you spray it onto your dampened beauty sponge and then press it into the skin!
MAC PREP+PRIME FIX PLUS – £19 FROM MAC
Another cult classic, MAC Fix Plus is amazing! I give my face a good spray right at the end of application and it just helps everything melt into the skin. You can also use it throughout the day, spritzing to give yourself a freshen up, I find I don’t need to though!
HOURGLASS ARCH BROW SHAPING GEL – £25 FROM JOHN LEWIS
I love this brow gel, it’s expensive and you don’t get much in the tube, but the brush is small and it shapes your brows perfectly. Oh and no crispy brows with this one.
NARS SMUDGE PROOF EYESHADOW BASE – £21 FROM NARS
Every single eyeshadow base I used before this one creased. It didn’t matter if I set it with powder, eyeshadow, didn’t set it. Even the Urban Decay primer potion creased on me and everyone loves that one.
This one is great and clear. I do have veiny eyelids though, so I think I’m going to buy the tinted one next time.
MAC DUSKY ROSE TIMES NINE PALETTE – £26 FROM MAC
This is a great little palette! Light enough for me to have transition shades and perfect for every day looks. It’s got everything, lighter shades, shimmers and darker shades.
I find MAC to be pretty reliable consistency wise and this palette is no exception.
ZOEVA GRAPHIC EYES EYELINER – £7 FROM BEAUTY BAY
These little beauties are budget friendly and amazing. They are super creamy and actually stick to the inside of your eye! I have such trouble getting pencils to last, but this one does. Once it sets, it is there all day and doesn’t budge. No smudging, nothing, I have about 5 of these and I love them all.
TARTE LIGHTS, CAMERA, LASHES 4-IN-1 MASCARA – £21 FROM TARTE
I had a brain fart and forgot to photograph this one (I am new at this beauty blogging thing, sorry!) but this is fantastic. It never clumps, doesn’t smudge or flake, it’s just great.
I have oily eyelids and really struggle with mascara smudging up under my eye brows, this one doesn’t. I’ve got backups of this and for anything to knock this off of top spot… well it would have to be incredible!
HOURGLASS AMBIENT LIGHTING BLUSH IN LUMINOUS FLUSH – £35 FROM SPACE NK
This was my first high end blush and it’s still my holy grail. I now have pretty much all the colours of the Hourglass blushes and they are all stunning, but I have a soft spot for this one because it was my first.
The formula is fool proof, so easy to apply, I was a novice when I first used this and I never ended up looking like a clown. It lasts all day and gives a lovely glow.
LAURA MERCIER MATTE BAKED RADIANCE POWDER IN 01 – £28.50 FROM JOHN LEWIS
I have so many highlighters, but I keep going back to this one. It is stunning. It is not glittery at all, it gives a lovely glow that looks healthy and not over done, it’s the perfect colour for my pale skin, it’s just beautiful.
It gives a champagne coloured glow and it doesn’t look like you’re wearing highlighter. I know some people like beaming from space highlighter, but that’s not me so this is perfect.
HOURGLASS CONFESSIONS LIPSTICK IN I WOKE UP – £31 FROM NET-A-PORTER
I own about 75 lipsticks. My husband will tell you they all look the same, but this lipstick formula is outrageously good.
I put off buying one for ages because they’re pretty expensive and I thought the fact you bought refills and had a case was a faff, but I watch Beauty News religiously on YouTube and both Kat and Hailey rave about these lipsticks, so when I saw the Christmas set come out last year I bit the bullet and bought them.
Never going back. No regrets. The small applicator makes it’s so easy to apply and they last for hours. Creamy, pigmented, what more could you want in a lipstick? This colour is my lips but better, but they do a wide range of colours from nudes to dark reds. I want more. I want them all haha!!
And that about rounds it up! These makeup products are my absolute favourites and I refuse to give them up. I would repurchase them all in a heartbeat – what are some of your must haves?
