My Everyday Make-up Bag

My Everyday Make-Up Bag.

I realised the other day that I’ve never really gone into depth on my ‘everyday’ make-up. Even though, like most of you reading this, I have a pretty sizeable collection to choose from, each morning I end up reaching for the same things. or at least variations of the same theme, maybe switching up my eye shadow/blush from time to time. I try and go for a simple look as 5 days a week I’m slapping this on at 7.30 in the morning or sometimes even on the train. Luminous base, pink cheeks and lips and a brown smoky eye do it for me. So here are the products that have been my ‘go tos’ for the last month or so.

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser in Porcelain* buffed in with my trusty Real Techniques Buffing Brush gives my skin just the right amount of coverage for an everyday look covering redness and any minor blemishes I may have, I then go over any redness round my nose and under my eyes with the Nars Stick Concealer in Chantilly* which is a fantastic high coverage yet non cakey concealer. Chantilly is actually a little light for me even after the longest winter know to man so it’s great at adding luminosity under my eyes. I then apply my Nars Eyeshadow Primer all over the eye as a base, I like to let it dry a bit before going over with my eyeshadow so I quickly groom and fill in my browns using an old YSL mascara wand I’ve washed as a spooley and my MAC Eyebrow Pencil in Spiked which is a fantastic really dark warm brown that isn’t too red. I then sweep some Stila Eyeshadow in Barefoot Contessa* is a lovely warm brown, a little like MACs Mulch but more a tad more plumy, all over my lid up to my crease with my MAC 217. During the week I never bother with using more than one colour on the lids preferring to leave the highlighting/crease colours to the weekend when I have a bit more time to play. I also take a little eyeshadow under the eye to add extra definition. I then line my lower water line with Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeliner in Nude, I get very red eyes in the morning so this is an essential step for me. A coat or two of my old faithful L’Oreal Volume Million Lashes and my eyes are done. I then pop a little of MACs Mineralize Blush in Pet Me* a great every day yellow toned pink that gives me a nice flush but doesn’t overpower my face. Lastly a swipe of a moisturising lipstick, obviously this changes almost daily but at the moment I’m loving MACs Hue for a girlish pink or Patisserie for a more ‘my lips but better’ shade.

So there you have it my everyday make-up look, what’s yours?

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in No 61 Bonheur

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine In Bonheur

Rest of my face: Bourjois healthy mix serum foundation in 52, Benefit Erase Paste in fair*, MAC cream blush in Britwit, MAC eyebrow pencil in spiked, Blink eyebrow gel in Indian chocolate*, MAC eyeshadow in era, Maybelline the falsies in black drama.

Chanel’s Rouge Coco Shines are arguably the lipsticks that launched a thousand imitations, these wearable creamy balms with a strong hint of pigment are the perfect ‘balm-lipstick’ hybrid. The shade I have is the raspberry red beauty that is No. 61 Bonheur; little factoid Bonheur was Coco Chanel’s middle name; I love how in every aspect of the Chanel brand they are always honouring and referencing Coco’s legacy. Anyway back to the lipstick, When I first saw it at the counter I was worried that the glitter partials would make it a little gritty, but when swatched it became apparent that rather than chunky bits of glitter these micro-shimmers just exude a generous sheen giving the lips a beautiful, full just bitten appearance.  Although the colour looks like a dark berry in the bullet on my already fairly pigmented lips it’s actually an easy way to wear a darker red during the day. As these are more of a balm-lipstick the lasting power isn’t great, and to keep your lips looking glossy you will need to re-apply every two hours or so. However what surprised me about the rouge coco shine in Bonheur was that after the initial wear wore off I was left with a raspberry red stain that lasted a good five to six hours or so. The incredible formula, finish and chick black and gold slim bullet has completely won me over and I already have my eye on the peachy-nude evasion which is next on my list along with the easy to wear pink Boy.

 

Have you given the Chanel Coco Shine’s a go yet?

The Sunday Five #2

It’s been a bit of a busy week for me, which explains the lack of posts, which I promise will pick up again this week.  All in all I’m looking forward to a hot bath, pizza and an early night!

Breakfast of Champions!

Practising: My Pancake skills! I gave making American style pancakes a go this weekend, practising for Pancake Day, and have so say was rather pleased with the results! The trick is to whisk the egg whites sepratly then add them to the mixture at the end. I followed Jamie Oliver’s recipe which you can find here.

Reading: Elle magazine, as much as I love Vogue there’s something about British Elle which makes me buy it every month over every other mag. I love the entire beauty section (obvs) but the ‘Dear Mademoiselle’ section at the back is always an entertaining read.

A much needed night in with Elle, Tea and a Ren mask.

Drinking: Puka Cleanse Tea, I had a pretty bad breakout last week and as much as beauty products help it’s just as important to make sure you’re eating right. So as well as upping my kale intake I’ve been drinking this nettle tea which is supposed to help keep your skin clear. I can’t really tell if it’s working yet but it taste nice!

