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beauty bloggers review so you don't have to :)

Ladies, I decided to set up a blogger community on Google+ where we could share product reviews and make up looks. I would really love you to come and join!

It is not just for bloggers to read each others posts so if you don't have a blog but love reading reviews then come and join too, let us know what you think and tell us what you want us to blog about :)

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Does Quality Cost?..Blusher

Hello lovelies,

Blusher is one of the few make up kit essentials that does not get used every day, so is it really worth splashing out on an expensive blusher knowing you may only use it a few days a week?

I'm going to compare my favourite high street and high end blushers at the moment, I have gone for powder blushers simply because I don't have a high end cream blusher.

High Street: Natural Collection Blushed Cheeks RRP £1.99

I love this blusher; it is super powdery, really subtle, easily buildable and incredibly cheap. I personally always go for the shade Pink Cloud but there are three other shades if you are not so keen on the baby pink.
The dusty texture sets your foundations and keeps it looking matte. It also allows you to use just a little of the product and build up to the colour you like. This is my go to every day blusher I have been using since early teens. 10/10

High End: M.A.C Powder Blush RRP £18

This is a more recent find, one which I am very happy with but will probably not rush to make a repurchase. The shade is completely different to the Natural Collection blush, but the texture of this blush is similar.
It too has a dusty texture, but where as the Natural Collection blusher applies more like a loose powder, this is clearly a pressed powder. It is much harder to keep just a small amount of product on your brush with this blusher and it is therefore less buildable. Having said that this is such a pale shade that it is very subtle. 8/10

There are of course lots of blushers I could have chosen from, I have just gone for one that I have that is most similar in texture to my favourite high street blusher. These swatches are single swipes of product on  to my finger transferred on to my arm; the blushers are much more subtle if applied using a brush, but as you can see the colour payoff, pigmentation and texture are really similar.

Overall, from all the brands I have tried, I personally prefer high street, I prefer more subtle blush and find that some high end blushers are too pigmented or the pay off is much more than you expect.

I hope you enjoyed this post and found it useful. Let me know what your favourite high street and high end blushers are in the comments bellow.

Ciao

  xxx

Lancome Blush Subtil Palettes

When it comes to blusher and highlighter I find the high street have pretty much got us covered, but if it is a cool toned contour you are after then you just have to look at high end and these little trio palettes are have got all three products to perfection.

I have been using the 02 Nectar Lace Palette for around a year (pictured on the left) but have recently been using the lighter 01 Rose Flush Palette (pictured below) simply because I love the shade of the soft pink blusher. At £29 this is very costly if you only plan on using the sculpting powder but I cannot stress how high quality this product is.

The sculpting powder has a buttery consistency and is easily build-able to chisel away at those cheekbones. It is well pigmented and perfectly matte so only a little amount of product is needed. The texture leaves your skin feeling really smooth, used together with the blusher and highlight your skin looks and feels beautiful. All the powders in the 01 palette are well suited for pale skin tones, where as the blush in the 02 palette I would say is more suited to medium to dark skin tones, I find it a bit too vibrant for my milky skin. The sculpting powder in the 02 palette is however still really blendable and still works well with paler skin. Basically, Lancome need to realise that everyone is looking for a perfect contour powder and release the sculpting powder as a stand alone palette. Until then though, this comes in at £29 and can be purchased at most Lancome concessions and online here.

Ciao
  xxx

Prom / Evening Makeup Look

Hello lovelies,

So please excuse my massive face, I always feel really silly doing look posts but you seam to like them and I do like putting on lots of make up so I thought I would do a kind of prom style/ evening make up look for you. I have linked up the products for you if you want to shop this post.

PRIMER:  I used Smashbox Photo Finish foundation primer all over my face and bareMinerals Prime Time eyelid primer on my lids and under my eyes. This lid primer is amazing at getting rid of pores and stopping creasing!

FACE:  I used YSL Le Teint Touche Éclat Foundation which I set using bareMinerals Mineral Veil. I hope you can see just how smooth the finish this veil gives you is, it is my favourite setting powder at the moment. I love looking matte and it seams to work really well with these primers and foundation.

I then applied some M.A.C Powder Blush in shade Immortal Flower to the apples of my cheeks. For my contour and bronzer I used Jouer Cosmetics Mattifyling Powder Bronzer in shade Sunswept. For highlight I just used a tiny bit of Jour Cosmetics Highlight in shade Feather on the apples of my cheeks up to the corners of my eyes.

