The Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless powder is highly-acclaimed and to be honest I can see what the hype is about. It is expensive, at £34 the price is comparable to a high end foundation. I bought this more as a portable finishing powder to keep with me on long days to touch up and conveniently mattify my make-up.
The award-winning Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Powder
Description
Use it to set your foundation base or under-eye concealer, as a finishing powder or for touch-ups during the day.
Finely-milled so helps to blur imperfections.
Available in 3 shades: 1, 2 & 3 for fair, medium and dark skin tones. I use shade 2.
It is non-drying, rose wax and almond oil nourish the skin.
In terms of these ingredients, I am a bit weary of the parabens. Also, I do prefer cleaner beauty products and in that respect, these ingredients are probably not those that I would want to put on my face daily.
How I Use It
I like using this when I feel my face getting shiny throughout the day (perhaps once or twice during the day.) I blot away the excess oils from my face and then very lightly dust my face with this powder with a large fluffy brush. I find this step revitalises my make-up and just makes it look fresh once again. It is so finely milled that it provides a flawless, perfecting veil. To fully freshen up, a light spritz of a hydrating mist over this does the job.
This is Shade 2 against a NC 35-40 complexion. As it imparts just a very sheer veil…this colour works for a range of skin colours.
Verdict
This is a product that I only use when I am sporting full coverage foundation and make-up looks; and when I want my full face of make-up to last me throughout the day. And it does definitely improve my make-up when it begins to fail me by the middle of the day….I have oily skin and this works effectively to mattify the excess oils. This product does not cake up or emphasize my pores, the latter being one of my biggest bugbears. I have NC 25-30 skin and this shade works perfectly for me.
I love it when a product just works for me and can be added to my permanent cosmetic arsenal; this is one such product.
NIOD…we have all heard about it…but it’s price tags leave us drawn towards the brand’s sister company, the notably less pricey, The Ordinary. I have finally pinpointed the problem with my current skin: It is severely dehydrated and that is having dire implications for the look of my foundation. Air conditioners, I am looking at you…Hyaluronic acid (HA) is one ingredient renowned for being able to quench thirsty skin. I also watched this video by Liah Yoo which discussed the efficacy of various forms of HA on offer and bolstered my understanding of this much sought after ingredient.
Although I had been using the Ordinary Hyularonic Acid 2% + B5 for several months (which was helping somewhat), I thought it was time to raid the bank and splash out on this pricier alternative, NIOD’s Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex (MMHC2). MMHC2 is priced at an eye-watering £38 for 30ml, while the same size bottle of the Ordinary’s HA offering seems like spare change comparatively, at £5.90.
Description
The NIOD serum is much lighter and quicker to absorb than its counterpart, and is almost water-like in its consistency. They both work fine under make up; but I imagine the NIOD version would work well with absolutely anything layered above as it seems to fully sink into the skin. One of the major differences between these two products is that while the cheaper offering has almost no scent, the NIOD serum has quite a discernible, unpleasant smell…In the product’s defence, however, this aroma does diffuse quite rapidly and I much prefer this to a firm’s attempt to mask funky smells with loads of skin-irritating perfumes.
They are both housed in glass bottles and have pipettes to dispense the product. The NIOD serum does look more lux in its tinted glass bottle and rather elegant pipette. Moreover, the box that the MMHC2 bottle comes packaged in is sleek…I, for one, was extremely excited to be trying this product.
The difference in the quality of the packaging mirrors the extortionate variation in price.
Comparisons
Price: NIOD £38 for 30ml (£25 for 15ml); The Ordinary £5.90 for 30ml
Consistency: NIOD is very thin almost water-like; The Ordinary is thicker and more tacky
Hyaluronic Acid: NIOD has an unparalleled 15 different forms of HA, including precursors; the Ordinary has 3
Eyes:Both can be applied around eyes
The NIOD serum is very runny, almost the consistency of water. The Ordinary serum is a little more viscous in comparison.
Like all serums, these are intended to be used before moisturiser; but after cleansing and toning.
My Verdict
My hopes that NIOD would be my answer to plump, hydrated skin were dashed almost immediately after the first application. My skin just does not agree with it. It seems I am allergic to something in the formulation, which comes as little surprise given its extensive ingredient list. It makes tiny bumps appear under my eyes and on my cheeks; it makes affected areas look uneven and puffy. These bumps seem to calm down as the day progresses, but are set off each time I reapply this serum in the morning. Needless to say, I have now accepted my fate and discontinued use. It does seem to quench the skin quite well as my skin seems plumper during the day, but the spotty rash it also imparts leaves me with no option but to discard it. My skin is extremely sensitive at the moment; but an allergic reaction to this serum is quite rare judging by internet reviews of this product, which are overwhelmingly positive. I purchased my NIOD MMHC2 serum from Look Fantastic; and luckily they do offer full refunds in the instance of an allergic reaction to a product.
