REVIEW: Rimmel Stay Blushed - Pop of Pink and Sunkissed Cherry

I've been really bad at updating haven't I? I have good reasons, other than sheer unadulterated laziness and desire to eat as much cake as possible to soothe my broken heart. Here's a tip, cake doesn't actually fix your heart, but it does mean that those PVC trousers you purchased mid breakdown one day make you look like a zeppelin strapped into a bin bag two sizes smaller than your thighs. Good lord.

Anyway, i'm here, Its saturday night, and i'm licking my friday night hedonism wounds in front of the tv with Bridesmaids on the tv to cheer me up. And why not?

Rimmel Stay Blushed in Pop of Pink and Sunkissed Cherry

What does Rimmel say then?

"Perfect for any occasion: the blush blends instantly and seamlessly to create a long lasting, natural-looking flush of colour that lasts up to 24 hours.
Ultra lightweight, won’t feel heavy.
Lasts all day."

I have many liquid, creme and gel type blushers in my collection. Maybe all of them, except the By Terry one that I CANNOT EVER IMAGINE BEING ABLE TO AFFORD. One thing that I tend to get annoyed by is that I put a lovely flush of colour on my cheeks, and within three hours it's all gone and its hateful to me, for I am nothing without blush. The idea that this lasts 24 hours is something i'm a big fan of, but I feared the Benefit Benetint effect, you know, the streaks you get with a liquidy formula that only give you seconds to blend. So what did I think?

First. Le pictures.

Pop of Pink and Sunkissed Cherry

Pop of Pink and Sunkissed Cherry blended out. 

So as you can see, the streaking issue is absolutely not a problem. I used my fingers to blend the arm swatch, but I use a stippling brush to blend the colour onto my cheekbones and it creates a lovely flush of colour, with a glow. On top of this, it lasts absolutely all day, applies really easily and I seriously cannot fault it. I highly recommend you pick these up, I just hope that they expand the colour range to more than two shades! 

Pick this up for £4.99 from Boots and £4.49 from Superdrug. It's great! 

REVIEW: Maybelline Superstay Better Skin Flawless Finish Foundation

Maybelline Superstay Better Skin in Light Beige

I may have mentioned it before but I am obsessed with foundation. I hate my skin, it's red and blotchy, oily and dry, pale and generally it just irritates me. Of course, in the grand scheme of things i'm lucky, I do not have acne or anything like that, but years of obsessing over media imagery has left me with this desire for the unobtainable flawless face. When I heard about the release of this new foundation, I became obsessed, as it claims that it can actually treat and even out your skintone whilst doing the normal gubbins of making you look luminous and flawless. 

So, what up Maybelline?

"Dull, blotchy, uneven skin? Visibly improves your skin every minute you're in it.

Our first hydrating foundation with Actyl C and SPF 20. Flawless all-day coverage.

The formula helps skin look more radiant, fresher and even, with all-day wear."

Oh. Cool! Lets see some swatches...

Light Beige

Light Beige swatched

Light Beige blended out

When I bought this foundation, I was desperate to love it. DESPERATE. I'm pretty poor at the moment and I am always keen to find a staple product at a budget price that does the job adequately. After having given a good two weeks of testing, I am sad to say that I am a little disappointed.

So, the pros. It's a beautiful finish, it really is. You have a luminous glow, whilst letting your skin shine through, you look healthy and even, and I cannot fault the finish, I absolutely loved it. 

But that love wasn't to last.

You see, I am oily, but not ridiculously so, so when a foundation is called 'Superstay' I expect a level of longevity from the product. My first issue is that it never actually dries down, not totally, so I had to powder it, which is fine and dandy of course, but even with powder, the stuff starts to swim around my face with oil within two hours, and it kind of mixed with powder and sank into my pores leaving a bit of an unholy, patchy mess. I also primed with a primer that is generally brilliant for my skin, Mac Natural Radiance Primer but alas, the foundation was not a friend. 

As for improving my actual skin, it's week two, and the foundation is meant to take three weeks to have an impact, so i'll keep on with my test run for another week to see how things work out on that front. 

