The Autumn Wishlist

October 29, 2015 in Makeup, Skincare, Hair

Being a bit of a beauty addict, my collection never seems quite big enough. I’ve added a lot to my makeup drawer in the past few months, but there are always some bits that slip through the cracks and I spend ages lusting after. I noticed my wishlist has been filled with perfect products for autumn, so what better time to share it with you?

No matter what time of year, I’m always up for having the dewiest, glowiest skin. The thing that’s absolutely at the top of my wishlist, but something I could never buy myself, is the Tom Ford Skin Illuminating Powder Duo in Moonlight. It looks absolutely stunning, and I just can’t get it out of my head despite that eye-watering price tag. The other thing I’ve been wanting to amp up the glow is the Chanel Le Blanc de Chanel Illuminating Base - I remember I had this on my birthday list back in the spring, so maybe it’s been long enough that I can treat myself (winking emoji).

Pretty much the only other things I’ve been thinking about are lip products. This is an area in my collection that definitely doesn’t need beefing up, but when there are so many options and so many different shades, who can resist? A perfect fall shade that’s on my list is the MAC Lipstick in Diva - it looks like the perfect vampy red shade, something my collection is surprisingly lacking.

The other lip offerings I’ve been lusting after are all from Charlotte Tilbury, of course. I’ve absolutely fallen in love with the Matte Revolution Lipstick in Bond Girl, so now I need to add some more shades - I’ve got my eyes on Very Victoria and Love Liberty. Not necessarily a fall pick, I also still really need to get my hands on the Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk. One last Charlotte Tilbury product I’d like to try is the Air Brush Flawless Finish Powder - while I avoid powder in the summer as I like to be glowy all over, in the fall I like my glow to be strategically placed and powder my T-zone. I don’t have a powder that I love, so I’d really like to try this one.

I've only got two skincare bits on my list (which is shocking considering how much I love skincare), and the first is the Cane + Austin Facial Moisture Cream. I don’t know how I even found out about this, but it’s a moisturizer with 10% glycolic acid. That sounds absolutely heavenly to me, as my skin seems to really respond well to glycolic acid, so this would really help to get rid of dry, dead skin that cold weather can bring. The other skincare item is probably the most "fall" product of them all: the Peter Thomas Roth Pumpkin Enzyme Mask. Hearing about this many times on Vivanna Does Makeup has really made me want to try it (the girl knows her skincare, and she hasn't steered me wrong yet). Exfoliating masks are my favorite kind as they seem to give the most instant results, so I feel like I'd love this one. The last non-makeup bit I've got is the R+Co Dallas Thickening Spray. I just got my hair cut last week, and the woman who did it used this as well as a few other R+Co products in my hair. My hair looked and felt amazing afterwards, so I'd like to start trying out the products she used.

Yikes that was a lot of stuff. I hope you stuck around till the end! What have you been lusting after lately?

The New Base: Smashbox Camera Ready BB Water

October 27, 2015 in Makeup

There's just something about a light base I can't resist. After accepting that heavy coverages just weren't for me, it's become harder and harder to not buy every lightweight foundation/bb/cc/tinted moisturizer on the market. Luckily it took me a few months after the Smashbox Camera Ready BB Water was released to actually hear about it, but I had to snap it up as soon as I knew about it.

I'll start by saying if you like thick, full coverage foundations, then this is definitely not for you. That being said, it's one of the most beautiful light coverage products I've tried. I'm very picky when it comes to base products - if I can feel it on my face, I won't wear it. This one is truly one of the most, if not the most, weightless products I've ever tried. You genuinely cannot feel it on the skin once it's been applied.

As expected by the name, it has a super thin, watery texture that easily smooths over the skin and blends seamlessly. It's delivered via pipette, which is definitely convenient for the formulation. My favorite way to apply this is with my fingers as it makes the finish even more natural, but I do like using a damp Beauty Blender if my skin is feeling a little more dry or a brush if I want a little more coverage.

The best thing about the thin consistency, besides the fact that you can't feel it on your skin, is that you can layer it on more troubled areas with no issues like caking or cracking. I like to blend 4-5 drops over my entire face, and then go back in with 3-4 more drops around the center of my face where I have a lot of redness. It gives the perfect amount of coverage in my opinion - just enough to even out the skin, but not so much that it looks like you're wearing a mask. Your real skin still shows through, making it really look just like skin. It also contains SPF 30, making it the perfect base for every day.

Smashbox describes the finish as "demi-matte," and I'd really agree with that. It's certainly not dewy, but it gives just enough of a glow to keep the skin from looking flat. I've found that the finish really helps its longevity for my skin. My skin is normal with a tendency to be dehydrated, so if I use a base that's too moisturizing, my skin will just drink it all up within a few hours, and if it's too matte, it goes cakey and awful within minutes of application. The finish of this allows it to just meld with my skin but not be absorbed into it, and it usually lasts me through a 9-hour workday.

The "in-between" finish and sheer quality really make it easy to tailor this base to your skintype - if you're wanting something glowy, simply add a nourishing/illuminating primer underneath, and if oil control is what you need, use a mattifying primer and perhaps set it with a powder.

Have you tried the Smashbox BB Water yet? What did you think of it?

A/W: The Perfect Time for Bronzer?

October 24, 2015 in Makeup

Lately, I’ve had a bit of an epiphany - a bronzer epiphany, if you will. Up until a couple weeks ago, I could probably count the number of times I had worn it this year on one hand. Maybe it’s because the picture that’s now in my sidebar made me realize how truly pale I am (it always surprised me when I would have to buy the palest shade of foundation/concealer - I never thought I was that pale). It could be because I’ve been trying to do a little contouring here and there and wanted it to look more cohesive. Whatever the reason, I’ve been having a real bronzer moment.

The one that really kickstarted this new love of bronzer was the Make Up For Ever Pro Bronze Fusion in 15I. I have no idea why I suddenly felt the need to add this to my wishlist or even to buy it, but one swatch in Sephora had me sold. They have both matte (noted by an M in the name) and iridescent (noted by an I) shades in this range, and you know me - if it’s going to give me a glow, I’ll wear it. When swatched heavily you can definitely see the shimmer in it, but once applied to the face it only gives a really subtle glow. I’ve been dusting this around the perimeters of my face and on my cheeks in lieu of blush lately, and I really like the extra dimension it gives my face. Since I got one of the palest shades, it doesn’t make me look too sun kissed, just enough to not look completely ill.

I got my hands on the Soap & Glory Solar Powder back in the spring through a beauty swap (sorry US readers, but this baby is pretty much non-existent here), and for awhile that got me excited about bronzer too. This one is raved about in the UK for good reason - it’s not too dark or too orange, and the two sides allow you to customize the shade you want. This one isn’t totally matte, but it’s not as sheen-y as the MUFE one. It seems that only the lighter side contains the tiniest hit of shimmer. After falling in love with the MUFE one, it’s given me more motivation to use this one too - they look quite similar on the skin, so I really reach for them interchangeably.

The only other bronzer in my collection is The Body Shop Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder - another totally raved-about product in its heyday. This one has the nicest, dare I say it butteriest texture and is the perfect matte bronzer. The shade I have (the palest one, of course) leans a little on the pink side, so it looks really natural on my skin. I think what made me fall out of love with this one for awhile is that it’s perhaps too pale for me - it didn’t show up on my skin in the summer. But now that I’m actually into wearing bronzer again, and I’m doomed to get paler and paler now that we’re heading into winter, I’ll definitely be breaking this one out again.

Are you a bronzer fanatic, or is it something you usually skip? I don’t think I’m quite at fanatic level yet, but I just can’t stop wearing it!