On paper I’m a college student, but I’m mostly a self-indulgent slacker with a stunning obsession with maintaining an ‘aesthetic’. My interest in beauty started early— although the aim wasn’t to become beautiful. It was 2005 and I was a tween who wanted to be punk rock like the bands I listened to, so I decided the first step to that was asking my mom to buy me a black kohl eyeliner from Avon, which I then proceeded to wear only on the lower rims of my eyes. And with black thick-rimmed spectacles, of course!
Since then, I’ve given up on any ideas of being any sort of makeup artist. I generally do the same beauty looks everyday— even for special occasions, because I hate change since it messes up my ‘aesthetic’— which is dewey skin with a brown smokey eye, or dewey skin with a bold lip. For the bold lip, my favourite is currently MAC Lady Danger. I used to think orangey lipsticks were hideous and should never be entertained, but I am into them now and am currently considering getting more. The other bold lipstick I like to turn to is Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Mrs. Mia Wallace, from their Pulp Fiction line… it’s a completely ordinary matte red, but it’s Mia Wallace so…
For the smokey eyes, my favourite could not be more typical. It’s the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette, although I’m also really into the Maybelline The Nudes palette. I’m a student, still, I don’t really have the clout to try out too many different kinds of palettes. But I’m so unadventurous with my eye makeup that a huge selection of eyeshadows would just be wasted on me. So I work with these two, along with any other stray single eyeshadows I have— such as Innisfree Mineral Single Shadow Shimmer in 09, the perfect ‘punched in the eye’ shade— and I think that’s good enough for now, at least until my income starts poppin’.
I’m kind of obsessed with glowing skin, though. I really do not do matte complexions at all, to the point where the only powder I own is one The Face Shop Angel Skin Powder Pact, which has far exceeded the point of ‘hitting pan’. I’m in the market for a new one, but powders are so boring that I usually just choose to buy another lipstick instead. I have yet to find the ultimate foundation, but right now I am liking Pore Putty BB Cream— a Japanese drugstore find— and also Innisfree Water Glow Cushion. The tools for applying skin makeup is important to me, too. I really like using a damp Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge as well as my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. These I use for blending in concealer as well— I like Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer, but Fasio UV Concealer is nice too but not as readily available.
Skin makeup is really the only avenue where I pay loads of attention— my favourite part of any Youtube makeup tutorial is always when they put on the foundation, and you see the skin transformed from sallow to, like, glowing and healthy. It’s beautiful. When it comes to colour makeup, I’m just boring. I like ELF Blush in Pink Passion— it’s so cheap but goes on wonderfully— and I like Thebalm Bahama Mama for some light contouring. It’s the best because it hasn’t got orangey tones in it. But for actual bronzing, I really like Wet & Wild Color Icon SPF 15 Bronzer in Ticket To Brazil. I doubt I’m getting any SPF protection from a bronzer, but the colour is so pretty and sunkissed. It makes me want to come to Brazil.
But you can’t do a proper glow without proper skincare. So that means a ton of moisture. Loads of it. Clogged pores or not, as long as that glow is there it doesn’t matter! But I use Mizon AHA 8% Peeling Serum, so clogged pores isn’t an issue. I started using this when I was having major skin problems, and at first my skin started purging so badly I was told that I looked as if I had an infection but then it just cleared out and my skin problems were solved. Mizon is the best, and the best part is the free shipping from Roseroseshop. I also use their Mark-X Blemish After Cream, which I put on any potential zits and it just zaps it away to zit hell.
Once I’m done with the AHAs, the rest of my skincare routine pretty much revolves around getting as much moisture on there as possible. Tarte Marajuca Oil is one of them, and is one of my HGs. It’s just passionfruit seed oil in pretty packaging, and a cheaper alternative is available online but, you know, international shipping and all that. I’d rather pay extra and get it instantly from Sephora. I put that on before I finish off with a moisturiser. I have a ton of moisturisers, for daytime and night. My daytime moisturiser is usually Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel, which along with the Mizon AHA, is one of the products which saved my skin and of which I am eternally loyal to. I’ve heard that it burns on other people, though, and I’d actually like to find a cheaper alternative but I’m scared. For night, I like my moisturisers heavy. I got a sample of Innisfree Orchid Enriched Cream and it was brilliant. So heavy and luxurious, but I ran out of the samples and have yet to buy one. I also use Vanicream Moisturising Skin Cream, which I bought at the doctor’s. It is free of parabens and lanolin and all that bad stuff, and is probably the heaviest moisturiser in the world— it’s for your whole body— but it’s never caused me any problems so I keep using it.
MY LIPSTICK STAIN 