MAKE UP | The best priming duo feat. Pur Minerals and NYX

Primer is such an important step in my make up routine. It evens out my base, makes my skin feel smooth and ensures make up remains flawless throughout the day. Recently, I've been looking at my skin at the end of the day and noticing that it's almost as perfect as when I applied it hours earlier. And that's all down to this incredible primer duo that I've been using.

First up, I apply the purmineral Hydrate & Balance Correcting Primer* all over my skin. The purple hue helps to offset the look of blemishes, particularly scars. It contains salicylic acid, lavender extract and Ceretin Complex which helps to calm, clarify and mattify problem skin. This primer is oil-free, silicone-free and provides instant hydration that lasts throughout the day. When make up is applied over the top of this, it doesn't budge throughout the day - it essentially acts like glue, but without the stickyness. Not only does this primer do a wonderful job at priming, but the ingredients are also wonderful for the skin, making it a lovely last skin care step. 

Secondly, I apply the NYX Pore Filler* to my nose and cheek area, where I'm prone to enlarged pores. This primer effortlessly fills in pores and makes them appear reduced. After application, the skin looks and feel extremely smooth, ensuring that make up glides over the top. The primer is talc-free and oil-free and has a tinted cream to instantly perfect the skin. This primer has been giving my skin a perfected look that I absolutely adore. Make up looks better when it's been applied over this as pores are instantly filled in and reduced. 

The purminerals primer is available in M&S where it retails for £22.50 and the NYX primer is available in Next where it retails for £12.50.

What's your favourite primer?
*PR Sample

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MAKE UP | The Primers

L-R: Barbara Daly Even Smoother Eye Primers in Vanilla, Bamboo and Nectar, KIKO Pearly Eye Base.

Eyes

I do have pretty oily eyelids and before I discovered primers, eyeshadow was a big no-no for me. My eye make up always ended up half way down my face, creased or nowhere to be seen. I can hand on my heart say that eye primers are a big part of my make up routine whether I'm using them to even out my eyelids or to cling to eyeshadow so it doesn't budge, I use them every day. 

Urban Decay Primer Potion - £15.00

This was the first eyeshadow primer I ever used and I've had it for nearly three years now. The secret is to depot it once you think it's ran out as there's always so much product left inside. This is a wonderful product and you only need a teeny tiny amount as a little goes a long way. Eyeshadow really does adhere to this beauty and once set, it isn't going to move. I find that this makes my eyeshadow more vibrant too which is always a bonus.

KIKO Pearly Eye Base* - £6.90

This eye base by KIKO has an innovative "gel cream" texture which is soft to touch and glides over the eyes nicely. It sets pretty quickly and has a slight pearlescent look to it which brightens up the eye area and really emphasises eyeshadow and makes the colours stand out. Blending eyeshadows on top of this is easier than ever and once an eyeshadow has been applied and blended, it isn't going to budge until you want to remove it. The formula has been enriched with antioxidants and active ingredients to make it more supple, adherent and quick-drying which is reason why it's so strong and long lasting. It's also an absolute bargain as it retails for just £6.90. 

Barbara Daly Even Smoother Eye Primer in Nectar*, Vanilla* and Bamboo* - £10.00

These primers by Barbara Daly are fantastic and because they're from Tesco, they're perfect for throwing into your trolley during your weekly shop. Exclusive to Tesco, these primers are exceptionally versatile and can be used as cream to powder eye colours or as a base to help your eyeshadows last all day. I've been wearing these a lot and I haven't noticed any creases or fading with my eyeshadow even in the heat. The eye primer comes in three different colours: Bamboo which is a natural wheat tone that is perfect for everyday use, Nectar which adds a hint of warmth that helps to deflect dark circles and Vanilla which lightens and brightens for an uplifting eye effect.

Face

I've tried a lot of face primers over the years: high end, middle end and some that are cheap as chips. And whilst I've liked using a few (Benefit's Porefessional, I'm looking at you) I've never bothered to repurchase them or even blog about them. It's safe to say that I've been trying to find a few perfect primers to get me through the day and night. I'm someone who can't go out without using a face primer. Not just because they make your make up last longer but because make application is a lot easier and smoother with one.

