Lay The Right Foundation For Flawless, All Day Beauty

While I am an absolute fan of the ‘barely there’ no makeup look that has been popular for a long while now, there are some situations where it just doesn’t cut it! Like, when you need to take over the world, or get married, or win an Oscar, or globe trot from boardroom to boardroom. Or just get through a long, hot, rainy, cool, sweaty, busy day. You don’t really want makeup migration in all directions all over your face. You don’t need a little meltdown at the wedding. What you do need, is a handy long-lasting foundation, there for you through thick and thin, something with a bit of backbone!

Beauty Tech is our friend!

Some long-lasting foundations had a bad reputation in the past, for being cakey and drying out the skin. Well, technology in beauty and makeup is definitely our friend and the formulations are silky, smooth and lightweight, they don’t dry out the skin and yet last and last when you need them most!

So, whatever is on your skincare ‘be gone with you’ list – be it dark circles, scars, blemishes, pigmentation, redness, visible pores or any other gremlins, it’s worth finding yourself one of the foundation friends that does not abandon you after a paltry couple of hours!

Prime spot

One of the best ways to ensure your makeup stays put while you get around, is to use a primer under your makeup. Primers don’t have an immediate visible effect, but they do work hard for their money – minimising the appearance of pores and keeping the foundation on top firmly in place. Laura Mercier has a winner with its Foundation Primer. A colourless, lightweight creamy gel that creates an invisible layer that acts as a buffer to outside elements. It keeps your makeup looking fresh and colour-true all day. As an added bonus it contains Vitamins A, C, and E, which are antioxidants and protect the skin from harmful, aging effects of the environment. If you are in a warm weather climate, you can keep it in the fridge before applying for a refreshing blast that reduces puffiness.

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer

Keep going!

Once you have done your preparation, it’s time to choose your hard worker! A product that stops me from doing a Cinderella and leaving at midnight is Guerlain Tenue De Perfection Timeproof Foundation Ultimate Lasting Perfection SPF 20 / PA++. It is a delight when it comes to colour and texture, with a velvety soft finish. It blends into my skin for a perfect-looking complexion, and then it lasts, and lasts, and last! After-party anyone? 

Guerlain Tenue De Perfection Timeproof Foundation Ultimate Lasting Perfection SPF 20 / PA++

Another favourite long-wearing foundation is Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup SPF 10. Like Estée herself, this foundation is hard working and innovative. A worry-free 15 hours of staying power that stays fresh and natural-looking for all the activity we can dream of getting up to! It also comes in a wide range of colours so you can match your skin tone perfectly! 

Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup SPF 10

Magic mist!

So, you’ve primed your face, used a long-lasting foundation and done the rest of your makeup and you can’t help a little ‘wow’ as you look in the mirror! You need your makeup to stay EXACTLY like this all day! There is one more trick, used by catwalk makeup artists everywhere – it’s fixing spray! These are fine mists, often with nourishing and cooling properties that set your makeup ‘just so’. Yes! A magic mist that keeps your game face on all day! A brilliant fixing spray is Clinique Moisture Surge Face Spray Thirsty Skin Relief. It helps set makeup, replenish thirsty skin, and restore moisture equilibrium. Its gentle texture provides an immediate feeling of freshness and well-being, leaving the skin soft and supple. Just spritz and be merry! 

Clinique Moisture Surge Face Spray Thirsty Skin Relief

So, it’s easy to keep super girl’s makeup exactly where she wants it – all day, and right into the club! Hear hear!

Choosing Exfoliators, The Nitty Gritty For Radiant Skin

Exfoliating your skin promises wonders that sound like music to my ears. Words like radiant and glowing just make me want to shout ‘Where can I get this? Well, my friends, exfoliation is one of the best ways to get that beautiful, healthy, radiant look.

But, like anything, not all exfoliators are created equal, and some are good for certain skins, while others – not so much! It is important to understand the different types of exfoliation, and which one might be the best for your gorgeous visage!

What is exfoliation, exactly?

Essentially, exfoliating your skin means you are removing dead skin cells that clog your pores and dull your complexion. Taking away the dead stuff reveals the fresh, bright, young cells beneath. It also means that darker patches are lightened and your skin has more clarity. On top of that, exfoliating means that any other products (such as moisturiser) that you use after you have exfoliated can sink in quickly and be more effective. Bonus! But be wary – you don’t want to hurt or irritate sensitive skin or end up with red, painful skin because you overdid it. Gently does it!

Three ways to a radiant glow

There are three basic types of skin exfoliation – physical, chemical and enzymatic. So let’s check them out!

Physical exfoliation can be a scrub or rotating sonic brush, and also includes treatments such as microdermabrasion. A scrub often contains various small solid grains made from natural substances, that gently ‘scrape’ or slough away dead cells. I love to use APIVITA Brightening Face Scrub with Bilberry. This can be used by everyone – those with sensitive skin, teenagers and men included. This scrub combines fine almond grains as well as mild fruit acids and bilberry. It also contains organic ingredients that sooth, nourish and moisturise, leaving my skin feeling unbelievably soft after using it. 

