Dior Diorskin Forever Foundation and Primer Review

I recently purchased Dior's Diorskin Forever Foundation and their Diorskin Forever Primer Base along with it (what a mouthful!). I'd been wanting to try a new high end foundation for a while as I know what drugstore ones I like but I've never really found a firm favourite in terms of luxury brands. I'd heard multiple bloggers express there love for Dior Forever so I thought I'd give it a go.

Firstly, the counter assistant matched me up perfectly! She used one of those colour match machines a lot of brands use these days, which got my shade (020 Light Beige) spot on, I hate it when you get home and realise the shade isn't quite right.

Forever foundation is medium-full coverage I would say, but it definitely lasts all day. It has a peach undertone which I love as because I'm quite pale in the winter some foundations can look a bit grey almost when applied, but this one really brightens up my skin, and the feel of it is amazing, its very liquid and feels like satin, as in it feels light but gives a good coverage still. It doesn't dry out my skin at all like some heavy foundations tend to do.

I should also mention I have combination skin with a very oily t-zone, so I tend to steer well clear of anything labelled as "dewy" but I feel this foundation does give my skin a healthy, almost dewy look but without making me look like a disco ball! Another plus is its SPF 35 which is the highest I've come across in a foundation, so I'll definitely be reaching for this on sunny days.

I did pick up the Forever Primer Base too though as the assistant recommended it when I explained my skin type. I have definitely noticed a difference when using it, it seems to glide on a lot easier (it puts my Benefit Porefessional Primer to shame!) and I also find my skin staying matte a lot longer throughout the day, so I'm not constantly reaching for my powder. I try not to use the Forever Primer every day though as to replace them both regularly would be pricey!

 The downside to this foundation for me would be the price (£33) so I'm using it sparingly, but on the plus side you don't need to apply much for a good coverage. Also it does have SPF and I have noticed in photos with the flash on it does tend to have a pretty bad flashback and I end up looking very white! I love the packaging too, it's in a sturdy bottle and the pump is good and doesn't dispense too much at a time so there is no wastage.

What's your favourite high end foundation? 

I would love to hear your recommendations.

Iconic London Cream Contour Palette Review

I'll start this post by confessing I'm a newbie in the cream contour world. I've always thought contouring looks a bit scary and I don't like the thought of looking like I'm wearing a mask so it never really appealed to me. However I have to say I think the Iconic London Cream Contour Palette has converted me.

What I love about the palette is its consistency, it glides on so easily and its super easy to blend in. This is great because you can build the product up and you can go as natural or as bold as you want with your contouring. I used the Real Techniques Pointed Foundation Brush to apply, with the Detailer Brush down the sides of my nose, and the Contour Brush to blend (I found this worked great!)

Excuse my messy palette, I have used it a couple of times and couldn't get it clean! Its great that it tells you how to use each shade, from left to right: 'smooth & brighten, correct & perfect, highlight & lift, tighten & tone, shape & shade and sculpt & define.' You could probably get away with using this product without even applying your foundation before, it's that easy to blend.

I tend to apply the product quite naturally: I use highlight & lift under my eyes, I then apply sculpt & define in a harsh line on my cheekbones and buff it out with the shape & shade lighter tone. I then use tighten & tone on my forehead and also down my nose to attempt to contour that! Smooth & brighten is great for applying down your t-zone and to blend in any parts that you may have overdone contouring on.

This isn't a product I reach for on a daily basis as it does add time onto my routine, however I use it when I'm going out somewhere a bit nicer than work! The only thing I dislike about the palette is it makes my skin very dewy, and as I already have oily skin, this is not a great combination! I definitely have to reach for my powder more often once I've applied this product. However if you have normal or dry skin I don't think you'd have an issue with this and it does give a lovely glow.

I think for £32.99 you get a good quality product for your money. There are a lot more expensive contour palettes on the market and this is a great one to start practicing your contour skills with. I'm definitely looking forward to using this product more and improving my contour game!

What contouring product do you use? I'd love to hear any recommendations!

The Perfect Mauve Matte Lipstick?

