Estee Lauder Idealist Even Skin Tone Review

Ever since serums really took off and became a vital part of many-a-beauty-obsessives daily routine, I’ve focused a lot of my energy on trying to find one that will help to even out my skin tone. I wouldn’t say my skin is particularly uneven, no, I’m a consistent pasty white all over… andproudofit, but I do suffer from blemishes that always leave scarring and marks. To anyone reading who has the same problem, I’m right there with you and know how much it can damage your confidence.

Estee Lauder Idealist, Even Skin Tone Illuminator - £48

 I’ve been testing out Estee Lauder Idealist Even Skin Tone Illuminator Serum for a few months in order to give it a fair trial and to see if it made any different to my skin. The main attraction with this serum is the idea that it is fast acting and will significantly reduce the look of blemished, marked and blotchy skin. The fact that it is also an oil-free skin illuminator definitely worked in its favour!

As with all Estee Lauder products the packaging is simple, classic and elegant. The bottle itself has a shiney and slightly mirrored effect in the iconic mint colour Estee Lauder typically use for their skin care collections. The product pumps out and dispenses the perfect amount for your whole face which saves a lot of trial and error resulting in product wastage. 

The serum is a really lovely light texture but I was surprised at how watery it was compared to other serums I have used. Despite that it is such a wonderful product to apply, the smell is amazing and it sinks straight into your skin so there was no waiting round. The colour is a beautiful kind of golden pearlescent that when turned towards the light shimmers and shakes. I made that last bit up. But it is beautiful! The colour doesn’t translate onto the face but the slight shimmer does… for a while.

For me, that is where most of the positives end. As I mentioned earlier, I have been using the product for a few months and sadly I have seen no change to my skin. The blemish marks and scarring are no worse or better from using this serum and sadly I can’t say there are any hidden benefits either. One thing that did strike me as odd was how soft and smooth my skin felt after applying it when I had no blemishes, but if I was suffering from breakouts it seemed to make them a lot worse and they became harder to conceal. 

All in all I am a little disappointed by this one!I generally love Estee Lauder products and think anything they do, they do with bells on but this did not work for me at all. I would like to think it was maybe better suited to someone with a more consistent skin type however the packageing says it is for all skin types.

Has anyone else used this serum or a similar one? Have you found a product that really works or really doesn't?

Superfacialist Rose Hydrate Intense Moisture Mask by Una Brennan

I’m here today to preach the word of Superfacialist by Una Brennan!

Even though I try a lot of different make-up, I have always worried about what I put on my skin and have shied away from anything with the word ‘moisture’ in it. Ok – that’s an over-exaggeration - but my skin changes so much around certain times of the month that I became quite scared to change anything for fear of turning into a Dalmatian (a very real possibility!)

I can’t really say what provoked me to buy the Superfacialist rose intense moisture mask. At Christmas I received a lovely Boots voucher and through my blurry eyed haze must have just launched it in the basket and ran.

When I first put this on it was a strange consistency to get used to. I normally use clay face masks and this one felt more like a moisturiser. Once applied it was almost invisible and really nice just to leave on for a while. Whereas other masks can become quite uncomfortable, this just sat nicely on my skin. I usually find the smell of rose a bit to harsh but this wasn’t unbearable at all and while the smell is strong, it doesn’t linger on your skin.

It washes off really easily and leaves your skin looking plump and full with a lovely glow. There was no excess oil left on my face so managing make up and other products wasn’t a problem either!

I think the really great thing about this is its suitability for different skin types. I would never describe my skin as being in dyer need of quenching but it adapted so well to my skin and perked it up a right old treat!

Priced at £8.99 for 125ml I think this is really well priced and couldn’t be happier with its performance. I’m not sure I would buy it again but I’m definitely going to try more from Una Brennan and this has been the perfect introduction to her range!

Murad Energizing Pomegranate Cleanser Review

I’ve been feeling pretty unwell today, so in an effort to rest, I’m going to blog my day away :).

Murad - Energizing Pomegranate Cleanser

Before using this cleanser I had never heard of Murad before, so I deliberately chose not to research them so I could give fair judgement on the product.
To start with… Fun Fact - I’ve always wanted to use the word delightful in a sentence, and now I get to! The bottle is delightful! The liquid is a strawberry pink colour that upon dispensing, turns into smooth, velvety foam. Unsurprisingly it smells like pomegranate! However I don’t find it a particularly appealing smell... its not unpleasant by any means, its just not something that appeals to me.

