Honest Beauty Hydrogel Cream

 Anyone else find it really difficult to find a good moisturiser? One that ticks all the boxes. Me too. I try to avoid silicones in my products and I'm pretty much silicone free but I'll freely admit that my favourite moisturiser is Origins Make a Difference Plus + which not only contains dimethicone but is also not technically cruelty-free (they are owned by Estee Lauder). 

I've also heard not great things about Honest Beauty but on the hunt for some new products I bought the Hydrogel Cream based on good reviews, price and ingredients and I've been using it for 3 weeks now and you know what? I really like it. 

Peacci Nail Varnish

It's rare for me to get excited by a nail varnish. Frankly I'm rubbish at applying them and they always chip but there is a new nail polish in town (well new to me... they could have been around a while and I am in love). 

Danessa Myricks Light Work Palette

I don't even know who I am anymore. I just bought an entire palette of highlighters, and not just randomly, I got one that everyone is talking about. And so far I love it. No I haven't had a complete personality transplant and started highlighting the end of my nose but for some glow on the cheek bones and cupids bow these are just stunning. But that's not my favourite way to wear them - these are just beautiful on the eye lids especially if you are a fan of the glossy lids trend but can't stand anything sticky on your eyelids.

For those with darker skin tones Light Work Palette II has deeper tones that won't come out ashy on the skin. These aren't the cheapest palettes in the world but the pans are large and I mean, I feel like I won't ever need to buy another highlighter. A little goes a long way and I like to apply this with a soft fluffy brush (I use this No. 19). Now personally I think it's hard to beat a cream highlighter but you get a different kind of finish with a powder and I'd go as far as to say that for a powder highlighter I'm not sure these can be beaten.

What You Need to Know 

• 6 colours
• Soft powder formula
• Vegan and cruelty-free
• Available from Guru Makeup Emporium  and Tilt Makeup

emJ Company Make-up Brushes

I've said it before and I'll say it again, you can never have too many make-up brushes. Sometimes I review a product on here and I think 'how many XX do you really need?' but if you use make-up brushes, new ones are always welcome (means you are cleaning less often) and I've been looking forward to these emJ ones for months. It was such a treat to receive some through the post pre-release and I'd like to say that I was sent this as I know the founder not necessarily to review.

I was a little bit anxious. I know how long these have been in the making. It's hard to be critical of something when you know the hard work behind the product but these brushes are absolutely fantastic. Big relief for me. Not ideal for you because you really should get some. I've used all three on myself and clients and they have gone straight onto my recommends list. Everyone I've used them on has asked me the make.

Veil Cosmetics Complexion Fix

I bought this on a whim and that's how I always make my make-up mistakes. And the worst thing is I was suckered in on something about which I should know better. One of my absolute top make-up peevs is when I ask someone what their favourite concealer is and they say, 'touche eclat'. Touche Elcat is not a concealer it's a cream highlighter which may be fine for those who really don't need a concealer or who have bags and not dark circles but it's going to add lift to anything that you want to cover. Basically the same can be said for Veil Cosmetics Complexion Fix.

Now, I do not have the right colour for me. I have N2 which, I'm assuming, stands for Neutral 2 and what I probably should have is P2, Pink 2 which will be better for dark circles. However this doesn't have enough ooomph for my redness either. First time I tried it I hated it. Didn't like the plasticy packaging and it was basically like smearing vaguely tinted nothing cream over my dark blue circles. Second time, I didn't hate it so much, it sort of served a purpose though not entirely the one I was after. And so it's continued. You can get ok coverage if you build this up but I sort of don't want a product I have to build up. Also it just doesn't last all day

Skin Owl Maqui Berry Beauty Drops PM

One of my friends is a bit of a skincare obsessive, like me. And like me her skin doesn't like a lot of things but luckily for me our skins like different things so I get a lot of her rejects and one of them was this Maqui Berry beauty drops oil from Skin Owl.

Now, I've said it before and I'm saying it again, it's quite rare for me to have an immediate wow from skincare but I've been feeling pretty wowed by this. I have to confess to not having really looked into Skin Owl before. I'd heard of the brand but with so much skincare available now it's hard to keep up especially when you buy 95% of the products yourself (fact). So I didn't know anything about the brand, I don't think much happens with oils so I just whacked this on one night when my skin felt like it needed a real hit of moisture - the weather has wreaked havoc on my dry skin. Woke up with skin like a baby.

Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick

Sometimes it's worth mentioning products that may not be the newest thing on the block but are the best of their kind and the Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipsticks from Hourglass are, as far as I'm concerned,  unbeatable for pigmentation and longevity.

This lipsticks will not be for everyone. They are very matte in finish and properly set after a few minutes so they feel quite dry. This is why they don't move but if you're not used to it or don't like the feel of a lipstick then you'll find them uncomfortable to wear.

Cruelty Free and other updates

As well as reviewing products, doing videos and writing features I'm constantly tweaking and updating old posts. Checking the info is still valid and up-to-date among other things. Something I've started adding is whether the product or brand is cruelty free, vegan or vegan friendly.

Cruelty free means it is not tested on animals and not sold in China. Vegan means vegan, vegan friendly means some products from the brand are vegan but not all. There will be tags for these and an explanation in the 'What You Need to Know' section as it can get a bit convoluted. For example, Urban Decay is cruelty free but owned by L'Oreal which is not.

Other updates will be at the end of the relevant posts with the date they were updated.