Too Faced Peach Perfect Comfort Matte Foundation - NEW SHADES

One of my favourite Too Faced collections to date has been the Peaches and Cream Collection, everything about it is just divine and I have quite a few pieces from the collection to share on my blog, but today it is the turn of the newly launched shades from the Peach Perfect Comfort Matte Foundation Range.

Described as being a transfer resistant medium coverage foundation it works to create a smooth canvas for flawless, comfortable matte wear using the exclusive Comfort Matte Technology™ that is never cakey or mask-like.  When it comes to a liquid foundation, I absolutely do not want something that gives overly thick feeling full coverage, the kind that gives you that troweled on look despite only trying to lightly apply it - I am sure we all know a few brands who create emulsion type foundation.

New to the collection is a further 10 shades to help you find your perfect shade and I was kindly sent the two new lightest shades within the collection named Cloud and Marshmallow. Packaged in a pump action tube, each foundation is infused with real peaches and sweet fig milk and it is just a divine scent.

Not only do have almost translucent skin, I am honestly that pale skinned, I have combination oily skin, so for me to wear a liquid foundation, I need something that, even with a primer, is oil-controlling and gets me into the afternoon without sliding off my face.  I have days when I am incredibly busy non-stop and have no time to stop mid-afternoon to re-apply makeup, so I want a product that does what it claims to do and from Too Faced, we have a product which:

• Is a lightweight, velvet-touch formula provides fresh and natural coverage
• Has built-in blurring optical correctors give skin a fresh, poreless, moisture-matte finish
• Oil-free formula
• Is infused with innovative ultrafine pigments that are resilient to oil and sweat, providing up to 14 hours of long wear coverage

Cloud is the fairest of all 30 available shades and it has been described as having neutral to rosy undertones and Marshmallow is also in one of the fairer shades and it has rosy undertones.

The swatches shown above are unedited and come straight from the camera. From those swatches you can see that Cloud is clearly the lighter of the two shades by quite some margin and Marshmallow is slightly rosier in colour.  For me, I am somewhere between these two shades, so I can either mix them together, which is how I have been wearing them to create an incredibly close perfect shade, or I can mix marshmallow in with my moisturising cream and it works just so incredibly well with my skin tone too.  So, here I have two foundations that I can make work with my skin tone, something I have never had before.

On the skin, this foundation feels so incredibly lightweight and it is just a dream to apply whether you use your fingers, a brush or beauty blender. For me, my preference is the beauty blender with this foundation and I love the matte finish it gives.  The poreless description is true to a point, but I have never worn this foundation for 14 hours, in fact, the longest I have worn it for, without touching up is 9hours and by that time, it had almost completely disappeared from my face and I honestly can not grumble with that, I manage to avoid that mid-afternoon oil slick which means, rushing around from meeting to meeting keeps my face looking as freshly made up as it did when I first applied my makeup.

If you are on the lookout for a new foundation, then the Too Faced Peach Perfect Comfort Matte Foundation (£27 here) is definitely one to be tried because the shades are just so good and if I can find one to suit my pale skin, then anyone can!

Are you a fan of Too Faced?

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24H Foundation

Foundation is a product I am quite picky about and I am not the kind of girl who has bottles of the stuff around. In the Summer months I prefer a tinted moisturiser and then as the cooler weather arrives, something with a little more coverage, but not too much because I really dislike that caked on feel. However, for the last few months, I have been reaching for the Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24H Foundation in shade 021 Beige Jasmin which I was matched too and it is not a product I thought I would like or even ever try, but I absolutely love it and here is why.

Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24H Foundation is a full coverage but incredibly light foundation even though it has an SPF15, which is always welcomed. The formula which has what is called Eternalsoft Polymers, allow for an increased comfort level with ultra‑long wear. Then there are the NAI pigments which help to maintain consistent pH levels with the skin and in turn, this helps the colour stays true all day. The two interesting and perhaps most important ingredients are Perlite and Silica because they are two of the most effective oil‑absorbing ingredients and as someone with combination skin which leans to the oily side, excess oil can be a right pain.

