45 & have £100 JL vouchers to buy new make up - recommendations please as I’m overwhelmed!

[Littlemiss74]

I’m 45 & looking tired. My make up is old and doesn’t suit me any more. I was given £100 of John Lewis vouchers & I’d like to use them to buy some new make up but I’m overwhelmed by the choice & don’t know what to buy.

My colouring is olivey skin with dark bits under eyes & on lids which I’d like to cover but when I put eyeshadow on it goes all wrinkly and looks awful. Brown eyes & brown highlighted hair.

I like light, natural looking make up. I want to look healthy & glowing if that’s possible when most of the time I’m a bit knackered!

Please can anyone help me out with some recommendations or which brands might be a good place to start?

Many thanks

I'm a fan of Lancome everything. Not sure how beauty shops are set up post lockdown, but best to go in for a professional makeover and try different products. Worth it when you fond a patient assistant who takes time to try different products with you. Best to go early on a weekday than at a weekend so they have more time to focus on you. Good luck.

I recently bought a couple of things from Charlotte tilbury which I have been really pleased with - their look of love palette which gives bronzer, blusher, highlighter, a face powder and 3 eyeshadows...its beautiful on the face (but would recommend watching a couple of YouTube reviews - look for people with your skintone if you can - have found that really useful when deciding whether to buy something). I paired it with her magic vanish colour corrector to get rid of my under eye circles (I still use concealer on top but mine are bad). Both of those would cost almost £80 (a lot I know!) but then I buy cheaper mascara from L’Oréal (telescopic - it’s amazing) and lips cheaper. Would definitely recommend a palette like that as a way to try a lot of product without buying everything individually.

The only bad thing about the palette is it only comes in 2 shades, one for light and one for medium skin tones which is ridiculous - there should be 4 shades to cover from lighter to deeper skin tones...

I guess it depends what your focus is in terms of what you want to emphasise and hide...

If you just go to Bobbi Brown they will sort you out (book in advance)- though they will try to make you spend more than £100 so you will need to be resolute!

@domesticslattern yes I have often looked at the Bobbi Brown make up on other people and thought that’s the kind of look I would like. But as it’s expensive I’m worried about buying stuff and then it not being right when I get home & i will have wasted alot of money. I’ve decided now, in my mid 40’s, that I’d like to have fewer products but spend more on getting the right ones that can make me look the best I can. Any suggestions for the key items to go for?

I like Bobbi Brown, Nars and YSL at John Lewis. But more importantly, my recommendation is to try out more liquid/cream face products in place of powder (blush, bronzer, highlighter etc...) Loads more flattering!

@Threebecomesfour thank you that’s helpful, I wouldn’t have thought of that. I probably need someone to show me how to apply things properly too as I haven’t tried anything new for so long.

I understand your fears about wasting money! Pre covid you used to be able to book a consultation for say £25 which was free if you bought products to that value. I used to buy a lipstick and mull over the rest eg take a sample of the foundation, and go back when I was content. Try in different lights etc.The skin foundation and wand concealer are both very good, plus a blush. They will write down the names and colours for your return. Get a cheaper mascara at Boots on the way home.They will try to flog you skin products which is where it gets spendy.
Enjoy! It's great fun, I am a bit jealous actually. Not sure though how Covid has changed the service offered.

I'm similar colouring to you op. I would recommend Bobbi Brown. I also like a more natural look and find their make up very good.
I have a colour corrector for my under eye and it works really well.
I have their long wear skin foundation too and it looks so natural.
The only thing I wasn't keen on was their matt lipstick. Love the colour but find it too drying.

@domesticslattern

If you just go to Bobbi Brown they will sort you out (book in advance)- though they will try to make you spend more than £100 so you will need to be resolute!

Beat me to it. I love BB and their sales assistants seem a cut above the rest. I’d buy the foundation, eye shadow and lipstick they recommend and cheaper mascara, etc. Don’t tell them your budget!

Thank you so much for the Bobbi Brown recs, it sounds like it would suit me but the products are more than I’ve ever spent on make up before - are they worth it would you say? My friend did tell me that she went to buy some things from them recently but they were not allowing any testers to be used at all so I’m not sure how I would know what shades etc to buy. I doubt they will let me return things if they aren’t right will they?

@Girlintheframe that’s so helpful thank you - would you mind telling me a few more of the BB products you use & in what colours ie eyeshadow (does it look wrinkly), blusher, lipstick. Also I’ve seen the shimmer brick things, are they good, would the be too much for everyday wear?

