Review - Maybelline Super Stay 24 Hour Bold Matte (swatches etc)

Maybelline Super Stay 24 Hour Bold Matte

Shades (top to bottom) 815 (fire coral), 800 (glamour pink) and 810 (peach cocktail)

With lipstick, there are a few specifics that i'm all about. Firstly I like them bold (after banning myself from always relying on Nars Tonkin because I feared the lipstick smear and fade situation), I like them long lasting and non fade, and I like them MATTE. Really really MATTE. When I saw these launching I knew that I had to get my hands on them. So, what do I think? It should be a marriage made in heaven....

Top to bottom - 810 Peach Cocktail, 800 Glamour Pink, 815 Fire Coral. 

So this is them swatched before dry down. As you can see, the colours are vivid, but i'm afraid this took two swipes, as one seemed to be rather translucent. I decided to take another picture after dry down...

Top to bottom same as previous picture.

So, dry down. All very well and good, but this dry down took TEN MINUTES. Thats a pretty long amount of time to wait when you're wanting to do your lippy and leave the house and not smear it all over your face. I tried again just with one layer but the result was too translucent to look right, it definitely needs that building, otherwise it looks patchy. 

So how does it last? Well, it does last longer than your regular lipsticks of course. 24 hours though? Nope, not on your ruddy nelly! I would say you get about three hours before it starts patching off. You can drink, eat and kiss, and it won't smear all over your glass or kissing partner, but it will flake off after a while. 

Do I like it? Well, despite the moans above, I actually do!? In a market that lacks matte options in the extreme, despite it having been a trend for about three years now, I'm willing to put up with the downsides and work with this product because after the work, the colours and beautiful, and you can get more wear than your average lippy, so it's not really the end of the world if your desire for these colours outweighs your need for them to live up to all their pie in the sky claims. 

If you want to go bold, and matte, get yourself to your nearest Boots or Superdrug and pick these up for £8.99. They are due online in the next two weeks too, but if you can't wait, you'll need to wiggle on down to the stores in person. 

Review - Giorgio Armani Lip Maestro shades 502 and 503 (swatches etc)

Hi.

When I read about these fabled Lip Maestro liquid lip products being released, I became obsessed. Every day I was checking for swatches, for evidence they were going to be 'the one' that made my pre dj make up routine quicker and more efficient, whilst lasting the night, being totes matte, and coming in awesome shades.

At £25 they're not the cheapest investment for a lip, but when I found I had two vouchers for House of Fraser at Westfield White City, it was the only thing on my mind. I had to own them! I wanted shades 500 (a beige nude), 502 (a raspberry) and 503 (a bright pink, red). I had to choose and since i've put a ban on myself buying any more beigey nudes, I went for the brights. See below.

Giorgio Armani Lip Maestro(s) in shades 502 and 503

Excuse the bad lighting. I have swatched them below so you can get an idea of the intensity of these beautiful colours. 

(L-R) 502, 503

Above, my lips, and a crappy quality picture with both shades used to create a 3D lip effect.

As you can see, these shades are intense, full to bursting of pigment and they create this level of coverage with one swipe of the applicator. The finish is stunning, properly matte but with dimension, and the colours are perfection. But then.....oh.....

A downside. As I mention over and over, I want my make up to last. This is the formulas problem. It never actually dries down, so you permanently have the feeling of lip gloss on your lips, but in a VERY highly pigmented formula, and my GOODNESS does it like to travel around your lips. I had something to drink, and it was smeared around like someone had punched me in the mouth. If it could have maintained the above finish, I would have proposed to it, but alas, it shall not take me as a wife. 

So in summary, this product is partially incredible, partially made me very very sad indeed. With one hand it gaveth, and the other, it snatched away, and then smeared pink stuff all over my face. Cheers!

If you would like to give it a go, and you'll maybe have more luck than me, I bought these for £25 each at House Of Fraser HERE

Insomnia = Illamasqua ltd ed rubber nailpolish review (bad manicure pics within!)

Hey ladies!!! (dingdingdingdingdingdingding!)

I can't sleep, and as well as having 'Hey Ladies!' by the Beastie Boys in my head (so good when the bass synth kicks in!),  I have decided to ward of the night time frustrations by posting my new nail polish joys. As mentioned before, I am TERRIBLE at doing my nails, I rip them off when they get too long, and I don't clean up mistakes. The reason for this is I don't really care, I just don't, it's a bonus i'm not still filling in my nails with permanent market and tippex, so frankly, y'know, whatever.

