As a teenager, I was a bit of a loner and "homebody" and spent a lot of time alone in my room reading, watching movies, writing and practicing make-up! I fell in love with makeup long before I fell in love with clothes. I now want to share some of my favourite products with my readers.
I only discovered the difference that a good primer can make about two years ago. In my teenage years I often went to bed with my makeup still on and then used a hot flannel to scrub my face in the morning. As a result of not taking proper care of my skin, I now have very large pores on my t-zone. Applying a primer 10 minutes before foundation radically reduces the appearance of those pores, and also makes my makeup last longer. To be honest, I don't wear a primer to work. I only bother on special occasions. I also don't bother with moisturizer if I wear primer. I've only tried a few brands, but after using Elizabeth Arden's primer, I haven't really bothered to try any others.
Another fantastic product for minimising the appearance of pores is Benefit's the Pore-fessional. This is quite simply, amazing. If I had one minute to apply makeup and had to choose one product to use, it would be this. I smooth it over my t-zone, apply a bit of blush, mascara and lip balm, and I have a natural, effortless look that still feels fresh and feminine. Lovely.
Because I spray tan quite frequently, I have a variety of shades of foundation. When I'm tanned, I use Elizabeth Arden's Cream Makeup. My mum has used this one for years and put me onto it. It goes on beautifully and disguises my pores more efficiently than any other foundation I've used. You can apply it as thickly or thinly as you like. It's almost like stage make-up. The coverage is excellent and the sponge makes for easy application.
On other days, I go for an Inglot foundation. It's a lovely product, but with the bottle only being 30ml, I find that it doesn't last long. It's just a good foundation. Everyone I know who's used it says they like it, but they don't necessarily rave about it. It's just my old faithful.
For blush, I tend to use a peachy powder one (Innoxa or Natio) but lately I've been using the Benefit tint because it gives a more natural, dewy finish. The tint can also be used on the lips, followed up with a nice balm. Lovely. It also smells like roses.
I'm an eye shadow girl. I love experimenting with colour. Inglot does the best colours and they go on beautifully. I prefer Inglot eye shadows to any other brand I've used (even Mac). There's a huge range of shades, and you can put together your own colour palette in store. What's not to like about that?
I LOVE liquid eyeliner and Maybelline is my favourite. I love the applicator pen and it's long lasting.
For mascara, the tried and true Maybelline Great Lash Mascara is an old faithful. It's affordable and reliable. The iconic pink and lime green tube has been around since the 1970s, proving the age-old adage if it ain't broke, don't fix it. It's also the world's most popular mascara.
Eyebrows. I was a little late getting on the ol' eyebrow maintenance bandwagon, to be honest. What changed things was this Christian Eyebrow Stencil Kit which my sister sells in her salon. It comes in a range of colours and has two stencils and an application brush. The stencils are fantastic if you're just getting started. I now just use the angle brush and do it manually. It's the ultimate eyebrow starter kit. I've never met anyone who didn't love it.
This Tweezerman kit is a nice companion for the Christian Kit and perfect for the makeup bag. It's got all the other nifty emergency eyebrow stuff you might need - tweezers, staying gel, brush and highlighter pencil.
Lippy! I love the Revlon matte red lippy for a classic look.
Bonne Bell does the best lip balm I've ever used. One of the few balms that does everything you want it to - protects from the sun, isn't sticky, and keeps your lips moisturized without any drying affects.
In the first edit of this post, I included some Lime Crime products, but I've since read some controversial articles about its creator, Doe Deere, which was so disturbing that I've since deleted those reviews.
Good makeup brushes are worth investing in, and if you buy the right ones, they'll last you for years. I have a professional kit of brushes, but this Bloom travel pack of brushes is soooo handy and practical for the makeup bag.
My favourite scent at the moment is the MOR Lychee Flower range. The roll-on perfume and handcream is divine.
I want to wrap up my post by telling you about my beauty bible - Makeup: The Ultimate Guide by Rae Morris. I bought this book about four years ago and it is BRILLIANT. It will tell you everything you need to know, from contouring to eye makeup for Asian eyes. There's also a section on make-up for older women. You won't need any other book on makeup ever again, and you'll look at the beauty tips in fashion magazines and be amazed at how substandard and deficient they are. It's all you'll need for the rest of your life. Every friend I've shown it to has gone out and bought it the next day.
Are there any makeup products you couldn't live without?
No comments:
Post a Comment