I promised to report back on my Pretty Powerful Make-up Lesson with the lovely Rachael at my local Bobbi Brown counter. Here is the lowdown on the products she used to give me a lovely glowy make-up look… it was such a positive experience, where I learned new tricks and was in awe of the extent of Rachael’s product knowledge and expertise. This should come as standard at beauty counters, but we all know it isn’t always the case. Although I wasn’t wearing make-up, the process began with a deep cleanse and hydrating skincare, which no doubt contributed to The Glow. I was as impressed by the skincare as the make-up - and will write a separate ode on that - today, it’s all about the make-up!
New Tricks: I’d wanted to try Bobbi Brown creamy concealer and foundation for a while, so these were the two products I was most excited about. Rachael used Creamy Corrector in Extra Light Bisque to counteract shadows and Creamy Concealer in Ivory to help even out my skin tone. For me, it was unusual not to have foundation and concealer overlapping around the eye area. I always apply foundation right up to my lash line, then layer concealer on top. Rachael explained that using only corrector and concealer in this area maintained a finer texture, which would last longer and be less likely to sink into fine lines. Makes total sense… I love to learn little tricks like this which help with everyday make-up application.
Embracing the Pale: After discussing my skin type and make-up requirements in detail, Moisture Rich Foundation SPF15 in Porcelain was applied using a traditional foundation brush. Dry/dehydrated skins will love this base, which somehow skims imperfections, gives a medium natural coverage and radiant finish. I’m besotted with the stuff and can’t believe I didn’t discover it sooner. Can I just take a moment to point out how light in colour these products are… this was pre self-tanning season and it was *so* refreshing to be perfectly colour matched, veering on the pale side. Being colour matched to products that are too dark is one of my pet hates and I always lean towards the light for its light reflecting, skin-flattering effect. The same product in a shade darker can have the opposite effect (I could rant about this all day - another post perhaps).
Get the Glow: I was nervous about cancelling out the dewiness of the base, but could see that it needed set… at which point I discovered another gem of a product: Brightening Finishing Powder in Porcelain Pearl. Not only is it super cute, this little pastel compact mattified and set my foundation where needed, while adding extra radiance: make-up magic. My skin was warmed slightly with Bronzer in Medium and a flush added to my cheeks with Pot Rouge in Fresh Melon. Another lesson learnt: if you’re nervous about using cream blush, choose one in a pale shade - much less daunting, easier to control and gives a lovely natural finish. This one is dreamy.
Wide Eyes: Golden Pink Shadow Stick was applied over a base of Ivory eyeshadow, before Perfectly Defined Gel Liner in Scotch (*the* most perfect bronze shade) was added to my upper lash line. Another new experience… no liner on my lower lash line. I wasn’t too sure about the effect of this, possibly as I’m just not used to it, though admit it gives a more wide-eyed effect. After lashings of Duo Mascara, Rachael defined my brows with the Light Brow Kit, which comes with its own mini brush, tweezers and a mirror that flips out to magnify the tiniest hairs (& lots of other stuff I don’t wanna see!). To finish the look, my lips were coated in sheer Bright Pink Lipgloss layered over Rich Lip Color Lipstick in Sweet Nectar (bright coral orange).
A huge thank you to Rachael at the Bobbi Brown counter in House of Fraser, Belfast for putting me completely at ease and being a total sweetheart… my top picks are pictured above and you can see my final look (no filter Klaxon) here.
