The Foundation Series: Second (Cream) Foundation

I admit that cream foundations aren't my favourite and thus, haven't actually tried that many. Cream foundations are better suited to those of you with normal to drier skins because creams tend to be more emoilient than liquids.

I'm setting this one out a wee bit differently to my liquid one simply because while these are beautiful foundations there aren't any I'd outright say were amazing for oily skins etc.

So let's stop blethering on and get right into my 3 picks for cream foundation. All of these are medium to full coverage but can be sheered down if you so desire.

Graftobian HD Glamour Creme Foundation

This is probably the one I'd recommend across the board. Not perfect for oilier skins but this foundation has the most gorgeous, creamy texture and makes the skin look flawless. It glides on the skin and comes in loads of different colours so if you're willing to do the research for shades online then you will be pleased. Because Graftobian is a theatrical/TV makeup brand this foundation looks perfect on camera and in photographs so if you're wanting something for TV or photography then graftobian has you covered. You can order samples of this foundation online which is a huge bonus!

Mally Ultimate Performance Professional Foundation

I really liked this foundation, I really had to set it with a powder but I really loved the look on the skin. Great for anyone with normal skin/not too out of control combo skin. Like the Graftobian option this just looks like butter on the skin, however, the shades do run a tad orangey the darker you go and there isn't a great selection of shades. But if you can find a shade match this is beautiful. Mally Roncal's line is fantastic as a whole so you should check them out at QVC!

Sleek Creme to Powder Foundation

While you would think this would be great for oily skins because it sets, you'd not be that correct. Yes, it sets to a satiny, powdered down finish but it didn't last all day on my skin. That's not to say the product isn't lovely though. In line with the whole skin like thing creams have going on Sleek does a brilliant job. I do like this foundation but I'd recommend you work in smaller sections of the face when applying it and warm it up in your fingers first to get the best application. It sets so you really don't have a lot of playtime with it. But get it right and you're skin looks so lovely. This is a great foundation if you want a matter look to your face. Also, this foundation is available in testers on Sleeks website, but go a shade range darker than you think you are. Sleek runs dark because it is a brand that caters for women of colour.

And there we go! Next week (on time!) we will look at powder and mineral foundations!

xx

The Foundation Series: (Liquid) Foundation

It's feels like I haven't blogged in a million years but it's only been a week. I took the week out from blogging to try and focus on my business plan and it hasn't really went as planned but no worries! I'm just glad to be bad in the swing of things and get back to writing my foundation series.

This Monday is all about liquid foundations for different skin types. Liquid is one of the most versatile because it can be mixed in with moisturisers and other foundations to create different effects. To top it off, it's the most widely available type of medium. 

 

Oily

First up is oily skin, which I think can be the trickiest to cater for. My number one pick for really oily skin is Revlon's Colourstay Foundation in the oily/combo range. This is a full coverage foundation (that can be sheered down) that sets on the skin. However, because it sets you do have to work quickly to make sure you don't get streaks. This is a favourite for a lot of people with oily skin. The only issue is finding a colour match.

Combo

This is where most liquids reside and will suit most people. But my two favourites lay in this section and depending on how dry/oily you are you can definitely use these. We'll get the higher end product out the way: MAC Face and Body. If you're even remotely familiar with the beauty/makeup artistry community then you'll know about this product. It has a really watery consistency but it sets on the skin to a dewy finish. This can be easily powdered down though. Face and Body is a sheer to medium foundation. It's better to work in small layers rather than plaster loads on at once (a general tip with makeup). It's best applied with hands, rubbed between them until it thickens up and gently rubbed amd patted on the skin. It looks incredibly skin like and if you don't want or need too much coverage then try it out.

Numba 2 is L'Oreal's True Match Foundation. Again, a popular one but it's a really beautiful foundation. It has a thin texture and leaves the skin with a gorgeous satin finish so it's suitable for a lot of skins. True Match can be built all the way up to full coverage and comes in 22 shades. And is under a tenner! Bargain! If you do have drier, flakey skin and you like this foundation, make sure you moisturise well. If not, Face and Body is great and doesn't cling. 

