Charlotte Tilbury Unisex Healthy Glow

I bought this a few weeks ago while I was in London. It's a great product for summer as it's light. It's also great for days when you can't be bothered with full foundation.

It costs £35.00 so it's not cheap but I've been really enjoying it.

You can find it Here

Estée Lauder Double Wear Nude Foundation

I got a sample of this a few weeks ago and have really been loving it. Watch the video to see it in action.

Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation and Concealer

I was walking past a Clinique counter a few days ago and a large sign caught my eye.  A new foundation was available!!  I immediately had to investigate further and of course asked for a sample to take home and try.  The foundation is a foundation and concealer all in one.  It's name is Beyound Perfecting Foundation and Concealer (why do the big companies give their products such long winded names these days?).  I was colour matched to Alabaster and came away with my wee sample. Happy me:-)

I began my proper trial of it yesterday and I can honestly say I have been blown away by this foundation.  I was a bit skeptical about the whole foundation and concealer in one business.  I mean, how does that even work?  But the magic is that it does.  Oh yes!!  It's fantastic.  I couldn't wait to shout it from the rooftops.

I wore it for 17 hours yesterday, from around 1600 through to 0900 the next morning.  I work shifts and was on nightshift so it's the perfect time to try out foundations for great longevity.  This one truly has it.  This morning I still looked remarkably well (if I say so myself) considering I had had a very busy nightshift.

This is me after 17 hours wear.  It's pretty impressive and has lasted well, especially around the nose and chin which is where I would have the most wear.  My only issue was that it probably would've needed touching up with powder as it did go a little glowy, however I did not touch it up as I really don't have time for touchups.  Overall I am incredibly impressed with this and will be running out to the Clinique counter this week to purchase the full size of this.  There is a Bonus Time starting soon at one of my local counters.

It retails at £25.00, comes in a glass jar (I think) and is to be applied using the giant doe foot applicator.  It's very easy to work with and easy to blend.  Oh and did I mention it's awesome longevity?

The Clinique MUA was so lovely and very helpful so all in all I am very happy with my most recent Clinique experience.

You can find out more about the product here

You can also watch my Youtube video which includes a review and a demonstration.

Thanks for stopping by xx

Mac Hue Lipstick Review

Mac Hue is a beautiful nude pink colour and a very popular choice of an every day lip colour.  I decided to blog this now as mine is almost finished.  This in itself is proof of my love for it as I don't often finish a lipstick before moving onto another one or twenty.

So as you can see it's very close and I'm trying hard to use it up so that I can Back To Mac it.  I don't know why I'm so reluctant to use up the last bit of it as I already have a backup.  Perhaps this week it'll be gone.  I have another Mac lipstick that is in a similar state of almost finishedness so I'm trying to use them both and build up my collection for Back To Mac.

Here I am sporting it in all its loveliness.

Such a pretty colour and I love the texture of it and feel of it on my lips.  It's quite moisturising and it's one of those lipsticks that is very easy to apply without the use of a mirror or even a front facing phone camera.  It's a glaze finish which means it's not too in your face and leaves the perfect amount of colour on your lips.  

It costs £15.50 and is available from Mac Cosmetics in the UK or from your local Mac Stockist.

Here is a swatch of it on my arm,

It is definitely a firm favourite of mine and will be in my life for a long time.  What's your favourite lipstick?

Thanks for stopping by xx

Estee Lauder Perfectionist Youth-Infusing Makeup Review

I recently went to my local Estee Lauder counter to try a sample of this.  It totally sounds like the perfect foundation for me and I knew I'd just have to give it a go.  Estee Lauder is great because they let you take a small sample away with you for free.  This means you can give the foundation a really great road test before spending your hard earned cash on something that may not even work for you.  They give you a sample that should last around 7-10 days.

I was colour matched to Desert Beige.

Unusually for me this is not the lightest offering they have.  I have been using it for a few days now and feel I am ready and have tested it enough to share my experience.

This foundation comes in a glass bottle with a pump.  It looks luxurious and so it should at £37.

It has an SPF of 25 which is really great for a foundation.  It claims to firm, brighten and hydrate and give a medium coverage with a satin finish.  So far I agree with that although I haven't been using it enough to comment on the firming effect.  

I love the coverage it gives.  It's definitely medium and looks really natural.  No cake here!!  It lasts well.  I have given it a trial for a few days and have even managed to wear it for 22 hours.  It lasted really well over the 22 hours.  I'm not someone who touches up make up other than lipstick.  So here's a scary picture of me at the end of 22 hours of wear.  If you are of a nervous disposition look away now lol.

Overall this is a really great foundation.  I am so happy with it in all aspects.  It is pricy though so for now I won't be purchasing the full sized bottle (which is the bog standard 30ml) but you can be sure that I will be tempted at some point in the near future to buy it.  Probably at the next Gift With Purchase I find.  In the meantime though I am enjoying my sample and as I have quite a number of Estee Lauder counters near me I may pick up another sample before purchase.