EYES:  As you can see I have green eyes and I have always loved gold eye shadow, it makes my eyes look greener and warms up my skin. Here I decided to use the Naked 1 palette as Half Baked is probably my all time favourite gold. I used Smog as my crease colour with a bit of Darkhorse blended in to the outer V. I blended the crease upwards with Buck as a transition colour.

I lined my eyes using Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner and smudged out the wings using Creep. I then put a little of Half Baked and Smog and put it under my bottom lashes.

I used M.A.C Studio Fix Boldblack Lash mascara on my lashes; with 2 coats on my  top lashes, and YSL Eyebrow Pencil in shade 4 Ash to fill in my brows.

LIPS:  Jouer Cosmetics Lip Sheer shade St Tropez; this lipstick is actually a warm brown colour with lots of gold shimmer in. It has not pictured as well as I'd hoped but it really brings together the different shades of the eye shadows.

Let me know if you like this look ladies. I definitely plan on wearing more gold eye shadow looks over the summer months, and this one is so easy to do.

Ciao

  xxx

Does Quality Cost?..Matte Lipstick

Hello beauties,

My true make up love is lip stick, I am fairly obsessed with nude lipsticks. I daren't count my collection, but when it comes to high street or high end it is a fairly balanced market. So I thought I would test out probably the hardest thing to get right; mate nude lipstick.

This can look awful if you do not moisturise your lips, I personally apply The body Shops Vitamin E oil the night before I am going to be wearing these lipsticks. You can also use lip balms or you moisturiser, anything that is going to hydrate your lips.  

High Street: Soap & Glory Super Colour Fabulipstic Powdercoat Matte Lipstick Super Nude RRP £9     
      

Firstly I just have to mention how perfect this shade is, it is an exact match for my natural lip colour, I had to buy it my sister also after months of nagging; it is the perfect no make up make up! It is well pigmented so if your lips are not the same shade as mine then it will still look true to colour on your lips.
Aside from the shade this lipstick has a lovely texture. It is rather moisturising for a matte lipstick; it slides on really and will stay put for around 2 hours. This is not a perfect matte but it is by no means glossy. If you want a neutral toned matte lippy that will not dehydrate your lips this should be top of your try me list. 9/10

High End: M.A.C Matte Lipstick Honey Love RRP £15

There is seriously no hiding those dehydrated lips with this shade, it is paler than natural lip shade and incredibly matte. I adore the look of this lipstick but I have been known to apply it on top of lip balm from time to time. It seams to drain your lips from any moisture you did have. This does mean that it is long lasting as there is little transfer, however no body wants dry lips. This is very highly pigmented and is a beautiful shade, perfect for spring and summer natural makeup. For looks alone I would give this 10/10 but taking account of wear-ability it has to be 9/10

 

Overall M.A.C have achieved lipstick perfection, they have such a massive range of shades and textures but for matte I would say some high street brands have achieved the same high quality for much less. With £6 difference I would probably say try Soap & Glory first if you are unsure about matte lipsticks, but if you know you love this look then Honey Love looks amazing and is worth that bit more.

Please hit follow if you enjoyed this post and let me know what your favourite matte lipstick is in the comments.

Ciao

  xxx

Does Quality Cost?.. Foundation

I was looking over some of my old posts yesterday and way back in July I wrote a 'Does Quality Cost?..eye shadow palettes' post, this got lots of views so I thought I would do the same with my two favourite foundations. 

High Street: L'Oréal Paris True Match Foundation RRP £9.99 30ml

There are so many different shades available in this foundation, it is one of the few high street foundations you are guaranteed to find your actual shade in. They come in N, C and W shades, N for neutral undertones C for cool undertones and W for warm undertones; similar to MAC foundations. 
Little product is needed but this is buildable dependant on how much coverage you like. The less product you apply the more matte the finish. I found I could get away without wearing a powder on this, however this is because I find it a little drying if I wear it for too long. The dry areas of my skin started to feel dehydrated after the 5th day of wearing this. This is more suited to normal to oily skin in my opinion. Having said that this foundation looks and feels great, put it in a high end bottle and you would not know the difference. 

High End: Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint Touche Éclat RRP £31.50 30ml
Again there are lots of shades available of this foundation, however I would probably say you are more likely to get a perfect match with the true match foundation. This foundation just feels amazing, I prefer wearing it with a loose powder to set it but you can do without if you prefer the sheer glow from the foundation alone. It applies seamlessly with very little product needed. It provides more of a glow to the skin than the true match, much more suitable if you have dry skin. I would say this is suitable for all skin types; my oiler areas do not look too shiny and my dry areas do not feel as though they lacked moisture. The only negative I can say about this is that it does not really have build-able coverage, and concealer is needed if you have any blemishes. This foundation does not claim to be a full coverage though so it is not a fault of the foundation just something to note.


