Old Reliables: Foundations and Concealers

In the second instalment of 'Old Reliables', we take a look at a couple of my favourite foundations and concealers that I've continued to use on a regular basis over the years.

First up is MAC Face and Body Foundation

This is actually my everyday foundation and has been ever since I discovered it back in early 2009. Face and Body is a sheer, water-based foundation that is suitable for any skin type. Even though it's sheer, it's very buildable and you're easily able to get any coverage you want.
I've actually got the other women in my family hooked on this foundation after using it on them, it's especially beautiful on mature skin - really gives a gorgeous dewy look. Even on my own oily skin, I find this to be a really decent foundation. Recommend to all, this is always in my makeup kit.

Graftobian HD Warm Foundation Super Palette

If I want flawless skin, this is what I reach for. Originally bought for my professional makeup kit, I couldn't resist using it on myself too. Creams are soo versatile, I can't help but love them.
My favourite way to apply this is to mix it with Cetaphil Moisturising Lotion - and apply with a beauty blender sponge or a duo-fibre brush. When applied this way, I find that it gives you the 'my own skin - but better!' look, which is what I always go for. I absolutely despise the whole 'cake face' look, natural is always the way to go if you ask me.
This palette can also be used to contour and highlight, and it also makes an amazing concealer - this will cover anything! Highly recommend this for your professional kit, and the individual pots or smaller palettes for personal use.

Ben Nye Concealer Palette

Ben Nye is such a good quality, well priced brand. I've never been disappointed with any of their products yet, and wouldn't hesitate in recommending them. This especially, is one of my favourites. The colours in here blend well and are just the right consistency - not too creamy and not too dry. When followed with the Ben Nye Neutral Set - this concealer does NOT move.
I love it!

MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer

For like a year, this was the only concealer I used. Like the Ben Nye concealer it blends very easily, but it's much creamier. So setting is a MUST. A little goes a long way and it's quite easy to use too much - so start with a teeeny amount and apply more as needed. The thing I've noticed with this concealer is that the NW shades are much more pink-based than the other NW concealers that MAC make - so if you have a yellow undertone like me, the NW shades really can only be used on dark undereye circles. For blemishes and redness, you will need an NC shade.
My only real complaint is that I hate the packaging, glass jars are too heavy to carry around everywhere and I find that they do dry out quicker. Still the product itself, hasn't really failed me yet!

Thanks for viewing, stay tuned for the next instalment!
oxo

What's in my on-the-go makeup purse??

Hi guys, I've seen people doing these sorts of things all the time, but I've never got around to doing it myself - so thought I'd give it a go!

These are the things I carry around in my handbag everyday as my on-the-go makeup kit. I can actually do my whole face with everything in this, but usually I just use it for touch ups.
First of all, this is the little bag I keep everything in:

It's actually supposed to be a sunglass case, but when I saw it I thought it'd be perfect for makeup!

Now lets take a look inside!
- MAC Skinfinish Natural in Medium Deep (this is the colour I wear in summer, for the rest of the year I use Medium)

- Thin Lizzy Brush. I don't use thin lizzy myself, and this brush isn't the best, but it's great to use on-the-go for reapplying face powder and blush!

- The Body Shop - Tea Tree Oil Facial Blotting Tissues. I can't even begin to tell you how often these have come in handy - I recommend that everyone carries blotting tissues with them!

- Cute little mirror that a friend bought me years ago. Could not live without this. Seriously. :P

- Two MAC Lipsticks in Snob and Hug Me. I actually wear these two colours quite often, so it makes sense to always keep them on me.

- Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner in Black. I'm not even sure what this is doing in here, must've randomly chucked it in one day when I was doing a smokey eye look.

- Altoids Tin 'Palette'! xD

I love this little thing. Inside there is:

• An empty Everyday Minerals container with Ben Nye Neutral Set powder inside.
• A Yaby Blush in BL005
• 3 Yaby eyeshadows in ES347, ES155 and ES154
• Ben Nye concealer depotted into a little Yaby emptie
• Mini Fresh Supernova Mascara
• Mini Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Zero
• Teeeeny little MAC 213 brush (from one of their little holiday eyeshadow palettes)

The eyeshadows, blush and concealer all have magnets on the back which keep them from banging around inside the tin. So easy to make, I can do my whole face with this little tin alone!

