Wrapping up for Winter does in fact stretch beyond our wardrobes and into our beauty cabinets too. To avoid Winter getting the better of us I’ve put together my favourites that I’ve been using a lot recently.
Last year I really didn’t feel prepared for the cold weather in terms of my beauty products. So this year I made a pact with myself to get ahead of the game early.
First up on my list is the new Vichy Idealia eye serum*, which I can’t stop telling my friends about lately. If like me you are susceptible to dark circles or in need of that coffee in the morning to look alive, then this is ideal. It has similar qualities to YSL’s Touche Elait only with more of a mother of pearl consistency than a concealer. It soothes the under eye area and has light reflective properties. Once you feel this light liquid dry in you can apply your foundation as normal and within seconds you will instantly notice the difference. What I loved: I rarely need to use concealer around my eye area Very little product is needed Soft and gentle on skin Gives a perfect “I’ve had a restful night sleep look” even if you haven’t at all! Price: €24 /£18
Shiseido Ultimune
Technically this fellow needs a review dedicated to itself its just that good! I was told by a number of people before hand that I wouldn’t see a huge difference over night, the average being 21 days of using this day and night. I was happy to know this otherwise I would have given up after the first ten days. I’ve used it religiously since I’ve opened it, and just like clockwork on day 22 my skin did some sort of turnaround with a brand new texture to it. Barely one pump is all you need and it will cover your entire face which means even by using this twice a day it will last you a number of weeks. The product acts as a multi defensive power booster, making skin feel fuller and much more supple. I’ve noticed breakouts are less and my skin seems a lot calmer with less dry patches. It’s ideal for Winter when our skin is exposed to various weather elements. What I loved: Non sticky, non greasy texture Use before moisturiser Doesn’t affect my beauty routine or give a different look to my makeup Ideal for Winter to help those who suffer with problematic or sensitive skin Price: €78/ £65 for 30ml
La Vie Est Belle
I was introduced to Lancome’s La Vie Est Belle last year and instantly fell in love with it. The scent is a delicate sweetness, while it’s by no means overpowering it lasts throughout the day extremely well and a perfect fragrance to brighten up the dull Winter months.
This set is currently out for Christmas with a 50ml eau de toilette, a large body lotion 200ml, and a handbag sized perfume. It’s €71/£55 for the set, for the 50ml eau de toilette no normally is €67 and the body lotion is €38/£29 so it’s a saving of €34/£26.
What I loved:
Gentle sweet feminine scent
Long lasting
Max Factors Skin Luminizer Foundation:
For Winter all luminising products are welcomed and when I heard about the latest foundation from Max factor I was pretty eager to test it out. Usually I like to add some kind of luminosity to my makeup routine either with luminizing moisturiser or sometimes a liquid luminizer (like here) which can be mixed in with foundation. This foundation essentially fuses everything together, it give a soft medium coverage and gives an instant skin boost of glowy freshness! Price: €15 / £11.99 What I loved: Medium coverage Great value for money Long lasting natural glow Comes in a wide variety of shades
Urban Decay Perversion and Subversion
When it comes to mascara’s I love volume, butterfly-esque lashes. Even if I’m just wearing a tinted moisturizer, mascara is always a must. On one of my trips past the Urban Decay counter I came across their new mascara, Perversion. On the day I was lucky enough to pick up this set which included Subversion which is an eyelash primer. The set was for a limited time only but both items are available to be purchased separately anyway. For the mascara, it was an instant success for me. You could see volume at the stroke of one brush and it dries quite quickly too so its a brilliant time saving number to have in your the beauty bag! Price: €21 / £17 The lash primer would be for super volume which I’d recommend mainly for a night out. It creates stunning lashes and gives the impression that you have added false lashes because of the extra thickness. It’s very similar to L’Oreal’s eyelash primer but I found it was easier to remove at the end of a night. Price:€19 / £15
What I loved: Mascara : Jet black shade Lengthed and gave fantastic volume to lashes Could be worn with just one layer easily without primer Long lasting Primer: Could easily be paired with other mascara’s Gives a dramatic wide eye effect Easy to remove Doesn’t budge
Mac Mineralize Skin Finish – Shade : Soft & Gentle:
So at this stage we’ve all seen those Kim Kardashian contouring photos and one thing that can be tricky to getting right is highlighting the correct areas of the face without looking too overdone. A number of makeup artists that I’ve worked with on shoots over the last few months all seemed to have usedMac’s ‘Mineralize Skin Finish’ in their makeup kits. It’s so easy to use, extremely light and doesn’t create any cake like qualities to your makeup. It’s ideal to give instant luminosity to the skin and looks flawless particularly for evenings out and over the Christmas period.
What I loved : Glides onto the skin perfectly. Long lasting staying power Beautiful multifunctional shade Where I apply it : the top of my cheek bones, on my brow bone ( just below my eyebrow) and dabble a tiny bit on the bridge of my nose. Price: €29 / £23 @ your local Mac store Do you girls have a certain product thats a MUST have on your beauty list for Winter? Lou. xx
