& Other Stories

Now that I'm joining in the & Other Stories hype I'm an official beauty blog, right?

I went in to Stories for the first time last Thursday and, obviously, stopped by the makeup section straight away. I played with the blushes but didn't feel like any of them had a place in my makeup bag right now (weird, right) and then I saw a woman brazenly trying on highlighters using a fluffy brush from the display case, so I made my way over there, and that's when I saw Illuminating Powder 1, which looks to me like Benefit High Beam in powder form. 

I'll admit I'm currently going through a real cream phase, but after trying it out on my hand I simply couldn't leave the shop without it. It is silky and blendable, warm enough for my summer skin colour, but definitely not too dark for my winter skin colour. Plus, duh, the packaging is so sleek. The pan is quite large and shallow so there's a high risk of it shattering once I've used a lot of it, but I shouldn't have to worry about that for a while.

I do enjoy the subtle effect - I'm pretty sure that it's impossible to over-apply this stuff. However, I've worn it every day since I bought it and have found it's not particularly long-lasting on bare skin. I'm sure if I wore foundation the wear time would improve.

I don't care because I love applying this stuff. I'm sure it won't be long before I make another & Other Stories purchase, and here's what I'm liking:

Makeup: Lip gloss tube in Cordovan Wine, this has a sort of Dior Black Tie vibe, only slightly redder, therefore easier to wear. Lip colour in Ninon Pink would be a welcome addition to my lipstick wardrobe now that I've discovered that it's okay to wear pink. Eyebrow powder in 3, because I find brow powders easier to work with than brow pencils. Moroccan Tea Body Lotion because Moroccan tea smells just divine, plus it comes with a pump!

Clothing: I've never seen a boxier ribbed tank - awesome (one can never have too many grey vests). These socks are a cool pattern without being too hipster-tryhard. I often find that Swedish or French made dresses are too long for me, which would clearly not be a problem with this tiny red silk beauty. The whole lingerie section is to die for, but this is my personal favourite delicate bra.

I also purchased some Shu Uemura eyelash curlers - apparently they're supposed to be quite good or something (ha) - a copy of Wonderland magazine ...and some Céline sunglasses!