Primers

Primers are applied as the first step in make up application. They act to smooth out and create an even skintone ready for foundation application. In the summer I find one to be helpful in ensuring foundation stays in place whilst the whether is hot and humid. When using a primer, foundation applies smoothly and has a very even finish. But could I live without it? yes. For me there are more essential items in my make up collection than primers, but I do of course like to try them out. So here is my ratings...

BareMinerals Primetime

My Rating: 8/10

Price: £21.00 for 30ml

The first primer I ever tried was the BareMinerals Primer. I loved it, and still love it to this day. A thin layer leave your skin silky smooth and even. It fills in pores and dosnt feel heavy ir greasy. It nourishes the skin with plant extracts, antioxidants, and Vitamin E.

 The Illamasaqua Hydra Veil

My Rating: 2/10

Price- £30.00 for 30mls

This got so many great reviews that when I recieved 2 small samples I was excited to try it out and see what all the fuss is about. Ill get straight to the point... its horrible. I just dont see the hype at all. It came out of the tube in a weird gloopy blob (the consisntancy was so strange that I actually opened and tried the second tube just to see if the first was a faulty one) Imagine a product that gently glides onto your skin- now imagine the opposite...thats how this product aplies!! It left my skin feely tacky and slightly slicky feeling- not in the least bit soft or even. I don't often throw testers away- I usually like to give them the benefit of the doubt and see if they grow on me, but after 3 tries this one went straight into the bin!

The benefit porefessional

My Rating 8/10

Price: £24.50 for 22mls

This one I like, I only have a tester size tube that came in one of my beauty boxes. It is slightly tinted (which is neither here nor there for a primer in my opinion as a foundation will be applied over the top) It applies smoothly, and does what a primer should- it primes, it evens skin tone and as the tube suggests  it fills those nasty little pores.

Smashbox Photo Finish

My Rating: 9/10

Price: £30.00 for 30ml

This has got to be the cult favourite primer on the market, everyone raves about this primer. I am surprised at myself for leaving it so long before trying it out. I can see why this is a much loved by everyone kind of product. its ticks all the primer boxes for me

The Revlon Colourstay Primer

My rating: 5/10

Price: £11.99 for 27ml

This one is more of a cream in my opinion, and I dont want to blame this product but the era I was wearing this was when my skin was having a break-out disaster. It may have been many other factors causing my skin to give me hell, but I just dont want to take the risk- so little lonely primer has been sitting patiently in my drawer waiting for me to be brave enough one day to  give it another try.

False Nails... Acylics, Calgel and Shellac!

Acrylic Nails

Cost- Approx £25 for a full set, £15 for infills (prices vary from salon to salon)

Maintainance- Infills approx every 3 weeks. 

Pros- Strong, long lasting, dont chip or lift 

Cons- Very damaging to the natural nail, natural nail cannot breath through the acrylic, difficult to remove

For many years I had acrylic nail extensions- and although they are very hard wearing and only need infilling about once every month, they quite literally destroy your nails. Now I wont name and shame the salon I used to attend, but on many occasions they actually drew blood by their filing methods and once even drilled through my nail bed with the electric file!! Thinking back I must have been crazy to return time after time. After about 5 years of acrylics, I had them removed and underneath all I was left with were my poor, weak, broken little stumps of what I could hardly even call nails at all. 

Calgel

Cost- Varys from salon to salon. I paid £25 for a full set of overlays, extensions cost more.

Pros- Much kinder to natural nails, allow natural nails to grow underneath, come in many pretty colours and shades

Cons- For me infills on a very regular basis (but I will add that my nails dont tend to hold products such as this very well) friends of mine have managed to keep Calgel nails on for weeks without any chipping or lifting at all. 

After the deadly acrylics my nails were then in need of some TLC and a product a little more loving towards them. I had read alot about Calgel and how the product is much kinder to your nails, allowing them to breath and encouraging growth. I started out with a set of Calgel extensions, and then after a couple of months found my nails had grown long enough to just have the Calgel overlays on my natural nail. This product was a savior for my nails- finally somthing that didnt seem to damage them too much.  My only problem with them was that they didnt seem to last as long as I had been used to, and I was spending a fortune with having them either infilled or totally re-done every 2 weeks to maintain a non chipped manicured look (on occasions even sooner than that). They were great- but becoming costly... so I moved onto Shellac.

Shellac

Cost (salon)- approx £22 for a full set

Cost (Home)- CND (the brand used by the professionals) is approx £12 a bottle on Ebay. Bluesky (a cheaper alternative) is £5.00 a bottle. Although bluesky is a cheaper alternative- I have tried both and have been extremely impressed with the results of the Bluesky products and have continued to use this brand over the last 2 years. 
Pros- long wearing, strong, easy to DIY, so many colours to choose from, very cost effective when done at home.
Cons- ... ill let you know when I find any! 

