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

Helping Blemished Skin: Part Four - Covering Up

If you have blemished skin you're going to want to cover your blemishes up. Below, I've explained the three most important products for doing this and also gave mini reviews of my favourites!

Foundation - Foundation is great for evening out your skin tone and making your skin appear flawless. If you have blemished skin you should choose a foundation that has medium/full coverage and one that is buildable and lasts all day. You also want a foundation that doesn't irritate the skin or break the skin out.
Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24H
I've only just recently bought this foundation but it's now my all-time favourite foundation. It's medium/full coverage that's easily buildable, blends well, lasts all day and provides hydration to the skin whilst keeping the skin shine-free.
Estee Lauder Double Wear
I've used this pretty much all my blemished skin life. It's full coverage and once it's on the skin and blended, it will not move. The only problem is that it takes a while to get used to and sometimes if applied wrong, can look cakey. But once you've gotten used to it, this foundation will become your best friend.
Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint*
This is actually a tinted moisturiser and not a foundation which may seem strange seeing as this is blemished skin series. But I do recommend this tinted moisturiser for blemished skin because it's very gentle on the skin and won't block your pores up. Wearing make up can sometimes irritate the skin and cause further breakouts but this doesn't. It may not give the best coverage but it gives a decent amount of coverage that can be built up to medium. And if you add concealer, everything will be covered!
Keromask Camouflage Cream*
The fullest coverage you can get. This 'foundation' is for people who have tattoos that they want to cover so it's ideal for people with blemished skin. I have scarring on my face and I can say that this foundation completely covers them and makes them magically disappear. It can be quite heavy and sometimes appear cakey but when used correctly and sparingly, it's a life saver.
MAC Studio Sculpt
I recently bought this on a blog sale and I've fell in love. It's a lovely foundation that's easy to blend and covers really well. I'd say it's medium coverage and definitely has to be used with a concealer. This is because it's hard to build the coverage up without it looking cakey on the skin. But one layer of this foundation is more than enough to cover spots.

Concealer - Concealer is used to add extra coverage to those nasty problem areas. I use concealer on my scars, spots and underneath my eyes. Most concealers are full coverage and ideally, people with blemished skin should be looking for one that lasts all day and doesn't highlight the problem areas.
Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer
You've probably heard a lot about this concealer in the blogosphere; it's very well known and highly commended. And there's a good reason for that. It's cheap, full coverage and doesn't move once blended into the skin. I've tried a lot of concealers but this one is the best that I've used. It covers up everything - scars, spots, under eye circles. You name it, this will cover it.
No7 Quick Cover Concealer
This is a good concealer for those of you with very oily skin. It's a cream formula that dries to a powder and provides very good coverage. Although I do have it, I don't use it very often because I have combination skin and sometimes, it clings to my dry patches. But if you do have oily skin, I'd recommend it.
Sheer Cover Duo Concealer*
A very good mineral concealer that provides flawless coverage, is creamy and easy to blend. It's also from the brand Sheer Cover which is a mineral make up brand so it won't irritate the skin or block the pores and cause further breakouts.

Powder - Powder can be used to add extra coverage to the skin when needed, blot away shine and help make up last.
Rimmel Stay Matte Powder
My favourite powder! I have this in the colour translucent as it adds no extra coverage. It doesn't make the skin look powedery or cakey and it blends into the skin like a dream. A light dusting of this ensures make up lasts all day and keeps shine at bay for around 6 hours. A true life saver that isn't expensive!
Sheer Cover Mineral Foundation*
This is a mineral foundation but I've put it in the powder category as for me, mineral foundation doesn't provide enough coverage. Mineral foundation is generally aimed at blemished skin and the coverage can be built up but for me, it's just not enough. This foundation is very good and I'd say it gives medium coverage once fully built up. It's easy to blend and it's great because it doesn't irritate the skin and it's even good for the skin. So good that you can actually sleep in it. But I personally use it to powder the skin after I've applied my foundation and concealer. I'll use this powder instead of the Rimmel one if I need further coverage as this provides it.

Part One - Introduction
Part Two - Getting into Routine
Part Three - Finding What Works

I hope this helps and if you have any further questions, please just ask me :)
xxx
*PR Sample

Sheer Cover Make Up Range

Whilst I've heard a lot about the Sheer Cover make up range, I'd never actually tried it out for myself. Mainly because as far as I'm aware, you cannot buy this make up range in shops and therefore you don't have the chance to play around with products and find out which colours suit you best. However, when I was given the opportunity to try out some products from the range, of course, I jumped at the chance.