Dry

Dry skin's biggest problem is making sure nothing clings to dry patches. The Healthy Mix foundations from Bourjois are fantastic for drier skin. The Serum Foundation in particular is lightweight and moisturising enough to keep dry skins happy and looking healthy because of their dewy finishes. The standard Healthy Mix has better coverage but extremely dry skins will appreciate the Serum version a lot better because of the fact it is gel based and more hydrating (this is also great for dehydrated skins regardless of skin type)

Another good tip for dry skin is, if you don't mind Sheering the foundation out, mix it with some moisturiser. Then once you have a nice base you can build up coverage in the places you need it.

But I want to know what you're skin type is and what foundations you love :)

Next week, we'll talk about creams and mousses and which ones are worth looking at as a starting point.

xx

The Foundation Series: Forward to Foundation and How To Choose

Last week, we introduced the idea that picking a foundation that is going to suit your skin isn't really the easiest quest (although, anyone who has ever worn a foundation will tell you that) and the different types of foundation that exist.

Today, I want to talk about how to narrow all those different kinds of foundation down to things that are more likely to suit you. Now, this is going to be a rough guide - of course you don't have to strictly follow it. Rules are made to be broken and you could just be a wee anomaly that defies all conventions but it is useful to have the knowledge to help deduce which kinds of foundations to go for. All mediums of foundation can suit all skin types, there's no rules, just guides.

Let's Sherlock this shit!

Oily Skin

Oily skin can be a pain in the arse when trying to find a product that will actually last more than 5 minutes on the skin. While you can go for liquids and creams you might have a lot of luck with minerals and powders as the natural excess of oil turns minerals, in particular, into a beautiful creamy finish on the skin. If you're going for a liquid or cream, something with a matte or satin finish is best as it'll look dewy as the day goes on rather than oily. Matte finishes make it easier to control the oil and you'll not have as much of a bother of caking up as a normal or dry skin would. You can use a dewy foundation but you run the risk of looking like a disco ball and caking the skin with too much powder. 

Normal

Normal skin is the easiest to buy for. All you have to do is pick a finish and a medium to work with and batter on in!

Dry

Dry skin can be just as hard as oily skin to figure out. In general, water based foundations and emollient creams are best for drier skin because if you haven't got on top of your skincare then powders and minerals can look a bit dry and ageing. Of course you can go for a powder but I really wouldn't suggest it unless you are mixing it with water but in that case, it's easier to buy a liquid or cream. So in general, it's better to go for wet things, not dry.

Combination

Now, combination skin can mean anything. It can be a oily/normal, oily/dry, dry/normal etc. and this probably fits the majority of people out there. The best way to do this is decide on what is the most problematic area of the face, in my case (oily/normal) it's my T-zone that's super oily so I use a foundation that sets so that I'm not having to powder too much to retain a dewy finish that complements my more normal skin. 

The trick is to pick the area that hardest to control. If you have super dry cheeks but an oilier T-zone then pick a foundation that doesn't make the dry patches look awful and powder the T-zone down with a good mattifying powder. If you have the money and the time then it is entirely possible to buy two different foundations in order to get the look you want but, if I'm honest, that's expensive and a little unneeded. Ain't no one got time for that shit.

Unless you do then go ahead!

You might be wondering why I haven't included things like sensitive skin or mature skin. There's a simple reason: they are not skin types in the same way the list above is. You don't have either oily, normal, dry, sensitive or mature skin. Sensitive and mature are states and conditions of the skin. I have ridiculously sensitive skin but that doesn't negate the fact my T-zone looks like the BP oil spill at the end of the day. Those are things that make the search harder but only you (should) know what makes you break out or dries out your skin more. Makeup is a temporary fix, not a long term solution. You should be tackling your skin issues with skincare and covering over with makeup.

