Bobbi Brown Long Wear Even Finish Foundation Review!

Before I get into this review, I just wanted to say sorry for my absence. It really has been a while since I last posted and that is for quite a few reasons! I'll try not to bore you with the details but the main reason is down to the fact that I recently got a new job and was travelling to Cardiff to work as well a juggling my old job. So I'm now happily settled into my new position and hopefully on my lovely days off I can get more organised on my blog! So without further a-do... 

I like to think I do my best to write honest reviews, the kind of reviews I would want to read because like many of you I research into products before I decide whether I’m going to part with my money. But there is the occasional time when I have an Aladdin moment and turn into Abu in the cave of wonders. And by that I mean starring starry eyed at a product I know has a bad reputation, ignoring this and buying it anyway. 

For me, that product has been the Bobbi Brown Long Wear Foundation. A lot of the reviews out there are incredibly mixed, but almost every person who has taken the time to review this foundation has advised oily skin types to steer clear as it causes breakouts and excess oil throughout the day. But as you have probably guessed by now, I went ahead and bought it anyway!

Bobbi Brown Long-wear Foundation  £30

 Bobbi Brown offer an amazing 18 skin shades, the lightest being Porcelain which I decided to go for. The packaging, as always with Bobbi Brown, is immaculate! The box is an unmistakable shiny black with clear white writing and the bottle is a lovely thick glass which displays the product inside beautifully. 

The product itself is a slightly more creamy consistency than most of its competitors but dispenses cleanly from the pump without any excess spillages. It blended really beautifully into my skin and the shade was an exact match for my skin tone which in itself is something I want to sing from the rooftops. 

Another great thing I found? It smells divine! I know a few people can be put off by scented products because after all, everyone has different ideas of what smells nice but I really did like this smell. It is clean and maybe ever so slightly floral but it does fade so don’t let that worry you! 

So, in terms of how wearable Bobbi Brown Long Wear Foundation is for different skin types, I would say if you have oily skin your going to struggle and it really breaks my heart to say it! It didn’t last very long on my face at all and I found I was constantly trying to blot patches with powder throughout the day. On the plus side, if you are someone who likes a light coverage and a bit more moisture to your foundation, this is the one for you! 

Erin xx

Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution (formerly Crealine) Review

There is so so so much hype around this product online... And I’ll happily get behind every positive word that is written about it! Finding a good make-up remover is really important, it’s one thing to know that your skin is clean but it’s another not to have to rugby tackle your mascara off your lashes! The main thing that drew me to trying this was the disbelief that anything could live up to that kind of hype.

Bioderma - Available from Escentual - Prices start from £4.50

 I’ve tried more make-up removers than I care to mention and I have found that where one will be fairly effective at removing my make-up, it’ll near enough burn my eyeballs out doing it! Bioderma is completely different, it is so gentle and looks just like water. You only need to rub a few times to remove even waterproof mascara and there is no burning or stinging! It is clearly made from the tears of a unicorn.

Bioderma’s make-up removing heroics are really well documented online, but I wanted to flag up another quality that I have noticed. As I have mentioned in previous posts I suffer from blemishes and sometimes scarring but since using Bioderma my skin has completely cleared! Spots, blemishes and scarring are no where to be seen. This may be down to my skin being cleansed more thoroughly than usual or it could be an ingredient in Bioderma that is causing blemishes to calm down. Either way I cannot thank this product enough and I'm already looking at what to buy next from the brand!

Has anyone else noticed a similar reaction? What should I try next from the brand?!

Erin. xx 

Currently Coveting #1

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August is such a great month for fashion. It's a sort of half way house between pretty floral prints and the deeper Autumn shades that are starting to filter through into the shops. I've been feeling inspired
by so many up and coming trends (any excuse to channel my inner Blair Waldorf and wear plaid!) But for now I'm really happy to team the deeper floral prints with the tough biker look. Flowers and leather seem to be a match made in heaven.

What's on your wishlist?

Chocolate-Spice Cupcake Recipe

This is a lovely recipe taken from my Fairytale Food recipe book written by Lucie Cash!

 

Fairytale Food: Enchanting Recipes To Bring A Little Magic To Your Cooking - £10.20 from Amazon

What Will I Need?

For the cake batter

110g Softened Unsalted Butter

110g Caster Sugar

2 Large Eggs

110g Self-Raising Flour

2 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

1 and a Half Teaspoons Ground Ginger

4 Cardamom Pods - Seeds removed and ground to a powder with a pestle and mortar

2 Tablespoons Milk

What do I do now?!

