Beauty Buff? Not me.
I was recently asked to write a post on how I do my make-up. This request seriously surprised me, as I certainly wouldn’t consider myself a beauty buff at all – but hey, if you want it, you got it.
My everyday make-up doesn’t really vary – and it hasn’t varied for years! Branching out is good, but when you find a look you feel comfortable in, trying other styles can seem a bit alien.
This post only contains high-street products, I’m certainly not the kind of blogger who shops at the YSL and Chanel beauty counters. If only my budget would stretch that far! There’s a lot of Revlon, Rimmel and Collection products in this post – so it’s all affordable, should something catch your eye.
Enjoy!
Face
I’ve been through a lot, and I mean a lot, of foundations in my time. I’m currently pretty impressed by the Revlon Colorstay foundation pictured here – the coverage is fantastic and it goes on like a dream. Initially it does look very pale (which is a new experience for my ivory complexion), but it oxidises to a darker colour after it’s applied, so you look far less ghostly. My only complaint is that this foundation is bottled with no pump, which makes it a little harder to apply. I used to be an ‘apply with fingers’ kinda girl, but I’ve recently switched to a brush, which seems to work well with this foundation. I mostly use ELF brushes, which seem to do a very good job!
I’m also a recent convert to pressed powder (after whining about my make-up rubbing straight off) – I’m not sure how much powders would vary between products – so I’ve opted for a cheap Collection powder (£1.99) which seems to be doing the job perfectly. My newest Collection purchase is their much hyped Lasting Perfection concealer – and I’m in love! I read a few rave reviews before purchasing and it really lived up to my expectations. It covers perfectly, with good staying power and the price is very reasonable (£4.19). I found the application, coverage and staying power to be better than my last concealer, Boi-ing by Benefit, which was a whopping £17.50!
I’ve been using the Bourjois Blush Exclusif for several months now, and I still consider it a bit of a magic product. The colour of the blush adapts to your skin tone, creating a personalised and unique glow for your cheeks. That sounds totally made up, but when I purchased the concealer it was a warm-peachy colour, and as soon as I touched it, it turned a cool fuchsia (which I suppose compliments my pale skin). I’d be interested to see what other colours it will turn – so if you’ve purchased the product too, let me know!
Eyes
Eyes are probably the most important element of my look, a look I’ve worn since I was about fifteen – discovering Alexa Chung’s catwinged eyeliner was a big turning point in my beauty regime. I’ve shown you a lot of products here, but I frequently dash out to work having only slicked on my eyeliner. I’ve been using the Rimmel Exaggerate liner for years – I’ve tried other products but I always come back to this, my old faithful. I’d be interested to try Alexa’s Eyeko products, but I need to save up the pennies! If I’m trying to look more dramatic and done-up (by day to night make up hardly varies) I add some kohl to my lower waterline – Rimmel’s Scandal Eyes works very well, but use it sparingly!
Because I’m always wearing fairly thick eyeliner, I tend to skip mascara as you can’t see my lashes! But on the odd occasion I do wear it, Soap and Glory’s Thick and Fast does the trick! It makes the lashes appear very thick and long with minimal effort – so for all of you mascara buffs, this is one to try!
Back on the Revlon Colorstay brand, the 16 Hour Eyeshadow Palette has everything I need in the colour department. I’ve purchased two palettes, Moonlit and Siren, one a nude/brown and the other a selection of greys – highly pigmented without being strong enough to overpower my pale skin. Each palette comes with enough colours to create a dramatic smoky eye (they even come with suggestions on how to create one), but I need to sweep a pale colour across my lid and swoop a darker colour across the socket line, because I’ve pretty lazy and low maintenance (make-up wise, that is!).
Finally, when I want to touch up my brows I use a single pot of eyeshadow from Natural Collection – so much better than using a pencil in my opinion! I know a lot of brands create specific products for eyebrows, but these tend to cost a bomb and my £1.79 shadow has worked perfectly well so far! I apply it with an angled liner brush, which helps me to create a good shape. I’m not actually wearing brow powder in the picture above, but when I do use it, it’s to give my brows a bit more shape and fill in the gaps (I don’t need any thickener, as you can see).
Lips
I am one of those people who owns 20 lipsticks, and only wears a couple. Do you know what I’ve realised? Lipstick is not the way to go. I’m currently favouring Revlons Colorburst Matte and Lacquer Balms (pictures are my two favourite colours – Demure and Flirtacious) which give a strong colour in a highly moisture rich balm – unlike that horrible cakey dry texture you get with some lipsticks (shudder!). They also smell utterly delightful, just sayin’. This week I purchased Barry M’s Gelly Hi Shine Lips in Sirius and it’s a new favourite – I’m wearing it in the pictures. It’s a pen style, like the Colorbust balm, but produces a lip-gloss style sheen. Amazing. The colour is great, as is the staying power – there’s one thing that bothers me – there’s no twisty bottom like a lipstick, so what happens when the nib runs down, which won’t be long as it’s only an inch or so long?
When I’m not wearing any lip colour, I try to apply some Lip Therapy vaseline, which has a nice rosy tinge and keeps my lips in great condition through the tough winter months and dry summer days. It’s certainly one of those beauty must-haves – especially as you can buy it for about £1!
Did you enjoy my beauty post? Which are your favourite products?
She Wore Ribbon 