Of course we all have different skin types and you may find these foundations a little different from me. For reference I have normal to combination skin and I have been using the Nivea Express Hydration Primer (review).


I think when it comes to foundation it totally depends on what kind of finish you want on whether high street or high end is better. I personally feel that high end brands like Estee Lauder have achieved the best full coverage and matte bases, while if it is a low to medium coverage and a dewy finish you are after then the high street have some really great foundations.

Ciao
  xxx

April Favourites

Hello beauties,

Another month has past and it is now time for me to take my university exams :( I will not be able to post much at all the next month so I wanted to apologise in advance. With that said these are the things I have been loving the past month...

If  you are from the UK you will know the sun has been making an appearance, while I am stuck in the library I have no hope of a real tan but Rimmel's Instant Tan Airbrush Spray in Matte looks beautifully natural. It costs £7.99 for 100ml which will either do 1 whole body spray or will last you a while if just doing arms and chest as I do :P

This Soap & Glory Antibacterial Hand Cleansing Gel smells amazing! It has a grapefruit scent and does not smell of alcohol like most sanitizers. This costs £2.50 for 50ml which is a little expensive so look out for 3 for 2 offers in Boots.

The MAC lipglass and blusher I have been really loving this month, I just love their cute pink shades. They create a lovely subtle spring make up look when worn together. The Lipglass is in shade Angel and costs £14 and the Powder Blush is in shade Immortal Fower, I think this shade has been discontinued but MAC have so many lush shades.

La vie est belle Eau de Parfum costs £44 for 30ml. This is rather expensive but if you love sweet smelling perfume then this is the nicest one you will find.

LOreal Paris Elnett Satin Heat Protect Styling Spray costs around £6 for 170ml. Unlike other heat protectors it does not make your hair go greasy more quickly, or make it look dry etc. It makes your hair smell nice and look and feel smooth and protects you from heat which is even more important when the sun is heating your hair as well as your straighteners.

What products have you been loving this month?

Ciao
  xxx

Review: Jouer bare beauty collection

Hello ladies,

 

I have previously reviewed Jouer Cosmetics blushing beauty palette (read here)and fell in love with this brand, the make up is so gentle on my sensitive skin and I love the product range. Jouer can be found on Cult Beauty who offer free shipping on orders over £50, 3 free samples with all orders and lots of other brand specific offers.

Price:

£45  This is the same price as the Blushing Beauty Collection. Jouer have two other sets; the Little Black Dress Palette and In The Red Kit which are a little more expensive at £52 each.

 

Review:

Essential Matte Touch: This can be purchased individually for £20, I personally would not pay this much for it but I do like the product. I use this as a primer on my nose and it works amazingly. My foundation stays put all day and my skin looks perfectly matte. This is the oiliest area of my skin, I would not use it all over my face as it would make it so dry, but if you have a little shine you combat then this works a treat.

 

Eye shadow Trio: The eye shadow compacts are exclusive to the sets and cannot be purchased individually. This particular compact has shades ‘Shimmering Beige’, ‘Taupe’ and ‘Dark Chocolate’. It is great for traveling as three neutral shades are all you need to create a smokey eye or a simple eye look. I have also found that the Dark Chocolate shade is perfect for filling in my brows, of course this will not be the case for everyone but Taupe I imagine would work well if you have mousy brown hair. The shadows are really smooth and highly pigmented and they don't crease at all.

Moisturizing Lip Gloss in shade ‘Nude’. These also cost £16 however shade nude is exclusive to this set. I love the colour and texture of this gloss, it is great for every day wear. It feels like soft cream or melted butter on your lips and does not feel sticky at all. It has relatively good staying power, reapplication is needed about every 2hours. This is a highly pigmented gloss, you wear it more for the colour not the gloss. Having said that it does look nice over lipstick, my personal choice is Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Notting Hill Nude.

 

Cheek & Lip Tint in shade Bare, these cost £16 individually, again this is a little expensive, however the tints are great quality. The product melts a little as it warms on your finger making it super simple to apply. I would choose this over all drugstore tints that I have tried. This colour applies much lighter than it looks, it is a like a soft pink with brown undertones. The shade is perfect all year round, particularly if you just want a subtle, natural look this is lovely applied lightly to your cheeks and lips with just a simple winged eyeliner.

