Seventeen Miracle Matte Foundation Review

Without a doubt, Seventeen is my favourite drugstore cosmetics brand. The quality of product for the price you pay is unbeatable in my mind. So, with that in mind, if I am looking for a new product and don't have too much to spend, the Seventeen stand is always my first stop off. In the past, I have never tried anything from the brand that I haven't been really impressed with... That was until I picked up a bottle of the Miracle Matte Foundation.

I picked this product up having tried and loved the Miracle Matte Pressed Powder (which I have actually repurchased several times now) thinking that for £5.99 I had little to lose, especially when I have had such positive thoughts about everything else. But if I am going to be completely honest, I actually hate this foundation.
Hate is a strong word and I'm not one to throw it about often but I can find virtually nothing positive about this foundation.
Let's start with the shades; there are very few. Now, I know that I am relatively fair skinned but having bought this in Natural which is the lightest shade available, there is no way anyone lighter than a MAC NC25 would be able to subtly wear this in my opinion, it is just too dark. Then there is the coverage, which goes on rather strangely to begin with, needing a lot of blending with both fingers and a brush to get it even and stop it going sticky(?!?) And then finally there is how the foundation wears... Even if by some miracle you find a shade that works for you and manage to get it to apply evenly, after several hours you will still find that the product has oxidised making it go orange and also somehow work its way into streaky lines so you resemble a somewhat suntanned zebra, which isn't a look many people find overly attractive.

I feel bad that I can't find anything good to say, so I will add that I like the packaging, which reminds me quite a bit of something you would expect from Benefit, but packaging doesn't make a product good so really that counts for very little.

Have you tried this product before, or any other Seventeen foundations? What were your thoughts?

Annie xx

Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde Volume Mascara

One of my top beauty items has to be mascara, even if I don't use anything else I will always apply a coat of volumising mascara. It  shapes, makes eyes look bigger and really gives a lift that makes me look awake even if I don't feel it!

Recently, I was lucky enough to be offered the chance to trial the latest offering from Bourjois, the Volume 1 Seconde Mascara(*) which has been designed to coat lashes from all angles with a specially formulated mascara that with just one coat gives exceptional volume and length.

I'm not usually the sort to be sold on mascaras that promise amazing things because,  in my experience, they just don't deliver the results, but I have actually been pleasantly surprised by this one. It does everything that it claims and also holds the impressive results all day. I have also had no trouble with finding smears of mascara under my eyes after a couple of hours of wear which is something that I am all too used to!
Removal is also not a chore. I soak a cotton pad in micellar water and gently wipe it away really easily, despite holding in place for hours. Definitely appreciated since no one likes panda eyes in the morning :)

Over all I really rate this mascara and am likely to repurchase in the future. Currently in Boots you can pick up a tube at the introductory price of £7.99 but usually it will cost £9.99 which I would say is more than worth it.

Annie xx

The Ultrabond Challenge- The Review

As mentioned in my lastpost, over the bank holiday weekend I was taking part in the Ultrabond challenge which was put together to test the staying power of new Ultrabond lash adhesive* and the quality of Nouveau lashes*.

Ultrabond prides itself on being different to other lash glues; it is latex free and incredibly gentle on the skin making it suitable for almost everyone. To adhere thelashes I found that I needed barely any of the Ultrabond glue and once it had dried the lashes were set firmly in place and stayed there with no movement or excess gumminess.

This photo is the final selfie I took for the instagram part of the challenge and shows just before removing the lashes.i was so impressed with how well they held. The only times I felt a little less positive wasafter showering. I found that the warmth and humidity made the glue a little melty (I can't decide whether that's the right word) but as soon as my skin was dry again it toughened back up. Also, I don't think showering is exactly am occasion calling for false lashes usually!

I have to say that over all I was incredibly impressed with the results of the Ultrabond glue. As someone who loves falsies but finds them a bit of a chore with all the usual maintenance and resticking, this was like a breath of fresh air. I wasn't constantly worrying about the lashes coming off and I didn't feel like my eyes were all gummed up from too much glue. I am going to ssy that I think I will actually be wearing falsies a lot more now that I have a glue that makes them so simple to use so I'm glad I took part.
You can grab a tube *here* for £12.95 :)

Annie xx

Teeez Mysterious Crystal Eye Liner

I mentioned this fabulous eye liner in yesterday's You Beauty Discovery Box post and just had to give it a full review because I've been so impressed. Teeez is a Dutch based brand that I had previously not heard of, and is actually pretty hard to get hold of in the UK I've found having spent some time doing research for this post! Their cosmetics are all beautifully packaged, natural as can be and released in exciting collections. The Mysterious Crystal Eye Liner is part of the Desert Glow range and is available in six excitingly named colours. The shade I have is a deep grey with the name Smokey Quartz.