In the past, I have found that after massaging in a cleanser the foam turns a little bit watery and reduces to nothing fairly quickly. But this one stays thick and leathery which in turn, makes it a really enjoyable product to use! It eliminates any trace of oil and really tightens up my pores without drying my skin. A few cleaners of this variety have a nasty habit of making skin feel really uncomfortable and itchy after use, but this doesn‘t! My skin feels soft, clean and completely oil free. People with dry skin might find it a bit over drying and irritating but its great for oily or combination skin.

Despite overall generally liking this product, I think I’m on the fence about it. For the performance it gives, its not really worth the price. There are many more alternatives out there that are a damn sight cheaper, and do the same job.
150ml - £23

8/10

Too Faced Primed and Poreless Review

A few months back I embarked on a mission.
A mission to find “The Best” foundation primer in existence.
...One that was super human.
...One that would do what it was meant to.
...One that worked.

This plan was substantially flawed from the get go, due mainly to the fact that I was completely clueless as to what a primer actually did. To me, they seemed to be the valentines day of the beauty industry, aka, a bit of a con. So its no surprise I found myself going round and round in circles reading countless reviews and recommendations.
Half the problem seemed to be that for every positive review, there was an equally appalled review following immediately after. I understand that what works for one person won’t necessarily work for another, but I’ve never seen such a scrabble board of opinion. Maybe these people where like myself. I had found myself in the primer trap. I had no idea what they really did, but by bubbles I knew I needed one.

As with all beauty products we have the usual; what the product claims to do, and what the product actually does, but by the time you find the latter out, you have already spent out and are stuck either way with something you may not want or that doesn‘t work.
So to make it as clear cut as I can, here’s what a primer should do:

• A good primer prepares the skin for foundation
• Makes foundation application a lot easier
• Evens out skin tone
• Some will reduce the appearance of pores and fine lines
• Absorb any oil
• And help your make-up stay on longer. It may be important to note that it won’t make your make-up water proof but they definitely help in hot weather!
  
  So with that cleared up, let the review commence!
  
  
  Too Faced Primed and Poreless Review
  
  
  

Too Faced seem to put as much work into the packaging of their products as they do the product itself, which is always nice to see! I like the idea of the squeeze tube bottle because so often I find the pump applicator bottles break or get clogged up. At first I thought 35ml was rather small, but after using it I noticed a little really goes a long way and it is not meant to be applied like a foundation. The box claims it contains retinol which apparantly increases cell production and makes skin look younger, but being 22, I couldn’t tell you whether this is true, I haven’t noticed my skin looking like a 12 year olds put it that way. The primer comes out of the tube a pale pinkish colour and absorbs right in, (it doesn’t colour the skin) and feels really lightweight and genuinly pleasant! Blending it in is effortless, it sinks straight in and doesn’t leave any moisture or oil, and on top of that my skin feels really smooth.

I wouldn’t say it brightens the skin particularly well, or really reduces the appearance of pores, which I was a bit shocked at since their main claim is to make your skin ‘Poreless’, but it is a fantastic base for foundation and my makeup has been pretty indestructible after using it! In terms of absorbing oil, it really doesn’t. So if you have really oily skin I’d be cautious.

All in all, though it doesn’t check all the boxes for me, I would defiantly buy this again. I’m convinced of its staying power and it does make make-up application a hell of a lot easier!
£22 for 35ml

7/10

A Quick Journey

Whats In:

Jimmy choo - I think I have mentioned before my love of sweet smelling perfumes, I always seem to be drawn to vanillary or fruity based fragrances, but I was wanting something a little bit different and on impulse decided to buy Jimmy Choo’s fragrance by the same name. To start with, the bottle is so simple but really pretty, with a textured glass finish to give it a classic edge. The packaging and appearance was designed by Tamara Mellor, (co-founder of Jimmy Choo shoes) who wanted something appropriate enough to display on a night stand and devoted much of her time to it. Its quite hard to pin point the exact smell, but it’s a lot more floral than I would usually go for. All in all, it is such a lovely and unique smell! Top notes include; Pear Nectar, Sweet Italian Orange and Tiger Orchard. Base notes include, Toffee and Indonesian Patchouli.
£48.50 for 60ml

Out:

Maybelline Falsies Black Drama Mascara - I’m just going to come right out and say this… DO NOT BUY THIS MASCARA. I’m currently using Maybelline Falsies mascara and in the past I have tried and liked all of the others… so what could go wrong with a super black version?! Well, I couldn’t tell you either, but they’ve got it wrong. So very wrong. The consistency of this mascara is incredibly watery and messy, which may have something to do with the fact that it never seems to dry. An hour after applying a coat I can touch my eyes and find mascara on my hand. Not a good look.
But does it look good? Well… I was once told, more often than not, you have to suffer in order to look good, so I guess if looking good involves looking like a panda with conjunctivitis, Maybelline have hit the nail square on the head. It clumps, it flakes, and it looks terrible. If that wasn’t enough, it is extremely difficult to remove… I quite literally wore through several make up remover wipes trying to get it off.

I’ll admit, one of the main reasons Maybelline are on the naughty step is because in the past, I have been really susceptible to eye infections (normally caused by ‘certain’ products…) and this started it off again. 

But.. at least I know for next time!

Soap and Glory - Soaper Heroes Review

Soaper Heroes Review

These days, we’re faced with so many choices. Not just the life altering; to pixie crop the hair, or not to pixie crop the hair… (that is the rather big and circular shaped question), but even stepping outside your front door leads you to an endless possibility of choices. So its unsurprising that an innocent trip to Boots to buy a body scrub scrabbles my tiny little mind and launches me into disarray.

While I ran away screaming with my arms in the air, a friend very sweetly bought me Soaper Heroes, a travel sized collection of Soap and Glory’s best selling products, and this contained one of the items I’d been particularly interested in. I have used Soap and Glory’s Sit Tight and Sexy Mother Pucker before and know how amazing they are. Its very rare you actually find a product that does what it says on the tin, but I always have confidence in them. So why didn’t I just buy the Flake Away body scrub?

Well, I was overwhelmed by choice, the amount of different products and brands promising the same thing at different prices… call me dubious, but they cant ALL be telling the truth. I’ll quite happily take my chances on a £20 mascara but when it comes to matters of the bath and body, its just too much. So getting back to Soaper Heroes, the set included: Girligo scented moisturising body mist, The Righteous Butter body butter, Flake Away body scrub, Clean On Me skin softening shower gel, and Hair Supply hair repair mask, all in rather adorable travel sized packaging. And heres what I made of them...

Girligo scented moisturising body mist

This is such a lovely smelling and handy moisturiser for post shower use. Its great at holding in moisture and softens skin, not to mention making you smell like peach and strawberries! Admittedly the smell doesn’t last too long but the bottles so sleek and pretty it fits perfectly in your bag for a mid day top up. My pet hate when it comes to moisturisers is sticky, un-absorbable creams that make you want to get straight back in the shower, but Girligo absorbs right in with little effort.. In fact, I’ll go as far as to say it cuts your moisturising time in half! Not to mention it smoothes and softens skin a treat, what more could you want! This is worth a try at £6.38 for 250ml.

The Righteous Butter body butter

The Righteous Butter really surprised me! I have tried so many butter’s in the past and while I’ve always been head over heels in love with the smell of them, they’ve never really done anything for my skin. This one is very, very different! Most butter’s tend to be more on the solid side, but this one is softer and easier to apply and the smell is wonderful. Its a fantastic, non greasy, moisturiser and contains shea butter and aloe vera that leaves your skin so soft and flawlessly smooth. The tub, as with all Soap and Glory packaging, is so pretty, it’s a proud addition to any bathroom shelf. I think anyone with dry skin would really benefit from trying this, after a week of using the product I found my skin was glowing and there wasn’t a dry spec in sight. At £10.21 for 300ml its quite pricey, but they also do a travel sized one (50ml) for £2.35 if your wanting to try it out!

Flake Away body scrub

What can I say about this scrub?.. Waaw. Just.. Waaaaww. I’ve used scrubs in the past that have been a bit problematic in terms of not having enough exfoliants or being too rough, but I’ve never found one that makes my skin feel AND look amazing. After using the scrub alone in the shower, my skin was unbelievably soft and shiny, and again, it smells lovely! The tub is similar to The Righteous Butter so storage isn’t a problem, if, like myself, your trying to balance and juggle a mind field of products you can easily stack other things on top. When I first opened it I was curious as to what it contained because the gains are very fine, after reading the bottom I discovered its made from peach seed and sugar… which I guess explains the smell! At first I did think this would be quite a harsh scrub, but its really not! After vigorous rubbing the sugar mostly disintegrates leaving you with the peach seed for a twice over. I really cannot recommend this product enough! Soap and Glory do a travel sized version for £2.35 (50ml), and the 300ml is £6.64.  

