My Everyday Face

I feel like I need to start with a confession. This post is missing a vital ingredient, a picture of the products on my face. Things are dire at home at the moment, so faced with the choice of posting an incomplete piece or nothing at all, I went with the former and frankly writing about makeup is a welcome break from creating five point behaviour scales and reading social stories.

Although I was really worried about restricting my selection of products for a month, it's turned out to be very useful. Getting everyone ready and out to school is even more frantic than it was last year and fortuitously the products that I picked out for Operation Use it Up (plus a couple of additions) combine to make a quick and easy face.

I use a mix of Max Factor Second Skin and Bourjois Healthy Mix as a base and usually apply with a flat topped kabuki for speed. On the eyes I apply the Rouge Bunny Rouge Atlas Swallowtail cream eyeshadow from lashline to crease, line with BECCA automatic liner in Goa (sometimes taking it under the eye) and add a generous coat of mascara. The beauty of using Atlas Swallowtail is that it looks good on it's own but I can also add eyeshadow when I return home, if the mood takes me.

I use BECCA creme blush in Turkish Rose on my cheeks using my Hakuhodo G5552 brush. It has a slightly dewy finish so I can dispense with adding a separate highlighter if I haven't got time. Although I mostly favour Rouge Bunny Rouge Murmurings lipstick to complete this look, I have worn it with Chanel Bonheur, Hourglass Fresco and even Rouge Bunny Rouge Coy lipgloss.

I'm surprised how much I've enjoyed wearing the same thing pretty much everyday. It's quite nice to have a no-brainer look to reach for when I'm pushed for time and I fear it may have compounded my guilt at having so much makeup!

July Favourites

I have been struggling to work out what my favourites have been this month, it's almost like the month has been split in half in terms of my make up use. For the first half of the month, as it was still very warm, most of my looks involved the same favourites I'd posted about in June. As the weather cooled slightly and once I got my hands on some of the Edward Bess collection, some new things found there way into my routine.



My Suqqu quad has been really useful these last couple of weeks. I've used this when I needed to put make up on on the run. The colours are great for producing quick but dramatic looks and the small brush inside is actually very good. This particularly handy as carrying round loads of brushes in your handbag is not practical!

As I mentioned above my Edward Bess lipsticks and creme blush have become fast favourites. They're such flattering colours and the formulas are great. I love lipsticks that don't dry your lips out and these have a very luxurious balm feel to them.

I can't remember if I've mentioned this in a favourites before, but I have been loving my Shu Uemura H9 brow pencil. This pencil is so easy to use for a brow pencil novice like me, you can build the colour up gradually and the lack of red tone make it a perfect shade. I've enjoyed giving my brows a more dramatic look and playing with the shape. It was an absolute essential after my hair dye blunder too.

My final mention has to be for the Mavala products I bought to get my nails in shape. I shall post an update soon but I've been really pleased with the results to far. My nails feel so much stronger and wearing nail varnish hasn't instantly caused them to peel. Result! Which reminds me OPI Dulce de Leche has to have a mention as I have worn this lots this month. It's such a pretty nude nail colour.

So, have you had any particular favourites this month? Have you got over the Summer make up lull yet?

June Favourites

June has been a bit of an odd month for make up. As it's been so hot for a good portion of the month I have been struggling to put on anything but the bare minimum. As you know I have been favouring concealer instead of foundation too, so my MAC Studio Finish and Moisturecover definitely rank as favourites of this month.

In terms of eyeshadow there are a couple that I've used a lot. I've enjoyed wearing Rouge Bunny Rouge Solstice Halycon applied to the lid with just a black liner and mascara. It's a quick and easy look and has been perfect for the warm days. Another favourite has been MAC Vex and Satellite dreams, as I mentioned in this post. I've worn this combination quite a few times now and I love the bright flash of colour it adds.

My Illamasqua Rude blush has seen a lot of use this month. This as well as the Solstice Halcyon has been stored in my grab and go make up bag. If you've ever read my Applying make up with 3 children post you'll know why I need this! I picked up MAC Well Dressed blush at Swindon CCO a few weeks ago. This has also become a new favourite. I'm so pleased with how this looks as I thought it might be too light for me but it gives a cool look to my cheeks that I love. Lipsticks that I have been using a lot this month are MAC Up the Amp, Cosmo and Laura Mercier Pink Cocoa. I have been favouring a stronger lip colour quite a bit, it's so much easier to add colour that way when you're in a rush. Plus, it's more forgiving in the hot weather than a complicated eye look.

