makeup-junkie-94

[makeup-junkie-94]

Gel Nail Tutorial

Hi everyone, I got really bored of short nails and applying gel directly to my nail is damaging them so here is an easy tutorial that solves both these problems it’s quick and easy to do at home. Note you don’t have to use the gel elements but I did to make my nails stronger. All products used will be listed at the bottom of this post.

You will need:-

Full cover plain artificial nails with glue.

Nail file and buffer to prep nails.

Builder gel (if doing gel extensions).

Gum gel brush.

UV LED lamp.

Gel polish and top coat/ normal polish and top coat

Method:-

1. Clean and prep nails as you would if applying gel directly to them.

2. Pick the best size of artificial nail and trim and file if required and glue on as per pack instructions.

3. As the nails I used are very thin and don’t seem that strong I used a brush to apply builder gel to the nails to make them a little stronger. Once I applied a layer of builder gel I cured it for 1min30secs. Apply another layer if you prefer thicker nails.

4. Apply gel nail colour of your choice I used nude as I’m starting work again soon. I applied 2 coats and cured the polish for 60secs between each coat.

5. Apply the top coat and cure for 60seconds.

If you don’t own a UV lamp or don’t want to use gel just skip step 3 and apply a normal nail polish of your choice instead.

The nails I used I like because I have very small fingers and these nails fit really well and the glue included is great. They seem very well stuck on my hands but I do think the builder gel has helped make them stronger and more durable. When buying artificial nails choose ones that haven’t been painted so you can paint them yourself. Also I’d suggest buying an extra glue as sometimes the ones included with the nails can be already dried up or ineffective but I was lucky.

Let me know if you have given this tutorial a go and send me your pictures.

Products used:-

Sun UVLED lamp (£19.99 Amazon).

Nailene nail files (£7.99 Boots).

Nailene oval natural full cover nails glue and buffer included (£5.99 Boots/Amazon)

BlueSky Builder gel in clear (£6.45 BlueSky Cosmetics/ Amazon)

Aimeli gel polish shade 115 came as part of a set of 6 pink/nude polishes (£12.99 Amazon).

BlueSky No Wipe Top Coat (£7.99 BlueSky Cosmetics/ Amazon)

Stay safe,

Jen x

#tutorial #manicure #nails #blogger #gelnails #extensions #athome #easy #D.I.Y #reviewer

[makeup-junkie-94]

Read my next post to find out how I created these easy gel extensions at home!

#long nails #nudenails #ovalnails #gelnails #manicure #diy #athomenails #tutorial #gelextensions

[makeup-junkie-94]

Ranting about Real Techniques brushes.

Can everyone just stop hyping up this awful brand? I personally hate this brand and below I will tell you why.

When RT was fairly new I bought one of their original foundation brushes. It felt plasticky, scratchy, it left streaks and applied product poorly. On top of all of this the bristles disintegrated after 2 washes. The product seemed to cling to this brush, no matter what I tried it never came up really clean. I binned the brush after all the bristles fell out and didn’t touch the brand for years.

Fast forward to September 2019. I was getting really interested in makeup but I only owned 4 brushes. I desperately needed some more. I had vouchers and points to spend in store so I decided to exchange my points for 2 RT brush sets. I thought they may have improved and technically they were free and there really wasn’t any other choice. I ended up with The Enhanced Eye Set and The Everyday Essentials set.

Firstly the majority of the brushes do not work for what they are supposed to be used for. Some of them are no good for anything. In the everyday essentials there are 2 brushes I find useable, the expert face brush isn’t too bad for applying makeup and the small setting brush is ok. However I haven’t used or washed them that much and bristles are starting to fall out so they won’t last too much longer. The other brushes in this set were useless/horrible especially their idea of a blush brush.

The Enhanced Eye Set again is extremely basic and you can’t create a look using just this set. Despite what they say it does not contain every eye brush you need. The eye brushes are very very scratchy. This is something I’ve heard even hardcore RT fans complain about. They feel cheap and almost plasticky. They actually caused some irritation to my eyes. One day I did a look on each eye one using this set and another using Spectrum brushes. The result on the RT side was patchy and poorly blended. These brushes do not wash well either. I used one brush with a bright pink eyeshadow it stained even though I washed it instantly the brush looks permanently dirty. Plus these bristles have started falling out too. Much better brushes could have been used to collate this set 3 of them are a waste. Despite buying this set I felt like I still didn’t have anymore eye brushes.

There is one last thing that really bugs me about RT. They don’t tend to sell brushes individually. They do occasionally but not often and they are hard to come buy. They keep releasing these sets and special editions which usually contain the same brushes but in a different colour or with a different name. They will bring out a new set that probably contains at least 2 brushes you already have they’ve just added in a couple you don’t have. They won’t sell the ones you don’t have individually so to get them you have to buy the set and end up duplicating brushes you don’t need/already have which is a waste of money. Am I making sense? This is again something I’ve seen their consumers complain about time and time again for years on their YouTube channel and social media. I’ve seen the complaints dating back as far as 7 years. 7 years and they haven’t listened to their customers. This makes me think they don’t care and are set out to make as much money as possible from extremely poor quality products.

Despite my experiences with this brand they always seem to get rave reviews and are often mentioned on ‘best brushes’ lists. But I guess we all have that one brand or product that we hate yet is so overhyped we just don’t get it don’t we?

Here in the U.K there are 2 other drugstore brush brands. Masqd which is available in Boots and Spectrum Collections which is also available in Boots and on their website. These brands are a similar price range (spectrum may be slightly higher). The quality is far superior to RT the sets they release are actually useful and they wash well, don’t stain, don’t irritate my skin, have individual brushes for sale and they are super soft. My brushes from these brands are still going strong after 4 years and have only just started to fray and get a little bit more coarse.

Blog coming soon ‘why I won’t be jumping on the Morphe obsessed bandwagon and why I refuse to buy their products’.