As with any Estee Lauder foundation I would definitely recommend trying a sample yourself first.  Why not? You've got nothing to lose and you may find your Holy Grail foundation.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your weekend xx

XO Beauty Flat Top Face Brush Review and Demo

My latest beauty addiction is foundation and of course that goes hand in hand with brushes.  I've been eyeing this brush up for a long time and now I finally own it.  I'm loving it so far.  It gives a flawless finish.  It cost me just under £20 including postage for it to be shipped from New Zealand.  It was quite quick too given the distance it travelled.

It smelt like chemicals when I got it but one wash soon solved that.  No shedding yet either.

All in all a great purchase so far.  I've done a demonstration of it's use on my youtube channel.

Thanks for stopping by xx

Take One Thing

Ok so a couple of months ago I decided to concentrate my efforts on using up specific products in order to reduce my stash.  I picked two items and tried to finish them.

I am pleased to report that I have finished one of them.  Yay me!!

It is the Max Factor Miracle Touch Liquid Illusion Foundation in Creamy Ivory 40.  And here's the picture to prove it.

It's such a great feeling to finally finish this.  I really liked this foundation but being a makeup junkie I am completely fickle and switch brands quite often.  Who doesn't?  It's completely normal right?


What the description says:

With a unique lightweight solid to liquid formula it removes the need for the traditional concealer, foundation and powder combination and instead creates the perfect base in just one easy application. The result is a flawless, fresh and incredibly smooth complexion that glows with radiance.

I used it in conjunction with a concealer and a powder.  I just cannot skip those two steps.  It just doesn't feel right somehow.  It did last all day using my method though.  I'm not sure it would stand up to that without a powder on top.  I easily got 16 hours wear with only very minor patchiness appearing on my chin area.  This can be a problem area for me and I find that most foundations wear off in this area first.

It's not particularly cheap at £12.99.  I think this would be at the higher or possibly highest end of drugstore/chemist pricing.  However, in Boots and Superdrug there are very often offers on, the most common being 3 for the price of 2 across all the makeup brands.  Recently when this offer was on I bought 3 of these foundations.  So great was my love for this foundation at the time of purchase.  I still love it of course but there are so many other foundations out there that I've yet to try.

You an view it here on the Boots website - Boots

I have it in the shade Creamy Ivory 40 which is such a great match for me I just want to test all Max Factor foundations in the same shade.  This could be my next project.

Have a great weekend everyone and thanks for stopping by xx

Makeup Geek Eyeshadows Review and Face of the Day

I recently decided that it was about time I tried the Makeup Geek Eyeshadows.  I'd been admiring them from afar for far too long.  It was time to order.  I'm so glad that I took the plunge.

Firstly they are the same size as Mac shadows and they are available as pans as well as in pots.  This means that they will fit in your own Mac palettes or your Z Palette.  I opted for putting mine into an ELF Elements compact.

I only ordered 4 so I thought this was the best option as it also has a great mirror.  However, today whilst filming a Makeup Geek Tutorial they fell out!!  I immediately thought it was the eyeshadows fault but on testing them in my Z Palette I realised that the problem actually lay with the Elf palette.  It's ok for now but I will be putting them into a Z Palette soon as this is a recipe for disaster!!

The colours I ordered are:

Homecoming, Bada Bing, Latte and Shimma Shimma.  They appear in this order in my first photo too.  They come in lovely wee envelopes which are similar to the Mac ones.

I prefer to have them in this form as it makes it easy for me to change them in and out of my most used Z Palette.

So far these shadows have not disappointed.  They are really pigmented and it's very easy to be heavy handed with them.  A little goes a long way.  I have used them over a Mac Paint pot and they have lasted all day.  I've even given them the 24 hour test and they passed with flying colours.

They are much cheaper then Mac shadows.  They work out at roughly £4.50 each depending on current exchange rates.  This includes the postage.  Makeup Geek seem to be a company that does not rip the backside out of shipping charges.  I found it to be very reasonable.  The service was quick too.  They took 10 days to cross the Atlantic to land with me.

I love these so much that of course I have placed an order for more.  I'm having a real eyeshadow addiction phase at the moment.  I think I have enough now lol.  With these being comparable to Mac shadows but much cheaper it means I can afford more.  Score!!

Todays face was created using these shadows.

I have Shimma Shimma all over the lid with Homecoming on the outer half and a slight bit on the inner corner too.  I used Latte in the crease and added a little Bada Bing in the outer corner and part way along the upper lash line.  I also added some Homecoming to the lower lash line and voila!!

These shadows are definitely worth the money and the wait for them to cross the pond.

I am also wearing Tanya Burr Lipgloss in Afternoon Tea.  Another current favourite.

Have you tried any Makeup Geek shadows?  Please feel free to share your favourites or recommendations xx