You Beauty Advent Calendar!!!

So this year I decided to treat myself to a beauty advent calendar, I've never had one before, deciding which one to get was my next task. The benefit one was extremely limited, the selfridges one was quite expensive, I didn't want 24 nail polishes, which struck the ciate one off the list. Then I heard about the You Beauty Advent Calendar, £49.95 for items from different brands, check out the youbeautydiscovery.co.uk website to see what's in it and it's still currently available. You will have to pay £4.95 delivery if you are not a member, read about the You Beauty Discovery Beauty Box here.

 

 

When it arrived I had to resist the urge to open every single door immediately, but my birthday is in December and I thought it would actually be nice to open every door day by day, follow on instagram/twitter for pictures of what's in each door (Aallexxy).

 

 

It also contains a booklet explaining each product with discount codes, some valid through to the end of January next year, so still plenty of time to use them.

 

 

Have you treated yourself to any beauty advent calendars this year?

You Beauty Discovery Box!!!

So I stumbled upon this when ordering the Youbeauty advent calendar, I've been subscribed to glossybox for about 18months now, part of the beauty of glossybox is also part of it's downside. You don't know what you're going to get each month!!! You beauty is different in the sense that you pick 2 samples each month out of 6-12 options, if you don't choose by a particular date 2 samples are randomly selected for you, for £6.95 a month and 2 extras that are included in everyone's box. It's on a first come first served basis, so if there's something you want you have to get on the website quick.

It's quite cute and compact in size compared to the glossybox, by the time I signed up some of the samples were out of stock, so I picked the oriflame mascara and Murad osmolyte tonic. I then got a sample of Lizi's granola cereal in Belgian chocolate and a sample of Montagne Jeunesse body smoothies.

Murad osmolyte tonic

This is a spritz facial toner that claims to hydrate, plump and firm the skin, this is a 15ml sample!!! I've used this a couple of times and am loving it, I've used Murad products in the past and they never disappoint.

Oriflame Wonder lash mascara

I had never heard of this Swedish brand, it claims to give lift, length and amazing fullness. I've used this today and love it, it's got a plastic brush, with longer bristles on one side, which the company brand as a 3D brush.

Montagne Jeunesse body smoothies 

Again another brand I had not heard of, this is one of the 2 samples everyone gets, it claims to leave skin soft, hydrated and smelling fabulous. I am yet to use this, but being a small sachet I'll probably jut use it on my hands. I ate the Lizi's granola cereal before taking an individual picture as I wasn't planning on writing this post, it claims to have a low glycemic load so energy is released slowly. It was a very small serving, I felt I needed at least 3 packs to get close to the amount I would normally have for breakfast. However I got the Belgian chocolate flavour and it was very nice.

You beauty discovery leaflet

It also includes this mini leaflet that explains each product, and has lots of discount codes if you choose to buy the full size product.

All in all I'm liking this box and will definitely stay subscribed for a while, I like that you have an element of control, it's very affordable and you can unsubscribe at anytime. They also produce limited edition boxes from time to time, currently they have one for balance me products, and the advent calendar looks amazing for £49.95. Check out the website here youbeautydiscovery.co.uk

Trilogy Rosehip Oil Antioxidant+ Facial Oil

So last month I applied on facebook, (for the upteenth time lol), to be a beauty club VIP and get to receive and review a product. I got the Trilogy Rosehip Antioxidant+ facial oil, to be honest prior to this I had never heard of the brand Trilogy, and had not fallen prey to the trend of facial oils. Trilogy was founded by 2 sisters in New Zealand, they extract the purest most potent oil from rosehip seeds, they pride themselves on producing ethical, high performance natural skincare that works.

This 30ml bottle cost £26.50 on the debenhams website, it contains a carefully selected blend of oils including rosehip seed oil, tomato seed oil, cranberry seed oil, and acai fruit oil. This combines to make the rosapene formula, bringing together these natural restorative and protective properties in one bottle. It claims to brighten and even the skintone, reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and improve elasticity and firmness when used twice daily for 8 weeks.

It's a gorgeous golden coloured oil, delivered through a pipette dropper attached to the lid, it smells a little of cod liver oil. The oil is absorbed easily into the skin, 2-3 drops is enough, if you apply too much then you will feel a little greasy, but this can be easily resolved by blotting with a tissue (learnt the hard way lol). I love applying this to my face, neck and decolletage area after cleansing in the evening, my face feels soft, smooth and hydrated.

Sans make-up (apologies) right after applying the oil

I've really enjoyed using this oil, and will definitely be investing in other products from the brand. If you're looking for a natural skincare brand that delivers results, then Trilogy is a safe bet.

Have you tried any products from the brand?

Thanks for visiting the blog today

Alex

Hourglass Liquid Powder Foundation in Sable!!!

In a quest to expand my Hourglass collection (aka obsession), I finally purchased the Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation, touted as 'the' foundation for oily skin and with rave reviews I had to see for myself. The closest spacenk store to me closed down recently, (I almost cried...literally), so I had to purchase blind based on swatches and shade descriptions from Beautyprofessor.net, at £50 it was a pricey risk to take. I bought it as part of my purchase with the spacenk beauty event, I figured it was the best time to stock up on my most lusted after items and get a great GWP, also a great way to test new products.

I chose the colour sable, which is the second to darkest shade available, for a mac reference I'm inbetween NC45-50. This foundation is formulated to absorb oil without absorbing moisture, due to an ingredient called cashmere kaolin clay, it's a liquid to powder formulation with a velvet matte finish. It's oil free and water resistant, it's also been reported to have skincare benefits for those with acne and blemish prone skin. It does not require powder to set, in fact it sets quite quickly, so you have to be quick during application and blending.

FlashNo flash

As with most Hourglass products it's oil, paraben, phthalate, fragance, nanoparticle, synthetic dye and gluten free. It's vegan and water resistant, it provide medium to full coverage, although I've never built it up to more than medium coverage.

The shade comes off a tad beige/ashy on initial application (I wish it had more yellow in it), but once it sets, and in a complete make-up look it blends well and is a great match. I was surprised to find that my skin did require a touch up after a few hours, nothing major, but I guess with a hyped up product you can tend to have higher expectations. However it performs best with the Hourglass mineral veil primer, it also comes with a sachet in the box, no touch up's required at all!!!

Have you tried any hourglass products? What's your favourite?

Thanks for visiting the blog today

Alex

Clinique's Superprimer!!!

So Clinique have released a line of primers, 6 in total, one universal shade and 5 tinted variants to cater to differing needs. I purchased the peach tinted shade aimed at correcting discoloration, it's a 30ml tube, and cost £20.

 

I normally use an orange corrector around my mouth area as this area can go grey and ashy under foundation due to hyperpigmentation, but sometimes in the morning when I'm rushing out the door to work it's just an extra step I don't always have time for, so to find a primer and corrector in one was next on my list of beauty purchases. As you've probably heard, peach tones correct pigmented areas of the face including dark under eye circles, based on the colour wheel theory. The lighter your skintone the more pinky/peach the shade should be, and the darker your skintone the more orange it needs to be.

Ingredients

This primer is obviously more along the peach shade spectrum, rather than the bright orange shade I normally use, so I was pleasantly surprised to see that it did make it easier to conceal dark blemish marks and helped brighten the pigmented areas around my mouth, though not as much as my orange corrector. This primer made my skin feel silky smooth and foundation definitely glided on more smoothly, and it increased the longevity of my foundation.

All in all it's a great primer, and a great way for me to cut my morning routine down by a step, while offering extra longevity. Have you tried any of the clinique superprimers? What did you think?

Thanks for visiting the blog today

Alex

Real Techniques Limited Edition Duo Fibre collection!!!

So Samantha Chapman of the Pixiwoo sisters fame released her brush line, I'm sure you've heard of them by now, they have been gaining ground among beauty lovers alike. I have quite a few of the brushes myself, but not being a massive fan of duo fibre brushes I hesistated a while prior to purchasing the newest limited edtion release. However I'll be the first to confess I can be a bit heavy handed with make-up application, after watching a few videos, I decided to pick this up.

 

The face brush is great to use to set make-up, I have been using it with my EX1 cosmetics invisiwear compact powder and the hourglass ambient lighting powder, as the white fibres of the brush pick a small amount of product and the black fibres help blend it onto the face. 

 

The contour brush is great for contouring during the day, as it will prevent any harsh lines, which are less forgiving in harsh daylight. This can also be used to set foundation, if the face brush is too big for your liking or you like to precision powder in specific areas of your face.

The eye brush is great for applying a wash of colour over the lid or applying colour to the crease.

These are a great addition to my brush collection, for use with my day-to-day make-up application, to ensure everything is beautifully blended and you never end up with cake face!!!

balance Me pure skin face wash; skin-balancing cleanser!!!

I'm always on the hunt for a good facial cleanser, I want something that feels nourishing and leaves my face feeling clean but not stripped. So I picked this up with the latest issue of Glamour magazine, I've not used many balance Me products, but always been quite intrigued. When I saw this cleanser as a freebie, I thought it was a great opportuinity to try it, especially as it's targeted towards combination skin.

This 50ml size costs £11, it's 98.8% natural based product and here is what balance Me say about the cleanser;

"A gentle yet effective non-drying sulphate and petroleum free face wash to cleanse skin of make-up and daily grime. Formulated with anti-oxidant rich moringa and rice bran oils to brighten and polish the skin and leave it smooth and gently cleansed. Ideally suited for normal to combination skins." 

It's a thick, white cream that is emulsified with water and applied to dry skin to dissolve daily grime, I usually remove my initial layer of make-up with a wipe, so can't fully comment on it's make-up removing abilities. However it does remove water-resistant mascara and leaves my face feeling clean but not stripped., I usually remove it with a muslin cloth, which adds a mild exfoliation aspect to the cleansing process. It has a strong frankincense scent I'm not massively keen on, but it's not a major deal breaker for me. 

I have really enjoyed using this cleanser and would definitely purchase this product, it's great for days when I want to give my skin a break from all the glycolic based products I use, while still feeling like my skin is being thoroughly cleansed and nourished.

From the 19th you will be able to purchase this cleanser from debenhams.com, so bring on the beautyclub card points!!! Have you used any other balance Me products, what other products from the range would you recommend? 

 

Thanks for visiting the blog today

Alex

Hourglass Mineral Veil SPF15 Primer!!!

Hourglass is a luxury beauty brand that's been gaining a massive following in the UK in recent months, I absolutely love the ambient lighting powder in dim light, review here. I'm eager to try more from the brand, but there products aren't the cheapest and my closest spacenk store that stocks there products recently closed down, meaning colour matching and swatching in person is difficult. However for my next dip into the hourglass pool I ordered the travel size mineral veil primer from the spacenk website, at 10ml this will set you back £20, a full size 30ml bottle costs £52. It's probably one of the most expensive primers I've used, but with the warmer months unusually warm for the UK and my combination oily skin setting in, I thought it was worth seeing what all the hype was about.

What Hourglass say about the product;
A mineral-based, water-resistant primer with SPF 15 that creates an impossibly smooth canvas and seamless look. Veil eliminates redness, minimizes pore size, softens fine lines and creates a uniform canvas for a flawless makeup application and minimises shine. This clean, satin-finish formula helps keep makeup looking fresh and prevents fading, while SPF 15 shields the skin from the sun.

 As you can see, it's a white, thinkish liquid, that looks like it would give my darker skintone a white cast, but doesn't. This definitely prolongs make-up wear and helps towards mattifying the skin, it got daily use during the heatwave, but now I try to reserve it for long make-up wearing days or events. The SPF is a nice bonus, although a little low for me during summer, so I still use sunscreen prior to this. The product keeps going, everytime I use it I think this is going to be the last pump, so this small size will still last a decent amount of time.

So far Hourglass is a brand I'm becoming increasingly impressed/obssessed with, I will definitely be trying a few more of there products, currently on the list is the No28 primer serum, for the colder months and the immaculate liquid powder foundation. I'm also toying with the idea of getting one of the new nude lip stylo's and possible the No28 lip treatment oil, among a myriad of other things, the list just keeps growing!!! 

Have you tried any hourglass products? What were your thoughts? Recommendations welcome.  Let me know what you would like to see on the blog.

Thanks for visiting today

Alex.

 

EX1 Cosmetics; Invisiwear foundation and compact powder!!!

So EX1 is the new cosmetics kid on the block, born out of Farah Naz's frustration to match her Asian skin tone, with a biochemist background she designed her own foundation. It's a capsule collection targeted towards Asian, Middle/Far Eastern and Mediterranean gals, with yellow, golden to deep olive undertones.

Now you're probably thinking how the hell do I fit into any of these categories, my intrigued was piqued as I regularly fall in between shades and find it notoriously difficult to be matched at beauty counters. I'm usually somewhere between an NC45-50 in mac, I'm between B70-80 in YSL le teint touché éclat, I'm inbetween bobbi browns extra tinted moisturiser in medium deep and dark...I could go on. I was even color matched by the Boots no7 machine and had a foundation applied on my face, I later glanced in the mirror and I looked grey, the beauty consultant also thought she'd give me a sample of the next shade up to take home commenting that it would look good when I tanned, bearing in mind this was the end of last summer how much darker did she think I was gonna get in autumn/winter. Plus isn't that the purpose of the machine, to remove the beauty consultants subjectivity?! I think you're starting to get the picture. If I use a foundation that's too red my face doesn't look like it belongs to my neck and chest, too light and I look ashy or just wrong, so I'm regularly mixing in Face Ateliers white foundation or mixing too shades together. I was hoping this would be my solution, is there finally a foundation that honours my golden yellow undertones, while respecting the depth of my skins tone, I decided to take the risk.

There are 5 shades in the invisiwear liquid foundation, F100, 200, 300, 400 & 500, I'm the darkest shade. It's housed in a plastic bottle, with a pump and gorgeous rose gold detailing, it's priced at an amazingly affordable £10.50, but I bought from beautyexpert for £7.72 and got a free blusher with 2 purchases. The foundation is thicker than the average liquid, but blends well into the skin, evening out your skintone without being cakey or heavy.

FlashDaylight

It initially looked like it would be too light, bear in mind my arms are currently extrememly tanned with the great weather we've been having, but it blends in beautifully on my face. It gives a semi-matte finish, which on my combination skin and with the current heatwave is great.

Heavily swatchedBlended out

The invisiwear compact powder comes in three shades, P100, 200 & 300, I have the darkest again. It cost £8.99, but I bought for £7.23, not sure how long beautyexpert will sell it at this price, so be quick if you're interested. It states that it mattifies, while hydrating the skin without caking and is oil-free. The first ingredient is talc, so for some this maybe a no go, it comes in the same rose gold packaging with a large mirror.  I found it felt light on the skin, and it did help to mattify my oily t-zone on my combination skin, and didn't look cakey at all. I expected that this would not be a good match for me at all, I assumed it would be too light and make me look ashy, I was wrong. I really like this powder, I can use it to set other foundations I have and it brings back some yellow into a foundation that maybe to red for my skin tone.

The free blusher is in the shade Natural Flush, it's a gorgeous pink hue, that doesn't read chalky or ashy on my deep complexion. I tend to use more coral/peach blushers in the summer, but I've been mixing this in to get a gorgeous pinky peach shade and it will definately get more use in the winter months, plus I love the screw top packaging.

                                     Foundation and powder used in a complete face of make-up!!!

So my risk paid off, I really like this brand, it's affordable, good quality and matches my undertones beautifully. There's also a concealer and mineral powder foundation in the range, which can also be purchased from lookfantastic.com, I'm contemplating ordering the concealer.

Have you tried this range? Any further questions, please put them in the comments below, thank you for visiting the blog today.

Alex

Perricone MD; The Glycolic Cleansing Bar!!!

This is without a shadow of a doubt my most repurchased Perricone MD product!!! I remember when they sold one 85g bar for 40 something pounds (can't remember the exact price), it's now 3x85g bars for £59.50, still expensive but much better at £19.83 a bar. Plus with Mankind offering 20% off, how could I resist

If you've read any of my previous posts this week, you'll know that my obsession with glycolic based products is at an all time high. It's so easy to find glycolic products for your face, but this one can be applied over your entire body, which is one of the reasons I love it.

Glycolic acid exfoliates the top layers of skin, to reveal smoother, brighter, more even toned skin, with the addition of olive oil it treats without stripping and drying out the skin. Based on a 4 week study dermatologist Dr. Perricone claims that consumer reported 95% improvement in clarity and brightness, 91% reported improvements in the skins texture, 86% reduction in visible size of pores and 84% improvement in skin dryness & less oily.

I absolutely love this stuff, I use it about 3 times a week on my body, I let it sit on the skin for at least 2-3 minutes to give the glycolic acid time to work. My skin feels softer, smoother and looks brighter, great if you're about to go on a beach holiday and will be revealing more skin or if you just want even toned skin all over, why should your face be the only even toned skin on your body?! I use it on my face daily, if I'm not using any other glycolic product, it's free from parabens, sulfates, phthalates, synthetic dyes & synthetic fragrances.

Have you ever tried any perricone MD products? Are you as addicted to glycolic products as I am?

Thanks for visiting the blog today, come again soon

Xoxo

Alex