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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Matching Lips & Nails

So, its a fairly easy concept. I like my nails and my lip colour to match, be it nudes, reds and pinks (pictured below).

For this look I selected a lipstick and nail colour in very similar colours, they do in fact vary  ever so slightly, but the difference is so small that you can barely tell by the finished product.

The lipstick I used for this fuchsia pink colour injection was the Rimmel Moisture Renew in As You Want Victoria £6.49 here. Rimmel have created a really nice, affordable range of lipsticks in a rainbow of colours. They are extremely creamy upon application, dry to an almost matte finish and do not dry my lips out at all, which is no mean feat - I am prone to dry flaky skin on my lips! Its a beautiful, long lasting colour that I think would suit a lot of skin tones. I always get compliments on my lips when I wear this particular lipstick and although it took me a while to build up the courage to wear such an 'in your face' colour, I'm really glad I did!

The nail varnish that I have partnered up with this lip colour is Rimmel Salon Pro Nail Polish in Simply Sizzling £4.49 here. I have found that brands will often make other products in a similar colour to one that you have already picked up, so I was very happy to find that Rimmel did a near perfect match to the lipstick that I had already chosen. I applied two coats of this nail varnish and finished it off with a Sally Hansen Insta-dry top coat which adds a super shiny, protective and fast drying coat to any nail varnish.

I find that matching up my lips and nails really livens up any outfit and makes me look a whole lot more 'put together'. I am also aware that celebrity stylists make sure their clients are often sporting a matching nail and lip combo!

What do you think? Have you tried the matching lip and nail combo? What did you think? I'd love to hear from you guys!

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April Favourites

April's Favourites;

I know, I know! Its the fourth of may, and I have been meaning to get this post up for the last couple of days but have been so busy with work that I just haven't had the chance!

Anyway, I thought I'd share with you the products that I have been loving throughout the month of April. I haven't necessarily purchased these items this month, and you may have seen some of these products in my other posts, but these are the ones that I've found myself reaching for nearly everyday!

I do apologise  for the quality of some of these images. Unfortunately I've missed placed my camera and am using my iPhone, which is slightly scratched over the camera lens and so does not always take the best pictures! 

Max factor Face Finity All Day Primer; £10.99

Having been a fan of Max factors All Day Flawless 3 in 1 Foundation, I didn't have to think twice about trying this primer. As you may know, I love a primer, and on a recent trip to Manchester I found myself staring at this cute little glass bottle. It's silky soft, with easy application, a pump which makes dispensing a breeze and it feels very, very light on the skin. I would have to testify that it does make the application of makeup easier and it does indeed keep your foundation on for longer than normal. I'm a big fan! Luckily for me, when I bought this it had a little sample size of a mascara that came with it, and that too is definitely on my wish list now!

Urban Decay Deslick Makeup Setting Spray Oil Control Travel Size; £9.00

This is my holy grail setting spray. I have placed an online order for the full size bottle of both this and the original setting spray, but as of yet they haven't arrived! I use this spray pretty much every day to hold my makeup in place for as long as possible. It keeps oil at bay somewhat, although occasionally I do have to go in with a translucent powder to help control my shiny t-zone. I find that when using this spray my makeup doesn't slip or slide at all. It sprays out as a very fine mist so doesn't drown your makeup and it doesn't have a bad aroma - which I have found some of the cheaper setting sprays do have, although I don't find these to be a major con. This one is nice and slim and fits into my handbag or overnight bag with no problems. The bottle is very sleek and hardwearing, although I have found that it almost attracts makeup marks, nothing a quick wipe with a baby wipe wouldn't fix though!

Revlon Colour Stay Foundation in Natural Tan; £12.99

This month I've really been enjoying using this foundation as my everyday base. It very much reminds me of Estee Lauders Double Wear Foundation, but with a much smaller price tag! Its got a lovely creamy consistency and blends like a dream. It covers dark circles and imperfections really easily and I find that it works well for me. This is definitely a full coverage foundation but that doesn't mean its cakey/thick. I've been experimenting with different variations in application and find that you can still get a natural looking finish to your foundation using the..

