Beauty Box Review: Part 2 Cosmetics

As part of my 'Purple Tweed Summer Special' I thought I'd include a beauty post on how to still keep your face/skin looking fabulous whilst the temperatures cause you to sweat buckets! 

This knowledge has come from experience and from hours of watching various beauty youtubers show the world how to apply make-up for warmer climates. 

Now this isn't a 'how to get that sun kissed skin look' type of post. No, this is just showing you some of the products I've purchased in order for me to still maintain my make-up routine even in temperatures above 70F!!

The two main products I will be reviewing will be both from MAC (sorry guys-I can't help myself)

Face and Body Foundation in C7

Skin Base Visage Primer

Starting with the primer, I am really impressed with this product. It is easy to apply, non greasy which is great for me as I have combination skin, and when your on holiday in seriously hot temps the last thing you want is for your primer to be sliding everywhere because your make-up simply has no chance of staying in place at all! 

As it is MAC it is on the pricey side at  £20.50 but you get what you pay for and more as you don't have to apply alot. However the way I view it, foundation without primer is like tea without sugar; sometimes its okay, but every now and then you need a bit of sweetness in your life :-) 

I'll give it a 8/10, it would be 10/10 but I haven't shopped around for other primers and my view is slightly bias as my foundations are from MAC also so you know, like two peas in a pod! Lol. 

Purchasing a lighter based foundation (in terms of formula) was a necessity for my 'holiday make-up routine' to be a success. I j'adore my Studio Fix Fluid but it's thick creamy consistency is something that would soon annoy me and the last thing you want is to feel the weight of your foundation. 

Although, at first, I was sceptical about just how 'light' this foundation is, as it is sheer to light coverage so you need to have fabulously clear skin otherwise I suggest you be prepared  to do some mixing and blending with another foundation in order to achieve the coverage you desire.

A little tip is that, if you already use MAC foundations it's best to mention the colour of that foundation to the make-up assistant who is serving you. This makes it much easier and faster at helping them help you to find the right colour and shade for your complexion. When I purchased mine, I was in duty free so the bottle size was perfect to fit into my hand luggage and just the right amount, as it's not going to be my main foundation.

All in all the colour selection process was quick and easy, the shade just blended in with my skin and the overall application is just really natural, which I love. It's light and a little goes a long way. I personally used my flat foundation brush in a 'stippling' motion, the bristles of this particular brush are sparse and not so tightly packed together, so it allows the product to spread more in a way that makes it even for me.  Next time however I would like to use the beauty blender sponge (see what all the hype is about) and see if the 'naturally flawless finish' that I achieved can be improved by applying it with a different utensil. 

When I used it first time on holiday, it was 30 degrees with no breeze whatsoever! My make-up stayed on all day, with only having to blot once! I even forget that I had put it on, that I nearly forgot to take it off before I went to bed.  

I really like this foundation and would probably begin to use it on a daily basis as opposed to my Sleek BB Cream, as it is soo lovely and light but still gives off that naturally perfected look.

9/10

As you can see in the picture I was going for a natural look, so my concealer coverage was little to non and I didn't really 'set' my foundation either but just applied bronzer and polished my brows and finished the look with a creamy nude lipstick. 

L-R
MAC-Russian Red, Revlon-Mink, Revlon-Pink in the afternoon, Sleek-Heartbreaker

Sleek Blush by 3-L-R
Crochet, Guipure,Chantilly

My other recent beauty purchases over the last three months have included the following;

my first EVER MAC lipstick in Russian red **j'adore**

Revlon super lustrous lipstick in mink and pink in the afternoon

Sleek true colour matte lipstick in heartbreaker 

Real Techniques foundation brush(which is actually perfect for under-eye concealer)

Real Techniques Powder brush

Real Techniques Domed eye-shadow brush 

Sleek i-Divine Palette in Au Naturel.

