Makeup

No7 Match Made Lipstick Service & No7 Moisture Drench Lipstick in Rose Mist

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No7 Moisture Drench Lipstick in Rose Mist (630)

No7 Moisture Drench Lipstick in Rose Mist (630)

Hello all,

Firstly, I must apologise for how long it has been since I last posted anything. I’m currently 8 1/2 months pregnant and have been crazy busy in my free time with antenatal appointments, shopping for baby items and ‘project managing’ my husband with the DIY jobs of our house.

I finally got to the shops this weekend for some hospital bag essentials and decided to treat myself to a non-essential lipstick.

I do have a slight obsession with buying and owning lipsticks (but not actually wearing them). My very late mid-year resolution is to wear more of the ones I have and if I buy a new one to wear it straight away.

So far I have managed to to do this with a red lipstick and the one I bought at the weekend.

So this post is about the lipstick I purchased and how I came to find it.

No7 at Boots have offered a colour match service for foundations for some time now. I had my foundation matched about a year ago (so probably due another one). I was matched as ‘Warm Ivory’. I duly bought the foundation, matching concealer and have been happy with both ever since.

However, I have often lamented since then, that no one could then tell me what lipstick would work for me based on my colour.  It is like a piece of the skin tone/makeup choice puzzle is missing. I mean different sales assistants could offer an opinion, but away from the counter I had no point of reference. That was until No7 launched their new Match Made Lipstick service. The moment I saw the advert I was eager to get to Boots. However, for various reasons already mentioned, this just didn’t happen….for ages!!!

Then one idle lunch break whilst I was on the internet, I saw that they had set up an online Match Made Lipstick Selector service which helps you choose the colour from the comfort of your own desk/bedroom/bus ride. Just select your foundation match, pick your colour family (Coral/Pink/Red) and browse the options they feel would work best for you.

Although the skin colour of the virtual model may not exactly match yours, you can get a pretty good idea of how it may look, or you can just make a note of ones you’d like to try in-store and finally go in armed with some kind of system of reference. Ah the relief!

I did a bit of both, researching the ‘Pinks’ I liked, then this weekend hitting the counter with my ideas and some advice from the sales assistant.

This is how the service looks online:

Select your foundation colour
Select the type of colour you want to find and click on favourite
See how it looks

I was torn between Deep Rose and Pink Petal when I hit the counter. I knew I wanted the Moisture Drench lipstick because the Stay Perfect range is just too drying for me.

Once at the counter I tried on both. The Deep Rose was a lovely warm pink with a hint of brown. The problem is that this is what I always go for and then I feel disappointed that it’s not ‘pink’ enough. The real bright pinks scare me, so the sales assistant moved me away from Pink Petal and directed me to Rose Mist which I had looked at online (above), but had dismissed for reasons I cannot remember now.

And this is the great thing about using the online match service and then heading to the counter. I had already narrowed down my choices so I didn’t feel bamboozled by the dozens of choices available. I was able to have a pretty quick consultation with an experienced sales assistant (as neither one of us had to go through testing every bloody pink on the counter) and then I was free to walk around assessing the colour in the shop lights an outside before making a decision. So much less stressful than my usual clueless hour long browsing sessions.

So, back to my actual choice of Rose Mist. In the flesh the colour is lovely. It’s a true pink, not too cool and not too warm, very neutral. It is moisturising and build-able. This meant I could smudge it on with my fingers for a daytime look and then build it to a denser colour for an evening. The colour pay off is really great considering it isn’t a long lasting or super matt finish.

Black plastic packaging
‘Rose Mist’ 630
No7 Moisture Drench Lipstick in Rose Mist (630)
Swatch without flash
With flash

 

I’m really happy with this colour. Finally a pink that isn’t coral or brown based, isn’t super bright, too blue or plain frightening, but a wearable colour that lifts my complexion and makes me feel just that little bit more polished than usual. I think I will be breaking this out quite often.

No7 Lipsticks are priced mid-range at £9.95, but I had a handy Boots voucher with money off so it was a bargain at under £7. Much more palatable for a mum-to-be who has tons of nappies to stock up on.

Mix of Natural daylight and office lights
Mug shot!

 

What do you think of the colour? What other pinks do you think I should try? Let me know if you try the foundation or lipstick match service and what colours you bought.

I really hope now that No7 can match my foundation, concealer and lipstick, they create a service for colour matching blusher too. Then my makeup essentials will be well an truly sorted. In the meantime, I may venture back to find my perfect Red!

