March Favourites

Oh March, i'm so glad you are nearly over. On Sunday my family and I are off for a week of sun-filled fun in Lanzarote, the Canary Islands. I can't tell you how much i'm looking forward to this trip. I have been working a lot since January and feel a touch exhausted. I know some would scoff at my mention of work and I realise working freelance is nothing like working a full time job, but it's the first time i've worked in the 5 years since having my daughters, so let me have my moment!

Aesop Fabulous Face Oil - it was love at first smell with me and this face oil. I was given samples of this at my consultation with Caroline Hirons and just couldn't get enough of it. This is one of the very few brands which is cheaper to buy in Australia, so I had my husband mule it home on his recent work trip (as penance for getting to eat gnocchi with my family while I was stuck in London). If you are looking for a really lovely, hydrating face oil to wear under your moisturiser then give this one a try. 

Bourjois Nail Polish Remover Pot - this is certainly not a new product, in fact here in the UK it seems to have cult status. I have been hitting the nail polish hard lately and this pot makes taking it off so simple. Just put your finger in (there is an internal sponge wall inside the pot), twist a few times and the polish is gone. There are lots of copies of this being launched, but this is the original.

The Body Shop Face Massager - a full review of this can be found here, but in brief it is a nifty and very affordable little tool that you roll over your skin after applying your serums and moisturiser. Since using it my skin has been behaving quite nicely. £6.00 and it comes Caroline Hirons approved. 

Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey - this is a repurchase from me. I had this years ago and always loved the simple hint of colour it gave. It is Clinique's suit anyone shade. I'm always fairly low key on lip products and prefer those I can quickly swipe on as I race out the door so this is perfect.

By Terry, Terrybly Densiliss foundation - more details on this here. I shelved this late last year as I wasn't taking too much makeup on my trip home to Sydney, and have only recently put it back in rotation. The colour match is perfect for me and it give a good amount of coverage without being too full-on for day time wear. As for the anti-ageing benefits it contains ... I haven't been using it consistently enough to see any difference so the jury is still out on that.

Transitioning from Sydney to London, Summer to Winter

Last Friday I flew back to London after my month long holiday in Sydney. These are the ways I transition my makeup from the highest high's of Summer to the deepest depths of Winter, so if you are Sydney based and planning a trip far north - i've got you covered!

It's amazing how everything changes as soon as you step off the plane. The first thing that is noticeably different is the light. The light in Sydney is just so damn bright. London in Winter has a certain, may I say bleakness to it. This means that colours read differently and even something as simple as the shade of foundation you wear may need a rethink as you travel between the hemispheres. After totally living in tinted moisturiser, I am now reaching for something with more coverage, and i'm switching for a more dewy finish to something a little more matt.

Chantecaille Just Skin Tinted Moisturiser - £57.00 / $94

By Terry Terrybly Densiliss  Wrinkle Control Serum Foundation - £75.00 

After spending the past month using a nude lipstick shade, this suddenly looks way too insipid and I find myself reaching for berry shades to give my face some life. 

Paul and Joe Lipstick on Shade 207 - £19.50 (similar shades here)

Kiko Velvet Matt Lipstick in Cherry Red (609) - £6.90

I also tend to shelve the moral coral and neutral blush shades and go for something rosie.

Bourjois Cream Blush in 02 - £7.99

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Rose - £19.00 / $44.00

While you may feel like a goose wearing eyeliner and mascara on the beach, in London it is definitely the way to go so i'm going to go crazy. Lately I have switched it up and have been using a dark brown eyeliner rather than a black which still defines the eye nicely, but looks a little less severe. I am also upping the intensity, moving from a light wash of colour over the lid to something with a little more punch.

Clinique Chubby Stick for Shadown Tint for eyes in Lavish Lilac - £17.00 / $35.00

By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Velvet Orchid - £28.00 / $62.00

There are a few things that stay the same no matter my location. I always use a broad spectrum sunscreen, even when it's 4 degrees and raining. My trusty black mascara is also a key product that I am never without. 

Summer Favourites Sydney Style

My latest favourites are a summer fun bag compiled for you direct from Sydney. I have been holidaying here for the past few weeks and it only took me about 2 seconds to get in the swing of being back in the world of heat and humidity.

So here are the products I have been reaching for, pretty much on a daily basis due to packing restrictions.

La Roche Posay Anthelios XL 50+ Sunscreen - I picked this up on my Paris trip last month. It is described as being 'extreme fluid for sensitive skin' and I have been wearing it on my face and chest, over my daily moisturiser every day since I arrived. It is a little creamier than the last sunscreen I was using, but it does what it states and is easy to rub in.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturiser - I normally use the Ultra Facial Moisturising Cream which is heavier and more suitable for the northern hemisphere but I swapped to this lighter version for my trip. It is a good basic, fragrance-free option and I had a teeny tiny bottle which is great for travelling. 

