20171116

Revisiting My Throwback Favourites


I feel like my blog is finally old enough for me to have a rummage through the archives and pull out some of my OG favourites to see if I still love them or if I've moved on to other things...


Benefit the Porefessional | £26 | This is one of those products I feel the blogging community has really turned against, however when I first picked it up, it was EVERYWHERE! Essentially it's a primer / pore balm that's intended to smooth the skin and prep it for foundation. This was one of the first ever primers I used - before the Porefessional, I really didn't understand the point!
I used to use this all over my face, which I don't do any more because it is silicone-based, however it does still have a place in my makeup collection. After priming, I just add a little bit where I have enlarged pores and it does an amazing job of just smoothing things out and stopping my foundation settling into them and making things look worse. It might not be a 'cool' product any more, but I still like it, though I've found it works better when you don't see it as a traditional primer.

MAC Studio Fix Fluid* (NC37-NC40) | £23.50 | MAC is currently running a campaign around rediscovering Studio Fix Fluid and sent this over to me. It's such a nostalgic product for me because it was my first 'proper' foundation - I felt like such a grown up when I went and was shade matched and got a real liquid foundation that actually matched my skin tone (NC37 in the winter, NC40 for summer). It's a product that's seen me through university because I wore it for every single night out! 
But how do I feel about it now? Well, I still think this is a very well-priced product, coming in neatly below it's competitors like Estee Lauder Double Wear and Nars Sheer Glow. It is annoying that it doesn't come with a pump, though you can buy this separately and just reuse it when you repurchase. It does also have a slightly odd scent to me! Having said that it's just a great medium-full coverage option and I've really enjoyed using it recently. I like to apply it with a blending sponge and it has a nice, satin finish (neither dewy nor matte). It's long-wearing, though I do powder around the t-zone. For me, it's still a classic! 

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer (Ginger) | £24 | This product was such an investment for me when I first picked it up - my eyes watered at the price! In all honesty, the tube doesn't last that long, so I'd still say the cost per use isn't great. However there was a time on YouTube where this was all anyone featured in their tutorials. 
I think this was one of the first creamy tube concealers I ever tried, so I have to give it its due: it's a liquid product that can be used to brighten under the eyes and also has amazing coverage, so can be used for blemishes. It's pretty long-wearing and crease-resistant, however for me, it can be a tiny bit drying at times and there are other products out there that I now prefer. For a long time this was my holy grail but I discovered the Urban Decay Naked Skin, and that totally overtook it. This year I'm all about the potted Soft Matte concealer from Nars and I actually don't see myself repurchasing this any time soon.

Sleek Face Form Palette in Medium | £9.99 | For a really long time, Sleek did the only contouring palettes on the market for a reasonable price. They also came in a range of colours for different skin tones, which added to their mass appeal. This Medium version contains a cool (but not grey or ashy) matte contour powder, a pretty, warm champagne gold highlighter with a beautiful soft sheen and a shimmery orange-gold bronzer (which I've never really used). 
I don't really reach for this product any more, but, as you can probably see, it was very well-loved at the time (the highlighter has a huge dent in it). I think it's more to do with the fact that I don't really contour these days than anything else - and if I do for a special night out then I'd usually use a cream product. I do still think this is a good product, especially for the price, and the powders are pigmented and smooth in texture. The contour is great for a defined, dramatic look and the highlighter is a beautiful colour for a warm, summery makeup look.

Nars Orgasm Blush | £24 | When I first got into makeup, this was THE blusher to have - it was the best-seller, had a risqué name, supposedly suited every skin tone, all the celebrities had it in their makeup bags and so on. I built up the courage to make the splurge when ASOS had a special bonus discount for students because I had to capture a bit of that magic! It's a warm peachy tone with a golden sheen running through it. It's nothing 'glittery' or gritty, but it gives you an intense highlight. As you'd expect from Nars; it has great pigmentation and I have seen a lot of different people wearing this who have various colourings and it still looks flattering.
I think if any product can be accused of being a bit overhyped, it's probably this one! It had such a cult following at one time and I was part of that but now, whilst I wore it a lot in the past, I just think there are much better blusher tones for me out there. I do still think Nars blushes are amazing and this is a lovely colour, however it's not necessarily going to be The One for every single person out there. Personally, I don't reach for it that much any more.

