17 Blow Out Mascara

Hey everyone!

It seems ages since I've done a product review so I thought I would write one today :)

 

I was on the lookout for a new mascara after I ran out of my trusty Bourjois Volume Clubbing mascara which I have used for years. I still use that but I felt like I needed a change and so I went on the hunt for a new one. I tend to go for volumising mascaras rather than lengthening ones, as my eyelashes are quite long naturally and so I don't want to end up with mega long eyelashes as I am not personally a fan of that look!

 

After browsing through Boots, I finally decided to try 17's "Blow Out Mascara" as it was on offer at the time and it claims to deliver "12 times volume" which I thought sounded impressive.

 

 

I personally quite like the packaging - I think it's eye-catching but simple at the same time.

 

 

This picture makes the mascara look horrible but I hope it gives you an indication as to the style of the wand. I accidentally picked up 'brown/black' instead of just black because I'm silly and didn't read the label properly! The wand is quite chunky and full, and doesn't have plastic bristles - something which pleases me as I don't get on with plastic ones!

 

Sorry for the poor quality of the pictures here, they are taken with my iPhone and as I'm sure many of you are aware, the front-facing camera isn't the greatest!

 

Bare lashes.

 

Lashes with mascara.

 

I know the quality isn't that great, but hopefully you will be able to see the difference. With that being said, there isn't actually that much to see! The formula of this is quite wet, which means it takes ages to dry and is therefore prone to smudging. It also clumps quite easily if you're not extremely careful when applying it. As for adding volume to the lashes, in my opinion it just doesn't deliver. I actually think it makes lashes appear longer, but doesn't add a whole amount of volume, which is strange as this is what it claims to do!

 

Overall, I wouldn't repurchase this and probably wouldn't recommend it. I have already repurchased the Bourjois Volume one and I much prefer that one!

This is available from Boots for £6.29
 

Have any of you tried this? I'd love to know your thoughts if you have

xx

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

17 BB Cream

After umming and ahhing for a few weeks about whether or not to try out one of these BB creams which every blogger and his wife seems to have reviewed, I decided to bite the bullet yesterday in Boots, and opted for 17's version as it was reasonably priced and a few people had recommended it to me.

As you can see, the BB cream comes in a black box, which to me, made it look and feel more expensive than it is, which is a plus. The tube inside is your average plastic tube, but I personally like this as it's easy to get the product out, and easy to get the right amount of product out. This only comes in two shades, light and medium, so if you have dark skin, unfortunately this product is not for you! I chose 'light' since I'm quite pale and 'medium' I found quite orange.

"The weightless, all-in-one creamy formula blends seamlessly into skin, moisturising, concealing, smoothing and protecting". This is the claim that 17 make about the product. Does it deliver? Well I have only used this product two or three times and I have to say, I'm impressed. Although it doesn't give as much coverage as I am used to with foundation, it's sufficient enough if you happen to be having a good skin day. I love that it feels very light on the skin and doesn't actually look like you are wearing any make-up. If I was in the middle of a breakout, I would have to move back to Rimmel's Wake Me Up foundation, however, this is perfect for when you're feeling confident about your skin but don't fancy going out bare-faced. It also has an SPF of 25, which is an added bonus.

The texture is quite smooth, in fact it almost feels like you are applying moisturiser. It also claims to control oil, which I have to say was my one gripe about this product. I don't have very oily skin, in fact my face is quite dry, and this made me look a little shiny at first, but after about an hour it looked fine so I don't know if this is a common problem or just something I experienced?

Overall though, this is a perfect lightweight alternative to normal foundation, and probably a product I will be reaching for regularly during the day. At night if I'm going out, I will still porbably favour foundation as it gives a better coverage, but this is perfect for holidays or for everyday use.

RRP £6.99 from Boots.

xx

FOTD #1

I've been debating whether or not to do this for a few days now. Even though I love make-up and beauty, I am not the most confident person in the world, and I certainly don't photograph well! However, you'll just have to excuse the poor picture and my poor skin cause I'm having a slight 'mare at the min with my skin, I'm just at the end of a bad breakout (eek!).

This is pretty much my everyday look, nothing too special or interesting. I don't wear anything on my lips as I hate lipstick (shock horror!) and don't particularly like lip gloss. Occassionally I will have to resort to lip balm but that is rare.

(By the way, my pictures aren't very good because I'm having to rely on my iPhone, my camera broke!)

Base:

17 Photo Flawless Skin Primer

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation in 100 Ivory

MUA Pressed Powder in Shade 1

17 Instant Glow Shimmer Pearls

Eyes:

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Zero

Bourjois Volume Clubbing Mascara in Absolute Black

I've just realised how boring my make-up is haha! I tend not to bother with eye shadow or lipstick/lipgloss so it doesn't actually take me that long to do this. Maybe I should start being more creative! Anyone know where would be a good place to start?

All of my make-up is high street brands tbh, though I am saving up for some more high-end brands at the min, might take me a while though as I keep getting distracted by the 3 for 2 in Boots!

xx