Reviews: Makeup | Vanity Claire

ClaireNovember 12, 2013

November Make-Up Haul: MUA

Hello one and all! So the other day I decided that I really needed to replace my eyebrow brush that had gone walkabouts, and then the next thing you know all of this had jumped into my online basket. Weird how that happens isn’t it? In my defence though, two of the items were Lauren’s. And even further in my defence – it’s MUA, the cheapest brand possibly ever.

It was my first time ordering from the MUA website, and I was happy with the layout of the site and the delivery time (around 3 days after ordering). Here’s a little rundown of what we picked up:

E2 Eyeshadow Contour Brush / E7 Eyebrow Brush / L1 Lip Brush

I’ve heard some quite good things about MUA brushes so was intrigued to give them a try – and at the ridiculously cheap prices, it was too easy to add a couple more in on top of the brow brush that I wanted. The E7 and L1 were both just £1.50, while the E2 contour brush was £1.95. I’ve used both of the eye brushes this morning and on first impressions, they seem pretty good! Not the softest brushes in the world, but they seem firm and sturdy enough to last. The lip brush, though I haven’t tried it yet, is retractable, so will be SUPER useful for my handbag.

Matte Perfect Loose Translucent Powder / Matte Perfect Shine Control Foundation

I eventually begrudgingly had to admit that my previous MUA powder, which I praised highly in my £1 MUA post, actually wasn’t doing the job properly. I’ve always said that I don’t care about powder and they all do the same job, but I did begin to notice that the MUA pressed powder barely lasted at all on my skin and I was having to powder my nose so much more throughout the day. Either my nose had suddenly got extra oily, or the powder was simply a bit wubbish – and considering it cost a quid, I was forced to lean in the direction of MUA blame. So I decided to crank my budget up to the ludicrously high £2.30 and try out the loose powder from the new Matte Perfect range. I’ve only used this for the first time this morning, but will report back on how controlling this promised ‘shine control’ really is.

Lauren also decided to purchase the foundation from the range out of the morbid curiosity of it being only £2. Yes: £2. They only have 2 shades available at the moment: Fair, and the somewhat weirdly named Almond. Lauren opted for Fair, and I eagerly await her opinions on this cheap little product.

Pro-Brow Eyebrow Kit

As we all know, Lauren is a girl who likes an eyebrow. Or two, usually two. After finishing her beloved Sleek brow kit, she’s been using, in her own words, ‘a weird array of pencils and foolish things’ and so decided to give this eyebrow kit a whirl. For £3.50, who can blame her? It contains three shades of powder and a fixing gel, plus a handy little pair of tweezers and a mirror in the compact. She’ll be reviewing this soon so wait til then to cast your eyes on the product in all its glory.

Out There Plumping Lip Gloss in ‘Candy Pink’

I know it’s very 2007 of me, but I still find that a good pink lip gloss is my ultimate go-to everyday lip product. I decided to try this plumping lip gloss from MUA in the shade ‘Candy Pink’ for just £2.

I’m a big fan of the colour, and the pigmentation is quite nice too. In terms of lasting time, don’t expect much – I find that I re-apply this quite frequently throughout the day, though that’s usually the case with cheap glosses. The ‘plumping’ aspect of the gloss can be felt when you apply it, as for a few minutes you’re left with a tingly feeling on your lips. Does it visibly plump them though? Of course it doesn’t. I have yet to find a plumping lip product that delivers on that promise. Overall though, as an everyday lip gloss this gets the job done fine and I’m sure I’ll find myself reaching for it most days.

What do you think of this mini MUA makeup haul? Have you tried any of these products?

ClaireNovember 10, 2013

Dermalogica | Skinperfect Primer Review

Good day to you dear friends!

I have a confession. I may or may not be addicted to primers. When lurking about in my room getting ready this morning, I had a think about all of the different primers I’ve used in my ridiculously long time being useless at putting makeup on. In the interest of science (probably), I thought I’d share my list with you:

MAC Prep + Prime
Seventeen Photo Flawless
Benefit POREfessional (review here)
Bourjois Bronzing Primer (review here)
Bourjois Happy Light Primer
Seventeen Flawless Poreless Primer (read Claire’s review here)
Rimmel Fix and Protect
Nivea Express Hydration (review here)

I feel like I’m forgetting a couple, but these are the ones that I remember being either impressed with or not so much. The first primer I ever used was by MAC, and whilst I was impressed with it, there are some amazing “drugstore” alternatives around. Enough rambling however, let’s get down to this Dermalogica review!

