My 2014 favourites

Hello again! How are you doing? I’m not even going to try to justify my absence again, let’s just say 2014 is behind and the 2015 adventure has begun! New year, new you they say ha? My number one resolution is to seriously get back to blogging and hopefully I’ll succeed better than I did last year. To do so, I’ll start by doing what I should have done when I first started this blog; plan a blogging schedule. I’m one of those people who sometimes need a stress kick (or a kick-in-the-a*s really, but let’s remain polite) so scheduling one post a month (joke) or a week will undoubtedly bore me too soon. Instead, I’d rather go bigger and plan to post twice weekly – you know, following the whole “go big or go home” mantra. Now I know you’re probably used to read daily posts from your favourite bloggers, but for now I’m still a full time student at Uni and it ain’t that easy. Thus for the time being I’ll try to get those two posts up every week and we’ll see where it takes me.

I know January’s almost coming to an end, but I could not let go on the 2014 favourites post; it’s one of my favourite to read from others and to watch on Youtube. This year’s post will be different from the previous one, as I’ll only mention makeup products - the ones that I have enjoyed using all-year-round, the best of the best. I won’t go into too much details for some of the products as I have written about about them before, so if you’re after an in-depth review, I’ll link the corresponding posts. Happy reading!

Chanel Perfectionlumière velvet

I do love my foundations, they’re my favourite to purchase together with lipsticks. I know I haven’t mentioned this Chanel one before, but I won’t write about it too much for now as a post all about my favourites bases is coming up your way very soon. So long story short, it’s the Vitalumière Aqua’s  little sister, but designed for oilier complexions. Amazing buildable coverage, amazing finish, amazing lasting powder. It is the one I’ve reached for many, many times last year for all sorts of occasions - as it does it all really. That’s everything I’m going to say about it for now, but fear not, you’ll read about it again very soon.

Bourgeois CC cream 

I’ve raved about this little number in my previous post, which says it all (right here). It was my 2014 go-to everyday base, whenever I wasn’t feeling like splurging by using my Chanel. It’s a quick and easy base to apply that gives you a remarquably great coverage for a CC cream but that is totally suitable for the natural and effortless day-time look we’re all aiming for. PLUS it’s drugstore, best 10£ I’ve ever spent. Do yourself a favour and go pick it up. You’ll thank me later.

M.A.C Prolongwear concealer 

As reluctant as I am to try any of M.A.C’s foundation again - by fear they’ll break me out - I must admit their pro longwear concealer is unbeatable. I have tried a lot of concealers, yet I never came across anything as good as this one, not even close. I have other favourites for specific task like blemish-concealing, but this one is the best all-rounder out there, and here’s why; 1) it’s M.A.C, so there’s a shade for everyone 2) it delivers a medium coverage easily buildable to a full coverage, meaning that if it doesn’t offers a full coverage in one swipe, it has a lighter consistency and never ever gets caky 3) as “pro longwear” would suggest, it DOES NOT BUDGE. That means a lot, coming from an oily ‘gal. Say goodbye to those dark circles, nasty acne-scars and that stubborn hyper-pigmentation!

Hourglass Ambientlighting powder in Diffused light 

Alright, if I had to chose one product and one only out of all of these, it would be this one. It is hands down my best discovery of 2014. I’ve talked about the ambient lighting powder before, but Diffused light literally changed my life. Now, I’m a M.A.C NC15 (aka I’m super fair) so this may not do the same miracles on your skin if you’re a bit darker than I am (which, I know, is very likely). When I first go it I used it to set my under-eye area – brilliant. The light reflecting particles in it paired with its yellow-toned base makes it the PERFECT under-eye highlight ands setting powder. Then one day I decided to set my entire face with it; I’ve never used anything else since, and don’t intend to, not in a million years (says-the-girls-with-like-50-powders-on-her-wishlist). Still, I’m super fair, so it works; but if you’re a bit darker, it would still work well under your eyes or/and as a highlight. ‘Just sayin’. It’s like no other powder I’ve ever used, you can’t over do it, never look powdery and almost manage to keep me matte throughout the day. Oh and that glow it gives you…Like I said, it’s the one. It is expensive, but worth every penny in my opinion.

Soap and Glory One heck of a blot 

The perfect addition to my on-the-go make up bag, we all need a good touch-up powder don’t we? That one is fantastic, I don’t even need to blot before its application (brilliant, brilliant name), it does it all for me without looking caky or powdery. Oh, and I love the packaging and it’s very convenient mirror too!

