Foundations Part I

For me, finding a foundation is like finding a pair of jeans.  I don’t enjoy it - it’s time consuming and the lighting in stores is absolutely terrible – so many times I’ve bought the wrong shade.  So what I propose you do is get a few stripes of chosen foundation onto the skin just below your ear, where your jawline starts and neck (this is where the true colour of your skin is – unspoilt by the sun), then go outside in natural daylight and see which one matches your skin tone.  It’s the stripe that has ‘disappeared’ that is the right one for you.  Don’t forget to take a mirror and/or another human being so they can see for you.  Don’t ever test foundations on your hands, wrists, forehead (the list goes on) as each body part will be a different colour.  If you have self-tan on your neck/décolleté, then match the foundation to that.  For those who have found the right shade but are wanting to buy a different foundation then take a little pot of what you’re currently using and then match it up on the hands (save you testing on your face). 

 

To save or splurge?  You need a decent one so buying an expensive one will only serve you well but if you have the patience, then keep an eye on what the big companies are doing (they have the money to do the best research) and then wait for their ingredients to filter down to the cheaper brands that come under their umbrella.  For example, Lancôme comes under the L’Oréal Group so whatever Lancôme have done, it will filter down to L’Oréal Paris or Maybelline.   Another one is Bourjois coming under Chanel (actually Coty recently bought Bourjois this year from Chanel but you get my drift).  Having said that though, there are many fabulous foundations that are from the cheaper brands.

 

I prefer to use my hands to apply foundation on myself, it’s quicker and you use less product.  If I am wanting a more polished, evening look then I will use a foundation brush (as I would do on clients).   Most bottles are pump-dispensed - one pump/click is the right amount to use for the face.

 

When applying, I don’t recommend bringing the product all the way down on the neck; if you have the right shade, you won’t need to do this.  Reduces risk of product on your clothes too.  Just underneath the jawline will do.  Also try not to be tempted to go a darker shade, it just won’t blend in – best to warm yourself up with bronzer, blusher or self-tan.  More importantly, wearing a darker shade of foundation is ageing (I sob when I see these young celebs with their orange faces and their hair and nail extensions – they all look 10 years older than what they really are).

Foundations Part II will be posted Friday!

Holiday Make-Up

Do people actually wear make-up and jewellery while sunbathing?  I have to admit that I grimace when I open a magazine and there’s the obligatory article on what make-up to wear when you’re pool or beachside (not to mention the photoshoot of model in swimwear decked out in so much bling that if they dived in the pool, they would sink.  Now I know this is done for advertising purposes but still).  I just don’t think it is necessary – let your skin breath and don’t get burnt by wearing metal jewellery - even if you go down the plastic route then surely you don’t want a funny shaped tan line where your necklace or bracelet was?

Don’t get me wrong, I am all for being well-groomed at all times and I adore make-up (being a make-up artist an’ all) but on holiday, I tend not to wear it. I take it but usually it’s left in the mini-bar fridge (to stop it from melting) and doesn’t get used.

For the lucky people that work in sun-drenched countries who wear make-up then they’re going to need make-up that stays on in the heat/air con but those who are trowelling it on just to sunbathe and dip in the water is very strange to me and not to mention vain.  More perspiration and sebum is produced so surely the waterproof/resistant cosmetics are going to trap what wants to come out naturally and possibly cause skin angst?   You’ve probably guessed that I am not a fan of waterproof make-up either.  Takes ages to get off and personally feel that (especially with mascara) it leaves a residue build-up.  Even non-waterproof mascara, how many times have you removed it diligently before sleeping only to wake up in the morning and you’ve got panda-eyes…

Anyway, I love my skin on holiday; it glows, looks healthy, clean and smooth - the sun does wonders so why would I want to cover it up?  Also, I become one big freckle.  Tan + freckles + cosmetics...I can look a bit too much.

However, I won’t be a lazy moo this year.  What made me rethink this year’s naked holiday face was a Lancôme lip gloss I got given.  And it’s pink!  I never wear pink, let alone a pink  lipstick as I dislike the colour but when I put this little beauty on, it really did make my skin pop and the texture is great.  Another great thing about holidays – you rarely see anyone you know and if you do make friends, you’re probably not going to see them again so it will be the last time I’ll get seen in a pink lippie.

