As much as I love makeup and beauty, I don't love the effect it has on my wallet. It can definitely get expensive when you wander into a lush department store, so it's good to know where to look and what to look for. This is hopefully where this post comes in handy, so you know your money won't go to waste.

Skin is so personal, so it's really important you know your skin type before spending upwards of £20 on a base product. The Clarins Liquid Bronze Self Tanning Lotion is something I believe would work for everyone. It's not as moisturising as a typical moisturiser, so make sure you don't buy this as a replacement. I tend to pop this on over my daily moisturiser as an extra layer to give some colour back into my complexion. This is a gradual tan and develops naturally throughout the day, or overnight, depending on when you apply. The reason I say splurge is because I haven't found anything like this from the drugstore, and if you use it 2/3 times a week it should last a while. Another base product I would recommend testing out is the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation. This is a gorgeous medium coverage, buildable foundation which has a natural finish on the skin. It smells like suncream which is interesting but I don't hate it...If you want to invest in a new foundation for the spring and summer time, I would highly suggest checking this out!

For the eyes, there are endless eyeshadow palettes that I could talk about, but the one I get the most use out of is the Urban Decay Naked Basics. If you love neutral shadows and want a palette to take you from day to night this is fab. It's all mattes which makes it very wearable, and you can also use the brown tones for your eyebrows if ya fancy. The quality is amazing and it's very travel friendly.
I don't tend to talk about high end mascara's, as I think you can get some amazing ones at the drugstore, but when I find one I love, I have to give it a mention. This is the Charlotte Tilbury Full Fat Lashes, and it's the most defining mascara I have every tried, no joke. This is the most amazing mascara to pair with a smokey eye, as it makes your lashes really stand out against any shadow and liner. The wand is massive but it tappers in at the end so you can coat each and every individual lash. The formula isn't very wet, so it's really easy to build, it doesn't smudge and it works great on the lower lashes.

I feel like lipliners have really taken off over the past year, and we all know why that is...MAC has a great selection of nudes which are raved about all the time, but I wanted to include a red today. MAC Trust In Red is a beautiful berry red shade. It's not a true red, but I still love it with my bold pinks and reds as it makes them stay all day and not bleed. The formula is lovely and it feels creamy on the lips, even though the finish is matte. MAC lipliners in general are worth every penny, but this shade is great for you bold lip lovers.