little white truths

I've been trying to do some different kinds of posts lately, just to give myself a little break from all the reviews, and this was an idea I thought of last night.

Several brands are or have been over-represented in my makeup collection, whether because: I currently own many products from one brand; I have owned many products before panning them; or I've tried many items and decided I don't love them and am currently panning them. So I thought it might be useful to pick out the single item I would buy from any particular brand above all others.

That way if you've got a few dollars to burn or you've been interested in any particular brand but don't know where to start, then you can see which single item from any brand I personally would try first.

Hopefully that's useful to someone!

In no particular order...

* Image courtesy of mecca.com.au

Hourglass

I've started out with my favourite makeup item of all time, just to get it out of the way. If you read this blog then you'll likely know that Hourglass is my number one makeup brand, for the simple reason that its powders are unlike any I've tried to date: they blur texture more than any other and therefore take years off my face.

Although I do feel bad that I have to pick any product over my HG blush (Hourglass Incandescent Electra, surely the best shade on the planet), and my HG bronzer (Hourglass Radiant Bronze Light), in the end it wasn't difficult to choose the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light.

Why? For the simple reason that it changes my entire face (as opposed to just my cheeks) because I apply it everywhere. I never look my best until I've swept this across a finished look, and I've already converted a bunch of friends and family members who now won't wear anything else.

So if you haven't had this applied to your face in Mecca yet, you need to. Yep, I said 'need'. While these finishing powders tend not to work as well for those who wear full coverage makeup or have very oily skin, they work for just about everyone else.

* Image courtesy of mecca.com

Nars

While many people rave about Nars' blushes, bronzers, eyeshadows, highlighters and its cult-favourite Sheer Glow Foundation, I've tried all of those (and unfortunately owned many of them) and they just don't float my boat. 

Note, though, that I haven't tried the newer highlighters (the ones that come in palettes), its eyeshadow palettes or its dual intensity products (except for one highlighter that was applied to my face once, which emphasised texture and looked plain awful).

As for the other stuff? I don't get it. Nars eyeshadows are inconsistent at best; the highlighters I've tried aren't special at all; Nars Laguna is fine but it's quite hard and sheer, which isn't how I like my powders to be, plus it contains visible shimmer; and I'd say the same of its blushes - they're hard and sheer, they don't feel soft and creamy to the touch; they don't airbrush my skin, and far too many of them contain huge chunks of gold junk, which just isn't flattering on me. Don't even start me on Sheer Glow: that looks like a mask on me and it also pools in my pores. Erk.

But the Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser? That's one of the most amazing things I've ever put on my face! It's a tinted moisturiser but it offers a good amout of coverage while still looking natural on the skin, and the tube contains 50ml so it lasts me forever. If you haven't tried this yet, grab a sample. Trust me.

*  Image courtesy of temptalia.com

Kevyn Aucoin

This was a really difficult one for me because I own Kevyn Aucoin single and duo eyeshadows, all three of his powder highlighters, one of his powder bronzers and also The Etherealist Foundation - and I love them all.

But the single and duo eyeshadows have been discontinued; the highlighters have been raved about enough so they're already on the map; I've only been using his foundation and bronzer for a few months so I'm not ready to ring the HG bell just yet; but the Kevyn Aucoin The Pure Powder Glow in Dolline has been a favourite of mine for years.

I love the apricot colour, but forget about that because it's the formula itself that's something extra special. Yes it's matte but it's not a flat matte, so it enlivens the face and it also has an airbrushing effect on the skin. While my HG Hourglass blushes do have a sheen to them, this KA formula looks like it has a very slight sheen (not to mention the soft-focus effect) when applied - except that it doesn't when you look at it in the pan. I don't know what witchery is in these blushes, but they're amazing.

* Image courtesy of beccacosmetics.com

Becca

If you'd asked me a year ago what single Becca product I recommended, it wouldn't have been one of its highlighters. Why? Because the two Becca highlighters I own that come in the brand's original formula (I have Opal and Champagne Pop) both emphasise texture. But this Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Prismatic Amethyst? This is perfect.

I own blushes, bronzers, eyeshadows, base products and powder/liquid highlighters from Becca and the formulas are fantastic, although I don't use my original Becca highlighters much because they show my open pores like nobody's business. 

But this one? It's brilliant. And it's suddenly made me super excited about Becca highlighters again. The brand has now released two more shades (Lilac Geode and Smoky Quartz), and both of those look similar to Amethyst so I'll certainly be testing them in-store to see if they're the same formula. And if they are? Let's face it, I'll be buying them.

So while I can safely recommend just about every Becca product I've tried so far, if I had to pick one thing, it would be this. It's a beautiful, flattering colour, it's not quite as pigmented as the original highlighters so you can more easily achieve a more natural look, and it's different from everything else I own because it's a duochrome but it's not an 'in your face' duochrome, which I prefer because I don't really want cheeks that flash green in the sun. I want something for every day, and this is it.

 * Image courtesy of thebeautylookbook.com

Marc Jacobs Beauty

In this post I've only been including brands that I've tried a lot from, and while I first thought that I hadn't tried enough from Marc Jacobs to include the brand in this post, I realised that I have: I've tried two of his foundations and a primer, as well as his eyeshadows, blushes, eyeliners, lipsticks and glosses. I'd say that's a pretty good representation of the brand!

Really, I could have picked his new Eye-conic Eyeshadow Palettes here but I went with the Marc Jacobs Beauty Air Blushes. Why? Because I own three of those and only one of the eyeshadow palettes (so far, I'm working on it ; )), and what sets the blushes apart - aside from the formula - is that in every pan you either get two separate blush colours or a blush and a highlighter, and you can also mix your shades in the middle so you're effectively getting three separate powders in the one pan. Genius.

These Air Blushes are something else. My favourite shade is the tangerine Lines and Light Night, but I do own and love the nude Flesh and Fantasy, and the peachy pink Kinks and Kisses too. And if I own three, I must love them! They apply and blend well, they airbrush the skin and they come in gorgeous shades. Plus the highlighter portion of three I own isn't to be sneezed at: it's subtle, it doesn't contain a speck of glitter and it also doesn't emphasise texture. Winning.

* Image courtesy of notino.com

Clarins

Last up, Clarins. And Clarins only makes this list because my mum uses the brand and she keeps giving me Clarins stuff! Plus I've used all the makeup she owns, which is all Clarins (except for Hourglass Dim Light: I converted her ; )).

I've tried the Clarins Instant Light glosses that everyone loves (I don't like them), the balms in the same line (they're better but they're not brilliant), the CC cream, Clarins lipsticks, eyeshadows and blushes, plus a Clarins bronzer (which I own but don't love and am currently panning).

So far the only thing that stands out to me is this Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch Primer. Why? Because so far it's the only pore-plugging, silicone-based primer that doesn't completely dry out my already dry skin, that isn't too slippery and that doesn't ball-up on my face, no matter how little I use (the original Smashbox primer and Benefit's The POREfessional both did this for me). Also, it stays where it's meant to and doesn't mix itself in with my foundation.

Yes, it is a little too drying for me in the cooler months (so I can just put down an oil or a hydrating primer first), but it's great for using now in summer because I can whack it on and immediately remove the greasy finish that my sunscreen has left behind, plus it has a smoothing effect and a little goes a long way. Love.

In sum

That's all from me!

I hope you enjoyed this little post and found something interesting in here.

Do let me know in the comments what your stand-out products are from particular brands: I'd love to hear.

Hope all's well with you, and speak soon x