Easter-induced sugar hangover and British Summer Time kicking in over the one day was a bit much for me to handle, so for this April Fool's Monday I reached for some of my current favourite foolproof products (see what I did there) to put together a no-brainer taupink look.
![]()
Kiko Long-Lasting Eyeshadow Stick 05 Rosy Brown // By Terry Ombre Blackstar Misty Rock
Kjaer Weis Lovely Cream Blush
By Terry Rouge Terrybly Hot Cranberry
Clio Eyeguard Waterproof Liner
![]()
![]()
Misty Rock is more tightly packed with finer shimmer particles -- something evident in the tube as well as on skin, but if anything I think Rosy Brown's more diffuse sparkle catches the light in a prettier, more complex way. Although I admit I'm really picking nits now, because you can totally get away with wearing one on either eye without anyone noticing....
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
Kjaer Weis Lovely Cream Blush
By Terry Rouge Terrybly Hot Cranberry
Clio Eyeguard Waterproof Liner
Eyeshadow Sticks
I've drivelled about how awesome the Kiko sticks are in their original review post -- slick on, blend edges, and bam! complex neutral eye look that stays indelible for over 24 hours (for yes, I am a bad straight-into-bed-collapser at times). Today I wanted to show my mother just how close my Kiko 05 Rosy Brown came to her By Terry Ombre Blackstar Misty Rock, both in formula (cf. former Topshop flailings as well as the Kiko post) but this time, also in colour.
Scribbled swatches. First two pics in natural light, last pic taken with flash.
Misty Rock is more tightly packed with finer shimmer particles -- something evident in the tube as well as on skin, but if anything I think Rosy Brown's more diffuse sparkle catches the light in a prettier, more complex way. Although I admit I'm really picking nits now, because you can totally get away with wearing one on either eye without anyone noticing....
 |
| By Terry Misty Rock | Kiko Rosy Brown |
Cream Blush
If you saw my last post you will know I don't exactly have a shortage of cream blushes. I prefer them to powders by far, and have been in the process of gradually converting my entire collection of blushes to cream formulas*, as new shades become available to me. Kjaer Weis Lovely is all Grace's fault. Ahem, I mean, it's a clear, rosy pink in a solid cream-balm formula, semi-sheer but easily buildable and blendable -- I defy anyone to achieve clown cheeks with this gloriously foolproof, goes-with-everything, face-brightening flush -- which feels comfortable and looks naturally healthily dewy even on my winter-dry cheeks.
Lovely is deeper and rosier than the other softer functioning-as-nude pinks I own (Rouge Bunny Rouge Gracilis, the right side of Suqqu Balancing Cheeks 01Momozoe and Lipstick Queen Oxymoron Matte Gloss Free Ride) but is noticeably softer than the perkier options of Becca Hyacinth, Canmake CL04 Clear Pink Joy or Becca Dragonfruit beach tint. I find myself reaching for it often as the goldilocks neutral-with-a-kick option.
*For the curious, the powder Lovely replaced was Illamasqua's Katie, which is a similar mid-toned warm pink on me -- see the last look here.
Lipstick
For me, truly foolproof means fooling-proof too; give me a long-lasting lipstick that may require a lipbrush for the initial 30-second application over a gloss which requires topping up and mirror-checks throughout the whole day. As mentioned (er...somewhere) in my Lip Love post, By Terry's Rouge Terrybly in Hot Cranberry is one of my very favourite lipsticks in that rarest of formulas: highly pigmented, lightweight and moisturising but very long-lasting. Its high-silicone-slip formula makes precise application a doddle, and the insane pigmentation makes layering unnecessary; the colour, a bright pink-red, gives my face and mood an instant lift, without fail.
This is how it looks at 8:30 am:
And at 6 pm (after 2 meals, a few snacks, and innumerable caffeinated beverages):
Liquid Liner
For a basic line, following the curve of my lashline so closely it's barely beyond tightlining, and extended ever so slightly at the outer edge, a precise pen is much quicker and easier than a gel or powder requiring a separate brush, or a smudgy pencil requiring the subsequent removal of gunk from lashes...
I will review this ergonomic(!) offering from Korean brand Clio along with some other PR samples in due course, but for now, let the fact that it has become my foolproof liner of choice in the space of a fortnight testify to its genuine out-of-the-box ease of use and total lack of learning curve. Foolingproof, too -- this stuff is as indelible as the hardiest Japanese liners I've tried.
Other products: Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Moisture Foundation 001, Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer in Fair, Shu Uemura H9 brow pencil Stone Grey, GOSH white kohl.