The Perfect Base:
I've found the perfect combination of products for these today-it's-summer-tommorrow-not-so-much days and I've been wearing it pretty much every day, even on special occasions. The following four products are my gold team at the moment.
Primer: MAX FACTOR All Day Primer SPF 20
With each use I'm more in love with this primer. It does exactly what it promises - prolongs the wear of foundation, so for example even the awesome, but lacking in staying power Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum holds on almost until the day is over. The primer feels super light on the skin and also helps in the oiliness department, so it actually reminds me a bit of the lovely L'Occitane mattifying lotion (all versions were the same, Angelica Ultra Matte is the current one). Oh, and I love using this as an eyeshadow primer, it really does a great job.
Foundation: A Mix of RIMMEL Match Perfection 010 Light Porcelain and BOURJOIS 123 Perfect CC Cream 31
I've told you I have a neutral skin tone, right? I haven't found a neutral foundation yet in anything that isn't ghost pale, so at the moment I mix the more yellow-toned Bourjois CC, which is a bit too dark for me, with the much paler pink-toned Rimmel MP 010. I am really loving this combo because of several reasons: the created shade is an exact match for my skin tone, the finish is beyond natural and it gives me a nice light level of coverage. While I love the CC on its own because of the satin-matte natural finish, I'm not such a fan of Rimmels MP, so this the only way I tend to wear it, by mixing it up with other foundations to create my perfect match.
Powders were never something I liked, but this one completely changed that. It's a fabulous powder that unlike any other I've tried, actually makes my foundation look better, it adds a bit of natural-looking radiance to the skin and sets the makeup to last. This has become a staple in my routine.
I wouldn't recommend this to oily gals, though.
MAC Blush Pinch O'Peach
(sheertone)
Every month I try to use a different blush and this time I dusted off this one. Despite its not so cleverly thought out name, it's a neutral pink matte shade that has a sheer formula, but it's still easy to get colour on my cheeks. It gives my cheeks a soft pink flush that looks very cute and girly. I bought this eons ago and used it a lot (it actually has a quite a deep dent, though it's not visible in the picture), but you know how it goes, you just get distracted by new things. I never swatched it, but I'm sure I will in the future.
Summer means bronzer time, so again this year my trusted EL bronzer got its turn. This is the only bronzer I've found that works with my skin tone because it has a reddish undertone instead of the orange/yellow one. It actually creates a very believable tan colour and love that it's matte. It was quite an investment, but it was worth every cent and it's the only bronzer I've been using for years.
After my frequent ravings about Manhattan's lipcreams years ago, they have been more or less pushed aside, but that doesn't mean I don't love them anymore. These are exactly the same as the NYX or Collection 2000 ones, so they feature a feather light, very pigmented formula with a lovely matte finish. 53M is a light everyday coral shade that is perfect for summer and great for the days when I want something less bright on my lips than usual. These smell like vanilla ice cream and are in general one of my favourite drugstore finds since I started this blog, even though I don't talk about them much any more.
Perhaps I should reswatch them.
This is one of the most beautiful shades ever and hardly anyone talks about it. It's a gorgeous rose-red-pink that is a perfect mix between a fun and a glamorous colour. It was a serious contended when I was deciding what do wear for my graduation ceremony. I've already raved about the spectacular velvet-matte finish of these as well as their staying power (this particular one survived teeth brushing since I've completely forgotten to do that before I applied makeup in the morning, however, for some reason it doesn't survive eating ice cream well), but this one is easier to apply than Grand Cru due smoother formula, though it still needs two layers to get the most out of it.
I promise to the swatches soon, though I have to retake a few pictures. I'll do Olé Flamingo in the same post.
(retro matte)
This is a stunning bright pink with some coral and a great matte finish. I find it one of the most unique colours in my collection primarily due to the warm red-pink mix, but also because it's a matte shade. It's my favourite lipstick I own, even though I only have a sample. I actually wore this on my graduation ceremony because I wanted to wear something I truly love and not something boring to comply to the rules of "less is more" for such occasions.
No surprises that this is here, right? This is one of my favourite drugstore finds of late in the skincare department, even though I'm not amazed by its scrubbing abilities (I like mine harsh). It's the texture that sold me, since it's something quite unexpected for a product that is so affordable. For me this a luxurious-feeling every day body wash and it starts of as a gel with sparse scrubby particles which then transforms into an oil-creamy foam. So basically it feels lovely to use, smells great and it's affordable. Win-Win.
You know every time I use this, I realize how amazing this is compared to any other body lotion/butter/cream I've tried. It's so nourishing and really does wonders on dry skin, but the best thing is of course the yummy peach scent, which is one of my favourite thing in the world.
.jpg)
I recently had my hair cut (after a year *coughs*) and for the first time ever my hairdresser was amazed at in what good condition my hair is. I will admit, I sensed a great deal of pride, though I acted all humble as she was complimenting how soft and undamaged my hair is. Though part of that could be attributed to my rigorous hair care routine as well as Kérastase Nutritive line, I firmly believe the main reason behind the complete transformation of my hair from a sorry dry mop is due to this leave-in. I've been using it every time I wash my hair on damp hair after rinsing off regular conditioner. It's incredibly light, but gives my hair an additional moisture boots, tames the frizz to a certain degree and keeps the hair moisturised longer. This truly is a holy grail product for me and I couldn't be without it.
I wholeheartedly recommend this to all girls with dry hair. By the way, you can find my tips on dealing with dry hair here.
Imitation of Lancôme La Vie Est Belle
A wonderful scent for someone with a sweet tooth like me. It smells like an expensive box of pralines with a fruity filling, but not completely gourmand because of the floral notes and patchouli. I've been wearing it every day since I got it, which means something for someone like me who likes to change their fragrance daily.
Have a great day!