A Chat about Foundation and my Current Collection

Morning everyone! I want to have a chat about foundations today and hopefully you will get involved and tell me your favourites too! I used to be on the hunt for the perfect foundation to the point where I would have up to 10 bottles in my collection, only to be disappointed with half of them and regret wasting my money! I have very difficult, acne prone skin that is combo/oily so I always look for full coverage foundations that are long lasting and transfer proof! 

My current collection is above - the two I love, repurchase regularly and use every day are Estee Lauder Double Wear (Desert Beige) and Revlon ColourStay (Buff when I am pale and Sand Beige for when I have tan on). If you have followed my blog for any length of time you will be sick of hearing about these two but Double Wear in particular is my holy grail foundation and one I always have a backup of. It’s my go to if I need to look my best and I trust it 100% to stay on all day, cover all my imperfections and magically this seems to look better as the day goes on. I know people have a love/hate relationship with it but if you have combo/oily skin and like full coverage look no further! 

Revlon ColourStay is my budget pick – I don’t like wearing Double Wear if I am just going to work as it’s a waste so ColourStay fills the gap nicely, again it’s full coverage, comes in two different formulas (one for oily skin and one for dry skin) and its super affordable! It’s not quite as long lasting as Double Wear but as it’s got everything else going for it I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend! 

Even though these were some of the first foundations I ever used and loved, I didn’t stop on my hunt for the perfect foundations so I have tried a lot. I’ve kind of calmed down now as so many of them were disappointing to me but I thought I would discuss here and get your opinions on some that are on my wishlist! Before we get to those let’s talk about some others first! 

Foundations I Hate

I wish this category wasn’t so large but unfortunately more often than not, a foundation I have fully researched and think would be perfect for me fails to meet the mark! I wrote a whole disappointing products post about the Too Faced Born this Way, Urban Decay All Nighter and KVD Lock It foundations but in short they are all awful! These were a mixture of patchy, transferable and oily on my skin so all get a huge thumbs down from me! They are all pretty pricey too so for me that’s double the disappointment!  

While I was in Canada I picked up the Wet n Wild Photo Focus and The Ordinary Coverage foundation – both budget options that are pretty hyped! Again these did not work for my skin, they both transferred easily and were super patchy especially in my problem areas – my nose and chin so I ended up giving these away pretty quickly!  

Most recently, the Note Beauty Mattifying Extreme Wear foundation has been a disappointment and also got its own post. Another one that came highly recommended, it separated on my face, transferred and did not stay matte all day. I was so happy to finish this – again it’s not very expensive but that doesn’t mean it’s any less of a disappointment! 

Foundations I Like and would buy again

This category includes foundations I would keep in my collection if I was still in my bad spending habits lol. I have went through a couple of bottle of NARS Sheer Glow and Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Soft Matte longwear foundation as well as one of the Bare Minerals Bare Pro Performance Wear and these are all BEAUTIFUL foundations! I really enjoyed wearing all of them but they are pricey and on my skin they do not last all day so I tend to have to top up. Saying that however, they do not wear off badly at all like other foundations I have mentioned and their finish when they have just been applied is amazing! 

Foundations I like but wouldn’t repurchase 

More foundations that I like but these didn’t wow me enough to feel the need to purchase again! Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk foundation has one of the most beautiful finishes ever, it’s so skin like, but I need more coverage and that, combined with the price, is why I wouldn’t purchase again! NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint is another nice one and even though I found the coverage impressive for a tint, the staying power wasn’t great on this one. Vichy Dermablend* had good coverage but was tough to work with as it’s so thick and didn’t look great round my nose and MAC Studio Fix Fluid is just not the longest lasting for me either, sometimes my face just seems to eat foundation! The most recent foundation I tried was my mum’s Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless and this would fall under this category for me too -  it’s another one that’s love/hate for a lot of people but I was just a bit underwhelmed by it, the staying power seemed ok but it did end up clinging to some dry patches and fine lines. 