First and foremost let’s just say it is incredible.

Claire and I were sent a few products from the genuinely marvellous people at Beauty900 and this little sample was thankfully a part of our goodies. It came with the Daytime Radiance set, however I feel that it deserves a review all on its own. It is that special.

What:
This fabulous product is the Skinperfect Primer. It’s a tinted primer that is also SPF 30, meaning those nasty UV rays get a well deserved punch in the face. It’s part of the AGE Smart range, which makes me feel about 1000 years old – but then again, wrinkles are definitely not something to take lightly. A gal’s got to prepare.

The product promises to smooth fine lines, brighten and prime and prep your skin for makeup application for a flawless finish. As any good primer should, methinks. What interested me most was the ‘brightening’ promise. I’ve noticed that I look quite dull and sallow of late, which is probably something to do with too much wine and not enough sleep. I’ve never had that naturally ‘glowy’ complexion either, so I basically looked to this product as the holy grail that would turn me from the Elephant Man to Mila Kunis.

How:
Something to do with silicones, pearl powder, natural earth minerals and possibly Harry Potter’s wand.

Where:
Head over to Beauty900 to pick this excellent primer up, they actually have some fabulous tips about different skin problems and how you can combat them too – so definitely worth a visit chaps!

My verdict:
Buy this now before your face realises the neglect you are giving it and calls Social Services.

Let me paint you a beautiful picture. I’ve used the Skinperfect Primer the last few days at work. Usually my face gets shiny and disco ball-like by about lunchtime and I have nip to the powder room and er, powder my face. I’ve literally not had to do that once when wearing the Dermalogica primer, which is pretty unheard of for my oily skin. It’s also great for making my makeup last and I’ve had no issues on that front. In terms of prepping my skin for makeup application, I’ve not noticed that it’s not too different to other good primers – it does the job well.

HOWEVER, their promise of radiance is hugely and definitely fulfilled. My face has never looked so excellent without makeup on. The slight tint smooths any discolouration and somehow, it just makes me look bright and glowy. I was almost tempted to go out without foundation but then realised that was lunatic talk.

All in all, top marks Dermalogica. You are excellent.

It does smell a bit like tree though.

Has anyone else used this primer? What do you think?

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ClaireNovember 7, 2013

2 Girls 1 Review: Seventeen Phwoarr Paint Concealer

Hello you big fat lunatics. It was a dark, stormy night in mid-October that Lauren and I, housemates, colleagues and blogging pals extraordinaire, turned to one another and simultaneously thought, ~~‘ugh, YOU again?’~~ ‘hey, shouldn’t we do more joint posts on Stylingo’? Around that time we were lucky enough to receive a little bundle of treats from the lovely ladies from Seventeen, and this bundle contained not one but TWO pots of their much-hyped Phwoarr Paint concealers (usually £5.49). One was in the shade ‘Fair’ and one was in ‘Medium’ so they suited our different skin tones perfectly. Thus – huzzah! – the perfect time to introduce our new (hopefully) regular feature, the not-at-all-inappopriately-named: 2 Girls 1 Review.

We’ve both been trialling the Phowoarr Paints for a good few weeks now (hence the numerous finger dents in the photos) and both have different skin tones/types, so hopefully whatever your skin situation, you’ll be able to find one of our reviews useful to you!

First up…

Claire: Shade ‘Fair’

Phwoarr Paint promises to be a ‘heavy duty’ concealer that will ‘wage war’ on under-eye dark circles. Bold claims, bold claims indeed. So, does it deliver?

Firstly, the war paint reference is extremely apt. This stuff is thick, and I can see why some people might find it a bit tricky to work with at first because it’s definitely not one for people who like their makeup to be sheer and light. Luckily, I don’t fall into this category of human and found that once warmed a bit between the fingers, it was quite easy to apply.

I apply it using the ring-finger-dab-dab method; I think using a concealer brush might make it go on a little bit cakey. It’s really creamy though, and so blending is pretty easy. I’ve got into the habit of applying it before my foundation – the first time I’ve ever done this – because I find that then it blends in even more seamlessly with the rest of my base.

