So, part 1 is done and dusted. Onwards to part 2. What else is there in my current regime? The game face of course. The cleansing, toning, moisturizing and pampering is only half of basic skin care. The necessary steps to ensure that your face is prepped for the more fun of the whole beauty thing.....MAKEUP!
Now, I've professed my love of the San Fran based cosmetics company Benefit time and again and let's just say they are still a bene fit for me and I can't enough of them. Benefit may be on the pricier end of the makeup spectrum but I think their products do give you bang for your buck. My Benefit items last me ages, and despite some of them probably outliving the set guidelines of makeup longevity, I can still use with confidence and not break out into horrible spots.
Last December, I gifted myself a Benefit beauty bounty. Out of the items I've gotten, I have started using only the Non Fiction liquid foundation and the You Rebel Lite tinted moisturizer. I still have quite a bit of my Dandelion powder, benetint stain and Some Kind-Of Gorgeous so I haven't touched the new ones as yet. I only have great things to say about Non Fiction. I love it. It provides great coverage for those special occasions night but I don't take this for a spin during daytime as it's non-SPF. Although it is touted as a light coverage foundation, my own experiences has me attesting that this gives you a more than adequate flawlessly matte finish for a night when you're going heavier on the face paint. Especially when paired with the foundation faker that is Some Kind-Of Gorgeous. I have used it consistently for all nighttime events and the foundation works great. It doesn't melt off for a long time and the matte look lasts ages.
For my day face, I turn to the You Rebel Lite as I'm quite obsessed with SPF. I recently got on the tinted moisturizer bandwagon early of last year. My first foray was with CoverGirl and although I loved it, it left me looking quite like a grease pan halfway through a work day and would rub off quite easily on clothes. I had heard of the supposed holy grail of tinted moisturizers that is Laura Mercier but at 40 bucks, was a bit too pricey and eventually I decided that I would start with the supposed second best which is from Stila. I waited to finish out my CoverGirl but around the time I was to get the Stila, Benefit came up with their beauty packs and I decided to just hedge my bets on You Rebel Lite instead. My thoughts on You Rebel Lite. I LIKE IT! It does go on a lil bit greasier than I would like but it absorbs well into the skin right after giving your skin a smooth feel and providing you with the bare minimal coverage. Which is perfect for me as I'm more of the au naturel type rather than I'm wearing my makeup type. You Rebel Lite gives me the SPF protection I crave as well as the bonus of not rubbing off on my clothes nor leaving my face looking like a veritable grease mirror. It last thorughout the day. Another winner from Benefit in my book.
Of course, all makeup enthusiast knows that tinted moisturizers and foundations work their best when there's a layer of base for them to start on. My base of the moment which I love, love, LOVE is by Garnier. It has a dark spot lightening effect and also provides my face with SPF 60 protection. It comes in three shades: white, beige and lavendar; to cater to whatever skin needs you require. I first tried the beige and loved it. During re-stocking, I grabbed another 2 tubes while they were on sale but only realized it was the white ones after a coupla days and I had thrown the receipts. I was a bit bummed at first but now I have to say that it's a blessing in disguise. I will continue buying the white base after this as I feel it is the one that best suits my skin. The base itself is light and non-greasy. I usually pat it on 5 minutes prior to putting on anything else. It absorbs well and leaves your skin feeling smooth and of course protected from those harmful UV rays.
To set everything, I use my best drugstore brand secret which is a Ponds Oil Blemish Control powder in pink. Pink powder highlights and illuminates the face. It reflects natural and artificial light well giving off the effect of a healthy, dewy glow. And I love the fact that I don't have to spend a bomb to get thie look. The powder cost me a mere 70 cents for the small travel size and about a buck fifty for the big bottle. I have used this as my go to loose powder for nearly 3 years now and it has not failed me since. I gave up pressed powder completely after using this. This is my holy grail loose powder and not even You're Bluffing by Benefit competes.
Anytime I'm putting on my makeup, be it day or night, I will always use the Dandelion boxed powder for rosy pink cheeks. I love Dandelion as it gives the face a more natural looking flush and subtly highlights my cheekbones without making them look overly prominent (and ending up looking like a drag queen). I give this powder particular emphasis on my cheeks as well as swiping it across my forehead and chin and strokes on the side of my nose to slim down my admittedly wider than I like nostrils. I also give my lids a swipe of Dandelion for an "awake" look. I prefer Dandelion to all other blushes I've tried and it certainly beats Nars Orgasm which I own but rarely use cos I think it's tone is too peachy and appears too stark for my skin. When I need more of a stronger look, I will always pair Dandelion with a few dots of my Benetint stain. It makes for a perfect combo!
