L'Oreal Infallible - Porcelain

L'Oreal True Match - 1N Ivory

Collection Lasting Perfection concealer - 1 Fair

NYX Wonder Stick - Light/Medium

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder - Luminous Light

Revolution Ultra Contour Palette

MAC Eyebrow Pencil - Accentuated

L'Oreal Brow Artist Plumper - Light/Medium

BY TERRY Ombre Black Star - Misty Rock

OR  Bronze Moon

Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat - Pillow Talk

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution lipstick - Very Victoria

OR/AND 

Rimmel Kate Moss Lasting Finish lipstick - 03

Maybelline Colorsensational Shine Gloss - 610 Naked Star

For my base I like to mix L'Oreal Infallible - review here - and True Match - review here -  as I like the coverage - and need the paleness - of the Infallible but like to add a bit more radiance with the True Match. My new favourite product is the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder as it adds such an amazing glow to my fairly dry skin. The shade I have, Luminous Light, has a slight shimmer to it, which allows it to double up as a highlighter too. It doesn't cling to any dry patches and you can touch it up as many times as you like without looking cake-y. I wouldn't recommend this for those with oily skin, as much as it could add to the shine. I also wouldn't recommend to those with very pale skin as it can make my skin look a bit darker than it really is. I'm definitely going to look into trying a different shade as they're totally worth the more luxury price tag.

My eyebrows are definitely not my best friend. I’ve tried more eyebrow products than I can count and suffered many eyebrow disasters. However, I finally feel like I’ve settled with products that work for me. A full eyebrow products test and review post coming soon.

The BY TERRY Ombre Blackstar eyeshadow sticks are possibly my favourite products in my makeup collection. They are so easy to work with and look great with anything. I definitely want to purchase more soon and I highly recommend them to anyone. I really love the way the L’Oreal Volume Million Lashes mascara makes my lashes look. It’s very black and dramatic without being clumpy, although it is quite hard to just apply a small amount for a more natural look.

Recently, I’ve really been enjoying trying and experimenting with new lip products and the matte lip look - although as you can see I still can't keep away from the gloss. My new favourite lip products at the moment are from Charlotte Tilbury. Jade and I had a naughty spree in the store in Covent Garden a few weeks ago on a trip to London, the staff were so lovely and helpful and I'm so pleased with what I came away with. Although these products are matte they are still very creamy and don't dry my lips out as much as other matte lipsticks - full review here. Also, the packaging is beautiful.

What are your go to products at the moment?

~Lucy xx

“Instantly diminish the appearance of pores and all-day-shine control, 

helps hide imperfections, even out skin tone and reduce the appearance of redness. It also helps makes your make

 up last longer and, with vitamin E, leaves you good to glow.”

On a recent peruse in Boot I came across the Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot Instant Perfecting Power Primer. I’m always looking for new primers as having oily skin I need all the help I can get to keep my makeup on my face. 

When I first tried this I expected it to be a silicone-like primer - which I’m not the greatest fan of, see Maybelline Baby Skin Review - but it isn’t. It’s light pink in colour and is a beautiful texture - not quite gel-like nor cream, something in-between. I like to pat it into my skin and it leaves the skin slightly tacky. 

Personally I don’t suffer with redness, however I have noticed that the pores around my nose appear smaller under my foundation with this primer, I am less oily and my makeup lasts longer. I haven’t noticed it helping to hide any imperfections but I’m not too sure how an almost clear primer can hide imperfections? 

My favourite thing about this primer though is that it doesn’t make my skin super matte. It still lets your skin have a natural, semi-matte look rather than making everything look flat and dry but still stems any further oil. Usually in a day I’d need to top up my powder two or three times but when using this primer once is enough in a eight to ten hour day.

Do you have any primer recommendations?

~ Jade x

On days where you don't have much time to worry about your makeup, you’re only going to be running errands but you don’t want to be barefaced or you just generally don’t wear a lot of makeup the five minute face is an important routine to have in your arsenal for when you need it. 

BASE | For base when you’re in a rush it’s best to keep things simple. Skip a foundation as they take a bit of work to buff into the skin and instead opt for a tinted moisturiser/BB cream/CC cream type product, these are much lighter on the skin and so take next to no time to apply. I’ve recently been enjoying using the Bourjois CC Cream - full review here. Although you could skip a base altogether.

