From overflowing with make-up we're barely worn, to just being a downright conundrum, out beauty bags can often be the banes of our lives. Let's be honest, who of us haven't had a make-up meltdown when we can't decide which face to show the world today, or whether we should splurge on the big brands or save a few pennies on the budget options, or even if the brands we're using are ethical? There are so many questions that make beauty mind boggling!
I'm certainly no make-up expert, I've never had a make-up lesson in my life, and probably like most of you I just learnt from what I saw my mother doing to now getting experimental with the help of YouTube. Despite my age and online era we live in, I still feel a little clueless when it comes to beauty. But with the help of some clever clogs and a little gadgetry, there are some amazing beauty apps helping me get educated on the brands in my beauty bag, as well as helping me to wear more than one look. I've rounded up a few of my favourite FREE beauty apps in the hope that they may also help you!
Think Dirty
Ok, so this app has become an addiction. I've pre-warned you, so don't blame me if you can't stop using it. Plus I love the cheeky name. The aim of the app is to reveal just what's in your beauty products and make you realise how toxic some may be. Sounds a little scary I know, but you'll be surprised just what your favourite products are harbouring in their pretty packaging. After all, we put this stuff on our face!
Educating us on the 'cleanest' skincare and make-up out there, Think Dirty has a simple rating system scoring items between 1- 10 (10 being the very worst). It then gives you an easy overview of the full list of ingredients within the product along with the health impacts associated with the ingredient. So for example, my trusted Liz Earle moisturiser that I use religiously, rates at a whopping 9 because of the unspecified fragrance ingredients that are found within the product which are derived from animal extracts. Shocking!
Of course, they're not saying your make-up is going to kill you or destroy the planet, but certainly cutting out some of the crap may make a big difference to your skin and your overall health, as well as ensuring that you feel happy about the ethics of the brands. Plus we're all becoming a little more savvy about the world we live in, so perhaps we could start with detoxing our beauty bags? To find out how your beauty bag rates, you can either scan the barcode or search for the item. Unfortunately, Think Dirty is Canadian based do there may be some products that you can't find, but it's working to increase the library to an international scale.
PRIMP (Pretty in My Pocket)
Despite all the blog searches in the world sometimes it’s no easy task finding an honest review about a product, and that’s all we really want, honest reviews. So this is exactly what PRIMP aim to do. Give you the beauty product reviews that you need all in one app.
Combining elements of Pinterest with an inspiration feature and an option to buying the item once you’ve read the reviews, the app pretty much has everything you need for finding the perfect product. Unfortunately again the only downfall is that it’s American so some products may be unavailable to purchase here in the UK. Damn it! You could say it’s the hybrid of Pinterest for beauty fans.
The ModiFace Makeover
The usefulness of this app is debatable, but it will give you a lot of fun and inspiration, and certainly pass a few hours if you find yourself waiting for a train or something else just as mundane.
If you’ve ever wondered what you look like with a celeb makeover then this app is going to be right up your street! You upload or take a picture of yourself and then scan through the library of celeb looks to see what you’d look like. Amazing right? Just for beauty based giggles it’s great, but it did also inspire me to try a few new looks that I perhaps wouldn’t have dared to without a little preview.
As someone who often gets stuck in a makeup rut, apps like these are my new go-to guides, and as they’re all free my poor phone is going abused more than ever!
My name is Lizzie and I blog over at Lizaboo. After spending 5 years working in the fashion and beauty industry, I decided to put my knowledge and passions on the world wide web. From a weekly dose of shoe porn to my fitness crazy antics, it's my space to share what I want to know and hopefully entertain along the way. Come along for the ride, you can find me via the links below.
Lizzie
Editor's note: Products mentioned are cruelty-free (though may have parent companies who test), but aren't necessarily vegan.
