Just after Christmas, my co-worker and I were in the office kitchen talking about her Birchbox package, and told me her favourite item in the whole box was Vasanti’s exfoliator, Brighten Up. Continue reading VASANTI // BRIGHTEN UP, LIPSTICK AND PICK ME UP
Tag Archives: highlighter
BURBERRY // HOLIDAY 2014
Now for the last holiday makeup collection–and not the least. Burberry went with the gold theme, and really rocked it. Continue reading BURBERRY // HOLIDAY 2014
THE BALM // MARY-LOU MANIZER
Nothing strikes my attention like a girl with beautifully highlighted cheeks– not like that no makeup glow, but that wow, what is she wearing type of response. Continue reading THE BALM // MARY-LOU MANIZER
CHANEL // HOLIDAY 2014
And what you’ve all been waiting for… Continue reading CHANEL // HOLIDAY 2014
GIORGIO ARMANI // FLUID SHEER
You might remember a few months ago that I wrote about mixing my tinted moisturizer with highlighter. This post is along the same vein–mixing my base colour with a luminizer=diffused imperfections and more radiant and awake looking skin.
As you can see, when I swatched the Fluid Sheer #13, the shimmer was nearly impossible to pick up on camera (read: you will not look like a disco ball if you don’t use too much of it, also, sorry for my little hand hairs). All I need is one drop for a glowing (but not too glowing) complexion. I definitely wouldn’t just apply this all over my face alone or before foundation. Mixing in a small amount is best.
However, you could also just dot this champagne-coloured shimmer along your cheekbones and on your eyelids for some extra sparkle.
You might also remember, that a while ago I talked about Armani’s lipsticks and getting my makeup done by one of their makeup artists. When I asked my artist what her favourite product in the entire makeup line was, she said that it was without a doubt the Fluid Sheer, stating that you could really give skin that unreal, plastic look.
Now I’m not a mean girl and I don’t want to go into plastic territory, but damn does this make my skin look beautiful.
In comparison to the High Beam: FS is thinner, more frosty and silver-toned (while FS is a warmer, light gold tone), and probably slightly more pigmented. The bottle is quite a bit smaller than the FS as well.
While shade #13 is limited edition for Spring (get it while you still can), there are 12 other beautiful colours in the range, making it suitable for any skin tone.
QUICK FIX // BRIGHTEN UP
When Winter will seemingly never end, and skin becomes more ghostly by the day, it can be hard to keep your complexion from looking lacklustre and dull (plus those fluorescent lights at work don’t help). So, we say (along with everyone else), fake it ’til you make it.
A radiant glow can easily be restored with a bit of beauty chemistry. Mix a few drops of liquid highlighter (we like Benefit’s High Beam) into your tinted moisturizer or foundation before application for a luminous face. Be careful not to over-do it though–you want it to be imperceptible.
THE HIGHLIGHTERS
Highlighter is an easy way to make your makeup look more natural and gives an instant glow to your skin that totally gives the impression that you have a glowing complexion (and with a little contouring, great bone structure).
A dabbing of Beauty Flash Balm onto the tops of the cheeks and under the brow after you’ve done your face (or just on bare skin) will add that dewiness looks maybe like you’ve just got back from yoga. It’s also probably the sheerest of the bunch, however it does have a sticky texture and would work best on dry to normal skin types. If you’re opting to wear foundation (and concealer, and corrector, etc…), you’re better off using Becca’s Shimmering Skin Perfector before hand. One of Lisa Eldridge’s favourites, it gives you that underlying sheen you want minus the sparkles and, well, the obviousness. A thin layer under under some liquid or cream base products one the cheekbones, browbones and bridge of the nose will give you that natural glow.
High Beam is mega-famous for it’s handy liquid formula and it’s not-so-subtle results (not a bad thing though!). This one’s great as long as you really blend it (especially if you’re wearing other face products) and avoid layering with powder products–liquids and creams will blend beautifully with this one. For an obvious highlight, this one’s your best bet. Amanda will sometimes mix a few drops of this liquid light into her foundation for a fresh, bright look.
A recent find, Giorgio Armani’s Eccentrico is the perfect all-in-one cheek colour. The four different shades make the perfect flush, complemented by the iridescent white will make your cheeks glow, literally. I love powder highlighters for my oily skin–when you’ve set your foundation with powder, any liquid highlighter you applied prior kind of loses it’s lustre. And for a cheap winner, Topshop’s Highlighter in Crescent Moon is one of my favourites. It’s got the wow factor of High Beam except it’s more opalescent than iridescent.
Shall we get glowing?
–Anna Raponi
LANCOME // HOLIDAY COLLECTION
FOR THE SNOW PRINCESS IN ALL OF US
Hypnôse Velours: These are what look like eyeliner tattoos. If you are a girl who can’t keep her hand steady, but is just dying for a touch of drama this winter, these are foolproof. You just stick these on as close to your natural lashline as possible, and voilà! Perfect eyeliner. People will be in awe at your skill. If you’re a bit nervous about stickers for both the upper and lower lashes, split them up! These can be reused up to three times. These would be perfect for any glamorous Christmas or New Years’ party. Since not all eyes are alike, be sure to have a black eyeliner on hand to fill in any gaps.
Highlighter Rose Etincelle: Essentially, any young girl’s fantasy makeup powder (my 12-year old self would apply this all over my face). For those who need a highlighter, this is extremely good value, the compact is really quite large, and the frosty pink pearlescent glitter is quite concentrated. Apply to the tops of the cheekbones, the browbone, inner corners of the eyes, and the top of the cupid’s bow for an illuminated look, or, if you want to go full snow queen, you could apply it as eyeshadow and to your decolleté.
Vernis in Love in Flacon Blanc Noel: This nail polish looks like my 90’s tween glitter fantasy in a bottle, but in fact, it gives off more of a subtle matte-textured glitter look, following right along with the texture trend of the moment. Snowflakes for your fingers!
GIVENCHY // MISTER LIGHT INSTANT LIGHT CORRECTIVE PEN
Personally, I never really cared that much about my dark circles— they were the least of my concerns, and I kinda got used to them. I used to apply a bit of High Beam just below my tear duct to brighten my eyes a bit, but I got lazy and, well, it was almost attracting too much attention to the area. So I went on, ignoring my dark circles that my lovely parents blessed me with. It was up until Marc released his makeup line, when I tried out his brightening under eye concealer that I realized what I was missing out was. I eventually finished off the sample, and luckily received a sample of Givenchy’s version just in time. As always, the sample wasn’t matched to my skin tone, just thrown into my Sephora bag by the boldly made-up cashier. And when I opened it up, I looked far too orangey for me. But after giving it a try, I realized how easily it covered up that darkness that I never knew was so prominent. The sample lasted me weeks, and the day I ran dry, I knew I had to splurge on the real-deal (this included me running away from a school field trip to pick one up). The clicker-pen is beautifully designed and fuss-free. The lady recommended the second shade (Mister Milk), but I found that this shade didn’t cover like my sample shade, which was shockingly shade three, Mister Toast. And yes, I have very pale skin, especially at this time of the year. But I think the warmth of this shade is the key to covering the purple hue that naturally shadows my eye, no matter how much sleep I get. While it’s a bit of an investment piece, this is totally this is that product that you didn’t even know you needed.
–Anna Raponi
