Mini break makeup essentials: 15 items (and all got worn more than once)

Knowing what clothes to pack for a mini break can be challenging enough (is three pairs of shoes too much?) but keeping your bath bag lighter than a bowling ball can equally be a challenge

Monday morning last week, whilst most people were on their way to work, my boyfriend and I found ourselves grinning shamelessly aboard the 8:04am Eurostar to Brussels. After a pretty hectic Christmas we'd both decided we quite deserved a mini break, plus friends of ours had been raving about a hotel in Bruges called The Pand. Let's just say they had us at 'Ralph Lauren sheets'.

I knew I wanted to take a compact bath bag, including some pampery skincare treats as well as some versatile and luxury eye makeup products that I don't often get to wear. I also knew I'd need makeup that would transition from day to night without too much hassle. 

Here's what I ended up taking...

Every product you see here got used more than once during my 3 night stay

1. Chantecaille eye shadows are a real investment piece and are well known for their luxurious texture and crease free wear. I first used their Le Chrome Luxe Duo in 'Tibet' at a Christmas law firm event back in November. Everyone who requested a makeover that evening opted for the eye shadow duo and walked away delighted. 

On our first night away I had about ten minutes to get ready so decided to wear a sheer veil of the silvery shade finished off with a quiOk flash of mascara. On our last night we treated ourselves to a meal at the Michelin starred restaurant The Golden Herring. As it was a glamorous outing I opted for a dramatic smokey eye, cat flick and lashings of mascara. One sultry, smokey eye later all I needed was a glossy nude lip to finish.

2. Anyone who knows me will tell you I love nothing more than to decant things. In fact, when these little 5ml cosmetic pots arrived in the post I genuinely remember squealing with delight (more on these beauties if and when you make it to No. 11!). 

I didn't want to take my full size perfume* with me (even the 30ml can be quite heavy) so I decanted a few millilitres into this handy and inexpensive Muji atomiser. It can carry almost 5ml of perfume which is way more than I needed for our three nights away. 

When I'm not on holiday the atomiser is light enough to keep in my makeup bag for refreshing evening spritzes. 

*Escentric Molecules 02 which you can read all about here :)

3. If you've never heard of Dermalogica Microfoliant, shame on you, where have you been?! A glorious, everyday cleansing product, it dispenses as a super fine powder which you then mix with a little water. Gentle enough for daily use and leaves your skin feeling lightly exfoliated. Love.

4. I knew about Clarins Beauty Flash Balm for years before I tried it, mistakenly thinking it was an old school primer and that 'things must have moved on'. But, boy is it amazing. I remember asking my housemate Sal one evening what foundation she was wearing (her skin looked incredible) and we worked out it wasn't the foundation at all but rather Clarins' BFB. 

Apply it liberally over cheekbones and the outside areas of the face to boost dewiness. It can also be applied all over but I like to keep my t-zone shine free. I also love the slightly old school smell and definitely feel pampered when I wear it.

5. I was skeptical about Chanel Healthy Les Beiges having tried it in store and feeling less than enthused when it first launched. Then, one long weekend away, a close girlfriend of mine was raving about it so I thought I'd give it another whirl. II've been hooked ever since. It's the one thing that makes me look like I've had ten hours sleep when I've had four (in fairness, any bronzer that's the right shade will do this but the Chanel feels particularly luxurious). I love the fact it's buildable for evening makeup, although having said that, if I were minted and could justify buying two, I'd quite happily use the '30' for day and the '40' in the evening (Oh, the decadence). The packaging is also unmistakably chic in a way only Chanel can pull off.

6. I think the marketing for Charlotte Tilbury's makeup line is simply extraordinary but I'm staunch about what I like and don't like. For example, I'm not a huge fan of the Wonderglow Primer (although I have been known to use it sparingly on cheekbones on myself sometimes and on clients but don't think it does much all over) however, Ms. Tilbury's lip pencils are something else. I loved the idea of a lip liner to boost one's own natural lip line - a lip 'cheat' in her words - and she seems to get natural tones bang on across several skin tones. After reading several reviews I bought 'Pillow Talk'* and have been using it pretty much every day ever since. It's great under lipstick or gloss and has a fantastic waxy texture that I've not seen in other brands. *I've linked to Net-a-porter here as Pillow Talk doesn't seem to be listed anymore on CT's official site. Hope it hasn't been discontinued?! :( 

7. As well as producing fantastic eye shadows Chantecaille also produce quite brilliant lip products. I love their Lip Chic range - a glossy textured lipstick in a compact gun-metal grey case - but equally as fabulous is their range of pigmented lip glosses called Luminous Gloss.  