I have tried some other fan favourites like Rimmel Lasting Finish and Loreal True Match and Infallible 24-hour Matte but it was so long ago and I don’t think I ever had a quite right shade match and I didn’t wear them much so don’t have a full opinion on them! 

Foundations I want to try

Even though I have wised up a little with my foundation spending I still have a wishlist of those I would like to try and top of that list is the Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24 hr foundation and NARS All Day Luminous and Radiant Longwear foundation– I have heard such good reviews about these but haven’t taken the plunge yet! Also on my list is the Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin as well as the Armani Power Fabric high cover foundation and on the more affordable side of things I would like to try the EX1 Cosmetics Invisiwear and the Milani Conceal and Perfect foundation and concealer at some point too! 

Congratulations if you made it to the end of this post, I just had a complete brain dump about foundations haha! I would love to know your thoughts on any of the foundations I have mentioned and if you have tried any that are on my wishlist I am even more interested! Let me know you full coverage faves! 

*denotes a PR sample that was sent to me. All opinions are my own. See my full disclosure here. 

Danielle xx

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Disappointing Products #1 ft. Too Faced, Urban Decay and Kat Von D

I have been meaning to do one of these posts for a ridiculously long time now but I find that when I am disappointed by a product, I stop using it. This means that I can really say much about it other than I don’t like it but I have been using the products I’m talking about today regularly again over the last couple of months in an attempt to actually like them and failing that – to give a better reason as to why they are disappointing! I think some of these products usually show up in people’s favourites as well so this could be a little controversial!

Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot Primer £10

This primer promises to diminish pores, offer all day shine control, hide imperfections, even out skin tone and reduce the appearance of redness and make your makeup last longer. It feels gorgeous on the skin and quite hydrating and does even out my skin but this does NOTHING for my oily face and when it’s marketed as a 12 hour shine free primer I’m allowed to feel disappointed that it doesn’t work and I have to powder my face constantly throughout the day!

Mark Hill Wonder Ball Brush 6 in 1 Styling Sphere £9.99

This looks like a torture device and it feels like one too! It’s meant to detangle wet or dry hair and add lift to roots and it might if I could actually get it through my hair! This is a complete gimmick and actually painful for me to use, I tried to use this to blow dry my hair and it got so tangled I thought I would have to use scissors to get it out! I hate it!

Nuxe Reve De Miel lip balm £9.50

I just don’t get the hype with this one at all and believe me I have tried. I’ve went through a few of these pots and this will be the last one. It does feel nice and hydrating when it’s on and it smells nice too but if I put this on at night it dries out quickly and I sometimes wake up needing to put more on. It also leaves me with disgusting white bits in between my lips when I wake up which is the reason I choose not to wear it during the day. I find Carmex and Blistex work much better on my lips overnight  and are much more affordable so I will stick to those!

Fairydrops Scandal Queen Waterproof Mascara £18.50

A product I bought because of the hype and the most money I’ve ever spent on a mascara and what a waste of money it was. If you like clumpy lashes with no volume, length or definition you will love this. It seriously makes me look like I have about three lashes on each eye! The wand is an absolute mess with the fibres even after wiping the excess off the side of the tube and I absolutely hate it. It’s got marginally better as it’s dried out but I’ll be sticking to the drugstore as usual for my mascara choices from now on!

I am very hard to please when it comes to foundation – I have acne scarred skin and struggle with pigmentation issues as well as uneven texture. Paired with mainly oily but sometimes dehydrated skin and you will see why I’m so tough on my base!

Too Faced Born This Way liquid foundation £29

I think out of the three foundations I have included is the most disappointing! It’s an oil free foundation with a medium to full coverage that promises to be undetectable and leave you looking radiant but I look like an oil slick when I wear this! It didn’t matter what primer or powder I wore, nothing worked with it!

I have the shade Vanilla which is orange as you can see from the swatch and I have to be wearing tan to make this work for me even though it’s supposedly one of the lighter shades (at least it was when I ordered it last year!). This wears off my chin and lower cheeks to the point they look stark against the shade of the foundation and for an oil free foundation I can’t believe how oily my skin gets with it!

