I took a small makeup bag with me on an overnight stay a few months ago and then when I got home again from my travels I forgot to unpack it. I came across this by accident the other week when I was looking for one of those sticky clothes rollers at the top of the wardrobe. And there it was, the makeup bag, like a relic of another era.
Resisting the urge to open it right away to see what treasures are hidden inside, I thought I’d watch it on film and kill two birds with one stone by making a makeup video. Sort of like a makeup version Ready Steady Cook! doIt would be risky, as if I had no idea what materials I would be working with, but at the same time not because I tend to be a creature of habit with my beauty looks. It wasn’t like I was unzipping my bag to find a bright blue glitter eyeshadow and a sticky fuchsia lipgloss…
Lo and behold, it turned out to be all the usual suspects required to create my signature ‘barely there’ look – a look that’s just a marginally more polished, enhanced and groomed face than my usual. No dramatic transformation.
Imagine my delight though when I saw that the contents of the bag included a tube of one of my favorite foundations of all ages. This thing is simply supreme. Watch the video to see it in action – if you’re reading via email, you’ll need to Click here to open it in your browser.
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It’s Kevyn Aucoin Stripped Nude Skin Tint. How it is so light in texture yet so creamy I have no idea. it also gives the most sophisticated blend of blur and shine I’ve seen in a product this fresh. It glides on smoothly, offers enough coverage to even out skin tone, and is the perfect product for people who want the cool effects of a tinted moisturizer but without the excess slip.
Kevyn Aucoin Stripped Nude Skin Tint currently has a few shades on sale at Interval NK* (they had all the shades on sale but I was too slow to grab mine, ST04) but you can see the full range at Sephora*.
I’ll be back with a proper Skin Tint review including before and after photos because I know how much you love them. Especially when I’m zooming in and haven’t remembered to check for rogue facial hair! I used the Bobbi Brown Full Coverage Brush (here*) to apply in the video, but it does just as well with fingers and you probably waste less product…
My latest foundation review: Lancome Teint Idole Care & Glow
Other staples: the Rare Beauty Bronzing Stick (shade Happy Sol) is now a staple in my makeup routine. I have three of them, so I didn’t really miss the one that was in the dark for months. I was one of the first to scoff at the trend of drawing brown lines all over your face with contour sticks, but – I give in! – I admit that I have come up with the technique. Mainly because a lot of my favorite bronzers now come in stick form and that’s the most logical way to apply them – just draw them on like a toddler with a thick crayon.
The upside is that you get the color exactly where you want and need it and it’s easier to follow your cheekbones or wherever you’re trying to bronze/contour. (Draw in the places where the sun hits to bronze, draw in them shadow to contour.) Then you just take a brush and sweep gently, trying not to disturb the base product underneath, or it gets totally patchy.
Shop Bronze for Rare Beauty, £25*
By the way – and I mention this in the video – all these creams, sticks and balms are all well and good until you use them on top of a very moisturizing foundation that’s a bit slippery, and then once you try to peel it off it all goes down the drain. in the pan. You turn into the light to examine your perfectly blended contour to find that half of your foundation is gone.
There’s something incredibly positive to be said about old-skool powder bronzers and blushes, and that’s that not only can you simply pat them onto the skin without disturbing the perfectly applied layers underneath, but you can actually settle those lower layers in their position. . Just as you would use a translucent powder to set your nose, chin and forehead, colorful bronzers and blushes help with longevity on the rest of the face. If this is your bag and you even need longevity…
I also found my precious Vieve Eye Stick in this bag – again we’re back to cream products that you slather on like an overgrown child, but bear with me. Because I can’t do without these Eye Wands – there are many out there from different brands, but somehow the Coffee shade from Vieve hits the spot. Not too metallic, just the right depth of brown to create a sexy smoke, but not so deep that it scares the neighbors if you fail to mix it right.
It’s soft enough to blend easily and beautifully, so it’s unlikely to fail, but you have to be relatively quick – leave it on for a minute and it’ll stay in place so firmly you’ll need a proper eye make-up remover to get it. turns it off before bed. I like to use it to draw a short, short line from the outer corner of my eye to the tip of my brow (watch the video for a demo, it’s about eleven minutes long) and then smudge it. Cheats a little eye lift. I did this with an eyeliner and did a more precise wedge shape, but in all honesty this way with the thicker lipstick takes half the time and achieves almost the same thing. The aim of the game is to skip where your eye drops to the corners (if you have that problem too) and create a little optical illusion that sees the eyes turn upwards and look much more upbeat and happy.
Tail!
The mascara is good old telescopic from L’Oreal. Never before has a makeup product been repurchased so many times – at least by me. It lengthens and separates and makes lashes look much better if you have light and thin ones. This isn’t a “stripper lash” mascara nor is it really a “fake lash effect” unless you tend to go for the very subtle ones (I haven’t worn them in years) but it makes a huge difference to me. And the best part is that a) it sticks pretty well, b) it’s easy to remove with your regular balm or cream cleanser. No removal specialist required.
I finished my look, if you could call it that (I should rename it… Polishing routine) with a little fat (Rare beauty*) and a lip oil balm from Ipsum.
Accidentally smelling the hair, which is one of the joys of being shorter (the more smelly the better) and then the loose curling was complete. A little eye lift, contoured lip definition and a glossy, sheer skin base that looks like really great skin. A look that is totally my bag.
(I used Beauty Pie angled cheek brush* to puff the products on the cheeks and the Charlotte Tilbury smudger brush on the eyes. If you watch the video and see my blush cheek mishap and love the color – and the power – then this is the Charlotte Tilbury Matte Blush in Peach Pop*. My cardigan is an old Me + Em.)
