HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN PERFECT FOUNDATION

Dr.Jart+ Regenerating BB Beauty Balm SPF30 [one shade],  Clarins BB Skin Perfecting Cream SPF25 [02 medium], Rodial BB Venom Skin Tint SPF15 [Capri], Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation SPF15 [Natural 4], MAC Matchmaster Foundation SPF15 [3.0], MAC Studio Face and Body [C3]

  Colour & Texture

Clockwise starting at 11: Dr.Jart+, Clarins, Rodial, Bobbi Brown, MAC, MAC Studio

[all shades info under the image above]

There is nothing wrong with mixing up a foundation to create your own perfect shade and/or finish. I have been mixing up my foundations for years, some of them are couple of shades too light, some have too much pink or yellow undertones and others are frankly way too dark. Even if you get consulted by a beauty counter "make-up artist", which by the way most of my foundation purchased that way were the wrong shade as I'd learn later after I get home and try it on. So you end up with a bunch of foundation bottles sitting there looking out of place. Be the creator of your own perfect custom made foundation, use one or two pumps of one foundation with less, more or equal amount of another and see what you can end up with.

Sometimes however you may find that the shade is more or less matching but the texture and finish is either too shiny, too matte, or has too much/too little coverage. This issue is also rectifiable. If mixing two foundations doesn't cut it, try mixing a foundation with a BB cream, it works wonders as I have recently discovered by trying to finish a too dark foundation that also is a touch too heavy on my skin. Classically BB creams are marketed as a stand-alone product or a primer for foundation, but truthfully speaking I love mixing a BB with a foundation and apply it that way, rather than layering it. 

My favourite mix up at the moment is Rodial BB Venom Skin Tint in Capri + MAC Matchmaster Foundation in 3.0 [only god knows why I was matched with this shade, which is at least 2-3 shades darker than needed to be]. Also keep in mind that some foundations work better when applied with a brush, whilst others need to be warmed up and therefore a finger-application is more suitable, so don't give up on a foundation just yet, you may discover that sometimes a foundation mixed yourself can be better than a ready bought from the shelf!

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Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation SPF15

We all have a foundation or two that we used to be obsessed with. A foundation that has that special something, which makes your skin look amazing and it's not just about the flawless finish, but it pulls everything together giving you the most flattering complexion and making you look your prettiest. For me it's Bobbi Brown good old Skin Foundation with SPF15. I used this foundation in the shade 3.5 Warm Beige a few years back. As it happens after you finish your beloved bottle of foundation you then go on to try something new and sort of forget about it, at least for a while. Since I turned thirty my skin has changed slightly, and although it is still oily-combo I now also experience dehydrated skin during winter, especially this winter I have been using deeply moisturising serums and make-up primers to keep the skin looking dewy and pretty rather than matt and dry. 

Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation is a light coverage but can be build up to a medium in places where extra bit of coverage is needed, for me it's the chin and cheeks area. But if you have spots or other pigmentation issues you will need to use a concealer. In terms of texture it's a beautiful lightweight foundation with a pretty dewy finish, which is why it's a great foundation for winter or going into spring. I would recommend to set it either with powder or a mineral foundation, which is how I wear all of my foundations. If you have very oily skin I don't think this foundation would be good for you but anything from combo to dry is perfect. This time I went for a shade darker and with more yellow undertones - shade 4 Natural is the perfect match as I still have traces of my Christmas Caribbean tan left.

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On Trend Beach Beauty Look: Bright Eyeliner!

Nails: Nails Inc. in Kensington Palace Gardens, from the SS13 Collection. 

I have also reviewed the entire collection, so if you want to see the other five shades click here!

Apart from BB Cream and lipgloss I don't wear much make-up to the beach but when I'm in the mood for something a little more fun I like to pull out a bright eyeliner, which is one of the major beauty trends this summer and probably one of the easiest as well. Bright eyeliners can look really modern and chic if you keep the rest pretty simple and fresh! When I went to the Stila event a few months ago I really loved the double eyeliner look, the make-up artist applied the bright teal shade to a bare lid above the classic black, which was super original and inspiring.

