confidence with my skin

From the age of about 10 I have always had bad skin. It started in year 5 and I got eczema on my arms and over my nose and some of my face. A girl at school told me the way to get rid of eczema was to itch your face so I used to scratch and pick at my face – nice I know! My skin was always red and irritated and I hadn’t even started puberty. I was probably the only child in primary school with spots and I hated it. I would wear plasters over spots so I didn’t scratch them and every night I would put layers of sudocream on my face which helped with irritation however made my skin more oily.

As I hit puberty the spots went from being eczema to actual spots. I think it is safe to say I tried almost every product marketed for acne and sensitive skin. I used a Clinique face wash and toner; which hazel wash and stick; anything tea tree from the body shop; neutrogena wave; Clean & Clear none of them worked for me or at least none of them worked in the way I wanted them to.

In my head when something said it for acne prone skin that meant it would get rid of my spots but it didn’t, it kept my face clean but spots were not magically disappearing. I also came to the realisation that I could just put anything on my skin as it is sensitive and if I apply a £1.50  fake tan wipe on my face it will not only go a horrid shade of orange but it will also cause my skin to breakout horribly (no sadly I don’t have a picture of that unfortunate decision). Although the process was expensive and tedious and I was waiting for dramatic results I did learn a lot from it, I know what irritates my skin, how to cover bad spots and what that everyone has spots! Gradually I became more able to just except spots, my skin has got a lot better with age but they are still there. It is weird that they are such a common thing yet people want believe they are this disgusting thing that with the right cream can magically disappear just because the model in the skin care ad is older, covered in make up and photo shopped.

I came to a point where I gave up caring, I still look after my skin and use concealer. My skin gets bad when I am stressed or eat badly but for the most part once I began to ignore them and not think of them as the focus point of my face who I am they started to seem very unimportant! I hope this is helpful to any teenager who has problems with their skin, there is no one miracle treatment but they aren’t permanent. Don’t pick, wash our face and drink lots of water. Also I promise you, no one notices them as much as you think they do!

I’ve fallen in love…

… with a highlighter. It was a sunny day in London, with £10 in my pocket I was browsing the affordable make up section in Selfridges when my eyes were drawn to a Topshop highlighter. Exactly £10, it was fate. Many months later I am yet to dent this highlighter, it is my most used product. If I could cover my whole face in it I would – ok really weird…

A little bit goes along way. It has a buttery texture and glides on easily, perfect to take a look from day to night. I use it on the cheekbones, the inner corner of my eyes, on my cupids bow, on my cheek bones. Even though it is a powder it gives a radiant, dewy look to the skin. It’s beautiful I can’t sing it’s praises any more!

An extreme application not yet blended in but shows where I would apply highlighter I mean if you wanted to look ethereal you could apply without blending I wouldn’t judge!

Thanks for reading

P.S. fankz lilz 4 being a gr8 model

Baby skin vs the pore fessional

Posted by Grace

After getting a sample bottle of benefits Pore fessional I thought it was only right to compare the product with Maybelline’s baby skin instant pore eraser.

The baby skin primer is the clear gel and the pore fessional the nude one. The consistency of both are very similar and both when blended in are completely invisible on the skin.

To test them both I put one product one side and the other on the other side (pore fessional on the left side, baby skin on the right)

The pore fessional is really worth the hype! The product sunk into my skin and I doesn’t feel like another layer. It filled my pores and left my skin feeling even and soft.

The baby skin instant pore eraser made my skin feel very soft with a silicone texture and is very good for evening everything out. It doesn’t fill in my pores as well as the benefit primer or sink in as seamlessly you can still feel it on the skin until a base is added. It does however prolong the wear of my foundation very well.

This is my face with only the primers on. I have an even face and a good base and if I was I was just going to college or not doing much I would leave my face like this. Adding foundation and the rest of my make up, the foundation glided on smoothly and sat very nicely on my face not looking cakey or like another layer. Having the primers also meant I could use less powder. The benefits of the Maybeline primer is that it is around £7 and works well for young skin and teenagers who want an evening base for the rest of the make up. I don’t think it is a good for filling in the pores but the packaging is nice and simple and it is worth trying if you are starting out or on a budget. The pore fessional does everything it says it should however it is only for those who are willing to splurge but I think it is definitely worth trying out and this month free with Elle magazine you can get a sample. It is a great primer and worth all the good reviews!

Face of the day

Post by Grace

Over the last few months I have been experimenting with different face products a mix of high end and drug store products here is my favourite combination of products.

First I used the Bourjois bronzing primer on my temples and cheeks and blended it all with the Real Techniques expert face brush

The primer is a mouse texture that gives a nice bronzed look that is not orange and very blendable. It can be used underneath foundation or over the top. The primer is a mouse texture that gives a nice bronzed look that is not orange and very blendable. It can be used underneath foundation or over the top.

Next I used the YSL touché éclat I have the lightest shade and used it in the corners of my eyes and on the top of my cheeks to highlight. I enjoy the product and since watching the YouTuber and well respected make up artist Wayne Goss I have learnt how to properly use the product comment if you would like a review.

After this I used the Bourjois CC cream in the lightest shade. The product is light weight but with good coverage and lasts all day. I like wearing it for college because it is very easy and natural looking, to blend it all in I use the the expert face brush.