KIKO City Filter Sunscreen SPF 50* - £12.90

This is my every day primer because it contains an SPF of 50 which in summer, is exceptionally important. First thing's first (and I'll get this out of the way now), this product smells incredible. I could sit there smelling it all day. It doesn't have a distinctive smell but it smells very fresh and clean - like a faint sunscreen. It glides over the skin and leaves it looking poreless, smooth and almost blurred and perfected. Make up applies beautifully on top of it and lasts throughout the entire day - even in this hot and humid heat. At £12.90, it's an absolute bargain. Not only is it affordable but it's incredible and I'm addicted.

NYX Shine Killer* - £12.50

This is the primer I wear at night time and to work. You see, SPF flashes back in cameras which leaves you looking like a ghost so on nights out, that's the last thing I want. This is a gorgeous gel-like consistency that smooths over the skin and leaves it looking matte and shine-free. The reason I love wearing this to work is because my usual combination skin becomes overly oily at work. I'm not sure why but it does and by the time I come home, I end up looking like an oil slick. When I first wore this to work, I was shocked when I looked at my skin after I got home - it was completely matte and my make up hadn't moved a millimetre. I'm incredibly impressed with this primer and like the KIKO one, I'm addicted. Both of them will have a place in my heart and my make up collection for a long time. 

Tada, there's my primer posse and I shall continue to repurchase these ones for a long, long time. Primers are incredibly important step in your make up routine - particularly if you have oily skin - as make up adhere's to it and stays in place all day long. I'm not someone who carries make up around with me so a good primer is essential.

What are your favourite primers? Have you tried any of the above?
*PR Sample

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REVIEW: Super Facialist by Una Brennana Tea Flower Deep Clean Anti-Shine Pore Minimiser

Wow - that's a long blog post title. But anyway, a new skin range is currently gracing Boots shelving, hurray! Super Facialist, by Una Brennan comes in three different regimes; Deep Clean/Tea Flower, Hydrate/Rose and Firming/Neroli. The ingredients have been carefully selected to deliver effective results at affordable prices and these include a mix of quality oils, natural ingredients and cutting edge actives. There is a range suitable for all skin types even the most sensitive skins and all Super Facialist products are free from mineral oils/petrochemicals, animal ingredients and synthetic colours and not tested on animals. I was lucky enough to be sent their Anti-Shine Pore Minimiser* and since receiving it, I've been using it daily.

First of all, I love the packaging. This came into my Boots store last week so I took a trip over whilst at work and looked at the entire range. The packaging is beautiful, simple and colour coded which makes it easy to choose the right products for your specific skin concern. This product in particular comes in great packaging that explains exactly what it can do for your skin and also how to use it. It comes in a squeezy tube that makes dispensing the product easy and means less wastage. I've been using this every day as a primer and it's even replaced my much loved Benefit Porefessional primer.  I apply this to all of my face and then pat a little bit more onto my pores to ensure that they're covered 100%. For me, it works better than the Porefessional primer as it contains light reflecting particles and powders which help to absorb skins excess oils and it instantly mattifies the skin. I get a lot of shine on my forehead and immediately after I've applied this, it's vanished. The shine-free look lasts throughout the day and I don't need to reapply my powder either.The product also contains Rosehip oil which is known to improve the appearance of damaged skin so not only is this product great for using as a make up product, it's also great for skin problems. It does have a strong tea tree smell but luckily for me, I like the smell as it's very aromatic but if you don't, don't worry too much as it doesn't linger on the skin at all. 

You can buy this product here. It retails for £12.99 but currently, the entire range is on offer for 1/3 off making it just £8.66. This has become my go-to primer and now that I know it's on offer, I'll be picking another one up as my back up on Sunday. I'm also excited to see what else the range has to offer and will hopefully be checking more pieces out!

Have you tried this range out before? What's your go-to primer?

xxx

*PR Sample

REVIEW: Clarins Beauty Flash Balm

The other day I bought a Clarin's set and you can see this here. I originally wanted the set for the Daily Energizer products but included was a Beauty Flash Balm. I've heard good things about this but I've also heard quite a few bad things about this where people claim that is doing nothing even though it's been their best seller for 20 years so I've never really bothered about it. Until now.

