This week’s Inside My Beauty Bag comes from Lianne and Gemma: the beautiful sisters behind Instagram’s Style Pairing. Offering highstreet fashion and outfit inspiration, the girls have a keen eye for beautiful, wearable pieces and look amazing in them too. Be warned though – they do make you spend money. I think I have three to four new pieces in my wardrobe that I bought after perusing their account. Eek.
With such discerning taste, I wanted to find out more about their skincare and makeup habits and how they stay looking so fresh and flawless while raising small children. Read on to find out more about the beauty essentials they’re loving right now. You may be surprised.
[Lianne]
“I’ve never really been a girly, girl when it comes to makeup and skincare, but now I’m in my thirties I sadly don’t have that luxury anymore (thanks dark circles and crow’s feet). So, over the years I’ve had to invest in more and more products – the irony being I now have less and less time to use them with a toddler in tow! My normal morning routine usually involves a hand-held mirror in the kitchen, so I have to rely on great products that can work their magic quickly and last all day”.
“I don’t wear foundation (a shocking confession, I know) as I always find it too heavy and hate looking like I’m wearing too much makeup, so I start with MAC’s Strobe Cream in Peachlite to moisturise and create a nice light base for the rest of my makeup. I love how it can make me look awake even after little to no sleep and leaves my skin with a lovely natural glow. For the pesky dark circles, I apply a light layer or two of No 7 Instant Radiance Concealer (number 20), which I personally think works just as well as the YSL equivalent and is a fraction of the price. Then I’ll go for a quick sweep of my favourite MAC Bronzing Powder (in Bronze) and a dab of Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge (in Pale Pink) on my cheekbones for a pop of pink blush – I also use this on my lips if I’m going out for dinner or drinks. I’ve been using the same mascara – Maybelline’s The Rocket Volume Express – since I was about fifteen and haven’t found anything that makes my lashes look as naturally full or long without clumps. It’s so good I often get asked if I’m wearing false lashes or extensions! After my lashes, I finish with Benefit’s Gimme Brow no.3. Thanks to the 90s and some serious over-plucking my brows aren’t what they used to be!”
“If I have a little more time to get ready (once in a blue moon), I also love to wear liquid eyeliner on my lids and, again, always go back to my classic Rimmel London Exaggerate Black Eye Liner over the more expensive alternatives. I’ll also go to town a bit more with highlighter and love Smashbox’s L.A. Lights Blendable Lip & Cheek Color stick on my eyebrow arches and cheekbones. If I’m going out (out) I might also go for a bright red or pink lip – MAC’s Satin MAC Red or Bobbi Brown’s Mod Pink”.
“My night-time routine is embarrassingly short: Simple’s Kind to Skin Cleansing Face Wipes, a splash of water and Clinique’s Moisture Surge. Gem’s always been really good at cleansing and toning though, so I should really take a leaf out of her book!”
[Gemma]
“I’ve struggled with hormonal acne since I was sixteen, so skincare has always been extremely important to me. Whilst, personally, I’ve never found that ‘miracle’ product to banish the blemishes, I’ve tried hard to find products that fulfil my skincare needs whilst not aggravating the problem”.
“There is one brand I swear by that does just this: Dermalogica. It was recommended to me by a make-up artist friend about 15 years ago when my acne was really getting me down and I’ve never looked back!”
“My favourite Dermalogica product would have to be the Pre-Cleanse. It effectively removes all of my make-up, but at the same time is gentle on my skin – I honestly don’t know what I’d do without it! As a bonus, it makes removing make-up super quick and with two young children, time is precious! Another of their products I wouldn’t be without is their Skin Smoothing Cream, which I use twice-a-day. It leaves my skin feeling nice and hydrated throughout the day, whilst not being greasy. It’s also a fantastic base for make-up”.
“So, my love affair with Dermalogica is still going strong but as I’m getting older and my skin is changing, I’ve been branching out in search of products to help achieve the elusive ‘dewy’ glow. A friend of mine recently recommended Beauty Pie to me and so far, I’ve been really impressed! I’m currently using their Plantastic Micropeeling Drops in the mornings after cleansing and they leave my skin feeling exfoliated and bright. I’ve been following that with their Super Retinol Face Serum, which is just giving me that extra bit of hydration I feel I’ve been needing more recently. It also absorbs well and sits nicely underneath my moisturiser”.
“In terms of make-up, like Lianne I prefer a more natural look, however, this isn’t always easy to achieve when you have spots to cover! For foundation I use Illuminare’s Moisturising Mineral Foundation in Sienna Sun. It’s not heavy at all, doesn’t sit in my fine lines (like so many foundations), but has pretty good coverage. Unfortunately, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to get hold of it here in the UK but I’m still happy to order it from the States because for me, even luxury brand foundations don’t come close!”
“Lianne and I both use Bobbi Brown’s Pot Rouge in pale pink on our cheeks, but I also like it in the fresh melon shade when going for a more bronzed look. I’m also with my sister when it comes to lashes and love Maybelline mascaras. I’m currently using their Faux Cils Push Up Angel and think it’s my favourite yet.”
You can keep up-to-date with Style Pairing’s sartorial updates on Instagram.