Friday 26 October 2012

CoverFX Total Cover Foundation

Afternoon lovelies!
I was recently very lucky to be invited along to the Modus PR event for the Canada-based, heavyweight foundation brand CoverFX and got to snoop around their fabulous range of products and learn a little about the brand itself.
 CoverFX have recently reformulated their products (which were already free from parabens, mineral oils, fragrances and other such nasties) to include the antioxidant benefits of vitamins C and E and Green Tea extracts. 


The product i would like to waffle on about today is their Total Cover Cream Foundation (SPF30). I've vaguely dabbled in cream formulas before without much success so i was super excited to be given the opportunity to try this one! 

Here are the Vital Statistics:
2in1 Foundation AND Concealer
Satin Finish
Contains Antioxidants and Anti-Inflammatory ingredients
Available in 28 global shades
Suitable for all skin types


The shade range for this product is pretty incredible!! They really have catered for a global market, with every skin tone taken into account. I was matched to an N50 which, given that on their shade list this is likened to an NC42 in MAC, did baffle me a little (I'm usually NC30/35). I wasn't concerned though as, in Winter i do tend to utilise my fake tan a little more to make up for the grim weather. In fact, i CAN get away with it on my natural skintone as well so they did a very good job!


Here are all of the products we got to take home on the night. I came away with the foundation, their Illuminating Setting Powder and a cream foundation brush. I am going to keep the powder for a future post as i haven't had chance to play with it properly yet. 



These swatches may be a little confusing as i have JUST put another layer of pink dye on my hair and my hands and fingers have suffered the consequences haha. But you get the idea, even though you may not consider it a shade match on my stained hands, it works a treat on my face! 


 

On the Left: In Natural Light
On the Right: With Flash

I am not wearing much else other than the foundation in these photos. Just a touch of mascara (17 Peep Show) and nude lipgloss (NYX). Usually for day to day wear i finish it with a touch of my MSFN Medium Plus as well but for the sake of this post i left it out. 


Applied with the foundation brush i find this foundation to be of buildable coverage. I guess the name kind of implies full coverage but you can apply as much or as little as you feel you need. It comes with a compartment underneath the pan with a sponge too so very portable and great for on the go touch ups. I don't find i need concealer either so it really lives up to that claim too!
The satin finish is a LITTLE on the shiny side for me and my combination skin, but a dusting of powder fixes that minor problem. I'm not a fan of super mattifying foundations anyway as i sometimes feel as if i'm wearing a mask. The texture of this product is quite dense and thick so takes a little extra effort to load up your brush but that isn't really a criticism as such. It spreads well  once you start to apply it to the face. 

This product retails for £37, which is a bit on the pricey side for me and it means that i will not be able to repurchase once i have finished this one. It does seem like it will last a fairly long time as well as being a 2in1 product though so i guess that would make it better value. Damn me and my student poverty!!

You can find CoverFX in Harvey Nichols and House of Fraser. You won't believe the range of shades that are available. They really have thought of everybody, everywhere! 

Are you a fan of cream foundation formulas?? Are you willing to pay that little bit extra for your PERFECT shade match?? What other cream foundations do you rate??
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Sunday 21 October 2012

Late Night Lippy Lovin': Loreal Color Riche, Electric Fuchsia

Good evening again beauty seekers!!
ANOTHER late night lippy swatching extravaganza for you tonight. This time in the form of Loreal Color Riche lipstick in shade 402 - Electric Fuchsia. I was very kindly given this lipstick by the lovely Yu as she hadn't got along very well with it and thought it might be up my alley. So i gave it a bash and i thought i'd share my thoughts on it as you don't, generally, see an awful lot of Loreal on this blog.


This lipstick is VERY attractive in the bullet. On first impressions you could think it was a dupe of MAC Girl About Town (which i STILL do not own). Sadly, it's not, but it's not without its redeeming features!! In fact, i've had ups AND downs with this lippy.


The thing i noticed first when i put this on is the SMELL!! It smells bloody AWFUL!! Like old lady perfume and pot pourri!! Blehhhh.... However, it feels nice and moisturising on the lips which means it's a pleasure to wear and doesn't feel drying which makes up for it. 


The biggest surprise i got with this lipstick is how SHEER it is! In a way this is a blessing, but it also disappointed me slightly, as the colour in the bullet really is stunning. This swatch was built up a bit for the sake of this photo, as is the lip swatch below. The sheer nature of the product would most likely appeal to those who are a little shy of brights, but still want to experiment with a wash of colour. Alternatively, if you're a BIG fan of bright but want something more toned down for work/daytime wear, then this could be the fuchsia lippy for you!


After weighing it up... I DO like this lipstick. It definitely has a place in my collection, but the heavy scent of the product really does put me off it. If you don't mind scented lipsticks, then great, but if you're not a fan i'd steer clear. 