I hope you enjoyed this blog.

Stay safe,

Jen x

#real techniques #sensitive skin #reviewer #beauty products #tools #makeupbrushes #makeupbrushcollection #blogger #new blog

[makeup-junkie-94]

My ultimate guide to wearing foundation

Hi guys, I hope you’re all staying safe. This is going to be quite a lengthy post but here is my ultimate guide to foundation. I hope you find it useful.

Skin prep.

You wouldn’t paint a wall without washing it and preparing it first would you? The same idea goes for your face. Always start with a clean well prepared canvas it makes for better application and results. Use your favourite products to cleanse, tone and moisturise. I like to use oil as well as my skin is dry. Allow a few minutes for your face products to work into the skin before applying your primer.

Time to prime.

It is important you choose a primer that will not only help achieve the effect you want with your foundation but choose one that works with your skin type too. If you have combination skin it’s a good idea to have more then one primer so you can target specific areas of your face. For example if you have an oily T-Zone use a mattifying primer here and a hydrating primer in dry areas. If you don’t want a matte finish to your makeup you should choose a primer that is hydrating/illuminating. Products designed to give a dewy finish or a glowy look are really better suited to drier skins. If you have oily skin matte finishes are your best options, or the products may slide, become patchy and need touch ups all day. If you have sensitive skin learn what ingredients are your triggers and avoid them. I have sensitive skin and as a general rule of thumb I avoid parabens (I’m allergic), perfume and alcohol as much as possible specifically alcohol denat. Once you have applied your primer allow 30-60 seconds for it to settle in.

Choosing the foundation.

Choosing a foundation feels like a minefield with a number of options and regular new realeases it’s hard to know where to turn. My first tip is don’t rely on what the makeup counters in stores match you with. The lighting can make you look great but when you get home you may realise it isn’t right for you. In my experience they are also terrible at shade matching. No matter which counter I have been to or which ‘artist’ I have dealt with I have always been matched to a neutral undertone but I’m actually a cool undertone which I discovered by accident. Then I understood why every time I was convinced to buy a high end foundation it was too dark or too orange. Firstly find your undertone, look at your veins and think about whether silver or gold jewellery suits you best. Then decide which skin colour category you fall into (fair-dark). Once you know this information high end websites have some pretty accurate shade matchers. Find out if a foundation oxidises if it does choose a shade lighter. It’s better to be too light than too dark as you can always use bronzer to warm the face up. Don’t be afraid to ask for samples to take home so you can really find out if you like the shade and foundation. Another option is to go to the drugstore an experiment with the testers to find the shade that suits you best. Once you find the perfect shade in one brand I recommend using the website Findation. Here you can type in what foundation you are using and the shade and it will give you the equivalent in other brands. Once you know what shade you need to look for it’s time to choose the foundation. High end foundations generally are better than drugstore ones. If you have oily skin you will strugggle with a dewy finish so you are better sticking to a matte foundation. If you have dry skin avoid matte foundations as they will cling to dry patches and emphasise the issue. Oily skin should stick to matte/satin finishes. Dry skin should opt for hydrating formulas with a dewy/radiant/satin finish. Again sensitive skin sufferers shoudl opt for formulas that don’t include the likely trigger ingredients listed above.

Setting it into place.

The one product you should always invest in is a setting powder. Drugstore setting powders don’t compare to high end ones. They are never milled as finely and generally cause cakiness. If you have oily skin then setting powders will be important for you. Dry skin sufferers can also make use of a setting powder. Hydrating powders that contain hyaluronic acid are out there so are powders that are designed to set make up yet contain a slight simmer to keep your skin glowy and illuminated. A good powder will be pricey but worth it and they do exist for all skin types. Another option is of course a setting spray. There are numerous ones out there with a number of finishes. If a setting spray claims to be hydrating yet contains alcohol denat then it isn’t hydrating. Alcohol denat dries the skin out and damages the skin barrier leading to sensitivities. As a sensitive skin sufferer I have researched suitable setting sprays. Almost all of the them contain perfume and alcohol denat especially drugstore brands. Smashbox, Beauty Blender and Cool have the most skin friendly ingredients list I could find but they aren’t cheap.

Alternatives and final thoughts.

If you don’t always like wearing a full face of makeup and just want some sheer coverage that’ll make you look fresh cosnsider a tinted moisturiser. They are ideal for summer weather and are usually buildsble, offer a surprising amount of coverage and contain SPF. They are suitable for all skin types just bear in mind you won’t get the coverage or staying power of a foundation. A tinted moisturiser with blush, bronzer, and mascara creates the perfect minimal fresh faced look. The most raved about are by BareMinerals, NARS and Laura Mercier. One last thing to consider is how your skin changes through the year which may require a different foundation. It’s common for people to be have a Summmer and Winter foundation. In summer if you tan easily or use fake tan you may find you need to alter the shade of your foundation. Personally I like to have 3 foundations in total to choose from. This may seem excessive but my skin is reactive and it can become sensitive to a foundation if I use the same one constantly. Having another option allows me to alternate to reduce the risk of this happening. I choose different coverages and slightly different finishes so I can choose one to match the look I want to achieve. High end foundations are expensive so if I can’t afford to buy more than one I will buy a drugstore foundation to use in between, which is passable. If you have read this post, thank you and well done. Below I will list what I’m currently using and brands I recommend, please note my skin type is dry sensitive.

Product recommendations.

Smashbox, Laura Mercier, Estée Lauder primers.

NYX Born To Glow (poor staying power but nice finish), Too Faced Born This Way, NARS radiant long wear foundation, BareMinerals hydrating gel tint cream.

BareMinerals hydrating setting powder, Laura Mercier setting powder, Smashbox setting powder.

Smashbox, MAC, BeautyBlender, Cool setting sprays.

Zoeva, Spectrum, Masqd make up brushes.

I hope you found this guide helpful I have tried to make it as simple as possible. I hope you are all well. Stay home and stay safe... until we meet again.

