Get Ready With Me To Check My Personal Stash

You know I love a good GRWM. In fact picking out music for them is one of my favourite tasks. For this LA edition my first choice was California Dreamin’ by The Mamas and Papas, but YouTube wouldn’t allow that, then I thought it would be a bit of a giggle to use Phantom Planet’s California because that was practically the theme tune of my youth (and fun fact: the first time I discovered YouTube because I used to use it to stream O.C episodes – shhhhh!), but YouTube declined that too. So we ended up with my third choice, it’s a funny little tune that I once spotted in Gossip Girl and have loved ever since. I picture Lily and I driving down the coast in a convertible car to it. So whilst that ditty plays watch me get ready for a day in L.A. Time to get those sunnies out…

I’ve been trialling a lot of new products recently, and these four have quickly become favourites. It's a bit of a diverse mix of skin, hair and make-up products.

Perricone MD No Lipstick Lipstick

I've been on the hunt for a new, easy everyday lip moisturising product that had a bit of 'natural lip but better' colour (but not too much), felt comfortable and was quick to apply on-the-go - and this ticks all the boxes. Its often difficult to find 'exactly' the right colour of this type of product but this flattering shade works well on my lips -   neither too pink or too brown and it contains a decent amount of low-key pigment (enough to look visible, despite the ‘No Lipstick’ name). It has a healthy, shiny (but not glossy) finish and smells like caramel chocolate.
I also love the texture - it contains emollient moisturisers like jojoba seed oil and mango butter, so feels like melting butter on the lips. It also has SPF 15 (using the mineral sunscreen active zinc oxide), so it's good for keeping pouts protected in the sunshine. And another good thing - the lid screws on, so it doesnt fall off in your handbag!

COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch

These little patches are made from hydrocolloid, a light, thin material that’s been used as a surgical dressing for years - it can help to treat open wounds by encouraging the skin to heal while simultaneously protecting from additional trauma, blocking out bacteria, pollution and any other potential irritants. There's been a trend in Asia over the past couple of years to use hydrocolloid patches, like these ones by Korean brand CORSX, to treat spots and blemishes. While they don’t use 'traditional' spot healing ingredients like salicylic acid, the idea is that by keeping spots covered they're protected against infection (and any spot squeezers out there). At the same time, the patches can help to reduce redness and inflammation and draw out bacteria and excess oil (which in turn brings down swelling to leave spots flatter). Plus, as they keep skin moist, they encourage skin to heal quickly, with less scarring, dryness or flaking. Many also contain antioxidants (these ones have Songnox 1010), which helps to speed up the healing process.

I first tried these right before my personal appearance in New York. I felt a big PMT bump coming up on my chin so wore a patch on the plane on the way over and for two consequetive nights when and they really helped to stop the spot from coming up. They’re very easy to use, just peel off a sticker (they come in three different sizes) and apply to clean, dry skin (don't use any skincare beforehand). One of the best things is that they’re transparent which makes them really discreet (although you might notice them turn white as they draw out exudate) - I kept one on while I nipped to the shops and it was almost invisible. I've now got some in my makeup bag and my kit for emergency spot-zapping! They're a fairly new trend in the west, I'd love to know if you've tried them and what you thought.

Lancôme Hypnôse Volume-à-porter Mascara

I've had a lot of compliments about my lashes recently - which I can only put down to this mascara. It's my new, everyday favourite because I love the way it separates every single lash. Its a good one if, like me, you like your lashes to look volumised but, at the same time, really individual and not overloaded with product. It pays off quickly so I like using it when I'm in a rush in the morning.  I did the make-up for the ad campaign  - combining it with a black and white liner and it turned out to be one of my all-time favourite Lancôme campaigns (I've filmed a tutorial of the look that you can watch here).

Although it’s not waterproof, it’s very resistant, and I actually find it a little tricky to remove with michellair water - you definitely need to use a bio-phase' oil remover. The only bad news is that it's only launching in certain countries in Europe as well as  Australia, South Africa and Russia - as far as I know it won’t be making its way to the USA, South America or Asia.

