FOTD | Spring Every Day Make-Up

Hello Everyone! Just a quick post today and one was was inspired but a selfie I took this morning before filming a You Tube video. Yes, you read that correctly.. it's been 11 months since I last filmed but I've decided to take it up again seeing's as I've now got a camera with a flip screen and believe me it makes things a whole lot easier! For anyone who is interested, the video will be up within the next hour (it's uploading now) and will be appearing on my channel here. My first video's are extremely cringe worthy and really hard to film because I didn't have the right equipment or lighting but I'm pretty pleased with how today's one turned out :)

Anyway, onto today's blog post, a simple Spring every day make-up look. The picture quality isn't the best because I took it on my phone I'm afraid but hopefully it shows the make-up well enough for this short post :) The look I was going for was simple, girly, fresh and natural which I think I achieved. The products I used were:

Primer - Smashbox Photo Finish Original | Review | Link

Foundation - Rimmel Match Perfection in Ivory | Review | Link

Concealer - Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer | Review | Link

Powder - MAC Mineralise Skin Finish in Natural shade Medium Plus | Review | Link

Bronzer - Nars Laguna | Review | Link

Blusher - MAC Tenderling | Link

Eye primer - Urban Decay Priming Potion | Review | Link

Eyeshadow - MAC Naked Lunch and Satin Taupe | Link

Mascara - Maybelline the Falsies | Review | Link

Eyeliner - L'Oreal Black Super Liquid Liner | Link

What do you think of this make-up look?

Check out these great blogs by my lovely advertisers:

Pink Champagne: Hoad Shoes - An Independent Little Shoe Shop

Pink Swirl: Beky Lou, Dulcie's Beauty Blog, Amanda Loves, Looks and Lifestyle, What Shell Says

Pink Pearl: MissLJBeauty, Satchels and Pearls, Scottish Stef's Nail, One Stop Savvy 

To advertise with Kimberley's Beauty Blog find out more info here

March Favourites

You guessed it, it's that time where I share the products I've been loving over the past month.  Once again, the time has rushed by in a flash but during March I discovered some new products which I absolutely love as well as some old favourites. Here they are:

MAC Bare My Soul Eyeshadow Quad

I bought this beautiful quad from MAC last year and if I'm honest after I initially bought it I didn't show it as much love as I should have. I recently re-discovered it, however, and I've been using it almost every day over the past couple of weeks. My favourite shade is the brown taupe called Romantico which looks gorgeous on it's own all over the lid or when teamed with the darker brown named Friendly. I've been using this as a simple every day look but you could easily wear it in the evening too. It's a really pretty shade and really makes my blue eyes stand out. Read my review of the Bare My Soul quad here.

Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm

Anyone who follows me on Twitter (@KimberleyJ77) will know I've been lusting after the Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm for over six months but I was keen to finish my REN Cleansing Balm before buying another. This month, whilst in Debenhams, I finally gave in and now there's no looking back.

I've used the Emma Hardie cleansing balm every day (sometimes twice) and I absolutely love it. It smells gorgeous, the texture is soft and luxurious and it removes my make-up without irritating my eyes or skin. After use my skin even seems to have a healthy glow.  The only downside is, sometimes it does become a little oily in the pot. I'm not too sure if it's because the house is too warm or because of the product itself but time will tell. Once I've used this product for longer I will do a full review on the Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm.. keep an eye out for it guys!

*Seascape Sleep Oil

Unfortunately, most of the time I'm not a particularly good sleeper so I'm keen to try things that may help. I don't like the idea of sleeping tablets as the idea of them scares me a little so I prefer to stick to more natural remedies like soothing oils. The product I seem to be reaching for more and more is the Seascape sleep oil which contains lavender so it is relaxing and smells lovely. Read my review here.

MAC Syrup Lipstick

When I go to work I like to wear minimal make-up so it is important the make-up I choose is as natural looking as possible. Outside of work I love wearing a bright lip like MAC Girl About Town but my go to lipstick for during the week is MAC Syrup which can be described as a 'Your lips but better colour'. It gives the lip a nice splash of colour but it is subtle and pulls together a make-up look perfectly.

Benefit Porefessional

Two benefit products made it into my favourites this month, the first being their well known primer, Porefessional. This is one of my favourite primers because it reduces the size of pores, helps my make-up stay on for longer and makes my foundation apply better.  The texture is silky smooth and it blends perfectly over my skin and as you only need to use a little at a time a little goes a very long way. Read my review here.

