On-The-Go Makeup.

Keeping with the same theme as the previous post, I bring you, the on-the-go makeup bag. While the previous post focused on a day - night which just consisted of adding to the already there base - this post focuses more on the days when you just can't get back home to change/freshen up etc. I used to do this a lot when I was back in college, but now, I have a more refined and less "throw it all in" idea of what I need.

For starters, makeup wipes, nope, not for the face, but more for my hands, I dab a bit of MUFE Full Cover Concealer in places where it has worn off during the day and just powder those areas with my MAC Studio Fix Powder - I sometimes use the puff that comes with it to just dust it all over as well, mostly to add a bit of coverage here and there. A swipe of the KIKO shadow stick in 6 in the inner corners of the eye leaves me looking like I just woke up - instead of tired and annoyed. Blush is something I only wear in the evenings - let me just admit - I don't particularly like blush, I own exactly one blush currently and its this one - Chanel's Presage - a peachy coral that looks really natural on me, and only needs fingers to blend.
For the lips I have two options - the usual nude offering being my Clinique Chubby Stick Intense in Curviest Caramel (Stellar dupe for MAC's Velvet Teddy btw) and MAC's Lady At Play Mineralize Lipstick for a bolder more intense lip.

So, that is my on the go makeup bag, what is yours?

Day-Night Makeup.

I love the idea of simple makeup during the day, usually - MUFE Ful Cover Concealer to hide my spots and pesky dark circles, Bourjois Healthy Balance Powder just to set the under eye concealer and thats the base. I always, always, ALWAYS define my brows with NARS Coconut Grove Eyeshadow, and use either the Maybelline Gel Liner or just Mascara, and some lipbalm.
On the same day, I had to go out that evening and had less than 5 minutes to get read, so on went my trusty Giorgio Armani LSF over the days slightly worn-in concealer  (its perfect really, gives you this glow and stays on without needing powder), a sweep of MAC's Amber Lights in the centre of the lid, loads of Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara, and some of MAC's Lady at Play lipstick to really make it more dressy.

I like this, its easy to do - fast and I love how different it looks.

What do you like to do?

Rewind - Lipsticks

If you could start over  with lipsticks, what colours would you choose?
I'm not a huge lipstick lover, I'm a balm person through and through - but once in a while, some lipstick didn't hurt anyone.
If I had to start over with my lipstick buys, I would have probably skip the revlon lip butters/balm stains (easy to use - but last less than 2 hours on me) and gone straight for my these three MAC Lipsticks. Velvet Teddy (nude), Ruby Woo (intense red) and Rebel (purple-plum). They last a good 4 hours and leave back a light stain. And most importantly they're matte/satin - the only two lipstick finishes that I like. Between the three of them they cover all seasons, makeup looks and possible events - if I had to buy more, I would probably stick to something alone these lines - NARS Lip Pencils in Cruella and Dragon Girl, I'm looking at you.

Honestly though, the best part about these three? All Back-to-MAC freebies.

Your choices?

Take a Day Off with Clinique.

The day I got the Clinique Take a Day Off Cleansing Balm, I was ecstatic. Little bit of history here for you.. I've been trying to get hold of this for months.. yes, months. Its ALWAYS out of stock here. I was close to giving up when I decided - one jobless afternoon - to track it down. I called all the counters in the city until one which was 14kms away from me said they recieved shipment the previous day and had 5 of these in stock. This was at 2 in the afternoon. So I went there in the evening (yes, 14 kms), only to get there just in time to pick up the last one at 7:30.

*insert angels singing*

I request you not to gasp and cry when you see my very scarred bare face. But the above picture illustrates for you exactly what this balm does. Its looks like a solid oil, and melts in your fingers just like one.. you massage it all over your face (picture two), look incredibly shiney and dirty for a few minutes, rinse your face and come out looking like angel. No really, glow et all.
Nothing gets rid of makeup like this stuff. And its probably the only reason why I will now give balm cleansers a chance. Because they work so darn well.
This is fragrance free (like much of Clinique skincare), costs INR 2000 for 125ml, and is an all round winner in every sense.
Still not convinced that you need this? I asked my very skeptical mother to try it, and her jaw literally dropped.

