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Pls remember: These reviews are based upon my own experiences and opinions. Since we all have different skin types it'll have a different outcome for everyone. Therefore these products may work differently for you.

Tuesday 24 July 2012

Maybelline Illegal Length VS. Loreal False Lash Telescopic

Keep in mind both these mascaras are waterproof

my lashes naturally





these are my lashes naturally, they are naturally pin straight :(
the left (my right) looks slightly curled since i had mascara already on prior to the blog post so my curl from before stayed a little

my lashes curled

final result of both mascaras.
Maybelline Illegal Length on the left (my right) &
Loreal False Lash Telescopic on the right (my left)

stages of mascara as i built on the coats >.<
as you can see from the above picture the first coat is vital since it determines what the final result would look like. as you can tell with coats it does build volume without getting so clumpy however it is quite difficult to build length from coat to coat. don't get me wrong i mean compared to your natural lashes it does give length however unlike other mascaras where you are able to build length and volume with every coat with this after the initial first application of the fibre mascara its becomes difficult to build length. however both these lashes definitely define each lash and ensure that every single lash is being coated with mascara.


Maybelline Illegal Length

i hope you can see the different fibres going across the mascara wand 

Pros
* great for volume
* fairly good at separating the lashes
* keeps the curl and in fact improves the curl of the lashes (look at side pic below)

Cons
- VERY easy to clump so you must be careful and if you do get any clumping you have to work with it a bit more than an average mascara
- the fibres are visible on the brush which i guess is a good thing however it is very to get the fibres into your eyes. This has happened to me a couple of times and is god damn hurtful i tell ya! if you've ever had those annoying pieces of wool in your eyes which are so painful and are hella hard to find and take out of your eyes since they're such lil suckers. yes, well its EXACTLY like that.
- does not coat every single lash with fibres so basicly you end up with uneven looking lashes where some have increased more in length than others (look at side pic below)
- a much thicker consistency compared to the loreal, maybe because its a waterproof formulation even then its a little too drying for my liking. since its more drying it means its a harder to work with and requires more time and patience. (not my friend when im rushing in the morning). i also find that this is the reason why the mascara is more prone to clumping.

this is what one fibre from the  Maybelline one looks like. i guess your thinking wow that  will increase my lash length by loads. but  be aware that half of this will actually have to sit on your lashes so your lashes would only increase by half the size.

 
What the maybelline one looks like from the side
as you  can see the  areas at the top where  the lashes are very thin and not so  thick these are the fibres. as you can tell not every lash gets coated in fibres so  you end up with some lashes that are longer than others and  dont even bother trying  to coat every single lash with fibres by twistings and turning the wand in all sorts of awkward positions (TRUST ME, i have tried); you would just end up with clumpy lashes. just coat your lashes how you would with  any ordinary mascara (the zigzag movement). its the  simplest things in life that make a difference.


Loreal False Lash Telescopic



im not sure if you can see it properly (i did try my best) but the mascara is a sort of a rectangular shape rather than the conventional round types. also the brushes on the mascara wand are place at either end and the middle of the wand is almost like a tummy and is flat.
my theory is that the tummy is used to brush against the lashes to coat the mascara and add volume and the brush side is used to coat the mascara but also add length or seperate the lashes.


Pros
* great for seperation
* fairly good at lengthening
* can be used for volumising too

Cons
- have no clue as to whether the mascara is actually working or not in terms of fibre. i just see normal mascara formulation on the wand and no fibres. 
- a wetter consistency so can sometimes drop your curl if you dont curl properly (even though its waterproof, i dread to think how wet the real formulation is). its not so bad i guess but it just doesnt curl your lashes more just instead coats it straight up. compare side pic from maybelline (above) to loreal side pic (below) and you can see the maybelline one the lashes at the top curl more in where as the loreal one is curled at the root of the lashes and kind of go straight up.
this is final result of the loreal lashes 


waterproof? since the loreal formualtion is a little wetter i find that with the mascara the curl doesnt last as long when in contact with water. Obviously minor raindrops would make a difference but if you were to heavily cry or splash water on your face the curl tends to drop.

Sunday 29 April 2012

Tigi Masterpiece Shine Spray

coming soon! its currently on its way to me (cant wait) , so after using it i will write a review on it
Be sure to come back!