I’ve been using the shade Fair, which although it doesn’t look that pale in the pot, actually works really well on my pasty skin – and would probably still work on complexions a few tones lighter too (if such skin exists). I think that it’s currently only available in these two shades, so I suppose there might be some people who struggle to find a match; but I still think that with the right amount of blending, most people could make it work.

And the overall point is this: it is so worth making it work. This does exactly what it says on the tin (I mean, on the super handy little pot) – the dark circles under my eyes are completely covered. So impressed am I with this little wonder product that I’ve started using it on some of my redder blemishes too, even though that’s not what it’s made for – I know, I’m a bloody maverick. It is really well-lasting and never seems to get flaky or drying.

To summarise: THIS IS BRILLIANT. BUY IT.

Lauren: Shade ‘Medium’

There was once a horrifying time in my life where I rarely wore concealer. While I call it horrifying, it was actually because I didn’t really have dark circles and didn’t see the need for concealer particularly. Ah, how young and naive I was. Now at the ripe old age of 22, my face can only be described as a haggard skeleton that can only be salvaged by concealer. And lots of it.

I’m a big fan of Collection’s Lasting Perfection concealer (erm, who isn’t?!) and have been using that for the past few months. However, ever the beauty blogger, trying new products is more exciting than the news that Amanda Bynes will be out of rehab by Christmas. When we received this pair of concealers from Seventeen, I literally whipped it out and whacked some on my face at my desk. My verdict? It is wonderful.

What I like most about it is the thickness. As Claire said, it’s super thick and paint-like, which looks as if it would be impossible to work with. HOWEVER. Through some wizardry, it blends really well and isn’t drying or cakey. Nothing is worse than concealer getting into the creases under eyes (ugh, ageing) and this beautiful little pot of magic avoids that completely. Unlike my dear pal, I don’t go in for the dab-dab method when applying the Phwoarr Paint – my foundation is quite oily so I don’t have any issues with blending it in. The product is also buildable, meaning you can slather on as much as you need to to get rid of dark circles and so on and so forth.

The coverage is also excellent and the medium shade works well with my St Moriz stained skintone. It’s a teeny-tiny shade lighter than my foundation, which is brilliant for brightening up my general appearance. In terms of lasting, I haven’t had any issues and it lasts just as long as my makeup does on a regular day at work. I’ve actually been using it elsewhere on my face too, particularly on my ever-present chin problems (#ChinProbs) and also to highlight my cupids bow/nose.

You can actually see how brill the coverage is in my little swatch – see those pesky freckles? THEY ARE GONE!

Has anyone else tried Seventeen’s Phwoarr Paint Concealer? What do you think?

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ClaireNovember 1, 2013

Collection Smokey Eyes Palette | Review

HI PALS.

If you’d read my October Wishlist post, you may have seen me extravagantly lusting after the Collection Smokey Eyes palette (I know, I am pretty much the wildest human being that ever walked the earth). As a part of my exciting lipstick haul (read about these badboys here), I finally decided to pick up the Smokey Eyes Palette, which to my delight has lived up to my expectations. Call me a trampy troll if you wish, but you can’t say no to an eyeshadow palette that is UNDER FIVE HUMAN POUNDS. You simply can’t.

I tend to only wear eyeshadow when I’m heading out to the disco and I have been known to trowel on makeup, so smokey eyes are a big must for my night time eye adventures. I’ve used so many palettes in the past, but my ultimate favourite has been Benefit’s Smokin’ Eyes palette. I’m not sure if Collection is trying to dupe the Benefit palette (Smokey Eyes and Smokin’ Eyes is suspiciously similar), but Collection don’t include a brow wax or tweezers in their palette. ANYWHOO. The colour range is truly fabulous – nice neutral colours with some excellent highlighting shades.

As you can see, the colour range isn’t bad at all. My only criticism would be that the ‘Medium’ shades are a bit too shimmery for my taste. If I’m feeling a little bit cray and want to put some shadow on during the day, I would usually go for the Medium shades for a daytime appropriate look. Unfortunately, these ones are a bit too much for the day. Saying that, they’re perfect for doing a night time look, so I can’t complain too much. Also, I’d prefer them to be in colour order (i.e. Light – Medium – Dark) but I get why they’ve laid out the shadows the way they have. And the reason they have done this is because they have a jazzy ‘how to’ on the back. It’s nothing ground breaking but it would have been useful back in the day when I didn’t know what on earth I was doing with makeup. Nice touch though!

