Saturday 26 February 2011

Foundation Swatches


Even though I've previously uploaded a post with foundation swatches (here) I thought it was worth revisiting as I've got rid of some and purchased others, also the picture quality was pretty shocking. I find it incredibly helpful picking foundation shades by looking at other peoples swatches so hopefully this will help some of you. I've photographed each set twice, hoping to get a clearer shot or catch them in a different light, so here you go..




From Left to Right
Maybelline Dream Creamy Foundation in '30 Sand'
Maybelline Dream Creamy Foundation in 'Nude'
Benefit Playstick Foundation in 'Hide and Seek'
Maybelline Pure Liquid Mineral Foundation in '20 Cameo'
Revlon PhotoReady Foundation in 'Golden Beige 008'
Illamasqua Rich Liquid Foundation in 'RF 205'
Max Factor Lasting Performance Foundation in '106 Natural Beige'




From Left to Right

Mac Studio Sculpt Foundation in 'NC30'
Max Factor Lasting Performance Foundation in 'Deep Beige 111'
Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in 'No.53 Beige Clair'
Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Foundation in 'Creamy Beige'
Chanel Mat Lumiere Foundation in '40'






From Left to Right
Loreal Roll On True Match Foundation in 'Rose Beige'
Mac Mineralize Spf 15 Foundation in 'NC25'
Estee Lauder Double Wear in 'Tawny'
Dior Forever Foundation in '030'
Revlon Beyond Natural in 'Medium'

I somehow managed to miss out my Sue Moxley Matte Foundation, Max Factor Miracle Touch and Rimmel Stay Matte so I will add those at a later date.

Friday 25 February 2011

February Favourites

It's nearing the end of February so I thought I would be a step ahead, for once and blog about the products I've been loving this month!





As you can see, I'm a foundation junkie. I currently have about 20 foundations in my collection begging to be used but I can't help but buy more. I'm not going to say too much on the three beauties featured above as I plan a full review but this is why I love them..

Chanel Mat Lumiere
I absolutely love the packaging of Chanel foundations, minus a small issue with the pump. This is the best smelling foundation I've ever used. I can never put my finger on exactly what it reminds me of but it smells really sweet and delicious! Although it's expensive it exudes luxury and has a gorgeous finish.

Estee Lauder Double Wear
This is the newest addition to my collection, I was suckered into the Estee Lauder counter whilst browsing through Debenhams and once I saw it on I knew I needed it. I've been wearing it the last week non-stop and looove it. I don't even mind the bottle with no pump!

Illamasqua Rich Foundation
I've had this for a decent amount of time now and still have barely made a dent. The coverage it offers is completely ridiculous, it masks everything. So much so that I wouldn't dare to wear it alone and instead mix it in with my other foundations if I want them to have more coverage.



Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Lipstick in 'Baby Pink'
I've already popped up a blog post on this here and another Sally Hansen lipstick I purchased, both cost me only £1.50 yet they're pigmented, moisturising and long lasting. Usually I buy lipsticks and just pop them on my shelf to admire and try on whilst bored but I've finally found a colour that is subtle, pretty and suits my skin tone.



Bourjois Highlighting Powder
I loved this when I was 17/18 and used it religiously until it suddenly disappeared from the shelves of my local Boots. Devestated, I lived without it until someone gave me the idea of browsing Ebay and finally found another for only £4. It gives a gorgeous, pearlescent sheen to the skin and makes blushes and bronzers look even better.



And finally the brushes..
Sigma F82 - Round Top Kabuki. I absolutely love this for buffing in foundations it gives the ultimate airbrushed finish.
Max Factor Foundation Brush - My boyfriend picked this up for me and it's the perfect brush for applying the Double Wear foundation. The synthetic hairs are extremely soft and easy to wash.
Revlon Blush Brush - I've had this for almost a year now and haven't had any hairs falling out, it's kept its shape and was great value for money.

Follow Me On Twitter :)

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Or Click Here!

Hope you're all having a lovely week!
xx

Thursday 24 February 2011

He-Shi Self Tanning Products

From the moment I discovered self tanners I knew there was no turning back. I have extremely pale skin with freckles that burns incredibly easily meaning I can never achieve a natural tan and could rarely find foundations that were white enough to match with my skintone. I love that with a swipe of a tanning mit I can wake up in the morning, transformed into a Golden Goddess (so to speak) so I have tried a decent amount of self tanners on the market.

After spotting He-Shi on Good Morning with Louie Spence I knew I had to try it and when I got the chance, I snapped it up. I was sent the Exfoliating Body Wash, the Souffle Moisturiser and the Express Liquid Tan along with the self tanning mitt for review as shown below!




Exfoliating Body Wash
Price: £12.00 for 150ml

I love the packaging of the body wash and the moisturiser, they come in large squeezy tubes with a simplistic design that allows you to easily dispense the amount of product you need. The scrub is packed with little beads that gently exfoliate the skin, instead of using this as the first step in my tanning routine I've been loving this for mid-week exfoliation to keep my tan in tip-top shape!




