Aallexxy's Foundation Files; bareMinerals Blemish Remedy Foundation and Seamless Buffing Brush!!!

Foundation Files; This is where I test out different base products, from concealer to powder, tinted moisturiser and foundation etc, over a period of 7-14 days and post my findings. (Follow me on Instagram, Twitter and Bloglovin so you don't miss a post) So let’s get started!!!

First off some information about me; Skintype: Combination (leaning dry in winter and Oily in Summer). Shade Reference: in between MAC NC45-50/NW43. Undertones: Yellow/Neutral.

Bareminerals Blemish Remedy Foundation and Seamless Buffing Brush

Brand: bareMinerals

**Name: Blemish Remedy

Coverage: Medium - Full

Shade: Clearly Almond 11 - Dark skin with neutral undertones (darkest shade available in the UK)

Swatch:

Bareminerals Blemish Remedy Foundation Swatch

What The brand says: A gentle yet effective, creamy, weightless, non-drying, mineral powered foundation that conceals imperfections and helps reduce the appearance of blemishes and pores for clearer-looking skin. Formulated with Aspen Bark and Tea Tree Oil to help promote clearer, healthy looking skin and Aloe to help soothe and hydrate the skin. It will help to reduce the appearance of redness, while controlling oil and shine; 100% of the 102 women included in a clinical study noticed a reduction in skin oil after 6 weeks of use and 92% experienced a significant reduction in pore size appearance.

Application is recommended with the newly launched accompanying Seamless Buffing brush for best results, and apply using the Swirl, Tap and Buff method.

Wear time (with/without primer): This foundation has very good wear time, by the end of the day if I do not touch up at all my oils do push through, but gives me a glow rather than an oil slicked look. Being a powder foundation also, touch ups are super easy, if you are willing to carry the foundation around with you. Otherwise your usual touch up powder will work just as well

Price (ml/g): Foundation; £26 for 6g
Seamless Buffing Brush £24

Pros: Extra shades available in the USA
Formulated for blemish prone skin
Contains skincare ingredients

Cons: 10 shades; Not enough shades for darker skintones

Brush is sold separately, meaning initial outlay could be expensive

Suitable Skin Types: Acne prone, Oily, Combination, Normal

Ingredients: Lauroyl Lysine, Silica, Salicylic Acid, Populus Tremuloides Bark Extract, Soil Minerals, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Litchi Chinensis Fruit Extract, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract, Disodium EDTA, Limonene, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Sorbic Acid. May Contain (+/-); Mica, Titanuim Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI77492, CI 77499).

Scent: Light, sweet smelling, but inoffensive. Dissipates quickly on the skin.

Oxidation: None

Any Other Information: The newly launched accompanying Seamless Buffing Brush is a densely packed kabuki style brush with a chrome silver handle, it's a synthetic brush that's very soft on the skin. I wouldn't say it's essential, as long as you have a kabuki/buffing style brush that fits nicely into the circular opening of the foundation. Even though this contains skincare ingredients, some which are quite high up the ingredients list, if you have severe blemish prone skin I would still consult a professional (which I am not) and continue your usual skincare routine.  (Although you can use this foundation even if you do not suffer from blemish prone skin).

Conclusion: Being an avid liquid and cream foundation lover I've surprised myself that I like this, but I think it would be great for the summer months, and it can be used to set liquid foundations/tinted moisturisers when used with a powder brush. I have the odd blemish here and there, so it's nice to know a daily foundation can benefit my skin even if only in a small way, and compliment my skincare routine rather than hinder it. I'm hoping bareMinerals will extend the shade range, as there previous foundations come in 20 shades, even though some of these still lack WOC friendly shades. This launches in September and will be available from bareminerals.co.uk, among the other usual department stores that stock the brand.

*Rating: Like

*Ratings; Hate, Dislike, Like, Lust, Love

**Pr Sample

Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Complexion Correcting Serum!!!

About 3 weeks ago I attended a blogger event for the launch of a new product by Caudalie, it was all about dark spots and some of the extreme and wierd measures women have taken to combat them, think onions, actually snails, flowers....seriously!!!

 

I thinks it's no surprise that dark spots are the 3rd biggest beauty concern for women, it's definitely one of mine, the event brought to my attention the fact that I didn't have a blogpost on one of my favourite serums, so here it is.

The new launch are these Vinoperfect Radiance Tinted Moisturisers SPF20 in Light and Medium, unfortunately they are not brown girl friendly, hopefully more shades will be released. They work in conjunction with the serum to continue fighting, preventing, covering and protecting against dark spot formation during the day. SPF is just as important to prevent further dark spots forming as treating the pigmentation itself, and some anti-dark spot treatment can make you sun sensitive, which is a recipe for dark spot formation.

