L’Oreal Colour Riche Intense Volume Matte Lipsticks – you might recognise the name of these lippies, but they’ve been repackaged into sleek, slimmer bullets and revamped to be much more than just a matte lipstick.
I have been trying out 4 gorgeous shades and I have to say the new slimline packaging is fab and the new formula is pretty special too.
The all new, L’Oréal Colour Riche Intense Volume Matte formula is more comfortable, more long wearing, and the shades are more beautiful. They say you can get up to 16 hour wear, but I drink too many cups of tea for my lipstick to EVER still be on my lips for that length of time. I will say that the colour is rich and long lasting, more so than many other matte lippies I have used.
What I like most of all is that they’re matte, and they’re not drying, matte lipsticks have come a long way in the past 10 years! Matte used to mean flat and uncomfortable. Not any more, think moisture and velvety soft.
L’Oréal achieves a beautiful creamy matte finish and the formula feels great on the lips and the colours and very rich. I think it is down to the fact that the, Colour Riche Intense Volume Matte range is formulated with a caring formula, infused with hyaluronic acid, to keep lips feeling moisturised all day.
Check out my old school lip swatches – circa 2010! The four shades I have are all easy to wear colours, a stunning red, a rosy pink and two everyday nudes. I honestly liked all four of them, although my mum has pinched the rosy pink (Activist 188).
So if you’re looking for a lightweight, matte lipstick which is that perfect mix of comfort and long wearing, this might be a range you want to check out! There are 12 shades in total, all of which are very wearable, no crazy colours. Oh & the slimline, black and gold packaging looks very luxurious and fab for popping in even the smallest of purses.
You can browse the L’Oreal Colour Riche Intense Volume Matte range here at L’Oréal
Over the past few months I’ve been having a huge clear out out my makeup and skincare, so it feels a more manageable. I thought I would share my current foundation collection with you, I have 7 foundation products which I adore and reach for on a regular basis. I think I have covered all bases, with a nice powder, a BB Cream, a great SPF skin tint, two luxury foundations with different finishes and an amazing foundation that covers redness and blemishes with ease!
This is one of my absolute favourite highend foundations, its such a treat to have it in my collection. I have the shade B30 Almond and that is a great match for me over the Summer so I’ve been trying to get my wear from it whilst my skin is a little more tanned.
I would say it gives me a good medium to full coverage and I love the radiant finish it makes my skin look really refreshed and healthy. I also think that this looks better as it settles in throughout the day. Its lightweight formula means it doesn’t look or feel heavy. A little product goes a long way, just take your time to blend it well and it will make your skin look flawless.
It contains Vitamin E which protects against free radicals and also has SPF 22 to provide sun protection. So it is a fantastic all-rounder.
This isn’t exactly a foundation but on lazy days I do use it on its own, just to even out my skin tone and give me a hint of colour, but If you like to have that flawless, smooth finish to your makeup then this Mineral Veil makes the best finishing powder.
It gives your skin a little added coverage with an illuminated (not glittery) finish. its gorgeous and so lightweight. This helps keep my oily t zone in check and makes my makeup look like I have made an extra special effort. It doesn’t look like much in the pan but don’t be fooled, its understated but just finishes your look off by giving it that soft focus, flawless effect. This is a really great product to have in your handbag to refresh your makeup out & about.
GOSH Primer Plus Skin Adaptor
I would compare this to a tinted moisturiser, it gives you a nice amount of coverage whilst feeling hydrating and lightweight on the skin. It is one of those products that adapts to your skin tone to give you a healthy, even-toned glow, the product comes out of the tube looking white but once you apply it to your skin it actually changes to a flesh colour – it is beauty magic! I tend not to use it as primer but instead of a foundation as an everyday base. It gives me enough coverage and if I need a little more I use the bareMinerals finishing powder and they make a lovely combo.
This primer is formulated with a combination of anti-pollution ingredients and oak extract to keep the skin hydrated and protected so it is a great product to keep your skin looking fresh, radiant and the perfect product to combat the rising effects of free radicals and pollution on our skin. I really, really like this and it is nice to have something in my skincare regime that helps protect my skin from things like pollution which can cause premature aging.
