The Darnell Collection at Unique France

Last Friday I was lucky enough to attend a cocktail function at Unique France where they were show casing a selection of dresses from the Darnell Collection. The Darnell Collection is Australia's largest private collection of vintage clothing, curated by Charlotte Smith. Charlotte inherited the dresses from her American godmother and gave a short speech on the night about the history of the collection. It was a really enjoyable night in which we were able to browse the vintage couture gowns with a glass of French wine in hand and beautiful antique surrounds.

 

I wore a red lace Alannah Hill dress with a matching Alannah Hill belt, sheer black stockings and black velvet heels (scored at Myer for a bargain $8 a while ago! So pleased with that find haha). 

I left my hair down and just put a few soft waves in the front with my straightener and hairsprayed them in place. My make up was definitely inspired by Lisa Eldridge - I used her concealing method, plus wore a red lip that didn't wear off the whole night (even after drinking champagne and eating yummy canapes from Lady Lamington!) because of Lisa's amazing lipstick applying technique!

Face Of The Night: Chanel Matte Lumiere Foundation - Clair, MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer, Clinique Colour Surge Eyeshadow in Bewitched (to fill in eyebrows and on eyelids), Urban Decay Primer Potion, Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Personnel Multi-finish Lipstick in number 14, Nars 'Bloodwork' lipgloss, Cover Girl Lengthening Lash Blast mascara, MAC Studio Fix Powder N4, Bobbi Brown Bronzer in Medium, Revlon Skinlights, Nars Albatross.

Just a couple of happy snaps from the night!

My Foundations

1. Make Up Forever High Definition Foundation (#118 Flesh)
2. Chanel Pro Lumiere (#20 Clair - Cameo)
3. MAC Studio Fix Fluid (NC20)
4. MAC Studio Sculpt (NC25)
5. Estee Lauder Double Wear Light (Intensity 1.0)

I always have a couple of foundations on the go. My skin type is combination and I am prone to break outs, so most of my foundations are medium to full coverage.

I use MAC Studio Fix on a daily basis atm because it's full coverage and long wearing. I want my foundation to still look good at the end of the day and I feel as though Studio Fix does this. I like Estee Lauder Double Wear Light for every day wear for this reason too.

I would love to be able to use Make Up Forever HD every day because it has the niiiiicest finish, but because you can't find it in Australia, I'm trying to save this bottle I got in France for as long as I can! As the name suggests this make up was made for High Definition technology, so it looks great even in front of a high def camera. A great foundation if you're having important photos taken eg. wedding day.

I was so excited about my Make Up Forever HD Foundation purchase, I had to document it!

Chanel Pro Lumiere gives medium to full coverage. The bottle says it's a semi-matte finish, and I'd agree. It can get a bit too 'dewy' for my liking after a couple of hours, especially if the weather is humid.

MAC Studio Sculpt is my winter foundation. It's too moisturising for me to use during summer, but is perfect for winter. To get a flawless finish, I recommend using a natural bristle brush to buff it into the skin.