Skin & Base Products - Some Favourites

Hello! I thought today I'd show you some of my favourite products for the face. Over the past year, whilst training as a makeup artist, and working on lots of different people, I've found some things that work really well on almost everyone. I haven't got a product in every category, for example powder and primer, because I haven't found any I like enough to consider it a favourite yet. Onto the products:

Foundations. I love Bourjois foundations. I've tried the 123 Perfect and the Healthy Mix foundations. Both are really great, but the Healthy Mix is particularly fantastic. It has a lovely natural finish, is really easy to blend in, doesn't highlight dry patches, and smells really nice too. 123 Perfect is for those who prefer a more matte complexion, which will be longer lasting on oilier skins. It doesn't need any powder to set it, as it dries to a powdery finish. Bear in mind that this one oxidises slightly after a while, so you might want to go lighter when choosing your shade.

 Concealer. I love both of these concealers. They both work really well for the under eye area as they don't crease over time or look cakey. They can also work to cover blemishes as they are really nicely pigmented. The Collection 2000/Collection (as it's now known as) one is particularly great as it's such a bargain (under £5 when I bought it). However their shades are a little on the pink side. The Bourjois ones are more yellow-toned, which works slightly better under the eyes for most people. It also has a squeezy tube to dispense the product which I really like, as I can squeeze a bit of the product onto a palette, preventing any bacteria transferring. It also means I'll probably waste less when the tube becomes empty.

 Highlighter. I really like this highlighter from Barbara Daly at Tesco. It goes in my makeup artist kit because it works well on so many people. It's not too shiny, not glittery or chunky at all. Just a subtle, glowing, pale pinky peachy shade. You can use something like this to liven up a matte blusher without having a lot of shimmer on your face. Only downside is it's only available from larger Tescos, so it can be hard to find.

Colour Corrector. This is called an Under Eye Concealer, but it's really a yellow-toned colour corrector. How I use it: first apply a liquid or cream concealer 1-2 shades lighter than your skin under the eye & blend out. I then use a small amount of this over the top to set the concealer. It has the effect of reducing blueness under the eyes that a lot of us experience. It's really sheer so easy to use, but can be built up to neutralise stronger blue tones. Before this I'd never seen colour correctors in powder form before. I really love it! Available from Silk Naturals.

Hope this was helpful!

Tips for Dealing with Acne

Hi everyone. I was going to share some Fyrinnae swatches with you today but I'm having trouble getting good enough light to photograph the shadows. So I thought I would do a post with a few tips for you. I've been suffering with moderate acne on and off for several years now, and so I feel I have learnt some tricks which might help some people.

• Don't be afraid of moisturiser. If you want to cover spots, you'll need a smooth base to put makeup onto, and flaky, dry or scabby skin is going to be hard to do that with. Look for an oil-free moisturiser. It won't make your skin worse, but it will help your skin heal itself faster, and will help you avoid skin damage from acne treatments. I really like Neutrogena ones.
• Try a sheer base. You might be drawn to full-coverage foundations when you have blemishes you want hidden. But these are pretty hard to get looking even, will add time to your routine, and might clog your skin. Instead, try a tinted moisturiser, BB Cream, or a sheerer foundation. Then, use a concealer the same shade as your skin, and focus on areas that need extra coverage. Try Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation (for drier skins), Bourjois 123 Perfect (for oilier skins) or Garnier Oil Free BB Cream.
• Concealer. Use a shade which matches your skin tone. NOT something lighter. That can work under the eyes, but will draw attention to spots. Pat it onto the spot, then blend the edges. Lightly pat powder over to set. Try Soap & Glory Kick Ass Concealer.
• Keep it neutral. Anything with red or pink tones will bring those colours out in your skin. Particularly be careful using strong reddish or pink tones in your blusher. Try using peaches or taupes instead. Try Sleek Blush in Suede, or using a bronzer to lightly contour.
• Grooming. Keep eyebrows neat and defined to draw attention to your eyes rather than your skin. Trim them with nail scissors, and lightly fill in with a light grey-brown.
• Confidence. I know everyone will say this to you, but it's true. No-one else cares about your spots as much as you do. Play up whatever features you like best about yourself, be it your eyes, lips, your hair or a nice outfit. If it makes you feel better, spend time covering your blemishes, then forget about it, go out and have fun.

Photo: Shutterstock

I hope some of these tips help a little bit. I know how much bad skin can affect your self-esteem. Being able to cover it when you want to really helps. For teens, I really recommend reading Bobbi Brown's book Teenage Beauty. It really helped me when I was younger.

Let me know if you like these kind of posts!