Have you tried any Loreal lip products lately? What did you think? Are there more vibrant shades in the range? Is it worth me investigating?
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Saturday 20 October 2012

Recent Essie Purchases!!

Hello there lovelies!!
Quite a late one tonight again! In fact i'm writing up a couple of posts tonight to schedule for while i'm travelling up and down the country again for Uni over the next couple of days. Although i think it's safe to say i'm a little distracted tonight as i've just abandoned this post after just a couple of sentences because i had the urge to play with pink eyeshadow haha. Anyhoo, i've now refocused and i wanna talk about my new Essie polishes! 


Essie is another brand that i have only just started to discover since i moved to London. Of course i'd heard of them previously, but before i moved my nails were in such a state from working in a pub kitchen that i wasn't even bothering with painting my nails and, therefore, wasn't in a hurry to buy many new nail polishes. Since i left that job my nails have sprung back to life and i have a reignited love affair with nail polish!


Shades L-R: 
Miss Fancy Pants, a gorgeous shade that i would describe as a 'mucky lilac', even though it doesn't look like that in the bottle. I guess you could also describe it as 'greige' 
Fiji, An uber pale, off-white shade with a hint of cool pink.
Playa Del Platinum, a lovely pale, neutral, slightly warm, shade of grey.
and Mint Candy Apple, A pale, pastel blue/green.

I picked up my first one on my birthday when i spotted Essie in Superdrug for the first time ever. I knew exactly which one i wanted. It was Fiji and i LOVE it! It might even be my favourite so far, but i love all of these shades. The other 3 were purchased from Olympia Beauty last month. 

Essie have soooooo many shades, and it would be so easy to get giddy and buy TONS, but i find that when i do that i always forget about some shades and i like to appreciate every nail polish i buy and so i only picked up a small handful to start with. I do have a little Essie shopping list forming in my head though so i very well might treat myself in the run up to Christmas. 


I'm going to try and do a NOTD type post for each of these polishes, starting today. The first i have chosen is Playa Del Platinum, just because i woke up in the mood for nude this morning. Excuse the iphone photo. My camera really isn't playing ball lately and refuses to focus. I think it's more of less knackered now to be honest, so i'll have to make do.


I really like this shade for a neutral daytime polish. It really is a pleasure to wear. I actually quite like the Essie formula, although i have heard of some who don't. I find it quite opaque, even after a single coat, and that it doesn't flood my cuticle (which happens to me a LOT with some polishes, i really am a bit crap at painting my nails). The brush is a decent size too!! 

The polishes i got from Olympia were just under a fiver each, but the one i got from Superdrug was around £7 i think. I've also seen loads of great eBay deals on Essie polishes so it pays to snoop around for a bargain!! I can't wait to swatch more of the shades for you! 

Do you love Essie polishes?? What are your favourites?? Please leave your shade recommendations to add to my wishlist!! 
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Sunday 14 October 2012

Diva Professional Styling: Argan Gold Styler

Hello there beauty seekers!!
I'm going to be a bit controversial today. Well..... You know GHDs?? The BEST hair straighteners in the biz?? The ones nobody (including me) who has tried them can live without?? Well i've actually found some i PREFER!! Shock, horror!! Don't get me wrong, i still adore my GHDs, but i do not reach for them on a daily basis anymore and, believe it or not, did not bring them to my new flat when i moved. They are in reserve at my parents house so that i have a spare pair there at all times haha. So which ones did i plump for?? It's THESE.....

Diva Professional Styling: Feel The Heat, Argan Gold Styler


I make no secret of my ADORATION for Diva products. I've reviewed several on this blog including the Ultima hairdryer, the Heatwave and their Hot Tong. I first heard about the Feel The Heat, Argan Gold styler at the SoapboxPR press day back in April when i got treated to a demonstration and got to try them for myself. Obviously the idea of Argan Oil infused into ceramic plates is the stuff that dreams are made of, isn't it! Well Diva only went and DID IT! 


For anyone who may be confused as to HOW the Argan Oil is integrated into the plates, i'm informed that it works very similar to a Teflon coating on a saucepan (that's about the simplest way i can describe it to you). You cannot see or feel it on the plates, you just know it's there. As you run the plates through the hair, a slight coating of Argan Oil is deposited onto the hair giving unbelievable shine and an altogether smoother finish to your style (be it poker straight or curled). This also means that you end up using less product on the hair, and it gives great control over frizz and flyaways!


The other thing i love about this styler is that it has variable heat settings. I was never comfortable to straighten my hair extensions with my GHDs as i just found them too HOT! This styler, as with most other Diva tools, has variable heat from 120 up to 220 degrees. I find this a major bonus because if i want to straighten my extensions i only want around 140, whereas my thick, unruly natural mop can easily require 180-200! With this, i can just crank it up or down accordingly!