And that concludes this guide to how to start picking a foundation that is good for you. Next week, I'm going in depth on different Liquids and how there are thousands of foundations in this category that can suit any skin type.

xx

How To Make Your Lipstick Last Longer

Time for a wee makeup tip that everyone really should know and apply on those times you want to enjoy your day/night and not have to worry about having to constantly pull out your compact and lipstick and reapply. Because no one has time for that shit.

This one is simple and while it does take some extra effort on the application part but it really does make your lips last a lot longer than just putting on one layer.

1. Grab your lipstick and apply a layer of lipstick

 2. Moosh your lips thegither for a good 30 seconds/minute or so. This lets the colour really get into the lips and helps create a stain on them.

3. Blot with a clean tissue

4. Apply another layer of lipstick/Moosh/Blot.

5. Apply/Moosh.

6. Then grab a fluffy brush, translucent powder and a split in half tissue. Place the tissue and place it over your lips. Take some powder and gently pat it over your lips.

Voila! Your lips are now ready to go.

I know that seems a bit overkill but I think the combination of thin layers and setting with a powder lets you build up the colour without having loads of extra moisture on the lips.

If you try this out then let me know!

xx

Orange Lips: Get the look

Fashion trends are weird things. Sometimes we get a variations of a last years trend, sometimes we get what was fashionable a few years ago and sometimes we get the same thing that everyone makes out is the newest thing that as ever hit the Earth's surface. The orange lip trend is the latter.

But I'm not complaining. I love orange lips. If I'm honest, I just love any bold lip colour because it;s an easy way to spice up an old look and the easy woman's way of making look polished.

So, in the spirit of spring and summer I'll share with you some of my favourite ways to wear an orange lip.

Tutti Fruiti 

 

For fear of repeating myself I'm going to quickly mention Revlon's Lip Butter in Tutti Fruiti. I did mention this last week in my favourite spring lipsticks but it is the perfect way to wear orange lips if you are nervous about going full on. If you want a more detailed paragraph on Tutti Fruiti then click here.

NYX Lip Pencil Orange  

If you want a great, bold, deeper orange colour without having to touch up a lot throughout the day then it's best to use a lip liner all over the lips and the my lip liner of choice is NYX's offering of their slim pencil in Orange (no beating around the bush here with NYX). You'll like this if you Lady Danger by MAC.

I do love this product, the colours can be hit or miss but Orange is definitely a hit. It's dry enough to last and not travel but moist enough to not feel disgustingly stiff and waxy on the lips. I would moisturise the lips and let it sink in before applying the pencil to ensure maximum comfort. But this is a tip I would advocate doing regardless of what lip product you are wearing. If the lips are properly moisturised then they are less likely to absorb what goes on top if them, letting the product fade evenly throughout the day.

Revlon Balm Stain Matte Audicious

This is a stunning colour, however, it is a bit dry so be careful when applying it. I'm including it in this list because it really the orange colour of this year. It's in your face almost neon and it would look great with a tan or on darker skin tones because it would look even more neony.

This is also a great colour to layer. If you put a bright pink lipgloss over this it turns into the most beautiful pinky/orange sunset colour. It retains its boldness but changes to something more "pretty" rather than high fashion.

Sleek Eau La La Liner in Pumpkin

This pencil is a great colour if you want something not as bright as Revlon but still definitely orange. It goes on the lips as a gorgeous true orange. Like a Pumpkin, as the name suggests. Another great perk of these pencils is that they can be used all over the face. Orange liner is incredibly cool in the summer!

Let me know what your favourite orange colours are for this spring/summer! I'd love you know!

xx

The Foundation Series: Prelude To Foundation

 
Finding the right foundation is like finding your soulmate. You feel whole, healthy and like you can take on the world.

Or at least I do. Stupid green undertones...

