Makeup Setting Powders

August 11, 2016August 22, 2017 - Vicki 5 Comments

Jurlique Rose Silk Finishing Powder

This loose powder is so fine & lightweight, it never feels heavy or drying on the skin. Its a translucent powder so its not going to add coverage or leave a white cast to your skin. It is great at setting makeup and keeping that oily t zone in check. I like to apply this with a big powder brush & sweep the product across my t-zone & chin, it has a really nice floral scent and my go to powder for eliminating that dreaded shine but leaving the skin with a slight matte velvety smooth finish. It contains these key ingredients

– Corn Starch & Rice Starch act as natural substitutes for talc, while Silican imparts a smooth texture on skin.
– Glycerin helps to moisturise and prevent moisture loss.
– Arnica helps soothe and cool the skin.

The packaging feels and looks high quality, you do get a powder puff with it but I do use a brush – but I leave the puff in the lid to stop the powder coming out when I travel. There is also a mirror in the lid which is very handy and you get 10g of product which will last you for ages. This is a powder I highly recommend if you have more oily prone skin.

bareMinerals Bareskin Perfecting Veil Mineral Powder

This is such a lovely compact and the pressed mineral powder is so smooth, lightweight and gives the skin a beautiful healthy finish. I have the lightest shade and it has a nice natural finish without adding too much colour too the skin. It is a nice powder for achieving a fresh, silky smooth and healthy look to the skin, its just the perfect way to set your makeup and stop your skin becoming oily throughout the day. Its such a great quality product and it never looks heavy or powdery on the skin. I also like the bareMinerals loose powders but this is just so much easier to travel with and creates a lot less mess.

Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot

This is a pressed powder and one of my all time favourites. It ticks all the boxes. If you want an affordable powder that will control oil, leave the skin looking flawless but not add any colour then this is your guy. Its also compact and sturdy to travel with. Seriously you need this powder in your life.

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder

I used to love this and use it all the time but over the past year or so I have noticed its not getting used as much. This is still a great powder for giving the skin a matte finish and setting makeup but I like the Soap & Glory one better, the finish is more natural. This is a good option if you are on a budget or travelling and don’t want your more expensive powder to get broken.

L’Oreal True Match Powder

This is a good powder for adding a little extra coverage and evening out skintone. I have the shade rose / beige and its a good match for my fair complexion. Its not overly pigmented but you can build up the coverage. It gives a nice flawless finish to the skin and blurs pores and leaves skin looking fresh, even and velvety smooth. I love using this when I’m wearing a more full coverage look and want my makeup to stay in place and look its best all night. This also works well on its own at add a subtle healthy colour to the skin and reduce the appearance of redness. Its a pretty decent all round powder and I do rate L’Oreal base products and this one doesn’t disappoint either.

What are your current favourite makeup powders and have you tried any of the ones I have mentioned?

Product Empties – Black Liquid Liners

August 10, 2016August 11, 2017 - Vicki 3 Comments

So I have been having a makeup clear out these past few weeks in an attempt to streamline and minimise my collection so its more manageable. I am by no means finished so I would say Its a work in progress. I’m a complete beauty addict but I noticed I wasn’t using a lot of my collection because I reach for the same products because I am lazy and get stuck in a rutt. I have a few of these de clutter style posts lined up over the next month,

I’m terrible at keeping eyeliners & mascara’s past their best, so I thought it best to start my de cluttering with those as they were easiest. This post is all liquid eyeliners & these are all either dried out or older than 5 months (at least). I am a real liquid liner addict, as some of you may know so I do have quite a few on the go at any one time.

Urban Decay Ink For Eyes

This is a waterproof liner & the fine nib on this is so precise and flexible. Its very, very good at achieving that neat, close to the lash line eyeliner look. It glides on easily and you can apply the liner to look quite subtle or build up to a more bold look. Its extremely pigmented and a deep black which dries quickly to a nice glossy finish. It also stays put, without smudging all day / night long. The colour also stays intense all day.

Soap & Glory Supercat Eyeliner Pen

This has a more of a felt tip style nib and is a lot thicker than the others. I like it for quick application and you can achieve a bold, thick, dramatic line with ease. Again the pigment is very black and it dries quite quickly. This does bleed a little on me so I would recommend using an eye primer if you have wrinkly eyelids like me. The liner lasts a really long time which makes it a great affordable option.