Anyway, I bought myself these beauties.

Illamasqua rubber finish nail polish in Prosperity

Illamasqua rubber finish nail polish in Nurture

I don't really go for traditional nail polish finish unless it's a silly colour, and I had a BIG love for the matt finish trend that happened a couple of years back. Rubber finish is just the next step up to AMAZE though frankly! The only downside with this stuff is you need at least three coats, otherwise there is a slight hint of opacity that you don't really want. Also, obviously you can't do a top coat, so you may be chipping by day two or three. It's pretty darn hardwearing though, and the colours are to DIE for. I couldn't afford more than two, but I would really love to get my hands on this colour too...

Illamasqua rubber finish nail polish in Serenity (bright turquoise)

Anyway, have a look at my badly done manicure below and enjoy the rubbery joys of this nailpolish.

My hand, ten minutes ago. Click to enlarge my bad photo.

I purchased this polish from the trusty Illamasqua website for £13.50 each. Click here to go to there.

Review: Becca Radiant Skin Satin Finish Foundation (swatches etc)

Hello! So some might have guessed if you've read any of my posts, that I am a foundation junkie. I buy foundation constantly. I can't afford it, but I do it, it's an illness. I am sucked into the whole media myth of glowing, even, beautiful perfection that will last all day and then some. I purchase every foundation with manic, excitable eyes, staring wildly and exclaiming 'THIS IS THE ONE!!! LOOK HOW IT SHINES!'. Picture that if you will....or don't.

Anyway, as i've said before, I desire coverage to even out my dirty looking pale skin, dimension, not full on shine but a glow, and colour match. I also want it to last on my oily skin. It IS too much to ask, I have four draws full of foundation to prove that.

So when I saw the fact that Becca, a brand that DOES cater for my paleness was bringing out a foundation of a more traditional formula, that was also water/sweatproof, I was sold. GODSPEED IT TO MY POSTBOX BECCA!!! And they did, for the not too generous price of £35 for 40ml, plus postage, because there's no local stockist now. So far, so expensive, but also hopeful.

Becca Radiant Skin Satin Finish Foundation. Sitting there, costing lots. 

I purchased it in shade Porcelain, which is described as a fair ivory,beige pink, which also happens to be the palest shade. This is it's claims....

"With a sophisticated formula containing sebum-absorbing properties and a soft-focus complex, the latest foundation by BECCA creates beautifully natural skin with subtle radiance.

Infused with Ejitsu Rose to promote radiance and reduce inflammation, and anti-oxidant ingredients to protect, the ultra-smooth Radiant Skin Foundation glides over skin to disguise imperfections whilst providing a medium, buildable coverage."

So it was basically all I was looking for. Satin, soft focus, buildable and smooth. Sadly I think this wasn't 'the one' for various reasons. It wasn't it's problem though, it was mine. It was pretty translucent, which, if you have good skin already it would just give you an airbrushed vaguely sheeny in a healthy way finish. It'd be awesome. However, for me this foundation did start to disintegrate off my nose within two hours, and i'd primed and used a setting spray. The amount of building I had to do to get the finish I desired, which was nice at first, meant that the product began to separate and look heavy, sadly. In comparison to the luminous skin colour, it's a hell of a lot of coverage, but not enough for an uneven lady such as I. As much as I'd like it to be! 

Here's le swatches......

Becca Radiant Skin Satin Finish Foundation in Porcelain

Blended out. Note the lovely healthy sheen! 

So in conclusion, lovely as this guy is, he's not going to be the answer to my foundation prayers. As I say though, if you have skin that doesn't suffer from too much uneveness, this could be your holy grail, as it is a beautiful product, just not for my poor face.....

I purchased Becca Radiant Skin Satin Finish Foundation from Becca's website here for £35

The Eternal Search....

Why is it that foundation is the blight of my life? Don't get me wrong, I love it, in my own way. I have at least eighty, yes, you read right, eighty bottles of the god forsaken stuff knocking around various draws and hiding in boxes, quietly going past their sell by date. There's always, ALWAYS an issue. I am very pale, I have an uneven, patchy complexion with large pores, and super oily t zone. I need foundation to see me through an entire nights dj'ing, or a gig, where I will sweat tons, and go really, REALLY red. I go so red when I get hot I nearly go purple, it's horrific. I also get lots of pictures of me taken with a flash, what with clubs running at night, so I really don't want an SPF in my foundation either. So I need the following attributes for my foundation.....

