Let’s just set the scene here. My Mum’s not one for beauty bumf – she’s a get up and go kinda gal; splashing her face with some water, massaging in a blob of Olay, layering on a bit of mascara, lip balm and she’s out the door. I get my makeup yearnings from my Beautician Aunty who armed me with a nail buffer and a cuticle stick at the age of 10 - the rest is history. As I’ve delved deeper into the beauty world, she’s become a little more savvy, getting to grips with some of my cosmetic cast-offs and now even carries around a lipstick with her that she’s whittled down to a tiny nub, so I thought it was about time to welcome her into the world of Space NK and as a bit of a pre-Mothers Day treat last weekend we trundled down to their South Molten Street store for Mum to indulge in her first makeover for 25 years (her last one was for her wedding day!). In the trusty hands of Graziella who orchestrated my Space NK makeover, here’s what happened…
After filling in Graziella on my Mum’s everyday fuss-free look, she pottered around the store handpicking out an au naturale edit to suit her neutral tastes. I spotted some of my favourites in the stash, gave it the nod of approval and Graziella got to work. As Mum’s not a foundation wearer, we agreed that Chantecaille Just Skin was a good starting point, being lightweight yet giving a slight veil of coverage. She used the shade Nude, and it happened to be one of my Mums favourite products used in the process. I’ve decanted  her a sample of my own that’s on its way to her as I type; the only downside to the makeover experience? She now knows how much Just Skin costs. Darn it. Graziella then finished off the complexion with a touch of Hourglass Hidden Corrective Concealer in Pearl (which I’ve bookmarked for a future purchase), over any areas of pigmentation and under the eyes, a dusting of Chantecaille Poudre Delicate in Veil over the T-zone and a dab of By Terry Blush Veloutée in Apple Glow over the cheeks.
Brows are something that my Mum has never really experimented with, so Graziella went light-handed with just a small amount of Laura Mercier’s Eye Brow Pencil in Blonde to ramp up the definition slightly. She then primed the eyes with By Terry’s Hyaluronic Eye Primer in 2, and washed the lids with Laura Mercier’s Matte Eye Colour in Vanilla Nuts, adding Topaz in the crease. The trick that followed was the one that my Mum was most fascinated by and has remarked that she’ll be giving a go again; Graziella took the Chantecialle Le Stylo in Dark Brown and dotted it in between her lashes to give them the illusion of looking fuller. She then layered on just one coat of Chantecialle’s Faux Cils Mascara and my Mum was sold – both the liner and mascara were popped in her basket.
For lips my Mum keeps it light and glossy, but Graziella and I managed to coax her into giving two lip options a go; something sheer and shinny for the daytime and another with a little more colour as an evening option. In the pictures above she’s sporting her nighttime choice, Lipstick Queen in Saint Rouge. I really liked the raspberry toned shade on her and the glossy finish means it’s something she actually felt comfortable in. However her favourite was the second offering, a more daytime-friendly pinky brown, Chantecaille Lip Chic in Tea Rose – something to grab for her when her birthday rolls around I think.
The verdict? Well my Mum happily wandered around London for the rest of the day without a disgruntled swipe, smudge or baby wipe in sight. The next day a photo of Mum’s beaming beautiful face popped up on my phone from my Dad with the caption, ‘Mum wanted to show you that she is using her purchases’. I think that says it all.
Comments