Here is a pretty standard FOTD (Face of the Day)
from yesterday, which is very much a normal, basic type of look that I conveniently
manage to slap together for those usual slack, everyday kinds of non-eventful days. :-< You know, like when I am not going anywhere
special, but still feel the need to establish a no-fuss makeup look that cleverly
masks any unsightly flaws and imperfections, whilst triggering the fictitious
illusion of clear, healthy, flawless-looking skin, minus looking ‘all made up’. *-:)
Here are the products
I used: (*)
BASE
This gloriously lightweight, lotion style primer leaves my
skin considerably soft, while smoothing out any abnormalities. I like teaming this primer with liquid
foundations, yet I am partial to it during those warmer, summer days when I need
to avoid anything too rich and heavy coating my skin. The formulation compliments my oily skin and
keeps it relatively shine-free throughout the day, bereft drying it right out. It helps my makeup glide on seamlessly, encouraging
it to appear fresher and to remain in place for much longer. :)
This is one of the few mineral foundations in a liquid
version that I regularly rely on in summer because it’s a match made in heaven
for my oily complexion, which won’t melt straight off in the heat. #:-S The special formulation is enhanced with
additional skin care ingredients to treat and protect my skin. It’s also oh so light, therefore I don’t
experience that suffocating feel like so many of the heavier cover-ups. :)>-
Instead, this foundation wears superbly comfortable, bolstering to
prevent congestion and possible breakouts by allowing my pores to breathe. Even though I admit it feels lightweight with
an airy texture on my skin, don’t for a minute think this will compromise the
coverage and performance. :-S Not at all!
[-X I actually only need very
little of this highly pigmented, mineral blend to achieve maximum coverage,
resulting in a complexion that is utterly flawless, with an ever-so-natural
looking, soft matte-finish. ;)
The finely milled white loose powder has a supremely soft
texture, so I like to apply it with my velour puff, prior to dusting my face with
a large, fluffy powder brush to remove any excess. I’m amazed that such a basic-looking, budget
priced powder is so effective at setting my makeup and transforming my oily
skin by instantly absorbing any excess surface oils and keeping them at bay for
a shine-free appearance that eliminates the need for continual touch-ups. I often select this powder to use following
liquid foundations because it imparts such a smooth, silky, matte finish to
accomplish ‘complexion perfection’ with
the greatest of ease. :D.
FACE
Clinique
Almost Bronzer SPF 15 - Medium
This is my ‘go to’
bronzer, boasting dual-toned colours that make it very versatile and suitable
for not only different complexions but also for adapting to irregular skin
changes throughout the various seasons.
The contrasting shades, featuring a light and medium hued bronze, are
perfect when used individually as a blush or bronzer; otherwise, they will
combine conveniently for contouring and highlighting the entire face. This delicately pigmented duo, blends seemingly
with my skin tone to effectuate a healthy, natural-looking, sheer tint of
colour, which resembles a gorgeous ‘almost
there’ sun-kissed glow. =D>
I have previously reviewed this particular blush in a bit
more depth a while back, if you want to read more, simply click here. This is a brightly coloured powder blush,
which has a semi-sheer colour payoff (that
is buildable for a bolder, more vivid appearance) to gently buff into the
skin, inspiring a beautifully feminine, lightweight, matte-like finish. Just
a light dusting of this smooth, pigment packed powder is all I need per
application, because a little goes a long way and when blended delicately it
discards minimal fallout. I love how this blush provides a natural ‘pinched-cheek’ effect that is soft and
dainty, complimenting my skin tone and staying in place all day without fading. ;;)
EYES
NYX
Auto Eyebrow Pencil – Dark Brown
I like to keep my eyebrows well groomed because as the
saying goes; ‘eyebrows frame your face’,
notably your peepers, which are claimed to be ‘the windows to your sole’. Well-shaped brows will furthermore balance
the rest of your facial features. Although
my own brows are along way from being ‘well-shaped’,
they have come a long way since the days of plucking the living daylights out
of them! :-O Now, more than ever, whilst
they are growing, I rely on my trusty eyebrow pencil to fill in my sparse brows,
depending on the waxy consistency to better mould the shape and hold the hairs
in neatly in place. The attached brush
on the flip side, maintains the tidy appearance, guaranteeing my brows retain
that permanent ‘wow’ factor’. \:D/
Something worth noting, is this dark brown shade is, as a matter of
fact, a pretty accurate match, comparable to my light-medium brown coloured
brows, so beware that the highly saturated colour, is lighter than expected,
therfore you may need a darker hue than normal.