Urban Decay All Nighter Foundation £29

I was so excited when Urban Decay released this as it promises to provide full coverage with a matte finish for all night wear and a flawless looking complexion. It’s got a high amount of pigment, its waterproof and it absorbs oil to reduce appearance of shine.

Although this looks good when first applied as the pigment really is amazing and it gives good coverage, it fades like mad on me! It gathers and wears off my nose and chin awfully so I end up looking patchy though I will say it doesn’t make me look oily so the matte finish gets a thumbs up from me.

Kat Von D Lock It liquid foundation £27

This promises to even out discolouration, stop shine and hide blemishes while offering amazing coverage so long lasting you can go 24 hours without reapplying. It’s meant to stay flawless, fade, free and transfer proof but on my skin is doesn’t!

It clings to fine lines I didn’t even know where there, is patchy AF on my cheeks and chin and shine comes through my t-zone and chin after only a few hours wear. It has a tendency to “sit” on my skin no matter how much I’ve blended it in and transfers too.

Too Faced Born This Way Vanilla, Urban Decay All Nighter 2, Kat Von D Light 45 foundation swatches

I have recently found a day cream in the Nivea Cellular Radiance range that I talked about last week that works well with all three of these foundations so I have been getting on with them a lot better recently as they have been lasting longer on my skin! However, I don’t think I should have to use such a specific product underneath to get the results the foundations themselves promise!

Estee Lauder Double Wear is Holy Grail for me and I don’t think I’ll ever find something that tops it so I’m going to stop trying! Rant over! That’s my disappointing products; let me know what you think of these and if you’ve tried them!

I've also scheduled this post a little earlier than usual as I have a blog sale going up this evening! These three foundations will be in it - I've done a good job of selling them haven't I? 

Danielle xx

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A Working Week in Lipstick #3

It’s been ages since I did one of these so I thought I’d try to get back into it starting now! Lipstick is one of my favourite makeup items and I love changing what I’ve got on each day although some of my lipsticks are more similar to each other than I sometimes think they are!

Monday

I went with Urban Decay Vice Comfort Matte lipstick in Backtalk today and this has to be one of the most comfortable matte formulations I’ve tried and I suppose the clue is in the name! It’s a beautiful mauve shade that isn’t drying at all and wears off evenly, I love it!

Tuesday

I wasn’t working today so went with something a little more daring than my usual nude pinks with this Too Faced Melted lipstick in Fig! I absolutely love the shade; it’s so rich and vibrant! This isn’t a lipstick I would wear to work though because I find myself checking my lips/teeth in the mirror quite a lot with this as it doesn’t completely dry down and has a tendency to move about a little! I got my mini in a set last Christmas and I don’t wear it nearly enough! It’s worth the extra effort though as it feels good on my lips and wears off slowly leaving a gorgeous stain behind.

l-r: Urban Decay Backtalk, Too Faced Melted Fig 

Wednesday

I picked up this NARS Audacious lipstick in Anita last year and it’s another one I don’t reach for enough. I was a bit unsure of the colour when I first saw it in the flesh after buying as it seems to lean a little warm on me but I’ve grown to really like it (especially when I’ve got tan on). Again, it’s a comfortable creamy formula that lasts a good few hours on my lips before it starts to feel a little drier – but a bit of clear balm extends it a while longer!

Thursday

After falling in love with the K.I.S.S.I.N.G formula of Bitch Perfect, I picked up Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips in Liv it Up. Like NARS Anita, the colour wasn’t quite what I was expecting – it’s very pink! This might be something to do with my lips though and not the actual colour of the lipsticks! Anyway, once I got over the pinkness, this is a beautiful lipstick and the K.I.S.S.I.N.G formula is probably my favourite lipstick formula ever! It’s so long-lasting and hydrating and I love it!