Oh, and a note to the pale girls. The palest shade is Light Beige, not ivory. I've seen much wailing and moaning about ivory being too dark. Well, yeah, it is, so don't order it. Order the paler shade. Easy!

So in summary. Great for dry skin. Not great for oily. Unless you're only planning on looking lovely for an hour. In that case, fill your boots.

You can purchase this foundation for £8.99 from Boots and Superdrug across the UK.

BYE.

REVIEW - Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Make Up

If there's one thing, in this dark, miserable murky thing we called life that is guaranteed to make things feel a bit better, it's make up. Right now i'm stuck in bed, nursing my broken soul, and hurting migrainey head, by looking at a pile of shiny make up treats. Someone I adore recently went to america, and the upside of this was that I got to ask her for something that I can't obtain over here, that was cheap in dollars, but priceless to me. I decided on this.

Revlon Colorstay Whipped in Shade Ivory

So what do Revlon have to say....

"-Buildable to full coverage for flawless skin
-Soft, matte finish all day long
-Withstands heat and humidity – great for summer
-Comes in 16 beautiful shades"

Top removed. Excuse the messy lid, it's been used obvously!

So what's this guy like in action? Well, the texture is something I enjoyed. It's a light airy gel-like texture, silicone-y in the extreme. I haven't had experience in this sort of texture before, as the only other foundation i've tried that is similar is Laura Mercier's Creme Smooth Foundation, which is a thick, heavily moisturising anti ageing formula which holds no long wear or whipped claims. Therefore I can't really compare it to anything other than the other super long wear foundations i've tried, like the traditional Colourstay or Estee Lauder Double Wear. These were my findings.

Pros

Coverage is light to medium, and certainly buildable

It DOES stay, definitely, not 24 hours, but it does stay and you can sweat happily in it, good for a night out at a sweaty gig etc

No SPF, so no flashback in photos

Applies easily, smoothly, and quickly, and blends really well

Allows skin to show through, whilst removing redness and smaller flaws, giving an even complexion

Great colour for pale skins. Ivory runs much more neutral than traditional Colourstay which I found to be ridiculously pink. 

Feather light, doesn't feel like you're wearing much on your face and controls oil reasonably well

Cons

More matte than I'd wish it to be, was hoping for more dimension

Settles in pores a little in places around mouth and nose

Tends to go a little cakey after a few hours wear

Does wear off a little in places

If you wear primer, it sinks into your pores

If you don't wear primer, after four hours, your face is covered in product gathering ABOVE your pores, which is something that happens to me when I don't wear primer. ANNOYING.

So, sadly, this isn't perfect. On the other hand, i'd say it's a winner as far as drugstore foundations go. I'm really happy i've been able to get my hands on it and test it out, and i'm glad I have it in my collection. I would use it as a day to day foundation, or if i'm going to be out in the hot sweaty weather all day and need something to cover redness and even me out properly that won't leave me an oily red mess by the end of the day. 

Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Make Up - Shade IVORY

Swatch blended out

If you do want to purchase this, i'm afraid you're going to have to pop over an ocean or get a kindly american friend to pop some in the post for you. I asked Revlon and they say they have no plans to bring this out in the UK in the near future. Perhaps join me in whining at Revlon USA about this in an e mail, and have a moan about the Colorstay Aqua Make Up too. Why should us brits miss out damn them!?

REVIEW - Maybelline Volum' Express The Rocket Mascara

Wow Maybelline, thats quite the mouthful of a name you've got going on there. Could it perhaps be because you make SO MANY mascaras now that you've started to have a bit of a laugh when naming yet another. For years I would hear the urban myth of the Maybelline 'pink and green' mascara before the brand hit these shores, and yeah, it's pretty good, but not the most perfect thing I ever used by any stretch. This was the early to mid nineties though....so, you do expect some innovation obviously.

Rambling.

Anyway, so, I have a ton of mascaras, a ridiculous amount. What with my lashes being straight, stumpy, and non existent without a good lashing of mascara. I have tried growth serums and got nowhere, so I have to rely on the good old fashioned method of about twenty coats of mascara. I have three favourite macaras, one being the previously reviewed DJV Beautinizer Volumising Mascara, the second being Diorshow Black Out and the third is the trusty YSL Volume Effect Faux Cils Mascara. I thought I had my arsenal sorted, but surprisingly, Maybelline have finally got me with a damn good mascara. Who'd a thunk it!?

