in your face

Today I shall take you yet to another level of voyeurism and show you the entire content of my cosmetic bag... or closet rather. Just do not mistake this for skincare recommendation post, as you're about to discover that I don't even own a moisturiser!

It says: "Make-up in class" under my yearbook photo, but that was more than ten years ago and many things have changed. When I was 15 I wanted to look like Charlotte Roche - the presenter on the Viva2 music channel - and nothing could stop me. I forced my parents to buy me makeup and I always 'needed' that one colour I don't have yet. I owned blue lipstick, yellow mascara and green eyeliner, and yes I would touch up my multi-coloured eye makeup in Math class, which did not prevent me from taking the most advanced Further Math course and participate in international school math competitions, by the way. I never had skin problems when I was a teenager, so I could pile up one product over another and never feel a thing...until the age of 27, when suddenly an acne crisis broke out all over my face and back. I've tried everything - those acne treatment products just burn your skin off! Nothing helped, until a doctor recommended a contraceptive pill which as side effect treats skin breakouts. It worked miracles. Fourth month into the treatment though I developed thrombosis in both of my legs and almost died. I quit my job because I couldn't stand for too long, and being a sales person does involve extensive amounts of standing...I had to live through daily injections in my stomach which lasted for months, and I still cannon fly long distance without following a course of heparin injections prior to travelling. All that is to have perfect skin?

I did realise that you only live once, that one must never mess with hormones, and that your skin is not what is outside but what is inside of you - it becomes whatever you feed it. Being anaemic, I've forced myself to like the meat that bleeds on my plate and not cover up dark circles under my eyes with tons of concealer... well, you get the point.

 

 

Haircare (top right):

I start my haircare routine with a complete vitamin B complex, calcium and magnesium pills, and only then comes the shampoo, which would be a shame not to mention - I've discovered a miracle product which is available at any supermarket - Syoss 'Restore' range for extremely damaged hair. I've been using the shampoo and the conditioner only for a couple of weeks now, but my hair feels and looks brand new. Then I apply a bit of John Frieda oil on the tips and the Elnett heat protection styling spray. The paper package hiding in the right corner is the anti-hair loss treatment - for the days when I wake up feeling 20 years older, even though it's a natural plant extract I think it works more like a placebo.

 

Skincare (middle right):

Welcome to my no-paraben-no-colourant-no-fragrance world! I hope you all know that parabens are cancerogenous and that the best sun protection is vitamin D (which we should take as a supplement almost all year round because the modern human is under-exposed to the sun which stimulates natural vitamin D production, hence the natural sun protection of the skin) and not sunblock.
I remove makeup with Corine de Farme makeup remover - it's got almost gel-like texture but is still very soft for the sensitive skin, cleanse my face with soft mousse Le Petit Olivier for dry and sensitive skin, and a couple of times a week apply green clay masque mostly on the t-zone but sometimes on the whole face - it stings the skin a bit, but clears the pores and leaves the skin fresh.
My Vichy deodorant is a part of skincare routine, just because there are too few deodorants I can use - this one has once again no parabens, no fragrance and is hypoallergenic - all the rest just make my skin peel off. Aloe Vera body lotion is for the summer legs, its silicone-free formula is light and non-sticky.

The makeup (bottom right):

In the summer I only use a bit of concealer and powder, no sunblock, no foundation, no nothing really. If you are wondering how I don't get sunburn - well the answer is quite simple: I do not ever go into the direct sun, wear all kind of visors and other cool gear that protects the face and even though most of my summer clothes are see-through, they all have sleeves and high necklines - I prefer a fine veil of cotton gauze on my skin than a nasty sticky sun cream.
For the winter, I use richer products. Yesterday I got myself my first BB cream Beauty Booster by Guerlain. Not that I'm a fan of Guerlain, but it is the only product that was available in the light shade that I need. At one moment I felt the beauty consultant was getting a bit desperate when all the lightest shades were too dark for my skin, and then she had an 'eureka!' moment, she said that Guerlain does this product which is extremely light, I tried it and it still gave me a sun-touched glow but evenly disappeared into the skin. Now it's mine - SPF 30, oh horror!
The concealer I use for the dark circles has been the same for ages that I'm afraid it will go off production soon, but then I will write a petition to L'Oreal to bring back the 'Touche Magique'. You may wonder why do I use mass production makeup and swear on it? Well, my skin has a tender relationship with allergies, eczemas and breakouts, so when I find a product that does not do any harm, I stick to it, knowing that finding a product that does any good is impossible for my skin.
Then I've got a M.A.C. blusher in a cute shade 'Pink Swoon' - I've got enough cheekbones so I don't need to sculpt my face as most girls do, I just dub a bit of pink with a soft brush. My favourite eye-shadow is M.A.C. too - 'Retro-speck', I use it just under the brow and on the high points of my face, just above the blusher. Black mascara by Make-up Forever is a gift from the Kenzo event I went to a short while ago. Bourjois 'Liner Feutre' is something I never use, but keep just in case I need to paint the cat-eye. The almost sacred product to me is Muji face blotting tissues - always with me. The complete face palette from &Other Stories is something I bought recently because I liked the idea of having all necessary colours in one box - I'm fan of products one can use on the entire face.
And last but not least - my pill shaped box to carry vitamins when I travel.

Colours ( top and middle left):

I must say that my favourite part of makeup is colour.  It's like clothes. And just like in clothes I don't like anything too classical. The lipstick that is just a bit too orange, the candy coloured nails...

Top row from left to right:
O.P.I. in Fiercely Fiona, Chop-Sticking to My Story, Alpine Snow, When Monkeys Fly!, China Glaze in Sea Spray, Claire's in School Day.

Middle row from left to right:
Hema nail hardener and lemon cuticle oil, two small pots of which I don't remember the brand (I obcessively peel tickets off some products), Barry M Nail Paint in Blueberry, Cobalt Blue, Silver Cascade, Grey, Mint Green.

Bottom row from left to right:
Essie in Matte About You (mat effect top coat), Playa Del Platinum, Chinchilly, Lilacism, Maximillian Strasse Her, Pretty Edgy, Cute as a Button.

Lipsticks from left to right:
Rouge Baisier in 417 Iris, 401 Capucine, M.A.C. in So Chaud, Russian Red ( I think I bought it for the name), Candy Yum-Yum.

Secret machines(bottom left):

I swear on Braun IonTech brush. Even though I was skeptic when my mom gave it to me first, now I cannot live without a hairbrush that smells like air before thunderstorm. It has an anti-static effect and hair is very easy to comb through, and you can also create a bit of volume with it while blowdrying - in other words the ionic hairbrush is a saviour for all the bad hair days.

The scent:

Now it's Kenzo 'Jungle', it used to be Undercover 'Holygrace' and next I want something that smells like cookies.

Well, wrapping up the long rant, you can do whatever you want to your skin but the skateboard is always right: