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.

Hi guys,

A few weeks back the lovely Safiyah Tasneem let me guest post on her blog. I love her blog so much and it's always lovely for me when I do get a chance to, so I thought I would share it with you all too.

This week I am bringing you a review of the NYX Cosmic Metals Lip Creams (£7), which come in a range of 18 colours! These lip creams are truly beautiful to look at. They offer a high shine gloss with beautiful specks of shimmer within to give that extra sparkle.

The colours that were sent for review are the most wearable, for everyday, out of the range. I am obsessed with nudes so these were perfect for me and I feel there is a colour to suit every skin tone. Also included in the range are blues and greens, which I can imagine are beautiful in their own right. The packaging is simple and sleek with a little black crystal on top of the lid for that extra luxury. The formula on these is very thick hence being called a lip cream. however not sticky in the slightest. I find that you can wear these in one of two ways. Either apply a very thin layer to get a slight shimmer or you can build up the layers to get a very glossy, full metallic colour. Either way the effect is pretty. 

The effect you get from these is stunning if you like your glosses. Personally, I have been getting more use out of wearing them to parties or weddings. The durability of these is quite short lived and I have found myself reapplying after a couple of hours, however this is understandable considering the high shine and shimmer. I am happy to do this on a night out but may get tired of repeating this throughout the day. I would also advise moisturised lips as otherwise the formula can get stuck within the creases of your lips. I have actually tried wearing these on the eye lids as glossy lids are totally in, and they can totally double up as an eye cream too. 

Overall I really like the lip creams and would recommend. My favourite colour has to be Retro Harmony and Crystallised Metal. Probably down to the rose gold vibes. Obviously! Which colour is your favourite??

Amina xx

*PR Sample. All opinions are my own.