Be gone dark circles!

What causes dark circles?

Ladies, are you confused by how to cover dark circles under your eyes? I'm not surprised if you are. One minute we're bulk-buying YSL's Touche Eclat lest, heaven forbid, we ever run out. The next we're bombarded with images of celebs who've suffered make-up mishap #12: Reverse Panda Eye Syndrome* (be wary of over-zealous application of the wonder pen!)

There's one clear distinction which needs to be made here. Allow me to enlighten you...

YSL's Touche Eclat  is a highlighter pen. This means it reflects light (the best example of this is seen in flash photography when the flash bounces unflatteringly off the product leaving you with a stark, and very white under eye area). Highlighter pens are not correctors, and for as much as the clever marketing will convince you otherwise, if you have dark circles, these types of pens will not cover them.

Dark circles? You need a corrector.

What you need is a corrector. Correctors are matte and brightly coloured like blushers (think peach/bisque). They work by cancelling out the blue which comes from the veins which run under your eyes.

Corrector shade guide:
Pale skin = peach/bisque
Indian skin = orange
Black skin = reddy-brown

The Make-up Debate recommends:
1. Bobbi Brown Corrector (£17).
2. Bobbi Brown's Creamy Concealer Kit (£23; Winner of 'Best Concealer', Red Best of Beauty 2012 and ELLE Beauty Awards 2011).


The Make-up Debate's 5 Step Guide to covering dark circles!

You won't find a better concealer kit (Bobbi Brown, £23)

Step 1:  First prepare the under-eye area with a light, hydrating eye-cream.

Step 2: Next, press a little corrector into dark/discoloured areas using your ring finger (or a brush).

Step 3: Apply a skin-toned concealer over the top of the corrector. Concealers should be creamy in consistency (beware concealers that have dried out). Blend by dabbing with your finger until the corrector is covered.

Step 4: Add a little highlight to the corner of your eyes (but be careful not to overload your under-eye area with too much product) Tip: Alternatively you can miss out Step 2 and go straight to Step 3 - the highlighter pen - but take note; highlighters are sheer, not matte, so watch that the corrector doesn't show through.

Step 5: For a long-lasting finish, set with a light dusting of loose or pressed powder.

Let me know if this works for you!

* the image of Eva here was apparently as a result of Make-up Forever's High Definition powder and not Touche Eclat but both products produce a similar effect.

BB Creams: Can one cream really do it all?

image courtesy of Skin79

'BB Cream' is the beauty buzzword du jour (as is HD brows, but more on that later!).

Several of the major beauty brands in this country, including Estee Lauder, Dior and Clinique have all launched their own versions of BB cremes.


But what the hell is a BB cream? And are you missing out by not using one?

4 things you need to know:


1) 'BB' stands for different things, depending on the brand. E.g. 'Blemish Balm', 'Beauty Balm', 'Beauty Benefit', 'Bonking Badgers' (OK, so I made the last one up).

2) The multifunctional cream was originally developed in late 1960s Germany as a treatment balm and was "used by dermatologists to help laser surgery patients protect, soothe and refine highly sensitive skin while providing light coverage for post-laser scars..." (source: wikipedia).


3) BB cremes are old news in Asia. The first cosmetic BB creams were developed in Korea and popularised by a Korean actress who promoted their ability to "even out skin tone" and 'lighten blemish marks". As a result, the popularity of cosmetic BB creams quickly spread to China and Japan and is  now making waves in Western countries.


4) Some BB creams claim to act as a primer, foundation, moisturiser, sun block, pore minimizer and skin refiner all in one! No wonder the world's gone bonkers for BB creams!

BB Creams currently available in the UK:

1. MAC Pre + Prime Beauty Balm (£21, SPF 35. Claims to 're-texturise' the skin. Currently only available in one shade which is best suited for pale skins).

2. Estée Lauder Daywear BB (£32, available in 2 shades. Antioxidant-rich & SPF 35. Claims 'Moisture, protection and flawless perfection.' Er, yes please!)

3. Clinique New Age Defense BB cream (£25, SPF 30, available in 2 shades. Clinique claims: 'Meet your skin's everything').