I didn't have high expectations for this because like I said, I've read many blog posts claiming that it's pretty useless and a waste of money. This claims to 'give you an instantly brighter complexion, firming, toning and erasing any traces of dull, lifeless skin and fine lights. It promotes a radiant complexion and long lasting, incredibly luminous make up.' I used this after moisturising and before foundation last Sunday before I went to work and I loved how it immediately erased my pores and made me look more awake. I also loved the way it felt on my skin but I thought 'hmm, is it worth £28?' It wasn't until I returned home from work and looked in the mirror that I realised how perfect this product is. My make up looked as flawless as it did the moment that I applied it 8 hours later. I don't know how it did it, but it did. Primers are great at keeping make up in place but I don't find that they keep make up look fresh and bright but this product does. Normally when I return home from work my skin looks tired and a bit of a mess but it literally looked amazing and I was in such shock. The only problem is, I can't get enough of this product and once this tube has ran out I know I'm going to have to buy another one which is definitely not good for my bank balance. I think the hype surrounding this product is definitely worth it and I can't believe that it has bad reviews. But I will say that my skin type is combination and dull. So maybe if your skin type is similar to mine then you should definitely give this a try!
You can buy this balm here for £28.00.
Have you tried this product before? What are your thoughts on it?
xxx

COLLECTION: Primers

No7 Shine Free Primer - £11.00

I bought this with my £5 voucher as I was in need of a primer and minus the £5 of staff discount it was a very good price. This doesn't have the nicest consistency and it's pretty hard to 'spread' around the skin but it does the job. It keeps skin matte free all day and helps make up last a lot longer. I wouldn't pay £11 for it but with the voucher it's definitely worth it.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion - £14.50

Sorry about the little Clinique pot but the Primer Potion's old packaging was awful and I managed to decant so much product from it that this little tub has lasted me a further 6 months (and I've barely used it) so make sure you decant the product. This is the ultimate eye primer. Not only does it ensure that your eye make up stays in place all day long it also makes the colours look more vibrant and 'alive.' I've had this for over 2 years now and I can see it lasting me another year at least so definitely worth it.

Rimmel Fix & Perfect Pro Primer - £6.99

I was in need of a primer and Rimmel had just brought theirs out so I thought 'why not?' It's an okay primer. It ensures that make up lasts a lot longer than it normally would but I don't believe it does anything else for the skin. Especially not the 5 results that it claims it does. It is though however a lovely consistency and applies like a dream.

Sheer Cover Base Perfector* - prices start from £29.99

The only bad thing about this primer is that you have to buy it as a set with some other Sheer Cover product.(Don't get me wrong, the set is lovely and works very well). But it's not good if you just want the primer. The primer is lovely. It's of cream consistency and glides on the skin covering up imperfections and pores whilst ensuring skin is matte and make up lasts throughout the day.

17 Photo Flawless Primer - £4.99

Once again I bought this because it was cheap and from what I remember it was the first drug store primer. Maybe I'm dreaming that one... But yes, it's a decent primer. It reminds me of GOSH's primer with it's consistency as it's gel and glides over the skin beautifully. It fills in pores but I don't believe it prolongs the life of make up that much. If I don't have a busy day then I'll use this but if I need my make up to last very well then I'd go for something stronger.

Murine Bright & Moist Eyes Eye Drops* - £4.49

I guess this isn't a primer but I use these every day before applying my make up as they make my eyes look a lot brighter. I wouldn't be without them and I now see them as a valuable part of my make up routine.

Benefit Porefessional Primer - £23.50

I received this with Glamour magazine and I really love it. It glides over the skin, makes make up last all day and covers pores perfectly. I really cannot rave about this enough. It is as perfect as a primer get. Oh and you only need a tiny amount as well so it will last a long time if you cannot justify the price.

I have a primer addiction at the moment; what are your favourite primers?

xxx

*PR Sample

The Basics of Make Up

One of my friends said to me the other day; 'How do I apply make up? What do I put on first?' So I thought, why not write a post. I sometimes forget that some people are just starting off in make up and may not know the basics - I just assume that everyone does which is bad considering I had to teach myself from scratch as well. So here we go!

