29 Oct 2017

Everyday Make-Up Saviours

I've always been quite au natural when it comes to make-up given that I'm pretty impatient when it comes to getting ready. Quickly learning at university that fake eyelashes do not suit me, nor does heavy eyeliner or anything overpowering (thanks to those post-night-out photos of dreaded spider eyes), I've always opted for things with the less-is-more results; the no make-up make-up to play it safe. I'm no expert and always learning when it comes to beauty, and things like foundation are very subjective to the kind of results you want to achieve with your make-up, but these are some of the things that have been working for me recently. 



PRIMING
First things first, a primer to make sure everything does what it's told. REN's Perfect Canvas is a skincare slash make-up hybrid that works with the skin to give you the long-term benefits of an improved skin architecture, whilst being a silicone-free, hardworking primer that actually makes my make-up stay where it's supposed to be (even through a very long day). The formula is lightweight, but works to smooth over the skin and make applying make-up a lot easier, and it doubles up as a night-serum too, to lock in your moisturiser.   

FOUNDATION
Probably like most, it has taken me years to find a foundation or tinted moisturiser that I would re-purchase. Colour-matching, matte or dewy finish, thick or just barely there, there are so many boxes to tick for a good foundation to be really good, and to actually stand out from the rest. I've tried high-end, budget and most in between, and think I've finally sussed the ones that work for me. Perhaps an unexpected one, Algenist's Repairing Tint and Blur Moisturiser* is probably my favourite right now. Medium coverage, a really dewy finish and containing ingredients that work with your skin, it brightens up my complexion and corrects everything that I think needs correcting. I really can't recommend this enough for those that want a glowy finish and it makes sense to me to have a foundation - that sits on your skin all day every day, to be formulated with ingredients that help the skin at the same time. Another one I'd repurchase is The Body Shop's Fresh Nude Foundation. In comparison to Algenist, the coverage is slightly better and still has that dewy, naturally illuminated finish (and so good if you're on a budget). 

BRONZER
Now we're fully in the season of minimal Vitamin-D, bronzer has yet again become my new best friend in the hope of giving back my skin some vitality as it becomes duller and duller. On my way to Corfu last week, I picked up the Bobbi Brown bronzer (in the shade Medium 2) at duty free after being recommended by a lot of my friends that it's a gooden. A firmly brown, definitely-not-orange shade, it's one for all year round and buildable depending on what kind of bronzing you're after. 

EYELINER
Rather than a kohl pencil or using eyeshadow, I've always been one for liquid eyeliner. It's the only thing I really trust to stay in its place and last all day. Right now, I'm using Rimmel's Wonder Wing in Black to give my eye some definition, and lengthen it out with flicks at the end come the evening if I'm going out. I'm not particularly loyal to a specific brand for this, Collection's Fast Stroke Eyeliner is the cheap as chips go-to for when the budget requires (really pigmented, really affordable), and in my experience, high street options have been better than luxe. 

EYE BASE
If I'm not going to be using eyeshadow (which is pretty likely throughout the week with minimal time not on my side), I've been using Trish McEvoy's Eye Base. It's essentially a concealer for the eyelid, and so effective in brightening the eye area. It's the kind of product that you don't think is necessary until you try it (and now I'm obsessed with it). If time permits, a weekday eye shadow I used to wear by is the shade Toast in Tanya Burr's Birthday Suit eyeshadow palette; a really lovely nude shade that I'm yet to find an equivalent that's as good for my colouring. 

MASCARA
One of  the things I can't stand with make-up is the ever-lurking, dark, smudgy line of unruly mascara that builds up through the day if you're not wearing the right one. Frankly, I'd rather be wearing no make-up than have that happen, so I've been using the Clinique High Impact Waterproof Mascara which gives the all-clear on that panda eyes faux pas. I'm also a longstanding fan of the Rodial Glamolash Mascara (sounds extra, but I love everything about it and it never smudged under my eyes, a really thick brush and only took one coat).

LIPS
Probably my last priority before work, but if I'm going to go all out and put something on my lips, it will be a nude shade that I know won't matter if it smudges or starts to wear off. My favourite right now is Marc Jacob's New Nudes Sheer Lip Gel in the shade Moody Margot. It goes on like a dream, has a your-lips-but-better tone and is effortlessly chic. Oh, and the magnetic packaging is probably the most satisfying thing in the world. A lipstick I'd recommend for the working day to evening transition is the Bobbi Brown Crushed Lip Colour in Telluride*, a beautiful browny-red that is the epitome an autumn make-up shade.




What make-up works best for you during the week?



