Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation

I had been looking at this product for about three months before I finally popped it into my metaphorical basket for the final time and actually proceeded with the checkout, and I'll tell you why it took me so long;

i) There is no illamasqua store/concession anywhere near me and I hate trying to chose a foundation shade online.
ii) I'd heard really mixed reviews, some people loved it, some hated it.
iii) It comes in at around the £32.00 mark, which may not sound a lot to some of you, but for me that's preeeetty darn expensive for such a small amount of foundation.

I liked the idea of a second skin feeling foundation, something that hid your imperfections quite well but let your skin breathe and didn't make you feel like you'd applied poly-filler to your face. I used Illamasqua's handy little shade comparison chart and opted for the shade 11 which is a good enough match, although I think its a little on the pink side for me, especially as its comparison was NC35-NC40. 

I first used this foundation whilst getting ready for work, which was my first mistake. I needed plenty of time to get to grips with this one - not a half hour slot for all my makeup, and my second mistake? Using my Nanshy Flat Top brush to try and stipple it into my skin (its my favorite method of application dont'cha know). I hated it. And that is no exaggeration, I actually took it off and opted for a foundation that I get along well with. I threw it into the back of my "don't use" draw and forgot about it for a few weeks. 

However, on Thursday I decided my vanity needed a tidy up, organize and a clear out and I came across this foundation and thought to myself 'what a waste of money' and so I decided I would give it another go. 

I found that using a different primer to the one I had used previously actually helped the application of the Skin Base this time, and made it stick to my face a little better (last time it seemed really patchy) and my complexion looked a lot more even and using my fingers to blend and apply the foundation worked a whole lot better than my trusty Nanshy brush did.

As I mentioned before, the colour match was okay - just a little pink. I evened this out by using a Mac MSF in Medium Dark, which is quite yellow toned to set the foundation and neutralize the pink.

And so, I've been using the Illamasqua Skin Base in this way for the last few days and I'm starting to enjoy using it. My skin hasn't broken out at all (fingers crossed) and my makeup wears pretty well with this as a base. 

The packaging is pretty simple and hasn't really got a wow factor, and with the first few uses you can really struggle to get any of the product out of the squeezy bottle as its so stiff. However, its easy enough to keep clean and dispense the right amount from - I just think it would be jazz-ied up a bit!

Overall I'd say this is an okay foundation, not the worst I've ever used but nothing to write home about either. I probably wont be repurchasing this one when/if it runs out as its in no way my favorite and it has a pretty hefty price tag at £32.00.

I'm sure it would work better for girls who only need a very light base, but I don't tan my face (only my body) and so I like a full coverage foundation that can help me match up with the colour of my body. 

And the lesson I've learnt? Don't buy foundations or pricey products that you're not 100% sure about online without visiting a beauty counter first! Lets see how long I stick to that rule for!

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L'Oreal L'extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick

Despite usually being a bit timid when it comes to lip products, recently it feels as though I've been buying very little else and, here comes the strange bit, actually enjoying playing around with different glosses, lipsticks, crayons etc.

I have been reading about these 'liquid lipsticks' for some time now and I'll be honest, I thought they were another gimmick on the market to help us beauty fanatics to part with our cash. That was until I found myself online shopping a few days ago (no surprise there!), and one suddenly jumped into my cart.

L'oreal L'extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick By Color Riche in Nude Ballet £8.99

When this lipstick/gloss hybrid arrived through my letter box, I was quite excited to finally get my hands on one and see what all the fuss was about. Let me just say this, I don't think I've ever used a product like this before. I was expecting something like the NYX Lip Cream as the name would suggest. However, I found this product to be a very pigmented (lipstick like) gloss, that isn't super glossy and is long wearing. A strange one, but I like it. The colour that I chose is a lovely and very wearable pink nude which is super flattering and doesn't look too pale on the lips.

The packaging is quite luxurious for the reasonable price tag with its gold colored vial with a window so that you can see the shade inside. It has a lid that twists off to reveal a doe foot applicator which is very soft and easy to apply the product with. The product inside smells gorgeous, it smells very sweet without being too sickly and I didn't notice the fragrance at all after ten minutes of wear.

