Bourjois 10 Days Nail Enamel #26

Hello everyone,

I have been wanting to try a Bourjois nail polish for ages now, but have always been put off because they are near enough double the price of the Barry M ones I usually go for. However, Superdrug had a 3 for 2 offer on (I don't know if this is still on as I bought these over a week ago) and so I decided to take advantage of this and get 3 Bourjois polishes for the price of 2.

I bought 2 polishes from the "So Lacque Ultra Shine" range, which I think is a relatively old range now, and one from their new "10 Day Nail Enamel" range.

"Painting your nails is now hassle-free" is what Bourjois claim of the 10 Day Nail Enamel. There are 12 shades available in the range, and each one comes with an angled brush which is supposed to make application easier and also allow you to touch-up your nail polish if you get any chips. Now, even though this is called a "10 Day Nail Enamel", Bourjois don't actually claim that it lasts for 10 days with just one application. What they actually claim is that the polish will last 10 days "with touch-ups". This is where the angled brush comes in. The angled brush supposedly makes it easier to touch up your polish without getting those annoying chip marks that appear when you touch up with a regular nail polish brush.

The polishes also have a "pro-sillicum formula". Now I'm not actually sure what this is but I do know that it is supposed to act as a "protective barrier to protect nails from chipping, and make them up to 2x stronger".

The shade I got was number 26 'GUIMAUVE' (the shade name isn't actually on the bottle - I found it on the Boots website).

Number 26 is a pinky-purple colour which actually is quite unique. I don't own anything else that is similar to this colour which is what drew me to it in the first place.

The packaging is fairly normal for a nail polish - the only difference is that the lid is actually slightly curved which makes it easier to hold in my opinion. The angled brush was actually really awkward to use. It made it difficult to get an even line near the cuticles and I found it gave quite an uneven finish on the overall nail, but this was fixed with another coat. The formula of the polish is good, it's slightly thick but I think this may have something to do with the "pro-sillicum formula".

With flash

Without flash

I really like the colour of this polish, it's quite bright without being too 'in your face'. The images above are 2 coats of the polish.

When dry, this actually has quite an odd feel to it, it was almost rubbery, which I put down to the sillicum in the formula. The day that I applied this, I went to work, and when I had finished, there were no chips to be seen, and no noticeable tip wear, which is unusual as I normally have quite noticeable tipwear from rummaging around in a till all day. I normally change my nail colour quite often but I decided to leave this on and see if it lived up to the "10 days" claims. This wore for about 3 days before I felt I needed to touch it up, and when I did touch it up, the chip marks were almost fully covered, which was impressive. Obviously, they were visible if you got reallly close to them, but even from just a short distance away they looked fine. I carried on touching them up most days after this as I found that they chipped more easily after you had touched them up, and overall I think I had this colour on my nails for about 7 days, which I personally think is really good. I change my nail colour quite often anyway, so I don't find that I need long-lasting nail colour, but if you hate changing your nail colour, these would be perfect for you. The shade range is good as well, there is a wide range of colours so I'm sure everyone would be able to find a shade they would wear.

They also claim that the polish makes nails 2x stronger. I can't comment on this as I used Sally Hansen's Miracle Cure as a base coat which makes my nails stronger anyway.

Bourjois 10 Day Nail Enamel is available for £5.99 from Boots and Superdrug (they're not on the Superdrug website so I can't link them sorry!).

Has anyone tried this?

xx

Revlon Photoready Perfecting Primer

Hello everyone,

I have only recently started using a primer underneath my foundation - I never thought I needed one. But then I started reading beauty blogs and saw many reviews about primers and thought I would try one out. I used 17's Primer (review here) but when that ran out I thought I would try a different one. After reading a few reviews, I decided on Revlon's Photoready Primer.

Revlon describe the primer as "a lightweight primer which smooths and softens skin to create the perfect canvas. Reduces the appearance of pores and fine lines".

(Excuse the chipped nail polish and gross thumb haha!)

