My Foundation Collection

It's been a while since i've done a collections post, so I thought there is no time like the present to write a post containing one of my favourite beauty staples - foundation. I go through lots of different phases with my skin so i've catagorised them to make it slightly easier to navigate.. enjoy!

 Natural/Low Coverage Foundations

Bourjois Paris BB Bronzing 8 In 1 Cream - Full review here. - £9.99
I've never really jumped on the BB Cream bandwagon, so I bought this through sheer curiosity. As much as it is a terrible bronzer, this has just enough coverage to cover up any unnecessary blemishes - but nothing more. I must admit I don't use this often because my skin has never been great enough to get away with it, but its ideal if you're blessed with perfect skin.

Benefit You Rebel Lite Tinted Moisturiser - £24.50
The packaging looks pretty shabby because this is the foundation I used throughout summer. I always like to switch to a tinted moisturiser in the warmer months so my skin doesn't feel so heavy. Packed with SPF 15, its perfect for those who don't like going completely bare-faced in the sun. I would say the lighter version of the two (This product is designed to adapt to your skin-tone) has a yellow tinge to it, so if you're pale skinned try not to be too liberal with the application.

Revlon Nearly Naked in 180 Shell - £8.99
This is a beautifully designed product that gives an airbrush feel with added SPF20. However, as much as I enjoy using it its not something i'd pick up when I need to be up and out in a hurry. It doesn't come with a pump, almost as if its designed to be put onto the hand and mixed with another shade. It's light in consistency and blends well, but I did find I needed to touch up around areas prone to redness.

Matte Foundations

Rimmel Stay Matte in Ivory - £5.99
This has to be the worst foundation out of the collection. It has a strange perfume smell and it makes me look orange however sparingly I apply it. It has a runny consistency, and I found it didn't provide any coverage unless I built it up, making my face shiny as opposed to matte. The shine control element is practically non-existent, but the inclusion of cotton, chamomile and cucumber did make my skin feel slightly softer.
 
Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse in Ivory - £7.69
This is the newest addition to my collection, as I was searching for a mattifying foundation that provided great coverage without feeling cakey. Using a mousse makes application a breeze - i'm not usually a fan of applying with my fingers but i've found its the best way with this product. It's inexpensive and I don't need to reapply throughout the day.

MAC Studio Fix Fluid with SPF15 in NC15 - £21.50
As many of you will probably already know,  MAC provide heavy coverage. I use this foundation for nights out because it provides little shine that will come from that dreaded flash photography (Although any foundation with SPF in it will provide shine to a certain extent!) . However, it is quite orange (I have the lightest shade too!) so I need to mix it with my lightest foundation to create a suitable blend.

Brightening Foundations

No 7 Instant Radiance in Calico - £12.50
This inexpensive foundation is great when my skin needs a little pick-me-up. It's still reasonably lightweight so I like to use it when i've had a late night and my skin looks tired in the morning. Overall i'm a massive fan of No7 due to their unique foundation matching service and their wide selection of foundations.

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Brightening Makeup - £25.50
What first drew me to this foundation was its added SPF25, along with its oil-free formula and hydrating benefits. Although I love the overall look of this foundation (It doesn't really cover blemishes but gives your skin a great glow!), i've found that even the lightest shade makes my skin look bright yellow! I've had to mix it with a bit of my No7 foundation, which sort of defeats the object.

Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint Touche Eclat- £29.00
This is my dream foundation. Coming in 16 different shades, it eliminates blemishes and brightens shadowy areas. This is my second bottle of this, but i've chosen to use it more sparingly as it is the priciest product I own. My skin looks flawless when teamed with the YSL Touche Eclat Touch Highlighting Pen. It has a light consistency, allow my skin to breathe and giving just enough coverage to even out your skin tone. Love this!

Aswell as this, i've also started using my tester pot of Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation (£28.50) - which is certainly the most heavy coverage foundation i've used. So far I haven't found it very breathable, but a tiny amount lasts all day so is ideal for a special occasion when there isn't much time to touch-up.

