By Fiona McKim

I never really thought I could be an ELLE girl.

The flawless magazine maven may be a bit of a cliché, but after years spent immersing myself in the impeccably appointed pages of ELLE, it was hard to imagine the staff of such a title being anything less than perfect. The sort of girl whose lipstick never migrates to a mass in the corners of her mouth, who can slurp ramen at lunch without splattering her crisp white shirt, and who can resist the temptation to peel off her Shellac in its first week.

I am not this girl. Despite this, a lifelong obsession with all things beautiful has led me to pursue a career alongside the magazine figureheads of my imagination. Being the sloppiest one in the room is pretty trivial if I get to spend my days learning how to inspire others who love the beautiful things that I do.

And so, it was with a mixture of elation and slight trepidation that I met the Beauty Team on my first day as Beauty Editor Intern; Yes, I was wrong. Yet also, kind-of right. Of course, they are all properly gorgeous, glossy girls (wouldn’t you be disappointed if they weren’t?) but any inferiority complex melted away like cheap mascara under a MAC wipe, 'cos guess what else? They are all also properly nice.

So nice, in fact, that they allowed me a fabulous first task; picking three fabulous budget-friendly bits from the beauty cupboard, testing them out and sharing the results with you right here. Enjoy!

As for me? Watch this space. There’s a long way to go before I can do my own fishtail plait or preserve a manicure for more than three days, but I am lucky enough to be surrounded by the most hardworking and inspiring beauty team in the business – so surely it’s only a matter of time?

As my quest to recreate Cara’s beefy brows continues, I love the idea of picking up this handy booster with my Baxter jeans. A wax-based pencil with a lovely smudgy texture, giving soft and natural definition, yet the pigments are dense enough for a proper colour payoff.

A satisfyingly thick and sweet smelling lotion that will look as pretty as a bunch of peonies on your bathroom shelf. The rich luxuriousness of the formula means you’ll need 10 minutes drying time, but the deeply moisturising, skin-smoothing results are totally worth it.

24 hours of continuous lip colour from one application is a pretty hefty boast, so I decided to put this one through its paces by applying it on the morning of a festival. 12 hours, seven bands, two rides on the waltzers and several pints of cider later it remained satisfyingly steadfast. 16 hours in I had to admit defeat and remove the colour before going to bed – I’m sorry for doubting you Superstay, welcome to my make-up bag.

See Fiona's #TrailATrend Dior Couture make-up...