Nars bronzer in Laguna 

That one was very unexpected. I actually never thought I’d ever pick it up. I’ve always been aware of the hype surrounding this Nars bronzer but have seen so many people wearing it and looking too orang-y for my liking that I despised it for quite some time. Well, until I popped up one day at a Nars counter and asked the lovely lady “Is there any chance this product might actually work on fair skins like mine?” and it did. I think the key with this one is to know your undertone; if you’re on the pink side, I’d stay away from it. I however, you’re more on the neutral, yellow or olive side, then go for it and apply it more or less lightly depending on your skin tone. Lastly, it is not a matte bronzer – it has a bit of gold shimmer in it, nothing that will make you look like a disco ball or anything, but be aware of it if you’re used to contour with your bronzer. It does, however, warms up the complexion very nicely, so much that I hit pan on it a couple of months ago and already have a back-up in my stash. Now, that says something.

The Body Shop radiant highlighter 

If you read my previous post, you may remember of the Laura Mercier brightening primer that I raved about, the one you can apply before your foundation, after, or mix it with it. Well, here’s a dupe! The only difference I can see is that the consistency of this one is slightly thicker, but it doesn’t change a thing about its application really. I love both products, but if you were interested by the Laura Mercier but can’t justify the 30£ price tag yet, give this one a go and see how you get along with it.

Illamasqua gleam highlighter in Aurora 

Can you tell I like my highlighters? This Illamasqua gleam was my go-to product for my every day fuss-free make-up look. You know I love a dramatic glow, but there are occasions (like work or uni) where it just doesn’t feel right to have a red-carpet-worthy highlight, don’t you think? I found this one satisfied my highlights cravings but remained natural enough to be worn every day. As it is a cream, I’d recommend applying it before setting your foundation so it doesn’t get patchy. It truly is one of my favourite, goes with everything, looks incredible even on fair skin, and get you that glow-from-within look in seconds. Well done, Illamasqua.

Benefit Gimmebrow in light/medium 

I’m addicted to this one as you may already know - you can read all about it here

Lorac behind the scenes eye primer 

Out of all of my eye primers, this must be my favourite; not too thick yet thick enough to mattify and prep the eyelid, make the shadows pop and last forever.

M.A.C Painterlypaint pot 

Another great product, which I know many like as a primer, however I personally usually have to apply a primer underneath it for it not to crease. However, if you have dry to normal skin, you should be good to go and skip the primer. Why do I love it then? It’s my ideal base colour; its pink tone conceals all of those little annoying veins, making a smooth, immaculate base for eye shadows. It is also my go-to product when I don’t want to put anything else on my eyes, looks very natural while making you look more awake on those early mornings.

Stila Kitten eyeshadow 

The world’s messiest eye shadow without a doubt, but also my all time favourite inner corner highlight. It brightens up any eye look and makes you look super fresh and awake, also making your eyes appear bigger than they really are. So I don’t care if the packaging is shattered and there’s glitter all over my draw, carpet and outfit every morning (I’m exaggerating here, obviously), it is SO worth it. Promise.

Charlotte TilburyFull Fat Lashes in glossy black 

As predicted here, the love affair is still going strong; I cannot get enough of it, and will pick up at least three backups while in London next week – you should, too.

NYX Matte blackliner 

I’m not one for eyeliner as my eye shape doesn’t really allow it, but we can all benefit from a good liner to tight line every now and then, ain’t that right? Now, as I can’t stand black eyeliner on my bottom water line (it hardens the look and makes the eye appear smaller) I need something that won’t transfer when applied to my tight line. This is a good one; doesn’t budge, very black, super easy to apply – proof that sometimes you don’t have to go high end to find some good ‘old basics.

Chanel Rouge cocoshine in 72 Effrontée

If there’s anything you should know about me (beauty-wise at least), anything at all, it’s that I’m completely and utterly addicted to lipsticks. They’re just so fun and precious to buy, collect and play with that I never get bored of buying some more. The one beauty product that can radically change a face in one swipe. God knows I love my bolds but this post addresses not only products that have blown my mind away, but also and mostly the ones that were the most regularly used - the most faithful companions. In regards to that matter, as much as I’d love to give you a never-ending list of the new lipsticks that have made their way into my collection and my heart (well, isn’t that dramatic?) in 2014, I chose to talk about my most-used, go-to lipstick; the Chanel Rouge coco shine in Effrontée. I believe this particular shade has been discontinued, to my greatest regret, but the whole range is my favourite and worth mentioning. Those lipsticks are brilliant; sheer yet reasonably pigmented, glossy with a certain lasting power, and oh-so-flattering on the lips. The kind of product you can reapply throughout the day like you would a lip balm; mirror free, fuss free, success guaranteed. It is Chanel, ain’t cheap, but if you were to ask me to recommend one lipstick that does it all, it would be this one, no matter the shade.  