After applying the CC cream I spot treated any blemishes I had using Benefits boi-ing concealer as you can probably guess I have it in shade number 1! The concealer gives great coverage and I just use my fingers to pat over troubled areas and then I set it all with the Natural collection loose setting powder and the Real Techniques setting brush. Although the powder is translucent I have to apply with a very loose hand other wise there is an orange cakey look on the skin which no one wants!

If you would like to see anything else that I do for a natural make up look or detailed reviews on any of the products like I said before do ask! Thanks for reading 🙂

Foundation adventures- Ultra Pale

Posted by Juliette~

My skin: very pale, normal/combination, sensitive

Foundations for the very pale-skinned and the very dark-skinned are hard to come by. Most affordable brands will only offer a limited shade range, and it’s very frustrating to buy a foundation that looks good in a shop, only to come home and realise it looks completely orange! I have done this MANY times but luckily I’m posting photos to hopefully save other pale-skinned girls a bit of hassle.

WARNING: The process of applying and scrubbing off my foundation meant my skin was getting rapidly more irritable. If I do this again I will definitely wait longer between applications since the progressing red-blotchiness affected the way the foundation looked. I do NOT recommend doing this ever if your skin is sensitive. I really hope mine forgives me.

Arm Swatches

MAC Studio Fix Fluid

This was my favourite foundation for a long time, but now that my skin’s improved I find the coverage a bit too heavy. It’s a beautiful finish: neither matte nor shiny, truly natural. It does oxidise a lot though so I would definitely go a shade paler if in doubt. The colour range is probably the biggest in UK stores.

NW13

This works okay for me in summer, but in winter I find it too dark, especially after it oxidises it tends to look very orange.

 NW10

This is the palest foundation in the UK that isn’t from a specialist range. It’s really white. After oxidising it’s perfect on me but be warned: this is a foundation for the truly ghostly among us. If every foundation is miles too orange for you, this is your one.

Smashbox Liquid Foundation in Shade 1 Natural Vanilla

 

This is far too dark and orange for me; it has REALLY warm undertones. It’s also too shiny for my liking. Not a massive fan. Thank God it’s only a sample.

(Skin is not happy here!)

Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream in No.13

If you are a person of any colour who is interested in BB creams, I strongly recommend buying an Asian one. Western BB creams are basically just tinted moisturizers and they usually have really orange undertones. This was recommended to me as the palest one, and I can’t describe how much I love it, it’s light and non-shiny with impressive coverage. Other good Asian brands include Etude House and Holika Holika.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in 51 Vanille Clair

I actually really like this one, despite it being too dark and yellow for my skin. I can just about get away with it in summer; if they made a shade 50 I would definitely buy it. It really gives your skin a healthy lively glow; I relied on this at work after a night out. It’s a little shiny though, and the smell is yummy but also quite strong.

(Skin getting worse…)

Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation in 0 Porcelain

This is a new purchase and a new favourite. This comes in a good range of colours, and the palest is very very pale. It has neutral undertones and a really gorgeous glowy skinlike finish. The coverage is actually better than I expected for such a lightweight foundation, but you will need a primer as the wear time is shortish. It has some wizardry in it that just makes your skin look super healthy and glowing because every time I wear this I get compliments, even if I’ve shovelled it on top of breakouts and nasty redness.

No7 Beautifully Matte in Calico

This was my daily foundation for a long time, but when I was reapplying it for the photo I was shocked with how wrong it was for me! The foundation is THICK and goes on heavy; it’s very strong coverage. This would work for someone with very oily skin that needs absolute maximum coverage, but otherwise it will just drown your face. The colour is totally wrong. I can’t believe I wore this for months.

(Skin reached critical: had to take an aloe vera break before continuing)

 This photo shows the colour more true-to-life:

Who let me leave the house like this?

Lancôme Teint Idole in 005 Beige Ivoire

This is a totally lovely foundation. The colour would be a little too dark for me in winter, but in summer it’s perfect. The finish is very natural and beautiful; the formula is light and does not sit on the skin. It’s a little on the pink side, so you may need the next shade up if you are very cool toned. If you are thinking about buying this I can’t recommend it enough.

Maybelline Dream Pure BB in Light

I can’t pretend to be a huge fan of UK BB creams. This was the palest one I could find in any drugstore and it’s still too dark. It oxidises BADLY and goes very orange. I also find it makes my pores look huge, and the finish is too shiny for me. Buuuut my sister absolutely adores it, so there you go.

Chanel Perfection Lumiére in 10 Beige

Unfortunately this is a sample, and I didn’t have enough to do a full face! However, I was unimpressed with this; I found it tricky to blend and it left streaks on my face. It was also too dark for me. Smelled amazing though!

Nars Sheer Glow in Siberia

I’ve heard a lot about this being very yellow, and it does look pretty yellow swatched on my arm. However, I was surprised at how good this looked on my face, but then I do prefer a yellow to counteract my rosacea. If you are very pale but warm-toned you might have struggled finding a foundation; this is your new Holy Grail (it’s also available in Matte). If you are cool-toned you may find it too yellow. It is however, still very pale. And the finish is really beautiful, it glides onto the skin. I need to thank Paola from picking this up for me from Sephora New York! ❤