Rimmel 25hr Lasting Finish Foundation and Primer

When it comes to affordable good quality foundations Rimmel never seem to disappoint. I’ve had the Rimmel Lasting Finish 25hr (€9.99) on rotation with my other foundations for the last few months now and I’ve been loving it.

There are 2 types of the Lasting Finish foundation that you can get. The Lasting Finish Nude is a medium coverage foundation and more hydrating on the skin which would suit normal to dry skin. The one that I’ve been loving is the Lasting Finish with Comfort Serum, it’s a full coverage foundation and much better suited to oilier skin as it is more of a semi-matte foundation.

To go with the foundation I use the Lasting Finish Primer (€8.99), it smooths out your skin and fills in pores. It wouldn’t be as good as Benefit Porefessional but it does help your foundation stay on for hours. I’ve tried other primers with the foundation but I found I get the best results out of it with the Lasting Finish primer.

This applies like a dream regardless of what tool I use but I prefer using my Beauty Blender, it gives such a flawless finish and looks like my own skin.

Now I do get quite a bit oily especially around my nose but noting a touch up from the Lasting Finish pressed powder can’t handle and I’m back to normal.

I haven’t tried this for the full 25hrs but I usually wear my foundations 15-16hrs and by the end of the day even if I’m a bit greasy the foundation is pretty much still there.

There are 7 colours to choose from, unfortunately the colours don’t go too dark but for our lovely Irish skin you will definitely find one for you, I use 100 Ivory and it an absolute match for my skin tone. I’m usually an NW15-18 in MAC foundations, so if you are one of those colours 100 Ivory should match you perfectly.

For a foundation under €10 this one will definitely be a repurchase, and seeing as the foundation works best with the primer I’ll have to repurchase that too.

Thanks for Reading.

Love Sarah xoxo

July Favourites

July is always a good month for me, there’s amazing weather, lots of nights out, outdoor concerts and the most important day of the year – my birthday.

 

Starting off with my number one favourite from this month and a birthday present from my boyfriend we have the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Champagne Pop created by my favourite Youtuber Jaclyn Hill. I am so in love with this highlighter, I’ve never tried any other powder highlighter that gives the same glow. It’s a perfect peachy gold that suits all skin tones. I think every beauty blogger I follow has bought one at this stage and haven’t seen or heard one bad review. It costs $38 and is only available from Sephora, if you can get your hands on it you will not be disappointed.

About two months ago I got a really bad dose of chicken pox. I got a few on my eye brow which resulted in scarring and some eyebrow hair falling out. I get my brows done at Elysian Brow and they recommended using an oil to stimulate hair growth. Around the same time I was sent some brow products from Eylure, among the bits I was sent was their Nourishing Brow Oil. I’ve used it nearly every night since I got it and have seen some major results. My brow hair has started to grow back where it had fallen out which I’m so relieved by. I’ve also been trying to grow the front part of my brow after an overzealous eyebrow lady a few years ago hacked away at them and have seen results there as well. If you’re trying to grow out your brows then I would definitely give this ago, its €11.99 and for all the times I’ve used it there is hardly a dent in it.

 

I bought the original Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask in Sephora last year and when my boyfriend was ordering the Jaclyn Hill highlighter I got him to throw in a few more beauty bits for me including the Agave Lip Mask in Champagne. I wear the Original Lip Mask at night, I really lash it on so my lips don’t dry out during the night. During the day I’ve been popping the Champagne version on, I keep it in my handbag for on the go application. It has a hint of a pinky champagne colour, I have a Nars Orgasm gloss that is very similar to it in colour. My lips are all the better for using this combo, they’re so soft and smoother than ever.

I attended the launch of Flormar in July and was given some goodies to try out. I’ve been loving their Illuminating Primer and their Bronzing Powder. I’m a matte girl but this summer I’ve been trying to add a glow to my skin and this primer is the perfect addition to my arsenal of glow inducing products. I’m not a lover of the smell but it does give me the glowing results I’m after as well as giving a good base for my foundation. I didn’t think I’d like the Bronzing Powder as it looked shimmery in the pan but when applied you can’t notice any shimmer at all. It’s the perfect bronze shade without being too orange. It’s a perfect natural bronze and looks great on pale skin.

Finally we have the new DKNY Energising Fall Limited Edition Eau De Toilette Spray, this is one of the presents I got for my birthday. I love this fragrance it’s a musky vanilla and lasts all day. It’s a real “me” fragrance, it’s not too sweet, not too deep and musky it’s somewhere in the middle and that’s the kind of everyday fragrance that I love.

Thanks for reading.

Love Sarah xoxo

BECCA X Jaclyn Hill - Champagne Pop

My absolute favourite Youtuber is Jaclyn Hill. She’s done a lot of collaborations with companies in the past such as Gerrard Cosmetics and Morphe, and I have her Lip glosses and shadow palette from them, oh and the Jaclyn Hill Favourite Sigma Brushes – fan girl much.

Back in June she announced she had collaborated with Becca Cosmetics. In the past she has raved about their Shimmering Skin Perfector’s and when I was in the States last year I picked one up in Opal. They are hands down the most amazing, glowing, silky smooth powder highlighters I have ever tried. So when I heard she had joined forces with Becca and had created her own Shimmering Skin Perfector I knew I had to have it, the only problem is for us Irish girls is that it’s being sold exclusively in Sephora.

Becca Opal (Left) Champagne Pop (Right)

We have yet to get a Sephora here in Ireland, although if we do I’m sure it will be more like the European stores than the American ones – the American stores just have a more products and some are exclusively sold there such as Kat Von D. Now there is a way around getting an order as they ship to the UK, however when I tried this last year it told me that I had to have a UK address on my bank card, even though I was using the Parcel Motel service to get is sent to here. I have yet to hear of anyone who has been successful in shipping to Ireland. If you have been successful do let me know in the comments below.

Becca Opal (Left) Champagne Pop (Right)

As it was being released on my birthday I took the opportunity of dropping subtle hints to my boyfriend to get it for me AKA I emailed him what I wanted and told him that I had to have it. His brother lives in London so he got him to pay for it and shipped to his place. Luckily we were in London the weekend that it arrived so we avoided the hassle of it having to be sent in the post over to Dublin.

Now we get onto the good stuff and what I think of the highlighter. Again Jaclyn Hill didn’t disappoint, Champagne Pop is basically the same formula as the other Shimmering Skin Perfectors but it has this glow that is on another level. Compared to Opal it’s a lot brighter, golden and peachier, Opal is more of a muted gold.

Sometimes highlighters can get washed out on pale Irish skin but this is just perfect on pale skin tones and from the pictures I’ve seen of girls with darker skin tones it looks just as good on them as well. I use my Sigma F35 Tapered Highlighter to apply it, I start of with a small amount on my brush and keep buffing it in till I have the right amount that I want.

It looks like silk on the skin, it’s super bendable, highly pigmented and can be applied for a light peachy glow or super golden glow perfect for a night out.

The cost is $38 dollars, which is a lot but I think it’s worth it. If you know anyone going to the states definitely make them go to Sephora and pick you up one or get someone you know in the UK to order one for you.

If you’re interested in purchasing the other Becca Shimmering Skin Perfectors they can be picked up from Space NK online or instore on Grafton Street or Harvey Nic’s in Dundrum.

If you have been successful in ordering anything from Sephora to Ireland please let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for Reading.

Love Sarah xoxo 

Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation

When I heard that MAC where bringing out a new version of their Pro Longwear foundation I was so excited. I love the original Pro Longwear foundation it’s brilliant on my oily skin and lasts all day. Unfortunately the saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” springs to mind when I think about their new Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation.

When I tried it first I thought it was just my skin that was the problem, but having an oily T-zone and dry cheeks I feel like it should have at least looked better in some parts than others but sadly no. The first thing I noticed is that it really dry’s into the skin which I’m not used to with my usual foundations. I also noticed that when the skin is powdered it clings the powder to the skin showing up all the little hairs on your face and making it look super obvious that you have makeup on.

Now the big seller with this foundation is the fact that it’s waterproof, which when it comes to a foundation is a pretty big statement so I knew I had to test the theory out. Now I don’t usually wear foundation when I workout but when the Mini Marathon was on last month I thought that there was no better time to test it out. Along with being a sweaty mess it was also raining (a lot) that day. By the end of the 10km I looked like an absolute mess, the foundation had melted into patches around my face and when I touched my skin the foundation was caked onto my fingers. As it was raining on and off throughout the run I would touch my face lightly and each time there was transfer onto my fingers. So my little test was a big fail, but not everyone will be running 10km in the rain wearing this makeup so I’ve noticed other little discrepancies with this foundation on a normal everyday basis too.

With it being so hot recently I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s been a sweaty mess and it also doesn’t help If you’re like me when you’re doing your makeup and you have Spotify on in the background and you just can’t help having a wee dance. Those two things combined, plus this foundation it not a good match. A little TMI but my top lip can have some sparking perspiration on it sometimes after all the heat and dancing, now I’m not dripping it’s noting gross it’s just a glisten, a little tap from my finger or a powder brush and it’s usually sorted. However when I have done that whilst wearing the Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation it immediately transfers and basically takes the whole layer of foundation off. So that got me thinking that when they say waterproof do they just mean a spritz of rain on the skin instead of sweatproof, but still I’ve never seen this happen with any other makeup I’ve ever tried whether it be waterproof, sweatproof or just your every day run of the mill no frills foundation.

I’ve mentioned at the top of this post how after powdering your skin the powder clings to all the tiny hairs and makes it look very noticeable, so to rectify this situation I get my trusty friend MAC Fix+ out and spritz it all over. Now with it being a waterproof foundation a little spritz from a setting spray shouldn’t bother it at all but what do you know there was no waterproofness here. I did my little spritz and it waited the few seconds for it to dry, I noticed it did take longer for it to dry into the skin then any of my other normal foundations. Usually if there was a bit of spray on the skin that hasn’t soaked in yet I’ll do a little pat just to take any excess dampness away and doing that with this foundation just resulted in movement and transfer of the foundation. I tried to blend it back into place but that just made it worse.

As far as comparing it to the regular Pro Longwear foundation there basically is no comparison, it’s nothing like the original. Firstly the colouring is different so it’s better to do a colour match in store. I bought mine online, I’m usually an NW15 and what I got was so pale (basically white) it doesn’t match any of my other NW15 foundations. You also don’t get as much product, its €36.50 for 25ml which isn’t a lot when most MAC foundations are 30-35ml. It also claims to have 16hr wear but after 8-10 hours I was dying to get it off my skin, it wore off around my nose, chin, cheeks and forehead, basically my entire face. It’s safe to say I just didn’t like this foundation at all.

If your still thinking about getting it I’d recommend going into your local MAC store and getting samples to test at home, I’m raging I’ve spent that much on an awful foundation.

I’m really not sure who this foundation is aimed for, it’s definitely not your oily or dry skinned girl. Maybe if you have perfectly nourished skin then this is for you but this definitely isn’t for me!

I’m raging I didn’t like this, I had such high hopes with this foundation, I’m just so disappointed and I hate doing bad reviews but this is just awful.

If you have tried it and had success let me know below, I’d love to see if it worked on anyone else. I’ve read loads of reviews since buying the foundation and none have them have been good so I’m happy it’s not just myself thinking I’m over exaggerating.

Thanks for reading.

Love Sarah xoxo

June 2015 Favourites

I haven’t done a monthly favourites post in a while but thought I’d do one this month as I’ve switched things up and have been using a lot of things that I wouldn’t normally use but have fallen in love with in the last few weeks.

My June favourites really reflect the summer mood I’m in, a lot of it is about getting that glow and about hydration.

Back in May I went a lot blonder so to keep my hair from discolouring I bought the Bleach London Silver Shampoo and Conditioner. I’ve tried different purple shampoos in the past to keep the brassiness at bay that haven’t worked but the Bleach London shampoo and conditioner combo are really working for me and my hair hasn’t gone brassy at all.

I used to only use my MAC Fix+ to spray on my brushes to intensify my eyeshadows more but in the last few months I’ve been using it to set my makeup after application. It’s helped get rid of that overly powered look and just helps your makeup settle and on these hot summer days it’s just nice to spritz it on your face to cool down.

I’ve fallen back in love with tanning, I spent the whole winter with not a drop on my skin but once the sun started coming back out I knew I had to put some life back into my skin. I have been loving the Tan Organic Self Tanning Oil. I’ve gotten so many compliments when I wear this and is possibly the most natural looking tan that I’ve used. It really makes you looks like you’ve spent a week on a beach in Spain, it’s gorgeous. I was a bit confused about it when I tried it first, it is an oil so it doesn’t really dry into the skin like a normal tan would so I was a bit scared to put my clothes back on afterwards but it was fine and I didn’t have one streak or build up anywhere.

I got the La Roche Posay Serozinc spray late in June so I’m still trying to figure out if it’s making a difference to my skin but I am loving using it. I spritz it on after I cleanse my face, it’s just so refreshing and leaves your skin matte without it feeling tight or dry. I have oily skin so this is perfect for my skin, I love a matte look.

I am in love with facial oils at the moment. I’ve heard people say that you should use facial oils if you have oily skin but it hasn’t made my skin worse in fact it’s made it a lot better. I apply the Josie Maran Argan oil onto my skin every night and when I wake up my skin is so moisturised, especially around my cheeks and jaw line where I can get very dry.

I’ve neglected my MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Soft and Gentle but in the last few weeks I’ve fallen back in love with it. I’ve been using the MAC 188 Duo Fibre brush to apply it, it packs on the product a lot more than any other brush I’ve used. I’m blaming Jaclyn Hill on my obsession with highlighters a mirror.