Eucerin Aquaphor 

A life saviour – can’t really describe this product in other words. I’ve tried many, many lip balms, which either didn’t work, broke me out, or cost a ridiculous fortune (By Terry Baume de Rose and Dior Crème de Rose  I’m looking at you). This one is cheap, doesn’t smell of anything and heals your lips like nothing else. It also works beautifully under make-up, as it is rather thin and isn’t sticky at all, so it makes it the perfect every day everyday, pre and post make-up application balm. 

Congrats’ to those of you who read it all! I’m aware it was a long one and am sorry, but it had to be done; you can’t ask me to wrap up my 2014 favourites in 200 words I’m afraid. Hopefully I didn’t bored you to death and perhaps I introduced you to a future favourite of yours, who knows ? Also, please let me know what were your favourites, what gems kept you going through the year? I’d love to know!

Until next time, stay safe, and may 2015 be a good one!

xxx

M'

The Dream Base

Finding a foundation to your taste is no easy task; tons of them are available on the market, and it's no wonder if most of us get a bit confused when looking out for a new base, when you have so many form, texture, finish and shade to chose from. I'm a believer that you should feel free to wear whatever appeals to you, and that applies to make-up too; I hole-heartedly encourage you to step out of your comfort zone once in a while - go ahead, try to pick a berry lipstick instead of a peachy-nude, try out a metallic grey eyeshadow instead of a taupe one - you go girl ! Unfortunately, when it comes to foundation - from my experience - there's only a couple of products that will be suitable to your own particular complexion. Finding the correct shade can be a bit daunting at first, I'll give that to you, but to me the hardest part is about finding a texture that suits your skin type. People with dry skin will most likely use a totally different foundation from people with combination-oily skin, which sounds obvious. I personally have a combination skin type, with its drier/normal and oilier phases. For those with a dry skin, the real goal stands in finding a texture that won't dry out your skin or emphasize dry patches and stay dewy looking; for those with a complexion similar to mine, the problem stands more in finding a foundation that lasts and that is as low-maintenance as possible - 'cause it ain't no fun to blot in between every single classes, is it? Then of course, we all have different tastes; some can't stand the feeling of a heavy base on their skin (but then, who can?) and will prefer a lighter and often sheerer kind of base. Other won't pass the door without their full-coverage foundation on. Many, however, like to play with both - and let's admit it, if some luckier peeps' have more good days that bad ones, we all get breakouts at some point or another, and that's when a fuller-coverage will make anyone more confident, at least on special occasions. Although my skin is anything but perfect - especially now that I'm dealing with acne *horror* - I tend to go for a light base on a day-to-day basis, mostly because that's what looks best on day light. I've never had a lot of issues with heavier foundation, as those tend to be designed for people with acne and acne-scars - and therefore, often oilier skin types; they're made to last. Add a primer and powder if you feel like you need to, and you're good to go. However, it's a whole other story when it comes to tinted moisturizers. I find that no matter what, they tend to melt off my face before lunch time, attractive ha? That's the reason I've remained so faithful to my beloved Jouer Matte Moisture tint which, if you have oily skin, is a must. It's matte but definitely not flat-looking, looks gorgeous on the skin. It won't last all day, but you'll get there with a couple of touch-ups. As I was in London this summer, I happened to swatch the Bourgeois CC cream in Boots - boy, was I glad. What stroke me at first, was the coverage - I had to look twice at it and check the packaging, convinced it couldn't be a "CC cream" (aka tinted moisturizer-like type of product). The color looked pale enough and because it's drugstore, was a bargain - no need to say it came home with me. I tried it the next morning, run around London all-day-long - does the feeling of the boiling-hot-and-crowned tube of 8 a.m sounds familiar to you ? Yeah ? That's when it should have melted of my face, but didn't. And so started our love affair, still going strong.

Like I said, I was pretty impressed with it's staying power and coverage - keep in mind it is a CC cream, don't expect a full coverage. You can, however, definitely build it up to a medium one if you want to. What I like to do the most in general, is to apply a light-ish base all over my face to even out my skin tone and conceal as much redness/spots/scars as possible, and then go in with a heavy-duty concealer if I need to. Now, lately I've been rocking a dewier base and the best product I've find so far to give you that extra 'something 'something without making you look like a disco ball is the Laura Mercier Radiance primer (Dior's Glow Maximizer and Charlotte Tilbury's Wonderglow are very similar). I absolutely adore this product and find it so handy and multipurpose; you could use it as a primer, to give yourself that glowing-from-within look, or as a highlighter by applying it on top of your foundation on the highest points of your face, like you would use any other highlighter - or, like I prefer to do it, you can also mix it with your base. I think this technique gives you such a beautiful overall glow, making your skin look super fresh and healthy. It can also sheer out a foundation if, say, you want to use a proper foundation but don't want to go for too much of a full-coverage. I'd recommend this combination to anyone really, whether you have a dry to normal skin type or more of a combination to oily skin like myself, just make sure to set it with a powder in case of the latter. 