Simplicity is Complexity Resolved

One of the questions I’m often asked in interviews is, ‘where do you find inspiration?’ And though the answer is ‘everywhere!’, one person that I reference again and again is the sculptor Constantin Brâncuși. As an art-lover, I’ve spent countless afternoons strolling around galleries and museums, but still remember so vividly visiting the Pompidou Centre in 1995 to see a major retrospective of his work. Although I'd seen photographs of his sculptures before it was only when I saw them in the 'flesh' that I really understood. I remember thinking 'This is it!'  and feeling quite euphoric. It was a real lightbulb moment for me and from then on I became obsessed with his ideas and work.

Brâncuși’s art centres around clean, geographical lines and simple forms (from tall columns to birds and fish) and he created his sculptures using materials with smooth surfaces like marble and bronze. He often produced different versions of the same sculpture, making them increasingly abstract and simplified each time - it’s this very simplistic, elegant style that he’s known for today and that drew me to him. I absolutely adore how Brâncuși can turn simple shapes and basic forms into truly beautiful pieces, and especially love his highly polished brass sculptures - the high shine catches the light to create the most beautiful highlights and reflections which are just stunning, and also very inspiring. It this polish and shine that I have tried to recreate in my own work... only my canvas is skin.

Brâncuși also had lots of great quotes about art and what it meant to him. One of my favourites is ‘simplicity is complexity resolved’ - it’s a saying I live by, and it works so well in makeup.

If you’re a Brâncuși fan you’ll know that he led a fascinating life. He was born in Hobitza, a small village in Romania, and studied at Craiova School of Arts & Crafts and Bucharest School of Fine Arts before walking from Romania to Paris in 1903 (when he was 27) to study at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. The British film director Peter Greenaway is currently filming a Brâncuși biopic, ‘Walking to Paris’, which focuses on this trek across Europe and how it influenced Brâncuși’s later work - Greenaway says that, as he walked, Brâncuși was ‘constantly building sculptures out of found materials - wood, stone, sand, snow and ice, leaving a trail of abandoned experimental structures across the landscapes of Europe.’ Wouldn't you love to have stumbled across these?!

Though he spent the majority of his working life in Paris, the first show that really launched Brâncuși’s career was the Armory Show in New York in 1913. It was the first large exhibition of modern art in America and his work sat alongside prices by other contemporary artists like Van Gogh, Monet, Matisse, Picasso and Cézanne. One of the sculptures that he included in the show was Mademoiselle Pogany, a portrait of Brâncuși’s friend Margit Pogany, a young Hungarian artist. Though Mademoiselle Pogany is now one of Brâncuși’s most loved sculptures (and one of my favourites), at the show it was ridiculed by some of the press and exhibition visitors - they claimed her features were nonsensical (her nose was likened to a beak and her eyes were said to be bulbous). One journalist described the sculpture as ‘a hard-boiled egg balanced on a cube of sugar.’

New Discoveries for Sensitive Skin And Some Cosmetics Recommendation

I recently noticed that a lot of the new skincare I've been trialling is designed for sensitive and reactive skin. And while I wouldn’t class my skin as sensitive (although it is prone to breakouts, so you could call it sensitive by definition), I’ve really enjoyed trialling these products on shoots and on myself. Here's a quick round up - they're all great for keeping sensitive skin (or skin that's generally feeling tight, irritated, red or uncomfortable) soothed, calm, and gently hydrated...

The cleanser: La Roche-Posay Physiological Micellar Water Gel
I believe cleansers should be as simple and as gentle as possible, while removing makeup thoroughly. I like micellar waters as they cleanse quickly but feel soothing, and use La Roche-Posay’s Physiological Micellar Solution a lot. This new Micellar Water Gel works in the same way but is gel, rather than water, meaning you can massage it in to help dislodge dirt and makeup (of course, if your skin is very reactive then make sure you massage gently so you don't aggravate your skin).

Like the original Micellar Solution, you can use the gel without water and remove it with a tissue or cotton wool, but I prefer to rinse it off. It removes makeup well and leaves skin feeling really clean but not stripped. You can also use it on damp skin, so it's a good, gentle cleanser for the bath or shower.

The moisturiser: Bioderma Sensibio Tolerance+
I used this moisturiser one morning when my skin was a little red - it felt really soothing and reduced most of the redness quite quickly, so it’s perfect to keep in my kit for those shoots when I’m suddenly faced with a tired/stressed/red-faced model!