L’Oreal Super Liner Ultra Precision

The sponge style nib on this eyeliner is SO long, which makes applying the liner incredibly fuss free. One application / line looks smooth, neat and is effortless. I love the flexibility of the nib and I find it makes doing a winged / cat eye look extremely easy. You don’t have to go over the same spot again & again with this liner, the colour is intense even after just one application and it never smudges. I have repurchased both of the L’Oreal liners included in this post so many times. They never seem to dry out & the colour never looks dull on the eyes. I just LOVE these so much.

Charlotte Tilbury The Feline Flick*

This is a fantastic liner for doing the classic cat eye look. The nib is quite short but tappers to a very fine nib, making it easy to get up close to the lash line & also create that winged out flick that goes to a lovely precise point. This liner glides on with ease and never looks patchy or dull. This is such a great quality liquid liner and very easy to use. What I would say (and it makes me a little sad that I have too) is this did dry out quite quickly. I might have been to blame for that as you have to make sure the lid is on properly but mine didn’t ever snap shut. Its still a fab liner & even I can do a killer feline flick with this!

L’Oreal Super Liner Black Lacquer

This has the same sponge nib at the previous L’Oreal liner and I love the flexibility and length of them. This Black Lacquer liner has a more rich black colour which dries with a vinyl matte finish. It looks so good on the eye and I think the finish makes the colour a lot more intense. This is one of my favourite eyeliners ever because the colour is just so intense and out of them all its the oldest and still going strong but it needs throwing out because it is old not because the colour isn’t good.

I would repurchase all of these, even the Charlotte Tilbury one, which was a really good liner, despite it not lasting as long as I hoped. If I was pushed to say which ones I would recommend the most it would have to be the L’Oreal liner, any of them because in terms of price and quality they always deliver, always!

What are your favourite liquid liners and are you like me and hang on to them longer than you should?

July 2016 Product Empties

August 8, 2016October 16, 2016 - Vicki 2 Comments

Lacura Argan Oil Shower Oil

I mentioned this quite recently in a post, I really like the products from this new Argan Oil range from Aldi, they’re affordable and great quality. This shower oil has a thick oil consistency and I like to use it to shave my legs, as its soothing and it helps my razor glide smoothly over my skin. I will repurchase this and highly recommend checking out this collection next time you’re in Aldi.

The Organic Pharmacy Herbal Toner

I do like using these facial toner mists & find they work well to perk up and refresh my skin throughout the day. This one from The Organic Pharmacy was nice but I have used a few that are more affordable and just as good. This witch hazel and aloe vera-infused toner does feel lovely and hydrating but so too does the LUSH Tee Tree Toner. I know that this one contains a few more skin loving ingredients, 18 organic herbs which act to to minimise pores and keep the skin in perfect condition and smells beautifully of fresh Sicilian lemons which lifts and tones the skin which is wonderful but still comes with quite a hefty price tag. I would rather pay more for a serum, SPF or a moisturiser and have a more affordable toner. Have you tried this toner, or do you have a more affordable one you would recommend?

Black Chicken Remedies Love Your Face Serum

OMG I absolutly loved this serum. I have a few samples from this Australian skincare brand which I managed to miss place during my house move last year but thankfully rediscovered last month, so I am excitedly working my way through them all. This is the first product I have tried from them & if they are all as good I may have found my new favourite skincare brand. So this is a serum, it has a thick consistency and at first you think it may be a little too thick. Once you start massaging it in to your skin it starts to thin out and you can make a little product go a very long way. It instantly feels like you have put a hydrating, protective barrier on and my skin felt amazing. So smooth, plump and very soft to the touch.

This serum contains 11 therapeutic oils, which are beneficial for dry, dehydrated skin, balancing moisture, repairing skin, reducing redness, preventing premature aging & protecting skin from free radicals (and so many more benefits)

Apricot Kernel oil*, Jojoba oil* , Evening Primrose oil*, Vitamin E oil, Argan oil*, Rosehip oil*, Neroli essential oil , Sandalwood essential oil, Palma Rosa essential oil*, Rose Maroc Absolute essential oil, Ylang Ylang essential oil.

This just sinks in to the skin leaving it feeling so soft and nourished, I am blown away by the quality and how incredible my skin feels and looks. I have used this am, pm and under face masks for a little extra treat. The only thing that makes me sad is I have used up my bottle, but I get to buy the full size now though. Let me know if you have heard of Black Chicken & if you have any product recomendations.

Sanctuary Spa Body Butter

I’m never disappointed by this brand and adore the scent of their products, its such a beautiful spa scent. This body butter lasted me a very long time. I use it mainly in the evening as it can feel a little heavy on the skin, especially on a warm day. So I save it for when I have a bath in the evening & it makes my skin feel so soft. I also really like their Body Moisture Spray and layer them both if my skin is feeling really dry.