I'm not big on doing my eyes. I only ever swipe mascara on my lashes for nights out and even then I use Maybellines's Lash Discovery in clear cos I haven't quite gotten the hang of not making a gloopy mess with normal black mascara. When I do attempt to do coloured mascara, I either use Bad Gal mascara OR Get Bent which is both by Benefit. I like Bad Gal as it really gives a doll like finish to the lashes but I prefer Get Bent because the angle brush makes putting it on practically idiot proof for me while also giving the lashes a lengthening and fuller look. Sometimes, I will also coat my lashes with a final clear swipe to set them. Prior to all this mascara handling, I'll normally use my Shu Uemura eyelash curler to give my mascara a better chance of actually getting on my lashes. They work wonders in curling and somewhat seperating the lashes prior to mascara coating. When I'm in a particularly generous mood, I do swipe on some of the eye products from Benefit's Realness of Concealness kit which features Lemon Aid for the upper lids to give a more fresh look as well as acting as eyeshadow primer and pat on some Ooh La Lift (a puffiness decreaser or something like that) and Boing undereye concealer in 03. But only if I'm not feeling lazy. I also mainly use Benefit shadow pallettes like the ones in the "Perfect 10" pallette as well as another all eyeshadow pallette "Curve Hugger" which has since been discontinued. Most of the colours are of a more neutral tone, more earthy shades. I'm not particularly flashy about my eyes. I only got into eyeliner as of 2 years ago and have tried both normal pencil liner as well as liquid liner. I absolutely love my Bad Gal eye pencil. It is definitely my go-to liner. I also own a Stila blue liner which I use on occasions when I'm bored of black and am feeling experimental. I also own a CoverGirl liquid liner in Black-Brown which I can't seem to get a hang of despite numerouse attempts. Maybe I am just not meant to achieve the cat eyes effect. It never works for me and I usually end up going to Bad Gal to remedy the messy situation. My brows are something I don't touch myself. When I have my sister around she'll graciously do something about them but on my own, I can't draw on my brows to save my life. I have actually never plucked my brows. EVER. They are pretty much in line au naturel with some stray exceptions but I've never felt compelled to touch them or have a go at a brow bar. Perhaps it's a fear of seeing my elder sister's, and my mum as well, overplucking and subsequently having to compensate with brow pencils that has scared/turned me off.
And we come to the lips. I think lips is definitely my favoured part to dress up. I usually start with the Benetint lip and cheek stain and from there on, any and all colour is on the menu. My biggest makeup vice would definitely be buying lip balms and lip glosses. I own an inordinately large amount of balms that purport to do this and that from popular name and drugstore brands like Neutrogena, MAC, Benefit and Nivea to the obscure like Skin Food from Japan/Korea and Balm Balm from the UK. But I almost always start with Benetint. Right now, I've been using CoverGirl's Amazemint in "Everything's Rosy" or "Pink Positive" over Benetint. I love the glossy minty glaze and it complements the base rosy colour of Benetint perfectly. I also have a Bobbi Brown lip crayon in magenta that goes perfect with Benetint for the times when i want my lips to stand out from the rest of my makeup. I love how it makes me look as if I've been eating a basketful of strawberries. Sometimes, when I feel like going Angelina Jolie-esque, I will slather on Benefit's Lip Plump which gives the allusion of fuller lips without going for collagen injections or even the sting of lip plumping glosses like Too Faced Lip Injection or DuWop's Lip Venom.
And that's how I normally end the war paint ritual. When the lippie goes on means its the end and I'm ready to bound out the door. Of course, it all doesn't really end there. I'm also quite fanatical about taking off my makeup. I usually use a wet wipe first (am not particular if its meant for faces or bums) and then use Johnson & Johson's baby oil to take off the more stubborn makeup. After doing a lot of wiping I will cleanse my face and then use my Boots Witch Hazel + Tea Tree Cleansing and Toning Lotion to ensure that there is no more makeup residue. I probably use too much cleansing products on my face but I hate the thought of having residual makeup blocking my pores while I'm getting my beauty sleep. Plus, ensures the pillows and sheets remain makeup-stain free. Fanatical is the way to go for me ;P
Now, I've professed my love of the San Fran based cosmetics company Benefit time and again and let's just say they are still a bene fit for me and I can't enough of them. Benefit may be on the pricier end of the makeup spectrum but I think their products do give you bang for your buck. My Benefit items last me ages, and despite some of them probably outliving the set guidelines of makeup longevity, I can still use with confidence and not break out into horrible spots.
