Latest Face & Boots Bits

So, I'm entering the black hole of revision & exams until June. Worryingly, I seem to have forgotten how to revise, finals being all the way back in the dim & distant past (well, 2010).

This is what I've been wearing on my face if I feel like making more-than-no effort.

L-R: Murad Oil-Control Mattifier, Illamasqua Light Liquid Foundation in LF115, Revlon ColorStay Foundation in Ivory, L'Oreal Mattifying Powder, and NARS Douceur blush (bottom)

Primer: the Murad Oil Control Mattifier. I'm definitely a fan of this stuff - helps make-up go on smoothly, controls shine brilliantly throughout the day, and has SPF 15.

Foundation: I've been mixing Revlon ColorStay (Combo/Oily version) in Ivory with Illamasqua Light Liquid Foundation in LF115 (the palest skin-coloured shade). I used to wear the ColorStay on its own, but it is a) much fuller coverage than I need/want, and b) too dark/yellow, irritatingly. Mixing in the Illamasqua sorts both of these problems pretty nicely, giving a far better colour match and less cakey coverage. I mix them up on the back of my hand (really don't appreciate the fact the ColorStay has no pump, dammit) and apply with my fingers. I used to use a Sigma F80 flat-top kabuki brush but I find it soaks up half the product and is a right pain to clean, so fingers it is!

Top: Revlon ColorStay in Ivory; bottom: Illamasqua Light Liquid Foundation in LF115

LF115 is a good match for me on its own when blended out, if a tad neutral, but it does emphasise the pallor in a dramatic way which I don't always want, especially in the daytime. I also have this foundation in LF120, which is pinker, darker and a more easy-going shade. I can't say I'm in love with the formula on its own, as it has a tendency to look streaky/greasy, as if it's just sitting on top of the skin in an awkward way. Such a shame given the ah-mazing shade range! Must try Skin Base sometime. But am very happy to have discovered a way to use this one, really enjoying it at the moment!

Powder: the L'Oreal Transparent Mattifying Powder, sadly discontinued ages ago. I bought several of these from eBay when I realised it was no longer available in shops, so I'm now working my way through my stash. The packaging is a bit silly, as surely nobody ever uses the rubbish little brush in the lid - I just unscrew that and use a standard powder brush, obv.

Blush: NARS Douceur. Perfect everyday natural blush. I usually use a MAC 188 with this.

This, plus some mascara and lipbalm, is my standard leaving-the-house routine. I'm impressed by the Murad primer - I don't need to touch up with powder AT ALL during the day. Impressive. Although to be honest more often than not I will just use SPF and powder on top. Because it's only the library. If anything I prefer sticking on a bright lipstick - yesterday I went for MAC Girl About Town and remembered how much I looove it! - to cheer up my face, rather than spending ages on eyeliner etc.

Hope everyone's having a lovely weekend!

Till next time,

Josephine x

PS. Today's cheeky Boots haul:

Top to bottom: Soap & Glory Thick & Fast Mascara; Revlon Lip Butters in Macaroon & Sweet Tart, Soap & Glory Lid Stuff eyeshadow quad in Off the Wall Flowers

I fancied picking up these two Lip Butters having seen endless swatches on blogs. I now have six in total, five of which I like - Peach Parfait is the exception, since I find it gritty with obvious unflattering shimmer. I also had a poke around the Soap & Glory makeup, since I'd heard good things about their mascara, and ended up getting both the mascara and this random eyeshadow quad. In the end, the whole lot only cost £21 - the mascara and quad were £10 each, so I ended up with the Lip Butters for 50p each. Win. Chatting to the cashier is always worthwhile! This was something to do with a £2 off voucher which wouldn't scan properly, so he put them through as a pound! Nice one.

I definitely think my Lip Butter collection has grown big enough now. None of the other colours appeal to me as they're all too pale/shimmery, so I'll concentrate on actually wearing what I've got - revolutionary, I know. Will report back on the S&G bits at a later date when I've given them a whirl!

Brush-Free Makeup for the Hungover

We've all been there: you've woken up after a night out, feeling less-than-ideal, and need to look presentable (i.e. less shit) as soon as possible. Without the benefit of good lighting, an enormous stash of products, or indeed any brushes (in the likely event that you've stayed over at a friend's/boyfriend's house and therefore don't have any brushes, or just can't be bothered with the whole brush thing).

This is how I would do it...

