Get the look: Reboot your beauty bag
Edge of Seventeen star Hailee Steinfeld is collaborating with Post It on a back-to-school campaign that encourages US students to scribble down dreams.
If you write something down you are 47% more likely to achieve it, according to research presented at the 2007 Western Psychological Association Convention, a campaign insight I guess that may help secure Post It’s young consumers against simply posting #goals.
There is something uplifting about getting organised with school or college supplies anyway.
A colourful display of good intentions for the year ahead looks as attractive on your desk as box-fresh beauty does on your dresser.
And while kit for your ‘no makeup’ makeup is nothing like as important as a well-stocked schoolbag, a selection of cute colours and cover-ups can make early starts that bit nicer. Here are some basics to help you meet this term’s beauty goals.
e.l.f Cosmetics Beautifully Bare Lightweight Concealer Stick, €7.95
Elf is a brand to seek out when you break out. This stick is one for nixing blemishes rather than under-eye shadows, its creamy texture sets to an opaque finish.
The chubby-stick shape allows for a dot-and-pat application that minimises potential inflammation. The formula contains kaolin clay, for non-irritating oil control, and a little Vitamin E to combat redness.
NYX Professional Makeup ‘Worth The Hype’ Volume & Lengthening Mascara, €11
NYX’s mascara output has benefited from its acquisition by L’Oréal in 2014.
Toni Ko, who founded the brand as a 25-year-old college dropout and sold it for $500 million aged 41, strived to produce luxury makeup at pharmacy prices.
L’Oréal turns out gl-amazing mascaras all the time, including ringers for its own prestige products by YSL and Lancôme. ‘Worth The Hype’ would be an excellent mascara at any price point but happens to the a bargain to boot.
Those who like natural lashes will be fine with one coat as the look gets dramatic after that.
The bristles are densely packed, so thoroughly coat and fan lashes with each swipe. The pointed tip allows for the separation and capture of tiny lashes. The formula is also available in a waterproof version that better holds a curl.
Benefit Brow Contour Pro, €35 at boots. ie, on counters from August 25th
Benefit’s latest brow launch is four products in one. Like one of those chunky, multi-shade pens that saved space in your pencil case, Brow Contour Pro lets you click between a two shaded tips, a highlighting concealer and an edge ‘definer.’
One coloured tip is deeper than the other, allowing for the shading and contouring of perfect brows. Their mousse-like texture makes blending a cinch and they set to a matte finish.
The edge definer is a highlighter meant for tracing and emphasising the shape of the brow while the concealer perfects the skin under the arch.
The pen comes in five waterproof shades and if you visit the Benefit BrowBar at Debenhams you can have a complimentary ‘browmapping’ to determine the best shape for your face.
eos Visibly Soft Coconut Milk Lip Balm, €7.80 at feelunique.com
Eos (Evolution of Smooth) cosmetics made waves with their ‘Girls With Balls” ad campaign but there is more to their lip balms than candy-coloured spheres.
This brand has won over 50 beauty awards for their balms, which are all made with organic, sustainably-sourced oils, butters and waxes.
From natural beeswax and shea butter to hydrating jojoba and coconut oils, they make skin feel fab while reducing beauty’s impact on the planet. This one tastes of coconut milk and is paraben and petroleum-free.
3 Concept Eyes Back to Baby BB Cream SPF35, €14.50 at cultbeauty.co.uk
Sun protection is the one true beauty essential and a brand throwing in some soothing ingredients and a flattering colour is like Lismore perfuming A4 pads and dying them pink.
Elle Woods would surely fall for 3 Concept Eyes dewy BB Cream, which supplies broad-spectrum protection and full coverage base.
The formula is high in reparative niacinamide. It also contains diamond, coral and pear powders that effect an all-day glow.
Product of the Month: Bobbi Brown Remedies Skin Wrinkle Treatment No.25, €35
This goop from Bobbi Brown’s ‘Remedies’ collection has an off-putting name (weren’t any of the first 24 enough?) but remains an effective skin-smoother packed with reparative ingredients.
Plenty of primers are touted as anti-ageing but this one is both treatment and primer.
Applied with a mini-spatula attached to the cap, No.25 has a rich, balm-like texture.
It smooths over skin without pilling, setting to a well-hydrated, post-facial look after 15-20 seconds. It has noticeable flaw-blurring effects without the tacky, mask-like feeling of other ‘filling’ products.
I especially like the broad range of nourishing, antioxidant-rich plant oils and collagen-promoting peptides on the ingredients list. The formula is fragrance-free and safe for sensitive types. The most prevalent actives include kombucha black tea ferment and mukkel myrrh tree root-extract, both known for their plumping properties.
The combined use of proven antioxidants and daily sun protection can improve the look of fine lines and texture over time. No.25 can also be used as an overnight treatment.
