No7 Instant Radiance Foundation

I love nothing more than a good foundation which promises to give a dewy/radiant finish whilst being medium coverage which can be built up. I've tried my fair share of foundations and whilst some have been absolutely brilliant such as the Bourjois Healthy Mix Radiance Reveal Foundation and others being so so like the Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation, I'm still holding out for the one. Recently, I've found myself reaching for the No7 Instant Radiance Foundation which might just be a foundation match in heaven!

The No7 Instant Radiance Foundation (£12.50) is a medium coverage foundation that promises to give a radiant boost to tired, stressed skin. It glides on to skin for coverage that not only brightens the complexion but reduces to appearance of imperfection and signs of fatigue. With energising ginger, it helps stimulate tired looking skin whilst the added enriching vitamin complex helps boost skin vitality. It also has soft violet pearls that helps transform dull, stressed skin into a healthy looking glow for a perfectly natural, lit from within finish.

I will hold my hand up high and admit that I have to use two different shades to mix together to achieve my perfect shade. This is purely because the No7 Matchmade Service claims that lighting doesn't alter the shade when I'm living proof that it does - I have to mix both Calico and Cool Vanilla in order to achieve my perfect shade that is neither too pale nor too dark. With that being said, I do find that the two mixed together does give me a radiant finish that no amount of highlighter can achieve! For the record, I suffer with dull skin that craves a radiant glow and the No7 Instant Radiance Foundation achieves just that. It covers up most of my imperfections and my dark circles without being cakey whilst giving that beautiful glow from within that we all crave. I find that one layer is more than enough to see me through the day although if I know that the day will be a busy one then I like to build it up before setting it all down. With this foundation, I can easily go atleast eight hours without needing to touch it up, sometimes even twelve hours if it hasn't been a busy day at work. Overall, I truly do love this foundation and I do believe that it has replaced my love for the Bourjois Healthy Mix Radiance Reveal Foundation. It is truly one of the best drugstore foundations that I've tried which does exactly what it says on the packaging!

Bourjois Healthy Mix Radiance Reveal Foundation

My love for the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation has been well documented and it's definitely one of my holy grail products that I simply cannot be without. I decided to branch out and try the Radiance Reveal version instead when I ran out purely because the blogger in me wanted a new foundation to try instead of repurchasing the original. Fast forward a few months and its been love ever since.

The Bourjois Healthy Mix Radiance Reveal Foundation (£9.99) comes in eight different shades and promises to give the skin a radiance boost whilst providing a flawless finish which lasts for up to sixteen hours. It comes housed in exactly the same packaging as the serum version - a glass bottle with a red pump which makes dispensing the product rather easy as well as knowing when you're about to run out.

Just like the serum version, this feels very light weight on the skin and blends in nicely. I've noticed that whilst the Radiance Reveal version, my skin looks more radiant once I've finished blending and buffing it all in. It somehow makes my skin appear more luminious and dewy without looking oily or shiny which can sometimes happen with radiance boosting products. I wouldn't necessarily say that this is full coverage as it doesn't cover up everything straight away but it can be built up to give a flawless finish which would definitely appeal to most. As I don't use powder much unless it's hot outside, I can easily get about six-ish hours wear out of this which is roughly how long I wear a full face of makeup for anyway so I bet with powder, it would last even longer. I definitely prefer the Radiance Reveal version over the Serum purely because of how radiant it makes my skin look whilst wearing and it costs exactly the same. If you're in the market for a radiance boosting foundation then I urge you to try this one as you won't regret it!

What is your holy grail foundation?

Kiehl's Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream

Kiehl's is a brand that is fairly new to me and after purchasing and using their Midnight Recovery Concentrate every night for the past three and a half months, I can see why Kiehl's is such a successful brand when it comes to skincare. Make up wise however, they've only just started to branch out in and I was rather sceptical when it came to trying out their Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream which I received in my #NottsBBMeet Goodie Bag. So much so, that it was only a month ago that I finally dug it and gave it whirl. After using it for a few weeks now, I think it's about time I shared my two cents on it.