NSPA Jojoba and White Jasmine Body Polish

This was OK – I like my body scrubs to be a little more scrubby. I used this before fake tanning along with my shower mitt and that worked quite well to exfoliate my skin. I wouldn’t say I would rush out and repurchase but I would really recommend their Melting Cleansing Gel.

DHC Make Off Sheet*

I think I liked the cute box more than the actual face wipes. These were not moist enough to remove makeup, so I ended up using them to remove swatches or clean my foundation bottles. I have re used the plastic box to keep my cotton buds in because it was just too cute to throw away. I do however recommend the Deep Cleansing Oil or the very very handy Olive Oil Cotton Swabs from this brand. Just give these wipes a miss.

Clarins One Step Facial Toner

This is a cleanser and toner in one so I use this as my second cleanse in the morning just to refresh my skin and wake it up a little. It has Orange extract which refreshes, tones and revitalies skin whist Moringa Seed neutralises the effects of pollution on the skin. It is a two phase solution, so you need to give it a good shake before use & I sweep it all over my face on a cotton pad, it feels instantly refreshing and not at all drying. Oh and it has the most lovely citrus scent.

*PR Sample

New Gallinee Skincare

August 5, 2016February 23, 2018 - Vicki 2 Comments

Gallinée’s first range, LA CULTURE has grown in popularity since it was first launched earlier this year. This brand was the brainchild of Marie Drago, a French Doctor in Pharmacy and a member of the French Society of Cosmetic Science, with over 15 years’ experience working with successful and innovative skincare brands.

Gallinée is skincare that’s designed to work in harmony with our skins own microbiome (the name for all good bacteria and microorganisms that live on and in your body), I like to say this brand is where Science Meets Skincare. With their patented complex of prebiotics, probiotics and lactic acid, your skin is in very good hands, (see graphic below).

The La Culture range is bursting with active ingredients at levels where they really make a difference. At the centre of their skincare is their patented Triple Biotec Complex and

TRIPLE BIOTIC COMPLEX: A high concentration of our patented mix of prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics helps to support your microbiome in the most gentle and effective way possible.

**Gallinée La Culture Hand Cream* £13**

I have been using two products from the lovely La Culture range the Hand Cream is my favourite out of the two simply because even within 6 weeks I have noticed a real change in how my hands feel and look. This isn’t a cream targeted at making your hands look younger but they will feel nourished, softer, more supple, hydrated and visibly smoother. I apply this morning, noon and night, I always have it close by and like how instantly it’s absorbed but also leaves my hands with that soft nourished feeling.

This cream also protects against external, environmental aggressors and contains these skin loving ingredients

DAISY EXTRACT: A powerful active used for its brightening properties, daisy extract also helps prevent the onset of dark spots.

SHEA BUTTER: A hydrating and protective natural ingredient that can also help with micro-circulation.

It’s a wonderful lightweight hand cream that never feels greasy or that needs reapplying too often. It’s very affordable too, make sure you make a note to check it out if you’re on the lookout for a new hand cream.

**Gallinée La Culture Hydrating Face Cream* £35**

I have also been enjoying using the Hydrating Face Cream which leaves my skin smooth and hydrated. This as with all the products in this collection contains the Triple biotech Complex (see graphic above), as well as these skin-loving ingredients.

YACON EXTRACT: A root hailing from the same family as Jerusalem artichokes, yacon contains one of the largest amounts of prebiotic found in natural plants. In Central America, it is often used as a natural sugar. Gallinée’s yacon is cold-pressed to retain its qualities.

ORGANIC MYRTLE EXTRACT: Sourced from the French Mediterranean region, myrtle is a plant containing a large number of phenolic compounds; well-known for their antioxidant actions, to protect skin from oxidative stress.

It is a lovely cream, especially if you are prone to dry, dehydrated skin. Its gentle and non-greasy formula feels lightweight on the skin and provides a really smooth base for makeup. I noticed especially how soft my skin felt after using this and how throughout the day my skin felt really hydrated.

I’m excited to see what products Gallinee will release next and I am impressed by their first collection. Its innovative and I like that they have harnessed the enormous benefits of helpful bacteria and created a very effective skincare brand with this at its very centre.

Gallinée skincare is available at Harvey Nichols, Beauty Expert, Look Fantastic, Feel Good Matters & Beauty Mart