The lotion contains acetyl tetrapeptide-15, a peptide which helps to decrease redness and inflammation, strengthen the skin's barrier (to make it less reactive) and soothe tightness and discomfort. It also contains sodium PCA, a natural humectant which hydrates skin. I personally like lightweight moisturisers that don’t feel like they’re going to clog my pores, so this very light lotion is perfect for me. It absorbs quickly and dries to a matte, almost velvety finish that’s great under makeup.

The mask: Racinne Delicare Soothing Mask
I love face masks and use them regularly, adapting them to my skin’s current needs. I tried these masks from Korean brand Racinne when my skin was feeling dehydrated after a string of long-haul flights and late night shoots. Each mask comes in a single sachet (12 per box), good for my kit or if you travel a lot. They contain a hexapeptide called delisens which helps to calm sensitive skin by interrupting and breaking the chemical process that causes inflammation. There's also shea butter and almond oil to soothe and hydrate.

Some of my favorites

I know I say this every month, but there are some real solid favourites in this instalment. I feel like if you’re a regular round these parts then there won’t be any surprises here, but it’s interesting (I hope!) to see what makes the cream of the crop cut. There’s the makeup tool that it took me ages to purchase and now I won’t put down, the face mask that trumps all other clay-based formulas, the facial oil that everyone’s raving about – including me – and the recipe book that I used to inspire our mealtimes most days this month. Of course there’s more, but you’ll have to click on the video above for that. Oh what a tease…

Unisex face brushes: the next frontier in gender-neutral?

The Foreo is boxed like an iPhone, but when you take it out of the fancy packaging and official carry bag, it looks like a cross between a Glade plug-in and a vanilla sex toy. I switch it on and look at the instructions that basically show a woman ramming it at different parts of her face. That can’t be all there is to it, so I visit the Foreo website where there’s a video of the Foreo Luna FOR MEN (exactly the same as the unisex model but in jet black). In it, an American Psycho-style City boy undresses and gets into the shower – he washes his face and then, while he’s still all soapy, out comes the Foreo, gently pushing bubbles around his stubble. Apparently Foreo is selling itself to lads as “the ultimate pre-shaving device”. Our Patrick Bateman then removes his high-street stubble, gets resuited and is then ready for the big presentation (or to throw a prostitute in a ditch, whatever’s closer).

I follow his lead and soap up, and it feels quite pleasant, but not as pleasant as, say, a nice Aesop face wash with some gritty bits in. I shave, moisturise, then look in the mirror afterwards and I look – you know, as if I’d just washed my face and moisturised. I try it again a few times using only soap with much the same effect.
Herein lies the problem for the Foreo as a unisex device: men like beauty products that leave them with a distinct sense of “this made a difference” – aftershaves that stink, moisturisers that tingle, mouthwashes that leave bits in the sink. If the Foreo has any advantages, then they are long-term and invisible and I know no man who is willing to spend £149 on something they can’t immediately see the benefits of.
But back to the unusual design: since showing the Foreo off, my work colleagues and my female flatmate have all judged it to be little more than a repurposed vibrator. “I think it would do the job quite well,” says one, asking if she can have it when I’m done. So I think the question for Foreo, if it wants to make its products more multipurpose, is not: “Can we make a face brush be unisex?” but: “Is it dishwasher safe?”
Morwenna Ferrier

I have no idea if sonic power brushes work, but a successful spate of online canvassing by the mother of sonic – Clarisonic – sucked me in earlier this year, so here I am, institutionalised with a very clean face. Sonic brushes are designed for anal people like me who are scared of dirt. Since launching in 2004, a bunch of other companies have launched similar sonic products, including one by Clinique and this, by Swedish company Foreo, which claims to remove 99.5% of dirt and 98.5% of makeup residue from your skin. As Sam explains, it looks sort of freaky. While the Clarisonic is palpably a giant brush, this is iPhone size and covered with little bobbles not geared towards people with trypophobia. Made of silicone, it looks like a ped-egg or something I use to scrape lasagne out of my pan with, but that’s besides the point: its usp is that it’s unisex, something demarcated presumably by the colour, as there are “feminine” shades and masculine shades. Mine is slate, which presumably is for men inspired by axes and gravel and steel and stuff. But I’m relieved; I’m post-pinkification and frankly, the pink one was offensive.