Maybelline Volum' Express The Rocket Mascara

So I gave this a go, and you can see the results below after two coats. Yeah, it's not totally clump free, but it separates lashes in a dolly eyed bambi esque way that I love, right from the root up, and it curls my stubborn lashes too, which is something that only happens when I use a very thick formula like YSL. 

My eye. At some point this week. 

So as you can see, it's pretty effective. It also doesn't smudge, but comes off pretty easily with make up remover at the end of the day. I highly recommend this mascara to anyone who wants curled, defined lashes with speed and ease! 

If you want to invest, this is available from boots for the bargain price of £5.99

REVIEW - L'oreal Skin Perfection 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil

Oil. It's something that, over the past four years, I have become a big fan of, except, of course, when it's being purged out of my pores and ruining my make up whilst giving me spots. I used to only ever reach for 'oil free' everything, but a friend of mine had a mate at Shu Uemura and gave me a massive bottle of their famous cleansing oil, and ever since, i've been a big fan of the whole oil cleansing method.

As with all things, a few years later, the oil cleansing thing has trickled down into the high street stores, and accessible brands have started bringing out their own versions. L'Oreal Skin Perfection 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil is the first drugstore brand I have tried and after having used it for about three weeks I think I can give a fair review.

It's pretty good! After a night of full make up, i'll stumble in and want something simple, quick and effective to use. I squirt this into my palm, massage it over my face and wash off with a warm flannel. The oil transforms into a milky substance and washes away with little trouble.

However, it's effectiveness isn't quite so amazing as what I have been used to with Shu Uemura, who, for their price tag of £59 for what is basically, something to wash your face with, you expect amazing results. L'Oreal's much more affordable price tag of £7.00 tells you it's not going to perform in quite the same way, but it IS effective, but not quite SO effective on mascara, which I have to try twice to remove with this cleanser. All other facial make up does melt off very quickly with this though.

I would recommend this to anyone wanting to try a cleansing oil on a limited budget for sure! It is also on offer in Superdrug at the moment for the bargain price of £3.98. GO SNAP IT UP! 

REVIEW - Fixing Spray - The Good, The Irritating, and The Waste of Effing Money....pt 2 Make Up Sealers

So....following on from PART ONE, here is my follow up, this time dealing with the more 'aggressive' form of sticking your make up to your oily, sweaty, desperate to stay pretty chops. Bear in mind I am indeed, referring to my own shortcomings. I'm sure you're all much more blessed than I am in the facial behaviour department. However, if you suffer like I do, wanting to get to the end of a day, or night, without looking like a patchy hellpig, read on!

In part one, I dealt with the widely available water based fixing sprays, which are a combination of water and acrylics generally, will provide you with entire fixing power to be able to have a sweat throughout the night, and will repel moisture, depending on the formulation. However, they won't make your face bulletproof. In this post I will be dealing with the alcohol and acrylic based sealers, which create a durable film over your make up, keeping products colour true and mostly smudge proof.  In the old days, girls would use hair spray over their faces to keep their eye make up from sweating off. These sprays are basically a more refined version of this hairspray trick, and far less drying. For the record, I do NOT recommend spraying a can of Elnett on your face. It will not feel nice or do your skin any favours.

Model in a Bottle - Original Formula

Model in a Bottle is something I discovered when watching some QVC style infomercials and this lovely lady called Jill Stephens was talking about this product that she had invented in honour of her mother, to seal make up all day with zero need for touch ups for an entire day. Being an addict of all things long wearing, I decided to purchase some. So, what does the write up say?......

"Its a one-of-a-kind matte finish setting spray. Model in a Bottle® will hold foundation and eye make-up in place throughout the day and into the night. This product is resistance to smudging, tears, humidity and water.

Dries with a translucent matte finish
Absorbs excess oil
Doesn't clogs pores
Never interferes with or reduces effectiveness of SPF
Is fast drying, never sticky
Adds moisture with aloe vera extract
Is not tested on animals
Contains over 300 sprays per bottle"

So, those are some pretty good claims, and technically, it should last you nearly a year with 300 sprays. So what did I make of it?

