With the first in the line of 40% off two-day mega sales starting at Priceline yesterday (Fragrance is up first) I started thinking about some of my more successful impulse buys I've picked up in the past sales. Usually I do a lot of research into the products I buy but these guys made their way into my little pink basket in the chaos of it all, and it turns out I actually love what I picked up.

Pond's Flawless White BB+ in Light: This is great for evening out your skin on days when you want a lighter coverage. It provides a light to medium coverage (all-be-it on the lighter side of medium) and gives a natural dewy finish. It blends out smoothly with minimal effort and, like most BB creams, it's great for applying with fingers when you're in a rush. Whilst it doesn't have a pump it is relatively easy to control the amount of product you get out of the bottle. It's great for those with a light to fair complexion with yellow undertones. Unfortunately though there are only two shades available. If you are looking for a lighter base at a low price-point for pink undertones the Max Factor CC Cream in Fair (don't be fooled by the dark swatch on the Priceline website - it's way off) is similar with slightly more coverage.

Face of Australia Translucent Loose Powder: This is a beautiful, finely milled powder for such a crazy affordable price. You get enough product to last you a life time, providing you don't spill it everywhere when you open the lid. Because it is loose it isn't the best product for carrying around in your hand bag for touch ups during the day, but it does work really well to extend the wear time of your foundation without making it look cakey. This is also great if you're looking for a loose powder to use as per the Goss foundation method.

Max Factor Wild Shadow Pots: Excuse the cheap packaging because these are some gorgeous eyeshadows. Highly pigmented, creamy formula with minimal fallout in some beautiful everyday colours. These are a great option for someone just starting out in makeup and not wanting to spend a lot of money on eyeshadows. I have the shades Burnt Bark (pictured), Aubrun Envy (pictured), Savage Rose, and Pale Pebble and find that they are just such wearable shades for everyday. One bonus of the horrible packaging is that it makes them really easy to depot into a Z-Palette.

Max Factor Colour Elixir Lipsticks: There was a sale, lipsticks are my weakness and one thing led to another and these two beauties ended up coming home with me. And I am so glad for that moment of weakness as these have become two of my most worn lip colours. Star Dust Pink is a my lips but peachy-pinkier. It's one of those shades that you can slap on without a mirror and know that you won't look like Ronald McDonald. Eternal flame is a bolder pink but it goes on relatively sheer. The colour can be built up into a bold-ish lip but because it is so creamy it doesn't stay put for very long. I find this shade is great for adding a bit of colour to the face and brightening up the complexion on those days when your skin is just looking a little dull. The pigmentation does vary thought the line but all are creamy and extremely comfortable on the lips. They do have a Vanilla scent to them but it doesn't linger after application. 

Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer in 51: I absolutely adore the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum foundation so I thought I'd give the corresponding concealer a try. I prefer using this under the eyes on days when I need a little more coverage than my Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer but still want something light and brightening. I find this doesn't tend to crease on my skin, or collect in any fine lines I have around my eyes. I don't like using this on any blemishes as it does tend to highlight instead of concealing them. My only complaint about this is the shade range. 51 is the lightest shade and only suits me when I have a tan, and their darkest shade 'Light Bronze' is more akin to that of a British tourist who's spent too long baking in the sun than anything else. However, if you do manage to find your shade it is a great affordable concealer.

Prestige Baked Mineral Blush in Peach: This one really took me by surprise. It blends out well and doesn't apply patchy over foundation if you don't powder beforehand. It has a fine gold reflect running through it and gives a lovely sheen to the cheeks. The colour is great for brightening dull complexions. It is like a sheerer, more natural version of NARS Orgasm (they do have other shades if you aren't a fan of the cult blush and all of it's knock-offs).

Prestige Classic Lip Liner in Silk: This is a creamy, pigmented lipliner is the perfect my-lips-but-better-and-more-even shade. It is such fantastic quality for the price, and on par with some higher-end lip liners that I've tried. I feel like this could be a possible Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat dupe... I guess I'll just have to buy it and compare the two,you know, for research. 

L'oreal Color Riche Couleur de Crayon: Whilst it doesn't apply as smoothly as the By Terry Ombre Blackstars (to be honest, what else is?) it is a great tacky base for eyeshadow or a nice wash of colour all over the lid. Unlike the elusive (seriously Target, would it kill you to restock more often?) NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils this doesn't crease on me and I feel as though my shadow lasts longer with the L'oreal option. 

Australis High Lights in Pearl: The best buy of the bunch, little did I know just how much I would love this product. Many consider the pearl shade a dupe of Benefit's Girl Meets Pearl highlighter, and the gold shade a dupe for Watt's Up. I haven't tried these two Benefit products myself, but I can say that this is a beautiful, creamy highlighter that transforms any makeup look I add it too. Whilst it applies best before powder, it still manages to look good even when you apply it after you've powder the skin. A little goes a long way with this, so the 15g will last you forever.