Sleek Blush by 3

L'oreal Voluminous mascara

NYC Sky High mascara

L'oreal super-fine liquid eyeliner 

H&M Double-sided eye brush (so versatile and perfect to carry in your 'all day make up bag')

So, yes these have been the updates to my beauty box in the last 2-3 months or so, tweet me of your latest purchases, and let me know what other things help your summer beauty regime go without a hitch!

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Beauty Box Review: Part 1 Cosmetics.

Crown brushes, Black Up Palette, MAC concealer and blot powder, Seventeen 'Doll'd Up' Mascara, GOSH cosmetics Velvet Touch lipstick in 'romantic', and me with all my new products :-) 

Knowledge is power! This particular saying and biblical reference is often used in academic or political conversations, but at the end of the day Knowledge- whatever it is that you have learnt or already know is power to the individual that acknowledges this fact. With that said, I present to you my first Beauty box review focusing on cosmetics.

 So my approach to make-up is that it’s there to enhance ones natural beauty, it’s also part of the frivolities of life that can aid to transform ones emotional state, for example-when I’m having a crappy day, a brand new lipstick helps to put the smile back on my face (literally) :-)

My look goes according to my mood and also whatever time I get out of bed hehe. I have combination skin so it’s important that I capture/highlight the features of my face accordingly so a ‘caked’ look is not my thing.

I will be reviewing the Black Up Cosmetics Colour Corrector palette £23. I first heard about the palette after watching make-up artist Chanel Boateng discuss their product range, and even though my foundation was MAC it just turned out that through a range of circumstances (not having enough time to sit in the chair at Selfridges) that I ended up purchasing this palette, and I am in LOVE. The best thing about this product is it’s versatility- I use it as an eye-shadow primer, concealer, corrector and highlighter too. Very long lasting and not cakey at all, good with either fingers or brushes and finally the range of shades in all the palettes are great and easy to mix to suit you. 8/10

The Seventeen ‘doll’d up’ mascara was practically given to me for being a Boots Advantage cardholder. They sent me a coupon saying that I could purchase the product for only £2. It’s a good mascara-nothing too fantastic about it, non-clumping- I’d say a great ‘everyday’ mascara for natural lashes. Seventeen is not a drugstore brand I normally shop from, and for the full price I’d certainly not purchase this, but they do have some nice products. 5/10.

As mentioned in the past, I am a lover of threading my eyebrows. I can withstand the pain as I thoroughly enjoy the results, my brows grow better and the shape is easier to maintain, however I am not always able to get to the hairs as well as my eyebrow woman does, so sometimes I just have to let them grow and appear :-/ So I have been on the lookout for a good thick creamy concealer to use on my brow-bone in order to hide away stray hairs. Seeing a few you-tubers doing the same I was then introduced to the concealer pot from MAC. In NW45 £14, it’s a good consistency and easy to apply with the right brush and sets well with or without powder. It’s ideal because it’s in a shade lighter than my MAC foundation so as it also conceals it’s shade acts as a natural highlight which I can then blend for preference. 9/10

My make-up on a whole has massively improved and generally looks much better through the choice of purchasing good quality tools like the brushes from Crown as mentioned in my spring clean.

The 15 piece 517 Luna £49 set is great for advanced make-up users because the different kind of brushes in the kit allow you to experiment more and get better results with great precision especially for things like blending eye-shadows and highlighting and contouring the face. My personal experience with the brushes have been great- I love the way they feel on my skin; super soft, easy to clean; bit of shampoo and conditioner and your good to go, and also retain their shape/texture after being cleaned, as a lot of other brushes tend to shed or become brittle. This kit has encouraged me to try new looks by trying different techniques and has made my ‘daily make-up routine’ much more efficient and tidy.This particular kit has too many brushes for a beginner and may confuse you, but it’s still great to have in order to learn and work your way up, they have great ranges available for all kinds of levels from beginner to professional. 
The ordering process and delivery from crown was really easy and quick and I will definitely be ordering from them again. 9/10

Part 2 will be a review on my recent skincare products I have purchased.
What are you loving beauty wise?
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