L'Oreal Studio Secrets Smoothing Resurfacing Primer

Having oily skin, it is a constant battle to find make-up that will stay in place all day. I already use a pretty heavy duty foundation (Revlon colourstay), but wanted to find a primer that would really help lock my make-up in place all day. I actually bought this one on a complete whim as L'Oreal was 3 for 2 in Boots so I thought I'd try one of their primers, but I'm so glad I picked this up!

 

 

The packaging isn't the most eye-catching, and the round pot makes it slightly awkward to get the product out with your fingers when you're running low, but honestly that is the only bad thing I can say about this product.

 

It has quite an odd consistency to it - it's thick but also easily blendable. It is white in colour,  but sinks into the skin without leaving any white residue on the face. You only need a tiny amount, so a pot of this will last an absolute age.

 

I have been using this for around 2 months now, and I can honestly say it is probably the best primer I have tried. I am a big fan of Benefit's "The POREfessional" but after trying this, I think I have a new favourite. It creates an amazingly smooth base for make-up application, and I have definitely noticed that my make-up looks better for longer when I apply this than when I don't - I would say I probably get another couple of hours out of my make-up when this is applied.

 

I would definitely recommend this - it's not cheap but in my opinion it's worth every penny! This is available from Boots and Superdrug and is priced at £14.29



L'Oreal True Match Foundation Review

I have been using revlon's colourstay foundation for a while, and decided that I fancied a change. The revlon foundation is quite a heavy coverage, so I wanted something a little lighter now that the nights are getting lighter and summer might finally be on it's way (I know it's still practically snowing, but here's hoping!).

 

I was browsing in Boots a few weeks ago, deciding which foundation I wanted to try, when this one caught my eye. I have to say, I was drawn to it mainly because the shade range is really quite broad for a drugstore foundation! There's roughly 20-22 shades, which is almost three times what some drugstore brands have available! From what I remember, the shades went from really light, to really dark so hopefully, everyone should be able to find a match for them! They have also categorised the shades into three - warm, cool and neutral shades. This is again something you don't often get with cheaper brands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The packaging of this is lovely. It's a glass bottle, which feels really sturdy so I'd definitely feel safe chucking it in my make-up bag. The chrome pump gets grubby really, really easily, but I love the fact it actually has a pump, as the revlon one I'd been using doesn't!

 

I have the shade N1 Ivory, which is I think the lightest neutral toned one they have. I am quite pale, and I found this was a really good match for my skin tone.

 

The consistency is really nice too - it's not too thick so it glides onto your skin easily. I tend to apply my foundation with the real techniques stippling brush, but I also tried to apply this with my fingers and it applied just as easily.

 

I would say this was a medium coverage foundation. It does cover most imperfections, but if you suffer with redness (like I do) then you'll need to just touch the problem areas up with some concealer.

 

The one negative I have about this product is the staying power. The revlon colourstay is literally the longest-lasting foundation I've ever used, so this had a lot to live up to. Unfortunately, this lasted toughly 5/6 hours (with primer and setting powder), until I felt I needed to touch up.

 

I should point out here that my skin can get quite oily, so if you had normal/dry skin then this probably wouldn't be so much of an issue. However, on me, it looked as though it had melted off my face in only 5 hours. I prefer not to touch up my make-up throughout the day if I can help it, so this really put me off the product unfortunately!

 

I so wanted to love this, and if it had stayed on longer, I'd be singing it's praises. It's genuinely a good foundation, but definitely not suitable for oily skin. If you have normal or dry skin, then this could work for you as it doesn't cling to dry patches etc, but if you have oily skin like me, I'd say choose a foundation which is more suited to your skin type!

 

This is £10.29 and available from Boots and Superdrug.



L'Oreal Lumi Magique Concealer/Highlighter Pen

I've never been one with much of a problem with dark circles under my eyes, but a combination of too much uni work and a lack of sleep saw me developing some nasty ones over the past couple of weeks! I began looking for an under eye concealer/highlighter, as the concealer I use (collection lasting perfection) isn't really suitable for the under-eye area as I just find that it's too thick and difficult to blend on the delicate skin around the eyes. So, step forward this - L'Oreal's answer to the infamous YSL Touche Eclat:

 

 

 

 

 

 

"L'Oréal Paris's essential accessory for a luminous look. Apply light touches around the eyes to help brighten the appearance of your eyes, helping to diminish the look of dark circles."

 

The packaging is really lovely - I am a big fan of rose gold and my only complaint would be that it is extremely prone to fingerprints but I guess that's to be expected! The brush applicator is also really good quality, although personally I am not a fan of the twist up to get the product to come out, is it just me who gets the product absolutely everywhere when you first use it?!

 

I have been using this for a couple of weeks now, and I have nothing but good things to say! I have found it works absolute wonders when it comes to making me look more awake and concealing dark circles under my eyes.

 

It has a subtle shimmer running through it, which really helps to brighten the entire eye area. I am not usually a fan of shimmery products but in this case, I do feel the shimmer is what makes it such a good product! It's also really easy to blend without dragging the skin, which is a major plus point for me.

 

There are 3 shades in the range - light, medium and dark. I have the shade light, which is a perfect match for me (I am very pale!), but I seem to remember that even the dark shade wasn't too dark so if you have a dark skin tone you may struggle to find a match!

 



I would 100% recommend this to anyone who feels they need to conceal dark circles under their eyes. It genuinely makes me look like I've had a good 8 hour sleep - even if nothing could be further from the truth!

 

This is £8.49 and available from Boots and Superdrug. 

L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipstick in Tempting Lilac

I am not a massive fan of lipsticks - I love how they look on other people, but I always seem to dislike how they look on me. If I do wear a lip product, it will be a nude or subtle colour rather than a bright, bold lip.

 

I have a few of the Revlon Lip Butters, and I always find myself reaching for them. I had heard a lot of comparisons between the Lip Butters and this offering from L'Oreal, and so I decided to purchase one of them, in the shade 'Tempting Lilac'.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"A flutter of kissably soft, lightweight feeling colour. It's delicate texture glides onto lips creating a veil of colour with a luminous shine".

 

This is essentially a product which claims to have the pigmentation of a lipstick, but with the moisturising properties of a lipbalm. Whilst it's not quite as pigmented as you'd expect from a standard lipstick, it does have a relatively good amount of colour payoff. Personally I like this as I am not a bold lip lover, but I would say it's pretty buildable should you wish.

 

Despite the name "Tempting Lilac", to me, this isn't really a lilac at all. It's more of a mauve colour, but personally I love it. It's a very neutral colour and I think it would suit most skin tones.

 

These are extremely similar in consistency to the Revlon Lip Butters - they are really hydrating and leave a lovely sheen on your lips. I would say these are even more moisturising than the Revlon ones though!

 

The glossiness lasts around an hour on me, but the colour stays on fairly well - I'd say it lasts around 4 hours before I feel the need to touch up. It also wears off evenly so it won't look ridiculous if you forget to take it out with you for touch ups!

 

These are available in 10 different colours, and I will definitely be picking up some more! I do think they're a little on the pricey side, but they're definitely worth it!

 

These are £8.19 and available from Boots and Superdrug.