This post is a collaboration with Biodelly.fi
Makeup tips are among the most popular themes on my blog. As many of you have requested alternatives to the high-end makeup brands, however, Biodelly and I decided to collaborate using more affordable makeup products.
I hope you enjoy this post; I discovered several new products, including some bonafide treasures!
I wanted to create a look that I would feel comfortable wearing, and the best way to do that is to go brown. I’ve included some things that haven’t featured on the blog before, including a tip for brightening up and opening up the eyes; shots of the same look with different lipsticks; and using a mineral foundation for your base.
Most of the products are from Lily Lolo, and I can tell you now that I’ll be sharing plenty more looks created with the items from this lovely range. The brand has an amazing selection of powder shadows which I can’t wait to try out. Besides Lily Lolo, I’ve also used a few products from Lavera and Benecos.
I was super pleased with all the products and, as many of them were instant favorites, I will be keeping most of them. You can get great products for without spending loads: you just have to shop around a bit – or read beauty blogs.
I used three products for the base. Firstly, Benecos’ BB-cream in Beige, which I applied lightly across my entire face to even out the skin tone and add a bit of color. I was really impressed with this product – it was easy to apply and didn’t sit on top of the skin at all. As the coverage is light, I would mostly recommend this for healthy looking skin, or for the summer when your complexion is likely more even due to a bit of tan.
Under my eyes and over my lid I used Lavera’s concealer in the color Ivory. It gives excellent coverage and stays put really well, but as the product is fairly thick, I don’t recommend it for very dry skin – though it worked well under my eyes.
To finish off the base, I used Lily Lolo’s mineral foundation in Butterscotch. The finished base was even and light, with the foundation giving extra coverage and making it last all day, despite the fact that I got rained on. The mineral foundation is fairly matte, and to add a bit of sheen to my complexion, I used a highlighter from Benecos and a blush by Lily Lolo.
I applied the highlighter in a V-shape from the tops of my cheeks to the brow bone, along the bridge of my nose, above my eyebrows, and across my cupid’s bow. For blush I went for a pressed blush in the shade Tickled Pink, and a bit of mineral powder blush in Ooh La La, both by Lily Lolo.
In the first picture below you can see the base with highlighter and Tickled Pink, while the second picture shows the final look, with Ooh La La added to the cheeks. My lips aren’t quite so deathly pale in reality as they might look here – in the first picture, I’m wearing Lavera’s concealer as a primer.
On the brows I used Lily Lolo’s brow duo; an ingenious product that contains a brow color as well as a sheer brow wax to keep them looking tidy and seal in the color. I tried something a bit different and mixed the wax and the color together, which gave me an even sharper and lasting finish. This product is going in my makeup case, and I’ll definitely be using it on clients.
To prime the lids, I used Lavera’s sheer, liquid eye makeup primer. I was very skeptical about this product when it was sent to me for testing, and extremely surprised by its effectiveness when I did. Don’t let the liquid consistency fool you – the product really does work. So, first I used Lavera’s concealer to even out the lid, after which I powdered the lids with Lily Lolo’s mineral foundation, and only then did I lightly pat the primer across the lid. The eye shadows stuck to it really well, there was zero fallout, and everything was still in its place at the end of the day – despite the rain I mentioned.
I chose to use Lily Lolo’s Vanilla Shimmer and Sticky Toffee mineral shadows, and Take The Biscuit pressed shadow, as well as the darkest color from Benecos’ brown eyeshadow palette.
I started by applying Vanilla Shimmer in the inner corner of the upper lid, Sticky Toffee across the entire lid, and blending the two together. I then used a black eyeliner pencil from Benecos, which I’m never giving up, to line my upper lash line. The pencil is wonderfully soft, making it easy to apply. After smudging out the liner using an angled shadow brush, I then applied Take The Biscuit under my lower lash line, in the outer corner of the upper lid, drawing it up into the crease. I also used the Benecos liner on the outer corner of my lower lash line, smudged it out, and finally added the darkest color from the Benecos palette to the outer corner of the lid.
The mascara is by Lily Lolo, and is amongst the best natural mascaras out there. One coat is enough, and the lasting power is superb – it too survived the rain.
A tried and true trick for brightening up the eyes and making them appear bigger using an off-white, vanilla kajal on the waterline; Benecos’s white liner pencil is perfect for this. Don’t let the White fool you – the pencil is actually a natural/vanilla white color, which is perfect for the waterline and to mask those red rims.
Below we have the look first with, and then without, the white liner – I have Tickled Pink on my cheeks in both.
While playing around with makeup, I discovered a new favorite lipstick: Demure by Lily Lolo. It’s the perfect nude shade! I’ve found other perfect shades before, but the consistency has always left something to be desired. But no more – this lipstick is wonderfully creamy, while still being strongly pigmented and just long lasting enough – it doesn’t go matte or dry, but it’s also not too thin or prone to fading. The lip color in the photos above is Demure.
You can see that I’ve added Ooh La La on top of Tickled in the photo below, and I personally prefer this stronger look; glowing cheeks is my signature look, after all. If I’m not wearing blush, I’m not wearing makeup at all, in which case I’m probably in close proximity to the equator.
In the first photo, I’m wearing Berry Crush by Lily Lolo on my lips, and Pink Honey by Benecos in the second.
In the first photo below, I’m wearing a lipstick by Lavera in the shade Coral Divine; in the second, I’ve gone for the cooler toned Caramel Glam. The consistencies of these lipsticks are wonderfully soft – in these particular shades, at least – and they have therefore my full blessing. I love creamy, glitter- and shimmer-free, lipsticks.
I’ve never really been into mineral makeup, especially not when working with clients or on shoots, but I really enjoyed Lily Lolo’s mineral products and intend to keep on using them. Benecos’ BB-cream together with the mineral foundation, and a bit of highlighter, was such a winning combination that I can see myself using it indefinitely. Lily Lolo’s selection of mineral shadows is so incredible that, as I said, you’ll be seeing plenty more looks with the brand in the starring role; I’ve have several summer looks planned out already.
Have you made any affordable makeup discoveries? Which of the lipsticks above is your favorite? And what are your thoughts on mineral makeup?
Products provided for testing by Biodelly
Coasters and clam shell from Proloque
Photo Katja Kokko
Translation Katja Nikula