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Foundation

It's no secret I love the foundation Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua but this month I discovered another foundation I love, Benefit Hello Flawless. I've had this foundation in my collection for some time but it was overlooked a little so I didn't realise how good it was until this month. The formulation is so light it doesn't feel like I'm wearing any make-up and I love the natural glow it gives my skin. Read my review here.

Clinique Chubby Stick in 07 Super Strawberry

I have been loving my Clinique chubby sticks over the past month and my favourite shade is Super Strawberry as it is a really pretty pink. It is a beautiful colour to wear during the day or evening and I find the formulation to be really smooth and hydrating. There will be a review coming soon on all the Clinique Chubby Sticks in my collection.

What do you think of my March favourites?

Check out these great blogs by my lovely advertisers:

Pink Champagne: Hoad Shoes - An Independent Little Shoe Shop

Pink Swirl: Beky Lou, Dulcie's Beauty Blog, Amanda Loves, Looks and Lifestyle, What Shell Says

Pink Pearl: MissLJBeauty, Satchels and Pearls, Scottish Stef's Nail, One Stop Savvy 

To advertise with Kimberley's Beauty Blog find out more info here

GOSH SS14 PRODUCT LAUNCH

Hi Guys! Last week I attended the launch of the Spring/Summer 2014 collection for GOSH cosmetics with the lovely Rachel from Beauty Queen UK so in today's post I would like to share what we got up to.

I was really looking forward to attending this event because I hadn't actually tried any GOSH product before so I was intrigued to see what they were like and of course it's always exciting when a new range is launched.  When we arrived we were greeted by our lovely hosts as well as a glass of bubbly and quickly introduced to one of the make-up artists who was giving make overs using the new products. This gave us a really great opportunity to learn more about the products whilst having our own little make-over. 

After browsing and swatching the other products on offer we headed over to the nail area where we both had a manicure.  After taking some deliberation I decided to have a manicure with Frosted Plum which is a gorgeous deep, matte plum with specs of gold and red glitter. I've had this polish on my nails all week and a lot of people have commented on how lovely it is so this one is definitely a winner!

The GOSH Cosmetics Spring and Summer collection is full of bright and playful colours which I was very impressed with.  The collection includes eight very pigmented lipsticks in a range of colours so whether you're into nudes or brights there is something for everyone.  During my make-over they applied 'Yours Forever' which a bright red which I really like because it is a true red rather than being orange toned.  It left my lips with a beautiful shine, felt very comfortable to wear and surprisingly it stayed in place all evening.. very impressive! These lipsticks also include vitamin E and oils to protect the lips and keep them nourished.  

The new collection also includes eight lip lacquers which are a hybrid between a lipstick/stain and lip gloss. This is definitely a product you could wear on it's own or over a lipstick to give it a more glossy finish and the range includes highly pigmented colours as well as more sheer shades.  The lip laquers are enriched with vitamin E and Argan oil too so they don't dry out your lips which is great because these are products you would wear for many hours at a time.  I had the red shade 'Hot Lips' over the top of my lipstick and it finished off the look really one.  Anyone who likes to add a beautiful shine to their lips should definitely check these out.

The stand out products for me in the GOSH SS14 collection are the Forever Eyeshadow Sticks. All of the colours in this collection (eight in total) are stunning and easy to wear and I love the metallic finish they have. The formula is extremely creamy and soft so they are very easy to blend but when you stop working with the product they settle and are very long lasting. I had swatches of these eyeshadows on my hand all evening and they didn't smudge at all. In fact, it took quite a lot of effort to get them off when I got in, however, the product was removed easily from my eyes using make-up remover. These eyshadows are definitely a must see!

Next in the collection is an assortment of five nail lacquers which are all packed full of glitter but have a matte finish.  I'm not normally a fan of textured polishes but I really like these ones because they have the pretty glitter running throughout them. My favourite in the collection is Frosted Plum quickly followed by Frosted Rose.

Last but not least is a very unique product called Prime 'N Set. This is a fine white powder which can can used to set your make-up as well as a primer too. I love the idea of a two in one product and I'm really interested to see how this works and give it a try as it's so different from anything I have used before. Prime 'N Set is also said to minimise pores, fine lines, redness and imperfections

I will be doing a detailed review on each of the products from the SS14 collection so if you're interested in finding out more about them watch this space!

What do you think of the GOSH SS14 collection?

