Rave: My gotta have its

Ok, so, every self-respecting beauty junkie has her stash of products that she just can't be doing without. I don't mean 'damn, I must remember to pick that up when I go into town' products, I mean 'FUCK! I can't leave the house without that!' kind of products. I wish I was exaggerating, but I'm really not!

In the past few years I have started to use less make up day to day as I get lazier and feel that an extra 15 minutes in bed is just worth it, goddamn it, but there are still those little treasures that I use almost everyday that I would feel just a wee bit lost without. So, without further adieu, let me list the ways I love thee...



1) La Roche-Posay Toleraine Corrector Fluid Foundation


The hype: "Fine and anti-friction fluid texture enriched with La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water, known for its naturally soothing and anti-free radical properties."

An absolute dream product, and an absolute bloody nightmare to get anywhere in the UK (in terms of shops - but god bless the Internet!) I first found this product while on holiday in Paris, and in an unassuming little chemist (a very odd chemist - no toothpaste and only one type of sanitary towels? Gotta love the French) there was a huge range of make up and skincare from a brand I had never seen of or heard of before - La Roche-Posay. At the time, I was having mental bad times with my skin, it just looked bumpy and in proper need of a bit of TLC due to a horrible product I had been using (read the next blog on products to avoid!), and I stumbled upon this little dream of a foundation. What's this? Oil free? Water based? SPF of 20?? Fragrance and preservative free, as well as being a highly opaque foundation? Fabulous! I tried it out two years ago and have struggled to use any other foundation in its place. I used to use Vichy Dermablend which was wayyyy too heavy for my skin, and while it gave a flawless finish, I was very aware of the fact I was wearing make up - and I ain't like Jordan, I can actually feel my face. It is water based which is so much better for your skin than oil based products (read - no clogging of pores), but does mean you will need a mattifying powder on top to set and make sure your perspiration is dewy and not eeewy. Five star product, only £11.90 on echemist.co.uk.



2) Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat

The hype: "Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat is the world’s finest top coat. It's patented formula allows it to penetrate through the nail lacquer to the base coat forming a single solid coating over the nail plate, giving it durability and shine on every application." I first found out about this product maybe 6 months ago and I am already absolutely addicted. I don't have particularly good nails - in fact they're short, stubby and incredibly weak - I can bend them for goodness sake. But I like making my nails pretty (another thing to spend money on? Sold.) but I HATE smudging them when wet and I HATE them chipping when dry. Love to peel, hate to chip. Same with potatoes. Not really. ANYWAY, this fast dry top coat makes your nails touch dry in 30 seconds. Honestly. OK, don't do the dishes at that stage, but you know, you can touch it without fear of a fingerprint mark or the dreaded pulled look. Not only that, it makes glitters more sparkly, it makes your brights brighter and your whites whiter. Daz my arse, this product has it all. It also makes your manicure last at least a full day longer; I am rough as buggery with my nails, but with Seche Vite I can guarantee two days full wear. It's like laminate for your nails! Pick it up at Sally's or online, usually around £9.65. Will make even £1 nail polish look like a professional performed manicure.

3) Vaseline

The hype: "Vaseline® Original 100% Pure Petroleum Jelly is made using a unique triple purification process which creates a petroleum jelly so pure that it works naturally with your skin, helping it to rebuild moisture and renew itself."

Really, should I write anything here? If you have never used Vaseline...first of all, congratulations, and secondly, how is that possible?? One of my boyfriends dubbed me the VaselineQueen as I really could not leave the house without some form of goop for my lips, and Vaseline is the little tub I keep coming back to. It is truly cost-efficient; 99p for a little tin that by my standards of everyday use, lasts 6 months. Not only this, but you can now also get different varieties including the yellow Vaseline with SPF built in, the green tin with aloe vera (which smells divine) and my favourite, the pink tin which has Rose and Almond Oil and smells ever so sweetly and subtly of roses, and leaves a very slight pink tint of your lips. Of course, much like Elizabeth Arden's 8 hour cream, it can be used for taming eyebrows (a little goes a long way here, unless you want your eyebrows to look wet) as well as on your cheekbones for a nice light sheen. Do bear in mind that some lovely ladies have noted that the petroleum is not good for your lips; I cannot say I have noticed a problem with this in my time, and I have been using it since I was 12, but as with all beauty products, monitor any issues and if it affects you - bin it!

4) Rimmel Glam'Eyes Professional Liquid Eyeliner

The hype: "Rimmel Glam'Eyes Liquid Eye Liner is the ultra precision liquid eye liner, its professional brush delivers the finest line to give you exceptional results."


I use this product everyday, and I have tested a lot of liquid eyeliners in my time, and in my experience, this is by far the best. Most importantly, it comes with a brush as opposed to a pen, which means that you have much more control, and the brush does not dry out as quickly as a pen. A perfect, inexpensive product that gives you sixties kitten eyes in the stroke of a brush. TOP TIP - start from the flick, when you have the most product on the brush. This will ensure you are depositing most of the product where it should be - on the outer corner of your eye, not the inner. Also, less is more here; you want to emphasise your eyes by making them appear bigger with a thin line, not smaller with a thick line. If you make a mistake, in my experience it is best to wipe it off and start again.

5) Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion (Original)

The hype: "This miracle eyeshadow primer is unmatched by any other in the beauty industry! The genie in this bottle fulfills three wishes: eyeshadow that lasts, more vibrant and lasting color, and absolutely NO creasing."

I first received this as a sample with my Deluxe Urban Decay Eyeshadow box a few years ago, and could not believe the difference it made in terms of staying power to my eyeshadow. I now use it automatically and find it makes every colour brighter and more vibrant, as well as ensuring my colours stay put for the whole day, or night! They have now brought out a range based on the success of 'UDPP' as it is known on beauty blogs, including primer for face and lips, as well as new offerings for the original eyeshadow primer, including a matt finish and shimmer finish.

So I hope you guys enjoyed my raves, join me for my next blog...the 5 worst products I have ever used. It ain't gonna be pretty...sorry for the awful pun.