My 6 Minute Face

Makeup and skincare have always been a form of self-care for me, almost like meditation. It always helps me to relax and feel calm and grounded. I notice a huge difference in my mood when I take the time to do my makeup in the morning and my skincare routine in the evening. In the past 5 months since I had my daughter I've obviously had a lot less time to myself. It's rare that I get time on my own to play with makeup as any free time is usually spent doing laundry, cooking or cleaning. I have taken to applying makeup while feeding my daughter in the morning as its the only way I get to do it on weekdays. Breastfeeding pillows are amazing as it means I have two hands free to apply makeup while she feeds or contact naps. It also means I get to write blog posts like this one. I know this won't always be the case so I like to take advantage when I can. 

 

There are days when I have to get ready quickly because we have a doctor or public health nurse appointment (let's face it that's all we're really doing at the moment) or if I just want to get out for a walk and don't have time to apply a full face of makeup but I still want to look a bit more fresh and awake. On such days I have my speedy makeup routine. I've timed myself applying the below products and I've got it down to 6 minutes. It's a short amount of time and a small number of products but it does wonders for making me feel more like myself and less like a sleep deprived zombie. 

 

The minimal makeup routine will be different for everyone depending on what you want. Some people might spend longer on their base, they might want to wear concealer or fill in their brows or wear bronzer instead of blush. I chose products that I feel make a difference to my face. I also wanted products that I could apply with fingers as that makes a huge difference to how quickly I can apply them. I don't always use these exact products, sometimes I use a different brow gel or for example today I wore Lisa Eldridge Velvet Dragon lipstick as I had a bit more time. 

 

 

 

 

 

* bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Defense Radiant Tint Protective Moisturizer SPF 30

I apply sunscreen every single day that I know I will be outside for any length of time. I used to be a only sunny, Summer days SPF person until a few years ago when I learned that the UV rays from the sun can damage your skin even on a cloudy day in the middle of Winter. Any Dermatologist or Esthetician that is asked about ageing will consistently say that sun protection is the number one way you can slow down the ageing process. The way I see it, why would someone spend a fortune on expensive skincare, makeup and treatments and then not use a sunscreen? You're undoing all of that work and wasting all of that money spent looking after your skin. I usually use a separate moisturiser and sunscreen but when I'm in a hurry and want to amalgamate these two products, I use the bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Defense with SPF 30. It's ideal for me for when I'm going out for a quick walk in the Winter time. It hydrates my skin and has a luminous finish which helps me look more fresh.

 

 *Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Oil Free Natural Skin Perfector SPF 20 (ON1 Petal)

This is one of those cult products that I hadn't tried until last year but now I can understand why it's so loved. Over the past 6 months it's become a firm favourite for minimal makeup days because it's just so easy to apply. I use my hands with this most of the time and blend it into my skin as I would a moisturiser. It's one of those products that's undetectable on my skin. For about a month before I had my daughter up until about 4 months afterwards I had hormonal pregnancy acne which has now thankfully settled down. It's a very small price to pay and although it did bother me some days I knew it wouldn't last (well I hoped anyway). I'm now left with some scarring, red marks and texture which is my own fault because I tend to pick at my skin. I also have some pigmentation from being on holidays a few years ago that was made worse when I was pregnant too. None of these things bother me too much but I find that this tinted moisturiser evens out my skin tone and covers the redness and pigmentation enough for me to feel a bit more confident with my skin. You can see the light coverage in the photos above, my freckles can still be seen which I always prefer. I find this shade works perfectly on my skin tone which is something else that's essential when you're applying minimal makeup, you don't want to be messing around with shades that don't work for your skin. I would consider it an almost perfect light coverage base apart from the shade range. There are only 20 shades which is fair enough, I don't have much of an issue with that as they're quite flexible because of the light coverage. The shade distribution is uneven and as with many brands, it leans in favour of lighter skin tones. I think Laura Mercier would be doing themselves a huge favour if they added more deep shades in order to be more inclusive because it really is a beautiful product and everyone should be able to wear it.