Well, it does work, but it's not quite as bulletproof as it claims. Yes it sticks eye make up down like GLUE, and that stuff isn't coming off until you get some proper cleanser and water on them. It is water resistant, so you can splash your face with H20 and your make up also doesn't budge, even if you rub, but it doesn't control oil as well as it claims, and once the oil breaks through, the products protective film starts to break down in those areas.

The other problem is dryness. It's got a rather high alcohol content and anyone with dry skin knows that applying alcohol in products to their parched skin renders it painfully itchy and dry as a bone. This claims to contain moisturising properties but seeing as my skin is oily and this made me dry, AND oily, it's probably not a product is a friend to many. It also does make me very very MATTE. If you're doing a mod look, fine, but most modern techniques involve a desire for a lustrous dewy sheen, at least in the cheekbone area. Also if, like me, you suffer from crepey skin around your eye area, this can suffer and become intense dry and sore from this spray.

So in conclusion, it's a good product to use for the odd occasion, for example, a wedding, or a shopping trip when you don't want any transfer when you're trying on all the clothes in the world and pulling them over your head constantly. However, daily use doesn't translate into happy facial skin, as I found out. It also has a habit of squirting aggressively at your face in a single stream after using it a few times, as the nozzles gets clogged, which can be quite the nasty surprise.

If you do want to investigate this product and/or purchase it, please visit their official website HERE or purchase it at the wonderful Love Make Up for the vaguely reasonable price of £16.99.

Diego Dalla Palma Make Up Fixer

I first heard about this iconic brand a few years ago when make up blogs around the country were picking their jaws up off the floor regarding their short lived collaboration with Tesco in 2011, given the fact that no other uk store had ever stocked the brand previously. I decided to research them, and it turned out that the make up artist, Diego himself, was a bit of a cult figure amongst make up artists, and had been tagged  " The prophet of make-up made ​​in Italy " in the New York Times. 

Anyway, during my research I saw this make up sealing spray mentioned again and again by make up artists as an essential part of their kit. I recently happened upon it whilst visiting my mother in the North, so snapped it up and excitedly spritzed it over my face as soon as I could. First though, lets see what it claims to do....

"Fixing spray for make-up. The formula guarantees perfect make-up for hours on end. 

Sprayed on the face, in a second it fixes make-up for the whole day. 

It creates a fine film without drying the skin."


Well, they certainly couldn't be accused of going overboard on the write up claims. Succinct!

So, my findings on this were as follows. It doesn't mattify, but it does seal, so a big thumbs up on that. It is in a spray can that easily spritzes your face, and it does sting a little, but it's going to, it's full of alcohol, just make sure you keep your eyes closed! There are two ways for this to be used during your application. Before make up to control sweat and oil production, and as a barrier to the products you'll lay over it. Then after the make up to seal it in. If you do this, your make up is basically bulletproof, and not flat as with the other spray, which is a relief. However, after using it a few days in a row I did break out in a bumpy red spray of spots, so again, I don't think this is great for skin.

If you would like to snap this up, you can do so in selected Tesco's, Debenhams and Marks and Spencers, and online, as well as direct from the manufacturers website HERE or Look Fantastic for £15.00.


I hope this has been of some informative use to you. I am in the process of trying to get my hands on Mehron and a couple of other setting sprays used in theatrical settings to review for you. As always, i'm out there, oily and sweaty, just for the greater good of you lot....

Review - Maybelline Super Stay 24 hr Bold Matte - Shade 830 Prune

Hello!

Well, whoopsie, yesterday when I posted THIS review, I totally forgot to add all the shades I'd lovingly purchased in the hope they'd make dreams come real. Sorry for that ladies (and gents, potentially)

So here's a little catch up. If you want a review on the formula, again, go to the previous review of the Maybelline Super Stay 24 Hour Bold Matte's. This is just to show you what this guy looks like.

Maybelline Super Stay 24 Hour Bold Matte in 830 Prune

The product has been swatched with two swipes, still wet.

