Bare Necessities

I was involved in a great debate with a good friend of mine the other night. I would love to say we were debating the rising unemployment rates amongst 16-24 year olds, or the incredibly long wait times in A&E despite government schemes...but nooooo...after a bottle or two of wine the only topic on our mind was which three products could we not live without (and they call us shallow pffft).

It started off as a breezy conversation which turned into a great debate, the language would have made Roy Chubby Brown blush...I seriously doubted our friendship because of her three choices. After careful consideration and hours of soul searching I asked the great philosophical question ‘what would be my top three’ so here goes....

Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation:      

£33 / 35ml

Foundation is a must for me; its absence would be like leaving the house without my top on – it’s not pleasant and mothers would shield their children’s eyes in the street at the mere sight.

I have spent ten years searching for the perfect foundation I gave up a few years back and settled with Chanel’s Pro Lumiere. It was good (not great) the best of a bad bunch, it did the job – covering my face without looking caked or orange. I could not really ask for more than that, but my problem was it did not last the day, even with a primer. I liked the dewy look but after a few hours I looked less ‘healthy glow’ more ‘tropical storm’.

After touching up my foundation for the third time that day I had had enough so the search continued, I could live like this no more (I am being dramatic, but my foundation means a lot to me). I read a number of great reviews about Laura Mercier, I was not too familiar with the brand so I was hesitant to part with the pounds – all 33 of them – but I had nothing to lose. I never let the girls on the makeup counter go near my face, sorry if you work on a makeup counter but when it comes to foundation, applying it to my face in a badly lit shop whilst I have 10 minutes to spare out of my shopping trip is never going to be a winner. I can colour match my own skin, I am capable of applying it to my jaw line and seeing if the colour blends or not.

It is the fairytale ending I had always dreamed of. I have found the man foundation I have longed for all these years and I am not letting go. The texture is thick and the crème blends evenly over the face, giving a medium to full coverage without looking caked and powdered unlike Mac studio sculpt. I would certainly recommend this foundation for acne and oily skin sufferers.

My skin is typically dry with an oily T Zone at times so I mix a pea size of moisturiser into the foundation to create the dewy look of Pro Lumiere without the wet effect. The great thing is you only need a small amount to apply so the squeezable tube is worth the high end price tag. The foundation creates the flawless look I have imagined since I began my make-up journey and I could not live without this product.

Lancome Hypnose Mascara:

£20.50

When it comes to mascara I am a proper northern bird – as the Liverpool girls would say ‘it’s all about the big hair and the big eyes’. During the day I keep my mascara quite low key for work two coats on a morning and a quick blast of the eyelash curlers usually brighten my eyes. For a night on the town I apply three coats of mascara in between curling. Mascara’s that clump are promptly kicked to the curb, Hypnose allows you to build thickness and length without clumping and causing those dreadful spider leg type eyelashes.

Tip: apply translucent powder to lashes before your mascara for a volumised look

I always choose a dark black colour as I think browns are totally pointless no matter your colouring. I have to say Lancome’s entire mascara range never fails to please but I always seem to be drawn back to Hypnose in particular. Lancome claims lashes will appear to have up to 6 times more volume and I have to agree – it certainly does what it says on the tin.

Botanics Rose Water Toner

£4.07 / 150ml

Toner is my lifesaver because no matter how clean I think my face is when I use a toner there is always a small amount of dirt still to be found. I don’t get it I have not been toiling the fields all day – I have a shower, scrub my face, cleanse  - but guaranteed my face will still have traces of dirt (how is that possible).

Botanics Rose water is less stringent than other toners I have used in the past which usually dry my face and leave it feeling tight, I was a fan of Chanel’s Gentle Hydrating Toner but still found it too harsh on my skin especially as I use toner morning and night. Botanics is refreshing and leaves the skin soft and prepared for moisturiser. At £4.07 (Boots) it is an essential part of my beauty routine and I would recommend it for all skin types.