The instructions are straightforward. Over the course of a minute I paste my skin in oil and move the brush up my cheeks, nose, forehead and under my eyes in circular and straight movements. The vibrations are very light, the Foreo coaxing dirt from my skin instead of choosing the Clarisionic method of removing it by force. That said, there’s a school of thought that says the latter is too powerful so maybe this is better for everyday use. Afterwards my skin feels clean enough. £149 clean? It’s too early to call. What’s extraordinary is that something like a sonic brush is being marketed to both sexes despite them requiring different routines (Sam, for one, has a beard; his is also, he says, a pre-shaving device), which suggests its piggybacking on the unisex movement, the trendiest of all trends. Still it has its pros: it’s tiny, light and plugs into your computer with a USB charger which is ideal. But, as my friend Priya asks, “what happens to all the little bits of skin?” I have no idea.

Feeling lippy over makeup fad

The latest fad in beauty treatments is the “5:2 Makeup Diet”. (That is assuming you’re reading this on Sunday. By Monday it’ll be something else; muesli facials, perhaps, or the hot new Japanese chip-pan massage. By mid-week, I hear, owl wee moisturiser is going to be huge.)
The 5:2 Makeup Diet is a cosmetic version of the weird food fad that had suggestible people fainting every Wednesday and Friday afternoon for most of 2013. The idea is to eschew makeup for two days a week and go about barefaced.
It follows a study that found two thirds of British women wear makeup seven days a week and 71% suffer skin problems as a result of excessive foundation.
Skincare guru Dr Tijion Esho, from Channel 4’s Bodyshockers, says: “Taking makeup breaks of one or two days a week will dramatically improve your skin health and appearance by allowing healthy skin cells to regenerate.”
I’d be interested to know more about Dr Esho’s medical qualifications. Is this definitely how skin cells work? I’m not saying he skipped any of the key phases of medical school, but I will say that if I were suffering chest pains or a sudden blinding headache, I wouldn’t necessarily be reassured by the advice of someone whose Twitter handle is @IAMDRBEAUTIFUL.
I admit I was shocked to hear that two thirds of women wear makeup seven days a week. Seven days a week? That is just because they can’t be bothered to wash it off between Saturdays, right?
If true, it sits amusingly with that other recent study which found that only a fifth of women have a shower or bath every day – which in itself is no big deal, but only 57% even “acknowledge the importance of hygiene”.
That means, if my maths are right, that even if there’s a full crossover between the non-hygiene-acknowledgers and the non-makeup-wearers, that still leaves 10% of women who are both crawling with filth and caked in makeup. How very Elizabethan.
But my problem with the 5:2 Makeup Diet is exactly the same as my problem with the idea of wearing makeup seven days a week: routine. Joyless, Sisyphean routine.

Virginia Nicholson’s new book, Perfect Wives In Ideal Homes, published last week, poignantly illustrates how the women of the 1950s yearned for the innovative technology of the era to liberate them from repetitive drudgery: wash day and mangle on Monday, jam-making on Tuesday, floors and doorsteps on Wednesday… They wandered, drooling, round the Ideal Home Exhibition, dreaming about owning fridges and washing machines – the new, magical robots of liberation.
Are our faces the new mangles? Our lips the new jam? Our eyebrows the new floors? This metaphor out of hand? It seems as though the moment a combination of white goods and feminism created a bit of freedom and flexibility in our schedules, a flood of cosmetic hogwash poured in to clog them up again.
Seven days a week, five days a week, why impose any kind of timetable on what should be, if anything, the expression of sporadic whim? I have nothing against the principle of makeup or physical self-embellishment; I’m grateful to live in a world where my presentability is not reliant on God’s mercy alone.
A few years ago, for various reasons, I suffered a depression – a proper, pill-popping, bed-ridden depression – and I associate bad skin, unwashed hair and awful diet with that phase where I didn’t much care if I lived or died, never mind what my face looked like.
Trying to look slightly cleaner and prettier than one would with no effort at all is connected, for me anyway, with self-esteem, and self-esteem is an aid to all kinds of professional, social and domestic well-being.
Besides, it can be fun. Our culture, keen as ever on binary divides, likes to categorise women either as grooming-obsessed birdbrains or intellectual frumps. Either there’s no room in your tiny head for anything but seaweed wraps and £500 handbags, or you can read and write but you’ve worn the same beige tights for a month.
This false division creates a clever situation where women cannot but feel guilty and embarrassed – either for caring too much or not caring enough – and thus we get our come-uppance for the invention of the washing machine.
But I’m a perfectly bright and hard-working person; I can speak French and do maths; I maintain a mild interest in current affairs and social justice; I also feel quite excited about a shiny new lipstick or a creamy pot of moisturiser, and screw you if you think that makes me an idiot.
Nevertheless, I have to work quite hard to keep remembering not to be frightened by a beauty industry which threatens the total disintegration of my face and body due to my shameful failure to adopt a proper “routine”: to shop for makeup weekly, to go to “spas”, to have pedicures and skin peels and vein zaps and bum pummels, all under the horrifically misleading title of “pampering”. As soon as it’s a routine, I think, it’s immediately awful. Makeup is only fun if it’s occasional and capricious – just like it’s a treat to have an empty day ahead, but it wouldn’t be if you were doing 20 years in Parkhurst. I like snow, but I don’t want to live in Siberia.
So: break free, my sisters who are wearing makeup seven days a week! You shouldn’t do anything seven days a week except eat, excrete and remember to be grateful when you haven’t got something in your eye.
But wearing makeup five days a week, then going without for two, is not breaking free. That’s just a different but equally monotonous routine. And you can definitely trust me, because I’m not a doctor.