I gave this lip colour a proper trial run yesterday during a ten hour shift hosting a wedding at the country house hotel where I work. I applied it before my shift (2pm) and didn't need to reapply until around 6:30pm. That's a whopping 4 and a half hours of wear, pretty spectacular for a glossy product in my opinion. And I should mention, I was super busy rushing around and had been eating and drinking within those four and a half hours. Super impressive! One thing that I did notice was that even when the 'glossy' side of things had worn off, there was still colour pigmentation left on my lips - they were not completely bare.  

And then there were the compliments, I was complimented on the colour of my lipstick/gloss on four separate occasions throughout the day - more than usual for a nude lip colour and something that I wasn't expecting at all. 

Today (the day after wear) my lips do not feel dried out or in need of some tlc at all which they can sometimes after using a lip product for a lengthy period. I think I'm going to have to invest in some of the bolder shades of this range.

So if you're looking for a reasonably priced lipstick/gloss hybrid with an array of wearable shades, looks no further! Now, where did I put that bank card...?

Have you tried any of the L'Oreal L'extraordinaire Liquid Lipsticks? What did you think to them?

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The Body Shop Haul

I can honestly hold my hands up and say I have never, ever made a purchase from the body shop before know. And I cant really explain why that is, I love that they're committed to being cruelty free and I love that all their ingrediants are all of the natural variety & that the company is committed to fair trade. Perhaps its because I never thought of the body shop as a makeup brand before, and although I do use skin care, I'm not what you could consider to be a skincare junkie (so shoot me). I can still remember holding my mums hand walking around the tropical smelling store when I was young and my mother used to wear Patchouli oil as perfume which she would buy from the body shop. When ever I get a whiff of that it takes me back to being a toddler, literally a flashback!

When I discovered last week that The Body Shop had a 40% flash sale and free shipping when you spent over £5.00 I just had to have a little browse, and surprise surprise a couple of items jumped into my basket! Delivery wasn't exactly speedy, but it was free and the delivery was done by Royal Mail. The items were delivered today (19/5/14) in brown envelopes that seem to be insulated with some kind of grey fluff, which I appreciated as I tend to worry that my items may get smashed or damaged in transit!

First up is the Honey Bronze Bronzing Gel For Face £12.00. This is described as a bronzing gel to be used on the face. As you will probably already know, I am a bronzing junkie and I'm always on the look out for a new product that will help me to look naturally tanned and feel better about the way I look, I just cant stand being deathly pale. I had the idea that perhaps this will be ideal for lazy summer days when I don't really want to wear a full face of makeup, but don't want to scare the neighbors with my ghost-like face! From swatching, this seems like a lovely, easily blend-able product with good colour pay off. I'm hoping it wont break my skin out, but as I don't plan on using this everyday I don't think this will be too much of a problem!

Seaweed Clarifying Night Treatment £11.00. Although I'm not exactly big on skin care, occasionally something grabs my attention and twists my arm to purchase and try it out. The Body Shop tells me that this over night treatment is for combination/oily skin and helps to combat excess oil while moisturizing skin at the same time. It promises to leave skin clear, hydrated and shine free. I'm excited to give this one a try tonight after I've cleansed and toned my skin as usual. The product smells really lovely, clean and fresh! The product comes in a 30ml bottle with a pump on the top which makes it easy to dispense. The packaging feels sturdy enough and I feel that it would travel well.

Rose Lipgloss £7.00. As you may know, I have been on a quest to find a lipgloss that is a close match to my beloved limited edition (and very nearly empty) Lancome Juicy Tube and this is a pretty close match. Its a really pretty, shimmery pink colour, which doesn't feel sticky on my lips at all. Granted, I've only had it on for ten minutes before writing this post, but still, first impressions and all that! 

