Showing posts with label cosmetics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cosmetics. Show all posts

Friday, September 30, 2011

Glossybox vs. Boudoir Prive



http://www.glossybox.co.uk/ - £10 per month (+p&p) to receive 5 luxury product miniatures from high-end brands in each box.
Some of the brands involved: Batiste, Illamasqua, Lalique, Ciate, Murad, OPI, Xen-Tan, KMS, Weleda, Daniel Sandler, All for Eve.
Products in my box:
HD Brows (Eye&Brow Palette) - £19.95
L'OrĂ©al Professionnel (Mythic Oil) - £14.95
Mary Greenwell (Plum Eau de Parfum) - £60 (for 50ml)
NUXE HuileProdigieuse - £37.50 (for 100ml)
StriVectin (SD Eye Concentrate) - £49 (30ml)

Check out my review of the August GlossyBox here. 

http://www.boudoirprive.co.uk/ - £10 per month (free p&p) to receive 5/6 deluxe size samples in each box.
Some of the brands involved: Agent Provocateur, Cargo, Jane Iredale, Bloom Teas, Mai Couture, Tropic, Etat Libre D'Orange, Colber MD.
Products in my box:
Zoya nail varnish - £3.80
Agent Provacateur perfume
Cargo eyeliner
Tropic scrub
Macadamia Oil
Colbert MD moisturiser

Both of the boxes were sent to me for review. This is not a sponsored video and all opinions are, as always, my own.

Have you tried either of these services? Which is your favourite? Let me know your thoughts my lovelies! xxx

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Maybelline The Eraser Foundation

Over the past few weeks I have been trialing the new Eraser foundation from 'Maybe it's Maybelline' ;). Despite the incredibly annoying advert featuring Jameela Jamil I was excited to see whether this foundation could live up to its promises, which include:
  • The patented micro-corrector applicator micro-fills and smoothes imperfections on skin's surface, erasing the look of crow's feet, fine lines and dark circles.
  • The super-concentrated formula with collagen acts to tighten and improve skin's elasticity.
  • SPF 18 Sunscreen helps protect skin from sun damage.

The first thing I noticed about this foundation is its unique applicator - a built in dome sponge. The foundation feeds through to the sponge after a few (well, quite a few) twists of the bottle. Although I like the idea of this, as it removes the need for other sponges or brushes, what concerns me is the build up of bacteria, since you are not supposed to wash the sponge. Maybelline claims that The Eraser is protected with an anti-microbial system and to clean the applicator it is best to just wipe off excess foundation with a dry tissue and never wet the applicator. I'm not sure how this 'anti-bacterial' action works, so if anyone does then please do let me know in the comments.
The foundation is easy to apply with the applicator, but since the formula is quite thin and 'slippery' I found the best way was to blend it out with my fingers. I would say it has medium to low coverage, depending on how thinly you spread it, and while evening tone it doesn't hide blemishes. It feels quite lightweight and has a very natural finish, so it would be perfect for minimal makeup days. I can't comment too much on it's 'wrinkle erasing' but it does a good job of smoothing skin texture and concealing enlarged pores. As my skin gets quite oily throughout the day I did set it with powder, and as you can see in the photo below (after 12 hours of wear) it held up pretty well. Ultimately I think this foundation would be best suited to those with dry skin as it doesn't cling to any flakes and conceals any unevenness in texture.

Overall I'm really impressed with this foundation. It's quick to apply and blends into the skin very easily giving a smooth, even appearance. I would call this a great 'everyday' foundation as it's lightweight and has a very natural finish. For more information just click here.

Have you tried the Maybelline Eraser foundation? xxx

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

*Witch Giveaway*

Some of you may have already read my recent post on the Witch Skincare Challenge, if not you can find it here. So to introduce you all to this new cosmetics line what could be better than a giveaway?

All you have to do to enter is pick your favourite duo and write a comment below! Witch are kindly providing 20 sets for this giveaway, so get entering ladies (one entry per duo please, so you can enter up to 4 times, UK entrants only please)!!

  • Prize no. 1 - Primer + Exfoliating wash
Witch Anti-blemish Skin Clearing Primer is designed to help prepare your skin for foundation by mattifying and absorbing excess oils, providing a smooth, silky base that helps you achieve an even and long lasting finish with any foundation or powder. Added to this, the Witch Anti-blemish Skin Clearing Primer also helps prevent and target blemishes by protecting skin from the layers of makeup which can cause or aggravate blemishes. This primer works well in creating a barrier between your skin and makeup, it's great at controlling oil too!

