Fancy Face Founder Brittany Gray hits us with her latest favourites in her list of May’s Best Beauty Products.
Happy May everyone! Thank you so much for all of the love, questions and comments after last month’s beauty round up. I really am thrilled that you’ve been finding new products that you adore and have been able to make some of them a part of your everyday routines. Are you ready for the next go round? Here’s my list of May’s Best Beauty Products!
PRIMER
Let’s start at the beginning. Primer! There are very few primers out there that I get hugely excited about. In the past, Benefit’s Porefessional Primer was my go-to. I still stand by it as an awesome product, but my newest love is the Tatcha Silk Canvas Primer. The primer was inspired by a Japanese wax called Bintsuke that the Geishas would wear underneath their white makeup and it helped create that light, bright and beautiful skin. It works brilliantly, smells amazing and really does give you that flawless canvas underneath your foundation no matter what foundation you’re using. I love this primer and I highly recommend it!
When it comes to the application of any primer, you want to be sure that it is lightly and evenly dispersed across the skin. If you’ve ever tried a primer and your foundation almost seemed to fall off the skin, that means you had too much primer on. So be certainly you only apply a thin layer, focusing mainly on the T-zone and a little bit on your cheeks. Press with your fingers to be sure of where you are placing the primer, then go over it with your foundation. Success!
EYES
When it comes to the eyes, I am much more laid back and chill. I don’t want a lot of colour or a whole long process of application. I want quick results and an easy application that makes me look awake and rested with a colour that is flattering. Charlotte Tilbury’s Colour Chameleon Stick in Amber Haze makes all that happen. It can be used as a a liner or it can be used to cover the whole lid of your eye. It comes in this stunning, bronzy tone that looks flattering on everybody. I actually received this product as a gift from a student of mine who flew over from North Carolina to train with me and I’m so grateful. I love it! Thank you!
CONTOUR
I really adore using cream bronzers when it comes to contouring the face, but more often than not, cream bronzer sticks are made for, well, bronzing. They usually have a bit of a red or ashier look and tone or they’re too orange. I haven’t been able to find my happy place with them, until now. The Makeup For Ever Ultra HD Stick Foundation is one that I use for contour on myself and many of my clients. The 177Y505 is just a perfect shade, and works really well with a Real Techniques or Sigma brush. Really any synthetic application brush will work, you can just dab it into the product and brush it into the areas where you need it, usually along the base of the cheekbone, along the hairline and along the sharp part of the jaw bone. It’s even great on the lids of your eye. Another nifty little trick is to take a smaller brush and apply a little underneath your lip liner to give you fuller looking lips.
When it comes to fairer skin tones or those people who prefer a more subtle and natural look, I love the Hoola Quickie Contour Stick by Benefit. It’s a lovely shade as well, so if I had to go for a second option, that would be it.
BLUSH
Another blush colour that I’ve grown to love because it is very neutral and is easy to apply no matter your makeup base, is Charlotte Tilbury’s Ecstasy. It does a brilliant job of providing that nice, healthy glow look. I recommend using a fluffier blush for a lighter application, just swish the blush around the colour palette then give it a pop in the centre. Dust it off on the mirror or the back of your hand to prevent too much pigment from hitting your cheek. Apply the blush to the apples of the cheek and blend upward and outward.
GLOW
If you know me, you know that I’m a pushover for that J-Lo Glow. I love that sunshine, summer hit of colour on my face. Two products for this glow that I recommend are The Anastasia Amrezy Highlighter and the Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops. You may want to lean toward one or the other depending on your skin type. The Anastasia product is hugely popular. I did hear it was discontinued but I believe they’ve brought it back recently. It’s this lovely champagne-gold colour. This colour blends beautifully into the skin and doesn’t go on too chalky, like a pink toned or overly light highlight colour may. It really gives a sunkissed, more natural glow. To apply, take a smaller brush so as not to disperse the product too far from where you want it sitting. Dip into the highlighter and turn your face to catch the light, that way you can apply and see where you want to have that glow. You can really build the glow, and it looks great above the arch of the brow bone, in the corners of the eye, under the brow, on the cupid’s bow above your top lip, down the centre and on the tip of the nose and even sometimes a little on the chin if you’re really going for it!
Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops in Moonlight and Sunlight are fabulous for creating glow, especially for drier skin types. Moonlight is a bit more champagne hued whereas Sunlight has a lot more of a bronze undertone. To use the drops, you can put a drop into your foundation on the back of your hand or you can apply a drop or two on your hand after you’ve finished your makeup, dip in with a brush and apply on top to finish your look. The great thing about this one is that though it is a cream based product, it doesn’t ruin the integrity of your makeup if you already have a powder on. The rule is usually creams first, powder second, but that doesn’t apply here. The drops really do help to bring life back into the skin after you’ve applied makeup. I use this on a lot of models during photoshoots, on brides and on anyone who is looking for that J-Lo Glow.
TRANSLUCENT POWDER
Moving on to powder, my tried and true is the Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder, I’ve used it for 5 years and it will always be in my life. However, I’ve come to find there is now competition, found in Hourglass’ Veil Translucent Setting Powder. It has the exact same quality as the Laura Mercier powder, but with an added pop of shimmer. How can you say no to shimmer and a dewy finish? If you are a fan of baking, dip in with your damp Beauty Blender and dab heavily under your eyes for a bright, luminous under eye. Then do the bottom half of your makeup while the powder sets, if there is any fallout it won’t ruin the foundation. Just dust the powder away after a couple minutes of baking and you’re left with a flawless under eye. If you don’t want to use the Beauty Blender, just dip in with a brush and hit any areas that you think may shine over the course of the day.
Ok. I’m going to tell you about my secret powder. Because I love you guys. And appreciate your awesome passion and support. The Japonesque Velvet Touch Finishing Powder in 01 is the secret for people who have large pores. If that’s you, this product is made for you! It is translucent but has a bit of a banana undertone for brightening. It is extremely finely milled, so much so that when I put it on a client’s skin who is sensitive and not happy with how their skin looks, it comes out looking flawless. Like a canvas. Insider tip: you can get it on Amazon for $25! It is so highly recommended for those who want to hide their large pores, it really is amazing.
LIPS
Last but not least, my new favourite lip colour! I’ve always loved the NYX Silk Indulgent and Belissima by Stila, those colours are my go-tos. Of course, I speak to colours that work well on me, though they do work well on so many and I’ve used them on countless clients. But Buxom’s Russian To You Va Va Plump is a full colour coverage lipgloss, very much like a lip lacquer, and has great colour as well as the plumping properties Buxom is known for. I love this shade because once again it’s that peachy nude colour I tend to lean toward. Just put it on your lips and pat it in with your finger. It really is, for me, one of those colours that makes me feel brighter and happier the second I put it on! Which is a big indicator that it’s a good colour for me. I do enjoy topping this colour off with Freya by Anastasia, a bit of a golden shimmer gloss that honestly makes me thing of Jennifer Lopez. J-Lo is my Glam Gold. Seriously. Both her and Scott Barnes, her makeup artist, inspire me constantly. It’s a great gloss to wear over pretty much any colour and gives that extra hit of pop and life.
There you have it! My May best beauty products roundup! Give them a try and add them to your kit, you’ll be happy you did. If you have any questions about the products or application, as always, shoot me a DM. Happy shopping! Xo
Benefit’s Porefessional Primer // @benefitcosmetics
Tatcha Silk Canvas Primer // @tatcha
Charlotte Tilbury’s Colour Chameleon Stick in Amber Haze // @ctilburymakeup
Makeup For Ever Ultra HD Stick Foundation // @makeupforeverca
Real Techniques // @realtechniques
Sigma // @sigmabeauty
Hoola Quickie Contour Stick by Benefit // @benefitcosmetics
Charlotte Tilbury’s Ecstasy // @ctilburymakeup
The Anastasia Amrezy Highlighter // @anastasiabeverlyhills
Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops // @coverfx
Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder // @lauramercier
Hourglass’ Veil Translucent Setting Powder // @hourglasscosmetics
Beauty Blender // @beautyblender
Japonesque Velvet Touch Finishing Powder // @japonesque
Nyx Lip Lingerie // @nyxcosmetics
Bellissima by Stila // @stilacosmetics
Buxom’s Russian To You Va Va Plump // @buxomcosmetics
Freya by Anastasia // @anastasiabeverlyhills