In all seriousness, it is hard to find a foundation that you want to repurchase over and over. And more importantly, in the vast sea of skin perfectors it can be a daunting task to pick on if you don't know where to start. 

This is where Moondrop Title comes to the rescue. Like my Primer Saga, I will take you through an in depth explanation of all the different kinds of foundations and which skin types they suit and how to choose the right foundation. This little series will run every Monday for the next 5 weeks because there is a lot to cover.

Our "Prelude to Foundation" will be covering all the types of foundations there are. There are 3 main "genres" of foundation: Liquid, Cream and Powder. Of course, that's an overgeneralisation because their are also "subgenres" that fit under these main headings. But we'll start like Liquid because most of us will be familiar with it because it is the most widely available.

What is a Liquid?

This might seem like an obvious questions and it kind of is but liquid covers a variety of textures. Some are more watery, some are thicker and just like our primers can be either water or silicone based. Liquids are easier available and great to work with because they can be worked into the skin for a really natural coverage and they are the most versatile type of foundation because there is one to suit all skin types. They also come in a multitude of coverage types.

What is a Cream?

Cream foundations are just like a solid liquid foundation and they tend to offer a heavier coverage, but they can be sheered down. These include Mousse and Stick foundations so the delivery systems can vary a lot more than a liquid does. Cream foundations can be just as versatile as liquid and in certain cases look more skin like.

What is a Powder?

Mineral foundations fit under this category. Powders usually tend to be better for drier skins and tend not to look amazing on drier skins. Minerals and Powders work very similiarly with the main difference that Mineral foundations tend to meld better into the skin and look more dewy after time. Powders tend to stay relatively matte.

And that concludes our first and brief introduction to Foundation. Next week I'll talk about how to begin picking a foundation and the things you should be considering when looking for the HG product.

xx

Perfumes: Eau de What?

There are a million and one different names and types of perfumes out there and it can be a bit confusing if you're not familiar with the names of them. Do I want a Perfume? Eau de Parfum? What's the difference?

Generic Stock Photo!

I had a brief love of making solid perfumes a few months ago until I realised it was too expensive and I don't have an infinite supply of money to spend on smelly stuff (if only!). I'm super picky about perfumes and smells because I have a stupidly strong sense of smell so most things smell like a super intense offactory assault. That and nearly all perfumes smell like shite on my skin after they settle down. I like simple, single or two note smells. Like a wee bit of vanilla. It smells nice on me so that's what I like.

Now, I know that it's easy to google but I think it's nice to be helpful and I have made a nice wee list of the different strengths of common types of perfume. I mean, I know there's a Eau Fraiche but I've never seen one in my life. Well, that I'm aware. And it's super weak and seems like a waste of time and money to me.

Perfumes, more often than not, are a mixture of essentials oils and essenses (Perfume oil) diluted in alcohol. So the more oil in the ratio, the more intense and long lasting the smell.

Perfum/Perfum Oil

Note, the lack of "e" on the end. This means that it's the strongest concentrate of Perfume Oil and is more expensive than others. 'I've included perfum oils in this as well because oil based perfumes tend to be really strong and fall into this top tier smellathon category.

Concentration of about 20-30%

Eau de Parfum

The one we are probably most familiar with and is the most commonly bought. It is a step down in strength from Perfum but still long lasting.

Concentration of about 15-20%

Eau de Toilette

Again, another common incarnation of smelly bottle sprays. This, we all know is a watered down version of the Eau de Parfum. The upside to an Eau de Toilette is you get the same smell but cheaper - as long as you don't mind the lost of wear time.

 Concentration of about 10-15%

Eau de Cologne

I don't see this kicking about a lot but I'm not a master Perfumererererer or anything so mibbe I'm wrong. But I'm including it because I've seen them in the real world. Not like Eau Fraiche. What is that?

Also, mind to not spell it Colon... I've seen that happen a lot and it leads to some hilarious results.

Mhhmmmm, I love the smell of his colon.