The Kiehl's Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream claims to be much more than a normal BB cream. Its ingredients work to instantly perfect the skin by evening out by visibly correcting the appreance of any skin tone irregularities whilst preventing the formation of new ones with continued daily use. It also helps to reduce the apperance of pores and fine lines as well as concealing any imperfections and blemishes whilst keeping the skin hydrated all day. What makes this BB cream stand out from the rest is that is has two massive selling points - one being that it has SPF50 which is incredibly high for a makeup product and the other being that it contains Vitamin C which is known for it's powerful clarifying action as well as helping to perk up the skin.

It is available in three shades only - fair, light and medium which translates across as light, medium and dark respectfully. I've been using the shade Light which contains a lot of pink undertones in it which sadly comes across as being too dark/orange. As the consistency of this BB cream is quite thin, it means that it buffs into the skin quickly. Whilst this is too dark for me at the moment, I've noticed that when I buff and blend it into the skin, you can hardly tell that it doesn't quite match my skin tone. I find that it gives a very light coverage meaning that it doesn't quite cover scars and blemishes however using concealer will soon sort that out. As it is very thin in consistency, it feels very soft and almost weightless on my skin which gives the impression that you're not wearing any make up at all. I find that this lasts a good six-ish hours without powder which to me is very impressive. It's definitely one of those products that you can simply pop on in the morning and not have to worry much about it as it gives a dewy, almost flawless complexion.

The Kiehl's Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream comes in a 30ml tube and costs £23.50. You can pick this up from the Kiehl's website and Selfridges.

Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream

Whenever I'm having a good skin day, I always opt to use a BB cream rather than a foundation as I like my skin to look as natural as possible with some coverage atleast. Whilst those are far and few between, I enjoy searching for my HG of a BB Cream which sadly the Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream isn't.

The Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream is described as offering a novel skincare concept with a BB cream which makes you think that this asian BB cream actually has some skincare properties unlike our more traditional western BB creams. It claims to lighten the skin tone by healing any visible wrinkles and blemishes with its excellent skin-cover ability whilst preventing the skin from aging through its effective whitening and anti-wrinkle properties. Now whilst I don't have any wrinkles yet *touch wood*, I do suffer with blemishes especially when it gets to that time of the month.

On first impressions, this smells very floral which I wasn't expecting. It smells almost like a well known floral perfume which I cannot put my finger on. In terms of coverage, it has barely any coverage. It fails to cover a simple scar let alone blemishes which makes me question it's properties. I have the shade 21 which is a Light Beige which it definitely isn't! It's more taupe than anything which even makes the Ginvera BB Cream seem more of a foundation colour rather than bordering on grey. I've noticed that whenever I've blended in the Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream, my skin tone does not change colour unlike when I'm swatching it on the back of my hand. With that in mind, it does make a good base none the less.

Overall, I'm not that impressed with this BB cream in terms of colour and coverage which is definitely down to it being a more Asian BB Cream rather than a western one. However, I'm sure I'll find a way to make it work for me. You can purchase the Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream from eBay where prices range from £4.20 to £28.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation

If you remember my #NottsBBMeet Haul post, you will have seen that I purchased the Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation. I thought that this will be my holy grail foundation, the only foundation I reach for etc. Sadly, I do not like it nor do I get on with it and I've gone more into depth in my review of it as to why I don't think it's worth the hype. A few weeks after that fiasco, I noticed that there were quite a few rave reviews cropping up of the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation which I've had my eye on for quite a few months. Armed with little sample pots, I dispensed some of every shade into a different pot to take home to test out myself. A few days later with a gift card in hand, I walked out of Boots with shade 51 in hand.

The Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation is unlike most foundations as it's gel based. It's made up of a vitamin rich fruit therapy formula which helps to even out the complexion with an instant anti-fatigue result. It helps to erase any imperfections, smooth out any signs of fatigue and boost the skin's radiance for up to sixteen hours - all with an even, natural finish with no mask like effect.