Cutting:  My Hair, I had my bi-annual trim at the Aveda Institute in Covent Garden yesterday. They have a really nice cafe inside so I always go with my mum and sister to make an afternoon of it. I wanted a fringe in but my hairdresser thought my hair was too thick which was a little annoying, esp as I’d spent weeks hyping myself up! But it does look much healthier.

Painting: My nails to match the London sky, which this week has been mostly grey with a touch of blue every now and again! Topshop Nails in Celestial* and Cloud.*

Topshop Nails in Cloud and Celestial

Hope everyone had a good week.

Follow me on Twitter: @kitty_paterson and Instagram: :Kittymay24

The Look of Love

Valentine’s day make-up

Chanel Blusher, Prada Perfume, Essie Nail Polish, MAC Lipstick and Dior Lipbalm.

I know Valentines Day causes a great divide, some people will skip hand in hand through fields of lilies declaring their alliance to this special day of love and some people think its just a silly day made up by the card companies to make themselves money and for others to feel bad. I think I fall in-between the two, whilst I certainly don’t expect to have hoards of red roses thrown at my feet by the man in my life I do think it’s a nice reminder to spend ‘quality’ time together that doesn’t involve eating pad thai in front of Jonathan Creek every night (or is that just my romantic life?). SO in the hopes that I get taken out (or cooked for) this 14^th I started to think about what make-up I would wear.

Shu Uemura Eyelash Curlers, MAC Cream Colour Base, MAC Eyeshadows, Rimmel Eyeliner, Chanel Blush

EYES:

For all that gazing you’re going to want your eyes to be as big and bright as possible, I’m steering clear of the heavy smoky look, instead using light browns, peaches and shimmery pinks to empathise their size and round shape. I’ll be using MAC’s All That Glitters all over the lid blended out with a little Era a touch of Pink Freeze in the inner corner and then Shroom on the brow bone to really catch the light. Instead of winging out the shadows as I normally would for an evening look, I’ll keep to the natural shape of my eye to keep the look more subtle. Another great way to really open the eyes without lots of liner is to curl your eyelashes, I have Shu Uemura’s Gold Eyelash Curlers which work perfectly for my eye shape and size, then pile on your favourite black mascara for long lashes that can flutter all night. My last tip is run a flesh toned pencil along the waterline to make your eyes appear whiter and bigger, my favourite at the moment is Rimmel’s Scandaleyes in Nude.

Cheeks:

For cheeks a girlish pink flush is perfect for recreating that blush of first love and innocence. I’ve chosen Chanel’s Joues Contraste in Rose Ecrin*. This neutral toned rosy pink has a satin finish and goes on sheer. Making it perfect for a blush that looks like it comes from within. Of course Chanel blushes are perfectly suited to Valentine’s day as they are strongly rose-scented. If you are going out for dinner you might want to add a little highlighter to make those cheekbones razer sharp. I’m loving my MAC CCB in Hush* for its pretty pink shine.

Lips:

Of course you’ll want your lips to be the main focus and although a strong red pout would certainly grab the object of your affection’s attention it might not last a kiss (or two). I’ll be making my lips super soft and plump with Dior’s Crème De Rose Balm* a luxurious rose scented balm in the most incredible pin-up packaging that you won’t mind pulling out and re-applying in public if your lips do get a little ahem sore. If like me you like wearing lipstick at all times then I suggest a pretty pastel pink to perk up your pout. I’ll be reaching for MAC’s Hue a pretty sheer peachy pink that adds colour without being overpowering.

The Extras:

Of course when getting up close and personal it’s the little things that count. Make sure your hands are well manicured and freshly painted. Of course you can paint them any colour you fancy and a siren red is always a option in the art of seduction. I’ll however be going for a pretty nude pink to keep in tune with my cheeks and lips, Essie’s Eternal Optimist is everything I’m looking for- pretty, pink and creamy. Lastly you’ll have to smell good! Even though I love wearing rich oriental scents at night it could be a bit much on a date (esp in your crammed into a fully booked restaurant)  so I’ll be wearing Prada’s Infusion de Iris* a soapy floral with enough green notes to keep it young.

Swatched no flash, L-R MAC Eyeshadows in Shroom, Pink Freeze, All That Glitters, Era, Chanel Blush in Rose Ecrin and MAC Lipstick in Hue.

So what will be wearing this 14^th? 

The Sunday Five

As I really enjoy all my ‘Top Five’ posts I thought it would be nice to start a ‘The Sunday Five’ series. A sort of round up of the five things I’ve been loving/reading/watching doing the past week.

So This week I’ve been:

Eating: Beetroot cured Salmon at Tom’s Kitchen at Somerset House, we had a belated family dinner on Saturday for my sister’s birthday which had to be delayed due to the snow last week. I’ve been to Somerset house quite a few times before for LFWs and exhibitions so it was nice to eat there for a change. The food was British classics, delicious but watch out for the hearty portion sizes!