CONCEAL | When you don’t have a lot of time a quick all-round concealer is the way to go. The Rimmel Wake Me Up is one of my all time favourite concealers as its good for under the eyes and any blemishes, it also blends into the skin quickly and easily.

BROWS | The quickest way to fill in your brows is with a pencil as faffing around with powders or pomades takes far too long when you’re strapped for time. I love the Soap & Glory Archery Brow Tint & Pencil, the pencil side is waxy so sets your brows as well as fills them in and the pen side creates a natural looking brow as you can create individual looking hairs.

EYES | If you’re in a rush there’s no time to mess around with shadows or liner so just a good coat of mascara will see you through - don’t forget to curl those cases though. My mascara of the moment has been the Maybelline Lash Sensational - full review here.

CHEEKS | Forget about contour and bronzers and instead just opt for a cream blush. It’s quick and easy but adds a youthful and fresh look to the face. The Bourjois Cream Blush in 01 Nude Velvet is a beautiful coral shade which will suit most skin tones.

LIPS | For lips just opt for a lip balm, no one has time for to worry about a red lip in a hurry.

What are you 5 minute makeup go-to’s?

~ Jade xx

The weather is slowly beginning to warm up here in England which means it's time to switch up what's in your makeup bag. Heavy, matte foundations are out to be replaced by lighter, dewy-er finishes. Vampy lip colours are to be swapped with soft hues and chiseled cheeks are swapped for an all over bronze. This is how I'll be switching up my makeup bag this spring/summer. 

BASE: Winter is a time for full coverage, matte bases but summer makes way for a lighter base. My pick this summer is the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum foundation - review here -, it has a light coverage but can built on and when mixed with medium coverage foundation like the L'Oreal Infallible - review here - it creates a radiant base which still offers coverage. Personally I'm not a big fan of tinted moisturisers but if you're in the market for that kind of base the Bourjois CC Cream is a good option or the Bioderma Photoderm Max Tinted Cream*.

EYES: To add a summer edge to my usual neutral shades I've dug out my Urban Decay Naked 3 palette*, awash with pink toned neutrals it adds a lighter more fresh look to the eye opposed to using browns. If you don't already own the Naked 3 I'd recommend picking up the L'Oreal La Palette Nude in Rose instead as the colour scheme is very similar but the cost is a lot less and actually the shadow quality is better than the Urban Decay palette. I've also been using more cream shadows recently, the Bourjois 24hr shadows are a great cream to powder formulation, the one shown is the shade Petale De Glace but I also love the Maybelline Colour Tattoos, especially the shades Pink Gold and On & On Bronze.

CHEEKS: Recently I've switched out my powder blushes and bronzers for cream versions to add to the summer vibe of lighter skin. The Bourjois Cream Blush in Nude Velvet has been a favourite as its a perfect peachy pink shade which suits a lot of skin tones, it's also a cream to powder formula so it lasts a long time on the skin, Revlon and Max Factor also do some really nice cream blushers too. For bronzer I've been using the Maybelline Fit Me concealer - review here - in the shade 35 to add warmth to the perimeter of my face, there is a lack of cream bronzers on the high street - apart from the Bourjois Bronzing Primer which annoyingly broke me out - so using a concealer a few shades darker than your skin tone is a good option. 

LIPS: For lips I've recently been using the Rimmel Moisture Renew lipstick in Nude Delight, it's a warmer toned nude to my usual Kate Moss x Rimmel pick - review here - so is a nice change for summer. For a brighter option I love the Revlon Colorburst Lacquer Balms especially the shade Vivacious which is a bright fascia pink, these crayons are super pigmented and moisturising - full review here.

What are your picks for this spring/summer? 

~ Jade xx

“Inner bristles capture the tiniest lashes you didn’t know you had whilst outer bristles volumise & define the look of longer lashes. From corner to corner, top to bottom, no lash is left behind. Our liquid ink formula, with a low wax count creates the blackest of black lashes that are so dark and defined. Layers can be built without clumping.”

I picked up the Lash Sensational Mascara from Boots the same time I picked up the Maybelline Dream Flawless Nude Foundation - review here - and like with the foundation at first I wasn’t a fan. I’m incredibly picky when it comes to mascara as my natural lashes are long but they don’t hold a curl very well so I like something which will lift and give volume without clumping. For a while I wore fake lashes nearly everyday because where a curl drops so easily, my lashes often disappeared into my eyeliner as I'm a big fan of graphic liner. 

