little white truths

I've been meaning to write something on my favourite beauty bloggers and vloggers for a while, it's just been one of those posts that's sat in the 'later' basket because I've been inspired by other things.

But I sat down today to write a product review and realised it wasn't what I wanted to write: what I really wanted to do was say a little about the blogs and vlogs I keep returning to on a regular basis.

If you're a beauty junkie I suspect you'll have heard of most of them - if not all - but fingers crossed you'll see a link or two that reminds you of a resource you've once loved but forgotten. I'm always on the hunt for new stuff to read and watch, and if you are too then hopefully you'll discover (or rediscover) something you'll enjoy.

Yes of course. What list of beauty blogs would be complete without mentioning the lovely Christine from Temptalia?

One of the things I love most about her blog is that she comes across as a really nice person. On top of that, her lists of dupes is incredibly helpful since it's always nice to see that you don't 'need' something because you've already got something that's 90% similar in colour.

One thing I'm not sold on, however - and I know this will be a controversial statement (!) - is her swatches. While they're clear and in focus, I've discovered that the colours aren't exactly as they appear in real-life. This is of course expected when it comes to online swatches (taking into account screen resolution, different skintones etc etc) but I've found other blogs that provide better representations of colour overall (see eg Vampy Varnish below).

I don't know what it is - it could just be that her skin brings out different tones than mine does - but I don't rely on Temptalia for swatches. I'll usually read what she has to say about a product and then look for swatches elsewhere.

A great resource overall though. You can find Temptalia here.

Wayne Goss is a makeup artist hailing from the UK and I first stumbled across him when I was looking for tips on how to work with my hooded eyes.

He's obviously very experienced and I've learned some great tricks from watching his videos. He's become my favourite vlogger for all sorts of reasons, including that he's forthright and not afraid to say exactly what he thinks. (His video on 'Instagram Eyebrows' is brilliant and I thoroughly agree with his comments - I definitely recommend checking out that one!)

He's also passionate about what he does and this shows through in the best of ways. I should say, though, that he comes across differently in his more recent videos - I feel there's been a style-shift and I prefer the older stuff.

You also have to love the opening quote he uses in his videos: 'No amount of makeup can mask an ugly heart' (Kevyn Aucoin).

You can find Wayne Goss here.

For swatches: Vampy Varnish and Café Makeup  

These two blogs are where I go for swatches that I feel are the most true-to-colour. I also like the simple, honest style of both blogs and the writers are well-versed in makeup so I like seeing what they have to say about products I'm interested in.

Café Makeup is a really clean-looking blog and something about it is really easy on the eye. I don't get sick of this blog if I click through post after post there, purely because the layout is so good.

Vampy Varnish hits the nail (ha) on the head with her swatches and I often go there first if I want to see the colour of something, before checking other blogs for comments on the product I have my eye on.

If I can get my swatches anywhere near as good as they are on these two blogs, I'll be happy!

You can find Vampy Varnish here and Café Makeup here.

This isn't my favourite blog to read but I really love the way Alison does her makeup. Her writing is great, it's just something about the layout of the blog (perhaps even the font used) that wears out my eyes and turns me off a bit.

But Alison's photos are good and she always looks sensational. She applies makeup the way I want to, and where some bloggers and vloggers put heaps of eg blush on or swatch things too heavily (perhaps in an effort to get the products to show up well), Alison applies things naturally and her looks are always believable and work appropriate.

If I want ideas on how to use a product or to know how it might look when applied in real life, this is where I go.

You can find 10am Beauty here.

For laughs: NikkieTutorials

I think Nikkie is absolutely hysterical. I almost always laugh out loud when I watch her stuff, and often my husband will be lying next to me mucking around on his iPad but he will hear what she says and laugh too, even if he can't see her wonderful facial expressions.

She also knows her stuff when it comes to makeup and has an honest, direct style. She calls a spade a spade and I love that.

The only thing I don't love about her videos is that she applies makeup too heavily for my personal tastes. She looks great but I don't put that much on myself because I don't like the way I look if I go overboard. That's of course personal preference though and everyone is different!

You can find NikkieTutorials here.

Special mentions go to Lisa Eldridge for her gentle style, Ruth Crilly at A Model Recommends because she's on a similar page to me when it comes to skincare so I trust her skincare suggestions, and to The Sunday Girl, who I think writes really well.

I could probably go on with the list but these are the blogs and vlogs I visit most at the moment. Let me know what your favourites are - I'm always interested in finding new fellow beauty addicts!