JOANNE watkinson
BACK TO BASIC
THE term ‘basic’ took on a whole new meaning during the past decade. From its original dictionary definition of simple and not complicated or an essential and important basic part of something, the word was adopted in American pop culture as an insult directed at women whose tastes were in any way commercial or mainstream.
Examples of women who were “basic”, at the time, included those who liked to wear Ugg Boots, watch box sets of Friends or go for brunch in an attempt to emulate the women of Sex and the City – all of which back in 2011 were pretty standard (I was and still am the epitome of basic – my love of scented candles apparently seals the deal).
The term drifted from my own consciousness until Kate Moss was accused of using it to berate a female pilot during her alleged air-rage incident in 2015 and it made the mainstream again.
Fast forward to 2020 and I believe it is time to reclaim the word and return it to its former place in my fashion dictionary: Basics meaning clothes that are simple, useful, neutral... essential.
While basics may be utterly non-descript, anonymous even, that doesn’t mean some aren’t more superior than others.
It’s the fit you are looking to get just right, the fabric has to be soft to the touch and the colour palette has to include black, white, charcoal grey, marl grey and navy blue.
The perfect basic T-shirt? Arket £15. In fact Arket does great basic everything.
The basic leather biker jacket that won’t date? All Saints £318.
Head to H&M for great value basic track pants, Zara for basic black sweatshirts that don’t fade in the wash and COS for basic white shirts that don’t look like school shirts.
Basic but better.
IF A quick-fix make-up solution is what you’re looking for, there’s one swap you can make to save valuable minutes every morning. By using a foundation stick instead of a liquid formula, you can cut down time spent on blending without sacrificing on coverage, plus, you won’t need to add concealer afterwards.
“Foundation sticks are the perfect product for those who want to create a flawless base in minutes,” says Bobbi Brown pro artist Aimee Morrison.
“Ideal for new mums, those who are always on-the-go and in general anyone who loves a quick make-up application.” Bobbi Brown Stick Foundation has been a fanfavourite for years, while more recently Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick has been a huge hit with beauty bloggers and shoppers alike. Last year, MAC launched its Studio Fix Soft Matte Foundation Stick in response to the ‘real skin’ trend, a preference for concealing imperfections without masking one’s complexion.
So what if you want to make the switch but you’ve always been a liquid base devotee?
Here, Aimee breaks down everything you need to know about stick foundation, from formula to application...
What’s the difference between liquid and stick foundations?
STICK foundation is in a thicker format for medium to full coverage, and works well to cover imperfections, similar to a concealer.
The creamy, flexible formula of a stick foundation seamlessly blends into the skin with little effort and the
I PERSONALLY love to even out skin with a liquid foundation and build coverage around the centre
Trafford merino wool polo in navy, £90,
Reiss