Clean On Me skin softening shower gel

Admittedly, I have only used this once or twice because I have so many shower gels and creams to get through, but so far I’m not overly impressed by it. The packaging is really pretty, though I do find with some shower gels that screw tops are a pain to use. On the website it shows the full sized version has a push down dispenser which makes a lot more sense! It lathers up nicely and like the other products, smells wonderful! But I didn’t see or feel any difference on my skin which was a bit of a disappointment. If I’m honest I don’t really think its worth £5.11 (500ml), but it was a nice addition to the set! There is a travel sized version as with many of the products so I’d maybe give that a try if your interested in it (£2.35 for 75ml). 

Hair Supply hair repair mask

Abused hair beware - You have met your match! I’ll start by clarifying how… particular I am about my hair… aka - “TOUCH ANYTHING BUT THE HAIR!” But all in all, I was really looking forward to trying this. Mainly because all the other products smelt amazing, so naturally I couldn’t wait to get it on my hair. The bottle says the hair mask can be used in two ways, for daily use or weekly use (leaving in for 3-4 minutes) for a more ‘intense’ treatment. One of my pet hates with hair masks is the tendency to make your hair TOO shiny and slippery, Hair Supply didn’t do any of those things… thank God. I decided to still condition my hair, then apply the mask before wrapping a towel round it and leaving it for about half an hour. A little really does go a long way and it was fairly easy to wash out. After drying I found it had really conditioned my hair without making it look greasy, it also enhanced my highlights making my hair look brighter and not at all frizzy. After applying my usual volume moose and straightening, I felt like my hair had transformed! It was so easy too manage and looked a lot healthier than it usually does!
£6.00 for 200ml

So, would I buy any of these products again? Yes. Yes I would. The only one I would probably leave out is the Clean On Me shower gel, simply because I don’t believe its quiteee worth £5.11... Having said that, I’ll definitely take it with me when I go somewhere!

Next time I’m faced with a bath or body dilemma, I’m going to head straight to Soap and Glory and let myself be whisked away to a land of peachy, strawberry bliss!

Lush - Jackie Oates Review

Its taken me a while to get around to reviewing this product, mainly because its taken me a while to get my head around how I feel about it! Firstly I think when buying Jackie Oates, its really important to remember that though it says it can be used as a foundation, this is really down to your personal foundation preferences. The pot says it’s a ‘colour supplement’… along the same lines as a tinted moisturiser, and those who, like myself, prefer full coverage might not get on too well with the product. So I guess that brings me too why I bought it in the first place. I was under no illusions, the sales assistant clarified the finish would be sheer (while I prefer matte) and that the coverage wasn’t great. But I have really pale skin, (I honestly make Casper look tanned), so I struggle to find an exact colour match and most… okay, all of the appeal of Jackie Oates was the colour being a dead ringer for my sheet like complexion.

Before I get going, I just want to say that anyone with oily skin after something quick to put on in the morning - this product isn’t for you. You can put it on, but it’ll come straight back off again. I’d maybe try Benefit’s ’You Rebel’ or Bobbi Brown’s oil free tinted moisturizer for something with a bit more staying power.

First things first, I wasn’t too keen on the packaging and was really unsure how to approach applying it. After toying with the idea of dipping my foundation brush straight in, I decided I wasn’t Vincent Van Gogh and opted for finger application… which I hateeee doing. Though the pot doesn’t seem very hygienic, it’s the perfect size to pop in your bag for touching up throughout the day… and if your planning on wearing this all day, its probably best to take it with you. I found the colour was a 100% colour match for my skin and I really would recommend anyone with dry skin who’s having trouble finding something to suit, give this a try. For me, one of its biggest selling points (aside from the colour) was the oat based formula. A lot of heavy foundations have a tendency to clog up pores and break out oily skin types, but the soothing oats and honey allow the skin to breathe and even improve blemished skin. Another check in the box is being able to mix your own consistency with a moisturiser. Now this is something I haven't really experimented with… mainly because I don’t like tinted moisturisers… or I’ve just never found one I like. There is the possibility that with a really good lightweight liquid based moisturiser this would work for oily skin.

