The Bare Face and a Book Blurb

I mentioned on Friday that I was going to share my bare face, following the inspiration of Sal at Already Pretty (who was in turn inspired by Rabbit Write).

Well, cover your eyes, kiddies, here I am: Fresh out of the shower, with wet hair. I've got SPF 15 moisturizer on, and nothing else. I think I look pretty good for my age (I'm almost 43) - I've been wearing sunblock daily since I was 17 years old (when Oil of Olay was the only company that made a moisturizer with SPF 15), and it's paid off. I'd also like to thank my mom and dad for the good genetics.

This is all my make-up. I don't use most of the potions on the top shelf (they are super-duper night cream and eye cream and some hair gunk for when I do my hair spiky).

I clean out my make-up annually and toss anything I haven't used in a while (I save all my MAC containers for trade-in).

Here's the face with base:

I have cover-up under my eyes, on my lip scar, and on any zits (arg, in my 40s and still get zits!).

These are my usual base materials: I start with the MAC tube of Select MoistureCover and the sponge and tap that on. Then I use my big fat brush and swirl on the MAC Studio Fix. This gives a really sheer powder base (I have super oily skin, so I can't use any kind of liquid base or it'll be melted off within a couple of hours). I can also apply the base with a round sponge (that comes with it) for more coverage, like for a party or special occasion where I want to look more "done".

Another powder base I use is L'Oreal True Match Naturale mineral powder base (with SPF 19). It gives a very smooth base with high coverage (it's in the lower left corner of the cabinet in the above picture). I like that for evening or times when I won't be wearing make-up for very long, as it tends to settle in the wrinkles after a few hours.

I follow either base with a light dusting of the Mineral Wear Translucent Glow (the stuff with the flecks in it above) to pick up a bit of highlights around my cheekbones.

I do blush and the eyes next:

I don't like really noticeable make-up during the day, so although I wear a lot of make-up, it's not the first thing you see when you look at me.

My tools:

1. My brown eyeliner (I also have black, navy blue, dark purple and olive green). I usually use Rimmel's Exaggerate Full Colour Eye Definer because I don't have to sharpen it. The brush beside it is my smudger for blending the line. As I get older, I find that smudgier is more forgiving than a sharp line.

2. My eyeshadows. The two pots are MAC: the under-brow highlighter at the top (Shroom) and the lid colour below it (Woodwinked) - both are pearl finishes. The darker colour in the two-shadow compact is my crease colour - it's one of the "no show taupes" by Clinique. I like a non-frosted/pearl neutral in the crease.

3. My blush. It's "fresh bloom all over colour" by Clinique in Almond Blossom. I like this for daytime, to give a titch of colour with a bit of sheer highlight along my cheekbones. I also have a MAC blush that I use for evening, which is a solid peachy colour. In the daytime, I tend to have a constant flush on my cheeks anyway from all the walking I do, so I don't like a heavy blush.

4. My brushes. From the top: highlighter, crease, eyelid and blush brush.

Here's my face basically finished - mascara and eyebrows are done:

I like a little extra definition in my brows (which are starting to come in white - oh thank you, Gods of Aging). I do extra mascara when I'm going out, including wearing it on my bottom lashes. I never wear it on the bottom during the day, as I'd end up with big racoon eyes (even with waterproof - it's scary).

Right now, I'm using Maybelline's Great Lash in black (the waterproof formula).

That's my favourite brow pencil: Clinique's Brow Keeper in Honey. I hate sharpening it, but the colour is perfect, and it lasts, and I love the little brush for grooming my brows.

Face without my cheesy grin:

Oh, and I finish with some sort of gloss usually. My glosses:

The two on the left are those permanent paint-on types of lipsticks (one in red, one in a brick/brown shade). I also have a couple of Rimmel glosses and two of Cliniques plumping glosses (they last forever). I see a Clinique lipstick as well (green tube), a tube of yummy Rimmel gel gloss and that leopard ball is a beeswax gloss.

With lips and glasses:

I think it's a nice, subtle look that is appropriate for my age. I enjoy putting on make-up (I always have), and this full routine takes about 10 minutes.

I'm not going to be doing a "No Make-up Week", nor will I be going to work with no make-up. It's just not my thing - make-up for me completes my look, like the cherry on top. However, I have no problem going out without make-up on...I just prefer to wear it.

This is what I wore to Weight Watchers and out to lunch with friends:

Super casual and comfy! Wow, I can't believe I haven't worn this skirt in over nine months (last seen here).

It was a little chilly earlier, so I wore my jean jacket:

Jean jacket (Ann Taylor Loft), t-shirt (TMT), skirt (Marc D'Alcy), boots (Miz Mooz).

I also finished another book this past week: "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris.

I became a Sedaris fan after reading "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim" and continued with "When You Are Engulfed in Flames" (blurbed here).

Stats: 272 pages. Started September 15th and finished September 20th.

Blurb: More of the same from Sedaris; hilarious, sad, touching and silly stories about his childhood in the first part ("One") and in the second part ("Deux") about his move to France and his attempts to learn French. I actually barked with laughter while reading the short essay "Big Boy". I made L read it right away and he nearly cried he laughed so hard. I really can't resist his books and will hunt down the other ones.

Hope your weekend is going well!