When I first tried this mascara I found that it didn’t really hold a curl and wasn’t as volumising as I wanted it to be. It also didn’t separate the lashes and also they didn’t clump per say they did stick together in some places. However upon giving it another chance I’ve found that you need to really build it up whilst the first coat is wet. Don’t do one coat leave it and come back for another as the volume won’t build. After I got the hang on this my lashes looked curled, volumised and full as the curved brush makes it really easy to get even the shortest of lashes. A couple of months ago I reviewed the Benefits Roller Lash Mascara - see it here - and personally, I prefer the Maybelline offering - it's a lot cheaper too.

Have you tried the Lash Sensational Mascara?

~ Jade xx

“Ultra-fine, lightweight formula that is 12x finer can be applied like face cream, blend instantly onto skin, give impeccable yet undetectable coverage, coverage which is buildable but still looks and feels natural, no heavy caked-on effect, our special teardrop shape applicator delivers the perfect amount of product for fuss-free application.”

The Maybelline Dream Flawless Nude foundation has been in my possession for a while since it was first released in the UK and at first I really disliked it, to the point where I put it in a draw and forgot about it. Over the past week I decided to give it another try and my opinion has changed somewhat so I thought that I would share my musings. 

The formula of this foundation is unlike anything I’ve ever tried before. It’s extremely thin and almost like water so application is best done with hands rather than a sponge or brush as the fibres just soak up the product. It blends without any effort so its great if you don’t have a lot of time to get ready. Personally I don’t see the point in the applicator as I put it onto the back of my hand before applying anyway so I don’t get bacteria in the product but I've heard it takes forever for the product to drop from the applicator. 

This foundation has a matte finish and sticks to any dry patches so is definitely a miss for combination and dry skinned people. The coverage is barely there, it evens out the complexion overall but does little in the way of covering blemishes, hyper pigmentation  or dark circles so concealer is a must but because of this and the texture of the formula it is virtually undetectable on the skin and still lets your natural skin shine through so its great if you don’t have much to cover. There is also only eight shades for this foundation and they are all very orange in colour so it is quite hard to find a match - my shade is off but as its quite sheer you can’t really notice it by time concealer is applied.

That being said I do like this foundation on days where I want something on my face but I don’t need the coverage that my L’Oreal Infallible gives - review here - and it would also be a good summer foundation because of how light it is however it won’t be taking a place on my top foundations list.

Have you tried the new release from Maybelline?

~ Jade xx

Nanette Lepore   source                                  Fendi   source

Jean-Pierre Braganza   source                              Nicholas K   source

Liner is a makeup trend which never goes away. Whether its bold and graphic or smudged and smoky it will never go anywhere, it's a makeup staple. Statement liner is this seasons trend when it comes to eyes, both the classic black liner and a more fun coloured liner took over the SS15 shows.

Over at Fendi a very spring take on liner can be seen with a thick line of pastel blue being worn with clean skin. This is a trend I’ll be taking up this summer as I tend to shy away from wearing a lot of colour so to still look like I’m enjoying the sun, pastel liners will be making their way into my makeup bag - Sleek Dip It Liner comes in a pastel green shade which I’ll be picking up to try this season. Coloured liner was also seen at Nanette Lepore with Maybelline in charge of the show opting for a 60s style graphic in white, lots of bottom lashes were also a trend adding to the 60s Twiggy vibe - NYX' White Liquid Liner would be perfect to create this look.

Jean-Pierre Braganza and Nicholas K took a more traditional approach to statement liner during their shows. At Jean-Pierre Braganza my favourite eyeliner trend is seen at their spring/summer show of the graphic cat eye. To vamp it up and give the trend a new lease of life though, a contrasting sparkle was added to the middle of the liner - my favourite liquid liner to achieve this look is the L’Oreal Super Liner Perfect Slim. Likewise at Nicholas K graphic liner was awash on the catwalk this time though making an impact on the bottom lash line as an upside-down cat eye - my favourite kohl liner to create this look is the Rimmel Scandeleyes Kohl Kajal Waterproof. 

Will you be behind the liner trend this spring/summer?