 

 

 

 

My Basic Everyday Makeup Routine

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End Result

End Result

So, this post is not a product review, more of an overview of my basic everyday makeup routine including some of the products I am currently using the most. The exception to this is the BB Creams that I use, which presently i’m rotating as i’m trying out a few different ones. (Just as an aside, I liked the colour, texture and coverage of the Revlon BB Cream- but not the smell and as the day wore on, it left a greasy film on me).

I wasn’t going to post this as I don’t relish showing my face without makeup, but then I figured, why not?

I have to show the before (no makeup) look to properly demonstrate how the products make a difference – so please be kind (I’m sleep deprived and bloated – thanks to being 8 months pregnant).

I’ve listed all the products at the bottom of the page with links. Enjoy!

Before Makeup
BB Cream
After BB Cream
Under Eye Concealer..
..& Eyebrow Gel
Cream Blusher
Liquid Highlighter
Blending…
Highlighter on bridge of nose, cupid bow & chin
Curling eyelashes
Mascara x 2 coats
Lipgloss
Powder Blusher
Great for setting cream powder in place
& for adding an extra ‘pop’ to the cheeks
All done!

 

Time to compare…

Before Makeup
End Result

 

List of products

Base: Revlon PhotoReady BB Cream Skin Perfector (Light/Medium)
Under Eye Concealer: L’Oreal Touche Magique Concealer (N3.5 Natural Beige)
Eyebrows: Revlon Brow Fantasy (Dark Brown) Review here
Cream Blusher: Natural Collection (Rosy Pink)
Highlighter: The Bodyshop Radiant Highlighter Review here
Mascara: Max Factor Masterpiece Max Mascara (Black) Review here
Lipgloss: Clarins Colour Quench Lip Balm (no.16 or similar colour would be 04 Raspberry Smoothie)
Powder Blush:Bourjois Little Round Pot Blush (95 Rose De Jaspe)

Thanks to my friend Emma H, for recommending the L’Oreal Touche Magique Concealer. I don’t usually wear under eye concealer, didn’t know where to start and i’m currently loving the product and the effect it has on my tired peepers.

Does anyone else have any recommendations of favourite products?

MUA Blush Perfection Cream Blusher in “Scrummy”

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Todays post is about a little blusher I recently picked up from a brand i’m beginning to really like.

MUA (Make Up Academy) is a low budget brand that is available online and also at Superdrugs in store. (Let me know if you find it anywhere else on the high street please).

It has a really great range of products for really cheap prices. Whenever I buy one of their products I always expect to be let down in some way, just because I can’t quite believe it could be such a great bargain – but I always remain impressed.

So on a whim I picked up their latest blusher offering, the Blush Perfection Cream Blusher. The cute little container spoke to me as I walked past. I wasn’t even in the market for a new cream blusher, but the £2.00, yes people, just £2, price tag screamed at me and I had to pick one up.

The cream blusher is quite small at only 3.8g, but, it’s so well pigmented that I can see this lasting for quite some time.

This is what MUA say about this new range:

These cream blushers are very versatile and multi-purpose. They can be directly applied to bare skin, layered over foundation or set with the matching matte blushers in the £1 MUA range. You can use blush perfection to highlight your cheekbones, shape your face, build and blend with fingers or a brush to create the colour intensity. The colour effects range from a light pink to warm shade, depending on method of application.

The range comes in six shades (Top L-R) “Yummy”, “Blossom” & “Dolly” (Bottom L-R) “Bittersweet”, “Lush” & “Scrummy”.

The new MUA Cream Blush Range

Personally, i’d like a bit more of a colour selection as at least half of them are too “nude’ to do much but provide a cream contour to the face.

I chose the colour “Scrummy”, which is what i’d all a pinky/peach. The swatches on my hand look much more pink than peach, but I promise, on the face a decent flush of peach does come through making this a ‘warm’ toned blush over a cooler shade like “Bittersweet”. For this reason, I think “Scrummy” could work well as we progress into Autumn, adding a little bit of warmth to my face.

In natural daylight
With flash

The formula requires a little warming up before you can apply it with a brush, but as with many cream blushers, I find applying with fingers gives it a more natural finish anyway.

This time I did a bit of both as I was also blending in a highlighter. So I applied the cream to my cheeks with fingers, dotted my liquid highlighter above and used the brush to blend the two together.

