FACE BASE: MY GO-TO BASE MAKEUP
Hooray for natural and planet-friendly makeup that works! For years, eco makeup was a compromise on performance, packaging and finish but not these days. For me, getting the right base makeup has always been an issue — from my teen years when having yellow-toned skin meant I couldn’t get the right colour on the high street to my modelling days when I was caked in the stuff daily, which made me just want to let my skin breathe. Does anyone else remember the trend for matte skin with no colour — when you were supposed to use the foundation to “mask” your face before using a bunch more products to bring it back to life? That just never worked for me. So the technique I adopted was just to simply dot out blemishes and cover up darkness under my eyes with lots of sweeping and patting concealer.
These days however, I’ve found my face-base products, and they’re all-natural so I feel much better about not only spending money on them but also using them on my face daily. Thanks to one of my best friends Sjaniel Turrell, who is a holistic makeup artist as well as one-to-one skincare consultant, I’ve finally got there. It’s not that amazing holistic brands have not had the formulas sorted for a while — it’s just that I couldn’t find the right formula for what I wanted AND for my very yellow skin tone. Sjaniel is up to date on all the latest releases as well as understanding their ingredients list inside out, and bears me in mind when she comes across something that potentially will help me put my best face forward.
Back to my undereyes and what I incorrectly called my “bags” for many years — my skin is super translucent, so veins are very loud and I have a big one scooping under one of my eyes giving me a “black eye look” at the best of times, plus I tend to have a blue-ish tone under both. The right concealer for me has to have medium coverage, not be too reflective (which makes them look worse!) and be creamy — not too thick and not too slick. And then the right tone, not too pink and not too light (too light also tends to highlight the area).
So here we are with my “kit” that I dip in and out of throughout the year as my needs change due to weather and changes in skin tone depending on sun exposure.
ORGANIC PHARMACY TINTED BEAUTY CREAM
This is a sheer formula — I loved it all summer when I had a bit more colour on my face, which was boosted by this product. It felt barely there while still providing some coverage and never clogging my pores. It’s packed with ingredients your skin will love, like hyaluronic acid and witch hazel, is natural and sustainable, and comes in eco-friendly packaging.
KJAER WEIS INVISIBLE TOUCH LIQUID FOUNDATION
This foundation is made with hyaluronic acid, natural plant oils and flower extracts for base makeup that feels like a second skin. It’s totally buildable (the fact that the dropper application only administers a tiny amount at a time means you won't go overboard either) and feels really natural and breathable. It’s available in 24 shades, too.
This super lightweight foundation gives me a smooth complexion that looks lovely and natural. It’s eco-certified, nut-free, cruelty-free, gluten-free and vegan-friendly. So lovely to smooth on — be aware that a full pump I find is (in contrast to the above!) too much for my face so unless you want to go heavy or right down to your decolletage, dispense with caution and your bottle will go a lot further!
This is a two-in-one mix and match product that’s great for covering different areas of your face — it’s not all one tone, after all. It’s super moisturising thanks to minerals and shea butter — and stiff enough to stay in place.
This is a more cream-to-powder finish, which lends great coverage without drying my skin, and is similar to more commercial makeup products that I used in the past. I find it great around the nose area too where you might need to reduce redness while keeping it all hydrated.
ZAO MINERAL SILK FOUNDATION POWDER
I like this for under the eyes especially, as it’s super light. It’s NOT an easy powder for on the go since it’s loose with a removable lid and can end up EVERYWHERE, but I love it as part of my morning makeup prep to lightly set my concealer without drying it out, which also means I can reapply makeup later in the day without it caking.
INIKA MINERAL FOUNDATION POWDER
A pressed, all-in-one powder that’s the perfect finishing touch to any makeup look — armed with a big brush it’s certainly great for a face base in a hurry or on the go. It blots out excess shine without clogging your pores and comes in loads of different shades. It is also certified vegan, cruelty-free and halal.