I was in desperate need of a new foundation, so I headed to my mecca that is Brown Thomas, Dublin. I really should not be allowed in the place without a shopping list because it is a recipe for spending alot of money on make-up

Having suffered from acne through my teens, I have found myself continuing this battle at the age of 27! Come on hormones, give me a break! Anyway I had heard that Clinique had a new foundation specifically targeted at spot sufferers like myself called Anti-Blemish Solutions, so I decided to go road test it.

I was approached by an extremely welcoming and friendly girl called Kirstie: “What are we looking for today?” Aha! I am on to you, the salesy open question…however what could I do but answer! I told her I was looking for a foundation and she paired me off with a Make-up Consultant (can’t remember her name for sure, but I think it was Sandra). Sandra discussed my needs and was able to tell me that I needed their anti-blemish foundation. She tried two colours and asked would I prefer to go a shade darker or the same as my skin tone. Of course I said the same as my skin tone…this usually means I look like a ghost, but at least I don’t have to try blending it down my neck! Anyway I luuuurve me blusher as you know, so the ghost look is no problemo. So turns out I am Fresh Alibaster, which is 01 VF-Very Fair.

I only wanted to try the foundation out and wear it for the day before buying it, because it is so important to road test a foundation first. Often you will find that colours look completely different in natural/fake light and not only that, some foundations change colour as they dry, so what you could try on that looks fine could end up looking too dark later on. This is usually the way with highly pigmented or matt foundations.

Anyway we tried the foundation and I said I would be back if I still liked it later. She was completely cool with it, didn’t pressurise me for the sale and she even let me know that in three days they would have a gift with purchase on.  Roll on three days:

I am happy enough with the foundation so far, but it is very drying, so we shall see what this does to my skin over the next couple of weeks. I bought their anti-blemish solutions concealer too, this is great for covering spots as it is so pigmented – a little goes a long long way. It has a toothpaste like consistency and it takes a bit of getting used to, I find that applying it with my fingers is best. It lasts ALL day which is amazing for me, because I rub and touch my face all the time.

Anyway to summarise the whole Clinique counter in Brown Thomas Dublin experience:

Counter Atmosphere: 10/10
Consultant Friendliness: 10/10
Make-Up Application: 9/10
Product Suitability: 10/10
Pressure to buy: 0% (this is a good thing!)

That is pretty good!!

Let me know your thoughts xx

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MAC Blot Powder Medium/Dark x 2
Make-Up Forever Mist and Fix Non Alcohol
Stop Sweat

Loreal Studio Secrets Primer
Benefit Dr. Feel Good Primer
Make-Up Forever Micro Perfecting HD Primer
Make-Up Forever Micro Perfecting HD Primer – Green
Make-Up Forever Micro Perfecting HD Primer – Pink
Make-Up Forever Micro Perfecting HD Primer – Yellow

Revlon Highlighter Pink
MAC Strobe Cream
MAC Shimmer Highlighter Chez Lame
MAC Shimmer Highlighter Rose Ole

Make-Up Forever Professional Lift Concealer No.1
Make-Up Forever Professional Lift Concealer No.3
MAC Moisture Select Concealer NW20
MAC Moisture Select Concealer NW30

Blush Palette with 10 Colours from Jordane Cosmetics
Coastal Scents Blush & Contour Palette x10
MAC Blush & Contour Pallette x5 Emphasise, Taupe, Pink Swoon, Fleur Power, Salsa Rose

Jordan Concealer Pallette x6
Dermacover Camouflage Mini Palette – Fair
Rimmel Clear Complexion Concealer Ivory 001
Rimmel Concealer Ivory 001
Rimmel Concealer Natural Beige 004
Laura Mercier Undercover Pot 3
Bobby Brown Cream Concealer Ivory
Georgio Armani Skin Retouch No.3
Jordane Correcter Stick – Peach
Jordane Correcter Stick – Mint
Jordane Correcter Stick – Contour
Jordane Correcter Stick – Lilac
Jordane Correcter Stick – Melon

1.) Cameron Diaz knows how to pull of simple sophistication.

Photo courtesy of celebrity-gossip.net

Normally known for her healthy sunkissed skin, due to her active sporty lifestyle it seems like either she hasn’t been on holidays for a while or she is slathering on the sunscreen. I am loving her gorgeous opalescent skin tone. Keeping it very natural apart from a flash of red lippy, this look screams Hollywood sophistication. If you would like to replicate this look I would recommend the following key products:

Foundation: Vitalumiere from Chanel

Photo courtesy of chanel.com

Lipstick: Ruby Woo from MAC

Image courtesy of nowmagazine.co.uk

Eyeshadow: Ivory Opulence from Lancome

Image courtesy of macys.com

Eyeliner: Double Wear Black from Estee Lauder

Image courtesy of icnetwork.co.uk

Blush: Benetint by Benefit

Image courtesy of Benefit

Mascara: High Impact Curling Mascara by Clinique

Image courtesy of makeupbag.net

2.) Ginnifer Goodwin

Ginnifer is also working a classic look with a striking winged black eyeliner. This look really suits her pixie haircut and gives her a youthful fresh feel. She has kept lips nude which helps to keep us focused on her eyes and that gorgeous Royal Blue dress. If you would like to replicate this look I would recommend the following key products:

Foundation: Diorskin Nude from Dior

Image courtesy of Macys.com

Eyeliner: Black Liquid Eyeliner by MAC

Image courtesy of maccosmetics.com

Lipstick: Belle de Jour by NARS

Image courtesy of sephora.com

3.) January Jones

Image courtesy of talkingmakeup.com

Strong eyebrows frame January’s features perfectly, I really like her lush berry lip colour which shows off her radiant smile. I read an interview with her Make-Up Artist Rachel Goodwin, who breaks down the look on talkingmakeup.com, which I will share with you here:

Beauty Inspiration & The Look: “January’s Golden Globes makeup was all about taking a fresh approach to the classic red lip.”

Beauty Tip: “I used Le Blanc de Chanel under her base to create luminous ‘glowing from the inside’ porcelain skin, then treated her lips with Chanel Hydramax + Active Lip Treatment before applying Chanel Rouge Coco Lip Colour in Paris – a gorgeous garnet red from a new lipstick line launching in March. I painted the finest black line on her upper lid with Chanel Automatic Liquid Eyeliner in Noir and shaded under her eyes with Chanel Intense Eye Pencil in Graphite in the outer corners. I finished her look by layering lots of different false eyelashes then added Exceptionnel de Chanel Noir Obscur Mascara over the top for an intense black lash line.”