At the start of the month I promised you guys that there would be more varied content here on EJ|Style and that included more beauty. So here is the first instalment of a new monthly beauty feature; Beauty Favourites. Each month I’ll be creating a post with all my beauty faves for that month, we’re talking make-up, skin care, fragrance and gadgets!
I haven’t shared much beauty content with you guys over the last eight years but this isn’t because it’s not an interest of mine, I’m a woman for Christ’s sake so of course I love gabbling on about lipsticks and nail varnish. My focus has always been fashion but I understand that beauty plays a big part in the fashion industry so it’s about time I jumped on board the beauty bandwagon! I hope you find today’s post useful and maybe you might discover a new product which you fall in love with as much as I have 🙂
I’ve been chopping and changing foundations over the last couple of years, I went from Dior Star to Bourjois Healthy Mix, to L’Oreal Matte to Bobbi Brown Serum, back to L’oreal but Lumi Magique and now I’m currently using Estee Lauder Double Wear (finally!). There are some products out there which have a lot of hype but when it comes to actually trying them out they let you down, Double Wear was not one of them. I’ve been using this for about a month now and I love it, it’s no wonder it’s the nations #1 foundation! I have the shade Ecru (1N2) and it perfectly matches my skin tone which means it’s super easy to blend. I would definitely advise getting shade matched at an Estee Lauder counter because it’s so important to be wearing the right shade of foundation. Now I’ve heard some reviews which say this is too heavy as it is medium to full coverage but it really does depend on the application. I tried this out with a foundation brush and I was not a fan at all, it was in fact far too heavy for my skin, but there was so much product on my face so that’s why. The great thing about Double Wear is that you can build it up to your desired coverage depending on your skin type or if you’re just having a bad skin day.
My Double Wear application technique involves another favourite of mine this month; Urban Decay Vitamin Infused Complexion Prep Spray. I use a sponge applicator (either Real Techniques as pictured here or a Beauty Blender) which I spray with the UD prep spray to make the sponge slightly damp. I apply a small amount of the Double Wear to the back of my hand and apply the foundation from there. There’s no rubbing involved it’s simply dabbing the foundation onto my skin until it’s even. I find this method really changes the way my foundation looks, it’s not heavy at all, for me it’s the perfect coverage and it uses the smallest amount of product, bonus!
Pros
– Lasts all day
– Easy to blend
– Low SPF (10) – so no moon face with flash photography making this a great wedding foundation for any of your brides-to-be out there
– Beautifully packaged
– A little goes a long way, each pot should last you a good few months!
Cons
– May be too heavy for some skin types but do try out different application methods before dismissing it
I have to be honest I will probably switch to Double Wear Light in the summer months when I’m lucky enough to have a tan and my skin needs to breathe a little bit more.
Sometimes it’s the simple things in life that work best, in this case literally! I have tried so many different Micellar waters and to me there doesn’t appear to be much difference other than price. I did find a couple of them stung my face a little which was not very welcoming but I’ve finally settled on a very cost effective and kind to skin Micellar water by Simple. I use this every night to cleanse off the make-up and dirt from the day and I will probably use around 4-5 cotton wool pads to make sure I’m fully cleansed, because at the price of about £4 you don’t need to be sparing. If I’ve been wearing heavy eye make-up or liquid liner then I remove that first with the Eye Make-Up remover from the same range. I don’t find it stings my eyes like most and it really does a good job of sweeping away all the residue without having to harshly scrub on my eyes.
Over Christmas I accumulated so many new perfumes and you know what, I don’t think you can ever have too many because the fragrance you wear can depend on your mood and the occasion. My all time favourite scent which I have been wearing for the last 2 years is Chanel Chance Eau Tendre and despite collecting others along the way that would always be my go-to, for any occasion. However, something new has crept onto my dressing table, Amber Musk by Aerin. For those of you not familiar with the brand, Aerin is Estee Lauders Grand Daughter and she has a very welcoming range of products from hand creams to body wash, fragrance and cosmetics. One thing that really makes Aerin products stand out is the packaging, it’s so beautiful, totally dressing table worthy! Amber Musk is a warm fragrance, but not in a spicy sense, it’s creamy and sweet, it’s inviting ‘like a soft cosy blanket on a cold snowy night’ as Aerin herself describes it. Perhaps in Summer I will resume with Chanel but for now, I want the cosy blanket of Aerin!
This post was shot with the Olympus PEN E-PL7 with the 75mm Lens using a tripod and the remote function