So my brows are booked in for their annual tint and I will take a mascara (non-waterproof) and this lovely lip gloss for my evenings out.  The only thing I will be wearing on my face during the day is my Bioderma's Photoderma Max SPF 50!

Seville 2014, with wine and lip balm

Jumping on my Soap Box

My product of the week is going to soap.  As you know, I love all things L’Occitane and months back bought their exfoliating almond soap and with the matching soap dish.  As they made a perfect little gift, I bought my parents one, my sister one and my mate Sunny one as well.

My almond soap is now but a sliver of its former self so it was back into L’Occitane to buy some more.  I am a planner and I like to investigate my future purchases online so I did my research and thought I would go for their Apricot Shea Butter Solidarity Soap (€3.50 for 50g).

Every year, L’Occitane launches a solidarity product to help to fight against blindness and this year, they have developed an apricot-scented soap with shea butter.  The Company has strong links with the least developed country in West Africa, Burkina Faso where they acquire this shea butter.

So I was very pleased when I went into the boutique and they had many of these soaps at the till.  It’s great to know that 100% of the profits from the sale of this little soap contributes to the charities working on eye health projects in developing countries.  Oh and I happen to love the smell of apricots and love the health properties of shea butter.

I have been using it for 3 weeks and you don’t need too much of it as a tiny weeny bit goes an awful long way.  The fragrance is very subtle and is moisturising and the healing properties of the shea butter doesn’t dry your hands out.

Everyone’s a winner!

Primers, BB, CC, DD....XYZ Creams - arrrgh! Finding the perfect base.

(I went to an event last night on blogging and the advice was - keep your blogs short.  Um, so apologies to all my readers who are falling asleep into their lattes or worse, I have bored to death.  I will try and keep these to a respectable 300-400 words, however, I shall start next week ; )

Remember the days when your moisturiser was enough to provide the perfect base for foundation?  It seems those days are long gone.  Now we have Primers.  I am including those pesky alphabet creams in this mix too as I think some of them provide a great base for make-up and work very well mixed in with foundation.

Why are we inundated with these bases then?  I blame the BB.  The Blemish Balm (BB) was originally formulated in the 1950’s by a German dermatologist, to protect patient’s skins after facial peels and surgery.  Korea realised the benefits and introduced it to the Asian market in the 1980’s.  By the time it hit the West, we now call it a Beauty Balm and basically it’s a tinted moisturiser with bells on: moisturiser, serum, sunscreen, foundation and primer in one.  Colour Correcting creams (CC’s) are similar to BB’s but with more colour correcting technology and Daily Defence creams (DD’s) focus more on anti-ageing.  Both have BB benefits.

Then it all became too much and every brand was doing them and I got fed up with wanting to try them all so I didn’t buy another BB again for a year.

Primers on the other hand are what keeps your make-up looking perfect and flawless throughout the day.  These little beauties tend to have silicone (or some variation of) which help fill in pores and fine lines therefore creating a fabulous smooth base for long-lasting make-up (which will cling to the silicone as it's super adhesive).  Don't rub in as you would a moisturiser, as primers are there to help set the make-up so a fine film over the skin is adequate and apply your foundation ASAP.

So my favourite 3….The crème de la crème of all primers, launched in 1981 is Clarins Beauty Flash Balm (€36.50 for 50ml).  Not to be used every day but for a special occasion, Flash will eliminate signs of fatigue, tighten facial contours, instantly moisturise and fill in the gaps and the best bit, provide flawless make-up that stays on.  I introduced it to my Mum during my Clarins days and now she always has a tube in her drawer (and I can tell when she’s wearing it as you get instant results).   If you don't have dry skin then you don’t need to use a moisturiser, you can apply Flash straight after cleansing but don’t rub in (actually, its nice to use a foundation brush to apply it).  FYI You can even use Flash over the eye area and as a fatigue-fighting mask (apply a thick layer and leave it on for 10-15 mins).  I keep this in my pro-kit for client makeovers.