 

I hope this has been useful lovelies, this is a brand I don't hear too much about but it always has very high reviews due to it's great quality. While these sets may not be kit essentials they are a cheaper way of buying a few pieces from the brand. If you travel as much as I do you will also fall in love for the interlockability of all of the products. It is so much easier when all of your products fit together compactly and you don't have to carry large make up bags.

Let me know if you have tried any Jouer products and what you think of them in the comments bellow.

Ciao
  xxx

Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place powder makeup

I have been meaning to review this powder for so long, I have been using it for about a year and love the finish it gives so wanted to share my two thoughts with you guys. 

I recently reviewed the double wear liquid foundations (read here). For reference this is a great powder to apply on top of the Stay-in-Place Makeup, it will provide you with a little more coverage than the foundation alone, but will not make you look cakey. The Maximum Cover Camouflage Makeup is however much heavier, if you want to powder this I would suggest using Estée Lauder's Perfecting Loose Powder  as it is more light weight and no extra coverage is needed (Review).

This Stay in Place powder comes in about 30 different shades so you really can find your perfect match. I personally have two shades; 2C1 Pure Beige which is my match and 3N2 Wheat which I use if I have applied fake tan.

This has a dusty texture so will make your make up look more matte and, as the name suggests, stay in place all day. It has to be one of the softest powders available, it makes your skin feel silky soft.

Please do note though as with all powders oils will make them look darker, if you touch your face a lot throughout the day it may make it look a little blotchy. The website states that it "won't change color, even through nonstop activity" this is not the case, it is oil absorbing and all powders look a little darker as you sweat or as they absorb oil. This is not a blotting powder, so do not use it to combat oil, Soap & Glory Kick Ass Powder is great if you want to blot excess oil (review). This is a lovely light powder that will just sit on top of your liquid foundation and give that extra flawless finish.

I would not really say there is anything bad about this product if you are just using it as a powder. However, there is really no use for the sponge, this is not a great powder to use in place of a foundation. Trying to apply this with the sponge will make you look blotchy. If you have very oily skin and do prefer a powder foundation in stead of a liquid, my suggestion would be to try something like the bareMinerals Ready foundation. This would look a lot smother on the skin and would assist in combating your oily complexion.

At £31 for 12g of product this is a luxury powder compact, with that said I can assure you it lasts for ages as a little goes a long way, the website also offers 2 free samples and free delivery as well so do not feel pressured into buying at the counter you get matched up on; buy online here.

Ciao

  xxx

new MAC goodies (first impression reviews)

Hello beauties,

Those of you that follow me on twitter will know that I recently visited York, while I mainly went to sight see I thought I may get a little shopping done as well :)

I visited the designer outlet in which I found The Cosmetics Company Store with discounted Estée Lauder, MAC, Bobbi Brown etc. so of course I had to get a little mac!

Lipglass shade Angel

This is a very long lasting lip gloss, not too sticky and nicely pigmented. I love a pink gloss and I hadn't tried MAC glosses before, I can say I am very impressed by it. One coat lasts about 2hours, even if you have a drink, which is relatively good for a gloss. It has a thick texture which prevents it from bleeding (running over your lip line) and means it can be worn without a lip liner if preferred.

RRP £14 their price £9

Buy Here

Powder Blush shade Immortal Flower

With orange lips this seasons trend I wanted a more orange toned blush to bring all my make up together. This is a really subtle colour that looks really natural and feminine. It has a very soft pigment; for lovers of natural not vibrancy. It is very powdery/dusty, it makes your foundation stay matte but I would say tap off excess product; it is very easy to get too much on your brush.

RRP £18  their price £12.75

Eye Khol shade Heirloom

I have been looking for a khol to add a bit of shimmer to my inner corner instead of using powders which have been drying the skin. This is a beautiful pale lilac colour which I think will match any eye make up. It is relatively creamy in consistency but does not smudge too easily. I have also used this all over the lid, smudged with my ring finger. It is great for lovely looking 2second eye make up.

RRP £14 their price £9

Buy Here

While the make up is still relatively expensive, this shop is definitely worth a visit if you are in the area, I was tempted by a lot of other products but their range is of course very limited. They do not have many shades and I noticed most of the stocked foundations were for medium to dark skin tones. Honestly I could have spent a lot more in this shop but sometimes its nice to just get a few bits....and go shopping again soon :P

Ciao

  xxx