The packaging, like I mentioned is pretty funky. I personally think on such a small box this looks a little over the top but on some of the wider packaging looks great. The eye liner itself is patterned with the same bold style with splashes of gold which make it look fun but stylish.

The eye liner itself is a silky smooth twist up pencil that just glides onto the eyelid with no dragging or scratching. In the other end there is also a very handy 2-in-1 tool that is both a smudge brush that is kept clean with a plastic cap and when pulled off of the eye liner is a hidden sharpener ensuring you can get both super precise and super smokey looks from the one tool.

As shown here the shade is a lovely shimmery grey shade which I can tell you now does not have any glitter fall out. The wavy swatch was using a fairly light hand which gives a soft, smokey colour which could be buffed out for an eye shadow type of effect. The thick swatch on the right was with a firm hand and more pressure which gives a very even application of colour and looks great worn in a cat flick style. Finally, the swatch above them is heavy but blended out using the smudge brush for a slight gradient effect. I don't personally use smudge brushes often as I like fairly neat looks but it does work well.

After 45 seconds the eye liner sets fast and doesn't budge. A dream if you work long days or plan on partying all night :) In the photo above I had been wiping away at the swatches using a cotton pad and my trusty Nuxe Micellar Water for a good couple of minutes and as you can see, it was still clinging in there just about.

The Teeez Mysterious Crystal eye liners(£13.95) and other products from the brand are available *here*

Annie xx

Benefit Watts Up! Review

Watts Up! (£24.50) is my favourite product from Benefit. This beautiful gold toned highlighter stick makes it super simple to highlight cheek bones, brow bones, the cupids brow or any other area you may wish to illuminate.

This pretty purple tube has been whipped out every morning without fail for the last couple of months because I just love it so much. The soft golden tone warms up my pale skin without looking too much and due to the blending sponge on the other end of the product you can gently blot it until blended into a softer, more daytime friendly shade.

This chubby cream stick has a twist up design that has a protective cap that prevents any damage to the product and helps keep any powder products that may be stored with it from causing any trouble. To use all I do is twist it up a little, swipe across each brow bone and cheek bone before popping the lid back on and flipping over to use the blending tool on the other end.

The blending sponge is domed and just firm enough to keep its shape nicely whilst being soft enough to blend the product into the skin nicely and give a diffused effect. The size I find is perfect for using on the brow bone but for cheek bones I would personally prefer something slightly larger so I use my Real Techniques Buffing Brush.

The photo above shows a swatch of Watts Up! both straight from the stick and blended into the skin using the blending sponge. As you can see, the colour is nice and warm but doesn't look too over the top on my fair skin and where the consistency is nice and creamy it's great for achieving a subtle look as well as something more dramatic for the evening. When light hits it, the formula is designed to bounce light and create an illuminated, soft focus effect that is incredibly flattering. And to cap it off, the staying power is great too! Holds in place all day!
If I'm totally honest, I simply cannot fault this product. With most things if I think hard enough I can find some sort of negative factor that I'd like improved but with this I really can't. I love it and if I was going to advise you to try just on product from Benefit, this would be it, hands down.

Annie xx

Bobbi Brown Corrector First Look

Correctors aren't a big product on the beauty market and I have to say that like most, I don't know a huge amount about them, however I have recently re-read the Bobbi Brown makeup manual (post coming in a few days) and my curiosity got the better of me so I found myself popping into the local store to find out more.

Correctors are an important step in Bobbi Brown's makeup process and are used to brighten and correct the tone of skin under the eye before applying concealer. The creamy correctors are either peach or pink toned as these are the shades needed to neutralise the blue or green tone of dark under eye circles and the light formula is perfect for dabbing on lightly using your ring finger.

I was matched to the shade Light to Medium Bisque which is a fairly light pink tone and when dabbed on melts into my skin tone perfectly. I'm still learning how to use this product properly and so I'll do a follow up review when I feel I've really got the hang of it but so far, I have to say that I haven't been as impressed as I hoped. It isn't the coverage that lets this product down for me because that really cannot be faulted; dark circles are banished and the shade blends perfectly with foundation. The problem I have found however, is that whilst this claims to be a crease free product, no matter how little I use and how well I set it with powder and concealer, I still get left with AWFUL creasing issues. I simply cannot keep this stuff in place!

