I. Love. Makeup.
*Clinique "Pink love" blush, which I use with my daytime makeup.
I love how feminine it makes me feel and how at the end of a long day, the pink hue of the blush on my cheeks still glows. There's just something about the way one's face instantly comes alive with just two strokes of eyeliner.
My earliest memory of makeup was the day I attended the memorial service of a friend (who went to our brother school) when I was in matric. I asked my mom to use some of her makeup (the basics) and she agreed. When I was done she said, "Please don't cry too much, that makeup is expensive for someone your age." This remark was less about the cosmetics, but rather it was my mom's way of trying to comfort me in a language I understood. Needless to say, I still cried and I have cried a number of times while wearing makeup, but thank God the mascara never runs the way it does on TV.
If it weren't for the dark circles under my eyes, I might have never introduced myself to makeup. I used it as an excuse to conceal my dark circles at age 19 when I finally had the freedom to explore the wonders of makeup daily. People used to make unsavoury remarks about how tired or "drugged up" I looked. As a teen, it's easy to internalize such remarks, not knowing that my eyes are one of the best features of my face. [I later used Clinique's correcting serum to make the darkness less severe.]
I eventually fell in love with this mixture of minerals that enhanced my natural features rather than something which concealed my flaws. In my second year of varsity I had this bronze Clinique eyeshadow, which I applied daily and it would just make my eyes POP. Glorious.
I used to wear blue eyeliner because I wanted "to be different" and also because I thought black eyeliner was too harsh. I fast became described as the girl who wears blue eyeliner by peeps in my res. It was cute, but I'm comfortable with my Essence black eye pencil now.
I have a really chilled daily makeup routine. I don't know how to do the whole contouring thing yet, but SHIIINE to the ladies who know how (and I'm learning one YouTube tutorial at a time). I use Estée Lauder's Double Wear foundation when my financial climate allows, but primarily I use MAC foundation (Studio Fix in summer and Face and Body during the colder seasons), Elizabeth Arden translucent powder, Essence eyeliner and mascara & blush by Clinique.
I also used Inglot YSM foundation along with the Inglot primer last season and it's great and affordable too. Very smooth.
I love trying out different foundations like Taylor Swift loves dating different pretty boys in the entertainment industry - it's fun and it makes me feel good in that moment. What I'm also finding quite fun at the moment is Bronzing powder or highlighter (to be applied on the cheek bones and down the bridge of your nose). I recently tried out the Black-Up Sublime powder and it definitely lives up to its name. Every girl of colour deserves it.
What I did when I had both the Inglot and the MAC foundations is that I would wear Inglot during the day and use the MAC Studio Fix at night because it gives full coverage & is thus visible in night pictures. This is the same with the Estée Lauder 'double wear' foundation - it keeps you matte. These two are particularly powerful for me because I have oily skin, but I do still enjoy how the Face & Body foundation gives my skin a silky finish. I do, however, also use blotting paper for this purpose (oiliness) when my skin gets too oily and I'm on the go.
[Tip: don't just buy any foundation because it works for your friend or sister. Ask the cosmetic consultant to test it on you and see how it blends with your skin after an hour or so. Do not leave a cosmetic house without trying the product. Nothing worse than looking ghastly because your consultant didn't take care of you.]
I went to a makeup master class this past December and I picked up a few quick tips to share with you:
1. Fingers blend foundation better than a sponge.
2. Concealer for dark circles should be about 2 or 3 shades darker.
3. Use darker blush for the evening.
4. Apply your mascara after you've applied everything else, i.e. last.
5. Using lip liner keeps your lipstick within the boundaries of your lips.
6. Loose powder is better. Translucent powder... even better.
7. A finishing spray is recommended, but not compulsory. A great alternative is the rosemary & witch hazel spray from Dis-Chem.
I'm ashamed to admit that I'm rather lazy when it comes to my brows - I haven't tweezed since 2012, but I do casually shape them with my mascara brush when I do my makeup. I guess I don't have the patience for them, but I'm gonna try do better this year, though. I owe myself and the people who look at me that much.
When it comes to lipstick, I like my pinks and my reds. Matte, but with a Vaseline or DCT base, so my lips don't get chapped.
So, what are your makeup tips and tricks? Favourite products? I'm always here for a a cosmetic chat, so share with me and I'll reference you in my next post about makeup.
Otherwise, keep glowing ;-)
