Primer - worth the hype?????

 

Clinique Superprimer - Corrects Discolouration.

The Clinique Superprimer was launched earlier this year, and although I have never used a primer before, It was one of those products I was intrigued bout and wanted to find out more. There are six primers in the collection which are all aimed at different skin types and concerns. These include, to correct redness, correct dullness and correct discolouration. Any product that claims to correct discolouration, I just HAVE to try and as I mentioned in a previous post, I'm a huge Clinique lover.

The idea is to apply the superprimer after moisturiser but before foundation, and it will create the perfect base to give your skin that flawless look and make your foundation last much longer. You only need a small amount of the primer (which is good, as the tube is a teeny bit small at 30ml). The product is a bright peachy colour, but the colour doesn't show up on your skin. It blends in nicely when just applied with your fingers, and gives an unusual velvety texture when you feel your skin. It doesn't have any sort of smell, and like all Clinique products its ingredients are kind to the skin.

I've been using the superprimer for discolouration for around three months now, and although I'm not sure it has helped with fading the dark spots on my skin, it does somehow seem to help fade redness.

It gives your foundation more of a matte look and does certainly make your make-up look better for longer (which is what we all want!) You can't really feel it on your skin and it doesn't irritate at all. It just does exactly what it says, and prepares your skin really nicely for make-up, creating the perfect canvas!

The six different primers do seem to cover the majority of skin concerns, but there is a 'Universal' one for anyone who has completely normal trouble-free skin (I wish!)

I have come to the conclusion that primer is one of those products that isn't really an 'essential'. I can live without it as part of my daily make-up routine, but I can tell the difference on the odd day that I've maybe been in a rush and not had time to use it, (today was one of those days!). So overall, when my current tube runs out, I will be paying a visit to my local Clinique counter to re-purchase it.

I'm yet to find a Clinique product I haven't loved......they never fail to impress.


Superprimer before it is blended.



A closer look .









 

A Great Christmas Gift For The Lip Gloss Obsessed.....

I've always been a massive Stila fan, especially their gorgeous lip glazes. The brand disappeared in the UK a few years back and could only be purchased in the USA. But now they're back with a bang. I ordered the 'Winter Lip Glaze Set' on the Stila UK website (it was actually a Christmas gift for my friend, that I decided I needed for myself as well)! So I ended up ordering two.

It comes in a pretty purple box and is just the most perfect Christmas gift for any girl who loves her glosses. There are eight shades, four on the lighter side and four darker more Autumn/Winter tones. I've split the set into two, 'nudes' and darks'.

The four shades which are more on the nude side of the spectrum.

 

The four darker shades.

 

I've swatched the colours on my hands to give you a better idea of how they look, and given a brief description of each one.

 

Left to right - Kitten, Apricot, Grapefruit and Kaleidoscope.

 

Kitten - A shimmery, sheer bronze shade that sparkles as it catches the light. Perfect for everyday wear. Apparently Victoria Beckham wears this shade (so its obviously its now one of my faves)!

Apricot - A sheer peachy nude, that in my opinion would suit most skin tones.

Grapefruit - The perfect shade of pink, this has more pigment than the other three nude glosses. This one looks amazing with a dark smokey eye.

Kaleidoscope - Another peachy nude, this is definitely the sparkliest of the bunch (which doesn't show up that well on the photo)! This is is perfect for that everyday make-up look.

 

Left to right - Fantasy, Believe, Dreamy and Starfruit

 

Fantasy - A lovely pale orangey/coral shade with quite a bit of shimmer.

Believe - The darkest of all eight lip glazes, a gorgeous raspberry shade with slight sparkle. This one looks slightly scary in the tube, but is actually the PERFECT autumn/winter shade if your more into your darker lip colours.

Dreamy - A toffee colour with no sparkle or shimmer, so if sparkle isn't your thing, then this would be the ideal everyday shade for you.

Starfruit - Another favourite of mine, not quite red, not quite orange, this just sits somewhere in between. Great night time shade if you want that 'polished but not too over-done look'!

 

All of the Stila lip glazes smell and taste delicious, which makes them even more appealing. The majority of these colours can be bought separately in the full size version. They are easy to apply, just twist the top a few times to push the colour down to the brush applicator. The gloss isn't at all sticky, and the wear time is pretty good. Even when the colour has worn off, you are left with a lovely sheer glaze on your lips and they feel soft and moisturised.

