Getting started series #3 Concealer

Oh hai there, my lil' Beauty Addicts and Explorers alike

Today's letter is C and the word is CONCEALER! Definitely a must have in any gal or guy's beauty arsenal - certainly on a Sunday which can tend to be the morning after the night before for most of us. However, this is the step in my painting which I struggle with the most. 

What do I need to buy to get me some photoshopped, drag queen, modelista, diva perfection realness under dem eyes?! 

I've been using concealer ever since the Rimmel spot zapping version I first got in my local chemist's at age 10 (early developer in many ways - the worse of which was the Pizza Face spotty forehead department). Thankfully I've managed to move on a little from the slightly too dark / too orange / not blended enough version of concealing of 1994 :)

I do really believe that concealer is something which gets better as you spend a little more money on it - both in terms of the shades available, the undertones included and the lasting power. But that's not to say there aren't some wonderful little finds on the High Street which I've also included here for your perusal ;)

There are four basic formulations which I use, each for different things:

- Mineral - great for blemish concealing - I've only used Bare Minerals, great but the shade selection is a bit dire. Pale girls take note, you will be told to buy Bisque. RESIST THIS. I guarantee you, if you are not the soft pink colour of a marshmallow, summer bisque will be a better match. Also - note that Well Rested is not a concealer. 

- Cream (left) - high coverage needs e.g. redness or BAAAD eye bags / shadows - Bobbi Brown and Eve Pearl do great salmon-undertones correctors, but use sparingly as they crease. Becca and Laura Mercier have duo pots (medium and high coverage) but I've not tried the LM as yet.

- Liquid (right) - for me, everyday under eye and some highlighting - I love MAC's Moisturecover and Bourjois Healthy FX - maybe slightly too yellow for me. Rimmel's Wake Me Up concealer is nice, but lighter coverage and there's a Collection (formerly Collection 2000) version which is super dooper according to the 'Net.

- Illuminating pens - I use these more for highlighting than coverage - YSL's Touche Eclat is the ultimate, Liz Earle does a nice version and Well Rested by Bare Minerals is a powder version of the same. No7 and L'Oreal do some nice High Street versions you can play with too - watch the pinkness in the L'Oreal version.

My current HG concealer is Illamasqua's Skin Base Lift (Light 1 for me - left ) which can help with highlighting and concealing. Love, love, LOVE this baby! 

This has been comprehensive, but as I mentioned I do think getting the right concealer is something worth working at, given the wonders it can then do for your face. Hopefully it's been a little helpful…good luck with your search - let me know if the above has been helpful, or if I've missed off your HG, in the comments below. 

Thanks for reading, love til next time kitty cats

xx Josephine xx

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Getting started series - #1 Primer

Beauty addicts (and explorers alike), Happy 4th of July!!!

As the Constitution was to America, so is primer to base, if you want to get really great make-up then this is non-negotiable unless you have skin literally made of alabaster, which let's be honest ladies of the late twenties onwards, few of us do. If you do, I guess I hate you but I also want to spend hours studying your poreless perfection ;)

Smashbox Photo Finish
(oil-free, travel size)

My love affair with primer started with a QVC Smashbox kit where their photo finish primer was included. I loved it (and discovered that I was fortunate to be able to use silicone based primers without fear of a massive spot flair up as some of my more sensitive skinned friends find). I'm currently using Charlotte Tilbury's Wonder Glow, but it's not a favourite - it's just really, really expensive so I'm determined to finish it!

Why would/should you wear it? A good primer will smooth fine lines, blur large pores, give an even canvas for your base - and a great one will mean you need to use less base good news for expensive foundation junkies!! Your foundation / base should also be able to last longer.

So, here goes… (in no particular order)

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1) Garnier 5-second blur: this is affordable, readily available in Boots and Superdrug and gives a really smooth finish onto which to apply your base.  
2) L'Oreal Professional Secrets Primer: really similar to the above, less hygienic glass pot (v plastic tube) but lovely finish.
3) Laura Mercier: more expensive, I like the radiance version I got in a sale kit but probably wouldn't re-buy. Popularly loved but not Holy Grail ('HG') for me.
4) Smashbox Photo Finish Primer (above): my first, my last….not quite my everything because it doesn't super outperform my cheapies. However, they do have an impressive range of versions including oil free, colour correcting, radiance and travel sizes. Find in the UK at Boots beauty halls. 
5) Laura Gellar Spackle: tried in the original, bronzing and champagne radiance. Not a fan - too wet. Might be an option for those who react to silicone.
6) Clarins Beauty Flash Balm: never really understood the obsession with this until I hit 27. Love it - but leave a little extra drying time to avoid annoying flakies of excess product. 
7) Illamasqua HydraVeil (below and now also available in a Matte version for oily skinned lovelies): liked it, didn't love it - pretty cool how it self levels in the tub, but not cool enough to have me running to the counter to get it ahead of other products they make which definitely have HG status.

