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TBF Project:Blog
Posted by Dain, Friday, October 12, 2007 8:03 AM (Eastern)
Inspired by Allure Best of Beauty issue, here is a list of personal bests and current obsessions. I have left it somewhat fluid because it takes a team of beauty maniacs and fumeheads to make a list worthy of universality, but personal recommendations must count for something. ; ) Please feel free to share yours!
FACE FORWARD
Bésame Soufflé Foundation is tentatively my HG concealer, a finish as impeccable as Clé de Peau, longevity equal to Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer but easier to blend (it "sets" after a minute), and it takes a note out of the book of YSL with a touch of peach to divide the light from the darkness. I cannot vouch for how it creases or settles into fine lines, and certainly a pot is a comparative inconvenience, but just look at the price difference!
Clé de Peau $68 for 5 g, $13.60/g
YSL Touche Eclat $39.50 for 3 g, $13.57/g
Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer $45 for 18 g, $2.5/g
Bésame Soufflé Foundation $34 for 17 g, $2/g!!!
Caron Poudre Peau Fine The best face powder, bar none. Finely milled, tightly pressed, scented with Caron's gorgeous rose extract, plus a luxurious gold compact. Just a touch of coverage to blur imperfections and somehow... it adds a subtle glow, like the possession of grace, or a team of lighting experts. I apply powder with a sponge, a Kevyn Aucoin trick. It gives you the most controlled coverage.
THE CRUX OF COLOR: BLUSH
More and more, I am starting to feel that blush is the most important color cosmetic. It's not the flashiest of cosmetics, by any means, but the right blush lights up your entire face with a minimum of fuss. It is the key to unlocking your coloring. Shades that work with your perfect blush are shades that by default work on you. Mine is the bright, cool rose of Becca Wild Orchid (I am currently using NARS Sin as displayed above, but I dislike the shimmer): thus, roses and reds to match, violets and greys to complement, and blue to contrast. In my opinion, this is the most reliable method of choosing colors, if vague. If a warm pink lit my fires, I might be partial to brown and gold as complements, and if peaches were my delectation, olive shimmer would be the perfect contrast.
ALL ABOUT EYES
It is easy to forget brows, but it is a small gesture that does so much. I never really thought much about it until I was introduced to Kevyn Aucoin The Precision Brow, and it performs small miracles, not least of which is that it is totally idiot-proof.
My lashes always get the same treatment: Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler (there exists no other), the richest black mascara I can find, L'Oréal Carbon Black Voluminous, and a slick of supersoft superblack kohl on the inner rim, Too Faced Lava Gloss, which even my gets-hoards-of-free-Chanel-makeup roommate would steal.This combination gives the lushest lashes without resorting to false lashes: the intensity of the black and the densifying effect of tightlining.
I wish NARS All About Eve came as a single, but the shade I do use is unparalleled. It is an entirely unassuming silvered beige with peachy undertones, but really it is like candlelight on the lids, there is a certain complexity to the shimmer itself and the way it catches light. Equally better-than-basic is the dusky sable shimmer of MAC Teddy Eye Kohl; there are many brown liners in this universe, but this one is "specialer". To spice things up, I turn to the ethereal lilac of Chanel Lavande Soft Touch Eyeshadow or the rich sea blue of my newfound L'Oéal HIP Sassy Duo as liner. Both are strikingly flattering on my brown eyes, the lilac in a delicate, feminine way and the sea blue is just gorgeously edgy but not at all harsh.
LIP LOVE
Dr. Hauschka Lip Balm is so expensive, but it smells so good (weirdly botanical, candied rose), with the perfect texture, and it softens lips so perfectly. It has just a bit of shine for a natural look, and mixes well with lipstick and liner.
My everyday lipcolor is NARS Gothika Lip Gloss, a sophisticated berry-infused rose, it has the ideal combination of natural but sophisticated to suit any and every situation. Otherwise, I'm really loving Bésame Enchanting Lipstick for the masterfully mixed colors, peerless formula, and the cute gilt bullet tube. I am the proud owner of every shade but one.
SKIN ESSENTIALS
I despised Allure's skincare list, it was silicone valley, though the rest was fun reading.
The best cleansers are gentle but thorough and leave no residue behind: Johnson's Head-to-Toe Baby Wash, Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser, and Lancôme Bi-Facil.
When it comes to moisturizers, there are three qualities that are important: (1) the right level of moisture for your skin type, (2) a minimum of fillers that do nothing, such as silicones, yet a highly absorptive texture, and (3) a pleasant scent. The moisturizers that fulfill these qualifications are rather few in number. For oily or acne-prone skin, I like Better Botanicals Sandalwood Moisturizer and Kiehl's Blue Herbal Moisturizer. For normal and combination, I recommend Jurlique Calendula Cream, though the high concentration of calendula may irritate those who have ragweed allergies. And for dry skin, my personal favorite is Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré. I do not believe in eye creams, because they are equivalent to face creams, just packaged in smaller jars, unless your concern is dark circles or puffiness, but that falls under the realm of treatment, not hydration.