Unless you've been living under a rock for the last few weeks you'll know that Urban Decay recently released a few new lipsticks and lip pencils. 100 new lipstick shades to be exact and 50 pencils! The Vice collection has so many different shades to choose from, and I didn't know where to start when I approached the counter!

Many, many swatches later and I finally chose "Backtalk" which is a lovely mauve shade from Vice's "comfort matte" range. Apparently this is their most popular new shade. If you tend to stay away from summery corals and pinks in favour of browns like I do, I think Backtalk is a good compromise for summer. It has a hint of pink but is still nude and toned down enough to keep us in our comfort zone!

On the first photograph in this post the colour came up really light, but these photos show the colour better. I like this matte because it really is "comfortable". I always apply lip balm underneath my mattes anyway which always makes them a bit glossier; I can't stand dry lips! In terms of durability I would say I've had lipsticks that have lasted longer, but it was okay and I only had to reapply after eating or drinking really,

I wasn't keen on the mauve lip liner that goes with Backtalk as it has glitter particles in it, so the counter assistant showed me "Liar" which is not from the Vice collection, but the brown actually works really well under the mauve, giving it a slightly darker tone. It will also work well with a lot of my other lipsticks.  

Along with the new products, Urban Decay also released this amazing guide. I love this! It makes choosing the right lipstick so much easier, and all the colours are matched with a pencil! These are available for free at the Urban Decay counters. The new collection is available here.

Have you tried any of the new Vice collection? Which one is your favourite?

The Scent of Summer

I've recently stumbled upon a couple of summer favourites to add to my ever increasing collection! Korres - The Santorini Vine Collection, are a bit pricey, but oh my are they worth it! The shower gel is hands down the best shower product I've ever smelt. Its a blossoming, fruity smell which lingers on my skin afterwards. But just incase, I use the body milk too! The body milk is light and great for summer as it doesn't leave you feeling sticky at all. These products would be great for a present as they sell them in a nice set. I had never heard of Korres until I received a sample in a Feel Unique box, but then I spotted the full size versions in Oliver Bonas and had to have them!

My second new favourite summer scent is Estee Lauder's Bronze Goddess which marketed as an Eau Fraîche Skinscent. The top notes include Amber, Vanilla and Coconut Milk amongst others. 

As soon as I smelt this perfume I said oh my god that is summer! Something about it just reminded 

me of summer instantly. I had to have it! Tip: Wait until shops like Debenhams have discounts on,

usually a few times a year such as 10% or 20% off. Brands like Estee Lauder also do events where you

can get a free small sized products, or sometimes even full size if you buy two products, etc. I would 

never pay full price!

I have a firm rule with these products - I only use them on beautiful days, so that they'll always remind me of summer!

What's your favourite summer scent?

How I Curl My Hair

Recently I have had trouble curling my hair. I used to swear by GHDs, but it got to a certain length and they just stopped holding the curl and they would drop out within minutes. But I recently discovered a new favourite, which gives a big, loose wave which I don't think looks too done, which is just the look I wanted!

 I was originally going to just write this post about the Nume curler, but I recently treated myself to some Bumble and Bumble products (I'd cast them as a luxury!) as I had a lot of points to spend on my Boots card (yay!) 

I thought I'd try the new Full Potential range, which claims to preserve and invigorate the hair to make it look fuller and stronger. This should also help reduce hair loss from breakage. The BB Styling Creme adds body, lifts the hair at the root and defines curl, which is what I bought it for. 

I'm not sure about the BB Full Potential range preserving my hair, but it definitely makes it look fuller and it makes it a lot more manageable and smoother. When used with the BB Styling Creme it seems to straighten or curl much better, when its straight it looks much smoother and has more body, and the Styling Creme helps hold the curls well too. I usually apply the Styling Creme when my hair is damp, although it can be used on wet or dry hair.