Colour Crush Lipstick in 130 Sweet Coral £10.00 This is a beautiful lip colour, as you can gather from the name its a bright, slightly frosted pinky coral. The Body Shop's lipstick collection actually got me quite excited, which is unusual as I'm generally not that big on lips. I opted for this shade as I'm usually Mrs Boring and felt like being a little daring. This lipstick feels really nourishing whilst on and does not feel like it will dry the lips out at all - and I have dry lips! This product has a beautiful, but not overpowering smell to it and the packaging is really cute, and feels like it would protect the lipstick well. I'm definitely going to have a look at some of the other shades and add some more of these lovely little lippies to my collection!

Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder in 03 & 04 £13.00 each. Last but not least, I picked up these two beautiful bronzers. I got them in the two darkest shades as I tend to always be a lot darker than my natural skin tone! I bought number 03 for a colour base and the 04 to use as a contour. Both colours are completely matte and shimmer free, do not look at all muddy or orange on my skin and feel silkily smooth. The packaging is what I really love about these bronzers, they are encased in a beautiful tortoiseshell coloured plastic, which feels quite thick and protective. Inside is a lovely large mirror providing convenience when applying product on the go.  

So that's the lot, and I have to say so far, I am very happy with all my purchases from The Body Shop! I got some real bargains, considering I received 40% off everything and free delivery on top too! (Spent £66.00, applied the discount code and received my goods for £39.60, saving a whopping £26.40). The Body Shop has certainly proved its self to me and has been added to one of my favorite online makeup destinations!

Do you have any of these products? Do you shop from The Body Shop? What are your The Body Shop must haves?

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My Makeup Wish List

Surely I'm not the only person that has a continuously growing list of wants? I thought not. 
Here I have compiled an assortment of things that I am interested in, would like and need.

1) Hoola Bronzer Benefit £23.50
I have been lusting after this bronzer for as long as I can remember, but although I have had the opportunity to purchase, it would mean going without my beloved Mac MSF. I just haven't been able to make that sacrifice. Perhaps the next time I receive a generous paycheck I'll have to bite the bullet!

2) Long Wear Even Finish Foundation Bobbi Brown £30.00
I'm a bit of a self confessed foundation fiend, with my makeup storage currently hosting 17 different foundations, but that doesn't mean I'm not on the look out for more. I've heard some really great things about this foundation, and have been told that it works well on the oilier skinned ladies so it sounds like it ticks all the boxes for me!

3) Le Blanc De Chanel Sheer Illuminating Base £31.00
Having recently bought and tried out Soap & Glory's Hocus Pocus has made me want to try a higher end version of an illuminating base product. Could this just be makeup snobbery? Absolutely, but there's just something satisfying about having a Chanel product on your vanity..

4) Zoeva Luxe Complete Set £105.00
I would be lying if I said that I am loyal to one particular brand of brushes. I enjoy using different brushes, for different purposes by different brands. These include many of the Real Techniques brushes, Mac brushes, Nanshy brushes, Models Own brushes, Elf brushes. However, one brand that I am yet to try is Zoeva, and this luxe complete set looks like the ultimate set of makeup brushes. All I hear is good things by this makeup brush brand and I would love to get my sticky little paws on them!

5) Real Techniques Mini Brush Set £9.99
I actually had a little look for this brush set whilst I was in my local boots store yesterday, but sadly it wasn't in stock. This is the cutest little travel sized set of brushes containing the mini foundation/concealer brush for touch ups on the go, the mini face brush for all types of powder products and the mini shading brush to transform your eyeshadow on the go. I'm a sucker for anything in mini form, and these look like they would be really useful to have in your handbag, plus they come in a cute little pouch to help keep them clean!

6) Clinique Chubby Stick Intense Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm in Heftiest Hibiscus £17.00
I have wanted this chubby stick for around two years now, but have always either balked at spending almost £20.00 on what is essentially a lip balm, or when I have built up the courage to go and purchase, that particular shade hasn't been in stock. There's just something about this particular colour that almost mesmerizes me and i think that in the near future this is going to appear in my lip product draw!