Last December, I gifted myself a Benefit beauty bounty. Out of the items I've gotten, I have started using only the Non Fiction liquid foundation and the You Rebel Lite tinted moisturizer. I still have quite a bit of my Dandelion powder, benetint stain and Some Kind-Of Gorgeous so I haven't touched the new ones as yet. I only have great things to say about Non Fiction. I love it. It provides great coverage for those special occasions night but I don't take this for a spin during daytime as it's non-SPF. Although it is touted as a light coverage foundation, my own experiences has me attesting that this gives you a more than adequate flawlessly matte finish for a night when you're going heavier on the face paint. Especially when paired with the foundation faker that is Some Kind-Of Gorgeous. I have used it consistently for all nighttime events and the foundation works great. It doesn't melt off for a long time and the matte look lasts ages.
For my day face, I turn to the You Rebel Lite as I'm quite obsessed with SPF. I recently got on the tinted moisturizer bandwagon early of last year. My first foray was with CoverGirl and although I loved it, it left me looking quite like a grease pan halfway through a work day and would rub off quite easily on clothes. I had heard of the supposed holy grail of tinted moisturizers that is Laura Mercier but at 40 bucks, was a bit too pricey and eventually I decided that I would start with the supposed second best which is from Stila. I waited to finish out my CoverGirl but around the time I was to get the Stila, Benefit came up with their beauty packs and I decided to just hedge my bets on You Rebel Lite instead. My thoughts on You Rebel Lite. I LIKE IT! It does go on a lil bit greasier than I would like but it absorbs well into the skin right after giving your skin a smooth feel and providing you with the bare minimal coverage. Which is perfect for me as I'm more of the au naturel type rather than I'm wearing my makeup type. You Rebel Lite gives me the SPF protection I crave as well as the bonus of not rubbing off on my clothes nor leaving my face looking like a veritable grease mirror. It last thorughout the day. Another winner from Benefit in my book.
Of course, all makeup enthusiast knows that tinted moisturizers and foundations work their best when there's a layer of base for them to start on. My base of the moment which I love, love, LOVE is by Garnier. It has a dark spot lightening effect and also provides my face with SPF 60 protection. It comes in three shades: white, beige and lavendar; to cater to whatever skin needs you require. I first tried the beige and loved it. During re-stocking, I grabbed another 2 tubes while they were on sale but only realized it was the white ones after a coupla days and I had thrown the receipts. I was a bit bummed at first but now I have to say that it's a blessing in disguise. I will continue buying the white base after this as I feel it is the one that best suits my skin. The base itself is light and non-greasy. I usually pat it on 5 minutes prior to putting on anything else. It absorbs well and leaves your skin feeling smooth and of course protected from those harmful UV rays.
To set everything, I use my best drugstore brand secret which is a Ponds Oil Blemish Control powder in pink. Pink powder highlights and illuminates the face. It reflects natural and artificial light well giving off the effect of a healthy, dewy glow. And I love the fact that I don't have to spend a bomb to get thie look. The powder cost me a mere 70 cents for the small travel size and about a buck fifty for the big bottle. I have used this as my go to loose powder for nearly 3 years now and it has not failed me since. I gave up pressed powder completely after using this. This is my holy grail loose powder and not even You're Bluffing by Benefit competes.
Anytime I'm putting on my makeup, be it day or night, I will always use the Dandelion boxed powder for rosy pink cheeks. I love Dandelion as it gives the face a more natural looking flush and subtly highlights my cheekbones without making them look overly prominent (and ending up looking like a drag queen). I give this powder particular emphasis on my cheeks as well as swiping it across my forehead and chin and strokes on the side of my nose to slim down my admittedly wider than I like nostrils. I also give my lids a swipe of Dandelion for an "awake" look. I prefer Dandelion to all other blushes I've tried and it certainly beats Nars Orgasm which I own but rarely use cos I think it's tone is too peachy and appears too stark for my skin. When I need more of a stronger look, I will always pair Dandelion with a few dots of my Benetint stain. It makes for a perfect combo!
