Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation

Foundation has always been a staple part of my make up bag.... Never being one to be brave enough for tinted moisturiser I have worn foundation for as long as I can remember (Probably my first year in Comprehensive School)
As a teenager I was prone to pimples and breakouts but never suffered from acne as such. Covering my pimples however was important to me, so I use to pick up the cheapest available foundation from my local Tesco and plaster my face... I'm sure half the time I was bright orange, but I was young... We've all got to learn somewhere. :-)
On the plus side... I'm not still committing this terrible crime against make up!
It took me a while, and a number of foundation brands to find one and stick to it and while I try various others I always end up going back to my favourite Mac Studio Fix powder applied on top of either Studio Fix fluid or Illamasqua Skin Base. I find these work best for me, as I do like a full coverage and a matte finish. I am far more open to changing my liquid foundation but I will ALWAYS apply my Studio Fix powder on top... It's served me well these last 10 years.

So .... Double Wear.
I recently got colour matched by Estée Lauder while out shopping in Debenhams with my Mum, who was picking up a new foundation from there herself (When In Rome as they say :-)
I was matched as 04-Pebble and rather than removing all my make up Estée Lauder give a great sample size of foundation for you to try - about 7 days worth, which is great because it can be different in application at home compared with someone doing it in store.
Now I have certain... ummm.... misconceptions of the Estée Lauder brand. To me the brand itself appeals to 40+ ladies, and that's the way the marketing and packaging is aimed. This to me has always put me off the brand and I have steered away from purchasing any product for myself.
I think I have made one previous Estée purchase which was a glittery fruit flavoured lipgloss a range which is now discontinued (which again suggests I am not target audience for this brand)

I digress.... Back to Double Wear itself...

The sample was great for me, it meant I got to try a product which I wouldn't normally purchase at home... And I was impressed.
The foundation is lighter in its consistency than the Studio Fix liquid that I usually wear, but coverage is medium and is build-able for a fuller coverage without looking cakey.
I applied a primer first which always helps your foundation stay put, but this did not move off my skin all day, I am prone to an oily T Zone and again this was not affected.
I am writing this after having worn the product for 11 hours and I am sure it will last a good few more without budging at all.

Estée Lauder Double Wear retails for £27.50 for 30ml which is a little pricey but a little does go a long way.
It's available in a mountain of different shades and also comes in a light variation for the someone who prefers a lighter coverage.
I would recommend that if you've not tried this foundation and it does appeal to you that you head to your local counter and get colour matched, you may be surprised by how much you like it.
Without the little sample I was given, I probably wouldn't have considered this foundation mainly due to the Estée brand not being overly appealing to me - my Mum however loves it, swears by it even which supports my earlier comment regarding the target audience.

Would I purchase? Ummm I'm not sure.
Yes it didn't budge, yes the coverage was good but I'm still not 100% convinced it is worth the extra compared to my usual foundation - If Debenhams ever promote to 20% off again or once I gain enough beauty club rewards then yes I would be tempted.
I am aware that this is quite a cult product and some people swear by it. I am also aware I am a little late in trying this out but I am just not entirely sure it's the right product for me.... But I would definitely say grab a sample!

Rhian Xx

Jessica Nails Spring 2013 Collection - It's A Girl Thing

The latest Jessica nail polish collection has been released and I was keen to see what it had in store.
Jessica is fast becoming one of my favourite nail polish brands so adding to my collection is always a pleasure.

The "It's A Girl Thing" collection has been named after members of Jessica's family.

It was a tough choice, there were 6 shades to choose from. From bright red to bubblegum pink and silver.
However I plumped for Ava - New Kid In Town. A delicious pastel purple shade with a blue undertone and ever so slight sparkle.
The coverage is great and the subtle sparkle adds to the shine.
I can see this becoming one of my favourite summer shades....

I definitely think I made the right choice for me but I could have easily plumped for the bubblegum pink shade - Amira / Smitten Kitten or the blue - Sophia / True Blue.

Maybelline - the ROCKET mascara

I love trying new mascara's and I'm sure Maybelline bring at least 4 out each year.... The glossy press and tv ads always make each mascara look AMAZING! But for some reason I didn't get very excited about the launch of the latest Maybelline release - the ROCKET VOLUM' EXPRESS.
Normally my attitude would be "oooo I'll try that" but on this occasion I wasn't fussed. However I used my Lancôme Hypnose Drama mascara on Saturday and its nearly close to running out so while out shopping I picked up the mascara, which was on offer for £6 in my local Asda.
I first used the mascara on Monday before going to work and I must say I was very impressed! More than was anticipated in all honesty.
The mascara has a "Jet Glide Brush"to create "massive volume in rocket time" which is also clump free (every girls favourite feature) and they aren't wrong. One stroke of this brush and you get great all over coverage on your lashes. Normally I would go back for a second coat but with this it isn't essential. The shape of the brush isn't great for the smaller lashes as there are no bristles on the end of the brush but it does a good enough job, and you can easily get at them if you are careful not to poke yourself in the eye.