As you will noticed, there is a little pink smear on my arm. Well, that is yesterdays swatch. Bear in mind I have had a bath, wiped my arm with make up wipes AND scrubbed with an exfoliating sponge. I am thinking that perhaps I was too quick to judge on their lasting power, and maybe the extent of the dryness of my lips had an effect on the quick fading. 

Bold Matte, Prune, dried down. 

Again, like the other three Bold Matte liquid lipsticks, this product took forever to dry down. At least six minutes of waiting, which most people can't be bothered with if you've got something to do with your life! However, the colour of this is STUNNING. A rich purple leaning pink, with zero sparkle or dimension, just flat as matte intends. I love the colour, and I love it on, I just wish I could get to grips with making it last and not flake off. 

If you want to take part in the Maybelline Bold Matte Party, please visit your nearest Boots or Superdrug store, where they are currently stocked before they pop up online. 

DJV Beautinizer Volume Lash update

Recently I gave a first impressions review on the DJV Beautinizer Volume Lash mascara that was rocking my tiny world. Well, I just wanted to give you this little update with my thoughts on this mascara.

All you girls who suffer with straight, short, miserable lashes that want some real results, I would not recommend ANY OTHER MASCARA. I'm serious. The Cult Beauty review on the site says...

"Name a potential mascara fault and this genius product solves it. If this mascara was a man, Cult Beauty would marry it!"

And every word of this, I back up, nearly. It's not a clump free miracle as 'such' but frankly, a bit of buggering about with a lash comb for these kind of results, who cares!?

Okay, so here, is a bullet point way to apply this bad boy.

1. Apply to clean dry lashes, a lash primer thoroughly, my personal preference is Diorshow Maximiser (available for a discounted price at Escentual right now £19.55), which not only plumps the lashes superficially, but treats and nourishes them.

2. Then, working on one eye at a time, apply the beautinizer in a zig zag motion to build product up at the roots, whilst tilting your head back and looking down at the mirror. This method gives you maximum space to encourage a curl, whilst also giving you the ability to splay the lashes out, inner to outer corner. 

3. Next, using a lash comb, carefully comb through the lashes. My personal preference of lash combs, and i've tried a great many, are either the Real Techniques Lash/Brow Groomer (currently on offer at a 15% discount at HQ Hair), or my personal favourite, the recently release Mac duo lash comb/brow brush, available for £5 from Mac Cosmetics online. I love this comb more than any other due to it's thicker more spacious comb, which means you can achieve a proper wide eyed sixties look. It's brilliant!

4. Repeat the above steps, two more times if you need to. Up to you really!

5. If there's still not enough curl for you, and here's why I love this mascara, you can then use a lash curler, like Shu Uemura lash curler (£20 from House of Fraser), which really does live up to all its hype, on the roots of the lashes, and that curl will stay ALL DAY. Believe me! If your curl does eventually drop, you can just use the curlers then, with no damage and no stickiness. Amazing. 

As an aside, if you want to go PROPER mental with the length and this isn't crazy enough, you can use some lengthening fibres such as Divaderme Lash Extender fibres, which come in black. They're great btw, so I might just do a separate review. I've been using them for about two years and I have yet to find a better alternative! 

So ladies, go forth, have AMAZING lashes. It makes you feel right lovely!

MUA Pro-Base Make Up Fixing Mist Review

So I mentioned a week or so ago that I had purchased MUA Pro-Base Make Up Fixing Mist from Superdrug to add to my already pretty bustling arsenal of fixing spray products. I think i've given it enough usage and time now to give you a proper review. 

So, this is what the website claimed on this product....

‘Makeup Setting Sprays are used to create a luminous finish after you have applied your makeup. Not only do they allow your skin to remain hydrated, but they work as a moderate sealer, preventing your makeup from making a mess ‘- Karla Powell, MUA’s Head of Make-up Artistry

So no crazy over the top 'holds make up for a WEEK' claims here. I may have mentioned before, but I really like MUA as a brand. They aren't quite up there with Sleek for product quality for the price point, but they make a good quality product for a bargain price, making things such as a setting spray accesible to all budgets. But does this product perform....well, given its claims....yes!