This foundation comes in a whopping 40 shades, I like that it has a lightweight formula which can easily be built up to give you that gorgeous full coverage finish. It is easy to go from a medium to a full coverage without applying too much product or having that heavy-looking finish. It has a semi matte, velvety smooth finish that never looks flat. It leaves your skin looking radiant and very healthy but don’t think because it is full coverage that it will look cakey because that is 100% not the case, you can tailor this foundation to your needs by building up the coverage when / where necessary. I love this foundation for special occasions because the coverage is perfect and it has serious staying power.
This is a tinted facial sunscreen and it’s water-resistant, SPF50 mineral sunscreen, it provides broad spectrum UVA and UVB sun protection whilst also giving your skin a healthy natural tint. I have the Light / Medium shade and have been enjoying using this alone as my base for a couple of weeks. It gives my skin a beautiful touch of colour and a healthy glow. It also evens out my skin tone but still lets my freckles show through which I like. It feels comfortable on my skin, is very easy to apply, blend (I use my fingers) and to top up throughout the day.
It is the perfect product for creating a lightweight, fresh Summer look and perfect for taking with you on holiday. I really like that this product gives you the benefits of high SPF protection, a nice subtle coverage and contains lovely skincare ingredients too. It simply ticks all the boxes for me.
Erborian BB Cream
I used to wear a lot of BB Cream but this Erborian one is my favourite and the only one I have kept. The whole premise of a BB cream was to combine the effects of skincare with a light coverage and most BB Creams don’t actually have any skincare benefits to boast of, but this Korean one has some fantastic skin benefits including:-
Ginseng: stimulating, toning and energising
Licorice and Ginger: anti-inflammatory, firming and anti-oxidant
Titanium Dioxide: solar filter
It hydrates and protects the skin whilst also evening out skin tone, concealing blemishes and giving a nice light coverage. It is the perfect everyday base and I always pack this in my holiday makeup because it has SPF25 in too!
I love how creamy this is and such fantastic coverage. It is lovely to blend and I would say it gives a decent medium coverage but you are able to build up to more of a full coverage if you like. It covers everything!, all my blemish scars, redness and uneven dark patches. This takes care of them all with ease. It does feel quite thick at first but I like to apply it with a damp beauty sponge so that I get that really nice even, lightweight coverage. This oil free formula gives the skin a semi matte finish and offers SPF25 protection.
If you have oily skin but like quite a high coverage, flawless finish foundation, this Vichy offering should be top of your list. It does contains salicylic acid so it is also a great base if you suffer from acne or have blemish prone skin. This tube is lasting me forever because you need such a small amount.
How many foundations do you have open at any one time?
Rimmel’s latest beauty launch is not only limited edition but also exclusive to Superdrug This Collection is Camo themed and fronted by the gorgeous Cara Delevingne herself. I’m not overly sold on the Camo print because it doesn’t really scream Summer to me but it is a big trend this year in the fashion world. The collection itself includes a few of my favourite Rimmel products including their brow gel, lipstick and nail polish.
The Rimmel Cara Camo Collection contains 6 products, from nails and brow gels to mascara and lipstick so a great selection of wearable products.
Cara is so well known for her full brows so it is only right her collection includes a brow product and this Rimmel brow gel is one of my favourites. I use a tinted brow gel everyday, they help define, thicken and set your bows. It also contains Argan Oil to soften, condition and improve the appearance of your brows. The spoolie style wand means its fuss free to use and you can place the product exactly where you want it. I like the amount of colour it puts through my brows and that it doesn’t leave them feeling crispy. This gel is available in 3 shades.
This creamy long wearing lipstick is such a wearable pink nude shade. The formula is infused with light reflecting black diamonds for a dazzling depth of pigment. You get good colour payoff and impressive staying power too, especially for a creamy formula. This pink nude gives me a fresh, awake look and I think it is going to quickly become my everyday Summer lip colour.
