August 2013 Favourites

I can't believe it's already the end of August, it seems like it was just yesterday I took a year off from school. At any rate, TGIF people! Oh the good days. It was really hard to narrow down my August favourites because there was just so many things that I was using but wasn't absolutely loving. It's just one of those funks that I fall into... y'know, one of those I-have-nothing-to-wear-but-staring-at-wardrobe-full-of-clothes days. First world problems indeed.

What I have really been loving alongside with my clay masks are these Biore pore strips. I would use this everyday if I could. I love standing in front of my mirror and spending 5 mins just peeling the strip off ever so slowly and witnessing every single whitehead wiggle out of my nose. Just one of my disgusting obsessions. When I was younger, I would just peel the nose strip off so fast that all the plugs would just break off and remain in my nose and I would wonder why the strips didn't work. Slow and steady is the trick girls, slow and steady.

I also figured out the best combination for the Topshop BB cream in 3.0 which I mentioned here, and that is with the MUFE HD Foundation in 120. Together they give a high coverage, soft focused finish that feels like almost nothing on the skin. Also doesn't hurt that I have neither in the right shade (the SA matched the MUFE for me too...Sephora should really improve their lighting) so when mixed together it's a heavenly, creamy blend of the appropriate shade. The Topshop BB cream is slightly fragranced, almost like a grandma scent and the occasional whiff does have me wrinkling my nose. Still, price to pay for nicer looking skin.

My little sister purchased the Sleek Face Form in Light for me when she came back for the holidays and I finally realized the hype over Sleek's highlight/contour products. I'm not such a fan of the rose gold blush, since I already have similar colours and consider it a yesteryear colour, but the bronze shade really works in definition without being too orange on my nc30 skin. The highlighter really holds its own and I use it when I want a stronger highlight than the NYX mosaic highlighter. The kit is so nifty and versatile, i just wish it had a matte blush. Oh, I also used it on my other little sister who is darker than me, and the contour shade still worked! Like I said..nifty and versatile.

The Estee Lauder Double Wear ShadowCreme in Cafe Au Lait is something that I've recently opened after a good... half year? Patting myself on the back for patience. I had to open this to stop myself from purchasing the Maybelline Colour Tatto in Bad to the Bronze (addiction much?). This is a really nice bronze/taupe mixture with multicoloured micro glitter in it. It is not a dupe of Bad to the Bronze and comes off much lighter in colour. The glitter comes off more on the silver side, but for some reason, when on the lids it can look quite golden rather than bronze, especially when a darker brown is blended in. It's a nice subtle shade for all over the lid definition and catches light in all the right places. Best of all, no creasing or fading throughout the day.

Lastly, I've been wearing the Majolica Majorca Blush in OR211 quite a bit this month. In the pan it comes off a rather pale orange, but on the cheeks it transforms to a rather coral shade. The colour pay off is not super intense, which I like for daily wear. Also it's such a tiny cute pan I really can't resist it sometimes.

From L-R, MAC Studio Fix NC30, MUFE HD Foundation 120, Topshop BB Cream 3.0, Majolica Majorca Blush OR211, Sleek Face Form in Light bronzer and highligher shades, Estee Lauder Double Wear ShadowCreme 22 Cafe Au Lait

What are your August Favourites? Do recommend me some! Happy Friday everyone!

Base Routine

FOTD? I was experimenting with a new way to achieve a lighter base routine but still achieve the maximum coverage. Today I stumbled upon this application which though quite time consuming, I like the way it looks and feels.

I will be posting up images from the web as I'm too lazy to take my own.

Prep:

Hada Labo Lotion

Works as a toner, also quite moisturizing and light. For me it's not moisturizing enough, that's why I top it off with another moisturizer.

Garnier Whiten & Even Moisturizing Cream spf 17/pa++

Gives an instant brightening effect, especially for paler girls. For me it makes my face quite white. However I think that this moisturizer does work quite well for scars and pigmentation, that's why I use it.

Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Mousse Water Base spf 50+/pa+++ (need so many + a not...)

Sunblock. My mom always told me to use sunblock. I never listened. Now I have pigmentation and am very sad. Love this sunblock. Absolutely love the texture. Super light!

Olivia by CCS eco Eye Cream with Organic Olive Oil (bought in Sweden)

Bought this in Sweden because I had no eye cream and I was developing wrinkles under my eyes. This was the cheapest at their drug store because they have 25% (yeah you read that right) tax on all skincare. Quite a light and nice eye cream, doesn't do much for the wrinkles but decent for day time use. Use a light eye cream and not a heavy one because eye creams are what causes your concealer to move and mascara/eyeliner to smudge.

Base:

Skin79 Super+ Beblesh Balm

1. Use Skin79 BB Cream as a base/primer. I use this to cover up my pores to give a smoother surface to work on. It also provides decent coverage for areas that are red.

Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer

2. This is a product that can be used as a foundation, however, I haven't had it long enough to find out how to work with it as it is AMAZINGLY pigmented. It is also slightly darker than my skin tone (matches my neck but my natural face is alot lighter than my neck so I cannot stand it being so dark), and since it's so pigmented it looks unnatural. In any case, this has no silicones or fillers so when on the skin it looks like skin. I use this to conceal any blemishes or pigmentation. If you do not own this, use a concealer that is slightly darker than your skin tone to conceal, then blend the edges out very well.

Kate Covering Concealer for Under Eyes

3. Use a peach concealer for under eye rings. Kate Covering Concealer is not bad, doesn't really crease for me. Squeeze some onto hand and slowly use a finger to dab it under the eyes. Work in thin layers so that it won't crease rather than putting on a lot at once and blending out. Can also be used to brighten up the area under eye/eyebags for a Kim Kardashian look.

Ginvera Green Tea Nude Cover BB Cream

4. Face should look slightly odd now, with patches of dark concealer and peach concealer. No fear, use Ginvera Green Tea BB Cream and dab over the dark spots, blending it into the rest of the face. Also put some on top of (if necessary) or around the peach areas and blend. 

Rest of face:

e.l.f All Over Colour Stick in Spotlight

I use this as a highlighter for my nose. Cream products generally work well with a cream base. Do not ever use this on powder base, will cause powder to ball up/shift.

NYX Rouge Cream Blush in Natural

Mentioned in review below.

L'oreal Super Liner 

Got this as a free gift and it works quite well. I use this to line my eyelid. Using another lighter pencil in black, lightly line the waterline. Not too intense. Then using an angled brush/flat brush, get a brown eyeshadow (or just use eyebrow pencil haha) to fill in the little corner space under the outer corner of the eye. This will really elongate the eye. Will do a proper tutorial soon.

Finish off with a lipbalm/lip colour if you like. I use the EOS lipbalm, very minty. I practically eat it. 

This base procedure does take quite long if you have many spots/scars like me because it's based on concealing mostly the spots and keeping the rest of the face relatively free of products. I really like it because I don't get the unnatural look that comes with using heavy coverage foundations. I also prefer this over powders because for some reason, I always picture powder particles army crawling their way into my big pores and refusing to get out. If you haven't already realized, the above routine is ALL cream/liquidy products. I hope this helps someone who needs as much coverage as I do and still wants to look normal, but if not, hope it helps anyway!

Oh, DO NOT take any pictures with this routine on. YOU WILL HAVE A WHITE FACE. There are 4 products in this routine that have spf. One of them being spf 50 with many + signs. Yes I am that paranoid. Okay no I'm not, it just so happens. 

If I am not clear enough, here are the tutorials that I have adapted my own routine from. I really like the 2nd girl!

Enjoy!