The Base
I have a confession to make; I haven’t worn foundation since my teen years.
My skin is quite a difficult one to work with, and we all know how awful foundation looks if your skin isn’t moisturized enough. My face is very mixed with extremely red, dry spots and very greasy parts, so getting the foundation applied evenly is an impossible feature.
After years of trying multiple different moisturizers I settled for the conclusion that the most basic apothecary lotion was the best option for keeping my face moisturized. But still foundations were not for me.
They tend to get lumpy within one hour after being applied and my face just feels stuffy, like every pore in my skin has been shut with a cork.
And then I found a revolutionary product: Joe Blasco’s Neutralizer. It’s actually meant to be used as a “base under a base” so that you cover coloured spots on your face with it first before adding the actual foundation.
Thankfully I found a shade that is exactly my skin colour, so I basically use it to just cover the black parts under my eyes. For evenings out I’d apply it on my whole face, and it “melts” on my skin and doesn’t get lumpy.
So, for day make-up I just cover my eye bags and add a bit of Artdeco bronzer on my cheeks and around my face to add a dash of life to my pale complexion. And that’s my base done.
Eyes
Day make-up: Just as my base, I also like to keep my eye make-up in check for work. I only add mascara.
Not just any mascara, though. My lashes are quite thin and completely invisible so I need a thick, strong mascara. This was another search that took years until I bumped into the product that I can’t imagine living without:
Dior Blackout mascara. It’s thick, it’s luscious, and it gives just the right kind of volume to my lashes. If I want a little bit of extra on my look, for example if there’s an important meeting or an event, I just add thin lines with liquid eyeliner. Little thing with big impact on bringing one’s eyes out more prominently.
Night make-up: For evenings out I really like a smokey-eye. And there’s nothing better for doing a great smokey-eye than with the Naked palette!
I received the Naked 2 Urban Decay palette of nude and brown shades for Christmas present, and I have been surprised at the quality. They don’t get lumpy, like most eye shadows do, and the shades are beautiful and give just the right effect to the eye.
Add thicker line of eyeliner and mascara (I tried artificial eyelashes once and won’t make that mistake again), and you’re ready to party!
Lips
Winter is the period for bold, dark lipstick shades, and I’ve got one bright red one that’s an absolute favourite of mine. In addition I’ve got a very bold purple lipstick in case I’m feeling particularly adventurous.
But Spring is the season for beautiful nude and light pink shades. And I’ve got my 2 favourites in regular use: Iced Caramel 625 from Maybelline and Amberlight by natural make-up brand ILIA.
I never wear lipstick to work but for drinks with friends or a weekend shopping spree is a situation worthy of some lip decoration.
Nails
I’ve always been crazy about painting my nails. And I love anything that brings a bit of sparkle to my day! And colour, always colour.
Just like with artificial eyelashes, I tried fake nails once. The glue was so strong, though, that it took over 2 years for me to grow back my normal nails. So, I would not risk destroying my nails any further with such.
And why bother when there is such an amazing array of beautiful nail polishes, of every colour imaginable, available.
At the end of the day you don’t need much more than some bronzer and a volumizing mascara, and you are set. Especially for me it has been a revelation to notice that in make-up less is good enough.
As a teenager I had acne that’s still visible on my cheeks as little pockmarks. But they’ve smoothed out enough that there’s no need to cover them under a layer of concealer. Because it actually just makes them more prominent.