The shimmer bricks are lovely but they’re a nice to have. My best friend loves them and I’ve bought her a couple as birthday/Christmas presents. A cream blusher in the perfect colour would be better as you’re starting from scratch. You can add the nice to haves as and when you want/can afford a treat.

I haven't tried their blusher. I do have one of their shimmer bricks but don't like it.
I have their long wear foundation
Under eye colour corrector
Concealer
Mascara
Cream blusher
1 x Matt lipstick.

I don't really wear eye shadow. I really like their products but my favourites are the foundation, corrector and concealer. I often struggle with colours due to being quite sallow but I find theirs colour matches very well.

Sorry meant to say the cream blush I have was a limited edition one I got a couple of years ago.

This is my favourite. Great texture and buildable.

www.bobbibrown.co.uk/product/14021/20488/makeup/face-and-cheek/blush/pot-rouge-for-lips-cheeks#/shade/Pale_Pink

They will be able to give you away a sample of foundation to try.
The colours I have are
Foundation - warm natural
Corrector - Peach
Serum Concealer - Natural 8

Was going to suggest Clinique, I've used their stuff for years and it's really good on my complexion (I'm 50, olive skinned with dark hair). Doesn't "sit" on the skin if that makes sense.

I also tried Charlotte Tilbury after reading lots of recommendations on here. It's shockingly bad, Rimmel quality in fancy packaging. Even my teenage DD's wouldn't touch it...... the whole lot went in the bin. The mascara was so bad I sent the first one back as faulty but the 2nd one was exactly the same.

@domesticslattern

If you just go to Bobbi Brown they will sort you out (book in advance)- though they will try to make you spend more than £100 so you will need to be resolute!

Agree!

I adore Bobbi Brown stuff (no link with them at all). I also really like a lot of CT stuff but that's much more hit or miss in terms of quality; BB is very consistent.

One thing I would say is that Bobbi Brown always, always have deals online, but particularly around Bank Holidays - free eyeshadow palettes, 20% off everything, bundle deals... And usually all deals are 'stackable'.

Visit the counter, or look at their YouTube videos, to get a sense of whether you like the stuff. If you do then I would be tempted to use the JL vouchers to buy Bobbi Brown vouchers, then buy from their website! :) (If they won't let you buy vouchers with vouchers then the JL website will often price match, you just don't get the free stuff).

Sorry, just tried to add to my post but it won't let me.. have a look at Beauty by Sloane and Hannah Martin on YouTube for some ideas, they both do great videos (yes, they are essentially adverts but still really useful tips and ideas!).

@randomkey123 - agree about their mascara and lip products, it’s marketing and hype (so expensive for what they are) but their powders I am impressed with, as well as their colour corrector (not quite as good as becca one but have to try and find an alternative now that isn’t being made anymore). Their face powder blurs and mattifies (that’s clearly not a word!) amazingly but I do use an hourglass finishing powder on top to give me the exact effect I want.

Have tried a lot of cream products and I love them for a weekend, but I just have found cream products look great for the first couple of hours then melt off my face - I need staying power for the work week so carefully selected powders... done right it can look just as flattering as cream...

carefully selected powders... done right it can look just as flattering as cream...

Only up to a certain point. Powders make me look 100 now as they settle in my lines and emphasise them.

Highly recommend urban decay eyeshadow primer, it makes a really good base for eyeshadow so it doesn’t settle into creases.

I was so disappointed with Charlotte Tilbury. The Superdrug own stuff has better pigment.

I haven't tried it yet but friends swear by Trinny London.

@Girlintheframe I am tempted by the long wear foundation, but I don’t like heavy coverage, what is the coverage like?
I’m wondering whether a tinted moisturiser would be better - does anyone use this instead of foundation?

@randomkey123 I’ve always liked Clinique but haven’t bought anything from them for a while - which foundation do you use please? I want something light, would you recommend their Tinted Moisturiser?

I read somewhere that Clinique have said if you buy a foundation online & it’s not right you can return it, has anyone done this?

I like the sound of the under eye corrector - I look so tired today🙁

It's medium coverage but buildable. Very easy to apply too.

I don't like heavy either. I use this all over but sometimes add a bit more in certain areas.
On me it honestly just looks like my skin but better.
I would get some samples with a few different bases and see what suits you best.