MAKEUP
Find out what’s inside my makeup bag
I love nothing more than snooping through my girlfriends’ makeup bags. You discover products you never knew existed or secrets they don’t want you to know. You know how your girlfriend swears she never gets dark circles under her eyes? Stake out her makeup bag and you’ll find out if that’s true. Most girls are unwilling to divulge their makeup secrets even to their closest friends.
I don’t have great skin so I equip myself with everything from lip gloss and mascara to foundation and perfecting anti-shine cream. Here are the products I cannot and will not live without:
Lancome Ageless Minerale Powder Foundation – I don’t use liquid foundations because they only end clogging my pores. The right powder looks very natural and feels light on your skin. Let’s be honest here, one of the main reasons I use this product is because it’s fairly cheap at $49, for a brand that provides high-quality products. I recommend the powder because it really does leave you with a shine-free face all day long. I usually only reapply once through the day and that’s to cover up places I’ve touched with my hands. It has SPF 21 sunscreen protection, it’s oil-free and doesn’t dry out your face even in the coldest of days. It usually works with any skin type and contains aloe vera and vitamin E.
Lancome Undereye Concealer – This is the only liquid concealer I use and I have to admit I’m starting to limit how often I apply it because I find it accentuates the wrinkles under my eyes. That being said, it hides dark circles and tiredness very well. I use it before I apply the powder foundation. Cost is $31.
Lancome Perfecting Makeup Primer – For a makeup base primer this is a bit expensive ($44) but it works very well. Any wrinkles you may have where foundation or powder tend to build entire communities, are stripped away with this primer. It’s oil-free and controls shine. I don’t use it every day, only when my skin feels especially oily. If I use it, I apply it later on in the day when my skin has had time to act out.
Eye Pencil Liner – When I’m going for a natural look I always skip the eyeliner. But on the days I don’t, I use Lancome’s Black Coffee eyeliner. It’s close enough to black without giving me that goth look. I absolutely hate most eyeliners because they don’t sharpen properly or are way too soft. I don’t want the damn thing melting on my eye when I’m trying to make a thin, straight line. This one is great. It’s long-lasting and has a great pencil feel to it. I started using Lancome’s pencils four or five years ago and have never looked back. Cost is $27.
Maybelline’s Colossal Volume Mascara- Next to powder foundation, I never leave the house without mascara. These are my two weapons. I have very long eyelashes with only a medium thickness so this mascara works great for me. The only negative to it is that I find it as soon as the mascara starts to dry out, it begins to clump.
CHANEL’s AQUALUMIÈRE Lipstick – This is to die for. I rarely wear lipstick so when I do I stick with high-end brands because the rest really don’t last. My favourite colour is Moorea – a bright red. Ingredients include shea butter, which acts like a chapstick for your lips. I never need to apply any gloss or additive to make this lipstick work. It also contains phytantriol, which helps keeps lips hydrated. I’ve read this substance is suppose to act as a volumizer. Personally I disagree. Other ingredients include UVA and UVB to protect from the sun and Vitamin E. I got mine at a sample sale when I interned at Wish Magazine so I have no idea how much it costs and the website has no listed price. I imagine it’s a quite expensive but well worth it!
J’Adore Perfume - Finally, I love my purse-sized edition of J’Adore. I’m extremely picky when it comes to perfume and I don’t like to switch it up. I wear DIOR’s Pure Poison or DIOR’s J’Adore. When I went to buy it a month ago, the lovely Parisian saleslady told me it is officially discontinued (the purse-friendly edition, not the perfume). This is devastating. I can only hope she was wrong. There’s nothing more convenient than being able to fit your favourite perfume in your tiny makeup bag. This perfume is long-lasting and I get so many compliments when I wear it. I only reapply it once during the day if I’m out all day long. Strongly recommended!! Cost for the purse edition is (was) $99. You can purchase j’adore at any DIOR counter at The Bay or Sears.
It’s pretty obvious I’m a Lancome junkie. As I said earlier, they have great products at fairly reasonable prices. I tend to splurge when it comes to certain products. I’d rather save up and buy quality than wear product that will damage my skin or one I’ll end up reapplying fifty times a day.
If you’re hesitant to try out something new that’s expensive, for example Lancome, go to their counter at any department store and tell them you’d like to sample the product before you commit to buying it. They will never turn you away and you’ll end up getting samples of other products that you might fall in love with. Lancome also ALWAYS have great promotional sales and freebies. That’s how I got hooked.