With my wintery skin, the Honeycomb shade is a touch too dark, but nothing a bit of fake tan can’t fix! The MUA Matte Foundation is available in three shades, priced at £2 each. Not the best colour selection, but not bad for such a bargain, essential product!

It’s housed in a matte black squeezy tube, perfect for getting the right amount and easily squeezed onto your finger tips or onto the brush head.

The formulation is thick and it feels it. This is the only downside to this product as although it gives superior coverage, it just feels too heavy on my skin. It has a consistency of a high duty concealer rather than a foundation, but this means the coverage is brilliant. I didn’t need to pre apply any under eye concealer and only a dab to the more persistent blemishes I had. It blends out easily and you don’t need a lot for the whole face. I find it works best if you stipple it on then buff it out, which helps create a more matte finish.

If you’re only method of application is fingers, don’t expect pure matte. I found it gave the sought after dewy glow which I really wasn’t expecting. Because of this, I had to set with powder, which is more layers over an already heavy foundation.

If you’re looking for a heavy duty, muli-tasking foundation then the MUA Matte Foundation is perfect. For those among us who prefer something a little lighter then maybe avoid this, or at least have a try in Superdrug first.

If the foundation is anything to go by, then I would really like to see what the MUA Brush On Concealer and MUA Primer have to offer. For such a budget brand, this is really putting others in the shadows.

Make Up Academy products are exclusive to Superdrug.
Prices begin at £1.

If you’re looking for a whole new you with a new face of make up, then this is for you. You can get a fierce face of make-up for under £10! Everything considered.
Superdrug sent me the basics and challenged me to recreate this look…

The very first step was the nails. I used Collection 2000 Hot Looks, in number 45, Lemon Soda. Yellow nail polish is notoriously hard to apply. It’s generally quite chalky and no matter how many coats, will still have streaks. This took me three coats (which is one more than I usually go for!), but I love the finish. Not a streak in sight!

I started my face with the MUA Matte Foundation, needless to say a full review will be coming soon. But, you don’t even need concealer with this, which I never thought I’d be saying, but the coverage is that good! I just used my fingers to melt it into the skin.

Next up was the main feature, the eyes. The 2True products are great for make up on a budget as all the products are £2, with three for £5 year round.
I dabbed on the Eyeshadow Dazzler all over the lid and used sticky tape lined up with the edge of the eye for a defined wing. This colour really needs building up to get to the pigmentation in the pot, although it is a lot more vibrant in real life than on camera.
To deepen the edge of the wing I added the black from another 2True duo – featured here – along the edge and blended it out with a pencil brush. I recreated the look a second time and used the purple from the original Sleek palette (54p a shadow!) as well, which I think worked a lot better.

The last touch for the eyes was the falsies. I’ve become so obsessed with false lashes recently I was so glad to receive a couple of the NYC ones. I used the number 973 ones, with my own Eyelure glue, as it wasn’t included. I would never say I was a pro at putting on falsies, but I eventually get them down. No matter how hard I tried the inner corner of these just wouldn’t stay put! I usually go for something a bit thinner, so maybe it was the thickness that my eyes weren’t used to!

Last but not least I glossed my lips with the 2True Plumptuous Lip Gloss and ta da!

My look for less!

MUA Matte Foundation £2

2True Eyeshadow Dazzler £1.99

NYC Eyelashes £1.99

Sleek purple 54p (£6.49)

Collection 2000 Hot Looks Nail Polish £1.79

2True Plumptuous Lip Gloss £1.99

Total = £8.32!

As they did with the Falsies mascara, Maybelline have redesigned the original, tapered the extreme brush, and bent it into a claw, for ultimate cat eye lashes. Compared with the original, the brush is not at all similar, it’s thin and curved, unlike the rounded massive bristles that I’m used to.

The Colossal Cat Eye makes it simple to get great length and fan the lashes out in the corners, it applies quick and easily and can be built up if you’re after more volume.
The brush is just as easy to use on the lower lashes because of how slim line it is, and the curve fits perfectly to my eye. Application really is simple with this version.

Just as with the original it is in a chunky, eye catching yellow tube, sprinkled with leopard print and metallic orange detail. It’s on sale now for just £7.99 from Superdrug, to me, the perfect high street price for a brilliant mascara.

Can’t wait to see what Maybelline have lined up next, but I’m sure it’ll be a winner!

Being a slave to the nudes, I was a little bit scared of the brights that screamed out from the sturdy plastic casing, but surprisingly, the majority can be worked into a neutral eye without me running from the mirror.

