Bourjois Cream Blush in Rose Tender 03

Bourjois Cream Blush in Rose Tender 03 is a pretty soft pink. It blends and builds easily. It needs to be built up because it's pretty sheer. This is definitely suited towards fairer skin types but there's still another 3 colours to choose from. 

The texture of this is a waxy-cream like feel which sets to a powdery finish. It actually really reminds me of UNE Breezy Cheeks Blush (which Bourjois owns) but UNE's version is much more pigmented and creamy. 

I really like Bourjois' cream blush. It's super-easy to apply and blend. You really can't make any mistakes with this so if you're unsure about cream blush this is a user-friendly place to start. It adds a healthy glow to the cheeks while remaining natural. It's also reasonably long lasting but it comes in a cute little package with a mirror which means it's easy to touch up throughout the day.

Have you tried this blusher?

Rimmel Kate Matte Lipstick in 110

Unbelievably this is my first Kate Moss lipstick for Rimmel. I really hadn't been that bothered by them until I saw one on the very lovely Sera from The Agoraphobic Fashionista. I'm really glad I did, the colour is fantastic. Fully-pigmented bright coral red with warm undertones. I think I can just about get away with this colour on my cool-toned skin, but hey who the hell cares I like it! Well, apart from the smell that is. It's the same smell that Apocalips has. A sweet, synthetics melon smell. I really don't like it. So, I'm not sure if the smell will eventually put me off this lipstick.

But for now, I really like the texture of this. It's not a matte, it has a more shiny and comfortable finish. It also lasts pretty well on my lips. I think this would amazing in dark skin tones, the orange shade in it might not work for everyone. It does makes for a great Summer colour.

I got mine from Boots for £5.49

Have you tried Kate for Rimmel lipsticks?

Face Atelier Ultra Foundation

Left Porcelain Right Ivory

Left: Just Face Atelier Foundation Right: Full Face (I probably should've worn under-eye concealer)

Argh there’s so many things I like about Face Atelier Ultra foundation but ultimately it doesn’t work for my skin. I got my sample pots from Coco Beau. They’re described as containing an application or two. I’ve had around 7 applications and there’s still a wee bit left. So, a little really does go a long way. Porcelain is a really good match for my skin, it’s fair with pink undertones while Ivory is too dark but it still has pink undertones. 

The beauty of this foundation is its application and finish. Ultra Foundation is silicone-based so it gives this flawless looking finish. It sits on top of the skin so it doesn’t cling to dry patches but it’s obscures pores brilliantly. And this is done without primer. The silicone formula means your skin doesn’t need prepping before hand. 

Ultra Foundation has a dewy finish that lasts reasonably well on my skin, if it’s not hot or humid. Otherwise it does melt off, even when set with powder. It has a really lovely texture, it’s smooth and creamy which means it blends beautifully. This is definitely one of the easiest foundations I’ve ever applied. I’ve used fingers, sponge and brush for application and they all work brilliantly. I'd say it's medium-buildable. And it really is very easy to build, there's no clumping and it blends easy over first application.

Really oily skin may find this uncomfortable to wear and I think it’d be best suited to dry and normal skins. When my t-zone wasn’t too oily this foundation worked really well and other times it just melted off. So, while this is a good foundation it just doesn’t work completely on my skin type, which really is a shame because it gives such a beautiful finish. It is oil-free but I think the formula is just too creamy for my skin. Having said that I am tempted to get a full-size, I really do love the finish when my skin behaves. 

Face Atelier handily do Zero Plus and Zero Minus to alter the shade of your foundation. Plus makes it darker while Minus makes it lighter, ideal for seasonal changes and altering foundation shades. 

Have you tried it, what do you think about it?

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream ( & A Mini Comparison with Guerlain Rouge L'Extrait)

I've finally got round to trying NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream and I really quite like it. I have the colour San Paulo, which is a gorgeous deep rosy pink. It’s incredibly wearable on my pale skin tone, although I do think it’d suit most skin tones. It also smells gorgeous, it’s vanilla but not a sickly vanilla. More ‘I want to eat it all’ kind of smell. 

The texture of this is unusual. It’s creamy but once applied it sets to a matte finish. Being a matte it is drying on the lips but a bit of lip balm easily sorts that out. This does change the finish though.

I love the finish of this, it always looks a wee bit different than your standard lipstick. NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream goes on easily with the sponge applicator and stays on for a good amount of time. It lasted drinks but not a full meal. No big deal. The dryness hasn’t affected my lips either. Here’s the list of ingredients:

Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Dimethicone,Beeswax, Glyceryl Behenate / Eicosadioate, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone /Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Talc, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Silica, Aluminium Starch Octenylsuccinate, Isohexadecane,Disteardimonium Hectorite, Propylene Carbonate, Parfum. May Contain:CI77019 (Mica) / CI77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI15850 (D&C Red 6 Na.Salt), CI15850 (D&C Red 7 Ca Lake), CI15985:1 (FD&C Yellow 6 AlLake), CI19140:1 (FD&C Yellow 5 Al Lake), CI45410 (D&C Red 28 AlLake), CI77491 (Iron Oxide Red), CI77492 (Iron Oxide Yellow), CI77499(Iron Oxide Black), CI77742 (Manganese Violet), CI77891 (TitaniumDioxide).

Comparison with Guerlain Rouge L'Extrait

Guerlain Rouge L'Extrait in Gourmandise

The texture and finish of NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream really reminds me of Guerlain Rouge L’Extrait . NYX is a good lesser quality dupe. Both have a creamy texture that sets to matte. Guerlain smells of violets while NYX of vanilla. NYX isn’t as good quality as Guerlain’s offering and NYX’s packaging isn’t anywhere near what Guerlain’s is. But the products do share some of the same qualities. So if you’re on a budget I really do recommend NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream, I’ll also be buying Monte Carlo.

I got mine from 123 Hair & Beauty for £5 delivered.

Have you tried them? What do you think?

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L'Oreal Preference Mousse Absolue 465 Dark Burgundy Red

L'Oreal Preference Mousse Absolue is apparently the first re-usable permanent hair dye and this was the main reason why I wanted to try it out. My hair is pretty grey at the roots so a dye that I could use to touch up rather than do a full colour seemed perfect. This is the only redeeming feature of this hair dye for me unfortunately.

Dark Burgundy Red 465 is as described although I don't think it's as 'dimensional' as it claims. I find it to be a bit flat on my hair and not particularly shiny, even after using the conditioner that comes in the box. The mousse comes in a metallic applicator/diffuser that is straight forward and easy to use. You just put on the diffuser cap on top then shake it 20 times and it's good to go. Oh you also get 2 pairs of black gloves for double application. 

So actual application. This is a pain. The mousse disappears into the hair, and that means you can't always see where you last applied it, so I often missed bits of grey. As you can see from the photo, the mousse dispenser isn't see through which means you can't see how much you've used. That's a bit of a problem if you want to know how much is left for further touch ups/applications. Once you've guessed the amount needed for a full-head application it takes the standard 30 minutes developing time. The dye rinses out easily enough and the conditioner is nice too, nothing particularly special though. 

L'Oreal Preference Mousse Absolue just doesn't really work for me and it's certainly not cheap at £10.99 (although Boots have it for £8.99)

Have you tried it? 

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