Good morning, Tuesday. Another rainy day in old New York. How does one motivate under such circumstances?
Thanks for the love yesterday. I felt it over the wifi. It's nice to have a venue to talk about love and hope and whatever else. Today I'm going to share those makeup products I've been loving- be warned- they are not inexpensive. But as I mentioned, I wear makeup on most days and to me investing in products that are good for my skin and provide coverage, etc. are well worth the price.
So here goes:
I generally start with a primer, and like mascara, finding the one I like the most has always been challenging. I recently discovered Victoria Beckham's new makeup line, and though I haven't tried any of the other things, I am OBSESSED with her cell rejuvenating primer. The packaging is a stunning addition to your makeup table or medicine cabinet, and her collaboration with skin guru Augustin Bader makes this a primer +. It nourishes your skin and not only provides a wonderful base for makeup, but also gives that healthy glow I'm forever seeking. It's a home run.
The rest of the line up is mostly Gucci Westman, my other girlfriend, pictured above. She's been a celebrity/high fashion makeup artist forever and is also married to one of the founders of Rag and Bone and I find her brand of beauty immensely appealing and just right. Her makeup line is all about clean beauty (as is Beck's) which I'm digging on majorly. Who wants a bunch of crap on your face? I've changed my tune on this one ps- in the early days of organic beauty I turned my nose up but now the category has exploded and it's truly miraculous what can be done without a bunch of chemicals.
So here goes:
After my primer, I use Gucci's foundation stick, another type of product I have never believed in but now absolutely love for the easy application/every day feel. It provides as much or as little coverage as you want- it's definitely medium to heavy in terms of that ps- this is no tinted moisturizer but somehow it still melts into your skin and never feels caky or mask-like. It's a fab product and super easy to pack too, which I love. You can also use it as a concealer.
Then I use her cream blush (I love Chouchette, the nude peach) which you can blend with your fingers for a more natural look. It's the perfect pinch of color. I also use a bit of her contour stick, starting at the middle of my cheekbone and blending up. I then sweep on a bit of bronzer (dusting lightly on sides of face and down the nose) and dab on a touch of her highlighter on the apple of my cheeks and on my nose and chin. PS- Westman designed the line so everything can be applied with your fingers besides the bronzer and of course, mascara. How great is that? For those who like brushes, hers are amazing. I have not bit the bullet on those, but I hear great things.
As for my eyes, I also use her mascara- which is obscenely expensive but gorgeous and completely non-toxic. You really don't need much more on your eyes if you use it, but I also have discovered brown vs. black liner of late- I want to try Victoria Beckham's version but I'm loving Lancome's Black Coffee (not clean beauty mind you) dark brown, old school pencil. I was a big liquid liner fan for years but now prefer the soft look of this pencil. It's a classic. And I like the softer vibe of brown eyeliner- finding it suits me more as I'm, ahem, maturing. Ooh and hot tip- that highlighter above I mentioned? Dab some on your lids for a bit of non color color. So good.
I then sweep my whole face with Hourglass powder, or this classic one from Chanel, depending on how shiny I'm feeling.
I realize this sounds like a ton of products, but the whole thing takes me about ten minutes if I'm taking my time, and everything is super portable, idiot proof, and easy to stow, and looks super pretty displayed to boot. Oh and you may be wondering about lipstick- I'm not a huge lipstick girl but on occasion I'll go for a red lip stain like this one from YSL. For every day, I pencil in my whole lip with Charlotte
Tillbury 's nude pink pencil Pillowtalk as a base with a bit of clear gloss to just have a bit of a rosy hue. i don't love lipstick in general but that's just me.
So am I really becoming low maintenance? Nope. Not with ten products. But more discerning about what products I buy and use? Yes. I do believe I am. Keeping my beauty clean for the most part, quick, and portable is kind of my jam for 2020 and beyond.
Cause that's what's up this fixing my face kind of Tuesday in the 212.Yours, in the moment I wake up, before I put on my makeup, I say a little prayer for you. And you too. XO