trying to narrow down such an exquisite year of new discoveries to the best of the best is nearly impossible. but here’s a list of some that made my heart sing this year.
it’s that time of the year, again! the ultimate roundup of the best of the best…
here are my skincare faves, the ones that have made a substantial difference on my routine (and even helped minimising it a lot), and I foresee not leaving my counter any time soon…
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going through my highlighters, realising how many I’ve collected and how many I don’t gravitate towards anymore… this was tough and I’ll probably revisit my decisions later on, but I’m overall pretty satisfied with the amount of space I’ve recovered in my make up drawers :)
just a gentle reminder that each person will have a different relationship with their make up (and stuff in general) and I’m doing what feels right for me at this point in time. I just can’t with all the high horse “you’re doing this wrong” videos at the moment. declutter in your own terms and only if it feels right for you. it’s your money, your space, your brain and your freedom. I’d just suggest to be mindful of donating/passing stuff along to friends (as far as hygiene allows it) and recycle when possible because this is, all in all, a wasteful practise, and we should try to minimise its impacts whichever way we can… your relationship with stuff is none of my business, but the planet is all of our businesses ;)
A thorough review, after having used this palette for several full days, showing you the beautiful performance and blendability of this brighter mid-toned palette, but also some less spoken about characteristics I’ve stumbled upon and may be of interest to you. Keep in mind in the meantime I’ve received Vega as a gift (I’m spoiled, I know), and I’ve had the same experience with all the formulas in that palette.
If you’re looking for super smoothing flattering mattes that blend themselves out and with which you can hardly over-apply, this is definitely one palette to look into. But if you’re into shiny-sparkly shades, or if you need longevity for a full day of work (or just because you have oily lids), you may want to watch the whole video.
Of course this is just my experience (although I’ve been talking with some people and I’ve been having some similar feedback), so take it all with a grain of salt! It’s overall a beautiful palette, I love the “poppable” pans, the concepts behind the colour stories, and how impeccably and effortlessly you can make a look.
this was a tough one, since finding a good match for my olive undertones skin is not the easiest, and I get too attached to the good finds… but it had to be done.
another day plowing through my make up and decluttering those products that just don’t work for me anymore, for whichever reason, leaving the hoarder’s guilt behind and curating my collection to a more manageable – even pan-able – status.
today, concealers. those tiny helpers that, not being as interesting as make up palettes, are there for me even on no-makeup days, helping me out when I want a bit or a lot of coverage. absolute staples, my friends.
’tis an Up Close and Poresonal, my friends! where I do a thorough wear test, show you how the complexion product performs on my face with regular check-ins and no filters (should go without saying, but ’tis what ’tis), and at the end of the day compare the product’s performance against its claims. I’m the only test subject, so it’s as subjective as it comes, but if you have tastes and concerns similar to mine, maybe you can infer some useful conclusions.
for reference: my skin is combination/oily, smooth in texture bar the pores, with occasional hormonal breakouts (which have been mostly under control), hyperpigmentation (which I like to cover) and worn like a 42 year old skin can be – so yes, some wrinklage.
I prefer a natural/satin/luminous finish but without feeling too sticky or slide-y, a versatile medium coverage that can be sheered down or built up without caking, and, being an analog human who lives life in the non-digital world, I crave for long-wearing power (10 hours is my gold standard) and fading with dignity instead of a frazzled break down. I don’t mind a learning curve nor adjusting some steps to make it perfect, but at the end of the day it has to be worth my time and money, and, more importantly, if it’s not compatible with my sunscreen, it’s the end of the road for us.
so hop on the video and enjoy a day spent with the Hourglass Ambient Soft Glow Foundation.
I have shade 7, but I always advise doing some swatches and tests in store whenever possible and, even better, getting some samples and try before committing.
At the time of this post, the best price I found for it was £46 (around 52€) at Cult Beauty.
the freevolous 