1> Preheat the oven to 190/gas mark 5 and fill a baking tray with your cases

2> Cream the butter and the sugar together until pale and fluffy, then add the eggs one at a time and mix really well

3> Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, ground ginger and cardamom and add to the mixture a little at a time along with the milk, mixing well to make sure all the ingredients are combined. 

4> Spoon the mixture into the prepared cases so they are all about a third full. Place the tray into the centre of the oven and cook for about 20 minutes until a skewer comes out clean!

Butter-cream Icing!

While the cupcakes are cooling, make your icing! 

60g Softened Unsalted Butter

250g Icing Sugar

1 Teaspoon Ground Ginger

2 Tablespoons of Milk

1> Place the butter in a large bowl and whip it up using an electric hand whisker (you can also do this by hand with a little more work!) Add the icing sugar bit by bit and cream it with the butter. Add the milk and ground ginger and mix really well until you are left with a smooth, thick, creamy icing!

2> I did some truly shocking piping work on mine! But you can apply it however you want! Spread, pipe, dip... be creative!

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?

Ricotta Beef Burger Recipe

Hello again!

I love getting inspired by new new recipes and this one came as such a surprise to me. I have never tried any of Nigel Slater's recipes before but after watching him make this on Nigel Slater's Dish of the Day, I was seriously impressed with the creativity and versatility of these Ricotta Beef Burgers. The ingredients below will make about 8-10 burgers but this does depend on how big you like your burger!

The burgers do have a tendency to flake and fall apart in the pan but don't worry, this is normal! Just shape them the best you can and I promise the outcome will be a total reward! 

What Will I Need?

500g of Minced Beef

250g of Ricotta

3 tbs of Capers (optional)

A Bunch of Spring Onion - Finely Chopped

Salt & Pepper to Season

What do I do now?!

1> Break up the minced beef into a large bowl using your hands or a wooden spoon. 

2> Add the ricotta, spring onion and capers (if using), then season generously with salt and pepper.Mix well until you have a smooth, pink mixture. 

3> Now for the messy bit! Take a handful of the mixture and shape them into patties. I found making small, thick burgers (about 2-3cm deep) helped them stay together in the pan. 

4> You can grill or fry the patties but I found frying a lot easier to manage if bits do start to flake off! To do this, heat a little oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the burger for about 10 minutes, flipping them over as necessary.  

...And of course, you can serve them however the heck you like!

Lately...

Hello!

I just wanted to do a little update on life and tell you what I've been enjoying lately. I haven't done a post like this is ages so please leave me a comment telling me what you have been up to recently and if there are any products you have been particularly taken by! 

I was bought these lovely mint sandals by my boyfriend for my birthday and I think the colour is just beautiful! / Burt's Bees Pomegranate Sugar Scrub / This Disney Wonder Linen Spray is beautiful and steps away from a lot of the conventional scents / I actually don't dread taking my make-up off any more. How I love Bioderma / A While a go Lush stepped into the world of dry shampoo and I'm really liking No Drought! / I'm soverynearly at the end of my Diorskin Forever Compact Foundation and it'll be a sad day when I say goodbye.

£8.99 from Boots

If you saw my birthday post, you'll know that I received this wonderful hand cream as a gift! I have always loved Burt's Bees lip balms but have never ventured further afield with their products since now and I'm so sorry it's taken me so long! This hand cream is lovely and gentle but really hydrating. In the winter I suffer from quite bad (and painful) eczema so I'll defiantly be pulling this one out come October!

£12.99 from Boots

Another birthday gift I've been loving, Burt's Bees Pomegranate Sugar Scrub! Again, completely blown away by this one, I wanted to try and get a good picture of the actual product to show the gorgeous syrupy texture! It's quite difficult not to eat this I'll admit. But if you can fight off the urge, it's incredible on your skin. The sugar is so fine and it really works into your skin to deeply ex-foliate. Just lovely! 

£2.75 from Amazon

My boyfriend and I celebrated our three year anniversary on the 5th August and I couldn't wait to give him this Rob Ryan Card! It pretty much sums our relationship up. 

 

After going back and fourth between Despicable Me 2 and Monsters University, we saw the latter - and I'm so happy we did! Some of the characters were complete comedy gold and after seeing mini Mike at the beginning... I just wanted to squeeze him!

£15 from Waterstones

I picked this Fairytale Food Recipe Book up a few months back but wanted to include it here because I've been really enjoying flicking through the pages and seeing how creative the recipes are. 

What have you been enjoying lately?!

Erin, xx