The packaging of this is lovely. It's a very sturdy glass bottle with a black pump and a clear plastic lid. The pump is really good quaility and makes it easy to dispense the right amount of product. You can use the primer alone or under foundation. With the hot weather we've been having in the UK recently, I have been wearing it alone and I can honestly say I can see a clear difference in my skin. visibly reduces pores, and even though it doesn't claim to even skin tone, I saw a difference in my skin - I normally have red patches on my cheeks, and this primer made my skin look even. I can't comment on the effect it has on fine lines since I am only 18 and don't have any yet!

Unblended

Blended

The texture of this is almost like a moisturiser, a white cream which blends into skin easily. However, it sinks into the skin almost immediately and doesn't leave your skin feeling or looking greasy. The pictures above don't really do the product justice as it does reduce pore size dramatically and makes the skin feel very soft.

This creates a really good base for your foundation too. As it smooths the skin, foundation looks almost flawless when applied over this. Also, I found that with this primer, my foundation still looked good at the end of the day, whereas normally my foundation does need to be touched up in the late afternoon.

I would really recommend this primer to anyone looking to try a new one. It is quite pricy for a 'drugstore' primer, I think, but it is worth it. The bottle is massive as well (27ml) and you only need 1-2 pumps for the whole face so it will last you for ages.

Revlon Photoready Perfecting Primer is available for £11.99 from Boots and Superdrug.

Have any of you tried this?

xx

ELF Cosmetics Professional Foundation Brush

Hello everyone,

Last week I posted about some ELF nail polishes that I had bought, and mentioned that I had also purchased a foundation brush from ELF, which is what I will be talking about today.

I will admit, I have never been a huge fan of make-up brushes. I always thought that I could apply foundation with my fingers and it would be fine. However, I saw many people saying that a foundation brush gives you a more flawless finish, and saw rave reviews about the Real Techniques 'buffing brush'. However, instead of splurging on those in case I decided I didn't like using a brush to apply foundation, I thought I'd buy one from ELF while I was making an order.

The brush itself is actually quite nice looking. The handle is a white colour with a slight shimmer to it, and as you can see, the bristles are yellow/orange with a silver bit in the middle (the name of this part escapes me haha). The bristles are really soft, and when you apply foundation, the foundation isn't absorbed by them so there is no wasted product.

It's actually really easy to create a flawless finish with the brush, which I wasn't expecting. The brush makes it easy to blend foundation into your skin and doesn't make you look cakey at all. The angled shape also means it's easy to cover awkward places like the nose and eyes.

To wash this, I used a mild shampoo and it came up as good as new, though I have heard some people cleaning theirs with baby shampoo so this will work too. I've washed it about 5/6 times now and it still looks and feels just as it did when I got it.

I really like this brush and would definately recommend it to anyone who is just starting to try make-up brushes. I don't know if it compares to the more high-end brushes like the Real Techniques that I mentioned before, but for now I'm happy with this one.

You can get this brush for £1.50/$1.00 here (in the UK) and here (in the US).

Has anyone tried any other ELF brushes?

xx

Things I've Been Using Lately

Hello everyone,

I've seen this floating around on a couple of lovely blogs recently, and seeing as I'm not in the mood to write a product review or anything like that, I thought this would be a good time to do this!

Face:

• Cleanser: Garnier Daily Essentials
• Toner: Garnier Daily Essentials
• Cream/Moisturiser: Simple Hydrating Moisturiser
• Sunscreen: None, I know it's bad but it's not sunny very often! (at least that's my excuse).
• Facial Mask: Lots of Montagne Jeunesse ones 
• Exfoliator: Inecto Coconut Exfoliator
• Face Makeup Remover: Tesco Make-up Remover Wipes
• Eye Makeup Remover: Tesco make-up Remover Wipes! (haha)

Body:

• Shower Gels/Soaps: I don't have a regular one, I change often aha.
• Body Lotions/Creams: Body Shop Body Butter (Mango)
• Body Exfoliator: Soap & Glory Flake Away 
• Hand Cream: A Nivea one, I don't have it to hand so I can't remember exactly which one
• Lip Balm or Lip Treatment: Either Carmex or Vaseline
• Perfume: Armarni Code 
• Deodorant: Mitchum