You can also use a BB cream as a primer, though I don't personally do this much where I have a silicone option available. Next on my wish list is the expensive but beautiful Guerlain Les Meteroites primer - a gel like formula with lovely little pearls of beautifulness suspended in it - and Stila's colour correcting primer - like a lollipop suspended in silicone.

Top tip: where you are considering plumping for a high end product go find a friendly counter lady who can decant you a trial amount so that you sample for a couple of days to confirm it works for your skin before going for it with your actual pennies. 

Hopefully that de-mystifies primer a little and gives an honest verdict on some widely raved about products. 

Happy hunting in the aisles…!

xx Josephine xx

Smokey eye looks: Liner focused smokey eyes

Further to my first post, which set out different interpretations of smokey eyes, this is the first of three in a series which will take you through a step-by-step guide to recreating those looks and recommend some products which I've really enjoyed using along the way.

Products used: Illamasqua eyebrow cake (Motto), Topshop cream shadow (Tundra), L'Oreal taupe shadow (from Marron Glace quad), Avon Supershock black eyeliner pencil, Bobbi Brown eyeshadow (Caviar), L'Oreal white shade (from Marron Glace quad), YSL Effet Faux Cils mascara and MAC Moisture concealer.

Step 1: Create a pretty, even base colour

I like to use a cream shadow as a base, which can be easily blended and either built to added intensity or sheered out if you prefer a more subtle look. Often you'll see this kind of look done with a gold or bronze shade. If that appeals I'd recommend;

- Chanel Illusion d'Ombre (Emerveille); or
- Maybelline Color Tattoo (On and On Bronze).

If you've got oily lids you may also wish to set with a powder shadow - not recommended with the Chanel as you don't want to hide that beautiful finish!

For those of you who prefer a cooler toned base colour you might want to look at the these shadows;

- Bobbi Brown Metallic Cream Eyeshadow (Brown Metal, Galaxy); or
- Maybelline Color Tattoo (Tough as Taupe).

With the darker shades I've recommended you'll probably want to sheer them out a fair bit, or be bolder with your liner choices, to maintain the distinction between the liner and the shadow.

Step 2: Lay down your basic liner shape

When I'm smoking out a liner I prefer to use either a loose powder liner (e.g. No7 Smoky Eyes liner - Smashbox also do one but I think the No7 is a lot cheaper for the same effect) or a gel liner which I blend out with a similar shade of eyeshadow in order to avoid having a defined line.

I'm a massive fan of the defined line, but it's not the purpose of this look!

For gel eyeliners I would recommend;

- L'Oreal Gel Intenza; or
- Bobbi Brown's gel eyeliner.

If you prefer your gel liner in a pencil form look no further than Avon Supershock eyeliner pencils - I much prefer them to the pot version - or Rimmel Scandaleyes.

Step 3: Smoke out the liner with some powder eyeshadow

While it's not mandatory to use a matching shadow I think it helps set the liner, soften the line and maintain the intensity of the colour. Use a shadow which is pigmented enough to be used as a pseudo-liner but which isn't so soft it falls out all under your eye area....note: you probably should do base after a smokey eye regardless of version!

I'm not going to recommend a specific shadow because I'm sure everyone will have a shade knocking around their make-up bag that will do. You can also drag it outwards a little and sweep into your crease to give added intensity around the outer-V of the eye (see above).

If you're feeling a little lazy and want one product to do Steps 2 & 3 for you, check out No7's powder eye liner. Takes a bit of practice to not end up with powder all over your face :) If you've got small eyes you will want to really intensify the liner on the outer third of the lower lash line and the outer half-to-two thirds of the top lash line.

Step 4: Line your waterline (inner rim of the eye)

To me, this has to be black, black and more BLACK!! The liner is all about glamour here so go all out.

My preferred product is a 50p kajal pencil which a friend brought me back from holiday in India. However, assuming you're not jetting off around the world these work pretty well too;

- Rimmel Scandaleyes (you'll have to reapply with gel liner) or kohl liner; or
- Laura Mercier (Black Violet).

If you've got small eyes this may not be something that you want to go with. Instead, you might want to line the waterline with a light coloured pencil. White can be a bit '80s (though I have a shimmer white gel pencil from Sephora that I think is relatively subtle and use on occasion) so usually I'll use a nude shade. Rimmel do a great one in their Scandaleyes range, which is very moderately priced.

Make it more wearable by... switching up the eyeliner for a grey or khaki shade, which will still give you definition around the lash line but feel less "made up". I recommend Laura Mercier Black Gold, Bourjois Khol or Avon Supershock gel liner in khaki shades.

Products used here: Brows as before, Benefit cream shadow (Recess), Becca eyeshadow (Satin), No7 powder liner in brown and YSL effet faux cils mascara. Here I haven't lined the waterline to show the alternative method.