Falling for Tom Ford

I'm sure Mister Ford needs no introduction, but if you haven't heard of the man or the brand before (have you been living under a rock?) I highly suggest you watch this documentary - be prepared to fall in love. I remember first seeing the film in class, last summer in London, in a room packed with young women who, by the time Tom Ford had made his last appearance on the screen, all gasped and watched with loving eyes the prodigious King of fashion. I had been itching to make my first Ford purchase at a beauty counter for a long time - you bet that the second the class was over, I rushed out straight to Selfridges and took the plunge. Ever since that day, I have invested in Tom Ford products as often as my bank balance allows it and have yet to regret any of it. The lipstick you can spot here, is Black Dahlia, a dark burgundy vampy red that has my name written all over it. The packaging is as seductive as the man (that had to be said) the pigment doesn't disappoint and the finish is matte-ish although the formula isn't drying. Needless to say I adore it. The purpose of this post however, isn't so much to give a review of this particular lipstick, nor to urge you to add it to you collection. Is it mind-blowingly superior to any other lipstick ? No.  (Note: some products from the line genuinely are - but more about that in another post.) Should you really make the splurge? I guess not. Is it worth its hefty price tag ? Now, that's up to you. Yes, I am unconditionally admirative of the empire Tom Ford has built over the decades and yes, it did attract me to the counter that day of July and still does - but there's more to the story. People sometimes  find themselves struggling with their conscience when making a purchase, wondering whether they're buying a product for its inherent worth or for it's name. I'll be the first to say that some products are definitely not worth their hype and trusting blindly a brand's heritage isn't always the way to go. I also believe, however, that it's okay to invest in a brand you believe in, a brand that resonates with you for whatever personal reason. 

Don't let anyone tell you what to buy. This is your money, never forget that. With the overwhelming growth of social medias' influence it's easy to forget who's in charge and to simply bend to what Instagram tells you to buy. Every social platform is throwing at us hundreds of filtered and marketed posts every living minute we spend with our eyes riveted on a screen, so much that we tend to lose ground and get sucked into a spiral of conditioned shopping behavior.  Now don't get me wrong, I love social medias as much as the next person - in fact, probably more considering the hours that thumb of mine spends browsing down Instagram - but my point is that it's easier than you might think to fall down the rabbit hole and confuse your own personal choices and identity for the one offered on a silver platter online. Remember what you love, what matters to you. If that Bourgeois foundation is your gem and you wouldn't swap it for the world, not even for that Armani Luminous Silk everyone is raving about (ehm, guilty) don't let anyone tell you otherwise. And if you think that a Tom Ford lipstick is worth the investment solely because it will make you happy every single time you take a glimpse at it, then by all means, buy it. I believe that in the end, no matter the trends, what people might advertise here and there, nor even the quality of a product, some purchases must be  enabled by the heart (cringey, I know). God knows we're  now facing a never-ending landscape of beauty brands, so if you ever encounter one that you can relate you or that makes you feel something real , you shouldn't overlook it. We're only human, as much as we love to associate ourselves with tech-savy career-driven superhumans, it's alright to give in to our emotions and feelings sometimes - even if it is (only) toward a lipstick. 

A Travel-Friendly Makeup Bag

I'm an chronic overpacker. I'm a "what if", "I need options" and a "just in case" kind of woman and when it comes to packing, it can lead to some ridiculous dramas (aka the dreaded excess baggage charge. Not fun). I have come to learn that making a few concessions weren't that painful and that overthinking every step of the way was more a curse than a blessing. In other, less melodramatic words, I've learnt to pack - sort of. I'm forever packing too many dresses and an extra pair of shoes I never end up wearing - but I've learnt my lesson with make-up. I know I'm not the only woman in this situation (I'm afraid it might be in our genes, ladies) so I thought I would share my edition of the travel-friendly makeup bag for those of you who have a somewhat frightening amount of products to chose from. I am well aware there's about a billion of other possibilities, that our taste may differ and that your skin-type will be different from mine - by all mean, make it your own ! What I'm presenting here is just a couple of simple guidelines that, hopefully, will keep you from going too extremely overboard when packing your beauty arsenal.