APIVITA Brightening Face Scrub

Chemical exfoliation typically involves alpha hydroxyl acids (AHA’s), hyaluronic acid or salicylic acid. Now, acid on your lovely face sounds a bit harsh, but quite the opposite is true in these cases. These mostly originate from milk and fruit sugars and penetrate the skin very well. When I have some time on my hands and I want to relax and watch some TV, I love to give my skin a treat with Origins Never A Dull Moment™ Skin-Brightening Face Polisher with Fruit Extracts. If I have a few uneven patches, Origins is my go-to girl! After cleansing and toning, you apply a thin layer to your face and leave for a few minutes. This face polisher exfoliates lackluster skin cells and restores a youthfully radiant, alive look to the skin. 

Origins Never A Dull Moment™ Skin-Brightening Face Polisher with Fruit Extracts

Enzymatic exfoliation uses enzymes from fruits and plants to break down the dead skin cells. Most commonly used are enzymes from papaya, pumpkin and pineapple. The enzymes break down the bonds that hold dead skin cells onto the skin, while simultaneously strengthening the underlying healthy cells. An enzyme exfoliant is recommended for those with sensitive skin or who experience a tingling or stinging sensation when using any of the chemical ingredients.

Many products will use a combination of these methods along with moisturising and soothing ingredients. One of my all-time favourite skincare brands, Dermalogica, has such a product, that you will love! 

Dermalogica Gentle Cream Exfoliant. 

This product combines AHA’s, fruit enzyme extracts and conditioning and moisturising botanical ingredients. You apply a thin layer for 10 – 15 minutes before rinsing and following with moisturiser.

Smooth sailing

So, as I ‘smoothly’ close off this blog post, don’t forget to find yourself an exfoliant that is perfect for your skin and use weekly for the skin that is the envy of all!

Summer Skincare Lighten Up!

Summer skincare can involve a complete change from the cooler winter months, or it could entail just a few tweaks. It all depends where you are on the globe, and how hot and humid your summer weather is. It also depends on you – as Dr. Seuss says “No one is youer than you”. Your skin will have its own needs and sensitivities, so the best guide is to listen to what your skin is telling you.

Can you take the heat?

The obvious change is the glorious addition of sunshine and warmth that comes in summer. This heat can make the natural sebum that your skin secretes melt inside the pores, which means that liquid oil then ‘floods’ the skin’s surface. This causes several reactions for you - your face looks shiny and possibly even greasy, and the oil mixes with sweat, and this feels really uncomfortable.

Every action has a reaction

Your actions and what you choose to do outside of skincare products can have a great effect on your ability to sail through summer looking amazing! Rule no. 1 – drink water! Even more in summer. This will keep you hydrated and feeling fabulous on the inside as well as keeping your skin clear. Along with summer comes a great variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables. If you make these the staples of your diet, your skin will thank you and your energy will soar!

Squeaky clean

There are a few ways to minimize the shiny, sweaty face by changing your skincare routine. Let’s start with cleansing, always important, and even more so in summer. You need to clean all that excess oil away, and ensure we don’t add more. In summer you can lighten up! If you usually use an oil or lotion cleanser, now is a good time to switch to a foam or gel, and see if that helps with the summer shine.

My skin is very sensitive to additional heat, I have a tendency toward a shiny skin with a combination / oily skin type and I live in a hot and humid summer area! So, I switch my cleanser to Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser with Tamarind Micro-Pearls for combination or oily skin. I love the refreshing feeling, awesome scent and silky texture. The tamarind fruit acids free my pores of trapped makeup and oil and the rinsed effect is that of a refined, matte complexion – just what I need!

Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser with Tamarind Micro-Pearls

Another summer favourite for me when it comes to cleansing is Aveda Botanical Kinetics™ Purifying Gel Cleanser. I absolutely love a gel texture (in just about anything!) This cleanser is so gentle, and with 16 certified organic essential oils, it smells absolutely divine. I could stay in the bathroom all day sniffing it, if it didn’t mean I would then be missing out on all the fun of summer! 

Aveda Botanical Kinetics™ Purifying Gel Cleanser

Don’t clog the system

Next, let’s look at our moisturizer. It’s the same deal as the cleanser – especially if you live in a humid climate. If you use a creamy or rich moisturizer, now is the time to reduce, change or stop altogether. One way to give your skin the ingredients and vitamins it needs to stay young without adding oil or emollients is to switch to a gel or serum-style moisturiser.

Herbfarmacy Divine Light Face Cream is the ideal moisturiser for summer for an oily or young skin. Lovely, organically grown herbs and essential oils soften, clarify and hydrate the skin.

