makeup

Only I’m no makeup artist. In fact, I’d say my makeup skills are subpar. And brow pencils, I have learned, are tools that should be reserved exclusively for those with a moderate level of makeup know-how. After four years of trying to create a brow look that says natural fullness without appearing too bold or drawn-on, around 12 months ago, I finally gave up. One day, after spending 20 minutes trying to get my brows right, I threw every brow pencil I owned (all three of them) in the bin. And I’ll be honest; it felt totally liberating. Since then, I have embraced my natural brow shape every single day, simply fixing strands into place with a brow gel. And while at the time my makeup-artist friends thought that was a mistake, now there seems to be a chan...

I know that it’s a strange thing for me to admit as a beauty editor, but I really hate doing my makeup. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy the therapeutic aspect of it, and I love how it makes me feel once it’s all done, but for the most part, actually applying my makeup just stresses me out. Why? Because I’m useless at it. Sort of. I suppose if I’m being fair to myself I should say that, after years of absorbing tips from makeup artists, I’ve become quite good at applying my base products. But as someone who likes a no-makeup makeup look and struggles with any sort of practical creativity, I feel it’s safe to say eye makeup is not my forte. You see, I like my eye makeup to look natural. For the most part, I either leave my l...

I know that it’s a strange thing for me to admit as a beauty editor, but I really hate doing my makeup. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the therapeutic aspect to it, and I love how it makes me feel once it’s all done, but for the most part, actually applying my makeup just stresses me out. Why? Because I’m useless at it. Sort of. I suppose if I’m being fair to myself I should say that, after years of absorbing tips from makeup artists, I’ve become quite good at applying my base products. But as someone that likes a no-makeup makeup look and struggles with any sort of practical creativity, it’s safe to say eye makeup is not my forté. You see, I like my eye makeup to look natural. For the most part, I either leave my lids bare or...

Primers, face mists, pore strips, lip scrubs, tinted moisturizers—all “controversial” beauty products labeled (by some) as the most despisable or undeserving of your hard-earned paychecks. Some beauty editors, skin experts, and makeup artists flaunt their obsession for the formulas I’ve listed above, and some practically condemn them as ineffective industry propaganda. In retrospect, this just proves that everyone is different, everyone likes different things, and you should really just try and buy any beauty product you dang well please.  In a previous life—a life I’ll dub BTM, before tinted moisturizer—I stubbornly maintained I just wasn’t a fan of tinted moisturizers. They pilled, they didn’t match my skin, and they never provided me with the pre...

Primers, face mists, pore strips, lip scrubs, tinted moisturizers—all “controversial” beauty products labeled (by some) as the most despisable or undeserving of your hard-earned paychecks. Some beauty editors, skin experts, and makeup artists flaunt their obsession for the formulas I’ve listed above, and some practically condemn them as ineffective industry propaganda. In retrospect, this just proves that everyone is different, everyone likes different things, and you should really just try and buy any beauty product you dang well please.  In a previous life—a life I’ll dub BTM, before tinted moisturizer—I stubbornly maintained I just wasn’t a fan of tinted moisturizers. They pilled, they didn’t match my skin, and they never provided me with the pre...

The words lip stain truly sends shivers down the back of my neck. I think it’s because, way back in the day when I first tried one my lips had a real adverse reaction to it. The formulas were liquid-y and beyond drying. Worse still it would crack if you smile or talk and if you ate it would leave a dark ring around the inside of your lips—awful. Luckily for us, formulas have come a long way since then. Now, we can opt for a creamy matte liquid lipsticks with a super-pigmented pay-off or a high shine PVC-like finish that genuinely sticks around but I had yet to try a stain that tints the lips without leaving any kind of residue. All I’ve tried either tint the lips well but the formula is incredibly drying or don’t stain them at all.  But of course, Fenty Beauty was going to b...

For someone who spends her life scouring the internet and social media, I would say I’m quite restrained when it comes to hauling things that I have seen celebrities endorse or wear. I mean, you have to be discerning when you work for a fashion-and-beauty site. But if there is one thing that I want to know about and will be influenced to buy almost every time, it’s anything that contributes to flawless-looking celebrity-level skin. I want that red carpet–ready, glowing, filter-without-a-filter look. Whether they’re having their makeup done for the Met Gala or just sharing their everyday beauty regimes, I devour this kind of content and have ultimately ended up with a lot of bases in my makeup collection after reading about or watching a celebrity rave about them...

You don’t need us to tell you that makeup trends come and go. In recent years, we’ve seen the fall of bold Instagram brows make way for wild, fluffy strands, waved adios to the sharp contouring trend that saw us waste hours on YouTube trying to perfect the chisel, and laughed a photos from yesteryear that show us sporting foundation-toned lips. Just like in fashion, beauty also has its time-defining trends. And while makeup artists, as a rule, typically recommend sticking to timeless techniques (much like how some of the best fashion stylists around do), there is one particular time in makeup they find themselves looking back to over and over again. “I suppose we can say that ’70s makeup is making a comeback, but I’m not sure it ever really...

Gone are the days of—dare I say it—classic black eyeliner looks. Well, at least for this season. Enter the era of the playful, colourful and bold eyeliner looks, where more is definitely more. Whether it’s down to the mask-wearing from the past couple of years, the summer vibes or the hyper-focus on Euphoria eye makeup, which really put bold eye looks on the map, we’re all about it. Just this year, Google UK received half a million searches per month for eyeliner alone, an increase of 14% versus last year. The good thing is you’ve already got the skills down. Apply the same techniques you would for your classic liner to create an array of flicks and lines and let your creativity bloom. While classic black liner is all about technique and precision, colour eyeliner ...

Gone are the days of—dare I say it—the classic black eyeliner looks. Well, at least for this season. Enter the era of the playful, colourful and bold eyeliner looks, where more is definitely more. Whether it’s down to the mask wearing from the past couple of years, or the hyper-focus on Euphoria eye makeup, which really put bold eye looks on the map or the summer vibes, we’re all about it. Just this year Google UK received half a million searches per month for eyeliner alone, an increase of +14% vs last year. The good thing is, you’ve already got the skills down. Apply the same techniques you would for your classic liner, to create an array of flicks and lines, let your creativity bloom. While the classic black liner is all about the technique and precision, the colour eyeliner l...

I’ve always been drawn to Hailey Bieber’s fashion and beauty (can you believe one of her favourite moisturisers is just £14?). I prefer minimalist looks just like she does, so you can imagine my interest when the model and now brand founder of Rhode (her skincare line which isn’t available in the UK just yet), made her second appearance on the series. Her first was four years ago, and you can watch that here. For her most recent installment, Bieber chose to showcase her date-night skincare and makeup routine. As she describes it in Vogue‘s video, it’s her go-to “glowy going-out makeup look.” Fun fact: A lot of her inspiration comes from ’90s supermodels, Pinterest, and TikTok. Of course, you can watch the video in its 12-minute...

If there’s anything that the Who What Wear team are totally obsessed with, it’s French beauty. Can you blame us? Whether it be French pharmacy skincare favourites, French skincare advice, or French fragrances, we want in on the tips and tricks from across the channel. And who wouldn’t? Much like the fashion, there’s a certain effortlessness that exudes the French fashion crowd’s makeup looks. They always look pulled together, but without looking overdone. Whether it’s flawless skin paired with a bold matte lipstick, dewy skin with a subtle flush of blusher, or a perfectly executed cat-eye, there is so much we can learn from French women. Quite often, it is the simplest makeup looks that work the best. You Deserve to Make Money Ev...