Shop My Stash: Are My Past Makeup Favourites As Good As I Remember?

It has reached the point of quarantine where I'm dying to go shopping - honestly, I really miss the girly days out that my mum and I would have while trying on matching Primark outfits (which she always looked 10 times better in) and filling tubs with foundation samples ready for us to test. Obviously, we haven't been able to do this in a while due to all the shops being closed, and although it's not the end of the world and there are much worse things happening right now, I am eager to test some new makeup. I was reluctant to order anything as I don't want to fuel the potentially unsafe factory and delivery conditions, and so I decided to delve into my makeup collection instead. Although I don't actually have a lot of my old makeup any more due to it being out of date or used up, I do still own a few of my old holy grail products, which long-time readers of my blog will definitely be familiar with. I decided to give them a go and see whether these products have stood the test of time or don't deserve the praise I used to give them, so keep reading to hear all of my thoughts!

Rimmel London Lasting Finish 25 Hour Liquid Foundation

I used to love this foundation back when I was in college for its breathable, skin-like finish. I've never been the biggest fan of full coverage foundations for day-to-day wear, and so something like this which made my skin look healthy and natural was perfect. I particularly liked the water-like consistency as it made this foundation very easy to apply and blend, which was ideal when I was getting ready in a hurry before college.

The smell of this foundation honestly took me straight back to 2017 - I didn't realise how nostalgic it was! I'd say that this product is quite sheer but then it can also be built up to be almost full coverage, which I definitely appreciated on areas of redness that needed a bit more pigmentation. I did find that it required a little bit more blending in some areas, but this wasn't a problem and once it was fully blended out it looked lovely. It definitely made my skin look incredibly radiant and healthy without being too shiny, which is perfect for a flawless yet natural everyday look. I've actually put this product back in my makeup bag to use since it really surprised me and I love the look that it created.

Catrice Liquid Camouflage High Coverage Concealer

This concealer was my holy grail for a long time and I honestly never thought that I'd find something even half as good. It is intensely pigmented, more so than any other concealer I've tried, and thus is perfect for covering blemishes and redness. I used to use this product every day without fail as it really did cover a multitude of sins.

After testing this product again, I've discovered that it's definitely more of a spot concealer. It's fairly thick and intensely pigmented, meaning it works wonders on camouflaging any blemishes and redness I may have. Although I did have a couple of rogue spots on the day I used this, my blemishes are nowhere near as bad as they used to be and my foundation is usually enough to cover them. These days, I prefer a more illuminating and lightweight concealer under my eyes to brighten them, whereas this product was a bit too heavy and clung to each and every fine line (I'm only 20 but I feel like it made my eyes look a lot more wrinkled than they are). Whilst I loved the magic that it worked on my spots (and it also makes a really nice eyeshadow base), it's definitely a no-go for under your eyes.

Tanya Burr Beautifully Defined Palette

Bronzer has always been my favourite makeup item and I'm constantly rotating the ones in my makeup bag, so I struggled to find one that I hadn't used in ages for this post. Although I've hit pan on this one and know that I loved it, I haven't reached for it in ages as the clunky packaging means it doesn't fit in my everyday makeup bag. I found that it was the perfect shade for adding some warmth to my face and giving a natural tan without being too excessive. Although I didn't use the highlighter as much as this wasn't a step in my makeup routine until more recently, I did think that it provided a gorgeous glow that wasn't too bold.

When testing these products again, I thought that the bronzer was really nice but probably a bit sheerer than what I normally go for these days (although that is just because I always go to town with my bronzer), but it could still be built up. Since it's not too warm-toned or shimmery, it'd also work nicely as a subtle contour shade. However, it wasn't the easiest to blend (as you can kind of see from my forehead) and required quite a lot of layering to achieve the look I wanted. The highlighter, however, really blew me away and I couldn't get over how blinding it was. I don't know how I used to think this product was more subtle (perhaps because I only applied the tiniest amount of it), but this was much more intense than I was expected and definitely one that I'll be revisiting again!

Too Faced Love Flush Blush 

Despite only owning it in sample size, I used to be obsessed with this blush and almost used it all up since it was my go-to for a long time. Not only did I find that the bright colour was perfect for my skin tone, but this intense pigmentation was also very easy to blend out. I used to be a sucker for a matte blush and this one was potentially my favourite, although the sample is definitely easy to lose within your makeup bag!

Honestly, I forgot just how much I loved this blush! I thought I wasn't going to like it due to the matte finish, as I prefer something with a bit of shimmer in it these days, but I adored using this. It gave a gorgeous flush that was still natural whilst perking up my appearance and making me look healthy, and it can be built up as much as you'd like. I honestly forgot how pigmented this product was and accidentally applied way too much so I had to blend it quite a bit, but nonetheless, I was pleasantly surprised and have placed this back in my everyday makeup bag. I'm actually very tempted to invest in the full-size product, so let me know if you think I should go for it!

Urban Decay Naked 3 Eyeshadow Palette

Remember the days when the Naked palettes had cult status and everyone was obsessed with them? I swooned over the palettes for years until I received this one for Christmas and I loved it since. The shades are perfect for the springtime and I used to get quite a lot of wear out of them. This fell to the bottom of my collection as I actually stopped wearing eyeshadow for quite some time, instead only opting for a neutral, brown-toned shimmer if I wanted a little something on my eyes.

These eyeshadows were nice, but if I'm being completely honest they didn't blow me away. Whilst some of the shadows were absolutely gorgeous (especially the shimmers which can be blinding), some of the matte shades and darker tones in the palette weren't as pigmented as they appeared in the pan and required a few layers to build them up to the desired look. I also felt like it was really missing a darker matte colour, as I wanted to make this more of a smoky look with a darker colour in my outer corners yet there was no option to unless I used a shimmer. I really like the look that I ended up creating, however it did take quite a bit of work getting to that point. While it's a really nice palette, I definitely have others in my collection that I prefer and aren't as expensive.

Maybelline Total Temptation Mascara

Although I used this mascara quite a lot, I don't know if I ever actually featured it on my blog. I quite often layered it with another mascara to really create a bold, intense look, as I'm all for big, clumpy lashes. Surprisingly this product wasn't dried out when I dug it out of my collection, so I knew it was the perfect time to give it another chance.

I really love the voluminous, almost clumpy look that this mascara creates, although I was disappointed that it didn't do much for the length of my lashes and they still appeared quite short. I also found the huge wand was quite difficult to manipulate and I struggled to get to the root of my lashes without smudging it everywhere, although this is a struggle I have quite often with mascaras. I definitely like the look that I achieved after I applied a few coats, I just wish it could've been a bit more lengthening (but if you're naturally gifted with long eyeshadows this won't be a problem!)

Essence Liquid Lipstick

I've always been more of a lipgloss person, as I prefer something shiny and comfortable on my lips rather than a drying matte lipstick that I'll have to keep topping up throughout the day. Although this product was marketed as a liquid lipstick I definitely applied it more like a gloss and found that it created an incredibly pigmented and comfortable look.

I decided to only apply a small amount of this lipgloss to create a sheer wash of colour rather than a bold pink gloss on my lips, and not only did I think this was pretty but I actually preferred it this way. The pointed wand made it really easy to apply with precision and it was also comfortable to wear (unlike some cheaper glosses which can be quite sticky). This is another one that I'll definitely be putting back in my makeup bag to wear again!

Are any of these products in your list of forgotten favourites? I'd love to know what makeup items you're revisiting at the moment, so let me know down in the comments!