New in: Mac Liptensity Lipsticks

Finally, yesterday Mac released the long-awaited Liptensity Lipstick range. I love a good backstory when it comes to cosmetics ranges and this one is quite something: the cosmetic giant collaborated with a tetrachromat called Maureen Seaberg, an artist, who has a rare vision condition the allows her to see a multitude of colours, 100 times more than a regular person.
The result is a range of 24  vibrant new shades from the lightest pink to dark blue, even black. This range is part of a new generation of lipstick formulation within the Mac portfolio. Long are the days gone of choosing either a lipstick that is 'moisturising but disappears quickly'  or 'matte, stays on, but is drying'. The Liptensity Lipsticks are soft, creamy in texture, comfortable to wear, super pigmented, rich, vibrant in colour AND long-lasting. Who wouldn't be pleased with that?

The packaging looks great too: it is sleek, the matte metal lids look elegant (slightly heavier than the plastic ones) and they are signifying the colour that's in the bullet. The colour coded lipstick packaging is new to Mac, but it works really well.

I picked four colours of the range: Smoked Almond (a rosy nude - perfect everyday colour), Dionysus (a brownie red, very autumn), Claretcast (deep magenta) and Blue Beat ('Cause who doesn't need a blue lipstick, right?)

From top to bottom: Claretcast, Smoked Almond, Dionysus, Blue Beat

I have instantly put Smoked Almond and Claretcast into my daily makeup bag, I love to wear them so much and I will definitely add some more to my collection. Which ones will you get?




Mac Liptensity Lipsticks are available for £17.50 here

Top 5 bronzers I used in the summer

Now that summer has drawn to a close I offer you a whiff of nostalgia with looking back on  my favourite bronzers I used this summer. I use bronzers on clients often, nearly every time, but I've never really been a bronzer user myself. This year they started to grow on me and now I really have fun using them. Some of these are new favourites, some of them have been firm staples of my kit for years. So here they are in no particular order.

1. Soleil Tan De Chanel, formerly known as Bronze Universel

This is a real classic, years ago it was all over on beauty blogs. I've found this sitting in my personal makeup kit and I thought this is the time to re-discover it. I'm glad I've done it because it is such a beautiful product - it's creamy, soft, easy to blend, has a gentle sheen to it. Buffing this cream into the skin is a perfect way to warm up the skin tone. Not just that, but it's also incredibly economical, it is a huge amount, and it lasts for ages. The only thing you have to watch, and this is for the lighter skin toned girls out there, it is a bit on the yellow side, so make sure you put on a little bit at a time and blend it really thoroughly. This is a luxury product so you would have to part with quite a bit of cash to get this, but it is all worth it. 

Soleil Tan De Chanel is Available here

2. Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate (Intensity one)

Technically this is a sculpting/highlighting duo, not a bronzer, but  I like to use this to warm up my skin tone. It is a soft cream, similar to Soleil Tan De Chanel, but it is a  lot less yellow. It is sheer, blends into the skin like a dream, and has a subtle glowy finish, so it's great if your skin is on the dry side.  This is my second luxury buy on this list, it can do serious damage in your budget, but then...you get the quality...and look at the packaging...it is so beautiful and chic! How can you resist  this?

Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate is available here

3. Becca Multi-Tasking Perfecting Powder (Tan)

I am absolutely in love with Becca and I am so glad to see the success they've achieved over the years. Their highlighters are on every beauty blogger's lips, and quite rightly so. The Shimmering Skin Perfector has been a staple of my kit for years and everything else they do is just perfection to me. The Multi-Tasking Perfecting Powder is, again, not technically a bronzer as such,it is a water resistant mineral foundation, but the less yellow colour and matte finish makes it a perfect everyday bronzer for lighter skin tones. The powder is light and easy to blend. I really appreciate the small, compact packaging with the mirror, which makes it an excellent travel companion and is great for touch-ups on the go.

Becca Multi-Tasking Perfecting powder is available here.

4. Mac Mineralize Skin Finish (Medium Dark)
This is another classic and my third choice that is not actually a bronzer. This setting powder has an amazingly light texture and a satin finish. When I want to achieve a real seamless, natural, warm effect, this is my go to compact. It is available in quite a few shades, so I'm sure there is a one out there for you too. Please note, that the one I own above is an old compact, they have changed the packaging since the last time I bought this.

Mac Mineralize Skinfinish is available here.

5. Rimmel Sculpting Palette (Coral Glow)

Last but not least, my most recent favourite from Rimmel. The make-up snob in me was I bit surprised how good this was (rude, I know, sorry), but I'm so glad I discovered this. This face palette will definitely be a re-purchase. The colour of the bronze/sculpt shade is perfect for light skin tones, not too yellow, it has a bit of a sheen to it but nothing too over the top. It works for during the day but building it up gives you a really nice glow for a night out too. Top marks from me for this little gem! The handy compact of three colours is perfect for touch ups on the go or on holidays. And for this price? It's a steal!

Rimmel Sculpting Palette is available here.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Nude Cushion Stick Radiant Makeup review

First things first, I do have to apologise for my absence on Instagram but I had a bit of a 'faux pas' with my beloved HTC. In a not so rare 'doing 10 things at one time' moment I stupidly/accidentally deleted all my pictures and videos from my phone, so I had to leave it in a shop for data recovery. However, instead of lamenting over the surreal feeling of not having my phone with me 24/7, and having lost every image I planned on posting for the next 3-4 days, I luckily saved a pic of the Estee Lauder Nude Cushion Stick Foundation on my computer, so at least I can go ahead with my weekly post here.