I discovered Shellac after trying out a Groupon offer. I would describe shellac as being a cross between a Gel and a nail polish and comes in more colours than you could imagine...even heat sensitive colour changing shellac is now available! It is applied in the same way as a polish (with a primer frist and a top coat to finish) and in between each layer the nail is placed under a UV lamp and cured- meaning the results are long lasting and much more hard wearing than a normal polish. I was really impressed with the results and was surprised that they lasted a good 3 weeks without any chipping or lifting. 

I decided the whole process looked easy enough to take on myself- so I got myself a Shellac kit off Ebay. It wasnt the most expensive kit on the market, (approx £60-£70, and this included the lamp, top coat, base coat, files, soak off, wipes and 5 colours) I have had the kit over 2 years now and it has worked wonders. I actually enjoy soaking them off and re-doing a fresh set about once a week- 10days, but they would last longer if I chose to keep them on. On my toes they easily last 4 weeks without chipping. Its the ease of the shellac that I am so impressed with- If you can paint your own nails- you can do your own shellac!! and I guarentee it wil work out cheaper in the longrun!!

The Power of Powder

My very first memory of make up was in my very early teens, I used to plaster my face in  that 99p powder from Bodycare that everyone at school had (in a shade 5 times too light for my face) and then I would slick on some white cream eyeshadow with a bit of clear mascara and I was ready to roll. I literally cringe at this memory... but at the time I thought I looked just fab!! I like to think over the years my experience with trying out a range of powders has lead me to a slightly more natural look than the one I started out with. So here are some mini reviews on some of the powders in my collection today. Some of these are powder foundations and some are just compact powders. I rarely use a powder alone as a foundation- so my reviews are based on all of these being used as finishing powders over the top of a liquid foundation.

Mac Mineralize Skinfinish Natural

My Rating: 9/10

Price:  £22.00

£22.00

I have two favourites at the moment, I'll start with the mac Mineralize Skinfinish Natural. This is such a lovely powder- it is so natural, blends well, and leaves a smooth and flawless finish. It ticks that all important box of being non cakey! There is nothing worse that a cakey powder as we all know (that 99p bodycare powder from my youth creeps into my mind again) Its also not too matte, and contains minerals meaning this claims to actually be good for your skin too. Always a bonus. I have found it good to use if I'm having a breakout crisis- it doesn't irritate the breakout at all . This is one I will be repurchasing for a long time (I have had my current one for over a year, I don't use it daily but it gets a lot of use and has lasted extremely well)

Illamasqua Powder Foundation

My Rating: 8.5/10

Price: £26.00

RRP- £26.00

My second favourite of the moment is the Illamasqua powder foundation. As much as I love this product I feel I have to mention that getting to product to me in one piece via the post was more than a mission and a half. The first 3 they sent me were totally broken- I opened the packages to a huge dust cloud of powder falling everywhere. ...Three attempts and a refund later I ended up with one that was in a usable condition (yet still not perfect). So now I have that little moan out of my system I can get into the actual product. This is a full coverage powder foundation (although I personally use it over the top of a foundation but it could be worn alone for those who like a more subtle and natural look). I would say this would be good for those of you with a more oily complexion, but suits my combination skin perfectly too.

Loreal True Match 'The Powder'

My Rating: 7.5/10

Price: £8.19

I really like this powder and its much more affordable than my other 2 favourites. I would say this is a fairly light coverage powder- but its perfect for setting foundations and has that all important non-cakey factor too. The packaging lets this one down a little for me. It has 2 openings- the top one with the powder and a bottom compartment with a little mirror and the applicator (which I never use anyway) It seems they have tried to do something a little different with this design, which in my opinion just hasn't really worked. Keep the mirror in the lid I say- nice and simple. Overall a good powder for the price- it blends nice and evenly as it claims and has a super soft texture.

Korres Wild Rose Compact Powder

My Rating: 5/10

Price: £21.00

£21.00

Next is one I was a little disappointed with. The Korres Wild Rose compact powder. I just loved the sound of this- wild rose was the word that sold it for me.  (if only I had looked past the lovely name and into the product a little more before I purchased it) It claims to help repair fine lines and even the skin-tone. Don't get me wrong this product isn't an awful product- but for the price I feel I can get much better.  In all honestly I don't feel like the application is very smooth and for me it didn't live up to its claim to even out the skin tone. I also feel the packaging is pretty bulky and unappealing.

Revlon Colourstay Pressed Powder

My Rating: 7/10

Price: £10.99

 Ill be honest and say I only really use it to set my Revlon Colourstay foundation so my review on this one is a little limited perhaps. But combined with the foundation it has worked wonders for me- its a great one for my long shifts at work, it claims to last 16 hours- I cant vouch for that, but after my 12 hour shift it seems to have stayed put and still look pretty flawless. For the price this is an excellent buy.

Bare Escentuals (Bareminerals) Mineral Veil

My Rating: 8/10

Price: £20.00

I had forgotten I had this little gem until last week when I found her hiding amongst my blushers. It used to be my 'go to' setting powder years ago before my interest in make up expanded. Its a loose powder so has that disadvantage of being a little messy. Its only available in 4 shades I believe- but they are pretty adaptable and blend nicely. It is free from parabens, does a great job of absorbing excess oil and it has a sheer, glowing, luminous finish. Its made its way back into my top make up drawer now- I'm glad I re-discovered her!





Links to where you can purchase these if you would like to try them out.... let me know what you think!!

Mac Mineralize Skinfinish Natural
http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk/product/shaded/159/1343/Products/Face/Powder/Mineralize-Skinfinish-Natural/index.tmpl

Illamasqua Powder Foundation
http://www.illamasqua.com/shop/products/face-and-body/foundations/pf-200-powder-foundation

Loreal True Match Powder
http://www.loreal-paris.co.uk/make-up/true-match.aspx

Korres Wild Rose Powder
http://www.korres.com/default.aspx?page_id=250

Revlon Colourstay Powder
http://www.revlon.co.uk/Revlon-Home/Products/Face/Powder/ColorStay-Pressed-Powder.aspx

Bareminerals Mineral Veil
http://www.bareminerals.co.uk/Finishing-Powder/BM_SUB_FINISHING_POWDER,default,sc.html

Top 10 Perfumes

Perfumes are one of my weaknesses- I just love getting a new scent!! Over the years have tried many perfumes out, and had many favorites that have flitted in and out of my collection. I have perfumes I sway towards during the colder winter months and then a selection I use most during the warmer summer months. In view of this I decided to just jump right in with the ones I love- in no specific order- and hope this post may be of some help for those looking into getting a new scent. 

Chanel Chance

Chanel chance is an extremely popular scent and has been up there with my favourites for many years. It is one of the more pricey perfumes on the market at £95.00 for a 100ml bottle- but a little goes a long long way and the bottle will last a very long time. It has incredible staying power (the best I have ever come across) and always gets positive comments! The only negative about this is that it can be a little overpowering if too much is applied- one or two sprays is by far enough if you don't want to choke everyone in a one mile radius. A very feminine and romantic scent with vanilla, jasmine and iris- this is certainly one for the evening rather than the day (there are however other lighter variations of this scent more appropriate for daytime use). 

 £95.00 for 100ml or £66.50 for 50mls

Miss Dior

Miss Dior is another wonderful evening scent with very good lasting power. For me, on any special occasion its always a toss up between this or Chanel chance- as I know its guaranteed to get compliments and wont need re-application. It is sensual and intense and combines fresh fruity notes with patchouli and an elegant musk. 

£92.50 for 100mls or £65.50 for 50mls

YSL Paris Premieres Roses

I am just so in love with this perfume its unreal. I came across it by accident last year when purchasing a YSL lippie, the lady behind the counter talked me into purchasing a 125ml bottle for the introductory price of just £30. I jumped at the offer without even testing it (knowing I always love the YSL scents) and when I got it home and tried it out I knew I had discovered a scent that I would love forever! Its a very floral summery scent, light, crisp, fresh.. and as the name gives away- smells of roses! I was a little gutted when I couldn't find it in my local shops this year- but have managed to find it online so I'm hoping its not one that has been discontinued! (if anyone knows please drop me a comment as this is a truly lovely perfume). The lasting power of this is just about average- its a daytime fragrance that will need reapplying throughout the day.

Introductory price was £30 for 120mls.
Prices online vary. 

Gucci Flora 

This is a daytime scent that I would happily wear everyday of the warmer months. I discovered this when a colleague of mine was wearing it at work- I loved it that much I got myself a bottle that same day on the way home- and 3 bottles later I still adore it. Another floral fragrance with good staying power- with scents rose mandarin and sandalwood. 

£64.50 for 50mls

Dior Addict

This is one of my newer perfumes- and I have been very impressed with it (another one that gets quite a few compliments) It is very versatile and can be worn daytime or evening. A very aromatic scent that combines sweet vanilla with woody notes and stays on forever and a day. I love the packaging too- I know its nothing dramatic but its elegant and sophisticated. 

