My friend Cassie recently flew up to Auckland from the bustling metropolis of Palmerston North for a work conference. I was really hoping to catch up with her while she was in town as I hadn’t seen her in three, possibly even four, years. I wasn’t especially hopefully given that on work trips it is generally expected that you do work related things, but this time I was in luck!
Not long after she arrived, Cassie flicked me a text and asked me if I wanted to be her Plus One (or, as she delightfully put it, her “faux-boyfriend”) at the industry dinner she had organised on Monday evening. The fact that I got to catch up with her AND get dressed up all fancy-like was reason enough to agree to attend, but then she text-whispered those magical three words every girl hopes to hear when they’re on a date, fake or otherwise:
“There’s a buffet.”
With that, I was sold on the concept of attending an evening where I got to eat delicious foods and drink good wine,all whilst pretending to be interested in rubbish disposal and maps!
I immediately knew what I was going to wear in order to dress to impress; a black and gold lacy brocade dress with a Peter Pan collar that I picked up a few years ago at Monsoon in London. I instantly knew it was a winner as it always makes me feel amazing and how can you possibly go wrong with a modern interpretation of the LBD? When it came time for me to do my makeup, however, I was a bit stumped. I knew I wanted to make my eye makeup a little more dramatic than usual abut I felt as though my go-to lipsticks were a little too bold for the evening. What to do?
I tried applying a bright matte red, but with my bold brows and my eye makeup already in play, I felt a little bit more Pretty Woman than I did pretty. After contemplating my other options for a while, I had a bit of an epiphany: what if there was some way in which I could tone down my lip colour whilst still maintaining the integrity of the colour?
My past makeup purchases flashed before my eyes before I remembered that I had recently acquired a Lip Primer from E.l.f Cosmetics, courtesy of Beautyjoint.com. I’d been using it under my matte colours in order to make it easier for me to remove them post-application but what would happen if I put them under my more iridescent shades? There was only one way to find out
Tentatively, I applied the primer, waited for it to set and then applied my Number One Go-To lipstick, Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Wild Orchid (457), over the top. Miraculously, the colour turned into a less vivid and surprisingly more matte shade that didn’t overpower the rest of my face. Triumphant, I finished getting ready and made my way to what is most aptly described as The Cartographer’s Ball.
Next time, I’ll remember to take my headphones out when I’m taking a fierce mid-commute selfie.
Today, I’ve been having a bit of a play with using lip primer under other shades of lipstick that are typically a little too shimmery for everyday wear. Thus far, it had generated excellent results.
Still not destined to be a hand model. The top swatch is the lipstick sans primer whilst the bottom one is the colour after the application of E.l.f Studio Lip Primer and Plumper.
For this swatch I used a Revlon Lipstick (surprise!) in Moon Drops Silverspun Rose (565). This shade is normally what I’d describe as a pinky red with a definite glittery sheen. You can see that, by using a generous coat of lip primer (the middle colour swatch; pictured), the colour of the lipstick is muted from a shimmery pink to a more solid rose pink. With just a simple swish of primer, you’re effectively in possession of two shades for the price of one. Exceptional!
Just as a bit of a postscript, I ended up having a fabulous night out with Cassie. Best of all though was despite me eating waaaaaaaaay too much food (what can I say? They had three different salmon meals!) and drinking a few generously poured glasses of wine, my Revlon lipstick, which is usually notorious for disappearing altogether after a couple of hours’ wear, did not smudge. Not once. Not even a little bit.
Two lovely ladies!
What more could you possibly want out of a seemingly boring product that cost all of $4 USD?
Analiese x
My Flatmate's Wardrobe 