Grace Notes: January 2020
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.
COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch
The first time I got spots I was a teenager, and I turned 27 this month which officially means that I’ve now spent more than half my life using spot treatments… That’s 14 years of (first unintentionally and later fully intentionally) being a willing guinea pig to any product that lays claim to making breakouts disappear off my face as fast as possible. It was only in the past year however that I branched out into an all-new (in the UK at least) category of blemish battlers - spot stickers. I now own the offerings of at least eight different brands, and am making it official that COSRX’s are (as of this moment) my favourites. Admittedly I was expecting them to be, since they’re rated and raved about by anyone and everyone, but they really do live up to expectation. Like any spot sticker, they work best on blemishes that have already come to a head/broken through the skin, but unlike all, they work every time.
Bobbi Brown Extra Lip Tint in Bare Nude
This isn’t your average run of the mill lipstick situation and if you’re used to a full pigment product, you might find it isn’t quite ‘enough’, because it somehow achieves the impossible, sitting 50/50 as a lip balm and lipstick. Basically, if you like the premise of Glossier’s lipsticks but don’t find them quite hydrating enough, you’ll love these. Bare Nude is my favourite shade because it’s warm-toned and subtly enhances my lip colour without really looking like I’ve got any product on - it’s neutral, flattering, and light enough for on-the-go application, no mirror required.
OPI Nail Polish in One Chic Chick
Like most of the world, I’m currently obsessed with all things pistachio-coloured, which naturally led to me attempting to hunt down the perfect pistachio nail polish. Reader, I found her. A perfectly pale balance of yellow and green in OPI’s hardy formula makes this an uncontested winner. Find it on my nails until the bottle runs dry.
EspressOh Intenso Mascara
I’ve always believed that mascaras should not only ‘do it all’, but do it all to the absolute max. Volume, length, curl, but supercharged. Recently however, my everyday makeup look has taken a turn to the more subtle - mineral foundation, Soapbrows, lip tint (as above!), and just a hint of cream blusher - you get the picture. I now rarely wear eyeshadow or eyeliner on an ‘everyday, in the office’ kind of day, and while I doubt I’ll ever go so far as not wearing mascara at all (it’s my desert island makeup product, after all), I’ve also ramped things down on the eyelash front. This mascara is perfect for a more subtle approach - the formula is soft so maintains flex in lashes, and it focuses on building length rather than trying to do it all - which for once, I’m okay with. Side note: This brand is effortlessly cool, like an underground Glossier, and every product smells like coffee. I predict big things.
Bobbi Brown Remedies Skin Relief No 80 Calming Algae Complex
Like most beauty editors, I’ve always been a bit snobby about makeup brands that branch out into skincare - stick to what you know, y’know? So I’m always pleasantly surprised when a makeup brand delivers on the skincare front. A case in point, Bobbi Brown’s skincare range (which is more extensive than you would imagine), and in particular, the Remedies collection (fun fact, this was Bobbi’s final contribution to her brand before she jumped ship). I’ve had some bad breakouts over the past few months (I always do at this time of year), and this serum has really helped to calm down the angry redness and inflammation. The small bottle quickly emptied, but my skin is back on track, looking and feeling healthier than ever.