My favourite BB is Garnier’s BB Cream and it evens out my skin tone (I am very freckly), makes my skin glow, blurs my HUGE pores and other imperfections and smooths out my lines.  Contains SPF 15 and Vitamin C too.  Coverage is on the light side so I mix it in with my foundations.  Also Garnier’s Ambre Solaire BB Cream SPF 30 is a big deal too – great to take on a summer holiday instead of foundation.

The primer I use every day is KIKO’s Mat Base Corrector Primer (€8.90 for 25ml).  I can’t recommend it enough.  It’s great for me as my HUGE pores look like ripples on my skin if I don’t get a base that levels them out so Mat is brilliant for this.  It’s a gel formulation, containing 97% natural ingredients (including sebum-absorbing vegetable extracts) that help to mattify the skin and minimise the appearance of dilated pores.  I apply it with my foundation brush so I can get that film across the skin.  If I apply it with my fingers, I feel like it’s sinking into my skin and we want it to sit on top.    KIKO do 4 face primers: Mat Base, Perfect Base, Skin Tone Corrector and City Filter SPF 50 (www.kikocosmetics.com). I am going to Lisbon soon and will be stocking up in the KIKO stores – I have a list!

A Necessary Evil or Heaven Scent?

Groan, washing your make-up brushes is such a chore and a bore.  But not any more for me as I’ve found one that I really love to use, which is a good thing as it makes me wash my brushes more often.  Obviously, I wash my professional set of Ken Boylan brushes (www.kenboylan.com) after every client makeover but with my own brushes, I can be quite lazy; I tend to use the same brush for the same colour (ie, my taupe Lancôme one is used for my favourite grey shadows and I have a pink/black Model’s Own that I use exclusively for my Urban Decay green shadow) so I feel that justifies my laziness but I do clean them properly about once a month.

So what is the best cleanser for brushes?  Some pro-MUA's prefer to use Fairy Liquid, some use baby shampoos and some fork out for expensive ones.

I used to wash mine with washing-up liquid (M&S) but when I was buying make-up from Makeup Revolution, I noticed that they did two brush cleansers so I thought I would try them.  They do the Makeup Revolution Antibacterial Brush Shampoo 200ml and Makeup Revolution Antibacterial Brush Cleanser.  Both are £5 for 200ml.

I bought these two products back in January (along with a whole load of products) and I certainly will be repurchasing when I’ve used them up.  First off, I adore the smell of the cleanser and the shampoo.  I recently contacted Makeup Revolution as I wanted to know what the ‘parfum’ on the ingredient list was.  I could smell apples and hubbie could smell peaches so I wanted clarification.  Turns out hubbie has a better nose than mine and the parfum consists of peach, orange, rose, musk and soft aldehydes (series of organic compounds of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen).  Gorgeous.

If you’re on a pro-shoot then the cleanser is perfect for in-between makeovers as it quickly removes the make-up, bacteria and disinfects and sterilises the bristles.  The shampoo is great for cleaning the brushes that have been used for foundations and concealers or anything creamy and it removes all traces of dirt, oil and make-up, leaving the brushes clean, soft and conditioned. 

At home, I shampoo my foundation brush after every use (which isn’t very much to be honest, as I prefer to apply my base with my fingers).  I dollop a Tic-Tac size into the palm of my hand and swirl the wetted brush under a tap and the make-up is washed away quickly. 

When it comes to cleaning my eyeshadow brushes, I spritz the brush cleanser onto a sheet of kitchen roll (which is stronger than toilet roll) and swirl the brush into the wet part and again, the shadows come off with ease.

After use, you are left with a lovely subtle fragrance on the bristles (which is nice for your clients too) and another plus with these two little beauties is that they don’t leave the bristles stiff after they’ve dried.  Leave them to dry naturally, flat with the bristles hanging over the edge of something so the bristles keep their shape.

PS. The products are easy to decant into smaller bottles, if you’re pro-kit is heavy enough as it is.

The Magic Potato

I wrote too much on Wednesday about my beauty products while over in the UK (husband asked if I was writing an autobiography) so I've decided to post in two parts. 

