Luxury makeup Archives - Charlotta Eve

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I prefer high end makeup, because I find it performing better. I notice the price difference in consistency and quality. When the product is done right, it’s super easy to blend and it lasts well.

But I don’t think you need to buy everything high end. In this post I’m telling you which three products I would invest in – and what products you can totally get on a budget!

Why you should invest in high end products

High end brands usually have more skincare benefits and better ingredients. I’m quite strict on my skincare and I think of my makeup as the extension to that.

This is why I think you should invest especially in your base products. I would pay a bit extra for these three products: foundation, concealer and lipstick. Those are the things that basically go onto your skin first.

Packaging is also important. Beautiful packaging is part of the experience. I love makeup in general and think of it as self-expression and self-care, so I don’t mind spending money on that.

High end makeup you should invest in – Foundation

I have combination skin, which can be tricky to take care of. I can’t use just anything on my skin – it needs be suit both the oily and dry areas of my face. Having had bad acne and very oily skin at times, I know this from experience. With problematic skin the more expensive foundations usually just work better than the cheap ones.

So your skintype also has a say in this. If you have normal skin, maybe you can get away with a more affordable foundation. But the other thing I notice about high end foundations is that you need less product. They are usually very pigmented and a little goes a long way. So who knows – I might actually be saving money buying high end foundations.

Clarins Everlasting Foundation+
Review with before & after photos
*Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place Makeup $43
Review with before & after photos

Clarins’ foundation is one of the best for oily or combination skin, because it has great coverage and lasts super well. Yet still, it reflects light and doesn’t look heavy on the skin. Estee Lauder’s Double Wear is another good option if you want lots of coverage and good lasting power.

*YSL Touche Eclat Le Teint Foundation
Review with before & after photos

Nowadays I love a good glow and my skin is not quite as oily as it once was. So I really like foundations that are very lightweight, glowy – yet offer good coverage. This foundation does not last quite as well as the ones mentioned above, but it still lasts well, especially with a quick touch up. I’m wearing this one in the photos.

*Madara City CC
Review with before & after photos

My current favorite “foundation” is Madara’s City CC Cream, because nowadays I prefer a very natural looking skin. The CC-cream is eco-certified and cruelty free. It also contains great natural ingredients like aloe vera, hyaluronic acid and sea buckthorn extract. It has a creamy consistency, which really sticks to my skin and lasts really good as well.

High end makeup you should invest in – Concealer

Concealer is almost like a compressed foundation that you need in specific areas on the face. I’m pretty sure most of us want to hide our dark circles and that’s probably the most common “problem” we seek help for.

I’ve tried many concealers, both drugstore and high end. I truly feel like the high end products work better. They are creamier in texture, they are easier to blend and they don’t enhance the little wrinkles around the eyes. I’ve also noticed a lot of the drugstore concealers have a weird cheap scent, whereas high end products are scentless or have a pleasant scent. (Though I totally agree that some luxury brands add too much scent – these things are not written in stone.)

My absolute favorite concealers come from NARS. I love their Radiant Creamy Concealer, which has a lot of pigment (great coverage), but still very blendable creamy texture. I also like the Soft Matte Concealer, which is great for spot concealing.

*NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer $30
*NARS Soft Matte Concealer $30

Another concealer favorite of mine is Madara’s Luminous Perfecting Concealer. It’s not as pigmented as the NARS one, but I actually like the thin consistency. It doesn’t get into the fine lines under the eyes. If you have dry skin and like a thin consistency, this might be the one for you. Madara is also cruelty-free.

*Madara Luminous Perfecting Concealer $24

High end makeup you should invest in – Lipstick

The most important thing in lipstick to me is that it feels comfortable on the lips. I also like it to have a luxury feel when I apply it and have it in my bag on the go.

High end lipsticks (especially ones that are made with mostly natural ingredients) usually have great moisturizing ingredients. They also have a lot of pigment and last well.

