Holy Grail of Goodies 1 (Makeup)

All of us hold something close to our hearts. It could be that hot water bottle that never fails to ease a horrifying cramp. It could be that stuffed animal we hide deep under our covers which never fails to comfort us. It could be that one phrase in the Bible which never fails to lift our spirits. It could also be that one person who's never failed us.

I'd been blessed to have all of the above so I thought I should list some products which I hope never get discontinued. Ever. These products which never fail to transform me, giving the illusion of a better complexion, less lines, no undereye circles, you know the drill.

Foundation
Contrary to popular belief, I don't wear foundation on a daily basis. For one thing, I'm too lazy. Well, actually, that is the only reason. Because of the hazy sessions we get here on this side of our wonderful nation, I just might start slapping some on to protect my skin. Old-fashioned foundations are known to clog pores, create zits, oily and many other skin problems. However, the new line of foundations these days are very blendable, very light, oil-free and non-comedogenic.

I chose L'oreal's True Match for this category. It provides a very sheer and light coverage and is perfect for both day and night wear. To be fair, it evens out skintone more than it covers.

Mascara
Max Factor's Calorie 2000. Non-smudge, non-transfer and lasts a good 8 hour. My only requirement for a mascara is that it lengthens and stays waterproof. A quick clamp on my lashes with my curler ensures the curl lasts for days so I only need my lashes to be lengthened a tad and remain smudge-free.

It's also a cinch to remove with facial wipes!

Undereye Concealer
No prizes for guessing which one of this goes to! I've tried YSL's Touché Eclat and despite its raves, I found it to be truly disappointing. It serves as a highlighter (perfect for the dark-ish area at the sides of the nose) more than a concealer.

Laura Mercier's Secret Concealer wins handsdown in this category. It's creamy, it's highly-pigmented so you only need a small dab and it doesn't dry the eye area. A little dab of this brightens the entire face up and makes me look fresh and well-rested despite having pulled an all-nighter.

Blush
Need you ask anymore? It's got to be Benefit's Dandelion! I can be half-asleep and while putting my makeup on and yet, I won't look like a little girl caught playing dress-up! It's a sheer pink blush which can be layered on and suits most cool skintones. Warmer skintones would find Georgia more flattering.

Two categories which are almost impossible to choose would be on lipglosses (oh, the irony!) and fragrances. Simply because there are just too many glosses in the market and most of them are gorgeous and unique in their own way. So, for a slight twist, with glosses, here's something that's an absolute waste of money and completely a rubbish!

Take note! This is all BAD! This rubbish of a lipgloss has no lasting power whatsoever, is expensive and runs out within months of everyday usage. No doubt its unique clicketty-click pen is fun, pretty and cool, it's just not worth the money. And, not to mention, the last few mls is stuck within the pen and despite my desperate attempts at clicking it further, no colour appears on the brush. Pfftt! I've never bothered returning to the Stila counter. Ever.

On the other hand, with fragrances, it's a very personal thing. On most days, most floral fragrances would soothe me and uplift me. On other days, the very same fragrances would be absolutely revolting. This definitely has something to do with hormones because the levels of hormones produced in a female's body is different at different times of the months. And, needless to say, the hormones influence the very sensitive sense of smell.

So, on those days when all fragrances seem to make me want to hurl, I stick to the very light, very pretty one from Christian Dior.