Urban Decay Naked Palette | £39.50 | I'd never owned a high-end eyeshadow palette before this one. When I got a Debenhams voucher for my birthday, I knew exactly which one I wanted to treat myself to because the Naked palettes were worshipped all over the internet. The original was the natural choice for me because it contains the warmer tones that tend to suit me best, though I do wish they'd update it to the new packaging because the felt just isn't for me... Of course the quality of these shadows is excellent - and at the time I'd never tried anything on this level - the mattes are smooth and creamy and the shimmers have amazing opacity. 
Whilst there are still one or two shades (like Smog, Dark Horse and Half Baked) that I'd still pick up this palette to use, ultimately I've tried a lot more products now and I've just found ones that are better for me. You have to give the Naked credit where it's due - it was one of the first eyeshadow palettes that took things beyond just the minis and quads of brands like Chanel and the shades appeal to so many people. The colours can take you from day to night, with a great spread of mattes and shimmers, lid colours, highlights and smoky shades, so you don't have to use anything else for your look. But, since getting more into makeup, I just have other pre-made palettes from Stila, Zoeva, Lorac and other brands that I reach for more often. 



Maybelline Colour Tattoo in On & On Bronze | £5.99 | These cream eyeshadow have had a cult following for years, though the shade range in the UK is sadly still quite limited. Because of the affordable price-point I picked this up in a good old Boots 3 for 2 and never looked back! Whether for a casual beach day, to wear to the office when getting ready in a rush or as a base for a bronzed smoky eye - it just always seemed to do the job.
Spoiler alert: the product pictured is a recent repurchase, so that says it all really! I rarely use up eyeshadows and this is one of the few that I have. I don't reach for this quite so much as I once did, however I still kind of judge all cream formulas by this standard because it's just CRAZY long-wearing. It doesn't crease or fade throughout the day and it's just so affordable. There are luxury and high-end products that don't measure up to this formula-wise that I've tried. This colour is also a perfect everyday metallic brown-bronze.

Benefit They're Real Mascara | £20.50 | I actually first got this for my birthday - it seemed such an obscene price to pay for a mascara but I think I'd been well and truly sucked into the claims that it gave a false lash effect and was the UK's #1 mascara. It gives amazingly separated, long lashes, as well as a little bit of volume and has a plastic brush. It was my absolute go-to for every single night out.
I actually still use this mascara - it's not a totally essential 'can't live without' product, but if I'm in Duty Free, I always pick up a fresh tube. Whenever I go back to it, I'm pleasantly surprised at how much I like it - I love that separated, long false lash effect and now I use it for day and night. It's smudge-proof and doesn't flake. I know a lot of people find it tricky to remove but I never have this issue (probably because I use oil-based cleansers).

MAC Satin Lipstick in Twig | £16.50 | I think this was my second ever MAC lipstick and at the time, it actually wasn't a well-known shade at all (though it's since increased in popularity). I just wandered over to the counter and tried on a few shades that called out to me. This was an immediate winner; its Satin formula is creamy and incredibly pigmented, giving you the benefits of a matte finish without the dry feeling (it lasts almost as long but has a very slight sheen) and the shade is beautiful - a sort of dusky pink mauve tone. I wore it at pretty much every opportunity because it's a great day-to-night option.
Whilst it isn't my default lip colour these days, I do still really love this shade, especially for the autumn. I dug it back out when I was looking for products to feature in this post and realised how great it is. It's a timeless colour that I think suits so many people.

