'Bout that base...Okay I'll stop with the Meghan Trainor references. Foundation, BB creams, and tinted moisturisers are all staples in many a girl's beauty arsenal. Whether they make your skin look flawless, conceal a multitude of sins or just leave things looking a bit more glowy, we'd be lost without them. I currently have three base options-this one from Rimmel which I'm a bit 'meh' about. I liked it at first but to be honest, I don't think it's that amazing. Then there's the Clear Difference* BB cream. I do like it but it's reserved for good skin/lazy makeup occasions. Lastly we have my ultimate go-to, Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet or PLV as I like to call it. Satin finish, buildable coverage and longevity. It's amazing. There's just one problem, I'm running out of it.

Where am I going with this? Well, I'm due to replace my foundation and I'm torn. While I love PLV, I kinda want to try something else. I'm tossing up between this new version of Laura Mercier's silk creme foundation and Nars Luminous Weightless. So what should I do? Stick to tried and tested or try something new? Let me know your input in the comments below. If you've tried either of these foundations let me know what you thought of them.

*PR Sample

Another month, another bag to showcase. This time I'm shining the spotlight on Katia of BEAUTYMINDED and she's kindly given us a look inside her well-stocked makeup bag. Belgium-based Katia has exquisite makeup taste, although I may be ever so slightly biased. After all, I did spot more than one of my favourite products in the photos above. Sit back, relax and grab that pen and paper because you will be wanting to draw up a wishlist right about now..

"My makeup bag is filled to the brim with all the essentials for a daytime look. For my base, I usually stick with the Laura Mercier Oil-Free Primer as shown or the Clinique Superprimer. They both make my favourite foundation, CHANEL Perfection Lumiere Velvet last that little bit longer. I've learned from several makeup artists that primer is very useful for girls with oily skin like me.

When I've got my base covered, I fill in my brows with the Chanel trio "Les Sourcils de Chanel". I've had this for over a year now and even though I use this daily, it's nowhere near empty-think of it as a good investment. You can use the powder with an angled brush but I just use the tools that come with the palette. They do a nice job. If you want to see it in action you can check out my video here.

After that I concentrate on the eyes. I prime my oily lids with the Nars Pro Prime Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base and then I reach for one of my favourite eyeshadows of the moment: By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Brown Perfection as a smokey option or the Marc Jacobs Twinkle Pop Eye Stick in Honey Bunny combined with the L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Mono shadow in Cafe Saint Germain. Sometimes I also use the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad To The Bronze all over the lid.  A little tight-lining with Bobbi Brown's Perfectly Defined Eyeliner in Pitch Black creates a bit more depth before I move on to mascara.

In the mascara department, I'm hooked on Marc Jacobs' new O!Mega Lash Volumizing Mascara, as it's all my lashes need for dramatic black colour and volume. When that's all done, I apply a little of the Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer under my eyes. I love the formula as I find it to be more like a tinted eye cream than a concealer. 

Eyes done, I then apply the Clinique Chubby Stick for Cheeks in Roly Poly Rosy or the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed if I'm after a subtler look. My go-to lip options at the moment are rather colourful.  I love By Terry Baume De Rose Nutri Couleur in Cherry Bomb or my two picks from the Chanel Fall Collection, Rouge Coco Shine in #96 and the Levres Scintillantes Gloss in Songe. After applying the Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream Rollerball I am good to go!"

-What are your current makeup bag essentials?

July has almost been and gone, bringing with it a rather mixed selection of favourites. Makeup wasn't high on the agenda this month, given I spent some of it in bed and when I did reach for it I just headed for the products I knew and loved. As well as makeup I've also been loving a musical, a rather inspiring book and even some chocolate..

Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil in Soft Brunette-Last month was all about the Dipbrow, which is great, but if you're in a rush to get somewhere it can slow things down. I've had this pencil for over a year now and it's still going strong. It's so easy to achieve perfect, precise brows without an awful lot of effort. 