Continuing on, I did take make-up away with me (my little sister will be pleased) and I took Ken Boylan’s fab Play HD Foundation and his equally fab concealer for under the eyes (both in shade C25).  Very important to bring anywhere with me is my Urban Decay Original Eye Primer (my oily eyelids be gone).  For eyes, shadows consisted of a Clarins mineral quartet in Graphite (greys and pink), Maybelline Big Eyes Eyeliner to glam up the eyes of an evening, Max Factor Glamourous Extensions Mascara.  I also took Catrice Colour Corrector Powder Compact and their Concealer Stick for pigmentation, Sleek Face Form in Light for contouring and blush and Rimmel’s Kate Moss Nude Lipstick in 03 (I hope they never ever discontinue that!) with complementing lip pencil.  Oh and I also took a MAC lipstick (Viva Glam 1) and liner in Brick.  When it comes to the make-up blogging, I will be going through these in detail - next week, I am starting with make-up bases.

I love the high street store, Superdrug so after checking out their products online, I knew what I was looking for and I made three purchases.  One of which has been highly recommended by Sali Hughes, resident beauty columnist for the Guardian Weekend magazine.  Sali has highly rated their Simply Pure Hydrating Serum (and as you know, I LOVE a serum) for dehydrated skin on many occasions.  It was a steal at £2.69 (50ml) and I shall be taking it away on my summer holiday and using it before bedtime underneath my moisturiser to quench my skin from all the (safe) sunbathing I hope to do.

Another product that I bought was their Naturally Radiant Glycolic Overnight Peel (£5.99 for 30 ml).  Sounds scary but its formulated with kiwi and mulberry extracts to revive skin radiance and even out skin tone and then the AHA and fruit acid blend will help to refine and re-texture the surface of my skin.  I am planning on using this once the summer is over. 

Don’t know if you guys are aware of the Konjac Sponge phenomenon that has surreptitiously crept in on the beauty market recently?   I tried to get the original Konjac Sponge from a health store in Dublin but they had sold out and didn’t know when they would get some more in so I was delighted to get my hands on one in Superdrug.  Konjac is a potato native to Asia, found at high altitudes and people have been using its cleansing and healing properties for over 1500 years. It’s rich in minerals and antioxidants and is pH balanced therefore gentle on the skin.  These little beauties are meant to gently exfoliate, deeply cleanse and refine the pores even without the use of a cleanser.  They are 100% natural and free from colourings and additives.

I’ve been home a week from my jaunt to the UK but it was only the other day when I thought I would use the Konjac, seeing as my skin still felt polished from using that Shiseido scrub. On opening the packaging, I saw that it is dome-shaped and resembled a chocolate coated marshmellow cake.  Apparently you can use the sponge without a cleanser but using one will be more effective.  Some Konjacs are infused with different clays depending on your skin type/condition.  For more information visit www.superdrug.com and www.konjacspongecompany.com

The sponge is a bit soft so I was wondering if I was going to be tickled rather than scrubbed (if I’m going to be exfoliated, then I like to feel I am) and I started to buff it across my face and the experience was quite pleasant.  One morning, I used it with my facial wash as I just couldn’t get my head around to not using one.  This morning I decided to be bold and use it without cleanser.  Everything was fine until I had finished my little routine and was about to jump out of the shower and then I thought, eeek, I can’t do it, I don’t feel clean and so I washed my face.  By the way, I am only using this sponge in the mornings as I'm removing my make-up with different cleansers.

The aftercare of the sponge is to rinse it out well, let it dry in an airy place or a towel rail and pop it in the fridge (which will extend its life – they should last 2-3 months). 

I like the principle of the sponge, its eco-friendly, 100% natural and cruelty-free and I like the fact that you are exfoliating the skin without the use of mircobeads (I’ve heard they are causing a problem for the environment as they are not filtering out in sewage treatment systems and therefore filling up lakes) as some can be quite coarse and damage the skin.  I also like those masks that you can buy that dry on the face and then you ‘stroke’ the product off the face to exfoliate.  Kiko do one and Clarins used to do one when I worked for them years ago, in fact, I’ve just checked their website and they still do the Gentle Peeling Cream. 

I have been using this Konjac sponge for three days now (with cleanser) and my skin is very very smooth and, honestly, my pores don't look HUGE today.  Whether its a fad or not, I like it this little potato.  It’s cute.

