Tuesday 24 October 2017

The Ordinary Serum Foundation Review and Photos

The Ordinary Foundation
It's safe to say The Ordinary skincare has taken the UK by storm and if you haven't heard of the brand before then they are part of the Deciem umbrella which consists of a growing number of brands whose primary focus is skincare.

The Ordinary for me has revolutionized the way we see and buy skincare thanks to their non-fancy packaging and extraordinary price points and I'm already in the process of putting their skincare line through its paces so I will keep you updated with a final review here on the blog in the not too distant future. But first I wanted to share with you my final thoughts on the tremendously popular new serum foundation. This lightweight foundation is the 2nd foundation within their colour collection, so is it really worth the hype...
Price
The Ordinary Serum Foundation retails for a very reasonable £5.70 for 30ml of product. This also has an SPF 15 and comes in 21 shades that cater from everyone who has pink to yellow, red and neutral undertones.
Packaging
Although The Ordinary's focus is the ingredients and price points more than the packaging, I think I'm in the majority vote when I say I really love the simple packaging. The foundations are also housed in black boxes to differentiate between the colour and skincare collections.

The foundation itself comes in a plastic bottle with a hygienic pump applicator for ease of use, but you can also purchase an additional dropper if you prefer applying it this way instead.
Application
Before use, be sure to shake the bottle as this is a serum foundation. I also recommend applying this to the back of your hand or a palette so you can pick up the product from there as the consistency is very thin and runny.

Upon application, the foundation has a lovely lightweight feel to it and it doesn't look greasy or over oily, however, I did have to powder down my t-zone area as it did look a tad shiny around this area. Overall this glides on super easily and looks lovely and natural, for me, it just looked like my skin but better!

This has a medium coverage and so it does cover imperfections or redness, however, if you do have the odd pesky spot I would suggest concealing them first with a heavier concealer and then going in with the foundation over the top. Also if you do suffer from acne I would maybe give the 'Coverage Foundation' ago as this is a full coverage formula, although I haven't tried this myself so I would suggest reading some reviews first.

I initially used this with a damp Beauty Blender but I have since tried this with a brush and I would say a damp sponge is the better option for this type of foundation for me personally, it just gives a more desirable finish overall. 
Longevity
I wore this foundation for just over 8 hours total and it really did stay well with the exception of a little bit of shine towards the end of the evening.
Overall Thoughts
Overall I absolutely loved wearing this foundation as firstly this is such amazing value for money considering how much you get in the bottle and the fact there are 21 shades to choose from that have various different undertones is fantastic. Packaging wise I adore the simple yet informative box and if you require any further information about a product then you can also go on their website here or you can tweet Deciem directly. (From my own experience they are tremendously helpful).

Application wise the hygienic pump is great but just be sure to shake the bottle and apply this to your hand first. For best results, as I mentioned above I also recommend using a damp sponge to get a more flawless, even coverage, but overall this covers well but at the same time it still feels comfortable and natural looking on the skin.

Finally longevity wise I was really impressed with how this wore and if anything I thought this looked better as the day went on the only thing I would say though is because this is a serum-based foundation I do advise setting it with a little powder and carrying it with you for on the go touch-ups.

So if you prefer a lightweight foundation that's comfortable, natural looking and has a light to medium coverage then this is definitely for you! However, if you prefer a more full coverage foundation and you suffer from acne or you're prone to oily skin then I would say the Coverage Foundation would probably be a better option for you (I've linked both below). Either way, both foundations have an excellent shade selection and for the price what have, you got to lose!

I award The Ordinary Serum Foundation a 4.9 out of 5


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Saturday 14 October 2017

Makeup Revolution Soph X Palette Review, Swatches and Photos

Makeup Revolution Soph Palettes
Welcome back to the 3rd Review in my First Impressions Series that you can also find here. Now you guys know that I love a bit of Makeup Revolution and so I was thrilled to hear that Revolution has collaborated with Youtuber Sophdoesnails to bring out not only an eyeshadow palette but a highlighter palette too, so here are my thoughts...
Price
The Soph X Eyeshadow palette retails for £10 for 24 decent sized eyeshadows and the Highlighter palette is £8 for 8 generous pans.
Packaging 
Both palettes are beautifully boxed and packaged and if you've seen Sophie's announcement video then you'll know she actually designed the pattern on the eyeshadow box herself, which I think to me makes it that little bit more special and personalised.
Application
Ultra Eyeshadow Palette - Inside you'll find 14 matte shades and 10 shimmer shadows. All of the colours are super pigmented, buildable and have a stunning colour payoff. Some of the shimmery shades are more glittery than others and to me are very much like a pressed pigment so I would recommend doing your eyes first before your foundation to prevent glittery fallout. Additionally, you can also use the brown and taupe matte shades as brow powders and contour shades too.

If you want to see the shadows applied to the eyes, then be sure to check out my First Impression video linked above, but all in all, this has a wonderful selection of shades for every season! 

Highlighter Palette - The highlighting palette has a mix of 5 baked and 3 cream to powder shades that suit all skin tones. All the shades are super intense and buildable, however, if you're after something a little more subtle for every day, then the far bottom left shade is perfect for this. Again be sure to watch my First Impression linked here for a live demo.
Longevity
Both lasted really well, just over 8 hours to be precise, but if I was being picky I would say the eyeshadows had faded slightly, but apart from that, I was truly impressed! 
Overall Thoughts
Well, what can I say Makeup Revolution have exceeded my expectations once again! Firstly the price point is so right on both palettes considering these are aimed towards a younger target audience and the fact you get a generous amount of product in each means anyone can afford to pick up at least one of the palettes.

Packaging wise I love the thought process behind not only the palettes themselves but also the boxes they come in, so pretty, so girly and totally Sophie.

I have been using both palettes non stop since my first impression and I'm in love with the well thought and versatile colour selection, pigmentation and colour pay off. There are literally endless possibilities with the eyeshadow palette for every season, which I know is what Sophie really wanted, however, as I mentioned above I would advise doing your eyes first if you are using the shimmery shades as these do have some fallout because of the consistency.

The Highlighters are gorgeous and work on so many different skin tones and for me, the thing I like most about this palette is all the shades are wearable and again work for everyone whether you like something a little more subtle in the day or you want to build up the shades and blind everyone with your highlight at night! 

So if you're a Makeup Revolution collector or you're a massive fan of Sophdoesnails then I would definitely recommend both, however, if you only want to get one then I would say go for the eyeshadow palette if you love experimenting with colour and eye looks or go for the highlighter palette if you just love highlighter more than anything! 

I award the Soph X Eyeshadow Palette a 4.8 out of 5 and the Soph X Highlighter Palette a 4.9 out of 5.

You can find both directly from the Makeup Revolution website Tambeauty or you can pick up either in Superdrug stores and online.

Before you go why not check out these other Makeup Revolution Reviews...


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Wednesday 11 October 2017

Maybelline Tattoo Brow Review and Photos

Maybelline Brow Tattoo
If you've been following my First Impressions Week here, you'll know I put to the test a bunch of new launches in a series of five videos last week. Next up we have the Maybelline Tattoo Brow Tint. This peel-off brow tint claims to give you natural and fuller looking brows that can last for up to 3 days, so let's see if this really does last...
Price
The Tattoo Brow retails for £12.99 for 4.6g of product. Here in the UK this comes in three shades including,
- Light Brown
- Medium Brown
- Dark Brown
However, I do believe this does come in a better selection of shades elsewhere. I have this in Medium Brown.
Packaging 
You guys know I like anything that comes in an informative box and this has it all! Inside you'll find the brow tint which comes with a small lip gloss style wand for ease of application.
Application
On the box, you have a step by step guide on how to apply the peel off tint, but I'll also link the step by step guide on the Maybelline website here too. And of course, you can also watch my live first impression demo too.

Now this concept is not unfamiliar within the Korean market (and interestingly enough this product is actually made in Korea), however, this is very new to the drugstore market. So let me take you through a step by step guide on how to apply this...

1. Firstly decide how long you're going to leave the tint on for. It's recommended to leave it on for a minimum of 20 mins, but if you would like 3-day wear then it's suggested you leave this on for a whopping 2 hours!! Now I don't know about you but I don't have two hours to spend inside waiting for my brows to develop if you compare this to how long it takes for a regular brow tint to develop and so I settled on 30 mins.

2. Next, it's time to apply the thick, gloopy tint to your brows. I recommend wiping your eyebrows with a wipe or micellar water before you start, just to make sure you have completely clean brows. Then you can go in starting from the inner part of the brow and working your way out painting the tint on.

I actually went in with a second layer while this was still wet as I was worried this wouldn't peel off properly without a thick layer on top of the brows.

3. If you do get the gel outside the brow, you can easily wipe this away with a cotton bud.

4. Lastly set your timer for the required time and allow the tint to dry and develop.

5. After the development time is up you can go ahead and start peeling off the tint working from the inside of the brow all the way to the end or tail of the brow. I thought this might hurt when I peeled it off but rest-assured this was painless!

