I flit between a lot of different requirements when it comes to my base makeup. Flawless or natural, matte or dewy, bronzed or fair - I could want any of those things on any given day. One thing I always want from my base, however, is longevity. No matter what look I'm going for, I want it to last the distance. There's nothing worse than being in the middle of an event/meeting/day out and worrying that your face is falling off! Lately, I've been using a combination of products that seems to work really well, giving me a natural yet polished base that lasts a solid 8 or more hours of wear. It would be remiss of me not to share, so here are my 5 hero products for a long lasting base.
1. Ren Perfect Canvas Skin Finishing Serum
I've rediscovered this primer in recent months and I'm thrilled to have it back in my collection. It's so light to wear which is lovely in the warmer weather, and really feels more like a serum than a primer. My skin feels instantly smoother after I've applied this, and no matter what foundation I wear, I notice an improvement in how long it lasts when I have this on underneath. As if that wasn't enough, Perfect Canvas contains hyluronans, which increase the hydration and elasticity of the skin, as well as a-Glucans to promote the growth of skin friendly bacteria and optimise skin health. A primer that feels light as air, nourishes your skin and makes your makeup last longer? Yes please! I wrote a more in-depth review of Perfect Canvas a while back so do check it out if you're interested in this product.
2. Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation
This is my most recent purchase of the 6, although I gave a very brief first impressions of it in this vlog. Bought on a bit of a whim, I picked it up because I was in need of a new foundation and had the vague idea in the back of my mind that I had heard good things about this one. I've been wearing it every single day since I bought it and I'm so impressed. I got the shade True Ivory, which is a great match for my fair to medium skin tone. It's a creamy formula with higher coverage than I've used for a while, but the finish is still very natural and gives a lovely glow to the skin. It lasts a decent length of time on its own, but does even better when layered over the Ren primer. Containing hydrating properties as well, it's the best drugstore foundation I've tried in a long time and I will definitely be repurchasing when I finish my bottle. It's under £10 anyway, but I've found it on sale at Very if you feel like giving it a go.
3. Clarins Instant Concealer
While I've been loving the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer recently, I feel that the Clarins Instant Concealer just has the edge when it comes to not settling into fine lines during the course of the day, so that's why I've gone with this one for my current favourite long lasting base products. It's also very effective at brightening the under eye area and conceals blemishes nicely too. The packaging isn't my favourite as it's a little messier to apply than concealers with a doe-foot applicator, but I can put up with that as it gives such lovely results. The texture is fairly fluid, which I think helps to keep it from sinking into lines, yet it packs a punch when it comes to coverage too. For anyone over a certain age, or indeed anyone who worries about their concealer making them look older due to emphasising lines, this is a great one to go for.
4. Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Loose Powder
This lighter than air, finely milled setting powder is perfect for setting the concealer under my eyes. Containing micronised pigments, it's designed to keep from settling into fine lines, while the transparent white colour adds a subtle brightening effect. I don't set my whole face with this, just under my eyes, where the extra brightening is welcome. It's perfect for adding that additional layer of protection to my under eye makeup without disturbing what's already there.
5. Pixi Makeup Fixing Mist
Once I've applied the rest of my makeup over the base products mentioned above, I'll set it all in place with a quick spritz of Pixi Makeup Fixing Mist. Containing rose water and green tea, this smells like a spring morning, contains skin hydrating and balancing properties and feels so lovely to use. It leaves my makeup looking fresh and ever so slightly dewy and helps to prolong the wear just that little bit further. You can also carry it with you for a quick refresh on the go, as the hit of hydration it provides can help to stop makeup sinking into lines as the day wears on. My one criticism of this product is that I wish the spray was a little bit finer, but I do love using it and definitely feel it helps my makeup last longer.
What are your favourite makeup products for a long lasting base?
Kate x
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How was August for you? Mine has been pretty good, if quite chaotic, with a big family get-together bang in the middle of it. We had a lot of people staying with us, and were hoping for some good weather so that everyone could sit and eat out in the garden. It rained. Typical! Even so, it was lovely to see everyone and the rubbish weather didn't seem to matter in the end.
As always I have a random collection of things I've been loving throughout the month to share with you, so let's get started.
1. Rimmel Kate Super Gel Nail Polish in Gilty Pleasure - Confession - I bought this over a year ago, put it away, and completely forgot about it until recently. I've seen a few people wearing this kind of shade and I'd actually been contemplating going out and buying something similar, so it's a good thing I had a clear out of my nail polishes and found it again. It's the loveliest pale gold metallic polish - the kind of shade you can wear all year round and with every outfit you own. I usually change up my polish every time I do my nails, but for the last few weeks I keep going back to this as I've been enjoying wearing it so much. I don't find that it lasts much more than a couple of days before chipping, even with a top coat, but that just seems to be the way it is with me and nail polish, so it doesn't bother me too much!