Friday

Just before Christmas, MAC had 20% off so while I was getting my mum a foundation I treated myself to my second MAC lipstick in Brave, a satin formula. Again, and I didn’t mean this post to be about initial disappointment in lipstick but I was shocked at how pink this turns up on my lips! It settles down after a while though and a little more mauve shows through which I prefer but overall although it’s comfortable, it’s not the longest lasting and overall I don’t get the hype for MAC lipsticks! This also looks quite similar in the swatch to Liv it Up but I find Liv it Up shinier and brighter overall!

l-r: NARS Audacious Anita, Charlotte Tilbury Liv It Up, MAC Brave

So that’s another working week in lipstick! Let me know if you have tried any of these shades or what you’d recommend for a mauve lipstick lover like me!

See my last working week in lipstick posts here and here!

Danielle xx

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Wishlist Purchases #2

After last week’s third wishlist post I thought I would do a little update on the things I’ve bought from the first two I did! You can find those posts here and here!

MAC lipstick

I finally bought a MAC lipstick just before Christmas in the shade Plumful and I really like it. This is a lustre formulation and I apply it straight from the bullet then rub it into my lips so it stains them more. I don’t find that I need to use a lip liner with this as bleeding is not an issue and it’s nicely hydrating and long lasting! I don’t think I’ll ever have as big a collection of MAC as some people because I feel like I’m always expecting more from them then left a little disappointed when it doesn’t live up the hype I’ve created for myself! I would like to try more lipsticks though and though I’m not a fan of matte lipsticks as my lips are so dry I have been eyeing up Mehr, thoughts?

MAC Studio Fix Powder

For me this was a huge waste of money! I honestly don’t know how to use it, I bought it as more of a setting powder to add a little more coverage and got the shade NW20 which is what I got matched to in the Studio Fix Fluid years ago. This just makes my makeup look patchy, cakey and does not stop shine at all. I honestly think I’ve only tried it about twice so this is a hugely biased review but if anyone has any tips on how to get the best out of this powder please let me know!

Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons Palette

My mum very kindly bought me this a few months back and it is quite possibly the cutest, girliest piece of makeup I own! I feel like I do abandon a lot of my eyeshadow palettes for my Makeup Geek collection especially when it comes to the shimmer shades so I haven’t got as much use out of this as I should have! I love using the mattes in the palette for a really subtle daytime look and Bordeaux is one of my favourite shades, I’m loving burgundy shades in my crease at the minute! Too Faced has one of my favourite eyeshadow formulations but I would say that I maybe prefer the shade range in my Natural Eyes palette as I do use every shade in that palette whereas some shades in this one obviously get no love from me (pinks I’m looking at you!)

l-r: Love Hangover, Your Love is King, Justify my Love

Too Faced Love Flush Blushes

I got three of these in a mini set at Christmas and I am obsessed with them! Love Hangover and Justify my Love are definitely my favourites and although the minis I have are absolutely tiny they fit my blush brush perfectly and I can’t see myself hitting pan anytime soon! They are just the right amount of pigmentation and I find them really long-lasting on my combination skin! I still really want the Love Flush palette but I think it’s gone forever L

l-r: Love Hangover, Your Love is King, Justify my Love

Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk

I got this a few weeks ago along with the CT Instant Look in a Palette (let me know if you want a post about that too!) and I have to say I am really liking it! £16 is way more than what I would usually pay for a lipliner but it’s such a gorgeous natural colour just a touch darker than my lip shade that matches about 70% of my lipsticks and helps them last longer! It’s soft, I don’t have to pull on my lips to get the colour moving and although it was expensive I know I will get so much use out of it! I was under the impression it was a dupe for Rimmel’s Eastend Snob but as you can see in the swatch Eastend Snob on the left is a lot pinker than Pillow Talk!

l-r: Rimmel East End Snob, Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk

Makeup Geek eyeshadow pan in Latte

I checked BeautyBay daily for months for this as I was forever out of stock only to finally get my hands on it and be a little disappointed! If you read my blog you will know I am a fan of cool toned brown eyeshadows. Although I knew this was warmer than my usual shades it’s just a little too much on the warm side for me to love! However, like all Makeup Geek eyeshadows its super pigmented and easily blendable and if you like warm tones you are in for a treat! It’s been a bit abandoned by me and I’ve changed around my small Z palette a little since this post on my neutral palette of dreams (see swatches here too!) but I think I will get more use out of it this summer when I am a bit more tan and it doesn’t look so stark on my pale skin! 