 

All of the eight glazes are beautiful and very wearable colours, so there is definitely something for everyone with this collection. It is such a great Christmas gift idea or if your just lip gloss obsessed like me, a nice little treat for yourself! If you haven't tried Stila before, you really should check it out.

 

 



 

 



 

Brush Up......My top 5 make-up brushes

I'm a firm believer that you can have the best, most expensive make-up on the market, but if you don't have the right tools to apply it, then its just not going to work. I absolutely love all kinds of make-up, looking at it, buying it, using it, but one of the things I don't scrimp on is good quality make-up brushes. Here are my top five favourites. (You may notice there is a bit of a Real Techniques thread running through it, I'm a MASSIVE fan!)

My Top 5

5 - Real Techniques Blush Brush
Real Techniques brushes are just fabulous quality, and no where near as expensive as a lot of other brands. They look great, and the name of each brush is written on the barrel. This one is kind of self explanatory. It has lovely soft bristles, (RT brushes are all synthetic, not real hair) and picks up just the right amount of product. I've used this daily to apply blusher for around two years and its still going strong. It can also be used to apply powder or bronzer, and again it will pick up just the right amount of the product you are using, so you won't end up looking orange (although I've definitely been guilty of this in the past!). Other blush brushes I've tried just don't compare.

Real Techniques Blush Brush

4 - Real Techniques Contour Brush
When I first bought this brush, I hardly used it. I haven't yet mastered the art of contouring the face, one day I will crack it, practice makes perfect! But then I saw on a Youtube video that this brush works really well for blending in under-eye concealer. They weren't wrong, it works so well and fits so nicely in the under-eye area. I use it with the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer, a brilliant combination. (But hopefully one day I will use it for actual contouring!)

Real Techniques Contour Brush

 

 

 

4 - Sigma F80 Flat Kabuki Brush

This one is a bit of a random pick. The brand Sigma was founded in Brazil, but is now huge in USA and Australia. I ordered this brush online, as they aren't available in UK shops. This is the only Sigma brush I have bough so far, but I am really impressed and I do plan to try more. This brush is great quality, probably better to look at that the Real Techniques brushes in my opinion, and looks very professional. The bristles are still very soft, and extremely densely packed together. It works really well for blending in liquid foundation and does mange to give that 'airbrushed', 'flawless' finish that we all want.

 The only down-side to this brush is that you seem to use twice as much foundation with the bristles being so dense, it seems to suck up a lot of the product (not what you want if you have paid a fortune for your foundation and want to make it last.) But it does give you a lovely finish, and really is one of my top five used brushes. It is a bit more expensive that the Real Techniques brushes, and does take a while to dry after cleaning it, but I would still definitely give it a go.

 

Sigma F80 Flat Kabuki Brush

 

2 - Urban Decay Good Karma Crease Brush

I actually got this brush with the amazing Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette. Urban Decay aren't all that famous for their brushes, but this one is a little gem. It is actually a double ended brush, but I don't tend to use the eye shadow brush too often. The crease brush blends in eye shadow really nicely in the crease area (obviously!). I am most definitely not an expert on blending eye shadow, but this brush helps to tidy it up and blends well so you don't have any harsh lines. Its a lovely soft brush, and is a must-have in your brush collection.

 

Urban Decay Good Karma Crease Brush

 

1 - Real Techniques Buffing Brush

I have saved the best till last. This brush is just AMAZING. Anyone who is a fan of Real Techniques brushes will agree with me, that you just can't live without this brush. I use it to buff in foundation, although it can also be used for blending in cream blusher or bronzer. It doesn't use too much product like the Sigma brush can) and gives you just the lovliest finish. I have tried it so far with three diferrent foundations and a CC cream, and it worked well with them all. Although the YSL Touch Éclat is still my current first love!

I wash my brushes weekly with the MAC brush cleanser, it doesn't take too long to dry and is as good as new even though I use it constantly. The Buffing Brush comes as part of the Real Techniques Core Collection which also contains the Contour Brush I mentioned earlier. The collection is around £21.99 in Boots, but really is such good value, your getting four great quality, really versatile brushes for the proce of one higher end brush.

Like all the Real Techniques brushes, it has soft synhetic bristles and is just the right size. If you want an HD finish, then get your hands on this brush!

 

 

 

So there you have it, my top five faves that I reach for on a daily basis. Let me know your favourite brushes, I would love to discover some new ones!

 



 

The Lazy Girl's Body Lotion..........

