Ladies, do you know the ideal make-up ‘look’ for you? The trends change almost as quickly as fashion, so you might have one or two fond favourites, but do you know your ‘oil slick’ from your ‘last call’ or are you lost in a powdery wilderness of ‘black glamour’ and ’saucy red’? Well, in this weeks entry, we’re going to take a look at some of the best make-up available (that isn’t going to make your poor purse hungry for cash) and delve into the stylish world of the make up artist. Get your lip pencil and your blending brush at the ready girls, because we’ve got a blank canvas to paint.

Now you might think you know the basics of make-up application, but you would be surprised how many of you out there are getting it wrong. Depending on how much make-up you like to wear, there are 10 items you will need in front of you before you begin. Primer, foundation, cover stick, eyeshadow, mascara, eyeliner, lipstick/gloss, blusher, lip liner and a make-up sealer to keep it all in place.

1. One of the most important things to integrate into your morning routine is exfoliating and moisturising. The smoother and softer your skin before you begin, the better. After that’s out of the way, you can get started.
2. Primer, first and foremost. Primers help to keep your make-up looking fabulous all day and also help to combat oiliness. The Laura Mercier Primer provides an excellent, smooth base for your foundation and helps to prevent shine. There is also a ‘hydrating’ version for anyone who suffers from dry skin!
3. Unless you’re one of those lucky lasses with naturally flawless skin like Alexis Bledel (darn her!), foundation is the next step. Our choice? MAC’s Studio Fix Fluid. Not only does it come in a handy variety of shades, but it stays on all day, works excellently with almost all skin types and provides the best coverage for spots and blemishes while maintaining a natural glow. It is one of the slightly more expensive items, so if you are interested in a cheaper option that is still pretty darn good, check out Maybelline’s Dream Matte Mousse. Remember when choosing your colour to go a shade lighter than your natural tone to give your skin a bit of a glow! You can also apply a powder to any areas that look a little too shiny. Apply a good concealer like Rimmel’s Hide the Blemish to cover up any persistent little blemishes.
4. Next; blusher. Depending on how natural you want to go, you should choose a colour not too far from your natural flush. Yes, it’s MAC again. We recommend the Hocus Focus Colorful Face Kit palette, which has three different shades to choose from (it also comes in the prettiest little box). One of the best things about most MAC make-up is that you barely even need to use much, making it worth the cash you hand over.  If you’re more interested in a bronzer for a glowing summer look, try Bourjois Delice de Poudre powder.
5. Not everyone likes to wear eye make up and if you have eyes as naturally sultry and as beautiful as  Beyonce, then you probably don’t need to. Even if you like to glam it up like Gaga, you have to make sure your eyebrows are plucked first of all. We don’t recommend you go for the Katie Price look, but just keep them tidy and avoid the monobrow of doom. Only put on eyeliner if you’ve had plenty of practise. If you have a bit of a shaky hand, once again try MACs Penultimate Eyeliner,which makes you feel a bit like you’re doodling on your face, but does the trick and allows for both thick and dramatic or slender and delicate lines. If you would like the cheaper option, ASDA’s George eyeliner is a surprisingly good buy. It stays on all day and comes off really easily, too. Pencil eyeliners are also an excellent option, but try one that’s waterproof and won’t smudge, like Urban Decay’s 24/7. They also come in some pretty delightful colours.
6. As for mascara, Lancome’s Hypnose seems to be all the rage at the moment, but we especially love Max Factor’s False Lash Effect. Though it doesn’t provide a lot of volume, it both lengthens and gives great curl! It’s even better if you use curlers on your lashes first and give them a quick brush with an eyelash comb.
7. Not everyone is a fan of wearing eyeshadow. There are hundreds of shades to choose from, so it’s a good idea to pick up a set like Urban Decay’s Delux Palette.You can get powder eyeshadows, cream eyeshadows and gel eyeshadows, all which have their pros and cons. You should try to use a colour that both compliments your skin tone, and makes your eye colour stand out. If you’re not really sure what colour suits you best, natural, pale colours suit pretty much everyone! You can find plenty of online tutorials that tell you exactly the colours to use.
8. Finally we arrive at lips. You might be a gloss girl or a lippy lass, but first of all you want to make your lips look as full and as plump as they can be. Benefit’s Lip Plump Primer is the perfect base for your gloss or your lipstick and makes your lips look voluptuous. The colour you wear on top depends on the rest of your look. Dynamic and dramatic red or soft and sultry pink, your lipstick needs to be flawless. Guerlain’s Kiss Kiss not only offers perfection and fluidity; it stays on for hours and hours and hours.
9. Last, but not least, you need something that is going to keep it all in place. Ben Nye’s Final Seal is a fine mist you can spray over your face, making it effortless and fast, which is especially good when you’re late for work first thing in the morning.