        
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24 Oct 2017

Down To The Beach | Corfu Part One


Greece has always been somewhere I've been wanting to visit, if only for the crystal-clear waters, white-washed island living and my new-found love for Greek food (if you're based in London, try out Suvlaki and you'll see what I mean). Every island seems to have it's individual charm and own qualities, making choosing which one to visit first quite the conundrum. Corfu has been on my radar for a while as being one of the beautiful, yet affordable, regions of the country, and it was the idyllic choice for some Autumn sunshine. Travelling out of season had it's challenges, like the difficulty in ordering things that were actually available on menus (it's actually easier to find Moussaka in East London than in Corfu right now it seems), and the towns had that slightly lifeless feel, but one of the undeniable advantages was the more or less deserted beaches at our doorstep. Heading down to the beach post-breakfast quickly became routine and one of the highlights of the trip. For someone that's renowned for opting for the hotel pool over swimming in the sea, for once I actually did a lot of the latter and none of the former. Cold, yes, but refreshing, liberating and mind-clearing; the water is so clear and blue it borders on surreal. The temperatures were around twenty to twenty five, which proved to be pretty perfect; cool enough to walk around in the mid-day sun without being overwhelmed by the heat, but warm enough to feel like you're soaking up the vitamin-D and holding onto summer that little bit longer. A lot of hours were spent here in front of the glittering horizon, book in hand, feeling more chilled out than I have done in months. 


The closest beach was a five-minute walk from our hotel (we stayed at the Hotel Pantokrator in Barbati) down a series of white-washed, picturesque but, don't be fooled, very steep and aerobically-challenging steps. Describing the region as 'hilly' would be an understatement; with mountains surrounding you from all angles, it's no wonder that even getting up to our room was a strenuous version of 'leg-day' each time and not a trek for the faint-hearted. The steep inclined climbs are worth it for the views, though. Small but perfectly formed, Barbati has a mile-long pebbled beach, complete with crystal-clear waters, that cast-away style rustic look and hidden coves to explore. I imagine that the small size of the region would mean it's quite busy during peak season, so coming after the crowds have disappeared definitely pays off. We were recommended to visit Paleokastritsa by our taxi driver, but without a car and time being of the essence, it's one saved for next time. If you're staying in or near Northern Corfu, it's one to note, a secluded wonder that is reminiscent of a beach in Thailand. 


All photos taken by myself on iPhone 6S. 



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13 Oct 2017

Four Books To Have On Your Radar

I've always found that receiving books as gifts is one of the best ways to try out new ones that aren't in your comfort zone; some of my favourite reads have been gifts that I wouldn't have chosen myself but ended up completely loving. So, as I turned twenty four last week, I was given some new reads that I wanted to share as I think they're going to be good ones (and it's one of my favourite things to talk about). 

I am usually hugely guilty of the well-known cliché, judging a book by it's cover, when choosing for myself, pretty much because we don't have hours to go reading the blurb of every cover in a bookshop and how else are you going to narrow it down... (it's somewhat a relief when someone else does it for you). I've either seen or heard of these books, but probably wouldn't have picked them up myself (partly to blame is my obsession with dystopian fiction these days, thanks to The Handmaid's Tale), but a change is always welcome, so here goes.

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My Name is Lucy Barton - Elizabeth Strout
Lucy wakes up in hospital recovering from a recent operation, to find her mother sitting next to her bed; her estranged mother who she hasn't seen for years. This leads to a nostalgic journey into her troubled childhood, and what happened thereafter. If you're not into long novels, this one's for you as it's pretty short and I'm already intrigued. 

Everything I Never Told You - Celeste Ng
One I've been thinking about after seeing it on Lucy William's (Fashion Me Now) book club, Everything I Never Told You is a novel surrounding a Chinese American family in the 1970's. The death of Lydia, the 'favourite' child tears the family apart, and out pour the family secrets. I've just started reading this one and I'm already into it, purely because it's written really, really beautifully.

The Distance Between Us - Maggie O'Farrell
An interesting one for our materialistic world. Seventeen year old Caymen is of the belief that the rich are not to be trusted after studying them intently from behind the counter of her mother's porcelain doll shop as she's growing up. Meeting a man called Xander who threatens to prove her theory wrong, being both rich and potentially having more to him than his wealth, to then find that all wasn't as it seemed. I've got another Maggie O'Farrell book to read called This Must Be The Place which is meant to be just as good. 

Moonglow - Michael Chabon

A chronicle of his grandfather's life, Chabon's novel starts as a deathbed confession; an old man telling his stories to his grandson.  He covers an entire era, from the depths of war to his tales of romance, condensed into one novel. This isn't one I'd usually go for but I have a feeling it will be a good one and an example of why going out of your comfort zone with books is usually a good move. 

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If you've read any of these already, let me know your thoughts or tell me what other books are you curling up with this Autumn...

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