Tips About Lips Make UP

Most cosmetic lines, along with their glosses and lip sticks, also offer a lip stain. A stain is a pigment contained in a gel or water base. This is a very important step that is necessary for your overall lip look, so don't skip it! If you don't want to use the method mentioned here, you will find products designed just for this purpose that you can apply to your lips.

You will want the look of your lips to compliment the rest of your look. So if you are trying to achieve a bare and natural look, then you will want your lip stain to be as close to your natural lip color as possible. Lips are prone to getting dry, chapped and flaky, which is not only unattractive to the extreme, but can also turn your lip makeup into a mess. If you want supple, smooth and full lips, an endless array of beauty products is not the way to go.

A formulation of sugar with olive oil also makes for an excellent exfoliator. Just like our skin, your lips too need protection against harmful UV rays. Before stepping out of your home, Mornings can be very hectic and no matter how hard you try, you can't seem to find the time you need to get ready for your day properly.

The reality is that no matter how pressed for time you are, you can still find some time to apply a little color. The secret is that you should develop an effective five minute routine designed to help you look your best in a limited amount of time. Even if you're the type to wear a full face every day, it is still worth your while to develop something you can do fast, just in case. Not only that, but a shorter routine is perfect for midday touchups or for those moments when you want to transition your makeup from your day look to your night look.

Here Are Some Ways To Select The Best Eye Shadow Colors

A lot of women are unsure about what eye shadow colors fit their eyes. They do not how to choose the best eye shadow colors for them? Here are some ways to select the best eye shadow colors.

Method1.

Testing eye shadow is the best way to find out what colors are right for you. Most drugstores and large department stores have makeup and beauty departments where you can use testers to see which products suit you. Most makeup counters have sales employees that offer professional makeup advice as well. So, it is easy for you to testing them before you buy some.

Method2.

Another one of the best ways to choose an attractive eyeshadow color is by visiting a professional cosmetics consultant. These individuals are commonly employed in department stores that sell a wide range of brand name cosmetics. Generally, they are very helpful and skilled when it comes to selecting the right makeup for each consumer. There are at least two benefits of employing their assistance. First, you usually get to learn a lot for free, second, you usually get a professionally applied sample even if you do not make a purchase.

Method3.

Choose your shade according to your eye color. For example, if you have blue, green, or hazel eyes, choose an eye shadow color that complements the color of your iris to enliven your eyes and bring out the most striking effects. If you would like to use an eye shadow within the same color range as your eye, remember to select a shade lighter than your eyes and to use eyeliner and mascara to highlight the subtle difference between the color of your iris and the eye shadow color on your lid.

Method4.

Shop for shades that complement your skin and eye color. Look for colors that softly contrast with the shade of your eyes – not colors that match them exactly. When choosing the best eye shadow for you, you can follow these methods and find the best one for you finally.

Besides that, when applying for eye shadow makeup, you should also consider venue and activity, you should choose eye shadow that is best for the time of day, venue and activity is a valuable makeup tip. For example, bold, dramatic eye shadow is perfect for evening, while subtler shades will work best in many daytime situations.