I blame it all on Bobbi! My new love affair with Estee Lauder

It's no secret, I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I love MAC, but there are a few products where I find MAC just doesn't cut it for me...and I've been forced to cheat on my one true love. One such product is Bobbi Brown's corrector, it's perfect for eradicating blemishes and dark circles under the eye, I came across it a few years ago in Korea, and have been swearing by it ever since.

As Port Elizabeth doesn't have a Bobbi Brown stockist I was forced to wait until a recent trip to Joburg to buy a hit of my corrector crack. So imagine my disappointment when the sales woman at Bobbie Brown said "sorry we don't stock your colour (porcelain bisque) anywhere in South Africa". My face began to flush, my mouth became dry and all I could blurt out was "What now!"


Ok, so I'm over dramatising the above a little, but luckily I had two of my besties by my side, one who is a loyal fan of Estee Lauder, who suggest we go have a look there, and grudgingly I agreed.

Well am I glad I did. Nearly R1000 later and I'm a believer. (Ok, I know R1000 is a HEAP of cash, but make-up is the only thing I really love to splurge on and I know this stuff will all last about 3 months, so don't judge). I invested in three of their products, their lucidity translucent pressed powder, double wear stay-in-place flawless wear concealer and double wear maximum cover foundation. In foundation I'm using Very light, and in the powder and concealer I'm using light.

When it comes to foundation it's really down to personal preference, I am lucky enough to have pretty good skin and have never really suffered from acne on my face, but I personally like to get as close to a flawless completion as possible. Please note here that flawless is my goal, not natural. If you want to look natural, maximum coverage is not for you! But if you want flawless this little baby is a gold mine!

I use all three of the products simultaneously so I'm going to mark them as a team...and I'm giving them 10 out of 10.
(Well for now anyway.) Time will tell if it darkens with age- the way that I feel Mac's Studio Fix foundation does after a month, leaving me with over half a bottle of foundation that no longer matches my skin tone. Or if it's concealer will provide the same long term cover for my freckles that I get from Bobbie's corrector. I am also a big fan of Bobbies shear finish pressed powder, as I really get good bang for my buck with how long it lasts, but I was swayed by an excellent and very helpful sales assistant at the Estee Lauder stand at Sandton Edgers who persuaded me to just go with the whole range- I'm a total sucker for all things matching.

But for now, I am very impressed, I don't think I have ever been as happy with a foundation set as I am with this one. It gives me great coverage, lasts on my face for hours and doesn't leave my skin looking flaky, plus it seems to be a perfect colour match, which with my pale skin tone is rare!

What foundation are you using? Are you in love? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

xox

Gel vs. liquid eyeliner

The two contenders come head to head! 

On the left, always bold in black, MAC's eye-liner gel competing with the ever sleek, MAC's liquid eyeliner on the right.

Eye-liner gel
Don't be mislead, this little pot packs a mighty punch and definitely provides bang for your buck as it lasts forever!

In my opinion it's much easier to apply than the liquid liner. It allows a greater margin for error when applying and provides more control than one might get from the liquid gel brush.

Over-all I find the gel provides a slightly softer look than the liquid liner.

Liquid Eye Liner
Bolder than then gel liner, liquid liner definitely makes a strong sleek statement. Perfect for nights on the prowl or achieving a clean cat eye.

It's slightly more difficult to master applying, and hard to correct if you make a mistake. However,
one of the great benefits of the liquid eye liner is that you don't have to buy (and carry around) a special brush just to apply it.

Another perk of this magic little product is that I find it lasts much longer on your face and is a lot less likely to smudge than the gel liner.

The winner
It's hard to say and I honestly can't chose, I own them both and use them both as regularly as each other. I tend to go with the gel liner when I'm going to work, want a softer look and need something I can apply with ease in a rush (which I often am in the morning). That being said the liquid liner is the first thing I reach for when going on a date, or to a club to party it up with my friends, I like knowing a little perspiration isn't going to send it smudging all over the place and I like the solid sharp line it creates. So I guess the winner depends on what you're looking for from an eye liner.

Korean brands: Clio professional makeup

Source:Clio Professional

I must admit, I'm very much a monogamist when it comes to the brands in my life. I like packaging to match, and I have a high quality control standard, so when I find a brand I love, I stick to it.

Its no secret that I am a huge fan of MAC makeup, and although I know its expensive, I'd rather buy one eye shadow that I know will last me for ages and stay on my face as long as I need it to, then 5 cheaper eye shadows that have questionable quality and that I'm probably going to have to ditch in a few months. I'm definitely a quality over quantity kinda girl.

That being said- I'm not blinded by brand loyalty and if there's a worthy product out there I'm definitely willing to give it a try!

A few days ago I was killing a bit of time on Gmarket (a korean internet shopping site) when I stumbled across Clio's Gelpresso waterproof pencil gel eyeliner, it was on special for 9 900won as opposed to its normal price of 12 000won and came in an awesome Jade green colour that I had been looking for, for ages. I had some money in my online account and thought I'd give it a try.

