You know how it
is... You go into Dischem for your monthly toiletries and you walk out with
half of the makeup aisle because you’re just “trying some stuff out”. We’ve all been down that road. No one here is judging except for our
better-halves who will never understand our fixation with makeup.
If you can
relate to that scenario, I’m pretty sure that you also understand what it’s
like when you’re “just trying something out” and it becomes one of your
staples. That’s what this article is all
about. Think of this as an ode to the
underdogs, those items I never imagined would become so important to me.
Clinique
Perfectly Real Compact Makeup (R490,00 online)
*Sigh* My
hero. Honestly, this little guy is an
absolute lifesaver during the week. I
don’t put on a full face of makeup if I have nowhere to be, so for normal,
everyday use, I could not recommend this product any more. It’s a super lightweight formula that still
provides that hint of coverage you’re looking for on your days-off. It’s also fantastic for when you don’t want
to go bare-faced to gym – the powder formula will not block your pores when you
sweat.
I’m also very
much aware that the price of this is not budget-friendly. That being said, when it comes to a product
that you’re going to be covering your entire face in, I don’t believe you
should go for the cheapest available option.
Your skin should be treasured and you can’t put slather it in just
anything.
Essence Lash
Princess False Lash Effect Mascara (R64,95 at Dischem)
I’ve used a lot
of mascaras in my time. A lot. I’ve been promised volume, I’ve been promised
length, I’ve been promised a lot of things, but all pale in comparison to Lash
Princess False Lash Effect mascara.
Straight up, I
can’t tell you how it works, but it lifts, lengthens and volumises your lashes
in one application. Obviously for good
measure, as any makeup lover would do, I always apply a second layer if I’m not
wearing lashes for the day. This mascara
transforms your lashes and gives you an ultra-bright-eyed doll-like appearance
straight off the bat. It is simply
magical.
Side note: I’m
not sure if it was because I had forgotten my tube in my handbag for a week or
two and hadn’t used it, but when I put it on this morning, it seemed a little
clumpier than usual. I don’t think it’s
relevant to the actual product that you, the consumer, would purchase off the
shelf because I’ve never had this problem before and I’m not the most
responsible human alive when it comes to my possessions (just ask my poor
car).
Essence
Eyebrow Designer Pencil (R26,95 at Dischem)
Firstly, yes, I
am aware that my Essence obsession is real.
To be fair though, at those prices, it’s not the worst problem to have
(my Benefit problem is a conversation we’ll save for another day).
Some background:
genetically, I was gifted with the fullest, most fabulous Cara Delavignesque
eyebrows. I say gifted now because high
school in the early to mid-2000’s meant that those were not cool (I also would
describe my social positioning during high school as “bottom of the food chain”). Around Grade 10/11, I was gifted a hair
trimmer by a family friend. Teenage
Melissa, with her purple-framed glasses and round face, was elated and rushed
over to my mother and asked her to trim my brows.
BIG. MISTAKE.
My mother
proceeded to shave off the entire tail
end of one of my brows. The whole
damn thing.
Admittedly, I
can’t only blame my mom for what happened to my brows. I also went through a vegetarian phase and
experience what I can only describe as trauma-associated alopecia, to the point
that my mom even took me to a specialist about my extreme hair loss. But that’s not a story for today. In short, my mom shaved off half of one
eyebrow, I lost a large amount of hair from both my head and my eyebrows, and
now I am condemned to a life of filling in brows if I want to leave the
house.
That’s where this
pencil comes in handy. It’s small and
thin, so when you do have to sharpen it, it’s never an unmanageable width. It glides on like a cream and blends like a
dream (I did not plan that). It’s easy
to use so you can slap on some brows even when you’re in a rush and you’ll
still look presentable. Mistakes can be
easily smudged off with a finger or earbud.
At that price, it’s also affordable to use daily. Definite thumbs up.
LA Girl Matte
Flat Finish Pigment Gloss in Dreamy (R69,95 at Dischem)
Matte
Lipgloss? Even I was doubtful. Truthfully, this is not a lipgloss at
all. It’s more like a liquid lipstick
with less staying power than your average ABH.
That being said, for 70 bucks, it’s amazing.
I, for one,
don’t wear lipstick unless I have on a full face of makeup, purely because I
pretty much don’t have lips (thanks, Dad).
So I’ll only wear this if I have a morning meeting or I’m shooting out
to the shops and I look half-dead for lack of colour in my face.
This lipgloss
goes on super smooth and stays on for a decent amount of time, about a few
hours, which is exactly what I’m looking for.
I specified the colour on this description too, because the other
colours in the range are the most obtrusive I’ve seen in a lipstick range and I
generally stay away from super bright or dark colours due to my lip-lacking
condition. It tends to highlight my
deficit in the lip department.
I don’t
recommend coating your lips with this too thickly as it tends to stick your lip
creases and highlight them, rather than conceal. And yes, I have tried brushing my lips with a
brush first and applying an oil. This
isn’t my first rodeo.
If you’re
looking for a liquid lipstick with a bit more staying power, I recommend Rimmel
Provocalips (R109,95), which is pricier and glossy, but it’ll be there ALL
DAY.
Lux Body Wash
Sheer Twilight (Usually R32.95 for 400ml at Dischem, currently on special at R26.95)
If you’re a fan
of deeper, muskier scents, this is definitely the body wash for you. My favourite fragrance in the world is
Euphoria by Calvin Klein and this body wash is so similar to me. It’s also specially formulated to perfume
your skin for up to 8 hours after use, so it also acts as a perfume, which
means I can save my perfume for special occasions or intensify the scent for
Date Night. I’m a morning bather, so
this is perfect for me.
Freeman’s
Sachet Diamond Mineral Rinse Mask (R27.95 at Dischem)
I can’t be the
only person who goes through winter with the most amazing skin and then walks
into summer and BAM! texture. Textured
skin is one of my absolute pet peeves and I’m still in the process of correcting it. That’s where this product comes in.
I very casually
bought this mask one day from Dischem, in my lunch break, and thought I’d give
it a go. I used it the following morning
and went to work without any makeup on.
A co-worker immediately commented on how radiant I was looking and asked
if Julian had done something nice for me.
Pffft. Please.
This feels like
a clay mask. It goes on white and dries,
which is when you’re supposed to wash it off.
I, however, get totally distracted and end up washing it off an hour or
two later. That’s when the real magic
happens. Now, I’m not a fool – there are
definitely no “diamonds” in this mask.
If there were, I am 100% sure it would not be 30 rondelas for a
sachet. So when you wash it off, you’re
supposed to massage it on your face which is when the exfoliant scrubs your
skin smooth. It’s not too rough, but
it’s not too gentle to have any effect.
Once you wash it off and dab your face dry, you literally glow. I swear.
I plan on doing
a review of all of Freeman beauty masks in the future, so keep an eye out for
that if skincare is your thing. I may
also do a how-to on how I de-texturised my skin; drop me a comment if you’d be
keen for something like that.
And those are my
favourite beauty products right now. I
have a whole list of articles, series and products I want to show you, so it
would mean absolutely everything to me if you would subscribe to my page.
Wishing you an
absolute fantastic week ahead and all the love and light in the universe ♡♡♡
* All product photos found on www.dischem.co.za, except Clinique foundation from www.clinique.co.za