There are also a number of high street brands who have jumped onto the BB cream band wagon:
Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream (SPF 35) - £17 (approx)
Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector (SPF 15) - £9.99 from Boots
No 7 Beautiful Skin BB Cream (SPF 15) - £12.95 from Boots


Have you tried a BB cream? What did you think?


ps: Here's that vid on HD brows!!!

And so my obsession with fig continues

Lust

I've always had a slight obsession with figs, forever yearning for the summer months when they're perfectly ripe and bursting out of their skins. But I never thought my obsession would extend this far...

That was until a very good friend of mine pulled something out of her make-up bag which caused me, quite literally, to gasp.

You are no doubt already familar with the name Diptyque (that Parisian brand of luxury scented candles and heady colognes)... but did you know one of their signature scents - the heavenly and oh-so-mediterranean Philosykos - is available as a solid perfume? My thoughts exactly. Stop the press.


This solid perfume is encased in a 'shiny black zamak* case, engraved with the iconic diptyque oval' and is ideal for travelling, or when you need a quick touch-up.
* "a family of alloys with a base metal of zinc and alloying elements of aluminium, magnesium and copper".  Basically, all you need to know is that it's heavy and feels reassuringly solid/expensive!


The Philosykos Solid Perfume is available at SpaceNK and at other online stockists (RRP £28). There are also 3 other Diptyque solid perfumes in the range including L'Ombre dans L'Eau, Eau Duelle and Do Son.

The Philosykos eau de toilette has long been a favourite of resident beauty columnist for Guardian Weekend, Sali Hughes and I have a sneaking suspicion it may soon become one of mine.

Laura Mercier's super rich Fresh Fig Body Butter

Another of my favourite fig-scented beauty must-haves is Laura Mercier's Fresh Fig Body Butter which is gorgeous when massaged into arms and legs before a night out. Available from John Lewis and SpaceNK (RRP £26). The Fresh Fig range also includes an eau de toilette, a hand cream, a body scrub, a honey bath, a creme body wash and a body soufflé!

IMATS 2012: techniques and products you need to know

Freezing? Moi?

Last weekend I was thrilled to attend my first ever IMATS (International Make-up Artist Trade Show) and it did not disappoint. Held at Alexandra Palace, IMATS is a 3-day event which brings together the very best of make-up brands and talent from around the world. Here were some of the top techniques and products from the show:

Been on yer 'olidays pet?

Contouring

If you’ve never contoured before then check out this fab 'how to' video from celebrity make-up artist Lisa Eldridge. Contouring (e.g. with a matte bronzer), is one of the quickest ways to warm up the skin. Done in the right way (note: subtly!) it sculpts and adds definition to your face, bringing out cheekbones you never knew you had. In a word, it's undeniably flattering. MAC’s premier artist Terry Barber demoed a stronger contoured look to the delight of an audience of more than 500. Terry thinks fashion & editorial make-up is becoming more masculine - "perfection is the new trashy" - and he's right what with stronger brows, no mascara eyes and a whole spectrum of nude & skin-toned colours making headlines on the catwalks. But I don't think I'll be binning my Lady Danger just yet...

Reverse contouring (image courtesy of Eve Pearl)

Reverse Contouring

Reverse contouring is a trend that's been growing for a while. It follows the principle that our skin - regardless of our colouring - is not simply one flat colour (just as our faces aren't a flat canvas). Matching a single foundation to our skin tone and then applying it across the entire face is therefore not enough.

To reverse contour you need to work with 2 shades of foundation; one that matches your skin tone exactly, and another which is slightly darker/warmer (e.g. one shade darker than your skin tone).

Here's the trick: apply the slightly darker colour to the cheekbones, forehead and the centre of the chin, and the lighter colour to the jawline and around the top of the lips. Then blend in between the two colours with a foundation brush or sponge.

Reverse contouring makes a lot of sense to me because the ambition is always for the jawline to match the neck. And since we naturally blush around the cheek area, blending a slightly darker foundation here also makes sense. I doubt women everywhere will be rushing out to buy, not one, but two (ha!) very expensive bottles of liquid foundation but the technique certainly does give us something to think about.

A fab invention (image courtesy of Eve Pearl)

Matte black eyelash glue

I was very excited to see that Eve Pearl (American make-up artist who worked on Saturday Night Live for years and who has her own make-up range) has launched a matte black eyelash glue. I'll say it again, matte and black. This is exciting for two reasons: 1. It's hard enough wearing false lashes without worrying that people can see you're wearing them. 2. Sometimes the white glue dries shiny (even when it dries clear). 