Souffle Moisturiser
Price: £12.50 for 150ml


I really loved this moisturiser! The fragrance of both the Exfoliating Body Wash and the Souffle Moisturiser is a light, fresh strawberry scent that stays on your skin masking any tell tale fake tan smells. The moisturiser feels really rich and luxurious, almost reminding me of a body butter but with a thinner consistency, the product melted in to the skin leaving it soft and nourished!




Express Liquid Tan
Price: £21.00 for 150ml


Strangely enough the 'liquid' part in the name didn't lead me to expect the self tanner to actually be liquid. I've always used tanning mousses, lotions or sprays so of course the first time I came round to using it, I flipped the bottle over, squeezed and a burst of liquid landed on the tanning mitt.. and my parents cream carpet. Whoopsy! Apart from that little mishap application is incredibly easy, all you need is a small amount of product on your mitt then to buff into the skin. Because the product isn't a thick lotion or mousse it dries incredibly quickly and within a minute or two I was ready to hop into bed without the horrible sticky feeling I usually have to put up with! In the morning I couldn't smell any of the 'biscuit scent' that usually comes hand in hand with self taners and most people hate.
The tan deepens and darkens overnight to a rich colour, I did find it had an ever so slight orange tinge to it but that could be due to the fact I got a bit tan happy when applying or that I have no base tan whatsoever! I could see this working incredibly well on anyone that already has a slight tan already, or for paler skintones just apply a sensible amount.




Tanning Mitt
Price: £4.50


This tanning mitt is far better than my last! I had previously been using a huge, fabric mitt than needed a pair of gloves underneath where as the He-Shi mitt is smaller, lightweight and has a foam side with a plastic cover inside to withstand orange hands! No need for gloves!

Before


After



Have you girls ever tried out He-Shi products?

Wednesday 23 February 2011

Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Liner

After a little browse around town last week I ended up buying the new Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Liner. It's currently on an introductory offer for £5.99 instead of £7.99, so if you're thinking of picking it up go get it now and save yourself some money.
I've never tried gel eyeliners before purely because I thought they would transfer on to my eyelid and be difficult to apply... Oh, how I was wrong.

The product comes in a little glass pot with a secure lid to prevent it drying out, along with an eyeliner brush. I automatically assumed that like most other products the brush would be useless but suprisingly, I love it! The hairs are compact and firm and allow you to draw a precise line. I even found this easier to use than my beloved Loreal Super Liner that I rave about constantly!


Another thing that suprised me was how long it lasted because the formula is incredibly creamy. I tested it out twice over the weekend on 7 hour work days, usually end up with a bit of fading or slight smudging but with this, nothing. It stayed put all day! Below is a picture of me after I'd returned home from work..

Overall I'm incredibly impressed, this is by far one of the best lower end products I've tried in a long time and I've already re-purchased so I have a back up!
Will you girls be trying this?

Tuesday 22 February 2011

NOTD; Gosh Holographic, Glitter and Matte Nails

Half term means I don't have to worry about keeping short, natural polish free nails so I got to painting last night and this is what I ended up with..



Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear varnish in 'Black Out' which I won from Maria's giveaway :) Rimmel's Matte Finish Top Coat over the top of the black.
Then on the ring finger I did a 'Lorraine' and went for a sheer coat of Gosh Holographic and then popped Revlon's 'Belle' polish over the top!




I love the contrast against the matte black and the glittery ring finger, it almost reminds me of a mermaids tail because it's holographic and shimmery.

Monday 21 February 2011

Favourite Blushes


I've decided to make a new series of Blog posts all focusing on my favourite items. I always find it useful seeing what other people consider as their top products so I thought I should share mine!

So, on to my favourite blushes..






Topshop Cream Blush in 'Flush'
Price: £6.00
Available from: Topshop Website

I love the packaging of the Topshop blushers, they're cute, contain a decent amount of product considering the price and include a little mirror for application. The colour is a gorgeous Barbie pink that applies like a cream but dries to a powder finish with a radiant sheen. Combined with a stippling brush, a quick dot on the cheeks will blend the product in beautifully and gives a pretty flushed look.




Natural Collection Blush in 'Pink Cloud'
Price: £1.99
Available from: Boots

Cheap, affordable matte pink blush great for anyone starting out in make-up or looking for lower priced products. It's suprisingly pigmented for the price and has a creamy formulation making it easy to blend into your skin. The colour gives a natural pretty flush on your cheeks, great for everyday use.
As you'll see from the photos I do have a tendancy to completely smash my powder blushers.




Mac Blush Creme in 'LadyBlush'
Price: £17.00
Available from: Mac

I've already posted a seperate review on this blush. I absolutely love it! I've recently re-purchased it for my mum as it's great for older women, subtly brightening their face with a youthful glow. It instantly gives a beautiful flush of colour with a dewy finish.




Beauty UK Blush in 'No.6'
Price: £2.00/2.50
Available from: Superdrug

This is another great option for those starting out in make-up or looking for affordable options. It's a pretty fuschia pink, well pigmented and blends into the skin easily. It does feel slightly gritty in the pan when you run your finger over it but once applied with a brush this doesn't present an issue.