I’m impressed with the pigmentation of the palette for the price. The swatches don’t show it as well as they look in real life (darn you miserable weather!) but both the shimmery colours and the darker colours have good colour levels. I’m really impressed with the highlighting colours too. What I do like is the pigmentation isn’t too much – I’m royally cack handed so when eyeshadows are too dark, I make a huge mess of everything. Colours that go on nicely and are buildable are my fave – which these most definitely are.

I’d say the only one that is a bit useless is the middle ‘Dark’ colour – you can see in the swatch that it’s quite weak. I’ve yet to test this colour out properly on my eyelids, but I’ll let you all know how it lasts and how it goes on.

Has anyone else tried this palette? What do you think?

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ClaireOctober 31, 2013

Barry M Royal Textured Glitter Polish | Review

Our love affair with Barry M is by now well documented. We have our ups and downs, but ultimately Barry M always manage to win our fickle hearts back with their range of amazing nail polishes. The new Royal Textured Glitter Collection was announced as part of their new releases for autumn/winter (which I did a full overview of that you can see here) and I knew they’d be right up my street as I’m a sucker for a glitter polish. Rather than being like Barry M’s other glitter polishes though, which are usually large glitter particles suspended in clear polish, these are thick polishes that are densely packed with glitter to give a full, textured finish.

I was lucky enough to receive the shade ‘Duchess’ for my birthday, which is primarily a nude with flecks of pale pink. Initially I applied this over a base coat of my favourite nude Barry M shade, ‘Lychee’. Once I started applying though, I realised the polish is so thick that it could easily be used by itself and would give an opaque finish with two coats.

I’m absolutely in love with the final effect. Although it’s very glittery, it dries to a matte finish which actually stops it from looking too full on and blingy. It has a textured finish, but thankfully not in the same way as the Textured Nail Effects paints Barry M released a while ago. I found that they were too gritty, and weirdly they seemed to pick up fluff and colour off other things they came into contact with. The Royal Glitter polish is nowhere near as gritty or rough, so the final effect is much nicer

This collection is commonly likened to the OPI Liquid Sand polishes, which retail for £11.50. I haven’t tried the OPI ones, but considering Barry M’s polishes cost almost a third of their price at £3.99, they’re clearly a much more purse-friendly option. They’re absolutely perfect as we get nearer to the – prepare yourself for the C-word – Christmas season, and I definitely plan to stock up on the other shades in the collection.

Another rousing success for Barry M’s nail polishes. Three cheers for merry England!

ClaireOctober 30, 2013

Collection Lipstick Haul for Autumn/Winter

Hello chaps.

I put myself on a tragic spending ban and like Lindsay Lohan giving up crack, I failed miserably and ended up storming through the streets with a hint of madness in my eyeballs. Obviously, having decided to break my financial sobriety, I headed straight to Boots like a woman on a mission and decided to buy a few things that have been on my mind for a while now. Ever the tramp, I didn’t go too wild and stuck to the extreme budget end of the makeup scale (being poor is our USP, don’t hate). Everything on the Collection stand was under £4 (although isn’t it always?), so it was rude not to get a few things, AM I RIGHT?!

If you’d read my new product launch post, you may have seen me bang on about the Collection Deluxe Lipsticks. I’m not 100% sure that a £2.99 lipstick can be described as “deluxe” but that’s neither here nor there really. What I am impressed with is that Collection are stepping up their game a bit and providing us makeup slaves with new and exciting things to try. I picked up one of their lipsticks in the Deluxe range, as well as one from their autumn/winter Gothic Glam range and one from their Lasting Colour range. I know, I know. I need to reign my pantaloons in, things are getting a bit wild.

I picked out the shades Tallulah 02, Scorned 2 and Mango Tango 14. I do love a deep berry coloured lipstick for autumn/winter, however sometimes things can get a bit gloomy and upsetting (and I get a ridiculous amount of red lipstick on my teeth). I wanted a couple of brighter colours for the days that need cheering up, hence why I bought such a bright coral shade. The pastel pink is a firm daytime favourite, and I’ve been wearing it a lot over the past few days. And of course, no autumn/winter lipstick collection would be complete without a deep purple, and Scorned is a MARVY shade.