I lusted after the 'Pink Melon' shade for a while before I invested. Worn as a sheer veil on its own or over my Charlotte Tilbury lip cheat is perfect for day. At night I use it as more of a lip lacquer, layering it up to give my lips a sultry pout. 

8. Australia's cult product, Lucas Papaw has been around for years and is great 'all rounder'. The red tube is easy to spot in your handbag or makeup bag and a little goes a long way. Dab onto lips and onto cheekbones. Since writing this post I've read Lucas Papaw has come under fire for containing as much as 96% petroleum. The company argues its pharmaceutical grade, but even still, might have to think about switching to Burt's Bees which (appears) far more natural. 

9. This is, by far, the best tinted brow mascara I've come across for blonde/light brown hair (it also comes in a darker brown shade for medium to dark brown hair). Annoyingly it's only available online in the UK and even though there are plenty of other brow mascaras to choose from (e.g. Benefit Gimme Brow or Maybelline's Brow Drama, I keep going back to the ModelCo one. I blogged about why it's so great here.

10. I was lucky enough to get sent Estée Lauder's Double Wear, Stay in Place Brow Lift Duo or Derek for short (only joking) which has become my 'go to' brow pencil. This dual toned / dual ended brow product has small nibs making it easy to gently shape my brows with one end and highlight with the other. 

11. I mentioned way back at No. 2 that I am happiest when decanting things (including wine!). Whenever I go away I always take a couple of little pots with me (like these), one containing my favourite tinted moisturiser and one containing my favourite liquid foundation (the latter for when I might want a bit of extra coverage). Even thought the pots hold 5ml it is actually a lot of product, definitely enough for between 5-10 applications, depending how much you like to apply. 

For my mini break I decided to take just one pot with me. I filled half with Estée Lauder's Sheer Tint Release - my go to summer base because of its incredible texture, SPF and dewy glow - and the other half with my favourite tinted moisturiser.  I didn't take a full coverage foundation with me because a) I wanted my skin to breathe a little and by) I knew I'd have this fantastic high street concealer to give me extra coverage where I needed it.

12. I'm a huge fan of these waterproof eye pencils from Chanel because they. Do. Not. Budge. The shade I wear, 'Grenat', a stunning warm, reddy purple, is sadly discontinued from what I can tell but there are lots of other shades suited to all skin tones. Tip: If you're pale like me and have green eyes, a purple eye pencil will really help to show them off. Just be careful there is no other visible redness in the skin (chin, around the nose, shadows around the eyes etc) as the purple shade will only make you look ill.

13. I've been using this eye pencil by Chantecaille for ooh, let's see now, three years?  It is the perfect shade of matte espresso and easy to smudge if I want to do a smokey eye. It's also one of the only eye pencils I can wear on my waterline without it coating my contact lenses! The only thing I would change about it would be to make it even more waterproof (it does wear off more quickly than other pencils but I'm too in love with the shade to change. For the time being anyway).

14. I decided to invest in this mascara on the basis the lovely Pixiwoo sisters mention it in nearly every video tutorial. MAC's Extended Play Lash is a tubing mascara which means it comes off (in little tubes!) with warm water (mixed with your regular cleanser or oil, of course).  Sam (one half of the Pixiwoos) likes to wear it on her lower lashes but I've been wearing it on my upper and lower lashes. It's not waterproof but doesn't smudge and the thin wand is great at getting right to the base of the lashes. If you're a fan of big fat mascara brushes this might frustrate you and I'd say you definitely need to be curling your lashes before you apply it, but otherwise it's dinky, relatively inexpensive (£15) and delivers long, black black, perfectly separated lashes.

15. Lastly but definitely not least(ly), it has been one of my holy grail of searches to find a decent liquid eyeliner, one that stays put, has the right size tip and is matte. It was actually a high street brand that finally came up trumps. Maybelline's Master Ink Matte liquid liner is a dream to put on and I can achieve a super fine or thick feline flick in mere minutes. My one tip: have a tissue to hand and dab the nib once before you apply to remove any excess liquid.

One of my most hard wearing and happy of bath bags, bought on holiday in Australia.
Reserved for holidays and weddings.

Other items I snuck away in my stripy bath bag included:

- Pretty Quik nail varnish remover pot (one of my best discoveries of 2014)

- Bourjois Poudre de Riz de Java - an ever-so-slightly-sparkling finishing powder that has that old school cosmetics smell

- some Bioderma Sensibio H20 miscellar water, decanted (I did warn you) into a handy spray for speedy eye makeup removal

Did I mention the gin?! :)

What are your travel skin or makeup essentials? Any tips for transporting the goodies?