I'm always on the look-out for the 'perfect' foundation, so let me know what your favourite foundation is below! :)

Bourjois Paris BB Bronzing Cream

Being a pale person, any products that contain the words 'bronzing' or 'tanning' scare me. The last thing i'd want to be is someone with a brown face and white body or look like i've rubbed a melted bar of milk chocolate onto my face. Yes I know that may sound stupid, but for someone that has little to no colour to them at all even the slightest bit makes a massive difference.

I'd been hoping to try a BB cream for a while, purely because I was curious what all the fuss was about and missed the initial 'hype' surrounding it. However, when I came across the BB Bronzing Cream from Bourjois on one of my regular Boots browses, I was intrigued. Not only did it claim to possess the qualities one would expect from a BB cream, it also incorporated a bronzer that was allegedly a 'universal shade'.

Looking at the swatched product before blending, there would be no way that anyone would believe that they could match my skin tone. As you can see from the blended swatch, there is a slight bronze that looks more like I just decided to swatch a foundation two shades darker than my match.

As you can see, there's next to no colour difference at all. There is an ever-so-slight tinge of colour that is so slight you can't tell the difference on camera. Bronzing aside, as a BB cream it has a lot more promise. It provides natural coverage, tones down the redness on my cheeks and nose, and makes my skin appear brighter. The only negative I will say is that although it does claim to be moisturising, I found it quite hard to apply and create an even coverage without the aid of a primer - it was quite dry. It doesn't quite provide 16-hour moisturisation; I found that throughout the day I needed to reapply as my skin started to dry out.
For £6.99 its pretty good value for what it does, but it's certainly not as versatile as it claims to be.

Overall it's pretty mediocre. It has more promise as a BB cream, but in future I think i'll stick with bronzing powder and some light contouring if I fancy a bit of colour.

You can purchase Bourjois Paris BB Bronzing Cream from your local Boots for £6.99 (RRP: £9.99)

Everyday Makeup #1

As a beauty blogger, popping to Boots for a new product is just as common as a dash to the corner shop for a pint of milk. However, as our makeup collections rapidly accumulate, how much of it is actually used on a regular basis? I see so many blog sales consisting of blushers and eyeshadows that have been swatched once, which is why I tend to look to 'everyday makeup' posts to really see what is considered a staple.

So, today i'm going to start a series of everyday makeup posts .. showcasing my favourite looks and go-to products!

 

Base: Smashbox Photo Finish primer, Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint Touche Eclat in 'BR10', Bourjois Paris Healthy Balance unifying powder in '52 Vanilla' (Not photographed)

Cheeks: Benefit Cha Cha Tint, Nars 'Deep Throat' blush

Eyes: Rimmel Exaggerate eyeshadow primer, 'Virgin' and 'Naked' from the Urban Decay Naked Palette, Benefit's 'They're Real!' mascara, Rimmel Khol & Contour eyeliner

Brows: 'Medium brown' from the Foxy HD Brow Kit, MAC Brow Set in 'Clear'

Lips: Benefit Cha Cha Tint, Loreal Glam Shine Reflexion lip gloss in '174 Sheer Peach'

As you can see, I like to keep things pretty natural looking (which is strange with the amount of products I use!). I'm all about groomed brows, so as long as they are filled in and arched I don't mind what goes on with the rest of my face! This is what I would usually wear to work, or in today's case going out for sushi. I usually go for a lot of highlighting and contouring, but I think 13 products is enough for a 'simple' look. 

On a more personal note, i've finally started my Easter holidays, meaning I have about 5 weeks off from university! Yes, that does sound amazing until I tell you I have 5 assignments to do. Easter break over. 

Bourjois Paris Little Round Pot Blush in Healthy Mix

I've always been a fan of Bourjois' nail polishes and glosses, but have never tried one of their iconic 'Little round pot' blushes. It wasn't until I found out that their baked blushes have been around for over 150 years, I knew I had to finally take the plunge .. it must be good, surely?!