Does anyone have any experience using this product? How have you made it work for you? Or have you, like me, found it not to live up to its crease free claim in the slightest? You can pick up the Bobbi Brown corrector for £18.50 *here*
Annie xx

Clarins The Essentials Palette

I haven't really gone down the road of showing off all of the lovely things that I was treated to for Christmas, mainly because I squirrelled them away into their proper homes fairly quickly to restore some calm post Christmas, but one thing I had to show you is The Essentials palette from Clarins.

It has been noted by some that this palette isn't all that dissimilar to the Urban Decay Naked offerings however, I feel that whilst the shades have their similarities, as anyone who has used a Clarins eye shadow will know, the quality really is something else. Although they are powder, the shadows all apply so smoothly its almost as if you're working with a cream and their pigmentation is brilliant and with a selection of matte, shimmer and pearl finishes this palette really does have the lot. When a palette comes with a brush I usually end up throwing it aside because I find that companies just don't go to the effort to make sure it's high quality, however this brush is perfect both in size and density for creating lovely soft, smoky looks.

The packaging is a bit of a mixed bag in my opinion as I like the design of the outer casing with its stripes however I do think that Clarins could have perhaps put in a little more effort on the presentation of the internal packaging which is just a fairly average, drugstore looking plastic tray. I can't help but wonder whether this was to keep the price down in line with the UD offerings but I do think that metal or even sturdy cardboard like the outside would have looked a lot better and felt more special.
One handy feature is the looks sheet that comes with the palette which is a good addition for those who might be a little overwhelmed by the little row of neutrals sat before them however some written instructions might have been a good idea!
Over all I think that this limited edition palette is a real hit and I've found myself reaching for it most days. And at £35 is is also slightly cheaper than the Urban Decay palettes so if you can find one then grab it!
Annie xx

December Favourites

December is definitely the season of bright, sparkly makeup, glowing skin and long, fluttery lashes and I've enjoyed embracing all of these things during the festive period. Here's a little look at my top 5 from December.

Top of my favourites list, and reached for almost every day is the Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette £37 which I have found is totally perfect for creating soft, romantic smokey effects that just enhance the eye a little and look beautiful with lashings of volumising mascara.
When it comes to mascara I am generally very picky so when I was recommended the 17 Va Va Voom mascara £6.29 when my old favourite ran out I thought I'd give it a try. I have to say that I've been incredibly impressed and found it actually much better quality than some mascara's that cost twice or three times as much.
With it being party season, the false lashes have been whipped out a fair few times, especially since its also panto season for me and everyone knows that a pantomime fairy need big, fluttery lashes. I have found nothing better than eyelure lashes which retail for around £5 for ease of application, staying power and also beauty! They are so feminine and there is a design for all styles so I think it may well be love!
A warm golden glow is the look I've been going for with my skin, using a light bronzer, illuminating primers and then to top it off, contouring with the gorgeous Benefit Watts Up Highlighter £24.50 both along my brow bone and down the cheek bones to give a soft focus shimmer. This product is so flattering and such a lovely soft colour that I've found it one of the easiest, most satisfying highlighters to use.
Finally is a perfume that I have yearned for since April when I originally received a sample vial and was lucky enough to be treated to for Christmas. Dolce and Gabbana Pour Femme £57.50 for 50ml is a beautiful  warm oriental fragrance that has top notes of orange blossom, raspberry and neroli as well as a heart of vanilla, marshmallow and sandalwood which all combine to create a sensual, warm scent that has me hooked!

What have you found yourself reaching for most often recently? Have there been any real stand out products for you?
Annie xx

Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch Primer

Primers are a big part of my daily makeup routine; to create the perfect flawless base a primer or two are key and this one definitely has to be my number one, especially when combined with the Nivea Express Hydration Primer (review coming in a few days).

The thick, buttery formula is designed to give an airbrushed look by blurring imperfections, smoothing over pores, creating a soft and even cover to dry patches and helping to reduce the production of excess sebum which is the cause of oily looking skin. I use this mainly on my t-zone and around the edges of my nose which has a tendency to get a little dry, especially around my piercing and the smallest amount of product goes a long way.