Unlike other foundations, the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation feels extremely light on the skin when blending in and gives a natural finish whilst adding radiance to the face. It gives medium-ish coverage so it covers most imperfections such as scars. However a little concealer soon covers up breakouts if coverage is an issue. It has a rather fruity smell which may be an issue for some people however I personally don't have a problem with it. I find that shade 51 - Light Vanilla is a perfect match for my skintone which is difficult to find as I have neutral undertones (I think!) I've noticed that this doesn't oxidise nearly as much to make it noticeable. I don't normally use powder so I get roughly 5 - 7 hours wear out of it before I notice that it's disappeared in places. This is definitely making it's way to be holy grail status as it's absolutely perfect. However, I wouldn't mind giving the Radiance version a try next ;)

You can purchase the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation from both Superdrug and Boots for £10.99. 

At the time of writing this post, the Boots website doesn't seem to have it on their website anymore hence why I've linked the Radiance version instead.

Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation

Ever since I started blogging, I started noting down products that other people were talking about that I personally wanted to try. The Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation has been on my wishlist for the longest time and I finally took the plunge and parted with my pennies at the #NottsBBMeet back in April. £33 is a lot of money to spend, especially on a foundation however after using it for a couple months now, I've finally made up my mind on it.

Silk Creme is a medium to full coverage-ish foundation with a luminous finish. As the name suggests, it is a cream formula which means that it blends out nicely and it leaves your skin feeling soft and silky. It doesn't cling to pore as it contains silicones which adds to that flawless, polish look that many bloggers crave for. Just like a silicone based primer, it helps to fill in those areas and almost airbush over them. It doesn't cover all blemishes but it does cover scars left from old blemishes. A fifty pence sided blob is enough to cover your face - not a tiny blob as many people say which doesn't cover half a face no matter how much buffing you do! One of the only things that I like about this foundation is how radiant it leaves my skin looking which is properly down to its light-reflecting properties which add natural glowing highlights to your face without leaving your face greasy. I also like how long lasting it is on the skin as well - I've worn it for a good ten hours straight without powder and only minimal fading!

I was matched to the shade Rose Ivory which is the second lightest shade which is a perfect match for when I first apply it in the morning. Fast forward a few hours later and my face is looking a couple shades darker than my neck which I wasn't expecting at all. If I'm tanned which is very rarely then I can get away with it however most of time, I just feel so self conscious of it. I understand that many foundations tend to oxidise but I was just not expecting it to oxidise and change colour completely. Perhaps I've just got a dodgy tube?

With this in mind, I just don't like this enough to wear it over my other foundations. I like the consistency and the way it leaves my skin looking don't get me wrong, I'm just not a fan of how it looks on my skin a few hours after applying it. I will probably use this more in the Summer for when I'm a tanned as I'm sure it will look better then but for now, it's being pushed to the back of my drawers until a few months time.

The Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation can be purchased from Space NK, House of Fraser and Selfridges for £33 along with the rest of the Laura Mercier range.

Maybelline FIT!me Foundation in 115

Before Maybelline released their FIT!me range over here in the UK, many UK bloggers including myself lusted over their products, in particular their foundation. On my trip to America back in July, I managed to pick one up from Walmart. Unforunately unlike over here where we have colour guides, Walmart didn't have any so I had to choose by eye which shade and I think I picked up a pretty good match.

 

The foundation in the FIT!me line comes well presented within a sturdy glass bottle with black accents. Unlike the UK version which has a built in pump dispenser which prevents waste from dispensing too much, the US version doesn't have a built in pump which is a disaster as whenever I use this foundation, I always end up pouring far too much on my hand which is very wasteful. The idea behind the FIT!me range is that it's makeup that fits you. It contains no oils and no waxes which in sense is no nonsense.

As I'm in the light to medium skin category (depending on the brand of foundation) shade 115 is a good match to my skin tone.The foundation itself is a light textured liquid which offers medium to high coverage but it can be a little tricky to blend in, particularly if you have any dry patches then I suggest that you try dampening your brush before application. I personally like to apply my Mattifying Gel and then use my RT Buffing Brush with this foundation and it blends in like a dream. The coverage of this leaves my skin looking and feeling natural whilst not being heavy at all on the skin.