An unusual favourite I'd like to mention is the MAC 239 brush. I love this brush and kick myself for not having invested sooner. I like it so much that I bought a second from Happy1234 It really is a great brush for packing colour on the lid! As I've been wearing a single colour on the lid so much, it's been great having two to save me constantly washing brushes. Lazy, me? Never!

Have you been loving anything this month? Has the weather effected your make up routine?
Jane x

Old Favourites

I spend a lot of time talking about new favourties and what I'd like to get next. So, I thought it was high time I gave a mention to some of my old favourites. I apologise in advance as not all of these colours are still available but I thought it would be interesting to share with you anyhow.

Eyeshadows
The first eyeshadows I wanted to mention are from the only quad I've ever purchased from MAC. It's the Smoking Quad from the Smoke Signals collection, released September 2007. I remember going to buy this extremely well as I was overdue with William and waddled in to MAC having contractions! The colours that I love from this palette are Next to Nothing and Satin Taupe. Next to Nothing is a flesh coloured beige with champagne shimmer. It's limited edition but I believe it has been re-released a few times. Satin Taupe is a bit of a ubiquitous MAC colour but I love it all the same. After years of trying colours that were too warm for me this was a revelation. I have worn it both as a lid colour and crease colour and feel it works well either way.

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Left; Next to Nothing, Right; Satin Taupe


Left; Satin Taupe, Right ; Next to Nothing

My other favourite eyeshadow colours are Brule and Omega (both MAC again). I bought Brule after watching Nic from Pixiwoo do her corner lashes look. It's a nude beige and is close to skin colour for me as you can probably tell from the swatch below. I'll often use this all over the eye to even out any discolouration. I also use it a lot to help blend out crease colours, both above the crease and at the outer edge of my eye if I've taken colour out too far.

Omega is a really naturally crease colour for me and I picked it up when I was unable to get Wedge. I quite often use Brule over the eye, with Omega in the crease and a gel eyeliner to give a simple defined eye. I also use Omega as a brow powder, it's great for that as it has no red tones. Though after purchasing the Shu Seal Brown pencil it's been a bit negleted for my brows!


Left; Brule, Right; Omega


Left; Omega, Right; Brule

Eyeliners
I was astonished when I was pulling out items for this post, just how many eyeliners I have. I'm obviously a big fan! I wear glasses so I do find my eyes disappear if I don't line them. I also think I mentioned to someone the other day, if I don't use a liner you can see all my mascara blob marks more easily. Ooops! Maybe I should start putting mascara on first then cleaning up? Anyway, I digress.



The first eyeliner I want to mention is MAC fluidline in Macroviolet (pictured above). I purchased this a long time ago and it really need replacing now. I know MAC fluidlines aren't for everyone but I absolutely adore this colour. It's a slightly metallic violet and is dark enough to add definition but not so much that you can't see the colour. I've often worn it with Brule as an all over and MAC Mink Pink as a crease colour to make a bit of a change from the usual brown or taupe.



Top to Bottom; MAC Teddy, TBS Rich Brown, Rimmel Hurricane Grey


Top to Bottom; TBS Rich Brown, Rimmel Hurricane Grey, MAC Teddy

I've had and loved these eye pencils for a long time. They're all really easy to wear for me so they're great for when I'm in a rush. The brown is from the The Body Shop and is their Rich Brown eye definer. It looks quite dark in the swatch but somehow seems more chocolately on my eyes. I didn't realise until recently that it works well for me because it doesn't have much red in it. The grey is Rimmel's eye pencil in 164 Hurricane Grey which as the name describes it's a stormy grey. I find I can't wear greys generally but this one somehow works. MAC Teddy eye kohl is real favourite and I will definitely re-purchase when it runs out. It's a bronzey brown colour and works well as a just a line or smudged out. This is one of the few things recommended for my eye colour that does look good on me (if I do say so myself!). I know this one is still available as it's part of MAC's permanent line, whereas as I'm not sure if the other two have been discontinued.