Laura Mercier 'Radiance' Primer-My Hourglass primer is still numero uno, but to try and make it go the extra mile I've been testing a few other primers recently. This was one I picked up in Summer from Melbourne and it was slightly too glowy for my skin then. Now, however it is perfect. My foundation veers more on the matte side of things so this helps to inject a bit of glow back into my complexion. It's also great at keeping your makeup in place too.

Whittakers 'Hundreds and Thousands' Chocolate-Now it's probably a bit crazy including this in my July Favourites, given it only came out a week ago but it is so good! People seem to be divided on this one, some claim it just tastes like white chocolate but I love it. If you're familiar with the hundreds and thousands biscuits, this tastes just like the pink icing on them. I'll definitely be picking up some more of this soon.

Benefit 'They're Real' Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover*-If you saw my review of this earlier in July, you'll know that I was expecting it to be quite gimmicky. It's the total opposite. If you like to wear a lot of eye makeup, and particularly sturdy mascaras then you'll love this. The creamy product works in a similar way to a cleansing balm and gently breaks down your eye makeup. It won't irritate your eyes and makes sure every trace of product is gone. 

#Girlboss-I've already harped on about this book enough this month, more here. In short, if you're after inspiration or just wanting to kick-ass then you need to pick this one up. It's such an inspiring, motivating read.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer-Again, when I've not wanted to mess around with multiple concealers, this one's been doing the job. If I had to get picky, I'd say the lightest shade is perhaps slightly too light for me but other than that I like this concealer. It's thick, blends easily and conceals a multitude of sins. 

Les Miserables-Now I'll be honest, I've been quite obsessed with this musical since I saw the movie last year and over the last holidays I often had the soundtrack going whilst I was doing my jobs around the house. Empty house+loud, dramatic music=Happy Sophie. I don't know what it is about this musical, given the various plot points are all quite depressing but I love it. I'm kinda tempted to head on over to Melbourne to see it right now too...

Sebastian Pro Drynamic*-If you're like me and find hair washing a bit of a faff (sorry Mum...) then you need to get yourselves a can of this. Part dry shampoo, part style extender. I don't notice much of a difference in the way of styling, but as a dry shampoo this is awesome. It helps disguise second or third day hair and leaves things looking a lot more glossy. I need to get the mini size of this for my handbag.

-What have you been loving during July?

*PR Sample

It has been said that it is a crime to not prime. It may not be officially listed as an illegal activity but once you start using a primer of any kind, you won't want to go without it. A primer's key purpose is to make your makeup, whether it be base or eye, stay in place for longer. They can also be skin smoothing, add a touch of radiance or even minimise pores. Primers can change the way your makeup looks and lasts on the skin so they're an essential part of many a makeup routine..

Bourjois Bronzing Primer ASOS seem to have taken this primer off their site so I'm hoping it gets added back because I love this. This primer was labeled as an alternative to the popular Chanel cream bronzer. I know some people like to use this as a cream contour as well. While it is way too dark for me to contour or bronze with, I like to apply a small amount of this after using a regular face primer. It gives your complexion a bit more warmth without leaving you looking orange. I have used this as a primer as well and liked it as one. 

Nars Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base This is the best eyeshadow primer that I have tried. It has a wand applicator so you can apply this to your lids and then use your ring finger to gently pat it in. Apply eyeshadow as normal and it will stay put so much better. The primer really stops your eyeshadow from creasing. For extra longevity apply a cream base, like a Mac paint pot first.

Laura Mercier Radiance Primer If you're not so big on dewy finishes, a primer like this one can be the perfect way to make you look more awake. I typically prefer a more matte finish but applying this leaves your complexion with such a pretty natural glow. I've not tried any of Laura Mercier's other primers but this one has more of a cream, almost gel-like consistency. It's really easy to blend and again, your makeup will stay put with this underneath. 

Christmas is now over and if you're in the Southern Hemisphere no doubt some of you will be off right now spending gift vouchers or money in the Boxing Day Sales. I'm sure the fairies behind some of our favourite beauty sites are aware of all this too because a few days before Christmas their sales emails started appearing in my inbox. Well, they've certainly collated some fabulous beauty things in their sales. I've gathered a little edit of some of the best bargains. The best part is you don't even need to leave your house to purchase them. Whether you're looking to treat yourself, or get a head start on gifts for next year, you are bound to find something you're tempted by.