All I do is squeeze out the tiniest amount of the Laura Mercier primer and then add a bit of CC cream, mix it up on my hand, apply it on my face - with a brush or fingers - and voila ! With the colder months coming our way, a little help in the glow department is always very welcomed and that little 'gem might just become your best asset. Beware though, once you've tried the thing, you won't ever want to put it down. You've been warned.

xxx

M'

To Nude or not to Nude

Nude. It's no secret that I love my bold lipsticks; make it red, purple or black (sort of?) I don't care. Yes, it is because I love a strong, well-defined, statement lip, but also - let's just admit it once and for all - because it's all that suits me. I struggled to find a suitable nude shade for the longest time, tried everything from peachy to pinky and even brown-y nudes,  none seemed to suit me. That's probably where the real issue lies; it doesn't have to suit me and my taste, but my complexion.  As I said, I've been wearing bold lipsticks for as long as I can remember, so it's no surprise that the transition isn't that easy. However, nude lipsticks are and should be a staple in every woman's makeup bag, whether you can't be bothered to touch up your lips all day long or you went for a heavier eye look, nude lips are the way to go to maintain the balance. Here's what I've learned throughout the years and many, many attempts to make peace with the nude trend.

Make it grey, rather than black or white

You don't have to go from MAC Ruby Woo to Myth, you should rather try something in between first, something less daunting and work from there. What you could also do is take one of your usual brighter shade (ain't gonna work with Ruby woo) and tone it down - apply it with a light hand and blot it with your finger or a brush, so it looks more like a stain. It's all about baby steps.

Find the one that works for you

There're different nude shades as there're different foundation shades,depending on your skin tone and undertones. Don't beat yourself up if everything you try doesn't look right, it could be that you picked the wrong shade or more often that you just aren't used to it. Try to go to Sephora, Selfridges, SpaceNK, MAC or whatever you fancy and ask for a professional advice - no one's gonna eat you and a neutral opinion can never hurt.

Think juicy and sexy

Not dead and washed-out - because that's what it is all about isn't it? The number one problem of a nude lip-look, if done wrong, is that you'll look like a ghost - not so Victoria Secret-esque is it? No worries, I've got you covered for this one; once you found your shade, there are a number of tricks you can use to give you an extra bit of confidence in your nude-to-be journey: line your lips, so they look well-defined, highlight your cupid's bow to make them look fuller and finally, add some gloss right at the center of your lips for a very natural-ish yet sexy and plumy effect.

As you can see, I'm still miles away from MAC Myth, but hey, I'm too pale for that one anyway right ? I do gravitate around darker pinks rather than "proper" nudes, but that's just what works for me, and as far as I'm concerned, it's nude enough.


xxx

M'

Love at first sight

Let me introduce you to my very new and most definitely favorite lover, the Charlotte Tilbury Full Fat Lashes mascara. Now, before I even get into it, let me be clear about one thing; I've had a love/hate (mostly hate really) relationship with any sort of high-end mascaras for as long as I can remember. I've tried Helena Rubinstein, YSL, Chanel, you name it - and I ended up regretting the splurge pretty much every time, so much that when I discovered the wonderful, wonderful world of the Covergirl Lash blast and the Maybelline the Falsies, I swore I wouldn't ever dare to cross the drugstore line again. Or so I thought

What happened then ? I went into Selfridges - and if you've ever been there, you know it ain't no good. I was in the mood to try out some Charlotte Tilbury products, I had my eyes on her palettes for the longest time so when one of their lovely make-up artist offered me a make-over, I was more than happy to jump on the chair. The whole make-up look was lovely - truth is, she made a good job at making me buy too many things - but what shocked me was the mascara's results. Oh.My.God. My lashes never ever looked so good. Longer, infinitely thicker, they took the whole look to another level, so much that I broke my vow and bought it.

I can honestly say it is the best mascara I've tried so far. It looked good in Selfridges, in the hands of an expert, sure, but it worked its magic again back home. And again the next day. And again. No matter how much you work it in your lashes' roots, it never gets crunchy, the lashes remain nice and flexible and that's a big deal for me. The brush isn't too big or too small, very fluffy and easy to use, just how I like 'em. You can get it at Selfridges for 22£, which isn't cheap, but totally worth it in my opinion. I don't use the term holy grail very often, be sure of that, but this baby has definitely become one.

xxx

M'