Buy it, your face will thank you. I know mine is now forever grateful to my brain, Caroline Hirons, the freelance gig that allowed me to buy this and the clinique store 14kms away.

Do you own this? You really should. 

A match made in Heaven..?

Something are just meant to be - destiny - fate - call it what you want. Thats what Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation (7.5) and Guerlain Meteorites in (2) Biege Tint are - meant to be? Okay, okay, I get it, TOO FAR.

But honestly, if you have skin like mine - which is currently, dry, full of acne scars and generally lacking in any kind of human qualities, you'd love this combination as much as I do. LSF has a light-medium buildable coverage. I use it over my MUFE concealer in 10, but even on its own, it does a pretty good job of covering those nasty purple-brown spots. Finish wise I'd say its not a satiny, nor is it matte - semi matte perhaps?
As a foundation, this is probably the best colour match I've found till date - it smells wonderful, looks beautiful on and I need just about a pump for my entire face. Worth the hype? Entirely.

If you want to take this foundation from beautiful to Movie-Star-Flawless, lightly dust the Guerlain Meteorites over it to set it, concentrating on the cheekbones, nose, fore head - y'know, the entire face basically. It adds such a subtle glow while in my opinion "blurring" whatever imperfections you can still see.
Still not sold? Photographs like a dream. (^picture above is a case in point). I'm normally camera shy (except when its selfie time :D) but with this particular combination of products, whip out those cameras and I'm ready for my close up!

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

Skin Saviors

I've mentioned several times over the past few months that my skin has been to the dogs and back, repeatedly. As someone who always had good skin through my teenage years, skincare was never a priority - moisturizer or sunscreen if I remembered in the morning (which was almost always never), a dab of lip balm at night, that was about it. The one thing I always did though, was wash my face twice a day.
Over the last four years my skin has really started acting up.. pimples, chronic white heads on my nose, stubborn blackheads, scarring, hyperpigmentation, you name it, I've had it.
So my quest for a good skincare routine began, one that has made me run through tons of different products mostly under the presumption that my skin was very oily - as mentioned before.
Recently though, when I was at the Chanel counter looking at skincare, the SA asked me how long I was suffering from "dry - dehydrated skin", which shocked me beyond return. After spending a good hour figuring out what was happening with my skin, followed by pointing out of a few "obvious" symptoms that had gone unnoticed (tightness, dry patches etc).. I walked away quite literally a new woman.
SO let me break it down. My skin from the looks of it has always been dry/combination.. but when I started breaking out, I, like everyone who was selling my products to combat the acne presumed I had oily skin. So I've been using products for 4 years that have essentially stripped my face of its natural oils, drying my skin. The more dry it got, the more oil my skin produced to compensate for the lack to moisture - hence, the more breaking out.
Since I realized my skin was dehydrated, I took immediate steps to help it. Enter Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask, I use this stuff at night, and once I started using it, I could feel my face becoming better, dry patches disappearing and the acne along with it. During the day time, I use the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizer +, which is basically moisture in a bottle. Once I incorporated these two in my daily skincare routine, the breakouts seem to have lessened considerably. I use the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Astringent Toner on my nose, and chin area where I'm most prone to white heads.. CRAZY white head situation there.. but on the mend. My Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Sun Block is something that cannot be beaten, our relationship goes back 5 years and counting.
On stops I use the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo, and on active Breakouts - La-Roche Posay Effaclar AI (if there is one product that really works, its this)
For eyecream I use the The Nature's Company White Rose Eye Cream, which is meh - so if you have suggestions, please, comment below!
And ofcourse, my chaped lip savior the La-Roche Posay Ceralip. I use it at night and I have baby lips the next morning.

So, this is my current skincare routine, which I'm rather happy with... *touches all kinds of wood*. I normally use Bioderma to remove my makeup, but I'm also planning on inventing in the Clinique Cleansing Balm.

Your thoughts? 

The New Year Chop.

So, I decided to be spontaneous and chop off 8 inches of my hair, myself.
I quite like it.

What do you think?