Hair:

• Shampoo: Andrew Barton 
• Mask: Andrew Barton
• Conditioner: Andrew Barton

 

Makeup:

• Primer: Revlon Photoready
• Foundation: Bourjois Healthy Mix
• Concealer: Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection
• Powder: MUA Pressed Powder
• Blush: VIVO Peaches and Cream
• Bronzer: No 7 Bronzing Pearls 
• Lipstick: Revlon Lip Butter in Peach Parfait
• Lipgloss: None I don't like lipgloss! 
• Eyeshadow: I'm not really a massive eyeshadow fan tbh.
• Eyeliner: Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on
• Eyeshadow Primer: None
• Eyelash Curler: None, my eyelashes are naturally quite curled
• Mascara: Bourjois Volume Clubbing

I tag anyone who wants to do this!

xx

Maybelline Coloursensational Popstick - 030 Pink Lollipop

Hello everyone!

I've been rather bad at posting regularly this past week, but I think I'm back into blogging this week and so today I have a 'Coloursensational Popstick' from Maybelline for you.

I actually saw an advert for these on the telly so I presume they are quite new, however I don't know for definate. I really liked the look of them so last time I was in Boots I picked up this one. There were 5 shades on offer in my Boots - Pink Lollipop, Pink Sugar, Cherry Pop, Citrus Slice and Crystal Pink. I swatched every colour on my hand and they showed virtualy no pigmentation, which looking back should have been a warning sign, but they just looked too cool to leave on the shelf, so I chose the brightest shade in the hope that this would be the most pigmented. They actually remind me of something I used to have as a child so I think that is what drew me to them.

The packaging of these is a lot like the Revlon Lip Butter packaging, except the lid is not quilted - the metal part looks exactly the same. Some people are going to think this is tacky and childish but I do quite like it and it seems very sturdy so you wouldn't have to worry about the lipstick getting damaged if you threw it into your bag.

Pink Lollipop is a bright, blue toned pink with blue/purple shimmer in the bullet. It is nearly see-through - it's a jelly like lipstick, but the colour is still really bright (if that makes sense!). To apply it feels just like a lipbalm, which I liked, but for me, this is where the positives end. The colour payoff is virtually nothing from this, and seeing as this is the brightest colour, I can't imagine the other shades being any better. Hence why I haven't included a swatch picture as there isn't much to see! They do smell AMAZING though, like sweets, haha! It does make your lips soft, but for £7.19 I do think it is very overpriced. It is essentially the same as a lip balm, which you can get a decent one for about £1.00. I think these are really just for the novelty value more than anything. They look funky, and if they were cheaper I would probably repurchase, but I think I'll stick to chapstick for now!

I hate doing negative reviews, but I don't want to put this on and be like "oh yeah this is awesome" when it really isn't. Coloursensational Popsticks are priced at £7.19 and are available from Boots.

Has anyone tried these? Had any better experiences?

xx

ELF Cosmetics Nail Polish

Hello everyone,

It feels like ages since I last wrote a post, even though it was only Tuesday. I suppose it's because I'm used to writing nearly everyday, but I've been super busy this week. I start a placement at a local primary school next week which I am so excited about, but also really nervous. I'm sure it will be fine though :)

I had been seeing lots of reviews about Eyes, Lips, Face (or ELF as they are more commonly known) and had a cheeky browse on their website one day last week. I was amazed by how cheap the stuff on there was. I ended up buying 3 nail polishes, a foundation brush and something called a 'zit zapper' which I'm really hoping works since I've been having a few breakouts recently :( This post is just going to be about the nail polishes though.

I'm always cautious about buying cosmetics online, as I want to see them in person before I buy them in case I don't like the colour etc. Seeing as though the nail polishes were only £1.50 each (!!!) I decided I had nothing to lose and bought them anyway.

The shades I chose were (L-R) Mango Madness, Pink Passion and Mod Mauve.