To create this look I have firstly applied a thick line [keep in mind that half of it will be covered by black] with N7 Stay Precise Liquid Liner in Mermaid, which is a very bright shimmery teal, really beautiful shade! Then over the top I applied a black eyeliner as normal making sure it follows the same shape as the bright liner. For the black I went for Bourjois Liner Clubbing in Absolute Black, which dries matte and I really love the saturated intense matte black contrasting the bright shimmery teal! For the lip I kept it very natural with the new Bobbi Brown Tube Tint in Air Kiss. 

I have done a full review on the Bobbi Brown Tube Tints with swatches of all four shades available, click here to check it out! And for the hair, to create this beachy wave all I do is the day I wash my hair I make a messy bun with one of those flat looking hairbands [I got mine at H&M] and sleep on it, in the morning I wake up to a fun looking curl which later relaxes into a pretty wave, and no need for any extra heat and curling tools! 

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New Bobbi Brown Tube Tint Lipgloss in All Shades!

 Bobbi Brown Tube Tint, shades from L to R: 

17 Pink Cloud; 22 Air Kiss; 5 Naked; 17 Bronzed Pink

Bobbi Brown Tube Tints are the perfect lip product for the summer, they are new, effortless and come in cute shades! I find that although this lip product comes only in four shades they are super flattering and would suit most if not all complexions. They are so pretty in fact, that I wouldn't even be able to pick a favourite, yes they are that good! The brightest of them all is Pink Cloud, it has enough colour to give you freshness yet isn't too bright of a pink.  I find this one makes the white in my eyes even whiter and gives me an over-all brighter complexion. Air Kiss is the perfect nude bare lip, my lips but better type of colour, perfect for medium or pale complexions. Naked is a perfect nude for darker skin tones, equally looks beautiful on any other skin tone, a nude with a touch of colour. And finally the beautiful Bronzed Pink, it's a shimmery toffee bronze goddess classic summer shade that every girl should have in her make-up collection anyway. Apart from the shades being so pretty, I love the texture, it's absolutely non-sticky and it seems to moisturise my lips beautifully as I tend to get dry lips in a hot climate. It's summer perfection!

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Inspired by Lisa Eldridge's Classic Smokey Eye!

 This is my Instagram pic so the colours are a bit different...

You can see the swatches from top left to right:  

Giorgio Armani Sheer Blush in 4, Avon SuperShock Gel Eyeliner in Black,  

MAC Paints in Sublime Nature,and bottom two from L to R  

Bobbi Brown Eye Shadow in Taupe and Hot Stone

I'm a huge fan of Lisa Eldridge's work and so happy to see her doing beauty looks again. Her latest creation is the Classic Smokey Eye, to see her vid click here! I decided to recreate this look especially because I already had Bobbi Brown Eyeshadow in Taupe, which I haven't touched in ages. This Classic Smokey Eye is all about greyish brown shades, shades that naturally don't suit me, I prefer warm browns on me so I was really intrigues how this look would work on me. And I ended up loving it! This is why beauty is all about experimenting and being brave, I highly recommend to try this look, it has honestly become one of my staple looks!! 

I followed the exact techniques that Lisa Eldridge shows in her video, but used all the products I already have in my make-up collection. So do watch the vid of how to do this look, and I will just list the products I used otherwise this blogpost would be insanely long... 

Base [in the order I used the products]: 

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Light 4 Deauville, Liz Earle Light Reflecting Concealer in Medium 02 [just under the eyes], Collection 2000 Concealer in Light 2 [everything is rubbed off of mine, I still got the original one, best cheapest concealer ever - to conceal spots etc, not for under eyes], bareMinerals Matte SPF15 Foundation in Light W15 [all over to set the foundation],  Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer [doesn't seem to have a shade number, might have rubbed off - I always finish off my make-up with this concealer under the eyes], Aerin Illuminating Powder in Pretty Bronze [I love to contour under my cheek-bones with it, I even prefer it to Nars Laguna!], and finally Giorgio Armani Sheer Blush in 4 [I bust this baby out during summer, the prettiest bronzy natural blush I can think off]

Eyes:

Soap&Glory Archery Brow Tint & Precision Shaping Pencil in Love Is Blonde [I love the name as much as the pencil it self, I find the tint end a bit too hard but omg(!) is the precision shaping end amazing!! I will have to do blogpost about it separately it's that good, basically gives you the sexiest blode brow], MAC Paints in Sublime Nature [all over as a base], Bobbi Brown Eye Shadow in Taupe 4 [as the main eyeshadow], Bobbi Brown Eye Shadow in Hot Stone 56 [as the darker shade, very similar to what Lisa Eldridge used, a greyish dark brown], Avon SuperShock Gel Eyeliner in Black [one of my favourite black eyeliners, very intense and creamy so it's great for smudging, once it sets it stays put forever], before I apply mascara I always curl my lashes, it has become a religion - I use Shu Uemura Eyelash Curlers, Avon SuperExtend Extreme Mascara in Black has proved to be a great companion [doesn't seem to ever end or dry out, love it!]

Lips:

And lastly for the lips I decided to keep it nice and simple as this looks requires lots and lots of blending, so I went for Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in 03, I was obsessed with it couple of summers ago, and might go back to it this summer, these lipglosses are super simple to use, not sticky which is a major plus point and they just somehow make your lips look very pretty and natural! 

Hope you like this look, I certainly loved wearing it! The cool browns I usually try to avoid wearing changed my mind, thank you Lisa xox

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New Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick!

 Left to Right: Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick in Bark and Violet Plum

Top to Bottom: Violet Plum and Bark

These are the new Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Sticks in the shades Bark [matte dark brown] and Violet Plum [slightly shimmery plum, not quite metallic but with a sheen]... I am wearing both in the smokey eye make-up look I have created... Applying the Violet Plum all over the eyelid and then blending it out with a brush, for extra depth I applied the Bark on top just into the outer corner and crease... I also took both of the shades under the lower lash-line to create that sultry smokey eye... The Cream Shadow Sticks are buildable and blend nicely! They are very long lasting, but if you have oily eyelids like I do you will definitely need a primer, as it started braking down in the crease on my [very oily] eyelids but stayed untouched everywhere else...

Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick comes in eight shades ranging from subtle to eye-popping colours, and I just read that Katie Holmes is wearing Violet Plum and Bark in the ad, ha(!) I had no idea! They are great for an effortless smokey eye, really easy to use even on the go... Especially if you are new to a smokey eye look but would like to try it you can't go wrong with them... They don't dry instantly so you'd have time to correct a mistake if you make one, but once they set they become water-proof, which is always great for the summer... In terms of ingredients it has antioxidant Vitamins C and E to protect the delicate eye area...

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Bobbi Brown New Sparkle Eye Shadow!

 Bobbi Brown Sparkle Eye Shadow in Cement [L] and Black Chocolate [R]

Shade: Cement

Shade: Black Chocolate

These are the new Bobbi Brown eyeshadows, which are quite unusual considering the nude, natural and brown eyeshadow shades Bobbi Brown is renowned for... These are super sparkly, but you really have to swatch them to appreciate how stunning they are... In the pan they look just like an eyeshadow with glitter would look, but when you swatch them that's when they come to life! The texture is like velvet packed with fine sparkles, absolutely beautiful! Instead of an eyeshadow with sparkle you get a whole lot of sparkles with a bit of eyeshadow if you know what I mean...

They are incredibly pigmented not with colour but with the sparkles, and that's why you can still wear them during the day as the eyeshadows have this pretty sheer sheen to them... The eyeshadows come in six shades and the best part - there is nada fall-out... I even tried applying the eyeshadows quickly and carelessly with the brush, still absolutely zero fall-out: a-mazing! They are incredibly long lasting... And also what is quite cool is that regardless of their high-impact sparkle effect you can still wear them during the daytime, as they give you this beautiful glossy wet eye-makeup look... 

The Cement shade is perfect for that nude champagne gold sparkle eyelook with just a black eyeliner, gorgeous! If you want to take it into a bit more glammed up evening you could blend Black Chocolate into the outer corner and crease for extra dimension, that's what I did in the pics... Black Chocolate is a beautiful sheer dark brown with silver, red, and bronzy sparkles... If you love sparkles and glitters you will most definitely fall in love with these eyeshadows... 

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Bobbi Brown Retouching Powder in Peach!