L-R Swatched, blended in lightly, blended in fully.

As you can see, it blends in almost perfectly with my skin and this is definitely a foundation I turn to when on days I'm wanting a natural coverage which covers up most of my blemishes. This is definitely a foundation worth investing in! I'm tempted to pick up the concealer next.

You can pick Maybelline FIT!me Foundation, powder and concealer from any Superdrug & Boots. 

MUA BB Cream in Medium

Like with many people, BB creams are slowly started to creep their way into my make up routine and I often favour them for days when I feel that I don't need a lot of coverage. I've tried quite a few and I think it's safe to say that my favourite by far is 17's BB cream. After seeing MUA's BB cream looking a little unloved in my drawer, I thought that it was about time I reviewed it.

MUA offer six shades in total which range from Light to Dark with a few rose shades in the middle, which is rather refreshing unlike other brands who only offer two shades or so. Keeping with the theme of the packing, MUA's BB Cream is presented in a black squeezy tube with the now very recognisable silver font which distinguishes it amongst other brands. Like with many BB creams, this is very easy to dispense the product as with one squeeze, it comes oozing out.

Unlike most BB creams, this one unforunately doesn't have any SPF which may be a wrong move for MUA if they wanted to keep with the modern day trends. So with that in mind, if you're going to be using this abroad, make sure you apply sunscreen before application! I have the shade Medium (as I bought this way before they released three more shades) and I find that this is not as orange based as many BB creams in Medium. It's actually a pretty good match to my skintone, just it needs to be warmed up slightly with a little bronzer here and there.

 L-R is Swatched & Buffed in

"Inspired by Asian Beauty Balms, our brand new MUA BB Foundation is a full coverage foundation containing a multi-functional formula that conceals, brightens and evens out skin tone for a perfect complexion"

MUA's BB Cream is very thick and creamy which does require a few minutes more to buff in fully. I would say that the coverage of this is pretty much medium as it does provide just enough coverage to conceal small blemishes however it does nothing to conceal large pores as it just glides over them instead of sitting in them. In terms of wear, with the use of a primer and a pressed powder, it lasted about 7/8 hours which is pretty good going. I wouldn't say that this brightened my skin tone but it did definitely even it out which made my complexion look better.

The only bad thing I have to say about this BB cream and I'm not sure if I've got a faulty tube, but the product does not stop dispensing - it's constantly oozing which makes me wonder if it's travel worthy as I wouldn't want to take this on holiday to discover that it oozed out over everything during the flight.

You can purchase this from Superdrug and MUA's online website for a measly £4.

Pure Daily All In One Blemish Balm

Blemish/Beauty Balm's have been around for quite a while but it's been this year, that they've really kicked off in the high street. Many brands have brought out their own BB cream from Garnier to Dior with all very different price tags. However, the main issue with many, if not most BB creams, is that they only seem to cater two to three shades; light, medium and dark. Which does not always suit the wearer as it can be too dark, too orange or in some cases too pink. However, I guess that's the probably with the Western BB Creams, as there are many different skin colours to cater for unlike the BB creams which you can find in the far East which are primarly the same colour almost.

Whilst browsing the aisles of Home Bargains, I noticed that Pure had brought out their very own BB Cream which come in two shades Light and Medium although they have since brought out an Ultra Light which I cannot seem to find! I thought it would be rude not to buy both shades and add them both to my collection. Just like with many BB creams, Pure claims that this can even out skin tone, blur imperfections, smooth fine lines, hides redness, camouflage dark shadows and be used as an eye contour treatment. That's a lotta claims! The formula of the BB cream also contains collagen, avocado oil, allantoin and aloe vera to help moisture and soften the skin. 

The packaging of this has a lot going on but in a good way. It's very informative and it tells you exactly what the ingredients are, what it claims to do amongst other things. It's neither too bright nor too dull, it's exactly what I personally would be looking for in a BB cream. I liked that these both had a foil seal on the cap to prevent it from leaking/exploding instead of not having one as I find that BB creams which don't have a foil seal on them tend to be used in the shop as a tester depsite it not being a tester.