You may be wondering about the 'Intelligence' of this styler... Well, like the more recent models of GHD, this one knows when you've forgotten about it and will promptly switch itself OFF! In fact it's quicker off the mark than GHDs which can either be a good thing or if, like me, you tend to switch your straighteners on then go off and start something else while they heat up, then it can be a minor annoyance when you go back to them and they're stone cold again haha. I can live with it though, purely for the reassurance that even if i've left the house and not switched them off, then they will happily do it themselves. Saves on that paranoia that we've ALL experienced with heat styling tools! 

Well that turned out to be quite a long-winded post didn't it! I just find that i have a lot to say about this product because i love them so much and it's part of my daily life now! I just felt i owed it to them to do a full review. Up to now i've only mentioned them in favourites and other styling posts. 

This model of the Argan Gold Styler (they also do an 'Elite' version that i would give my left leg for) retails for £79.99 and can be found by searching on Amazon or from Sally's and other professional retailers.

What is your must have styling tool?? Have you been tempted away from your beloved GHDs?? What features do you look for in a good styler?? 

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Saturday 13 October 2012

Late Night Lippy Lovin': Look Beauty Toffee Cup

Good evening my lovelies! 
Late late late post tonight as i've been off gallivanting around the new Primark on Totty Court Rd all afternoon hehe (more on that to follow over on BrunetteBeautyBuzz tomorrow), but i couldn't let a whole week pass without bringing you my opinions on SOMETHING! So much University drama AGAIN this week, so my silence couldn't be helped really. My apologies. BUT i'm here tonight to talk about Look Beauty!!



Just like NYX the other week, Look Beauty is a brand that i've heard and read a LOT about but never really had access to until i moved down to London in July. Imagine my GLEE to find that my new local Superdrug stocks it!! Being the way that i am, i automatically went straight for the lippy and, being the way that i am, was bound to gravitate towards the nearest pinky-nude. So this brings us to the shade Toffee Cup!! 



This is such a creamy shade! It is very moisturising on my lips and has a taste like it may contain some kind of cocoa or shea butter (i can't seem to find any info to confirm this on the Look Beauty Website, but it tastes that way to me). One application was enough to give a lovely creamy toffee pink shade, although one coat doesn't seem to last that long (around 2-3hrs ish) so i'd recommend blotting it and applying a second layer or setting it with a powder to ensure greater longevity. 
This is a shade that, i think, is pretty universal skintone-wise. I'm pretty much slap bang in the middle but i can see it working on paler/cooler tones or even slightly darker skins. 


My ONE and only grumble?? The packaging. This lipstick costs £7 which is probably about right for the quality of the lipstick, but the casing lets it down a little for me. It has this magnetic-type thing going on to keep the lid on, but i frequently find that it comes off very easily and it makes me a bit wary to carry it around with me for that reason. I also find it a bit bulky. HOWEVER, this would not put me off buying this lipstick in other shades (i've currently got my beady eye on Rock Candy - a pretty, bright shade of pink).

All in all i am satisfied with my first Look Beauty purchase! I now feel totally justified in exploring their ranges a little further (sorry Mr. NatWest). If you'd like to view this, and all the other Look Beauty lipstick shades, or to browse their full range of products i'd highly recommend their website 
Look Beauty is also available in selected Superdrug stores!!

Do you love Look Beauty?? Which of their products do you rate?? Do you go nuts for a pinky-nude lippy too??


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Sunday 7 October 2012

Pearls of Beauty Wisdom from Dr. Murad...

Good evening ladies, I hope everyone had a lovely weekend!!
I was lucky enough to be given the AMAZING opportunity last Friday to attend a seminar by skincare gurus Dr Howard and Jeff Murad (the brains and faces behind the prestigious skincare brand of the same name). This was an event that i was SUPER excited about as, i will openly admit, i'm pretty clueless when it comes to skincare and these two are the best in the biz! So i trotted along to the Academy of Medical Sciences to learn me some stuff!


I loved Dr Murad's attitude! He firmly believes in loving, valuing and nurturing yourself and actually recommended that we all go out the next day and buy ourselves a crown! The point in this being that if you don't hold your head up and feel positive about yourself from the inside then no skincare regime alone will do it for you from the outside. 