Pale enough, water/sweatproof, NO SPF, medium coverage, satin finish, oil control.

It's not THAT much to ask is it? You see, for years, if a claim has been made on a product, I just went 'ooooh okay i'll buy that because they're not allowed to lie'. Well they are, it seems. Not out and out lies, but when you get told something is going to 'superstay' for six months or whatever, it's most probably not. I don't know the exact facts behind the legality, and obviously companies can't tell you a bare faced lie, like 'this will never come off, beauty FOREVER AND EVER!111!!!', but they can make a load of women test a product for a day and come back with a report that may not necessarily be based in reality.

Anyway, enough of that. So I search and I search, and these are the current foundations I use for long sweaty nights, their pro's, cons, and what I wish they'd do.

Smashbox Studio Skin SPF 15 in Shade 1.1

So, i'm starting with my favourite. There are many problems with the foundation for me, but it's STILL my favourite for long nights out, and I shall tell you why. It's an incredible formulation. INCREDIBLE. The coverage is medium to full, and truly build able without going cakey, and it covers everything. 

Once it's on, it pretty much sticks if you make sure you prime and powder, just to make sure. However, the downside, and it's a pretty big one. the colour is so insanely BROWN in the palest shade, it's basically like fake tan on me. To wear this I have to mix it with Illamasqua Skin Base in white, then add a dash of Make Up Forever Face and Body Foundation in 38 to give it a less yellow tone, then finally I can use it. Sadly for me, this detracts from the amazingly great formula. 

However, if you ARE of a more medium skin tone, and you need a hard working foundation on your chops, this guy is for you, and you can purchase it for £27.50 HERE

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation in BONE

Okay, it's an old one, and goodness, I have SO many issues with this foundation, but for all it's cons, there are A LOT of pro's, depending on your skin concerns. Let me be honest, I don't like this foundation for many reasons, but basically, if you want a foundation that is going to last and last and not come off and cover ALL flaws, you can't go wrong. However, the finish is unsophisticated, flat, and the flash back in photos is legendarily terrible. I remember wearing this to work once and even WITHOUT a flash, my complexion looked that of a jaundiced poorly oddball. 

The shade selection is great though, and they have just introduced even more new shades, so there should be something for everyone, including us pale girls. I would recommend this foundation for ladies who have acne, and need to cover imperfections without much bother, who have very oily skin, or are going to be in sweaty situations, and will NOT be getting any flash pictures taken. You also must be ready to add dimension. 

The last time I wore this foundation was to the All Tomorrows Parties Pavement weekend (it's a festival in the UK, curated that time specifically by Pavement), and what I did was use Estee Lauder Illuminating Primer initially, and then also mix a quantity of it with the Double Wear, to give dimension and a more natural finish, and then popped Posie Tint by Benefit on my cheeks with a little High Beam on my cheekbones, and I had a fresh, summery look that would NOT budge, that I didn't have to powder, and I could sweat through and it lasted all night. As I said though, any photos, I looked ruddy AWFUL.

So in summary. If you want something that LASTS and you care no for trend based skin finishes, and you want high coverage, this is your guy. 

Available for £27.50 HERE

MAC Pro Longwear Foundation SPF 10 in NC15

When this foundation was announced a couple of years back, I virtually camped outside Mac to get my hands on it. It was released paired with Mac Pro Longwear Concealer which is a product I use virtually every day, so fantastic it is, but Pro Longwear Foundation and me never got on that well, certainly not the roaring loving friendship I predicted when I saw the early press releases. 

First problem, which I find with a lot of Mac foundations, is the shades are wildly different between each formula. NC15, which, despite not being yellow toned as such. is always my go to as it's the palest. However, Pro Longwear NC's run REALLY yellow, which is okay for covering redness, but I don't subscribe to this idea of wearing yellow based foundations to cover redness, because when the eventual foundation breakdown occurs, you look dreadful, whereas if it's actually closer to your skintone, it looks much less conspicuous. 

So, regardless of the tone based problems, this does have a nice finish, if you prime well and work quickly with it. It also does last, but the problem is, once oil starts to break through, the foundation will cake in creases, and separate, leaving you greasy and sticky. Initially it's a satin finish, which looks lovely, it fills in pores etc, but sadly, longevity wise, it doesn't cut it if you have actual oily skin. I would recommend this for long wear for a normal/dry skin whole heartedly though. 

