Wednesday 9 September 2015

Seven Heroes Inside My Make-Up Bag

When it comes to make up, I am not a hoarder. I keep it simple. 


I buy quality products, usually at an airport duty free and know that they will a) work and b) last.




I use the same products for everything (boring I know) but they result in three excellent looks:


- The I’m-at-work-and-couldn’t-care-less-what-I-look-like-but-I-should-put-on-some-makeup-so-I-don’t-scare-the-children look (usually accompanied by my hair in a ball on the top of my head)

- The I’m-going-to-try-and-look-nice-today look (sometimes accompanied by clean hair, sometimes)

- The let’s-go-all-out-because-I’m-getting-dressed-up-and-I’m-going-to-transform-into-Kendall-Jenner look (which inevitably always falls short of the mark)

For this last one I do sometimes throw in a loud lip, depending how fancy I’m feeling. 


Trying to pretend I know what I'm doing with a Canon^

The "every day"


The Concealer:




This Armani baby was a guilty hangover purchase (does anyone else just want to buy things when they’re hungover? No? Seriously though, I cannot set foot in Waitrose unless I am feel tip top) but I cannot say I regret it. It is thin to touch but has seriously good coverage and if you have a particularly prominent blemish, you can layer unit it’s disappeared. Worth it.


The Brows: 
I don’t have any eyebrows.
No, seriously. My friends used to joke that they were stolen in the night when I was a child.

I don’t pluck or tweeze because the fair haired little straggles that are there need to stick together. Until I was 20 I lived an eyebrow-less life, never really thinking anything of it because I didn’t know what I was missing.


Then Cara Delavigne happened and this was no longer an option.


I found the Rimmel eyebrow pencil (you all know the one) and happily started drawing on Crayola style brows until my sister introduced me to Bobbi. I’ve never looked back. 




With the Natural Brow Shaper you don’t change anything about your natural brow shape. This avoids the disastrous square ended, triangularly pointy, but still a semi-circle trap that so many fall into.


You just boost whatcha mama gave ya! (I’m definitely not cool enough to pull off saying that). You turn the pale fine little hairs into luscious natural looking brows. Job done. 


The Mascara: 
Tricky. Still haven’t found one I love.

It used to be Dior Show / Backstage Blackout but we fell out.im not sure why, but I’ve never settle and keep brand hopping – any suggestions would be warmly welcomed! 


These three little beauties make up the core of my first look (if you can call it that) and then I add these when I actually want to make an effort.

Looking "fresh"

The Base: 
I hate foundation. The caked on, unbreathable, matte look that you get just isn’t for me. 

Don’t get me wrong, there is a time and a place for good coverage that you know will last all day and then the Even Better foundation by Clinique is my go to (and I do secretly love it). But for a normal day, a lunch day or some casual shopping I am a firm believer in less-is-more.

Enter the Mac Longwear Compact.


Lighter than a liquid foundation but wetter than a power compact this baby hits all the right notes.

Amazing coverage and again, you can layer it if needed in places, but it doesn’t matter if you don’t cover the whole face, you don’t have a big line divide.



Plus – super handy for an “on the run” touch up.

The Bronze:
I love Dior bronzers.


I’ve never had the same one twice, but now I’ve found the brand, I’ll never stray.


This is a "Sun Powder". It doesn’t go patchy and has only he faintest of shimmers. Ideal.

Great for contouring or just giving yourself a touch of colour when your last holiday was too long ago.

The Highlight: 
I have devastating news. I dropped this over the weekend. It shattered. I froze. For a good 3 minutes until my man came and shook me out of it.

I know it’s an eye shadow, but it was a perfect highlighter. Not matte but not sparkly, just a tiny hint of a shimmer. I’d sweep it across the top of my cheekbones and just below my eyebrows and it was fantastic.

Whilst we're on the "sweeping" motion, Chanel brushes are the one. 


They don't shed, and the aren't too compact and are really easy to clean. I use the blush brush 4 for cheekbones and the large eyeshadow brush

But back to the eye shadow. More annoyingly, Chanel have discontinued the Coconut colour (ironic really as coconut is suddenly en vogue – Vita Coco anyone?).

I am in need of a new recommendation – talk to me people! I’ve heard good things about this from Guerlain and this, also Guerlain but would like some advice before I invest…thoughts?

But there you have my "let's sort of make an effort" look



This is the point where I really push the boat out for that
"special event"

I don’t really do anything different, there’s just more of the above plus the sneaky little ones below.

The eye shadow: 


A classic from Mac

Just adds that shimmer to your eye. I have tried - and failed - to the Smokey-Eyed look on numerous occasions. I can only conclude, it’s not for me.


I am afraid I have no idea wha the colour is because it is that ancient well loved, but at a guess I'd say "Jest"?

The Liner: 
Another classic from Bobbi Brown, their Long Wear Gel Eyeliner


Black doesn’t look good on me. Black clothes, black hats, black eye makeup. They wash me out.

Luckily Bobbi Brown share my pain and so have come up with a number of alternatives including this gorgeous Ivy Shimmer Ink colour.



My eyes are a dodgy blue/green/grey mix depending on the light but this little bad boy just bring the colour out to be a bit stronger. Adds a bit of mystery to the eye, and generally just dresses the face up a bit (is that a thing?), definitely a good alternative to a black liner.

If it’s a really special occasion I’ll dig a pair of Eylure lashes, volume 101. 


The best at what they do and a god mix of giving you some oompf but without going OTT.
(I thought I'd treat you to a web image - no one needs to see manky used lashes!)


I can thoroughly recommend all of the above, and if you have any recommendations for a Mascara / highlighter for me they would be very warmly welcomed!

CB x

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