Mango Madness is an orange/coral coloured creme with no hint of shimmer, Pink Passion is a pink polish with gold shimmer, and Mod Mauve is a browny/mauve coloured creme again with no shimmer.

The above pictures show one coat of each polish.

One thing I will say is that ELF should really review some of the swatches on their website! The colours I got, Mod Mauve especially, look different to their online swatches. Luckily for me, I do like the ACTUAL colours so no harm done there.

 

I was actually really surprised at the quaity of these. They are very well pigmented, and extremely easy to work with. The consistency is a little on the runny side but this had no effect on the application. Mango Madness in particular definately only needed one coat, the other colours 2 coats would have been better. There is quite a lot of colours to choose from on the ELF website, I only got 3 because it was my first order and I wasn't sure if I was going to like them, but based on these I will definately be getting some more.

As I have only just swatched them I can't comment on how long they last, but to me, even if they only last a couple of days, they are still amazing quality for the price.

I ordered these on Monday, and chose standard delivery at the checkout. The website claims they will aim to dispatch all orders within 48 hours, but by Wednesday evening I had heard nothing. However, just as I remembered about the order, I recieved an email apologising for the delay, and estimating that my parcel would be sent out on Thursday. This was a nice touch as it meant I knew they had not forgotten about my order, they were simply rather busy. I recieved an email on Thursday evening saying my parcel had been dispatched and delivery would take 1-5 working days. And voila, my postman knocked on the door this morning (Friday) with my parcel! Yay!

I would recommend ELF to anyone, the quality is beyond amazing for the prices!

You can find ELF at www.eyeslipsface.co.uk (for the UK and Europe - though I think some countries have their own website, double check on ELF's site) and www.eyeslipsface.com (for the USA).

Have any of you tried ELF before?

xx

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation

Hello everyone,

Today I will be reviewing Bourjois 'Healthy Mix' Foundation. I have been using this foundation since I decided I wasn't the greatest fan of Rimmel's 'Wake Me Up' and was recommended this product by a few friends and also some fellow bloggers. Off I popped to Boots, and returned with this:

I have shade 51 'Light Vanilla'. I am slightly confused about the shade range for this. In Boots, there is only 3 shades available, but on the Bourjois UK website, there's quite a few? So I don't really know how available the majority of the shades are as there was only a choice of 3 in both Boots and Superdrug. If anyone knows anything about this then please let me know!

The foundation comes in a plastic bottle with a pump dispenser. I have had some issues with the pump dispenser in the fact that it won't pump any foundation out and when you press the dispenser the next time foundation will come out everywhere (and all over my bedroom carpet, oops) but I haven't seen anyone else mentioning this so I don't know if I just have a dud one.

This foundation contains something called 'fruit therapy', which is where it uses fruits to create a flawless complexion, hence the name 'Healthy Mix'. It contains apricot (for radiance), melon (for hydration), apple (anti-oxidant) and ginger (for energy). I would say that this foundation is very hydrating and does make your skin glow, but I will go onto that later.

Anyway onto the product claims - Bourjois claim that this foundation gives you a "flawless complexion for up to 16 hours". This I wouldn't agree with. Using this foundation by itself (no primer and no setting powder) lasts around 6 hours I would say. With a primer and a powder I do usually get through the day without touch-ups, but alone the foundation is not enough. I have normal/dry skin and it doesn't last that long on me so I don't know how long it would last on oily skin.

The consistency is quite runny, but I think this is partly to do with the fact it is marketed as a 'hydrating' foundation. As I mentioned before, I have quite normal skin with a few dry patches, and this just glides over the dry patches, whereas some foundations will cling to them, making them more obvious. This is what I really like about this product. I had read numerous reviews on this on many blogs and all of them said it would be good for dry skin, which is why I purchased it in the first place. Also, it actually smells lovely. You can smell the fruit scent in it, which masks the traditional 'make-up' scent. I am aware this may not be to everyones taste but personally I like it and think it smells much nicer than the traditional foundations.