Product of the Week - M&S DD Cream

What a week!  I’ve just come back from a week-long break to the UK seeing friends and family but throughout, I’ve suffered from an upset tummy (which I still have and am off to the docs this afternoon) so I am exhausted and in all honesty, feel like I need another holiday.  Anyhoo, that is way more information that you need to know so let’s talk about the products I took away with me. 

If I don’t have travel sizes/samples in my cabinet then I decant what I already have but luckily I had some samples of stuff I haven’t tried before.

As I am a big fan of L’Occitane’s Colour Protect hair care, I couldn’t wait to try their Repair shampoo and conditioner.  Repair contains angelica, lavender, geranium, patchouli, ylang-ylang and wheat proteins to strengthen, regenerate, smooth and soften.  My hair was very shiny after use.  However, I prefer their Radiance Colour Care purely based on scent; Repair smelt a little medicinal for me (Shampoo €27 and Conditioner 32.50, both 500ml).       

Although I did take a toner with me, I didn’t use it due to pure laziness (it was L’Occitane’s Precious toner if you’re wondering) and I applied Origins Plantscription’s Anti-Ageing Serum instead (€64 for 30ml and €82 for 50ml).  I really liked this serum – it claims that you will see a difference within two weeks and targets fine lines and plumps the skin for that youthful look.  I could definitely see a difference with regards to the plumping – my skin did looked healthy and supple (despite me feeling crappy due to my upset bowels).  I then topped the serum off with the complementing Plantscription Powerful Lifting Cream (€69 for 50ml) which visibly helps to pick up the skin’s sagging contours.  I didn’t notice a face-lift but it looked healthy and felt comfortable.  

Ah, now I really enjoyed using Chanel’s Ultra Correction Line Repair (Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream) as I loved the texture of it and liked the tiny tube it came in.  Although I wish I’d regularly checked my eye area to see if this little beauty was doing its job but I forgot to look.  Maybe my fine lines had disappeared while using it hence the not noticing part?  I like to think that they had as Chanel have created an active ingredient that boosts tensin production (tensin being a dermal protein in the skin which preserves the shape and vitality of the cells).  This product helps with wrinkles, fine lines, puffiness and the lighting-up of dark circles and it claims to firm up the upper eyelids – my eyelids are becoming hooded as I am ageing so I will continue to use up this sample tube and let you know in due course (€64 for 15ml) if I see a noticeable difference.

Seeing as we were going out for a lovely meal on the evening of my Mum’s birthday, I decided to exfoliate my face so out came Shiseido’s Pore Purifying Warming Scrub (especially for oily skin).  I was very surprised to learn that you apply this scrub onto dry, cleansed skin.  Normally I would wet my face beforehand in order to get some ‘slip’ so you’re not pulling your skin about but I did what it said.  I expected to feel a tingling heat sensation with this, hence the name but my skin got warm due to the scrubbing rather than the product heating up (if that makes sense).  I felt this clear gel with exfoliating micro beads to be too much – without the water on the face first, it wasn’t comfortable at all.  Obviously my skin felt soft and smooth afterwards and it did what it said on the tin; it cleaned my skin and pores no end.  Probably a little bit too much.  Anyway, this product is now discontinued but you can probably still get samples of it on the counters if any of you have very oily skin and like a weekly scrub.  It was very effective.

I didn’t take a primer with me as I thought I would take M&S Autograph’s DD (Daily Defence) Cream SPF30 in Light/Medium (£12.50 for 30ml) and either mix it with my foundation or use it on its own (seeing as my moisturiser and foundation didn’t have SPF).  The product comes out as a white cream and then colour pigments burst and release the colour when applied to the skin.  According to the box, it said it was a foundation but I feel that it is more of a tinted moisturiser or primer than a foundation.  It’s something that I would take on a summer holiday for evening as the cream adapts to your natural skin tone so when you do go a few shades darker, you could still use this.  Plus it has the all-important SPF.  To be honest, I don’t normally wear make-up on summer holidays much to the horror of my sister.  Laziness kicks in and I like my skin to breath on vacation.  Plus, my freckles become more prominent in the sun and I feel a bit silly and too made up with make-up on.