This new product is quite exciting, it's a powder like you haven't seen before... I love how science and technology keep going forward, creating new interesting textures... Powders we are used to and try to avoid are powdery, but this one is lightweight and gives you an airbrushed finish... Bobbi Brown Retouching Powder is a super light product that goes on like silk creating a natural looking flawless skin, it helps to brighten and even out skin tone, visibly minimising the appearance of dark spots, redness, fine lines and general imperfections, which is also great for acne scars... It's not a full coverage concealer, but it does correct the skin issues leaving it looking natural and pretty!

You can use it in a number of ways, over foundation, instead of foundation, and even under your moisturiser... What's also great about it not only can you refresh your makeup throughout the day, which helps with oil control and is great for those with combo/oily skin, but equally it wouldn't look cakey on a dehydrated skin... And it is even great for balancing in-between foundation shades... So really it's magic in a little pot! It comes in five shades to address your skintone as well as concentrating on the skin issues you have:

Peach - 'Warms up light skin tones. Evens out tanned and medium to dark skin tones.'
Pink - 'Counteracts sallow undertones in alabaster to medium skin tones.'
White - 'Brightens and illuminates alabaster to light skin tones.'
Rose - 'Gives light to deep skin tones a healthy flush of colour.'
Yellow - 'Tones down redness in light to medium skin tones.'

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Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation SPF 15 Review!

shade: Warm Beige 3.5

For a few months I have been on a mission trying to finish off some of my foundations that I had for a while... Some of them were either a wrong shade that I had to mix in with another foundation, and others just stopped working on my complexion, which has changed in the last couple of years but they used to be perfect... So far I have done really well, and I am left with few foundations to go, two of which were a gel-like texture which used to work ok on my skin but now this type of foundation breaks me out, it must be something in the ingredients that doesn't work on my oily/combo skin... So although I have been having good skin now it started to react to those foundation, so I think I'll just throw them out... But having had a bit of a foundation journey now I want to settle on a beautiful high end foundation... 

Also the season will be changing soon, which means I'll start wearing less coverage... One of the remaining foundations in my collection I have revisited is Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation SPF 15... I purchased this foundation over two years ago, and I used to really love it, then my skin got a bit out of control and it didn't have enough coverage for me... But now my skin is more or less under control and this foundation looks just so beautiful, it reminded me of how much I used to love it! Having said that, I only have about one/fifth left in the bottle, so I think I definitely will repurchase this one! 

This foundation has a really light and runny consistency, as you can see on the pic... It's perfect for a natural look but has enough coverage, and a dewy finish without being too glowy as those of us with oily/combo skin try to avoid the extra glowy-ness... I think it's one of those foundations that are great for both dry and combo skin, unless you are super oily, in summer I would definitely need a different foundation as that is when my skin goes on an oil over-drive... But now during winter it lasts very well and I love the way it makes my skin look, it would be equally beautiful on fresh springy day, which I am really looking forward too!! Yay, we are only couple weeks away from spring...

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Gift Guide 2012: Stacey Sutton Look with Bobbi Brown Uber Nude Lip & Eye Palette!

This Bobbi Brown Uber Nude Palette is from Bobbi's Christmas 2012 Collection... A great gift if not for yourself, then to someone who loves nude shades... I really like the sleek design with the silver Bobbi Brown emblem... You get three eyeshadows in Navajo [perfect off white highlighter], New Downtown [new shade: a soft brown], and Espresso [a dark brown] - all of the eyeshadow shades are matte... You also get Uber Beige Lip Colour [a brown-beige], Blushed Heather Glitter Lip Gloss [also a new shade: glittery pink] and a mini Almost Nude Glitter Lip Gloss [a very flattering shimmery nude]...

When I saw this palette immediately I thought of Tanya Roberts who was playing Stacey Sutton in A View to a Kill - one of my all time favourite James Bond movies... When I was little I was fascinated with the stunning Stacey, the make-up she wore, the dresses and not to forget her awesome cat! Almost twenty years on and so many more James Bond ladies yet I still find her iconic beauty most memorable... 

