The Benefits Of A Powder Foundation

The word "addicted" does not even begin to translate my love for powder foundations,  I have gone above the classified terms of addicted when it comes to powder foundations. Being quite the makeup lover, I always love having a good old chat about our must haves and I always end up recommending at least two powder foundations although I am pretty much met with either look of disgusts or total confusion. So many people fail to see the benefits powder foundation have to offer, or even the difference between a powder foundation and a setting powder, and today I'm going to try and rectify that!

A setting powder is a powder designed to use over either foundation or concealer in order to keep it in place during the day and can also be used in order to combat oiliness. Traditionally these are either translucent or very sheer coverage, however more recently there is availability for medium coverage concealer. Where as a powder foundation is a traditional foundation in powder formation, and is widely available in different colours to match different skin tones. They offer coverage ranging from low to high coverage and come in loose or pressed formation. Typically, you wouldn't use them together but I am aware that some people choose to. For me, powder foundations offer the versatility that liquid foundations don't even begin to offer. If applied using a damp brush they can offer a far more dewy and luminous complexion,if applied with a kabuki they offer high coverage in one layer, and if applied using a powder brush they offer a sheer to medium matte complexion; all of which can be created without having to purchase more than one foundation. Whilst they give you the coverage one can only long for, they also set the remainder of your makeup. Powder foundations offer a range in coverage, that is easily buildable but unlike liquid foundations you can apply upwards of one layer without it becoming heavy and cake-y. They are far less time consuming, and are much easier to carry around with you for touchups - and most powder foundations come with a handy mirror in the compact. If you have oily skin, powder foundations are a dream as they absorb oil, whilst if you have dry skin you'll also love powder foundations as they don't sink into dry patches. They're also far easier to blend into your skin seamlessly (and easier to color match) and easy to remove. Powder foundations also have better ingredients that are less irritant to your skin, and less likely to cause spots. Some even contain ingredients designed to improve the appearance of your skin! However, my favourite benefit of powder foundation is how they don't clog your pores nor do they enlarge or draw attention to pores. Powder foundations for me, are non exchangeable go-to products, my absolute favourites being the Tarte Amazonian Clay Airbrush foundation (which I recently reviewed - which you can read here) and the Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Powder Foundation! I really hope I have converted more of you to using powder foundation!

Drugstore Alternative #2 - Smashbox Pore Minimising Primer

I'm super excited to write another instalment of drugstore alternatives, as I have found that I love writing these and discovering new dupes for high end products! It's also so much more exciting going to the drugstore and thinking that "this would be such a great dupe for..." ! Anyway, I really hope your enjoying these posts as much as I enjoy writing them!

The Smashbox Pore Minimizing Primer is something that always seems to be out of stock no matter how early you get to the shops. It took me three months before I managed to track it down and even now - five months since it's release it's still almost always sold out; seems like they just can't seem to keep it in stock! The Smashbox primer is a fairly thick consistency and a skin toned primer, that melts into the skin. If you have oily skin this would be a total dream since it prevents oily skin all day (yes, even in the t-zone!) and mattifies the skin like no other. It fills in the pores in a seamless way and the packaging is super cute! Unfortunately, the packaging of the L'oreal Skin Perfection Primer does not quite reach Smashbox standard. The formulation of the product is a much thicker consistency, and is white in colour. This takes a little longer to blend into the skin since it's a lot thicker. Despite that, it does not cling to dry skin as much as the Smashbox primer does - however nor does it fill in pores quite as well as the latter, but neither contribute to my makeup lasting any longer. Although, the Smashbox primer retails at £28 and the L'oreal primer retailing at £12.99, the Smashbox primer is much better value seeing as it has 30ml of product and L'oreal only having 15ml! Therefore, I do reach for the Smashbox primer over the latter (however t o t a l l y avoid dry skin) and if you wish to purchase the Smashbox Primer you can do so here.

Verdict: SAVE

Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation and Airbuki Review

 

It has been well over a year that I have been putting of buying this foundation, and god do I regret not buying this sooner! This is a firm staple in my everyday makeup routine as it offers buildable coverage, feels weightless on the skin and looks completely natural! I bought this on QVC after it being out of stock for months and when it finally came back in stock I almost cried in shock. It retails at £34 for both the foundation and brush which seems great value for both seeing as their high end beauty products that are great quality. The packaging is also so cute and compact, the foundation has a net in the middle which prevents overflow of product and allows the exact right amount to come out which I love as I can throw this in my bag without worrying that the foundation will spill everywhere. If you haven't guessed this is a mineral foundation which I'm normally skeptical of since they tend to feel heavy on the skin and don't match your skin tone as well as liquid foundations do; however Tarte have such a large range that mean that even someone like me who is super pale can find a perfect match, and also offer darker formulations too! Since it is a mineral formulation I really recommend using a moisturiser before so that the foundation does not cling to dry patches and sits on your skin nicely. The airbuki brush allows you to pack on the foundation and blend evenly,  whilst picking up the right amount of product. I do one even layer across my face, making sure to buff it in with the brush and it offers super high coverage without looking cake-y or heavy at all, however the coverage is completely buildable and looks completely natural - like you have perfect skin! I totally recommend this duo, whether you have oily or dry skin (like me) and even if you normally reach for liquid foundations this is such a versatile foundation that you need to try, and see for yourself just how amazing this product is! The Sephora VIB sale is currently on, so if that isn't a sign then I don't know what is! Really can't recommend this enough, I love it! The brand itself uses sustainable products, and is animal cruelty free and also eco-friendly! If you do want to purchase this you can do so here for the US, or here for the UK! 