First of all start off with your skin care routine which basically should consist of cleansing, toning and moisturising. A good skin care routine is key to good make up and unless you have the right base, your make up is never going to sit right - think of it like a house! Next up, apply your primer. Don't seriously rub it into your skin like you would do moisturiser; I just gently press/pat mine onto the top of my skin so that it sits there nicely and fills in any pores/fine lines that I might have. After primer, I like to apply my eye make up if it's heavy. If you're going out for the night and wearing pretty heavy eye make up that consists of dark colours then it's best to apply it before your foundation. This is because if you apply it afterwards, you may end up with a lot of fall out that could potentially ruin your foundation and therefore make you start again. It's also good to apply foundation afterwards so that you can clean up any messes that you may have created. After this, apply your foundation unless you're using mineral/loose foundation then you should apply concealer first. Start with just one layer of foundation and then build it up as and where you need it so you don't end up caking your skin in make up. Once your foundation has 'set,' apply your concealer where you need it - under the eyes, on any blemishes and redness. I personally use a foundation brush to blend my concealer into the skin and I always use a light hand so it doesn't blend away to nothing. Now, when you apply your powder depends on what face products you're using. If you're going to use a cream bronzer, highlighter or blush then apply these before you apply your powder. But if you're using powder bronzer, highlighter or blush then apply these after you've applied your powder. This is so that the cream products don't interfere with the powder products as it could end up making your make up look horribly patchy which is never a good look! After this, apply your eye make up if it's light. If the make up that you're using is light then there's going to be no need to clean up afterwards and you won't have to worry about fall out so you can apply it after your base. I find that eye make up always looks better when it's been applied after my base. And finally, finish up with your lip products! Start with a balm, liner, lipstick/stain and then a gloss if you're going to use them all.
I hope that this has helped you and if you have any questions, just leave a comment and I'll get back to you!
xxx

Favourite Drug Store Brand.. 17

When I was sorting out my make up collection, I couldn't help but notice that I have quite a lot of 17 make up products. And it got me thinking, I do actually love this brand! Whenever I'm in need of something new, I'll always check out 17 first to see what they have on offer. Also, I must apologise for the first picture, for some reason some 17 products don't like being photographed. And click on the links to see a post that I've wrote about the said product or to find out more information.

17 Va Va Voom Mascara - I'm a big, big fan of this mascara. You can see how volumising it is in my comparison post. It's really lovely and even adds a tiny bit of length. Oh and it doesn't clump up either.

17 Wild Curls Mascara - This mascara is now pretty much gone as I've had it a while but I still keep it because I love the brush for combing through the lashes after I've applied mascara. I remember this mascara being lovely when I used to use it as well, very volumising and curling.

17 Liquid Liner - You only have to see my post and blog posts to know how much I love this eye liner. It's literally changed everything for me and now because of it, I know how to apply eye liner. I cannot recommend it enough. It's easy to work with and lasts throughout the day without the need for a primer.

17 Ultimate Volume Lip Gloss - This is a nice lip gloss that isn't too sticky and lasts pretty well on the lips. It's very glowy and although I'm not a fan of this colour, I definitely want to try some other shades out.

17 Miracle Matte Foundation - My perfect every day foundation. I bought this because I realised that when it comes to every day, I can't keep using expensive high end foundations. And I'm really glad I did. It's medium-buildable coverage that lasts well on the skin and keeps my skin matte all day long.

17 Photo Flawless Skin Primer - The consistency reminds me of GOSH's primer which is lovely and velvety soft. It fills in pores and helps make up to last longer as well. Plus it's one of the cheapest on the market. 

17 Glam Rock Eye Palette - This isn't available any more as it was a limited edition product but it's very nice. The colours work well together and they're easily blendable and pigmented.

17 Pressed Powder - I love this powder! It helps to control shine and it also adds a little bit of extra coverage to the skin. I really want to try out the shine-control one as well but it never seems to be in stock.

17 Falsifeye Gel Eye Liner - This gel eye liner is what I use to fill in any gaps that I may have missed with my liquid liner as it's easy to control and use. The only problem is, the colour is an off-black colour and not very pigmented so you have to go over it a few times.

17 Instant Glow Bronzing Powder - One of the very few matte contour shades on the high street and it works very well. It isn't that pigmented which is great for me as I have light skin so it doesn't apply too much product to the skin. It's also free of any orange tones too.

17 Glitter Eye Shadow & 17 Solo Eye Shadow - Lovely eye shadows that are very pigmented; possibly the most pigmented on the high street. They're also very easy to blend and last well without a primer.

17 Hide Away Concealer - I bought this because Collection 2000 didn't have my shade in their Lasting Perfection concealer. It's not as full coverage as the Collection 2000 one but it is lovely. It's very creamy and doesn't dry up on the skin and it's great for underneath the eyes as well.

17 Hide & Chic Eye Brightening Concealer Pen - This concealer is pinky toned which means it's great for underneath the eyes to brighten the eye area up. I also love using it to counteract the redness around my nose.

17 Lasting Fix Nail Polish - The formula of these isn't that great. You do need about 3-4 coats and sometimes, it can apply streaky but the colours are absolutely beautiful.

I also took to the 17 stand when buying my mum's birthday present! What's your favourite high street make up brand? Do you love 17 as much as me?

xxx