It’s Friday, the weekend is upon us… Today’s post is all about you and how you can highlight your own natural beauty!
Two gorgeous friends of mine, Sarah (face of my fashion label) and her sister Lauren, volunteered to be the faces of this weeks ‘Feature Friday.’ They both love and rave about Benefit make-up which is why today we will be focusing on Benefit products, but of course feel free to play around with whichever brands you like.
Obviously we girls wear make-up to enhance what Mother Nature may or may not have blessed us with, but on top of that make-up should be fun! Something to play around and experiment with and to give us a much needed confidence boost. Believe it or not though, applying make-up can be a daunting prospect for some. It can take practice… Liquid Eyeliner anyone? False Eyelashes? (My personal nightmare!) Sometimes it’s hard to know what suits or what’s in trend. As such it can be difficult to perfect the look you’re after be it for a big night out or just for the every working day. When we heard that Benefit offered a free 30 minute make-up lesson, we couldn’t resist the opportunity to pay them a visit. Who better to learn from than the experts?
Listed below is a guide to the products you’ll need if you want to recreate the looks showcased by Sarah and Lauren.
Always remember that less is more. Its far easier to add to your look than it is to take product away. Anyone that’s had a mishap with eyeliner will know what I’m talking about!
Sarah’s Look
Before… After…
If you want to achieve this look then you’ll need the following…
Get the base right… In order for make-up to look good, the skin needs to be prepped accordingly!
Start with a good cleanser. Foamingly Clean Facial Wash removes all traces of old makeup and impurities and is suitable for every skin type priced at £17.50. Follow with toner, Moisture Prep Toning Lotion £23.50. Naturally it does what it says on the bottle but this magic product also shifts any leftover impurities (dead skin cells to me and you) leaving you with more radiant skin. The last skincare step and one of the most important is to moisturise! Make-up just doesn’t sit right on the skin without this final step. Triple Performing Facial Emulsion SPF 15 £21.50 is an oil-free lotion and should be applied every morning after cleansing and toning.
Use an eye brightening cream to reduce the appearance of dark circles. It’s Potent! Eye Cream £25.50. (Apply delicately under the eyes.)
Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow! £26.50 is an oil-free brightening liquid foundation that will give you good coverage whilst retaining a luminous glow. (If you prefer a more matte look then you can add a face powder at this stage.)
For a rosy natural looking glow, apply Dallas blusher £23.50 to the apples of your cheek. It can also be dusted across the forehead near your hairline, down the nose and across the chin. Just don’t forget after sweeping the brush across the blush powder, to tap the excess off first. You can always add more later.
Watt’s Up! is a highlighter that gives your look an added extra. Apply to cheeks and brow bones and blend for a luminous glowing complexion. £24.50
Sarah’s eye look was created with the Smokin’ Eyes (eye and brow kit) £28.50. Use the lighter shade across the whole lid and up towards the brow bone. Blend the darker colour at the outer edge of the eye and up into the crease. The more dark shadow you apply, the smokier the look will be. Have a play around with this!
Any eyeliner can be used but we prefer a good liquid or gel based type. They’re Real! Push Up Liner £18.50 doesn’t smudge and is easy-ish to apply. Practice makes perfect but once you’ve got the knack you’ll never look back.
Finish with a good black mascara. They’re Real! Mascara £19.50 does all it promises on the packaging! Lengthens, curls, volumises, lifts and separates lashes!
If you’re blessed with strong brows like Sarah, you won’t need anything for them except to keep them groomed. For all us mere mortals I absolutely love Brow Zings £24.50 which literally comes with everything you need including minature tweezers!
For lips you can use lipgloss or lipstick, whichever you prefer. Just remember the eye is the main attraction in this look so downplay the lips slightly. When in doubt the rule tends to be this… Dramatic eyes goes hand in hand with low key lips. Natural eyes allows for a more dramatic lip look such as bright red lippy! Think Taylor Swift!
To create the second look (below) you will initially need the same skincare products and eye brightening cream as listed previously.
Lauren’s Look
To minimise the appearance of pores and fine lines, apply The POREfessional £24.50 before foundation.
Then for your base, use Big Easy foundation £27.50 which will even out skintone, conceal any imperfections and control shine! Perfect for those whose skin is slightly less so.
Rockateur cheek powder £23.50 is a gorgeous rose gold colour. Apply to your cheeks and cheekbones and follow with Watts’s Up highlighter.
Big Beautiful Eyes £25.50 is an eye palette made up of alabaster pinks, cocoa shimmer and rich chocolate brown. It comes with a handy guide on how to create different looks. Again use the lighter colour over the whole lid and apply the darker shadow more densely at the outer edge. Remember to blend! They’re Real! Push Up Liner was used for added impact and They’re Real! Mascara was applied to upper and lower lashes.
Girl Meets Pearl £24.50 is a soft golden pink colour that gives skin a dewy, luminous appearance. Pat lightly over makeup. High Beam £19.50 is another fantastic complexion enhancer which gives skin a soft, radiant glow and should be ‘dotted’ and blended onto cheek and browbones.
Brow Zings eyebrow kit was used to define brows.
Lastly, Sugarbomb Ultra Plush lip gloss £14.50 is a shimmering pink nude gloss that perfectly finishes off this glam look!
All products listed can be found at: http://www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk/product/main/makeup
Now for competition time… As promised I will be giving away to one lucky winner this Benefit ROCKitude! Lip and cheek kit worth £25.50.
justcaptivates 