The final result was actually quite surprising and my brows instantly looked fuller, however, the medium brown did look a tad warm on me. I also did end up filling in a tiny bit with a pencil just to give me a more defined shape.
Longevity
Now although I left this on for just 30 mins my tint actually ended up lasting a good week with the exception of some fading towards the start of my brow where I don't have as much hair. So really I don't think you need to worry about leaving this on for the whole 2 hours as suggested.

Maintenance wise it is recommended to avoid using any cleansing products for the first 24 hours after tinting, but I also advise not using anything too striping on this area anyway as you want your tint to last as long as possible.
Overall Thoughts
First off I do think this is pretty pricey for a drugstore brow product, however, this is a unique to the drugstore market and you do get a good amount for multiple uses. Packaging wise I loved the informative box and the small applicator brush which allowed for ease of use and precise application, which moves me on to how this applies... I did find this relatively easy to use and if you do get some outside of your shape you can just easily wipe it away without any fuss or mess. I also really enjoyed the fact this gave me more of a fuller brow look which meant I didn't need to spend as much time in the morning's filling in my brows, which is always a bonus!

Finally, let's talk about longevity... I have to say considering I only left this on for 30 mins I was pretty impressed with how long the tint stayed on my brows and so I really don't think you need to leave this on for the full 2 hours. Colour wise the more I looked at this the more I thought how warm my brows looked overall (more like an auburn shade) and it's a shame that there isn't a better colour selection here in the UK.

So, in conclusion, I think this is a great product if you're maybe a Mum or you purely just don't have time to go to a salon to get your eyebrows tinted or perhaps you just prefer to do salon style treatments in the comfort of your own home. Personally, I did like the concept of this, however, weighing up the cost of a normal brow tint and how long it lasts, I do still think a brow tint is the more cost-effective option overall.

I award the Maybelline Tattoo Brow a 3.8 out of 5



*This product was sent to me but as always all opinions are my own.

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Monday 2 October 2017

Tanya Burr Selfie Lash Mascara Review and Photos

Tanya Burr Selfie Story Collection
Last week Tanya Burr released possibly her most exciting collection to date called the Selfie Story Collection. The Selfie Story assortment consists of the Selfielash Mascara, Selfie Sculpt Brow Pencils, and the Selfie Flick Black Eyeliner. I was lucky enough to win one of the mascara's so of course, I had to put this to the test straight away, so here are my thoughts...
Price
The mascara retails for £7.99 for 9.5ml of product, the Selfie Sculpt Brow Pencil is £6.49 and comes in three shades, Fair, Medium, and Dark, and the Selfie Flick Black Eyeliner is a liquid liner that retails for £4.99.
Tanya Burr Selfie Lash Mascara
Packaging
I adore the black and gold packaging that continues throughout the whole collection as it has such a lovely premium feel to it.
The mascara also has a fantastic long and thin rubber wand full of short spiky bristles that form into a pointy tip.
Application
Firstly I love the fact that this mascara doesn't make any brash or bold claims on how it performs, but what it does say is that the Selfie Lash is a buildable and eye defining mascara...

Upon application, this mascara instantly lifted and lengthened my lashes without the need for eyelash curlers, furthermore, I really liked the fact I could build up the volume without the worry of clumps. In addition, this has a perfect consistency as it's not too thin or thick which I think is what makes this such a great volume-building mascara. The overall look is separated, lifted and lengthened lashes.
Longevity
This wore for nearly 12 hours straight without a flake or transfer in sight which was great!

Overall Thoughts
If you've watched my First Impression video above to go with this post then you'll know by now I'm totally in love with this mascara!! The price, packaging, consistency and the way this performs overall are just so right and this for me is one of those perfect all-rounder mascaras that I haven't put down since I tested it initially.

I have been subscribed to Tanya for years now and I remember her saying a few years back how she was in the midst of creating a mascara however it just wasn't quite right at the time, fast forward to now and you can tell that Tanya has put a lot of thought and effort into making this mascara just right. and I commend her for that.

So if you're a fan of a clump-free, lash building, lengthening mascara's then this may just be your new go-to mascara!

I award the Tanya Burr Selfie Lash Mascara a 4.9 out of 5

You can find the Selfie Story Collection at Feel Unique and selected Superdrug stores.


Before you go... 

Be sure to check out all my other Tanya Burr review here.
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