Check out these great blogs by my lovely advertisers:

Pink Champagne: Hoad Shoes - An Independent Little Shoe Shop

Pink Swirl: Beky Lou, Dulcie's Beauty Blog, Bethany Worrall

Pink Pearl: MissLJBeauty, Here Comes Clo, Satchels and Pearls

To advertise with Kimberley's Beauty Blog find out more info here

Benefit POREfessional Review

Primer is definitely a make-up essential for me as I use it every day regardless of how long I am going to wear my make-up for.  Not only does it help keep your make-up in place for longer but it also acts as a base so your foundation has a perfect, even canvas.  Benefit POREfessional does more than this though as it is also designed to minimise the appearance of pores.

Benefit is one of my favourites brands because no matter what the product, the quality is brilliant and I am yet to be disappointed by anything I have tried.  Before purchasing POREfessional I had heard numerous good reviews so I had high expectations for this too but how would it work with my combination skin and foundation?

The formulation of POREfessional is an oil free light beige cream which turns transparent once applied to the skin so it is suitable for all skin tones.  I find it provides the perfect base for my foundation because it evens out my skin tone and leaves my skin with a silky soft, matte finish.  The primer absorbs quickly into my skin too and has a subtle floral scent which soon disappears on application.

Unlike other primers, there are actually two ways to use POREfessional.  You can either apply it after your moisturiser and before your foundation which is what I usually do or over the top of your make-up during the day for any touch ups.  I don't often do the latter but it's great you have the option and anything that helps keep a flawless make-up look for as long as possible has got to be a winner. 

I really love this multi-purpose primer from Benefit and it is definitely one I would re-purchase. Ithelps keep my make-up stay in place for longer and I really love that you can use in under or over your make-up. If you want to buy POREfessional it is available at Debenhams for £24.50.

What do you think of Benefit POREfessional?

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 Check out Bethany's blog here, my Pink Champagne advertiser this month and Beky Lou's Blog, my Pink Pearl advertiser.

 

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Benefit Stay Flawless Primer Review

 

 

 

 

I hope you're all well.  Last week I was lucky enough to attend the Benefit Stay Flawless event in London which was for the launch of a brand new primer.  Today's post will be a review of that primer but if you want to also check out the event, my post on it is here.

The packaging of the Stay Flawless primer is adorable.  I like the simple use of colour and although it is very different from the packaging of other Benefit products it still fits in with the brand really well.  The cute polka dot design isn't too over the top and reminds me of the current Topshop packaging, so it seems to be a common theme at the moment.  This simple, sleek, professional design really appeals to me.

Moving on to the application, this is completely innovative for a primer.  I don't think I have ever seen a primer that you apply directly onto your skin from a stick and for me it has both pros and cons.  I love the concept as it makes application quick, easy and mess free but it is a little un-hygienic.  For me personally it isn't a huge problem as *touch wood* I am pretty lucky when it comes to spots and blemishes (watch me have a massive break out now I've said that) but for people with acne prone skin especially, I would definitely suggest maybe using a sponge or brush to apply this primer as you don't want to cause spots to spread and application may also be a little more gentle.  That being said, I haven't tried this form of application before so I don't know how the product will react to it.

The Stay Flawless Primer is a large pale, beige stick which is transparent on application so is suitable for all skin types. You apply it by simply twisting up the bottom of the tube and gliding it directly onto cleansed but dry skin.  The formulation feels cool on application, is pretty much scent free and has a smooth texture which isn't greasy or sticky.  We were advised at the event to apply your foundation immediately after the primer so this product is very convenient for people who don't want to hang around waiting for products to be absorbed/dry/set etc.

The idea behind the Stay Flawless primer is that it acts like a magnet (a makeup magnet) to lock your foundation to your skin for up to 15 fresh and flawless hours. It aims to give your skin a natural looking finish as well as making your makeup last longer.  I have tried this primer with three different foundations and I have found it works best with the Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Brightening foundation and least well with Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua.  With the latter it made my skin quite oily and I found I had to use blotting paper to absorb it on and off throughout the day. I have combination skin so I sometimes suffer from an oily nose but this was my whole face so not a good look.  Therefore I would definitely avoid this primer if you have oily skin. Using the Stay Flawless Primer with the Hello Flawless Oxygen foundation, however, was better.  My makeup stayed on for a reasonable amount of time, maybe 7-8 hours and my foundation applied nicely over the top. This primer is definitely one which is most suited to those with dry skin.

Unfortunately, my makeup didn't stay on for the full 15 hours but it is good to use on days when that isn't required and it does feel nice to apply a very thin layer of product rather than your typical gel like formulation as it is very light.  Despite this, I'm afraid it won't take the place of my Porefessional Primer which definitely still has the number 1 spot for me!

