Concealer
Avon recently launched the Avon Ideal Flawless CC Concealer Stick* in three shades for spot correction over targeted areas. This is meant to be applied prior to foundation. It is a creamy pencil that provides medium to full coverage. It comes in a variety of shades. I have it in the shade Softening Yellow.
Softening Yellow is a pale cream colour that would be an excellent concealer for anyone perhaps NC15 and above. On my tanned NC30 skin, it comes almost like a stark white to brighten dark dull areas of the face.
Due to its pale shade, I've found use for it on the waterline (caution for contact lens wearers), to emphasize brows under the brow bone and blended in the inner corners of the eyes for a highlight. Although this shade is meant to target dark under eye circles, I find that it doesn't blend well enough to be used for this purpose (it tugs quite a bit). I have not found much luck blending this above the cupid's bow either.
Overall, I find the Avon Ideal Flawless CC Concealer Stick* is great for spot correction with targeted areas. It wouldn't be suitable for larger areas though, to be used for that purpose I would have preferred if it had a more blendable consistency.
Livia | The Skin and Beauty Blog
*Press sample. All views are my own.
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| December Favourites from NARS, MAC, Charlotte Tilbury, Bare Minerals, L'oreal and By Terry |
Every so often I shop my stash and rotate my products around, but these products have somewhat made it into my regular routine this December. Battling against central heating indoors and the chilly winds outdoors keeping my makeup in check. Let's go through them shall we?
Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chameleon in Bronzed Garnet. Supposedly meant to emphasize green eyes, I've been using this autumn/winter-perfect shade to match my brown peepers. I've recently reviewed this eyeshadow pencil in a previous post. You can read it HERE.
MAC Select Cover Up Concealer NW25. Harsh drying environments call for moisturising products. MAC's select cover up concealer does the trick. It's medium coverage and wonderfully hydrating while non-creasing. I like to use this on my dark circles underneath the eyes, but it works well for the rest of the face too.
BareMinerals Complexion Rescue Buttercream. I'm totally late to this Complexion Rescue party. This tinted sunprotecting moisturiser provides a light veil of colour on the skin to subtly even out skin imperfections. It applies like a gel and feels like a cream on the skin. I also love that it contains SPF30.
MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation NC25. This product is perhaps the most re-purchased of all my MAC makeup. Its a medium coverage powder that is easy to build to a full coverage. It feels quite light on the skin. I pat it on top of my foundation with a large kabuki brush.
By Terry Mascara Terrybly. I picked up this sample size and its lasted the last two months. Truly impressed. It coats my lashes a natural black shade (not too stark) and the brush is easy enough to use, although I still sometimes coat my upper lid, but that's oriental droopy-ish lids for you. I am thinking of purchasing a full size of this, we'll see if I come across something better.
NARS Laguna Bronzer. You can tell how much I love this bronzer - I've hit pan! It's wonderful on yellow-toned olive skin (I believe the other one Casino is for the pink-toned). It mimics a natural tan on my skin. I use it to subtly contour the face with a pointed face brush.
NARS Lustre Blush. I think this is one of the most under-rated NARS blushes. It provides that healthy peachy golden glow that's not too sparkly (NARS Super Orgasm, I'm looking at you!). It creates a healthy flush on the cheeks perfect for these pale winter days. It is one of my favourite blushes and yes my to-go blush this winter.
That ends my ramblings today. Have you tried any of these products? By the way, Merry Christmas to y'all!
Livia | The Skin and Beauty Blog
This week's edit is about the subtle no makeup makeup look combined with long-wearing bases to combat oiliness and shine brought about by the surging unregulated central heating temperatures at work.
It's the weekend and for once I had a lot of time on my hands to have a play with a few new makeup goodies I picked up over the last month. This also meant I had enough time if I had to fix up any disasters if it came to it (win!). I had several surprises while doing this look, good surprises, products I feel will become new favourites for the next few weeks and I'm so excited to share them with you. So this post will be part FOTD and part 'haul review' and overall 'rave post'... Be warned..!
If there's a type of makeup product I would purchase over and over in the same shade, that would be foundation. This year I noticed my foundation collection exponentially increase. I just love testing different brands and different formulas. Because these are face products, I have them in rotation and so I don't get guilty as much as when I purchase vampy lipsticks that generally need a bit more loving.
Here's a recent haul for face bases by myself and my sister from Sephora, a post that we've both put up together. Two things that I have been looking forward to since the minute I booked my trip to the US... Let the excitement begin!
05/11/2014
A Sephora Haul: New Face Bases
Thanks to my new skincare routine using The Latest in Anti-ageing Skincare, I've had a good skin week this week, good enough to bust out sheer to light coverage Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. To cover dark circles and the occasional redness I used long-lasting NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer. Set with MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus to even out the skin. I couldn't get enough of My New Winter Fragrance YSL Black Opium - if you haven't tried this yet I suggest you do!