Overall the product is great, and definitely gives my lashes volume and there are no clumps in sight. It also does a great job of separating the lashes and it does not flake off at all after prolonged wear.
Well worth the £6 I paid for it... And it is also available in waterproof.

Excuse the pics... I took them at 7pm and have not reapplied my make up all day. It's been on 12 hours!

Rhian Xx

My First Red Lipstick

This is a strange blog post, I'm not necessarily gonna review the product I bought but I am going to explain the story behind my purchase.
If you have ever read my blog post about the Clinique Chubby Stick range, you will know that I am not, or should I say have previously never been a fan of colour on my lips. Anything that draws attention to my lips has been a no go! Until now.....

My relationship with my lips is a strange one. Growing up, various terms were used to describe them by others ( you can imagine what they were ) which in turn made me fall out of love with them and be paranoid about drawing any sort of attention to them.
I first for in to make up heavily when I had my first job, spending money on a monthly basis on Dior and Benefit ranges but as experimental as I am with eye make up my lips would always have to be nude. I remember the lady in Dior, always requesting to put colour on my lips and I always declined. Still living in the fear of being called various names!
Now 10 years on, and many nude lipsticks and lip glosses later I have bought my first red lipstick.
Now to some people this may not seem a big deal... But to me it is.
Over the last few months, I have played about with a couple of lip stains and lip glosses and been a little bolder with colour but not anywhere near RED! My lovely friend Sheenie has been trying to convince me for ages that red will look great on me, but that strange paranoia has always still played in the back of my mind.

Yesterday was the day I took the plunge!
Debenhams were having one of their 10% off events and with Beauty Club points burning a hole in my pocket, I decided to take the opportunity to make my purchase. Plus, even better timing was my favourite make up artist Charlotte was in work so I headed to the Illamasqua counter.... Even Charlotte was shocked to hear my revelation that I wanted to try red on my lips ( again Charlotte is someone who has tried numerous times to convince me to try a little more colour on my lips )

I sat down and waited for Charlotte to apply the lipstick which was a matte raspberry shade named Salacious. When the reveal finally came, I was shocked and not as I normally am but shocked in a good way. I LOVED it. I promptly paid for my new lipstick and wore it the rest of the day, even reapplying.

Now here's the strange thing. Not only did I love the shade of the lipstick but I felt confident wearing it, almost like you would when power dressing for work or just after a fab haircut. I was almost empowered. I didn't mind people looking, in a way it made me feel sexy (it sounds strange but it really did) The feedback I've had since wearing it and showing some of my lovely twitter followers has made me feel great. I'm glad they like it.

I'm not saying I'm going to be wearing it to work, not just yet anyway... But I will be wearing it when I go out.

So thanks Illamasqua for helping me find my perfect first red lipstick and thanks to Charlotte for helping me out with the selection.

And a special thanks to Sheenie for nagging me long enough and convincing me that red would look great on me.

Rhian Xx
:o)

Loreal Colour Riche Nail Polish - Femme Fatale

I had a stressful afternoon in Boots in the wake of the first Welsh 6 nations match of 2013.
I needed to find the perfect red nail varnish for the event ahead. ( I am aware that this does not sound overly patriotic, but red nails and a red scarf are about as close to a Welsh rugby shirt as I get )
There was an abundance of red polish to select from... But I needed the right one!
I wasn't particularly fussed about brand or price so I showered every unit in sight... Some were too dark some to orange, some too pink! Finding a red polish was proving harder to achieve than I first anticipated.

I approached the Loreal stand, and saw their vast selection of shaded in the Colour Riche section.... Delicious shades in both matte and pearlescent finishes and a wide selection of classic shades as well as fruity pastels. This was where I found my perfect red.

Femme Fatale - A bold pillar box red, perfect! I was also quite found of the name :-)

The Colour Riche polishes state they have an inbuilt top coat, so I applied my base coat and pressed forward with the Femme Fatale polish.

The application itself wasn't the smoothest for me, not because of the initial coverage but because as great as a wide brush is to reduce mishaps and lines in the polish, it is tricky to get the edges right. On the smaller nails the brush was too large, and resulted in a little overspill. Something which rarely happens to me.
The polish itself glided on without fuss, I applied two coats and the coverage was good and even. My only criticism would be that it maybe needed three coats as in the light the tips of my nails could be seen slightly under the polish.
The staying power tho is great! I had the polish on for 7 days with hardly any damage or chips at all and the high shine finish also meant that Loreal were right! No topcoat needed!! My nails stayed glossy and it was a lovely finish.

Colour Riche polish retails for around £5.

Have you tried any? What are your thoughts?

Rhian Xx

Winged Eyeliner with added Gems!

