I'm in the market for brand-new make-up! Do you have any recommendations?

[HazelnutHotChoc]

I'm starting teacher training in September and I figured that it's high time I started looking 'like a grown-up', i.e. a bit more put-together, rather than my usual scruffy self.

At the moment, I wear a Bourjois foundation and concealer, Soap and Glory mascara and other bits like blusher, highlighter and brow powder from Make Up Revolution (I was told that their products are MAC dupes, not sure whether this is the case...!)

My skin is pale and fairly sensitive - I do have a bit of a tendency to break out on my cheeks and I get quite oily around my nose (such an attractive image, I know!) Ideally I'm looking for a complete overhaul - foundation, eye make-up, brows, a couple of staple lip colours, blusher and highlighter.

I'd be willing to pay a lot more than what I usually do for some really good staple products, like MAC etc. What would you clever S&B-ers recommend?

I recently treated myself to some new bare minerals, highly recommend.

Mac studio fix fluid if you have combination skin like me.

Mac blushers are great.

Rimmel Kate lipsticks are almost as good as Charlotte Tilbury.

YSL foundation is wonderful too.

Don't scrimp on skincare- finding the right toner has been a game changer for me.

Primer will improve any foundation hugely.

Urban decay naked palettes are brilliant, much more pigmented and improved longevity against the cheaper brands I was using before.

Invest in your brushes and a beauty blender.

Setting spray- urban decay all nighters makes a huge difference to the look and lasting of my make up.

Enjoy!

My current staples are
Anastasia Beverly Hills dipbrow pomade
Benefit They're real mascara
Mac strobe cream (primer) in goldlite
Mac studio fix fluid foundation
Mac studio fix concealer
Nars Laguna bronzer
Nars blush in orgasm
Kevyn aucoin contouring powder
Bobbi brown gel liner in black
Becca highlighter in moonstone
Mac lipstick in faux
Mac prep and prime fix spray (keeps my make up in place for up to 14 hours)
Illumasqua eye pencil in vow (for waterline)

These all sound amazing, thank you everybody! If you wear Mac foundation, do you ever find it at all heavy or greasy?

There's a Mac shop that's just opened in our town and I'm looking forward to going and having a browse!

Mac is well known for being quite heavy (it's not called Studio Fix for nothing!) and it was initially make up for models remember, so if full coverage is what you want, then that's the bollocks.

Bare Minerals turned me into an oompa-loompa does Barbara Cartland, as does Estee Lauder doublewear. (EL do like their orange tinge!)

YSL Touche Eclat foundation gets v good reviews on here. Never tried it though. I currently have Chanel Perfection Lumiere which is nice enough but I won't repurchase. I have just snagged a bottle of Armani Luminous Silk from ebay which Sali Hughes places as n1 on her best foundations ever list, so I'll see if it makes me gawjuss!

Everyone's tastes are very different really- Benefit They're Real for example- I bought some recently and it's horrific- like putting black gloopy paint on my eyelashes. Have gone back to Max fac 2000 calorie.

Why don't you watch some of the Lisa Eldridge videos on Youtube? I think she is very good and doesn't just recommend the ££££££s stuff.

There's nothing that will suit everyone but fwiw my current routine is

Marc Jacobs foundation ( a little goes a looooooong way)
Hourglass sunset contour/highlight palette
NARS creamy concealer ( although it's shit - I'm just using it up)
MAC select sheer pressed powder
NARS Orgasm
Anastasia dip brow in soft brown
Hourglass Infinity eye palette
By Terry Ombré Blackstar in Bronze Moon
Lancôme Hypnose mascara
Some kind of lipstick - currently an old Chanel gloss but could be anything.

I really need to take my routine down a step or two!

I like, and need, the full coverage. Different applicators give a different finish IMO. For example, applying SF with a damp sponge gives a lighter finish than a brush.

I've heard great things about YSL foundation.

Laura Mercier makes amazing bronzer, can be used on the body too.

Thank you all for the recommendations! I'm going to try some of these and see how I get on. Hopefully I'll look more like an adult and not 'nearly a grown-up', as one of the scouts told me.

Thanks again for your help!

I mostly use NARS, Hourglass, Charlotte Tilbury and Too Faced, all brilliant. I'm also using a GOSH tinted primer at the moment that's as good as the Urban Decay one. Very happy with the Charlotte Tilbury light foundation. I don't buy from companies that test on animals, so I'm quite restricted in my options, but I like to buy a couple of good higher end pieces and use them up rather than buying lots of bits.

Milani's Luminoso Baked Blush is a copy of Nars Orgasm and IMHO much better quality. I used Nars Orgasm for years and tried Luminoso on a whim and it has become my holy grail product. Plus its £10 on amazon so much cheaper than Nars.

www.amazon.co.uk/Milani-MMBL-05-Baked-Blush-Luminoso/dp/B00518N2JC/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1490046694&sr=8-1&keywords=Milani+luminoso&tag=mumsnetforum-21

I know nothing about makeup but the following were all recommended from various S&B threads. I haven't bought all but I definitely recommend the mascara, the Revlon Colourstay concealer and the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind concealer.

• Nars creamy concealer
• Benefit Dandelion blusher
• Revlon colorstay concealer
• Maybelline instant age rewind concealer
• Collection lasting perfection
• Maybelline 24 superstay concealer
• Estée Lauder doublewear cover camouflage makeup
• Bourjois healthy mix serum
• Nars sheer glow
• Max factor facefinity compact
• No 7 brown stay perfect eyeliner

MASCARA

• No. 7 in the gold tube. "Stay Perfect" I have bought this and it's brilliant! Had given up on mascara years ago because they all smudged, but this doesn't. Even welled up a bit at the cinema and this didn't budge.

Lipstick "balm"
Revlon matte balm - Standout (red/brown)

Hang on, not all MAC foundations are the same. Some have more coverage than others, and some are definitely better on oilier skins than others. I have oily blemish prone skin and personally prefer MAC Pro Longwear or MAC Studio Fix Fluid for length of wear (both are good although not my all time favourites).

Other things I do love from MAC are-
Longwear lip pencils (Doublewear is a lovely nude)
Pro Longwear concealer
Lip primer (amazing under matte lipsticks; extends wear & moisturises)
Eyeshadow singles in customisable palettes

Lily lolo. Mineral foundation......
Their eyeshadow is great too...
Steer clear of the mascara

Lily lolo. Mineral foundation......
Their eyeshadow is great too...
Steer clear of the mascara

Do you really need foundation? Can you get away with a good concealer, highlighter and cream blush plus a light dusting of bronzer?
Avoiding too many powders has been great for me.
It is just you have such a busy job you might find it easier to touch up and keep fresh than a full face.

Mac prime & Prep (my make up disappears without it)
Max factor skin luminizer miracle (nice and Dewey without being greasy)
Chanel Soliel tan ( bronzer but not too dark)
Mac creme blush
Revlon liquid eyeliner (doesn't move all day)
Illamasqua eyebrow cake (so easy to fill in brows)
Guerlain cils volume mascara ( thickens eyelashes)
Bobby brown chubby stick lipsticks ( they last hrs )