The overall effect of 'healthy mix' is lovely. It does make your skin glow and it feels very light on the skin. The coverage is quite light so if you have any blemishes you will probably need a dab of concealer just to cover them up, though this to me is not a major issue.

Overall I really like the 'Healthy Mix Foundation'. I would definately recommend it to someone with normal to dry skin like myself, though maybe not for someone with oily skin. I will definately be repurchasing this as it is probably the best drugstore foundation I have tried. The lovely smell is a definate plus as well!

This is available for £9.99 from Boots and Superdrug.

Also in the Healthy Mix range are a concealer and another foundation with is called the 'Healthy Mix Serum' which is apparently a gel-like foundation and I have heard this is also very good but I haven't tried it personally and can't comment on it.

Has anyone else tried this? What did you think?

xx 

Wish List #5

Helloo everyone,

I seem to be suffering from a lack of inspiration today! I don't really know what to write about, and so I thought I'd do another wishlist, since there are so many nice things I have seen this week.

#1. HELIUM Yellow Strap Gladiators.

£30.00 from Topshop.

These are something that I never thought I would like but I have found myself being more experimental with colours recently. I love how summery and bright these are.

#2. Red Print Ecletic Four Pack Bangles.

£20.00 from River Island.

I am a big fan of bangles and the prints on these are gorgeous.

#3. Mango Contrast Maxi Skirt Dress.

£34.99 from ASOS.

I love the coral colour and find maxi skirts very flattering on me.

#4. NUBAR 2010 Nail Lacquer.

£7.20 from feelunique.

This is the prettiest top coat ever. That is le facto.

#5. Luisa Peace Sign Acid Wash Vest Top.

£9.99 from missguided.

I love the design on this and the colours are super pretty.

Revlon Lip Butter in 025 Peach Parfait

Hello everyone,

Recently I have been on a mission to find lip products that suit me, as I have never been a massive fan of them. I have tried a number of lipsticks and haven't been too impressed by them - I like the colours but I was finding the formula of a lipstick too drying for my lips. With this in mind, I was recommended Revlon's new Lip Butters, which are described by Revlon as a "buttery balm with beautiful shiny colour to give you baby soft, healthy glowing lips". This sounded perfect for me as I wanted something a little more hydrating than a lipstick without the stickiness of a gloss.

The Lip Butters come in around 14 shades in the UK (there are 20 shades in the US) and there is quite a wide range of colours:

-Berry Smoothie

-Candy Apple

-Cotton Candy

-Creme Brulee

-Cupcake

-Lollipop

-Macaroon

-Peach Parfait

-Pink Truffle

-Raspberry Pie

-Strawberry Shortcake

-Sugar Frosting

-Sweet Tart

-Tuttu Frutti

I finally decided on Peach Parfait:

As you can see, the Lip Butters are nicely packaged. The quilted lid makes it look quite high-end, and each shade has a different coloured lid, which makes them easily recognisable. Peach Parfait is a peachy almost pink colour with a hint of gold shimmer. It is quite sheer with one coat but it is easily buildable. The application was really good, it definately hydrates my lips as well as giving them some colour. As you may have read on some other reviews, these melt very easily! This is actually my second Peach Parfait because I left the first one too close to the boyfriends xbox which gets very hot and it melted :( Because of this I wouldn't recommend taking these on holiday unless you are very careful about where you store it. They also last quite a long time too, which I wasn't expecting. I tend to get about 4 hour wear from them, depending on how often you eat/drink etc.

Apologies for the smaller last picture, it was taken with my iPhone. The colour is really pretty and it has become my favourite lip product ever (however this is not hard :P). This shade is really wearable, you can wear it for a night out as well as for work. The shimmer in it makes it really pretty as when the light catches it you can see it glow :)

I absolutely love this. I will definately be purchasing more shades soon :) I personally think that the price tag is completely justified but I have seen some people thinking that they are overpriced so again this comes down to personal opinions.

This is available for £7.99 from Boots and Superdrug (though they don't seem to have the full range on their website).