The pigmentation on all 3 lipsticks is really good, I’m particularly impressed with Mango Tango – it’s so bright and delightful. They’re all moisturising on the lips and I haven’t found that any of them are drying at all. In terms of lasting, I wouldn’t say they’re brilliant but they’re not bad either. I find myself reapplying a few times a day, I would think that I’d have to apply more with Scorned as it’s so dark (I’ve not worn it out yet!). I’m also an idiot though and no lipsticks are that lasting on me – I touch my face far too much for any normal human being. I found that Scorned stained my lips a little bit, so it’s worth bearing this in mind!

I am also hugely impressed by the packaging. As Claire has just reminded me, I usually hate commenting on packaging. It’s packaging, who on earth cares?! But I have decided that these are worth commenting on. Collection, you think. A bit cheap, you think. Well good sires, the packaging of these bad boys make you feel like a real fancy lady.

This is how they look on my tiny little face.

I put on a couple of layers of each, mostly because I like quite a striking lip (that’s right, I only have one lip). Scorned is definitely buildable, so you can make it as dark as you want to. I obviously went the whole hog, but ya know… I am a crazy wild thing who plays by nobody’s rules but my own.

What do you all think of these lipsticks? I recommend them thoroughly, especially since they practically cost NOTHING.

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ClaireOctober 20, 2013

Barry M ‘Lash Vegas’ Mascara | Review

Hey thurr everyone. We’ve had an insanely busy few days lately, as we both moved into our new house and then I finally passed my driving test! This has meant our days have been a whir of insurance quotes, Ikea flatpack furniture and (of course) celebratory champagne sipping. We don’t have Wi-Fi in the new crib yet so haven’t been able to blog, but today I’ve come to ‘visit’ my mum with the real intention of stealing her internet. Smooth, non?

Enough of my maverick antics, on with the show. Today I’m reviewing Barry M’s mascara ‘Lash Vegas’, which I’ve been using for around the last two weeks.

Despite loving Barry M, I wouldn’t ordinarily have chosen this mascara. Lash Vegas (£6.49) has a bristle brush, which I don’t usually go for because I prefer plastic, but I picked it up for free from Superdrug in a promotional offer so I wasn’t about to complain. Plus, has anybody else noticed the mascara’s oh-so-casual product placement in Iggy Azalea’s ‘Change Your Life’ video? If it’s good enough for Iggy, it’s good enough for me.

The brush is spiral shaped, supposedly designed to separate and define even the smaller lashes. It promises ‘show-stopping volume’ and ‘the ultimate oooooomph‘ – which is, of course, what every lady wants. So, does it deliver?

Overall, I do like this mascara. It’s a very ‘wet’ mascara, a bit like Benefit’s ‘They’re Real’ in the sense that it’s easy to get in a total mess when applying it and it takes a little while to actually feel dry on your lashes. One coat works well at defining your lashes and giving some added volume, though you have to be careful applying extra coats because the formula means it can clump quite quickly. Using an eyelash comb can quickly sort this thought, and you’re left with quite an intense black colour that lasts all day. During my weeks using it, I haven’t experienced any flaking throughout the day, and it never starts to feel at all crispy. The flip side of this is that it’s an absolute bitch to remove, so make sure you have a good eye makeup remover to hand!

For under £7, I think this is a really good value for money mascara. It lasts well, adds good volume and essentially does what it says on the tin. I don’t think I’d re-purchase it, because the only place it falls down is that it’s not fantastic at adding length – which is personally my main want from mascara. But if you already have quite naturally long lashes or are more about the volume, then I think Lash Vegas could indeed be the one for you. Barry M also released the waterproof version recently as part of their A/W range, so that might be worth checking out too.

Have any of you tried Lash Vegas? What do you think?

ClaireOctober 16, 2013

Seventeen ‘Stay Time’ Foundation & Primer | Review

It has to be said, as a person who generally goes through life from kerfuffle to kerfuffle, there aren’t that many times that I get to feel really pleased with myself. One of those rare moments came a couple of weeks ago though, when out of the blue I was contacted by the lovely Clare from Seventeen (superb name, it has to be said). She had read my recent makeup review of their new highlighter and primer – which you can read here if you so wish – and emailed me just to say how much she had enjoyed it.