 

Healthy Mix is described as a universal shade, a sun-kissed coral that adds a bit of warmth to a natural look. The adorable compact contains not only the product, but a small curved brush, a brief history of the blush and a mirror for touch-ups. Beautifully compact and scented with rose, these little pots are elegant and efficient, perfect for popping in your clutch on a night out.

As you can see, just two sweeps of product on either cheek is just enough to create an easily-buildable, subtle glow. The curved brush is perfect for sweeping over the apples of your cheeks, but I found that it wasn't too great at blended and I had to reach for another brush to finish the job off. The product is heavily pigmented, so it can easily make you look like a china doll so start off small and build up!
I'm absolutely in love with this shade and feel its perfect for warming up my pale complexion as summer approaches (hopefully!). I completely agree with it being a universal shade, as it's very flattering and adaptable to every skin tone. There's obviously not a lot of product in the pan, but as its highly pigmented I will be hesitant in how much I use so little will go a long way.

You can purchase Natural Mix along with 19 other irresistible shades at your local Boots or Superdrug for £7.49.

Review: Bourjois Paris 'Magic Nail Polish Remover'

I've seen photographs of this product everywhere and have been so anxious to get my hands on it! So here's a little review on Bourjois Paris' Magic Nail Polish Remover.

We all know Bourjois as bright and bubbly make up brand that specialise in creating products that 'simplify beauty', which is why I wasn't surprised when they realised a nail polish remover tub that claimed to deliver instant removal. I'm a massive fan of Bourjois. Their 'little round pots' of blush and eyeshadow come in such gorgeous colours, and are so compact which is great for storage. I wanted to test this product ultimately for when I use glitter nail polish. Although wrapping your nails in foil is effective, it is also extremely fiddly and annoying. So I decided to put it to the test.

First off, do not be fooled by the 'Red fruit & Vanilla Fragrance' at the bottom. Yes, there is a scent left on your fingers after usage, but don't do what I did and inhale straight from the pot. It is not good. It smells disgusting and I went dizzy!

The makeup remover is both paraben and acetone free which is always a bonus, so you're not damaging your hands and nails with nasty chemicals. The hot pink pot instructs that all you need to do to remove your nail polish is a quick dip and twist in the sponge.

I tested the remover using Barry M's 'Matte White' followed by OPI's 'Rainbow Connection:

Before:

After:

 

As you can see the nail polish has been removed but the glitter remains. I did remove my nail after 1 second to see if it did remove it, and to be honest only about half of it had been removed. However, I do blame the tough layer of glitter over the top, and after another quick dip and twist the remainder of the polish had vanished. I left my nail to soak for 30 seconds to see if it loosened up the glitter, but sadly it did not. I still had to use a cotton pad and a ton of nail polish remover, which completely defeats the object of the product.

However, it does not say it is recommended for glitter polish. I do also think it would remove fine flecks of glitter, not the large pieces that you can see on my nail. 

For £4.99 it is perfect for quick removal of plain polish. It's easy to use, nice to look at and leaves a citrus fragrance on your nails after completion. I will definitely be using again, but if you're looking for something to remove tough glitter polish, I suggest you stick with the foil.

Bourjois Paris 'Magic Nail Polish Remover' is available from any Bourjois concession stand.

Inside my suitcase - Skincare & Makeup!

Hello everyone! I apologise for the lack of posting, i've been really trying to relax this past couple of weeks, and suddenly realised that I do infact have work to be doing so I have been getting on with that. However, I wanted to do a post about my skincare and makeup that i'll be taking with me to Turkey on Monday.  I love seeing what's inside peoples makeup bags, their skincare routines etc., it's a great way to discover new products or learn new ways of applying particular products, so I thought i'd do one :) Here's a picture of the skincare i'll be taking with me:

Clockwise from top

 (1) MAC Fix +. Not only is it a finishing mist, but it's also a skin refresher that absorbs into the skin really quickly. Far more effective then splashing water on your face, in my opinion!