Her eye make-up was heavy but all in nude and warm shades making her piercing blue eyes stand out even more and of course the classic over-drown nude brown lip - a very 80s make-up combo... And so that's what I went for - heavy nude! On the eyes I used all three eyeshadows, applying the new shade Downtown all over the lid to intensify the outer V I blended in the darkest shade Espresso, mixing both colours I also applied them under the lower lash line, and finally to highlight the brow-bone I swept over a touch of Navajo... And as for the lips, I applied the Uber Beige lipstick, and on top a touch of the Almost Nude glittery lip gloss...

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Gift Guide 2012: The Morning After Pick Me Up Look!

This look is for those morning-afters when you have a little bit too much to drink the night before... Which for me happened to be Friday night... On Saturday I woke up with a disastrous hangover, it literally was the worst of my entire life! Oh boy, it makes me feel terrible even thinking about it but lets face at least once in your lifetime you will have to wake up looking pretty scary, something like Samara, that girl from The Ring... And since over the festive time we all relax a little and let ourselves go, and you know, eat and drink more than we perhaps should - I though it might be a good idea to share what make-up I wear when I am not in my best shape but wouldn't want the entire world to know this by looking at me... 

To begin with, once you have managed to get back home and not be seen by anyone you know, lots of water and fresh air always help to flash out the toxins... I always take Berocca and try to sleep as much as possible... Get yourself very comfortable, have a nice long shower and put on your comfiest pair of pyjamas... Slowly you'll start regaining some energy, but I find hangovers completely drain your face of any life-associative colour and skin felt incredibly dehydrated... So today I made sure to apply Caudalie S.O.S. Thirst Quenching Serum and Nuxe Lip Moisturizing Stick after thoroughly cleansing my face... 

Because I had to infuse life back into my face I chose colours that instantly pick you up and make you look the opposite of what you feel, fresh and healthy! After I did my foundation I used a highlighter to make my skin look nice and glowy, I quite like my Bobbi Brown Face Highlighter Pen in Opal... Something simple yet chic for the eyes like Dior 3 Couleurs Glow in Nude Glow palette, just a wash of that natural colour all over the lid and the highlighter on the brow-bone... Estee Lauder Quick-Thick Eyeliner in Punker Black is my go-to fail-proof eyeliner!

The main actors in this play are Mr Tom Ford Blush and Miss Chanel Lip... I wore this lip combo to the Estee Lauder Christmas event, this is actually a lip look I have been most complimented on ... It is incredibly flattering, a beautiful orange red that gives you this very cute and chic mouth! First I lined and filled in the lips with Chanel  Precision Lip Definer in 56 Orange Intense, and then on top I applied Chanel Rouge Allure Lip Colour in 97 Incandescente... God I love this combo! The liner brings out the orange in the lipstick, and it ends up looking pretty matte and gorgeous! 

And as for the blush, of course I had to dig out the most lux product I could think of, Tom Ford's make-up range is just so glamorous and sexy, and that's exactly how it makes you feel... Tom Ford Cheek Color in 03 Flush is a fabulous bright peach that goes very well with an orange-red lip, both making your face look alive and delicious... And of course who wouldn't love to find a beautiful Tom Ford blush or lipstick or anything in their Christmas Stocking...

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Summer Blue Eyeliner & Red Lip...

Ever since I saw Lisa Eldridge creating this evening make-up look for her K.I.S.S. Valentines Look I wanted to try it on myself, but red lip and blue liner is a daring combo for me, and something I normally wouldn't go for... The navy and red Lisa chose had a lot less colour and looked very chic on her... I decided to go for a brighter summer version of that look... I think if you want to experiment with some make-up looks, summer is the time for it... During summer you can get away with a lot more than during the rest of the year... 

If you like this look and would like to try it, here is the list of things I used: 

Avene Hydrance Optimale SPF 20, Rimmel Recover Foundation in Ivory, Laura Mercier Mineral Powder SPF15 in Rich Vanilla, Bobbi Brown Illuminating Bronzing Powder in Antigua, YSL Matt and Radiant Pressed Powder, MAC Paint Pot in Nubile, MAC Eyeshadow in Wedge, Illamasqua Pure Pigment in Furore, Lancome Doll Eyes Mascara in Black, Bourjois Liner Pinceau in Blue Calligraphe, and finally Nars Matte Lipstick in Jungle Red.

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