Spotlight: Mac Studio Finish

Spotlight aims to draw attention to those behind-the-scene products that make daily life - or more so daily make-up application - much easier yet often remain in the shadows, and give them the love they truly deserve. Some will be unexpected while others may come as no surprise, but I promise they'll all be fabulous. As thrilling as it is to keep up with the never-ending list of brand new innovations and as much as I love to discover, try and share my thoughts on the glamorous products of the moment, I feel like we all have those staple products we always go back to no matter what, to the point we forget we even use them - which sounds sadly unfair. I hope to bring back to the front scene some of those hero-products through Spotlight while asserting my love and gratitude for those little gems that somehow always find their way back into my make-up bag.

If there is one product that makes absolutely anyone look better, it's concealer. I don't care who you are, concealer will change your life too, if it hasn't already. We're all human beings here, we all have imperfections whether it's dark circles, redness, spots, scars, hyper-pigmentation, you name it - and truth is, there's nothing wrong with getting a little help sometimes. That's the job of a good concealer. I found the MAC Studio Finish in my draw a few months ago, amongst the fancy and much hyped Urban Decay Naked and Nars Radiant Creamy concealers and felt ashamed for abandoning it for so long. I took it with me to London and literally reached for it every-single-day-since. I still love my numerous other concealers, but I remembered how this one did it all then, and sure as hell can do it all now. It's thick, waxy and a bit odd to work with at first, granted - but once you get the hang of it, believe me you won't let go. It's full coverage, does not budge or get cakey, ever. The best and in my opinion only way to use it is with your fingers. I do like to place it with a brush (because I'm a freak and can't get my head around dabbing my fingers into the damn thing for some reason) but I always blend it with my fingers, so the warmth of my skin melts the product and make it look seamless. It's honestly genius; it can cover pretty much anything, you don't need any unnecessary tool and it's so tiny you can take it everywhere with you so it can have your back at all times. Ladies, it's a keeper. 

The Tuesday Face

Welcome to The Tuesday Face, a new column that will be featured   on  *you guessed it* Tuesdays on Drop The Mask. I find FOTDs (aka Face Of The Day) quite enjoyable as they offer a quick review of a couple of products, suggest a way to use them and most importantly deliver a straightforward swatch en pleine action. You know I can be a bit - or a lot - wordy, so this will offer you a break and hopefully remain short and sweet. I'll try to be as creative as possible and feature different type of make-up looks, from your typical on-the-go looks to bolder, more evening-appropriate ones. I hope you enjoy them !

Base: Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous, MAC Studio Finish concealer, Hourglass Ambient Lighting powder and blush, Illamasqua highlighter in Aurora, Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting powder. Eyes: L'Oréal infaillible eyeshadows in Amber Rush and Bronzed Taupe, Stila Kitten eyeshadow, Charlotte Tilbury mascara, MAC Teddy eyeliner. Lips: Suqqu lipstick and Charlotte Tilbury lip cheat in Pillowtalk. 

I kept it fairly simple for the first Tuesday Face and came up with a soft warm smokey eye and a fresh base. As summer is coming to an end and knowing I'll have over four months to bore you with grungier looks and vampy lips, it felt only right to celebrate the warmer months one last time. To do so, I reached for a light base, used as little concealer as possible and generously applied a cream highlighter on the highest points of my face. What really inspired the whole look was two drugstore gems that I was itching to use for quite some time but somehow never got around picking out of my stack. Silly, silly me, I had no clue of how good they are. The L'Oréal infallible eyeshadows are epic in many ways; beautiful shade range, incredible pay-off, extra long-wearing, easy to work with and such a bargain ! I used Bronzed Taupe all over the lid and Amber Rush on my crease to warm up the look. I also used it on top of Bronzed Taupe for some extra sparkle, and voilà ! If you don't own those already, I'd highly recommend picking them up sooner rather than later because trust me, you're missing out on something big here. 

A Signature Scent

It's safe to say that perfumes are some of the most beautiful and satisfying objets to collect - after lipsticks, obviously. There's something irresistible about those oh-so-chic glass bottles that instantly dress up any bedroom. I've noticed during the past few years that most women do love indeed to build a perfume collection to then pick one from the lot every morning as one choses an outfit. As much as I admire those collections and sometimes feel a bit frustrated myself for my lack of it, I chose to remember one of the many advices my Mum gave me ; a perfume is your signature. It is partly what people know you for, sometimes why strangers will notice you on the streets, how your loved ones recognize and remember you. We all ought to have a signature scent. Some women prefer to wear several, some chose a few different ones depending on the time of the day or the seasons. I like to have a second perfume for special occasions such as nights out - my scent of choice is the very dark and sexy Tom Ford Velvet Orchid - but most of the time I remain faithful to my one true love, Chanel's Coco Mademoiselle. I've worn this perfume for as long as I can remember and even though I sometimes struggle not to succumb to the very daunting perfume section in department stores and adopt a new one,  I wouldn't give mine up for the world. 