Furthermore (like my essay terminology there?), while Manfume can be called Cologne as a generic term, it tends to be a Eau de Perfum/Toilette rather than an Eau de Colon Cologne.

Concentration of about 2-5%

And there we have it! I don't know if this post was wanted or even needed but it was information I found interesting while in a brief Perfumery stage. These concentrations are just what I've gathered from various websites on making perfumes and certain people say slightly different things but the figures I've listed are general consensus.

I hope you enjoyed this wee post and I'll see you all next Monday :)

xx

Spring Trends: White Eyeliner and Orchid Lips

These wee look is a combo of my two favourite spring look this year! I'm really loving the white liner trend and I'm loving the orchid lip even more (who the fuck doesn't love purple?!). I love the boldness of the two paired thegither and to make it look more grounded I kept my brows messy by just putting of brow mousse threw it. I loved it!

Creepy Half Smile

Stoner face with messy hair. My shitey attempt at a selfie #lulz

Face

 

 

 

Illamasqua Cream Pigment in an unknown colour. I'm sure it's discontinued though. I use this to counteract my grey/black undereyes.

MAC Face and Body C3

MAC Prolongwear Concealer NC30

MUA Powder Shade 3

Eyes

 

 

NYX HD Eye Primer

myface Cosmetics Palette in A Whole Latte Love (I don't this brand even exists anymore but any warm brown to go in the crease will do).

 Sleek Eau La La in Whitenoise

blinc Eyebrow Mousse in Dark Brown

bareMinerals Lash Domination

Lips/Highlight

Laura Geller Vanilla Highlighter (This is available as a single)

Revlon Matte Balm Stain in Shameless

Revlon Balm Stain in Darling

I hope you liked the look as much as I did!

What do you think of the current spring/summer trends?

xx

My favourite Spring Lipsticks

While I'm a big advocater of wearing whatever the hell you want, sometimes you try to summon the sun by wearing some lovely spring/summer colours. I love lipsticks and I find that lip colours can change a look totally depending on what you pick. So they are easy way to shake up an old routine without having to learn a million new techniques. That, and a lipstick can easily be used as a cream blusher - 2 in 1, marvellous! 

This post is very Revlon heavy. Like, totally Revlon but I really didn't mean it to be. I just really love them and they are my go to brand for most lip products. My goal for this post was to put up high street products because we can't always afford to splash out and the cheaper the makeup, the more you can buy ;)

None of these lipsticks are new at all but they are firm favourites of mine and I have them in my makeup bag all year round. 

Tutti Fruiti, Tutti Fruiti! Tutti Fruiti

 First up is Revlon's lip butter in Tutti Fruiti. This is a great lipstick to try if you want do the orange lip trend but don't want to  go with a super opaque orange. Like all the lip butters, it has a glossy finish as they are something that's in between a lipstick and gloss. They are super comfy to wear but this makes them not the longest lasting lipstick.

Perfect Peach

The next lip butter is Juicy Papaya. God, I cannae put into words how perfect this colour is. It's a soft, light peachy colour without entering into the nude arena. It screams spring and like Tutti Fruitti is easy and comfortable to wear. This one lasts a wee bit longer on my lips than auld Tutti but not by much. I recommend this lipstick to everyone. It's just so goddamn, fucking beautiful! 

Orchid, Darling!

Last, but certainly not least is an old Revlon lip balm stain in Darling. Darling is a sort of lavender/orchidy colour and like Tutti Fruiti, is a great way of trying the orchid lip without going bold. I know these disappointed a lot of people but I really liked the original line of these and Darling is one of my most used lipsticks. What can I say, anything remotely purple and I'm all over it!

(Saying that, mixing this and Shameless for the matte line makes the most perfect orchid lip. Been loving that)

That's my favourite Spring lip colours,  what are yours? I'd love to know, so feel free to share in the comments or on twitter @moondroptitle!

Xx