So that's what's in my on-the-go makeup bag. I also have a 'Girls Survival Kit' that I keep in my handbag at all times too - maybe that should be my next post?

Thanks for viewing!
oxo

New Series: Old Reliables!

Yay! Today I'm kicking off a new series on my blog called 'Old Reliables!'

If you know me in real life, then you know I'm literally obsessed with beauty products, I don't care what it is, lipstick, concealer, mascara, if it's new and exciting - then I want it!
Sometimes these new products lose their spark pretty quickly, suddenly that neon green eyeshadow you thought was amazing and absolutely had to have, doesn't seem quite so great anymore. It's times like these that you turn back to those good old all time favourites (Old Reliables).

To kick off this new series, I thought I'd start with face powders/powder foundations.

• Ben Nye Neutral Set
  
  This is my go to powder for myself, and everyone else that sits in my makeup chair. Chances are if I do your makeup, I most likely set your foundation with this little baby. I love this. Not only is this ridiculously cheap, but it gives your skin a perfect matte finish. Recommended to everyone!
  
  
• Graftobian HD Pro Powder
  
  I love my HD products and this is no exception. Can be used both wet and dry, for varying degrees of coverage - although I find I only need to use this dry to get great cover! Like all good professional makeup lines, it comes in lots of colours, so finding a colour suitable for your skin tone should be easy. Highly recommended, especially if you're a fan of dual finish powders.
  
  
• MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural
  
  
  I honestly did not think I would like this face powder as much as I do. Don't get me wrong, I love MAC products in general, but I imagined this would just be one of those over-hyped products that were actually pretty average. I was wrong, this face powder is so damn good! I love how the finish is matte, with a very slight dewy feel to it - it makes it seem more skin like, which is especially good when you don't want to look like you're wearing lots of makeup. Still not entirely sure if I like how this photographs or not, but nonetheless it's a great everyday powder.

Thanks for viewing, watch out for my next instalment!
oxo

My June Favourites!

First day of July! (Here in NZ anyway!) I can’t believe how fast this year is going!
Here are my favourite products from the month of June:

• MAC Pigment in Violet
  
  
• Ben Nye Neutral Set
  
   
• Designer Brands Lipstick in Lilac Mist
  
   
• Neutrogena Rapid Clear Spot Gel
  
  

What were your favourite products in June?
oxo

FOTD x 2: Barney eyes and Fuschia lips!

Purple and green together always remind me of Barney the dinosaur, lol :P

 
 
With flash:
 
Face:

• MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation in NC20
• MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer in NW20
• Ben Nye Neutral Set Powder
• MAC Rose Romance Beauty Powder in Summer Rose

Eyes:

• Urban Decay Primer Potion
• MAC Steamy eyeshadow on the inner 2/3 of the lid
• MAC Violet Pigment on the outer third of the lid
• MAC Contrast eyeshadow on the outer corner of the lid, in the crease and under the eye
• MAC Vellum eyeshadow in the crease, above Contrast
• MAC Your Ladyship Pigment as the highlight
• MAC Penultimate eyeliner (trying to apply the false lashes messed this up and I couldn’t be bothered fixing it – talk about lazy!)
• Avon Ultra Luxury eyeliner in Midnight Blue in the waterline
• Avon Supershock mascara
• No brand False Eyelashes

Lips:

• MAC Lipstick in Fleshpot

This second FOTD was from Saturday and I took the photos with my phone so they’re not very good. I don’t wear bright lipstick often though so I thought I’d show you this anyway!

 
 
Face:

• Everyday Minerals Foundation in Fairly Light Neutral
• MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer in NW20
• Silk Naturals Perfecting Powder
• MAC Rose Romance Beauty Powder in Summer Rose

Eyes:

• MAC Quick Frost Pigment all over the lid upto the brow
• MAC Brown Down eyeshadow in the crease, and under the eye
• 120 Palette Matte Black as an eyeliner along the lashes
• Avon Supershock Mascara

Lips:

• MAC Pro Lipstick in Full Fuschia
• MAC Your Ladyship Pigment applied in the centre of the bottom lip and blended outwards

Well there we go, thanks for viewing!

oxo

FOTD: Brown Smokey Eye

Hi all! I wanted to try out my new MAC stuff (there will be a haul/review post tomorrow) so I went with a brown smokey eye! I’m also using one of my Everyday Minerals sample foundations (there’ll be a review on this soon too) so let me know what you think of it!