Herbfarmacy Divine Light Face Cream

Blot it out

Once you have adapted your basic skincare routine, what else can you do to remain cool and beautiful in summer? You can look at using an oil-absorbing product that minimises pores. A little helper comes in the form of thin oil blotting papers that you can slip into your handbag and use whenever you feel that shine coming on. I love the stylish Anna Sui Oil Control Paper in a rose-pattern case. No need to redo your makeup! And, you can purchase refills that go into the case once you have used them all. 

Anna Sui Oil Control Paper

Spray sunburn away

Now that it is summer, we need to heed the sunscreen mantra more than ever! Sometimes it feels like the last thing we want to do – put on another layer of greasy lotion or cream. Luckily, sunscreen comes in a variety of forms that are light and even mattifying! I specifically look for a spray, which I find easier to use and less cloying than a lotion or cream.  Banana Boat Sport Coolzone SPF 50 is instantly cooling and refreshing, with a high protection and great scent. In fact, I always have to buy more as all my friends want to use it instead of their own sunscreen when we are at the beach! 

Banana Boat Sport Coolzone SPF 50 

Pure, old-fashioned glamour

A wide-brimmed hat and generously-sized sunglasses are not only super glamorous, mysterious and wildly cool, they also protect your face, neck and chest from overexposure – keeping you young and beautiful.

So, going back to the beginning of this post, there might, or might not, be the need to change your skincare products to suit the climate you live in and your specific skin needs. The most important aspect is to enjoy the season, remember that lighter is better, and most importantly, stay as beautiful as you are!

Lily Collins Inspired Makeup Look Tutorial

Lily Collins is the ‘IT’ girl right now with her bold, beautiful and ever-changing makeup looks! In this video, the equally gorgeous Kirsty Leigh shows us how to get a beautiful ballerina look that was inspired by Lily. Let Kirsty demonstrate how to get the subtle, smoky eyes, flawless skin and ultra-glossy pink lips. She uses products from Benefit, Laura Mercier and Dolce & Gabbana, all from COSME-DE.COM.

Products Mentioned:

Benefit Erase Paste in 01 Fair

Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder

Dolce & Gabanna The Bronzer Glow Bronzing Powder in 15 Cashmere

Benefit Rockateur Cheek Powder

Benefit They're Real! Push-Up Liner Lash-Hugging Gel Liner Pen

Skincare Experience: Galactolift Skin Treatment Lotion

Why do celebrities always get to walk around with that glowy, dewy skin?

Do you ever look at pictures of celebrities – actresses, models, pop stars – and wonder about something? I know I do. I wonder how on earth they always manage to have skin that just radiates with health and glows with beauty? It’s like they have an extra little light function inside their skin that makes them look so very lovely. I mean, think of the Jennifers (Lawrence and Lopez), or Miranda Kerr, or Katy Perry, or Beyonce. I’ve always wanted me some of that!

Daily facials with diamond dust?

And I have often thought that maybe it is because they can afford daily facials with real diamond dust in them, or the fact that they have personal trainers and chefs that keep them so healthy they never have anything to eat beside a kale smoothie.

There is another way, the Galactolift way

But, there is another way that I have found, yes, gather around! I have been using Galactolift Skin Treatment Lotion, a Japanese product that is made from 97% Galactomyces, which is a yeast extract. 

Galactolift Skin Treatment Lotion 

This comfortable miracle lotion/toner penetrates deeply into your skin, and combats all those signs of aging that I don’t want to even talk about – like wrinkles, dryness and sagginess.

I smell skin success

Now, yeast extract, I see your cute little nose wrinkling up! Doesn’t that smell awful? Yes, I am afraid it does. Which is why I am so excited about this product! Galactolift manages to contain all the goodness of the yeast extract, in high concentration, but has absolutely NO ODOR! Marvelous. No one wants a face that smells like an uncooked loaf of bread, do they?

But I don’t have a bucket load of spare cash lying around!

My other great bugbear is this. Do I need to sell my car or mortgage my home in order to get some of this miracle in a bottle for myself? With many other face treatments over the years, the answer would be yes, you do. However, there is a new kid in town that is totally affordable! Galactolift is for everyday beauties, who would love to have a superb product that shows real results, at a real price!

Save on packaging!

The Galactolift packaging is simple and functional. Which is part of the reason that the price is more affordable compared to other miracle lotions/toners! Hurrah to that, I say!

The science bit

It also contains some super awesome ingredients that produce amazing results – like that red carpet, cinema screen glow! So, here’s the science bit!

Galactolift also contains:

Matrixyl 3000: an anti-aging peptide with micro particles that penetrate easily into the skin, promoting metabolism, reducing wrinkles and firming saggy skin

Argireline: also known as Botox cream, it inhibits the secretion of substances which form expression lines

Hyaluronic acid: provides abundant moisture not only for the surface of skin, but also the stratum corneum to create suppleness from within

Allantoin: extracted from snail slime, this anti-inflammatory ingredient helps improve skin texture, calms rashes and acne, promotes skin regeneration and prevents pigmentation