/:)
I absolutely adore my coloured pencil style eyeliners, :x which
are currently my favourite (or most sort
after) makeup product. I have quite
a collection of eyeliners, flaunting a spectrum of shades and brands that I
constantly mix and match to suit my mood, for an eternity, I only ever used
black liners, now though I will always incorporate a befitting colour to spruce
up my daily look. Pencil eyeliners have
really stepped up in the past couple of years, developing into various ultra
rich, creamy formulas that apply and feel just like a liquid liner. Gone are the days of nearly scratching out
your eyeball trying to get a smidgen of colour out of the hard, sharp-tipped
pencil that despite ample effort, just wouldn’t transfer at all. ~X( These
soft, extremely smooth liners glide onto the lash line with ease as well as the
waterline, providing lasting staying power that won’t budge. In addition, the undeniably, bona fide colour
payoff, which is exactly what I lust, supplies the slick of defining colour to
my waterline that makes my eyes ‘pop’. >:D<
Almay
Intense I-Color Mascara - Black Emerald
for Hazel Eyes
For daytime wear, I opt for simple, inexpensive mascara to
inject some colour into my lashes and plump them up a tad, without becoming too
dramatic or OTT (over the top). When I first spotted this mascara, I thought
it would ideally replace the green-eye mascara I had previously employed, from
another brand, which worked well and suited my lash requirements during the day. I have now determined that this one certainly
doesn’t disappoint! The large brush with
a tapered tip evenly coats and separates each individual lash, with no flaking,
clumping or smudging, and it’s buildable, permitting for additional coats that
can be successively layered for a greater impact. The gentle formulation is kindy non-irritating
to sensitive eyes and while it lasts looking fresh and in place throughout the
day, it washes off with ease to avoid the dreaded panda eyes. Earning its place as one of my preferred
daytime mascaras, because it’s merciful and caring to the delicate optics, along
with the ability to still create a natural, fuller appearance to the lashes that
brighten and emphasise my eyes. B-)
LIPS
I often need to prime my lips prior to applying my lippy, so
I use a lip balm, which hydrates my lips and smoothes the surface, which is
especially essential for dry, chapped lips, filling in any lines, wrinkles or
ridges, so my lipstick adheres better and prevents any feathering, smudging or
creasing. I often reach for this handy wind-up
tube, with added sunscreen to protect my lips from sun damage, as well as
shielding them from the elements. Infused
with natural fruit extracts, the formula smells and tastes like yummy, sweet
strawberries. (mmm strawberries =P~
) The thick texture, which initially
coats my lips, dries quickly and conditions my kissers without leaving any
sticky, tacky residue behind. This
addition of this delightfully scrumptious balm to my makeup ritual ensures my
lips are perfectly moisturised, soothed and polished ready to bear some
colour. :-*
Becca
Nude Lip Liner Pencil - Nougart
This remarkably handy, double-ended liner, with its ultra
soft, creamy consistency, is a functional multi-use lip pencil consisting of a
skin-toned light beige hue on one end, with the dual side bearing a lip-toned
beige that is a few shades darker. I am always
using the light end when I makeup my lips, regardless of which colour I plan on
sporting, because the skin coloured shade is a spot on match that compliments my own skin tone
faultlessly, to highlight my cupids bow.
The darker side however, I don’t use as often, yet it does come in
useful for lining and filling my lips to create a base to team with certain
lipsticks to obtain a more precise, long-lasting, lip look. This liner has a
soft, creamy texture that’s easily sharpened to maintain a fine point, prompting
it to glide on so smooth and evenly without dragging on my lips. It’s an exceptionally good quality lip liner
and despite being rather pricey up front, it‘s the best I’ve ever tried, promising
a gorgeous, natural-looking lip definition. :)
Benefit
Full Finish Lipstick – Lady’s Choice
I am not usually very fond of nude lips; however, this is my ideal lip colour of choice, when I
do feel like rocking a realistic, true-hue, nude lip. What I like most about this sleek, easy to
apply lipstick is its deeply moisturising formula, with an especially rich, urber
creamy, butter-like texture, fully loaded with pigment for an abundance of saturated
colour and a subtle, slightly glossy, shimmer-free finish. The reason I am personally not fussed on a
nude lip is that I am not overly confident that the neutral hues even suit
me. When I first tried this shade, it seemed
to look like my lips had done the vanishing act and magically disappeared. :-O It
also make me look washed out and somewhat sickly. (eww! not a good look :-&
) I have since discovered though,
if I pair a slightly darker liner to the outline of my lips and fill in my
natural lip colour, forging a base underneath, the colour becomes more
flattering and amazingly gives the impression that my thin lips are a little plumper
than normal. :D It’s really starting to grow on me this one (at least for the minimal makeup days),
but I’m still keen as to try out some of the different colour options from the
same range. ;)
LAST WORD
The above mentioned combination of cosmetics, constitutes the basis of my regular makeup ritual that I generally use on a day-to-day basis. (Yes, I
have to admit; rarely a day goes by when I don’t wear makeup! :-O :">
What! I hear you say, LOL! :))
But, seriously, I feel sooooo naked without my ‘face’ on, hence why I feel the need to disguise
my defects behind a ‘barely there’
makeup look. Whew, #:-S
at least with makeup I can tryyyyyy
and appear ‘natural-ISH’, shh it’s
our little secret, hehe ;)) ) On
those uneventful days when there is nothing planned. I don’t often bother concocting
a special eye shadow creation or upping the drama factor too much, unless I
have places to go and people to see, in which case it’s indeed time to ‘rev’ things up a bit. Under those circumstances, I’ll possibly go
the ‘full hog’ and get really
creative, or if you prefer, indulge in some ornamental fun! <:-P
Another excuse as to why I don’t really dig neutral-looking
makeup on myself too much, is because I am a big fan of lots of colour and I
tend to feel a bit ‘plain Jane’ when
I wear the more ‘au natural’ hues. It comes down to my skin tone as well, coz while
these shades can look spectacular on others (particularly models in the glossy mags or on the catwalk) I just can’t
pull it off well at all. :-/ Kind of like…meh, whatever!’ :| I
think it’s ok (average), but at the
end of the day, it’s definitely NOT a
look I would go to town in and it doesn’t excite me very much either… boring! (:| That’s just me, I am of the belief that makeup
is all about FUN!!! :)>-
There you have my opinion, so how about you guys, what do
you think? Can you pull off an awesome
nude lip or neutral makeup look? Does it
suit you…or, do you wanna bat on my team, preferring to adorn yourself amidst a
rainbow of exciting, inspirational, slightly crazy tinctures? :O) Umm,
:-/
well. maybe not ALL
the shades from under the rainbow at once, but you know what I mean, super
eye-catching, colour galore, YAY! \:D/ What
kind of makeup look do you like to adopt for an average, fuss-free day? Is it something different to a look you might
create to hit the town? Tell me more,
tell me more, please share!! ;) :)
The two FOTD images are my own and the product images are all generics.