Have you tried these? What's your favourite shade?

xx

Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover

(Totally didn't realise until after that I'd taken a picture of the French side!! Sorry).



Hello everyone!

Most of you will have heard of this - there has been a lot of blog posts floating around about this and as I paint my nails quite often and hate the removal stage, I thought I'd try it out. I actually had a similar thing which I picked up in a Home & Bargains but the sponge was white and obviously, it got dirty very quickly!

This is Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover. It is essentially a sponge with a hole cut out placed inside a container. It claims to remove nail polish in 1 second, without the need for cotton wool, and claims to have a scent of "Red Fruit and Vanilla". Now, I sniffed it when I opened the tub and it smells very strongly, exactly like normal nail polish remover. Needless to say, I was quite disappointed UNTIL I removed my nail polish, and my fingers smelt amazing afterwards! As soon as you take your finger out of the tub, you smell this amazing scent which lingers on your skin for quite a while after too. Obviously this is not going to be everybody's cup of tea but I like it.

Also, it's worth mentioning that the formula is acetone free and paraben free, meaning it's safe to use on natural nails as well as gel nails and acrylic nails, and doesn't contain paraben which can be harmful to you. Always a good thing :)

This is my finger before removal (obviously). Excuse the poorly painted finger, I painted it simply to test this out, I'm actually sporting naked nails this week to give them a break from polish :P.

This is the after I had twisted my finger round in the pot. When I simply put my finger into the spomge and took it out again, the polish was still there. However, I put my finger back in and twisted it round and removed and this is what I ended up with. There are still some traces of nail polish around my cuticles but this was removed with one more twist.

I found that this actually left a greasy residue on my fingers after I had used it :S I don't know if anyone else has experienced this? So I had to use some cotton wool to remove this, hence the claim of "removal without the need for cotton wool" was inaccurate for me. Also, if I am being 100% honest, it doesn't take 1 second to remove all of the polish. Granted, it doesn't take ages, but I dislike it when brands make claims that are not true.

Overall, I did quite like this. It is a fuss-free method of removal and the only thing I didn't like was the greasiness I mentioned, which is not a massive issue. I probably would repurchase it as I think it is a fair price, considering you are in effect paying for polish remover, and however many cotton wool pads you would normally use. The concept is actually really good, but like I have mentioned, not unheard of.

This is available for £4.99 from Boots and Superdrug (though I can't find it on their website to link). However, it's sold out in quite a lot of places now - my Boots didn't have any and I grabbed the last one from Superdrug so availability may be an issue while everyone wants to try this.

Have any of you tried this? What did you think?

xx



UPDATE - After using this for a couple of weeks I should probably update this post with a few things.
1) I wouldn't recommend this for the removal of glitter nail polishes, especially chunky glitters (e.g. model's own Ibiza Mix) because after removing them, you WILL get your fingers covered in glitter everytime you use the product again. The glitter comes off easily if you just rinse your hands afterwards, but it's still quite annoying. Looking back this seems quite obvious tbh, but just thought I'd put that out there.
2) If you have any small cuts etc on your fingers, you may find that this does make them sting. Again an obvious point but what I do is use this for the removal of my polish, but any fingers that may have a cut on them, I use a cotton bud dipped into regular nail polish remover.

Hope this helps  :) x

Montagne Jeunesse Peel Off Passion Face Mask

Hello everyone!

I was browsing in Boots the other day when I spotted a stand of Montagne Jeunesse face masks. I am familiar with these and have used a few in the past and have always been impressed with the results. I spotted this 'Passion Peel Off' one, and knew I had to have it. I am a big fan of peel off face masks, there's just something fun about them :)

Apologies for the fact the pictures are taken on top of this months Glamour magazine, haha, they were spontaneous pictures! The packaging of these I actually think is quite outdated, but it makes them recognisable to people which is a good thing. They are simply a sachet with a rip off top, which is simple and mess-free. The instructions are also fool-proof - cleanse, apply, relax and peel. From the image on the front of the packet, I was expecting a bright purple colour, but instead, I got this:

It is a red gel type consistency which I was quite surprised about, but it was surprisingly easy to apply and was not at all sticky. There is not a picture of it on my face because it made me look like I was badly sunburnt! It smells absolutely gorgeous - some face masks smell nothing like they are supposed to but this one actually did smell like pomegranate and raspberry. Anyway, this product claims to deep-clean pores, and actually it really does live up to this claim. I applied this last night and today my skin is extremely smooth and my pores do actually look less noticable and free from any dirt.