The Nume 32mm is the styling wand I went for, which is the largest barrel I believe, as they have a few variations. The Nume website is actually really helpful and has a Results page showing real life styles the wands create. The wand is so easy to use, some days I have been in a massive rush and had less than 5 minutes to curl it, but it still creates a nice, soft wave, even when rushed. After curling I brush them out slightly using my fingers and spray with hairspray. I haven't included a hairspray in my routine as I am yet to find a favourite. I'm currently using a Tony&Guy medium hold one, but I also like the V05 range and Elnett. 

I bought my Nume wand directly from the Nume website at a discounted price using Anna Saccone's 50% promotion code (not sure if this is still valid!). However I've seen that they often have discounts. Mine ended up costing me less than £40 I think with shipping and VAT which was an incredible deal! Plus they included a UK converter plug (I didn't think they would) and they work perfect. I recommend getting a discount code, don't pay full price if you can avoid it! 

What do you use to curl your hair?

Halloween 2015

Firstly I apologise for these appalling quality photos! I didn't have the time or proper lighting for my Canon so iphone selfies had to do. They're alright for Instagram but once you blow them up not so good!

Anyways, this Halloween I went to a couple of parties over the weekend so I got the chance to do two looks and they were both so fun! On the Friday I did the cracked doll which I did a very similar one in 2013 (and I took better quality photos!) which you can see here. And on the Saturday I did a sort of spontaneous look, I hadn't planned it at all but I'd seen how people did a scale effect using fish net tights so I had a go at that, did some dramatic eye makeup, patted some eyeshadow on my lips, backcombed my hair and sprayed some glitter in it. I think I turned out as a sort of mermaid/fish/punk, all good fun!

I curled my hair with the Nicky Clarke Styling Wand which I love and will hopefully be reviewing soon! For my face I used my No7 Beautifully Matte Foundation, which is quite pale on me and I used more of my Collection concealer than usual in shade 1. I then powdered over it with a white powder from Amazon (which wasn't great). I filled in my eyebrows as usual, contoured with Benefit Hoola bronzer and one of the Sleek palettes on my cheeks. 

I'm wearing the Urban Decay Vice Palette on my eyes with lots of Loreal Super Liner. I did the semi-circle under my eye and filled it in with white eye liner which I set with white powder, then met the line with the liner along my upper lash line. I wore two pairs of lashes on my upper lash line so that they extended right the way to the end of my eyeliner to make my eyes look bigger. The first pair were Eylure and the second were a set of two Smiffys Dolly Eyelashes which I got off Amazon. I then glued the lower lash ones to the line I had drawn underneath my eyes. 

I then drew the cracks using the Super Liner, and blurred them a little using a brown eyeshadow.

Very rushed outfit shot! I bought the dress and the Petticoat off Amazon, I was impressed by the quality of both!

For this look I did the same base, then pulled some fish net tights over my head (very uncomfortable!) and used my Urban Decay Book of Shadows Volume II (which I've had a good few years!) to contour. I used a green shade at the top of my forehead and a blue shade further down. I then contoured in the hollows of my cheeks using a mixture of the blue and green. I dabbed some lip balm on my lips before patting on some eyeshadow, mostly in the middle. I did a smoky eye using the Vice Palette again and tried my hand at some dramatic eyeliner, by doing cat flicks outwards and dragging it down past my tear ducts. I used a Mac highlighter on the top of my cheekbones and cupids bow.

I just brushed the curls out of my hair and backcombed it a lot (although it didn't stay in long!) and I pinned some bits back.

Here's me and my bestie at the party (she was a mad scientist if you couldn't tell!)

Our scary faces!

Two mad scientists!

I hope you all had a fun Halloween whether you staid in and watched movies or partied all night!

What did you dress as? I need inspiration for next year ;)

Magnitone Lucid Review*

Last week I was fortunate enough to be sent a Magnitone Lucid to review. I have seen a good number of cleansing brushes on the market recently, they definitely seem to be the new thing, so I was excited to try the Magnitone one.

Magnitone claim that you will see a difference in your skin in just 7 days. I was actually breaking out when I started using Magnitone so I thought that was a good time to try it out. 