Okay so, in all honesty, the only thing I really liked was the colour. The product is by no means bad, I can think of so many people this would be suited to… I’m just not one of them. :)

4/10

The ins and outs

I actually feel quite out of touch with any new products that have come on the market in the past 2 weeks. I’ve been avoiding visual media recently as a result of Sky Living’s new series of Britain and Irelands Next Top Model. Yes, Elle Macpherson scares the holy hell out of me. Give her a head piece and she could easily pass off as a member of the Borg. So since they seem intent on promoting it in every crevice of media advertising - I have respectfully limited my exposure to it until it dies down. One thing I did do howeveeeer, was visit the new Smashbox counter in Debenhams when I was in Liverpool over the weekend. I honestly felt like an excitable puppy when I got near, my senses heightened, the urge to urinate increased… but all this pointless rambling brings me too…

Whats In:

Smashbox Photofinish Primer - I can’t say that I’m entirely convinced by primers, but after trying Too Faced “Primed and Poreless” (review to come) and seeing the difference it made, I decided to get the photo finish primer. I say “I“, my rather lovely and wonderful boyfriend bought it for me as an early birthday present =]. Even though I haven’t had a chance to give it a fair trail yet, this is staying in for now because its SO good to see Smashbox available in the UK.

Vanillary - I really can’t buy this. I love love LOVE sickly sweet smelling perfumes, but this one is so sweet it would make martians on the moon vomit. I love it.

I make and I sell, Soap.

 …well.. Not quite, but I have been making soap!… and its making the house smell rather spectacular =].

Golf - I’m rubbish. Theres no two ways about it, but I actually really like it. And I like even more, the thought of wearing a golfer hat… with a bobble on top. 

Out:

Dior Nude foundation - In my books, Dior cant put a foot wrong, (mentioning no Galliano shaped disasters). Even though the shades are to dark for my skin its been one of my favourite foundations. So what’s soiled this beautiful relationship? That god damn pump. The third time really isn’t a charm, I don’t know whether its meant to be a clever new mechanism that alerts you when your half way through or their just having a laugh, but £30 on a foundation… I really want to use the whole thing - not just half 

Shake it all about:

I am aware, at this point in the year, how wrong it is to say, I cant wait till Christmas. This is prompted mainly by the fact that my colossal sized Snow Fairy from lush ran out the other day. Devastated? Yes. Where else am I going to find a Calpol smelling shower gel.

Come rain or shine..

I'll make the most of being trapped indoors...

It's a work in progress :)

I also found something on my morning travels that made me happy as a berry...

They've also brought out a mint and walnut scrub too

Erin x

Benefit Bad Gal Mascara Review

A few months ago I went to my local Benefit counter to replenish my 'Get Bent' mascara only to find (much to my horror), that it was being discontinued. I was so disappointed… I’m a huge fan of big lashes and like my eyelashes to produce a breeze when I flutter. 'Get Bent' was the only product that I’d ever been satisfied with!  

After scouring through reviews and recommendations trying to find a similar product, I finally decided to give the Bad Gal mascara a go. I love Benefit Cosmetics as much as the next beauty junkie and can honestly say it lived up to the expectations. My logic in choosing this mascara was that it would continue along the same lines as the Bad Gal eyeliner, delivering big and bold results. And that it did. It is available in black, blue and they also have a waterproof version, although this has a slightly slimmer brush than the regular one, which is quite a significant difference as the brush seems to be one of its distinguishing features. 

To anyone who uses Benefit Cosmetics you’ll know that they have an amazing way of giving their products personality and character… this is no exception. The large bristled brush coated all my lashes evenly and produced an intense bold black finish. It took a few layers to achieve the look I wanted but even after layering it remained clump free. When I pulled the wand out I noticed that the suction around the lid of the tube keeps the wand free of any excess mascara and helps prevent any messiness.

This mascara defiantly helped me get big, fluttering lashes that stood out and over all I'm happy with the results! I did find that it was quite difficult to remove with just normal make-up wipes. So I would recommend using a makeup remover specifically for waterproof mascara to take it off.

8/10

Simply because nothing will take the place of 'Get Bent'.
...
For anyone interested, I have been in contact with Benefit who have said the product may still be available in some retail stores however it has currently 'sold out' throughout the company and will make way for new and exciting products.

I can't wait to see what they come up with =).

Erin xx