Swatches of Light (L) and Medium (R)

You can tell that I accidently put a little too much of both on my arm but that wasn't my fault! You can already tell that both shades are going to be completely wrong for my skin tone however I'm sure that when I get my hands on Ultra Light, it will definitely be the right shade. You can definitely tell how thick these swatches were and just how creamy they look!

 Swatches of Light (L) and Medium (R)

I found that after blending and buffing them both in for quite a while, they did eventually sink in. You can see that the difference in colour of both, with Medium being slightly orange and Light having pink tones in it. None the less, I'm sure that if I mixed them up with some bronzer/lighter foundation then they will eventually suit my skin tone. Overall, I do really like them but right now, they're being put away until it's Spring/Summer time.

You can purchase these from Home Bargains for £3.99 each. 

Collection BB Cream

Last week, I was browsing Superdrug and noticed that they had recently updated their Collection stand. I even noticed that their lipsticks hadn't been messed up yet so I had a good few minutes swatching them all on my hand and falling in love with a peachy number.

It wasn't until I looked up from my lipstick covered hands that I noticed that Collection had bought out a BB cream in two shades - Light and Medium. I quickly swatched Medium inbetween the lipstick swatches and agreed that it was a pretty good match. It wasn't until after I bought it that I realised that just because it may look good on the back of your hand, doesn't necessarily mean that it will be the same story for on your face. 

BB Secrets - your new secret weapon! For that sheer, flawless face. No one need ever know you're wearing makeup.

That is a pretty bold statement for a Blemish/Beauty Balm. But it's a statement that I can't help but admit is partially true. As soon as I applied it and buffed it in a little, it did look rather orange. However, once you let it sink into your skin, the orangeness disppears and you're left with a golden tan like look. This product made my face glow whether that was just my mirror and the natural lighting causing that to happen. It didn't leave my face looking flawless and nor did it cover up any of my blemishes - it just evened out my skin colour. It's definitely a product that makes you look like you're not wearing makeup at all. A bonus with this is that it contains SPF 15 which means that you won't have to worry about burning your face whilst wearing this.

I haven't seen any other reviews of this yet so I'm keen to see if this had the same effect on other people like it did on me.

You can purchase this from Superdrug where it's currently at a introductory price of £3.99

PS Don't forget to enter my giveaway! It ends in the next few days!

Superdrug BB Cream: Medium

After my first BB Cream (Read all about it here) I decided that I wanted to try another one.

Whilst mooching around the Superdrug website, I noticed that they had brought out their own BB cream and I was determined to get my hands on it. Luckily, the Superdrug in Lincoln was stocking it so I picked it up from there.

SUPERDRUG BB CREAM; INTRODUCTORY PRICE £6.99 UNTIL 4TH JULY £8.99 AFTERWARDS.

The first thing I noticed about this is how kid-like professional it looks - I like the fact that it's Superdrug's own packaging but more standout-ish like? If that makes any kind of sense!

Another thing that is a bonus, is that you're getting 50ml for the price instead of 30ml like a few other BB creams. Which works out rather well.

 Superdrug's BB Cream comes in two shades: Light and Medium which is rather limited for people who have much darker skin.

Superdrug states that their BB Cream is scientifically formulated with a unique combination of skin nourshing ingredients and mineral pigments. Superdrug BB Cream imparts a light, creamy coverage which effectively conceals imperfections, boosts radiance and smoothes the complexion. With SPF 15, it helps to protect against sun damage and premature skin ageing whilst also providing 24 hour hydration.

It also has three active ingredients.
Vitamin C - a potent antioxidant with brightening and illuminating properties for a natural, radiant glow.
Hyaluronic Acid - an exceptional moisturiser, which helps to boost skin's firmness and minimise the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Caffeine - refreshes the complexion through its ability to energise and stimulate the skin.