DUO dark tone adhesive

Unfortunately you can't buy Eve Pearl here (unless you buy online from the States) but Duo (a staple in all professional make-up artists' bags and available from Charles Fox, Screen Face and other pro makeup stores for between £8-£10) offer a 'dark tint' adhesive. Well worth trying if you're a lash gal.

Double cream for the face

And finally...Embryolisse 
Embryolisse - where have you been all my life? Now, I'm not the first to blog about this moisturiser, for one it's long been a favourite of the fabulous make-up video bloggers Pixiwoo...but, if you're reading about it for the first time, you need to try this product. Here's why:
- it's deliciously rich (my skin has been terrible this winter but since buying Embryolisse last week, my skin is transformed, hydrated and smooth)
- it acts as a great base under make-up
- it's only £10 for 30ml (hurrah!)

Look out for my next blog post which will be all about brushes!

The WOW factor

Miracle worker?

It's rare that a product makes me go 'wow', but Kiehl's new Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate (bit of a mouthful I know) is something to be seen and tested.

Lord knows what they put in this thing (Glycerin, Propylene Glycol and Vitamin C if you must know) but after massaging a little all over my face, my skin took on a porcelain-like smoothness and my fine lines had va-va-voomed?!

The concentrate has the consistency of a thick moisturising cream but is absorbed quickly into the skin, without leaving any kind of residue (providing you don't overdo it).

The thing you'll notice instantly though, is that it feels like a thermal mask. I found this unnerving at first (why does it do that?) but the sensation doesn't last long. (I've written to Kiehl's to ask about the heat bit - will update as soon as I get a response!)

As with all serums / moisturisers, I'd recommend testing a sample on your skin before you commit to buying the full-size product. If you work in Central London, why not pop over to the Kiehl's store on Monmouth St (just off Seven Dials). The staff are always lovely in there and have good knowledge of the products. The legendary Monmouth Coffee is also just a couple of doors down, and well worth a visit if you're a coffee fiend like me.

KIEHL'S Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate 

(RRP: £49, reduced from £53 from the Kiehl's website)

So that's my new little miracle-worker. Do you have a miracle-in-a-bottle?

Beauty counter conundrum: how to avoid the hard sell

Bobbi's best foundation yet? Try before you buy.

Happy 'twenty-twelve' to one and all.

First up this year is the age-old problem of how to avoid the hard sell at the beauty counter. We know they have sales targets to meet and product to shift but sometimes it's as if the smiling, doll-faced ladies behind the counter have put us under their spell? (And you'd think it'd be easier for a make-up artist but let me tell you, I get sucked in too sometimes).

Take my recent trip to the Bobbi Brown counter at Liberty's yesterday.

Bobbi has recently launched a new whipped foundation: Extra Repair Foundation SPF 25 (RRP £36), in a jar nonetheless! How novel. Now, there is nothing which excites me more than finding the perfect foundation. I think that's because I've never found it. (I find fault with them all, but, I'm terribly picky and I know foundations are leagues ahead of the ones my mother used to buy so I can't complain).

Even as I looked at the foundation and the assistant walked over, I could feel myself falling into The Trap...

I decided to try some on the back of my hand and was instantly impressed by it's smooth texture. (It left my skin looking dewy similar to NARS Sheer Glow Foundation RRP £29.50).

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation. We likey.

Within seconds, the shop assistant had offered to apply some to my face. I thought, why the hell not! She went to an awful lot of trouble, cleansing my face first, then massaging in some cream, and then the foundation itself ("it's important to warm the foundation up in your hands before you apply it to the skin. Bobbi encourages us to do this").