Tigi Epic Volume Shampoo & Conditioner

coming soon! its currently on its way to me (cant wait) , so after using it i will write a review on it
Be sure to come back!

update: currently trying it now, I'll update again in about 2 months to let you know the results all i can say now is that it smells super fruity and lovely


anything you read today please don't quote me on it. by no means am i an hair expert or claiming to be one!! if by any chance I'm wrong please do let me know, i mean I'm not perfect and I'm only writing this based on my research.

okay so normally when i do reviews i say whether i liked the product or not and to what extent it does what it says right? well today's review is a little different. its slightly more about the ingredients in the product rather than the product itself.

for about just over a year now I've been growing out my hair hoping it'd reach my bum. the recent awareness and hype about sulphate free shampoo's never really bothered me until recently when i realised the ends of my hair have been dry and coarse. lately, I've also had excessive amount of split ends! I've always wanted to try the TIGI bedhead line and when i realised the TIGI bedhead superstar line was sulphate free it seemed like the perfect time to try out the brand. However i heard the superstar line had been replaced with the 'epic volume' line and i assumed it must be a repacking and improvement on the old formula. since this brand is little expensive i purchased this off amazon to save a few quid (not sure how much exactly).
I purchased it for £22.81 including P&P which i thought was pretty reasonable for high end price averaging out each bottle to be around £11 especially since the bottles are so huge.

i was all happy and what not with the product however it took me so long to do the review because i didn't really see much results. i mean it definitely does give volume to the hair i would say 'epic' volume but at least its something other volume shampoo's don't offer. i understand its advertised as a volumising shampoo as opposed to a sulphate free one however as you can see from the last image on the second line it does state that it is sulphate free. so a week into using the product curiously i read the ingredients which mind you a lot of it didn't make sense to me >.<

the ingredients in the shampoo are as follows: 
Water (Aqua/Eau), Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Isopropylamine Dodecylbenzenesulfonate, Cocamide MEA, Glycol Stearate, Parfum (Fragrance), PEG-150 Distearate, PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide, Panthenol, Polyquaternium 11, Sodium Chloride, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein PG Propyl Silanetriol, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein/PVP Crosspolymer, Tetrasodium EDTA, Butylene Glycol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Extract, Magnesium Nitrate, EDTA, Potassium Polysorbate, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Magnesium Chloride, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Methylisothiazolinone, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, CI 17200 (Red 33), CI 60730 (Violet 2).

most products that have sulphate will be ingredients ending in 'sulphate'. when i noticed immediately the ingredients in yellow that end in sulfonate i had to do research. is it the same as sulfate i hear you asking? well when i done by research sulphonate is suppose to be a more formulated and mild version of the sulphate which is obviously suppose to be less harmful. if you do science you'll know sulphonate is a combination of sulphate and another property. in other words sulphate means salt so sulphonate would be an ingredient which is salt based but not salt.
HOWEVER today when i done my research specifically on Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate i found that it is an extremely drying ingredient which is said to be much more harsher than sulphate itself!!! If you don't know by now sulphate is a very harsh chemical which strips your hair of its natural oils leaving very dry, brittle and unhealthy.

silicone
i also researched to find out what type of ingredients contain silicone which is also another ingredient to look out for. to my research i found out ingredients ending in 'cone' or 'one' are obvious silicone products. there also other types which i of course haven't looked into so I'm quite sceptical to mention.
silicones aren't actually anything bad what they do it perform a sort of barrier/film around the hair shaft making it appear soft, silky and is used as a detangler, therefore its more likely to be found in conditioners. so i guess in a way it form a sort of protective layer around the hair.
however this does mean not only does it protect your hair from the bad but also the good! so any masks or treatment would not be able to penetrate into the hair. also silicone is not water soluble so you CANT wash out the silicone. so overtime repetitive usage of it will just keep building up product onto your hair making heavy and flat. therefore look for ingredients that would actually heal your hair and benefit it rather than just 'coating' it. the silicone products i found in the shampoo is highlighted in yellow too. 
Overall since silicone is not a harsh ingredient in my eyes if you've been using it for ages and your hair is healthy and shiny then i guess you should continue to use it. only when your hair is experiencing the symptoms of dryness, itchiness, or dull heaviness.