~ Jade xx

Contouring is a step we all take to make our cheeks more chiseled and our noses more straight. It’s a step I prioritise in my makeup routine - along with my brows - and one I hate to skip. 
For my contour in the past I have raved about the Sleek Face Form Kit in ‘light’ - review here - which I still love, however recently something new has entered the ring, the Barry M Chisel Cheeks Contour Kit. This new little gem from the high street contains a contour shade, a bronzer and highlight shade. The contour shade is the best high street contour colour I’ve tried - even better than the Sleek version - as its very ashy and pigmented which is the perfect combination to create realistic contour as most contour shades from the high street are too warm toned which doesn’t create a shadow but rather a brown stripe across your cheek - not a good look. The bronzer is pigmented and completely matte which is great to add warmth to the face without it looking like mud, which bronzers with shimmer can do. The highlight shade is great for highlighting under the eyes because it is also matte. It has been my first time using a matte highlighter and I can say I prefer it to shimmer ones. I often find that shimmer highlighters look too overdone like you’ve had a fight with a fairy or touched cheeks with a Kardashian whereas a matte highlight still brings light to places you want to bring forward without everything being too reflective. These powders aren't the mist blendable though so it's better to start light and add more rather than going straight in with a lot of product and not being about to blend it out.

The Maybelline Instant Age Rewind concealer has been getting a lot of buzz recently. Its been out a fair while however it seems to have just caught on, a little late some might say. I decided to pick it up after hearing so many things about it wondering, is it really worth the hype? 

Quite simply, no. I don't think it is worth the hype and I'll explain why. Firstly the packaging really irks me. Although this product is meant to be used under the eyes rather than on blemishes the sponge applicator on the end still screams bacteria collector to me which isn't a good thing. There's not a lot you can do about it either, unless you remove the sponge but I'm not sure how well that would work. 

Then there's the amount of wasted product you get. I've only used mine maybe five times and it's already nearly half way gone. The sponge collects a lot of the product which you can't get out so you end up using a lot more than you need to. 

Besides the packaging though I also don't like the main event, the actual product inside. It's marketed as an 'anti-age' under eye concealer which is supposed to banish dark circles and fine lines. That to me means it would be light in texture and also reflective to bring light to the area but this product is neither of those things. I find the product to be quite heavy for an under eye concealer which seems to bring down my under eye area rather than lift it and because of the heavy nature I find it creases easily - not so good if you have fine lines. It's also not a lightening product so for me it doesn't do anything in the way of rewinding my age - not that I really need to as I'm still under twenty but that's besides the point. I'm also really disappointed with the shade range. Generally you want your under eye concealer to be a couple of shades lighter than your skin tone to highlight the area and rid any dark circles. I have the lightest shade of this concealer and it's far too dark for under the eye, it's even to dark too use on the rest of my face and I'm not a fair skinned girl. 

All in all despite hearing so many good things about this product it really didn't do it for me at all, maybe it's overhyped to the point my expectations were so high it could never perform that well. I don't know but what I do know is I shan't be picking this up again.

Have you tried the Maybelline Age Rewind concealer? 

~ Jade xx

As the festive party season is upon us I thought I’d share with you all my beauty essentials 

for this time of year that will see you through any festive occasion from a 

Christmas meal to a New Years party.

FACE

At every event this party season there’s going to be pictures taken so to prevent yourself looking overly shiny never go without powder - I’m forever in love with the Rimmel Stay Matte - even if you usually would skip it as you may look great in person but the camera will pick up any shine and multiply it by ten. But that doesn’t mean you can’t add a little highlighter to still have a healthy glow - I’m currently loving the Topshop highlighter, review here. You also want a good concealer as the same with shine the camera will pick up any blemish even if its only small. For this I love the Collection lasting perfection concealer but I don’t need to go into detail as everyone and their mother knows about it by now.

EYES

For eyes I’m still loving my Stila in the light palette - review here - as you can create subtle, natural looks perfect for a low key affair but you can also create serious glamour which would fit perfectly for a New Years bash. I’ve also been loving the Maybelline master drama chromatic pencil in vibrant gold for a hint of gold sparkle under the eyes. If you’re going for winged liner this season then you have to get your hands on the L’Oreal super liner perfect slim, I’ve never used a product that makes winged liner so easy and I’ve repurchased this countless times.

A while ago both Lucy and I were in the market for a new foundation. This offering from Maybelline was new to the high street at the time so we thought we’d both give it a try and review it as we have different skin types.

“Dull, blotchy, uneven skin? Visibly improves your skin every minute you're in it. Our first hydrating foundation with Actyl C and SPF 20. Flawless all-day coverage. The formula helps skin look more radiant, fresher and even, with all-day wear.”

