The weather may be rubbish now but there’s sunny days on the horizon, so in preparation let’s talk sunless tanning:
My go to product is Avon Skin So Soft Enhance & Glow Body Lotion. I personally find gradual tanning the best way to get an even streak free finish and this stuff ticks all the boxes for me; not only does it achieve the exact same tone as my natural tan, it has spf15 and leaves a shimmer finish on the skin Here I’d used it three consecutive days ready for a photo shoot where I was model and stylist as well as makeup artist at Great Fosters Hotel near Windsor to promote the launch of their Nyetimber Pool Days. We could all do with saving money where we can at the moment so I thought I would share one of my favourite multitasking (and super cheap) products: Organic Coconut Oil.
Apart from its amazing health benefits there’s so many beauty uses. As well as cooking with it, I keep a pot in the bathroom and use it as a body moisturiser, make up (including waterproof) remover, cuticle oil, and hair mask. You can pick some up from most supermarkets in the food aisles. I get this one from Aldi which is just £1.55 for 300ml. I don’t think there’s many other products out there where you can get so much for so little! We all love a mini break to see us through the long wait for a summer holiday, but what to pack when you’re travelling abroad and only have your cabin bag allowance to fit everything into? When packing for a recent trip to Venice I was caught in this dilemma; not only did I need to pack light despite needing winter layer clothing, but the restriction on ‘liquids’ (I use the term loosely as I still struggle with how some items such as mascara and lip balm are classed as a liquid?!) meant I had to be very selective. I figured I can’t be the only one that has this problem so I thought I’d share some tips via the selection I chose as a solution (and how I used them) to keep things to a minimum whilst still having products with which I could achieve both daytime and evening looks. Moisturiser & Primer
I took my new favourite product featured in a previous blog post which I was then able to use as moisturiser and primer as well as using it as my night cream. Foundation This one was easy as I always decant my foundation into a sample bottle - one of these will hold enough to last you even when you’re away for a full week! Eyeshadow, Blush, Bronzer & Highlighter My Bobbi Brown Simmer Brick Compact in Bronze was the space saving saviour ‘do it all’ product for me; with this I was able to utilise the product’s various different sections individually or combined for the different areas of my face. Liner Because the shades of the Bobbi Brown shimmer brick are relatively subtle, pencils were my way of enhancing my eyes in different ways for day and night. - For daytime I used a black liner on the top lid. - For evening I used a smudged effect on the lower lash line as well as my cheat to enhance the depth of the shadow: before applying the shadow I applied (softly) a brown liner to the outer area of my lid in a > shape (where I would normally apply my darker eyeshadow shade), then blended it out with a blending brush before applying my shadow. Et voila, smoky eye now achieved! 😊 Lips The easiest way to change your look is by wearing different lip colours; I took lip pencils in a pinky nude and a red as well as a pink lipstick. - Lip pencil all over the lip gives the same effect as a matt liquid lipstick (just make sure the pencil is a nice soft one so it's not too dry) and gives you lasting power, so you don't have to worry about topping it up and can concentrate on all that sightseeing. - Personally, I like a less matt finish, so I like to line my lips then blend the pencil inwards (into an ombre effect) and then apply my lipstick. You get the benefit of the staying power plus you can switch up/down the shade of your lipstick depending on which liner you’ve used and how liberally you apply your lipstick. I couldn’t go without my trusty brow mascara and my favourite Estee Lauder mascara (no tips there unless you have tester sizes - although I never seem to get on with those in mascara), but as you can see, these items used minimal space and still left me with plenty of liquid allowance for perfume, and all the boring essentials such as deodorant and toothpaste. Cheers to the next mini break! It's true that with some products you really do get what you pay for, and you shouldn't scrimp on these if you want them to perform for you (i.e. foundation), but with other products I find that you can get just as a good a result and lasting power with some of the cheaper alternatives available (i.e. liner). I don't need the extra SPF protection of my usual Estee Lauder DayWear Sheer Tint Release moisturiser at this time of year (my foundation has SPF - I would never go without any protection), and given it's £43 for 50ml I thought it was worth trying a cheaper alternative to illuminate and moisturise my skin. At £2.29 for 50ml I figured Aldi's Lacura Beautifying Balm was worth a gamble, and I have to say I've been really impressed with the results. Bingo! Ignore the bit on the box about tightening (I didn't either expect or notice any), but put this on right before your foundation and not only does it keep your skin moisturised, it also works like a fabulous primer (not something I expected, or normally bother with in honesty) - my foundation which I already like the finish of has an even better finish! I have oily skin so need to ensure I don't shine, but I like my skin to have an illuminated finish to keep it looking as youthful as possible; this leaves it diffused and radiant, and the effect stays all day.
