Want me to delve into my spring makeup bag? Why does it sound so dirty? Is it my idea? This is what happens when I spend days editing content by myself without any sensible adult conversation…
You must know that I very rarely change my makeup according to the season. if you’re expecting spring-appropriate colors here, prepare to be bitterly disappointed. There will be no pastel lip shades or eye shadows in shades of mini egg and daffodil yellow. I don’t like these colors in the winter, so why do they suddenly look good now? So are the fiery auburns and reds featured in fall makeup collections, brought out to coincide with the turning of the leaves and the lighting of the fires: they make me look like I’ve got myxomatosis. Regardless of the season.
So no real color shake here. I know we’re supposed to “have fun with makeup” and “play with shades” and that “you’ll never know what suits you unless you experiment,” but honestly, I know what works and that’s why I don’t experiment. Twelve years as a fashion model and then fourteen years writing about beauty (with a bit of crossover) means that almost every make-up I have is stuck on my face. Do I need to use a primary color palette to learn that I will hate wearing Kermit green winged liner? No I don’t. I mean, each to their own – and some people love a winged liner in Kermit green – but I’d say the vast majority of grown women just want their face to look like a slightly fresher, more awake, marginally brighter version of the face nature so lovingly gifted them.
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And that, friends, is why the general gist of my makeup bag rarely changes. There are tweaks to it – new and wonderful product discoveries are coming, formula improvements are happening that separate company favorites from their top spots, and I’m always learning better tricks and application techniques – but as for the final look? I’m never going to suddenly start rocking an “oily eye” to do the school run.
So. What are the changes this season? What are the new and surprising product discoveries? Continue reading. Alternatively, if you want to skip the blurb and go straight to the twenty-minute zoom-in of casual chat and real-time makeup application, scroll to the bottom of the page and click play on the video screen.
Makeup bag tweaks for spring 2024
Maybe I should start by listing the things that haven’t been modified. I always think that if a product stays in my makeup bag for months (or years!) non-stop, then it deserves even more of a nod than the new thing. In this case we have good old Lancome Teint Idole Care & Glow* (full review here) which is now my number one foundation. Medium coverage, fresh finish and shine that is right there. It’s not a visible dew that feels slippery to the touch (as with NARS Tinted Moisturiser, for example, or ILIA Serum Foundation) but a grown-up, sophisticated je ne sais quoi.
Even more used by Lancome, however, is the Kevyn Aucoin Stripped Nude Tint*. (I use the shade ST04, but I can also get away with ST03.) This is my go-to skin base for any day I won’t be in front of the camera in some shape or form. (If I’m going to go on film, it’s just safer to have more coverage because you never know how skin will look in low light or bright outdoor light, and higher coverage means it just looks good no matter the lighting conditions. )
Stripped Nude Tint is, in my opinion, makeup perfection for anyone who wants an all-in-one, sophisticated skin-finishing solution. It has the sheer coverage and glow of a tinted moisturizer but the flawless, matte finish of a foundation. It’s hard to describe, but it’s like it casts an extra veil of magic over the sheer layer of coverage it gives. if you had a blemish it would still show and if you have dark circles you would still need a concealer but the overall effect is that the skin looks even in tone and blemishes are softened.
I really, really need to do a standalone foundation review on this, don’t I? It will come to that. Sharp. You can find it at Space NK here*.
Old favorites covered: let’s get to the new tweaks.
Recently I’ve been playing around with the Sweed Miracle Powder (here* online): a powder foundation (I use Medium-Light) that feels almost creamy to the touch and just melts into the skin. It gives a en masse shiny finish. It’s almost too much to use over the t-zone, really, and I’d avoid areas with fine lines and enlarged pores (because it’ll emphasize them) but I do mix as a finishing/setting powder over tinted moisturizers or CC creams or something. you have is sublime. Extra coverage and a big dose of shine – and any overly dewy foundation products underneath are set in place without diminishing shine.
Next, some affordable finds: Camo Blush in Peachy Pink from Elf Cosmetics (£7 here*) and Revlon’s Colorstay cream eyeshadows. Specifically in Praline and Caramel shades (find them online here*) but all have a very refined texture that glides beautifully on the lids, blends easily and then stays put for as long as needed. Check out the video to see what this looks like in real life – even if you’re at work and can’t turn on the sound, just swipe and take a look. It’s a very good purchase!
Blush too – I have featured Cargo Blush before but in brighter shades. This one, in Peachy Pink, almost looks like a different product. I think because you can apply more than this (you can only use a bit of the lighter ones, they are so pigmented!), then you see more of the true texture. It leaves the skin almost shiny, it’s very beautiful. Again, watch the video to see it in action.
The lip routine is the same as always: lining in a subtle color just to rethink the fading of the lips (it makes a big difference, it really plumps them up), then something soft, luscious and understated to fill in the middle. I have used Sweed’s Le Lipstick in Gabriella Beige Tan (online here*) over the usual Rare Beauty liner.
I have a few of these liners in different shades, this one is called Creative and has a hint of pink – it’s £15 at Space NK here*. It has a roll-on mechanism rather than requiring a scraper and the liner is smooth to apply but long-lasting once set.
I also highly rate the bronze stick from the same brand (online here*) – I’ve been using this since it was released, which must be two years now. Maybe three? Definitely no. Anyway, I use the shade “Happy Sol” and just dab it on my face like a toddler before gently buffing in with a big brush. It’s great if you like that more sculpted look because if you apply it like a (very precise) toddler just below the cheekbones and the sides of the temples, it’s very quick to give it a rough sheen and achieve an easy contour.
Well, you must watch the video now. Otherwise, all that happens is that I spend seven hours writing what is basically a slightly embellished transcript of it. You can walk back through history What’s in my makeup bag posts and videos by clicking here – if only to confirm my earlier assertion that my makeup never really changes. My face is getting thinner and less cherubic by the year…
Selected products:
Lancome Teint Idole Care & Glow, I use shade 220C, currently £31.60 at Boots*:
Sweed Miracle Powder in Medium Light, £38 at Cult Beauty*:
Rare Beauty Bronzer in Happy Sol, £25*:
Elf Camo Blush in Peachy Pink, £7*:
Revlon Creme Eyeshadow in Caramel, £6.99 at Amazon*:
Vieve Eye Wand in Coffee, £23 at Cult Beauty*:
Anastasia Brow Gel, £13 at Cult Beauty*:
Becca Eye Palette in Ombré Nudes, discontinued
L’Oréal Telescopic Mascara, £6.99*:
Suede Gabriella Lipstick Beige Tan, £22*:
Kevyn Aucoin Striped Nude Tint in ST04, £36 at Space NK*:
