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!!