Like all make up artists, I go through phases of loving and hating various products. There are some that I write off and then come back to years later with new knowledge and love, and then there are things that I forget about or get bored of and then pull them out of the drawer 4 years down the line and remember how much I loved them! This post includes some of those things but also includes some new products too!
1) Embryolisse Lait Creme Concentre
Embryolisse is a french skincare brand that makes the most amazing products for a variety of skin types. This is one of its most popular moisturisers and is suitable for all skin types. I was quite dubious when trying this at first but on giving it a go, I can honestly say that it is one of the best moisturisers I have ever used. On drier skins it completely hydrates it and gives it a beautiful radiance. For more oily skins, it helps to keep the skin feeling smooth and supple without being excessively oily. It is beautifully thin, so that it can be used before make up and is a perfect primer for drier skins. I must say though, I used this morning and night whilst on holiday as my skin was slightly drier. I would usually only use it of a night as it is very moisturising and I find that using this twice daily on my oily skin would be too much. I still use my clean and clear moisturiser of a morning and perhaps dot this where I feel any dryness.
This amazing product was once only available from french pharmacies but you can now get the range from lovemakeup.co.uk. Mine was a gift from a client after a trip to Paris so I have no idea how much it costs. I'm guessing it would be cheaper in Paris so if you are going over, make sure to buy some there!
2) Bioderma Crealine H2O
Another French pharmacy brand, this is an amazing gentle make up remover and cleaner. It feels like water on the skin and completely cuts through all make up, including waterproof. I can honestly say I would be completely lost without this product now. It leaves my skin feeling clean, cool and soothed and doesn't hurt my eyes when removing make up as some removers can do.
There are some other options in this range that incorporate formulas for an oily skin, but I have found that this one has been perfect on my skin. This one was again a present from a friend and has proved a little more difficult to find than embryolisse. I now get mine from amazon. I will aim to try the oily skin formula and let you know how I get on. I pay £25 for 2 500ml bottles, which I don't think is too expensive considering the quality of the product. Again, this is probably cheaper in France!
3) Illamasqua Obsidian
This is a black eyeshadow that came out with the human fundamentalism collection and is the most pigmented black eyeshadow that I have ever used. I use it with a base, something like MAC blacktrack or smolder pencil and it sits beautifully on top. It is much blacker than MAC Carbon, whose formula seems to have changed in recent years unfortunately, which means it is less pigmented than it used to be. The only bad thing I would say about this is that, being a bit of a neat freak over my kit, it doesn't fit nicely into one of my palettes, which are all MAC. I do intended on investing in some more illamasqua shadows and keeping them all in a Z palette. It blends beautifully, without looking grey and I just love it. I have a feeling that this is one of those products that I will buy again and again.
4) Illamasqua Skin Base in Au
This is a gorgeous sparkly gold version of illamasqua's most popular foundation. I use it as a bronzer on paler clients and as a beautiful highlighter for darker skins. I got it as a replacement to my chanel bronze universel, when it went MIA last year. Although the products are very different, Au is beautiful as a bronzer and probably has just as many uses as bronze universel. (And is a fraction of the price too, especially for make up artists who use their pro discount!) Whether this will be a product I will purchase again, I have yet to decide, but I have enjoyed using it a lot lately! The only thing I am slightly dubious about is the amount of glitter that this has in it and the fact that this might not go down too well with some people. It looks amazing on the body that's for sure, and carefully applied on the face can look amazing too. I definitely wouldn't use it as a foundation for all over the skin. So many products have shed-loads of glitter in them these days, that I don't really see a problem but it may put some people off. Maybe a try before you buy?
I think that's all for now! I have been using some amazing brushes lately too, but I will write a separate blog about them as I think that this post would be a much longer and rather boring one if I started rambling on about them too!
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