£93.00 for 100mls

Chanel No5

Chanel number 5... this is one that speaks for itself. The perfume of all perfumes, a real must have for any collection. An old fashioned scent that will never go out of fashion. And the beautiful Marilyn Monroe herself was a lover of this legendary fragrance. I wear this usually in the winter months as its very strong, woody musky scent. My nan loved this, my mum loves it- and I too love it. Not one for everyday use so the bottle will last forever. (well almost)

£94.50 f0r 100mls or £66.50 for 50ml

Lancome Tresor Midnight Rose

This perfume is seriously sexy, sweet and sensuous- with notes of raspberry and vanilla. I feel this can be worn as either a daytime or evening fragrance- but I usually sway towards wearing it in the day. I love the bottle too- its mysterious and looks fab on display with the little purple rose on the lid. 

£52.50 for 50mls

Paco Rabanne Lady Million 

Another newer one to my collection that I'm currently loving. This one is currently extremely popular and is up there at women's number 1 fave fragrance at the perfume shop. A very glamorous scent with notes of jasmine, neroli, honey and bitter orange. More of an evening scent in my opinion but wouldn't be too overpowering if chosen to wear during the day. 

£50.50 for 50mls

Prada Candy 

This is an oriental sweet scent that is wonderful for the spring and summer month. Its fresh and light and smells so feminine. I was a little apprehensive that with a name like 'candy' it may be a little too sickeningly sweet (and I'm not a fan of very sweet scents) but I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't the 'candy' smell I had anticipated (phew..!) 

£76.50 for 80mls or £57.50 for 50mls

Armani City Glam

Although this last fragrance was discontinued years ago, it was my very favourite for many years so I felt I had to keep it up here with the favourites list. I'll admit I was so very gutted when not only was it discontinued but became near impossible to get hold of, even after much time spend scouring the internet. It always get me how the best scents (in my opinion) get discontinued so quickly. So far I haven't found anything similar to replace it. 

Discontinued 

For The Lip Balm Lovers

Lip balms- we just love'em don't we. If you are anything like me, you will have a little stash of balms next to your bed ready to pop on before you go to sleep and work its wonders during the night. Nobody likes  to wake up with dry chapped lips! There are so many balms out there on the market its hard to know where to begin. The price of balms vary but are usually fairly cheap in comparison to other cosmetic items. Here are a few in my collection that I would like to share with you. 

Melvita Apicosma Lipbalm (£7.00

Ill start with one of my favourites- the Melvita Apicosmar Repairing Lip balm. This 100% natural organic lip balm contains loads of wonderful plant oils and protective butters. I got this balm about a year ago in one of my beauty boxes and although I don't use it every night- it has lasted ages!  Its so moisturising and nourishing without being sticky at all. Certainly worth the £7.00 price tag. 




I love all of the Palmers cocoa butter products so needless to say I am also a big fan of their cocoa butter original lip balm. This product ticks every box for me- its moisturising, non sticky, lasts ages, leaves the lips smooth and soft and at only £1.85 its a must must must have. With its high vitamin E content SPF 15 you just cant go wrong... and it smells divine!!

RRP £4.99

This Figs and Rouge 'multi tasking' lip balm (£4.99) is another 100% natural, 100% organic product, and unlike the other balms so far- this one also gives your lips a hint of colour too. As much as I love the pretty floral packaging and cherry blossom scent, this lip balm just isn't for me- I feel its more of a lip gloss than a balm and is a little on the sticky side. I have seen other Figs and Rouge balms advertised in their pretty little tins- and they are next on my lip balm list for sure.






Next up is a newbee that I I only got a week or so ago. Its the Jasons Lips Bee Healthier aloe and beeswax lip balm. I love this stuff- its 70% organic and contains Shea butter, aloe Vera, vitamin E and green tea extracts and peppermint oil. It leaves the lips with a very slight fresh tingle. This only costs a mere £2.50 (approx) and I highly recommend it.

RRP £2.50

Nivea Lipbutter in Rasberry Rose (Approx £2.50)

The Nivia lip butter in Raspberry Rose (approx £2.50) is so creamy and tastes wonderful (on the lips of course, I don't recommend having an intentional nibble) This is another product I have loved wearing and one of those that stays put without any stickiness. This is just feel so luxurious on the lips- you have to try it to believe it. I also tried another flavor (vanilla If I remember correctly) but came back to the faithful raspberry rose.

Lypsyl Cherry blossom (Aprox £2.00)

Lypsyl Cherry blossom lipbalm (Approx £2.00) is wonderfully moisturising and is another that tastes yummy too. The only downside to this one is that I feel I have to press it onto my lips quite hard to get a proper even application- but once its on, its on- and it lasts. It has a very sheer red tint too. 







