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A Flawless Face with Laura Mercier Undercover Pot : A Multi-Tasking Concealing, Camouflaging Makeup Wonder

February 4, 2013 Paris B 43 Comments

When I shared my tip for using a concealer brush when applying concealer, some of you asked what concealer it was that I featured, all used and opened in the photo 🙂 It turns out that this has become one of my favourite concealers for the undereye area and I’d been meaning to tell you about it, so no better time than the present 🙂

laura mercier undercover pot concealer

This is then the Laura Mercier Undercover Pot concealer which I have been told is quite an iconic product and a popular favourite amongst many women. What it is, is actually 3 products in one compact portable package. You get on the top, the Secret Camouflage (left pan), Secret Concealer (right pan) and Translucent Loose Setting Powder at the bottom. These 3 products form parts 3 and 4 of the Laura Mercier 4-step Flawless Face so you actually save time getting this kit (Step 3 – Conceal, Step 4 – set with powder).

It does not come with a brush so you do need to have your own concealer brush before using this, because fingers just don’t cut it. Whilst this isn’t advertised as just being for the undereye area (The Secret Camouflage can be used on blemishes too) I use this only exclusively for the undereye because I find that for me, it works best for that and I’ll tell you that sometimes, 2 is better than just 1 😉

6 Invaluable Foundation and Base Makeup Tips from Blair Patterson, Estee Lauder Global Makeup Artistry Director

October 16, 2012 Paris B 51 Comments

Last week, I had the rare and wonderful opportunity to meet with Estee Lauder’s Global Makeup Artistry Director, Blair Patterson, who had flown in from New York to talk about the Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup SPF10/PA++. This long lasting liquid foundation is a cornerstone of Estee Lauder makeup, and a few more shades will soon be available to suit Asian skin, so they can confidently say that there is a shade to suit everyone.

I’ll be telling you about the foundation soon enough, but during the mini workshop and interview afterwards, Blair <- first name basis yo! – shared loads of tips, primarily about foundation and I wanted to share them with you. Some are of course, EL-centric, but most are adaptable 🙂

blair patterson foundation tips

As the Director of Global Makeup Artistry at Estee Lauder, Blair works closely with the Creative Director Tom Pecheux, who has, to me, singlehandedly turned the brand around in the colour cosmetics department, at once modernizing the colour makeup and making it appeal to younger women. Tom Pecheux, as Blair shared, is known in the industry for perfecting the technique of applying base, so that there is minimal post production on model shoots.

Now, we know that if that can work with models and editorial shoots, just think of how wonderful that would be for us, the everyday woman who just wants to project the illusion of perfect air-brushed skin!

So, applying tenuous math and logic, since Blair works closely with Tom and since Blair shared tips on perfecting your makeup base, it would be almost as if the tips came from Tom Pecheux! Did you get that or am I over-reaching? 😛 While you think about it, here are the foundation tips I picked up, and which you now have access to 🙂

If you can’t go to the Mediterranean let Guerlain Perles d’Azur Meteorites bring the Mediterranean blue to you

May 14, 2012 Paris B 80 Comments

For Summer 2012, Guerlain once again hooked up with fashion designer Emilio Pucci. I say once again, because there was a Guerlain x Pucci collaboration back in 2007. I’d already owned the Meteorites in Mythic back then and naively thought I would need more than one tub. Ahhh the naivete of youth 😛

guerlain perles d'azur meteorites can

So when I got wind of this Summer’s Guerlain x Pucci collection, I made sure I wouldn’t miss out. And I didn’t! 😀 Ladies, I present you the Guerlain x Pucci Meteorites in Perles D’Azur. Some of you have been asking me about this and whether you should be getting it for your first Meteorites (yes, I feel terribly proud for enabling everyone into getting at least 1 tub of Guerlain Meteorites in their life 😉 ) so lets take a look. Settle back, because there are comparisons going on and I get all sorts of verbose about my favourite “can’t live without it” makeup item 😛 Continue Reading

Helping you stop your makeup from melting with the Smashbox Photo Set Finishing Powder

January 20, 2012 Paris B 14 Comments

So, the Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year is just around the corner now, and its the time most of us meet up with relatives (love it or hate it!) and spend time with our families. This is also the time we go around to visit friends, to catch up over the year that we never bothered to stay in touch. It was more fun as kids when I’d have lucky red packets to collect (cash FTW!) but now I don’t get it anymore, its a chore 😛

But if there is one consistent thing about Chinese New Year, it is the weather. Over here in the tropics, it tends to be boiling hot at this time of year. So much so, we call it “Chinese New Year weather”. And if you try traipsing around houses in this heat, you will inevitably find your makeup melting. Well, I have a solution! 😀

smashbox through the lens kit

I discovered the Smashbox Photo Set Finishing Powder in the Behind The Lens set that came out at Christmas, and I swear by this to keep melting makeup at bay. I think having a face primer under the makeup helps some, but the icing on the cake is really the Photo Set Finishing Powder.

I wore this one day, trudged around the city in the hot hot sun and still looked pretty much pulled together by the end of it. It somehow just managed to hold foundation without running or melting, blush colour looked pretty vibrant and the only thing I might see melting somewhat was eyeshadow.

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