My Top 5 Drugstore Makeup Primers

Hello! I never used to use primer when doing my makeup, but once on a shopping trip a year ago or so, I decided to pick one up and test it out. Since then I have been hooked! I have never put on any makeup without using a primer since then. I have tested out a fair few primers and have came up with a list of my 5 favourite, all from the drug store!

If you aren't too sure what a primer is or how you'd use one, basically it's a product that you use right after any skin care items, and before putting on any makeup. Its primes the skin. Primers come in all different types; some moisturise, some will help to keep the face matte and some help your skin stay clear as they provide a barrier between your pores and the makeup; and usually all of them will try to help your makeup last longer.

So for example, on a morning, I will cleanse my face, then wash and exfoliate it as I have been having very dry skin lately. I then sometimes moisturise I prefer night time moisturisers so I don't always use a day time one) I then use a primer, wait for it to sink in and then put on my makeup. If I'm not wearing makeup that day, I will still usually put on a primer as they keep my face matte without drying my skin out, and also I

 just like them! 

Witch Anti-Blemish Skin Clearing Primer

I'll start by telling you the one I like best but is very hard to find. Its the Witch Skin Clearing Primer. I have reviewed this product before, which you can read here.

I am unsure as to whether this primer is still being sold or if its still being made, as you can sometimes find it in stores and sometimes its like it never existed! Also, every time it does come back into shops, its a different price. I have bought it for £6.99 one month and the next time I went to purchase it, its been 80p. I've just ran out and I have my fingers crossed that it'll come back soon!

This primer certainly does everything it claims! It provides an invisible barrier on the face when used, which is very mustering without leaving my skin shiny. It also stops breakouts of spots almost completely! Its like a miracle product. Read a full review of this product further back in my blog, or click the link above. 

Philosophy the present

My next favourite is Philosophy's the present. I am unsure as to if this actually counts as 'drug store / highstreet product' as I see it as a more luxury brand (that might just be me though) however, I bought this is Boots, which is definitely a high street store!  This product claims to even out fine lines, wrinkles and pores leaving the skin smooth and makeup looking flawless. Before buying this, I did a lot of research on it as its a bit more expensive as I'd usually buy, at £22, however I was extremely impressed at what everyone had been writing about it so the next day, I went out and bought it! 

This primer definitely helps my makeup last longer! I used it at about 9 in the morning and my makeup was still almost perfect looking at 9pm! I am unsure about if it does even out fine lines and wrinkles as I wouldn't say I have too many of those, but it does keep my skin from looking dry and my makeup does look great while using it. Once its on, you do have to wait 2-3 minutes for it to sink into the skin and for it to become less sticky, before using makeup but its worth it. Its also infused with lavender oil which is known to have antibacterial and antiseptic properties which is supposed to help with the skins condition, however the smell is quite strong so if you don't like lavender or are allergic to it, I'd stay clear.

£22 - Boots, online or instore - click here

Nivea Express Hydration Primer

This is my favourite for when my skin is looking extra dry! I'd say its on parr with the Philosophy primer in my opinion, but for different reasons. I have dry patches over my cheeks and on my nose sometimes which can show up when I'm wearing foundation, but this product stops that completely! It absorbs almost immediately into the skin and it helps my makeup to glide on really easily. My makeup looks great when I use it and even though it is mainly for moisturising, it doesn't leave my face looking oily or wet and it does help makeup stay on for longer. I also really like how cheap it is! If you like Nivea products then I definitely recommend this primer. 

£4.99 - Superdrug/Boots, online and instore - click here

MUA Matte Perfect Primer

This is my favourite to use when I'm going on a night out or to a party etc. I don't really like using it throughout the day though. The MUA Matte Perfect primer is used mainly to control and reduce shine, therefore keeping your face matte. When using this, I tend to only use it where I get oily as it can make my makeup look heavier than it actually is, but not in a cake way. I use quite sheer foundations, but when you use this product, it becomes full coverage. Maybe this is because this primer has a tint to it so it does provide a bit of extra coverage than maybe I'm used to. However, I do like this product as it definitely keep your face matte, which is what it claims to do. It doesn't make my dry patches more prominent which sometimes matte products do too. Its also the cheapest primer I've found so is good if you're on a budget! 