when doing my research i found this useful website which has an A-Z of all ingredients and says the extent to which an ingredient is harmful. Some ingredients my not be listed under the certain letter you are looking but may be listed under another. so don't be afraid when you don't find a certain ingredient.
http://tightlycurly.com/ingredients/
but do take into consideration its written by a person who had curly hair so the result may differ compared to you, but overall its a quite versatile and generic website.

other useful sites:
 http://livecurlylivefree.com/product%20ingredients.htm
http://beauty.lovelyish.com/730932618/why-you-shouldnt-buy-silicone-hair-products/

ingredients in the conditioner:
Water (Aqua/Eau), Cetearyl Alcohol,Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Parfum (Fragrance), Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Divinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Cyclopentasiloxane, VP/VA Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Quaternium-91, PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Palmitamidopropyltrimonium Chloride, Cetrimonium Methosulfate, Propylene Glycol, Hydroxyethyl Ethylcellulose, Isododecane, Quaternium-87, Dimethiconol, Polyquaternium-55, Propanediol, Polyquaternium-11, Polyquaternium-37, C12-13 Pareth-23, C12-13 Pareth-3, Disodium EDTA, Methylisothiazolinone, Caprylyl Glycol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, CI 14700 (Red 4), CI 19140 (Yellow 5).

enough of the science, i suck at it! now to the review...
this has taken time to come along since i haven't seen any major results. i want to have long shiny hair. i mean by using this shampoo and conditioner in combination with the macadamia mask my hair has become softer i must admit but my hair isn't anymore shiny.
both the shampoo and conditioner have a loveeeelyy fruity fragrance to it which is marketed as 'strawberry yogurt fragrance' which lingers with you all day. since the shampoo doesn't consist of pure sulphate ingredient it is quite hard to lather up but with a bit of help of water it lathers up fine but without as much bubbles. the formulation is also quite thick. 

the thing with silicone products is that it would make you hair feel heavenly smooth WHILE your washing it but after its dried its back to normal hair.

i must admit though after changing up my shampoo and conditioner to this my hair has become less dry and i have no more dandruff or dry flakes from having a dry scalp.

despite the sulphate and the silicone in the product i rate this a 4 out of 5.
 its definitely worth the money as it does what it says on the box (volumises the hair), it smells heavenly and its such a large sized bottle which for me would last at least 6months. in terms of healthy hair i guess this does fail that requirement.
overall in a way the silicone and sulphate do cancel each other out. when you use the conditioner it coats your hair then the sulphate (clarifying ingredient) in the shampoo in the next wash washes out the previous silicone and so forth.

recommendation
during my research i did find that the body shop have a rainforest line which supposedly contains No silicones, no sulphates, no parabens and no colourants. however nowadays i will definitely read the ingredients despite the claims they make.
however the body shop rainforest conditioner contains Distearoylethyl Hydroxyethylmonium Methosulfate which scared me a bit. but looking at http://tightlycurly.com/ingredients/ its seems to be classified as an 'okay' product which is used for conditioning.

also the shampoo contains Isopropyl Alcohol which is also known as rubbing alcohol and on http://tightlycurly.com/ingredients/ its deemed as a drying ingredient but i guess since the line doesn't consist of sulphate it has to cleanse some way right?

Tigi Superstar Blowdrying Lotion

coming soon! its currently on its way to me (cant wait) , so after using it i will write a review on it
Be sure to come back!

update: currently using now, ill be sure to take pictures of the before and after
hopefully the camera picks up the results! but so far its amazinggg!

Friday 13 April 2012

Josie Maran Argan Matchmaker Serum Foundation

The product (top). Mixed a little with fingers (bottom)

This product really intrigued me as it seems like such fab technology. The way this works is that it comes out as white however it has these little beads in it which melt with the warmth of your skin and its suppose to adjust to your skin colour. Which is right. as you can see above it has clearly changed colour and adjusts quite close to my skin colour. Obviously i would've had to blend a little more and it'll adjust right to my skin colour and sort of vanish into the skin which would be quite hard to capture on camera. Therefore i had to capture this quite early into the process.
I purchased my one from eBay as its very difficult to get hold of this product in England. I really don't remember the exact price but it was about £35 including p&p. I got my one in light to medium. I believe there is also a fair to light and medium to tan. The fair to light would be more suitable for the fair pinky toned or porcelain skin types as the light to medium would look a little orange on your skin. And clearly the medium to tan would be suitable for those which a more tanned deeper skin types.
i haven't really come across any problems with applying this. It seems to work with all different techniques of application whether it be fingers or brush. However sometimes i do use a synthetic brush to get a fuller coverage. This has a light to medium build able coverage. It has a kind of oil type of fragrance (sorry i suck at describing fragrances >.<) however the smell does wear off. The finish is a satin natural skin like finish and does not look cakey at all. Since it has argan oil i feel as though its very moisturising and argan oil has many benefits to the skin which is another pro of this foundation. its like adding a bit of your skincare into your foundation, so no need to feel so guilty for wearing foundation as it is doing some good for your skin.  For those, oily types don't be scared of by the argan oil, you would definitely need to powder with this foundation but it shouldn't break you out. (ilikeweylie use to use this and she has oily skin and in fact it healed her skin rather than breaking her out)
This is perfect for those who have a hard time finding their right shade of foundation and are frustrated of trying one foundation after another (like myself). You clearly cant go wrong with this foundation.
Rated 5 out 5!

Loreal Lumi Base/Primer


This is like the drugstore dupe for MAC's strobe cream. I feel as though sometimes this works and other times i really cant see a difference to my skin. This give a subtle white glow to the skin. I'd choose to apply this mixed in with my foundation as opposed to applying it as a primer. It really doesn't do much as a primer, it doesn't really make the foundation last longer or give much of an luminosity. It seems to just rub of when your buffing or blending in your foundation. However i do use this as a highlighter and it seems to work quite well as that. It can be compared to benefits beam glow but a whiter version and this is more subtle and less shimmery.
This product is 'okay'. I wouldn't say its totally useless but i doubt id be repurchasing this as it doesn't really seem to be a staple within my make up kit nor a product which has a wow factor. 

 Rated 2.5 out of 5

update: i currently use this under my eye either apply it as a luminous base or mix it in with my concealer, the light reflective particles seem to brighten up my eye. (This is the way I'll use this product up, at least that way it doesn't go to waste)

Mac Strobe Hydrant Cream

Blended into skin (left). Cream (right)

This is perfect for those dull days when you want your skin to look a little more dewy and this gives the perfect glow. This allows foundation to glide on lovely. I purchased the small tube from a MAC store for £12 since this is my first time purchasing and i just wanted to trial this product.
This is also a perfect solution for those drier foundations. I mix in a little with the foundation or apply it onto the skin and immediately apply the foundation above so while i buff the foundation is blends right with the strobe cream.
I chose to get the cream over the liquid as i feel the creams maybe a little more hydrant? Just my theory, correct me if I'm wrong. Also Nicki from pixiwoo said the liquid has more of a purple radiance to it. Since I'm more warm toned i decided to avoid that. I love how this product give that subtle glow without looking all glittery (which i hate!). This really is a life saver.

Rated 4 out of 5

Mehron Celebre HD Cream Foundation

 
I had this after hearing Gossmakeupartists raves about this product. I had this sitting in the back of my cupboard for over half a year since i never really knew how to use this right. It seemed to have the right coverage for my spots but for foundation it seemed a little to heavy and cakey for my preference as foundation.

Application
I've now found the perfect way to use this foundation. I like to use the buffing brush from Real Techniques (by Samantha Chapman). I like to apply this while my moisturiser is sinking into my skin so about half way through the process so it allows some moisture to still be left on the skin and allow the foundation to glide on rather than rub on (dry skin technique). However if my skin is feeling a little dull or dry i allow the moisturiser to fully soak in then apply Mac Strobe Cream (review coming up soon!) and straight away apply the cream foundation. Whichever route i take i always sprits water (for the time being, im looking into purchasing Mac's Charged water) onto the buffing brush which returns the hydration back into my skin.
I do like to use the beauty blender to apply this foundation too, it applies smoothly and looks flawless.

Verdict
Although using a buffing motion isnt suitable for dry skin i prefer this method as it provides more coverage than using a sponge. Which is what i've been needing nowadays
 
As  you can see from the picture above it provides medium coverage. However it can been sheered down and also builed on for full coverage. Therefore i've been reaching to this product a lot nowadays since its so versatile and i could work this product around how my skins looking that day.

Rated 4 out of 5!

Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer

 

 Purchased from www.misebeauty.com for £36 in SX08. I've recently been hearing great reviews about this so i had to purchase this little beauty!
 Looking at the pot you'd think it isn't even worth the money however don't be fooled. Trust me when i say this... a little goes a long way! Honestly. Ive used mine a couple of times and there's still not even a dent in the product.

Application
i literally tap the product for a second and that is enough to use for each part of my face. As you can see its a thick creamy texture. I use this in conjunction with my beauty blender to sheer it down and allow it to be applied on moistly since i do have dry skin. (Need i repeat this? I really do mention this a lot don't i? Lol sorry)


Results
As you can see from the image this is clearly the wrong shade for me. Sighs, another product fail. (cries at the thought of wasting £36) I applied this right through my veins just to show how pigmented this is! And really this is just a dab of the product. You can see the product covered my veins fully!
I would say this is a medium to full coverage foundation, however it can be sheered down with a bit of moisturiser or a wet brush/sponge. This blends right into the skin and could also be doubled up as a concealer? Perfect 2 in 1 right.
This does have quite of an off smell which may bug some of yous but i find once its on the face the smell seems to fade. It smells like an Asian product or perfume (if your Asian you'll know what smell I'm talking about)

Rated 5 out of 5, maybe i would've sounded a little more enthusiastic if it were in my colour but this product really is holy grail material.

This shade is a little too golden for me instead of yellow toned.
Here's the colour shading to assist you, which is taken from the www.misebeauty.com blog. However do be careful when using this guideline as that's what i used and i purchased the wrong shade. As you can see the SX08 looks a lot lighter in the picture they took that what it looks like when i purchased it. Read the guidelines as opposed to the colour on the pictures, as the MAC guidelines are reliable and right! (what i should've done, then i wouldn't be stuck with the wrong shade >.<)

SX01: Slightly lighter than NC10 - Neutral Tone
SX02: NW15 (or slightly lighter) - This colour isn’t darker than SX01, it’s just a different tone - Pinky undertone
SX03: NC15
SX04: NW18 (or slightly lighter) - Neutral Tone
SX05: NC/NW 20 - Neutral Tone - Suitable for fair/Asian skin also
SX06: NW25 - Also suits Asian skin - Beige with no Peachy or Yellow tones
SX07: NC25 - Suitable for fair skin with Yellow undertones - Not as yellow as SX08 - Good match for light olive skin
SX08: NC30 - Strong Yellow Tone - Medium Shade
SX09: NW35-40 - Suitable for skin with pinkish undertones
SX10: NC40 - Yellowish Undertone
SX11: NC44 - Yellow Tone (not as yellow as SX08)
SX12: NC45
SX13: NW46
SX14: NW47
SX15: NW50
SX16: NW58

Beauty Blender Sponge (Latex Free)

 
As you can see from the image to the right the sponge expands when it is soaked.
 As you all know i suffer from dry skin so using brushes to apply foundation is a no no  (although i still continue to use it *hides face*) since is produces mild abrasion against the skin which could cause dry flakes to come off the skin surface. The beauty blender allows the foundation to be applied softly without affecting the surface of the skin, also adding a little hydration.

Application
I use this is in stippling (bouncing) motion all over my face rather than a rubbing and buffing motion. I like to roll the sponge around the edges of my face so it blends nicely into the hairline. I also like to roll the sponge all over my face after application for an extra flawless look.

Results
This applies foundation smoothly and leaves the skin looking flawless. The wetness of the sponge allows foundation to be applied with a little hydration so it smoothes out those dry patches.
It is also perfect to sheer down full coverage foundations. It allows your foundation to look skin like and not cakey and mask-like.
The points the sponge allow you to get to those hard to reach areas such as under the eyes and around the nose.

The beauty blender sponge duo set was purchase from www.misebeauty.com for £22

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

Saturday 7 April 2012

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum

i purchased this serum since my last serum (Origins skin tone correcting) ran out. After hearing the rave i thought I'd look into this and see the miracles for myself. i purchased this from John Lewis for £41. i was quite sceptical at first but this actually works. I don't know what the actual purpose of this serum is (mind you i should've asked the lady at the counter) but since i have been using this, my skin texture has totally changed. its become much more smoother and softer. i  had 1 spot on my face when i first purchased this but it seemed to vanish after the second day! & i forgot to apply my most loved clean start spot stick. ever since i haven't experienced any breakouts. i really cant pinpoint what exactly this product does but all i know is that it really does repair the skin. this is definitely worth the extravagant price.