 

Smashbox X Becca Under Eye Brightening Corector (Light/ Medium)

I use this product almost every time I do my makeup as I find it really does make a difference to cancelling out the purple/blue colour under my eyes and in my inner corner. The formula is quite creamy and almost sticky and therefore I just apply a small amount otherwise it interferes with the other products I use around it like concealer and lower lash line mascara. I only apply it in the area that I want to colour correct so it has lasted me a long time. Becca Cosmetics is no more as a brand but Smashbox will continue to sell this product as they were under the same umbrella company, Estée Lauder. There were just two shades in the original product which is awful, there are now four which is still terrible so I don't think I'll be repurchasing it (although I do have a backup to get through first). I'm now on the hunt for a colour corrector with a more inclusive shade range if anyone has any suggestions. Sometimes I will apply a concealer instead, it just depends on how bad the dark circles are that day.

 

Glossier Boy Brow 

I've been wearing Boy Brow on and off for almost 5 years now. It's the tinted brow product I always go back to because it has everything I want, volume, hold and a tint that matches my brows. It's so easy to use I can literally use it without a mirror because I know it won't get on the skin around my brows and make it look muddy. It makes my brows look a bit more full and groomed and that's all I really want when I'm wearing minimal makeup. Read my full review here.

 

*bareMinerals Strength & Length Serum-Infused Mascara

As you can see from the photos this is one of those mascaras that just makes it look like you have amazing natural eyelashes. It almost fans out my lashes, lengthens them and doesn't clump at all making it so easy to apply. You can build it up for more volume but I tend to just apply one coat like in the photo above and I find it just defines my lashes which is all I want for a more natural look. I love that it also has ingredients similar to a lash serum that help to strengthen your lashes as you wear it. I don't find it smudges on me and it's easy to remove.

 

Fenty Beauty Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush (Strawberry Drip) 

This is a cream blush for people who want something effortless. You can't really overdo it with this blush. As you can see from the photo it's quite a vibrant shade that some may find intimidating but I can assure you it's so easy to use. I just dab my fingers into the cream and then pat it onto my cheeks and it melts into my skin. As it's a cream that's going onto a hydrated base, it almost has a sheen to it which acts as a highlighter would. I find blush brings life to my face and makes me look much more fresh. If you wanted to be even faster with your makeup you could pat some of this onto your lips too. There are great shades in this range, something for all tastes and skin tones.

*Clarins Water Lip Stain (03 Red Water)

Clarins is one of my favourite brands for lip products and I'd wanted to try this product for a while as it seemed similar to Benefit's Benetint which I used to wear years ago. It's quite different to Benetint, much more hydrating with glycerin and aloe vera as some of the top ingredients. It leaves a stain on your lips so it's long lasting. My lips feel hydrated but don't look too shiny or glossy which makes it an ideal lip product for wearing under a mask. I apply it with the brush applicator, then pat it in and seal in the moisture with a lip balm. It gives my lips a beautiful, low maintenance red tint but they still feel nourished.

*Laura Mercier Hydrating Lip balm

I've been using stick lip balms a lot recently because they're so much easier to apply one handed as I rarely have the use of both hands these days. This one feels beautiful, has a faint rosy scent and does what it says, hydrates my lips. It has squalane, cold-pressed plum seed oil and rose extract. It's very lightweight so it works great as a lipstick primer too. I don't have much more to say about this, I've actually just used it up and I'm using a bareMinerals one now but I really enjoyed using the Laura Mercier one.

 

*PR Samples 

What are you go to products for a quick and easy makeup look? Have you used any of these products?

Emma x

Mother Of Pearl- Lily Collins Elle Magazine Inspired Makeup Look

When I saw this Elle editorial featuring Lily Collins back in November, I bookmarked it straight away in my Makeup Inspiration folder on Instagram. I also immediately looked up and followed the talented makeup artist, Polly Osmond. The combination of the winter white styling, blonde pixie cut hair and ethereal makeup is what I would describe as 60s grungey winter fairy princess, if you can imagine that. Almost like Julia Roberts as Tinkerbell in Hook mixed with Edie Sedgwick and Courtney Love. If you can't picture it, I'd encourage you to have a look yourself. I was mesmerised, as I usually am, by Lily Collins as she has such a great face for makeup. 

