My go-to evening base

As I mentioned in a post a few weeks ago (here) my 'everyday face' has become very minimal and basically a slap it all on and run out the door kind of situation. But on a weekend and on the rare occasions where I leave the house in the evening I've been going all out and putting all of the products on my face. So I thought I'd share what products I've been using when I want a full coverage, 'look at how much makeup I have on my face' situation. Enjoy!

After making the discovery that I actually have a very dehydrated face my choice of primers has seriously changed. I've gone from one that is very silicone-y and makes my face very matte to something tacky and semi-hydrating to plump up my skin before foundation. Back in December in my Look Fantastic Advent Calendar I got a mini This Works In Transit Camera Close-Up and I love it. It's sticky (in a good way) and it gives my skin a boost of moisture - but it's also quite pricy for a primer so if anyone has any cheaper dupes for it please let a girl know!

Foundation wise I've been using the Maybelline Superstar 24 hour Foundation in. I like it because it's full coverage but I'm still on the fence and not 100% sold on it. I might be putting too much on or something but it likes to collect and not fully blend into my skin. Also it doesn't last as long as I would expect a full coverage to do. I think I need to play about with it a bit more with different primers and brushes - I will get this to work!

When I'm going on out on my base there are three concealers that are my go-tos. The first is the Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer in Peach which I use underneath my foundation. It makes my under-eyes look a smidge lighter and brighter and I prefer my face when I use this product. Then on top of my foundation I go in with the Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer (I've mentioned by love for this concealer here), blend it out with my Real Techniques Sponge and finish off my concealer journey with the Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer in Light Neutral. I'm obsessed with this concealer, it's my all time favourite. Full coverage, tick. Crease proof, tick. Cracking colour, tick tick tick. This concealer trio is perfect for me.

Before I go in with the powder I dab a bit of the Pixi Glow Booster on the tops of my cheekbones, my cupids bow and the end of my nose. It gives me a bit of extra glow and I think it emphasises my powder highlight when I go in with that later. When my Laura Mercier Powder ran out a few months ago I thought I'd give the RCMA No Colour Powder a go and so far I'm very impressed. It's pretty much exactly the same, finely milled and does a great job at mattifying my face. Winner!

My Current Base Routine

I feel like I'm in a really good place with my base at the moment. It lasts all day, doesn't feel caky on my skin and looks pretty good. For a bit of background of my skin, it can get quite oily but also needs  a bit of hydration to keep it plump and healthy. I've been using this combination of products for a while now, day and night and for me it is just the perfect base and offers everything from being long lasting to looking flawless. I'll stop rambling on now and get into how I apply it, let's go!

To prime my face I use the Makeup Forever Step 1 Mattifying Primer and it's definitely the best primer I've ever used. It's somewhere in between a cream and a silicone texture making it the perfect thing to smooth over the skin, because I think creams can be too thick and silicone can be a little uncomfortable. The smallest amount is needed, smaller than a pea, and it goes really far. I just it on the centre of my face and on my forehead because those are the areas where my foundation rubs off. Next up is the L'Oreal Infallible 24 Hour Matte Foundation in 10 Porcelain. There's nothing I don't like about this foundation. The shade Porcelain matches my skin perfectly and it blends so nicely, t's a pleasure to apply. For a foundation with coverage as high as this one you'd expect it to be heavy on the skin but that isn't the case. When blended onto the skin it turns into a sort of whipped texture and feels very light on the skin. You can wear this all day and still not feel it weighing down your face. I'm just in love with this foundation okay! Concealer time and I use two on a daily basis. First is the Maybelline Eraser Eye. I use this under my eyes and sometimes on blemishes if my foundation couldn't cover them up (I press my finger on the sponge the get the product and then dab it on the spot). It's great up the eyes as it conceals dark circles really well and also does a good job of covering up redness on my cheeks. To brighten up certain areas of my face I use the L'Oreal True Match La Touche Magique Concealer. It's a highlighting concealer that has a yellow tone to it so it brightens up my under eyes and any other area that I want to highlight. I simply apply it in large swipes in a triangle shape underneath my eye and blend it out with my finger. I love the way these two concealers work together and how flawless they make my face look. The final step of my base routine is powder because if I don't powder my face feels really strange, I don't know why but I don't feel complete without it. I use the Bourjois Healthy Balance Powder. I love how light it is, the slight coverage it gives and the smell. It has a very sweet smell which I just find really nice when I apply it, like a special little treat!

I'm starting to worry that a lot of these products are beginning to run out but I'm definitely going to repurchase all of them. I just can't imagine any other products that could work as well, but you never know I might find something else so I'll keep you posted!