Rug: bought in Marrakech (you can buy similar from Wanderlust Wares). Washbag: £10, Accesorize. Sandals: £24 in the sale: Finery London |
I’ve always been a low maintenance kind of girl with my beauty products but there a few items I’ve used since turning 30, when I started really appreciating makeup and the effects of beauty products, which I wouldn’t be without these days.
1. The EYEBROW PENCIL. I never really understood the need to highlight my eyebrows before and always associated them with an over the top ‘Scouse brow’ – but after being given one by a Beauty Editor at Red – suddenly I feel naked if I don’t have it on. It frames your face and can look really natural if you invest in the right ones. I use Lord & Berry’s ‘Blondie’ as it has 3 colours mixed in (as my browns aren’t a basic shade – they need a bit of ‘tonal’ help).
2. The FACE MASK. Maybe it’s our fast-paced lives, but a face mask signifies not only indulgence for me, but also TIME. The thought of having 5 minutes to soak in a hot bath with a face mask on, well it’s just about killing me right now – I cannot wait for that moment. I’m trying the Fresh ‘Black Tea’ perfecting mask but also love the Bliss Multi-‘face’eted clay mask (even if it does leave my muslin cloths filthy!).
3. I now wear SERUM everyday underneath my moisturiser, Origins Plantscription, to be precise. This firms up your skin but also targets wrinkles – something I suddenly care about (perhaps too little too late!).
4. For someone with combination skin like me, I swear by Face Oil at night – it seeps into my skin and really helps if I’m suffering from a skin breakout (which at 32, I still get hormonal and stress-related spots). I love everything by organic skincare range Antipodes, and their Divine Face Oil made form avocado oil and rosehip is, as the name suggests, divine.
5. Through years of travelling, and a lot of sleep deprivation, I’ve really come to understand the need of a eye cream/serum. I was actually told by an expert at La Prairie once that you should moisturise your eyes as often as you hydrate your lips with lipbalm. I’d never thought of it like that…I mean, I’ll never go as far as to carry it around in my bag but I will always take Kiehl’s cooling eye-opening serum on every flight.
6. I have always had oily skin and a shiny head by the end of every day. I thought this was just ‘tough luck’ until someone last year told me about Benefit’s pore miniming range. I use the primer underneath my make-up and no shine whatsoever…an actual revelation.
Pore minimising balm, £24.50, Benefit at Feel Unique |
7. Apparently the same goes with eyes. Whilst having a make-up top up on QVC (yes, I appeared on QVC talking about jewellery back in April!) – I was complaining that I always have mascara and eyeliner down my face and transferred onto my eyelids. This doesn’t have to happen. The make-up artist (literally) opened my eyes to the wonders of Laura Mercier eye basics. It’s essentially an eye primer, which takes out the oil from your eyelids and makes it a smooth canvas for eye make-up. It feels like a lot spending £21 on something so small (in fact I asked for it for my birthday!) but trust me – I’ve not had smudged eye make-up since.
8. And lastly, I mentioned this in my Bobbi Brown make-up for glasses tutorial, and it’s something I’ve used ever since – corrector. Always use corrector before concealer for under your eyes – you usually need a lighter shade, and it’s heavier than concealer – but it’s purpose is to take the darkness out from under your concealer. You then just need to dab concealer on top to bring back to your natural colour. I use ‘light bisque’ corrector by Bobbi Brown.
Pink tray (comes in a set of 3), H&M Home – I bought them last week – they’re just like the Hay design ones which are fab – a great way to store jewellery and make-up |
The Bargainista says
I totally agree with you on all of these things! I am 36 and the need for concealer, eye cream, serum, masks, and all of the rest above has become extreme in the last few years. Concealer especially! I love the Bobbi Brown one too. The face oil sounds lovely, I must try it out.
Alexandra Stedman says
I put the oil on at night, as it not only calms me before I go to sleep but I wake up in what feels like (almost) new skin! And Antipodes products are such good value (the moisturisers look just like Aesop for half the price) x