Will you be picking this up? If not, whats your favourite mineral foundation?

Everyday Makeup Routine

Despite this being a beauty blog, and my everyday makeup routine seems like an obvious post choice I have only written it once before! It's definitely something I'd like to write more off since I change up my makeup routine fairly regularly as I alternate products a lot more since I seem to acquire a lot more beauty products since my addiction is now spiralling out of control! Anyway, lets get right into it!

So I actually use two primers (both of which are smashbox) as they each cater to my two main skincare problems. So I first use the Smashbox Pore Minimising Primer and apply this on my nose, and cheekbone area which is where I have pores on my face. If you have oily skin you will love this product and I'd really recommend it for those of you with oily skin. I personally have dry skin so I only apply it in these areas, and make sure I work it into my skin. I then use the Smashbox Colour Correcting Primer in Adjust and I apply this on my cheeks where my keratosis pilaris is and on my nose (this works really well for sunburn too!) to neutralise my redness. This is one of my favourite beauty products as its hydrating, soothing and neutralises almost all of my redness! I then use the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer for my undresses and along my nose to highlight, and use the beauty blender to blend this out. If I have spots I will use my Makeup Forever Concealer to cover those, as this has the most coverage and lasts all day. I then either use the Tarte Amazonian Clay Airbrush Foundation or the Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Powder Foundation depending on how much coverage I want for the day and I apply both of these using the Tarte Airbuki as it really pacts and blends products much quicker and easier than my other brushes. If I want my skin to look a bit more glowy/dewy and have a softer effect I will also use the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light. To sort out my eyebrows I use a spoile to brush them into the shape I desire and set using the Benefit Gimme Brow. If I choose to contour then I will use the Benefit Hoola which until recently I did not like, but now I find that it is so easy to work with and a comparable colour for almost all skin tones. If you are looking for a high end contour this would be my recommendation! If I choose to bronze I use the Marc Jacobs O Mega Bronze! which is a perfect bronzing shade.

If I do choose to do eyeshadow at the moment I am reaching for the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette as I love Too Faced eyeshadows because they are amensly pigmented and last all day. The palette has such a large range of colours available and looks to create! If you love neutrals this is most definitely a palette for you! I then use the Shu Uemera Eyelash Curlers to curl my lashes and then use Lancome Definicils Mascara which I recently purchased and am loving! It separates each and every lash, and creates length so easily without clumping or faking. (I actually prefer this to the Benefit They're Real!) As for fragrance I have been using the Viktor&Rolf Flowerbomb! and for brushes I have been using my adored Zoeva brushes!

So I hope you enjoyed this post, I'd love to hear what your favourite products are in your makeup routine! Also very exciting news - I'm having my blog professionally designed and I'm super excited for it to be live, so watch this space!

Drugstore Alternative #1 - Benefit They're Real

This is my first post of my new series called 'drugstore alternatives' that I'm really excited to start! I am looking at including more drugstore products in my posts from now on so I really hope you enjoyed this, and I'd love to hear about your favourite drugstore mascara!

Benefit They're Real is the fastest selling mascara, with one sold every twenty seconds! I can certainly see why that is the case (although I do prefer Lancome definicils) as it builds volume and length very quickly, and is easy to build volume to you're liking. The brush itself allows you to grip each lash and coat it gently, and finds the lashes that you didn't even know you had! Now the Essence Lash Princess Mascara is not one I have ever heard of, until I received it in my glossybox this month. Drugstore mascaras are not something I use often so I was a bit sceptical especially since it retails at an astonishing £3.30! The wand itself is 'cobra shaped' which really helps to fit into your eye perfectly and separate your lashes; it also creates more volume on the outer edge of your eye which is how I like to do my mascara anyway so this brush helps to save a lot of time! It builds volume far quicker than the they're real, and the consistency of the mascara is a lot 'wetter' which means that building volume is a much easier and quicker experience! I find that the essence mascara has a little bit more clumping than Benefit's however holds a curl a bit better, and does not flake nearly as much as the benefit mascara. Like me, a lot of people talk about how the benefit mascara drys out so quickly and is a pain to remove and I have not found that that is the case for the essence mascara. Therefore, I would recommend saving your money and purchasing the Essence Mascara instead which you can purchase here if you so wish! 

