It was great to see that so many of you enjoyed last week’s post in this little mini-series. As promised, here is the second instalment of my favourite luxury brands and what I think they do best. Just like last week, it’s based on brands that I gravitate towards the most and the products sold by these brands that I have tried and stand out to me. If you missed part one, which featured Chanel, YSL, Kevyn Aucoin, Nars and Bobbi Brown, you can read it here.
Charlotte Tilbury
So first up is Charlotte Tilbury – the queen of makeup. Charlotte Tilbury is pretty much your one-stop shop for everything and she’s nailed it with that rose gold packaging. Initially, I started off not really being too wowed (I know, I know, what’s wrong with me?). But in all seriousness I think it was just the hype as now my collection keeps getting bigger and bigger.
I think her lipsticks, from the colour selection to the formulas, are absolutely amazing. Whether it’s the Matte Revolution range, the K.I.S.S.I.N.G range or her new collection, Hollywood Lips, which I so want to get my hands on, it’s unlikely you’ll be disappointed.
I love the way Charlotte Tilbury creates makeup suited to each eye colour as well as specific makeup looks; my favourite being the cult classic – The Dolce Vita. The Dolce Vita Eyeshadow Palette is my go-to palette for a night out and you can read my review on it here. My other favourites are the Colour Chameleon Eyeshadow Pencils, which you can read about here, and I think the Eyes to Mesmerise Long Lasting Cream Eyeshadows are the best cream eyeshadows I have used; I particularly love the shade Jean.
I also highly recommend the Filmstar Bronze and Glow, which you can read about here, and the Cheek to Chic blushers, which you can read about here. Also, whilst I normally prefer my drugstore mascaras, I did splurge on the Full Fat Lashes Mascara and love the thickness and volume that this gives to the lashes.
Lastly, I don’t normally turn to makeup brands when it comes to skincare, but I did give into the hype and try Charlotte’s Magic Cream. I personally loved this moisturiser and if it wasn’t so expensive would repurchase this again; I do recommend trying at least a sample if this interests you.
Dior
I’m pretty sure my first luxury beauty buy was from Dior. Their beautifully packaged lipsticks are a particular weakness and featured in My Luxe Lipstick Collection post, which you can read here. Aside from lipsticks, I think they also do perfumes very well with my particular favourites being Dior Addict Eau de Parfum and J’adore Eau de Parfum.
Dior do some of the most stunning highlighters I have seen and I still use their limited edition highlighters that I bought many years ago, which you can see here. Another favourite of mine when it comes to Dior is their eyeshadow quads. I think they take out the best as part of their seasonal collections and limited editions with Christmas a particularly good time to look out for these; the colours always work so beautifully together and the eyeshadows are very blendable.
Becca
Whilst Becca does a host of makeup products, it’s their highlighters and blushers that come up tops for me. The Shimmering Skin Perfectors are insanely beautiful and highly recommended. I have the colour Opal, which is a lovely champagne golden beige. However, all of the colours are stunning and both the cream and powder formulas are well sought after.
When it comes to blushers, the Becca Mineral Blush range is fantastic and these super pigmented blushers give a healthy pop of colour to the cheeks. I did a post on my favourite highlighter and blusher combination from Becca, which you can read here.
Hourglass
Whether it’s the Ambient Lighting Blush, or the Ambient Lighting Powders, both are most certainly in the Hourglass Hall of Fame. The Ambient Lighting Powders are finely milled and more of a finishing powder than a setting powder, providing colour-correcting and luminosity. With different finishes available, these are worth a try.
The Ambient Lighting Blush comes in some amazing shades, which you can wear lightly if you are all about the barely-there effect, or equally, you can build up the colour for a more intense look. With a subtle shimmer and a two-toned effect, these are beautiful blushers. If your purse strings can afford it, a good way to try out their best-sellers is to invest in some of the super pretty palettes in the Ambient range.
Another favourite by Hourglass and one I’ve purchased many a time is the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer. I love the finish this gives on the skin; it doesn’t cling to dry patches and it preps my skin for foundation, making it look smoother and helping my foundation to last all day.
I also recommend the Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil. The waxy formula clings to brows and the angled tip makes it easier to work with. I love that this has a spooley at the end and if like me you prefer a natural but defined finish on the brows, then this is for you.
Laura Mercier
Whenever I go to a Laura Mercier counter, it’s always the lipsticks that I gravitate towards and I think the selection of reds and corals, in particular, are stunning. My favourite formulation by far is the Creme Smooth Lip Colour range. These glide on effortlessly and feel creamy to wear whilst still being long-lasting. Although all of the shades are gorgeous, I recommend you swatch Portofino Red, Mango, Hollywood, Maya and Belize and just come back to me on your thoughts!!
Laura Mercier also have a very good selection of blushers with some unique tones. The Second Skin Cheek Colours are just that – second skin. These are incredibly natural looking and whether you want a bright pop of colour, or something a bit more muted, I’m sure you’ll find what you need. You can read about some of my favourites here.
It’s not something you hear a lot about now, but the original heavy-duty, pin-point concealer was by Laura Mercier and an item many makeup artists swore by; the Secret Camouflage Concealer. Yes it takes a bit of getting used to, but it comes with a light and a dark shade that you mix together, giving you the perfect all-season, flawless finish concealer.
I also recommend the Caviar Stick Eye Colours. There’s quite a selection of colours and these long-lasting creamy eyeshadow sticks are great to wear on their own, or when layering other eyeshadows.
Lastly, I don’t think it would be right if I didn’t mention the Souffle Body Creme & Body Butters by Laura Mercier. You seriously don’t need to wear perfume if you indulge in any one of these. With very distinctive, but oh so gorgeous scents like almond coconut milk and creme brulee, these are heavenly and make for a perfect gift too. I would especially recommend that you keep an eye out for the gift sets that come out during Christmas; these are excellent to put on your wish list.
So that’s it for now but gosh, that was a bit of a long one and it’s a good thing I split this over two posts!! I really did enjoy putting this together and I hope you found it useful. If you have any other favourites do let me know as most of the makeup and beauty items I buy and love have been as a result of recommendations from others. x