7) Benefit Gimme Brow £17.00
I already have the Divaderma brow product within my collection, this (if you don't know) is essentially an older version of the Gimme Brow. It is a colour/fiber concoction held in a little glass tube with a doe foot applicator. You simply swipe onto your brows and it deposits both colour and fibers onto your brows to give them a boost and a more voluminous look that is still natural looking. However, being a cosmetic enthusiast I have been wanting to try the benefit version for a while. From what i can gather it seems to be more of a gel product that has fibers included? Gimme!

8) L'Oreal L'Extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick by Color Riche (Rose Symphony, Tangerine Sonate, and Rose Melody) £8.99 each
I almost picked these exciting new lip products up yesterday, but I already had three lip products in my basket and with the boyfriend hovering around I just couldn't bring myself to pop those in too. (I'm meant to be saving up, dont'cha know). I think these three colours are really wearable and would look lovely on a summers day picnic or similar. This line of liquid lipsticks really has me intrigued, and I don't think it'll be long before I've snapped a few up.

9) No.7 Gel Look Shine Summer Nail Colour in Lemon Drop £7.00
This is the most beautiful pale, pastel yellow shade that I have ever come across and I need  this in my life as my go to summer nail colour. I usually tend to stay away from yellow nail colours as i think it can make your nails look stained and dirty, but I just cant see this happening with this particular shade. I look that its a 'gel look' nail product, I love a super shiny finish and a nail colour that resists chipping is always a winner in my book!

10) Maxfactor Colour Corrector Sticks £9.99 each
I'm really interested in these new CC Sticks, each of the five different coloured sticks has its own purpose and conceals different skin problems. Unfortunately these were not in stock yesterday when I went to have a look and so they are firmly on my 'want' list!

11) Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara £19.00
It seems every where I look at the moment, someone's talking about how fabulous this mascara is! Ever since my teenager days, mascara has been the product that I seem to have hoarded the most, and I can see that my lust for this mascara will not end until I have it securely in my eye makeup draw! It boasts a huge bristle brush and claims to give the lashes a full and intense flutter. Better than sex? I'm not sure, that's a pretty big claim to stake, I guess it depends how much you love mascara!

I actually thought there would have been a whole lot more on my wish list, but this is all i can think of so far. Have you got any of these products? Do you rate them? What's on your wish list?

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This Week's Beauty Buys

Happy Sunday guys!

This is a pretty straightforward post, just items that I've purchased or that have been finally been delivered this week!

Boots/Superdrug

So today I found myself in the town center for lunch with my boyfriend and it was of course inevitable that I would have a little browse in the beauty departments. 

Revlon Colorburst Lacquer Balm in 105 Demure and Revlon Colorburst Balm in 225 Sultry - £7.99 each
I've been back and forth with these 'balm crayons' for so long that I finally had to bite the bullet and pick some up. I went for a lacquer and a matte so that I could really try them out and find out which one would suit me best as I really couldn't decide in store. The lacquer crayon that i got is a beautiful pale pink nude shade with a lovely sheen to it, while the matte one is a darker, almost plum like shade and will most likely be used as an evening lip color. I've heard really great things about these lip crayons and hope that I enjoy them as much as others already do! 

Maybelline Colorsensational Lipstick in 728 Honey Beige £6.99
I don't know what happened to me this week, but i seemed to have a thing for lip products, which i usually am not so bothered about. However, I just had to get this beautiful lipstick! Maybelline have just launched a new 'Nude' collection of both lip colors and nail varnishes. The lipsticks in this range seem to be the same formulation as the rest of the 'colorsensational' lipsticks and feel very nourishing on the lips. The color i chose is a warm, light brown color and seemed to have been the most popular as this was the shade that had sold the most. If you know me, you know that it is extremely rare to ever see me wearing a lipstick that isn't nude, so this is a welcome addition to my collection!

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in 3 Warm Medium £4.19
Recently, no matter whose blog I'm reading, or whose vlog I'm watching everyone seems to be in love with this concealer and being the nosy parker that I am, i just had to see what all the fuss was about. From swatching i can see that this is a really creamy, buttery concealer and the price tag is very welcoming. I picked this up in the warm medium, as although i love a brighter under eye, the fair was just way too bright for me. I'm looking forward to getting round to using this concealer and seeing if it can up my makeup game! 