We've all been using Vaseline products for years now, body lotion, deodorant, hand cream - the list goes on. But now we have the Vaseline Spray & Go Moisturiser. Basically, body lotion that you spray on, in a can.

When I spotted this in the Summer whilst looking round my local Boots, my first thought was, 'We've had spray-on fake tan for years now, how has it taken so long for a brand to release a spray on body lotion'. It's a genius idea! Anyhow, I will cut to the chase, and say that it was definitely worth the wait, it really is a great product. There are three different varieties to choose from, 'Cocoa Radiant', 'Essential Moisture' and 'Aloe Fresh'. 

Spray & Go promises to moisturise in seconds so that you can put your clothes straight on, and this is very true! It leaves no stickiness, which a lot of body lotions do, and who wants to be standing round waiting for their moisturiser to dry so that they can put their clothes on, time is precious first thing on a morning! Another plus, is that it sprays even when holding the can upside down, perfect for doing your back - as mentioned in the title, the lazy girl's body lotion. My favourite is Cocoa Radiant, it smells gorgeous, almost like chocolate. You don't need a huge amount, it rubs in well and the actual spray is quite fine, so your not wasting any.

The only downside to Spray & Go would be, as we are now racing towards another chilly winter, it can make you feel like your spraying freezing cold water all over yourself. Not ideal at 6am on a minus two winter morning! But if its going to give us silky soft skin throughout the winter months, then I'm sure we can handle it. A little tip for anyone with wooden flooring in their bathroom/bedroom, (as I have) this can leave your floor a tad slippery, so best to stand on a mat or towel before spraying.

I reckon its just a matter of time before several other brands jump on the 'Spray & Go' bandwagon in the coming months and release their own versions. The price is £4.99, but it does seem to crop up in the 3 for 2 offer in Boots quite often, so you can try all three varieties. What's not to love!


 

Kiko Cosmetics......Budget Beauty and Holiday Shopping

I've recently been away on a lovely family holiday to Murcia, and after hearing that a new outdoor shopping mall had opened since our last visit in April 2012, I had to check it out. After reading lots of good things on various beauty blogs about the new up-and -coming budget Italian make-up brand Kiko, I was thrilled to see a gorgeous Kiko store. (There are two currently in the UK, but only in London, although you can order online of course!).

Walking into Kiko is like being a kid in a sweet shop - wall to wall eye shadows fill one side of the store, and after swatching about a zillion colours on my hands, I went for the three colours below.

 

 

Colours shown are - 213 (top), 216 (left,) and 241( right).

 

Kiko have a system a bit similar to Mac, where you can buy your shadows, and create your own palette with them. They call it the Palette Clics System. You can choose a palette with spaces for either 2, 3, 4, 9 or 24 eye shadows. I went for three to get me started. The eye shadows cost around four euros and the palette was three euros. Their full title is 'Infinity highly pigmented eye shadow'.

 

 

 

 

 

We all know you only get what you pay for, but after trying out these colours for quite a few days now, these shadows really do deliver. The colours are really highly pigmented and almost feel creamy when you apply them. They are also very long lasting. They promise to last up to 14 hours on the eye without creasing. I don't tend to wear them for quite that long, so I can't say if that statement is completely true, but they certainly hold up well after a good ten hours. The palette itself is nice quality, and you are able to chop and change the eye shadows that you put in there, which is so handy if you are travelling.

 

Every girl loves their Mac eye shadows, (me included) the colour choice, the packaging, the quality and choice of different finishes, but for the difference in price, it really is worth giving Kiko a try. You can see below, the colours swatched on my hand and actually on my eyes.

 

 

I am wearing the colour 216 here.

 

After spending around twenty minutes looking at the eye shadows alone, I started to run out of time and had to give the lip glosses a miss (sad face). But if the products I have chosen so far are anything to go by, I shall certainly be checking out the Kiko lip products. They even do a fabulous range of brushes and their own skin care range.....it was like being in beauty heaven!

 

 

I also treated myself to a few other bits and pieces (well it would be rude not to). I got a lovely brown 'Twinkle eye pencil', a base eye shadow brush and a gorgeous rose coloured matt blush. Again, amazing products at a great price.

 

 

 

A little tip, if you register on their website (www.kikocosmetics.co.uk) you get free delivery on your first order. I'm guessing it wont be long until there are more Kiko stores opening in the UK (hopefully in the North East!).