There you have some of my favourite impulse buys, what are some of yours? Any regrets? 

Some old and new favourites all come together for what's become my fail-safe daily makeup routine. 

L'oreal Lumi Magique Pure Light Primer: I used this as both an all-over primer and added some more as a highlight on my cheek bones after I applied foundation. It's just gives such a lovely glow to the skin without being glittery. 

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla: This is tied in first place with the Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer as my holy grail concealer. It's got fantastic coverage, blends out incredibly well and doesn't cling to dry patches or crease under the eyes. I'm so happy to have this product in my life. 

Esteè Lauder Perfectionist Youth-Infusing Makeup in N1N Ivory Nude: This foundation is good skin in a bottle.  It just gives such a beautiful natural finish to the skin, and just seems to glide over any imperfections leaving you looking radiant and healthy. Since this foundation made its way into my collection a month ago it's all I've been wearing. You can see my full review of it here.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light: A powder that doesn't look like a powder!? I love this for setting my makeup whilst still retaining some dimension in my skin. It keeps my foundation in place despite the high levels of humidity and doesn't have an overly mattifying effect on the skin.

The Body Shop Honey Bronzer in 01: This is great for adding some warmth to those of us who are as pale as a ghost. It just looks so natural on the skin but I find it does tend to fade quickly if I haven't used a primer or setting spray that day. I fell in love with it after seeing it on Esteè from Essie Button however it seems everyone else felt the same way as now it is almost always sold out at my local Body Shop.

Face of Australia blush in Hello Dolly: I got this in the hope of it being similar to Dior's Rosy Glow Blush, and whilst it isn't overly glowy it does brighten up the complexion - great for those days when you are feeling a bit dull skin-wise. It is smooth and easy to blend this blush is fantastic for its $9.45 price. The shade Primrose is equally as beautiful but slightly better for the colder months. 

Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade in Taupe: Great for well defined brows that won't budge. I absolutely love ashy brow colours, and this is a great one. Just be sure to use a light hand with this product otherwise you can end up with very overdrawn brows.

Clinique Neutral Territory 2 Palette (limited edition - no longer available): Compact, functional, versatile and filled with beautiful neutrals this is the paired back palette that's great for travel. Unfortunately it was limited edition, isn't that always the way? All shades are available in the permanent line as singles and duos. My favourites shades from the palette are Black Honey (great for green and hazel eyes) and Hazy, both of which I have in single forms just in case I ever hit pan. 

Rimmel Scandaleyes eyeliner in Brown: My perfect everyday eyeliner - not to harsh, but still gives enough definition to make my eyes pop. I love this for smudging across the top and bottom lash lines as well as for use in the top waterline (seriously, why don't more people do this? It makes a huge difference). Bronze is a similar shade that works so well with blue, green or hazel eyes. 

L'oreal Telescopic in Blackest Black: I'm all about length and separation for the day time and this gives me just that. Clinique High Impact Mascara still is still my favourite for during the day, but this is a close second. 

Maybelline Color Elixir in Rose Redefined: This is just such a gorgeous pink-y rose shade. I absolutely love these gloss-lipstick-balm hybrids, they are just so comfortable to wear. Not the best option for wining and dining, but it's a great formula for everyday as it stains the lips and doesn't fade away or go patchy with wear.

What products go-to fail-safe products?

THE COLLECTION $210USD VIA BEAUTYLISH

Note - All brushes are available for purchase individually from Beautylish.

BRUSH 01: For me this was the compromise brush. I wanted every other brush in the Collection set but had heard this brush just didn't preform as well as my much loved Sigma F80. It's an angled duo-fiber stippling brush that is intended for foundation and unfortunately it tends to apply most liquids streaky. But boy do I love this brush for blending in concealer. I tend to pat my concealer in first if I am in need of a higher coverage, but this brush is so soft it doesn't disturb the product underneath or blend it all away to nothing. It turns out the compromise is one of the most used brushes in my daily routine.

BRUSH 02: This is my go to contour brush. Also equally beautiful at applying powder, bronzer and blush this brush seems to just do it all. It is so beautifully soft I have been finding myself using it for as many products as possible just to feel it gliding over my skin. It's made out of incredibly soft (I cannot stress this enough - super soft) blue squirrel hairs and is great for those of you with delicate skin.

BRUSH 03: How do I love thee? Let me count the ways... But seriously, contouring, precise powdering, detailed highlighting - it all manages to look perfect with this brush. But by far my favourite use for this brush is on the eyes, it is just such a beautiful brush for achieving a professionally blended eyeshadow look. This is usually my first and last step in any eye look I create. From applying definition to the crease, a brow-bone highlight and just sweeping it all over the lid to ensure everything is seamlessly blended. It's just such an incredibly beautiful brush that I don't think I could ever live without.

BRUSH 04: This brush is perfect for providing definition to hooded and smaller eyes. Great for more detailed work in the crease, inner and outer corners of the eye, brush 04 is just such a functional brush. Once again, this delivers an incredibly soft and luxurious eyeshadow application.