2. H&M Wraparound blouse - Annoyingly, this exact blouse doesn't seem to be available any more, but this one and this one are both very similar. I have been loving it for quite a bit longer than just the month of August, but for some reason haven't featured it on the blog before now. For me, it's a much more wearable take on those incredibly popular striped, wraparound blouses with the enormous sleeves that almost seem to fall off the shoulder. Those are beautiful, and I can understand why my Instagram feed has been peppered with them throughout the summer, but if you're petite like me you will understand that the struggle is real when it comes to actually wearing something like that on a day to day basis. Constantly having to tug at and readjust your clothing just isn't cute. This one, however, is so easy to wear and looks just as pretty.
3. H&M Sunglasses - Well, now I'm going to be even more annoying, because not only are these no longer available on the website, I can't find anything remotely similar either. You may, however, still be able to find them in an H&M store. I really love the 70s vibe of these, as well as the dainty gold frames which are ideal for my ridiculously small head. H&M sunglasses are so affordable, and these make a nice change from my usual aviator style. They go with everything, but seem to work best with flowing dresses and big hair.
4. 3ina Shiny Lipstick in 200 - There's just something about bright, glossy lips in the summer that I really love, and this pretty lipstick from 3ina ticks all the right boxes. Somewhere in between a hot pink and a light berry in colour, it's one of those products that makes you look like you've made an effort with your makeup even when you're hardly wearing anything else. It's pigmented enough to pack a punch but not so much that it's difficult to apply, and it's become a bit of a go to for me throughout August. All you need is a bit of foundation, some sunglasses and this lipstick, and you'll look polished to perfection!
5. L'Oreal Paradise Mascara - If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen me talking about this product on my Stories. I wasn't really in need of a new mascara, but I was totally seduced by the hype and the pretty packaging, and I'm so glad I was! The length this gives your lashes is sensational, and it's pretty good on volume and separation too. I have seen mixed reviews on it, and I should probably mention that the formula is a tad on the wet side, which I think is why some people don't get on with it. However, apart from the occasional tiny dot of product ending up on my eyelid on first application, which is easy enough to wipe away, I haven't had a problem with it. If you crave length from your mascara then I highly recommend checking this out. It also contains castor seed oil to nourish and condition the lashes.
What have your favourites been this month?
Kate x
Ever since I picked up the Rimmel Kate lipstick in shade 01, I've been wanting to do a classic red lip look on the blog, and today... here it is. It might not be groundbreaking, but it's super easy, quick, and a nice fail-safe for nights out.
Base and Brows - I began by applying some Collection Lasting Perfection concealer to any blemishes and areas of redness on my skin, before my favourite Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation. I find putting concealer on first works better for me and gives me a more flawless finish. Under my eyes, I used the Clarins Instant Concealer. This is my tried and tested base at the moment - every time I wear a full face of makeup, this is where I start. My brows were a bit hastily done and I'll confess that I didn't realise how ungroomed they looked till I was editing the photos, so we'll all just have to live with it. Anyway, for what it's worth, I've used Benefit Brow Zings to define them a bit.
Face - I wanted to keep this quite minimal and neutral, so as not to detract from the bold red lip, so I omitted blush and went for a sweep of the bronzer from the Maybelline Master Sculpt palette - a really useful product for when you want to keep things neutral - and a subtle highlight with a touch of Mac Soft and Gentle.
Lips - The finishing touch was the beautiful Rimmel Kate lipstick in shade 01, which I applied using a lip brush to avoid getting it absolutely everywhere. The quality of this is great for a drugstore lipstick - creamy, pigmented and long lasting. The shade is a gorgeous true red and one that I'm sure is going to get a lot of use over the autumn and winter.
I really like this look and it's probably going to be my go-to night out makeup for a while!
What's your favourite red lipstick?
Every time I write a post like this, I seem to feel the need to add words like "some" or "a few of". It's as though my inner compulsive shopper is anxious at the thought that I might actually have enough of something, and wants to make it clear to everyone reading that I am still allowed to buy more if I want to. We could psychoanalyse what this says about me, but let's not. Let's just look at pretty lipsticks instead, OK?
There's nothing ground-breaking here, just a selection of lip products I already have in my stash that I know I'm going to be reaching for as the weather starts to turn colder. I've divided them into four categories, so let's get started!