I think you'll have figured by now this product is a dupe of the Clarins Beauty Flash Balm, and in line with that product this one can also be used as a mask. It's safe to say this will now be my 'go to' winter daytime moisturiser. Unfortunately at the time of writing this the product is out of stock online but it's worth checking back, and if you have a store near you I would hot foot it there and snap some up. Most of my clients will know that I don’t buy into the whole primer trend (unless it’s to change the finish on your skin i.e. dewy/mattifying). Good quality products that are well applied should last the day anyway, and that’s why I rigorously test all my products on myself before using them on clients.
That said, even some of the best eye shadows applied in the best way can crease on the lid after several hours wear; especially if like me you have oily skin and exercise a lot. So, after reading some positive reviews about the NYX Eye Shadow Base I thought I would give it a try (in Skin Tone). I don’t know what to say other than this stuff just doesn’t work...in fact I would go so far as to say it actually makes shadows that wouldn’t normally crease, crease! I tried a few different application techniques and got the same results every time – which quite frankly is rather embarrassing, so have given up on it and it is now in Room 101 (aka the bin)! A large percentage of my bookings are for weddings so when I’m testing a new mascara I really put it through its paces. I need to know that not only will it last all day whatever the weather, but that it will survive the potential tears and a night on the dance floor too! Arbonne describe this as a high-performance lengthening mascara that helps create the look of ultra-dramatic lashes with major longitude. Clinically tested and formulated to be water-resistant and long wearing. This mascara certainly does have a lengthening effect and the wand is good at grabbing all the lashes, but it isn’t particularly thickening (I needed about 3 coats to get my desired thickness). Worn normally the mascara lasted all day with no smudging or flaking. I’m not sure about ‘ultra dramatic’, but I’d say this mascara pretty much does what it says on the tin. Now, time to put it to the test...exercise! I did a few 7k bicycle rides in ‘normal’ weather conditions and it survived completely unscathed. Running wasn’t so successful; the first couple of times the mascara smudged and flaked on my lower lid, so I tried again with mascara just on the top lashes. This was obviously better but still resulted in some smudging and flaking, so I’m not certain it’d last through tears. I used this mascara for 3 months to properly see the testing through and one thing I did notice when I switched back to my usual mascara is that my lashes seemed to have grown longer! I’m not sure if this was a coincidence but if not, it’s a major selling point they are missing out on. The big question; would I buy/recommend this mascara? This mascara isn’t cheap, but if you prefer a lengthening mascara and are thinking of/already using a serum to help your lashes grow then I would definitely recommend giving this a go. Personally though, I’m going to stick with my favourite Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme. Brow MascaraMany of you will know that I have been an advocate of brow mascara for defining brows for a good few years now, and always favoured MAC’s Brow Set over other brand’s products which I have tried…until now!
I rarely use ‘high street’ make up products but decided to try out L’Oreal Paris’ Brow Artist Plumper, and after guinea pigging it on myself - which I always do at length before using products on clients, I can confirm it is now my ‘go to’ brow mascara for brunettes (I haven’t trialled the ‘blonde’ shade as yet). Why? I believe a brow mascara should work for you in much the same way a lash mascara would; providing colour, thickness and holding the hair in shape/place. A lot of other products simply provide a tint but lack on the thickening and hold side, whereas this product ticks all the boxes, plus it comes in a larger size and cheaper price than the high end products it competes successfully against. Thank you L’Oreal! Get in touch with your feminine side... ...it's all gone girlie with the Meteorites Blossom Collection from Guerlain, the French Ballerine Collection from Lancome, the Over Rose Collection from Givenchy, the YSL Spring Collection and the Trianon Collection from Dior.
The latest addition to my kit bag! YSL say: The micro-faceted brush makes lashes appear multiplied and magnified: On one side, thick and spaced bristles coat the lashes and create volume. On the other side, fine and close bristles reach every lash, including the smallest lashes at the corner of the eye for a full fringe effect. I say: Another fabulous mascara from YSL! You can really feel their new style wand grabbing each of your lashes; this is why it achieves the separated “eyes wide open” lash look. If you prefer your lashes thick but with a less separated finish, go for the YSL Shocking mascara (which has been my favourite mascara since I first used it). I have a love/hate relationship with finding new products for my kit; currently I’m hunting down the ‘perfect pink’ lipsticks ready for my 2013 brides. The latest addition (shown) is MAC Pro Longwear
Lipcreme in Unlimited. |