(2) It's Potent! Eye Cream from Benefit. A hydrating and brightening skin cream that reduces the appearance of eye bags. Perfect for a 4am drive to Gatwick on 3 hours sleep!

(3) Simple Purifying Cleansing Lotion. A light, creamy cleanser bursting with vitamins.

(4) Enzymion facial moisturiser. My all-time favourite moisturiser. Read why here.

(5) Moisture Prep Toning Lotion from Lush. A refreshing toner that includes extracts of Aloe leaf and vitamin E acetate to ensure total moisture and soft and supple skin. A full review coming soon!

Clockwise from top

(1) Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15 from MAC. A light matte foundation that promises even coverage without looking too orange or cakey. The SPF 15 is essential in protecting your skin from the dangers of the sun's rays. It's also oil-free which is always a bonus!

(2) Cherry Carmex Lip Balm. Includes an SPF 15 sunscreen so it protects you from sunburn and replaces moisture lost during sun exposure. Spells super sweet and is world-famous as the ultimate moisturising lip balm.
(3) Posie Tint Lip & Cheek Stain from Benefit. A poppy-pink stain that gives you an all-day colour so you don't have to worry about lipgloss or lipstick.
(4) Sugarbomb Blusher from Benefit. A blush that has four complimentary shades of peach, soft plum, pink and rose. I swirl my brush around all four and sweep across my face, then just use two complimentary shades on my cheeks. It is essential for a warm glow if you don't really tan, like me!
(5) 'Linger' Brow Pencil from MAC. I'm taking this for the evenings, as i've just had my eyebrows tinted so I don't need to apply during the day. An easy-to-use defining pen that allows you to shape perfect brows.
(6) Mineralize Skinfinish Natural from MAC. A silky matte power that I use to set my foundation. Really light and i'll definitely be using this throughout the day, and accompany it with my liquid foundation in the evenings.
(7) Khol & Contour Eyeliner Pencil from Bourjois Paris. This goes with me everywhere. Unfortunately it isn't waterproof, which means I won't be using it throughout the day. But for a more natural look, jet black eyeliner isn't really beach appropriate. Will certainly be used for nights out though!
(8) Big Beautiful Eyes eye palette from Benefit. A small eye contouring kit that features a concealer and three shadows. I use the alabaster pink base shadow for during the day, and will layer it with the cocoa brown shadow for a natural look that isn't too try-hard.
(9) Diorshow Black Out waterproof mascara from Dior. Get gorgeously thick and glamorous looking lashes in seconds. Layering is easy for the evening, but one thin coat is perfect for long lashes at the beach.

I forgot to include my primer (featured here) but this is generally what i'll be taking with me. I can't say i'll go out with a full face of makeup everyday, but the advantages of lip and cheek stains and waterproof mascara is that it's so beach appropriate.

Hope you've enjoyed, and i'll be sure to upload some holiday snaps when I get back on the 23rd!

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Inside my make-up bag!

I've seen a lot of beauty bloggers do this. And i've always found it interesting because obviously we review these products, but how many of them actually make it into our make-up bags? So I thought i'd empty mine out and show you all. Sometimes it changes, depending on the occasion, but this is generally what comes with me whilst travelling back and forth from Bournemouth to Southampton (As it would be impossible to bring all of my makeup back with me, but i'll wait for another post to show you that!). So here's what's inside my make-up bag:


(1) I personally believe that if you're going to spend the money on buying quality makeup, what you carry it in is equally important. That's why I swapped my tiny Clinique freebie makeup bag for the gorgeous Romiley Make Up Bag (Jack Wills,£19). It's spacious and is made of oil cloth, making it easy to wipe clean and protect your make up brushes etc. from gathering bacteria.

(2) For anyone who doesn't know, I consider the carbon footprint of everything I buy and care deeply for the environment. That's why when I had to buy the Ecotools Bamboo Powder Brush (Boots, £9.99). It uses the highly-sustainable bamboo plant for the handle, and recycled aliminium for the ferrule. The synthetic taklon bristles are cruelty free (As opposed to other brands' make-up brushes that use real animal hair?!), and they're super soft so my loose powder glides on evenly.

