My Top 5 Foundations

Hi Everyone!
One of my friends recently asked me for my advice on which foundation she should try as she wasn't happy with her current one which prompted me to think about writing this post. There are so many foundations on the market, greatly varying in price, which claim to do amazing things for your skin. If, like me, you are willing to pay a slightly higher price if you are guaranteed quality then it's tough to know which ones to spend your money on. I have tried a lot of foundations over the years and had both good and bad experiences, here is my pick of the best.
NB: For a rough guide on the colours options - I am a MAC NW20.

Makeup Forever HD: (My shade: 118)
This foundation, as I am sure that many of you will know, has a massive online following and has a lot of hype surrounding it. As I mentioned on my full review of the foundation, this is such a light-weight foundation and doesn't feel in any way cakey which is great. It applies and blends so well and looks so natural. I am hoping to try out the MUFE Mat Velvet + Foundation soon to see how that performs on my oily skin so stay tuned for that review!
Please click here for my full review of this foundation. I purchased my bottle for £28.95 from Guru Makeup Emporium

L'Oreal True Match: (My shade: C3 Rose Beige)
I am a big fan of L'Oreal products and especially their foundations and mascaras. I have tried most of their foundations and have found this one to be the best. The consistency is a little runny but isn't too bad, I tend to wear this as my every day foundation and apply it quickly just using my fingers. This foundation blends into your skin really well and gives you quite a natural look, my mum really loves it too!
You can purchase it from Boots for £9.99 but look out for special offers!

Revlon Photo Ready: (My shade: 004 Nude)
This is my second favourite drugstore foundation after the L'Oreal True Match. It has a slighter fuller coverage and the consistency is slightly thicker. I do not think that this blends out quite as well as True Match but it is a great alternative to it. I prefer to use a foundation brush to apply this one.
This foundation costs £12.99 and can be purchased from Boots.

Smashbox High Definition: (My shade: Light L3)
I really like Smashbox face products and especially their primer's and Halo powder so I was easily talked into trying out their HD foundation. If I was to compare it to the MUFE foundation above I would say that this has a fuller coverage but takes a little longer to blend into the skin than the MUFE does. If I was asked which of the 2 I would choose for use in photographs I would probably say this one as it covers your skin much better. This is a great foundation for those of you with blemish prone skin in my opinion.
N.B The bottle shown in the picture is  travel sized.
The full price for this foundation is £28.50 and you can get it at Debenhams

Benefit You Rebel Tinted Moisuriser:
This final foundation is a tinted moisturiser which is great for summer days or for when you only want a little bit of coverage, I have a friend with a skin condition who swears by tinted moistusturiser as she can not wear foundations. This product is quite dark in colour but is OK for a fair skin, it also contains SPF 15 to protect your skin. The only thing that I do not like about it is the smell which does die down after a few minutes.

I purchased this for £23.50 from Debenhams

I hope that you have enjoyed this post and have found it useful. Please feel free to comment below with any foundation recommendations that you may have!
Maz x

Smashbox Brow Tech To Go - Review & Swatch

Waterproof Brow Pencil

Hi Everyone!

I recently purchased the Smashbox Brow Tech to Go in the colour Taupe which is described as a portable version of their popular Brow Tech. The product consists of a waterproof pencil at one end and a gel with a brush applicator at the other which contains vitamins C and E plus Jojoba.

 

Gel with brush applicator

To apply the product I began by brushing my eyebrows using a spoole brush. I then twisted the pencil side of the product upwards and penciled in my brows using short, soft stokes. The pencil is quite creamy and applies well. The colour Taupe is also ideal for my brows as I have a fair skin tone and medium-dark brown hair. I then brushed some of the gel through my brows to keep them in place throughout the day. 

Swatch shown on NW20 skin-

Overall I felt that the product was really easy to use and I like its compact size. Despite being a pencil I didn't feel like it produced any harsh lines resulting in unnatural looking brows, it is also much quicker to use than a powder and an angled brush. I also really liked that you have the gel at the other end which saves time looking for another product. Another great advantage to the product is that the pencil is a twist up pencil so there is no need to sharpen it, it is also angled really nicely to make application easier. I would give this product 4 stars out of 5.