Estee Lauder foundations have always been in my top 5 of best foundations, and when they came out with the Double Wear Nude Cushion Stick Radiant Makeup (Gosh, isn't that a mouthful?) I couldn't wait to try it.  They didn't disappoint this time around either.

The packaging itself looks elegant, clean, sophisticated, easy to carry around in handbags. It has a sponge head and the product itself is dispersed through a small hole when twisting the bottom of the container to the sponge ready to be applied. How clever! Little goes a long way, you can add more by twisting just a tiny bit of the foundation to the sponge. Now, you and I would think:  'Hm...a sponge head? But wouldn't that go  incredibly dirty and full of bacteria very quickly?' Not this one! You can unscrew the head and give it a good clean whenever you feel like it! I almost feel I need to give a good hug to the person who came up with the idea!

The texture and finish of the foundation are divine! The oil-free formula glides on like a dream, has a decent medium, buildable coverage and a satin to slightly glowy finish. I'd say this is a great formulation for normal/combination, dry, maybe slightly oily skin types, but probably it is not for you if you are super oily (you can always opt for the classic Double Wear formulation, which is equally great but has longer wear and a matte finish).
 
Key facts about the Cushion Stick: the formulation contains a so-called  SkinSync Complex, which is a  blend of highly emollient lipids and butters (like Brazilian Muru-Muru butter and Linoleic Acid that melt on contact with skin creating a natural look and a comfortable, soft feel), a Quench Complex - Sodium Hyaluronate and naturally derived plant and fruit extracts to help skin attract and hold on to moisture for a long period of time, Glow Enhancing Optics - a luxurious mineral that includes Gold and South Sea Pearl that helps to give the skin an energized, radiant look, and finally a hint of Jasmine and Rose to give the foundation a fresh, clean scent. All this sounds fabulous and I have to say, it feels as delicious and luxurious as it sounds.

I've been testing this for a while and works really well on my combination skin. It seems, it has the durability of the classic Double Wear and stays on steadily during long working days. It is very easy to touch up your makeup with it and I felt I'm less inclined to powder it down during the day than usual, which is great news for me. This is certainly a foundation for the modern woman on the go and I am an absolute convert already!


Double Wear Cushion Stick Radiance Makeup is available in wide range of  20 shades here.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel review

A great hydrating formula that actually does what it claims might be a bit difficult to find on a budget but it's not impossible. I always encourage my clients to do their research before jumping into buying the newest, brightest, shiniest toy of a skincare that doesn't actually perform well on their skin or is not for their skin type and needs. Some might appear very effective but taking a closer look they're not what they might say they are.

The new Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel promises to work on all skin types and to "renew skin's hydration levels by replenishing water and strengthening skin's moisture barrier, resulting in hydrated, smooth, supple skin". The ingredients, they say, that make the difference: purified Hyaluronic Acid (for hydration) and olive extract (for giving and locking in moisture). 

The gel texture is light, smells nice and it wears nicely on my combination skin in warm weather during the day. It contains silicone oil, so it is light and smooth on application, it is also a good primer for makeup and it won't break the bank.  However, all in all, it didn't do much for my skin over time, unfortunately.  At the age of 39 (seriously, where has the time gone?) my skin feels as if it's craving more nutrition and boost. This gel looks inviting but didn't perform that well on me. I think there are better, more efficient and sophisticated formulations on the market that you can pick from when my skin feels thirsty. Shame about this one, because there are some Neutrogena products that I absolutely love (the T/Gel is an old favourite in our home or the Visibly Clear 2 in 1 Wash and Mask is a firm favourite of my boyfriend's). Maybe it would work better on a younger skin.

Potential concerns:

It contains silicones: Dimethicone - silicone oil that provides smooth application, skin conditioning agent, could be an irritant but fine if used the right way.

It is tested on animals.

It contains parabens and fragrance - possible irritants.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel is available for £12.99 at Boots, you can order it here.

I think I'll get back to my old favourites:  the Hylamide Low Molecular HA booster (see review here) and the Hydraluron Moisture Booster from Indeed Labs. Both are affordable, fragrance-free, not tested on animals and you get really quick positive results using them.









   

Going Zoella crazy

Zoella is one of the huge vlogger/blogger sensations who quickly became one of the most popular YouTubers. She has millions of followers worldwide and is a prominent social media influencer/businesswoman. She's seen the opportunity that lies within making videos on Youtube and she used it well. Her beauty range has become an instant sell-out and a twitter sensation...and I just bought into the hype. Why? The answer is very simple: the selfish reason of wanting to please my niece.

It's a rare treat when my niece is around, so I was really happy when I got to see her this week. Especially that she got to an age where she and I can spend some quality time together and bond over many things: her mum, the weather, the beach, seagulls,  drawing, walking and yes...wandering around Superdrug and look at all the treasures they sell. I told her she can have a choice of 3 products and we will review them together online. Goodness knows if she understood what a 'review' was or 'online' for that matter, but it didn't matter. The proud auntie that I am was chuffed seeing her enthusiasm. She instantly gravitated towards the pinks, the fluffy, the fun.

I spotted Zoella's range first and that fun little cosmetics bag...you can put trinkets in it...good. It's easy to clean...good. It's pink...even better! Lily has done the rest - she chose the Kissy Missy Lip Balm and the Foam, Sweet Foam Shower Gel. What more a 5-year-old can wish for when it comes to cosmetics? They look adequately girly and pink with a vintage feel, they have a sweet, but not too overwhelming scent, they are (okay, this is for the mum)reasonably priced  and they are just pure fun. 

The whole range is what it is and doesn't want to be more. I like that. And this is pretty much what there is to say about it. 
We had fun with them and that's all that matters.

You can get Zoella's range here