Tuesday 28 March 2017

Revisiting Old Favorites


When it comes to my personal makeup, I have always been a bit cautious of the number of products I own and keep. I hate hoarding. I prefer owning a few options of each thing. For example, 2-3 eyeshadow palettes, a couple of blushes and bronzers and maybe 2 mascaras at a time. However, every once in a while I like to add something I don't need, but really want! And so with the 'treat yo'self' attitude, I gravitated back to some of my favorite products for ages now!

NARS Blushes.
I have never been much of a blush girl. At one point I owned several that I never used and ended up giving away to people, mostly because I like a more bronzed complexion over a fresh, blushing face. Despite all these issues, I still find myself in love with most NARS Blushes. NARS as a brand could sell me bottled cat pee and I'd probably buy it, just because of the man and genius behind the brand, but I digress. I've owned Taj Mahal, Exhibit A and Desire before. All extremely bright and pigmented colours I used to love, but not so much anymore. So recently, when my friend was getting me some makeup as a wedding gift (thanks Sums!) I asked for NARS Sin among several other things. Unlike my previous NARS Blushes, this one is a muted berry with find gold shimmer running through it. It's almost bronzey, and works really well with my general, no makeup-makeup look I like to sport on a daily basis. It's extremely flattering and works really well with pretty much any complexion. It maybe nondescript, but if you get a chance to try this, do it! I swear you won't regret it!

Laura Mericier Baked Highlighter.
When I first read the product description, it said 'baked matte highlighter' which did not seem possible to me, how does one be matte and highlight? But once I used my sample (which I got with one Sephora's Favorite's Kits) I understood exactly what this meant. It's a matte silky semi sheer powder, with the most undetectable micro shimmer running through it. The shimmer is so fine, that it manages to highlight by blending into the skin and 'highlighting' said area. Infact, if you use this with a really fluffy brush under your eyes to brighten the area, it really works! But you need the smallest amount! I love this so much, I used it for all my wedding-related events as it didn't leave visible shimmer on my cheek or emphasise texture!

MAC Paintpots.
Remember when MAC Paintpots were all the rage? It makes me feel so old to think I was a teenager when they were doing the rounds and everybody collected them. Indianwood was my go-to favorite. And over the years I've used several (Groundwork, Rubenesque, Bare Study) of them both in my kit and in my personal collection. But again, if you like that wash of colour on your lids, without much effort, but still makes you look a little grungy - the almost editorial style slept in makeup, try Constructivist. This gorgeous brown with red pearl is perfect for an everyday eyeshadow. And I've been wearing it non stop since I got it.

Do you have any old favorites you have recently been obsessed with? What are they?
And would anyone like a wedding makeup breakdown? :)

Monday 13 March 2017

Back, again.


I swear I'm back for good this time around. I think what happens when you deal with makeup day in and out is you tend to get bored. It's all I see. Be it Instagram and the 1000's of 'makeup gurus' or YouTube with it's product pushers! I just needed to take a step back, re-evaluate, and come back.
So let me just jump in with my current favorite base products.

Two Faced Hangover RX Primer
If you have oily skin by nature, I'd suggest you stay far away from this product. This primer isn't much of what a traditional primer is, in my opinion. It feels mostly like skincare that preps your skin to look more dewy and awake. I love it on days when my skin looks dull and lifeless (which seems to be pretty often as I grow older... yikes). It has a coconut scent which may put some people off, but I love anything coconut related, so I'm rather fond of it on. The scent does disappear after sometime I've noticed, which is something worth mentioning.
In terms of longevity, it doesn't increase or decrease the wear of the products you use on top. On my face longevity depends entirely on if I powder my face or not. And as far as minimising pores and such, once again, this does nothing. Why is it a favorite, then, you ask? The aforementioned dry and lifeless skin or even normal skin that would like an added boost of moisture or glow, this is your friend.

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Champagne Pop
I'm going to start with this, I don't particularly care for Jaclyn Hill, who created Champagne Pop in pressed form. And I think it was rather unprofessional of her to throw Becca under the bus regarding her palette. But having said that, I love Becca as a brand.
To me Becca, like Laura Mercier scream dewy, perfected sun kissed skin. All their products are top notch, if not a little fragile. (Try travelling with your Skin perfector pressed)
Champagne Pop in liquid form is a lot less intense then it's powder version, making it perfect for someone with visible texture (oh acne, I shall forever thank you for that). The shimmer is almost invisible on the skin, but it does 'highlight' the area like it is meant to do.
On some evenings, if I'm feeling particularly rebellious, or in the mood to freak my husband out with my shiney cheekbones, I like adding the Pressed Powder over the Liquid and generally blind everyone within a two foot distance. But it does look pretty.
The subtle peachy golden liquid can be used under foundation, over or mixed with. I love wearing it over foundation and patting it down with a beauty blender. It's also incredible flattering on warm, tan skintones. It highlights without being stark, like Becca's Opal.

Have you tried either of these products? What are your thoughts?