Lots of love,

Jen xx

#blogger #foundation #guide #helpful #product reviewer #sensitive skin #makeup addict #besutyblogger

[makeup-junkie-94]

Zoeva The Coffret Collection Elegantly Yours

Hi guys,

So Zoeva palettes are really popular and often raved about as being very high end quality for affordable prices. Zoeva palettes are free from parabens, mineral oil, phthalates and fragrance. The coffret collection contains 4 of their best selling palettes for £50. You get the Screen Queen, Cocoa Blend, Caramel Melange and the Naturally Yours Palette. They come in a beautiful pink and metallic box with 2 drawers. The delivery from Germany is super quick and their customer service has been great so far.

The palettes are in thin cardboard packaging it’s basic but still nice. There is no mirror. The quality of the shades are really inconsistent. Some of the shimmer/metallic shades are fine but others are chalky and look matte when applied to the lid. The shades look darker in the pan than they do when applied. There are inconsistencies in pigmentation also. They blend and apply quite well. The worst palette in the whole set is the Screen Queen palette. They aren’t very shimmery, they apply patchy and they are really poorly pigmented and you can’t create a look using this palette alone.

As for the formula, it isn’t soft and buttery. It’s dry, chalky and very very dusty. The shadows are messy. You dip your brush into the pan and there is dust everywhere. The fallout is ridiculous. As I’ve mentioned before I am prone to eczema on my eyes and these palettes have triggered a flare up. After the first time I used them I got red dots on my eyes, they were itchy, flaky and sore. I left it a while and tried again and the same reaction happened only worse.

I can’t work out which exact ingredient is causing this as they are free from the ingredients that cause me problems. I have read online that there are different types of talc some are more irritating than others. Also some brands use a lot more talc than others in their shadows.

I have palettes by Urban Decay, ABH, Tarte and Smashbox none of these have caused problems. There is one difference though. These palettes are nowhere near as chalky and dusty as Zoeva palettes. I don’t think it’s a case of what ingredients are used but how are they used.

I’m so disappointed as I really wanted to love these palettes. I’d avoid them particularly if you already have dry, sensitive eyes as the consistency of the powder seems to make it worse.

Future palettes with be by Huda Beauty and Jackyn Hill x Morphe Vol 1.

I have contacted Zoeva to see if I can return them for a full refund.

Thanks for reading,

Jen x

#zoevacosmetics #review #eyeshadow #palettes #makeup #allergy #poorproduct

[makeup-junkie-94]

NYX Born To Glow Foundation Review 😳

Hi guys,

So as you know I previously raved about the NYC Can’t Stop Won’t Stop foundation but that foundation no longer suits me I’ll be posting an update later. I decided to try Born To Glow instead and give you guys my thoughts on it.

The foundations have the same shades so I’m shade light in both. Born To Glow comes in a squeeze tube not the usual glass bottle with pump. I’m not keen on the packaging as the tube always dispenses more product than you actually want. Born To Glow doesn’t state anywhere in the tube what the wear time is or what the coverage is. The liquid is thinner than Can’t Stop Won’t Stop. It is easy to apply and blends nicely. I would say it’s a solid medium coverage but you need concealer to hide blemishes. It doesn’t feel heavy on the skin. I wouldn’t say it’s dewy finish, it’s more satin and if you’re skin is super dry like mine can still look matte. It’s not that glowy. This isn’t a bad thing but if you want a dewy finish this isn’t the right foundation for you.

Now the negatives. This foundation moves and slips like crazy. I feel like it needs to be set with a powder. If you have dry skin you should be avoiding powder as much as possible plus it mattifies the look which kinda defeats the whole point of this foundation. I applied a cream contour, liquid highlighter and liquid blush over the top and the foundation underneath sepearated and went instantly patchy. It does settle into lines also. There seems to be a running theme with NYX foundations and my skin. The just don’t seem to sit well on my nose and the area between my upper lip and nose. The Can’t Stop Won’t Stop wouldn’t blend in these areas no matter what I tried. This foundation does blend better but separates quickly and comes off my nose totally when I apply highlighter. This foundation doesn’t have a long wear time either it had cracked and gone patchy after 4 hours wear. It looked so bad I took it off by this point. It also transfers and just melts off.

I would probably use this foundation if I wasn’t doing the whole highlight contour thing and I only needed it on for a few hours but it’s not an everyday foundation.

Coming up is a post on why NYX Can’t Stop Won’t Stop went from my favourite drugstore foundation to one of the worst I’ve ever tried and is now in the bin.

Thanks for reading!

Jen x

#foundation #comparison #sensitive skin #beauty products #product reviewer #nyxcosmetics

[makeup-junkie-94]

Clinique iD review!!

Hi guys,

About 3 weeks ago I went to the Clinique counter and customised my own moisturiser. I really love the concept of this. The moisturiser I picked is the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturiser + the green cartridge for irritation. There is a pink one for reactive skin but that only seems to be available online atm but I think my skin is more reactive than irritated so in future I’d pick the pink cartridge.

I was warned by the Clinique counter it takes a few pumps to dispense the cartridge and moisturiser together. I took it home and kept pumping and pumping. 3 days and 1/4 bottle of moisturiser later I still couldn’t see any of the green product dispensing with the moisturiser. I phoned Clinique customer care to ask if I should actually see the green product and she said yes and told me both products should be dispensing together by now so I must have a faulty cartridge. I was sent a new one and a bottle of moisturiser to make up for the product wastage (great customer service). A couple of days later my cartridge decided to start dispensing properly. My main gripe with this product is how much pumping is needed to get the cartridge to dispense it leads to a huge amount of moisturiser wastage and I honestly can’t see the cartridge and moisturiser finishing at the same time. You can’t buy the items separately which is irritating. Clinique needs to improve the pump and allow you to buy seperate cartridges.