The look is minimal, almost reflective skin with little colour (no discernible blush or contouring products)  as LC has enough natural definition with her jawline and cheekbones. Polly used Lancôme products for the look including Teint Miracle Foundation and Teint Idôle Ultra Wear All Over Concealer. The strong dark eyebrows contrast beautifully with her short platinum blonde wig, adding to the sixties feel. Big, natural, doll eye lashes (Polly Osmond actually used Lancôme Hypnôse Doll Eyes Mascara). She also used various embellishments around the eyes including various size pearls and the Face Lace Dream Beams. The look was finished with Juicy Tubes Lip Gloss in Marshmallow Electro. You can read more about the inspiration behind the look on Elle UK.

My look isn't an exact recreation, I definitely don't have Lily Collin's beautiful bone structure and therefore needed my trusty Fenty Beauty Match Stix in Amber to give my face some definition. I also added a touch of something to my cheeks in the form of the subtle shade Pink Soap from Lisa Eldridge's Enlivening Blush range. I also used The Foundation by Lisa Eldridge as I wanted something in between dewy and matte so I didn't have to apply much powder. The Foundation is self setting so I find I need minimal powder (if any) on my combination skin. I applied under two pumps as I wanted to keep my skin looking natural and fresh. I did use a primer, the Auric Cosmetics Glow Lust in the shade Morganite (the original shade) as I find this tips the Lisa Eldridge Foundation slightly more towards the radiant side on my skin type. If I had more oily skin I would skip this step. Glow Lust also has enough reflective pigment that it evens out the redness in my skin so that I don't need to apply as much foundation all over my face. 

I gave my eyebrows a bit more structure as most Lily Collins makeup looks involve embracing her beautiful, naturally full eyebrows. I filled in the front section more than I usually would but I kept the general shape of my brows as I find this shape frames my face quite well. One of the most important features of this makeup is the eyelashes. I usually treat myself to a high end mascara in the Christmas sales every year and this year I bought the Lancôme Hypnôse Doll Eyes as I'd never tried it before. Obviously Lily Collins has much longer natural lashes than mine, I could have used false lashes but I wanted the look to be very low key and I don't usually wear false lashes. I wanted to see if I could get a similar look with just a lash curler and mascara. I made sure I spent a few minutes carefully curling my eyelashes to give them a good lift. Then I applied a coat of mascara on both upper and lower lashes. I waited for it to be almost dry and I pushed my lashes up from the base using my fingers to get some more length. I applied a second coat to both and repeated the process. I definitely found a difference in the length by doing this, however I have used other mascaras that give more length like the YSL Beauty Effet Faux Cils and the Pat McGrath Labs Dark Star. Lancôme Doll Eyes has a tapered brush that gives a more fanned out and wide-eyed look to my lashes. 

Once the lashes were done I used a tweezers to apply the pearls. They already have an adhesive on the back but you could use a lash glue or something similar if you wanted them to be more secure and last all day. I did end up losing one when I went out for a walk in the afternoon. If I was wearing this look on a night out or to an event (what are those?) I would have probably used a lash glue too. As someone with hooded eyelids, the most visible parts of my eye area when they are completely relaxed are the inner and outer corner so I decided to play up those areas and just place the pearls there. I loved how the pearls are all along the lower lash line in the editorial but I decided to give my eye a more elongated shape. 

The final touches were the tiny dusting of powder just in the centre of my face as I wanted there to be a contrast between the places I wanted to be obviously highlighted like my cheekbones and the places that usually become oily throughout the day. I added some of the Kevyn Aucoin Glass Glow Face in Prism Rose to my cheekbones as it's a product with a sheer base, a very slightly rosy tint and a reflective sheen. It's one of those products that is more about texture and reflection than pigment. I shaped my lips very slightly with a lip pencil almost identical to my natural lip colour, the NYX Professional Makeup Suede MAtte Lip Liner in Lavender and Lace and finished the look with the clear Danessa Myricks Colorfix Glaze on my lips and a touch on my eyelids.

