Tag Archives: Charlotte Tilbury

This Lip is My Jam

November 15, 2017

Major kudos to everyone that successfully works from home and changes their clothes/wears makeup everyday. Last week, I worked remotely and found it near impossible to take off my Glossier sweatshirt for anything but a bath. I was the very definition of bum all week. It was both lovely and terrifying.

I’m back to changing my clothes more regularly and ventured into my fall beauty wardrobe a bit more as well. My Dior Cushion is all but dried up and I’m going to wait on opening the next disc until a future beauty wardrobe. Perfect time to use the bareMinerals Bare Pro liquid foundation. I like to buff in with in a dense fluffy brush on just the areas I need it. It’s easy to wear, like all bareMinerals base products, but it is a true foundation – this stuff will cover. I like to apply foundation before any other base products – I know everyone has their own order. I follow up with concealer, in the event I need less.

I also don’t put foundation near my under eye area. I went in after with my Onomie concealer, buffing that in with a small flat Real Techniques brush under the eyes, around the nose. That stuff is mega brightening and has a fluffy light consistency that I love. It’s the opposite texture of Glossier Stretch, which I also love, but more so on the skin than under my eyes because it is mega dewy.

In my lazy slumper, I also got off the healthy eating track. I blame my boyfriend for stocking our freezer with a Costco size pack of frozen pizza. That is my weakness. I love frozen pizza! And now I have some breakouts to show for it. Worth it? Ehhhh, in the moment, yes. Nars Soft Matte Concealer is the concealer of all concealers for a breakout. I use my ring finger to press and blend on any spots. Color match is the key to this one – I’m a perfect match to custard, it has the right amount of yellow to balance out the redness. It perfectly conceals and has incredible staying power, two musts if you’re covering a zit in my opinion.

I decided to break out the Wowder as well, dusting on the center of my forehead, under my eye and on any blemish I covered. Wowder photographs really well.

I used my trust Tilbury Film Star — side note, I’m thinking of getting the contour and highlight wands in liquid form next, if it’s as good as the powder I think I’ll love it — on my face and eyelids. I decided to skip most eye makeup and let lips be the star of this look. I curled my lashes and put on a few coats of Maybelline Lash Sensational. This mascara is the very best – that lift!

The perfect almost moody fall lip is Glossier Gen G in Jam. It looks like a deep blackberry in the tube but is more raspberry on the lips. This can be built up, a choose your own intensity adventure. This tube is from when it launched – I love the shade, but I know there have been some Gen G packaging improvements since. Still that simple skinny balmy tube but more protected in there.

The sweater is from a few years ago Everlane. It’s no Glossier sweatshirt but it’s just as cozy.

The Five Product Face

November 6, 2017

I’m at it again with picking favorites in my fall beauty wardrobe. It’s been a tough few weeks and I haven’t been that focused on switching up my makeup. I’ve been aiming to look put together in hopes that it would help me feel the same.

If you follow me on Instagram, I shared some details this weekend about what’s been happening. My dog – my love, my baby – has cancer. We’ve had countless appointments and meetings with various specialists, each leaving me gutted emotionally. I’ve cried so much I think I have no tears left. I’m now in fight mode, ready to conquer this tumor and match the strength my sweet terrier has shown all along. My sadness and anger has transformed into hope out of necessity.

Turns out, having a five product face is so immensely valuable during those moments you need to go on autopilot. In fact, I’ve almost used up the Dior DreamSkin Cushion. This is really peak beauty wardrobe-ing… it’s so hard to actually finish something! This compact comes with two discs, so I do have a built-in backup. At times, I use the built in sponge but mostly one of my Real Techniques face brushes. If I’m skipping concealer, I’ll pat a little extra on red areas and concentrate it on a blemish. It is weightless.

I’m also making a dent in the Charlotte Tilbury Film Star duo. I use her brush as well that goes with the duo, for both contour and highlight. I feel like this instantly wakes up my face, even if I don’t do anything else. Most days, I’ve been fluffing this on my eyelids as well.

Whether or not I’m wearing eye makeup, I usually curl my lashes with my Surratt. If I’m feeling brave, I’ll wear Maybelline Lash Sensational. It doesn’t smudge under normal circumstance but I had some all out ugly cries recently. This mascara wasn’t initially in my fall beauty wardrobe but I added it after I realized the Beautycounter Lengthening was so subtle.

I’m about ready to open a new tube of Boy Brow this week. I go through about one every season so this is my reminder to order another one. As soon as I open a new one, I get a backup so I don’t forget. Throughout the day, I’ll dab on Rose Balm Dotcom. It’s been getting real dry and I notice I need more.

Technically, this may be more than five products, assuming we’re counting the tools. But close enough.

Fall Beauty Wardrobe Heads West

October 23, 2017

A woman spun out of the finest silk makes the strongest robe. This line stood out to me when I devoured Eve’s Hollywood on the flight to LA. It was the book my friends and I decided to read together for our trip to LA. A vacation book club is a fun tradition my friend Lindsay started when we went to Mexico together earlier this year. And we always try to base our choice off of the destination.