Revlon Lip Butter in Pink Truffle | £7.99 | I'm really not sure why the Revlon Lip Butters were such a big deal back in the day! It was a lot of fuss over a glossy, slightly more pigmented tinted lip balm. However there are a few shades in the range that were worth checking out (they just weren't total game-changers). I dutifully picked up several colours in it, however the warm pinky-nude Pink Truffle was the standout and I used it to death.
This is actually another repurchase because my original one was disgusting! I have to say that I don't use it quite so much these days, however the moisturising formula and sheer wash of inoffensive colour make this a great one for work days. I can grab it without thinking and just trust it to work. Sadly, it looks as though this collection might have been discontinued, as I couldn't find it listed anywhere online!



Which were your favourite products from back in the day and do you still use them?


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Disclosure - products marked * were sent to me for consideration however all opinions remain my own. 
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40 comments

  1. I still love and use Orgasm and other repeated repurchases are YSL Faux Cils Mascara, Nars Laguna and Clarins Beauty Flash Balm. I used to be obsessed with the Naked Palette! I didn't get the hype over those Revlon lip butters either! xx

    Beautylymin| L'OccitaneAdventCalendarGiveaway

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    1. It's great when you find amazing products that keep you repurchasing years later :) xx

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  2. By the time I got around to wanting yo actually buy the lip butters, they'd been discontinued haha! I hated The Porefessional - it's the only primer that has ever broken me out within 5 minutes. I'm still throwing it back to 2011 constantly as I am obsessed with Clinique's Chubby Sticks as ever

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  3. Can you believe I've never tried the Nars concealer to this day? :O
    The Naked palette is a serious throwback, and so in the Benefit primer. I do still buy the PoreFessional from time to time, though!

    Love, Charline | Charline Has a Blog

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  4. I purchased several of these products because of blogger/YouTube hype! I still get nostalgic when I pull out my Naked Palette! I got really suckered into the Revlon Lip Butter hype and bought a good few shades, but was a bit disappointed with them really. Pink Truffle is the only shade I still have in my collection.

    Pumpkin Lemonade

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    Replies
    1. Haha me too - I used to be such a sucker for the hype! xx

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  5. Yes, all these products are sooo good!
    Love the UD!
    xoxo, Colli
    beautyblog tobeyoutiful

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  6. Oh the Naked palette! It was my first high end product ever, I was 14 or 15 at the time and I only used Essence and Catrice products and I asked that palette for Christmas to my parents. They bought it for me and I cried when I opened it! Still have it and still love it! xx

    Carolina's Makeup Life

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    Replies
    1. Aw that's lovely :) it's so nice to hear people's stories and memories with their favourite products from years ago :) xx

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  7. I still love my Nars Orgasm blush, it's just so beautiful and works well for my skintone and I still reach for my original Naked palette a fair bit but I haven't repurchased my MAC Studio Fix foundation in quite some time now as I've found foundations that work better for me. Great concept for a blog post, I really enjoyed reading this xx

    Ioanna | Hearting.co.uk

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  8. I still haven't tried an Urban Decay Naked palette but the shades are just so stunning, definitely going to the top of my wishlist! Lovely favourites :)

    Anika | anikamay.co.uk

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  9. I'm wearing NARS orgasm to work today and I'd forgotten how much I love it! Twig is a lipstick I wear a lot, especially in the autumn and I still regularly use all of my urban decay palettes! I guess you could say I'm old school 😉 X

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    1. I pulled Orgasm back out when I was putting together this post and it's still so pretty :) xx

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  10. The Sleek palette is such a staple for me, I always rekindle and revisit it when I go on holiday! I totally agree with Maybelline Colour Tattoo in On & On Bronze it's so difficult to find in stores! xx

    www.iridescentplaces.com

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  11. I used the Sleek palette for years ! Memories haha
    https://bookslipsticksandtravels.wordpress.com

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  12. I haven't dug out my original Naked palette for ages and I used to LOVE the sleek face form kit. Don't mind me, i'm just off to boots to purchase it again!!!

