Current location? Lisbon, Portugal. Temperature?
Very warm. So, naturally, the contents of my beauty bag have changed.
First of all, I've decided to edit and simplify this group of products. Meaning, I'm not carrying around 10 lippies anymore. Whether you're going to a festival or just commuting in a crowded bus with broken air conditioner (
lovely), you'll want to make an effort so that your make-up don't melt off your face.
The key to choosing the right products is testing their longevity. Usually, spotting the expression
waterproof or
long lasting on the label is a good sign. Some ranges I really like, especially for this type of hot and humid weather, are
Urban Decay 24/7 and
Make Up For Ever Aqua. They stay in place all day (and night), so you can just apply them in the morning and forget you have make-up on.
The current face division consists of
Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil in
NSA, to conceal dark circles and redness around the nose, and
Chanel Natural Finish Pressed Powder in
30 Naturel, to mattify the T-zone
. If I feel like wearing any sort of base, I'll go for
MAC Face and Body Foundation in
C5 — entitled as the perfect base for warmer months, thanks to its water-resistant quality. A teeny tiny dab of
Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Cream Blush (in the shade
4 Walk of Shame) on the cheeks, provides a healthy glow. It doesn't contain shimmer, but gives a soft-focus effect.
To frame the face, I apply a bit of
M.U.F.E. Aqua Brow in
25 Ash, using a slanted tip brush (like
MAC 208). It is unbelievably good at filling in sparse areas or even drawing in full brows, when they fit in the very fair category or, even when they are virtually non-existent. Naturally, an essential part of my kit.
In the eye department, a swipe of
Rimmel Scandaleyes Stick in
Bad Girl Bronze on the lid, blended in with fingers or a fluffy brush, makes a good base. To define the lashline, a quick application of
Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes does the trick. The shade
Pearly Brown 2L gives a softer look, but you can just go for
Matte Black 0L to intensely define the eye. For mascara, choose a formula that doesn't smudge
on you. Usually, I don't have an issue with this, so I rarely wear waterproof formulas. Having said that, I really like
Make Up For Ever Aqua Smoky Lash.
To finish off the look, a long-lasting lipstick does the job. My most reached for have been
Burberry Lip Velvet in
Rose Azalea No. 308 (
love that shade) and
Aqua Rouge liquid lipstick (in
2 Rosewood).
On dry lip occasions, I reach for
Clinique Chubby Stick (in
Two Ton Tomato), of course.
Some other essentials that jumped into my beauty bag are
Caudalie Beauty Elixir (gotta have a refreshing mist on hand),
Japonesque Blotting Paper Pouch (does what it says on the tin),
Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream and a mini perfume atomizer or rollerball, in this case,
Burberry Body.
