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.
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.
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 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…
Highlighters for me always tend to be champagne- or golden-hued. So when I saw this affordable, pinky-toned, Topshop offering in the shade Crescent Moon, I was interested…would it work on my warm skintone? At £12, I thought it was at least worth experimenting with.
Topshop Highlighter in Crescent MoonA beautiful peachy-pink colour…A heavy swatch of the highlighter…it is intensely pigmented with no glitter but more of a pearlescent appearance.
Verdict
It is beautifully soft and silky to apply (creamy – even though it is powder?!)…and the colour is very strongly pigmented. In fact, it is so pigmented that it can look a bit ott with my heavy-handed application. The fact that it is so vivid in pigment, coupled with the colour being far from subtle on my warm skintone, makes this highlighter look quite unnatural on me. However, I must admit, I actually like that look sometimes…Let’s be honest, this was never going to be natural-looking on skin that has yellow undertones…but if you want to go for a pearly make-up look with fresh peachy/pink nude lips it offers a nice alternative to the typical golden sunkissed make-up look. Money well spent in my opinion.
Kiko Long Lasting Stick 06 – A beautiful bronze/brown colour
I am in love with this shadow stick…no exaggeration. It was love at first sight; I knew I had to have this product in my life from that point forward. And trust me, I do not repurchase many things. When I finally finish existing products, I like experimenting and trying new things (I almost look forward to finishing an item just so that I can search for a replacement…). But when you find something that just works for you and is cheap…that is when you stick with it (no pun intended). And this shadow stick does just that, for me.
I am not good with drawing on the perfect eyeliner: It is time-consuming and somewhat difficult to get correct for an impatient person like myself. Moreover, with eyeshadow, I end up overdoing it; it never qualifies as that subtle everyday look. So this product is perfect. I just draw along the upper and lower lashline and voilà, eye make-up is done (with just a little mascara of course). It does not matter if the line is not perfect, as the colour is very forgiving on my NC30 skintone―so it can be applied in a rush. Also, this stays put all day.
Other reviewers online have reported that these shadow sticks in different colours are dupes for similar products by Bobbi Brown, Laura Mercier and By Terry to name a few. I can attest to this product being very similar to the Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chameleon Pencils which retail at £19 on the Charlotte Tilbury website.
A twisty mechanism saves you the hassle of faffing around with a pencil sharpener…A highly-pigmented colour which effortlessly glides onto the skin
This is a light, cool-toned gold/bronze metallic colour which would flatter a range of skintones. If you are thinking of trying this type of product, definitely start with a wearable, neutral colour like this. This stick comes in both metallic and matte colours. I definitely prefer metallic for the use that I have stated above, they are a lot more forgiving; a thick matte roughly drawn line just would not work. The lightly coloured matte sticks would work well applied as an all-over eye colour, maybe as a base for a smokey eye. There are a few gorgeous metallic neutrals in this offering. Shade 05 is similar to 06 but with a more pink hue (thus the name Rosy Brown…)―making it perfect for those with pink undertones to their skin.
Verdict
Buy it. You cannot go wrong, trust me. The sticks are £6.90 at full price (and they can be bought for even cheaper in the sale, I got my replacement one at the bargain price of £4.80!). A definite make-up bag staple for me.