5 minutes in, I started to feel the 'I-should-buy-something-to-say-thank-you' guilt-trip. Another 2 minutes went by and I'd bought some! ("@£*&*^%") But here's the thing we must remember ladies:

MY FAIL-SAFE TOP TIPS WHEN MAKE-UP SHOPPING:
1. The assistants are there to introduce us to products, and to the brand. It's their job - first and foremost - way before any selling comes into play. 'I am in complete control' is your mantra as you approach them.
2. Even if they spend 20 minutes giving us a glamorous makeover, we are not in any way obliged to buy anything.
3. Most brands produce sample sizes of new products. If you like something, ask for a sample. If they don't have a sample ask for a small amount of the product to be put in a sample pot (I think Nars are one of the few brands which don't do this).
4. New foundations must always be checked first on your skin, in natural daylight (e.g. on your neck or jaw, not on your hand). This is essential before you buy. With the array of liquid foundations currently available there's no excuse not to get a perfect match.
5. Check eye-shadows for pigment on the back of your hand (e.g. if the eye-shadow leaves an intense colour/mark, you know it has a good level of pigment). Another good tip, if the eye shadow is bright/strong, ask the assistant to apply some for you. (E.g. a burnt orange eye-shadow may look fantastic on the back of your hand but might be totally the wrong colour for your eyes!)

These might sound like obvious tips but I think it's good to remind ourselves every now and then so we avoid stocking up on the wrong types of product (by 'wrong' I mean products we were never really that convinced by or those that aren't particularly flattering).

Back to my Bobbi Brown purchase - I may, or may not return it (my only quibble is that I could feel it on my skin during the day and it came off quite easily on my hands/clothes, but I guess that's what you pay for with dewy skin?).  Whatever I decide, I regret not asking for a sample.

Do you have any beauty counter experiences - enjoyable or hellish - that you'd like to share?

How to travel with make-up (...without resorting to tipping the entire contents of your make-up drawer into your suitcase)

Who needs clothes anyway

Boys have it easy, right? When traveling they can pretty much get away with a toothbrush, toothpaste, razor and shaving gel (maybe some aftershave if they're feeling lucky). Take the metrosexual male - that breed of late nineties/early noughties man who has dabbled in male moisturiser and succumbed to its powers of hydration - even he would be hard pushed to produce a bigger bath bag than us when going on holiday.

So how do we do it? Is there a secret to taking 50 beauty products on holiday without looking like we could set up shop there?

I flew to Australia last month for my sister's wedding and knowing I'd be doing her make-up and that of 4 others on the day, I knew I'd have to be strategic about my packing. Here are my top tips:

1. Write a list. Then halve it.

It's important to pack the essentials first, then decide on the nice-to-haves:

- toothbrush & toothpaste

- lip balm (Vaseline mini pots are fantastic, as is Lucas' Papaw)

- sunscreen (Khiel's Ultra Light Daily Moisturiser boasts SPF50)

I would also add a decent hair conditioner to this list, as well as body moisturiser (there's nothing more stress-inducing on holiday than not being able to detangle your locks after a shower, or the feeling of tight, scaly skin).

The perfect base under any make-up

2. Invest in travel containers
Both Boots and Muji do fantastic, refillable plastic containers for around £2. My favourite find was Boots' Mini Travel Set - a bargainous £3 for 2x 26ml bottles and 2x 10gm cream pots (tip: be careful not to screw on the lids too zealously as they can crack)

You'll wonder how you previously traveled without them

3. Buy some sticky labels 
I know, this screams 'organised freak' but it is deeply satisfying (try it). The white round labels from Rymans cost just £1.19 for 90.

4. Protect expensive compacts from annoying breakages
Like it or not, your case is likely to be treated in the same way a WWF contender welcomes his opponent into the ring. With gusto. To ensure your favourite Chanel/Dior eyeshadow quad or powder compact survives the journey, place a sheet of kitchen towel between make-up and lid, then seal the entire compact with cling film (it also helps to place compacts in-between layers of clothes for added protection).

Worth protecting

5. Brushes
Brushes might be the last thing you think about taking with you on holiday but they're the unsung heros of the beauty counter and are as light as a feather. Not only do they generally make make-up application look infinitely more polished, they can also help to make your holiday make-up go further. Tips: transform any eyeshadow into an eyeliner using an ultra fine liner brush and a little water. Or, to save packing multiple lipsticks, bring along a retractable lip brush together with a couple of brightly coloured lip pencils (use the lip brush to blend in some clear gloss or lip balm over the lip pencil et voila).

Laura Mercier's Fine Point Eye Liner Brush (£20.50) is all you need

What are your beauty-packing secrets?