The Highlighter I used
Blended with a brush
Result in natural daylight
Result with flash

I love how the blush contains no shimmer but still gives you that sheen, which is so typical of cream blushers.

So far, i’ve had it on for just over 4 hours and it is wearing well. It dries to a non-sticky finish, but doesn’t turn to powder like some cream blushers, so this is one for you if you are after a flush of colour with a dewy rather than satin finish.

What do you think?

Barry M Pink Orchid Blusher & Coral Lip Gloss Wand

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Today i’m reviewing two products that have been staples in my makeup bag/handbag during the past few months, the Barry M Blusher in Orchid (bl1) and the Barry M Lip Gloss Wand in Coral (11).

Barry M Blusher

Firstly, I didn’t actually discover Barry M products until last year when I was mooching around on my lunch break at my local Superdrug store. At first, all the bright colours in the display unit had me hastily backing away and assuming this was a brand for teenagers only and that my 30 something face would only resemble a clown if it played host to anything on the shelf.

In one way, its target market is the younger generation as it continually brings out very on-trend colours at very low prices – very appealing traits coveted by the teenage population.

However,  upon closer (tentative) inspection, I came to appreciate the hidden gems in the range that can work for most ages if you are brave enough to overlook what appears to be very intense pigmentation and take a moment to actually swatch it onto your skin.

Highly pigmented
Sheerer on the skin

I decided to take the plunge and pick up their blusher. This is what Barry M say about their blushers:

These extra fine blushers are available in a variety of sheer colours for easy blending and a perfect, flawless finish. They contain the anti-oxidant Vitamin E to protect and condition the skin and keep it smooth and supple.

Their blusher range mainly includes variations of pink with some more neutral colours thrown in: Strawberry Whip, Peaches & Cream, Terracotta, Raspberry, Rose (maybe my next purchase), and my choice, Pink Orchid.

 

I decided to pick up Pink Orchid (bl1) which is a cool-toned pale pink (not quite pastel though). I liked this colour because when applied to the apples of your cheeks, it gives you a really girly playful flush of colour with enough contrast to stand out without looking fake. A bit like a pretty dolly, but not full on Barbie!

These are my before and after photos in natural daylight which is how I like to test my makeup:

Highly pigmented
No Blusher
Wearing Barry M “Pink Orchid”

The texture of the blushers is fine, not super soft but not grainy and the finish is matt – which for a cheap highstreet brand is rare (If you want sheen or sparkle, these are not for you).

Application is smooth and surprisingly build-able considering it looks so bright in the packaging, but it also has enough pigmentation that you don’t have to apply too much before you get a good flush going on.

I don’t tend to comment much on packaging unless it is really pretty or innovative in some way, but I will just say that as bland as the packaging can appear, it is sturdy and practical and after being jostled around in my makeup bag and hand bag still hasn’t cracked or broken in any way.

The brush that comes with the blush is soft but very small and not ideal for blusher application, but then I rarely come across products where the brush included is much cop. Suffice to say I apply this with my own blusher brush.

I am in the market for another blush to add a bit more warmth to my complexion as Autumn approaches, so I will be popping back in-store to to pick up “Rose” and will review that once Autumn is underway.

Retailing at around £4.99, these blushers are an absolute bl**dy bargain and you really cannot go wrong experimenting with one or two colours. Really what have you got to lose?

Barry M Lip Gloss Wand

Suitably impressed by my Barry M Blusher and in desperate need of a gloss for the Summer, I was lured towards their Lip Gloss Wand in Coral (11).

Barry M say:

Shimmering, sparkling and solid colour lip glosses for the shade that suits you. The formula provides long-lasting wear without being sticky and they are all infused with an irresistible scent. A soft wand applicator ensures they glide on easily to the shape of your lips.

The colours available are: Strawberry Milkshake, Coral, Bubblegum Pink, Pastel Pink, Strawberries & Cream, Toffee and Coconut Clear.

 

Now, as I write this post it has become obvious to me that the lip gloss wands seem to roughly relate to the blushers. SO, Strawberry Milkshake lips would look lovely and subtly harmonised with a Strawberry Whip cheek. So I guess with my Pink Orchid blusher, I should have picked up the Pastel or Bubblegum Pink Gloss…..but I didn’t. I went with coral instead as sometimes you just don’t want to go all matchy matchy!