STEP ONE: FACE

L-R: 17 BB Makeup, Collection 2000 Concealer, Topshop Blush in Flush

 I'd go for some kind of foundation type stuff you can slap on with your fingers, to even out the inevitable blotchy/dull bits. My current choice is 17 Blemish Balm All-in-One Magic Makeup in Light - because if you ever need magic makeup, it's when you're feeling/looking distinctly worse for wear. Surprisingly, this is pale enough even for me, partly because it's light coverage and easy to blend. Winner. I think Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum would also work well here.

Stick on some concealer where required. Like the rest of the world, I favour the Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer, in Fair. (Irrelevant observation: I think they've now dropped the crazy futuristic "2000" part of their moniker, leaving the bizarrely abstract and meaningless "Collection". Fair enough.)

Blush is pretty much essential to avoid looking like the undead if you're very pale like me. Cream blushes are the way forward in these situations. I'd choose Topshop Cream Blush in Flush (or Nutmeg, the neutral colour). And it has a mirror - handy.

STEP TWO: EYES

L-R: MAC Bare Study, Rimmel mascara, Topshop white kohl

First up, neutral-coloured sparkly stuff will help. MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study is ideal. Smear this liberally all over the lid with your finger, possibly on the browbone too if you're keen. Dab some on the inner corners too, as this will distract from how knackered you look.

Next, mascara. If you suffer from dark circles, maybe skip the lower lashes. I'm using Rimmel Lash Accelerator in Extreme Black (now with even more black!).

Desperate times, desperate measures - white kohl. On the waterline. You might look a little crazy, but this is probably better than the bloodhound effect. (If you have a tasteful flesh-coloured pencil liner, go with that. I only have Topshop Kohl in Frost, a glaring matte white. Keeping it classy.)

STEP THREE: LIPS

L-R: Revlon Lip Butter in Sugar Plum, 17 Mirror Shine Lipstick in Belle; front: Lanolips

 Your most basic option here is a heavy-duty lip balm, for the predictable dehydrated lips - Lanolips 101 Ointment is my top choice. (Must investigate the tinted versions some time.)

A bit of colour may well be your friend here, however. I'd go for something glossy and easy to apply, like a Revlon Lip Butter (I like Sugar Plum), or 17 Mirror Shine Lipstick in a neutral colour - when I went to look at these I wanted the super-popular Beehive, like the sheep that I am, but it was way too pale, too peachy, and too much like MAC Hue for my taste, so I went for the darker, more wearable pink Belle, which is lovely.

At this point you're pretty much done. Congratulations, you look more like a normal person now! However, if you have a few extra minutes, how about some optional extras?

STEP FOUR: FINISHING TOUCHES

Clockwise from top: No. 7 pressed powder. Stella McCartney Stella, Jemma Kidd highlighter

Now is the time to fake a youthful, healthy glow with a cream highlighter. In a pinch, you could dab MAC Bare Study or other pale cream eyeshadow of your choice along your cheekbones (gotta love a multi-tasking product, though subtle this ain't). If I was feeling fancy, I'd go for the ludicrously-named yet foolproof Jemma Kidd Dewy Glow All Over Radiance Creme in Iced Gold - the "All Over" bit really is outstandingly redundant, though I suppose you could smear this all over your face if you wanted. Added bonus: a really big mirror to do your makeup in (though I have been known to do mine using the mirror in the Topshop blushes).

Grab some pressed powder if you're prone to shininess, and dust over your T-zone. I use No. 7 Perfect Light Pressed Powder in Translucent.

Finally, spritz some perfume - this will give the illusion of being more rested/groomed/clean than you actually are. The only bottle I have small enough to bother packing in an overnight bag is Stella McCartney Stella EDP (have they stopped doing the printed bottles now?? I'm sad about this), which fortunately happens to be a lovely fresh floral scent, perfect for spring.

TA-DAH! You are now ready to stumble out into the bright, noisy world in search of a very large coffee. Good luck!

Till next time,

Josephine x

Everyday Face of the Moment

Here we have all the products I use in my standard daily makeup routine. Scary.

 That's a whole lotta makeup. It's probably more sensible if I divide it up into vague categories, since listing it all here would be loooong (I tried it. It was).

Face products

L-R, top to bottom: NARS blush in Sin, MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Lightscapade, Alpha-H Daily Essential Moisturiser SPF 50+, Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum in the lightest shade, Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer in fair, and No. 7 translucent pressed powder.