You might also like my first wishlist purchases post! Let me know what you’ve been buying recently or are lusting after!

  

Danielle xx

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Thinking Pink

Hi guys! I have a bit of a themed post today! Taking inspiration from the Pantone Colour of the year (Rose Quartz) and Glossier beauty products pink branding, I have a few of my favourite pink beauty products to share with you and the #glossierpink Pinterest board! 

Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons Palette and Melted Lipstick in Peony

I lusted after this palette so much! I do like it but not as much as I thought I would unfortunately but everything about it is so cute from the packaging to the heart shaped pans inside! I got the Melted Lipstick in a set at Christmas and I’m in love with the formula! So long lasting, not sticky and it’s the perfect shade of pink!

The Balm Down Boy Blush

This is one of my absolute favourite blushes and the one 9 times out of 10 I will take with me when I’m travelling somewhere and don’t have much room for makeup. Its matte, pigmented and long lasting and makes me look healthy and just the right amount of flushed!

Benefit Posie Balm

I got this mini in a duty free haul here and it’s come in so handy! It gives a really light wash of colour on the lips but feels so hydrating and what’s not to love about minis!

l-r: The Balm Down Boy, Benefit Posiebalm, Too Faced Melted Peony

Lush Candy Mountain Bubble Bar

This is a limited edition Christmas bubble bar that like my beloved Snow Fairy, I savour before using up! It smells sweet like vanilla candy, gives the best bubbles and makes my skin feel so soft when I get out of the bath! I usually split it in two because when it’s gone it’s gone!

Soap and Glory Mist you Madly, Original Pink, Hand Maid and Hand Food

Ah how could I not include Soap and Glory in a post about pink! Their products are some of my favourites and you are all probably sick of me bleating on about them! Mist you Madly is probably my favourite scent ever, it’s so musky and long lasting and the bottle is perfect for throwing in your handbag! I also love the Original Pink perfume which is a lot lighter but just as long lasting and has such a pretty bottle! Finally another two handbag essentials for me are the Hand Maid hand sanitizer and Hand Food hand cream! I love popping these out to freshen up and moisturise whenever I want!

Aurelia Miracle Cleanser

This was a welcome addition in a gift with purchase from Cult Beauty as I had wanted to try Aurelia skincare for ages! It’s a cream texture and I love the smell of eucalyptus when I’m massaging it into my face! I then remove it with the muslin cloth that came with it and it does a great job of getting rid of my makeup and making me skin feel super soft!

Finally, I have a few slightly different shades of pink nail polish! First up is the most pink, Nails Inc Gel Effect in Chiltern Street. Then we have the most affordable, Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint in Rose Hip. Next we have my favourite formula; OPI Nail Envy in Bubble Bath and finally my favourite shade, Essie Fiji. All look amazing with a tan and I have a feeling these will be on rotation from now till September!

l-r: Nails Inc Chiltern Street, Barry M Rose Hip, OPI Bubble Bath, Essie Fiji

Let me know what your favourite pink products are of if you have tried any of these! I might have also enjoyed doing this theme so much I have a few other colour focus posts coming up! 

Danielle xx

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Wishlist #2

A little palette heavy wishlist today along with a few extras I've been lusting over!

