Wednesday 30 December 2015

What I Got For Christmas 2015


Every year I wonder whether I should do a 'What I got for Christmas' post, but they're always so popular and I love reading other peoples posts too. I guess everyone's just as nosey as I am! 

I was incredibly spoilt by my lovely family this year and even though I've already said it, I just want to take the opportunity here again to say a huge thank you to them, I'm so incredibly grateful for all the lovely gifts I received this year. I've loved spending these last few days with my family, it's my absolute favourite thing about Christmas and I'm so incredibly lucky to have them in my life.   
SHARE:

Tuesday 29 December 2015

Get NYE Party Ready With The Bourjois Free Gift From Boots


I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas and to those of you who don't celebrate it, I hope you enjoyed a few days off at home to relax! I'm sure all you beauty addicts out there are already planning your look for New Years Eve. (That's if you have anything planned, ahem, I don't!) Boots have got your back however if  you're looking for some new makeup for the upcoming celebrations. If you spend £15 or more on Bourjois cosmetics, you get this fantastic Bourjois Rouge Glamour gift set as a free gift.
SHARE:

Monday 21 December 2015

Christmas Countdown - Look Fantastic Advent Calendar Day 21


We're on the 21st of December now and in the calendar today was a 50ml bottle of St Tropez Instant Tan. It's a wash off face and body lotion for fair to medium skin, which is also water and transfer resistant and is meant to last for 24 hours.

SHARE:

Christmas Countdown - Look Fantastic Advent Calendar - Days 19 & 20


As with last weekend I've coupled together this weekend's advents in one post so here's days 19 and 20.

On Day 19 of the Look Fantastic Calendar, the treat behind the door was a bareMinerals Eyeshadow in the shade 'graphite'. It's a dark grey matte shade which looks like it could be perfect for a smokey eye! It is a loose powder eyeshadow however which I'm not too fond of as it goes everywhere! I haven't used it properly yet but I did swatch it on my hand. I built up the colour for it to look how it does in the picture below so it's fairly pigmented but the colour works better when you build it up.

SHARE:

Friday 18 December 2015

Christmas Countdown - Look Fantastic Advent Calendar - Day 18


It's officially one week until Christmas which means we're on day 18 of the Look Fantastic Advent Calendar. Today in the calendar was a mini bottle of Pai. Rice Plant & Rosemary BioAffinity Skin Tonic. Pai products are made specifically for people with sensitive skin which is me! I don't know why I've never used Pai. products before, I guess I've never seen them in any shops. I'm gonna have a good look at all the products they have on their website now though!
SHARE:

Thursday 17 December 2015

Christmas Countdown - Look Fantastic Advent Calendar - Day 17


This month has flown by so fast, I can't believe it's the 17th of December already! Today in the Look Fantastic Advent Calendar was a Rimmel Volume Flash Scandaleyes Mascara, which goes perfectly with the Magnifibres Mascara Primer from yesterday. I used to use the Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara all the time, they're pretty decent mascaras considering the price! I'm looking forward to giving this one a try too!
SHARE:

Wednesday 16 December 2015

Christmas Countdown - Look Fantastic Advent Calendar - Day 16


I hope you aren't getting too bored yet of reading these calendar posts everyday, not including today there's still 9 more to go! Behind today's door was something that looked very exciting, a full size Magnifibres Treatment Primer. It forms a 'perfect base' to make mascara easy to apply and contains Provitamin B5, Peptide Blend Hyaluronic acid to nourish and condition lashes. I'm really interested to try this, I especially like fanned out, seperated lashes so if this gives me that then I'll be very happy!

SHARE:

Tuesday 15 December 2015

Christmas Countdown - Look Fantastic Advent Calendar - Day 15


It's day 15 of the Look Fantastic Advent Calendar (10 days people, 10 days!) and behind today's door was a 50ml tub of Christophe Robin Regenerating Mask. At first I thought this was a face mask, it does't actually say on the front, but only after reading the instructions did I find out it was for your hair. It contains Prickly Pear Seed Oil which according to their website, 'is one the richest natural sources of vitamin E and antioxidants.

SHARE:

Christmas Countdown - Look Fantastic Calendar - Days 13 & 14



I've been pretty busy recently so I haven't managed to upload in a few days, so instead I thought I would put days 13 and 14 together.

