Those who know me personally will know that winter and my skin simply do not bode well- from the seemingly never-ending allergic reactions on my eyelids to those pesky dry patches. I think it's fair to say, therefore, that rediscovering my love for makeup at this time of the year has been a little bit problematic- but luckily, there have been a few base products that have really saved me these past couple of months and I thought that it might be helpful to share those with you today. I hope you find this post useful and be sure to let me know your favourite base product(s) in the comments section below!
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P R I M E R -
M A C P R E P + P R I M E N A T U R A L R A D I A N C E ( R A D I A N T
Y E L L O W ), £30.00
To be completely honest with you, I really didn't expect to fall in love with this primer- but the more I used the little sample tube I had, the more it grew on me. As it is such a hydrating primer, I find it does exactly what it says on the tin- giving you a lovely natural glow that isn't completely covered by your foundation, whilst still making the rest of your base stick and stay on for longer. Though it's not the cheapest primer in the world, I just can't compare it to any other product that I've tried on the market- plus you do get a sizeable amount of product (50ML), so it shouldn't run out too quickly!
F O U N D A T I O N -
T H E O R D I N A R Y S E R U M F O U N D A T I O N ( L I G H T
C O V E R A G E ), £5.70
Having seen this foundation left, right and centre in blogosphere, I'd been eager to try it for a while- and I very nearly jumped for joy when I saw that Fenwick stocked The Ordinary, because I was not prepared to pay postage almost as much as the product itself! Though the consistency is incredibly light, if not almost water-like, this foundation gives me the perfect amount of coverage once applied- covering any discolouration and spot scarring, whilst still making my skin look like skin. The finish is right up my street too, a sort of demi-matte that doesn't dry out my skin and lasts all day. For the price point, I really don't think you can go wrong with this one...
C R E A M B R O N Z E R -
C H A N E L S O L E I L T A N D E C H A N E L, £40.00
For me, cream base products are the way to go- not only do they blend better, but they also don't dry out your skin. Provided that I don't put too much on, this bronzer is the perfect shade for my pale skin- giving my face a splash of warmth and radiance it so desperately needs. Again... this product was a bit of a splurge, but a splurge that was worth every penny- particularly with the generous 30g of product, where a little already goes a long way!
C R E A M C O N T O U R -
M A K E U P R E V O L U T I O N U L T R A C R E A M C O N T O U R
P A L E T T E, £8.00
Here's another drugstore gem for you all, move over Anastasia Beverly Hills because Makeup Revolution is coming for you! Admittedly, I'm not the biggest fan of contouring and don't do it on an everyday basis- but when I do, this is the palette that I reach for. What really draws me to this palette is the second shade on the bottom row, which I've found to be perfect for sculpting my face- given that it has a slightly cooler undertone. Again, seeing as the consistency is quite creamy, these shades blend out beautifully and can be built up as lightly or heavily as you wish, without caking up or clinging to any texture on your face. Perhaps the best bit here is that, like the Chanel bronzer, this product will stay on the entire day without slipping or sliding, despite being a more moisturising product; you just can't say anything for the price!
P O W D E R -
N Y X H D F I N I S H I N G P O W D E R , £9.00
Those of you who have been here a while will know that I generally rotate between two powders: this NYX one and the Givenchy Prisme Libre. At the moment, I've been applying a lot of oils and thick moisturisers to help soothe my dry skin- but sometimes, this can make my makeup look slightly closer to oily than dewy and it's this NYX powder that will set your skin like there's no tomorrow. Though it's the most mattifying powder I've found on the market so far, it doesn't tend to dry out my skin- provided that I only apply a small amount- and still leaves me with the perfect amount of glow.
S E T T I N G S P R A Y -
U R B A N D E C A Y A L L N I G H T E R S E T T I N G S P R A Y, £24.00
I won't lie to you, I refrained from buying this setting spray for a while as I thought it was all a bit of a gimmick- and even in the image above, you can see that I got myself the mini version first! Much to my surprise, however, I found that this setting spray seems to somehow magically make my makeup look a thousand times better, as well as making it last longer. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't say it's a necessity given the many cheap and cheerful alternatives out there (such as the NYX Dewy Finish Setting Spray)- but if you haven't tried it yet and are in the market to, I'd definitely give it a whirl!
C O N C E A L E R -
Y V E S R O C H E R R A D I A N T Y O U T H C O R R E C T O R P E N, £22.00
As with contouring, I don't tend to use concealer all that much because quite frankly... the texture under my eyes means that I look better without it the majority of the time. However, when my skin is having a good day- albeit a rare occasion- this bad boy is whipped from my drawer. Don't be put off by the name, it's anti-ageing claims mean that it is simply a more hydrating product- perfect for those with dry skin, seeing as many concealers out there are ridiculously drying! As well as blending well into my skin, it lasts me the entire day- which is quite impressive, given that it is a more moisturising product. While the coverage isn't the greatest, it does an alright job at covering my dark circles and still looks fairly natural. An added bonus? At the moment, it's on offer for £11.99 if you're in the UK!