Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer SPF 15

Everyone is accustomed with the Smashbox range and especially their primers. The Smashbox Photo Finish SPF 15 primer works one: as a primer and two: as a sun protectant. So, you could say this is a 'win' product for spring/summer, as that's the time when most of us lighten up on foundation. 

The primer contains Dermaxyl Complex which reduces the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines (I don't have any wrinkles, so this novelty doen't interest me).

I like the fact that it comes with a pump which is hygienic and also means you can control the amount of product which comes out. A small pea size covers the whole face, so I suppose the 30ml bottle will last a very long time. 

As all primers, you will have to wait a few minutes before actually applying your foundation or you can even wear this bare on the face after applying moisturiser. During the summer, I recommend using this primer under a tinted moisturiser to kick start sun protection. Concealer and liquid foundation go on smoothly and last a whole working day. This primer is one to be used under mineral makeup, even thought some may promote they have SPF in their powders, it doesn't mean a dusting of powder will adequately protect your skin from the sun. 

As far as I know, the only place to purchase Smashbox in the UK  at a store at Debenhams.
You can also get it from QVC, where I ordered mine for around £27, and from Amazon.

Review: 'L'Agent' by Agent Provocateur

L'Agent by Agent Provocateur is a lush, dark, mysterious rosey scent with jasmine and tuberose, woods and amber, incense and musk. The packaging follows the same convention for the Agent Provocateur brand. The soft pink colour that fades into a grey at the bottom. This has to be the most polarising perfume I own; people either love it or hate it. You won't find no loud sweet fruity notes or any greenery in this bottle - probably a reason for why I'm not a big fan of it. 

Review: 'Gaultier 2' by Jean Paul Gaultier

I am a massive fan of fragrances, and for me it's always exciting discovering new and different fragrances. I   was bored of my Lady Million, Dior Cherie and Hypnotic Poison perfumes and needed something new! I came across a boxed Gaultier 2 by Jean Paul Gaultier in my mums draw. This perfume was released way back in 2005. I'm a huge fan of Classique (the bottle shaped like a female body) so I stole this from her. 

Gaultier 2 has heavy vanilla, amber and musk notes that is so unique, meaning it can be used for any occasion. I believe this was aimed at being a unisex fragrance as it isn't so "florally" or too "musky". 

However, saying that, the bottle/packaging is still extremely masculine but it is a very comforting scent, soft and sexy! Intensely modern and sophisticated, especially for a woman to pull off. The only thing I don't buy into is the novelty of the magnetic bottles. I love the smell but I prefer it as a 'winter warmer' type of perfume, something for the cold winter days.

M.A.C haul!!

Hey everyone! I was feeling so down during the revision period and just couldnt wait for it to be over. I really thought I needed cheering up and what better way to do it than RETAIL THERAPY! I took a trip down to the Mac store and thought I'd treat myself to some new bits and bobs.

The first thing that caught my eye was the Mac powder blush in Melba. This looks amazing against all skin tones in my opinion and can be worn during the day and even the night, with a nice highlight. This shade is perfect for any season. I apply this with my Mac 150 brush to precisely place it on the apples of my cheeks.

I then picked out Shy Girl by Mac which is a creamy neutral coral beige in a cremesheen finish. This lipstick is also perfect for spring and summer for neutral looks, but can be enhanced by a Mac Dazzleglass on top.

 

The last thing I got was carbon eyeshadow. I absolutely love this eyeshadow and had run out if it completely so I had to pick up another. This eyeshadow is my holy grail! I use this with an angled brush as a liner on my top lashes, for a smoky sultry look, but also use it in the outer-V to smoke up any eyeshadow look.

I wanted the pan version to stick into my palette, but they didn't have any left in the store, so pot version it was. Another shadow which is nice to use as top liner is Mac Monte Black, its the same dark black as carbon, but has soft specs of glitter init. Use carbon as the liner, and then monte black on top to create a great night time liner.

So there it is..just a few products that I thought I'd try and give u a bit of feedback on! 

China Glaze - 'High Roller'

As many of you students would know, the last month (and the coming month) has been all about revision.  Because of this, I've been behind on keeping my nails maintained, because I'd only bite them all off whilst in the exam hall. So I thought I'd take a day off and treat my self to a ridiculously loud colour on my nails. 

This classic classy red is China Glaze 'High Roller'. It's perfect for nights out or casual days at home buried in text books. It's a great shade for summer on gel nails or possibly even on the toes. 

I bought this for around £7.00 at Sallys a few months ago and I believe now they are having a '3 for 2 on all China Glaze Nail Polishes'. 

I love how it looks against my skin tone. I am loving the Chine Glaze range at the moment,  they last really well on my own nails as well as gel nails. The spectrum of colours are so unique and requires little effort in getting the colour to appear this vibrant! 

Review: E.L.F Powder Brush

We both recently purchased the Mac Face and Body foundation, but found that applying it with the 'painter' style foundation brush didn't apply the foundation to it's full potential. The other night we checked out the E.L.F website, as we heard their studio line brushes were comparable to the Mac brush collection. We each purchased the infamous E.L.F Powder Brush, for £3.50 and were amazed at how quick the delivery process was.

The bristles are made from Taklon, and are extremely soft! The bristles are densely packed to allow your foundation to give you a full coverage flawless finish. It can be used with wet or dry makeup products, and that is exactly what we do, with the Mac Face and Body foundation and the Mac mineralised skin-finish without creating a big cloud of dust.

We are so impressed with this one brush, we are ready to start building up our collection of E.L.F Studio Line brushes. Overall, we can't say enough good things about this brush and it sure is a makeup necessity for any avid makeup enthusiast.