So on Day 13 of the Look Fantastic Advent Calendar, behind the door was a Caudalie 30ml Hand and Nail Cream. It's a nourishing cream designed to improve dry, chapped hands and brittle nails, but is also an antioxidant and anti-ageing treatment. I always have really dry, chapped hands during the winter months and my skin is really sensitive to heavily perfumed products, so I'm quite picky about the hand cream that I use. This hand cream is very heavily perfumed and don't get me wrong it does smell amazing but it did make my skin sting slightly. I think unfortunately I'll be giving this one away to my Mum or my Sister.

SHARE:

Saturday 12 December 2015

Christmas Countdown - Look Fantastic Advent Calendar - Day 12


We're on Day 12 of the Look Fantastic Advent Calendar which means there's only 13 days left, I really don't want it to end! I've probably said this already but I'm really impressed with the brands and products included in the calendar so far! Great sized products too, I already feel like it's well worth the money!

SHARE:

Christmas Party Makeup Essential - Maybelline Master Ink Glitter Review



It's officially Christmas party season which means it's time to bring out the glitter! Easiest way to do it? With glitter eyeliner obviously. This isn't that silly, watery glitter rubbish you experimented with at your school disco though. It's way more advanced these days and actually wearable. That's what Maybelline have created with the Master Ink Black Gold Glitter Liner. Essentially it's like a regular black liquid liner except it has gold glitter running through it.

SHARE:

Christmas Countdown - Look Fantastic Advent Calendar - Day 11


I completely forgot to post this yesterday, I apologise, so here's a slightly late post of what was inside Day 11 of the Look Fantastic Advent Calendar. Behind the door was a box of Eylure Lengthening No. 035 false lashes. Eylure is my absolute favourite brand for false lashes so I was very happy to see these! I was also happy to find that they are natural looking ones which is generally what I prefer. If I'm honest though I hardly ever wear false lashes, but seeing as these are natural, lengthening ones I might give them a try out on Christmas day.

SHARE:

Thursday 10 December 2015

Christmas Countdown - Look Fantastic Advent Calendar - Day 10


Day 10's treat in the Look Fantastic Advent Calendar was a Nudestix Lip and Cheek Pencil in a gorgeous, rich red shade not too disimilar to Mac's Ruby Woo. I can't figure out what the name of the shade is however, I can't find a similar colour online. The only clue I'm going with is that it has the word 'Satan' on it! Surely no one would name a lipstick Satan, I'm thinking it might be a typo and was meant to say Satin, as in satin finish!

SHARE:

Wednesday 9 December 2015

Christmas Countdown - Look Fantastic Advent Calendar - Day 9



This month seems to be just zooming by! There was something very exciting in the Look Fantastic Calendar today, a little 10ml tub of Cult 51 night cream. I had to google Cult 51 because I'd never heard of it and for good reason too. Turns out this stuff costs a whopping £125 per tub, hence why I wasn't familiar with it, it's completely out of my price range! It has fantastic reviews though so I'm really interested to see what it can do for my skin. Plus it smells incredible, I don't really know how to explain it, it just smells 'expensive'! Either way I think I'll be using this sparingly because I won't be able to afford to replace it!

SHARE:

Tuesday 8 December 2015

Christmas Countdown - Look Fantastic Advent Calendar - Day 8



It was another new brand for me to try in the Look Fantastic advent calendar today, Bubble T Bath and Body, hibiscus and acai berry tea restoring body lotion with antioxidant technology. It's a bit of a mouthful I know! Essentially it contains extracts of ingredients including hibiscus and goji berry which are supposedly very nourishing for the skin and also have antioxidant properties. It's also paraben, SLS and SLES free and is not tested on animals.

SHARE:

Christmas Countdown - Look Fantastic Advent Calendar - Day 7


I completely failed at blogging yesterday, aka I left it to the last minute, got tired and fell asleep! So here's Day 7 of the Look Fantastic Advent Calendar on day 8 instead. Behind the door was a 25ml bottle of Paul Mitchell Ultimate Color Repair Triple Rescue. I've never tried any Paul Mitchell products but my Mum is a big fan, so already I'm thinking that this is probably going to go to her! It's a thermal protection spray which protects and conditions coloured hair. I did balayage my hair in the summer but a lot of it has grown out, so as far as colour protection goes I don't really need it. I regularly colour my Mum's hair for her however so that just about confirms that I will be giving this one to her! It's a good travel size too, perfect for when she goes away.