Watching: The Vampire Dairies! I. AM. OBSESSED. I’ve watched four seasons in pretty much as many weeks. Team Klaus! Tell me I’m not alone!

Burning: Paddywax Soy Wax Candle in Bordeaux Fig Vetiver. This soy wax candle was a Christmas present and I’ve been loving the fresh fig scent, as its soy wax the fumes burn clean and aren’t harmful. Available at John Lewis.

Topshop Dress

Lusting After: I’ve been dreaming of summer days this week, and the vision of me swanning about Italy with a wicker basket full of local delicacies is completed with me wearing this cute Topshop dress.

Listening To: Continuing my summer dream I can’t get this catchy tune by The Other Tribe out of my head.

What have you been up to this week? 

Follow me on twitter: @kitty_paterson and instagram: @kittymay24

Top Five Winter Nail Polishes.

L-R Cafe au Lait, Lincoln Park After Dark, Tate, Midnight Cami and Vixen.

L-R Cafe au Lait, Lincoln Park After Dark, Tate, Midnight Cami and Vixen.

Topshop Cafe Au Lait, I love Topshop nail varnishes with loads to choose from and a fiver each I feel they are the perfect ‘Friday treat’. Cafe au Lait is a creamy nude-pink, which flatters my fair skin. It takes around three coats before it’s fully opaque but it’s worth it.

OPI Lincoln Park After Dark*, This is one of Kim Kardashian’s favourite nail varnishes a deep dark purple which looks almost black in certain lights its one of OPI’s best sellers for a reason it’s the perfect vampy colour and opaque in two coats.

Nails Inc Tate*, Tate from Nails Inc is the perfect classic red shade, the formula is incredible you only need one coat and your done! I love wearing red polish all year round but esp in the winter when it looks so sophisticated and really stands out against my pale hands and silver rings. Plus its named after one of my favourite galleries in London.

Essie Midnight Cami, This was in my November Favourites and is a beautiful deep creamy navy blue. It has a slight shimmer which you can see in the bottle that doesn’t really transfer onto the nails instead they look lovely and glossy. Out of the five polishes this is the one I’ve worn most this winter.

Revlon Vixen, This dark red is a dupe for the cult Chanel shade Rouge Noir with the added benefit of coming in the Revlon nail varnish formula which is much longer wearing then Chanel’s and of course much cheaper.

What shades have you been sporting recently? 

Top Five Highlighters

Top Five Winter Lipsticks

Top Five Red Lipsticks

Top Five Winter Blushers

January Favourites

My January Favourites.

Two of my best friends moved to London at the start of January so it hasn’t quite been the detox month I wanted (needed) I’m planning to ‘do better’ in February. I have however been really enjoying a lot of beauty bits, some are old favs and some new discoveries.

Valentina Eau De Parfum*

I’ve been reaching for this sweet, floral scent over my normal rich woody winter fragrances this month. The girly-ness of the wild strawberry and tuberose is balanced with warm amber keeping it from being to light for the colder months. And of course look at that bottle, beautiful!

Revlon Vixen Nail Polish & Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie

I’m still loving my berry smoothie lip butter for a bit of every day colour and as a nod to the vampy lip trend (swatches here) Vixen nail polish is the perfect accompaniment, a dupe for one of my old favourites and such a classic shade Chanel’s Rouge Nior its barely left my nails all month, polished enough for work and vampy enough for play.

Korres Conditioner in Almond and Linseed

My local Waitrose has a massive Korres section which I feel might be a problem for me and my wallet, but really anything to help the Greek economic solution. I’m really just being charitable. (I don’t even shop in Waitrose I just go in to smell the money sometimes). Anyway on to the conditioner, it smells incredible, almondy but not cloying and sweet. It’s for dry/damaged hair which I don’t have but I do have a lot of thick hair and this keeps it smooth and silky.

MAC Club & Sumptuous Olive Eyeshadows

I’m definitely a natural girl when it comes to eyes, I love and wear a soft smoky brown eye pretty much every day but this month I shaken it up a little with these two easy to wear greens. Sumptuous Olive is a lovely greeny gold that really brings out the green in my hazel eyes. Club has to be one of my all time favourite MAC eyeshadows. It’s a duo chrome meaning it either looks like a warm brown or forest green depending on what angle you look at it from, I love to wear this blended all over the eye, winged out and with a dark brown eyeliner for a smoky night time look.

Clarins Instant Smooth Self Tanning

This little pot of caramel cream is saving me from looking like an extra from Dawn of the Dead this month, read my full review here.

NARS Douceur

I know I’m still banging on about NARS Douceur but I just really love this rosy brown little sculpting powder of joy. Read my thoughts here in my Top Five Winter Blushes Post.

So what have you loved this month?