It was so nice to hear that brands read what we write (I was especially delighted that she’d liked my ‘Pore-tsmouth’ joke, which I personally thought was a corker) and so the email in itself was enough to make my day – but then Clare said she would love to send us a few other bits to try out. Cue me becoming the most excited person in the world, and Seventeen automatically jumping right to the top of my Nicest Brands EVER list.

Two of the products I received a couple of days later were the brand new Stay Time Foundation in shade ‘Natural’, and the Stay Time Long Wear Primer. Longevisty is definitely one of the most important things for me when it comes to makeup. I have very long days, generally leaving the house before 7am and often not getting in again until 8pm. My commute to work also includes a horrible bus journey and around half an hour of walking each way, so depending on the weather my makeup is seriously put to the test. This new range’s promise of a long lasting base, then, was music to my ears and I couln’t wait to give it a whirl.

Firstly, the primer. It’s very different to the Flawless Poreless Primer, which in my review I describe as being a very thin balm which you can barely see or feel. Stay Time Primer is the more standard liquid primer that I’m used to. A thin layer of it goes on almost invisibly, but leaves you with a noticeable, slightly tacky base to work with. This sounds unpleasant, but it’s really not.

Next, the foundation. For one, I really like the packaging. You can’t really see in the photo but the pump twists around to lock and unlock – perfect for people like me (what some may call ‘idiots’) who are always losing lids and finding their makeup swimming in leaked foundation. At first I thought that shade ‘Natural’ might be too dark for me, but actually once I started applying it I was pleasantly surprised that I think my pale skin tone can just about get away with it. I buffed it into my skin with my usual brush, and have to admit I did find it a bit tricky to blend. I’m not sure whether it was the foundation itself or, as I suspect, the surface that the primer had created that made it a bit stubborn.

I persevered though and was actually incredibly pleased with the result. Although it’s not listed as one of the benefits, the Stay Time Foundation provided a lovely matte finish, which is perfect for me. It also promises full coverage, which I can confirm it delivers – yesterday I had an extremely attractive spot develop right at the side of my nose, and today the SPOT IT HIDDEN.

The coverage might be a bit too heavy for some people, especially when combined with the primer, but generally I like heavy coverage so it was great for me. I was also shocked, nay GOBSMACKED, after raving on about Flawless Poreless so much, to see that my pores are even less visible when using the Stay Time products than they are with that – so a huge thumbs up.

And what about the most important thing – the 25 hour lasting claims? Well, obviously, I haven’t tested it for a full 25 hours – I don’t know what sort of lives Seventeen’s target market lead, but I for one am usually in bed by half ten with a cup of tea and my Kindle. It did get tested on one of my busy work days, though, and I have to say I am hugely impressed! I had to touch up my powder and blusher through the day as usual, but when I got home in the evening my foundation was looking considerably fresher than it usually would at that time.

I would definitely recommend the Stay Time range to people who like a full coverage, or for those those who have a busy day ahead of them and want to be sure their makeup is staying put. I also think this will be great for a night out, when we generally want a heavier coverage anyway (and might actually stay up past – gasp – eleven pm!) Overall, I’m really impressed with these products and they’ve continued to change my perception of the Seventeen brand.

The primer retails in Boots for £5.49, while the foundation costs £6.49.

Have any of you tried these products? What do you think of the Seventeen brand?

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ClaireOctober 12, 2013

Bourjois Bronzing Primer | Review & Contouring

Hello chums.

Well here I am again, legging it after the bandwagon because I have well and truly missed it.

On a recent shopping trip, I nipped into Boots and decided there was nothing in life I needed more than some kind of bronzing cream with which to contour. After watching Laura Leigh’s (from Belle’s Boutique) contouring tutorial (in which she used Tom Ford’s Shade and Illuminate), I have been a-hankering after a cream to use with my foundation – instead of using highlighter/bronzer after powdering. After sneaking around Boots wondering if such a highstreet product existed, I had a stroke of wizarding genius. BOURJOIS BRONZING PRIMER*

I have read so many blogs that have reviewed the Bourjois Bronzing Primer and most have raved about it. But I have to say, it’s completely baffled me why you would want a primer that bronzes your face too. Fine if you are a gal who just wears primer out (do any lunatics actually do this?), but for us gals who like to trowel on foundation with gay abandon – WHAT IS LE POINT?

So I decided to be a maverick and use this product for something it wasn’t meant for. ‘Pardon and what?!’ I hear you say. Yes, that is correct; I don’t play by anyone’s rules, not even my own.