When I applied it, it did look a little orange coming out of the tube. And it looked orange again when rubbing it into my skin. but it doesn't look that bad when fully mixed in on my hand. It sort of gave my skin a nice healthy, glowing tan which I liked. However when I tried this out on my face, I disliked it immediately! It is far too orange! It's more Umpa Lumpa Orange than Medium as it states.

I disagree with this product when it says that it conceals imperfections as it does not conceal all of my imperfections - only the teeny tiny ones that do not bother me unlike scars and spots which does bother me.

It does however enhance your skin tone/boost radiance/smoothes the complexion as my skin did look as if it was glowing.. Unless that was the sun hitting the umpa lumpa-ness on my hand.

Overall, I really disliked this product. However I will try this out again when I had more of a tan as it might look better then. Until then, it's staying in my foundation drawer. 

Have you tried this BB Cream?

What's your thoughts about it?

xoxo

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

 

This product has been making its little way into people's makeups bags and I have resisted it for long enough. The reason for this is that I cannot justify spending £8.99 on a foundation as I'm currently saving up for roughly 3 holidays in the short space of 3 months (one of which is in a few weeks + another at the start of next month) however when I saw that Wilkinson's were selling this for £4.98, I had to get it!

The first thing I noticed is that it looks exactly like an optical illusion dress but for foundations! (So that would make it an optical illusion bottle, right?) Which I quite like about it as it stands out from all of the other drug store foundations. It also has a bright orange cap which just draws you in.

I decided to wait until this morning to try it out and I was pretty disappointed by it. I've read so many reviews, both good and bad, saying that it covers all X person's blemish's and it gives Y person a shimmer so I knew exactly what to expect. So I'm glad that it covered up most of my blemish's but there was not enough shim-shimmery in it for me, personally.

I noticed that as the day wore on, the foundation remained (Probably due to my primer + pressed powder) but underneath my eyes, the shim-shimmeryness that I expected this morning had finally appeared and gathered there. Whether this is pure coincidence or how I applied it, I'm not sure. But none the less, I cannot fault it for that. I'm sure that my opinion about this foundation will change when I use it more.

Have you used this foundation?

What are your thoughts about it?

Link me to your reviews of this!

xoxo 

17 BB Blemish Balm: Medium

"The BB cream is billed as the answer to all your skincare woes in a single tube"

Daily Mail

I asked on twitter yesterday what is the best drug store BB cream and the ever helpful Sophia said that she stands by her No7 BB Cream for normal/oily skin in shade medium. But judging by how much all the other No7 stuff was.. I was put off!

So I asked the shop assistant, Maggie, if she wouldn't mind helping me. Funnily enough, she suggested that I try 17's BB Cream as she bought it herself back in January and has been using it ever since. She said that it gave her just enough coverage to make her look like she's wearing a small amount of makeup and it also covered up her spots and scars. So I thought what the heck, if she says it that's good, then it must be, right?

£6.99 FOR A 30ML TUBE

 The experts say: "17 BB Blemish Balm is your 'no make-up make-up' - a cult wonder product that gives your skin a complete natural, flawless finish. The weightless all in one creamy formula blends seamlessly into skin; moisturising, concealing, smoothing and protecting. Covers - conceals skin imperfections with full coverage and heals oil control. Enhances - smooths and evens skin tone for a flawless finish. Protects - promotes healthy skin with SPF protection".

 I have to admit, that when I first applied it this morning, I did agree that is was creamy. And it does "blend seamlessly into skin" like it says. The downside is, is that it does not conceal skin imperfections. Well, it would if you applied tons on but as I was following the directions, I was pretty gutted.

I also noticed that it smells exactly like spray on tights which is slightly off putting, especially for people who hate the smell of fake tan. I found the scent to be a little odd, considering when it's meant to be a blemish balm and not spray on tights. Perhaps they use almost the same ingredients as they do in their BB cream as they do in their own brand spray on tights

Despite all the downsides, I will continue using this product for the days when I cycle into work as it's convenient. But none the less, I will continue looking for a inexpensive-ish BB cream to use daily.

Have you tried a BB cream?

What's your thoughts on it?