The moisturiser is very very nice and so far seems to be the only one that doesn’t burn my skin after a hot shower or bath. It’s emollient yet doesn’t feel heavy. It soaks in beautifully. I still have dryness on my face and still need a facial oil but this moisturiser has got rid of the tight feel and my skin feels comfortable all day and when I wake up. My skin certainly feels smoother. For a while I didn’t think the active ingredient was actually doing anything. Now I can see a slight difference. Before I started using this moisturiser I had a lot of redness on my face from irritation cause by Avene products. The redness on my face has faded and it does look much less angry. I think this cartridge is doing something but results are very minimal and gradual and over an extended period of time. I do really love the Clinique iD concept and the fact you can have different combinations for when your skin goes through different phases. In winter I need the moisturiser yet in summer I need the hydrating jelly which protects against pollution and is more lightweight. I also need a green and pink cartridge.

If you do buy this product my advice would be this. If you purchase it from the Clinique counter and they ask you if you want them to set it up for you say no and take the product home. When you get it home pump the cartridge until you see the active ingredient coming out before attaching it to the moisturiser. This way you can be sure the product is dispensing properly and you waste a lot of product in process.

Overall I think Clinique could be my new go to skincare brand. I really like the product but the packaging needs to be improved and cartridges need to be available to buy seperately and give it a good 3-4 weeks before judging if it makes a difference.

Speak to you soon.

Jen x

#skincare #reviewer #product reviewer #winterskincare #clinique #cliniqueid

[makeup-junkie-94]

Hi guys,

I’ve changed my skincare routine. If you’ve read my previous posts you’ll notice I always hype up Avene and La Roche Posay. Not anymore. I kept applying these products and noticed burning, stinging and dryness and redness. I then found out La Roche Posay have changed some of their formulas and they are not as skin safe as they used to be. Their cleanser contains SLS in their Lipikar range for dry skin. SLS is very drying. Their toner contains perfume and alcohol. Their Hyalu B5 oil is not only very expensive and overpriced it again contains perfume. These ingredients are NOT suitable for sensitive skin. Then I’ll move onto Avene, their rich compensation cream for very dry very sensitive skin contains perfume and it burns my skin. The redness is fading now I’ve stopped using it. This from 2 brands who market themselves on being for sensitive skin. There are 2 products that are still ok and that is the La Roche Posay thermal spring water spray and the Avene eye make up remover. I will not rebuy these products though purely from the lies they tell. As a result I have had to change my whole skincare routine and the brand I’ve gone to is Clinique.

Firstly before I talk about specific products I just want to mention how amazing their customer service is. I wasn’t pushed into buying products I didn’t need. They were very honest and considerate to my needs as my skin is so sensitive. They were very careful with what they recommended to me and wouldn’t sell me more than 3 items even though I wanted more as they wanted me to simplify my routine and make sure I can pinpoint any causes of reactions if I get any. They told me to gradually expand my skincare once I’m sure this set of products doesn’t irritate me. They then gave me a makeup bag full of samples to try so I can really test things before buying. This I loved and was so grateful for. One last thing I want to mention on the customer service side of things is, I have the Clinique iD dramatically different moisturising lotion with the green cartridge for irritation. I’ve had it for a day and a half and I have realised that the cartridge is only dispensing moisturiser not the green active ingredient. I’ve pumped it so many times and it doesn’t work. I phoned their customer care line and they are sending me out a replacement cartridge AND moisturiser to make up for the waste of the moisturiser for free no questions asked. Now that is good customer service.

I’m just going to list the new items I have which I will review in time and talk more about in a separate post.

Estée Lauder gentle eye makeup remover (haven’t tried yet)

Clinique Take The Day Off cleansing balm (haven’t tried yet)

Clinique Extra Gentle Foaming cleanser (haven’t tried yet)

Clinique All About Eyes (amazing first impressions)

Clinique iD dramatically different moisturising lotion + green cartridge (moisturiser nice but cartridge faulty awaiting replacement)

Clinique moisture surge lip hydro plump treatment (love it)

So these are upcoming reviews and my new skincare brand for now.

Speak to you soon,

Jen x

#clinique #esteelauder #skincare #reviews #new blog #winterskincare #larocheposay #lies #avene #sensitiveskin #eczema #rosacea

[makeup-junkie-94]

My TK Maxx bargain finds.

Hi guys,

I just wanted to do a quick post because I am so happy with the bargains I fiund today. I don’t ever buy clothes from TK Maxx because the quality is either poor or the sizing is wrong. However I do go there to hunt for reasonable priced luxury makeup and skincare.

The first thing I got was the damask rose toner by Patyka Paris. I found one in TK Maxx before tried it and loved it. I googled it and it’s discontinued and I’d never heard of the brand before. This toner is organic and free from artificial fragrances, parabens and alcohol. It was created for dry uncomfortable skin. This makes my foundation look flawless and my skin look clean and smooth. It doesn’t irritate my skin. I loved it so much I was willing to pay £27 RRP for it but you can’t buy it anymore. Today I went to a different TK Maxx store and there was still one left so that was made mine and this toner was £27 reduced to £4.

The second thing I found was a mascara that was still sealed. The mascara I bought is by Kevyn Aucoin. I’ve heard of his brand but I don’t know much about it other than that it is apparently a very expensive and luxurious brand. The mascara was £10. I read the ingredients and it’s free from parabens and fragrances. I couldn’t see anything irritating on the ingredients list so bought it. I will review when I buy it.

You can be lucky and get some really nice make up there the only issue is if you find something you really really love you might not get it again. Also as there aren’t any testers I won’t ever buy anything that looks battered or opened or used. Look for fingerprints in shadows to see if someone has swatched them.

