The Perfect Pair: Base

Revisiting my Perfect Pair series much later than planned, I had a seemingly foolproof foundation concoction ready to publish maybe 2 weeks ago. Then the weather changed. I found myself in an office situation where my make-up had to be long-wearing without looking too glowy. I used to only reach for the powder on nights out whilst layering on the liquid foundation during the day with a stippling brush. Then, I rediscovered two past loves which happen to work really well together.

YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat in BD60

When I first got my hands on this foundation, I did have a love-hate relationship with it. At the time I was between shades and this made me uncomfortably pale faced. After a year, my skin seems brighter and needs less coverage so that I can rock the perfect 'no makeup' look for a day at the office. This foundation works by blurring imperfections and is based on the same technology as the cult Touche Eclat highlighter. But I'm sure you knew that already.

The downside to this is that sometimes it can get a bit too luminous by the time 5pm rolls around. The consistency is thinner than other foundations I've tried in the past and for me, flat foundation brushes tend to give the best finish and less product is wasted.

MAC Studio Fix Powder in NC50

Ah, my trusty MAC powder of choice to the rescue! I favour these over the Mineralise Skinfinish Natural compacts mainly because of the more precise shade range and that the Studio Fix Powder is much more buildable. It doesn't leave things too matte and I've never had the misfortune of cake face when layering over the YSL foundation. Surprisingly, my base doesn't lose the glowy finish after applying this on top and I can build up the coverage for those bad skin days.

I have a few more Perfect Pair posts to come, but I'm probably more chuffed about this as the YSL foundation is something I've really gotten into, and the MAC powder has always been a favourite of mine. Don't you love it when things work out?

First FOTD and March Update

Hey all, I have been buried under a mountain of reading, but I really wanted to show you what I actually use on my face. After my last post about not being brave enough to post pics of myself very often, I decided to bite the bullet. Since then, my skin has improved thanks to rosehip oil (review coming shortly) so I can finally rock the low coverage glowy look. Yes, even though it's snowing right now... *rolls eyes*

I'm always about low maintenance and am in full on study mode, so no blusher, highlighter or contour was used here- I give good cheek. For foundation I used the YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat in BD60 (yes I bought the full size) for a barely there look. This can only be a winter shade for me as you can get a serious glow-face with this and it looked too yellowy on me in the summer. With the Real Techniques Stippling brush this goes on like a dream, it is a bit liquidy in texture but this brush is best for not wasting product and building up the coverage without looking cakey.

L-R: MAC Eyeliner in Teddy, No. 7 Eyeshadow Blend and Contour Brush, NARS Bladerunner Eyesadow Duo, NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Rust, MAC Studiofinish Concealer in NC45, YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat in BD60, Real Techniques Stippling Brush

In my haste, I forgot to photograph the lipstick I have on - it's Syrup by MAC and it's my go to for a neutral look. I tend to stay away from nude lipsticks as my lips are quite pigmented, but this is a perfect 'my lips but better' shade for me. I am in two minds about the StudioFinish Concealer, it can be a bit garish if you don't set it (my MAC Fix powder has mysteriously disappeared, boo) so I just used it under my eyes leaving some dark marks visible. For blemishes, it is amazing, but its thick texture requires more work to warm up the product and blend into the skin - time I just didn't have.

As for eyes, I wanted an easygoing glossy lid, so I opted for the NYX Chubby Eyeshadow pencil in Rust, a warm reddish-brown shade all over the lid with MAC Teddy liner for some subtle definition. I don't particularly think black eyeliner suits me and my teenage grunge days are over, so this is a firm favourite of mine. In the crease, I used the dark maroon shade in the NARS Bladerunner Eyeshadow Duo - sadly discontinued, but definitely worth tracking down. It has a touch more brown than the NYX pencil but still has that red undertone to soften any edges and give definition to my hooded eyelids. For that I use the No. 7 Eyeshadow and Contour Brush - a clear dupe for the MAC 217 brush for under £10.

Also, another thing I didn't photograph was my mascara! I just haven't found a perfect one so Lancome Hypnose Star is currently filling the void. As luxe as and novel as it is, it clumps up my lashes like no other and I wouldn't recommend it. As of now, I've just bought a mini of the Benefit They're Real mascara, so I'll let you know how that goes.

So, I am incredibly low-maintenance and everyone now knows my secret! I am a bit proud that I managed to upload a picture where you can still see acne scars - I know this is a beauty blog, but at the same time, I'm not really aiming to look flawless here. This is my laid-back face, maybe I'll just
surprise you with my going out look some other post!

How do you rate these products, have you used them before?