That brings me onto the Vinoperfect Radiance Serum, which uses Viniferine (grapevine sap), which is 62 times more effective than vitamin C. Viniferine will not make you photosensitive, it's still important to use sunscreen, but it's good to know your anti-dark spot treatment isn't going to potentially cause the very thing you're trying to fight. I couldn't recommend this serum highly enough, I use it mainly at night at the moment, but twice day application is recommended , it's a beautiful hydrating lightweight serum.

Have you tried this serum? Is dark spots one of your concerns? What's the wierdest thing you've tried to combat them?

Thanks for visiting the blog today

Alex

Beauty and Melody Salon; Environ Facial

If you follow me on Instagram you will know that in February I attended a Keziah Connections event at the stunning Beauty and Melody Salon, so when I was invited back by Matthew (Manager) to experience an Environ facial I obviously jumped at the chance.

Beauty and Melody Salon

I actually didn't fully understand what an Environ facial was, it was developed by a doctor in South Africa and uses soundwaves and small electric pulses to drive the treatment down into the dermal layers of your skin that it wouldn't be able to reach with just manual application. This Environ facial is effective at treating sun-damage, pigmentation, premature ageing, dryness and scarring to name a few. The process starts with the usual cleansing of the skin, steaming to allow easier access to pores for extraction and then your treatment is applied. You can have either a vitamin treatment (vitamins A, C and antioxidants) or hydration, I choose vitamins. The electric pulses didn't hurt at all, and you quickly get use to the sensation, below you can see the little electrodes attached to the top of the algae mask, that was applied after the vitamin treatment had been done.

Beauty and Melody Environ Facial

I have really be loving my skin at the moment, and I believe it's down to the skincare I'm currently testing (review soon), being properly absorbed into my skin as a result of the facial. There's no point buying expensive skincare products, that will just sit on the surface of the skin, I now see the importance of facials in my skincare routine. There are also Environ skincare products available to purchase, to continue at home what the facial starts in the salon.

Sylvia was welcoming and knowledgable about skincare, even for women of colour and the usual concerns of pigmentation, I felt comfortable and confident in what she was doing. The facial can be done monthly, but for those with particularly problematic skin it can be done weekly or it can be done just before a special ocassion. So it can be adapted to your budget, but at £90 (1hr) - £110 (1hr 30mins), most people like myself will be saving this for a treat or special occassion. There are alternative treatments available at more purse friendly prices, so do have a look at their website beautyandmelody.co.uk.

Beauty and Melody Salon

Located a short walk away from Marble Arch tube station, they don't only do facials, but everything from weaves, wigs, makeup to laser hair removal, and yes the machine they use is suitable for darker skin tones.

Do you regularly get facial treatments done? Have you had an environ facial before?

Thank you for visiting the blog today

Alex

Lancome's Teint Visionnaire Foundation Review!!!

I'm sure you've heard by now that Lancome have brought out a new foundation called Teint visionnaire, it contains 2% of the active ingredient in there visionnaire serum, which contains 4%.



BoxIngredients


It's a concealer/foundation duo that comes in a sturdy glass bottle, not great for travel, but then I don't tend to carry my foundation around with me on a day-to-day basis. Plus at £36 you want to feel like you are getting a luxury product, Lancome claim this foundation will reduce the appearance of pores, dark spots and wrinkles over time, all while giving you flawless coverage and SPF 20. 

 
 This foundation gives a medium coverage with a slight dewy finish, it lasts all day, although by the end of the day my combination skin is a little shiny in the t-zone area if I don't touch up at all. If your skin is more on the oily side you may need a good primer and setting power, probably touch up's during the day or opt for lancomes teint idole.


The high coverage corrector contains vitamin CG, which is meant to aid reduction of dark spots, dark circles and imperfections. It's a very thick concealer that is best applied with fingers, if you own Benefit's boing concealer its a very similar consistency. Lancome recommend applying the corrector first and foundation over the top, I would recommend using stippling motions with your brush to avoid moving the concealer applied underneath, I have used real techniques expert face brush and buffing brush and both work really well.

  
Concealer, foundation, Teint miracle in 10 and Teint visionnaire in 006 beige cannelle (No flash/flash).

Above I have swatched this foundation and concealer in shade 10 praline, I'm a shade 10 in teint miracle (this is more yellow) and this new foundation comes up slightly warmer in the same shade, I also swatched the shade below 10, 006 beige cannelle (there are no shades in between). The 006 was too light and too beige, so I had to get 10, once applied it blends well and matches great as it is slightly warmer I'll probably get away with wearing this shade all year round.



I really love the finish this foundation gives to the skin, it covers well without looking heavy or cakey, I don't have much to cover, but I do have pigmentation around my mouth that bothers me and can make foundation go ashy as the day goes on, by applying correcting concealer first this is less of an issue. Lancome recommend using the foundation daily for 4 weeks to see results, I haven't used it long enough so can't comment on whether the pigmentation has or will reduce, wrinkles and pores are not an issue for me at present, so I also can't comment on this.

Have you tried this foundation, what do you think, will you be trying it?

Alex