Swatch on my hand

Coral is neither opaque or sheer but sort of mid coverage gloss (if that is a term?). It’s light pinky coral in colour, so for me does not differ much from my own lips and for others would be very wearable I think.

It’s super lightweight, smells like melon and is not sticky at all. Therefore, I can’t say it has much staying power, but it’s so cheap that at £4.49, that you don’t mind reapplying it.

(FYI – I didn’t realise how much nostril action was in these shots – I do apologise)

No gloss
Wearing the Lip Gloss Wand in “Coral”

It gives my lips a nice ‘pout’ effect and a slight hint of colour which is great for everyday wear with all different colour blushers. This particular one doesn’t contain any shimmer, so I may pick up another one that will give me a nude lip with oomph for the evenings – perhaps “Toffee” next time, as I think that would look great with a smokey eye.

In summary, I have been impressed by this brand and fully intend on buying more of their makeup in the future.

I have some of their Matt Lip Paints and Nail Paints floating around my cosmetics bag which I’ll review in the not too distant future -so stay tuned. Psst, If you like bright pink lips or are looking for the perfect ‘nude’ nail colour, then the post could be right up your alley.

Have you tried the Barry M Range and what were your favourites?

 

Max Factor Masterpiece Max Mascara

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Screen Shot 2014-08-20 at 09.51.09 So today is quite a short little review of a favourite mascara of mine – Max Factor’s Masterpiece Max Mascara.

Originally I used their False Lash Effect and i’m very tempted to try their Clump Defy Extensions versions, but for now this is a mascara I just keep going back to. This is what Max Factor say about their Masterpiece Max Mascara:

A HIGH-IMPACT, VOLUMISING MASCARA CREATES BOLD, SMOOTH, SLEEK LASHES WITH UP TO FOUR TIMES YOUR BARE-LASH VOLUME.

The mascara boasts that it’s smudge-proof and touch-proof, great for sensitive eyes and that the IFX brush delivers 4X more volume Vs bare lashes.

Now, for all you doe eyed long-lashed beauties out there, the rubbery spiky IFX brush may not impress you overly and you may be wondering why they bothered with it. For the small eyed, stumpy lashed ladies such as myself, the IFX brush is a genius design!

The IFX brush

The IFX brush – I love this rubbery wonder!

I really have to make the most of every. single. lash. I possess to even look like i’ve opened my eyes for the day, and this little wonder wand coats every itsy bitsy one from root to tip. It is, in fact, the main reason I keep returning to Max Factor Mascaras and the formula of the particular mascara is perfect for building up the coats without clumping together the lashes.

I’m not someone who touches my eyes much during the day, but I can testify that it never drops or flakes and I never have panda eyes come bedtime. If you are someone who rubs your eyes, I suggest you try their waterproof version. I always use their ‘Black’ colour, which really is a deep true black that gives a defined look to the eye. This mascara also comes in “Black/Brown” (perfect for blondes) and “Deep blue” (perfect for everyone).

This morning I was running very short on time, so I only threw on two coats and these are the results (please ignore the eye bags, I didn’t sleep very well):

Because of the build-ability of this mascara, it’s also perfect for day to night transformations and easily delivers a dramatic eye effect after two or more coats.

Retailing at around £9.99 its worth a try for sure.

Now if the mascara pictures didn’t impress you (because I have to admit, they were not my finest), then here is my cat Jasper, helping me to get ready.

 

What a handsome gent!

Now I know there are cheaper mascaras out there, but I can’t seem to find one that isn’t too runny or doesn’t have a massive fluffy wand that coats my eyelids every time I use it – any suggestions? 

The Bodyshop Radiant Highlighter

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Bodyshop HighlighterMy latest makeup purchase is the Bodyshop’s Radiant Highlighter.

Now i’ve got a real thing about dewy complexions, mainly because I don’t feel that I have one and therefore am mildly obsessed with achieving that youthful radiant glow that all models, actresses, celebrities and other polished individuals seem to have.

I already own Bobbi Brown’s Shimmer Brick in Bronze, which I sometimes break out and use along the tops of my cheeks in the evenings. But in daylight it can be a bit much, although i’m very tempted by their “Beige” as it apparently creates a soft ‘candlelight glow’ on the face (sigh). Sorry, I digress slightly.

But what i’ve been lacking is a cooler toned liquid version that would work well with my liquid foundation and cream blusher and would inject a natural radiance into my everyday makeup look.