Happy shopping,

Jen x

[makeup-junkie-94]

Rating my eyeshadow palettes

Hi guys,

I currently own 5 eyeshadow palettes in total and today I’m going to rate them and give a short review on each. Eyeshadow palettes are the one item I will never buy from the drugstore, they either aren’t good on sensitive skin or have poor pigmentation and patchy coverage. I just think high end palettes are usually much better so I will always buy high end. I’m always very careful what I put on my eyes to avoid irritation and will always research ingredients before buying. So on with the review.

1. Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam Palette.

This is my favourite palette. The pigmentation is amazing they apply and blend really nice. Nice range of mattes and shimmers with little fallout. Can create a variety of looks with browns and pinks. It doesn’t irritate either. The suede packaging ends up looking very messy, there are 3-4 gold shimmers that are very similar shades and you can’t really create a subtle matte nude look suitable for work with these shades.

2. Tarte Cosmetics Love Trust and Fairy Dust.

This is the only pink palette I own. The packaging is gorgeous and the shadows smell of chocolate. It has a highlight shade and a nice selection of shimmers and mattes. Shades range from subtle nudes to shimmer pink and dark purple. I don’t understand why there are brown shades in a pink palette and the shimmers are extremely pink there’s no rose gold option. It’s great for a very girly palette. Not that accessible in the UK.

3. Smashbox Covershot Palette in Punked.

This palette contains 8 shades 3 shimmers and 4 mattes. It has holographic packaging and the shades are organised into a lighter day look and a darker evening one to make it easier to create your look. The size of the palette is great for travelling and carrying around with you and you can get it in different shades. Punked is a nice purple or vampy/smokey eye palette. Great pigmentation and applies nicely. It has the possibility to be used as a more subtle look however there is a lot of fallout.

4. Urban Decay Naked 2.

Potentially the most overhyped palette I’ve ever come across. I don’t hate it but I don’t like it either. The packaging feels cheap and plastic and looks battered even when it’s been used with care. One of the shades has fallen out without being dropped. There is a nice pigmentation and little fallout. I bought this palette as an everyday/ suitable for work palette and it isn’t really. There are only 3-4 matte shades in the palette 2 are very similar yellowish base colours and one is black. All the other shades are shimmers from gold and bronze to dark greenish. There are only 3 shades I use and I’ve almost hit pan on all of them. I’ll be left with a pile of dark shimmers that aren’t really my colour. I’ve had it for years and desperately want to use enough of it up so I can throw it out. I wouldn’t class this as a nude palette and I’m bored of it.

5. Tarte Cosmetics Rainforest of the Sea Volume II

This is my least favourite palette. The packaging is nice and the shades look pretty in the pan almost there’s are a range of browns and nudes then there’s a grey a black and a dark greyish shade. Nice balance of shimmer and matte. The pigmentation in this palette is non existent and the darker shades look lighter when applied than in the pan. The lightest shades are invisible and disappear when you blend. I’ve tried everything to improve the pigmentation but I just can’t get it to work. I really want to love this palette but it’s just got such poor results. I can’t bring myself to throw it out either as it looks so pretty so it will have to remain in my draw unused.

Well that’s it my eyeshadow palettes rated from best to worst none of these palettes have irritated my eyes but I’d avoid Tarte as their palettes are generally poor quality I was lucky to find one good one. Zoeva has a really nice bundle of 3 nude palettes for £48 and I can’t find any major irritants standing out on the ingredients list so I would like to order those and Ciate London has some beautiful looking palettes quite reasonably priced that I’m itching to try.

Thanks for reading,

Jen..

X

#makeup addict #rate #palettes #eyeshadow #honestreview #beautiful eyes #product reviewer #sensitive skin #blogger

[makeup-junkie-94]

Benefit Cosmetics Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Review.

Hi guys,

As I mentioned in a previous review I found this foundation in a draw and here is the review I promised.

First of all this product is 91% free of the most common known allergies according to the website skinsafe. The benefit counter colour matched me to the shade Ivory. I don’t agree with this colour match it’s a shade or two too dark and has warm undertones. I have cool undertones and am very fair. This foundation looks orangey on me so the shade is wrong. It is supposed to be brightening and has SPF25 and of a medium coverage. I would say this is more sheer than a medium coverage and requires a lot of concealer with it to get a decent coverage. I also didn’t find any brightening affects with it. I have very dry skin at the moment. It clings to every dry patch and sinks into every line and pore. It cakes under the eyes. As it’s orangey I need to apply to my neck too and blend it in well. From a distance it looks nice and gives off the effect of having a tan. Close it it emphasises all my flaws. It doesn’t cover spots either.

I think if you have oily or normal skin this foundation might suit you but if you have dry skin it’s not great. It’s not the worst foundation I’ve ever tried and maybe in summer when I’m more tanned and not suffering with winter skin it might look nicer but it’s a no from me. It does apply and blend quite nicely but it’s not a foundation I recommend. Also be careful with their colour matching.

I do have to mention that when I visited the Benefit counter I emphasised I had eczema skin and couldn’t wear anything with parabens at the time. The assured me their products were paraben free and I’d spent hundreds on make up. I stated using it and eventually my eczema was getting worse and worse it turns out the staff on the counter lied to me and their products contained parabens. I still had the receipt and some items weren’t even opened yet. I bagged them all up and took them back to the benefit counter with a very visible rash on my face. The staff were aggressive, said I was lying and their products weren’t irritating my skin. I told them I was lied too and the products were missold to me and they didn’t care. Also the Estée Lauder and Urban Decay counter staff told me they wouldn’t recommend benefit cosmetics for my skin type. For this reason I will never buy from benefit cosmetics again. I was stuck with a pile of make up I couldn’t use.

At the moment my favourite drugstore foundation is NYX can’t stop won’t stop and my favourite luxury foundation is Lancôme Tient Idole.

My least favourite foundations are Smashbox hydrating 15hour wear and this Benefit one.

Thanks for reading,

Jen x

#reviewer #foundation #benefitcosmetics #foundationreview #blogger

[makeup-junkie-94]

Job interview make up.