Having tried a fair few primers that claim to give an airbrushed effect and been disappointed, I'm happy to say that I haven't once felt let down by the Clarins offering. I find that I get compliments on my complexion and I have really seen an improvement in how long my makeup stays looking fresh. On good skin days I have even been known to step out with just this and a little moisturiser on my face. I really cannot sing it's praises enough!
You an pick it up for £26 *here*

Annie xx

Max Factor Whipped Creme Foundation Review

Max Factor is one of those brands that I think can constantly be relied upon for products that are both affordable and good quality. A brand you can rely on. So I was excited to give their newest foundation offer a little try, especially after swatching on my hand in Boots and feeling how beautifully soft it was left feeling!

The Whipped Creme Foundation is a new formula to the brand and is designed to give a lovely natural looking finish whilst also giving medium coverage. This is possible because of the light, texture which keeps caking to a minimum and is less drying on the skin than your usual liquid foundation.
When it comes to application I was amazed by just how little product is needed. It applies like a dream with both fingers or a foundation brush and is easy to buff into the skin leaving a very natural looking finish whilst evening out skin tone and covering most blemishes.

One thing that I have found though is that with this foundation I do also need to use more concealer than with some of my other foundations (I'm not in the photo above which means spots around my chin are visible) because this foundation doesn't seem to like sitting on top of bigger blemishes for some reason. It also took a few applications to get used to the super light, whipped texture but that wasn't a problem, more just a new experience :)

Over all I really rate this foundation and think its on that will get a lot of use on better skin days to perk up the appearance and balance redness and I think its a lovely formula that would really suit slightly dry skin as it doesn't cake or sit heavily.
You can pick up a tu for yourself for £9.99 *here* or from any Boots store.
Annie xx

Boots No7 Match Made Concealer Review

Concealer is a product that I haven't ever been a big lover of. I've never found one that has a good balance of colour match and coverage that doesn't look cakey for feel like I've coated myself in a thick layer of war paint so this is a product that I've become pretty damn excited about.

A few weeks ago I was invited to a blogging event at the Bath Boots store and part of the evening was a makeover from the No7 ladies which is where my love affair began.
Match Made is a new concealer to the No7 collection and is designed to be a good all round product, able to be used all over the face to conceal blemishes, even out redness and mask dark circles. All of that as well as also being the exact same colour as the newest range of foundations given the same namesake.
A pretty big ask, I was a little sceptical to begin with however I just cannot fault this product.

I haaaate this photo with a passion but it does show the fabness of this little concealer stick. As you can probably guess, I'm bare faced on the left hand side and on the right side I've applied the Match Made concealer (mine is shade Calico). Whilst it doesn't leave me looking flawless, it does reduce shine, even out the skin tone and give a lovely smooth base for me to apply foundation.
Ive been wearing this every day for around a month now and have found it amazing. I do find that it can become a tiny bit clingy on the drier skin around my nose piercing if I apply too much but that's my only slight niggle and in all honesty, that's more my fault for not taking the stud out to exfoliate meaning the skin gets a little duller.
You can pick up the Match Made concealer for £7.50 at No7 counters or online *here*
Annie xx

Mineral Hygienics Cosmetics

Mineral Hygienics is a brand that I hadn't heard of until recently when I was approached to give some of the products a go. The American based company specialise in natural, gentle mineral products that have been designed to give beautiful results that are long lasting as well as being kind to the skin. Quite a big ask I thought so I was excited to give some of their most popular products a try.
I was sent the Sheer Mineral Foundation* in tones Light and Fairly Light, the Sheer Perfection setting powder* in Silk Translucent, the Mineral Enhancer* bronzer in Cool Kiss and the Full Coverage Kabuki Brush* to apply the products with.

After a little colour swatching I matched myself with the Light foundation and began to play with the products. I've always been a bit of a liquid foundation person because I like to make sure my foundation has a nice high coverage, not because I have bad skin, but because I like to have a nice even, clear base to work from (everyone likes to look flawless right?!) and I've found before that mineral makeup doesn't tend to have the high level of coverage that I like. However I have to admit to being pleasantly impressed. I found that, despite not being quite as high coverage as I would usually wear, the mineral products did give me a lovely even base without looking caked and powdery. Bronzer is a product that I have to be very light handed with because of my English rose colouring but the Cool Kiss enhancer was just right and gave my skin warmth and definition that I really like. I think this may actually be my favourite of the products.
I always use a kabuki brush to apply my base makeup and have had many over the years of varying quality and scratchiness and have to say that this one has been one of the softer textured despite still being firm enough to give  nice effect. I have noticed a little shedding but I found that to mainly be before washing the first time and as I've used the brush more it has become less of an issue.

