french makeup

If I had to pick one lipstick…

Here’s the thing. I never thought I’d care so much for a sheer nude lipstick. I used to be all about pigments back in the days because to me it felt like I had to have my money’s worth you know? Which I’m aware is not really relevant. Hear me out though. The first makeup items I owned when I was a kid were almost invisible on the skin. Well, I did had a super bright emerald green eyeshadow with quite intense pigment. I believe I wore it a few times actually, I was a bit braver as a child I guess! Otherwise all the eyeshadows I had in those little palettes for kids were just useless. Same for lipstick, they did nothing. It was almost like magic makeup : it looks good in the pan, you put it on the skin and it instantly disappears. So as an adult, when I started to spend money on makeup, I was looking for REAL pigments!

Then, I met Chanel Boy. It is not magic makeup BUT it’s definitely not a bright, flamboyant, extremely pigmented, opaque lipstick. It’s quite the opposite. I did not think much of it at first. It’s sheer, it’s a neutral shade, it has shimmers running through it. Not my thing on paper ! But I kept coming back to it, swatching it in Sephora, looking at reviews online, reading how so many beauty editors loved it…

Well, this has not disappoint. It is the first ever lipstick I’ve finished. I used it almost everyday. It’s my handbag lipstick because it’s lovely in every situation, looks good with any makeup look, always brights up the face. I also love it because there’s no need of a mirror to apply it. It’s like my best friend in a lipstick. If I had to pick one, it’d be Chanel Boy for sure. It’s almost like a magic weapon. I’m not even sure people notice it on me, or you’d notice it on someone, but you’d sure think “d*** this person looked good today“. That’s what it does!

Lip Liner Darling!

Lip liners are a thing now. They’re not brown lines around your lips anymore, they’re changing the game. As it happens, the makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury is changing the game with her lip liners. And, I think it’s fair to say, one of them has changed my life a little bit.

I’ll tell you why in a sec… Now, even though I have been lusting over Charlotte Tilbury’s products for quite some time now, I’ve only ever bought one product. Firstly because, it’s not easy to get hold of in France, and also because, it’s quite pricey, and when I invest money into makeup, I always have an other product in mind that I’m dying to try out which I can easily buy in my town. That said, I totally get the price : the products have gorgeous packaging and have some serious reputation. So, I’m planning on getting a few other items, because I feel like Charlotte Tilbury has so many cool products now, I have to try more ! Also, she’s an extremely inspiring woman, I highly recommend you watch this series she did with Sali Hughes, fascinating ! Now, the product !

When Charlotte Tilbury released lip liners, my attention was immediately drawn to it because she came out with quite a few nude shades. As you may now know, I’m really into nude lipsticks. My issue with them is that I don’t tend to wear matte lipsticks, I like a satin, balmy finish which looks great but does mean that the application is not as precise. Therefore, I always feel like I need a bit more definition around the lips. That’s exactly what Pillow Talk, one of CT’s bestsellers, does. It’s a browny-pink-nude, perfect for overlining the lips, making them look fuller, perkier and simply very defined. To me, it’s a very sexy product because it gives me the ability to perfect the shape of my lips without it being too noticeable.

It’s matte, but I always apply something else on top : I really use it like a base. The range is called Lip Cheats, I could not have said it better myself.

Pillow Talk + Dior Lip Glow

fullsizeoutput_26a5 — Pillow Talk + Chanel Adrienne

fullsizeoutput_26b1 — Pillow Talk on its own

Here are my three favorite combinations :

Pillow Talk + Dior Lip Glow
Pillow Talk + Chanel Adrienne
Pillow Talk + Clarins Instant Lip Perfector in shade 7

It’s the only lip liner I own, and though I’m tempted to get other shades in the same range, I’d be happy to only have this product with me forever ! It’s that good.