(3) As i've said before I suffer from oily skin, and it isn't uncommon for makeup to just slip off my face, which prompted me to purchase The Porefessional (Benefit, £23.50). It's a balm that you use to minimise the appearance of pores and leaves your skin smooth and even, ready for makeup application. In personal experience it extends the coverage time of my makeup and the oiliness is gone.

(4) I have a lot of different liquid concealers, but for during the day I really just prefer to wear powder so my skin doesn't feel to heavily covered, which is why Correcteur Mineral (Loreal Paris) goes with me everywhere. I've had it so long I can't remember how much it was, but it was bought in Superdrug at a time when I had hardly any money so I doubt it was more than a few pounds! When using this product, a little goes a long way so it's lasted me ages! It definitely does the job of covering my blemishes and spots, without feeling like it's blocking them like liquids can do.

(5) This is the mother of all mascaras. I cannot get enough of this, and cannot praise it enough. I purchased They're Real! (Benefit, £17.50) about 4 months ago, and I cannot believe that I haven't run out yet as I wear it practically every day. It elongates my lashes like no other mascara has ever done, and the spiked ball at the end of the wall is useful for pulling up individual lashes that you have missed while applying. It really opens my eyes and makes them stand out - Now i'm just waiting for Benefit to bring out different colours so I can buy them all!

(6) Well kept eyebrows have always been a top priority for me. Which is why it's important for me to have a handy eyebrow kit to carry around with me so they're constantly looking their best. Brow Zings (Benefit, £22.50) comes with everything you need for perfect eyebrows: Pigmented wax for shaping, natural shaded powder for darkening, a tiny pair of Tweezerman tweezers, a mirror and both a hard-angle and blending brush. It also comes complete with a lesson of how to use everything, and achieve perfect eyebrows in minutes. This will never leave my makeup bag. Ever.

(7) Blusher is the thing that changes most in my makeup bag. Currently, I have Coralista (Benefit, £23.50), a coral blush that I love wearing when I want people to notice that i'm wearing makeup. It's suttle, but has a slight glow which warms up a pale face like mine! When I want something more natural I switch to Benefit's Dandelion, which is a pale pink. It comes with a compact brush inside, and the newer shades from Benefit also have a mirror on the inside too!

(8) I've reviewed this product before so I won't go into it, but Witch Stick is perfect for calming down the redness of a spot instantly, so it's always handy to have.

(9) I have a never-ending collection of eyeliners, ranging from a 99p pencil from Savers to a £17 kohl crayon from Dior, but this is the eyeliner that can't be beaten in my eyes. Khol & Contour (Bourjois Paris), glides on easily and leaves a jet black line for hours. It goes on thick and easily, so I don't have to spend ages colouring in my eyelids!

(10) I cannot stress how important it is to invest in a decent foundation. Cheaper brands may be better for your bank balance, but they aren't always the best for your skin. I use Mineralize Skinfinish Natural (Mac, £18.50) for matte, low coverage that lasts all day. It's light and allows my skin to breath while it covers the redness on my face and leaves my skin feeling refreshed and so smooth it feels as though i've just moisturized.

(11) Liquid eye-liner is only something i've been using in the past few months. I always thought that because I had such small eyes it wouldn't really compliment them by piling on jet-black around my eyes. However, what's amazing about Magic Ink (Benefit, £13) is that the brush is so thin that you don't have to over-do it if you have smaller eyes and eyelids like me. It look me a while to get used to drawing a straight line, but the sleek brush makes it quick easy to line your eyes in one stroke. I'm so glad I tried this product; I can't imagine going without it now!

So, there you go. Those are all my essentials, although I forgot to include any of the lip products I use. At the moment if you must know, i'm using Cherry Carmex because it moisturises my dry lips in the cold weather and smells like sweets :)

I'm constantly on the lookout for amazing products, but these are my makeup staples. What are your beauty essentials?

x