Grace Notes: August 2019
WORKING AS A BEAUTY WRITER PRACTICALLY REQUIRES ME TO TURN UP AT WORK WEARING AS LITTLE PRODUCT AS POSSIBLE – A BLANK CANVAS IF YOU WILL – TO BE SMOTHERED AND SWATCHED IN POTIONS AND PIGMENTS FROM 8 ‘TILL 5. AS IT'S MY JOB TO SWATCH AND SNIFF MY WAY THROUGH THE LATEST AND GREATEST BEAUTY LAUNCHES, EACH MONTH I DEBRIEF ON THE ONES WORTH WRITING HOME ABOUT.
Elemis Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm
I have long subscribed to the practice of double cleansing with a cleansing balm. It’s by far my preferred way to remove makeup and grime and cleanse my skin after a long day in the city. In the past, I’ve used Eve Lom’s, Emma Hardie’s, and Oskia’s - all of which I love - and this isn’t too dissimilar. It’s a solid substance but as soon as it hits your skin it melts right down to a silky oil - creating a the perfect slip for a facial-style massage. Add a hot flannel and you’re in business. It’s a tad expensive but a little goes a long way.
The Ordinary Salicylic Acid Mask
Applied to clean skin with a flat brush, a thin layer of this works swiftly to decongest skin and wick away excess oil, leaving behind a baby soft and super clean feeling complexion after soaking off after ten minutes with warm water. Unlike The Ordinary’s Salicylic Acid Solution and AHA + BHA Peel, the tingling that comes from this is mild, and my skin has no redness or irritation issues from using this even on occasions where I use it 2-3 days in a row (e.g. before my period - it’s great for combatting the annoying spots that flare up due to the increase in oil caused by hormones). As well as salicylic acid (which is oil soluble and therefore absorbs deep into skin to clear anything and everything out of pores), it contains charcoal and clay to absorb impurities and squalane for hydration.
Milani Conceal + Perfect Longwear Concealer
This is a new one to me, but I am already singing its praises and will for a long, long time - it’s so fast become one of my most beloved, everyday products. It’s an extremely high coverage concealer so is perfect for camouflaging blemishes, redness, and the annoying pink marks I get left behind from breakouts. I no longer wear foundation on a daily basis since this basically does the job for me. I use the sponge applicator to apply it directly to areas that need coverage and then I use a beautyblender to sheer it out, which makes applying my base makeup a 10-second process.
Unframe The Beauty Eyeliner
If you know me IRL (or follow me on Instagram) then you’ll know that coloured eyeliner has really defined my beauty look this year - especially since Euphoria aired and made me realise that life is too short to not go to work with a neon green cat-eye. It makes me feel like the very coolest version of myself - even when I’m wearing black jeans, a white tee, and Teva sandals. I love the Suva Beauty Hydra FX Liners which are super bright and neon, and I love the Dior Diorshow Onstage Liners which are mostly bold primary colours - but I’ve long been on the hunt for some pastel shades. When I was in New York this summer my trip happened to coincide with the launch of Unframe The Beauty’s New York pop-up - the uber-cool Japanese brand had recently rebranded and relaunched with a thirteen-strong collection of exceptionally good felt tip eyeliners. I left with three, of which this perfect pastel pink is my fave.
Foreo Luna Mini 3
I’ve tried a lot of tech face gadgets in my time - enough in fact, to make me incredibly sceptical of the category in general - but this Foreo silicone cleansing brush really changed my mind. It provides gentle exfoliation without damaging skin, feels great to hold, and the charge lasts forever. Plus, the silicone is antibacterial so can’t cause the damage (via spread of germs) that fibre brushes can. I think the best thing about it is that it forces me to wash my face for the full two minutes (actually a lot longer than you think), and it gets into all the nooks and crannies, so has stopped short the breakouts I used to get in annoying places (eyebrows, jaw, hairline).