Until next time, happy Thursday xx

Male Grooming: Chaps, The 3 Key Areas You Need To Be Looking At

Male models must have skin of the gods right? Some have amazing skin but the majority have skin just like any other mere mortal, namely, a bit dehydrated, the odd spot (try twenty) and great big shiny patches (hurrah!)

Here are the 3 things I look out for when I'm doing male grooming.

Happy as Larry with my own makeup station at the Gieves & Hawkes show at Christie's recently
(it's got LIGHTS and everything :)

Official skincare sponsor 

If you pay even a little bit of attention to the following 3 things I guarantee you'll feel and look on top form:

• Skin
• Under eye area
• Brows (and other hairy bits)

1. Skin

A person's skin is one of the first things I consciously (or perhaps subconsciously?) notice about someone. When do you notice a person's skin? When it's looking great or when it's looking not so great?

I believe that the skin is as much a window to the soul as the eyes. Our skin speaks volumes about our lifestyle, diet and general stress levels so it's worth thinking about how you can take better care of yours. Us girls, well, we're lucky given it's arguably universally accepted that we will turn to makeup to hide signs of tiredness, a hangover, or illness. But what about guys? What can you do?

The best starting point is to work out your skin type*.

Next time you spot a mirror in a room with good natural light take a good look at your skin (and I mean a GOOD look). A great time to do this is during the middle of the day and preferably not after a shower (water strips the face of its natural oils).

Ask yourself:

- Does my skin feel tight anywhere? (you are probably dry or dehydrated)

- Do I have a shiny t-zone? (forehead, nose, chin)

- Am I oily all over?

- Does my skin feel/look quite sensitive or congested?

Once you know how your skin behaves it's far easier to choose the right product to treat it.

Ever wondered what the differences are between men and women's skin? Click here to read what skincare specialists Dermalogica have to say.

* If you're unsure, ask a female and they should be able to tell you.

John from Next models was my first model on the day.

My Top Skin Tips 

• Guzzle water. Like, all the time. It's without a shadow of a doubt the best thing you can do for your skin (I'm talking to the girls here as much as the guys).

• Invest in a decent moisturiser that is appropriate for your your skin type (think oil-free for oilier skins, hydrating for dry etc). Also, look for moisturisers with built in SPF/broad spectrum. Some of my favourite skin ranges for gents include: 
• Cowshed Bullocks range (my soon-to-be brother in law has been requesting the Bullocks moisturiser 2 Christmases in a row now. I think he likes it)
• Kiehl's (super impressed with their new liquid SPF 50....it's like a milk and is so easily absorbed. Perfect for guys!)
• Aveda

• For the more adventurous among you why not take a look at some of the tinted skin products now available for men: 
• Energizing Bronze Cream from Recipe For Men (£30, available from yes-sir.com)
• Sheer Tint SPF20 (£33 approx, comes in 3 shades, for women and men)

Highlight of my eve: having my photo taken with 

ex-porn star (ahem) / super successful model Aiden Shaw *sigh*

Clinique Anti-Fatigue Eye Gel (£23)

2. Under Eye Area

What's your concern? Puffiness? Dark circles? Dryness? 

For puffiness:

• Choose a cooling eye gel or roller ball (like this one by Clinique or Mazorin's aptly titled Working Late Eye Serum £21). Any eye cream that has caffeine as an ingredient will also help with puffiness as caffeine boosts circulation.
• Home remedy: Lots of makeup artists swear by cold used green tea bags kept in the fridge. Wrap them in cling film to keep the air/bacteria out. When you want to use one unwrap two and place one over each eye for 5 mins.

For dark circles:

• Don't be afraid of a tinted eye cream/product (like this one by Recipe For Men). Orange cancels out blue on the colour wheel so a peach tinted eye cream/concealer will give your under eye area a bit of a subtle lift. Strike the right balance and no one will know. When I'm doing grooming or prepping a gentleman to appear in front of the camera, if he has really dark circles I only conceal a little bit. Guys aren't meant to look flawless but you can certainly dabble ;)

For dryness:

• For dryness an eye cream is best (rather than an eye serum). Be careful not to overload the eye area. Take a tiny amount and apply it using your ring finger to the outer edge dabbing inwards. Pat, pat, pat until it's absorbed. Do not wipe (waste of product).

Declan from Elite. 22 and has had a beard since he was 19. He told me he doesn't
actually know what his adult face looks like without a beard! (bless)

3. Brows (and other hairy bits)

The key thing here is subtlety.  Personally, I like a guys' brows to be groomed but not preened. 