Hi guys,

So today I have a job interview so I thought it would be a good time to write about my make up look when I go to a job interview. My job interview look is a bit different to my going out/ every day look. It’s more subtle and natural so here is my general job interview make up look.

After your usual skincare routine apply mosisturiser with a foundation brush and your fave primer. I use Benefit Porefessional and NYX hydra primer.

I use a lighter more glowy foundation than my normal one as it’s too heavy and matte and would make me look over done. The one I use is Lancôme Tient Idole and a concealer.

I don’t generally contour for a job interview I might use a light dusting of bronzer and a subtle highlighter to make me look more tanned. I don’t use a blinding highlighter it’s too much. I will apply a sweep of blusher to give me a bit of colour.

Eyes keep very natural and muted. Sometimes if concealer on my eyes looks good I won’t add any shadow. If I do add shadow I will stick to very pale browns or even pale yellows/ highlighter shade to make my eyes look brighter. I usually use Tarte Cosmetics rainforest of the sea palette as it’s isn’t very pigmented so won’t make you look overdone whilst adding slight colour to your eyes. I then just apply my favourite mascara which is Too Faced Better Than Sex. I won’t use eyeliner as I want my eyes to look natural and bright.

For my lips I will use either a nude gloss, a subtle nude or pale pink lip or even a tinted lip balm.

The aim for me is to look professional, awake and bright without looking overdone so here is the list of my favourite go to job interview makeup products.

Avene intense moisturiser

Benefit Porefessional and NYX hydra base primers.

Lancôme Tient Idole foundation.

NYX can’t stop won’t stop concealer.

Anastasia Beverly Hills blush kit.

Tarte Cosmetics Rainforest of the Sea eyeshadow palette.

Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara.

Burts Bees tinted lip balm in pink or peach shades.

Smashbox finishing water primer.

#jobinterview #makeup #makeuplook

[makeup-junkie-94]

Yesterday’s routine

Hi guys,

So this was my skincare and makeup routine yesterday and I went for mostly high end products to experiment with my older make up.

Morning skincare routine:-

Wipe face with Garnier Micellar Water (£6) then wash with La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+ anti irritation face wash (£8.88)

Tone with Patyka rose toner (£27) and La Roche-Posay thermal water spray(£7).

Apply B.Refreshed essence lotion (£6.99 Superdrug only), Vitamin C face oil, avene eye cream (£9.50). Elf illuminated eye cream (£11.99) and elf daily moisturiser (£8). Finish with Burts Bees lip balm.

The makeup look.

Use Benefit Porefessionsal (£29) and NYX hydrabase (£8.99) to prime.

Apply Lancôme Tient Idole foundation (£33) using real techniques expert face brush, conceal with NYX can’t stop won’t stop and Bourjois healthy mix concealers, set with NYX can’t stop won’t stop powder.

Contour and highlight with NYX contour kit £19.99 and Revolution x Soph highlighting palette. Blush taken from Anastasia Beverly Hills Blush Kit.

I created a pink shimmer eye look with 3 shadows from the Tarte Cosmetics love, trust and fairy dust eyeshadow palette. Mascara used was Too Faced Better Than Sex.

Eyebrows were filled in with Anastasia Beverly Hills dipbrow pomade in soft brown and set with Anastasia Beverly Hills clear brow gel.

I used Urban Decay comfort matte liosktick in shade Criminal which is a baby pink colour.

Used Smashbox Prime, Set and Refresh water to set ast the end.

All brushes used were either real techniques or spectrum.

The makeup removal.

Use Avene eye makeup remover to remove eye make up first. Use micellar water to take off the most of the remaining make up. Use La Roche Posay Lipikar AP+ face wash to remove any remaining make up and to help repair the skin. Use a toner to soothe skin and remove any last remaining residue I use either the Garnier toner or my favourite Patyka rose water toner. Spray face with a light spritz of La Roche Posay water which is very calming and soothing and protects the skin.

Once skin has dried naturally moisturise. It’s important to moisturise well to replace any moisture the makeup and cleansing has taken away. I use the same products listed in my morning routine as my evening/ make up removal routine. During winter it’s really important for me to keep my skin hydrated and protected to try and prevent or improve sensitivity.

One last thing to note I recently found a brand called Patyka, it is french and organic and doesn’t include parabaens or fragrances in their products. They are a very high end luxurious brand with stunning packaging. I saw their toner on sale so tried it whilst it’s an affordable price. It’s such an amazing product. I may have to splurge on the cleanser next time. My skin is so smooth and soft. I am trying to stick to affordable drug store products however skincare is important and I keep finding high end products that are performing so much better so it looks like I’m gradually going back towards high end products when I can afford them.

Above is how I cleansed and my make up routine that created a glowy pale pink flawless look that lasted all day. I hope you enjoy reading my post.

See you soon,

Jen x

#skincare #blog #concealer #beauty #beautyblogger #makeup junkie #makeup addict

[makeup-junkie-94]

Battle of the foundations:- The Review

Hi guys,

So this morning I was having a makeup declutter and found a couple of luxury foundations, one of which being the Lancôme Tient Idole so I decided to try it then compare it to my NYX foundation. Read on to see who won.

Lancôme Tient Idole £33

This was the first luxury foundation I’ve ever bought. I have had it for a while and the formula has changed removing fragrance.I had this foundation when I started developing eczema on my face and I had no skincare routine or even any make up brushes. I was clueless and riddled with allergies. This foundation looked patchy on my skin and didn’t suit me at all so at the time I didn’t like it. Years later my skin has altered so has my knowledge of application and as the bottle is brand new I decided to give it a try instead of throwing it away. The bottle is a matte glass with a black plastic top which feels heavy and luxurious. I use the shade 010 which has a slightly warmer undertone than my NYX foundation I prefer a more pink undertone but this is the shade they recommended at the time. I did my usual skincare routine to prep my skin and applied the foundation with my Real Techniques expert face brush. I must admit I had a totally different experience with this foundation this time round. It blended like a dream, the coverage is buildable, covered all the redness on my face, evened out my skin tone but didn’t cover my spots very well. You do need concealer for extra coverage. It didn’t cling to any dryness whatsoever my face looked even. I usually have issues getting my NYX foundation looking flawless on my nose and around my mouth, I didn’t with Lancôme. My face looked airbrushed and flawless. It didn’t settle into any lines. I was shocked as I don’t remember the foundation performing like this when I first bought it. I was impressed the slight issues I had with NYX I didn’t have with this one. It was like a flawless second skin. It didn’t budge all day and left me looking glowy, natural and flawless. I found I didn’t need to contour over this foundation where’s the NYX one is so heavy and matte you need too. I’m not discarding this just yet.