Collection Illuminating Touch Brightening Concealer in 3 Glow £4.99
Whilst looking at the Collection range I came across this little love. I have recently discovered the L'Oreal Lumi Magique Concealer which is my dupe for the YSL Touche Eclat and have been loving using it, but i have already gone through three of those. And even though they are much, much more affordable than the YSL version they're still nearly £10.00 a tube. Enter the collection illuminating touch brightening concealer! This is almost identical to the L'Oreal one, the only difference that i can see is in the packaging and the price tag. I will of course update you on how well this product performs but i have a really strong feeling i may have discovered a dupe of a dupe!

Herbal Essences Bee Strong Strengthening Intensive Hair Mask £1.97 (Half price in Superdrug)
As you may know from reading my previous post on the condition of my hair here, I'm always on the look out for 'wonder products' to really heal my hair and help the condition of it. I've never truly been a fan of Herbal Essences, but at £1.97 can you complain? I have really been struggling to find a hair mask on the high street recently and so I thought I'd give it a go. Its a very generous sized tub, holding 200ml of product which smells divine. I'm hoping to do a bit of a hair pamper this evening so we shall see if this helps to manage my frizzy & distressed hair!

John Frieda Frizz-Ease Miraculous Recovery Intensive Masque £1.99
This is a repurchase for me, as i tend to use one of these every week. Its a really indulgent mask that leave hair smooth, easily manageable and sleek. I only got one from boots as i can usually find these quite a bit cheaper, but had to get one because i was feeling lazy and couldn't be bothered going all the way to the supermarket!

Dove Hair Therapy Intensive Repair Self Warming Hair Mask £3.49
After reading Miss Emma Charlotte's post on this hair mask here, I was on a quest to pick one up and see if it was possible that i could have the same results! I found it online on the boots website a few days ago but it said sold out, so i had to wait. However, I'm really happy that i managed to pick it up today. The packaging, although quite simple is very nice, and i feel that it would travel quite well. I'm going to save this hair mask for in the middle of the week when I'm usually rushing around and see if it can help me with both the condition of my hair and the manageability.

Online Purchases; Esscentual, Boots, Fragrance Direct.

 Soap and Glory Hocus Pocus Instant Illuminator £11.00
Working two jobs and putting in 20 hour days on average is definitely taking its toll on my skin and so i have been looking for an illuminator to help brighten up my tired skin. Basically i've been looking for an 8 hour sleep in a bottle. Even though I feel dead, I don't want to look it! This product by Soap & Glory promises to instantly soften visible flaws and illuminate the skin. It can be used alone, under foundation or mixed in with foundation. I think this is a really purse friendly alternative to say, the Le Blanc De Chanel Sheer Illuminating Base which comes in at £27.00.

Vichy Laboratoires DermaBlend Foundation £14.45

When I first read about this foundation, I will admit that I was a bit dubious. This product professed to do everything. But upon using it, I have to say that I am literally in love with the product. It does everything and more that i could ask of a foundation. It has the most amazing coverage I have ever come across yet doesn't cake in the slightest. You only need the tiniest amount for a full base as it blends out so easily, lasts all day and cleanses off like a dream. I have been using this for the last few days and have not broken out at all, in fact the few blemishes that i did have on my forehead have gone altogether. I will definitely be ordering more of this in the next couple of weeks as i don't to ever run out! The only downside, if you could call it that would be the design of the packaging, as it doesn't really appeal to me and isn't very pretty, but it does the job.

W7 Camera Ready Primer Magic £3.75

I bought this primer because i have been told that it is a really good dupe for the smash box photo finish primer, but obviously at a fraction of the price. I haven't gotten around to using this one yet, however, my boyfriends sister swears by it and it's on my list to try this week. The packaging reminds me of NYX's photoready primer review here, and is not exactly attractive. Its a little dull and boring but luckily for W7 its the product that we're interested in, not the bottle!