I purchased my Brow Tech from Debenhams for £22.50 and you can also purchase it from Amazon here: Smashbox Brow Tech To Go Taupe

Maz x

Anti Shine Primers - Makeup Forever, Smashbox & No 7

Hi Everyone!

I, like many of you I'm sure, suffer from shiny areas on my face which I hate. I know that powders and blotting papers can help to reduce the appearance of these shiny areas but I would prefer to prevent them from happening so I looked on the market for products that could do this. I found 3 that I purchased and have tried each of them out quite a few times over the course of 6 months to see how they each perform. I bought the Makeup Forever Matifying Gel Stop Shining +, the Smashbox Anti Shine and the No7 Shine Free Make-up Base. Here's how the 3 of them appear on your skin before blending them in:

(L to R) Makeup Forever, Smashbox, No 7

Makeup Forever Stop Shining +: This is a gel product which has a narrow tip on the end of the packaging which allows you to squeeze out the exact amount that you need and reduces waste. You can apply this product before or after your foundation, I like to apply it before. The gel blends easily into your skin and is invisible under your makeup. I found that it definitely reduces the oiliness of your skin but does leave some shine. Overall 8/10

Smashbox Anti Shine: Similarly to the Makeup Forever product, you can wear this under or over your makeup but I always wear it underneath. This is a gel to powder product that claims to control oil leaving your skin matte. Firstly, I do not like the way that this product applies to the skin, I used the suggested patting motion but find that it balls up rather than disappears into the skin however it does do a good job of controlling the oil but is visible under your makeup. Overall 5/10

No 7 Shine Free Makeup Base: This is the cheapest of the 3 products that I have tested and is the most easily available across the UK. The product claims to help minimise your blemishes and blot away shine. I did not feel when wearing it that it minimised my blemishes but it did reduce the oiliness of my skin slightly compared to when I was not wearing it. Overall 3/10

So to conclude, my favourite product of the 3 that I have put to the test has to be the Makeup Forever Stop Shining + as it reduced the shine on my skin the most and was not visible underneath my foundation, it did not appear cakey like the Smashbox product and did a much better job and controlling the oil than the No 7 product. The MUFE product cost £14.50 which I don't think is too expensive for the amount of product that you get and the tiny amount that you need. I have found that if I apply the MUFE gel to my oily areas (T-zone, tip of nose and chin) and use the odd blotting paper I stay shine free all day!

You can purchase the Makeup Forever Stop Shinning + from Guru Makeup Emporium for £14.50.

You can purchase the Smashbox Anti Shine from Debehams for £21.50 and also from Amazon here: Smashbox Anti-Shine Powder-Gel, Neutral 1 ea

You can purchase the No 7 Shine Free Makeup Base from Boots for £11.

Maz x

Face Make-up Routine Using High-end Products

Hi Everyone!

I recently blogged about my every day face make up routine using drugstore/ low end products so I though that it'd be fun to share my more high end face routine with you all that I wear for nights out or when going shopping or out for a meal so let's get started!

My favourite face primer at the moment is the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer in Light. It feels so light and silky on your skin and helps to control shine throughout the day. I apply this all over my face using my fingers and it really helps with your foundation application. I purchased my primer from Debenhams for £29. You can also get it from Amazon here: Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Light 1 fl oz (30 ml)

I started using the Makeup Forever HD Foundation last month and I have never looked back! It is absolutely amazing! I like to apply it using the Beauty Blender Sponge. Please click here to read my review of this foundation. I ordered my foundation from Guru Makeup Emporium for £28.95. You can also get it from Amazon here: MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Invisible Cover Foundation 118 Flesh

I have used under eye concealers for many years but I discovered Bobbi Brown's Creamy Corrector around 12 months ago and I love it! I apply around my eyes using my fingers and then blend it in, I then apply my concealer over the top of it. I was amazed at how much better your eyes look for the addition of a corrector. I bought my corrector from John Lewis for £17. You can get it from Amazon here: Bobbi brown Corrector ~ Peach

I have been really getting in to Smashbox products recently and I love their High Definition Concealer. I pat a small amount of this under my eyes and then blend it in using my fingers. It does a great job of reducing the appearance of under eye lines and darkness. I purchased my concealer from Debenhams for £20 and you can get it from Amazon here: Smashbox High Definition Liquid Concealer, Light .27 fl oz (8 ml)

To cover up any blemishes or redness on my face I like to use MAC'S Studio Finish Concealer. I usually apply this using a concealer brush. This product is quite thick and paste like which is great for hiding breakouts. You can get this from MAC for £13.50 or from Amazon here: MAC Studio Finish Concealer SPF 35 NW20.