If you take away the pearls, this is quite a natural and fresh makeup look which is what I love about it. The focus is the brows and lashes and everything else is so minimal. It's what we've been seeing from the makeup in season 2 of Euphoria too. That undetectable base and eye focused adornment that makes it believable as makeup a 17 year old might do on themselves. This has been a trend over the past few years and it's also become my philosophy when it comes to makeup. I can get away with stronger shapes, brighter shades, glitter and jewels if I keep my skin looking natural and almost like I'm not wearing foundation at all.  It's the same as the recent Lisa Eldridge 'Patchwork Skin' video, just applying product where you feel you need colour correcting or coverage. Most people don't need coverage everywhere and that's why you end up with product creasing, looking heavy and not lasting as long. If I've learned anything from professional makeup artists, it's that thin layers are key in skincare and makeup. It does depend on your skin type and what kind of look you like. If you like a full coverage foundation all over then go for it. The most important thing is that you feel happy and confident and don't take makeup too seriously. It's meant to be fun and creative and a form of self-expression.

 

Supergoop! Glow Screen SPF 30

Auric Cosmetics Glow Lust (Morganite Original)

*Lisa Eldridge The Foundation (No. 5)

Fenty Beauty Match Stix (Amber) 

Delilah Cosmetics Brow Line Retractable Eye Brow Pencil (Sable)

Refy Beauty Brow Sculpt

Smashbox X Becca Cosmetics Under Eye Brightening Corrector (Light/Medium)

Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Concealer (L2)

*Lisa Eldridge Enlivening Blush (Pink Soap)

Kevyn Aucoin Glass Glow Face (Prism Rose)

Suratt Beauty Relevée Eyelash Curler

Lancôme Hypnôse Doll Eyes Mascara

Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Blurring Under-Eye Powder (Light)

NYX Professional Makeup Suede Matte Lip Liner (Lavender and Lace) 

Danessa Myricks Colorfix Glaze (Clear)

*PR Samples/ Gifted

I'd love to know what you think of this look and if it's something you would wear? I'd also love to know if you have tried any of these products and what you think. Even though I post a lot of makeup looks to Instagram, it can be hard to see the real detail of the makeup. I take the photos with my phone and they're always compressed when posted on my Instagram feed. That's why I still like to read and write blog posts, especially when it comes to foundation reviews. I'm planning on posting a full review of the Lisa Eldridge Foundation as I've had requests for it. I'm hoping you can see more clearly how it looks on my skin in this post but please do let me know if you have any particular requests for that review such as shade comparisons. Spoiler alert though, I absolutely love it! I was hoping I would love it and I was worried it wouldn't live up to the hype I had created in my own head but it absolutely does in every way. Have you tried it yet? I'm working on a few blog posts at the moment including more opinion based ones so if there's anything you'd like to see, don't hesitate to leave a comment or send me a DM on Instagram. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog.

Emma x

Bodyography Glitter Pigments- Ambient Lux Collection

If you've read my blog for a while you may know that I'm a big fan of the brand Bodyography, in particular their Glitter Pigments. They're probably my most used eye product over the past couple of years. I would say I use them more than any palette I own. I've listed all the blog posts I've featured them in (Ten in total) at the end of this post if want to see more of the shades in action. For now though, let's talk about the new Ambient Lux Collection. It consists of four brand new shades, Spirit Quartz, Blue Morpho, Aura Glow and Solar Flare. As difficult as it was I didn't pick up all four shades. I decided to leave Solar Flare (for now) as it seemed like I could make something similar by mixing Stellar and Eclipse. Instead I bought the three former shades as I didn't have anything like them in my Glitter Pigments collection. I absolutely love these new shades, they did not disappoint. I used all three in the look below and I already can't wait to wear them again. They are officially on sale from the Bodyography website on Friday November 27th, however they are available now on Guru Makeup Emporium. 

