BB Cream

Current Foundation Collection 2017

- Vicki 12 Comments
CURRENT FOUNDATION COLLECTION 2017

CURRENT FOUNDATION COLLECTION 2017

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!

YSL Touche Éclat Le Teint Foundation 

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.

bareMinerals Bareskin Perfecting Veil Finishing Powder

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.

My favourite foundations

favourite makeup foundations

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.

My favourite foundations of 2017

Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Wear Foundation 

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.

Tropic Tinted Skin Shade SPF50

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!

Foundations I'm Currently Using

Vichy Dermablend 3D Correction Foundation

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?

*This post contains PR samples

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo+ Unifiant

- Vicki 3 Comments
La Roche Posay Tinted Skincare

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo Unifiant

I think everyone has heard of the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo(+) range & quite rightly too because its nothing short of wonderful. This is a range of skincare is formulated to be an effective anti imperfection treatment, it helps reduce and control blemish breakouts as well as tackling those pesky blemish scars. It’s also fantastic at controlling oil, reducing redness and acting as an anti-inflammatory – so it’s soothing and calming on the skin. This range knocks it out of the pack when it comes to looking after blemish prone skin!

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo(+) Unifiant

The exciting news is that La Roche Posay has released Effaclar Duo(+) Unifiant which combine their best selling Effaclar Duo+ formula with mineral pigments that give the skin a light tint to even out skin tone and add that healthy glow to the skin. It’s like a proper BB Cream combining incredible skincare benefits with makeup. I was very excited to give this a go because I prefer to wear a light coverage base most days and the fact this is giving you the same skin loving Effaclar Duo+ formula so I know my skin is in great hands alongside providing a nice coverage is super exciting.

La Roche Posay Tinted Skincare

This product feels lightweight on the skin and is easy to blend out to ensure you get an even coverage. It provides me with a good light natural coverage, but don’t worry its does a fantastic job of neutralising redness and evening out skin tone so you get a healthy radiant but natural semi-matte finish.

At its core, this product is a blemish treatment with the added benefit of giving your skin a beautiful lightweight tint, so it lets your skin breath, won’t clog pores and leaves your skin looking smooth. I am a huge fan and have been wearing it a lot these past few weeks. It is a very nice option for the warmer months because it does feel so lightweight on the skin.

Key Ingredients & Skincare Benefits

  • Piroctone Olamine  – to combat bacterial infection
  • Linoleic Acid – to regulate sebum
  • Niacinamide – an anti-inflammatory ingredient for intensive smoothing
  • Procerad – a pluripotent ceramide to diffuse inflammation within 1 day and prevent and treat post inflammatory hyperpigmentation
  • LHA – for keratolytic action (speeding cell renewal)

At the moment this only comes in two shades Fair/Light & Light/Medium, and I have the Fair/Light shade which is an OK match for me during the Summer months but will be too dark for me as we head into Autumn / Winter. This product was only released back in July so I’m sure they will extend the shade range over time.

La Roche Posay Tinted Skincare Swatch

It’s exciting to see La Roche Posay extending their Effaclar Duo(+) Range and for me this newest release ticks so many boxes. I could go on about its benefits for a very long time, but keeping it as short as I can, Unifiant is great controlling shine, reducing redness, evening out skin tone, reducing blemish scars and providing a natural tint without clogging pores.

I did notice that La Roche Posay also offer an Unifiant version of my favourite Anthelios Facial SPF which I am excited to try next.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo [+] Unifiant 40ml* £16.50

My Foundation Drawer Part 1

- Vicki 4 Comments
Foundations Part 1

This is the 2nd part in my Muji Drawers series, click to see the Lip Crayon Drawer. In this drawer I have my most used bases & a few primers. I don’t always wear foundation on a daily basis or any base for that matter, so often this drawer gets a little neglected. Let me know if you use any of the products mentioned in this post, or have any foundation recomendations.