After watching a video about highlighting by celebrity makeup artist Lisa Eldridge, I was intrigued to see that the Bodyshop product was one she recommended for fairer complexions. So I decided I had to have it (Because I take everything that woman says as gospel).

This is what The Bodyshop say about their Radiant Highlighter:

A fabulously blendable make-up enhancer that brightens the appearance of the skin to provide a healthy-looking radiant complexion that feels silky smooth to the touch.

After seaBodyshop Highlighterrching in all the shops to no avail, I was forced to purchase it online and eagerly awaited it’s arrival. Two weeks later (grr), it arrived and it looked very perdy indeed!

This morning whilst I was getting ready, I decided it was time to try this out with my everyday makeup.

I dispensed a teeny amount onto my hand and at first was rather alarmed by the ‘sparkly’ look of the pink toned liquid. But once I dabbed (not rubbed) it in, it gave off a very pleasant and subtle ‘sheen’.

Now, it seems that the more expensive highlighters of the world boast fine particles that are made up of a subtle combination of colours to work with natural skin (which is also made up of reds, blues, greens etc). The cheaper highlighters of this world seem to contain larger particles of just one or two colours and therefore often look ‘sparkly’ – not great on anyone over the age of 9!

So, after looking really closely at the Bodyshop’s version in the light, I was surprised to see that despite an overall tone of silvery pink, there were particles of quite a few different colours present, which is why I think it creates such a successful ‘sheen’ effect on the skin – a welcome surprise for a brand I would not consider high-end.

Convinced I was not going to look like Tinkerbell, I tackled my face. I decided not to mix it with my foundation as some reviewers have done (i’m just not that brave yet) and instead just applied it to the tops of my cheek bones, the bridge of my nose, dotted along my cupids bow, dabbing the remains on the centre of my forehead and chin.

My ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos taken in natural daylight didn’t really show off the ‘glow’ very well, but you may just be able to see the difference (mainly on my cheek):

 

I decided to take some further shots away from the window, standing by the bedroom ceiling light to see if the highlighter was more visible:

 

You can see it is much more obvious here and gives off a pretty sheen that would look fantastic in the evening light of parties and dinner dates.

So, this is quite a subtle product and in one way, this is what I had hoped for – that it would ‘catch the light’ rather than leave an all over sparkly fairy dust effect.

The colour, which I’ve already mentioned, really would suit all fair skin tones and although i’m not super fair myself at the moment, I think it looks natural on me.

I’m happy that I can wear it during the day without it looking ‘too much’ and that it required such a tiny amount of product to achieve this effect. At £12 for 25ml, it’s not cheap, so I’m hopeful it will not need replacing for a while.

I’ve also heard good things about Boots No7 Instant Radiance Highlighter and now i’ve started on the road to radiant skin, I may just have to pick up the No7 version for a bit of product comparison..all in the name of research of course!

Now, please feel free to fuel my new found ‘radiance’ obsession by offering a few recommendations of your own. 

 

Revlon Brow Fantasy

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In my latest quest forRevlon Brow Fantasy the perfect eyebrow makeup, I stumbled on Revlon’s Brow Fantasy Pencil & Gel.

In the mood for a quick makeup purchase, I snapped up the Dark Brown (106) shade and tested it out at home.

The product actually comes in three colours: Dark Blond, Brunette and Dark Brown.

This is what Boots says about the product:

Pencil defines and fills in with soft blendable natural colour that wears for hours. Use the sheer tinted gel to set the shape of the brow.

Firstly, I was pleasantly surprised by the colour I picked up. Dark Brown is actually quite ash in comparison to the other dark brown options out there which tend to run a bit red and so Revlon’s actually looks pretty natural on the brow.

The pencil is not something I find myself using very much. It’s a bit too dry and solid for easy application and needs warming up before it can be used. Considering that it’s preferable to apply any eyebrow product with featherlight strokes, the pencil doesn’t really work unless you apply more pressure so looks a bit heavy handed for me.

The gel on the other hand is a dream!!  Perfect colour (as already mentioned), plus the brush is small and picks up just the right amount of product, so that you can build your look from subtle to more dramatic. It’s also pretty waterproof and does a sterling job of holding the hairs in place, therefore really helping you create your ideal shape.

I wish they just sold the gel on its own, as I can’t see me using the pencil very much.

Considering that only the gel is worth a look, I think the price tag of just under £7 is a little steep, but unless I find another gel with such good colour I may be persuaded to re-purchase.

These is how it looked when applied: