Do you reach for your eye pencil when you want to define your eyes?
Do you buy bronzers and use it purely for a tan?
The next time you are out of a makeup item, shop your make up stash and look for items with alternative use. Better yet, when you are shopping to re-stock a makeup item, maybe you can try some of the following alternatives.
Primer & setting spray:
Rosewater with glycerin make a perfect primer and setting spray for your makeup. Rose water has healing properties which has been used for centuries as toner for the face. Combined with glycerin, it makes the perfect duo to prep your skin and soften it before applying makeup. With its hydrating and moisturising properties, rosewater with glycerin can also help to reduce redness and calm ance prone skin.
After applying your makeup, rosewater with glycerin are a great option for a setting spray. Particularly if you use powder make up or set your makeup with powder, one or two sprays of rosewater with glycerin will help to make the your face look less cakey and matt and add a natural finish to any look.
I spray two to three sprays after before applying my makeup and when done I spray another two sprays to set the make up.
Glowing skin
Argan oil can be use for numerous purposes. One of which is to add a healthy glow to you skin and makeup. One drop of argan oil mixed into your foundation or pat lightly over your foundation will add a beautiful healthy glow to the face. Argan oil absorbs quickly into the skin so you will not be left with an oily, shiny face.
Multi-purpose primer and glowing skin
Clarins Beauty Flash Balm is a wonderful product which adds an instant healthy glow to your skin. Unlike other primers, you will need to gently pat this onto the skin and have to work quickly to apply your foundation as the product sets very quickly. Alternatively you can pat a small amount over your maekup in areas where you want to add a touch of dewy look. I regular use this to re-fresh my makeup and tired looking face after work when I’m about to head out for dinner.
Clockwise from left to right: Josie Maran – 100% Pure Argan Oil, Clarins – Beauty Flash Balm; and Jurlique – Rosewater Balancing Mist.
Eyeliner
Cake eyeliner are a great alternative to your regular eyeliner. Instead of lining above the lashes, tighlining is a technique where the liner is applied to your upper waterline. I have seen many videos where people demonstrated tighlining with either a pencil or a gel liner. However, the best product I have found for this technique is the Laura Mercier cake eyeliner. The product is not too thick or runny and allows for perfect application every time with a flat eyelining brush. This is a great alternative to drawing on your eyeliner above the lash line as the look that it creates is more natural. The lashes appears more full and thick as it fills in the gaps between your eyelashes and you can have create instant bigger and brighter eyes with very little efforts.
Crease shadow
Bronzers make the perfect colour to apply to the creases on your eyes. People shop around for the perfect shade of brown to apply to their creases, but I find that the most perfect colour usually comes from all my bronzers. As bronzers are made to give warmth to your face and add a hint of tan, it is prefect to use for your creases to add depth and warmth to the eyes.
Eyes brightener
Many people use a white or cream/nude eye pencil on their lower waterline to brighten up the eyes. I often find that it is very hard to find the perfect shade to line my eyes as I am quite tan so most colours would be too white or too pale for my skin tone thus not giving me a very natural look. Many brands as of late has been releasing concealer pencils which is a concealer, packaged in a neat, easy to carry pencil. As the the product is a concealer, I find that it is much easier to find shades that will better match my skin tone and as such make a much better alternative as an under eye pencil/brightener. Pictured below are my NYX wonder pencil in the shade ‘Deep’.
Clockwise from left to right: Laura Mercier – Tighline Cake Eyliner in black ebony, Laura Geller – Bronze-N-Brighten in regluar/medium; and NYX – Wonder Pencil in Deep
I want to give a quick mention to the eyelash curler. While it is not very revolutionary or give any alternative options, I find that mini plastic eyelash curlers are much better fitted to my eye shape than the standard metal lash curlers. The pads are thick so it cushions the lashes and produce the most wonderful curls to my lashes (well the most wonderful curls that my lashes has ever had). Give this a try next time you’re out shopping for an eyelash curler. The pink eyelash curler pictured at the start is from Japonesque.
Genevieve and I 