I figured that because it was cream based, bronze in colour – it would do the job that Laura Leigh’s Tom Ford product did so brilliantly. AND WAS I RIGHT OR WAS I RIGHT?!

As you can see, this is quite an orange product. I would suggest that if you don’t slap on St Moriz like the Fake Tan Fuhrer is after you, it might be a bit too orangey for pale skin. However, I am permanently an orange, glowing beacon of ~~hope~~ ridiculousness – so the colour is perfecto.

I won’t bore anyone too much with how I went about contouring. In brief, I stippled product onto my hairline, cheekbones, nose and chin. I blended vair well (to avoid looking like I had tried and failed at lion fancy dress) and added highlighter. Watch Laura’s vlog for the full how-to, she’s much better at it than I am.

And this was the result. Not too shabby for my first attempt at cream contouring and I’m pleased with how the Bourjois Bronzing Primer performed in it’s second role. I’m sure there’s a joke here about being a poor, single mother working two jobs to survive but unfortunately I can’t quite reach it. My look is much more subtle than Laura’s, but as I’m off for luncheon and it is only 11am, I didn’t want to look too mad.

The Bronzing Primer retails at £9.99 if any of you gals are interested.

*They also do a bronzing cream. Which was right next to the primer at Boots. Do not question my logic, I have none.

What do you all thnk? Tempted to try using this as a contouring product?

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ClaireOctober 11, 2013

Barry M ‘Natural Glow’ Eyeshadow Palette | Review & Swatches

Ever since writing our post on the Barry M new releases I was feverishly excited to try out the new products. Despite some misses (Brow Pen, we’re looking at you), Barry M are a brand we both love and so I was eager as the proverbial beaver to see them work their magic in their latest products.

I was particularly interested in the eyeshadow and blush palettes, so when I was in Superdrug recently I nearly jumped for joy when I saw that this was finally in stock. I chose the ‘Natural Glow’ palette as, let’s face it, neutral colours will always have my heart and loins. Plus, it had the nicest blusher shade of the three so I was completely sold on it.

On first impressions, this is a gorgeous palette. The packaging is sleek, sturdy and contains an extremely useful and good sized mirror in the lid. It also comes with two applicators, which I don’t think anybody ever really uses but, well, we’d moan if they didn’t include them, wouldn’t we? I like the colour range (though if I was being picky I would like them laid out from lightest to darkest, but Barry M weirdly didn’t ring me to ask my opinion on this) and the equal mixture of shimmer and matte.

So, all is looking positive. And then we move onto the application…

and very unfortunately the product falls down a little bit for me. The pigmentation is simply not as good as I was expecting. It’s much better on the shimmer shades than the matte, but as I’m more a matte girl anyway this isn’t much comfort to me. I mean, really, can you even see that first shade? It just looks a bit like a bruise, and that’s not reeeeally a look I go for.

I’ll hold my hands up and say I’m WUBBISH at applying eyeshadow, so I really need quite strong pigmentation to actually be able to see what I’m doing. People who are naturally more skilled in the eyeshadow department (i.e. everybody, probably even my neighbour’s dogs) will probably be able to get more from the palette, but for me it’s a bit too much of a struggle trying to work colour into the crease for quite little payoff. I think maybe I’ve been spoiled by MUA’s Undress Me Too (which you can see me rave about here) which is just amazingly pigmented.

On the bright side, this morning I realised that the third shade along is actually the perfect match for my light eyebrows so I’ve used it to fill them in a bit. It took quite a few layers to actually, er, see it at all but I’ll definitely get some good use out of it in that respect.

The blusher is a bit more pigmented than the shadows. It’s still quite subtle, but that’s better with blushers anyway because at least you can’t get carried away and end up looking like a clownish idiot. As you can see, it’s a nice pale pink with a slight glimmer to it so I’m much happier with this part of the palette.

These retail for £6.49, which is still an excellent price for six shadows and a blush, and to be honest it still makes a good addition to my makeup bag as a product I’ll turn to now and again. Kind of like if I was a Victorian man and had a mistress – you know, like I’ll never really love her but she’s good for a bit of a change now and then. Yep, that’s my analogy and I’m sticking to it.

Have any of you tried the Natural Glow palette from Barry M? What did you think of it?