1. The Nineties Nude
Left, Mac Velvet Teddy - Right, Too Faced Naughty Nude
I still can't get enough of these brown toned nudes. During the summer months, I gravitated more towards pinks, but now it's autumn I'm back to these. They're easy to wear and very flattering, and despite how popular they've become, I still think they make a refreshing change from pinks and peaches.
Is there anything I can say about Velvet Teddy that you haven't heard already? Probably not. I only managed to get my hands on this recently (possibly because everyone else is over it?!) and in my opinion it's totally worth the hype. It's what I would call a "soft matte" in that it's still comfortable to apply and wear and does have a very slight sheen to it. As for the shade, it's what a thousand others have tried to emulate - the perfect nude. I can see this bullet getting worn down in record time!
Left, Velvet Teddy, Right, Naughty Nude
Naughty Nude is one of Too Faced's Color Drenched Lip Creams, a dreamy, sheeny, buttery soft formula I'm obsessed with - so moisturising you feel like you're applying lip balm. It's slightly lighter and more sheer than Velvet Teddy, which makes it the perfect choice on days when you don't feel like wearing a lot of makeup.
2. The Warm Spice
Slightly deeper and warmer than the nineties nude, this is perfect when you want something that packs a little more punch, but still feels effortless.
I've had Mac Mocha for a while and it's still one of my favourite lipsticks. Shade-wise it's quite similar to Velvet Teddy, although a touch darker and redder. It's also a satin finish as opposed to a matte.
Mac Spice lip pencil is a little bit deeper still, and works beautifully on its own or in combination with Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Sculpting Gloss in Seductive Honey - a match made in heaven that I already talked about way back in my April Favourites. I've worn the gloss a lot throughout the summer, because it's quite light and will go over anything, but I'm looking forward to pairing it with Mac Spice again now autumn is here.
From left, Mac Mocha, Mac Spice, Estee Lauder Seductive Honey, Spice and Seductive Honey together
3. The Vampy Red
Clockwise from bottom left - L'Oreal Blake's Red, Mac Ruby Woo, Rimmel Kate 01
Clockwise from bottom left - L'Oreal Blake's Red, Mac Ruby Woo, Rimmel Kate 01
I will always love a classic red lip. It's the perfect finishing touch to a glamorous night out look, but can also work magic when paired with a super simple jeans and white shirt combo. It's great at any time of year, but I tend to favour these full on vampier shades in the cooler months, opting for something more like an orange or bright pink in the summer.
L'Oreal Color Riche Blake's Red from the Pure Reds collection is an old favourite of mine. It looks a little orange-toned in the photo above, but it's not at all - in fact, it's more of a pinky red as you can see in the swatch below. It's velvety, pigmented, distinctive and beautiful. Wearing this is the next best thing to actually being Blake Lively.
Ruby Woo by Mac is another lipstick that's been part of my collection for some time. A real true red, it's described by Mac as "very matte" and it really is. It's like trying to apply chalk to your lips. However, if they're in good condition and you're prepared to work a little bit at applying your lipstick, the result is really stunning.
Rimmel 01 from the Kate Moss collection is the latest addition to my stash of red lipsticks. Since they were kind enough to put my name on the lid, it would have been rude not to buy it, no?! This one is slightly darker than the other two and a lot glossier. I haven't worn it out yet, but I've played around with it and it's a real cracker. I can't wait for an occasion to wear this!
From left, L'Oreal Blake's Red, Rimmel Kate 01, Mac Ruby Woo
4. The Deep Berry
Call me a basic bitch, but it wouldn't be autumn without berry coloured lips to sip your pumpkin spiced latte with, now would it? Actually, I've never had a pumpkin spiced latte - they don't appeal to me! Berry lips, on the other hand, definitely do. This duo from Rimmel is the sum total of what I own in this category, so I quite clearly need to buy some more at the earliest opportunity.
Rimmel Under My Spell lipstick and lipliner
This fabulous lipstick is from Rimmel's The Only 1 range. It's a stunning, blackcurrant shade that makes a real statement - best to keep the rest of your face very simple when wearing this. The liner - which I bought purely to help me apply the lipstick more precisely - is from the Exaggerate range but is also called Under My Spell. However, it's been about a year since I bought this and I can't seem to find it online anywhere. Obsession looks very similar but I haven't seen it in the flesh, so can't say for certain if it's the same shade.
Left, Lipstick, Right, Lipliner
Do you own any of these lip products? What lipstick shades will you be rocking this autumn? And am I the only one who isn't tempted by pumpkin spiced lattes? I'd love to know!
Kate x
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