SHARE:

Sunday 6 December 2015

Christmas Countdown - Look Fantastic Advent Calendar - Day 6


It's the 6th of December and behind today's door was an Inika Certified Organic Eyeliner in the shade 05 Black Caviar. I was really happy to see a full sized eyeliner, it even has a handy little sharpen on the end of it, why don't more eyeliners have that?! I have to admit though that I've never come across Inika before so I did a little search and turns out they're a certified organic, vegan, halal and cruelty free brand. The eyeliner is also free from talc, parabens, bismuth oxychloride, fragrance, fillers and
SHARE:

Christmas 2015 With L'Occitane



Yet again L'Occitane have not disappointed with their fantastic range of Christmas gifts for 2015 to suit anyone and everyone. They're truly one of my favourite go to brands for when I want to treat my loved ones to some luxury skincare goodies. This year there are so many sets to choose from for your mum, your boyfriend or even for yourself, you'll find it hard not to find something to suit. Plus prices start from £12 so there's something for every budget.

I picked up this gorgeous L'Occitane En Provence - The Best Of L'Occitane Gift Set from Debenhams and just as a heads up, there's currently up to 15% off on all L'Occitane products in Debenhams at the moment! It contains some of their best selling products including; Almond Shower Oil (250ml), Shea Butter Body Lotion (75ml), Verbena Shower Gel (75ml), Shea Extra-Gentle Milk Soap (50g) and Shea Buter Hand Cream (10ml).

SHARE:

Saturday 5 December 2015

Christmas Countdown - Look Fantastic Advent Calendar - Day 5

Day 5 and it's 20 days until Christmas! I'm so impressed with all the products I've got so far in the Look Fantastic Advent Calendar, they've managed to get some really great brands involved. Today's treat is from one of my favourite skincare brands, it's a Ren Skincare Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask.



A quick look on the Ren website told me that this stuff is great if you have congested, acne scarring
SHARE:

Friday 4 December 2015

Christmas Countdown - Look Fantastic Advent Calendar - Day 4



It's 21 days until Christmas, (yay!) which means we're onto day 4 of the Look Fantastic Advent
SHARE:

Thursday 3 December 2015

Christmas Countdown - Look Fantastic Advent Calendar - Day 3


Behind the door of  day 3 was a mini version of the ever popular Glam Glow SUPERMUD Clearing Treatment. I was very happy to see this today! I've tried a sample size of the Glam Glow YOUHMUD TingleExfoliate Treatment a couple of time and really liked it so I'm excited to give this
SHARE:

Christmas Countdown - Look Fantastic Advent Calendar - Day 2


Day 2 of the Look Fantastic Advent Calendar brought me another brand I've never tried before, a Lord and Berry Skin lip gloss. I think there were a number of different shades available in the calendar, I got a dark red berry shade that's perfect for christmas. It doesn't have a name on it unfortunately, just a number 4863. I tried to figure out what shade it was on their website but I couldn't tell from the pictures!
SHARE:

Tuesday 1 December 2015

Christmas Countdown - Look Fantastic Advent Calendar - Day 1




It's become a tradition now that each year I'm lucky enough that my Mum treats my sister and I to a beauty advent calendar. This year she bought me the Look Fantastic Advent Calendar, full of 25 day worth of beauty treats, HEAVEN! At £70 it wasn't cheap but with over £250 worth of products inside, I'd say it's a pretty good deal!

The calendar itself is beautifully put together, it feels big and hefty which is always a good sign and most of the doors are huge. It seems there are going to be some decent sized products behind them and not just tiny samples! There's lovely little rhymes on some of the doors too that relate to what's inside and a beauty themed 'Twas The Night Before Christmas' poem on the back! There are beautiful illustrations all over it too incorporating beauty products, as I said before, so much attention to detail!

SHARE:

Tuesday 24 November 2015

Celebrating Difference - Birthmarks + Tattoos

The blogging community is a great place for celebrating uniqueness and diversity, much more so than mainstream media. That's why I thought it would be a great idea to share with you something really special this week. My very beautiful big sister was born with a port wine stain birthmark which covers most of her right leg, as well as her foot and finishes at her lower back. It's not something that has ever bothered her nor does she feel the need to cover it up. Sure people stare but she and I both know that it's totally normal to want to look at something that you haven't ever seen before, the silly questions however she could do without! Not once has she ever wanted to be rid of her birthmark though, it's safe to say we inherited our 'Don't give a shit what other people think of you' attitude from our parents!