Now, my one main criticism of the Mineral Hygienics range has got to be the mess these lovely products leave on my desk. As with all loose powder products there is a certain amount of product dropped as you apply, however I have had some trouble with the stubbornness of the product when it comes to wiping away. When on my face this is a brilliant trait but when using a white makeup desk it is a little less desirable so you definitely need to take a little care to minimise the mess you make!

In general I have been pretty happy with the whole product range that I've had the chance to try and whilst I think I will always mainly be a liquid foundation girl, I have built up a lot of love for the bronzer and translucent setting powders and I use the kabuki brush almost daily now to apply my products (I'm also looking at trying out some more of the Mineral Hygienics brushes). Do be careful not to make too much mess on your desk because it will be hard to remove but I do like knowing that it also takes a lot to remove it from my face, what with working a very active job!
If you would like to give Mineral Hygienics a look then you can find the website *here*
Annie xx

No 7 Instant Radiance Foundation Review

Finally I've pulled myself together and uploaded the photos for this review.
I bought the No 7 Instant Radiance Foundation at the end of June when I got paid and have been loving it since.

This foundation is marketed as being a medium coverage foundation that will provides a "radiant boost for tired, stressed skin" and after testing it out for the last two weeks I'd definitely be happy to agree with that claim. Whilst I try not to look as the long list of fake ingredients piled into makeup, this foundation includes a small amount of ginger root extract which is an ingredient I love for its energising and blood flow stimulating properties. The effect of this in a foundation is to brighten skin and keep it looking away and perky.

The packaging is nicely designed and made using clear, lightweight plastic. The clear plastic makes it easy to know when you need to buy a new tube and is a lot lighter than the glass alternative would be. There is also a built in pump thankfully (big pet peeve of mine if there isn't one!) But one of the best things about the foundation from formula and packaging alone would have to be the inclusion of SPF which means that I can head out for the day knowing I have that protection on my face.

As you can see from the photo above the coverage is nice and even with a lovely dewy finish without looking oily. I'm prone to dark circles under my eyes because I'm fairly pale skinned but this foundation does a good job to cover them and I've had compliments on how my skin looks whilst I've been out which is always a good endorsement!
So what's the damage? A tube costs £12.50 which I think is pretty reasonable for a good coverage, nice finish foundation and in terms of wear I don't need to reapply during the day and still look fairly flawless at the end of the day. And being from No 7 they use their funky colour match system to make sure you get a shade as near as possible to your natural skin tone so you don't have to do the hard work of finding the right shade yourself! Yay!

Have you tried this foundation? Or any other No 7 that you've really liked?
Annie xx

MAC Temperature Rising Collection Scorching Haute Nail Varnish Review

Sunday was a naughty day and I found myself at the MAC counter drooling over all of the pretty colours whilst two of my friends tried to drag me away! Everything is just so pretty and pigmented!
In the end I made two cheeky purchases, both limited edition, and both sooo gorgeous.
The first was the Scorching Haute nail varnish from the Temperature Rising collection.

Scorching Haute is a peautiful bright purple glitter polish and is every bit as pretty on the nails as in the bottle. Its the perfect colour for tanned summer skin!
There is a mixture of fine and slightly larger pieces of glitter floating in a purple base colour and you only need two thin coats to create a great, full cover glitter effect. On top of this I used a single coat of Nails Inc caviar top coat for extra shine and I have to say, I was so happy with the finished effect. They looked perfect.

However...
This second photo was taken this morning after having only painted them yesterday evening and after not having done anything harsh on the hands at all. I was gutted. Two coats of high quality glitter polish, complete with a high quality top coat should not be chipping in under 12 hours, especially when more than half of that time was spent asleep!

These two photos show how my two hands look now, after just one day wearing the nail varnish. I haven't been at work, I haven't done anything such as washing up that would expose them to much water and haven't really done anything out of the usual.
This is my first MAC nail varnish and I have to say that I won't be spending the money on another because I've just been so disappointed. I have always been a big MAC fan, as you will know from all my reviews, but this has really knocked my faith in the quality of their formulas a little. Such a shame.
Scorching Haute cost me £11 and is a limited edition product so if you do fancy giving it a go then get in there fast.
Annie xx