Traveling with friends is different than a vacation with your partner. I’m sad it’s over. Since the spring, I’ve been looking forward to a trip to LA with my dear friends. One lives in Chicago, so I see her regularly, and the other in Northern California and I miss her so much. I lean on these ladies for laughs, advice and strength. They are my strong robes.

It was a much needed four day getaway. The highlight was all of the food we ate, with a close second just being able to hear the sounds of the ocean and see a western sunset. There was one night when we took a Lyft to Manhattan Beach during rush hour to make a dinner reservation and ran from it to soak up the sunset. We had about two minutes to spare and it was.WORTH.it. It wasn’t so much of a makeup trip, but I did pack a fair share of options from my fall beauty wardrobe. I’m realizing that so many of my additions this season are base and concealer versus color and that’s what exciting me most. It’s also more bronzer heavy than my summer beauty wardrobe. Mainly because I use Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar as contour, blush and eyeshadow. This felt especially appropriate in the LA heat.

Some days I used my Glossier Skin Tint and layered over Dior Dreamskin Cushion for a little more glow and SPF power, especially on our hike. I skipped concealer under the eye most nights (we were well rested!) but I did layer NARS Soft Matte Concealer on redness, around the nose and a few travel blemishes. Always travel zits. Without fail, there’s always one reminder that I was on an airplane for several hours.

I did incorporate a little bit of color with Bite Multistick in Cerise on lips, cheeks and eyes. But, the go to lip combo was a mix of Bite Beauty Lip Pencil 10 and Glossier Rose Balm Dot Com.

Since I’ve been back this past week, I’ve been using mostly the same makeup. I had a moment the other day where I realized that I’m halfway through my beauty wardrobe. Fall is flying by. It’s clear that there are a few things that I just don’t need to own and a wish list that is growing for the holiday season.

Top of the Wish List

February 6, 2017

I started 2017 as many do: with ambitious goals of being my best self. Healthy was the goal. I started with a literal diet – Whole 30, which works amazingly to reset my relationship with food/cooking – and a financial diet (ACLU and Planned Parenthood donations notwithstanding). I scrutinized any reoccurring subscriptions I have – sorry, BeautyHeroes, you had to go – and became more deliberate about spending. I was extreme and didn’t let myself buy anything personal that I didn’t need – except I did get the new Glossier Priming Moisturizer Rich. I’m not perfect and it was hard. I’m fully aware of that privileged packed into that admission. However, just like Whole 30 was for my fridge, this was a reset for my spending habits. I’m a beauty blogger so there’s always going to be something that catches my eye. Instead of impulsively buying, it’s kind of nice to just jot it down and wait. The act of physically writing it on paper puts a process in place for me to really acknowledge the money leaving my bank account. Now my challenge is to sustain the spirit of both this ‘no buy’ and Whole 30.

Here are a few things I jotted down this month. All about the jot!

Everything about the NARSissist Unfiltered Cheek Palette excites me. I love shades of pink on cheeks and it also includes Hot Sand highlighter. I had this in a liquid form a few limited edition summer collections ago and it was perfect.

I’m intrigued by the sheer violet Becca First Light Filter Face Primer. I’m a novice when it comes to color correcting so this is just my speed. Anyone tried it yet?

I’ll raise you a Byredo candle with Overose. They are similar in label, no doubt, but I’ve never seen a vessel in this shade. The minimalists are going to catch on to this line soon.

Because the Beautyblender Bubble is more my speed than the hot pink original.

I am ready to take my at-home facial to the next level with Babyfacial (that name!) I’m already really feeling all things Drunk Elephant (review here) and every beauty editor/reviewer says this was gentle on skin even though it is an intense AHA/BHA blend.

Charlotte Tilbury turned her iconic Lip Cheat in the shade Pillow Talk into a lipstick and it’s all I can think about. Isn’t it just the sexiest shade ever?

Have a good week, guys. FYI – I’m going to be reaching out to the winner of the ChapStick giveaway later this morning.

Because of Instagram

October 10, 2016

I think avoiding the internet would be a really effective way to save money. By far my biggest enabler is Instagram. I love the camaraderie of the beauty community and appreciate the lead on makeup worth trying…but the influence is real. I thought I’d round up a few “I did it because of Instagram” purchases and share my thoughts on if they were worth it or not.

I usually pay attention to drugstore mascara but Maybelline Lash Sensational flew under my radar until I noticed that pretty silvery-pink tube in every beauty-grammer’s pics on the regular. I finally snagged it on a Target run and have been using it almost exclusively for a month. It has a fan wand that is the perfect size and it makes lashes look full and fluffy. Worth it: 100% yes! The only caution is that even the non-waterproof is hard to remove so go at it with something oil-based.

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Bow and Arrow was my gateway into mattes. I had seen brown nude on everyone and was majorly curious. I was fearful it would look too dark on me but it’s actually the exact 90s look I was hoping to recreate. The formula was better than I imagined so this was one of those, “why did I wait so long to try,” Insta discoveries. 100% worth it.

