MAKEUP NOTES - My Current Base Routine
I am so excited to be removed from the shackles of a 20 second reel, and freely give a breakdown of my makeup look.
It’s been a while since I’ve been able to do a mini deep dive on my makeup looks! And I am so excited to be freed from the shackles of a 20 second reel, and freely give a breakdown of the finished results.
I used this look as an opportunity to try out new products I’ve been eager for, and I’m so glad I did. It’s best to try new makeup products in a safe environment, instead experimenting right before heading out to plans. Especially if you are a black girl like me, the sheer amount of shock horrors I’ve had in using a product that makes me look like a ghost is unbelievable. If you’re excited about trying a new product (I mean, who isn’t?) and are tempted to skip the trial, please trust me when I say don’t!!
Here is the full breakdown of my look, but I will be focusing on the products marked with a star. These were the things I tried new, as well as my non negotiable items for a perfect base finish.
1 - Too Faced Born This Way Concealer in shade Caramel. 2 - Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand in shade Pillow Talk. 3 - Huda Beauty Easy Bake Loose Baking Powder in shade Cinnamon. 4 - Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Foundation in shade 15N. 5 - Pat McGrath Labs Dark Star Mascara x Perma Precision Liquid Eyeliner. 6 - Made By Mitchell Curve Case in shade Deep. 7 - Jordana Ticia Lip Liner in shade Midnight Mocha. 8 - Anastasia Beverly Hills Lipgloss in shade Sunbaked. 9 - Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo in shade Granite. 10 - Revolution Conceal and Define concealer in shade C13.5
MADE BY MITCHELL CURVE CASE - SHADE DEEP … £30 from Boots
For the past few years, I have been relying on the Fenty Sun Stalk’r bronzer in Mocha Mami to achieve a snatched defined cheekbone. However, recently I felt it just wasn’t enough anymore. Perhaps it’s because my makeup has evolved now - before I never used setting powders, blush was a maybe for me, and I went completely cold-turkey on false lashes (which wasn’t actually a bad idea). My bronzer went from being the only standout product on my cheeks, to being lost amongst all the other products on my face, resembling more of a blush if. I needed to get into contour, but I honestly felt too overwhelmed to even BEGIN.
Then enters the Curve Case.
When I first tried the Curve Case I was only borrowing it. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to waste my Boots Gift Card on a product I never had before. I was very concerned about the blush choices to say the least (I’m more of a deep berry wine blush girl), and could those contour shades really snatch my face?
Looks can be deceiving, and this toy looking, kiddy styled, playful palette exceeded my expectations! The contours were perfect shades for my skin tone. Considering how I was used to bronzers (Mocha Mami will forever stand as a pillar of my makeup kit), I appreciated how this didn’t feel like I was putting charcoal on my face. It was warm and easy to blend out, perfectly melting into my skin whilst still giving the defined structure I was after. The options on this palette are perfect as the deepest shade still had warm undertones.
Am I breaking the rules by liking a warm contour? Ah well, sue me!
But seriously, I do think warm vs cool contour is all depending on the skin tone you have, and your makeup goals. I LOVE looking warm and sun-kissed, but I still wanted a product with more precision than a powder bronzer.
In regard to the blush, I did honestly love how they showed up on my skin. Again it was perfect - but just not 100% my cup of tea. If I wanted a super glam, it’ll be berry blush all the way. But for my more lighter glam I will definitely be picking this up.
CHARLOTTE TILBURY BEAUTY LIGHT WAND - SHADE PILLOW TALK … £31 from ASOS
Did I really hunt down every WHSmiths (TG Jones) , Sainsbury’s, Marks and Spencer’s, Tesco, and Asda to find the ELLE x Harper’s Bazaar magazine with a full sized CT Pillow Talk highlighter freebie?
Of course I did.
Was I able to find one? No.✨
Did I go on the Hearst website to pre-order one for £8? Yes, yes I did.
I got this absolute weapon on such a bargain, but I would pay triple for it!
I’ve not really dabbled in liquid highlighters, but the CT wand is making me never turn back - you cannot get this level of shine with powder highlighters. And if you get anything similar, it’ll look patchy, unblended and inconsistent; one side would be a blinding shine, the other side is giving subtle shimmer. I found that measuring my highlight with a liquid formula is much better for me - I know that just one drop on both sides will be enough.
Don’t get me wrong I’ll never abandon my powder highlight, but I prefer to use that on much smaller areas, such as my nose or my brow bones. It’s easier to control in smaller sections, unlike liquid highlighters that can spread to the point of no return.
HUDA BEAUTY EASY BAKE POWDER - SHADE CINNAMON … £34 from Boots
This is no new discovery. But how dare I make an article about my base without talking about the literal glue of my makeup!
Now, I know a lot of women love to use bright under-eye powder, but I find this is too much for me. I prefer to use powders that are very close to my skin tone. So, I’d use a bright(ish) concealer, but then mask it with a coloured setting powder. This way there are glimpses of the bright concealer, but it’s not overly accentuated because the powder tones it down.
The Cinnamon Bun shade is pure perfection for me. Originally I was terrified - my first ever powder was the Beauty Bakerie Flour Setting Powder. I was absolutely obsessed, but after it ran out I couldn’t find anywhere to re buy it in the UK. I had trial and error with a few questionable chalky powders, and finally found the mother of all setting powders in the Harrods Beauty store.
I like to dab this under my eyes and across the bridge of my nose, and it provides me with the most unreal smoothing airbrushed effect.
Thank you for reading - I hope you enjoy my recommendations, please let me know what you think!
x Desola