The foundation comes with the claims of lasting up to twenty-four hours but unless you are planning to sleep in your makeup, I am not sure those are claims I can ever say are true. What I can say is that applying it in a morning does see it last right through into the evening, with only a minimum touch up needed around my nose, that in itself gets a huge thumbs up. The application is an absolute dream, it is streak free and I buff it onto my skin, after moisturising and priming using my Real Techniques Buffing Brush. It also covers the redness on my cheek amazingly, to the point where I am not grabbing for my green colour corrector, it also doesn't cling to dry skin in my experience and what I love love love about this foundation is that my face does not feel as though I have trowelled it on, always a winner in my book.

This is the first foundation I have ever used from Lancome and I am so impressed with it and am glad I have been lucky enough to give it a try. There are around 40 different shades of this foundation and usually retails for around £30 but LookFantastic.

Have you tried Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24H Foundation

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page here

Boots No7 Instant Radiance Highlighter

A few months ago I went into my local Boots store for foundation matching which you can read about HERE and as part of that service I was also matched with a lipstick and as it was a 3 for 2 offer on at the same time, I was to choose something for free! Well we all know how good a Boots 3 for 2 offer is and it took some time swatching everything I liked the look of and in the end I opted for the No7 Instant Radiance Highlighter. This Highlighter was something I had had my eye on for some time after seeing another blog post on it and it was the last one in stock (fate) so it was mine.

We all love a good highlighter and this is one brilliant. The highlighter comes in a stick or crayon as some people call them and is quite rotund. To use you simply twist the silver part at the bottom it to show the nib which you then use as the highlighter. When I decided this was the product for me, luckily the lady at the counter decided to give me a crash course into how to use it properly. As with any other highlighter you might have, I was told to begin by sweeping the stick gently onto cheek/brow bones, down the centre of your nose and then onto your cupid's bow to create that illusion of younger, dewy skin.

When you look at the highlighter it is not a wet formula as you might expect it to be, instead it is a dry formula and if you have used similar blush or bronzer sticks you will know what I mean.  It glides onto the skin so you need to pretend you are colouring in with your Crayola crayons, one glide along the skin is enough for you to dab and blend with your finger tips, I tend to simply pat my skin where I have applied the highlighter to get the best effect for me.  I was surprised to find it so easy to use and it really does give a nice subtle glow, perfect for when you are going out or for everyday use. 

I have become really impressed with No.7 of late and have a wish-list as long as my arm, starting with the concealer match service which I intend to take advantage of as soon as I have some time to do it. This Highlighters costs just £9.95 and is such great value for money.

Have you tried anything by No7 recently?

Smashbox new releases!

I am no stranger to Smashbox, infact I adore their Primer and always have a spare tube of it in my make-up drawer in case I run out.  But I have recently been luck enough to play with some of the new releases which will hit the shelves and stores in January and I thought I would share them with you!

Starting with the Smashbox Double Exposure Palette which is just absolutely stunning.  Described as being the palette of possibilities, each of the 14 featured eyeshadows transform when mixed with water, this palette is all about mixing it up.  Unlike gremlins, you can add water and your shade will either amp up the vibrancy, becomes deeper, turns metallic or finds it sparkle meaning there is something for everyone and these shades are as I have said, stunning. 

Swatches from L-R = Silver, Mauve, Peony, Blanc, Quartz, Flushed and Veiled

When water is added to these shades Silver, Mauve, Peony and Blanc turn Metallic.  Quartz and Veiled amp up their vibrancy and Flushed becomes a deeper shade.

Swatches top - Midnight, Temper, Haze and Noir.  Swatches Bottom - Copper, Fig and Espresso.

When water is added to these shades, Midnight and Temper become Sparkly. Haze, Noir, Fig and Espresso become deeper. Copper turns metallic.

What I also love is that this palette comes with its own double ended brush which is domed on one side to absorb just the right amount of water for impactful colour and the other end is angled which allows you to create a precise line when wet or a diffused line when dry.  If that isn't enough, there is also a little how to use guide, which is really helpful and something I am glad to have.

