Monday 28 January 2013

Guest Post: Shine Busters!

I'd like you all to give a warm welcome to my first guest post writer, Aniqua! A fellow twenty-something graduate, Aniqua is currently in the middle of a beauty PR internship and today will be sharing her tips on achieving a London commute-worthy face that lasts the whole day.

~*~
Hola Munchkins!
My name is Aniqah and I write over at And laugh at guilded butterflies and am thrilled
to be guest blogging on Kim’s blog today!


Today’s topic of conversation is one that I am sure many of you are familiar with – the commute! Now,
my commute involves the yukky tube, which inevitably leads to an increase of surface oils and dirt on my already oily skin. I have to say, for someone who has for years been used to looking as flawless as I possibly can, the addition of the commute to my life was making me almost distraught! One night, whilst lying in the bath with a clay mask on, I had the bright idea of mixing in the wonderful oil-absorbing beauty of a mask with my moisturiser. Bingo!


Except not quite bingo. It seems that alchemy with a clay mask is an exact science – a bit like baking – too little of the mask and it has little-to-no-effect, too much and the skin looks cracked (as if a mask has been left on too long) and foundation appears dry and patchy. However, once you have figured out the ratios of you pseudo-chemicals, then serious BINGO!! You’ve hit the jackpot!

Now, obviously, my day of commute-and-office-worthy-face doesn’t just consist of a little extra clay mask: here’s a little snapshot of my skincare routine:


This is a routine that I have tailored to control oil without stripping it unnecessarily, which could lead to extra oil production to compensate. Hero products include Soap and Glory’s Peaches and Clean, La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo, and my new purchase of Garnier’s Moisture Match cream.


When it comes to primers, I have a very on-off relationship with them: currently it’s a full-blown love affair. Philosophy’s The Present is the only one I currently trust. If I’m not commuting, this stuff superglues my make up to my face for the entirety of the day, but as it stands, it reduces the amount of shine that manages to peek through, and ensures that at the end of the day, melting of make-up hasn’t occurred to the point that my face is devoid of make-up. In fact, come 2:30p.m., if I haven’t used it I often glance in the mirror and end up thinking OMG I know I put make up on this morning!


On to bases – I have a few that I pick and mix between for their longevity properties: Givenchy Eclat
Matissime, Dior Forever and Estee Lauder Double Wear (Givenchy being the most natural finish, and Double Wear being the ultimate flawless).


I am a powder freak!! I need it for oil control, and I actually quite love a soft powdery look in the vein of the Hollywood Stars of Old. Choices of pressed powder are Rimmel Stay Matte and Givenchy Le Prisme, and the ultimate translucent setting powder comes down to the wonderful Vichy Dermablend Setting Powder.


Lastly, we come to the section of miscellaneous, and kicking off proceedings is the humble (or not so humble) toothpaste. In this case, I love the effect of Whiteglo – gently whitens the teeth whilst keeping the mouth fresh all day! A perfect lip completes every look, hence I line and lippy my lips as best I can, and try to top up throughout the day – I find L’Oreal’s Rouge Caresses’ to be moisturising and fairly long- lasting. Nails can make a huge impression, and mine are always, always filed and painted – Seche Vite is my hero here, no matter how late I paint them, they are perfect when I wake up. Now hair is one thing that can make or break my confidence on any day – when it’s done well (and by done I mean more than a quick brush), I feel it adds confidence to any look, but when not coiffed, the entire world seems to see me being less confident! Last little miscellaneous comes down to the best Shine Absorbing Sheets I’ve ever used – the Kleenex Shine Absorbing Sheets, which are pure genius.


At the end of the day, take your face off, double cleanse, treat your skin and relax – you made it through the day!

Hope you enjoyed this post!

Love A.x


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Thank you to Aniqua for a brilliant post! Please pop over to her blog and have a read :)
If you'd like to guest post for Kimtopia, please drop me an email

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