I recently discovered the Smashbox Halo Hydrating Perfecting Powder and I love it! This powder not only sets your make up but it also reduces your fine lines and wrinkles. It is very expensive but you do get a lot of product and you only use a small amount for each application. I use my MAC 150 brush to apply this, first I pick up some of the loose powder and press it onto the different areas of my face and then I blend it in. I got my Halo powder from Debenhams for £47. You can also get it from Amazon here: Smashbox HALO HYDRATING PERFECTING POWDER, Light .75 oz (21 g)

I have tried so many bronzers over the years and none have come close to the NARS Laguna bronzer, it is now the only one that I use. It is perfect for my skin tone and really warms up my complexion without making it obvious that I have bronzer on. I use my Sigma F brush to apply a light dusting all over my face and neck. I purchased my bronzer from Selfridges for £24 and you can also get it from Amazon here: NARS Bronzing Powder Laguna.

My favourite brow product at the moment is the Smashbox Brow Tech to Go. I use the pencil end to fill in my brows and then set them using the gel at the other end of the pencil. I especially love the slanted tip that the pencil has which makes application quicker and easier. I purchased my pencil at Debenhams for £22.50 and you can also get it from Amazon here: Smashbox Brow Tech To Go Brunette

To highlight my cheekbones I use MAC's Cream Colour Base in Pearl the post and often pat some of their loose powder in Silver Dusk over the top of it. This powder is stunning and gives an amazing effect, the cream colour base helps the powder adhere to the skin. To contour my cheekbones I use MAC's Harmony Blush. You can purchase all 3 of these products from MAC.  

I have a large selection of blushes in my collection but my favourite at the moment is the NARS Orgasm blush. It is is a gorgeous coral-pink colour with a hint of gold shimmer. I usually apply it using my MAC 129 brush. I bought my blush from HQ Hair for £20.50 and you can also get it from Amazon here: NARS Orgasm Blush

 I hope that you have enjoyed reading about my high end face makeup routine. Click to here read about my face makeup routine using drugstore products.

Maz x

Smashbox Limitless Lip Stain & Color Seal Balm

Lip Stain

Hi Everyone!

This is the Smashbox Limitless Lip Stain and Colour Seal Balm in Guava which is a bright coral-red colour. This is the first lip product that I have purchased from Smashbox and also the first lip stain that I have tried. This product if a marker pen style lip stain at one end and a balm at the other. First you apply the lip stain to clean lips by outlining your lips and then filling them in (there is no need to use a regular lip liner with this product). You then apply the balm over the top of this when it has fully dried to to make your lips feel smoother and to refresh the colour throughout the day. The one thing that has put me off from buying lip stains before is that I feared that they would cause my lips to dry out.

Lip Balm

I was really attracted to this colour as I love red red lipsticks but hate how they can feather quite badly and end up on you teeth! I applied Guava Lip Stain mid afternoon to go shopping and out for dinner with my friends. The colour is really bright and eye catching and certainly got a few comments! I did find that my lips felt very dry through the day so I applied the balm quite a few times but I never had to worry about the colour bleeding or getting onto my teeth (does anyone remember Mrs Doyle from Father Ted? Not a good look!) which is a massive advantage. I did not re-apply the stain at all during the day and ate a meal, when I arrived home around 60% of the colour was still in place, only the inner parts of my lips had worn off. This is great compared to a regular lipstick but does not quite live up to Smashbox's 8 hours of full coverage claim.

