Desert Island Products - March 2015

March 12, 2015

I haven't reviewed any products on here for a long time. I get a little tired of the colossal amount of bloggers writing about beauty who have no actual experience with makeup or skincare other than the experience of putting it on their own face. It turns me off reading, and writing about it too! I do, however, absolutely love taking pictures of my makeup collection - the colours and textures make me so happy.

So I thought I would update you on what my desert island favourite products are right now. These are products I am using on myself. I tend to go a little more luxe on myself than I do for my kit!

Eyes - Chanel Illusion D'Ombre in Mirage

This has a creamy mousse texture which makes it delightful to apply with your finger. It blends out really easily and is a perfect colour to give your eyes definition in one go.

Cheeks - Nars Orgasm Blush

This colour really does suit most complexions. It is a cult product for a reason and it often sneaks its way into my kit as I know there is a 99% chance it will suit the model I am working on.

Lips - Charlotte Tilbury Lipstick in Stoned Rose

This comes close to being my all time favourite lip colour ever. Mac's Cosmo beats it by a nose but this one is pretty perfect for both day and night. The texture is great - nice and creamy yet long lasting.

Face - By Terry Terribly Densiliss Foundation

It's no secret that my skin hasn't been behaving itself very well lately and this has been the main product i've been using to camouflage my hormonal breakouts. It is a serum foundation so the texture is sheer and blendable. I apply it with my hands at first, then after blending with my fingers I go over it with my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush to make sure it is all buffed in properly.

Next week - Desert Island Kit Favourites. What i'm loving and using a lot in my kit on shoots right now.

My new thing - Tubular Mascara

December 02, 2013

Recently I bought a pretty pricey mascara by Chantecaille (hangs head in shame). Clocking in at £45, (yes, I know. I can't explain what came over me) obviously it is so high up on the luxury makeup rictor scales that I had very, very high hopes for it. It is the Supreme Cils Mascara by Chantecaille, one of my all time favourite brands. So the big question is, is it worth the luxury price tag?

I think it is, and let me tell you why. This is a tubular mascara. This means it coats each lash and creates a tiny tube around it. Once this mascara goes on, it will not budge for anything. You can sweat in it, cry in it even swim in it (if you are careful not to wipe your eyes after). It just stays put all day and night. So what makes it superior to say a waterproof mascara? Well the genius is in the way it comes off. You just need to rinse with warm water, wiggle the lashes between your thumb and forefinger and it literally comes off in your hands. Gone are the days of trying to remove waterproof mascara - I used to have to rub so vigorously that half my lashes became detached to get that stuff off. So I am a total convert.

Tubular mascaras have been on the market for a few years now (i'm just a bit late to the party). You don't need to go so far up into the luxury price bracket to reap the rewards. Here are some other tubular mascaras:

MAC's Opulash Mascara £14.00

Trish McEvoy High Volume Mascara £22.50

Kevyn Aucoin Curling Mascara £22.00

Clinique Lash Power Mascara £17.00

L-R: Chantecaille, Clinique, Kevyn Aucoin

The frustrating thing is they don't seem to have any reference to being tubular in their names, so if you are shopping for new mascara it is worth enquiring whether they wash off in warm water as that seems to be the main indicator.

Psst: i'm actually in Paris today. Stay tuned for a post on the beauty junkies guide to Paris which will be coming soon!

Cheating a Radiant Glow

October 03, 2013

Lately it has been all about cheating my way to a radiant glow and in my quest for dewy, youthful looking skin I have come across some great products. There are many ways you can achieve a glowing look but my favourites are to either add a shimmery liquid to my foundation or to subtly high-light certain areas of the face.

My stash of illuminators and highlighting products

Revlon Photoready Skinlights have just been reintroduced to the Revlon range and I am really enjoying using them. The product is a lovely light liquid that you can mix in with foundation or use over the top of your foundation to highlight. There are 3 colours in the range, and I have purchased 'Bare Light' and 'Pink Light'. It is really simple to work with - just add a touch of 'Bare Light' to your foundation for a lovely all-over glow, or a few drops of 'Pink Light' patted along the cheekbones and under the arch of the brow to add a subtle highlight to the face. At only £11.99 a pop, I think they are a makeup kit must have. You can get your hands on these in the UK here. In Australia you can buy these are Priceline here for $29.95 and at the moment they have a 3 for 2 offer on. Run.

Clinique Uplighting is another great liquid product that is easy to blend. It comes in 3 shades - Natural, Bronze and Blush. It is good however I struggle a little with the packaging as I find anything with a pump dispenser pumps out way more than you need which equals a fair bit of wastage. The Natural shade is my pick of the three. It costs £21.00 and you can buy it here. In Australia this costs $48.00 and you can buy it here.

Those of you who read my post on the Liberty Beauty Gift Bag (here) will know that in there I received a small size of the Nars Illuminator in Orgasm. This is a cult product so I had high hopes going in and I wasn't disappointed. It is similar to the Clinique but in a slightly pinkier tone. It glides on like a dream, gives the perfect amount of highlight and can even act as a subtle blush. Definitely another Nars addiction happening here and I will certainly be investing in the other shade 'Copacabana'. There are 4 colours in the range and they cost £22.00 here. In Australia they cost $48.00 and you can buy them here.

One of my all time favourite cream highlighter is from the Australian cosmetics line Bloom. It comes in stick form which makes it very easy to apply without accidentally over-doing it. A little bit goes a long way and it lasts forever. It comes in one shade only which is a 'champagne sheen' but it gives good glow. It costs $35.00 and you can buy it here. They do ship internationally if you are UK based but the rate is quite high unless you spend $100 to qualify for free shipping.

Just remember not to over powder your face after applying these products or you will undo all your good work.

If you prefer your makeup in powder form, you may want to check out the MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Soft and Gentle. A light dusting of this on the high points of the face can be really pretty. I think powders are easy to be a little over zealous with so go easy with the application to avoid looking too sparkly.