So I use this product in two ways. Firstly after my primer and BEFORE my foundation, which means I can buff my foundation in and it'll glide over my skin and give me a longer dry down time to adjust coverage, whilst giving an extra luminosity. Secondly, after my foundation, and powder, which I roll into my skin to fill pores and fix my foundation with a powder puff from No 7, and then to stop that awful hyper matte look you get from the powder rolling, I apply the setting spray. 

The joy of this spray is it truly does give you a luminosity back, and it does help with the longevity of your foundation. What I would say is, ideally, this would suit a dry skin down to the ground, as it has hydrating properties, which, as an oily skinned lady, isn't particularly welcome. This isn't a spray I would use for a big sweaty night out, but it has become part of my daily routine, and it does do what it says it does, and it costs very little for the amount of product you get and also for how well it works. Okay, it's not up there with Skindinavia in quality, but it costs quarter of the price, so you can't complain really!

If you want to give this a go, it's now available at Superdrug or direct from MUA's website for £5. 

Sleek Make Up False Lashes...and my thoughts of falsies

So this happened a little while ago, but I only just started writing this blog guy recently so I didn't mention it. Sleek have started, in their wisdom, to add to their arsenal of low priced BRILLIANTLY performing products some false lashes, which I will be showing you below.

I have a weird relationship with false lashes. I basically only wear them when I do my own club. Never, ever anywhere else. No matter how big or special the gig, no lashes will be worn, but if I do my own night without, I feel naked and piggy eyed, and I shy from the camera, I truly become 'photosensitive' (ba doom tish).

I started with Mac side lashes, in my less expressive times, and progressed to using Girls Aloud Cheryl lashes every single week, to the point that I had piles of used ones stuff in drawers with the idea i'd reuse them. I never did. Then eyelure decided to be EVIL and discontinued the Cheryl's, replacing them with some wispy nonsense, and a nation of girls who liked cheap plasticy lashes wept together. For a while I used Sarah, and she was okay, but lacked in comparison. Then I found, with glee, that Hed Kandi, for some god forsaken reason, had moved into false lashes, and were doing a pair called Disco Heaven which were perfect for a wide eyed, Twiggy/Jean Shrimpton-esque babydoll mod look. Then, yep, eyelure decided to break my heart AGAIN. and discontinued these. Seems odd when they're happily churning out tons of really rather lame Katy Perry coloured lashes that look so unflattering!

So, to stop rambling, Sleek Make Up have decided to get in on the lashes game. Paying homage to feline beauty, which makes sense given the popularity of the 'cat eye liner' flick right now, there are eight different sets of lashes called Bengal, Burmilla, Persian, Ragdoll, Russian Blue, Savannah, Siamese and Sphynx. See image below....

Click to enlarge image

I myself invested in Bengal and Russian Blue, which are pretty similar to the Disco Heaven and Cheryl lashes I was mourning so. There's only one downside......the price. They are much more expensive than I would have ever expected from Sleek, especially as these aren't real human hair or anything approaching that. The most i'd paid before for lashes was £5, but these come in at £7 PLUS postage, as they're not available in Superdrug yet. However, the designs were spot on, so I couldn't say no! 

Bengal

Russian Blue

So i'm a big fan. If you would like to join me in the fanclub, you can purchase these direct from the wesbite here for £7 plus postage. 

Review - Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick = MY FAVOURITE NEW LIPSTICK

Ladies and gentleman, I am in love. I thought i'd been in love before, but this is the real thing, for I have met Stila Stay All Day Lipstick in the shade of Fiore. I am a creature of habit when it comes to lipsticks, for years I went for the nineties-esque nude, which involved either using Urban Decay Naked 24/7 Lip Pencil (the best nude EVER) with Nars Pure Matte Lipstick in Tonkin (again, the best nude shade EVER). It basically makes your lips look massive and is universally flattering. I lacked in confidence to go for brights unless I was slim, and slim is a thing of my past, sadly, so I ignored them for a while.

However, in a brief sojourn in my life on one of those internet forums about make up when I was particularly looking for various reasons to avoid a real life (ha) I was introduced to my favourite of all time lipsticks, Cherries in the Snow by Revlon, which is the perfect balance between pink and red. However, if I want it to last all night, it takes ten straight minutes of lipliner, blot, powder, lipstick, blot, liner, powder, lipstick, blot blot blot blot, and then lipcote, and I want it to be matte not lustrous.