Real Techniques Stippling Brush; £11.99

This is one of my favourite brushes out of the entire Sam & Nick Chapman Collection! I have previously used this as a finishing brush, to make sure everything is blended in properly and that there are no harsh lines left on show, however, since saving up and finally purchasing my beloved Mac 187, this one had become a little redundant. Until I saw a post about using a stippling brush to apply foundation! I was a little dubious because I'd never used anything to apply foundation other than my fingers and a traditional foundation brush. However using this brush is a dream. I have tried this with every liquid foundation that I own and I cannot fault its capability. It gives a really natural coverage, even when using a full coverage foundation. It helps to blend everything in seamlessly and the brush is super soft. I think I must have gotten some water in the feral last time I washed it and it has caused some shedding, it is no where near as thick as it used to be, but I love this brush so much that I've just ordered two more from the Superdrug website as they have a buy one get one free offer on at the moment! Unfortunately mine is in dire need of a good shampoo, which is what I'll be doing when I've finished this post!

Mac Mineral Skin Finish in Dark; £22.00

Next up I have my favourite powder. I actually use this as a bronzer, as I really like its light and natural texture but I think it has many uses to be honest. I recently had to buy this in dark and add it to my collection of Medium Deep, Medium Dark and Medium Plus as I've recently had my hair coloured a lot darker and its coming up to British summer time, so I have started my tanning properly. This is really easy to build up and blend out to achieve the perfect shade for you, and although it looks scarily dark in the pan its not actually so dark upon application. I have included a swatch on my inner arm, but as you can see (or not) you can't really tell where it is. Perfect for me!

Make Up Academy Powder Blusher in Cupcake £1.00

I've recently been trying to broaden my horizon's when it comes to blusher, but as you may know I'm not one for spending a ton of money on something that a) I'm not sure will suit me and b) I'm not sure I'll even use! Enter Make Up Academy's range of super affordable makeup products. I picked up four of these beauties in different shades, but this is definitely the one I like the most. It reminds me very much of MAC's blusher in melba but is a little more on the pink side than the peach. This has become my go-to blush for most days, its really nicely pigmented without giving me that clown look that is so not in!

Makeup Revolution The One Concealer in Light £3.00

Makeup revolution is fast becoming one of my favourite makeup brands. Its relatively new but has so many fantastic products on offer at super purse friendly prices. This is their 'one' concealer. Its a very nourishing, creamy concealer which I use to disguise my under eye circles. I know that it looks incredibly light in comparison to my skin tone but you must remember two things 1) In the picture of the swatch, the product hasn't been blended out at all, in fact that's about four coats of the concealer and 2) I love a brighter under eye area. It has good staying power and I haven't noticed that it creased on me, even though I had my makeup on for around ten hours. Its an absolute steal at just three pounds and as long as it continues to give me fantastic results I'll definitely be repurchasing!

Soap and Glory One Heck Of A Blot Powder £12.00

This is my new do everything powder. I have been using this as a setting powder, a finishing powder and indeed what it was intended for, a blotting powder! This powder literally just drinks up any shine in my shiny t-zone but doesn't leave any trace of itself or any chalkiness. It comes in a really sleek compact with a powder puff included, at first I didn't think much to the puff but when I gave it a chance I found that it was really good for on the go touch ups! I cannot believe that I didn't find this product sooner, and have already ordered an extra one to keep in my handbag!


So there you have it, those products were my favourites for this month. Have you used any of these products? What were your favourites for this month?

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Makeup Products I Couldnt Live Without

Wow! That's a dramatic title however, the aim of this post is to let you guys know about the products I would hate to have to leave behind. You're only allowed one product for each category e.g. foundation, mascara, lipstick etc. So lets begin..

Primer:
Two guesses for this one! I have so many favourite primers but nothing comes close to my beloved Benefit Porefessional. This primer leaves your skin with the most gorgeous soft feeling skin, helps keep your makeup on for much, much longer and definitely helps me with my oily t-zone

Foundation:
This is so hard! I'm a bit of a foundation junkie and have 17 in my collection now. URGH, here goes. I'd have to pick my  Estée Lauder double wear foundation. I love everything about this foundation. I love the colour match, the wear time, the coverage, I've never had an argument with this particular one and it always does what I want it to.

Concealer:
I would have to pick my Stila Stay All Day Concealer in shade 06. I've picked this one because its super creamy and provides really good coverage. I use this under my eyes to camouflage my natural shadowing and around my nose to cover some of the redness that sometimes appears there.