Eyeko 'Alexa Chung' Set-This cutely packaged kit contains an eyeliner and mascara that both have Alexa's artwork and approval behind them. I added this set to my cart and hastily left the tempting Beauty Bay realm, 'nuff said. 

Too Faced 'All I Want For Christmas' Set-This is such an adorable set. I love the case it is all packaged up in. You get everything you need, sans base for a makeup look in this set. If you're looking to try out Too Faced then you should pick this up because there's a well thought out selection of products to try in there. 

Diptyque Philosykos Eau De Toilette-A fresh, fig scent that is uplifting and not potent in the slightest. Now that I have the Figuier candle as well this scent reminds me a lot of the fragrance of fresh Christmas trees so it's like owning Christmas in a bottle all year. Who wouldn't want that?

Essie Winter Collection-Festive glittery reds, navy blues and cashmere greys. Love. You cannot fault Essie polishes. They're long-wearing, easy to apply and they have a fantastic colour range. 

It's that time of the month again! During December I've been loving colour, glitter, and everything in between. Sit back, relax, grab a cup of tea or a cold drink and have a read of this month's edit..

Bobbi Brown Nail Polish in Chrome, limited edition*-It's no secret that I love glittery things and this gold nail polish is no exception. This glitter is easy to apply and the fine glitter pieces mean you can layer this over other nail colours, super festive. It dries fast and is super easy to remove, unlike most glitters. I'm quite tempted to go pick up the other gold shade from this collection as well.

Bourjois Color Boost Lip Crayons in Peach on the Beach and Orange Punch-I love the simplicity and ease of application that comes with lip crayons. These Bourjois offerings are pigmented, creamy and pretty darn long lasting. 

Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub-My skin's been a little bit scaly lately, particularly around my elbows and ankles. This zesty lime, lemon and smashed brown sugar scrub solves that problem though. Using a scrub like this one in conjunction with a body butter leaves your skin incredibly moisturised. It also helps that this scrub happens to smell delicious!

Illamasqua Pure Pigment in Ore-Pigments are perfect for jazzing up eye makeup, particularly during the festive season. Ore is a stunning bronze with flecks of gold glitter throughout. I like wearing this by itself or layered over other eyeshadows with lots of mascara.

I'm sure it won't come as much of a surprise to anyone that within hours of landing I'd already found myself in both Mecca Maxima and Priceline. Now this may seem like a lot of beauty-related products but I knew about this holiday for a while and had been saving accordingly. I was mainly trying to find products that you can't pick up in New Zealand and managed to do just that! For all my Australian readers I've put links as well so you can see where to buy everything.

Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayons in Peach On The Beach and Orange Punch. Ever since I've been using the bronzing primer from Bourjois I'd been wanting to try more of their products. These lip crayons in particular were popular in the Northern Hemisphere summertime and it is easy to see why. I picked up two colours I usually steer clear of but because they are a bit sheerer they look a lot more subtle and wearable.

Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara, purchased in Duty Free I was initially not going to purchase this because the duty free store in the city gave me a price for this mascara which was quite expensive. When I got to the airport counter though it was much less than what the salesperson had originally told me. It lengthens your lower lashes and adds a curl to them, which is something other mascaras seem to not do. This is the perfect companion if you want Twiggy-esque lashes. 

Essie Luxeffects in Set in Stones Essie has recently returned to the shelves in New Zealand but the luxeffects range hasn't been released here. This silver glitter features different sized glitter pieces so this looks stunning alongside festive red shades or as a feature nail. For a glitter polish it isn't overly gritty as well, which is perfect if you're like me and loathe the sandpaper texture on your nails that some glitters cause. 

Hydraluron This was a Caroline Hirons and beauty blogger-influenced enabled purchase. Hydraluron is a serum containing hyaluronic acid that is designed to inject moisture back into the skin. I haven't used this yet but the beauty-set swear by it so I will let you know how it performs.