Charlotte Tilbury Kiss Chase lipstick and lip cheat in Pillow Talk

I’m probably in the small minority that don’t see what all the fuss is about with the CT makeup range. Sure the products and packaging look pretty but it’s so expensive! I just don’t know if I could part with my money for it! (I can easily part with my money for other things though so I’m not sure why I feel this way!) Anyway, one thing on my radar is the lip cheat in Pillow Talk which has been around for ages and although I have the much raved about dupe, Rimmel East End Snob, which I love, I can’t help but wonder about this! Another newer addition to her range I like the look of is the lipstick in the shade Kiss Chase. I have seen this popping up everywhere recently and each time I see it I want it a little more!

Tarte Tartelette Amazonian Clay Matte Palette and Tarte Tartelette 2 In Bloom Palette

I've recently got a few Tarte products and I love the quality so these two palettes are calling my name! I can’t pick between them so thought I would stick both in this post! I love matte eye shadows and wear them far more than glitter/shimmer shades so the matte palette is looking like a strong contender, however the newer In Bloom palette looks gorgeous too!

Too Faced Love Flush Blush Wardrobe

I got a few of the Love Flush shades in a set of minis at Christmas and I LOVE them! The shades are amazing and the lasting power and pigmentation is brilliant! Blush is one of my biggest weaknesses and I would love to complete the set with this palette! Anyone know when it’s coming to the UK?

  

Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons Eye Shadow Palette

Another Too Faced product but they are one of my favourite brands! I don’t own any of their Chocolate Bar palettes and would be happy with any of them but this newest one has such a lovely selection of shades! And it smells of chocolate, what’s not to like!

Makeup Geek eyeshadow pan in Latte

This tiny little pan has become the bane of my life as it is forever out of stock on BeautyBay.com! I’ve been waiting for weeks for them to restock and told myself I wasn’t making another order until they had it back but I caved on Friday night and got a few more shades! I know I already probably have a hundred shades like this but I still want it and have saved one slot in my small Z palette of neutral dreams for its matte medium brown goodness! See the start of my Z palette here!

My last makeup wishlist is here! 

Anything here that tickles your fancy? Or maybe you have some of it already! Let me know if I really do need it!

 Danielle xx

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What (Makeup) I got for Christmas 2015

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and got everything you wanted! I’ve just got a quick post today on the makeup I got for Christmas, I haven’t got a chance to use everything yet so I’ll hopefully do a few more posts in the New Year with swatches and reviews but here’s what I got!

I've had the Too Faced Melted Kisses and Sweet Cheeks set on my wish list for the longest time and I’m so glad I have it now! It includes three mini melted liquefied long wear lipsticks and three of their love flush blushes. The set includes the melted lipsticks in the shades Nude, Fig and Peony and the Love Flush blushes in the shades Love Hangover, Justify My Love and Your Love is King!

I also asked for the Zoeva Naturally Yours palette which is full of gorgeous neutral tones and has a mixture of mattes and shimmers! I know everyone seems to really love the Cocoa Blend palette but this one stood out to me more!

I then got a few Soap and Glory bits and pieces including the Perfect Ten eyeshadow palette and Well I’ll Be Glammed makeup set! As you will have seen from posts here and here, I’m no stranger to Soap and Glory makeup so when I saw this set with a few of my favourites like the Archery brow pencil and Solar Powder bronzer in, I asked for it too! There are a couple of products in it that I’ve tried in the past that I know I don’t like such as the blush which I get no colour payoff from and the mascara which does nothing for my lashes that I will probably pass on to other family members but I love everything else in the set and the brushes are so soft!

So that’s everything makeup related that I got for Christmas! I was also really lucky to receive some other lovely presents including a FitBit which I've wanted for ages! I’m hoping it will give me a bit of motivation to actually get fit! (I love seeing how many steps my iPhone counts in a day but I don’t have it on me all the time so hoping to see a lot more with this!)

You may also have seen a few bits I treated myself to for Christmas over on my Instagram and I may have been tempted by a few of the sales too so keep an eye on that if you want to see what else I treated myself to!

Let me know what you got for Christmas and if you found any bargains in the sales!  

Danielle xx