Flick off

I'm a big fan of black liquid eyeliner. In fact, unless I'm off on a big night out, I rarely do an eye look other than LC-esque flicks and mascara. So, I was excited to try out Topshop's Liner offering in Rook. On my hand it seemed fab.

A soper-glossy, totally opaque and resilient liquid liner. I bought it without a second thought.
But when I got it home, it was another story. My problem is with the applicator.

It's a felt pen-style applicator, but its core seems incredibly stiff. With no give in the applicator, any small wobble of the hand is reflected on your eye and I found it practically impossible to get a nice clean line. And I tried MANY times. It's such a shame a quality product is rendered practically unusable by a cheap applicator.

Has anyone had better results with this than me? Maybe I just need more practice.

My fave liquid liner, which I've gone back to in a flash now Toppers has failed me, is L'Oreal Super Liner Carbon Gloss. I love this for its ease of use, excellent pigment and price point. Everything they claim about this ultra-lasting, precision-tip product is true. Five stars!

Tint it great

Today I realised I've raved about many a new buy but never mentioned the products I've been using for a while and couldn't live without. There are too many to mention in one go, so I thought I'd start at the bottom with my favourite tinted moisturisors, and pose a VERY important question to you, blogfans... but more on that later.
First, a little about my skin. I suffer from mild hormone-induced acne around my chin. It's pretty combination - I can't live without moisturiser as I end up with ashy make-up (lovely) so I tend to use combination skin products.

At £30 a pop, Estee Lauder DayWear Plus is pretty pricey, but a little goes a long way. This tends to last me more than 6 months with regular use. The best thing is it adjusts to match your skintone. I know, it sounds impossible, but next time you're by the Estee Lauder counter ask to try it out - this stuff is magical.
The product gives a lovely dewy, glowing finish to skin, with a tiny touch of shimmer that's especially flattering on a sunkissed face. That's when this product really comes into its own - you can wear throughout your hols as your skin darkens (I know I'm reviewing this at EXACTLY the wrong time of year) then when you get back to Blighty, until your tan fades and your usual base matches again. Genius!

Bobbi Brown's Tinted Moisturizing Balm was recommended to me by the always-helpful assistant in Selfridges when I was looking for a dewy finish that would still cover my spots while hydrating my skin.
It seems quite thick but goes on really smooth and subtly, and offers light coverage and plenty of moisture.
I like to use this more in the winter months, as the 'balm'; texture offers excellent protection against the wind and harsh weather. But with SPF25 this is also great in the summer! I've had a few skin compliments when wearing this - shocking as, with my dreadful complexion I'm happy if people don't recoil in horror. It's another pricey one - £32 - but I've not seen a similar budget product anywhere, if that helps!



Apologies there are no before and after shots of these - the thought of revealing my face free from make-up makes me feel rather sick, so you'll have to take my word that these two are well-worth your hard-earned.

So here's my dilemma: when using a tinted moisturiser, do you use a regular moisturiser first? I can't imagine getting a flawless finish if I applied somethig pigmented onto dry skin - my face would soak up the product more in some parts that others and leave it all pretty patchy. What do you guys do? Help!