So my product of the week goes to the M&S DD Cream due to its high sun protection.  It was so hot and sunny on my last day in the UK, that while sitting out in the garden, I actually burnt in the sun.  I had applied factor 50 on my arms, neck and décolleté but had missed a bit where my watch sits – my skin is still glowing red but it’s no longer sore.  So thank goodness that there was SPF 30 in the DD cream and else my face would’ve been red raw.

Body Lotions - Snakes & Grasshoppers

When I was a kid (before I had my own hair-dryer), mum kept the dryer and beauty supplies in one of the kitchen cupboards so we’d all dry our hair downstairs.  When it was my turn to dry my hair, I would be seen jumping about, hopping from one leg to another much to the amusement of my Mum.  “Sally, what ARE you doing?” she’s ask, exasperated.  What I was trying to do was stop the incessant itching that my lower legs were experiencing.  It was excruciating at the time but it would become a daily occurrence.   I totally blamed it on the chlorine from the swimming pools drying out my skin, as I was training up to 4-5 times a week.  My skin literally looked like a snake’s – dry and cracked (not to mention sore); it was horrible. 

Thirty years on, if I don’t get my shower gel and body moisturiser hydrating enough then you can still see me jumping up and down like a loon before I scratch myself to death.  Hilariously, it is just the area from my knee to my ankle (let’s call it the ‘grasshopper’) that suffers so as soon as I’m out of the shower and dry, the body moisturiser has to go on pronto.  Sometimes, I buy two moisturisers, one for my lower legs and then another that complements my perfume, as the other areas of my body aren’t so dry and I can get away with using a ‘normal’ one.

Up until a few months ago, I was using L’Occitane’s Ambre & Santal’s Perfumed Body Milk (€18.50 for 175ml) as I wear their complementing perfume (it’s woody and oriental).  It’s a lovely scent and thankfully moisturising.  Anyway, while I was working in the department store, I happened to squirt some of Paco Rabanne’s Black XS Be A Legend (Debbie Harry’s limited edition) and fell in love with it.  Again, it’s an ‘oriental and floral fragrance’ (containing hellebore, black vanilla and patchouli).  I had been using the L’Occitane perfume for over a year so I thought, yeah, let’s change it up a bit and I bought 3 bottles of this Debbie Harry one.

Seeing as I like to layer the scents, I was disappointed that there wasn’t a body lotion in the same Debbie Harry fragrance (there is for Black XS but it’s not quite the same).  Therefore, my mission was to find one that was quite powdery and possibly had an almond scent to it as I couldn’t afford to buy the L’Occitane’s Almond Lotion.  I found what I was looking for in the form of BYPHASSE’s Nourishing Body Milk (with extract of almond oil) and it came in a whopping 500ml size for €3.99 (McCabe’s Pharmacy, Clerys).   I love the scent (not overpowering at all), the texture is great (as I really don’t like a thick cream – I used one from a reputable retailer that will remain nameless and it was so thick, it literally pulled my skin on application and hurt).  BYPHASSE's is moisturising, leaves my skin very soft and complements my new perfume.  Sadly it's not enough for the grasshopper but I can use it everywhere else.

Also with the BYPHASSE purchase, I bought their Gel Anti-Cellulite Body (€6.09 for 200ml).  Now I know you can’t get rid of cellulite but I’m all for improving the surface of the skin.  It has a seaweed and algae formula and helps to boost the skin locally.  Unfortunately I haven’t really seen any improvement in that area (think my lumpy bits are too far gone for that) but my bum and thighs are super-soft and it feels comfortable on application.  Hopefully that area is detoxified if nothing else.

www.facebook.com/sallyfw

I can’t blog without mentioning Shiseido so I will do it very briefly.  Their Future Solution LX Body Cream (€130 for 200ml) is the most A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. body cream I have ever tried. First off, very hydrating - not a grasshopper or snake in sight.  My skin glowed with a radiance I’ve never seen it have before and my skin felt comfortable and smelt lovely all day – yes, the fragrance lasted all day.  Unfortunately, I only had the pot overnight and I had to give it back to my trainer the next day.  Oh well, it will have to go onto my Christmas list.  But in the meantime, once my Be A Legend's have been used up, then I will be going back to my Ambre & Santal Body Lotion and perfume!