*Zuii Organic Lux Lipsticks ~ 30€
*Jane Iredale Triple Luxe Lipsticks $35

My favorite lipstick formula is Jane Iredale’s Triple Luxe lipstick formula. It’s so thin, yet very pigmented and comfortable on the lips. In the photos I’m wearing Jane Iredale’s Triple Luxe Lipstick in the shade Ellen. I also love Zuii’s organic lipsticks – their colors are very bright.

So foundations, concealers and lipsticks are what I would buy from high end brands. You’ll find great blushes, bronzers, eyeshadows, brow products and mascaras on the drugstore side (AKA on a budget).

That said, I do love high end makeup in general. In the photos I’m wearing my favorite cream blush from a high end brand – and next I’ll tell you why I think it’s worth splurging.

My favorite eco-friendly luxury blush

My favorite blush is Kjaer Weis’ cream blush in the shade Above and Beyond. It has the perfect consistency that’s easy to blend and it also stays well. When you look at the ingredients, there are actually natural oils that are good for your skin.

Kjaer Weis is a luxury brand that’s eco-certified and cruelty free. Their packaging is refillable, making the packaging more long lasting and more expensive than packaging you throw away.

All in all It’s just a very trustworthy blush that works for every occasion! I also really like the packaging and the fact that I can buy a refill for it.

Kjaer Weis Blush $56 / refill $32

Finally, I want to note that price or brand doesn’t always signify quality. There are exceptions. Ingredients also matter so make sure to do your research.

Now tell me: what is some makeup product you have invested in? What are your favorite high end makeup products?

Who knew luxury makeup could be organic and sustainable?

I mean, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, but I’m still very excited about the Kjaer Weis products I received. And here’s the most important thing: the packaging is refillable! That’s also why it’s extra beautiful. It’s something you are keeping, not tossing away, like you usually do with used makeup products. You just simply buy a refill and keep using that beautiful packaging.

Genius. And quite simple, really. That is why I wanted to create this simple makeup look with the products. Besides the Kjaer Weis products, I also used a mineral makeup base and a black pencil (that’s been my favorite for years!) from Alima Pure.

I wrote a bit more about the product at the end of this post, but for now, let’s get to the step by step photos of this simple makeup.

Products are pr-samples. Links are adlinks.

Some beautiful Alima Pure products. Garnet blush, mineral foundation and the best black pencil I know.

How to apply mineral makeup?

I love mineral makeup for a couple of reasons. It looks natural and beautiful, because it reflects light. It also kind of blends on the skin making it look even more perfect after an hour or two of application. And – it’s naturally antibacterial! As someone who has battled acne and bad skin, a makeup product that is acne-safe is always a plus.

Mineral makeup is also very quick and easy to apply.

Take some mineral powder on the cap and swirl your brush in it. Don’t try and take a huge amount of product. (The amount shown on the photo is actually quite maximum.) The key is working in light layers.
Once you have some product on the brush, tap the brush against the table to get the minerals to ‘sink’ in the brush. That way the brush releases the powder evenly while you apply it on your skin.

A kabuki brush is best for applying mineral makeup. I used a kabuki from Jane Iredale, but Ecotools also has some great options.

Easy mineral makeup tutorial

Can’t go wrong with a natural-looking glowy base and a red lip.

Alima Pure mineral foundation & Kjaer Weis cream blush – Step by step

I applied the mineral makeup all over my face in light layers with my big kabuki brush. After that I took a smaller Ecotools brush and concealed some areas that needed more coverage, like the sides of my nose, a few acne scars and any pimples.
I applied the cream blush on my cheeks and on my lids. Thanks to the cream consistency, no highlight is needed – the cream also brings a natural glow to the skin. Blush colors work beautifully as eyeshadows and a coral shade like this really brightens up the eyes.

Black liner & a coat of mascara

What I love to do, is tightline my eyes. It’s a great trick for eyes, that have only a little visible lid space. This way the liner doesn’t take up that lid space, but it still enhances the lashes and makes them look more voluminous.