 













As the the directions say, i apply this before moisturiser and for those oily types is doesn't feel greasy at all. this sinks into the skin so fast and feels like nothing is on the skin at all. once its into the skin it feels like a toner and nothing heavy.


Rated 4 out of 5 stars

okay a quick update guys: i think this product seems to speed up the process of any other skincare products i use for eg. my spot treatment. i love to exfoliate then apply this as i feel it sinks into the skin more as all the dry skin cells are exfoliated off and are not blocking my pores

Ecotools Bamboo 5 peice brush set

i purcahsed this set as part of the Boots 3 for 2 offer and recieved this set for free but it retails at Boots for £19.99. The brushes are exceptionally soft. These brushes are eco friendly.
the small kabuki brush is perfect for buffing in powder or foundation. the large fluffy brush is less denser and would be suitable for setting foundation or maybe applying blush.
the small fluffy brush is by far the most perfect blending brush i have found for the eyes. it is supersoft and works well to blend out harsh lines. the flat brush is perfect for concealing or applying eyeshadow to the eyelids.


Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

i purchased this foundation from superdrug. this is SO hydrating to the skin which leaves a semi-satin finish, which looks radiant and glowy on the skin. It smells absolutely gorgeous, its smells like a cut between shower gel and some perfume. its a smell i really cant pinpoint. this may bother some of those who are sensitive to fragrance but i personally love the smell. It goes on very sheer. i cant really say much than how great it is. it'd be a lovely foundation for the summer.
however i currently have the wrong shade, its looks dark on me since its a pink undertone and i originally have yellow undertones.But i definitely will purchase this in a different shade as it seems like a lovely foundation!

under direct artificial light, as you can see there is faint light reflecting particles in it.
theres some controversial arguments to this foundation being shimmery. i never realised the shimmers when i first purchased this, but under direct artificial light you can see slight shimmers, not glittery but faint light reflecting particles. i don't find this to be visible on the skin.

Real Techniques brushes by Samantha Chapman (Pixiwoo)


i have both the starter and core set. I also purchased the stippling, foundation and shading brush which are sold separately. i placed these on the left hand side of the brush case where there are additional spaces left for extra brushes.
these brushes are synthetic taklon bristles meaning they are 100% cruelty free. there is much more information available on www.realtechniquues.com

i purchased my brushes from boots since i saw the 3 for 2 offer so i thought what better time than now to take advantage of the offer and purchase these sets. the sets currently retail for £21.99 each.
stippling brush - £11.99
foundation brush - £9.99
shading brush - £7.99
of course the price range may vary according to where your purchasing from.

these brushes are unbelievably soft considering how affordable they are! i cant believe i didn't purchase this earlier when i first started make up. feels like i wasted so much money before because once you buy these sets you really wouldn't need any other brushes or brush sets. to be honest these brushes are all you'll need. of course these brushes don't have to directly be used for the purpose they precisely selected for; you could actually use each brush for  multipurpose uses.

of course theirs downsides to this, after all nothing is perfect. nonetheless it doesn't mean they are awful. you could actually substitute these brushes for a different purpose. I guess i don't blame her, after all this was her first attempt to having her own brush line.
  • deluxe crease brush - is rather larger for my eyes and its better for blending or applying concealer.
  • pixel point eyeliner brush -  is definitely too large to use for gel eyeliner, however instead it can be used for detailed spot concealing. However i am aware that she has a new fine eyeliner brush coming out, which looks perfect for gel lining.
  • brow brush - is far too thick for my preference to be able to do my brows. i haven't yet found a purpose for this brush.
This is not a downside but i do prefer to use the contour brush as a blush brush and the foundation brush as contouring. Obviously the contouring brush can be used to contour i have tried this before and it works perfectly well. However i find that since the foundation brush is angled and thin it fits right under my cheek bones and works well to contour. Similarly since I'm quite petite the contour brush fits well on my cheek and since its fluffy it works nicely to blend out any harsh lines.
 the pointed foundation brush is a little to small and i feel as if it'd take forever to put on foundation with this so i suggest you to use the foundation brush instead since its perfect for it. the pointed foundation brush could be used for concealing under eye or around the nose. i currently use this brush to highlight.

all the other brushes in the sets seems to be fine and work well for their selected purposes. i guess they all do.
there were other separate brushes available which i decided to give a miss as I've seen reviews and they seem far too large for my face.

i am aware that currently Samantha has added a few new brushes to the set, which i definitely would give a try as soon as it hits UK.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars!

