First off please excuse my week long hiatus. I've joined a bootcamp gym recently that's taking up a lot of my time and right now I'm trying to focus on getting strong! But don't worry, I have a whole bunch of new content coming your way this week and I'm getting my schedule lined up so I can still attend bootcamp. 

This beauty post is all about my current favourites and I have to give credit to my YouTube-watching-obsession for opening my eyes to some great makeup that holds up well under the hot summer sun, or in my case after an intense kickboxing class.

NYX DREAM CATCHER PALETTE IN DUSK TILL DAWN
I've been wanting this palette for so long and I'm so happy I finally bought it. It features 5 shimmery brown shades, 1 gold, 1 pale shimmery pink (perfect for highlighting), 1 aubergine shade, 1 charcoal and 1 matte taupe - the only matte in the kit which is perfect for shading underneath the lash line. These shadows hold up well throughout the day and have excellent colour intensity. I think the Dream Catcher Palette's are good dupes for Urban Decay Naked Palette and at $15, you really can't go wrong.

REAL TECHNIQUES SHADING BRUSH
This is my new favourite makeup brush! It's inexpensive, holds it's shape well and is made of quality synthetic bristles. It's perfect for shading the outer corners of the eye and around the lash line without tugging or pulling. 

BENEFIT HIGH BROW
Run this chubby pencil underneath your eyebrow from the curve to the end, blend lightly with your pinky finger and watch your face transform. I love how the pale pink colour makes me look wide awake instantly!

BENEFIT THEY'RE REAL PUSH-UP LINER IN BROWN
Sneak Peak alert! This gel eyeliner hasn't even launched yet but I was lucky to get an advance! (Thanks Benefit!) As a brunette with dark eyes I never saw the appeal of brown eyeliner but this pencil has changed my mind. I like using this colour on the days when I want a more natural makeup look. The brown opens up my eyes and because the pencil is waterproof, it stays on! Also, I learned recently that the trick to applying this liner is to dab along the lash line, not glide. ; )

ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS DIPBROW POMADE
I have finally succumb to buying Dipbrow and it sure lives up to the hype! Lucky for me I had already watched a few YouTube tutorials on how to use this product so it was easy for me from the get go. The secret is the dip your slanted brush into the pomade, dab it lightly on a tissue and start working in short, light strokes on the eyebrow and build it up slowly. It takes me longer to do my brows with Dipbrow vs. a pencil, but I like the coverage so much more and my eyebrows are on even after an intense bootcamp session because it's waterproof! 

REAL TECHNIQUES POWDER BRUSH
Because one powder brush is never enough I bought this one for blending and applying bronzers although now I just use it for face powder. It's not as big and fluffy as my beloved Sonia Kashuk No. 1, but I still love it. 

MAKE UP FOR EVER HD MICROFINISH POWDER
A little goes a long way with this stuff so a small container lasts forever. I use it for special occasions and when I'm shooting for the blog because I find the quality to be superior to so many other powders. It sets my makeup beautiful and never looks cakey. 

MICRO MINI BEAUTY BLENDER 
If you read my Beauty Blender review you'll now how much I love the original so naturally I had to try the mini to help blend my concealer better. At first I didn't really see the value in it because it felt too similar to the original (just more annoying to hold) and just as I had made up my mind to return it, I fell in love with the mini BB. Sure, it might take a bit longer to blend my concealer, but not by much and what I really like is how it gets into the little corners of my eyes and around my nose with more precision. The mini is a keeper!

BENEFIT POREFESSIONAL
I have large pores on my nose that I can't stand and I always think they're more noticeable in the summer. I use Porefessional to smooth out my skin, hide the pores and prime before applying my makeup. Even though I don't use it everyday, I don't think I could live without this product!