Available for £24.50 online HERE

The Search For My Holy Grail Foundation Pt Deux: Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation Shade: 71

Hello poppers!

So I thought I'd do a review of a 'drugstore' foundation. I don't know why I refer to them as that...it's a foundation you can get in a normal cheap-ish high street shop such as Superdrug, but thats what its referred to in american blogs, so i'm following suit. And why not?

So here is my review for Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation, in the palest shade - 71.

"16 hours perfectly glowing perfection and toned skin"

Swatch of shade 71 - a very pale yellow

Shade 71 blended

This is foundation that I use as a daily go to item. For years I refused to believe anything you could buy from Superdrug could possibly perform any goodness on my skin, but how wrong I was! This foundation is G R E A T. Seriously! It's less than a tenner, and it covers all redness (apart from a tiny bit on my ruddy cheeks) yet lets my freckles shine through. You can layer it for more coverage if needed, and it really does LAST! It doesn't seem to clog pores, and although it isn't infallible, its pretty damn impressive for a foundation that gives you such a beautiful, healthy, non greasy glow to your skin whilst covering your open pores and evening your complexion out into a nice, smooth, healthy looking base for you to apply your make up on. I don't use this to DJ, as my experience is if you're going to sweat BUCKETS, this will melt off, but what do you expect, it's a dewy foundation that works on oily skin, but it's not made of genius juice from heaven, which it would have to be to stay on skin as slick heavy as mine.

So it's a MASSIVE thumbs up from me for this foundation. I highly recommend both dry, and oily skinned ladies to give this a go. It really is fabulous for the price.

The Search For My Holy Grail Foundation Pt Une: Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk: Shade 2

Hello, this is my first review! I'm rather nervous, but i'm rolling with it. If only one person reads this then....i'll probably be upset actually, but i'm a valiant being, i'll cope. Anyways. On with the facts.

I own A LOT of foundations. Around the 30 plus mark, and my oily combination skin with redness and a tendency to sweat buckets when I get slightly warm means I need a foundation that is industrial in its brilliance. Well, this may be the first foundation that comes near to being perfect for me. Read on my friends!

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in Shade 2

Swatch of shade 2

Shade 2 blended. Looks rather yellow but my hands are quite red in general (please note my Petit Bateau/Kitsune Maison tee in the background, I love it!)

First up. As i've mentioned before, I am pale as they come. I've had make up artists so frustrated they've ended up trying to match foundation to my freckles as the shades available were nearer in colour to them than my actual skin tone. Giorgio Armani thankfully have a huge range of shades, with Shade 2 being the palest in this formulation (Face Fabric comes in shade 1, and it deathly pale, but also a rotten formula for oily skin sadly). They have a pinkish tone and a yellow tone for pale ladies too. This is the product write up (taken from www.giorgioarmanibeauty.co.uk).

"Capture the glow of perfect skin with Luminous silk foundation, an oil-free fluid with exclusive Micro-fil™ technology. So weightless, it redefines foundation. Its hydrating fluid glides on seamlessly with a silky texture and all-day, buildable coverage (from sheer to medium). All skin types."

Well, for once, this product pretty much does what it says on the tin. I wouldn't say it makes you glow in a 'dewy' fashion, it kills every bit of shine on your skin, without being overly drying or falling into fine lines. You can build coverage, but in all honesty, you don't need to. My skin can be raging red, but one coat of this, applied with the wonderful Giorgio Armani Beauty Blender Brush basically kills all my redness, evens my skin tone, gives my face a dimensional quality without looking like an oil slick, and lasts the distance. It does need reapplying around my nose area after a few hours, but every single foundation on earth needs that for my evil nose of oily misery. If I have a couple of blemishes, I can pop a little concealer on and I look absolutely flawless. By five am after a night of work, my foundation has worn slightly, but mostly, my face is intact, and thats something I value greatly when the lights come up!

Another huge plus, is you can add more to this foundation during the night, and it will not cake or flake. I don't get that horrid scaly muck around my nose where the foundation has collected. No, this stuff is smooth, like a criminal. I have to say though, Sheer is NOT a word I'd associate with this coverage. My skin and sheer don't get on unless i'm having a particularly good skin day. This is medium to full for certain, and almost comparable to Estee Lauder double wear in its uneven skin tone covering abilities.

The only way this foundation could be better would to have a more neutral shade available for pale ladies.

I hope you enjoyed my first review. Next up, Nars Sheer Matte Foundation in Mont Blanc.