 I received the Sheer Cover® Introductory VIP Kit which retails at £29.99 and includes 2x Mineral Foundation, Duo Concealer, Extra-Length Mascara, Base Perfecter, Foundation Brush, Concealer Brush and Sophisticate Face Palette.

 The concealer I received was in the colour light/medium and you can see the swatches above. I don't know if you can tell from the swatches but this concealer is very creamy and easy to work with. It also provides fantastic coverage, blends easily and covers up virtually everything. This is definitely my favourite product from the range and I use it daily with the concealer brush. As for the concealer brush, I'm not usually a fan of them as I have a lot to conceal and they're usually small. However, this concealer brush is amazing. It picks up and distributes the right amount of product onto the face and blends flawlessly. 

 This is the Sophisticate Face Palette; the casing is plastic and it looks very professional and expensive. It also comes with a huge mirror inside. Starting at the top left hand corner is a blush and it's in the colour Ginger. It's a really pretty neutral colour that has a gorgeous shimmer running throughout it that brightens the complexion. I'm a big fan of this blush and use it daily when I want a quick pick-me-up. Below the blush are two lipglosses in the colours Caramel Ice and Ballerina. My guess is that the pinky one is Ballerina. These lipglosses aren't very pigmented - but then again they are lipglosses. They're shimmery but don't add any colour to the lips and instead, just add a subtle highlight. They're really pretty but I don't love them. Next are the four eyeshadows. The top two are in the colours Sable and Pebble and the bottom two are in the colours Charcoal and Mauve. All four eyeshadows are really pretty, pigmented colours that have subtle shimmer running throughout them. They're easy to blend and work with however, they don't last long on the eyelid without a primer. 

Swatches - Ginger, Pebble, Sable, Ballerina, Caramel Ice, Charcoal, Mauve.

Next up I'm going to talk about the foundations. They're 100% natural minerals (as are everything within this range) and they're infused with skin-soothing botanicals, sun protection and anti-ageing ingredients to protect the skin from premature ageing. The range is also great for those with sensitive skin as it doesn't contain any oils, perfumes, dyes or talcs. I do like these foundations.. they provide buildable coverage and are easy to blend; they also reflect to light which minimises the look of fine lines and gives off a flawless finish. The foundation doesn't look cakey either and it lasts throughout the day. However for me personally, I prefer using liquid foundations. I have no idea why.. but I do. I find loose powder products a bit fiddly and a lot of effort - I guess I just need to get used to them. I do use the mineral foundation as a finishing powder though as it's great for adding an extra layer of coverage and mattifying the skin. The foundation brush that comes with this kit is also really good for applying the foundation and it distributes it well without caking one side of the face.

Next, the Base Perfecter is a wonder product. It smoothes imperfections, minimizes pores and also ensures that make up lasts throughout the day. I've tried a lot of primers in my time however, this is definitely my favourite. It preps the skin for make up beautifully. And finally the Extra Length Mascara; it's a wonderful mascara - the formula isn't too wet or too dry and it doesn't flake throughout the day. It also adds an awful lot of length to the eyelashes. However, that is all it does. It doesn't curl the lashes or add volume (which I wouldn't expect it to as that is not what the name says). But it's just a warning incase you're looking for an all rounder.

Products I Love - Duo Concealer, Concealer Brush, Blush in Ginger, Base Perfecter

Products I Like - Extra Length Mascara, Foundation (as finishing powders), Eyeshadows, Foundation Brush

Products I Don't Rate - Lip glosses

Has anyone else tried out this make up range? What are your thoughts? And do you have any tips on how I can fall in love with mineral foundation?

xxx

Halloween Make Up - Cat

Last night it was one of my uni friend's 20th birthday and we decided to go out in onesies! My love of cats meant that I bought the cat onesie (other people were tigers, monkeys and leopards) and I also decided to do my make up as if I were a cat aswell. I don't have pictures of my entire outfit yet as I can't get them onto the computer but I do have some LQ mobile uploads of my make up.

Foundation - Maybelline's Dream Satin Liquid 

Concealer - Sheer Cover Duo Concealer in Light/Medium

Powder - Rimmel Stay Matte

Bronzer - Sleek Contour Kit in Light

Eyeshadow - No7 Stay Perfect Eye Mousse in Pewter & Urban Decay's Gunmental and Creep

Highlight - Urban Decay's Sin

Eyeliner - Barbara Daly's Eye Liner Polish in Dramatic Black

Mascara - Lancome's Hypnose Doll Eyes

Although this wasn't officially a Halloween outfit, you can definitely use it for that!

What are you planning to dress up as for Halloween?
xxx


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