Swatches shown on NW 20 skin-

(L to R) Lip Stain, Lip Balm, Lip Balm layered over the Lip Stain

I feel that this product has some pretty major pros and cons! A major pro to it is that it is a great way to wear a bright shade without having to worry about it budging which is great. It also eliminates the need to use a separate lip liner. The disadvantages to this product is that it does make your lips feel dry despite the balm and is fairly difficult to remove fully at the end of the day. The product is priced at £21.50 in the UK which I feel is very expensive and, in my opinion, not worth the money which is why I won't be re-purchasing. Overall I would give the product 2 and a half stars out of 5.

I purchased my lip stain from Debenhams for £21.50 and you can also get it from Amazon here: Smashbox Limitless Lip Stain & Color Seal Balm Petal

Maz x

Smashbox, MAC, Illamasqua, Sleek & Jose Eber Haul

Hi Everyone!

I went shopping at the Trafford Centre in Manchester with my best friend yesterday and I wanted to share the things that I bought with you all!

Firstly I picked up the Original iDivine palette from Sleek Makeup. I have heard so much buzz around this brand online recently so I really wanted to check it out. This one and the 'Bad Girl' palette appealed to me the most and I am amazed at the colour choice and pigmentation over the range of eye shadows that the brand has to offer. The palette was from Superdrug and cost £6.50 which is an amazing price for 12 eye shadows. I will do a full review and swatches post for this palette soon!

I then went to the Smashbox counter and purchased this Complexion Perfection Kit in Light for £45. I have heard so much about Smashbox and have seen their studios featured on the Hills and I really wanted to try out a few products so this kit seemed perfect. It comes with the High Definition Foundation in light L3 in a travel size, the High Definition Concealer in Light, also in a travel size, you also get a mini Photo Finish Foundation Primer and a portable size Halo to Go Hydrating Perfecting Powder in Light. You basically have everything you need for a light, medium or full coverage face! This kit is quite expensive but you do get quite a decent amount of product and I suppose it is cheaper to buy the 4 products like this to begin with before buying the items in full size which would be much more expensive.

Next I went over to the Illamasqua counter and I fell in love with Underground Lipstick from the new Magenta Muse collection for 2011 which was £15.50. Illamasqua describe this lipstick as an 'Irridescent blueberry violet with a shimmer finish'. This lipstick reminds me of one of my favourite pigments from MAC called Pink Pearl. It is a beautiful rich pink colour with a purple/ violet duochrome. It isn't quite as scary as it looks in the tube! It applies quite sheer and you can build it up to your desired finish, the Illamasqua artist layered it over a bright fuchsia lip liner which made it look even more amazing! I tried it over MAC's Magenta Lip Pencil to get the same effect (shown below). I also picked up their Cream Blusher in Rude for £16.50. I have been after a coral cream blush for ages now and I really like this one. It is described as a 'Warm peach pink with a dewy finish'. It looks much brighter and more orange in the pan than it applies on the skin. It has quite a sheer application which is great as it makes it easier to build up and blend out. Here are the swatches of the 2 products shown on NW20 skin.

(L to R) Underground Lipstick, Rude Cream Blusher, Underground Lipstick over MAC Magenta Lip Pencil

No shopping trip would be complete for me without a visit to the MAC counter! Yesterday I picked up one of their new Mineralize Eye Shadows in Quartz Fusion from the new Semi Precious Collection which was £16. This is a beautiful glittery pink eye shadow that MAC describes as a 'Soft Pink, Silver, Deep Pink'. I love pink eye shadows and was drawn to this one when I saw JulieG713 use it in a recent make up tutorial on YouTube! Here is the eye shadow swatch:

Finally, when we entered one of the large department stores in the Trafford Centre we were approached by a sales lady from Jose Eber. She was promoting their curling irons and asked if we would like to try them. She firstly tried it out on my friend who has long, thick hair that always curls really easily so it was no surprise when they curled her hair really well! I, however, have long, fine hair that only likes to be straight! I have tried many different methods over the years to try and get my hair to curl including, rollers, GHD irons and regular curling irons and never had a very good result so I wasn't expecting much from these curlers! Well I have to say I am amazed and overjoyed at the curls that these irons create! I have never seen anything create such an amazing curl like these irons do! I actually had gorgeous ringlets in my hair for the first time in my life! All you do is take a piece of hair and wrap it around the barrel, you then count to 3 and release the hair and there is your curl! I went for the 19mm Pro Series Curling Iron in Pink Zebra. I can't remember exactly how much they are as we both purchased them and had a few discounts applied! I highly recommend that you check them out, especially if you have difficult to curl hair like me!