Among the safe metallics are variants of purple and pink, with some pigmented golds added in, all with the ability to pep up an average brown and beige duo.
The metallics are my favourites of the bunch. Beautifully pigmented and can be blended to a seamless finish. They all scream New Years Eve party to me.

My favourites? Playing it safe of course, but if it isn’t broken, why fix it?

To me, these are on par with the envious shades of Illamasqua pigments, but for £7.99, you’re getting a whole lot more for your money. Plus, along with hundreds of other products, it’s included in Superdrug’s 3 for 2 mix and match Christmas offer.

I may dabble in the purples and deep golds, but keep my finger away from the bright pink please?

I tried my hardest to think out of the box, but with the fool proof products of Max Factor, it’s hard not to go down the route they recommend.

For example, the Max Factor Smoky Eye Effect pencil is perfect for travel, beginners or just a quick eye look. One end for the lid, one for the crease. I did something a little different and instead used the darker shade to create a subtle wing and line the lower lashes. This midnight blue from the ‘Blue Tempest’ shade is perfect contrast to my light blue eyes. Matched with the ‘Black Fire’ Liquid Effect Pencil on my inner lash lines really defined the eyes, with something a little different to my usual harsh lines from my trusty liquid liner.

The best product in this little goody bag was the Max Factor False Lash Effect Fusion. I for one am all about the volume in the lashes department. I have been blessed with long lashes, no product needed! But there aren’t many of them, so any thickening, voluminous products are needed!
The massive brush is made of tiny plastic bristles which is perfect for building up volume at the base of the lash, but the millions of bristles there are, means that it can coat each lash towards the ends.

Probably one of the last people on the earth to try the Max Factor False Lash Effect mascara, I can now say it’s a contender to be a favourite!

I decided to use a brush with the Miracle Touch Cream Blush. I’ve never warmed to cream blushers in the past, they always give me far too much of a flush, no matter how lighter hand I use. This time I lightly dabbed a blusher brush into the formula and it gave such a perfect finish it makes me wonder why I’ve never tried it before!

All the wonderful Max Factor products are available from Superdrug now.

The bright pink packaging is noticable a mile away on the shelf, but doesn’t even verge on tacky with the addition of a luxe gold shimmer. The scents from every product is amazing, particularly the shampoos and conditioners which remind of refreshers – do you remember those sweets?!

My favourites from the range are;

Treat Me Right deep conditioning treatment

Deep conditioners are the ultimate at home treat. Affordable luxury. This one is one of the best I have used. I applied this to wet hair at night, slept with it on (in a stylish shower cap) then rinsed off – extremely well! – in the morning. It left my hair with the same feeling as a professional deep treatment and the smell lingered deliciously, letting off a beautiful scent whenever I whipped my hair.
It’s a thick cream consistency, and is perfect for a quick fix (leave on while you exfoliate or shave) in the shower, or a deep treatment if you leave it on for a little longer and rinse out later.

Miracle Concentrate

This was the product that had defied bad reviews and after falling in love with the Argan Oil hair treatment, I couldn’t wait to have dream hair from the concentrate. Just a couple of drops and your hair is soft and sleek. I like to apply about four drops to damp hair, style as normal, then just add a couple more drops to the very ends of my hair to stop and split ends being too obvious. There is a noticeable difference after using this product and it’s definitely a must buy for me now.

And then there’s,

Giving Me Texture Instant Oomph Powder

I’ve tried similar products to this, but after shaking the bottle up -  I instantly noticed it was different. The product actually grew inside the jar. Very exciting. I poured a generous amount on my roots and began to rub in. Not the best decision! Apparently you only need a tiny amount, a really tiny amount. The amount I used meant I instantly needed to re wash my locks, they were left sticky and matted. Not quite what I was expecting.
On second attempts, I used as little as I could, but it still left my roots sticky, with no ‘run your fingers through it’ results. There was a noticeable bit of volume achieved, but for the other side effects, not sure this product is for me.

Apart from that one blip, I love this V05 range and can’t wait to work my way through the products. The longer my hair can be treated, the better!

The entire range smells delicious, making it a perfect treat for you skin and less of a chore to use in the mornings. The bright bottles stand out a mile amongst the rest of my products and work to brighten up my morning routine.

The two stand out products for me are;

Clean & Clear Morning Energy Skin Brightening Daily Facial Scrub

I absolutely love exfoliators that are mild enough to use daily. The tiny beads in this scrub off any dead skin and work to remove stubborn spots. Paired with the lemon & papaya extracts it gives a great scent which really does wake you up. By removing the layer of dead skin and any superficial impurities, your skin is immediately brightened. My skin was left soft, smooth and awakened with a quick application and scrub of this around my face.