I feel like stick concealers are making a big comeback, I remember them being dry and very hard to blend but in recent years the formulas have been a lot more creamy and easy to work with. Stick concealers are great to have in your makeup bag and handy to travel with. This Blemish Concealer from Rimmel is on the light side so if you have a fair complexion like me then it is perfect but otherwise you might find it too bright to use as a concealer. I like to swipe this exactly where I need it and blend it out with a brush and powder over the top to ensure it stays put. Rimmel also say it can be used under the eye to conceal dark circles but the formula is a little thick for me and sinks into my fine lines.
Extra 3D Lash Mascara
Rimmel have such a huge selection of mascara it is hard to keep up but they always deliver on quality. This has what Rimmel call a 3D Brush which they say helps volumise, defines, lengthen and lift every lash from corner to corner, they are some bold claims. This has a plastic wand with very defined bristles which do a very good job at coating every lash giving you that doll eyed effect. I would say this is a mascara that will give you definition and length but it lacked at giving my lashes volume.
The 60 Seconds Polishes from Rimmel are one of the best quick drying formulas I have tried and their colour selection is impressive too. The 3 colours in this collection are not very bright or Summery but they are staple colours to have in your collection. There is a Black Out, Camo Girl and Desert Disguise so you get a black, nude pink and a khaki green all in this high shine, quick drying formula.
This is a great product to have as part of your brow routine, a brow highlight really lifts your brows, defines the arch and illuminates your brow bone. These crayon style highlighters are so easy to use, you just draw on exactly where you want to highlight and blend it out with your finger. This is only available in one shade – Gold Shimmer.
Brow This Way Highlighting Pencil // Hide the Blemish Concealer // Lasting Finish Lipstick
Essence has to be my favourite affordable makeup brand, it is available in Wilko stores and my local store always has a fantastic well stocked stand. If you have never tried Essence before you’re missing out they do everything well and most products are under £5 oh and they’re Vegan and Cruelty Free.
I have been trying a few products that I think we more aimed at Valentine’s Day but hey you can wear a red lip / nail polish any time of year, right!
I have to say these Long Lasting lipsticks from Essence are always a safe bet, great quality and they’re really pigmented on the lips. This Trés Chic shade is a brownish red, the colour is intense without being too vibrant. I like that this is a wearable red and this formula is creamy and comfortable on the lips, these are long wearing but I do like to reapply after I eat & drink just so the colour stays even and with these more bold colours I hate the thought of them going patchy. These are so affordable that I challenge you not to want to buy the whole collection (there are 12 shades) – I think my next purchase will be, 04 On The Catwalk
I have tried quite a few Essence Mascara’s over the years and my all time favourite has to be their Plump No Clump (great all-rounder) but it’s no longer available. This For-Bidden Volume one I have been testing out is OK for Volume as contains fibres but I also like my mascara to give my lashes fullness and this I feel just gives them length. The formula is long wearing and holds a curl so I am not disappointed with it I just like my mascara to add thickness to my sparse lashes as well as volume. I think I will try their Rock nDoll Crazy Mascara next.
Liquid liner is my jam, I use it almost daily and have road tested super expensive brands, budget friendly ones and everything in between and I have to say this double ended Essence liquid liner is pretty good. I do prefer the standard pen nib end (thin end), simply because I find it easier to use and less fiddly to use. I can get right up to my lash line and create a very precise flick whereas the thick line I find to be more of a novelty. If you’re not so confident in applying eyeliner then it is a good way of almost stamping an outline for your wing / flick and then going back in with the thin end to join everything up but I do not see myself using both ends.
This liner is black but I do go over it twice to get that intense deep black colour and it stays put, make sure you leave it a couple of minutes to dry before curling your lashes just so the colour doesn’t lift off. Great addition to my makeup bag.
If there is one thing Essence are well-known for it is their Nail Polish & Nail Care Products. Their range is huge and always expanding. I own so many of their nail colours and their top coat is my Holy Grail. I have had this beautiful red shade on my toes for about 2 weeks now and it still looks great. It’s a pretty deep, dark red and it is opaque in 2 coats.
Let me know what Essence products you love and would recommend.
Essence Cosmetics is available in Wilko Stores nationwide.