What is your signature scent ?

xxx

M'

A Word On Sun Protection

Now that summer is just around the corner I thought it would be appropriate to touch on an essential subject; sun protection. The very fact that most people only reach for a sunscreen during the summer months is a first issue. I'll admit the whole science behind sun protection factors and ultra violets can be a bit confusing, but I'll try my best to give you a quick recap of what you really need to know and hopefully make it clear once and for all that we all need protection from the sun, all year round. 

There are two types of damaging rays; UVA and UVB. There are both radiations from the sun that can damage your skin to different levels. Long story short, UVA rays are associated with the aging factor as these are the rays that are responsible for, you guessed it, aging and wrinkling your skin. UVA are nasty because until recently they weren't talked about that much and people tend to forget they're there when in fact they're everywhere; they easily pass through the ozone layer, clouds, glass and even clothing. In other words, if you're taking a road trip this summer on a hot and beautiful sunny day thinking that you're all safe in your car, you're wrong, as it does penetrates through glass. UVB rays, more acknowledged by the mainstream public, are associated with burn; they're the ones responsible for sunburn. They're also known to contribute to skin cancer, although more and more researches seem to come to the conclusion that UVA rays do too. SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor found in our sunscreen products and gives you an idea of how long you can stay in the sun before your skin starts to burn. For example, if you take an SPF 15, you'll be able to be exposed to the sun for 15 times longer than without protection, same goes for SPF 30 and 50. The one thing to keep in mind when purchasing a sun protection, is that most do not offer protection against UVA. Sunscreens were first designed to protect against UVB rays only, as UVA rays were once thought to be harmless. You now know better, so when you go out to shop for sunscreen, look for "broad spectrum protection" which refers to the protection of the full range of UVA and UVB. Application-wise, know that you should wear a sun protection every day and that it is the last step to your skincare routine (apply it right before your make-up). Now, you do not need and SPF 50 on a daily basis, especially during the colder months when you're less likely to hang out under the sun or when your routine consists mainly of going from home to work and back - for that an SPF 15 or 20 will do just fine. Enough of the science, let's move on to what you really want to know; which one should you go for? Granted, sunscreen weren't always glamorous. Until a few years ago, most were still those thick, heavily fragranced pastes that make you look white and clogged your pores. They were a real nightmare under make-up, too. Lucky us, nowadays brands come out with genius SPFs everyday. There is one for everyone really, some are more moisturising than others, some mattifying, even light reflecting but always light. I haven't tried them all, obviously, but here are a few I'd recommend:

• If you have oily skin: Murad Oil-Control Mattifier SPF 15 this is a great one if you struggle with a shiny T-Zone. However, you should use a higher SPF for the summer months.

• If you have dry, normal to combination skin: Kiehls Ultra Light Daily UV Defense SPF 50 an awesome product, I've converted many people to that one. As its name suggests, it really is ultra light and leaves no residue whatsoever, works beautifully under make-up too. While it is light, it is also pretty moisturising so I'd say that if you have oily skin, use a mattifier on your oiliest patches and you should be good to go.

• For all skin types: Radical Skin Perfecting Screen SPF 30 on the pricier side but it is a genius product that adds a hint of tint and radiance to you skin, does a wonderful job as a primer and is even gorgeous on its own for when you're feeling the no make-up/make-up vibe.

It kills me that still to this day I meet so many people who have no clue about what SPF, UVB and UVA stand for. Actually, most people I meet on a daily basis have no idea, or do but chose to ignore that knowledge. It kills me because sun damage is something we can prevent, something we have some kind of control on. Skin cancer is no joke, it is very much real and should not be overlooked. There are thousand of other diseases we cannot prevent, heal or even explain. I'm not saying sun damage is the only factor at the origin of skin cancer, but it is one of them. And if this doesn't sound scary enough, then think about the aging factor. It's pointless to spend hundreds of quids on anti-aging treatments of all kinds if you spend your summer burning at the beach. Wearing a sun protection on a daily basis is the first move to keep those deep, nasty wrinkles at bay or at least to prevent them from appearing prematurely. Dark-spots and discolorations ain't no fun either, if you ask me. So next time you leave the house without your sun protection on thinking you're all ready for the day, think again - you're smarter than that. 

xxx

M'