The Ordinary serum had less visible plumping and hydrating results, but gave me no adverse reactions. So, although it may be less effective, I am left with this HA serum until I can find (if it indeed exists) a more effective but affordable HA alternative for my sensitive skin. Or perhaps, I should just drink more water…
According to various recent sales reports, the IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream is the number 1 CC cream in the US. Its popularity comes as no surprise when you consider the array of delectable ingredients it boasts: Hydrolyzed collagen, peptides, niacin, hyaluronic acid and vitamins. One ingredient that has been a talking point for all the wrong reasons is snail secretion filtrate, yes that is what you are probably hoping it is not…snail slime. Although this will ward off many, I am content to try any ingredient to give me the elusive glowing skin that I am in pursuit of.
It Cosmetics CC Cream in Medium Tan
In a nutshell, this is a colour-correcting cream which promises to brighten and protect skin from ageing and the sun. It is marketed as full coverage and as a moisturiser, primer, serum and foundation all in one. Talk about killing multiple birds with one stone.
Description
It is available in 7 shades, ranging from Fair to Deep.
The CC cream provides SPF 50+ UVA/UVB broad-spectrum physical sunscreen.
It minimizes pores and provides a radiant, hydrated finish.
It retails for a reasonable £30 for 32ml; and is available here on Selfridges website.
I use this as I would a foundation—applying it over my usual prepped face of serums, moisturiser, SPF and sunscreen. I then dust over it lightly with a setting powder. It works well directly applied onto a clean face too.
I use the Medium shade for my NC25-30 complexion and can get away with Medium Tan. Pav (pictured below) is NC 35 and wears Medium Tan, with the Medium a little too light.
Top to bottom: Medium Tan, Medium. There is quite a discrepancy between the two shades, the Medium Tan could even be described as a tad orange.
Flashback
Pav wearing Medium Tan; photo with flash
As to be expected given the high SPF, this CC cream is not good for flash photography. It photographs a lot better in natural lighting without the flash. Flash photography does not do this foundation any justice for how it actually appears in real life; a natural and radiant finish. Therefore, although this CC cream is an impressive option for every day, it is not recommended for special occasions where flash photography will be rife.
Verdict
I am a real fan of this product. Face base products tend to either fall into the ‘meh’ category or are noticeably extraordinary. This product falls into the latter category. It does not live up to its claims of being full coverage in my opinion; it is not a substitute for a full coverage foundation. But it does offer impressive coverage alongside a host of skin-improving ingredients. Moreover, it really does smooth the skin and blur out the pores; that claim is in no way exaggerated. I used it on my inflamed, spotty skin which was healing in the aftermath of a reaction and it made that skin look presentable which is a huge testimony to this product. It did not highlight any texture or bumps, which would have been easy with such an uneven surface. I have tried the illuminating version of this CC cream which was not as forgiving on textured skin and if anything, seemed to exacerbate texture.
It offers a dewy, glowy finish on my oily skin and it lasted well throughout the day. It does not seem to crack and separate throughout the day.
At £30, for a product which combines an effective serum with a beautiful daily foundation, it is an undeniable steal and no wonder that it is so sought after across the pond.
CereVe is a skin-care brand that only recently reached our shores. I recall the thrill of realizing that we Brits could now too get our hands on this inexpensive but dermatologically-solid range. As of late, my skin has become extremely sensitive—I am now reacting to certain skincare. This was unheard of for me and it just makes this search for HG skincare and make-up that bit harder. Inevitably, it also means more money down the drain…
I used this product when my skin was suffering an allergic reaction and was in an angry state. I still needed to moisturise and was looking for a simple, yet effective, hydrator. I am impressed by the amount of dermatologist backing this brand seems to command; countless skin professionals recommend this brand. Not to mention the many vloggers and bloggers that swear by this range.
Texture: It is quite a thin lotion which absorbs into skin fairly quickly.
Application: It leaves no tacky residue and works well under every single foundation I have paired it with. My skin instantly feels hydrated once I have applied it.
Technology: It utilises patented MVE® Delivery Technology which provides controlled hydration release for 24 hours.
Notable Ingredients: It contains hyaluronic acid as well as essential ceramides.