 

Close ups:

And in natural lighting:



Products used:

Face

• Everyday Minerals Foundation in Fairly Light Neutral
• MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer in NW20
• Ben Nye Neutral Set
• MAC Perfect Topping MSF

Eyes

• MAC Paintpot in Painterly
• MAC Eyeshadow in Club, all over the eyelid upto the crease and under the eye
• MAC Eyeshadow in Phloof in the inner corners
• MAC Eyeshadow in Brown Down in and above the crease
• 120 Palette – Shimmery Black in the outer corners and blended into the crease as well as under the eye
• MAC Pigment in Your Ladyship under the brow as a highlighter
• MAC Penultimate Liquid Liner in Rapid Black
• Avon Supershock Mascara
• Avon Ultra Luxury Eyeliner in Black

Lips

• MAC Lipstick in Fleshpot
• DB Lipstick in Lilac Mist (overtop of the Fleshpot)

Well I hope you like it and thanks for viewing!

oxo

FOTD: Smokey eye!

Smokey eyes and nude lips! (The token porn star look, Lol)
I even curled my hair a little. Needed to try out my new rollers. xD
Anyway, time for the close ups?

  Gosh. I am so terrible at taking close up pics. Oh well.
Onto what I used!

Face:

• MAC Face and Body Foundation in ‘C2’
• Revlon Age Defying Powder in ‘Sand Beige’
• Ben Nye Concealer Palette
• MAC Hello Kitty Blush in ‘Tippy’
• Estee Lauder Brilliant Shimmer All Over Powder in ‘04 After Hours’

Eyes:

• MAC Paintpot in ‘Painterly’
• MAC Eyeshadow in ‘Knight Devine’ all over lid.
• 120 Palette – Shimmery Black on the outer corner and in the crease as well as underneath the eye
• MAC ‘Your Ladyship’ pigment as the highlight
• Shiseido Liquid liner
• Avon Ultra Luxury Eyeliner in ‘Black’

Lips:

• MAC Lipstick in ‘Fleshpot’
• Revlon lip gloss in ‘010 Shine City’

Hope you like it!

oxo

FOTD: Natural?

Hey all, whoa, my first ever FOTD :o Might try to do one every now and then, probably weekly!
It’s not a very exciting look, but I was bored and decided to take pics. Ok, I’m not photogenic at all and for some reason my smile always looks fake, but you’ll just have to get used to it! :P
Here’s what I’ve been wearing today :D

Excuse the wrinkles >_>
Products used:
FACE

• MAC Face and Body Foundation in ‘C2’
• Ben Nye Concealer Palette
• Revlon Powder in ‘Sand Beige’
• MAC Hello Kitty Blush in ‘Tippy’
• Thin Lizzy (LOL) in ‘Dark’ for contouring. About the only thing I’ve ever use Thin Lizzy for :P

EYES

• MAC Paintpot in ‘Painterly’ all over eyelid, up to the brow bone
• MAC Intriguing Scarlet Palette (from the Passions of Red collection) - ‘Sweet Joy’ all over lid, ‘Warm Suede’ on the inner and outer corners and in the crease, ‘Real Drama’ in the outer crease and on the lower lash line
• MAC Infatuating Rose Palette (also from the Passions of Red collection) - ‘Satisfy’ as a highlight
• Shiseido Liquid Liner in Black
• Covergirl Lash Blast Mascara

LIPS

• Purple/brownish lipstick (sorry, I don’t know the name, the label came off)
• DB Lipgloss in ‘Watermelon’

As you can see I didn’t fill in my brows, even though they desperately need it. I’m pretty lazy when it comes to doing my own makeup, prefer to do it on other people xD

I should do another review soon…
Thanks for viewing!

oxo