SHARE:

Wednesday 18 November 2015

Powder Foundation For Oily Skin - L'Oreal True Match Mineral Foundation Review


Like most girls of my generation, Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse was my first foray into foundation. It's safe to say it wasn't the best foundation in the world and it put me off using anything other than liquid foundation for a long time! Recently though I was watching Helen Anderson on youtube and she used the L'Oreal True Match Mineral Powder Foundation. I was so impressed with the flawless finish it gave her that I went out the next day and bought it. 
(FYI if you're not subscribed to Helen already then you should be! youtube.com/user/snakebitesparkles) 

I bought the shade D1.W1 Golden Ivory which I'm pretty sure is the lightest shade. For the time being it's a really great colour match for me, but I'm not so sure how good it will be by the time we get to the depths of winter and my skin is super pale! That is one of the downsides to the L'Oreal True Match Powder Foundation unfortunately, the variety of shades available here in the UK really is quite poor, sort it out L'Oreal! 
SHARE:

Sunday 8 November 2015

Nude Lipstick Shades To Suit Fair Skin


I'm a true nude lip girl at heart. At this time of year when everyone else is getting excited about wearing their favourite berry lip shades, I'm more interested in being able to wear my 'slightly darker but barely noticeable' nude lip shades. Don't get me wrong, I love rich, berry shades too but I just don't have the confidence to wear them out of the house. Same goes for red lipstick too! So for me Spring/Summer is all about pink/coral shades and Autumn/Winter is for vary shades of nude lipsticks. I prefer to make more of my eyes than my lips with shadow and liner but still like to look natural. When I wear a bold lip colour I just feel too made up!


SHARE:

Tuesday 6 October 2015

Maybelline Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lipsticks - Review & Swatches


The Color Sensational Creamy Matte lipsticks are the newest release from Maybelline here in the UK. There are currently six shades available, Craving Coral, Rose Rush, Divine Wine, Magnetic Magenta and Nude Embrace. I picked up every shade except for Nude Embrace, mainly because I wasn't a fan of the pale nude shade and I knew I'd never use it! There aren't many 'every day' shades in the range as of yet but considering how many shades there are available in the US, I'm sure it's likely they'll be bringing out more colours soon. 

SHARE:

Tuesday 22 September 2015

Rimmel Wonder'Full Wake Me Up Mascara Review


I will fully admit, I was drawn into buying the Rimmel Wonder'Full Wake Me Up mascara purely because it has vitamins in it. Oh and cucumber too! It sounds like the kind of ingredients you'd find in your moisturiser not your mascara so I was very, very intrigued! Unfortunately I can't for the life of me find anything that says what vitamins it contains but all vitamins are good right? So we'll go with it. The main selling point of this mascara is it's 'unique formula' which supposedly makes your 'eyes look wide-awake all day'. It conditions your lashes and provides volume, lift and length for that doll like, open eyed look.


SHARE:

Thursday 17 September 2015

The Perfect Autumn Nail Colour - Barry M Paprika



I think I may have found THE most perfect nail colour for Autumn! Okay technically I didn't find it, my Mum was the one who bought it but we have a shared nail polish collection. It's good old Barry M again, I've said before but most of my nail polishes are from Barry M. They're just so cheap, last for ages and there are tons of colours to choose from! The shade is 'Paprika' from the Gelly Hi-Shine range, a deep, burnt orange colour that makes me think of fallen leaves and bonfires. If that doesn't say Autumn then I don't know what does!


SHARE:

Wednesday 9 September 2015

Three Ways To Wear... A Trench Coat

Is there a more versatile staple in any girls wardrobe than the trusty trench coat? I don't think so! Time and time again I pull out my camel trench coat and pair it with almost anything. As the beginning of Autumn approaches and we all start to wonder what the heck to wear in this crazy hot/cold, can't make up it's mind weather, now is no better time to give the trench coat a good dusting off. There are so many versions of the classic mac in the shops at the moment that you'd be hard to find one that doesn't suit you, Primark has some particularly good ones in store currently that are well worth hunting out! Check out my ideas below for three different ways to wear a trench coat, then let me know what you think below!
SHARE:

Saturday 22 August 2015

Barry M Speedy Quick Dry Nail Paints Review


There's no denying I'm a huge fan of Barry M nail paints, they have a huge range of colours, matte shades, gellys and glitters, they apply like a dream and they're so cheap too! They're pretty much the only nail polishes I use these days, the most recent additions to my collection being the new(ish!) Speedy Quick Dry Nail Paints. Normally I rely on my Sally Hanson Insta-Dry Anti Chip Top Coat to make sure my nails dry quickly but these Speedy Polishes promise to dry 'at lightening speed', cutting out the last step of a quick dry top coat completely.  

