Weyyy! And just like that I am back feeling more like myself than ever!
It has been a hot minute since I last did a blog because lockdown was as inspiring as a train departing, TBH. I even upgraded my Chromebook to a MacBook since we last chatted! Ya gal is fancyyyy
Now though beauts, lockdown has been lifted (as if you didn't know already and have been sitting indoors...) for what now feels like the hundredth time and we're told this time is for certain (well, for BoJo maybe, Nicola isn't giving us much is she!)
Will they/won't they keep us out of lockdown, it's like a budget rom com isn't it? Cause a lot of us didn't find it funny and the romantic spark we were painfully witnessing within our bedrooms was about as hot as a freezer, not cool bro. I do feel good about this recent lifting, though. Last time I felt so on edge all the time, scared to live incase it got snatched away but this time does feel more real than before, even if we are still having our makeup ruined by face masks! I've booked a few things in August, giving that normality should be somewhat restored by then and I'm actually allowing myself to feel excited for it!
With lockdown liftings (re)occurring. our inner vain bitch makes a comeback and ughhh. How much I am LOVING wearing makeup again and actually WEAR-ING IT. None of this getting done up to sit indoors shit we've had to make do with. Actually having places to wear it too is giving me so much LIFE. Yes, all these bold caps are necessary because I'm just at that level of enthusiastic ok, I've clearly been on them good makeup days lately!
So now we're "Back 2 Vanity" which, is a bit like going back 2 school except we're self taught and it is not cheap! Whats changed? What have we learned? Have any of our lockdown habits we've developed exited alongside us? Well- let's talk! Heres my post-lockdown vanity experiences, tales. triumphs & tips for you gals so far...
My lockdown was very basic. I didn't really make an effort on the reg. I didn't want to waste my makeup for date nights indoors and even those were just local takeaways anyway or homemade pasta on a piece (bread and butter FYI) and I didn't want to waste all my good 'fits for the same reasons, either. Lockdown for me, consisted of only fake tanning if the sun was making an appearance. Basic AF make-up. Occasionally - very rarely - straightening or on an extra good day, curling, my hair and frowning at my jeans and their circulation cutting waist bands anytime I laid my eyes on them!
Now typing this today, I am absolutely loving playing with make-up again! I've totally re-vamped my old getting ready routine and despite not doing my make-up that often during lockdown, I'd say I have evolved a fair bit. I've yet to do a full glam look (with the big ass lashes and about 6 different eyeshadows blended together!) but I have definitely mastered my, what I'm sure YouTubers would describe as their "Everyday Glam" look. My makeup routine has changed for the better and to celebrate, here's me - That Vain Gal's -
5 super easy tips for getting Back 2 Vanity and looking sexyyy:
[Using my tips below to create that bronzed yet natural, everyday glam look!]
1) CHILL. Makeup should be fun, it shouldn't be a chore. If you are finding make-up to be on par with doing the dishes, re-evaluiate what bits of it you aren't enjoying and work with them. For me, I loved the freedom of not having to wear false lashes during lockdown (choking on my words as I legit can't believe I've actually just typed that...) and I feel pretty confident with just mascara peepers now. I noticed when I was getting ready, false lashes and perfecting them did hold me back quite a bit, especially if I had places to be so for me, I have now cut out the falsies unless it's a full glam look and I am revelling in it! It's taken such a pressure off and being 1 less handbag item down in the form of lash glue is obvs a nice wee bonus, too.
2) If you enjoyed a more basic make-up routine during lockdown, why can't you continue it? Social pressures paired up with plans in social environments can make us feel like we have to be glam-glam, but why? If you're lockdown make-up routine consisted of mascara, brows, bit of blush and highlighter then why not just throw in a little cc/bb cream to your routine to add a super easy glam factor to that lockdown easy get-ready routine you loved? Right now my absolute go-to is Garnier SkinActive BB cream in shade 'Medium' which you can find here, it is the perfect fake tan shade! For brows, arch them out more with a pencil (Benefit products are amazing for this) and throw into the mix a super easy cream bronzer like the sticks Shein has to offer here, yes, SHEIN! They are an absolute hidden gem in the make-up game right now and I am full blown OBSESSED with this stick! And I ain't normally a cream bronzer kid of gal yano.
3) Multi-use your products. Use your bronzer on your eyes as eyeshadow, a liquid highlighter for your cheeks, inner corner of eye, eyelid or as a lip gloss effect. Use a nude/brown lipliner as eyeliner too and use your pink or coral lipsticks as a cheek stain. Having a multi-use system for your products not only simplifies your routine, but it also helps you make use of products you buy that may have more of a price tag to them.
4) Bronzed skin is forever in! Why not just aim to give your face a bronzed, sun-kissed look? A bit of cc/bb cream, a multi dimensional bronzer & highlighter such as Iconic London's here. A duo highlight pan for your pale days and your tan days like Doll Beauty's 'Duo Light' here. Jamie Genevieve's new make-up brand 'Vieve' have just released a major glow-up essential with their "Skin Dew" which will leave your skin looking enviably healthy. Another Vieve must have is the blusher in shade 'Pesca' the perfect coral shade for that sun kissed look (works so so good on pale skin tones, too) add a little down your nose for extra sunkissed points! Slick some bronzer on your eyelids, darken up that brow and blend in some brown lip pencil under your eyes for an easy smokey bronzed eye. Don't forget to throw on that perfect nude, lined and centred lip with a golden gloss such as Inglot's here in the centre- getting bronzed has never been so easy!
5) Invest in a few cult staples. Cult products such as Charlotte Tilbury's Flawless Filter is a must have product for very good reason. You can use it under foundation in areas you wish to glow, you can put it lightly all over as a primer/base OR you can even do a more heavy coat and wear it as a glow foundation! For fake-tanned gals reference, I wear shade 5 and this is the perfect shade once blended. Another cult product I highly recommend is IT Cosmetics 'Bye Bye Under Eye' concealer - I'm shade 25.0, Medium-Neutral - this is hands down the best coverage I have found in a concealer without looking cakey. I mix it with a cheap concealer like Revolution's in a much lighter shade to contrast light and dark and it works perfectly to highlight but conceal my under eye! My last cult product is an old favourite, MAC Studio Fix but for me, their powder plus foundation is the absolute winner here. I wear NW25 as my perfect fake tan shade and this powder has great wear to it as well as well as making your skin look flawww-LESS... and that's coming from an acne suffering gal! It's the real deal.
Also...
I have got rid of that negative attitude that sometimes followed me around in regards to make-up. Lockdown made me come face to face with my, well... face! Day in, day out so of course this resulted in me being more comfortable in my reflection. So if I dont have time to do my make-up to the extent i'd like to before I head out? That is absolutely okay! I just work with what I can do and besides, we a mask covers it all anyway! I am definitely a lot more happier now doing make-up than I ever have been and I 100% believe you can be too, babe.
_
I hope you enjoyed my first dip back into blogging! For now, th0ugh. Stay Safe, Sassy & Slay allll day- every day x
Comments