£4 - Superdrug, online and instore - click here

Collection Primed and Ready

My last favourite is Collection's Primed and Ready Soothing Makeup Primer. This primer is the first one I have every tried, and the one which has the best looking packaging in my opinion!! This primer is really good short term, however it doesn't help makeup last a long time. But for the first few hours of using it, your makeup will look a million dollars! After then it can start to make my skin look a bit dry and patchy. It helps makeup glide on for an easier application and it does reduce pores and fine lines. My favourite thing about this primer is its feel! It is kind of a gel, which when rubs in almost completely disappears to feeling like nothing which is a really interesting thing to put on! When I use this I alway put a bit extra on my hand just to play with! (Thats probably really weird, but if you go out and test this, you'll see what I mean!)

£5.99 - Boots/Superdrug, online and instore - click here

Hope this post helps you in some way! Each of these primers are amazing in different ways and I hope you find one which works great for you! Once you start to use a primer, you'll never go back to wearing makeup without it - its addictive! 

Let me know some of your favourites! :) 

P.S. my next few posts will be holiday related as I'm going to Fuerteventura in June! Expect some summery clothing hauls and a lookbook or two! :))))

Burberry Kisses *

I was kindly nominated to receive two different shades of Burberry Kisses, Burberry's new buildable and hydrating lipstick. I was really impressed with the samples so I just had to blog about it! 

This spring, Burberry has introduced a new collection of lipsticks, Burberry Kisses. The collection has 28 shades of moisturising but buildable lipsticks which allow you to choose the intensity of colour on your lips as well as giving you up to six hours of hydration. The formula is enriched with lavender, green tea and rosehip extracts which give the lipsticks a really natural smell and very lightweight feel on the lips. 

Firstly, the lipstick samples came packaged in a white box, which when opened, showed all the different samples and your boxed lipstick. The lipstick itself is then boxed in a textured cream box which tells you your sample shade. And then the lipstick is in Burberry's typical packaging, a dark metallic silver magnetic box (I don't know what you'd call the outside of a lipstick? haha) with their brands usual check pattern, on both the box and the lipstick bullet. I reeeaaally like how it was all put together! 

 I received the shades 'Sepia No. 85' and 'Nude Pink No. 05' which are both quite natural pink toned colours. The 'Sepia' one is more of a darker pink, but on the lips gives that "your lips but better" kind of colour. I really like this one! And the 'Nude Pink' is a pale pinky tone which when on looks like a tinted lip gloss, but less glossy, if that makes any sense! It reminds me of a Kylie Jenner type nudey-pink tone.

When on, the lipsticks feel like a lip balm. I really like this as it doesn't feel heavy or sticky but still look like a lipstick. I was also a bit sceptical about whether they are actually bulidable as I thought they may be a bit too sheer, but they are! My darker shade (Sepia No.85)  is definitely buildable, in which it looks like a tinted lip balm with one coat, and a full on lipstick with 3 coats. I love the look of it when I have 3 coats! And the lighter one (Nude Pink No.05)  is less buildable, but still is. I find that it looks sheer, and sticks to the dryer parts of my lips, however with more than one coat, it starts to look really nice. 

Burberry Kisses are available online here, aswell as in stores now. They are £25 each with free shipping and returns to the UK. They are also available in certain department stores such as selected Debenhams and Fenwicks. 

Handmade Underwear by Emma Brown *

Recently I was sent some lovely pieces of handmade lacy undies to try out. I have been a big fan of Emma Brown in the past and featured some of her other pieces in this OOTD post here where I wore her velvet bralet under a sheer jumper, so I was extremely happy when I was able to get more of her gorgeous designs. 

I received a longline black lace bralet. The top is mainly made form sheer black floral lace, but has a jersey under layer in the cups to hide anything you don't want to be seen. This piece is also available in a slightly shorter length if you are wanting it more cropped.

