Boots Beauty Hall in St Albans had a HUGE makeover in January 2023. They introduced new brands such as Fenty Beauty, it Cosmetics, Kylie Cosmetics, Urban Decay and my all time make up love MAC Cosmetics. I was hoping it was the end of shopping online and day tripping to Watford or Brent Cross for makeup and skincare to test shades/coverage…
Existing classic brands also had a facelift such as Estee Lauder, Boots own No. 7, YSL and Chanel counters to name a few. Below I’ve put together my top 6 makeup and skincare basics that I have tried and tested over the years. This covers the basic essentials in my daily go to kit. I use SO many other products to add colour, definition and depth to my face so next I will outline my top colour products for lips, cheeks and brows.
How it is faring up in September 2024? Well it still looks decent but I will say that the stock levels are often low. I actually expect it for Chanel and YSL, for years they seem to have limited stock but MAC rarely have any of the lip colours that I use so I then resort to online shopping or go for a different brand.
Karen
#1 StylPro Makeup Brush Cleaner & Dryer
Let’s start with the basic essential for your kits – a brush cleaner. Creator of the StylPro, Tom Pellereau actually lives in St Albans so I remember seeing this product years ago when it was in the early stages of development as a prototype. I love the fact that it is compact, can fit the Real Technique Brushes that I love and use, as well as cleaning and drying a brush within seconds! When I used to freelance as a Makeup Artist is was great when there were multiple clients, at a wedding, so I could ensure hygiene was paramount between applications.
At home I clean all of my brushes once a week – I do have a lot so rarely use my foundation brush more than twice. I remember when I was younger, I had one brush for everything and rarely (never) cleaned it. It used to bumble about in my handbag collecting who knows what!
#2 Real Techniques Everyday Essentials Set
Another makeup kit essential is a great brush set. Real Techniques offer quality, value and a huge selection. This set is a perfect starting point and includes:
RT 402 Setting – soft and fluffy bristles for highlighting or setting powders.
RT 200 Expert Face – firm bristles to buff liquid or cream foundation.
RT 400 Blush – tapered, soft and fluffy bristles to blend powder blush evenly.
RT 300 Deluxe Crease – short, dense bristles to layer and blend cream and powder eyeshadows into eye crease.
Miracle Complexion Sponge ® – soft, flexible foam to blend liquid and cream foundation. Use dry for full coverage or damp for dewy glow.
#3 it Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream 60ml
Boots Beauty Hall St Albans stocks the full range of ‘it Cosmetics’, including hero product and the number 1 seller in the USA. I recently purchased it and thought that it was going to be similar to the Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base and in a couple of ways – consistency and texture on the skin – they are.
It is a heavier cream rather than a fluid/serum that I am used to but it was quick to absorb into my dry skin and left a great base to add foundation/concealer. My skin does feel very plumped and hydrated when I use it which I love. A point to remember though it doesn’t contact SPF so you will need to add that separately.
#4 MAC Studio Moisturizing and Illuminating Silky Primer
MAC Silky Primer is discontinued since my review back in January 2023 – I’m yet to find an exact replacement in Boots Beauty Hall. It is the one Primer that I have wanted to continue using as I like a glowy finish as my foundations are usually quite matt.
I shall hold out to buy a suitable replacement, in the meantime I’m using Bobbi Brow Vitamin Enriched Face Base that doubles as a primer and moisturiser.
#5 Benefit Boi-ing Industrial Strength Full Coverage Concealer
This little product lives up to its title! If you are sleep deprived with tired under-eyes then this is the concealer for you. I use it after my Primer and before my foundation to get extra coverage and then again if serious bags after my foundation has dried off.
I also have dark spots and often acne spots and the coverage is brilliant. Make sure you shade test and try to go for 1/2 to one shade lighter than your foundation otherwise it can drag your skin tone down due to the consistency.
#6 IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream with SPF 50
I alternate my face coverage between a CC cream (full coverage in the colder months), fluid foundation (as the weather gets better) and tinted moisturisers with concealer (warmer months).
I have a lot of different foundations because of this and shades that I mix and blend. The ‘it Cosmetics’ CC cream is great at the moment (Winter months), it is very full coverage so I only need a small amount and I find it is fairly matt so needs to go over a luminous primer to get the glowy finish that I like.
Foundation and skin cover is probably the main product that I invest in, I have hormonal breakouts and I find that some of the lower end foundations can make them look worse and clog my pores or completely dry my skin out around my spots during the day.