The moisturiser has the consistency of a lotion and absorbs into skin remarkably well.
I find myself reaching for this both morning and night to moisturise my face. Although this is not marketed as a facial product and more a generic body moisturiser, it does an excellent job at hydrating the face. It is non-comodogenic, fragrance-free and it makes my face soft and supple.
The hand with the ring has moisturiser applied whereas the other hand does not. I think the effects are visible from this photo…the lotion makes the skin marginally brighter and smoother.
Verdict
This product is marketed for dry skin and as a generic moisturiser; I have oily skin and I use it as a facial moisturiser. Go figure. It quenches my dehydrated skin well and in a non-greasy way. The hydration provided is even better than some heavier alternatives I have tried. It works out a lot more cost effective to use this on your face as opposed to buying the face-specific versions*—with the latter you are getting less than a quarter of product at a higher price. I am all about saving money where I can.
As someone who regularly uses more targeted face serums, I believe I can get away with a basic moisturiser. The fact that it contains some prized ingredients at such a reasonable price makes it a bargain. For now, I will be sticking with this moisturiser; it suits my budget and my needs well.
The verdict is quite simple: This product is cheap and fuss-free but does the job and does it well.
These look comparable to the ingredients for the general purpose moisturiser. The one notable ingredient absent in the generic moisturiser is anti-inflammatory hero, niacinamide. However, I use a separate serum for this ingredient regardless, so this is not an issue for me—Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 2% by the Ordinary.
Cleansing oils have really shaken up the skincare industry…we are moving away from harsh cleansers which irritate and strip the skin and instead are being drawn to the array of alternatives on offer. I am sure we are all guilty of turning to those pesky make-up wipes, which although quite convenient, prove to be an abrasive choice for our delicate skin. I am ashamed to admit that this was my staple make-up remover for a good while…
I have been using cleansing oils for several months now and I can say I am a fan. They are nourishing and feel a much more pampering option. It is the Facetheory Deeply Nourishing Jojoba Cleansing Oil that has introduced me to this form of make-up remover; an affordable oil with some formidable powerhouse ingredients including the anti-aging hero rosehip oil and the vitamin E-rich cranberry seed oil.
Description
It retails at £24.99 for a 100ml bottle; but is currently on offer at just £13.99.
It combines some of the most effective face oils, to create a luxury cleanser for the skin.
It is suitable for all skin types.
It contains a small amount of a natural emulsifier which means it is an oil that can actually be washed off effectively.
This products boasts such an impressive array of organic oils, it really is a steal.The consistency is like that of a regular oil or serum.
The 100ml bottle should last a while as it is only a few drops that are required each time.
How I Use It
I use this as my second cleanse after I have removed my make-up. It helps to remove any last trace of residue while leaving my skin nourished and clean, without that tight feeling. I massage a few drops onto my skin and use my warm wet facial cloth to wash it off. I have oily skin and this product does not exacerbate it. I can also attest to it being extremely gentle; I used this on my angry, inflamed skin when I was suffering from an allergic reaction and found it soothing and nourishing.
Verdict
I must say I have become a real fan of this upcoming British brand. I wholeheartedly recommend this cleanser; and it will definitely be something that I will continue to purchase, that is not something I say about a lot of products. It is regularly on offer on the Facetheory website, and I honestly cannot think of another product boasting such superb ingredients at such a reasonable price.
The Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless powder is highly-acclaimed and to be honest I can see what the hype is about. It is expensive, at £34 the price is comparable to a high end foundation. I bought this more as a portable finishing powder to keep with me on long days to touch up and conveniently mattify my make-up.
The award-winning Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Powder
Description
Use it to set your foundation base or under-eye concealer, as a finishing powder or for touch-ups during the day.
Finely-milled so helps to blur imperfections.
Available in 3 shades: 1, 2 & 3 for fair, medium and dark skin tones. I use shade 2.
It is non-drying, rose wax and almond oil nourish the skin.
In terms of these ingredients, I am a bit weary of the parabens. Also, I do prefer cleaner beauty products and in that respect, these ingredients are probably not those that I would want to put on my face daily.
How I Use It
I like using this when I feel my face getting shiny throughout the day (perhaps once or twice during the day.) I blot away the excess oils from my face and then very lightly dust my face with this powder with a large fluffy brush. I find this step revitalises my make-up and just makes it look fresh once again. It is so finely milled that it provides a flawless, perfecting veil. To fully freshen up, a light spritz of a hydrating mist over this does the job.
