Beauty Blogger for a Day: Barefaced Beauty

While beauty bloggers are sent highlighters and eye-shadows and lipsticks to review, parent bloggers are asked if they’d like to take a look at cleaning products. OK, not always, I’m exaggerating, but still. Wouldn’t it be great to be sent free beauty products? And to try them, and to write about them? Well lovely Sinead at Bumbles of Rice has given us mammy bloggers the chance to be beauty bloggers for a day – she’s running a linky called Barefaced Beauty and Make-up Magic: How to look human on three hours sleep.

So, although nobody has sent me anything to review (hint, hint) I’m going to turn beauty blogger for a day and write about make-up.

I’m a big fan of the “each of her own” philosophy of make-up – lots of people don’t like or need make-up, and that’s all good. Lots of people wouldn’t dream of leaving the house without at least some concealer and possibly some BB cream, and that’s all good too. I’m in the latter camp. I need make-up and I love make-up. Last year I wrote a whole post defending make-up.

And yes, in the bigger scheme of things, make-up is superficial and frivolous and arguably vain. And it can’t hold its own in a debate about the banking crisis. But for those who need it, it provides a layer of beautiful armour, and whether it’s a work meeting or a social event, it makes walking into any room easier. And yeah, as an added bonus, it’s pretty and fun. So as a beauty blogger for a day, here’s a brief run through of my favourite things.

The basics

Office Mum - make-up

I’ve promoted primer from occasional use to everyday necessity recently, and the one I use is Smashbox Photo Finish Light. It’s oil free (because I have sensitive skin – which always makes me feel a bit silly, like my skin can’t take criticism and goes off in a huff) and really holds foundation in place. I use Clinique foundation – it’s oil-free too, and fragrance free, and has a built-in SPF.

And for the ever-present under-eye dark shadows, I have two products that I use together – Bobbi Brown corrector, followed by concealer. They’re pricey (around €25 each) but last for ages and ages. And fellow dark shadow sufferers will know that if you find something you’re happy with, you stick with it.

The cheeks

Office Mum - make-up

I love blushers. If I make it to elderly lady-hood, I might be one of those women with the far-too-obvious red rouge on her cheeks, who doesn’t care what anyone thinks. For now, I’m sticking to pale pinks. My favourites are Benefit Fine One One (three colours in one – love), L’Oreal Nude BB which is very subtle, Maybelline Dream Blush and Bobbi Brown pot rouge in water melon – my favourite.

For a treat (I got this as a present from my very kind sister) I love Bobbi Brown shimmer brick.

Office Mum - Bobbi Brown shimmer brick

The eyes

Office Mum - makeup

Kimmel Day to Night mascara is amazingly non-clumpy and great for, er, day to night. There’s a thin brush for day, and a thicker one for night. It’s €10.99 and lasts for ages. Love.

For eyeshadow, my current favourite is a Mac palette of cream shadows in “Smokeluxe”  – easy to apply, great for mixing and matching colours, and super for a night out because some of them have a bit of sparkle. I’m very partial to a bit of sparkle.

The lips

Office Mum - makeup

I have lots of different lip-sticks for nights out (mostly Bobbi Brown, Benefit and Clinique – from a brand loyalty perspective, I’m a marketer’s dream) but for day-time, I use Chubby Sticks. And looking at this photo, I guess I buy them in very similar colours.

So being a beauty blogger has taught me some things. Taking photos of make-up is hard, writing with any kind of authority is hard if you’re not an authority, and as yet, nobody has sent me any free stuff. I’m heading back to parenting. But with my foundation on of course.

If you’d like to see more mammy-turned-beauty bloggers, check out Sinead’s #barefacedbeauty linky by clicking the badge below:

barefaced-beauty-linky

 

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7 thoughts on “Beauty Blogger for a Day: Barefaced Beauty”

    1. I love Fine One One. I had never copped what it was called until I wrote this post though and had to check!

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