extravaganza: Juli 2011

Apart from Clinique's Clarifying Lotion, which I have been using faithfully since I was at school, I haven't found any skincare must-haves yet. And I have tried sooo many.

Here are the products I am using now.

Witch Naturally Clear Cleansing and Toning Wipes
Estee Lauder Soft Clean Moisture Rich Foaming Cleanser
Clarisonic Mia
Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2
By Terry Source de Rose
Clinique Turnaround Instant Facial
Clinique Turnaround Concentrate
Lancome Genefique Repair night cream
LiLash

At night: The easiest way to take my make-up off is to use wipes. At the moment I have witch hazel wipes which aren't bad. I then wash my face with Estee Lauder's foaming cleanser. A few times a week I use the Clinique turnaround mask. I wipe my face with the Clarifying Lotion, then pat by Terry's rose-scented lotion onto my face and neck. I finish with Lancome's Genefique all over; this cream promises everything but hasn't shown me any results :-( I'm also using LiLash (again).

In the morning: Estee Lauder foaming cleanser, Clinique lotion, By Terry lotion, Clinique turnaround concentrate, some sample eye cream (not pictured).

Do I like the Clarisonic? I've been using it for two months and haven't seen any improvement in my skin. I will persevere, however. There are lots of people out there who swear by it, though: check out Meg's reviews here.

This is the second time I have tried LiLash and all I can say is that it works. False eyelashes become such a thing of the past because your real eyelashes will grow unbelievably long. Like crazy long. With a curl, even - so you can chuck out those eyelash curlers. I have tried RevitaLash and that worked but it stung when it got in the eyes, and Talika didn't do anything, as far as I could tell.

I was excited when I got my hands on Bobbi Brown's tortoiseshell palette in Bronze - which is actually just a bunch of neutral and unexciting colours, I suppose, but great.basics. These are the colours I wear most often. These days I feel too self-conscious wearing bright colours on my face.

So with my eyes looking natural, I thought I'd play up the lips a bit. I just wanted something new and different and it took me one minute to decide on a bright pink lipstick called Rose Blossom. I tried on the limited edition shade - nude rose? - but it didn't suit me; it just looked blah on me.

Face: Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in B50 Beige Sienne, Bobbi Brown corrector in Bisque, Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder 2

Cheeks: Chanel Solein Tan in Bronze Corail

Eyes: Bobbi Brown White, Bronze Tortoiseshell Eye Palette, Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner in black, Dior waterproof eyeliner in black, Chanel Sublime mascara in black

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in B40, B50, Bobbi Brown Rose Blossom

The foundation is still the same Vitalumiere Aqua by Chanel but a shade darker than last time. I couldn't make up my mind for a while but I think I do like this. I can't compare it with any other Chanel foundations but it's supposed to give that 'my skin but better' look. It has an SPF of 15, it's light and gives more coverage than eg MAC's Face and Body, which is ultra sheer. The packaging is perfect, in my opinion, because it's small, plastic and travel-friendly; I really don't need glass bottles.

As for concealer... well, I'm still experimenting. I'm not 100% satisfied with Bobbi's corrector+concealer stuff because the product(s) become visible on my skin after an hour or two. So at the moment I'm just using the corrector, applying the foundation over it, and setting it with the magic powder.