Magnitone Lucid is really simple to use. It came already charged, you simply screw the head on and switch it on, choosing between the first setting or the second setting which is for more sensitive skin. I put some cleanser on my face first and wet the head so it really cleans my skin. But I'll warn you to close your eyes unless you want cleanser running into them when you do your forehead! Magnitone Lucid also has a built in zonal timer and it beeps when it's time to move onto the next area of your face and turns off automatically after a minute, so easy! It's waterproof too so you can easily use it in the shower. It also comes with a wireless charger so it's great for travelling.

I am actually really impressed with this product! I honestly didn't think it would do that much, but it buffs off any dead skin so there's no need to even exfoliate now, it's also brightened and cleared up my skin, evened my skin tone and I've noticed that my moisturiser sinks in a lot better now too. I would 100% buy this again and it's now a core product in my skincare routine, I used it once a day as recommended, for a minute each time. My skin honestly hasn't looked this good without makeup in ages!

Magnitone Lucid is available in four different colours, I requested the Plush Pink of course! Magnitone Lucid retails at £69.99, but until July 31st you can get 20% off with BLOVE20 discount code!You can redeem it here.

*I was sent this product but all views are my own. 

Hair Inspiration

Recently I've been fancying a drastic change when it comes to my hair. I think I've realised that these will be the last couple of years of my life before I hopefully have a "serious job" so this is the last chance I really have to experiment with my hair! Maybe I'm having a quarter life crisis.. I'm not sure, but I really want to go platinum! I think if I don't do it once in my life I'll regret it, and I can always dye it back right? I'm going to do it gradually, I'll probably just start off with a bleach bath and a few highlights and see how it takes! Here is some of my favourite hair inspiration, all were found off Google and Pinterest, I take no credit for any of the images.

I love these ash blonde colours, I think that will try to achieve this colour in a few months.

Who doesn't want hair like Daenerys?! (even if it is a wig)

If my hair takes well to the ash tones I might go a step further and go white! My hair might be dead as a door nob by this point.. We shall see! I have been looking after it really well over the past couple of years and it is currently in great condition, so I'm hoping that helps when I dye it.

I love pink hair so much, I would love this colour for a holiday.. Maybe this time next year?!

Have you ever been platinum? If so how did you hair take it? What do you think to these colours? :)

InstaNatural Youth Express Vitamin C Moisturizer Review*

I was recently sent Youth Express Vitamin C Moisturizer Advanced Restorative Blend by InstaNatural to try out. 

This InstaNatural moisturizer contains a 20% concentration of Vitamin C, which they claim acts as a powerful antioxidant and helps protect skin from the sun, helping prevent and diminish wrinkles and restores healthier skin. Youth Express also claims to brighten your complexion and create a more even skin tone. This moisturizer is also meant to work for all skin tones and is a light moisturizer than you can use in the day and night.

I used this moisturizer alongside the InstaNatural 100% Moroccan Rose Water Toner (review here) and I think the products work beautifully together. I am usually very skeptical of light moisturisers (especially at night) because I have some dry patches on my face and those areas sometimes still feel very tight with a light moisturiser. I found that this Vitamin C Moisturizer made my face feel so soft and silky, after I had used the Rose Water Toner and the Vitamin C Moisturizer I couldn't stop stroking my face! It just felt so hydrated, but not oily. The packaging is great too, simple and easy to pump out.

I think my skin has definitely improved since using this product, I was suffering with some breakouts before (which was a bit unusual for me) but now my skin seems to be a lot better with just the odd spot occurring which I can live with! My complexion has actually improved too, it looks more even and brighter, even with only a few uses. And the texture of my skin is much better too. I would definitely recommend Youth Express Vitamin C Moisturizer, and I have very high standards for my moisturisers! This one ticks all the boxes.

You can buy InstaNatural Youth Express Vitamin C Moisturizer from Amazon for £19.47 (usually £49.95) Personally I wouldn't pay more than £30 for a moisturiser but I think £20 for this one isn't bad as it's a good product.

Packaging: 5

Value For Money: 4

Product: 5

Overall: 4.5

What's your favourite moisturiser?