makeup

As far as TikTok goes, there seems to be a new trending aesthetic every month. Soft girl, cottagecore, clean girl… the list goes on, but I’m not complaining. Although no doubt fuelled by Gen-Z, these trends tend to transcend age and location and there’s a way to tap into any trend and mould it into your own take. Plus, there are so many that really, you’re bound to come across one that suits your soul. One trend that I never thought I would be interested in though was the messy French-girl aesthetic. I’m not a fan of anything too contrived and the idea of emulating this felt a bit cringe to me. But then I got stuck on the messy French girl aesthetic algorithm and quickly realised that like with most Francophile trends, it’s more about the vibe then emulating a specific look itself. If...

When a fellow editor friend of mine messaged me a few weeks ago in a panic over her upcoming wedding makeup trial, I felt like I was at a bit of a loss over what to say to her. “I just want something natural-looking, fresh and glowy—what products do I need for that?” she asked. While I know exactly the sorts of products I would turn to for such a look, I’m no makeup artist and have no idea how certain formulas work with her skin. Typically, I’m full of makeup recommendations for those who want to emulate a soft, glowing makeup look, but when it comes to someone’s wedding day, I don’t want to be held responsible for any wrong decisions. To dodge the issue entirely, I told her to scroll the Instagram pages of some ce...

As a journalist, I have put a lot of effort into trying to get some time in with the French makeup artist-turned-brand-founder, wanting to pick her brains on anything and everything makeup. Having followed her for years on Instagram, barely a working day has gone by that hasn’t involved me fawning over her low-key, but impossibly chic, makeup looks. However, being one of the most in-demand people in beauty, pencilling any sort of time in with her appeared so difficult that I had almost given up. But when news broke in the beauty world that Violette had been appointed Creative Director of Makeup at Guerlain (a French beauty powerhouse, no less), not only was I excited for what this meant for one of my all-time favourite beauty brands, I also kne...

Being the makeup- and beauty-obsessed child and preteen that I was, I used to comb through my monthly magazine subscriptions—think Allure, Cosmo, InStyle, and more—and cut out every last product recommendation and piece of advice from the most elite makeup artists. Said cutouts would then be pasted into a precociously detailed scrapbook/binder situation, and eventually, I’d refer to them the next time I begged my mom to take me to Sephora. (Clearly, I’ve found the right career path.) Well, pinch me, because I now get to meet and interview all of those legendary makeup artists I used to read about and worship, and sometimes, I even get to be a fly on the wall as they work their magic and prep A-list clientele before events and red carpets. While I no longer have that a...

If there’s one thing I have learned as a beauty editor, it’s that making your hair/makeup/glowing complexion look effortless is easier said than done. And this is something that pains me to admit considering it’s the sort of beauty aesthetic I long for. It doesn’t help either that I am a low-maintenance sort of girl when it comes to my beauty routine. I want thing to look effortless and genuinely be effortless too. While makeup artists, hair stylists and skin experts spend hours on making their celebrity clientele’s beauty looks appear as though they have taken no time at all (like it’s just their genes or something?!), I have made it my mission to achieve such natural-looking, effortless looks in less than five minutes. It’s so...

You see, Bourjois products have always had a talent for working with whatever situation they find themselves in. Looking for a glowy foundation suitable for everyday wear? Bourjois has got you. The perfect red lipstick? No stress. A blush that breathes a bit of life into your skin without dulling your complexion? Tick, tick and tick. And it makes sense that the brand produces products that speak to those who have an affinity for natural-looking, easy to use makeup products—it’s French.  Having considered a number of Bourjois’s iconic products everyday essentials for a number of years, it’s safe to say that I was devastated when news broke that the brand was ceasing operations in the UK. And I know a huge number of fellow beauty editors the felt si...

Only I’m no makeup artist. In fact, I’d say my makeup skills are subpar. And brow pencils, I have learned, are tools that should be reserved exclusively for those with a moderate level of makeup know-how. After four years of trying to create a brow look that says natural fullness without appearing too bold or drawn-on, around 12 months ago, I finally gave up. One day, after spending 20 minutes trying to get my brows right, I threw every brow pencil I owned (all three of them) in the bin. And I’ll be honest; it felt totally liberating. Since then, I have embraced my natural brow shape every single day, simply fixing strands into place with a brow gel. And while at the time my makeup-artist friends thought that was a mistake, now there seems to be a chan...

I know that it’s a strange thing for me to admit as a beauty editor, but I really hate doing my makeup. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy the therapeutic aspect of it, and I love how it makes me feel once it’s all done, but for the most part, actually applying my makeup just stresses me out. Why? Because I’m useless at it. Sort of. I suppose if I’m being fair to myself I should say that, after years of absorbing tips from makeup artists, I’ve become quite good at applying my base products. But as someone who likes a no-makeup makeup look and struggles with any sort of practical creativity, I feel it’s safe to say eye makeup is not my forte. You see, I like my eye makeup to look natural. For the most part, I either leave my l...

I know that it’s a strange thing for me to admit as a beauty editor, but I really hate doing my makeup. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the therapeutic aspect to it, and I love how it makes me feel once it’s all done, but for the most part, actually applying my makeup just stresses me out. Why? Because I’m useless at it. Sort of. I suppose if I’m being fair to myself I should say that, after years of absorbing tips from makeup artists, I’ve become quite good at applying my base products. But as someone that likes a no-makeup makeup look and struggles with any sort of practical creativity, it’s safe to say eye makeup is not my forté. You see, I like my eye makeup to look natural. For the most part, I either leave my lids bare or...

Primers, face mists, pore strips, lip scrubs, tinted moisturizers—all “controversial” beauty products labeled (by some) as the most despisable or undeserving of your hard-earned paychecks. Some beauty editors, skin experts, and makeup artists flaunt their obsession for the formulas I’ve listed above, and some practically condemn them as ineffective industry propaganda. In retrospect, this just proves that everyone is different, everyone likes different things, and you should really just try and buy any beauty product you dang well please.  In a previous life—a life I’ll dub BTM, before tinted moisturizer—I stubbornly maintained I just wasn’t a fan of tinted moisturizers. They pilled, they didn’t match my skin, and they never provided me with the pre...

Primers, face mists, pore strips, lip scrubs, tinted moisturizers—all “controversial” beauty products labeled (by some) as the most despisable or undeserving of your hard-earned paychecks. Some beauty editors, skin experts, and makeup artists flaunt their obsession for the formulas I’ve listed above, and some practically condemn them as ineffective industry propaganda. In retrospect, this just proves that everyone is different, everyone likes different things, and you should really just try and buy any beauty product you dang well please.  In a previous life—a life I’ll dub BTM, before tinted moisturizer—I stubbornly maintained I just wasn’t a fan of tinted moisturizers. They pilled, they didn’t match my skin, and they never provided me with the pre...

The words lip stain truly sends shivers down the back of my neck. I think it’s because, way back in the day when I first tried one my lips had a real adverse reaction to it. The formulas were liquid-y and beyond drying. Worse still it would crack if you smile or talk and if you ate it would leave a dark ring around the inside of your lips—awful. Luckily for us, formulas have come a long way since then. Now, we can opt for a creamy matte liquid lipsticks with a super-pigmented pay-off or a high shine PVC-like finish that genuinely sticks around but I had yet to try a stain that tints the lips without leaving any kind of residue. All I’ve tried either tint the lips well but the formula is incredibly drying or don’t stain them at all.  But of course, Fenty Beauty was going to b...