Well, that’s not quite true, most days I don’t wear any makeup all – I work from home in my socks, there is no need for anything except maybe a procrasination fuelled face mask. So let’s re-phrase, on the days I wear makeup, this is what always I put on. I keep it as natural as possible, in fact the makeup I use doesn’t change my face but instead I rely on the products I use to help me look less tired and a little more put-together. And girls, I’ve gotten better. I can successfully apply eyeliner, my eyelashes aren’t quite so clumpy and I’ve even began dabbling in this ‘brow’ business – colouring in the areas that I clumsily plucked off. And not to dissapoint, but this isn’t the beginning of a series of makeup looks from me – I only have one and it is this one. If I am going somewhere fancy (which is rarely), I’ll smear on some extra eyeliner on or paint my lips the most vibrant matte red I possibly can. So here it goes, the 7 products that I like to use every time I can find the energy to pull out my makeup bag.
lips:
My dear friend Lydia speaks of the Mac Honeylove matte lipstick with almost suspicious zealous. Turns out Mac doesn’t sponsor her (they should), she just really loves the lipstick. So I bought it and now I am as annoyingly enthusiastic about it as she is (sorry Lydia)! For years I have been using a nude matte from a local Spanish supermarket chain – I kept repurchasing simply because I never found a nude quite like it, but then came Honeylove – far more natural, even creamier – just the ideal matte nude for my lips. When I tell you I love this lipstick, I really, really love it. I will never wear another. Thank you Lydia.
foundation:
I feel like I know Bobbi Brown herself at this point, I’ve read all her quotes and her name fills 90% of my makeup bag – she is my favourite, really. When I went in for my Bobbi Brown makeup class, the makeup artist told me I have the exact same skin tone as Bobbi too, which made me inexplicably happy. My favourite thing Bobbi has ever said, “Eating right and exercising is more important than what you put on your face”, mirroring exactly how I feel about makeup. Juicing and exercising have given me an almost perfect complexion – I so rarely get blemishes that when I do, my entire disposition dissolves. I take care of my skin, diligently and so my skin takes care of me. I don’t use foundation to conceal or cover up, I prefer mine light and barely-there – it evens out my skin tone and just generally makes me look less tired. I always look tired. I use Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation SPF 15 in their Natural shade.
bronzer:
Another Bobbi Brown product I love – and I use two. I’ll start off with their matte Bronzing Powder in Golden Light – all over my forehead, nose, cheeks – and then finishing off with their Shimmer Brick Compact in Bronze, dusting just a little on my cheeks, as a highlighter. It’s very subtle but still sunkissed – and not overly glittery. I do not like shiny makeup on my face, I have far too big of a head for it to be shining in any way.
concealer:
I use a lot of this stuff because I never sleep enough. And as a girl that wears glasses, my eyes usually look magnified under them – so I really rely on concealer, which I apply generously and messily with my fingers. Somehow I manage to make it look like I slept 15 hours the night before, which is no easy feat considering the sad shadows under these eyes of mine. Another Bobbi product – and one I refuse to live without, the Warm Beige duo, a creamy concealer as well as a little pot of finishing powder to keep it intact.
mascara & eyeliner:
Benefit’s They’re Real is my everything, one coat, some rigorous cotton bud clean up on my eyelids and I’m good to go. All my friends love this mascara and with good reason, it’s the perfect one. As for eyeliner, the Smokey Eye Kajal Bobbi Brown pencil – a messy tiny flick on each eye is about all I can manage, but it’s enough. Heavy eye makeup, like pendant necklaces and vodka, are a thing of my early twenties that I have since left far behind.
brushes:
Still learning how these work, but the two I use regularly are the Bobbi Brown Bronzer Brush as well as the Full Coverage Face Brush, they both make my mornings a little bit easier and keep my clumsy makeup processes a little less messy.
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