FOTD: Chinese New Year with London Drugs

Youngblood Purely The Basics Kit in Light, Lancome Definicils mascara in Waterproof Noir, Nyx Angel Veil primer, Revlon Ultra HD lipstick in Poinsettia, Chella Eyebrow Color Kit in Elegant Ebony

Hello! I know I'm a bit behind as yesterday was Chinese New Year's day, but I wanted to quickly share a look today. I recently received a box from London Drugs to celebrate Chinese New Year and put together a quick FOTD using some of the products provided. It's not the most direct/obvious interpretation--I would have worked in TON of gold otherwise!--but I tried to use just what was included in the box.

To start, I used NYX Angel Veil primer, a silicone-based (cyclopentasiloxane) primer that smooths the skin to prep for base products. (I cheated a little after the primer set and applied a bit of NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard.) Using products from the Youngblood Purely The Basics Kit, I further prepped my skin with the Mineral Rice Setting Powder in Light, then buffed in Natural Mineral Foundation in Neutral, and finished with Hi-Definition Hydrating Mineral Perfecting Powder in Translucent. I topped my cheeks with Youngblood Crushed Mineral Blush in Sherbet. I'm still testing the Youngblood kit, but so far I'm really liking the medium coverage and speedy application compared to my usual liquid foundation/BB. It's not quite enough to adequately cover my dark circles though, which is why I cheated with the NARS concealer. I'm also liking the loose mineral powder blush, which is very pigmented and gives a healthy flush.


For lashes, I curled them naked and then applied two coats of Lancome Definicils Mascara in Waterproof Noir (allow time to dry between coats!), then curled again after the mascara dried. I am loving the definition, separation, and most importantly, curl-holding ability of this mascara!

For brows, I used the Chella Eyebrow Color Kit in Elegant Ebony: first I used the Elegant Ebony Eyebrow Color pencil in soft, light strokes to fill in my brows. Next, I defined and set my brows further with the Eyebrow Defining Gel. I usually prefer a clear wax pencil to set my brows, but the Defining Gel is great for softening any stroke marks from the pencil and gives more of the natural, full brow look that is in right now. The Elegant Ebony kit comes with a Highlighter Pencil in Cinnamon, which is way too dark for me to use for highlighting, so I used it to rim my upper and lower lashline instead. This warmed up my eyes a bit and even looks slightly bronze-y against my skin tone. Luckily, I do have a Chella Highlighter Pencil in Ivory Lace, which is the right colour for me, and used it to draw lines underneath my brows and down my nose bridge, then blended.

Last--and the best part for me--is the Revlon Ultra HD Lipstick in Poinsettia. It looks a little pink on my monitor, but it is a true and proper blue-based red that is spot-on for celebrating Chinese New Year. It's really smooth and pigmented too! Although I found that it transfers easily, it doesn't show very noticeable fading even after a meal--perfect for wearing to a splashy CNY dinner feast.

With the exception of the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, all of the products I used in this look are available at London Drugs; I believe the Youngblood and Chella kits are exclusive to London Drugs unless you go online. I like the natural, fresh-faced look I got from these products, and they're suited well to Chinese New Year because it's so quick and easy--leaving more time to celebrate!

How does your family do Chinese New Year? We stay in and have family over, and snack on traditional goodies like candied lotus seeds and bánh chưng.

(Sidenote: I thought my hair bounced back pretty well from the dying, but I can see here that it's SO dry! Please recommend me all your favourite hair things.)