Born to Buy: BRAND FOCUS & GIVEAWAY: Maybelline

If I had to say my favourite affordable brand, Maybelline would take the top spot, possible tying with L'Oreal. Maybelline has a really fantastic range of products available in a selection of shades that really, really appeal to me and I think their products are of a great quality.

There are a lot of Maybelline products that I haven't tried, sure, but there are some real winners in amongst the products I have tried, and that's what I'm going to talk to you about today.

Maybelline is an American owned cosmetics brand that's available worldwide. It was created in 1915 by a man named Tom Lyle Williams. He was 15 years old at the time and named after his sister, Maybel. Tom saw his sister applying a mixture of Vaseline and coal dust to her eyelashes to provide a dark, more dramatic look and he developed Maybelline's first product, Lash In Brow Line. The rest, as they say, is history.

There are a lot of Maybelline products that I really like so, beware, this could be a long'n. Brace yo'selves.

I haven't tried a Maybelline primer or foundation in quite some time so I can't comment on them. I can, however, vouch for their concealers. With six concealers to offer, there's certainly something for everyone, though I have two that I personally reach for. If you're wanting to brighten up your under eye area, look no further than their Instant Age Rewind Dark Circles Concealer. It comes in three dark circle neutralising shades (though, I'll be honest, the best shade was the one they discontinued, Brightener) that really conceal and under eye pigmentation. If you'd prefer something that's going to brighten and conceal redness, their Fit Me! Concealer is fab. Both of these concealers have a really nice texture that makes them so easy to apply.

For an affordable contouring and highlighting product, don't look past Maybelline's Master Sculpt Contouring Palette. The contour shades are a really nice tone and the highlight shade gives a subtle but beautiful and noticeable sheen to the cheeks. Both powders are also really blend able and easy to work with. This comes in two shades, Light and Medium, but I don't think there's much difference in between them and, given that I can (and do) use both, I'm not sure how they'd go with darker skin tones.

The Maybelline Colour Tattoos are a bit hit 'n' miss within the beauty community and I've gotta say, I'm on the fence. I find the original shades to be incredibly difficult to work with and I don't rate them, though I like the Metal range. Barely Branded from the Metals range is the perfect base for a shimmery look and Inked in Pink is great under pink toned eyeshadows for some extra oomph. The Nudes Palette is another that I'm not sure about; I think it's nice but not amazing. For the price, it's a decent eyeshadow palette but I'd be more inclined to recommend people save a few more pennies and splurge on something with a bit more pigmentation.

If eyeliner is what you need, don't look past the Maybelline Eye Studio Master Precise Liquid Liner. High end or otherwise, this is one of the best felt tipped liquid liners I've ever used and there's a reason why it's a cult classic.

There's no disputing it, Maybelline smashes it out when it comes to mascaras. There are a few Maybelline mascaras that I like but there's two that I adore. Maybelline's Lash Sensational Mascara is the mascara I'm using currently and I absolutely love it. It provides really natural looking lashes that look is so daytime appropriate. You can see how it looks on the lashes here. For a fuller and more fluffy look, their Mega Plus Volum' Express Mascara is fantastic. It gives the lashes a really fluffy look and I so often receive compliments when I wear it. To see how this look on my lashes, click here.

Maybelline Baby Lips have been a long time love of mine. I really like the formula and the Protective Berry Scent is my favourite. My top two Maybelline lip colours would have to be their Sensational Vivids Lipstick in Shocking Coral or Rebel Bloom Lipstick in Lilac Flush. Shocking Coral is, as the name suggests, a vibrant coral and Lilac Flush is a pink toned lavender that's quite similar to MAC's Dodgy Girl Lipstick. Both lipsticks have a really creamy formula, are really pigmented and comfortable to wear!

Lastly, let's talk nails. I make no secret of the fact that I love Maybelline's Express Remover nail polish pot. It makes it so easy to remove nail polish! I haven't tried too many colours from the Super Stay 7 Day Nail Colour but I picked up Eternal Lilac somewhat recently and I cannot get enough of this stunning colour. If you're looking for a great spring shade, seriously, pick it up.

Phew, that was a long one this week! I'm so sorry that this blog post has taken the form of a full on essay but I there are so many winning Maybelline products in my collection and I couldn't not share them with y'all!