I recently recreated a look which I flashed passed an image of on the Illamasqua Facebook page.
A winged eyeliner look, but with tiny black gems applied.

Products I used were;
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Illamasqua Blink eyeshadow (From the Empower pallet) Matte nude
Mac Embark eyeshadow. Matte reddish brown.
Bobbi Brown Gel Liner - Black
Lancôme Artliner - Black
Lancôme Hypnose Drama Mascara - Black.

See my how to guide below;

• Apply eye primer to lid
• Use all over neutral shade to create a base.
• Apply a brown eyeshadow to the crease and up toward the brow to contour the eye and create depth.
• Apply the gel liner to upper and lower lash line. Creating a bold winged look at the corner of your eye. (I also applied liquid liner on top to give a wet look but this is not necessary)
• Apply gel liner to water line on both upper and lower lid to ensure no gaps can be seen and intensify the look.
• Apply mascara to lashes.
• Apply false lashes if desired.
• Apply a small amount of lash glue to the eye lid just enough so the lid is tacky. (I used the Illamasqua lash glue as it dried clear)
• Using the back of an orange stick (used for your cuticles) select the gem and place strategically on eye lid. Depending how much liner you used will depend on how many gems you can fit.

Done!!
Have fun recreating!

Rhian Xx

Revlon Photo Ready Collection

I came across this range while looking for a new face primer in Boots. And this was the primer that caught my eye. Noticing that all Revlon products were 3 for 2 it would have been rude not to treat myself to a few other pieces.
The three products I selected were;
Primer
Mousse Foundation
Cream Blusher

I have tried one item from the collection before and that was the mascara. You can read the review here:

I will talk you through the products one by one.

Primer
I have tried a number of different primers over the years, all promising to minimise pores and prolong the wear of foundation.
Minimising pores is a big thing for me as I do suffer on the apples of my cheeks, and previously I've found the Benefit Porefessional works very well for concealing this but at £25 for a ml tube it's quite pricey.
I had high hopes for this primer... and was not disappointed.
The appearance of pores was reduced which improved my overall complexion and also it improved redness in areas too.
Did my foundation last longer? Yes! And it kept my skin matte all day.
I suffer with combination skin, and occasionally find that foundation can slide off in places throughout the day (I do not reapply make up through the day) but this primer holds it all in place, making the need to touch up redundant.
I was even asked by my Mum and ) o'clock one evening if I had been home to reapply!
The primer is half the price of the benefit one, but the consistency is different so a little more is needed.
The Revlon primer retails for £11.99
If you are a foundation primer virgin it is definitely something I would recommend, but this product can be worn alone too and will improve the appearance of your face plus leaving if soft and matte.

Mousse Foundation
I am so fussy when it comes to foundation! Rarely straying away from Mac's Studio Fix and Illamasqua's Skin Base, but in previous years I have occasionally used the Revlon Colourstay foundation and found it a great alternative. This prompted me to experiment with the Photo Ready Airbrush Mousse foundation.
The foundation comes in a can, and The only mousse foundation I've used previously is Maybelline but this texture is lighter, and not as mattifying on the skin.
The consistency is hard I describe - I guess it's sort of like hair mousse when you've not shaken the bottle enough. ;-)
A little does go a long way with this and you will be surprised with how little you need. The coverage is medium but is buildable without looking cakey.
Best to apply with your fingers too! I didn't even attempt to apply this one with my brush.
The finish is nice, looks very natural and feels light on the skin.
However this foundation is not for me, it doesn't give me the coverage I would feel comfortable with on an evening out but is suitable for the day time ( that's just my preference) As for the "airbrush" claim, I'm not 100% sure but it's worth purchasing if you like a natural look. U
The foundation retails for £12.99

Cream Blush
Ah, blusher - one item you should always keep in your make up bag. How any one goes without is a mystery to me. It's the perfect pick me up!!
I am normally a fan of a powder blusher and for staying power on a night out of a long day I use a tint, but this was the free item in my 3 for 2 promotion so thought I would give it a shot.
The blusher comes in 3 shades

Flushed - pink
Pinched - natural slightly coral tone
Coral Reef - coral (obviously)

I opted for Flushed but could have easily chosen Coral Reef. Pinched is slightly too light for me, but for anyone not use to blusher or who likes a ultra natural look its subtle and really pretty.

The texture is quite stiff, imagine a lip balm before its worked. Just like that! But again a little goes a long way and you don't need to apply much to get a great result.
It's also perfect for someone who doesn't like to apply a powder blusher as it can look too heavy and not as fresh. (If you like a light natural fresh faced look a la dewy skin it's great)
The blusher doesn't budge and is similar to a tint in that sense. Great product for £7.99.

I like this latest Revlon collection, the packing and idea behind it is great. The feel of the product is similar to the approach of Smashbox in terms of marketing and packaging, and these give it a professional feel - but more affordable.

I've tried the Mascara in this range previously and the results are also posted on my blog.

Rhian Xx