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?