If this sounds like a palette you would love, it will be priced at £37 and is available from 7th January

The Smashbox Step-by-step Contour Kit is a product I was really excited to get my hands on because I am not good at the Kardashian contouring, no matter how many easy guides I want and follow!  This little kit comes encompassed in this sleek black palette and includes shades to help you highlight, contour and bronze plus a specially designed contour brush and a how to guide. I have used my palette a few times, when ive been home alone and I am slowly getting the hang of it.

Swatches L-- Contour, Bronze and Highlight

This palette is available now and costs £35

The next products I absolutely love, I wasn't too sure about them at first, but boy have they grown on me and they are Always Sharp Lip Liner.  Why do I love them? Well they self sharpen for one and I got quite excited when I was first given a demonstration as to how they did just that, it is all about the twist!  Seriously, there is a hidden sharpener within the lid of the liner which re-sharpens the lip liner everytime you need to use it, one twist, no mess and a sharpe liner awaits you! 

From top to bottom - Melon, Rosebud and Violet

Now I am not the best person at remembering to line my lips, infact I tend to remember once I have already applied my lippie and am on my way out, you know when you have that one last look in the mirror? Yeah then.  These lip liners come in 12 different shades ranging from Nude Fair to Shocking Pink.  I have Rosebud, Melon and Violet and as you can see from the swatches, the colours are absolutely stunning ad you can actually wear them on their own!  Costing just £15 each, they are available now to buy.

The final products I have been playing with are the Be Legendary long-Wear Lip Lacquers.  They are described as being the new boundary-pushing formula which delivers maximum high-lacquered color with major comfort—all day long. They use what is referred to as a proprietary triplex of 1) vibrant staining pigments, 2) glossy-finish pearls and 3) conditioning vitamin E. What this means is that working together, all three of those leave you with a lovely vibrant, but lip conditioned finish, not at all like those horrid Apocalips but much better than the offerings from Revlon, infact, even if your lips feel a tad dry before applying these lacquers, once applied, there is no hint of dry skin or flaky looking lips and nor does it, when applied, leave your lips feeling sticky and tacky, instead, as the colour fades throughout your day, there will be a hint of colour left behind.

Top Swatch is Beet It and Bottom is Orange Crush

The Lip Lacquers come in 20 different shades and I have two of them in Orange Crush and Beet It, possibly neither shade I would ever wear, but from the shades available, there is something for everyone and I have my eye on Warm Rose and Rosewater which I've swatched and really like the look of.  These Lacquers are available now for £19 each.

So there you have a little insight into the new products I have been lucky enough to play with from Smashbox and seriously, if there is one palette you are yet to decide upon, give the Double Exposure one a little look, it is amazing!

What do you think to these new products? 

Have you tried any of them yet?

December Look Fantastic Box

It's no lie that I have been so impressed with the Lookfantastic Beauty Boxes that I have literally crooned across a few posts, namely with the boxes for September October, November and now I bring you the December offering which is slightly earlier than I was expecting, but here it is.

The box is always so well presented and everthing is neatly packaged so that there is no wriggle room and nothing falls out of place. Inside my box, whilst I had seen a few spoilers are the following items:

• Macademia Healing Oil Infused Comb. Full size, £6.00
• Ole Henriksen’s Pure Truth Youth Activating Oil 15ml - £23.50 
• Pure Gold Collagen Drink  £3.50
• Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel 15ml £8.85 
• Murad Essential-C Cleanser 45ml £7.65. 
• Bourjois Intense Smoky Eyeshadow Palette. Full size, £7.99
• Lord & Berry H2ohhh designer Lip Gloss. Full size, £12.00
• 
  

So it would seem that the total value of this box is in the region of £69 which I think is pretty impressive given one item in the box alone is worth £23.50 and there are three full sized items. I am really pleased to see a mixture of skincare, haircare and make-up within a box and especially with amazing brands like these.  

You can never have too many wide toothed comb and this Macadamia Healing infused one has caught my attention because the well known Macadamia Oil has somehow been formulated within the resin on the comb, so that when you brush your hair, not only should it be easier to detangle but also treat your hair without leaving any residue behind - the mind boggles with that one!

The Ole Henriksens Pure Truth Oil is described as being an anti ageing treatment which uses 100% concentrated Rosehip Oil which activates the skins natural reparative ability with potent antioxidents and essential fatty acids to reveal your skins youthful state. 

