Hi Guys,

This week I am bringing you a round-up some fantastic 'drugstore' products that I think are more than worth the money they are priced at. By drugstore I mean shops like Boots and Superdrug who stock a large variety of high street make-up brands. Some of these products are cult products that have literally become staples in any makeup addict's collection. But what's really great about these brands is that it just goes to show, you don't always need to spend money to get a luxury feel. I have been really surprised by the quality of some of these and I hope I inspire you to explore your 'drugstore' or chemist, whatever you prefer, a little more. 

First up I have the Sleek Summer Solstice Palette (£9.99) . I remember the hype around this when it first came out and I convinced myself I wasn't going to buy into the hype of it and I didn't. But the thing is the hype never died with this product. People still go on about it now and I can see why. It has 4 beautiful shades, two cream formulas and two powders, which are gold, bronze, pink and a champagne colour. So really, apart from silver, every shade of highlight you will ever need. I think this may be why it is so popular. Of course if you are an addict like me and drawn to shiny things one highlighter palette could never be enough, but for a normal person I'm sure it would be! Sleek eyeshadow palettes were also some of the first I ever owned, so always have a special place in my heart.

Now no drugstore post would be complete without mentioning Revolution Beauty, this brand has gone from strength to strength and even though I am not always a fan of there duping strategy, they do have a large range of makeup and brands within drugstores and you can always manage to find the type of product you need with relatively good quality. More recently I have been really impressed with their pro range. I mean just look at these swatches! You can read more about my thoughts on these here. But in general if you haven't tried Revolution Beauty, or one of their sister brands then you really should!

One brand that I keep going back to is Nip+Fab, I was actually first drawn to their skincare, in particular their Glycolic pads, which I love and use daily, but I have more recently tried their make-up and am also really enjoying it. I spoke about my admiration for their liquid highlighters here but wanted to focus in on these fantastic Lip Toppers (£7.95)*. These look beautiful on their own or over a lipstick and remind me a little of the Jouer lip toppers, but at half the price. I am totally in to my sparkle and these would work great as a sparkly/glossy eye too.

Right to Left: starlight, hypnotic, shooting star, galactic, pink rockets

swatches top to bottom: starlight, hypnotic, shooting star, galactic, pink rockets

One of my favourite drugstore products that I use everyday are the Loreal Infallible foundation/highlight/blush sticks (£8.99). These have been added to my everyday make-up routine purely for ease of use and how quick they are to blend. If you haven't tried the foundation yet click here for my in depth review or head to my Instagram stories highlights for a tutorial using them. I have been using them for 6 months and don't see myself stopping any time soon. Loreal telescopic mascara is also one of my all time faves and I own a number of their lip products.

I couldn't write this post without including NYX. The first time I used NYX was when I was a teenager, selfridges used to stock them and I remember my sister purchasing some of their eyeshadow. Even as a teenager I found the pigment and blend ability amazing. Then I started purchasing from IMATS, and when I heard they were coming to Boots I lost my sh*t and overloaded on products. Now I have calmed down a bit I still think their products are great quality and are professional quality too. Their correctors are some of my fave and I loved these Cosmic Metals Lip Lacquers from their range.

So these are my top five must try drugstore brands. There are so many more I could have chosen and I really think drugstore has grown leaps and bounds the past few years. I don't feel the need to splurge in order for it to feel like a treat or luxurious. I am more than happy browsing the tiles of boots or super drug looking for good quality makeup. So if you are a makeup snob and  haven't tried any of these yet you are missing out big time! Who would your top 5 be?

Amina xx

*PR samples. All opinions are my own.

Hey guys, 

This week, I thought I would bring you all an opportunity to test and give your own opinion on some of the newest beauty items around. I'm talking about the Boots Volunteer Panel. If you don't know, the Boots Volunteer Panel is perfect for those of you who want to have a go at testing beauty products, giving your honest opinions about them, while also getting to keep them too! 

Have you ever wanted to test skincare, cosmetics, and toiletries and actually give a valued opinion on these products? Do you want your opinion to count and change the way products are used or developed? Well that is exactly what the Boots Volunteer Panel needs. 

The Panel consists of Men and Women aged 18-80, it is a balanced panel of a wide range of members of the general public, who they hope will provide an unbiased opinion. This could be you. If successful, volunteers are either asked to test products at home, or at the Evaluation centre in Beeston, Nottingham. So if this is something you do want to take part in, please be aware of the fact that you may need to travel.

When testing the products at home, you are usually allowed to keep the product, and all that is required is you complete an online questionnaire as feedback. Depending on the length of the test, it could mean you test a product over a few months and respond to a number of questionnaires. It's really important that when testing the products you do not use them on anyone else and your feedback needs to be completely honest. It's important to note that you can withdraw at any time. If testing the products at the test centre, you are fully reimbursed in the form of a Boots gift card or by bank transfer if you prefer.

Boots are particularly looking for more Asian and Black skin types to take part, as their stock of products catering for these skin tones is ever growing. So, if you are 18 or over and of this colour skin type, you are needed, but please feel free to apply even if you are not.

I thought I would share this, as I get so many of you messaging me on social media asking about the products I use and get to test from various brands and I know some of you would like to try testing products for yourself, so I thought this would be a great opportunity and I am planning to apply myself! To apply click here.

Amina xx