SHARE:

Thursday 20 August 2015

Dealing With Anxiety - Feel The Fear And Give It The Middle Finger


This Saturday I went to a rugby match at Twickenham. To say this was a big deal for me would be an understatement. I'm a big rugby fan but that's not the (only!) reason why it's a big deal. Getting there, that was a big deal. Fighting my way through the huge crowds of fans, that was a big deal. Sitting in a stadium with 60,000 people, well that was the biggest deal of all! You're probably wondering what it is I'm getting at. Well for the longest time I've had a fear of feeling trapped. Claustrophobia or agoraphobia, I've heard it been called both. It makes it difficult for me to do the simplest of things that other people might not even contemplate as being hard. Going to the cinema or theatre, I have to sit in an aisle seat just so I know I can get up and leave whenever I need to. Sitting in a busy bar or restaurant, it doesn't always trigger my anxiety but when it does all I can think of is that I need to get outside. Long car or train journeys I find panic inducing. I hate queueing for things, just the thought of not being able to leave the line makes my heart race. Airports are a particularly tough place for me, it's the thought that once you're through security that's it. You can't leave (which obviously you can!) or get some fresh air outside and these thoughts make me feel trapped and therefore anxious and panicky. Funnily enough the flying part has never been a problem, maybe it's knowing that I'm on my way somewhere that soothes my mind so I never feel trapped on a plane. Weird I know but it's just how my brain rationalises things.

SHARE:

Sunday 9 August 2015

L'Oreal Paris False Lash Superstar Mascara Review


It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of L'Oreal mascaras, my absolute favourite being L'Oreal Miss Manga. They're been quite innovative with mascaras of late, giving us new kinds of brushes and formulas. One of their newest additions is the False Lash Superstar Mascara, a two step system with a 'super-sizing primer' and 'black fibre', 'lengthening top coat'. I've never used a double ended mascara before, if I'm honest I thought they were a bit of a 'fad', so I was quite sceptical when it came to giving it a try. 

Step 1 is a white primer on a 'corset' shaped brush which basically just means it's thinner in the middle. It works as a base by lightly coating and lengthening/thickening lashes. Step 2 then coats the primer with a black fibre formula using a curved, lengthening and thickening brush designed to fit the shape of your eye.  
SHARE:

Tuesday 4 August 2015

Quick Update - We've Had A Domain Name Change


This is just a quick update to let you know that until I can sort out my dot com domian, I've changed my blogspot address. You can now find Beauty Dressed at beautydressed.blogspot.co.uk.

I thought it was about time I changed it from agirlcalledeleanor.blogspot.co.uk so to save confusion now that my blog has a new name!

Ellie x 
SHARE:

Wednesday 29 July 2015

Products For Healthy, Shiny Hair Under £5


Ask anyone I know and they'll tell you I'm quite obsessive over my hair! I love styling it and recently I added highlights in for the summer so it's really important to me to keep it in healthy condition and protect it from damage. I thought I'd share my current favourites to keep my hair looking shiny and split end free, all of which you can by for under a fiver!

Until recently I didn't think much about what I was using to wash and condition my hair. Herbal Essences has always been my favourite mainly because I really like how it smells. Please tell me I'm not the only one who decides which shampoo to buy by sniffing it! At the beginning of this year Herbal Essences brought out the Clearly Naked line, a range of shampoos free from parabens, colourants and silicones and conditioners containing zero parabens and colourants. I've been using the Moisture range for about four months now and it has made such a difference to my hair! I like to wash my hair every couple of days so not to dry it out and since I've been using it I get barely any kind of greasy build up in my hair. It feels so incredibly clean for days rather than just the one! The shampoo lathers up really nicely and combined with the conditioner leaves a fresh, slightly minty fragrance.

SHARE:

Monday 27 July 2015

My Secret To Clear Skin - Quick Fix Facials Purifying Charcoal Mask


I honestly thought when I reached my twenties all my teenage spots would disappear but boy did that ever NOT happen! Much to my annoyance I have a very oily t-zone meaning there's always at least a few spots making themselves at home on my face. It's totally stupid to let it bother me because I know it could be so much worse. It doesn't make me any less insecure about my skin though, I'm only human after all. 