My favorite black pencil is Alima Pure’s Ink Pencil, because the color is really black, it stays well on my eyes and it doesn’t irritate them. The Kjaer Weis Mascara is from Kjaer Weis. Natural mascaras are tricky, but this one is one of the best I’ve tried!

Kjaer Weis Amour Rouge Lipstick

How to apply red lipstick

Or any lipstick, really. I always apply my lipsticks like this – it saves time.

Apply your lipstick on the bottom lip. At this point you don’t have to be too concerned about the edges.
Press your lips together, so that the color sticks to the upper lip as well.
Now you have the lipstick somewhat in place. Then you can go over the edges and perfect the red lip. If the lipstick feels too clumsy, you can take a lip brush and use that to clean the edges. I just used the pointy side of the lipstick, since it was still new and quite handy to use.

And that’s it for the simple makeup. What do you think? I love a look like this.

Kjaer Weis review – Refillable luxury organic makeup

I’ts been a while since I’ve found a new interesting makeup line, so I’m pretty happy about the Kjaer Weis products I’ve used lately. Here are quick reviews on the products.

Kjaer Weis Mascara
As I already mentioned, natural mascaras are a tricky product to produce. But this mascara is one of the best I’ve tried. I think a lot of it has to do with the mascara wand. The consistency is quite thin, but thick at the same time. What I mean is that you don’t get clumpy lashes in one layer. I usually apply two layers – like in these photos – but it still looks natural. I also like the packaging – it’s petite and pretty.
The mascara costs around 34€ and refill 25€.

Kjaer Weis Mascara

Kjaer Weis Above and Beyond Blush
The packaging in this is really interesting, because it has this rotating cap and a mirror on the other side of it. It’s very handy to travel with, since you have a mirror and your makeup with you. Besides using this as a blush and an eyeshadow, I’ve also used it on my lips, especially on the go. The formula is very creamy and nourishing, but it doesn’t feel sticky on the skin. It’s quite pigmented, but still easy to blend. I love this coral shade that is very trendy for this spring.
The blush costs 49€ and refill 29€.

Shop Kjaer Weis Above and Beyond Blush

Kjaer Weis Amour Rouge Lipstick

The lipstick is beautiful. It’s said to have a velvet finish, which describes it well. It’s definitely more on the matte-side, which makes it very pigmented and long lasting. I don’t usually go for matte lipsticks, but this shade was so unique I had to have it. I also don’t mind the matte consistency, probably because of the moisturizing ingredients like shea butter, almond oil and jojoba oil.
The lipstick costs 52€ and refill 34€.

Shop Kjaer Weis Amour Rouge Lipstick

Alima Pure mineral makeup

Quick reviews on the Alima Pure products I used.

Alima Pure Satin Matte Foundation Beige 2
Compared to some other mineral makeup foundations I’ve tried, I would say this is quite glowy. It’s said to have a smooth matte finish with subtle glow, but on my skin it’s not matte (and the glow is real). The consistency is great and the foundation blends easily on my complexion. I think I need to let my sister try this, because she has dry skin and I have a feeling this would work amazingly for drier skintypes.
Alima Pure Foundation costs 34,90€.

Shop Alima Pure Satin Matte Foundation

Alima Pure Natural Definition Eye Pencil Ink
I don’t know if it’s just me, but I feel like talking about a black pencil is somewhat boring. Then again it’s one of the makeup staples and we all appreciate a good black pencil. Right? Well, I’ve used this black pencil for years now and I think it’s the best. It’s black, it lasts well, it suits my sensitive eyes and it can be blended to get a soft line. It’s not too soft and it’s not too hard either. It’s the perfect black pencil, really.
The pencil costs 22,50€.

Shop Alima Pure Eye Pencil in Ink

Have you tried Kjaer Weis or Alima Pure products?

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High-end makeup – 3 products you should invest in