19/10/2014
The Weekly Makeup Edit #06
There are three main criteria for makeup on the go: portability, ease of use, and multitasking. Well there's also a fourth - it has to make you look good. Here are a few beauty tips and tricks I would recommend if you're the type of gal who would rather take the time to sleep and slap on your face on the commute to work be it train tram or tube... Not speaking from experience, of course...
1.) Foundation - Pick a formula that is easy to apply with the fingers. Or better yet if you're the lucky gal to have more good skin days than bad, take with you a concealer to dab on only on problem areas. For on the go I recommend wand products that allow controlled spot applications but can double up as foundations such as MAC Mineralize concealer or NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer. I would apply this on the eye bags spots, around my nose and mouth, and blend with the fingers.
2.) Powder - I'm one of those believers in setting my face base with powder. I don't touch up during the day so powder is a must for me. There is no trick around this - I take powder on one hand and a brush (preferably a stippling brush) on the other. The powder has to be pressed powder though - you don't want loose powder puffing up in smoke on the other passengers!
3.) Lips and cheeks - opt for multitasking cream products with pops of colour. For easy finger applications I would pick creamy but solid formulas. Mac Cream Colour Bases and NARS Multiples are fabulous for this. The new YSL Kiss and Blush are also good alternatives.
4.) Eyes - I say skip the brushes, powders and pots in place for eye pencils or felt tip pens. That includes eyeshadow, eyeliner and eyebrows. Take note of creamy yet long-wearing Charlotte Tilbury eyeshadow pencils. Even liquid liners can cause more trouble, avoid those too.
5.) Mascara - unless the commute is particularly bumpy I would suggest perfecting your mobile mascara technique. There's no way getting around this one.
So these are my basic tips and recommendations for on the go beauty. Fellow commuters would be amazed at your before and after transformation, and I'm sure closet beauty addicts would have difficulty keeping their eyes off you and your arsenal... with makeup bag envy!
Dear everyone, we are going global! I am very excited to introduce you to a new USA-based beauty writer on The Skin and Beauty Blog. Her name is Shannon. You may have seen her initial guest post on What's In Her Make Up Bag and from now on you'll be seeing her posts more frequently. She is based in sunny California, a young and creative mind brimmed full of ideas. She is a lover of makeup, an adorer of beauty, a sweet and clever lady with killer cheekbones, she is my sister!
...And yes... from the same mister!
14/05/2014
A New Writer on the Block!
I am in love with this concealer.
NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer is a creamy and moisturising concealer. It works typically well for dry skin, but I would recommend moisturising beforehand for times like these. Despite its hydrating nature, it does not crease and does not accentuate fine lines. It has good lasting power and dries quickly.
The packaging is very practical. It comes in a clear tube with a doe-foot applicator. The black matte cap has the typical NARS packaging finish however... a dirt magnet. But otherwise, it is perfect!
It has a great highly-pigmented formula that provides medium to full coverage. I find it adequately covers my dark circles with one layer, giving a luminous bright and wide-awake look. It can also be used to cover blemishes and red patches of skin, around the nose and mouth.
I have yellow-toned skin and typically MAC NC30. I use the shade Custard and the colour looks very natural on my complexion.
I apply NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer straight from the tube with the doe foot applicator and place a few dots on areas that need concealing. It can be blended with the fingers, but I prefer blending it out with a brush. I use either the fluffy MAC 224 Brush or the Real Techniques Contour Brush to give an even finish.
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Does your
makeup bag need an update?
"What makeup should I buy?"
Makeup isn’t
cheap, especially good quality ones. Through the process of building one’s kit,
we waste a lot of hard earned cash on trial and error, but what if there was a
recommended list of products we should check out first? After perusing the
makeup bags of several of my good friends while doing their makeup, I realized that
a lot of us need help out there to build their initial makeup kits and that is
what this post is going to be about. This post is also useful for those with established makeup bags looking to try new makeup. Welcome to my guide to building your
perfect personal makeup kit.
16/04/2014
What's in her Make Up Bag?
Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, DKNY
To get this look:
1. Moisturise your skin. I use 2 sprays of NUXE Huile Prodigieuse oil to cover my entire face and neck.
2. Mix 1 pump of Sleek Makeup New Skin Revive Foundation and 2 pumps of MAC Oil Control Lotion.
1. Moisturise your skin. I use 2 sprays of NUXE Huile Prodigieuse oil to cover my entire face and neck.
2. Mix 1 pump of Sleek Makeup New Skin Revive Foundation and 2 pumps of MAC Oil Control Lotion.
3. With a MAC 188 brush or fingertips, apply and blend the mixture all over the face and neck,
4. Highlight the bridge of your nose, cheekbones, and underneath the eyebrows with a creamy highlighter - I love using MAC Pearl Cream Colour Base.
Tidy your brows, put on mascara, blush and some lip balm - and you're good to go!
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Here I am using all the products mentioned above, including Bourjois Queen Attitude Mascara
Etude House Brow Pencil, NARS Deep Throat Blush and MAC Cut a Caper Lipstick.
MAC Mineralize Concealer in NC30 - £16
02/08/2012
My Must-Have Products for the Summer
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