Sunday 31 May 2015

Barry M Chiselled Cheeks Contour Kit

Hands up who loves chiselled cheekbone s!? 
Yep! It seems we all do. 
I love contouring as much as the next person, and in my opinion the more drag like the make-up the better! 
I have watched soooo many videos on Instagram - to the point that I was fed up of them being in my feed and stopped following certain people. 
Contouring with creams and liquids, is a little more complicated than simply contouring with some powder but the basic principles are the same. Highlight the sections you want to bring forward, darken the bits you want to create shadows on to show depth and structure. Simple huh? Still not convinced you can do it? 
This gem of a Barry M kit gives pictorial diagrams of exactly where to put what colour to create a simple contour and highlight. It also means you don't have to go off buying multiple products as its all in one simple magnetic box with three different shades and at £6.49 it's a steal! It might take a few attempts to get the look perfect and that comes with practice. But for the price it's a great introduction to contouring! 
I picked this up a while ago, and I promised it to my friend once I had blogged about it - so Bethan it's now yours! 

For added help check out this YouTube link from Barry M for a tutorial 

Get practising those duck faces cause that Kim K look can be yours :) 

Rhian Xx

Beauty Blender

I've thought it... I'm assuming you've thought it too. 
Could the Beauty Blender really be worth the £16 price tag. 


There is a lot of hype around this product. Instagram is full of bloggers and MUA's raving about them and carrying them in their kit. 
The Beauty Blender really is the Queen of the sponge world at the moment... But as with any market leading product there are a lot of contenders to the throne. So why this one? What makes this one so special? 
Now... I could google why and give you all the technical information but you could also do that yourselves, so I'm just gonna give you my thoughts instead. 

I picked up the original Beauty Blender from Beauty Bay. It was £16 but there is free shipping available from them. As with any popular product the range has now expanded. I chose the original as this is the one I've seen used most often. 
Admittedly when I first opened it I was shocked at how small it was - then I read the instructions and realised you have to wet it for it to expand. Duh! 

Traditionally I am not a fan of applying my make up with a sponge. I always prefer a brush. But I have tried this product for full application and then for blending out my cream/liquid contour and also finishing my standard foundation base and it's this application rather than a full application that is my preference. 
Now by my own admission I was dubious. But I will admit that I am a Beauty Blender convert. I love this product. Admittedly it doesn't stay bright  pink for long but washing it will bring back its former glory! 


The only other similar product I've used is the Real Techniques sponge. Which is also great but despite the increased price I do prefer my Beauty Blender. If you aren't convinced the Real Techniques one is a great alternative and is a third of the price! 
There are other alternatives which I am hoping to try as with each wash mine is getting a little battered. 

Great finish... A little pricey! 

Have you tried any of the alternatives? What do you recommend? 

Rhian Xx 


L'Oréal Infallible Matte Foundation


This is a bit of a tricky post to write... That's probably why I've held off writing it. 
Some days I absolutely adore this foundation and other days I really can't get on with it at all. 
When I've used it on other people. I've loved the finish but on me its either a good day or a bad day. Granted this isn't the products fault. It's me me me! 



On the first day I tried this foundation, I hated it. I was ready to give it away. Oops! But I stuck it out, tried it a few more times and like I said I either love it or hate it (on myself!) I'm really that torn. 
I'm thinking that on days where my skin may look a little dull, adding another very matte layer spoils it. Especially as I always set with a light dusting as powder. 
The coverage I think is med-full and it does blend very well.
The finish is very matte so if that's not what you're looking for don't be tempted with this one. 

This foundation claims to be waterproof. I've not managed to go swimming to test that as yet! And it's for it being 24 hours - again, I've not stayed up long enough to see. But it does have good staying power and for £7.99 it's a bargain! 

I've including some pics of other people's  make up that I've done using it so you can see the finish for yourselves. :)

 

Rhian Xx

Sunday 17 May 2015

L'oréal Infallible Mattifying Primer.

I love a primer... And I love my skin to look matte as its combination and can get oily. 
I picked up this primer as part of a 3 for 2 promotion and was quite excited about using it. 


As a product I like the texture and the finish on my skin... It's very similar to the Smashbox one I am so fond of. It's a great base for foundation but what I'm not so convinced of is the "Mattifying" part. It didn't make my make up stay put as much as other products particularly on my t-zone. 
So I have a mixed opinion on this one. Would I buy it again? Probably not... It's well priced at £7.99 but just doesn't do the job for me. 

Rhian Xx