Feel Unique

Feel Unique have a special offer on every day throughout the month of may. Some of these special offers haven't interested me at all, however, the 50 products for £5.00 certainly enticed me, and although I wasn't quick enough to get everything that I had spotted, i got a few good little bargains!

Cocoa Brown 1 Hour Tan Mousse and Mitt Gift Bag £5.00 (Usually £9.99)

I'm a fake tan junkie. But before you judge me, I do not naturally tan, at all, nu'huh, not one little bit. I am as white as an emulsion-ed wall, once in the sun i will go to a lovely, highly attractive lobster shade and after a day or two i will return to my ghostly-self. I have been using fake tan since i was about fourteen, so of course this one interested me. It promises to be a non-sticky, accelerated tanning mousse and the fact that it came with a mitt was just a huge bonus seen as my dog likes to eat mine!

Blanx White Shock Toothpaste with LED Light £5.00 (Usually £7.49)

I have some slight staining on one of my front teeth from my brace days, its not anything that is very noticable and it doesnt bother me all that much, but this toothpaste promises to act instantly and remove any visable pigmentation on the teeth, and for only five pounds i thought i might as well give it ago. I don't know how much i believe that the led light has a massive effect of the tooth paste, as it just seems like a massive gimmick to me but we will see! I haven't started using this toothpaste yet as i'm finish my tube of sensodyne gentle whitening toothpaste but i will be sure to let you know if i notice any changes!

Kardashian Beauty Light Stroke in Fantasy £5.00 (Usually £11.95)

The Kardashian's beauty brand isn't something that has really grabbed my interest in the past, but recently i have been looking for a stick-type highlighter that i can use underneath my brow bone as a finishing touch. This product is actually double ended, on one end is the golden highlighting stick and the other contains a roll-on type shimmery powder. The packaging is simple, yet very nice and feels sturdy enough to pop it into your handbag if you want to. I was quite pleasantly surprised when this product arrived. The only downside being that you only get a teeny amount of the highlighting stick. Not something that bothers me so much now, but could do after a couple of weeks of use. And I'm not so sure that i would repurchase at almost twelve pounds. Its a nice product to have in your collection, but not necessarily a must have.

Ebay Buys

 Quite a few buys from ebay recently. I just find it really easy to shop from and you can find some real bargains!

Individual False Eyelashes £1,99 a pack, Eyelure Lift Off £3.49, Salon Systems Semi-Permanent Glue in Black & Dotty Elephant Tweezers £2.99

In the summer months i like to be able to get ready in a rush, I'm talking tinted moisturizer and out the door. So it makes sense for me to apply individual, semi-permanent eyelashes to help my quick morning routine. I find it much simpler and cheaper to apply me own instead of going to a salon. This way i can take my time, apply them how i want and am always happy with the end product. I picked up the eyelure lift off to help me remove any stubborn eyelashes that don't want to come off, but really any oil based product will remove them, and i picked up some new tweezers for the purpose of applying the individual eyelashes. I found these dotty elephant ones and fell in love with them, they're so cute!

Beauty Sponge £2.75

I know what you're thinking, 'she cheaped out on the beauty blender'. Well, I've had both the Beauty Blender and the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge but my puppy doesn't understand that they are not a toy. One, i found in bits all over the stairs and the second i found half buried in a flower bed in the back garden. So yes, I cheaped out. I only use this to blend concealer so didn't feel like spending a small fortune. 

Set of 4 makeup brushes 3.38 and Pump dispenser £0.99

I recently read a blog post here and instantly wanted everything mentioned in that post. I settled for the two that interested me the most. They were both sent from china, but arrived within ten days which i thought was super quick and they both had free postage. I'm using the pump bottle to hold my micellar fluid and it is so simple to use come bed time. The brushes, i am yet to use but already have them ear marked for specific jobs. Bargains galore!

So there you have it, a whole lot of beauty buys this week! I don't know how I've managed to accumulate so much, and now i feel quite guilty! There will be a Body Shop haul post around Tuesday/Wednesday, I'm just waiting for the huge package to arrive! 

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