This is Shade 2 against a NC 35-40 complexion. As it imparts just a very sheer veil…this colour works for a range of skin colours.
Verdict
This is a product that I only use when I am sporting full coverage foundation and make-up looks; and when I want my full face of make-up to last me throughout the day. And it does definitely improve my make-up when it begins to fail me by the middle of the day….I have oily skin and this works effectively to mattify the excess oils. This product does not cake up or emphasize my pores, the latter being one of my biggest bugbears. I have NC 25-30 skin and this shade works perfectly for me.
I love it when a product just works for me and can be added to my permanent cosmetic arsenal; this is one such product.
I am over half-way through this…which explains the mangled tube…
Oh. My. God. Where do I start? Cleansers for me should: Take off my make-up effectively, be affordable, contain natural ingredients, do not need to include any skincare heroes (they are wiped off nearly immediately, so what is the point!), should not strip my skin and should also make me feel like I have been treated to the most luxurious spa treatment…don’t ask for a lot do I!
Product Description:
And I think I have found my HG product which ticks all the above boxes for me…it is the Balance Me Cleanse and Smooth Face Balm. It is ‘an anti oxidant rich, oil based hot cloth cleanser blended with a trio of butters to deeply purify and hydrate; and Oat Powder to gently polish and brighten even the most sensitive skin.’ It is £20 for 125ml.
I love supporting British companies that produce natural and affordable options in skincare/beauty. Especially with a cleanser: Why would you want to use more chemicals when trying to remove the chemical cocktail of gunk that is make-up?…it honestly does not make sense to me. This product also uses fine oat powder for very mild exfoliation—one step ahead of other companies who may need to re-formulate their microbead-laden products which have recently been banned in the UK.
I have oily skin and honestly this is not too rich for it; in fact it leaves my skin nourished and glowing. I personally love the smell, it reminds me of that facial spa aroma and catapults the cleansing process from a chore to a pampering, relaxing ritual. I use this product as my second cleanse; and instead of a muslin cloth, I use bamboo face cloths which I purchased from Facetheory. I like to press the hot cloth over my eyes and just breath in the aroma – which I believe momentarily provides me with a hint of calm. (Note: I don’t directly rub this cleanser into my eyes.)
The consistency does tend to separate…but I feel that this is inevitable due to the natural ingredients.
Price-wise – I think its probably at the upper end of what I would pay for a cleanser but I think it is a reasonable price for the amount (125ml instead of the standard 100ml of most cleansers) and quality.
I love this cleanser so much I will continue to repurchase it…and that is not something I say about a lot of products.
I usually research a product extensively before parting with my cash…there is only that odd moment that warrants an impulse buy. One such moment is a 50% off sale. A time when logic and sensible planning go out of the window as you attempt to get your hands on the last remaining bargains.
In the last Christmas sales, I managed to bag the Glamglow Glowstarter Mega Illuminating Moisturizer in Sun Glow for only £18 (half price). Bargain. Or, so I thought. In fact, it turned out to be an utter waste of money.
Description
It is available in 3 shades: Pearl Glow, Nude Glow and Sun Glow. It promises to both illuminate and moisturise the skin & includes hyaluronic acid, vitamins and botanicals; blurring the line between skincare and make-up.
The consistency of this is not too runny and also does not seem too rich for oily skins…almost a gel-like texture.
This is the darkest shade…although sheer, I found it imparted a tad too much colour on my NC30 skin. Perhaps, Nude Glow would have been a better match.
My Thoughts
I was excited to use this product. I was planning on using it in lots of different ways – eager to try it mixed in with my liquid foundation and also as a moisturiser under liquid/powder foundations. Frustratingly, it did not work in any of the above methods for me. It just seems to horribly accentuate my large pores/texture and make my foundation patchy. I tried it with MAC Studio Fix Fluid and also under Bare Minerals powder foundation with zero success.
I even tried to offload this onto my sister. She was also excited by the description; however massively disappointed by the performance. Neither of us felt like our make-up looked glowy with this product. Despite my skin being oily and my sister’s being dry it did not work on either of us.
I am now going to try my best to persuade my other sister to take this product off my hands…
Being a hair dye virgin, I must admit, I have always found the prospect of getting the foil and bleach out a little daunting. Every time the thought crossed my mind, questions like, ‘will my hair get damaged?’ or ‘what if it looks horrendous??’ circled my brain until I eventually convinced myself it just was not for me. To be completely honest, my experience with hair dye of any sort, was pretty much limited to a bi-monthly chore of box dying my dad’s greys with a toothbrush.