Top tips:

• Thread much? If your brows are bushy or you've got a bit of a mono brow going on it's worth asking your barber if they offer a threading service. Or you can pay a visit to one of the Blink bars where an expert threader will subtly (and discreetly) give you a bit of a tidy. Decide ahead of the appointment what you want tidied (a good threader will know how to thread men's brows versus a woman's brows).

• Watch out for the rogue brow. Gents, even I get these every now and then...a brow hair that seems to triple in length overnight and can awkwardly catch the light the next day in your business presentation or date if you're not careful.

Other hairy bits:
- beards should be well maintained no matter the length. Consider investing in a beard oil (Tom Ford's launched one!) or one of the fabulous beard products available on yes-sir.com.

I'll leave you with some more images from the show...

 Minutes after this shot was taken someone managed to stream *a live football match* from their laptop.
You should have seen these 6ft 4 adonises suddenly become goofy smiling kids!

The guys are briefed by the brand's creative director. Lots of talk about being the creme-de-la-creme, how they need to ooze confidence...etc.

Check out the pony-skin coat

The show took over two of the great rooms at Christies with each model stood on a plinth. The centre of each room was devoid of light so that the lights streaming down onto each model were the primary focus. It looked FANTASTIC.

I should have called The Hat Appreciation Society whilst I was there....you've never seen so many fabulous hats!

Fellow makeup artist Angus and I enjoying a rather lovely glass of champers

Hope you found that useful/interesting and thanks for reading :)

Chantecaille's Detox Clay Mask

I've had a sample of this for a while now and seeing as it was quite overcast yesterday and I was working from home I thought "perfect excuse to try it out". (For the ten minutes I had it on I was secretly hoping the doorbell would ring so I could scare the bejeezus out of someone... but alas, no one called ;)

Should I use a mask?
Masks are one of those things facialists bang on about (and with good reason) but which seem like an absolute faff. Even though I'm a makeup artist and naturally predisposed to thinking and reading about makeup and skincare all the time, I still have to remind myself it's probably time to do a mask.

Occasionally, I'll try a mask and be so impressed with it that I'll vow to get better at remembering to use it. Chantecaille's Detox Clay Mask is no exception.

The Power Of Plants
At 91% natural this mask must have one of the highest concentrations of botanicals of any mask.

Kaolin - a healing clay - removes excess oil without dryness or irritation whilst rosemary (a natural antibacterial) purifies and honey calms.

How does it work?
The mask works by drawing out impurities from the skin (I have to say I love the idea of this, particularly right now, having spent the past 3 or so months covered in sunscreen).

The first thing you'll notice is that, unlike other clay masks, this one doesn't dry over time so there is no tightness or 'cracking' to put up with.

What you will need:
- a bathroom hair band (mine's Muji)
- some cotton pads (to remove the mask)
- a cotton flannel (to get the last of the mask off - it will stain so use an old flannel if poss)
- a deep sink! (be very careful when you wash this mask off as it can go everywhere)

Takes 15 mins max.

It's on! Yes, I know I look unbelievably marvellous ;)

Freshly applied...starting to tingle a little. I can smell orange (that'll be the 
sweet orange peel essential oil working its magic).

Ten minutes later. Not tight at all.

Rinsed off. My skin feels wonderfully clean (I'm not wearing a scrap of
makeup in this shot by the way).

Well into my 30s and still getting spots, wahey!

I noticed the pores around my nose and on my cheeks were 
significantly smaller after using the mask.

Who's it for?
Great for all skin types, including those with dry and sensitive skins. I'd say it's a wonder product for skins prone to regular or occasional breakouts (I've got dry/occasional break out skin so it's perfect for me).

As with all Chantecaille products the Detox Clay Mask is made with a healing base of pure rosewater (brightening and calming) as well as narcissus, jasmine and mimosa (all anti-inflammatory).

Can we pause a second and admire housemate Sal's new wall clock?!

Chantecaille's Detox Clay Mask costs £70 for 50ml and is available from Space NK, Liberty, Harrods, Fenwick and Harvey Nichols. At a guess I'd say there are a good 20+ masks per pot which equates to just £3.50 per mask. Not bad when you think how pure the ingredients are.

Other masks I love:

For suppleness:
- Dermalogica Age Smart Multivitamin Power Recovery Mask (£28.99 for 75ml, currently on offer at zestbeauty.com) - this amazing-smelling, orange coloured mask infuses the skin with vitamins A, C, E and F increasing elasticity. I love the way my skin feels after this. Great before a boozy night out :)

For hydration:
- Origins Drink Up Intensive ( £23 for 100ml) - an overnight mask best for dehydrated skin.

Do you have a favourite mask? I'd love to know what it is.