Tips everyone should know about : Thermal Water’s other purpose

Sometimes, my little sisters of a friend ask me something beauty-related, and I often think, “I need to share that with more people, because it’s so easy/cheap/useful/life changing”, you name it ! Simple stuff that I know of because I’m mad about skincare and makeup, but that if no ones tells you about, how the hell would you know ? Well, here’s the first edition of the “Tips everyone should know about” !

Thermal water might be underrated. To be honest, I did not think much of it a few years ago, even though it’s something we always had in the house I believe. My mum would hand it over to us during summer to refresh our faces, but that was about it. It helps that Avène is a French brand, that pretty much every French people knows about. It’s in every pharmacy, and a fair amount of French households might own at least one item from the brand. Yet it’s not the sexiest of item, and for some people, it’s just water in a can which I completely understand. I use it to tone after cleansing and before serum, it calms down the face, and prepares it to receive skincare. But that’s not why I’m telling you about it today.

Here’s the tip you should know about. You know how, if you enjoy putting makeup on, you sometimes end up with way too much product on your face ? I do ! Too much concealer, then maybe too much powder, a subtle makeup can sometimes not be subtle at all… Especially if you use products you don’t usually tend to use, or if like I said you just ended up playing with makeup for far too long, things can get a bit cakey, or simply look too powdery.

Well, simply spray some thermal water on your face. Don’t spray in the air and jump in it face first. Actually, spray a mist of Avène or the one you use, ON your face. Let it set, or if you want, pat it down a little. And voilà ! Your makeup suddenly looks lived in, fresher, more natural, more glowy even. Now, you know !

A story about mascara

I feel like in any beauty interview of a celebrity, beauty editor, blogger, fashion designer, I read, the number one item women would not get rid of in their beauty routine is mascara. It’s either that, or red lipstick (which again, does not come naturally to me, more on that soon).

When I was younger, I did not want to feel left out in high school, so I did wear mascara sometimes, but I always felt like it would make my features look too harsh. I kept on trying because all my girl friends would wear mascara, and it’s something everyone knew about. It was easy to get hold of, not too extravagant, something I could borrow from my mum or friends.

At the time, I was not even considering wearing blusher or concealer, it was all about the eyes. I grew up in the 90’s, and makeup was “there”, noticeable, quite full on. It was not really fashionable to wear “no makeup makeup” at the time. And on TV, the only makeup ads I seem to remember were mascara ones. Ads that would show extremely long eyelashes, darker, fuller, than anything you’d seen before.

Mascara, does not make lashes look like real lashes.

Consequently, I do understand how important it became in women’s every day life. But in my life, it did not feel right.

I mean, I do understand that it makes lashes longer, fuller, nicer, Bambi-er…

But I can’t seem to know how to apply it without it looking fake. I love fluttery, soft, full lashes. Unfortunately, to me, mascara is always noticeable. You might argue that any makeup is, but I feel like if it’s blended well, concealer, foundation and even blusher can look natural and more importantly they look like real skin. Whereas mascara, does not make lashes look like real lashes.

That said, I have tried a bunch of mascaras, and one I really like is the Dior Show mascara in black. One of my friend uses it, and it looked amazing on her, so I tried it, and decided to buy my first fancy mascara ! It’s as close as it gets to looking fluttery without too much product just sitting there around your eyes.

To be fair, I have to say, but don’t hate me, that I have quite long and dark lashes. But still, they’re not insanely curled or anything. They’re just there, and sometimes I’d like them to be more present, you know ?

But I just have not found anything to actually create that effect yet. Also, how do you not rub your eyes when you have mascara ?

Anyway, now you know, I never wear mascara. And when I do, it ends up running down my face, and even if I double cleanse, there’s still some left under my eyes the next day.

So, non, I just don’t get mascara. Sorry.

What I do do, for special occasions, is use an eyelash curler. Mine is from Sephora, and it’s alright, not groundbreaking. I’ve been thinking about getting the cult Shu Emura ones, or the ones from Kevin Aucoin. Because I believe this item could be a game changer. It would make my lashes look curled, and potentially longer because they would truly be enhanced.

Do you have any good recommendations maybe ? Or do you also not wear mascara ?