To start with the base, if you own several foundations/base products I'd recommend picking the most versatile one. What I mean by that is pick a product that can be worn as a light layer for the day time and that can be build up for nighttime. I chose a foundation over a tinted moisturizer for that very reason, but obviously if you have fabulous skin, don't bother. The Chanel Perfection Lumière Velvet is one of my all time favourite because it's freaking easy to use - fingers, brush, sponge, it all works like a charm. It has a great lasting power and has a truly versatile coverage. Also note that the packaging is ideal to travel; no glass bottle allowed there I'm afraid (although you can always depot the product in a smaller container if you have to). I didn't pick a primer per say, but took my Body Shop highlighter which I like to use as a primer or mix with my foundation for an extra glow. It can also be applied after your base  as a highlighter. Gorgeous, gorgeous product - and a bargain! For concealer, it's a no brainer - Nars Radiant creamy concealer always wins in my book. Full coverage, easy to blend, doesn't budge. Sold.  Wherever you go, whether you wear foundation or not, a good concealer can get you out of almost any uncomfortable situation or terribly bad skin day (post-flight breakout anyone?). For blusher, I chose a Bobbi Brown pot rouge (in 20 Raspberry) because cream products are the easiest to apply on the go and can be applied both on cheeks and lips. No brush needed here, your fingers will do fine - just remember to apply the product before applying any powder.  Sticking with powder,  I find a compact is easier to travel with than a lose powder. I picked my trusty Hourglass Ambient Lighting powder. I find bronzer optional and don't usually pack one but if I had to, I'd go for the Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow as you get a bronzer and a highlighter in one palette, which is always handy. For contour, nothing beats the Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting powder which, conveniently enough, takes barely any room at all. Moving on to brows, a brow pen/pencil and a gel are a must. Your brow routine isn't the place to make sacrifices - plus pens aren't exactly heavy products anyway. I'm never without the Suqqu brow pen and at the moment I'm using the Anastasia setting gel. Moving on to eyes, a primer is generally a smart tool to have and the Nars' little number does an amazing job. Again, cream products are the easiest to use when short on time and brushes. I picked a Charlotte Tilbury cream shadow in Marie Antoinette which is a universally flattering bronzy shade. I also packed an Urban Decay basics palette which is a good all-rounder; it contains almost exclusively matte shades except for one, all neutrals with which you can create pretty much any look, from a simple brown eye in conjunction with the cream, or a full smoky eye for later hours. Also, because a girl need at least a few options, I packed Laura Mercier caviar stick in Amethyst - just in case of a craving for something more colourful. A liner doesn't take much room and can be used in more ways than, most likely, you'll get to experience during your stay - so pack one (I chose Tom Ford's metallic mink). I don't know anyone who doesn't use at least a bit of mascara ? Right? Charlotte Tilbury it is then ! I personally like to use curlers, but this isn't compulsory for everyone. Finally for lips, a lip balm and a nude lip liner will do the job on most days, although if like myself you like a bold lip for a night out, chose one, and only one bolder option. I went for Tom Ford Black Dahlia which you might want to consider if you're into deep red, vampy lips. Don't forget to pop your cheeks and lips product into your bag so if you feel tired and look washed out during the day, you can easily apply a hint of colour to your lips. An easy step that can make all the difference! For brushes, it all depends on your preferences but for eyes a MAC 217 alone will do the job. If you packed a contour powder, a brush is necessary. I also packed a foundation brush, but that's entirely up to you. A medium-sized brush is enough for powder and bronzer, no need to carry your big fat brush (for those of you who don't use a bronzer, you may want to pack a smaller brush, like I did with the Real Techniques Setting brush, which is great to use with your setting powder). 

Finally, remember that nothing is irreplaceable - at least when it comes to makeup. You can purchase any type of product almost anywhere in the world, so if the plane is about to take off when you can suddenly visualise your poorly left behind favorite foundation in its draw back at home, let it go girlfriend - you'll be just fine.

xxx

The Tuesday Face : Naked Skin

Unless you've been living under a rock for the the past year, you'll know that the "no-make-up make-up" look is all the rage right now. Which is quite odd, if you think about it and consider the billions of over done, borderline drag looks that assail Instagram everyday (no hate, people, I like dramatic make-up too. Just not on a daily basis). From my understanding, a no-make-up make-up look is a way to say "I woke up like this" while secretly wearing a heavy load of products. The concept is to look "natural" but flawless. What's natural about that ? We all have our little flaws, hormonal spots, scars, freckles, beauty marks, and there's nothing wrong with that. In this look you can clearly see I'm wearing make-up, but believe it or not, there's very little of it. It took me around 8 minutes (brows are always a tedious process, whether you want to play it effortless-y or not) and it was awesome. I believe that if you use reliable products and put forward the right features, there's no need for an elongated routine - unless you enjoy it of course. I like to play with make-up too! But for those days you have to go to class, travel, or run errands and you're not feeling like going out with a bare face, this is a viable compromise. 

