Need whole new makeup kit - where to start?

[wonderstuff]

I rarely wear makeup, but like to wear some to go out, post pandemic my whole kit is old and needs a refresh, haven’t worn anything for a couple of years, family wedding coming up and want to fix.

I have previously used bare minerals foundation and bronzer, but seems to be quite cakey when I try now, not sure if it’s my skin aging or my ancient brushes not doing it anymore?

Ive ordered some Il Makiage foundation.. what next? I’ve got pale Celtic skin and very dark hair and eyes… wedding in south of France so going to be hot.

I own make up from across the entire spectrum of £££ and can honestly say that while there are some higher end products I like for colour or texture, drugstore make up is not the chalky, badly milled and pressed/ greasy stuff it used to be, so don't be afraid to experiment if you can afford to make the odd mistake.

Are you washing your brushes? Do them every week, or more often if you're using a lot of heavy base/ bronzer etc.

EcoTools do great brushes. Real Techniques are still good but the range is eye wateringly complicated.

I use a damp beauty blender for foundation as I find it gives a flawless finish - brushes seem to leave slight brush marks no matter how I apply it.

A revelation I found was using a slim, very fluffy, not at all dense brush for bronzer so it doesn't pack on a huge stripe of colour.

Interesting, think I’m going to move away from powder foundation, my skin is both oily and very dry these days!
I haven’t been washing brushes, not sure how?? But they are now at the point where losing hairs, so going to bin then I think. Keen to have tools that aren’t plastic..

Good to know quality drugstore stuff, no makeup counters locally now that Debenhams has gone..

People for whom Bare Minerals work really do love it. It oxidised terribly on me and gave a cakey finish no matter how lightly I tried to apply it.

I'm lucky that I have good skin to start with so can get away with sheer coverage. Il Makiage has a lot of fans and I think their colour matching is great.

I just wash my brushes in washing up liquid, rubbing them gently against my palm until the water runs clear. And dry flat, not upright, so the water can drain out of the Ferrule ( metal bit) as it can weaken the glue in there otherwise.

I've got some real cheapo brushes that only cost a couple of quid, but they come up good as new after a wash.

I did love BM, but think as my skin has aged it’s not applying as well.

Take a look at Trinny London

If you can go in person to Bobbi Brown, I'd do that.
I never got on with Bare Minerals, but I find BB is good at pulling together a look that works for a more mature skin.

Do you need foundation? I get on really well with the maybelline miracle eye concealer (?) on the under eyes and shadowed areas, and on my chin and forehead Centre as a gentle highlighter/conceal a thread vein.

I only need to tap in the edges, don't need full coverage.

I love to use a cream bronzer/blusher/neutral lip type product for eyes lips and cheeks. Acts as a transition colour on the eyes, and gives a bit of warmth on lips and cheeks.

Then eyeliner, mascara, and highlighter. Brow pencil or gel if you need it.

It's great, fast, and totally reliable.

I tried hard to wear more for an all day wedding, but nothing worked as well as my usual!

Can get to a John Lewis, may look at Bobbi Brown. Any particular product recommendations for Trinny London or Bobbi Brown?

I do think a foundation would be helpful, my skin is very uneven, especially now I’ve caught a little sun which leaves my face quite pink. In the past I’ve been a fan of a little Touché Eclair under my eyes and around my nostrils which are quite dark.

Normally as I say I don’t bother, but I do find I feel a bit more confident with a bit of makeup and my husband’s family is full of gorgeous blond bombshells who always look beautifully turned out, I’ve got a really lovely dress for the wedding and want to feel fabulous!

Previous routine was moisturiser, primer, BM foundation, concealer, bronze, eyeliner job done, only took 5 minutes. But now skin is older, just not working for me.

Have you tried beauty pie? I think it's great.

I did a huge amount of research & experimenting before my son’s wedding last year, & came up with my Holy Grail list of products. So…..in the order I put them on for special occasions….Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter, Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage concealer, Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk foundation, Clinique Airbrush concealer, Laura Mercier translucent setting powder, Guerlain Terracotta bronzer, Lisa Eldridge elevated highlighter, Nars tinted eyeshadow base, Urban Decay Naked 3 eyeshadow palette, Stila Stay All Day eyeliner, Lancôme Monsieur Big waterproof mascara, Huda Beauty Legit Lashes clear waterproof mascara topcoat, Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush setting spray, plus your favourite lipstick!! Eyelash curlers, brushes from Mac/Bobbi Brown, Zoeva, Sigma, & you’re done!!! 🤣

Nars Foundation
Primer (benefit)
Tarte Concealer (damp blending sponge)
Bobbi Brown bronzer (it's 4 squares in a prism)
Good quality moisturiser
Eyebrow pencil MUA
Non sticky lip gloss Fenty is good
Rimmel do a long stay lip paint it's really good and not at all drying
Bourjois eyeliner
Maybelline mascara

Go to boots or Superdrug, there's no pressure to buy and you can try out the samples.

L'Oreal true match foundation is the best I've found in the highstreet. I quite like the Charlotte Tilbury palettes that include 3 eyeshadows, a bronzer, highlighter and 2 blushers, saves on space/packaging too

That’s an amazing list, think I may need to remortgage though? Will definitely look at some of those though, it’s an investment right?

Never seen it before, looks like a good concept, anything particular you’d recommend?

Thank you, I’ll look at some of those.

Hopefully I have foundation in the post, but the CT palette sounds great, thank you.

I just saw a nice deal here if you want to try out some inoffensive decent quality drugstore makeup and tools cheaply www.hotukdeals.com/share-deal-from-app/3978079

Absolutely, & most of them will last for ages 💕. Have a look at Lisa Eldridge’s website & videos for tips & recommendations too - she’s Queen of the make-up artists!

Benefit brow gel
MAC extreme dimensions mascara
Morphe & Urban Decay eyeshadow palettes
MAC lipsticks are unreal and I love their glosses
Charlotte Tilbury bronzer
Estée Lauder double wear concealer

What i would say, as you mention feeling like your skin has aged, is that foundation makes this worse and not better. Colour wise it evens out yes, but it almost makes it TOO blank if you see what i mean? Makeup is trending more 'natural' at the moment - however as not all of us are genetically blessed with good skin theres some good products out there that do a job of feeling like dewy skin rather than makeup - I am also pale of face and uneven of skin tone and oily combo skin! Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer (seriously good, i think ASOS are doing minis at the moment to try -worth the ££) but NYX have a serum concealer which is also very good, and Laura Mercier translucent powder which leaves you sort of glowy, so hard to explain - on days where my skin is more uneven i use a NYX BB cream which is annoyingly discontinued! Definitely a beauty blender - honestly any will do, boots do a decent selection and there's normally a sale.
Oh and get a green concealer for spots/mixing in with moisturiser to tone down redness. NYX do one. You only need the tiniest bit, but pat it in with your finger or a beauty blender and it makes your regular concealer work so much better!

Nars concealer looks good, how do I know which colour to get?

Try washing your brushes and the lids of your foundation and bronzer makes a huge difference..

Found the finder on the website.

Hourglass Illusion or Soft Glow is great for hot weather. I bought Hourglass Illusion in Canada a few years back as makeup was falling off my face and I had an event to go to, and I really needed " something ". I also have Celtic Skin and it felt light and more like a tinted moisturiser than a foundation, and best of all, it didn't sweat off my face.🤣
It's not cheap, it was £55, ( soft glow is cheaper I think) , but you don't need much as a little goes a long way. Lasted me for ages.
You can buy online or John Lewis sell it if you have one near you, as you might need colour matched.