I've been wanting to try more products from Danessa Myricks Beauty so I bought the Dew Wet Balm and Beauty Oil Mini Kit, Vision Flush in Bread-N-Butter from an Irish retailer Makeup By Claire and she was kind enough to throw in a sample size of the Vision Cream Cover Foundation in the shade No. 3 which was sadly too dark for me but I had ordered a sample size of shade No. 2 with my Guru Makeup Emporium order and that was the perfect shade match for me. It's €5.99 for a 2.5ml sample which I think is such a great idea especially at the moment when people can't get out to the shops but don't want to waste money on a foundation shade that doesn't work for them. I have been testing out the products over he past couple of weeks and they're really amazing to use. I've only tried the Vision Cream Cover a couple of times so I definitely need to test that out some more but the Beauty Oil, Vision Flush and Dew Wet Balm are all beautiful products that look amazing on my skin. I have a couple more of her products from Guru Makeup Emporium so I'll be trying those out soon too. 

Spirit Quartz, Blue Morpho, Aura Glow

Becca Cosmetics Skin Love Glow Shield Prime & Set Mist

Danessa Myricks Beauty Oil 

Danessa Myricks Vision Cream Cover Foundation (No. 2)

Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Skinstick (Amber)

Milk Makeup Matte Bronzer (Baked)

Becca Cosmetics Under Eye Brightening Corrector (Light/Medium)

PÜR 4-in-1 Love Your Selfie Foundation (LN2)

Glossier Brow Flick (Brown)

*bareMinerals Strength and Length Serum-Infused Brow Gel (Coffee)

Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Amplifying Eye Primer 

Bodyography Disco 'Til Dawn Palette (Airhead, Far Out)

**Bodyography Glitter Pigments (Spirit Quartz, Blue Morpho and Aura Glow)

Glossier Pro Tip

Pat McGrath Dark Star Mascara

Danessa Myricks Vision Flush (Bread-N-Butter)

Danessa Myricks Dew Wet Balm (Clear)

Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish (Fair 1)

Pixi Glow Mist

NYX Professional Makeup Suede Matte Lip Liner (Brooklyn Thorn)

Lisa Eldridge True Velvet Lip Colour (Velvet Fawn)

Rebeluna R02 Foundation Brush

Rebeluna Pro Blending Sponge

Real Techniques Sculpting Brush

Zoeva 125 Stippling Brush

*bareMinerals Detail Shader Brush

Zoeva 228 Luxe Crease Brush

Real Techniques Setting Brush

Real Techniques Mini Sponges

Kevyn Aucoin The Eyelash Curler

I decided to start sharing the tools that I use to create my makeup looks because they are such an important part how I apply my makeup. I was recently sent some bareMinerals brushes in PR (which I have been loving) and some Rebeluna Cosmetics Brushes as a gift from the lovely Gracey O'Connell  (who if for some reason you're not following her) is an Irish makeup artist and content creator. She is also a Brand Ambassador for Rebeluna Cosmetics. We were chatting about the brushes and when I told her I hadn't tried them yet she very kindly insisted on sending me some to try. I've since ordered some more myself (after pestering Gracey to tell me her favourites) as I loved the ones she sent so much. The R02 Foundation brush is amazing at quickly buffing on foundation, I've been absolutely loving using it. I also love the sponge and having only recently tried Beauty Blender, I can safely say that I prefer the Rebeluna sponge. Even better Rebeluna is actually an Irish brand and I am trying to support Irish brands whenever I can. I had heard a few people I follow and trust mention how much they love the brushes and I can totally see why now. 

I'd love to know if you've tried any Bodyography products or any of the other products I mentioned here. You can see the other looks I've done using Bodyography Glitter Pigments here:

Bubbly (Urban Decay Naked Honey Palette, Dreaming of the Green and Gold, Star Gold, Soft Halo) Eclipse (Soft Halo, Total Eclipse of the Rose, Uoma Beauty) 

Prism (Dreaming of the Green and Gold) 

Get Down (Get Down Tonight) 

Stellar (Low Key, Stellar Wings) 

Halo (Total Eclipse of the Halo, Soft Halo, I Can See Your Halo, Uoma Beauty)

Emma x

*PR Sample

**Bought with Pro Discount

***Glossier products are affiliate links, if you choose to shop via those links I will receive a small percentage of the sale but it won't cost you anything extra.