BareMinerals Bare Escentuals well rested

 this is an eye brightner with SPF 20
This is a great eye brightner and a little goes a long way. Its a beige with yellow undertones which i feel like counteracts dark circles under the eye. This little thing is what could give you the Kim Kardashianisc light under the eyes look. However i think this could look a little ashy on darker skin tones since its so light. I have that asian olive skin tone and it looks okay on me.

I like to set my concealer with this. I have tried to wear this on its own however since i have fine lines it seems to crease im my fine lines.
Mineral veil (left) , well rested eye brightner (right)
 As you can  see well rested is much smaller compared to the standard BareMinerals pot. The mineral veil consists of 9g however the well rested consists of 2g. But since you only use a lil dab it'd last forever. after all its for your under eyes not the entire face. This product is madly raved about on makeupalley.com.

i give this 4 out of 5 stars

BareMinerals bare escentuals illuminating mineral veil


 i wanted to give my skin a breather and allow it to recover and i thought what better than to replace my foundation with just powder. i would've gone bare faced but I'm just not brave enough >.<. that's when i thought of trying my first ever BareMinerals product since there suppose to be generous on the skin.

i went in to John Lewis and purchased this for £18 and i was told the illuminating one will give a glow to the face. However due to my was naivety, i wasted money once again! (we learn from mistakes right? well only thing is i make TOO many of them!) i came home to realise the powder doesn't give a natural type of glow but a glittery one.

This is how it looks under natural room light. Nice and dewy right? 


 Don't be fooled. This is what it looks like under artificial light, this is probably what it looks like under direct sunlight but I'm afraid i cant test that. the weather hasn't been so lovely here in the UK.

You can clearly see the shimmers as opposed to the first pic i uploaded of the pot under normal light.

 
this is what it looks like under artificial light. i know the camera hasn't quite picked it up but it looks glittery rather than shimmery and glowy. 

I'm not saying this is a bad powder but its just not my preference. i do love the dewy look but i would hate to have obvious glitter all across face, in my eyes that is unflattering.

Monday 6 February 2012

MAC select moisturecover concealer

  

Every time i apply undereye concealer i find them all to be too drying, making my concealer looking cakey. No matter how much moisturiser or underye cream i use the concealer looks cakey and creases.
First things first, when a MAC artist tells you something is your colour but your gut tells you different, go with your gut! A mac artist gave me NW25 which was clearly darker than my foundation when you suppose to go a shade or two shades lighter than your foundation!! Ridiculous. Secondly MAC's NW is for cool skin tones and NC is for the warmer more coloured women. This can get confusing since it clearly W should mean warm right? anyway, enough about that she gave me NW25 when I'm clearly yellow based. So i went back and got a NC20 which is a perfect undereye concealer for me.
The concealer is:
  • moisturising
  • creamy
  • blendable
  • light - medium coverage
  • not at all cakey
However since i have fine lines i have noticed at the end of the day it can crease.

3 out of 5 stars!

MAC Viva glam ii (by Lady Gaga)

  
 Its a very nice formula: very 'creamy and moisturising'. lol i seem to say that a lot nowadays dont i? But if you noticed i dislike really greasy or matte products. I love it when its just a perfect balance :)
It has a satin finish, but i wouldnt say this is long lasting.
The colour is a little pale so i wouldn't recommend this to women of colour, however if you were insistent of wearing this be sure to blend very well as this colour can sometimes look too pale & make you look ill which is NOT ATTRACTIVE. However if you like that look, go ahead & rock it girl! Dont let no-one put you down. To avoid the ill look wear a flattering lip pencil underneath to make the lipstick suitable to your skin tone or wear a lipgloss on top & trust me it'll look fine no matter how pale of a lipstick it is.
Thumbs up to the Viva Glam Campaign! 100% of the proceeds go to the MAC Aids Fund!
4 out of 5 stars