MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural

I had been umming and ahhing over this for literally the longest time, and shockingly (maybe) this is actually the first mac item I have purchased. I have long lusted after their amazing range of lipsticks, but I just don't wear lipstick often enough to justify spending nearly £15 on one. However, I did need a new face powder, and after reading numerous amazing reviews on this, I decided to bite the bullet and buy it, and god am I glad I did!

 

 

 



 

 

"A luxurious domed face powder with minerals, slowly baked to provide a dimensional yet natural-matte finish. Provides perfect low coverage. Use to set and fix foundation or as a touch-up throughout the day".

 

This powder is genuinely the best I have ever used. Yes, it's expensive, but it really is worth it. When you apply to your face it feels very silky and soft, and you can really tell it is good quality. The finish it gives is amazing, and it really does make your skin look flawless. It mattifies your skin without making it look dull.

 

The only negative about this is that it's not the most amazing powder for controlling oil, so if you have extremely oily skin I probably wouldn't recommend it, but if you have just slightly oily skin like me, or dry skin then this would be perfect for you.

 

I generally use this to set my foundation, but on the rare occasion I have worn it alone, it makes your skin look even and although it doesn't conceal much, it does make you look healthier and more awake.

 

I would recommend this if you're on the lookout for a new powder. It's really good quality and it makes your skin look almost flawless. I have found that no matter how much you apply, your skin will not look cakey, although you do only need the tiniest amount.

 

This is £21 and available from Debenhams and House of Fraser. 

 

Benefit Fine One One

Benefit is a brand I really like, and I was really looking forward to the release of this, their new product called "Fine One One". I didn't 'get' the name at first but now I realise it's actually a play on 'nine one one', so it's a rather cool name if you ask me!

 

 

 

 

 

 

For starters, I absolutely love the packaging of this. The rose gold theme is lovely, although it's sort of reflective so it attracts fingerprints like there's no tomorrow! Besides that though, the packaging is amazing, and I feel it makes the product look high-end and expensive (even though it is anyway!).

 

Benefit describe this as "a sheer, brightening cheek and lip colour to give your look instant lift, shape and pop". It contains a cream highlighter and blusher, which turn to a powder look once applied to the cheeks. You can also use this on you lips, but I haven't actually tried it that way.

 

This is really easy to apply - just sweep the 'stick' across your cheeks and then blend, either with your fingers or a brush. The swatch photo above looks rather scary, but I pressed hard just so you could see the colours. Obviously you only need to press very lightly on your cheeks.

 

The thing I love most about this is the fact that it's really versatile - you can make it look as subtle or as dramatic as you want. I imagined this would be really hard to apply but it's really straightforward!

 

This lasts all day on me, so there's no issues with longevity. Overall I really do think this is a really good product, and I think it'd suit most skin tones too.

 

This is £23.50 and available from Boots and the Benefit Website.

 

Weekly Wishlist #21

 



[1] MAC Fix +

[2] Cream Monochrome Belted Skater Dress

[3] Gold and Silver Stud Shark Tooth Spike Necklace

[4] Clean Leather Tote



Inspiration

Through a mixture of huge amounts of uni work, and deciding what I actually want to do with my life after I finish my degree, I have had a few moments in recent weeks where I've been feeling quite low, stressed out and anxious. However, I have found reading through some inspirational quotes and pictures on Pinterest/We Heart It has really helped to lift my mood, so I thought I would put them all into one little post so I can look back on them, and to share them with you guys!

 

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Rimmel Apocalips | Celestial

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few days, the chances are you will have heard of the new 'Apocalips' by Rimmel. Amazing name aside, these are basically a liquid lipstick (they're being labelled a 'lip lacquer' by Rimmel)  - the pigmentation of a lipstick with the high-shine finish of a gloss.

 

 

 

 

The packaging of these is quite space-age esque, something which I personally really like. I also really like the applicator which comes with this - it's a perfect size and the shape of it makes applying the product really easy.

 

I have the shade 'celestial', which is a sort of muted pinky-red kind of colour which will suit most skin tones. There are 8 shades altogether, and I will definitely be picking up some more shades after trying this one out!

 

This has a really creamy consistency which doesn't pull or drag on the lips, and makes it perfect for people like myself who suffer from dry lips. The high-shine finish doesn't last all that long - I'd say around an hour/hour and a half, but once the shine has faded you are left with a beautiful lip stain which lasts for around 6 hours.

 

I am a big fan of these so far, and will definitely be adding more shades to my makeup bag. The only negative I have found about this is the fact that it smells really odd. I can't quite put my finger on what it smells like, but it's something I'm just not personally a fan of. In saying that, the smell doesn't linger after you've applied this, so don't let it put you off!

 

These are available at Boots and Superdrug and are priced at £5.99 each.

Revlon ColourStay Foundation

I had been loving using Benefit's Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow foundation but lately I had noticed that my skin, which has always been quite dry, was becoming increasingly oily. The Benefit foundation just wasn't staying on my skin for that long anymore, so once I had finished the bottle, I began the hunt for a new foundation which would cater better for oilier skin.

 

I had heard lots of people mentioning this offering from Revlon - it actually comes in two formulas, one for oily/combination skin (which is the one I have) and one for dry skin. Obviously I cannot comment on the dry skin formula as I haven't tried it, so this review is based on the oily/combo formula.

 

 

 

(foundation blended into skin)

 

There are 9 shades in the range, but many of them appeared to be quite light, so if you have dark skin this may be an issue! However, this was just at a quick glance so don't hold me to that one.

 

One of the main gripes I have with this foundation is the lack of a pump! It makes applying the foundation messy, and considering the fact it's £12.49 and cheaper foundations come with a pump, it's rather annoying! However, I'll let them off seeing as I genuinely love this product.

 

This claims to be lightweight, wear for up to 16 hours, and contains an SPF of 6, which is perfect for everyday protection. It does stay put for a really long time - I can't comment on if the 16 hour claims are true as I never really wear foundation for that long, but I don't have to touch this up throughout the day like I had to with the Benefit foundation.

 

The consistency of the foundation itself is quite thick, and it does dry fairly quickly so you need to blend it into your skin rather fast! Despite this, I have never found it difficult to apply. The coverage is medium-heavy, and a little goes a very long way. I've found that if you apply too much it can look a little 'cakey', but once you've got an idea of how much you'll need, this shouldn't be an issue.

 

I absolutely love this. I love the fact it doesn't slide off my face, I love that it stays put all day without the need for touch ups, and I love how it covers all redness and blemishes. The only other grumble I have, apart from the pump issue, is the fact that it does smell fairly odd (kind of chemically) which put me off at first, but I haven't had any breakout issues so far.

 

I would recommend this to anyone who has oily skin. It's one of the only foundations I've tried which doesn't slide off your face at the first sign of oiliness.

 

This is £12.49 and available from Boots and Superdrug.

Weekly Wishlist #20



 

 



 [1] Black with Gold Trim Riding Boots [2] Cross Stitch Scarf [3] Navy Cable Knit Headband [4] Black Fur Trim Hood Twirl Parka