Hello to you beauty-loving readers :)
It's time again for another beauty haul post, and since I've bought a few items recently and it's been a while since my last post on make-up, I thought now's the perfect time to update. Especially since we are currently in the dead of winter, a time when we need the most care for our skin. It's cold and drying, and because the sun is rarely ever out, my complexion is in a rather complex state of sallowness and is in need of constant pepping. During the winter months, as with everybody else, my skin tone is lighter, therefore I always need to have a winter foundation alternative. It never really bothered me before but because I bought my NARS Sheer Glow Foundation last summer, of course it will look a bit more 'orange' around this season. And I'm not really bronzing as much either so, instead of trying to even out my darker complexion by bronzing head to toe, I decided to scope out some possibilities in the foundation area that would allow me to enjoy my lighter winter complexion. Along the way, I picked up a couple of extra bits and bobs to add to my stash. I like to rock dark blues and navys during winter, and although sometimes I look like a cross between Jenny Humphrey and Jared Leto, I tend to pull it off moreso than in the summer months. Plus I don't sweat eyeliner down my face. HUGE PLUS.
So here are the things I purchased:
- Chanel Perfection Concealer in 40. I used to think that when it comes to under eye make-up, Touche Eclat was the shizzle. Often I find that light-reflecting concealers just look TOO white on my skin tone, and although there are more shades out there in the market, most of them still look a bit too pink. Not ideal for covering dark shadows. This concealer from Chanel was probably the priciest one I've purchased in a while, but it does the job to a T. It's light and it allows for building up product without looking caked on. The colour is more yellow-based so it's perfect for countering dark shadows and it lasts for a long time. It doesn't cake along the lines either so I don't look like I have tons of wrinkles unlike what other brands tend to do.
-Bourjois Poudre Brozante in 51. It's the perfect, non-bank breaking matte bronzer out there in terms of drugstore make-up. The colour is great for most skin tones because it's not too orange or too 'bronzing'. It's subtle and can be used for light contouring as well as giving yourself a sun-kissed look while walking around the Northern climes.
-Bourjois Bio Detox Foundation in 58. Oh my god. I have been singing praises of this foundation for weeks now! It's so good! The liquid formula is light and it gives a nice semi-matte finish that stays on for the whole day. The coverage is around...medium? but because it is so light and buildable, it is like applying fresh, smooth skin. It's not too beige as far as tone but its a good mix of yellow and orange, perfect for evening out my winter complexion. I find that if my skin looks particularly well on a certain day, I can just mix half a pump of this with my moisturiser and it makes for a great pep-up tinted one.
-Bourjois Bio Detox Concealer in 3 Bronze to Dark. I find that my Chanel concealer works better with the foundation than this one. Maybe I just chose the wrong shade, but what I find with most drugstore brands, is that there is such a WIDE gap in terms of concealer shades. Maybe it is asking too much but I do expect that with the usual 'token' dark shade, that it would be fine. I haven't used it as much since I got it, partly because it is a shade darker than my foundation so maybe I'll save it for the summer when I'm darker. It works well when I mix it in with my moisturiser though for an everyday, light base if I'm just at home.
-Bourjois Ombre Eyeshadow in Gris Eclat. There's a trend right? I guess I lingered too long in just one bay at Boots! I'm not biased about Bourjois at all, it just happened that most of the things I liked were from their line. This shadow is a nice shimmery, charcoal grey. Bog standard smokey colour but with a shimmery punch.
-No7 Stay Perfect Nail Lacquer in Betty Blues. BEAUTIFUL shade of midnight blue with subtle flecks of glitter. A great alternative to black or red if you're a strict, dark vampy nail colour fan-which I am. I usually use a gold-flecked, clear top coat from Avon to get a midnight, starry sky effect.
-Revlon Matte Eyeshadow in Blue Riviera. Again, it's a great alternative to the usual blacks and greys for smokey eyes, and its matte. How rare! Good matte shadows are almost unheard of in the field of drugstore cosmetics, and while it's hardly MAC-quality, Revlon's matte range is great for its price and efficient availability. They have a great range of colours to choose from as well.
Just quickly going back to winter foundations, I actually had a browse around Harvey Nichols to sample a few choices. At the moment, both Chanel and Lancome have released new lines to cater for a wider range of skin tones and since I wasn't about to drop £30 odd quid on the spot at the counter, the ladies were kind enough to give me some sample pots. I told them I wanted to play around with it before I commit to a full bottle, and under my trusty skylight. Any good make-up artist will tell you to always test foundation under good daylight and the lights they have at counters are actually the worst, so keep that in mind.
-Chanel Perfection Lumière Foundation in 50. Easily the best foundation I've tried and tested to date. I can't fault it. The tone is a perfect beige/tan and the finish is as light as a dream. The foundation gives a medium coverage but again, it's as light and unnoticeable as skin. Definitely buying a bottle once I get my pennies in order.
-Lancôme Miracle Teint in #055. It's a little heavier than Chanel and the cover is from medium to full. Definitely one for a photo-heavy evening or event but for an everyday base, I thought it was too much.
-Laura Mercier Oil-Free in Suntan Beige. It's quality is similar to Chanel's and so is the price actually. I thought it was a good balance of light to medium coverage, and the fact that it is oil-free means it's a perfect choice for oily to combination skin types like myself.
...finally
-MAC ProLong Wear Foundation in NW35. This foundation has all the favourable qualities you can imagine. It's light, perfect for combination skin, has a semi-matte finish and is the most affordable out of all the high-street brands. It's another perfect choice.
Overall, I can say that I am happy with this current roster of favourites. I'm not a snob when it comes to make-up, not really. Especially since I'm in no position to buy everything from Tom Ford, but when it comes to the very basic elements of my kit, I like to really test and try out good quality brands because they are priced as such for a reason. At the moment, I constantly find myself veering away from having a full-face of make-up and most of the time I just make sure that my overall complexion looks healthy and polished. So, instead of splurging on things like eyeshadows and lipsticks, which I hardly ever use now, I just invest in a good selection of bases and concealers which I use everyday. You have to pay for the good things in life you know? Or at least, when it comes to cosmetics, for me, this rule applies heavily. No pun intended :)
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