Makeup Genius

As anyone who knows me will tell you, I’m a serial beauty junkie. I love finding new products, I’m always on the hunt for my own beauty holy grail / the perfect version of something (the perfect foundation that stays put all day, the perfect bright pink lip, the perfect eyeliner marker, the perfect nail polish in just the right shade of peachy-pink…), and even though I’ve figured out which looks suit me best and stick to a variation of two or three styles, I’m always up for trying new products and shades.

So when L’Oreal Paris asked me to give their new Makeup Genius app a whirl, I was only too happy to oblige. I confess that although I’m always keen to learn pro-tips to help elevate my everyday routine, I was somewhat sceptical of the premise of the app (the idea being that you ‘try on’ looks and products until you find the shades that suit you best). But honestly, the idea really is genius! The app scans your face and then lets you ‘try on’ any shade from the entire L’Oreal range (magically adding the product exactly where it should go on your face), as well as various looks from the brand’s portfolio; trialling different styles (and products) you might be hesitant to experiment with in real life.

In the picture above I’m wearing zero makeup in real life, but the app on my phone cleverly shows how the look / products will look on my face.

For this look (based on ‘Karlie’s Iconic Look’ from the app’s library of looks), I started with my usual base and concealer, adding some contour and depth around my cheekbones, jawline and temples with the L’Oreal Glam Bronze Duo. Next, I traded my usual bronze or plummy eyeshadows for this gorgeous metallic taupe (that seemed to make my green eyes brighter), sweeping it all over my eyelids; blending it a little more in the outer crease and around my bottom lash line for a daytime-friendly take on a smokey eye. I framed my eyes with a flick of Super Liner in ‘Blockbuster’ (an impressively thick and precise marker-style liner) and two coats of ‘Volume Million Feline Lashes’ mascara before finishing with Colour Riche Extraordinaire gloss in ‘600 Nude Vibrato’.

I tend to stick with a pale peachy gloss on casual days or when I’m in the office (the Colour Riche gloss in ‘Nude Vibrato’ is now one of my everyday go-to products). But if the sky is grey, I’m feeling blah, or I’m wearing black (or I just want an instant desk-to-evening perk-up), I love adding a bold bright lip to lend a little more drama and make my look pop. Here – at the recommendation of Makeup Genius – I just added Colour Riche lipstick in ‘132 Magnolia Irreverent’; (the most perfect fuchsia pink and a new favourite in my makeup bag) to complete the look, and voila!

Wearing: Glam Bronze Duo in 101 // Colour Riche L’ombre Pure eyeshadow in 201 // Super Liner in ‘Blockbuster’ // Volume Million Feline Lashes mascara // lip gloss in ‘Nude Vibrato’ // Colour Riche lipstick in ‘Magnolia Irreverent’.

I’d love to know how you all find your perfect makeup looks; do you take inspiration from magazines, suggestions form beauty counters or, like me, just buy all the shades you like until you find the perfect products? I can’t recommend the L’Oreal Makeup Genius app (available to download here) enough for trialling some new looks and helping you to find the perfect shades for your skintone.

Love, Miss B xx

This post is in partnership with L’Oreal Paris. Photos by Beth Morton.