Garnier micellar cleansing water | Review

bioderma

Micellar waters have been taking over the cleansing world by storm the past few years with many brands bringing out their own version such as Caudalìe and Lancome, as well as probably the most well known of the bunch, Bioderma. I have wanted to try the raved about Bioderma for a while now however it isn’t readily available here in the UK unless you order it online so, instead I picked up the Garnier micellar cleansing water instead which is readily available from my local Superdrug - and is also cheaper than Bioderma at only £4.99 for 400ml - about a third of the price of Bioderma for an equal amount.

Now, since I haven’t tried Bioderma I cannot compare the two however I can say that this product is very good at removing makeup and cleansing the skin. I’m a big user of the simple face wipes - or any face wipes for the matter - to take my makeup off which can leave my skin feeling greasy and makeup still partly remains. However, this soaked on a couple cotton pads removes all traces of makeup and is suitable for all skin types - even sensitive skin as its unscented. The bottle claims to last two hundred uses which I would dispute as more than 2ml is definitely needed to remove an entire face of makeup however.



Have you tried any micellar cleansing waters?

~ Jade xx

Maybelline baby skin instant pore eraser primer | Review

baby skin

Last summer the beauty sphere went crazy over the Maybelline baby lips which developed a cult following following their release in the US - I never personally bought into the baby lips hype however I know that Lucy quite liked them. Now enters the baby skin instant pore eraser primer - which is a bit of a mouthful - retailing at £7.99, to join the line of ‘baby’ products. I had quite high expectations for this after hearing many other beauty blogs state that it is a good alternative to the likes of Benefits POREfessional and Smashbox photo finish light. 

The product is marketed to be a pore minimising primer to create an even, matte base before the application of foundation - but can also be used as a stand alone product. The product itself is a clear gel-like formula which creates a matte base to apply foundation onto. As this product contains dimethicone it is a silicone primer rather than a serum like the Bourjois primers or a cream like the Rimmel primers. The texture, although gel like, is very strange - to me anyway. I can’t pinpoint what it feels like but when you first apply it to the face it feels almost greasy - although it isn’t at all - I’m assuming this is because it’s silicone based which is unlike any primer I’ve used in the past.

From my experience of testing this product for over a month I can say that this primer does minimise pores. After my foundation and other makeup is applied my relatively large pores around my nose appear much smaller than they actually do without the use of primer. However, this primer doesn’t keep my skin matte any longer than when I don’t use a primer and doesn’t particularly increase the longevity of my makeup either - if anything the longevity decreases as my foundation seems to disintegrate where the primer has been applied - which for me is the main purpose of a primer. However, this could be because I have rather oily skin.

All in all a good product if you have normal-dry skin and suffer from largish pores, however if you have oily skin like me I’d give it a miss.



What are your thoughts on the baby skin primer?

~ Jade xx

Revlon colorburst matte balms | Review

colorburst balms
Along with Revlon’s launch of the lacquer balms - review here - Revlon also launched a new range of matte balms. Nothing of this nature - at least to my knowledge - exists on the market anywhere else so I was very excited to try them. When I first heard about them however I was sceptical - how could something be matte yet a balm? It didn’t make sense to me.


However, having them now in my grasp I can say they aren’t totally matte. They give off a velvety finish so although the appearance is matte they don’t dry out your lips like a regular matte lipstick would as they still have a balm like texture and feel - perfect for winter. These immensely pigmented balms also stain the lips so after the velvet texture has disappeared the colour is still there so, when you’re wearing a bold colour you don’t have to worry about it wearing off too much. 


I picked up the shades ‘showy’ and ‘striking’ - the former being a summery blue toned pink shade and the latter being a warm toned red which is great if you love red lipstick but hate all the faff that goes with it, like me, as you can just throw it on without having to think too much about it.

Left to right: striking, showy

There’s definitely something for everyone in the range so whether you prefer more subtle, neutral lips or more vibrant, bold lips they’ll be something for you. However, the balms still have the peppermint scent the original just bitten kissable balms did, so if you weren’t a fan of that then be weary. These retail for £7.99 so they aren’t massively expensive either - Revlon is also currently on a 3 for 2 offer in Boots.



Have you tried the new Revlon formulas?

~ Jade xx

Revlon colorburst lacquer balms | Review

colorburst balms
I’ve been waiting for these to arrive on the shop floor since I first saw them pop up in the beauty-sphere a month or two ago. I have a great love for these chubby stick-like lip products which started with the original hughstreet version, the Revlon just bitten kissable balm stains - review here - and then moved onto the Bourjois colour boost balms - mentioned here - as they’re so easy to apply - I’ve even perfected the art of applying them whilst driving, which is something I definitely don’t recommend.

I personally liked the Bourjois offering better than the original Revlon ones - I am yet to try the Rimmel and L'oreal ones - as they were more glossy and moisturising so when I heard Revlon were bringing out a new and improved lacquer balm formula I was quite excited and picked up the shades ‘demure', 'vivacious' and 'coquette'. 

Demure is pinky nude - not something I'd normally go for - but is great for everyday wear and gives a little something extra than just a plain old lip balm, it also holds a small amount of glitter which isn't overly noticeable on the lips. Coquette is a blue toned light pink which like demure holds not so noticeable glitter - a perfect colour when you want something more than a nude but not an overly in-your-face colour. Vivacious is more my usual cup-of-tea - a vibrant red toned pink - perfect for summer or when a pick me up is needed mid-winter. 
Left to right: Vivacious, Coquette, Demure 

The new formula is super glossy, shiny and moisturising so if you’re a fan of lipgloss but want something with a bit more colour pay off or just love balm sticks like me then I would definitely recommend you give these a whirl. Each colour also packs a lot of pigmentation despite the balm texture - even demure which you wouldn't think had a lot colour to it. I also really like the packaging of these. Like other crayons they have a wind-up feature but the super shiny outer casing makes them look sleek and more expensive than they actually are. 

There’s definitely something for everyone in the range of ten shades so whether you prefer more subtle, neutral lips or more vibrant, bold lips they’ll be something for you - there's even nudes for darker skin tones which hughstreet brands don't usually cater for. However, the balms still have the peppermint scent the original just bitten kissable balms did, so if you weren’t a fan of that then be weary. These are on sale for £7.99 and all Revlon products are currently on a 3 for 2 offer in Boots - a perfect excuse to pick up a few.

Have you tried the new lacquer formula?

 ~ Jade xx

Photography information

Canon 600D with 18-55mm lens, Canon 24mm lens or Sigma 70-300mm lens. Canon EOS M with 18-55mm lens or Canon 24mm lens. Any edited photos are edited using Photoshop CS6. Picture source is given for any photo used that is not directly ours.