As far as my everyday fashion/daywear, on warm days, I like denim shorts, white T-shirts, sneakers; on colder days high heels and jeans. I always make sure I have a good manicure and a good bag; then I look and feel pretty.
I’m a Cancer, so my mum has influenced a lot of my beauty habits, but I build on that foundation with my own style and use finds/products that work for me. As far as my makeup routine, I strongly believe in skincare over makeup, so my complexion routine happens to be fairly involved.
Skincare: Every morning I drink lemon juice. It’s not so much that it cleanses anything, but I do think it’s very good for your skin and the whites of your eyes. The main principles of my skincare are cleansing, hydrating and sun protection. I love micellar waters for everyday use. I don’t use particularly expensive products, apart from eye cream, and I prefer to layer products. In other words, instead of using one moisturizer, I use several layers of moisturizing products. My skin is combination, and layering helps me to keep my skin hydrated and soft, without a risk of blemishes. My morning routine is fairly simple–cleanse and protect. I prefer BHA based lotions for exfoliating, and I generally use them only 2-3 times a week or daily only on the T-zone. I tried The Ordinary serums, and I have become a convert. My favorite moisturizers are light, milk-like in texture and oil-free. My grandmother (my mum’s mother) was Lebanese, so as a result, she always used rosewater for a lot of things, including skincare. I use it as well for my everyday toner. Mum also always insists on eye cream in a lady’s beauty routine (and has done so for as long as I’ve been wearing makeup), and for me, Sisley’s Sisleya Crème Contour des yeux et des lèvres (Eye and lip contour cream) is the only one I use. It’s the most expensive product in my skincare, but a jar lasts for several months and it’s the only cream that actually hydrates the undereye area without causing irritation. While I wait for my moisturizer to be absorbed, I get dressed and then I apply sunscreen. The type of sunscreen I use depends on how my skin feels. I do a sheet mask at least once a week. Peach and Lily have excellent sheet masks; I use the royal gold black bee propolis mask.
Hair: On the weekends, I usually put a hot-oil treatment and sleep in it, shampoo with a non-sulfate shampoo the next morning, apply a hair mask, rinse everything out, then air dry (I don’t use blow-dryers) and put in a leave-in treatment. I then wait a day. My hair is curly, and when I wash my hair the first day, I don’t know what to do with it. The second day, it looks much better and I usually get a few days out of it (a week if I’m lucky). If and when I do get a blowout, I plan my appointment for the day before I actually need to look good. I use the Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub with Sea Salt in my hair once every three weeks to clean the scalp. I only wash my hair twice a week because it can get too fluffy. But when I do wash it, I use the Christophe Robin Cleansing Mask with Lemon as a shampoo I love the shine it gives. And then I can’t live without the Intense Regenerating Balm. It’s actually very light, not greasy at all. You can put it on all the little hairs in the front of your face to smooth them. That’s always in my bag. I usually cap off my hair with a touch whatever scent I’d like to wear that day (lately I’ve liked freesia scents) or night (Frédéric Malle Iris Poudre is a good one). I put my hair up in a messy bun or just let it fall, but it’s always in its natural state; I very rarely straighten my hair. I also make sure to get my hair cut once every three months.
Makeup: As much as I like to look good, I’m admittedly very lazy! I tend to just use one product, put it all over, and blend it with my finger. Then I groom my eyebrows, put on a bit of blush and concealer, and go. My personal favourite is Dior’s black eye pencil, which I apply at the roots of my lashes to make them appear darker, before scribbling it across my entire lid like a kid would and smearing the pigment with a tiny bit of calendula lip balm. Just a little bit so I have dewiness. Unless it’s a formal event, I’m generally not a fan of powder shadows, they’re too complicated. I either do my eyes or I wear a red lip when I’m out, never both. When I’m casual, I won’t wear any other makeup with it. Then my hair has to be messy, my skin has to be perfect, and I’ll just wear jeans and heels. I never contour. Instead I like adding highlights, primarily on my cheeks, and on the Cupid’s bow of my lips. And every evening, I always clean my face with Bioderma until my cotton pads are clean. I’ve always worn very little, very light makeup. Less is more and the older I get, the better it is to have light makeup. For my face, I like to have a good primer. I do think it’s good that women wear makeup, because I feel like it acts as a barrier between the skin and the pollution in the air. I’ll use the Dr. Brandt Pores No More Primer with foundation from Shiseido or Guerlain. Sometimes I mix them. But even if I don’t want to wear makeup, I will always put on lipstick and eyebrows. Eyebrows are indispensable. I use a Laura Mercier Kohl Eye Pencil and her lipstick in Healthy Lips. It’s strong, but it’s not too shiny—it gives the appearance of natural color. She does really good colors, as does Nars. Armani also makes very nice lipsticks. They’re very pigmented, so for special occasions, it’s very nice. Because, you know, when you’re going to a dinner, you have to be careful about what lipstick you wear. It has to be very matte in order to stay. For a night out, I don’t like matte, but you have to use it if you’re going to eat. For lashes, I use Armani mascara too, called Eyes To Kill. The other thing that’s very important is powder, because if you’re going to put it on your skin all day, it has to be good. I like a MAC powder that doesn’t have any color, but helps mattify everything. And I use Cle de Peau’s translucent powder. They make really wonderful products.
Fragrance: I’m a fragrance fiend; I’ve amassed a collection of fragrances that I wear most of the time (which I highlight on my updates tab on my about page). When I do anything new, I like to have a special fragrance to wear for it. So, I’m having fun on my summer adventures here down south and I’m going to wear Frederic Malle’s Eau de Magnolia. And when I wear it I remember the experience. It’s not something I’ve always done, but I’ve been doing it for a few years. And also I like very much the perfume of Francis Kurkdjian, Now that it’s summer, I love to wear jasmine. It’s a very natural, floral scent, but at the same time, has something a little deeper. There’s a musk from Frederic Malle—Carnal Flower—that he also makes as a Hair Mist which I love. Also orange blossom—that’s lovely. I also like to keep a handkerchief spritzed with perfume in my bag (my mum does this). My favourites are here.