Recently I tried a few sample pots of the Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask and I absolutely loved it but at £23, it's not really in my budget. After perusing the shelves of Boots to see what alternative face masks they had, I came across Quick Fix Facials. Not having heard of this brand before I was really intrigued as they had so many different varieties including a charcoal mask, for less than £5 each! I ended up picking the Purifying Charcoal Mask, mainly because I wanted to see how it compared to the Origins mask and I have to say, I was very pleasantly surprised!
SHARE:

Saturday 11 July 2015

Rimmel Nude Collection By Kate Moss - Review & Swatches




The newest addition to the ever popular Rimmel By Kate Moss lipsticks is The Nude Collection, a range of neutral shade lipsticks designed to be flattering on all skin tones. There are five shades to choose from ranging from a pale peachy colour to a deep brown-y red. Rimmel have even created a handy shade guide to help decipher which nude is right for you based on your skin undertones.

Shade Guide:
·         All Skin Types - 40, 43, 48
·         Neutral Skin Undertones - 40, 42
·         Warm Skin Undertones - 43
·         Cool Skin Undertones - 45


SHARE:

Wednesday 8 July 2015

My Blog Disappeared!



I just want to apologise for my site being down for the last four days. You may or may not have noticed that my blog had completely disappeared from the internet and been replaced with a 'coming soon' message! Basically I had a few technical issues which were caused by my sheer stupidity and complete lack of technical knowledge. In other words, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing!

Fortunately I seem to have fixed the problem and rescued my blog from an internet black hole but it means for now I'm back to my old blogspot url agirlcalledeleanor.blogspot.co.uk. It was touch and go for a while though, at one point I did seriously think I'd lost my entire blog. That would have been two years of blogging completely down the drain! Ugh I would have been devastated!

I am currently working on getting my new custom domain name back so please bear with me. It's safe to say however that I don't want to risk loosing my blog all over again so it may take a few days!

Meanwhile I'll continue to upload posts at agirlcalledeleanor.blogspot.co.uk.

Ellie x 
SHARE:

Wednesday 1 July 2015

Clinique Beyond Perfecting 2-in-1 Foundation And Concealer Review



The Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation and Concealer has been around for a good few months now and I have to admit that it's been sitting on my dressing table for all that time. My sister picked me up a bottle on a trip to Italy and the shade she bought was slightly too dark so I've been waiting until I was a little more tanned to use it (thank you San Tropez gradual tan!). I have shade 7 'Creme Chamois' which is part of the 'very fair' colour group in the Clinique range and has a slightly pink undertone to it. I like to wear less makeup during the summer months so the idea of having a 2-in-1 foundation and concealer that is also lightweight really appeals to me. At £25 it's definitely on the pricey side for a foundation so it had a lot of expectations to live up to to justify spending that much!


There's a few things about the Beyond Perfecting foundation + concealer that I've never come across before, the first being the doe foot applicator. Obviously most concealers have this kind of applicator but never before have I used a foundation with one. It's designed so that one dip of the wand will give you a full-face application; the flat side used to sweep foundation across the cheeks, forehead and chin, the angled tip used on the jawline and nose and the pointy tip to conceal trouble areas. It's really great that Clinique have put a lot of thought into how best to apply the product and it does work really well for all these things. It did however take a few dips of the wand for me to cover my whole face and neck but maybe that's just because I have quite a large face!

The second being that it's a slow drying formula, of which I've never heard of before for a foundation. It takes a few minutes to settle into the skin so it's much easier to blend out, particularly on those difficult areas like under the eyes and around the nose. I use the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush to apply and ended up completely ignoring the application instructions from Clinique by applying the product straight from applicator to brush, it worked for me!

               No Foundation/Concealer                                 1 Layer Of Beyond Perfecting Foundation 

This is most definitely a full coverage foundation, it pretty much covers EVERYTHING! My main problem areas are redness, particularly around my nose and cheeks and also scarring from old spots. The Beyond Perfecting Foundation is excellent at covering both these problems but is lightweight enough that it doesn't feel as if you're wearing a really heavy layer of foundation. As for dark under eye circles, even though it's not something I have a particular problem with, I'm still not so sure I could forgo lightening the under eye area just because I think it makes me look more awake! I does however provide very good coverage of dark circles just without the brightening effect of an under eye concealer.