Here are Dr Murad's Top 10 Tips for Beautiful Skin:
1) Always cleanse before bed to get rid of all the pollution, free-radicals and other nasties your skin encounters during the day.
2) Toners are very important! They allow all other moisturisers and treatments to be absorbed deeper and faster, as well as refining your pores.
3) Oily skin needs moisture too! Everyone should be using a moisturiser, regardless of their skin type and a good moisturiser only adds WATER to the skin (not oil).
4) Embrace anti-aging products. You're never too young to start. Our skin starts going downhill almost as soon as we turn 18!
5) Eat your water..... Yes, you read that right. Dr. Murad recommends to replace one glass of the water you drink each day with raw fruit and vegetables which release their water and hydrate you from within. This must be an important one as he mentioned it several times in the lecture. 
6) Exfoliate right. Stick to the twice a week rule. Too much or too little exfoliation can wreak havoc with your skin, but is a very common mistake!
7) Relax!! Stress ages you!! Taking care of yourself emotionally is important! Dr Murad orders you to get lots of rest, treat yourself, eat CHOCOLATE(?!?!). Stress is second only to UV for skin damage and premature ageing. 
8) Be imperfect. You'll live longer. Don't be so hard on yourself because it only leads to stress (see above).
9) You are what you eat. Healthy skin comes 80% from how you care for yourself from the INSIDE and eating the right foods and supplements. Even the most expensive facials in the world won't achieve optimum results if you're not taking proper care of yourself from within. 
10) SMILE!!! When you feel your best, you'll look your best. 

As well as a very informative and interesting talk from Dr and Jeff Murad, we were all given a sneaky peak at the new Christmas gift sets Murad are offering this season as well as their top 10 products. There were therapists on hand to give facials as well as the new YouthCam (also available for customers in House of Fraser) which scans your skin to reveal problem areas, dehydration, UV damage and other potential future problems. From this they can make personal product recommendations and identify where you're going wrong. 


As i previously mentioned, we were given the opportunity to browse the new Christmas releases for this year and were lucky enough to be able to choose one to take home. There were 5 different boxes available, each tailored to a specific need/skin type.

Complete Renewal
Hydration Sensation
Radiance Rescue
Perfect Balance
The Hybrids

As I'm a combination skin type of girlie with a few too many open pores for my liking, i plumped for the Perfect Balance set. 


I cannot wait to share my experience of these products with you! I started using the T-Zone gel straight away and so far so good. I don't get a lot of spots generally but i am very excited about the blemish treatment concealer as, when i DO get a zit its always one of those BIG, sore ones that puts up a big fight. 

To browse ALL the bounty on offer as well as what's in all the other Christmas Gift Boxes go to murad.co.uk  
(I personally recommend their Dewy Finish Primer. It's the BEST i've tried so far.)

What are your top tips for perfect skin?? Do you have a favourite skincare brand/product?? What works for you??
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Monday 1 October 2012

NYX Sticks it To 'Em!!

Good evening beauty seekers!!
I have a habit of being reeeeeeally late to the party on certain things in the beauty world. Up until now my excuse has firmly been that i lived in deepest, darkest Derbyshire and just didn't have much access to a lot of brands. But not anymore i tell yee!! One of the brands which has just seemed to pass me by up until now is NYX. I'd seen a smattering of posts about the brand and seen a few products that i really fancied but because i never saw them anywhere i just didn't get round to purchasing. Until now!!


I finally popped my NYX cherry last week at Olympia Beauty. I'm really trying not to buy lots of blushes at the moment because i struggle to use all the ones that i have! However, thanks to Illamasqua i have developed a keen interest in cream blush formulas lately and, seeing this one in stick form, was intrigued. What with the discounts available at Olympia i thought it would be rude not to. 


The shade i picked up was Orchid although, to be honest, i think i did really well not to grab two or three because all the shades were so pretty. I chose this one because, drumroll please........ it's a DUPE!! It's like a cream version of my beloved BeneFit Coralista!! But more on that in a moment.


For such a bargain product (i think i paid about £4.50 for this with the discounts on offer on the day), i am loving both the shade and the pigmentation. I've been dabbing this along my cheekbones straight from the stick and then buffing it out with an angled blush brush and it gives a wonderful coral/pink glow with that lovely golden sheen that Coralista has. As it is a cream formula, i find it more pigmented than Coralista (which is a powder) and you don't have to build it up as much. 

Swatched: Coralista (Left) and Orchid (Right)

The shade comparison is very clear. Coralista takes a lot more building and comes out slightly paler. Of course it isn't a total match because one is a powder and one is a cream BUT i think thats the only thing separating the two for me! So if anyone loves the shade of Coralista but has issues in getting it to show up on a medium/dark skintone then this is definitely one to consider. 

The packaging of this product is very handy indeed for carrying around day to day. I must admit i had a few issues getting the stick to twist up when i first got it, but i think mine was just a bit stuck and, once i'd loosened it up a bit it started to twist up and down easily. Great product to pop in your bag and reapply through the day. 

This range of blushes retails for £5.50 and they have 7 shades. I've now got my eye on a couple more of these badboys because i find them sooooo handy! Check them all out and purchase them at nyxcosmeticsstore.co.uk

What are your NYX must haves?? Are you a sucker for a cream blush?? 

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