Not only does Instagram love Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow but Charlotte herself told me in person that it was a must-have in every woman’s makeup bag. Silly me, why didn’t I listen to Charlotte? A full year later at Instagram’s reminder, I shelled out the (gasp) $70 for that old school glam compact. I love it, I really do, but there are similar products out there for much less. But the aesthetics here are stunning.

I use bronzer every single day so I like variety to spice things up. Kelsey raved about Urban Decay Beached Bronzer and we have similar skin tones so I decided to give the shade Sunkissed (the lighter of the two) a go. It’s a perfect match – no orange tones in sight – and I love the beachy look of the compact. I think pulling this out in the dead of winter will be a welcome sight.

H&M makes makeup now, ICYMI. I saw these chic looking compacts on Instagram and was surprised to see it was H&M. I was getting Tom Ford-ish vibes from the bronzers. I picked up that and a few cheek colors and love the quality. Tawny Peach reminds me of the limited edition (aka…nowhere to be found) NARS Douceur, for a fraction of the price. Definitely worth checking out.

So, what has Instagram led you to try?

Let’s Do This, Lolla

July 27, 2015

I cringe a bit when I hear the phrase “getting festival ready.” Perhaps because I’ve been getting emails for what feels like months from PR people with that subject line. Music festivals are not some glamorous affair. Getting festival ready is more of a pack extra deodorant, pray it doesn’t rain and hope you don’t get too annoyed with teenagers on Molly. Which is precisely what I’m doing pre-Lollapalooza. I know I sound like a real curmudgeon so I’ll check that right now. I’m going all three days and I’m actually really excited. And guys, I’m ready. The tub of Soapwalla is already set aside; here’s what else I’ve got going on.

Music festivals and rompers don’t mix…hi, port-a-potty. I’ll be wearing this dress in black and this tank. The cutout detail is the cutest and it hits pretty long for a crop. // No heat tools necessary – my hair will be wash and go all weekend. As it’s air drying, I’ve been applying the new Bumble ‘Don’t’ Blow It’ serum into my hair, twisting the ends so it gives it a bit of undone texture. // Keep the makeup minimal since you’re likely to sweat it off anyway. I found the BEST cream eye shadow from Charlotte Tilbury that lasts all day. It’s legit waterproof and glides on my eyelids like a silk mousse. The creamy Jean layered under the taupe Marie Antoinette is my jam. // My main accessory are my Warby shades. Love the pink tortoise print. // I’ll absorb the sweat with ILIA’s Fade Into You powder. Cuts the shine and hot mess-ness without chalkiness. // SPF is a must – especially if you plan on being outside for three days. I go through tubes of Neutrogena Baby SPF (it’s a zinc/titanium dioxide blend), apply the Fresh Sugar Nude throughout the day (SPF 15) and wear the IT Cosmetics CC Cream as my foundation. No joke, this is some next level CC cream. It gives me peace of mind with the high SPF coverage and it actually corrects skin with peptides, niacin, algae, vitamins (A, C, B & E!), hyaluronic acid and hydrolyzed collagen. Damn, right?

Anyone else Lolla-bound?

That’s What Makes Her Larger Than Life

July 7, 2015

Charlotte Tilbury is a larger than life figure; the most famous makeup artist in the WORLD. Besties with Kate Moss, decider of the trends, artist to Gwyneth, Rihanna, J-Lo — she is a fashion and beauty legend. And, after spending an hour sitting across from her at a table getting a personal introduction to her makeup line, I decided this would be the first thing I said to her: “you have amazing cleavage.” To be fair, she really does. The plunging neckline and rocker chic wardrobe is her signature and she rocks it like a boss. She’s utterly fabulous and meeting her was a thrill and honor. Charlotte made a pass through Chicago recently to introduce cult-followed makeup line at Nordstrom. I absolutely love when makeup artists develop products. Everything has such a personal touch and is rooted in practicality. In the case of Charlotte Tilbury’s luxe beauty line, she packaged up 20 years of makeup artistry and beauty secrets into a range of 100 products.

She’s known for her Magic Cream – a blend of oils and vitamins that instantly brighten skin. She started mixing this on her own for clients and backstage at fashion shows. As she was working on her line, she joked that she wasn’t sure she should bottle it, “this is why people book me!” Thankfully for everyone, she did and it lives up to the hype. When it first launched in the U.S., it sold out in six minutes!

As Charlotte explains, textures and products may change (they improve with time) but the looks remain the same. She believes in the transformative power of makeup — even tells a hilarious tale of how her husband has never seen her without eye makeup — and that it should be as simple to use as it is to buy. She designed 10 colour (see what I did there….) wardrobes based on the lifestyle and personality of 10 women. There’s the Gisele-inspired Golden Goddess, ScarJo’s Bombshell, Rock Chick ala Kate Moss and my personal fav, The Uptown Girl. The transformative nature is evident when you realize she uses the same model to showcase all 10 looks. It doesn’t even look like the same girl!

Ultimately, Charlotte wants to empower all women to be their own makeup artists. With her line, YouTube videos, she assures us that she’s holding our hands every step of the way.