Grace's Face : The Birthday Edit
Aside from a week's worth of celebration [cocktails, brunches, and lunches galore] such a worthy occasion as my upcoming 22nd birthday [tomorrow!] most definitely calls for a re-jig of my makeup bag. See below for a party-worthy edit with amped up colour/sparkle/glow.
In recent weeks I've set my primer aside and have been relying upon a rather wonderful skincare product [more on this to come] to perform the miracle of keeping my makeup intact throughout the day so let's just skip straight on to concealer. I've been using [and adoring] the MAC Studio Finish SPF 35 Concealer in NW15 for a few weeks now and there's no going back. This concealer is heavy duty but doesn't look or feel heavy upon the skin. It does an amazing job of camouflaging redness and has the added bonus of SPF! Whilst Nars' Sheer Glow foundation has remained my firm favourite I've been trialling out Dior's Diorskin Star Foundation in Ivory and have to say I'm impressed. The two are actually incredibly similar [especially in terms of finish], although the Dior formula runs a little thicker, and has more warmth to it's shade range than my usual Nars pick. Its smooth glowing finish and candlelit sheen are more than appropriate for an evening look. My under-eye concealer of choice remains Eve Lom's Light Illusion Concealer in Alabaster*. A light, creamy formula which in true touche éclat style does an A++ job of concealing any dark circles, and brightening my under-eye area.
I wrote in greater detail re. this product here, but needless to say that the Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow palette ticks all of my glow-getting requirements. The lightest shade presents a light, buttery champagne shimmer which looks amazing dusted over the cheekbones and lasts incredibly. I use a tapered brush to apply the darker shade to the hollows of my cheekbones - it's the perfect matte contouring shade, not too grey/orange, and delicate but buildable. To amp the glow for an evening look I've taken to dotting a little of MAC's Cream Colour Base in Pearl over my cheekbones, down the bridge of my nose, and across my browbone. I then complete my base with a generous dusting of Eve Lom's Sheer Radiance Translucent Powder* - with a cool finish and light-reflecting capabiltites which soften and blur imperfections, it is the ideal finishing powder.
My eyes have quite a bit of redness [the curse of the contact lenses wearer] but I've found that a good way to counter this is to line my waterline with a nude liner. I adore HEMA's Cream Eyeshader* - it's the perfect off-white shade, has a lovely creamy consistency, and doesn't irritate my sensitive eyes at all. I've taken to prepping my lids with the Benefit Stay Don't Stray Eyeshadow Primer before delving into the Illamasqua Liquid Metal Palette - my current go-to when it comes to eyes. Like most cream shadows, these are highly crease prone so a primer is essential! I'm completely head over heels for this palette, and whilst it performs the 'metallic wash over the lid' look quite incredibly, for a subtle look I favour using a hard angled brush to concentrate a small amount of pigment along my lower-lashline. The gold shade is ideal for adding a pop of sparkle to a smokey eye, and the brown blends in beautifully with the Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chameleon in Bronzed Garnet - my current favourite eyeshadow pencil [the pigmentation and last is seriously amazing, and it really does make green eyes pop]. As ever, lashings of lashes are the cherry on top of my eye look - perfected via a combination of the Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler followed by several coatings of L’Oreal's False Lash Telescopic Mascara. Falsie flutter, minus the fuss.
My unruly brows are in dire need of threading, but for now Miss Sporty's Clear Mascara does an A+ job of taming and shaping them. I'm still fanatically loyal to the Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade in Medium Brown, which I apply lightly with an angled brush, but I've recently incorporated a third product into my brow routine. Meet the SUQQU Balancing Eyebrow Palette in 01, which presents the most perfect shades for perfecting brow finesse. One cool grey-brown and one slightly green-tinged brown, both matte, finely milled, and ideal for filling ash-coloured brows. I've taken to dusting a blend of the two through my brows after applying the pomade, and the results are bold but natural looking brows, which last all day [and night] long.
Naturally I've been lining my lips with the No7 Precision Lips Pencil in Nude, and for an amped up party/evening look I'll be reaching for Nars' Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Mysterious Red [a BIG thank you to Jen!]. This true, striking crimson applies with a soft, matte finish and has the longevity essential for when cocktails are on the cards.
Which products do you reach for come party time?
G x
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*PR sample