I hate sunscreens for the way the feel and smell, and as such, never wear any, though that's like breaking the holy rule of skincare or something. But Olay Complete has full-spectrum protection with none of the unpleasantness, and it comes in a fragrance-free formula.
Exfoliants should be chosen on the basis of the "thickness" of the skin. Delicate skin is generally drier, sensitive, and fine-pored, while tough skin has the opposite attributes. I recommend two physical scrubs: Bliss Labs Pore-Perfecting Facial Polish is packed to the brim with round particles that won't tear the skin and salicylic acid for its anti-acne, brightening properties, and Primavera Refining Exfoliating Cleanser for truly gentle polishing on delicate skin. As chemical exfoliants go, I am fond of Biologique Recherche Lotion P50, one of the oddest, temperamental products I've met, but amazingly effective.
When it comes to treatments, I favor oils and serums because they are easily layered underneath your regular moisturizers (which is why I prefer basic hydration... it is easier to switch the treatment underneath depending on the skin's condition). Normal skin will enjoy the rose-scented, skin-brightening, antioxidant cocktail of Jurlique Herbal Recovery Treatment. For oiliness, Decéor Aromaessence Ylang Ylang works wonders, and Burt's Bees Repair Serum remedies dryness and sensitivity (my mom stole mine and one of her friends liked it so much that she in turn took it too). For anti-acne, anti-aging concerns, there's nothing more potent (it quite burned my sensitive skin) than La Prairie Retexturizing Booster, which will also double as an exfoliant. On blemishes, a dab of Fresh Umbrian Clay Treatment left overnight sucks out nasties, and I like another Fresh product, Lotus Eye Gel, to treat puffiness.
BATH & BODY & HAIR & NAILS
I love the French-milled shea-butter soaps from Mistral, with their wide array of scents that are sure to please. And for the wonderful but offbeat scents (Bitter Almond, Cedar, Basil Lemon, Mint Tea, Fig, Jasmine) of Korres Showergels I have nothing but praise.
Dry skin cannot face Palmer's Cocoa Butter Lotion (I prefer fragrance free) and live, while gorgeously scented Badger Evolving Massage & Body Oil is not only good for massage and body but also as a cuticle oil.
There is no better nail polish than Essie, in terms of formula and ease of application, especially when it offers such classic shades as A-List (perfect red), Mademoiselle (perfect French manicure pink), and Wicked (perfect dark, a burgundy). While polish is still not entirely dry, a coat of Seche Vite dries like glass for fast results.
I have an unorthodox approach to my hair. I use the cheapie $0.99 conditioner from the supermarket for gentle cleansing (currently testing VO5 Vanilla Mint Tea) and a dab of PHYTO 7 on the ends for light definition, shine, and protection. And I mix the fantastic Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Moisturizing Conditioner with equal parts honey and aloe vera, plus a dash of olive oil (also known as SMT), for the deepest hydration you can imagine.
SCENTS SENSE
Mm... the dangers of cheesy alliteration, I'll take Allure's categories.
I am not particularly a fan of anything that's been launched recently, but there is no "modern" that quite tickles the nose with delight as BVLGARI Blv Notte pour Femme, an "abstract gourmand" like its more famous cousin, Thierry Mugler Angel, without turning to urine on the skin. A beautifully faceted bright musk, accented by vodka, iris, ginger, and powdery dark chocolate: an unexpected but easy pleaser that has made my friends run out and buy their own bottle. Caron Parfum Sacre is without a doubt my favorite "classic" scent, though it's not really that old. It smells like, oh incense and rose and neroli and aldehydes at first, which is pretty old-fashioned, before settling down into the most wonderful skin scent, like the lingering smell of the best soap in the world bought from some-out-of-the-way European apothecary. The best floral and spice both from Serge Lutens. I wonder if I shall ever get my hands on a bottle of Serge Lutens Tubéreuse Criminelle, it's the most mouth-watering rendition of tuberose ever, and it just exudes sex appeal. Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan is somehow simultaneously dry and warm, powdery and crystalline, perhaps the grandest exhibition of amber of all time. I cannot but agree with Frédéric Malle that this is one of the best scents of all time. Such charm resides in a bottle of L'Occitane Eau de Miel, like meadowflowers drenched in sunshine. I am not really a fan of citrus scents, but even I can recognize the mastery behind the herb-infused Annick Goutal Eau d'Hadrien. It also makes the best "unisex". Serge Lutens Vetiver Oriental is positively erotic, dry and animalic, on a man.
Labels: beauty notes, magazines
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