Never in my life have I been more in need of make up, during my pregnancy my skin was amazing. I didn’t realise it at the time but I had that glow people talk about and it’s only noticeable to me now when I look back at photos of myself and then look at my face in the mirror.
Now I look in the mirror and I see pale and blotchy skin, dark circles under my eyes and that glow is well and truly a thing of the past. I’m going to be that mum you all hate now and say that it’s not even sleep deprivation that’s caused my face to look like this, Amelia is an amazing sleeper and I’m getting a solid 8-9 hours a night. Sorry! Don’t hate me!
I’m sure it’s just the effect of having an (almost) 5 month old and the havoc that it causes to your body and hormones, I hope that’s the reason anyway and my face won’t permanently look like this. So I do feel like I’m in constant need of make up and I won’t go out without it.
I’ve never been a huge make-up wearer, mostly because I’ve never had the talent for applying it and I am sooooo jealous of girls who can do that contouring thing, that is not in my vocabulary and nor would I have the time. Most of us would agree that there’s never enough time to apply make-up but I’ve managed to get my routine down to 10 minutes.
Here’s what I’ve been using:
The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Reviver – This stuff is so good, it makes my skin feels so soft and smooth and plumper, if that makes sense. It feels like I have a nice base to add make up to. I’ve been using this for years and always have a back up in the cupboard.
Olay Hydration + BB Cream in Fair – I am so incredibly pale that often even the lightest shades of foundation or tinted moisturiser make me look orange but this one is perfect. It’s SPF 15 too so that’s an added bonus.
Bobbi Brown Tinted Eye Brightener in Porcelain Bisque 1 – My trusty little friend for reducing those pesky dark circles under the eyes. I love that this eye brightener comes with a wand as I hate having to pump product onto my hand and then apply. I also pump too much and end up wasting it.
Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick in Porcelain – My lifetime favourite foundation. I’ve been lucky that using BB cream seems to be enough to give me overall coverage and I use this stick only to cover extra blemishes and my well known trouble areas. Again, no pumping and no wastage which means I get so much use out of it and only need to replace it about every 6 months which is probably longer than you’re meant to have foundation but I’m not wasting it.
Body Shop Foundation Brush – This brush is knew to my collection and was a gift for my birthday last week. Previously I had been using a sponge and was quite happy with it but the Body Shop have replaced it with this new foundation brush. I can see why, it’s brilliant. I know some people like to spend a fortune on fancy brushes but I am not one of those people. The Body Shop brushes work just fine and this one is great, it blends my foundation and under eye brightener perfectly without absorbing loads of product like the sponge used to.
MAC Powder Blush in Melba – Another new addition for my birthday, this blusher is just perfection. I had previously been using a cheap drug store blusher but was finding it would transfer to Amelia when she rubbed her face on me. Constantly having to explain why my baby has blusher on her forehead. So this was a treat, a new shade that really brightens my face up and puts some colour back in my cheeks.
Body Shop Slanted Blusher Brush – With new blusher must come a new brush. No matter how much you wash it you can never get rid of the previous colour on your brushes (well I can’t anyway) and this one is great too. Body Shop are really killing it with their brushes. I love that it’s slanted so I don’t end up blusher all over my face looking like 14 year old me.
Max Factor Clump Defy Mascara in Black – Mascara is so personal isn’t it, I’ve tried so many over the years but this is the one for me. It just does everything I want it to, it makes my lashes look long and full and doesn’t leave any lumps. Exactly what it says it does! And it doesn’t wipe off or leave me with panda eyes during the day.
Max Factor Crème Puff Pressed Powder in Translucent – I have quite oily skin in places and have a nasty tendency to be shiny by the afternoon so a matte pressed powder is an absolute must and again with my English rose complexion it’s all about finding a shade that doesn’t make me look like an orang-utan.
Body Shop Face and Body Brush – a simple large fluffy brush to apply the pressed powder, once again the Body Shop comes to the rescue.
There we are have, my make-up routine and the products I use to make me feel more like me. It’s not overly glamourous but it gives me the confidence to go out feeling my best and I know I can apply it quickly when I only have a few minutes to get ready and out the door.
What are your make-up must haves?
Rachel xx
No Comments