Bourjois Bronzing Primer - I love this for providing a little bronzed pick-me-up for under my normal makeup. The colour is fairly subtle, enough to give you a lovely glow without making you look like an orange fake-tan user.

L'Oreal Paris Glam Shine Stain Splash in 101 Lolita - Another Paris purchase, this is a gloss which acts like a stain. Unlike most stains, it is packed with moisture so you get the long lasting benefits without the side effect of dry lips. Lolita is a very natural shade which you can pull off even when wearing your swimmers.  I also love the packaging which is nicer than your average drug store product.

I have just notices that a lot of these products are not yet available in Australia (boo-hiss!). I have linked to the UK sites in my post and I guess we can only wait and hope for Australian releases in 2014.

My Foundation Wardrobe

There are some new and really interesting foundations on the market (hello By Terry, Terrybly Densiliss). I don't need any new foundation but I want. So in a bid to remind myself why i'm not allowed to add to my foundation wardrobe, here is a run down of the foundations I currently own.

Chantecaille Future Skin

This is the only foundation I have ever repurchased! It is an oil-free gel foundation which is great for my combination skin. I love the texture of a gel foundation and find this goes on best with hands instead of a brush.  I used to be 'Nude' in colour but have become 'Vanilla' since moving to the UK. There is a range of 10 shades so there should be match for most. My only gripe is that it comes in a pot so its' not ideal for travelling, but a positive to the pot is that you can control how much product you dispense and you know you can access every last drop. At £58.00 / $105 AUD it is certainly at the luxury end of the spectrum, but my god it is good. You can pick it up here in the UK and here in Australia.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum 

This is also a gel formula foundation - I told you like a good gel formula!  It is radiance-boosting, anti-fatigue and claims to blend instantly and flawlessly. For the money (£10.99 / $32 AUD) it is a really good light coverage foundation. I have colour 52 Vanilla which is a touch too pale for me, however the next colour up was a little too dark. Limited 5 colour choices is one of the down sides to a cheaper product. I use this for low key days when I have nothing exciting happening. It is a good back up foundation. You can pick this up here in the UK and here in Australia.

 YSL Le Tient Touche Éclat Foundation

An illuminating foundation based around the iconic Le Touche Éclat highlighting pen. This certainly gives you a lovely glow. Sometimes I do find it a little too oil-enhancing on my t-zone, but used in the right conditions in cooler weather, it is lovely. Great packaging for travel too. I am colour B40 and there are an impressive 22 colours in the range. £29.00 / $78 AUD, you can buy this here in the UK and here in Australia.

By Terry Sheer Expert Perfecting Fluid Foundation 

Oh By Terry! I really, really do love their products. This is so light it is verging on being a tinted moisturiser. The colour is an absolute perfect match for my skin (No 8. Intense Beige) so it just blends in flawlessly for me. All her products have the most delicious smell too. I have never been disappointed with anything from the range that I have purchased, my main problem is knowing when to stop. £44 / $89 AUD here in the UK and here in Australia.

In Shade 02 Ivory

Bellápierre Mineral Foundation

I had a bad experience with mineral makeup a few years back so I was hesitant to go there again however I was introduced to 

Bellápierre makeup when I did my course at The Session School and was very impressed. To be honest, I don't love the process of buffing powder in to my skin, but I do find this gives a nice even coverage. You need to prep the skin correctly and I find the Bella Pierre primer underneath is a must. There are 10 colours in the range and it is very easy to mix them together to create a bespoke shade. If mineral makeup is your thing and you want pure pigment without any added nasties, then you should give this a try. £34.99 / $79.95 AUD, you can buy this here in the UK and here in Australia.

I am also really keen to try Chanel's Vitalumiere Aqua and Georgio Armarni's Luminous Silk - but not until I use up some of my existing supply. 

Match My Makeup

I have discovered a gem of a website that helps you to match your foundation shade to shades in other ranges. Match My Makeup. Could you just imagine how much awesome online makeup shopping this will facilitate? Imagine the scenario - you read a great article on Georgio Armarni's foundation and would love to jump online and buy it except that you don't know what shade of foundation you are. The tiny little example colours shown on the website do not help you in the slightest. If you go to matchmymakeup.com and complete their little 3 step online form they will tell you your corresponding shade so you can purchase with confidence. It is brilliant. 

So how can they do this? They have an actual colour-reading machine as well as a team of mathematicians, scientists and makeup artists that manually test the products. Rae Morris, the Queen of Australian makeup artists is one of the names behind this site which is certainly reassuring.

When I first looked at the site  a few months back I was slightly disappointed as some of the brands I use such as Chantecaille and Bourjois were not listed as options, but this has recently changed. They are also adding more and more brands as the weeks progress so I think the site is only going to get better and better.

Does it actually work? I did a little test match using my Bourjois Healthy Mix in 52. Vanilla as an example and was given 45 possible matches! Some of the matches were other products that I own, so I know the colours are matches that work on me. 

So what do you guys think? Do you think you will be using this site?