NYX Can’t Stop Won’t Stop 24hr foundation £15.

My review on this foundation won’t be long as I have mentioned it so many times in my blog. It has a stronger pink undertone than Lancôme which I love as my skin is pale and I have cool undertones. It is a better shade match for me (shade light). The coverage of this foundation is good and doesn’t irritate my skin. However it is a very thick heavy foundation so it’s not possible to get a natural glowy look with it. It feels heavier on my skin like I’m wearing a lot of heavy make up. It is very matte so without contour and highlighter your face will look very flat, dull and shapeless. It does transfer and settle into lines I can’t get it looking flawless on my nose or above my mouth no matter what. If my skin is super dry and flaky my skin needs a hell of a lot of skin prep. I mean oils, moisturisers, hydrating primers the lot or it can really cling to dry patches. This prep isn’t necessary when my skin isn’t suffering through winter. I do still like this foundation and it is a good one but it does have its faults.

The Result!!

I have always said NYX is an awesome foundation and the best I’ve used...and it was until today....I knew NYX had its faults but learnt to work with them but using Lancôme today has really highlighted the weakness of NYX. NYX is great for that thick matte heavy makeup look it isn’t for a glowy natural look. Lancôme was comfortable to wear and made my skin look glowing and airbrushed yet still natural. I loved the look one I couldn’t achieve with NYX so it depends on what you like. I was shocked with my experience of Lancôme this time round and I do believe the hype. It’s a beautiful foundation. However if you can’t justify the price NYX is an excellent affordable foundation. If I had to pick one fault with Lancôme it would be the shade it’s a little too warm for my liking.

As much as I am on the hunt for great affordable products I have to admit on this occasion I have to admit that luxury is really better and a different quality of product and I will be using it again.

Lancôme Wins!!!

My next review will be the other high end foundation I found in my draw.. Benefit OxyWOW foundation.

Thanks for reading hope this helps,

Jen x

#lancome #reviewer #blogger #comparison #makeup #makeup addict #makeup junkie

[makeup-junkie-94]

Blog coming soon....

Drugstore vs Luxury

Lancôme Tient Idole Ultra foundation in shade 010

VS

NYX Can’t Stop Won’t Stop full coverage foundation in shade Light.

Who will win drugstore or Luxury?

#lancome #nyxcosmetics #foundation #reviewer #comparison #makeup addict #competition

[makeup-junkie-94]

NYX Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Review!

Hi guys!

My skin type is dry (very dry at the moment) sensitive, reactive skin. I’ve often mentioned NYX as my favourite foundation to date which it is. I have never done a detailed review on it but as I’ve been using this foundation for a few months I feel it’s time to review it properly.

NYX Can’t Stop Won’t Stop foundation is a full coverage 24hr matte foundation and I use the shade Light which I think is number 5. It has pink undertones and is the most well matched shade to me skin of any foundation ever. It comes in a glass bottle with a pump and plastic lid. When I first started using this foundation it was back in September before my winter skin had set in. It is a thick consistency I find it easy to apply and makes my skin look flawless. You do still need a concealer on spots and under eyes. For some reason my nose and the area above my top lip is patchy with this foundation and it sinks into all my fine lines on my nose. It looks great everywhere else and it has good staying power. NYX state this foundation is suitable for all skin types however I would say it is better suited to oily skin. Once applied it doesn’t budge until you take it off and I don’t think you need a setting powder with it. For me personally it feels a little heavy on the skin and is a relief to take it off. It is rated as 91% free of the top allergens on the website SkinSafe and it hasn’t caused my very reactive skin any problems. If you’re skin is on the dry side you must apply plenty of moisturiser/oil/hydrating primers underneath or all 3 which is what I do to stop it clinging to dry patches. This foundation doesn’t wear patchy but it does transfer on everything and it does have the potential to highlight dry skin. This winter I have kept on top of my skincare so I have managed to keep the worst of my winter skin at bay...until now. The temoeratures are currently very harsh which always dries my skin out and I used some face wipes that stripped my skin barrier so my skin has been left very very dry and tight especially around the eyes. With my skin in its current condition this foundation doesn’t look too great. It is essential I use an oil before applying but it does cling to dry patches around my eyes at the moment and you can see the dryness if you look really closely. However it doesn’t cake, if your skin is prepped properly it won’t be too bad. This is just a phase my skin is going through that won’t last but it’s something to be aware of if you have this type of skin. This foundation is extremely matte so you can’t wear it without applying a bronzer, blush and highlight. Your face will look flat otherwise. I think for me when my skin is going through a tough phase it’s maybe not the best or suitable for everyday wear as it’s too heavy and clingy. Having said all that it is still my favourite foundation so far but I think I might need something more hydrating for January. Remember if your skin is dry prepping is vital.

The Concealer.

I have also got the concealer that goes with it. I accidentally bought the shade neutral which doesn’t look too dark in the bottle but it’s actually orange and my total wrong shade so I thought I’d keep it for contouring. NO JUST NO! It doesn’t blend well at all is very very orangey and blends patchy and streaky. I bought the concealer again in shade Fair just to give it a decent try. It isn’t very brightening, it is very very drying and really emphasises my dry skin. It looks awful on my eyes which are every dry at the moment. It also doesn’t hide my dark circles. I would recommend Makeuo Revolution concealer which is what I was using before and it’s cheaper. Maybe when my skin is less dry it’ll look better but I would say give it a miss. I do like the setting powder which is free from all the top known allergens and makes foundation flawless but is does have a yellow colour to it.