Clean & Clear Morning Energy Brightening Moisturiser

Again, this has the same great scent from the lemon & papaya. It is so light, which makes it great to apply in the morning as it sinks in quickly and acts as a great base for your make up. It might look like a tiny bottle, but this is really a little goes a long way situation. I only need two pumps to cater for my whole face. I have slightly oily skin, so heavy moisturisers over face me, but this one is great and really helps to keep my skin matte through the day.

The entire Clean & Clear Morning Energy range is available now at Superdrug, with prices starting at just £3.99

Enriched with vitamin E, it is formulated to deeply nourish dry, damaged hair, smoothing frizz and sealing the hair to give a smooth glossy finish.

I’m not one to pile my head full of products, but with just a couple of pumps of this product it’s as if I’ve had a professional treatment, it’s instantly smooth and soft and fly aways are a thing of the past.

This can be used on wet hair (applying 4-5 pumps of product for long hair) through the lengths and then styling as normal. Or, on dry hair just use a couple of pumps and smooth over the very tips to keep split ends in line.

It’s easy to over use this, a little goes a long way, especially on dry hair. Use it sparingly though and you will see instant results you’ll want to keep getting.

This 100ml bottle is currently on sale for £9.99. With Argan Oil being the newest beauty buzz, that really is a bargain for the amount of product you get.
For any of you with dry hair, or locks in need of a luxurious treat for a small price – this is definitely for you.

The new mascara boasts a 2 in 1 magic cap. What appears to be 2 different brushes is in fact a myth. The volume cap captures the product all over the brush to build it up on the lashes, while the length cap scrapes the product so you just get a good coating of colour and a lot of length.

VOLUME

LENGTH

Such an easy product to use and you get two mascaras for the price of one! The only downside is when it comes to getting it off. With the length cap I found the product came off ok, but the volume application was sticky when it came to removing it, meaning it stuck with all its might to my lashes, taking a few cotton pads doused with eye make up remover to get it off.

For the day look I used minimal make up, and went for the barely there look.

I applied the Rimmel Match Perfection foundation all over. It gave brilliant coverage but still allowed my freckles to shine through, so I didn’t look too over done. Dabbed a little white shadow into the inner corners of my eyes courtesy of Rimmel Glam Eyes trio eye shadow in Twilight Zone and finished with the Moisture Renew lipstick in Bronze Goddess to give a gloss like finish to my lips. The brown hue of the lipstick complimented my new hair colour brilliantly and the lack of product over my eye lids left my look natural and fresh.

For night, after a quick freshen up, I twisted my hair up into a bouffant pony tail and finished with hairspray;

For the face, after a quick touch up of foundation around the eyes, I decided to rock the red Colour Show Off lippie in Be Bold, giving me a great stain that didn’t need reapplying too much, even with drinks involved! I used the Glam Eyes trio to create a smokey eye, using the black as a liner as well as a shadow and finally finished with several layers of the volume end of the Day 2 Night mascara.

A great little multi tasker, and with my love of thick lashes, the volume cap really delivers Fanned out, volumised lashes at their best.

Rimmel Day 2 Night mascara is available now in Superdrug stores for £7.99

The kit comes including all of the above, which includes gloves and a deep conditioner for once you’ve dyed. The instructions were easy to follow and the allergy test that i normally avoid was simple to do 48 hours prior to application.

Before the dye I fell into the caramac trend – basically ginger – category after my last at home dye attempt. I chose the colour Dark Blonde (6-8) in a bid to match my roots that were beginning to peek through.

Application was simple. Mixing the two main ingredients in the plastic bottle and shaking well, I then applied it directly to the hair beginning with the roots. Although LIVE recommend two packages for hair longer than shoulder length I did manage to evenly coat my entire head with my chest length locks. Although it was evenly coated, I would have liked a larger amount of product, I’d rather have too much than too little and felt like there was only just enough in the product.

I left the solution on for 25 minutes. For this shade the instructions recommended 30 minutes development time, but I always get a little impatient towards the end… After rinsing until the water was clear, I applied the colour lock in conditioner and left on for two minutes. It smelt like the treatment that I get at the hairdressers which masked the slightly chemical smell of the dye really well.

Half an hour of air drying later and we get the results!

I’m so happy with the colour! Of course I’ll have to wait until the roots come through to see if they match, but I would be happy to use this shade again.

The colour came out great and even and my hair doesn’t feel in the slight bit damaged afterwards which I love. I just need to get my hands on some great colour care shampoos and conditioners in a bid to stop it from fading. I’m really impressed with this product and would happily pick it up again.

The LIVE Salon Style range is available in Superdrug stores now for just £5.29, with 20 different shades to choose from.

Buy now and get a free gift!