It really goes on quite thick which needs some getting used to and takes a good five minutes at least to sink in to the skin and look more natural. It's slightly unnerving when you first put it on as it starts off darker but lightens as it dries, just remember that if you're swatching it in the shop! It's not a huge negative though, it just means you can't really apply and go straight out. You definitely want to wait around five to ten minutes before you leave the house for it to settle into the skin. Once settled into the skin you end up with a natural matte finish that leaves the skin looking slightly dewy but not shiny. What with having an oily t zone, I'm a huge fan of using powder over the top but in the picture above I used no powder what so ever and was so impressed with how matte it looked without being drying. I spent the whole day with no powder too and not once did I look shiny so again, another product I can cut down on for the summer!  

As for staying power, I have to say I'm really impressed! The summer months are normally a big test for foundation by making sure it doesn't all melt off your face! I've been wearing it for the last few days where the temperature has hit 30'C in my part of the UK and not once did I worry that it wasn't staying put in the heat. In fact if anything it amazed me just how much of it had stayed on when I went to wash my face at the end of the day! It looked almost as flawless as when I first applied it, I really think the Beyond Perfecting Foundation is one of the longest lasting foundations I have ever tried!



The Clinique Beyond Perfecting 2-in-1 Foundation and Concealer would be a perfect choice for a summer base if you're looking to cut down on the number of products you're using in the warmer months but are still looking for high coverage. It's already become a staple in my makeup bag. We really need more 2-in-1 products like this in the future please beauty brands!

Have you tried the Beyond Perfecting 2-in-1 Foundation and Concealer? What do you think of the 2-in-1 product idea? Let me know in the comments below!

Clinique Beyond Perfecting 2-in-1 Foundation and Concealer - £25 boots.com

Ellie x
SHARE:

Saturday 20 June 2015

MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquers - Review & Swatches



I'm a huge fan of a bright lip on a night out but it's always annoying when you're constantly fretting about whether your lipstick still looks good after a few hours. This is why I absolutely love liquid lipsticks, they're brilliant at staying in place even after a night/day of eating and drinking, my favourites being the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipsticks. However I recently noticed that budget brand MUA have their very own range of liquid lipsticks, Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquers and at just £3, they're a third of the price of the Bourjois ones! They're not particularly new to the market, I think they came out sometime last year but I wanted to see if they were any good for the price and let you  know the results. 


There are currently ten shades to choose from, most of which are really bright vibrant colours. They're definitely missing a trick here I think, hopefully they'll incorporate a few more everyday, neutral shades into the line in the future. I bought two Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquers in the shades Dare, a deep Fuschia purple-pink and Atomic, an orange-red shade, both of which are really gorgeous, vibrant colours that dry matte.  

Starting with the application of the Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquers, well it's safe to say that like with most liquid lipsticks, they're not exactly easy to apply. They come with a doe foot applicator that although gives you great even coverage, isn't so great for precise application particularly around the lip line. It's not altogether impossible but you may find yourself wiping it all off and starting again like I have on a few occasions! Personally I think a lip brush works much better with the Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquers  especially if you're not used a liquid lipstick before. The colour pay off is absolutely incredible however and they last for ages! I've worn these for hours on end and even after eating a three course meal plus a couple of drinks, they look almost as good as when first applied bar some slight colour fading on the inside of the lips. The colour really doesn't budge though so you don't have to worry about it disappearing off your lips and reapplying in some dimly lit public bathroom! 


I do have another slight niggle with the Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquers unfortunately. On occasion I've found that after a few hours they can go a little crumbly. It's not noticeable to everyone else but it feels uncomfortable to have little dry bits on your lips. It doesn't happen every time I wear them and you don't really lose any of the colour either, it is annoying but easily fixable with a little lip balm applied over the top.


If you're a fan of a bright lip then I would definitely recommend you give the MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquers a try; they're a great price, have excellent colour pay off and there are tons of really cool, bright colours to choose from. They're not quite perfect but at £3 they're great to test out whether liquid lipsticks are for you or not.  

Have you tried the MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquers? What's your favourite brand/shade of liquid lipsticks? I'll love some recommendations for more neutral shades so please let me know in the comments below!

MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquers - £3 superdrug.com

Ellie x
SHARE:
© Beauty Dressed. All rights reserved.
Blogger Templates by pipdig