  • Prize No. 2 -Tinted Moisturiser + Wipes
Witch Anti-blemish Tinted Moisturiser is available in three shades, light, medium and dark. Formulated for oily/combination skin it mattifies skin, helping to control shine and target spots and breakouts. This tinted moisturiser is fairly sheer, so it would be perfect for sunny summer days when you want a little bit of light coverage!

  • Prize No. 3 - Powder + Anti blemish stick
Witch Anti-blemish Pressed Powder helps target spots and breakouts by absorbing excess oils and controlling shine. It is designed to give a natural medium coverage of imperfections and to visibly refine pores, giving an even skin tone. Antibacterial actives help clarify the skin. Although the colour of this powder is very light, I have seen it applied to different skintones and it works beautifully, without creating a white cast. A little goes a long way too!

  •  Prize No. 4 - Primer + Wipes
Who doesn't need wipes? These are one of my favourites as they are gentle, yet effective at removing makeup and freshening up on the go!
 
The giveaway will run for 2 weeks, but if we don't manage to find a loving home for all these fabulous duos by the 2nd of March I shall hold a few flash twitter giveaways too. 

Good luck my lovelies! xxx

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Perfect Valentine's Day Makeup

A little late to go up here, but this look is great for any event, not just Valentine's!




Products used in this video:
.Bourjois - So Rouge Ready To Wear Lipstick - # 32 Fashion Rouge http://uk.strawberrynet.com/makeup/bo...

.Benefit - Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner - # Recess http://uk.strawberrynet.com/makeup/be...
.Benefit - Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner - # Carte Blanche http://uk.strawberrynet.com/makeup/be...
.Benefit - Thrrob Turned On Face Powder http://uk.strawberrynet.com/makeup/be...
.Estee Lauder - Double Wear Light Stay In Place Makeup SPF10 - # 10 ( Intensity 1.0 ) http://uk.strawberrynet.com/makeup/es...

Hope you all had a perfect Valentine's day my lovelies! After roses being delivered to work and a three course meal being cooked I can't complain ;). xxx

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Witch Anti-blemish Cosmetics

Recently I took part in the ultimate skincare challenge - a fun filled week of activities designed to test Witch's new anti-blemish cosmetic range. I am a long time fan of Witch products, having used their witch hazel oil control foaming face wash religiously throughout my teens, so I was excited to see what their new cosmetics had in store!

As someone who has oily skin will tell you - makeup and oils do not mix too well. I have always had oily/combination sensitive skin, and despite now peeking into my mid twenties (I'm 24.. gasp!) I still have the skin of a spotty teenager - unpredictable! Witch hazel is a fantastic ingredient that has always worked well for me as it is astringent (tightens the skin), hemostatic (reduces blood loss/ inflammation) and contains a range of antioxidants.

The cosmetic range aims to still deliver all the benefits of witch hazel skincare in makeup. I think this is a brilliant idea, especially as there is growing concern over the various ingredients used in cosmetics. If you put effort into your skincare routine, why not extend it into your beauty regime and make sure that all the products you use not only make your skin look good by covering imperfections, but also targeting the problems?

So to thoroughly test the new range we embarked on a week of challenges. On day one we met up for some drinks, nibbles and introductions to our fellow bloggers, the Witch team and of course the range.  We were also colour matched - no surprises there, tinted moisturiser in No.1 light for me! However, I was impressed to see that the translucent pressed powder worked well on all skin tones without casting a white veil.
On the second night the girlies had a shopping experience, to test how the makeup would stand up under bright lights and the pressure of Oxford street's Primark. As I was in Paris for work I wasn't able to witness the madness for myself ;).
On Wednesday night we embarked on the biggest challenge of all - a dance class at Pineapple studios! If our makeup could last an hour of (perfectly) synchronized Gilrs Aloud routines it wouldn't fail us on a night out.
I chose to wear the Skin Clearing Primer under my usual foundation and was happy to see that after more than a little perspiration it was holding up well as the curtain fell ;). Those wearing the tinted moisturiser were impressed how well it had lasted too.
On Thursday we had a jazz filled night at Ronnie Scott’s, in the heart of Soho. The lights were low, the music was loud, but we still managed to fill the room with our makeup chit-chatter.
Friday came all too quickly, and while I was attending my best friend's 25th the girlies were feasting on Byron burgers - I was more than a little jealous! Our pick of the top Witch products in this new line were the primer and the concealer (which is currently residing in my bag).

Of course it wouldn't be much of a challenge if my lovely readers were not able to take part and test the cosmetics for themselves, so in my next post I will be giving away 20 sets (!!!) of products from the new anti-blemish range!

To learn more about Witch's new cosmetic range you can visit their website here. Do have a look at the 'witch challenge' section to see more photos and information about our escapades!

Have you ever tried Witch products? What are your thoughts on anti-blemish makeup? xxx
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...