Maz x

Top Face Brushes

Hi Everyone!

I have picked out my favourite 8 face brushes to share with you. These are the brushes that I use on a regular basis and that I have found perform and wash really well time and time again.

(L to R) Clinique Foundation Brush, Sigma F10, MAC 150, Sigma F20, Sigma F50, Smashbox 22, Sigma F15, MAC 109

MAC 109: This brush is a small round domed brush that it brilliant for contouring your cheekbones. It applies the product and blends it out brilliantly. It can also be used to apply highlighter to the cheekbones.

MAC 150: The 150 brush is a large powder brush that I use to apply my MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural.

CLINIQUE FOUNDATION BRUSH: I have had this brush for many years and it's still as good as new! It applies and blends in even the thickest of foundation really well.

SMASHBOX FAN BRUSH 22: This is a really delicate fan brush that is great for sweeping eyeshadow fallout off your cheeks and also for applying highlighting powder.
SIGMA F10: This is my favourite blush brush by far and I prefer it over the MAC alternative. It has super soft bristles and blends out powder and cream blushes excellently.

SIGMA F15: This is a medium sized tapered duo fibre brush that I use to apply powder highlighter to my cheekbones it can also be used to apply blush.

SIGMA F20: This is a large paddle brush which I use to apply bronzer but it can be used to apply any face powder.

SIGMA F50: This is a large duo fibre brush that I use to apply my Fix + spray.

I hope that you have enjoyed reading this post, please feel free to share your favourite brushes with me in the comments section below.
To purchase brushes from MAC click here to purchase from Sigma click here to purchase from Clinique click here and from Smashbox click here

Maz x

Top Eye Brushes

(L to R) MAC 219, MAC 239, Smashbox 15, Sigma E45, MAC 227, MAC 224, MAC 242, Smashbox 21, Sigma E20, MAC 217

Hi Everyone!

I decided to post my favourite eye makeup brushes for you but it was so hard to narrow it down! I finally chose 10 to share with you. These brushes are used and washed on a regular basis.

MAC 217: This is a stiff domed brush which is ideal for applying and blending out crease colour.

MAC 219: The 219 is a stiff pencil brush which is great for applying an inner eye highlight colour, adding more precise colour into the crease and also for smudging eyeshadow along the lower lashline.

MAC 224: This is a fluffy blending brush that is the best at blending out eyeshadows, it's also great at adding a subtle wash of colour to the lid or crease area.

MAC 227: Is a large rounded fluff brush that I use to apply my brow highlight with and also to blend out any eyeshadow lines. It's also large enough to apply highlight to the cheekbones too.

MAC 239: The 239 brush is shadow brush with really densely packed bristles. It's great for applying all types of eyeshadow.

MAC 242: The 242 brush is probably my favourite brush to apply pigments with as it picks up the product really well. It is also really good at applying inner corner highlight shadows and under eye colours as it's tip is quite precise. As the bristles are synthetic it is ideal for apply emollient-based products such as paint pots. The MAC 252 is a larger version of the 242.

SMASHBOX - DEFINER BRUSH 15: This brush is like a chunkier version of the MAC 219 and is really good for applying colour to the outer v area of your lid.

SMASHBOX - ARCHED LINER BRUSH 21: This is the only brush that I can apply gel or cream liner with! The arched tip makes it so much easier to see what you are doing!

SIGMA E20: This brush has very short densely packed bristles, I mainly use this brush to apply colour along the lower lashline or to smudge out eyeliner.

SIGMA E45: The E45 brush is a tapered domed blending brush that does a similar job to the MAC 217 but it is slightly fluffier than it and it's tapered end makes it a little more precise than the 217.

I hope that you have enjoyed this post. To purchase brushes from MAC please click here. To purchase brushes from Smashbox click here and to purchse brushes from Sigma please click here
 Maz x