Setting/Translucent Powder:
There's only one choice for me in this category! It has to be Rimmels Stay Matte Powder. I use this to set my foundation almost everyday and I've been using it since I was about fourteen. I've tried to branch out but something about this powder draws me back in time and time again.

Bronzing Powder:
Although not strictly a bronzing powder, this is the one I use for a bit of colour and contouring. Its the MAC Mineral Skin Finish in Dark - I have recently swapped the medium dark for the dark because as you are probably aware, British summer time is just around the corner and that means I'll be tan, tan, tanning! I love how easily this powder applies with a big fluffy brush & has great staying powder, it hardly every fades which means I hardly ever have to reapply and the compact lasts forever. Winner!

Eyebrow Product:
GAH! This is a hard one too, I usually go through spurts where I will use a certain product for a while and then swap it for a different one. Repeat until you've run the cycle & start again. Which means the only fair thing for me to do would be to pick the one I'm using at the moment. This is the Beauty UK Simply Define Eyebrow Pencil in Dark Brown. Its super easy to apply and even has a little spooly on the lid to help you keep brushing and blending out those brows!

Blusher:
My all time favourite blusher that has been in my makeup collection for years is MAC's Melba. This is a beautiful shade for every day use and suits almost every skin tone. Its a clear winner and I have repurchased this again and again!

Eyeliner:
As I've recently had a bit of a fall out with liquid eyeliner I've opted for my favourite eyeliner pencil. This is Illamasqua's colouring pencil in Black. Its a super sleek, easy to use and blend basic black pencil. It doesn't drag the skin during application and my super sensitive eyes have never had a reaction to it (fingers crossed!!).

Mascara:
Mascara and false eyelashes are my weakness and I have quite a penchant for hoarding them so picking just one is definitely a toughy! So I'll go with the one that I've repurchased again and again, Maybelline's Volume Express Colossal Smokey Eyes Mascara. This is a really buildable mascara and I've always found that it holds a curl well.

Eyeshadow:
As you may already know, I'm not a massive eyeshadow user. So if I had to I'd pick MACS single eyeshadow pot in Nylon. I use this to highlight the inner corner of my eyes and also my brow bone. Surely by now you know I love a multiple use product!

Lipstick:
My all time favourite and everyday lipstick choice is MAC's Myth. I cannot get over how versatile this lip colour is, it has worked for every single look I've ever created. I'm a big fan of playing down the lips and letting the eyes rule the show as I prefer my eyes over my lips. Its so creamy feeling and last for ages without a top up, especially if you use Lipcote over the top!

Lipgloss:
My favourite ever lipgloss was unfortunately a limited edition. Which sucks! It was the Lancôme Juicy Tube and I cant even tell you what shade it was as the information rubbed off the back! It was the most beautiful candy floss coloured gloss with plenty of glitter in it. Unfortuantly I've never found anything like it! I did settle for the juicy tube in lychee but it just hasn't really done anything for me. BOO!

Nail Polish:
Even though I'm usually Mrs Boring, this is probably the only area where I crave a little colour. My favourite ever nail colour is OPI's You're Such A Budapest. Its the most delightful purple/blue. Its perfect for spring and I get so, so many compliments whenever I wear this shade. I've recently had to buy my third bottle of this as I'm using so much of it!

Tan:
This one was a really easy category for me, I used to be fake tan junkie but recently I've toned it down a lot. Instead I've been using Palmers Natural Bronze Tanning Moisturiser instead. This gives a buildable, natural looking tan and doesn't dry your skin out or cling to your already dry bits like other fake tan products do. Whenever boots has their 3 for 2 offer on I always stock up on this! I use it everyday after my bath/shower in the morning. The moisturiser sinks in very quickly and after a few hours you can see a lovely tan coming through. It wears fairly well and I don't often have to scrub it off (only if I've gone a little over board and get the inevitable patchiness around the hand/wrist area). As with all Palmers products, it smells incredible and people always comment on the scent.

So that's about it, all those above are my 'desert island' makeup products. Although, if I was alone on a desert island I'm not at all sure I would need all of those!

What are your 'cannot live without' products? Let me know!


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