The Burts Bees Guava Lipshimmer is also one to mention. It is a cross between a balm and a lip shimmer. It gives the lips a lovely  sheen and its minty fresh, giving them that wonderful plumping tingle. I feel  the one I have (the pink) it is a little too pale and shimmery to wear alone- but I apply a thin coat over whichever lipbalm I have chosen. It contains anti-oxidant rich fruit oils too... always a bonus!  

I will finish off with a product I have been a little disappointed with. Perhaps it is due to all of the hyper surrounding the EOS lip-balms that when mine arrived, I excitedly tried it on.. and it just didn't 'wow' me like I had expected. after hearing review after review about how miraculous these little egg shaped balms are- I just expected more from it. I can see the appeal, the packaging is super cute and the application method is different and quirky- setting it apart from other balms, but for me it just hasn't lived up to the hype. I have the honeysuckle dew in the green packaging. Once applied I feel the balm just sits on top of my lips rather than really 'soaking in' to them and working wonders. I like to apply a balm at night, and most of them work their little moisturing missions during sleeping hours, leaving my lips soft and supply by morning- the EOS however tends not to last at all- it makes little difference. I wanted to love this balm I really did- but its just not for me. 

Rituals miracle hand balm

One of my very first posts was about the amazing Ginko's Secret hand balm from Rituals... and its still right up there at the top of my hand products list, it just cant be beaten!! Rituals have introduced another 2 additions to the range- Miracle Balm (£10.00 for 75mls) and Happy Hands (£8.50 for 75mls). After testing them both out in the shop, I decided to try out the Miracle Balm- I was told it was alot richer and thicker than my beloved Ginkos secret (which now has new packaging). It is specially formulated to sooth dry, rough hands and smells wonderfully of white lotus and Ginkgo Biloba.

Miracle Balm (pink), Ginkgo's secret (Green), Happy hands (orange)

So for my review...

This product does do wanders for very dry hands, but for me its a little too thick to use during the day. It is absolutely perfect to massage into the hands just before bed, allowing them to really benefit from the balm overnight. The smell is divine- it really does have such a wonderful fresh smell that lasts on the hands for ages too. I shall be sticking to Ginkgo's secret for my every day hand cream and saving this for the evening or when my hands are in need of some extra TLC. If anyone has tried Happy hands I would love to hear your reviews.

The Naked 2 Pallete by Urban Decay

The Naked 2 palette is a very popular and much talked about palette from Urban Decay. Being the owner of the original Naked palette, I debated with myself weather the £37.00 would be a justified spend. Luckily enough my internal debate didn't last very long, as my darling other half bought it me as a Christmas present. 

I have been very impressed with this palette and I have to admit, since getting this, the original Naked palette has been a little abandoned to say the least. As most of you know, I'm a palette gal'- I love them, I literally cant get enough palettes in my life. I love the convenience of having everything in one place, and being able to pop them into your bag to touch up on the go.

So, for the swatches....

Foxy: A lovely nude beige with yellow undertones. Its very sheer and could be used as a brow highlight.

Half baked: A gorgeous frosty golden bronze. This colour is also in the original naked palette which I was a little disappointed about.

Bootycall: A very pale, shimmery frosted white colour.

 Chopper is a very glittery metallic rose gold colour.



Tease: A very matte dirty taupe colour with some deep purple undertones. I only ever use this in the crease.

 Snakebite: A very deep bronzed brown colour. Well pigmented and blends nicely. 

 Suspect: a metallic champagne colour. I need to remind myself to use this colour more as its very pretty.

Pistol is a deep metallic grey. Not one of my most used but its a fabulous colour.

Verve:  A very light metallic pale grey with a hint of lilac undertones. I adore this one- its so sexy and makes those eyes just pop!

 YDK: A metallic taupe with coppery flecks. I use this one all the time after seeing a tutorial I just loved, it works so well with all the other colours in this palette.

 Busted: A deep burgundy. Not my very favourite but a nice addition to the palette.
  
 Blackout:  A very pigmented  matte jet black. It Blends impressively. I love this smudged into my lower lash line, mixed in with a bit of Busted.


 The palette comes with a two ended brush and a lip-gloss. I would have much preferred the Urban Decay eye primer (that comes with the original palette) than this very small lip-gloss. It seemed a little random to me- the palette is an eye palette after all.

Overall I'm very very pleased with my (or my partners should I say) purchase. Its well worth the money. I have so many eye-shadows and palettes, yet I always find myself grabbing this one first.