You can spritz this to your face and neck and it works to quickly penetrate into the deeper layers of your skin to help heal, nourish and hydrate your skin. It claims that this should help reduce visible lines and that skin immediately appears brighter and more radiant and it smells absolutely amazing!

Murad Essential-C Cleanser contains Vitamins A,C and E as well as various other vital ingredients which should add moisture back into the skin. 

It also rejuvenates your skin whilst promoting a healthy and beautiful complexion by using Allantoin and Sodium PCA. The product smells so fruity too!

Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel uses the natural exfoliating fruit enzyme of Papaya and Pineapple which contain nourishing milk protein, anti-oxidant rich vitamin E and Marine algae to moisturise, repair and protect the skin. 

This peel smells amazing, I have used it once before, some time ago and it feels amazing on the skin, so cannot wait to try that again.

Pure Gold Collagen I have had in another beauty box and it remains untouched. But for those wanting to know what it is, essentially it is a liquid food supplement that improves the skins appearance from the inside out. The special blends of hydrolysed collagen,vitamins and minerals is said to reactivate the formation of collagen to give you brighter,plumper and more youthful skin.

Bourjois Intense Smoky I am a huge fan of Bourjois products, and they are definitely one of my favourite high-street brands so when I saw this little trio in my box I was quite chuffed. It contains 2 eye shadows and a liner and also includes a mini brush to apply it with. On the back of the palette are instructions for use, so one shade is a light shade for going above the crease on your eyelid, the darker shade going below that and then to define the liner is found with shade 3. The shades on this palette are not ones I would use, having blue eyes, purple most definitely is not a shade I can get away with, though to look at, it is stunning. I am just more of a nude eye kind of girl.

The final product is a Lord and Berry clear lipgloss which is a full sized product. There isn;t much to really say about a lipgloss other than it thankfully isn't a sticky one once applied and it can be used on its own or over lipstick, lip balm and so on.

I thought this was a brilliant box and I am really happy with the included content and cannot wait for January's Box!

I’d love to hear if you bought this box and what you thought of it?

Blogger Christmas Swap

This Christmas i took part in a beauty swap which was hosted by Clare from The Love of All Things Beauty and I'm really glad that I took part in it. I was paired with Natalie from Your Almost Alice and after a few emails back and forth we set a budget of £20 and gave each other a list of likes and dislikes and I have to say Natalie put together one amazing package, I was totally chuffed and this is what was inside - Santa said I could open it!

So In this box I have myself a really lovely litter pamper session waiting to happen! Lush Butterbear and I am so chuffed that I have finally got my hands on some Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish which I cannot wait to start using and it will also be my first time using Balmi lip balm too!  Plus the Collection Lip Butter shade is totally amazing and I cannot wait to use that as well! 

Thank you Natalie for my amazing box, it was so much fun to put yours together and I absolutely love mine! 

What do you think to my Christmas Swap?

One Woman, 100 Faces

Whenever I go to the hairdressers or a salon for a treatment, the one thing I always want to read, rather than the million so magazines, are actual books by actual people. I am a huge bookworm anyway and am never without a book or my kindle in my hand, so the chance to get my hands on 'One Woman - 100 Faces' was too good an opportunity to miss out on.

Described as follows:

One Woman, 100 Faces is a celebration of femininity in its many manifestations. Whether celebrating the courage to flaunt an inner vixen with dramatic eye make-up and bold, beautiful colours or the confidence to display natural beauty sans cosmetics, the book will take readers on an intimate, visual journey of liberation, discovery and transformation.

The book itself is a collection of makeup looks created by Francesca Tolot who you might know better as Beyonce's makeup artist. Inside this amazingly created book you will find 100 different makeup looks, all of which have been created by Francesca and modelled by Mitzi Martin over two decades and Mitzi is absolutely stunning in each and every look.

I have spent a good few hours looking at this book, dreaming of being this talented, it is by no means a make-up tutorial guide, but i am sure some of you would be more than able to recreate some of these looks for yourself.

The book also features a foreword by Beyonce and can be found online from Amazon and in major book shops.

Is this the type of book you would like to have on your coffee table?