I love my make-up, but openly admit that I can get it wrong. I'm (hopefully) not of of these shallow girls who spend hours/millions on their face and will not leave the house until they're orange. I know I'm never going to be one of these beautiful, polished girls. I had a friend when I was a teenager who was stunning - everyone fell over themselves to be with/like her. Without her make-up on though, she was virtually unrecognisable. But it didn't matter - she could paint a beautiful face on in the mornings and that was the important thing. I wished, wished WISHED for that ability. Part of me still does. Sadly, appearance is still more important than it should be.
So many blogs seem to be about cosmetics, beauty and skin-care routines and advice. I know boys – and probably a lot of girls! – can’t think of anything more boring, but it’s amazing how many thousands - literally - of blogs there are dedicated solely to this purpose. Some of the reviews and tips are helpful, others verge on laughable - “if you have brunette hair, wash it with vinegar to get a great shine!” Well that’s great, but there’s little point in having luscious hair if no one will approach you because you smell like fish and chips.
But all this reading got me thinking about my own 'beauty regime'. In terms of maintenance, I guess I’m somewhere in the middle – I like to wear make-up, I feel happier with it, but I don’t spend an hour in the bathroom applying all kinds of products. Mostly, I’m quite easy to please. But I've done a lot of hunting for decent products over the years, hoping that at some point I'd get lucky and purchase a lifetime of beautiful skin along with my foundation.
But, for the purpose of fulfilling my promise to the 20sb blogger, I'm going to recommend what I use.
YSL Touche Eclat: wonder product. Every girl must have one. I have one permanently in my pencil case at school.
Foundation: Revlon Colorstay. Ggorgeous, foolproof, liquid foundation that goes on beautifully every time. Inexpensive, contains SPF and lasts forever (both in terms of on skin and how often you need to buy more). Clinique superpowder over the top of that. I also have Benefit Some-Kinda-Gorgeous, but that's definitely not one for when I’m rushing – I have a real love-hate relationship with this product. I think it suffers from PMT. (I also have Maybelline’s Dream Mousse foundation but I can't stand it).
Blush: Benefit Perfect 10 or Thrrrob. Thrrrob looks scarily bright in the box, but it's nice on skin.
Eyes: I have blue eyes and yes, I fall back on browns. But I really love purples and greys - even for school. I use Max Factor at the moment, although I'm toying with treating myself to a Dior Palette. Quick sweep of my foundation over my lids meets eye shadow lasts. Mascara: all Maybelline products are amazing.
Skincare: Can't recommend Clinuqe products for combination skin enough. I usually mix a small amount of moisteriser and foundation in my hand before applying (decent brush = essential) which gives good coverage and saves time.
Days like today are my nightmare days. My skin is pretty tired-looking – probably connected with the fact I currently average 3-4 hours sleep a night. My eyes are so bloodshot my lashes could play chess (brightening eyedrops - genius inventions).
But I'm headed over to my boyfriend's parents' house, so it's important to me that I make some effort! No make-up and I look like the living dead - those who have seen me first thing in the morning will concur. Too much make-up just looks ridiculous. So today is a case of slapping a bit of Benefit’s Thrrrob over tinted moisteriser and mascara on top lashes only (under-eyes are dark enough without adding extra shadows, thanks!). Five minutes later I look – and feel – far more awake. It’s funny how make-up affects your mood – there’s an awful lot of truth in the maxim that “looking good is feeling good” but similarly, getting it wrong can be incredibly frustrating. I sympathise with my friends who say they're too tired to make themselves spend the time in front of the mirror the morning of a deadline or similar, but I have to admit that just a couple of minutes worth of make-up perks me up and lifts my mood. And starting the day in a good mood is crucial (especially if, like me, you are most definitely not a morning person) - anything that helps you achieve that has to be worth a couple of minutes of your time.
Apologies for typos etc: I barely had time to type this, proof-reading was never going to happen. I'll do it tomorrow.
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