    Great post!

    Katie | www.justkatiee.com xx

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  13. I just got a sample of the They're Real mascara, I'm glad to hear that it's still a good one! :) I still love the NARS Radiant concealer but I think I'm also starting to think the Naked skin one is better x

    www.beautyfromkatie.blogspot.com

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  14. Such a fun post idea! The Porefessional has been a favourite of mine for so long. I just opened up a new tube!

    Nicole | The Glam Surge

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  15. Yesss I'm the same with the Naked palette and Studio Fix! Such classics!

    A xx
    alexisadrienne.net

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    Replies
    1. It was so great to rediscover these products xx

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  16. I really enjoyed this post! So glad to see you still love some of your old favourites! Mine has to Velvet Teddy, I still reach for it so much! xx

    www.lpagebeauty.com

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  17. I've rekindled my love of Twig recently too and every time I use it I always wonder why I bother to own any other lipstick shades as its so perfect. xxx
    UmmBabyBeauty

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  18. Just looking at the photo for this post throws me back to some of my first ever makeup products that I bought and loved. Wait, since when was the porefessional deemed as not cool anymore? Have I been living under a rock? Studio fix was my first proper foundation I bought from a higher brand too but I adore the scent I think it's so nice! I only ever owned on and on bronze from the colour tattoos but I found that it dried out really quickly which was kind of frustrating as it put me off repurchasing another shade. I LOVED reading this post it's such a throwback and so relatable to me.
    Charlotte / Charlotte's Picks

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    1. The Porefessional seems to get a lot of hate these days haha xx

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  19. I revisited Urban Decay Naked Palette and like you I found it to be just okay now. Yes, it was a breakthrough palette back when it was first launched but I have so many other palettes that I much prefer now. Using it again makes me realized that yes the eyeshadow is buttery but the whole palette was way too sparkly, too much fallouts and too little matte shades. Come to think about it, I should pair it with my KVD Shade and Light eye palette, that might work really well.

    Shireen⎜Reflection of Sanity

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  20. This post reminds me I have MAC Twig lipstick and I haven't worn it in forever! I should pull it out again!

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  21. I love the NAKED pallet, it's one of my favs as well. Thanks for the share, keep up the posts!
    Scarlett

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  22. I love so many of these items, they are old favourites of mine too!
    I still love and use the Benefit They're Real Mascara, I have always preferred it to the Roller Lash!

    Danielle xx
    http://www.fashionbeautyblog.co.uk/

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  23. The urban decay naked palettes are my all time favourites, especially the first two!! Love this post x x

    http://chuckiegreen.blogspot.co.uk

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  24. I actually still like the Maybelline baby skin primer, which I think it supposed to be similar to the porefessional. I think the maybelline cream eyeshadows will continue to be a lot of people's favourites, they're really nice xx

    Velvet Blush

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  25. First of all, I love your new header!
    This is a great post because it's always fun to go back to the products you used to love and see if it's still the case or not. Personally I'm still a big fan of the Naked palette, years after I still use it a lot and love all the shades. I'd say it's a safe bet and still a classic, even though there's been a lot of newer - and amazing - releases!

    Julia x
    Last Post: My Autumn Makeup Look | https://juliaspeaksbeauty.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/beauty-my-autumnal-makeup-look-2017.html

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  26. I picked up one of the Maybelline Colour Tattoos in the shade 'Creamy Beige' and it is perfect for an everyday wash of colour over the lid. It's also great to use as a base if I want to go with a more obvious eyeshadow look that day. All in all I really enjoy the formula and will be going back to pick up a few more!

    -Sophie xx
    Cherries & Perfume 

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  27. They're Real and the NAKED palette are such staples for me, even now. They'd take some serious beating x

    Sincerely, Sarah
    www.sincerelysarah.net

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  28. Thank you for your comments - I really loved reading them :) xx

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  29. Great picks!

    www.upyourvlog.com

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