makeup

Honestly, I knew that the quiz was more in-depth than others I had done, but I still wasn’t convinced it was going to work. I had already tried a few things from Il Makiage before putting in my foundation order (I found the baked highlight and primer particularly wonderful), so I already knew what to expect from a brand perspective. Everything is remarkably sleek, high-impact but still wearable as well as luxe-feeling. I get serious MAC vibes from this brand. Given this, and knowing it only has one foundation available, I was expecting a full-coverage, matte formula. But what arrived, genuinely blew me away. First of all, the shade is perfect. So much so that I was absolutely convinced at some point I must have included information on the shades I already use, but I kno...

Be honest: How many selfies are cluttering up your camera roll right now? If you’re like us, then the number is probably pretty high. No judgement! It’s a weird time right now, and there’s no shame in snapping a selfie or 50 now and then. As participants in an increasingly digital society, there’s really no avoiding being on camera whether it’s to document our loungewear du jour, or to log into a virtual meeting with our teams as some of us settle into a work-from-home arrangement. All this face time has us thinking about the daily makeup habits that need to shift right now if we want to look our best in every photographic circumstance. To help, we called in makeup artist and photographer Jordan Liberty, who not only knows exactly what looks best on camera but...

As a Black woman, it’s been obvious for a long time that many brands barely consider me—and women like me—in their board rooms, beauty labs and marketing strategies. With global campaigns often only championing and catering to one skin tone, as well as only presenting one version of “beautiful,” I’ve often felt so alienated. And it isn’t just me—this is a feeling that I know many women of colour can relate to. What I’ve always wanted? To be able to walk into any mainstream store and to pick a product off the shelf with the confidence that it has been created to make me look and feel beautiful too. Looking back to my younger years, I would face a real struggle trying to find a foundation that suited my complexion, a lipstick that matched my version of ...

I’ll be honest: There are so many different types of beauty products around these days that it can be genuinely hard to keep up—and that’s coming from someone who used to be a beauty editor. So I can only imagine how confusing the constant stream of apparently miracle products can be to someone who just wants a decent set of skincare and makeup bits to make them feel their best. I’m very much someone who doesn’t like to over complicate their beauty routine and I’m all about skincare before makeup. My theory? If you take care of your skin, then you won’t want to use as much makeup. Which is why the tinted moisturiser has been a constant in my makeup bag. Not only does it give my skin coverage for any blemishes, but it also makes it feel and look moisturised. You Deserve to Make Money Even W...

In fact, Glossier’s Milky Jelly Cleanser is the result of a post on Into the Gloss in which Weiss directly asked readers what their dream face wash would be like. This relationship between customer and brand has been a major disruption to the beauty industry as we know it—and consumers are beginning to expect this level of transparency from brands across the board. It’s one of the main reasons Glossier’s skin-first, makeup-second philosophy was such an instant hit with the Instagram generation. (Remember back in 2014 when was it was a landscape of HD brows and self-tanner?) Plus, there’s no denying that the brand’s aesthetic is millennial goals—who can argue with dewy skin, pale-pink packaging and free stickers with every order? When Glossier finally laun...

I love makeup. I love everything about it. I love owning it, talking about it, researching it and applying it. The only thing I don’t really love about it is, well, wearing it. I like my face to feel clean and fresh and, sadly, makeup just doesn’t allow for that. And this is the conundrum I find myself in far too often. I love the way makeup makes my skin look, I just don’t like how it makes it feel. My naturally oily skin only feels greasier and more dirty with every layer of foundation I apply. When I told a makeup artist of my woes a few years ago as we prepared for a shoot, she asked if I’d ever thought about using a tinted moisturiser instead. And the truth was, I had. I had tried many a tinted moisturiser before, but I was yet to find one that had the second-skin finish that I so bad...

After years of testing and trialling every single bronze-boosting, glow-giving and radiance-ramping product that has come my way, I think I have finally settled on what makes the perfect formula. Sure, powder bronzers are great, but they lack a certain radiance. Highlighters deliver glow but tend to require a little more warmth. If you ask me, the ultimate glow boosters are cream or liquid formulas that carry some sort of bronzing pigment or glowing sheen but deliver maximum hydration at the same time.  Since adopting these sorts of formulas and incorporating them into my daily beauty routine, I have received so many “Have you been away?” comments. Well, I can now officially announce that I have cracked the faux-glow code. Worn either alone on...

Step 1: Mark the three points of the Golden Ratio. Using a brush, measure from the centre of your nostril straight up to determine where your brow should begin. Brows should end where the corner of the nostril connects with the outer corner of the eye. Last, the highest point of your arch should connect the middle of the tip of the nose with the middle of the iris.  Step 2: Brush the hairs upward with the spoolie. Using a flat brow pencil, outline the bottom of the eyebrow from arch to tail. Next, brush the hairs downward and outline the top of the eyebrow from arch to tail. Brush the hairs back in place and fill in the eyebrow from arch to tail.  Step 3: Next, detail the front of the eyebrow by creating hairlike strokes using the fine tip. Starting at the base of the front of th...

Out of all of the things we’ve had to forgo recently, the one beauty ritual I’ve missed the most is without a doubt applying makeup every morning. On any normal day, I’d say that I take no great joy out of applying my makeup. In fact, I’d say I used to regard it as more of a chore. Fast-forward to now, and I have never been more desperate to get creative with my face. Without actually having to leave the house for the last couple of months, I have had little reason to hook out my makeup bag.  My Instagram saved folders, on the other hand, are full to the brim with beautiful makeup looks that I am itching to re-create. From pretty pastel eye looks to glowing glass skin, I have never been more inspired to dig out my makeup bag and get playing. So now that the sun is...

Don’t get me wrong. I do love playing with makeup, and I know a great product when I see one, but when I compare my results to those of someone with a little more artistic flair, I find myself deflated and somewhat disappointed. And this is by no means news to me. I have been aware of my shoddy makeup skills since the early stages of my career. The minute I found myself surrounded by editors whose eye shadow looks could put even the greatest YouTubers to shame, I knew my place. So in a bid to find my niche in the often-crazy world of makeup, I started focussing my attention on makeup launches that most appealed to me on a personal level. Forget bright eye shadow palettes and complex contour kits. I started educating myself in makeup that anyone can use. You know, the kind of products ...

Usually, I have to undergo several weeks of preparation before I can muster up the mental courage to embark on a foundation shopping trip. The first step is furiously scrubbing off the residual makeup that’s caked on the empty bottle of my foundation to try and decipher the shade name. It’s usually something arbitrary and food-related like cocoa or mocha, but that’s a conversation for another day. Then I make a hit list and map out the brands that I know have more than 10 shades in their range (or at least one that they deem appropriate for darker skin tones). When I finally make it into the shop, I’m already weary by the time I decide which foundations to swatch. Then I find it: a seemingly good match. Well, it’s a good match until I take ...