Happy Saturday all! As some of you may know I started work at Marie Claire last week and have been learning the ropes (as well as gathering out a LOT of beauty gossip), which explains the lack of posts.
As spending a lot of time at the office has changed the needs of my skin and I’ve been short on time, I thought I’d write a little bit on the products I’ve been using to keep my skin healthy(ish – a few stress spots have emerged, Eve Lom’s Dynaspot has been deployed), as well as a little pamper routine I’m employing this weekend and some other discoveries.
IN THE MORNING //
I repeatedly hit snooze so have very little time to let skincare sink in before I apply make-up. Key in winning this battle for me has been using a non-greasy serum (Clinique’s Smart Custom Serum currently – inexplicably only £48 here), followed by the thinnest layer of Omorovicza’s Balancing Moisturiser (layers of moisture for the office are key to hold onto hydration and this one doesn’t overload my skin), then putting on Shu Uemura’s UV Mousse, which locks down everything underneath and provides a nice base for make-up. After that, I pop on a little layer of Chanel’s Velvet foundation and the rest of my make-up and I’m good to go!
AT THE OFFICE //
This recommendation isn’t glamorous, but it is enormously helpful if you suffer from dry eyes and sit at a computer all day: Optrex’s Eye Spray. Preferable to eye drops, which always I seem to get everywhere, you spray this on the eyes over make-up (it doesn’t smudge it – seriously, I sprayed it about fifteen times yesterday) and it penetrates the eyelid to get rid of grittiness. Also constantly at my side are a lip balm and hand cream (one of these) and Dr. Bronner’s hand sanitiser, which I obsessively spray on my hands every fifteen minutes in a desperate attempt to avoid catching colds.
AFTER WORK //
My routine has to be quick and effective. As soon as I get home I use a pre-cleanse oil (at the moment, Shu Uemura’s Ultime8) to get make-up and grease off my face, before cleansing with Emma Hardie’s Amazing Face Moringa Cleanser. I then wipe with Alpha-H’s Instant Facial to brighten and remove any dead skin cells and follow that with Su-Man’s amazing serum/oil hybrid and a dab of eye serum (currently Estee Lauder’s). Then on goes hand cream and off to sleep I go.
THIS WEEKEND //
My hair is frazzled and my skin tired so I’ve cracked out some of my most reliable cosmetic chums to help restore their former lustre. Currently in my hair is Philip Kingley’s Elastizer (still the best hair treatment on the market) and on my face Sepai’s Peeling Mask and Institut Esthederm’s Eye Patches. I’ll chase them with Sarah Chapman’s Morning Facial (a beautiful, beautiful serum/oil but a touch too greasy for me to use every morning – if your skin is dry, you can use everyday, otherwise it’s great for special occasions or weekends when you have a little more time to let it really absorb).
MAKE-UP //
I have too many make-up discoveries to possibly fit into a little paragraph so will dedicate a whole post to them soon. Two I just wanted to mention are Nars Matte Multiple in Altai and Charlotte Tilbury’s Walk of Shame matte lipstick. Together, they add that nice 90s supermodel flattering browny red warmth to the face without greasiness. I’ve been applying them before leaving the office in the evening and they’ve not failed to render me healthier-looking yet.