Foundations Part 1

Pixi Illuminating Tint & Conceal – This is a great two in one product. You get a light coverage tinted moisturiser which gives your skin a beautiful illuminating glow. Its easy to blend and is the perfect base for the warmer months. Not heavy but makes your skin look fresh, even and healthy. You also get a concealer in the lid, this needs a little blending but if you take your time to work it in to the skin you will get a good coverage and it lasts all day. This is good at covering blemishes & redness too. I like that the two products are in one handy tube – ideal for travel.

Ginvera Green Tea Nude Cover BB* – I like my base to give a light coverage and provide a natural touch of colour so my complexion looks bright & even. This BB Cream gives me exactly that, it has a lovely creamy consistency which I found very easy to blend, I did lightly powder but I don’t think thats 100% necessary. This BB Cream covers all bases it provides a SPF30, protects against free radicals, conceals imperfections & contains hyluronic acid for all day hydration. So you’re getting a lovely BB Cream with the added skincare benefits which Asian brands are renowned for. I am a huge fan of this & the natural fresh finish it gives my skin. If you haven’t already you need to try this out!

The Body Shop InstaBlur – This is one of the only primers I like & my only complaint is that it doesn’t come in a large enough tube! This does it all its 12 hour shine controlling, Pore smoothing, Blemish hiding, Complexion unifying and Makeup Extending. It instantly smooths skin and gives you a lovely base for your foundation. This makes my foundation look flawless and last all day / night. My skin doesn’t go greasy / oily and it doesn’t break down throughout the day. The product is quite an unusual consistency, I like to apply it with my fingers & find this works well for me.  I can’t get enough of this and I even went back & bought the under eye primer too.

Foundation Drawer

Kiehl’s Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream – OMG this is the BB Cream of my dreams, It gives my skin an even coverage and It gives you Broad Spectrum SPF50 protection which makes me very happy. If you like a light to medium coverage that looks natural and radiant with excellent sun protection then you will love this BB Cream. Its simple but its all I need in a base and I’m a massive fan. I need the full size of this ASAP!

NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser –  I’m not 100% in love with this, I’m not exactly sure what I don’t like about it. It might be that its quite thick compared to other tinted moisturisers & BB Creams. It looks really nice just after I apply it but I don’t think it wears well on my oily skin. I much prefer the Ginvera & the Kiehl’s BB Creams. This needs to be passed along.

My Foundation Collection

GOSH Prime’n Refresh –  This is a great hydrating eye primer, you apply the product straight from the tube to your eye area. It has three metal roller balls that glide the product over the skin, they’re also cooling on the skin and help de-puff your under area too . I do pat the product in with my finger after applying it, as I find it helps it absorb evenly, you can apply this on your eyelids & right up to the brow bone as well as under the eye too. It helps illuminate the area as well as keep makeup in place all day. I love that it has an illuminating quality too it as well as it being a primer, I think thats a great idea & I also find this is hydrating enough to use alone without applying a separate eye cream. I am so pleased I bought this & use it whenever I wear makeup.

Vichy Idealia Eye Cream*  – This has a really cool applicator, It’s a silicone spatula & the product comes out of a little hole in the centre. It makes applying the eye cream hygienic and really easy. This cream has quite a thick creamy consistency, so if you’re looking for a really nourishing hydrating eye cream then this is for you. It does take a couple of minutes to absorb but once it has you’re left with smooth, hydrated and brighter looking skin. This cream helps reduce the signs of fatigue as it contains caffeine & is enriched with instant illuminators and a combination of DRM-Bright complex and vitaminB3. I think it has helped reduce puffiness and dark circles too. It wears well under concealer & foundation, although the formula is on the heavy side it isn’t greasy. I really like this as part of my morning routine & have used hardly any product even though I have been using it for well over a month now. If you’re on the hunt for a new eye cream give this a go!

Germaine de Capuccini Eternal Wear Foundation  – I love this foundation, I purchased it from my local spa after having a facial. It has a medium coverage and gives my skin the smoothest finish. It’s a great foundation for the summer as it has SPF30 and is really lightweight. It wears all day on without going patchy or oxidising. The only downside is I think it has been discontinued, so I won’t go on about how wonderful it is.

The rest of the foundations in the drawer will be in Part 2 otherwise this post will be too long. So keep an eye of for Part 2 next week. Let me know if you have used any of the products mentioned or if you have any primer / foundation recommendations. I love trying new ones out.