If you have particularly good skin, you can definitely get away with wearing a bit of concealer to the right places (we generally all have a bit of darkness at the inner corner of our eyes and some redness around our nose). If not, I'd recommend using a light-weight base such as a tinted moisturizer - it feels awesome and you don't have to think too much about it when you apply it - put it on like you would a moisturizer, massage it in and you're good to go! Next is blusher - no one should skip blusher. Bronzer, sure, if you feel like it (although I don't know many people who actually do? Beside me that is?) but everyone looks prettier, more alive with a hint of a flush. To get that youthful, glowy look I'd opt for a cream product, like I did here (if you have very oily skin, you may want to stick to powder though. You can always add some glow back in, but more on that later). I personally skipped bronzer but used a touch of contouring powder. This is up to you, but I will say that using one or the other will help to put forward your bone structure, and don't we all love a cheekbone? Again, totally optional. What isn't optional however, is brows. When you wear so little make-up, your brows just have to be there to frame your eyes and again, give your face some definition. You can tell I went all out with the highlighter (you definitely don't have to wear that much, I did so it would appear on the shoot). I'm forever amazed at what a different a little bit of sparkle can make. It suits everyone and is a nice way to add some wanted glow on an oily skin type. Similarly to the blush, I used a cream product here - I find it looks more natural as the product literally melts into the skin, whereas a powder highlighter can sometimes sit awkwardly on top of it if you're not careful. Always hit the highest points of your face (top of cheekbones, brow bone and cupid's bow should do). Now would be a good time to set your entire face if you need to and if not, to keep it to your T-zone - it's never good to glow there. One last step I'd recommend doing is curling your lashes. Even if you decide not to wear any mascara, curling your lashes will truly open up your eyes and make a difference (and that's coming from someone who never bought the eyelash curlers obsession, until about a year ago when I actually tried). Here I added a wash of colour to my eyelids, natural warm browns are ideal. Depending on what you prefer, you could go classic with a matte shadow, or like me chose one with a shimmer in it to get some extra dimension (fun fact, this wasn't actually an eyeshadow, but a highlighter. To hell with rules right?). I finished things off with a tinted lip balm too keeps things cosy and carefree throughout the day. 

What do you think of those minimal looks ? I find them quick, easy, and at times frankly liberating. Now, we'll all agree I most definitely did not wake-up like this but let me let you on a secret; no one does. Cindy Crawford said "Even I don't wake up looking like Cindy Crawford." See ? Even supermodels say so.

Base: Nars Pure Radiant tinted moisturiser in Finland, Hourglass Ambient Lighting powder in Diffused light, Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate in 01, Make-up Forever HD blush in 310 Eyes: Tom Ford Skin illuminating powder duo in Moonlight, Suqqu Brow pen in brown

The Tuesday Face : The Dolce Vita

Remember when I confessed being somewhat lazy in the eyeshadow department ? I made my case by raving on and on about what fabulous inventions cream eyeshadows are (no brush needed aka no blending skills needed either, get it ?) and as much as I trust they'll always remain an essential of mine, I do love to jazz things up from time to time when I don't have to get ready at the crack of dawn. There are thousands of eyeshadow palettes available out there and I could write endlessly about the many, many, (too) many ones I own and adore, but today I'll focus on the beautiful number that is the Dolce Vita from Charlotte Tilbury, part of her eyeshadow palette line. As you would expect, the range is truly brilliant. There's a palette for every woman out there, whether you're a neutral-matte or smoky-sparkly kind of girl. The Dolce Vita is a warm, rusty yet neutral toned 'gem that would magnify any eye colour. The palettes are designed in such a way that all the hard work is already done for you; instead of having to face a multitude of shades and struggle to make the tough call and choose, the four shades displayed are more than enough to create a variety of different looks and obviously work like a charm together - you cannot possibly do it wrong. The formula is divine, pigmented enough and buildable to your liking, the colours are vibrant and universally flattering. Admittedly, you'll have to give yourself an extra couple of minutes to get ready as brushes are mandatory (one brush will do, girlfriend, chill), but I can assure you it will be worthy of your time. Applying eyeshadows has never been so easy - nor glamorous, who could say no to such rose-gold goodness? Brace yourselves, fellow eyeshadow-struggler, Queen Tilbury and her terribly chic palettes will undoubtedly convert you to the art of shaping, smudging and blending in the blink of an eye - to say the least. 

Base: Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk foundation in 2, Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light, Hourglass blush in Mood Exposure, Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow, Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder Eyes: Charlotte Tilbury palette in The Dolce Vita, Tom Ford eye pencil in Metallic Mink, Charlotte Tilbury mascara Lips: MAC lip liner in Whirl, Suqqu Creamy Glow Moist lipstick in 06