2 days later it arrived in the post. I tried it out yesterday and am really satisfied with the results. The pencil goes on easily and smoothly. Its soft tip is great for delicate eyelids and the results really last all day- no smudging what-so-ever.

The pencil comes in 8 great colours including; star purple, metallic silver, golden black, chic navy, jade green, golden khaki and dark choco. I'm going to give chic navy a go next.

I'm so impressed with the product I plan on trying out some of Clio's other products. They have the coolest range called "art" with some really awesome packaging and a lot of variety. There are 5 blusher colours, 2 highlighter colours and 52 different eyeshaddow colours. For more info about Clio go here.

Some of their cool packaging.
Source: clio.co.kr

Seven Makeup Must haves!

Every girl has that one weakness, that weakness that no matter how hard you try always results in spending money you don’t have, on things you don’t need, but would absolutely die without.

For some girls that “thing” is shoes, for others its handbags and for many its clothes. For me, it’s Make-up. No matter how hard I try can’t seem to pass the MAC Make-up counter at any department store without some inexplicable gravitational pull forcing me to go and have a closer look at it. And once I’m there, surrounded by all of those perfectly packaged pretty pots of colour, encircled by all those flawless sales personal, I sigh and realise its too late. Once again my addiction has won the war and my savings account is in grave danger.

After years and years of succumbing to my little (ok…big) Make-up fetish I find myself never straying from 7 fundamental Make-up items. No matter what look I’m striving to achieve it’s almost certain that these 7 little wonders are going to feature.

No.1

Maxfactor False lash effect Mascara

Colour: Black

Price:

Expected life span: 3 months

Finding that perfect mascara is never and easy task, and just because it works for Suzy down the street, doesn’t necessarily mean its going to work for you. At the end of the day it takes a lot of trial and error to find that mascara that gives you everything you want and more.

After years of trial and error and purchasing products from convenience store mascaras to top on the range designer mascaras, the undisputed winner in my opinion is Maxfactor’s false lash effect mascara. Its oversize rubbery brush easily separates my lashes adding both length and thickness to them, definitely achieving a bolder than subtler look.

No.2

Bobbi Brown corrector

Colour: Porcelain Bisque

Price:

Expected life span: 6 months

This tiny tub of magic is great for hiding those dark circles under your eyes or that blemish on your chin. Giving you that porcelain perfection look time after time regardless of how heavy of a night you had the night before.

And best of all, because such a little goes such a long way, it can last up to about 6 months.

No.3

MAC Studio Fix Fluid

Colour: NW 20

Price:

Time: 2/3 months if used daily and as liberally as I apply it

I must admit I’m more prone to liking foundation that is going to give me a lot of coverage. If you’re more into the natural look, this product probably isn’t for you.

However, if you, like me, like your skin to look as flawless as possible, then this foundation is as valuable as gold.

Providing all-over coverage, I couldn’t imagine a night out without it.
Update: this is no longer my favorite foundation as it seems to darken over time. To find out all about my new favorite go here!

No.4

Clarins Colour Quench Lip Balm

Color: 14

Price

Expected life span: I’ve has this tube for ages and it hasn’t run out yet so can’t put an exact life span on it.

Lipstick/lip gloss is not something I regularly wear, firstly because most lipsticks/glosses/balms leave my lips chapped and feeling dry and secondly, because my fiancé has some strange dislike for it…

Anyway, I haven’t found a solution to my second problem, other than to defy him and put it on anyway *insert evil laugh.  I have however finally found a solution to my first problem, Clarins’ Colour quench lip balm. One of the only products I’ve found (and trust me I’ve tried many), which doesn’t send my lips into protest.

No.5

MAC Powder Blush

Colour: Margin Frost

Price:

Expected life span: Depending how often you use it up to a year or even longer

Blush is great for not only emphasising your cheekbones but also giving your face back some of that healthy colour which may have been masked by your foundation.

I love the colour of this blush, and the ease with which it goes on. Start of applying a small amount and build it up until you’ve got the look you were going for.

Hint: try applying a little big of blush to you eyelids with your blush brush. It acts well at creating the illusion that your eye is bigger and brighter especially if you’re going for a more minimalist look, or acts well as an eye-shadow primer.

No.6

Bobbi Brown Sheer Finish Pressed Powder

Colour: Pale yellow 1

Price:

Expected life span: +6 months

One of the things I love most about this product is how long it lasts. Although more pricey than other pressed powders that I have tried, I have found it to last about 3 times as long.

Pressed powder is great for applying on top of your foundation. Not only does it set the foundation in place but it also creates a more finished and flawless look.

No.7

MAC Mineralize Skin Finish

Colour: Soft and gentle

Price:

Expected life span: +6months

I must say when I first saw this product I umm’d and ah’d over it for some time as its pretty expensive. But ever since I took the plunge and splurged on it I have not looked back. Not only does the product itself really last for a long time, but its great at creating a healthy and natural glow. Apply above your blusher and blend for best results.