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.

 

 

Delving In To My Sample Stash #3

- Vicki 8 Comments

Makeup Samples

ESPA ProSerum – I have been spending quite a few weeks in Scotland since Summer & I always like to have my favourite serum with me, this ESPA one ticks all the boxes. Its hydrating, calming and helps even skin tone. I love the scent too, it smells like a high end spa. This is ideal for this time of year when my skin gets dry & looks a little dull. Its a staple in my travel makeup bag.

Ginvera Green Tea Nude Cover BB Cream* This is a popular Asian skincare brand & I’ve read so many great reviews of this BB Cream. I’ve always wanted to try it. I’ve been using this over the past couple of weeks & really like it. I like my base to give a light coverage and provide a touch of colour so my complexion looks bright & even. This BB Cream gives me exactly that, its a lovely creamy consistency which I found very easy to blend, I did lightly powder it but I don’t think thats 100% necessary. This BB Cream covers all bases it provides a SPF30, protects against free radicals, conceals imperfections & contains hyluronic acid for all day hydration. So you’re getting a lovely BB Cream with the added skincare benefits which Asian brands are renowned for.

Benefit Stay Don’t Stray – This is a dual action eye primer so not only will it keep your eyeshadow in place but you can use it under the eye to keep your concealer put all day long and it works a treat! I love it that much I will be purchasing the full size & can’t believe I have never heard of this until now. It gives my eyelids an even colour & is the perfect base on which to apply eyeshadow. Its love.

Burt’s Bees Hand Salve – Not a massive fan of this I have to say, I did initially like it but the more I use it the less I like it & that pains me to write because Burt’s Bees is normally very reliable. I much prefer a hand cream & find the easier to use when I’m on the go. I will use it up & have been using it on my cuticles at night to stop them drying out in the cold weather. Let me know if you like this hand salve & how you make it work for you.

Makeup & Skincare Samples

Stay Flawless 15 Hour Primer – I’ve not used this an awful lot & struggle to find a primer which doesn’t make my skin greasy after a couple hours of use. I like the cute spotty packaging, I will use this a few more times & then let you know if it worked well for me. 15 hours is a bold claim & I doubt very much that my makeup would stay looking flawless for 15 hours. Have you tried this? let me know if your makeup looked fresh & flawless for 15 hours.

REN BB Cream – This featured in my last Sample Stash post, I’m still using it & loving it. It gives me a healthy dewy finish and it wears well without oxidising. Its not my favourite BB Cream but I do like the finish and although I wouldn’t purchase the full size I have enjoyed trying it out.

Origins Super Spot Remover – This isn’t a sample size but it fits so well on my dish & its so dinky. I really rate this as a spot treatment, it starts working right away. Its so quick and easy to apply to your blemishes. It’s instantly cooling, and can sting a little but that only lasts a few seconds, this is a targeted treatment so you only need to put it on the area where you feel a blemish coming or if you have a blemish thats already erupted. It stops blemishes from becoming too sore & angry and helps them clear up much faster too. Its a wonder gel in a tiny bottle. If you haven’t already you need to add this to your skincare arsenal.

Kiehl’s Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream – OMG this is the BB Cream of my dreams, It gives my skin an even coverage and It gives you Broad Spectrum SPF50 protection which makes me very happy. If you like a light to medium coverage that looks natural and radiant with excellent sun protection then you will love this BB Cream. Its simple but its all I need in a base and I am a massive fan.

Lancome Rouge In Love Lipstick – This is a gorgeous mini lipstick, I haven’t tried many Lancome products but this lipstick feels comfortable and hydrating on the lips & its the softest peachy pink. Not the most Autumnal colour but I have been enjoying wearing it.

NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser – This is another product that was in a previous Sample Stash post, I’ve used it a couple of times & I’m not 100% in love, I’m not exactly sure what I don’t like about it. It might be that its quite thick compared to other tinted moisturisers & BB Creams. It looks really nice just after I apply it but I don’t think it wears well on my oily skin. I much prefer the Ginvera & the Kiehl’s BB Creams.

Sample Stash

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.