I'm not big on doing my eyes. I only ever swipe mascara on my lashes for nights out and even then I use Maybellines's Lash Discovery in clear cos I haven't quite gotten the hang of not making a gloopy mess with normal black mascara. When I do attempt to do coloured mascara, I either use Bad Gal mascara OR Get Bent which is both by Benefit. I like Bad Gal as it really gives a doll like finish to the lashes but I prefer Get Bent because the angle brush makes putting it on practically idiot proof for me while also giving the lashes a lengthening and fuller look. Sometimes, I will also coat my lashes with a final clear swipe to set them. Prior to all this mascara handling, I'll normally use my Shu Uemura eyelash curler to give my mascara a better chance of actually getting on my lashes. They work wonders in curling and somewhat seperating the lashes prior to mascara coating. When I'm in a particularly generous mood, I do swipe on some of the eye products from Benefit's Realness of Concealness kit which features Lemon Aid for the upper lids to give a more fresh look as well as acting as eyeshadow primer and pat on some Ooh La Lift (a puffiness decreaser or something like that) and Boing undereye concealer in 03. But only if I'm not feeling lazy. I also mainly use Benefit shadow pallettes like the ones in the "Perfect 10" pallette as well as another all eyeshadow pallette "Curve Hugger" which has since been discontinued. Most of the colours are of a more neutral tone, more earthy shades. I'm not particularly flashy about my eyes. I only got into eyeliner as of 2 years ago and have tried both normal pencil liner as well as liquid liner. I absolutely love my Bad Gal eye pencil. It is definitely my go-to liner. I also own a Stila blue liner which I use on occasions when I'm bored of black and am feeling experimental. I also own a CoverGirl liquid liner in Black-Brown which I can't seem to get a hang of despite numerouse attempts. Maybe I am just not meant to achieve the cat eyes effect. It never works for me and I usually end up going to Bad Gal to remedy the messy situation. My brows are something I don't touch myself. When I have my sister around she'll graciously do something about them but on my own, I can't draw on my brows to save my life. I have actually never plucked my brows. EVER. They are pretty much in line au naturel with some stray exceptions but I've never felt compelled to touch them or have a go at a brow bar. Perhaps it's a fear of seeing my elder sister's, and my mum as well, overplucking and subsequently having to compensate with brow pencils that has scared/turned me off.
And we come to the lips. I think lips is definitely my favoured part to dress up. I usually start with the Benetint lip and cheek stain and from there on, any and all colour is on the menu. My biggest makeup vice would definitely be buying lip balms and lip glosses. I own an inordinately large amount of balms that purport to do this and that from popular name and drugstore brands like Neutrogena, MAC, Benefit and Nivea to the obscure like Skin Food from Japan/Korea and Balm Balm from the UK. But I almost always start with Benetint. Right now, I've been using CoverGirl's Amazemint in "Everything's Rosy" or "Pink Positive" over Benetint. I love the glossy minty glaze and it complements the base rosy colour of Benetint perfectly. I also have a Bobbi Brown lip crayon in magenta that goes perfect with Benetint for the times when i want my lips to stand out from the rest of my makeup. I love how it makes me look as if I've been eating a basketful of strawberries. Sometimes, when I feel like going Angelina Jolie-esque, I will slather on Benefit's Lip Plump which gives the allusion of fuller lips without going for collagen injections or even the sting of lip plumping glosses like Too Faced Lip Injection or DuWop's Lip Venom.
And that's how I normally end the war paint ritual. When the lippie goes on means its the end and I'm ready to bound out the door. Of course, it all doesn't really end there. I'm also quite fanatical about taking off my makeup. I usually use a wet wipe first (am not particular if its meant for faces or bums) and then use Johnson & Johson's baby oil to take off the more stubborn makeup. After doing a lot of wiping I will cleanse my face and then use my Boots Witch Hazel + Tea Tree Cleansing and Toning Lotion to ensure that there is no more makeup residue. I probably use too much cleansing products on my face but I hate the thought of having residual makeup blocking my pores while I'm getting my beauty sleep. Plus, ensures the pillows and sheets remain makeup-stain free. Fanatical is the way to go for me ;P
