30 Beauty Questions Tag

Hello and welcome to the relaunch of Curls and Collages! I'm going to be posting on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays to begin with so stay tuned for regular posts about beauty, lifestyle, art and everything in between.

I wanted to start with a 'Get To Know Me' tag but none of the options took my fancy, however I stumbled across this Beauty Questions tag which was much more appropriate!

1. Do you remember your first makeup item?

Yes! I was quite young, not too sure how old exactly, but I got a beautiful bright red lipstick for Christmas one year. I can't even remember the brand but it might have been Rimmel. I wore it around the house non-stop but never had the confidence to go outside with it (bet that would have been a good look, smudged bright red lipstick and nothing else!) so it eventually got relegated to something I would just look at and dream of using. How times have changed!

2. Describe your perfect mascara. Have you found one that meets your specifications?

In short, no. I've tried lots that I like but none that have everything I'm looking for. I hate clumps and have quite curly eyelashes already, so I need something light and separating, preferably waterproof. I really liked the Revlon Lash Potion in Blackest Black Waterproof when I first tried it, but as time went on it got quite clumpy and started to transfer around my eye area despite the waterproof formula. Recently I've been using the Maybelline The Rocket Volum Express and I like the chunky brush and clump-free formula so maybe I'm getting closer to finding my perfect mascara, I would like to try some more from Maybelline once this one runs out.

3. What kind of coverage do you prefer from foundation?

I need high coverage! I have quite oily/combination skin and work under bright lights all day so I need something that is going to stay in place. My everyday foundation of choice at the moment is the Estee Lauder Double Wear in shade 1C1 Cool Bone. An oldie but a goodie.

4. Favourite high end brand?

I have equal love for Mac and Illamasqua, don't make me choose!

5. What cosmetic brands have you always wanted to try but still haven't?

I've never tried anything from Nars, so would like to give some of their blushers a go, and possibly the Sheer Glow foundation for when I'm not working. I'm also hankering after one of the Hourglass Ambient Lighting powders and I'm desperate to try the Tarte Amazonian Clay blushes. My bank balance weeps at the thought.

6. Favourite drugstore brand?

Revlon, Bourjois or Rimmel. Normally I would say Bourjois but Revlon have been killing it with their recent releases.

7. Do you wear fake eyelashes?

Nope. Not at all. I can't apply them to save my life and they would hit off the inside of my glasses anyway. I might try individual lashes if I had a big event or something but I'm definitely not a regular wearer.

8. Is there any kind of makeup you can't leave the house without?

Concealer and a bit of mascara. I would normally tend to put on a light foundation, blusher, mascara and maybe a bit of eyeliner and lip balm if I was going out on a day off or just a bit of concealer and mascara if I'm popping to the shops. If I'm staying in I would only put any on if I was experimenting with a new product.

9. What is your most cherished beauty product?

My Stila Convertible Colour in Lillium which my lovely boyfriend picked out all by himself and gave to me at Christmas. I can't wait to wear it in the summer, it's the perfect colour and formula for warmer days.

10. How often do you shop for makeup? Do you like to pick up an item here and there or get lots of goodies at once?

This varies really, I can go for ages and then have a blowout or pick up odd bits and pieces here and there. Working in the vicinity of a huge Boots does not help with this one little bit.

11. Do you have a "beauty budget" or do you spend freely?

I definitely have a budget. Sometimes I will allow myself to go a bit crazy if I've been saving up for a shopping trip but normally I will be picking up budget options. I'm really lucky that we have such a great selection of drugstore brands here in the UK.

12. Do you utilise coupons, reward cards and sales when you shop for cosmetics?

Absolutely! My Boots, Superdrug and Space NK cards all see their fair share of use. Coupons not so much unless they are the Boots ones for extra points and the wonderful £5 off No7 ones. Somebody stop me when those are out.

13. What type of product do you buy the most of?

Eyeliners and blushers. In fact probably more blushers recently but it used to always be waterproof liquid eyeliners. Every formula, every brand, I had it.

14. Is there a brand that you absolutely can't stand?

I wouldn't say can't stand but I'm not a huge fan of anything Barry M has brought out. Not even the nail varnishes, I think you can get much better for a similar price from other brands.

15. Do you avoid certain ingredients in cosmetics like parabens or sulphates?

As I follow the Curly Girl method for haircare I use products free from sulphates and silicones. More on that to come in a dedicated post soon.

16. Do you have a favourite place to shop for makeup?

I love Space NK but the crown really has to go to Boots, so many great brands under one roof!

17. Do you like trying new skincare products or do you keep a certain routine?

I'm a bit of a mix of both really, I have a routine of product types but I haven't found my HG serum, moisturiser or cleanser. I try a product for a good couple of months to give it a good chance to work and then switch it up after that. One day I will have the perfect routine but for now I just have to keep trying things.

18. Favourite bath and body brand?

Easy, Lush all the way! I may have a bit of a stash problem...

19. If you could only buy from one brand, which brand would you choose?

I would have to say Bourjois as they make up the bulk of my staples and they have plenty of other products to replace the staples from other brands. Do I have to though? I don't know if I could live without Double Wear.....

20. What brand do you think has the best packaging?

Paul & Joe, makeup and cats combined? What more could a girl want!

21. Which celebrity always has great makeup?

I really admire the polished look Dita Von Teese always has.

22. Do you belong to any online makeup communities?

I lurk on a few forums but I wouldn't consider myself a part of any, I don't feel like I have anything to contribute to the conversation but I love reading the opinions people have on products.

23. Five favourite beauty gurus?

Only five? I watch a lot of YouTube beauty videos so I would have to say Vivianna Does Makeup, Lily Pebbles, Essie Button, ghostparties and Liana Beauty. I could go on though, I watch so many, and read many many more.

24. Do you like multifunctional products like lip and cheek stains?

Not really, I usually find that they aren't very good at one of the things they are supposed to do. I still like the products but don't use them to their full purpose normally.

25. Are you clumsy in putting on makeup?

Bizzarely, despite being very clumsy normally, I'm quite good with makeup. I like to take my time so I guess that eliminates most clumsiness opportunities. I'm not trying to pretend I don't have the occasional mascara-wand-meets-cornea accident though!

26. Do you use makeup base/primer for the eyes?

I know I should do, but really I don't wear eyeshadow very often and when I do it's a long-lasting kind. Something that definitely needs to be included in my stash.

27. How many hair products do you use on a typical day?

As previously mentioned I follow the Curly Girl method, so I wash with conditioner and then style with leave in conditioner, mousse and gel. It sounds like a lot but used in the right way it hold curls nicely without being frizzy or wet-look. However I do have to leave it to air dry so I look like a drowned rat for the first couple of hours of the day!

28. What do you apply first, concealer or foundation?

Foundation, then concealer then a translucent powder. This is something I'm still working on though, and I think that if I find the right moisturiser I can tone down the powder. Hopefully anyway, I'd like to look dewy rather than oily but I need to get my skincare under control first.

29. Do you ever consider taking makeup classes?

It would be really nice to learn more about makeup, but in reality it isn't something I can see myself actually doing. One to bear in mind though.

30. What do you love about makeup?

I love the whole process of putting it on and how it makes you feel depending on the look you have chosen for the day. I love the variety of products available and how fun it is to play with. Me and makeup, it's for the long-term.

Whew! Well done if you made it through all of that! Now, I tag YOU! If you fill this out then please leave me a comment below so I can read it, it would be great to hear how other people answer these questions.

I'll be back with a new post on Tuesday, and it may just be a little haul...

Jen x