Jade’s thoughts:

Starting with the positives this foundation really does last all day. I’ve found I need to powder about half way through my day but my makeup is still in one place at the end of day which never happens with my oily skin. Along with the longevity the wear of this foundation is great too as it wears evenly. So, I don’t get a oily t-zone and then the rest of my makeup looks the same which is what typically happens. This foundation also contains SPF 20 which makes it great not just for summer but year round as a daily foundation - just not for night time, the flashback is ridiculous! The price is also great at only £8.99.

However, I also have many problems with this foundation. The foundation itself is very thick for a liquid which makes it difficult to blend into the skin and can look heavy and mask-like even without powder. This I have a problem with as although I like to have a decent amount of coverage from my foundation I don’t like it to look like I’m wearing a lot of foundation. The colour range is very very limited. All the shades have pink undertones so if you have a tan or are olive skinned - like me - it’s really hard to find the right match. I’m also not a fan of the packaging as I think it looks quite cheap - despite being a high street product. My last point isn’t really a positive or a negative but the foundation claims to help improve your skin whilst you’re wearing it which isn’t something I’ve noticed over the month I’ve been wearing it. (I'm wearing this foundation in this FOTD post)

Lucy's thoughts:

What new products have you been trying?

~ Jade and Lucy xx

Brow’s are a big part of my makeup routine as they frame the face and pull everything together, much like mascara pulls eye makeup together. I have quite dark and unruly brows which tend to take a lot of work to get under control and after using a fair few products over the years I thought I’d pull together a post of a few of the different types of products out there for brows for anyone who’s just branching into the world of filling in brows or who is stuck in a rut with what to do with them.

The traditional pencil

Pencil’s in general offer precision and control when filling in brows opposed to shadow and an angled brush. Pencil also generally doesn’t take as long as shadow to fill in brows either. That being said it is harder to create a ‘natural’ brow look with pencil - especially if it’s a soft pencil - so it’s essential that you comb through the brows before and after filling them in. Pencil also generally doesn’t last as long as it’s a cream product but if you’re going for a look that needs a strong brow or your natural eyebrows are very thin and sparse a pencil is the way forward. Versions can be found from the high street to high end including Rimmel, Maybelline and Anatasia.

Eco tools - tapered blush brush:

I wanted something new to apply my powder as the Superdrug's own brand powder brush I have been using isn’t very soft and seemed to apply too much product, making my face look a bit cakey - also I found it smelled rather unpleasant. I had heard good things about the eco tools brushes so I picked this one up in boots LINK and have fallen in love. It is unbelievably soft, applies product evenly and softly and gives great control. I like to use this for all face products as it just works really well and I would definitely recommend it. 

Sleek highlighter from the face form kit - light:

As the weather is slowly but surely becoming slightly sunnier - yay!  - I have been adding some more glow to my face. I have been liking the highlighter in the sleek face form kit - full review here - as it is not too in your face and obvious but adds a nice shimmer when caught in the light.

MAC Satin taupe eye shadow:

Jade kindly bought me my first MAC eye shadow for Christmas and I have been loving it. Satin taupe is the perfect shade as it has just the right amount of shimmer. It is also perfect for both everyday and a more smokey evening look. It is lovely to blend - as all MAC eye shadows are - need I say any more?

Rimmel scandaleyes thick & thin eyeliner:

When I bought this eyeliner I was intrigued by the angled top. I have found the tip makes it very easy to apply this eyeliner and do small wings - as I don’t venture too far in to the cat eyed look unlike Jade. It's not joking when it says it's waterproof as I have to use an eye makeup remover to remove all of it at night as my cleanser doesn't cut it. It also doesn’t fade or smudge all day.

Maybelline the rocket mascara:

I have a love hate relationship with this mascara but I thought that I'd mention it anyway. I love the way it makes my lashes look, it really gives them both volume and length. However, I find this mascara smudges above my eyes after about an hour after applying it and it is rather frustrating. It is also a bit of a pain to get off. Other than that, I love it. 

Revlon colorburst lacquer balm - coquette:

These new lacquer balms have been quite hyped over for the past couple of months and I completely agree with the excitement over them. I have been loving wearing this everyday pink with a slight but not too overpowering shimmer. It gives a gorgeous shine to your lips, is so easy to apply - even on the bus to college - and will be perfect for spring and summer - full review here. 

What are you february favourites?

~ Lucy xx