Lips


Bourjois lipstick and lip liner


Top to Bottom; Bourjois Cannelle rosée, Bourjois Enjôleuse lip liner, Rimmel Temptress lipstick

I'm extremely fond of this Bourjois lipstick as it's the colour I wore on my wedding day. The colour is Cannelle rosée (no.45) and whilst investigating last night this was the only shade they no longer had! It's a rosy pink and is very similar to my Rouge Bunny Rouge Irreverence, though with a slightly more orange hue to it. The Bourjois lip liner is in the shade Enjôleuse (no.11). This again is a rosy pink, though a bit darker than the lipstick. It's quite similar to my lip colour so it is really handy. I have been known to wear this smudged all over my lips with a bit of gloss.

The last lipstick I wanted to mention is Rimmel Temptress. It is a Sheer Temptation lipstick which again I think is discontinued. The shade is quite a a dark metallic plum. I'm not entirely sure what made me pick this up as it isn't a usually choice for me but I'm very glad I did. It's a lovely colour, the formula is easy to wear and with of slick I instantly feel 'done'.


Blusher



I've mentioned this before in my blush collection post. I've had MAC Northern Lights MSF for years now. I think it might have been amongst my first MAC purchases. I'd been recommended this to use as a blush for my colouring. I don't wear it as much these days but I can't bring myself to part with it despite the glitter. It gives a lovely sheen to the cheeks and looks nice on it's own or over a matte blusher.

Do you have old favourites lurking in your make up bag?
Jane x

May Favourites and a bit of a ramble

It's been a bit of a busy month in the Modesty household. We got the keys to our new house at the end of April and spent a week or so moving everything over. I still haven't got everything sorted in the new house, I was certainly more industrious during the two weeks without internet access. Whoops!

Some of my favourites this month really have to be recent purchases from Zuneta. I have worn Rouge Bunny Rouge eyeshadow in Delicate Hummingbird a lot and also the lipstick in Irreverence. I've loved wearing Hourgloss lipgloss in Origami, it's such a nice colour and the texture of these lipglosses is so moisturising and luxurious. A real winner for me.



I've been reaching for Unrequited blush by Illamasqua a lot as well as my trusty Laguna bronzer. A rather surprising favourite has been MAC's pearlglide eyeliner in petrol blue. It's such a pretty, sparkly blue and I've had compliments when I've paired it with Cancan eyeshadow on the lid and Fig.1 in the crease. Another lipstick I've been wearing a lot is Test by Illamasqua. It's been a great replacement for MAC Modesty and as it last so long with lipgloss on top it's a great choice for when I'm out a lot.

Skincare wise, I've been loving Olay's Complete Care Multi-Radiance daily illuminating moisturiser. It's not something I would have picked myself but it was part of my Mother's Day gift set. It feels really nice and the light reflecting particles do leave a nice sheen.



I also discovered this Skin Wisdom Firm and Lift V Zone serum from Tesco's. I was recommended the line by a friend who had been using the anti-wrinkle serum. The serum feels lovely on the skin and the smell is divine. I'm not sure if it's improving the appearance of my neck and decolletage but I know at my age it's not wise to ignore this area. I can maybe review it properly in a month or so if anyone is interested?



Now for the ramble! I went to Bicester Village to pay a visit to the Cosmetics Company Store. I was thrilled to find a 187 brush in there, I'd called up earlier in the week and was told they didn't have any. I've passed it up before when I've seen it in there and kicked myself. Another surprise was finding the MAC Spiced Chocolate quad in there. I know this is quite popular and hard to come by. I have admired it myself as they are really stunning colours but I know I really can't pull these sorts of warm shades off.



As ever when I don't have money to spend, I spotted loads of things I wanted. They had paintpots in Soft Ochre and Groundwork both of which I've wanted for a while. They also had a huge stand of Bobbi Brown items. Normally they have a tiny selection. My biggest disappointment was having to miss out on the Moisture Rich Foundation in Warm Ivory. I'm sure this would be the right shade for me and I've wanted to try a Bobbi Brown foundation for a long time. Please someone tell me it's rubbish as otherwise I'll be crying in to my cornflakes. There's such a quick turnover of stock in these shops that I'm unlikely to find it by the time I have cash to spend. I'm sure I'll forget all about it when my Suqqu and Shu Uemura parcel arrives!

Jane x