The top is a great length and I think it could not only be worn as underwear, or older a cute crop top (as seen on Emma herself below) but also as a top in the summer or even on a night out. It also comes in white, red, nude, blue and pale pink and is £10 on its own or £15 with a matching pair of lace knickers. 

Image thanks to Emma (instagram - elbrownx)

I also received this gorgeous lace overlay set in white. The bra and knickers are made from a nude mesh with your choice of colour lace on top (white, red or black) The lace is not only super pretty, but it also doubles up as a cover so again, nothing which you don't want to be seen is poking through!

These types of bras are really comfortable as they aren't wired. This unfortunately means that they don't give as much support as a regular bra, but if you have smaller boobs, they provide just enough! This set is only £17 and can be made with either a matching pair of brief-style pants or a thong.

And finally, I got a heart appliqué set. This set is the most daring, but also the most quirky from her designs! I love it! This set is made from a white mesh (or black if you choose) with a black, white or red heart appliqué nipple cover. The matching knickers also have an appliqué heart on the front and back, which is really cute!! This set is also £17 but often sells out quite quickly, so get it while you can!

This set is really comfortable and looks great under a sightly translucent white tshirt! I may do a lookbook featuring some of these pieces as they look great not only as underwear, but when they are worn to be visible too! Also, sorry if this last photo is slightly revealing! I just wanted to show off how cute the pants are with the little appliqué heart! 

😍  👙  😈

 Emma sells all of her designs on Depop

(available on the app store)

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Her username is @emmmma

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Feel free to give her a follow and check out her pieces! She also posts special pieces and sneak peaks of her new designs on her instragram. 

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@elbrownx

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Hope you liked this post! Sorry if anything is classed as 'inappropriate'! Feel free to check out my depot and instragram too! Username - @juliettestephenson

What I Wore to a Christening

Recently I went to my youngest niece's christening and I thought I would show you what I wore. The day was lovely and the food was delicious! After the church, the party bit was in an italian restaurant so we had a feast of different pasta and pizza, as well as other italian goodies and cake! 

I wore this dark green velvet dress from Missguided with a jewelled belt which I found in a charity shop. The belt has pink, white, blue and green stones in so I thought it brought the green dress and pink coat together perfectly! It also added a bit of sparkle to an otherwise plain dress!

It was a bit chilly on the day so I chose to wear my oversized pink coat (as seen in a lot of my recent OOTDs) Although I wouldn't usually put pink and green together, I think these shades work really well! I also finished the look with my paisley Jeffrey Campell dupes! 

Dress - Missguided - £19.99

(sold out in green, still available in burgundy here)

Coat - Primark - £22

Shoes - Ebay - £15

Belt - Charity Shop - £3

OOTD - Pastels and Chunky Boots

Hello!! Recently, I visited a fashion exhibition at Bowes Museum. The exhibition showed fashion made with feathers and included pieces from Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Prada and Gucci.It was a really windy and quite cold day, but I wanted to show off my new boots (and rest of the outfit!)

As you can see from the photos it was really windy! So in most of my photos I am laughing at my hair getting in the way of my face whilst the photos were being took! 

I wore my favourite slumpy, oversized pink coat from Primark. I have mentioned this in a few of my other OOTD posts, but it is just so comfy and warm! And it adds a pop of colur into my otherwise black and white outfits! I also wore a fluffy white cropped jumper and high waisted jeans from Topshop and these amazing chunky boots from Missguided.

These boots are surprisingly comfortable considering they are really high. The platform is  4.5cm and the heel is 10.5cm, meaning that the height of the show is actually 6cm, which is a pretty wearable height for everyday use. They are also very lightweight as the soles are made from a thick foam type material rather than rubber, like other chunky boots, meaning they aren't giving you a workout as you wander about! They are also in the sale! Bonus points!!!

Coat - Primark - £25

Joni Jeans - Topshop - £36

Jumper - Topshop - £20 (sold out : alternatives here)

Boots - Missguided - £20.99 (sale)