You can buy the Stay Flawless primer from Benefit for £24.50. It is due to be launched on the 29th June in the UK but is already available online by the looks of things. 

What do you think of this primer? Are you going to try it?

*PR sample received at an event

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Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Review

Hello Everyone!

How are you all? Today's review is on the well known primer in the beauty industry and that is the Photo Finish foundation primer by Smashbox.

I got this primer in the Smashbox Try Me Kit I blogged about earlier in the week and this was the product I was itching to try the most.

This foundation primer is a transparent gel and has a smooth silky consistency.  The formulation is oil free so it doesn't make your skin greasy and applies well on my combination skin. This primer doesn't seem to have a smell and it is easy to quickly smooth it over your face to prep it for the application of your foundation. It really does glide over your skin and is a lovely product to work with.

I always apply primers with my finger tips because you use so little it isn't really worth using a brush.  Also, you're not looking at buffing or blending it into your skin so it is fine to use your hands.  I don't have to use loads of this product to get the coverage I want but because it is something I will definitely use everyday and I will be covering my whole face it is a makeup product you use up quicker than others. Therefore, do I think this primer is worth the hype and the expensive price tag of £25.00?

My answer is YES! I find that this primer makes my skin smoother so my foundation applies better and it makes my makeup stay on for longer (I always use setting spray too, though). I would definitely buy this primer in the larger size and I would be happy to use it every day.

You can buy the Smashbox Photo Finish primer from Boots for £25.00 but if it order it from the Smashbox website (for the same price) you may get an extra free sample thrown in :)

Have you tried this primer?

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Urban Decay Priming Potion Review

Most of you would have already heard of, if not tried this product but for those of you who haven't taken the plunge yet here is a review of the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Priming Potion.

There are different variations of this product but the only one I have tried is the one in the picture above, the 'original' which is priced at £14.50 at Debenhams.  The difference between the products are the finishes:

 Original - Nude in the tube but dries invisibly
 Eden - Tawny matte finish
 Eden Sin - Champagne shimmer finish
 Greed - Shimmering yellow

 

Just a note about Debenhams before we move on...Although, Debenhams do not always stock all make-up brands/products in their stores I find the online site brilliant as often products are a little cheaper (MAC products for example are cheaper here than House of Fraser and Selfridges) and delivery is usually free too so it is worth taking a look at their site.

Anyway.. back to the primer.  This magic potion comes in a compact squeezable lilac tube with a needle nose tip which allows you to control how much product you apply. You get 11ml of product in the tube which I think would last you a good few months depending on how much you choose to apply.  It's pretty thick so a little goes a long way.

I find the best way to apply this product is to squeeze a little onto my finger and gently rub it together to warm it a little.  I then gently spread the primer over my eyelid and right up over my brow bone.  Only one layer of this product is necessary and you really don't need to apply a lot to see the affects.  I don't wait a certain amount of time to let the product dry either, I just get straight on and start picking out what shadows I'm going to wear and apply them.

And the verdict.. I love this product! My eyeshadow stays on ALL day and evening without creasing, spreading or coming off at all.  When I return home my eye make-up looks exactly the same as it did when I left the house.

Amazing product, I will definitely re-purchase  this time and time again! I'm not even tempted to try another.

:: It's time to Prime ::

:: It's Time to Prime! :: 

A brilliant product on the market at the moment is the Nivea Express Hydration Primer.

This primer combines both a moisturiser and primer in one.  Some people may be wary of this product because of this but I see this as a bonus because its a great time saver and it really works.

The moisturiser element in this product leaves my face feeling soft and smooth whilst the primer helps to prime my skin for foundation application.  The consistency of this product is thin so it easily glides over the skin and it means a little will go a long way. The smell of this product is also nice. It is lightly perfumed so gives a gorgeous scent but isn't overpowering at all.

 

The packaging of this product is really cute. It comes in a little curved glass pot that really shows off the product. Two versions of this moisturiser/primer are available, one for dry/sensitive skin (the one with the pink lid) and one for normal/comb skin types (the one with the blue lid). You use very little with each application so the 50ml that you get would last quite some type. I would say easily a few months even with daily use.

 

I've been using this moisturiser/primer for around five weeks and in the last week I've had several comments from people saying how healthy I look. Without doubt this product has definitely been a contributing factor as I have been wearing the same makeup and have actually been poorly for the past couple of weeks!

This product is a bargain, priced at only £4.99 at Superdrug.

Rating 5/5