Having minimally tinkered with my hair since birth, I recently had an unexpected moment of spontaneity and decided to take the plunge. Actually, it wasn’t completely spontaneous—I was inspired by my sister Jas—she has a lot of greys and seems to be going for the Cruella de Vil look lately (sorry Jas!). Anyway I was her guinea pig, and she too, will soon be getting hers done!
Right, first and foremost, my sister and I were a little obsessed with finding the perfect salon. We wanted a place with good hair reviews at affordable prices. Some salons offer hiked up prices in exchange for extras such as a glass of champagne on arrival. For us, this just sounded like unnecessary kerfuffle so we stayed clear of these options, seeking rather the skill and ability for our money. Having very long, thick hair, we needed an accommodating place that was willing to take on the challenge—some were not so keen . Trawling the internet, luckily we stumbled upon a cosy hair salon tucked away in West Hampstead called Crystalise Salon. This place had everything we were after, highly skilled staff, with creative vision and a genuine passion for what they do (not to mention great prices & discounts)—perfect.
The day of the appointment arrived. I felt mixed emotions. A little apprehensive about this decision, it was now or never and I knew I could not back out. Equally, the rebel inside of me (which I rarely let out), couldn’t wait to just go for it. Jas & I travelled quite far to get to West Hampstead. Luckily we arrived just in time to grab some lunch and a coffee before the appointment (I say luckily, as the appointment ended up lasting around 4 hours). We arrived to a very warm welcome. I didn’t have time to research extensively about what I was after, so asked for a warm brown/subtle reddish balayage with Olaplex to limit the damage. I wanted a balayage as opposed to highlights as it is more subtle and blended. Balayage is a technique in which hair is delicately painted with dye in a natural and blended manner. I was not too nervous at this point as I saw all the other customers looking beautiful with their new hair, so immediately felt confident that I was in great hands. I was a little confused though, as I had always believed balayage is done without foils—I guess every colourist has their own method.
Me, with my black hair pre-dye. I hate this pic, but Jas seems to think it’s nice.
Within a couple of minutes, the foils were out. I don’t think I had mentally prepared myself for this point, but felt a sudden gush of excitement that overcame any doubts. It took a good hour to get all my hair foiled up, an additional 45 minutes to let it all marinade (not too sure of the technical term for this). With the lovely atmosphere and the staff regularly offering tea or coffee, the time went by pretty quickly.
All foiled up like a jacket potato.
When the foils were removed, I was in utter shock. My hair was bright red. The colour of a London bus. Although I was on a daring streak this was a little too far. Fortunately the hair stylist had no issues with toning it down for me.
The result was better than I could ever have expected. A fiery mahogany brown/red. The perfect shade that I could not have described even if I had tried. In fact, I was so happy with the results, I had to give the salon a tip! The Olaplex treatment has left my hair feeling healthy, it is still in the newly blow dried state so I can’t fully commit to an opinion on the success of this treatment, but I can honestly say that my hair doesn’t feel particularly damaged after the bleach—which I somewhat attribute to the strengthening power of Olaplex.
I got home and couldn’t wait to play with my new locks. Here are a few styles I tried out…
I have found that I need to tone down my make-up a bit now though, I use more neutral colours…with nude lipsticks looking the best to offset my new fiery locks.
‘Made with love and a conscience,’ by The Green Woman.
Last week I attended the Beauty UK show in Birmingham, with every intention of just looking and not buying – reciting the mantra ‘I definitely do not need anything’ all morning beforehand. Let’s just say, that lasted all of 5 minutes and I off I went contactlessly tapping away.
One thing that I had never questioned before was my deodorant. Something I have never been particularly fussy with, but suddenly became very intrigued when it was presented to me in a small glass tub with the word Organic on it. Seems a tad strange to apply deodorant with your fingers as opposed to a spray right? Although not the most conventional or even convenient process of application, rest assured that this product certainly redeems itself
I picked up three; Man, Woman and Tea Tree & Orange. All three are 100% organic, homemade and suitable for vegans. The ‘Man’ flavor is made with cypress, the ‘Woman’ one has rosemary and bergamot. All three of them smell gorgeous and the 25ml container is estimated to last for 3 months.
Although it looks like a creamy consistency, it actually rubs in to form a powdery, dry texture which feels a lot more acceptable than a greasy feeling on the underarms. It leaves a great smell and does work to effectively reduce perspiration.
This chemical free alternative is definitely something to consider if you find yourself worrying about the potentially harmful long-term damage using chemicals can do.