Illamasqua Blush in 'Katie'
Price: £16.50
Available from: Illamasqua

This is my favourite blush of all time. It's a gorgeous, milky, pale shade of pink that looks amazing on anyone NC/NW 30 or below. It's finely milled, has a silky smooth texture and applies like velvet to the skin! On darker skintones it tends to be far too pale and powdery looking so I would steer clear.

Saturday 19 February 2011

Purity Organic Skincare Review

'Purity Organic Skincare is a British brand, conceived and created to bring intelligent, sustainable and organic beauty to each and every one of us. Purity Organic Skincare is EcoCert certified, with 98% of the ingredients of natural origin and an average of 82% of the ingredients processed from organic farming.'



Recently the talk of parabens and how many chemicals products really contain have made me very conscious of what I'm using on my body. I obviously still use some products that contain parabens but I'm weening myself off slowly and feel better for it, the knowledge that I'm not loading myself with unneccessary chemicals feels like a slight weight off my shouldars.

Left to Right:
Conditioning Cleasing Lotion Make Up Remover
Facial Exfoliator - Deep Pore Cleanser
Facial Moisturiser

All are fragrance free and therefore suitable for sensitive skin. I do quite like a fruity fragrance to my products but I know adding perfumes to skincare is thought of as unneccessary and another item which can potentially irriate skin, so I would be willing to live with scent-less skincare!



Conditioning Cleansing Lotion
Price: £5.19 for 150ml
Available: Superdrug - Currently on 3 for 2
Product Ingredients: Water; Palm Oil to condition skin; Aloe Vera to soften skin; Avocado Oil to condition the skin; Oats to condition; Rose flower water to tone; Amino acids to absorb moisture and prevent skin shrinkage.

My thoughts:
I really like the design of the bottle, you push down a button on the top and then you're able to squeeze out as much as you need. I did spot alcohol in the ingrediants list towards the end, suggesting only a small amount is in the product but I thought it needed a mention as some people find this drying on their skin. To me, it feels really moisturising and luxurious and removed my make-up effectively, even mascara which I load on like no-ones business. It didn't make my eyes sting like most other cleansers do and afterwards my face felt clean, refreshed and incredibly soft!




Facial Exfoliator - Deep Pore Cleanser
Price: £6.19 for 100ml
Available: Superdrug - Currently on 3 for 2
Product Ingredients: Water; Coconut oil to act as an emollient and moisturiser; Sweet Almond oil to soften, moisturise and condition skin membrane; Coconut shell to act as an exfoliator; Aloe Vera to soften skin.

My thoughts:
I use this straight after the cleanser to gently exfoliate my face. I use fake tan so this is perfect for everyday to keep your skin feeling polished and even. The exfoliator is packed with little beads in a creamy lotion to gently remove dead skin without drying it out. Leaves my skin feeling soft and supple, not tight like some others which I hate!




Facial Moisturiser
Price: £6.19 for 50ml
Available: Superdrug - Currently on 3 for 2
Product Ingredients: Sweet Almond Oil and Coconut Oil to soften, moisturise and condition skin membrane. Shea butter to soften and condition, Beeswax to sooth and protect. Vitamin E to act as an antioxidant. Aloe Vera to soften.

My thoughts:
The final step in the skincare process is moisturising, my favourite! The moisturiser feels quite thick in the pot, almost the consistency of the Body Shop Shea Body Butter but once blended they melt into a rich liquid. It leaves my skin feeling moisturised without being greasy and sinks into the skin quickly. I have oily skin and didn't find it to add any excess moisturise around my nose and forehead like some other rich products do.

__________________________________________________________________

Overall I'm pretty impressed, I didn't realise that organic skincare could be affordable yet still work as good as the average products I use. As all Purity's products do contain natural ingrediants they do warn that contents colour may vary over time, I'm not sure on the shelf life but I'll keep you all updated if they start changing colour!

Have you tried any of the Purity range? What were your thoughts?

* These products were sent to me for reviewing purposes but that does not alter my opinion. I review products as if I had brought them myself and if I feel they're not worth the money, or find them disappointing I will say so.

Friday 18 February 2011

NOTD

Barry M - 'Berry Ice Cream' with Revlon's 'Belle' over the top.



What have you been wearing on your nails lately?

Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Cream Blush

Shade: Ginger
Price: £1.50
Available From: Fragrance Direct

This was another last minute add to the basket while I was shopping on Fragrance Direct a few weeks ago. I love cream blushers, Sally Hansen is a well known brand and for £1.50 even if it turns out to be a disaster of a product you haven't really missed out on much.

On first look the blush looked far darker than I would usually go for and I'd describe the colour as a burnt coral-red. I love my baby pink blushes and don't really opt for anything else, however it made a nice change to try something different. They're well pigmented so you only need a small amount of product and they blend really nicely into the skin. I know some people aren't a fan of cream blushes drying to a powder finish so if you're one of those, steer clear. However, if you liked the Topshop cream blushers they work in the same way so I have no doubt you'd be a fan of these too.

I would repurchase but I'll definately do a bit of research next time and go for a lighter pinky shade as I think they suit my skintone more, ginger would be perfect for anyone nc/nw 30 or above!