Who has that time!? Also, I know people say that reapplication is joyful, but when people are taking photos of you all the time, you don't always want that shot of you looking like a scruffy lush with patchy red pink lips....so I want something that'll LAST.....

However, move over guys, for my BFF for nights out FOREVER is going to be Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Fiore. See BELOW.

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in shade Fiore

Swatched on my delightfully pale wrist

On my lips. Please don't be mean about my face! It's for info purposes only....

So as you can see, it's beautifully matte, and i've teamed it here with my most favourite lip pencil of all time, Sleek Eau La La Liner in Dragon Fruit. Those Sleek pencils are amazing, although I go through at least four a month because they ALWAYS break, they're actually so cheap it doesn't matter (that much). This picture of my big wide face was taken after two hours, plus having eaten dinner and drunk many glasses of lucozade and diet cola (it's what I do when i've got a migraine). Pretty good no??

So if you're looking for a fantastically electric pink, that will stay on for ages, be properly matte, not pretend (Models One Super Matte Brights i'm looking at YOU!) matte, BUY THIS NOW.

I bought this, with my own money, as always, from the Stila website HERE for £15

Sleek Eau La La pencil in Dragon Fruit was purchased from Superdrug for £4.99, but you can also get it from the website direct HERE.

Go forth. Enjoy some perfection. 

The Eternal Search cont....

Happy 2013 all! I always find this time of year is great for those who find small talk difficult. You can say the same thing over and over and someone has ALWAYS got a response. What did you do for christmas? With the family? Was it nice? Turkey etc etc? New years? What you do? Have fun? Drunk etc etc? As it happens mine was incredibly stressful. I did a night in east london and it was my first one in my current guise, and anywhere other than central. It was great but when there's responsibility there's stress, and where there's stress there's sweat....which brings me full circle to the point of this and my previous post on the search for the best long wear foundation. So I shall carry on with my experience of spending eight hours in a very hot room for NYE.

I didn't have much choice of what foundation to use because I had to put on my slap there, in a horrid toilet, with girls swanning in and out chatting to me and asking for pictures. Whilst lovely, it's not always a happy me when i've half a face of slap, and i'm also a rather severe sufferer of OCD, and not the 'I think i'm a bit OCD' kind of thing that people say, that really bugs me as it doesn't make sense. I have it properly, so touching my face, in a club toilet, it's a trial.

Ramble over, onto the products.

I used a base of Mac Prep and Prime Natural Radiance which i'm still not sure is meant to be a permanent or limited edition item, as i've been told different things in different stores, but it's a product I LOVE. I'll do a separate review of it at some point. I then buffed on my beloved Mac Pro Longwear Concealer, with a Mac 188 Duo Fibre Brush to cover up the vast redness in my skin, and I had a bastard spot, and that stuff has medical grade ingredients to treat spots, so thanks Mac, you rule. Then finally, I used one of my more recent purchases, which is the below....

Stila Stay All Day Foundation and Concealer in Bare

I buffed it on with my new most treasured brush, the F22 Round Topped Kabuki by Blank Canvas Cosmetics. Which, btw, is the most amazing brush company, I love this brush even more than my beloved Real Techniques brushes, and thats saying something! I then used my Chanel loose powder in Rose Clair with a rolling puff technique, and spray it all over with a fixing spray, namely Urban Decay All Nighter to stop that horrid flat powdery look. 

I won't go through the rest of my routine because frankly, it'd get boring. However, I wanted to impress upon you what lengths I go to keep my make up ON during the sweaty hot nights I live through. 

Anyway, firstly, I must as an aside, let you know that this stuff is PALE. Yes, pale enough for me. It's pretty neutral, not running particularly yellow or pink, which is also a win, and IT DOES STAY. If you wear it without primer or powder, it's not going to be quite so spectacular, but this stuff doesn't crack, and the wear time I would say is around the nine hour mark before it starts wearing a little thinner. 

So in summary, this shit WORKS. However, it is pretty matte, not flat matte, there is dimension, but this isn't anywhere near 'dewy'. How many long wear foundations are though?? 

So in my long wear search, this scores HIGH. I recommend!