Summary.

Overall despite its faults I do really like this foundation, the concealer is awful I can’t see me finishing the bottle and be warned the shade natural is orange. MakeUp Revolution is my favourite concealer to date. Up until recently I have had really positive experiences with this foundation so the faults I am putting down to my current skin condition but still worth bearing in mind. At £15 it is expensive for drug store but still significantly cheaper and better then the high end ones I’ve tried. Due to the condition of my skin I need something designed for dry skin that’s hydrating. I’m going to try the L’Oréal infallible pro glow foundation and concealer which is cheaper than NYX and is free form all known allergens and has had rave reviews. All the products mentioned in this review have been well tolerated by my intolerant skin but always do a patch test.

P.S I have noticed my iPad has a habit of changing my words without me realising I blame autocorrect so I apologise if there are errors in my reviews or somethimes they don’t make sense as my iPad has a habit of changing the words by itself.

I hope this was helpful if you’re considering buying this foundation and I’ll be sure to write another review soon.

Thanks for reading,

Jen x

#nyxcosmetics #foundation #concealer #blogger #reviewer #winterskincare #makeup #cantstopwontstop #dryskin

[makeup-junkie-94]

High end foundations!

Hi guys,

I just read a post online listing the allegedly best full coverage foundations of the last year. Unsurprisingly most of these were high end. Also most of these I have tried over the past few years. The hype around these foundations really bugs me because they are so expensive and you get colour matched and take them home only to get a rash or a disappointment. This is why I have ditched the high end foundations as in the last year or so drugstore brands have really upped their game and are extremely high quality. Elf and NYX to name a couple. The only foundation on the list I feel should be there is NYX as it’s the one I use and me favourite so far. Just because a foundation is expensive it doesn’t mean it automatically is a good one. Below I’ve listed all the high end foundations I’ve tried over the past couple of years and the issues I have had with them. Some of them are on the best foundations list others aren’t.

Lancôme Tient Idole :- it looked orangey, it caked and went patch within a couple of hours, coverage was very uneven and the colour just odd. It also contained perfume and wasn’t great for my dry sensitive skin. I contacted Lancôme and the gave me a refund.

Estée Lauder Double Wear foundation:- this is allegedly the holy grail of foundations and expensive. It looked amazing in the store yet after I used it a couple of times I wasn’t impressed. I didn’t find the coverage that full and the formula was drying and left redness. The concealer also burned when I applied to my eye contour area. It had to go.

Benefit foundation:- I can’t remember the exact one it was but I didn’t get through the full tube. It didn’t have good coverage and didn’t react well to my eczema prone skin. Also benefit customer service was pretty poor despite me showing them proof and the receipt. They didn’t want to know and said I was lying about their products so I will never buy Benefit again.

Urban Decay Naked skin:- it was ok as a Summer foundation as the consistency was thin and it didn’t have a thick coverage. In winter when I suffered with redness, dryness and hypersensitivity this foundation went streaky and it stung in Winter and didn’t provide the coverage I needed. Apparently the all night version is much fuller coverage but this is expensive for a foundation I could only wear a few months of the year. I put it in my draw and left it there so long it had gone off so had to throw it out. Their highlighter fluid and green concealer didn’t do anything for me either.

Clinique:- I didn’t actually buy these products but I did go and get my makeup done at the Clinique counter. She was obviously on commission and tried to sell me the whole selection they had. She piled on products to my face that weren’t necessary 3 different concealers really? I went outside and my skin look dry, very pale with poor coverage. I looked like Casper the friendly ghost or like I put my face in a bucket of chalk. I politely said no thank you and never looked back.

Smashbox photofinish hydrating moisturiser:- this may possibly be the worst foundation I’ve bought so far. Smashbox colour match to foundations with a warm undertone when I have cool undertones so they shade is a little yellow. They also have a poor shade range. It’s ok when I’m more tanned. It’s so hard to apply its streaky, patchy and clings and shows up all my dryness. It doesn’t last the 15hrs they claim. I wore it work and 3 hours in all the remained were the patches where I applied concealer. I had to wash it off. I had high hopes for this foundation but it didn’t deliver.

BareMinerals :- I have never tried their foundations but I’ve been told the liquid foundation is awful and the powered versions very drying and not great for dry sensitive skin. Having said that there is one BareMinerals product that I love and that is there tinted moisturiser. It’s perfect for summer, very glowy nice amount of coverage very subtly and mositurising. It’s good for sensitive skin it’s such a nice product that I won’t be swapping for a drugstore one. Their palettes of blush and highlight etc have very little pigment which might be nice for some people but it’s not for me.

So those are the high end foundations I have tried and my thoughts. I love my NYX foundation it’s by far the best I’ve tried but the concealer isn’t so great. I’ll do another post at a later date on concealers. There are 2 other foundations I’d like to try one is e.l.f which is super affordable and I’ve heard great things about and I’d really like to try the Fenty Beauty hydrating foundation. It’s the last high end foundation I’ll ever try. If I don’t like these 2 I’ll be using NYX in winter when I want heavier coverage and thicker make up and BareMinerals in Summer when I want subtle makeup with a nice glow. I still have some products left over that I don’t like but I’m going to experiment with those later and tell you how it goes. I’m going to mix my NYX and Smashbox foundations and see how that turns out.

I hope this is helpful for you and don’t buy into the hype finding foundation is hard.

See you soon,

Jen x

#skin #makeup addict #reviewer #blogger #winterskincare #smashbox #lancome #nyxcosmetics #urbandecay #benefitcosmetics #esteelauder