MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural (Light Plus) £23 - link

I bought this in a recent splurge at Debenhams when they had a 10% off sale and I think it's one of the best purchases I've ever made. Because of my oily skin I'm always on the hunt for powders to control my shine so consequently I've been through a fair few of them and this is one of the best I've tried so far. It's safe to say I'm smitten.

It's a baked powder that's really finely milled so it feels super silky on the skin. I got the shade 'light plus' which is more neutral toned compared to the other lighter shades and  it's a great colour match for me and I'm actually really enjoying the fact that this gives a little bit of coverage too. All of my other setting powders are translucent so apart from controlling shine they don't do a whole lot else so it's a nice change that when I apply this throughout the day I'm also refreshing my make up and concealing any imperfections as well as fixing the dreaded gleam I get across my t-zone.

The finish this gives is matte as are most oil controlling/setting powders but it's much more natural and not at all cakey like some other powders that I've tried. It's described as a natural matte finish and I couldn't agree more.

I'm really impressed with this product and it's easily made it's way to my new staple face powder. Good job MAC, you should be proud.


Have you tried this? Do you have a favourite setting powder?

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Lancome Hypnóse Star Mascara

Lancome Hypnóse Star Mascara (01 Black) £22.50 - link

I've had this mascara for a while now and I've been using it on and off trying to make up my mind if I like it or not.

If you've been here for a while you'll know that I much prefer bristle wands to plastic which is what drew me to this one. Lancome have a lot of variations of plastic wands and this is one of the few that doesn't and that's pretty much how this ended up in my collection. I really didn't do much research before I bought this at all and, as always, was slightly disappointed because of it.

The wand is tapered which makes it easier to get all of your lashes without getting it all over the place and ruining your eyeshadow and we all know how annoying that is so I do like that aspect of this product. The formula is nice - it's not too wet which prevents your lashes from clumping (initially.. keep reading) and it's not too dry that it's difficult to get any product out. It lengthens and separates really well and I've found it completely perfect for layering over fake eyelashes to make them look fuller and more natural. For reference I've been obsessed with the Red Cherry lashes recently but there'll be more on them later - keep your eyes peeled for a post. As for using this mascara on your lashes it seriously lacks in making them look fuller or thicker. I really like a mascara to give me that 'fake lashes look' as much as I hate the phrase and this doesn't achieve that at all. Of course everyone has different preferences but if that's what you look for in a mascara too then don't waste your money on this. Even when I tried layering this after two coats it started clumping my lashes and sticking them together, I was not impressed.

Overall this has good and bad aspects to it but just isn't what I'm looking for. Next time I try a Lancome mascara I think I'll take my chances with a plastic wand.


Have you tried this mascara? Do you like any of the mascaras by Lancome?

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MAC Lipstick - Mehr

MAC Matte Lipstick in Mehr £15.50 - link

Described as a dirty blue pink this lipstick is a great dark nude colour. It isn't quite a 'your lips but better' shade for me but works well as a nude type shade nonetheless. I really like that it's more pink toned than brown as a lot of nudes are. I find it much more flattering on my skin tone especially because it's that little bit deeper of a colour.

For a MAC matte formula it's surprisingly creamy to apply and wear. It sets as almost completely matte but because it is slightly creamier it isn't a true matte finish. It lasts 5 hours without fading but does dry throughout the day to become a little uncomfortable as I'm sure most of you are familiar with when it comes to MAC matte lipsticks.

I'm trying my best to branch out of my red lip addiction so please give me any recommendations you have for other nude shades or any Spring/Summer shades!


What do you think of this lipstick? Do you have a favourite nude shade?

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Origins GinZing Moisturizer

Origins GinZing Energy Boosting Moisturizer £23 - link

This is my absolute favourite S/S moisturiser of all time. I've been using it for about 2 years and despite trying a whole heap of others I always come back to this one.

I'm a huge fan of Origins and I think their skincare is truly one of the best on the market. As for their Ginzing collection, I am just completely in love with it all and this one in particular. This is a really lightweight moisturiser that somehow still manages to be really hydrating. It sinks in beautifully and I always find that my make up applies so much nicer if I've used this beforehand. The scent is incredible and, as the packaging would suggest, smells of fresh oranges.

Titled a 'enery boosting' moisturiser it really does make a difference to bringing some life back to my skin. It doesn't really add the radiance that I crave and that it's meant to add but does do wonders to refresh my lacklustre skin. I much prefer to use this in the day although you could definitely use it as a day and night cream - I just personally like using something a little more heavy duty in the evening. It's oil free so is great to use for people like me with oily skin too which I know is often a problem with some moisturisers.

I couldn't recommend this enough if you're in need of a moisturiser for the upcoming warmer months. It's wonderful.

Have you tried this? What do you think of this moisturiser?

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YSL Le Tient Touche Éclat Foundation

YSL Le Tient Touche Éclat Foundation £30.50 - link

I absolutely LOVE this foundation. I have no idea why I held out trying it for so long. The colour I have is BR20 and I have never matched a foundation so perfectly which is a big part of why I love it so much but it's also just a really wonderful foundation.

It's described as an illuminating foundation with dimensional radiance that is meant to highlight the contours of the face. I'm not sure that it does that much as I've never really noticed a massive difference in the radiance of my skin or particularly "highlighted contours" when I've used it but it definitely does even out and conceal any darker areas, redness or uneven pigmentation I have on my face. It applies beautifully and doesn't crease at all like almost all of my other foundations do. It glides over any dry patches/healing blemishes I have and doesn't accentuate pores or soak into them. 

It's a light to medium coverage and where it's great for creating an even skin tone it doesn't hold up so well at concealing blemishes and spots on it's own. It does definitely help but I wouldn't say you could solely use this to hide any imperfections and it would work. It lasts a good 6/7 hours without needing to be reapplied and for people with normal or dry skin I don't think you'd have to touch it up at all for up to 8 hours. From an oily skin perspective for a natural, weightless and light coverage foundation this is brilliant at preventing shine and lasting for a long time. I usually have to powder over my t-zone at around 6 hours in of wearing this and even that I am super duper impressed by, especially in comparison to other foundations of it's type that I've tried.

So far of all of the foundation I've tried, high end and drugstore, this is my favourite. It does everything I'd want a foundation to do and it's so worth the £30 price tag.

Although if you can't afford or justify the money to buy it - the Rimmel Match Perfection foundation is a great dupe for this in my opinion. It applies the same, has the same coverage, finish and consistency the only difference is that it doesn't last as long and settles into pores and lines after around 3 hours. Despite that, it's a really great foundation and really similar but less than half the price of the YSL.

You can buy it here for £6.99.

Have you tried this foundation?

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Soap & Glory Supercat Eyeliner Pen

Soap and Glory Supercat Eyeliner Pen (Carbon Black) £6 - link (currently on 3 for 2)

I'm not really a lover of liquid eyeliner purely because I find it impossible to get an even line and that's just on one eye, there is literally no hope in hell that I could get both eyes to match, but practice makes perfect I guess and I think this is without doubt one of the best products to practice with.

It's completely opaque which is always a good start with an eyeliner. It has a really fine nib that allows you to get as close to the lash line as possible or as much as your skill will permit, I'm still working on mine, and it has flatter edges to make thicker lines like most felt tip style eyeliners have. The formula is pretty wet so it's easy to apply and doesn't drag your eyelid unlike some eyeliner pens I've tried (Eyeko I'm looking at you). It doesn't transfer either when you blink or close your eyes which I was super pleased about because we all know how annoying that is. 

Once applied it doesn't take long to dry - around 10-20 seconds but that means that you still have time to correct any mistakes you've made before it dries completely. And when it is dry this bad boy isn't going anywhere. I have oily eyelids so wearing a kohl liner on my upper lash line is impossible and sometimes even gel eyeliners have failed me but this didn't budge after a whole day of wearing it - I'd say at least 7 hours. It hadn't faded, cracked or moved at all and was actually the only part of my make up that looked perfect after an entire day of wear. 

For £6 this product is amazing but there are very few products from Soap and Glory that I haven't liked. They are a really great drugstore brand and if you haven't, I'd really recommend trying their products and this one in particular.

Have you tried this eyeliner? What do you think of Soap and Glory products?

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Too Faced LashGasm Mascara

Too Faced LashGasm Mascara £18 - link

After months of trying to get my hands on the Better Than Sex mascara (it's sold out everywhere - all the time) I finally settled on this one as my first Too Faced mascara. The packaging is lovely and the formula seems ok but I'm not a huge fan of plastic wands at the best of times and this mascara just further convinces me that they're not for me. I'd heard a lot of positive things about all of the mascaras from Too Faced so I didn't really put much thought into what one to buy in replacement of the Better Than Sex so that's why I bought this one. Unfortunately.

While it's pretty good for separating the lashes it doesn't pick up much product at all so trying to get any volume or thickness with this wand is practically impossible. It does add some length which is good but really not very much compared to other mascaras that cost only £2 or £3 more or actually even £10 less. Having said that the length and separation make for a minimal, natural 'fluttery lashes' look that can be nice but not what I'm personally looking for in a mascara. I am a little disappointed that I bought this truth be told although, luckily, it was in the sale so I didn't spend the whole £18. I must say that it does, however, work really well on my lower lashes so I'm happy to keep and use it for that - at least that's something anyway.

I still hold hope for the Better Than Sex mascara because it does have the bristle wand that I'm oh so fond of and there will be a review on that whenever I finally get the chance to buy it!


Have you tried any Too Faced mascaras?

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