BRUSH 05: Beautiful for seriously precise crease work and blending shadow under the eye. Brilliant for diffusing the edges of large areas of bright colours and softening a detailed cut-crease look. This wouldn't be a necessity for everyone, but brush 05 is a fantastic brush to have around for more creative and detailed eye looks.

BRUSH 06: Most similar to the MAC 217, this is a great brush for diffusing the crease colour and seamlessly blending out your eyeshadow looks. It does have a flat edge to pack on colour but in this respect the harsher and denser 217 does pick up more colour. As someone who wear some form of a smokey eye daily this brush is definitely well used. This brush is also beautiful for applying powder to set concealer under the eyes.

BRUSH 07: This is such a lovely lip brush. This stiff bristles makes bolder lipsticks easy to apply and go on streak-free. You can get a harsh edge or feather it out to give a smoother finish and make lips appear larger and more even. It is also a fantastic brush for applying kohl and gel liner along the top lash line.

BRUSH 08: I. love. this. brush. It's great for filling in brows with both powder and a thicker pomade and gives such a natural finish. It is also great for tightlining the eyes and is beautiful for creating a feline detail in the inner corner. Brilliant for etching out winged liner or a cut-crease and smudging shadow and kohl liner along the top lash line.

PURCHASED INDIVIDUALLY:

BRUSH 11: It is a great brush for applying powder, blush and highlighter but the finish it gives when applying bronzer is just gorgeous. I just love this brush for applying bronzer around the perimeter of the face and along the cheekbones; everything just blends in beautifully and it leaves your face sufficiently warmed up. It is tapered enough to still provide some definition, lending itself well for daytime appropriate contouring.

BRUSH 13: I ordered this brush hoping it would answer all my foundation application dreams but unfortunately I was disappointed. Once again I was left with a streaky finish when buffing my liquid foundations into the skin. However, it does work beautifully well for applying mineral foundations and is great for when I want a more precise bronzer application. It is such a beautifully soft brush but I still can't feel disappointed when I watch Wayne buffing foundations into his skin with this brush only to have mine come off streaky.

BRUSH 19: This brush is yet another beautiful crease brush. Can you tell I have an slight obsession with crease brushes? Must be the smokey-eye lover in me. This is smaller than brush 03 but larger and thicker than brush 04 making it the perfect size for getting into the crease. The tapered bristles mean that when applied to the crease with a light hand you can create a harsher, more precise application. As more pressure is applied the bristles splay out creating a softer, more diffused shadow application. This is just the great do-it-all crease brush for normal to larger eyes. I could see how this could be overwhelming for crease work on smaller eyes but it would still work well to blend shadow together for a smokey look.

What are your must have brushes? And thus concludes this crazy long post. I promise it won't happen again! 

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This lightweight, medium coverage foundation is infused with serum technology that firms, brightens and hydrates the skin. It provides a gorgeous satin finish, smoothing over the face to reveal perfected, natural lit-from-within looking skin. It all comes packaged in a beautiful glass bottle complete with pump - which really, at this price point, should come as standard (here's looking at you Double Wear).

Lauder's Perfectionist is more of a typical foundation consistency than the super-liquid, roll-off-the-back-of-your-hand formulas released in recent years, but it still blends smoothly over the skin with minimal effort. It applies equally well with a beauty blender, brush or finger tips, however I didn't try out the brush that was marketed along with this foundation as it seemed a bit gimmicky for me. It last well with normal to dry skin, and doesn't cling to dry patches providing you moisturise before application. However, oilier skin-types would need to set the foundation with a powder to ensure its longevity. You can see it in action on my face here.

Infused with the Perfectionist Serum  this foundation claims to visibly reduce the signs of lines and increase hydration with prolonged use, however, I wouldn't abandon your dedicated serum(s) just yet - this is still makeup, not skincare! The best anti-aging feature of this foundation is the SPF 25 which is enough to keep your skin protected during the daily commute to work/school. 

When I initially swatched the shades at my local counter I didn't think I would find a match, but much like their Invisible Fluid Makeup (another of my light-weight base favourites), this foundation adjusts slightly to suit your skin-tone. Unlike many of the other revolutionary skin-tone adjusting foundations, this one does not oxidase (hallelujah). Unfortunately Estèe Lauder have decided to edit the number of shades available for sale in Australia - a measly 16 shades versus the 21 shades available in the US - so even with the skin-tone adjusting formula many will still struggle to find a shade match.

The Perfectionist foundation is a really beautiful lightweight, no-fuss natural radiant base for everyday that feels incredibly luxurious to apply.  This new generation of serum-foundation hybrids seem to be getting lighter and lighter without compromising coverage or finish, if it's only going to get better from here I can't wait to see what's released next!

Price: $68 AUD

Coverage: Light to medium

Shades available: 16