The peeling off was another story altogether, although I don't think I left mine on long enough for it to dry fully. It didn't come off in one piece, it came off in lots of tiny pieces, but I will forgive this since my skin feels amazing today! If I had left it to dry fully I don't think I would have had an issue so I can't blame the product really. Also, word of warning, put this nowhere near your eyebrows as I did by accident and it stung so much trying to peel it off haha! In case you were wondering, this is what it looked like after I had peeled it off (quite a gross unneccesary picture but oh well ;))



Overall I really like this. I have had nothing but good experiences with Montagne Jeunesse face masks, and will definately be buying some more. I really recommend the Strawberry Souffle, for an even complexion, the White Chocolate for a deep cleanse (this also smells amazing, and you WILL want to eat it) and the Blemish Mud to help any blemishes you may have.

The Passion Peel Off Mask is available from Boots (£1.00), the Montagne Jeunesse Website (£1.09) and Superdrug (£1.01).

Has anyone tried this?

xx

PS. this was not a sponsored post, all thought are my own.

17 Photo Flawless Skin Primer

Hello everyone!

I never used to think I needed a primer, but since I have begun using one, I can not apply foundation without it. A good primer gives a soft, smooth base for your foundation and makes it look better on the skin. Here is 17's version of a skin primer:

This claims to 'prolong foundation wear' and 'minimize pores'. I can't say I've seen my pores reduce dramatically, but then again I do not have very large pores, so someone else may see a vast difference. It does however prolong the longevity of my foundation, and creates a lovely smooth base for me to apply it on to.



As you can see, it is a clear gel-like liquid, which absorbs straight into the skin. You can not see much difference in the size of my pores in the pictures, but to me, I don't need that on my face. It does however, make my skin feel almost velvety, and my foundation looks a lot better applied over this.

In terms of living up to the claims - if you need a primer that will minimize your pores, then like I have said, this is not for you. It does prolong foundation wear, with this my foundation lasts me all day, whereas without it I find myself needing to touch-up. I wouldn't say this is the best primer I have ever used, but it is not the worst. I originally bought it because it was quite cheap, but you only get a relatively small tube, which is the downside. Also, because of the design of the tube, it does get quite a lot of air in it, which causes the primer to fly out of the nozzle at times, hence losing some product. The lid is weighted though, which means it is easy to stand up on a dressing table.

Overall, I don't think I would repurchase this. It's good to act as a base and it's good for prolonging foundation wear, but the badly designed tube puts me off, and overall I prefer Revlon's primer (the name of that escapes me at the minute!) and so I will probably buy that one. I do want to try the "POREfessional" from Benefit, but I can't justify spending £21.00 on something which I don't know I will like - I may have to look out for a sample somwhere. For the money, I think 17's version is quite good, but I would prefer to have one which lived up to it's claims. If you had bought this looking for minimized pores, you would have been disappointed.

RRP £4.99 from Boots.

Has anyone tried this? Which primers do you recommend?

xx

Wish List #4

Hello everyone,

Today I have another wish list for you - these are just some of the things I have been lusting after this week.

#1. Paul Frank Ice Cream Lip Tin

This tin is ridiculously cute!

£3.00 from Topshop.

#2. F&F Heart Print Bikini

Top £7.00 from Tesco

Bottoms £5.00 from Tesco.

#3. Messenger Bag

£29.99 from Zara.

#4. Nail Polish in Green Room

£5.00 from Topshop.

#5. Scallop Edge Pearl Collar

£20.00 from ASOS.

(Pictures are not mine and all are sourced from the relevant links)

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