For a glow over my body I’ve been lovely the Body Shop Honey Bronze Shimmering Dry Oil in No.2 Golden Honey. Firstly the smell is amazing, I can’t put my finger on what it smells like but it lasts all day and smells glorious. With the shimmering flecks of gold in the oil it is more suited to night time but on these sunny days I have popped a bit on my arms and décolletage just to get a bit of that Victoria Secret model glow.

Finally I’ve been loving the Rimmel Get the Glow Highlighter in Notting Hill. It’s a silvery/pinkish cream highlight that I’ve been using three ways. The first way is to apply it lightly all over my face before my foundation, or I’ve been mixing it in with my foundation. Both ways result in an all over healthy summer glow without looking like a lightbulb. The Third way is to apply it before I’ve set my foundation onto the tops on my cheekbones to highlight them, I sometimes go in after with a powder highlight just to give that extra bit of pop.

As you can see my summer loves have all been about having healthy glowing skin, I’m trying to stay away from looking too matte so looking so glowy takes some getting used to without thinking I’m looking oily but it’s working.

What have your June Favourites been? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading.

Love Sarah xoxo

Primark - P.S Liquid Foundation

A few weeks back I was in Penneys doing the usual of going in for one thing and coming out with 2 giant bags 20 minutes later. While I was there I spotted some Penneys own makeup brand foundations. At €3 a pop I figured why not try it out if it sucks at least it wasn’t going to do any damage.

There are 3 colours to choose from – light, medium and dark. I chose light and medium as there were no samples to test to check out the colours.

When I got home I discovered I was neither light nor medium. The light colour is extremely pale and pink toned and the medium is a deep tan yellow toned. Mixing them together I did manage to get the perfect shade, I’m usually a NW15 or NW20 with my MAC foundations.

What drew me to the foundation was that the formula was oil free and semi –matte. I live for matte foundations – although this summer I’m trying to dew it up a bit.

On application it blends really well, it’s a medium coverage but feels very light. The foundation dries into the skin matte.

The pictures below where taken after nearly 11 hours wear and without powdering all day. There is some wear around the nose and chin but that happens with the majority of my foundations.

Left - Not powdered and Right - Powdered, both after nearly 11hrs wear.

For €3 it is a good foundation it does what it says on the package but the odd shades are a disappointment as I could get one Rimmel foundation for nearly the same price as buying 2 of Penneys. I probably won’t ever wear the foundations separately, the light is too light and pink and the medium would be a bit too much like putting Nutella on my face.

Thanks for reading.

Love Sarah xoxo

Summer Skin Prep

I am in love with this weather right now, even though I’m stuck in an office all day it makes such a difference to look outside and see the sun and with the brighter evenings there’s still time to enjoy it long after work.

To get my skin away from that pasty Irishness I have an arsenal of goodies to get me glowing.

Along with the Micropedi Nano that I’ve been using I’ve been loving the Cocoa Palmer Foot Magic to keep my feet as smooth as anything. I apply this every night and pop my socks on over it to let it soak into my skin. It looks like Vaseline but melts into your skin, I massage it in for a few minutes and the peppermint oils are released it’s so relaxing.

The Soap and Glory Pulp Friction is probably my favourite in shower exfoliator to use; it’s not too harsh but still gets rid of any roughness. It foams slightly too so I use it doubles up as my shower gel. This and the Cocoa Brown Tough Stuff are my go to exfoliators, they’re great for everyday exfoliation and for getting rid of any fake tan.

When I’m not tanning I’ll keep my glow going with the Cocoa Brown Gentle Bronze. It keeps my skin moisturised and adds the hint of a sun kissed glow.

I found that when I tan and apply it to my face it always seeps into my pores and washes of very easily so when I tried out the James Read Sleep Mask Tan I was really happy that it didn’t do either. It’s a clear gel mask that’s really nourishing, I apply it with a face tan mitt and in the morning I’ll have a natural looking tanned face. It comes up very natural and will take a day or two to wash off, perfect for looking sun kissed rather than tangoed.

When I’m fully tanned and ready for a night out I’ll use the Karora CC Cream or the Victoria Secrets Rocking Body Perfecting cream to top it off. I use the Karora CC cream if I feel like I need an extra top up or if I feel like I need a bit of extra coverage on my chest, I’ve a couple scars on my chest from chicken pox I got a few months ago so It helps to clear it a little. I then use the Perfecting Cream on my legs; this stuff is amazing it’s like a tinted Porefessional for your legs. It gives a tint and shimmer to your legs as well as blurring any imperfections it’s amazing.

Thanks for reading.

Love Sarah xoxo