I get a lot of comments and questions about my make-up routines, so I thought I’d let you get in on my beauty secrets once and for all. Not so many people know it but I actually really enjoy doing make-up and if I had more time in front of the mirror in the mornings, I would probably try different looks everyday. My friends in high school always told me I should have gone to the beauty business (I used to do their party or school dance make-up back in the day) but since life didn’t point me to that direction, nowadays I just put my artistic skills to my own make-up, my face being the canvas of these creations. Basically my “rule” is not to leave the house without at least a simple make-up which is usually constructed from the following elements.
BASE
A good make-up starts with a good base. Since I have a dry and sensitive skin, for years I have used Max Factor’s Panstik as my foundation. However, a few months ago I decided to switch to mineral make-up and after hours and hours of reading reviews online, I found the Everyday Minerals to be the best value for the money. I love how natural the mineral make-up makes you skin look and the fact that you don’t have to use a separate powder to seal the foundation into your skin. The products are also talcum and allergy free, so they don’t cause any irritation or dryness to the skin. One more good thing about mineral make-up is that you can add more of it throughout the day, without the make-up looking cakey or overly done. For foundation I use the Intensive Base in shade “Olive Fair” and for concealing, the Multi-intensive concealer. If you are unsure about the right base color, I recommend getting the samples before ordering the real deal. You can also contact their customer support which I found very helpful and friendly source.
For dark circles around the eyes and other skin discolorations, I’ve noticed that Dermablend is the only product that truly works. I can highly recommend it, as it covers so thoroughly and lasts for ages.
EYEBROWS
I tend to give a lot of extra color to my eyebrows and I do it by blending the shades of the Make-up Store’s Tri Brow Color. I used to do my eyebrows with an eyebrow pencil from Lumene but figured out that the brow color gives a much more softer look. The Tri Brow Color is also a very long lasting product and the tones of brown are cold enough to make your brows look natural.
EYES
I’ve been really stuck on wearing metallic browns mixed with black around my eyes because it accentuates the green eye color and my lightly olive toned skin. Therefore I’m a bit worried that my special edition Elizabeth Arden trio eye-shadow is going to run out soon, as it has really been my best friend for the past year. During weekdays I wear the more of the bronze brown eyeshadow from the palette, and when going out, I add more of the darker brown to the mix (like in the pictures). For defining my eyes, I swear by Rimmel’s Exaggerate Waterproof Eye Definer (the best one out there!) and Max Factor’s False Lash Effect mascara because it makes my lashes appear longer and thicker.
CHEEKS
Blush is an important part of make-up to define your cheek bones and give a perky tone to your face. My favorite blush has been Maybelline’s Expert Wear Blush, shade “Peach” (not included in the first picture because I just ran out of it) and for defining my facial features I use MAC‘s sun powder (sent to me by the MAC representatives) called Mineralize Skinfinish, shade “Sunny by nature”. I use the latter also lightly all over my face to give it extra shimmer and a healthier look during the winter months.
LIPS
I have a few shades of lipstick that I switch according to the mood of my outfits. My ultimate favorite is YSL’s Rouge Pure Shine Sheer Lipstick, shade #1 “Red Strass” which is the reddest red and provides not only shine but also moisture throughout the day. I love it because it goes with pretty much everything I wear and the case works as as mini-mirror. Lately I’ve also sported an orangeish lipstick shade called “Mango Diamond” from Maybelline’s Watershine collection (I’m wearing it in the pictures) and a plum colored lipstick shade called “Soft Pause” from MAC. On regular days when I don’t have to go anywhere, I just wear any supermarket bought chap stick to provide extra moisture for my lips.
So, there you have it and I hope this post answered most of your questions. The basic make-up routine takes me about 15-20 minutes and if I go out, about 30 minutes is needed to finish the look. Naturally a good make-up needs a good moisturizing as preparative work but more about that and my other skin care routines some other time.
Flux. 