Grace's Face: The Summer Edit
When it comes to makeup I'm a creature of habit, and tend to keep most elements constant for months - if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? However, I like to play around with eye and lip products and tend to change these up on a more regular basis. Plus, the fact that its summer calls for a few tweaks here and there to combat the heat, sun, and changeable weather...
My go-to primer in the warmer months is the Dr Brandt Pores No More Pore Refiner*. Not only does this work miracles in smoothening and perfecting my complexion, reducing the appearance of pores and absorbing oil, but it leaves a matte finish which works a treat as a makeup base. With Nars' Sheer Glow Foundation being my year round go-to, on warmer days I like to switch it up and opt for something a little lighter. The Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation is more tinted moisturiser than foundation and feels as light as air upon the skin, leaving a natural glowy sheen - matte foundation belongs firmly in the winter months in my opinion. A recent addition to my makeup stash comes in the form of The Body Shop's Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder. I have this in the lightest shade (which appears really pale in the palette) but is perfect for perfecting natural-looking contoured cheekbones as you can build it up without going overboard upon the first application. It's a lovely natural shade, not too orange, not too grey, and is matte - perfect for dusting all over to achieve a sun-kissed glow. To complete said glow, I dot Benefit's High Beam* over my brow and cheekbones and down the bridge of my nose before blending with my fingers in gentle dabbing motions. This creamy pink-tinted highlighter really helps to add a little definition and contour to the face without adding too much darkness (pale girls take note). To set my makeup I'm using one of my constant, year-round favourites, the Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Powder. This is one of those wonder powders which sets makeup and prevents shine but without leaving that cakey, powdery, matte effect upon the skin (can you tell I'm really not a fan of matte??).
My brow product of choice is another constant, MAC Corduroy Eyeshadow, a muted brown with a perfect balance of red and grey undertones which is a spot-on match for my brows. When it comes to brows, I find that powder creates a much more natural look than pencil, it applies lightly but can easily be built up for a more defined look. I couldn't possibly narrow down my eyeshadow picks to just one, so have picked my three favourites - shimmery neutrals which look as good blended together for a more dramatic evening look as they do when used separately for a simple wash of colour. I recently raved about my love for eyeshadow pencils, so here are two you will recognise. The KIKO Long-Lasting Eyeshadow Stick in 06 Golden Brown has to win the accolade of all-time favourite eyeshadow. It's a gorgeous bronze, which applies soft, smooth, and creamy, with amazing pigmentation and incredible last. In the evenings I like to use this to line my under-eye a la Olsen. The No7 Shade & Define Eyeshadow Pencil in Glistening Ray has a very simlar formula (albeit with a little less pigmentation, and a slightly more powdery/waxy formula) and is a light champagne colour, perfect for highlighting the inner corner of my eye. I've also been loving Benefit's Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow in Bikini-tini*, a pearly oyster pink which looks beautiful when blended with either of the above - not as easy to apply, but perfect for a subtle glow to the eyelids, and highly pigmented. I'm not really an everyday liner kind of girl, but right now my favourite has to be the A La Carte Stay-Put Liner Pen*. This is by far the best 'felt-tip pen style' liner that I've ever used, and is perfect for getting in between the lashes and lining the waterline for a subtle liner effect. My Holy Grail mascara has been in the spotlight once again this month - L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes is a year round constant for me. I really must branch out more when it comes to mascara, but this one is just flawless. Long, voluminous, clump-free lashes - what more does a girl need?
My lip-liner is another staple, the N07 Precision Lip Pencil in Nude - which I wear under absolutely every lipstick, regardless of colour. It helps to add a little more volume and definition to my lips as well as preventing colour from bleeding, and providing a base which helps my lipstick last twice as long. There have been two lipsticks vying for my love this season, the Nars Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil in Hopi, a lovely pink-toned honey beige, and the Tom Ford Lip Colour in Vanilla Suede. I love them both, but I think the TF might just have pipped the post. I could go on about this lipstick for hours but managed to sum up my feelings into this one post (with great difficulty). Both provide a 'cherry on the top' effect to complete my summer look/glow.
Let me know in the comments below what your go-to summer makeup products are! To stay updated on future posts you can follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Bloglovin.
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*PR sample