I rarely wear foundation, but if I do feel like it, I blend in a small amount of this Bourjois one down the centre of my face, where I need a bit more coverage. Usually I just stick to concealer and powder - I definitely need powder after applying sunscreen, as it does look shiny, particularly till it dries. I'm trying to wear sunscreen every day, even though it feels (and probably is) bonkers putting it on when it's grey and cloudy outside.

Then I swipe on my latest favourite blush, NARS Sin, which is a gorgeous wearable plum with a bit of gold shimmer, and a quick dusting of Lightscapade on top of my cheekbones (such as they are). I was going to photograph the brushes I use, but a) this post would be even longer and b) they're dirty, as usual. For the record: I do own the Sigma F80 flat-top kabuki, but if I'm in a rush and want to slap on a bit of this foundation I just use my fingers, as I do with the sunscreen. I use a MAC 188 for this blush, the amazing Illamasqua highlighting brush for the MSF.



Eye products

Top to bottom: L'Oreal Super Liner in carbon gloss, Benefit They're Real! Mascara, Too Faced Shadow Insurance, MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study, MAC eyeshadows in (L-R) Crystal Avalanche, Vex, Dazzlelight, Coquette, and Copperplate.

This tube of the Too Faced eyeshadow primer has lasted me for absolutely ages, and it works brilliantly to keep eyeshadow on all day without creasing/disappearing (my mother is also a convert to this stuff!). However, when I went to the Oxford St Boots to repurchase (it's hard to find the brand in all but the biggest stores), I found it had gone up by FIVE POUNDS, to £16.50. At least, I'm pretty sure I only paid £11.50 or thereabouts last time I bought it. Now uncertain whether I'd purchase again at that price, but I shouldn't be running out any time soon. I'd also like to try the classic Urban Decay Primer Potion and MAC Painterly Paint Pot - should probably steer clear of the NARS one if I'm complaining about price!

I love the effect of this Benefit mascara, which everyone has been raving about - long, voluminous lashes with curl. So what's not to like? Well, firstly the price; I used a £5 off voucher in Boots, without which I do think it's overpriced. And it's a complete pain to get off at night! Maybe I should invest in a more heavy-duty makeup remover, but I always end up with panda eyes and flakes of black everywhere!

The L'Oreal Super Liner is an old favourite for flicked black eyeliner, which I go through phases of wearing every day. I have tried the Maybelline gel liner with a MAC 210, but I find it too fiddly, and difficult to get a smooth line without expending more effort than I'm willing to make in the mornings!

My eyeshadow standbys are either Bare Study all over the lid for a brightening effect - I just whack this on with my fingers if I need to get out of the door fast - or, for more leisurely mornings, a wash of Vex/Dazzlelight with a bit of Copperplate in the crease, using a MAC 239 and 217. If I'm feeling fancy, I'll pop some Crystal Avalanche in the inner corner for a highlight.

I always run some Coquette through my brows with the Illamasqua angled brush. I only started doing this in August, but now I wouldn't be without it - adds a bit of definition and polish to the face, which has to be a good thing!

Lip products

L-R: MAC lipsticks in Cosmo, See Sheer, Syrup, and Plumful, and Neutrogena lip balm with SPF 20.

These are what I think of as my everyday lipsticks. If I'm feeling super lazy, I just stick on some lip balm and have done with it. The next step up in the grooming stakes is Syrup, which is basically a toned-down version of my lip colour, with some shine to it. Plumful and See Sheer are equally easy to wear (these are all lustre finishes, meaning you do have to reapply quite frequently, but I think the formula works well for the everyday, not too done look), but make a bit more of an impact colour-wise: Plumful, as the name suggests, is a beautiful berry/plummy colour, See Sheer a coral red.

Finally, Cosmo, which may take the title of Favourite MAC Lipstick Ever (quite an achievement given the size of my collection, which is a topic for another day). It's an amplified finish, so packs a bit more punch and lasts longer on the lips - a gorgeous deep rosy pink, similar to my lip colour but a tad darker. Since I'm so pale, this definitely draws more attention to the lips than the other shades mentioned here, but if I'm wearing understated eye makeup I like this effect. This is the one MAC lipstick I anticipate repurchasing. Love.

And there you have it. I'm now wondering if that's a ridiculous amount of makeup to wear for a normal day. Maybe I'll go in to college entirely makeup-free one day next week and see how I feel - I think I'd find blush the hardest thing to give up!

Till next time,

LL x