Verdict: SAVE

My Top Five Under £10 - Guest Post by Maddie Victoria

Hello,

I am Maddie a beauty lover who walks up and down Boots and House Of Fraser counters countless times indulging in highstreet to highend makeup, despite my Dad's disapproval at my make-up collection which is quickly expanding. Anyway I have had the chance to chat to Daisy and as you all know she is so lovely and a very good blogger as her blog envelops me in beauty goodness, however my bank balance may feel differently due to all her good recommendations from planners to lighting. I also have a little slice on the internet known as Madison Victoria x full to the brim with beauty posts. Enough promos today I am giving you the low down on my top five beauty and skincare products all under £10 ...

First and foremost skincare ...

Simple Kind To Eyes Nourishing Eye Cream:

This is a bargain and rediscovery in my collection I have raved about this on my blog a couple of times but this really does check every box especially only at £3.75. As the name would suggest it is of a cream texture that you apply to a cotton pad and then rub it in circles on the eye and the cream although simple solves the whole They're Real Mascara dilemma with a bit of rubbing and better yet it doesn't make your eyes feel like they are on fire. Another benefit is that the eye make-up remover is so east to apply however slightly more greasy feeling than a normal cream texture. 

Nivea Sensitive 3 in 1 Micellar Cleansing Water:

Again another bragain coming in at a measly £1.84 but yet another great product. I have to admit this is a fairly new product but I have definitely put it through it's paces. First of all this is completely different to the simple one as this is a water consistency but again is applied on to a cotton pad and rubbed in circular motions on the face. This cleansing water breaks down the make-up completely and doesn't result in my sensitive skin looking very easily matched to a strawberry the next morning, it also only takes two minutes in the bathroom and you have clean skin and a clean concious for taking your make-up off. 

Moving on to make-up ...

Rimmel London Match Perfection ​Foundation:

Foundation is always slightly more expensive at £6.99 however I picked this up on a whim when Rimmel London were doing a promotion. I do have a confession though I was slightly scared to wear a foundation as I veer more towards the BB and CC creams when strolling the lengths of the Boots aisles, however this may of converted me. This specific foundation I apply by placing a pump all over my face and then blending ... blending ... blending. It sits on the face nicely covering a few imperfections and some redness but still offering a fresh faced look. It still lets the skin breath and doesn't clog the pores and result in break outs this means the next morning that whole strawberry face situation is diverted. The devity of this foundation is nothing special but a few powder fix ups throughout the day changes that all around. 

Rimmel London Apocalips Matte Lip Lacquer: 

A fairly new purchase however it has quickly become a staple product. I am slightly late on the Apocalips bandwagon I have a few but I just forget about them so I thought it was time to rekindle my love for them so I went searching for a new shade and found one called Meteoric Matte. These are slightly more expensive compared to the other products retailing for £6.49 but I feel is 100% worth it. This is the perfect shade for us new beginners when it comes to venturing in to the world of vampy lips as it is not too dark but still offers a world of impact.  One claim is that it lasts 8 hours however this is not entirely true as the day regimes of eating and talking (a lot of it when your me) result in the colour fading. What do you think ...

​Now a fresh fragrance ...

Zoella Blissful Mistful Body Mist:

This beautiful fragrance retails at £8 which I think is perfect for this 45 ml body mist. I use this as an everyday fragrance due to the fresh and floral scent which still incorporates the girly vibes of my personality. Also how cute is the packaging?! 

Thank you lovelies for reading I hope you enjoyed this little guest post and I would love it if you popped by mine and had a little peek and find something that tickles your pickle at 

Blog: www.madisonvictoriax.blogspot.co.uk

Instagram:https://instagram.com/madisonvictoriax/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/maddievictoriax

Again thank you to Daisy you have been a dream to work with and so much more organized than me.

Hugs and Kisses,

Maddie xx

Fragrance Of The Month #1 - Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb

This is a new series on my blog that I am starting, and each month I will be updating you on what fragrance I will be wearing, and even though I am hopeless at describing scents I will be giving it my best shot! So this month I have been wearing the Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb - 30ml, and this is perhaps one of the most long wearing perfumes I have tried and am so impressed. It retails at £50 for 30ml which is very expensive for the amount you receive, despite that I do feel like it is worth the price you pay. Having tried other high end perfumes, not one has come close to the scent lasting. When I want on holiday I spritzed myself with this in the early morning, and could continue to smell this throughout the day and when I later changed the clothes late that night I could still smell this, however what really made my mouth fall open was the fact that when I went to put on the same jumper a week later I could still smell the scent of this just as strongly as I had when first applied! This is one of those perfumes thats scent lingers throughout the day, and many pick up upon and ask what I am wearing! With other perfumes I have used (such as DKNY, VS, Marc Jacobs) not one has lasted more than a few hours let alone a whole week! It is very sweet scented, along with notes of floral and vanilla! It has jasmine, orchid, rose and also has patchouli which gives it a scent of musk and 'a wood like scent'. I really recommend this if you are a sweet scented girl, but even if you aren't I would definitely recommend checking this out because I love this perfume! Plus, the bottle is so cute and I love having it in my mini collection!

I'd love to hear what you have been wearing, so please let me know in the comments!