5 Tried & Tested Foundations

5 Tried & Tested Foundations

I thought it's time that I told you guys about the foundations that I've tried out and which ones I thought were good/bad and worth their money. So I'm gonna tell you in order starting with the first foundation I ever tried to the most recent. I have normal/oily skin so 4 out of 5 of these are oil free foundations; hopefully after reading my views you can make a decision on whether you want to purchase these babies. I think you should always try before you buy when it comes to foundations because they look different after they oxidise and it never hurts consultants on counters to give you a little sample! Never think trying them on your hand is enough, always find a mirror and try a little on your jaw line. ;)

1. MAC Mineralize Satin Finish Liquid Foundation SPF 15
RRP £24 - I use shade NC44 

High points:

I've been using this foundation for around 3years and I find it has low - medium coverage. The best thing about it is that it actually is quite natural looking so if that's the look that you're going for; then you're winning. It's a mineral foundation so it has ingredients like Vitamins A,C & E in it which help condition the skin. The dewy finish will be beneficial to you if you have dry skin which looks a bit dull but not if you have tend to get shiny in areas. Finally Mac do many different shades to cater for very fair or very dark skin so finding a match is made easier for you.

Low downs:

The only down side to this foundation is that if you have very blemished skin then this amount of coverage it too little for you - because I definitely have to go over my blemishes with a concealer after this. Maybe look for a foundation with more coverage if you have blemished skin. Finally, the shade I find is perfect for me in the summer but in the winter I have to mix it with a lighter shade foundation which is a bit annoying!

2. NO7 Beautifully Matte SPF 15

RRP £14 - I use the shade Almond

High Points: So if you have oily skin then this is the answer to your prayers because it's an oil free foundation and has oil balancing ingredients that actually work! The matte finish gets rid of all your shiny areas and you don't even need to reapply foundation during the day. Furthermore, it has very good coverage that manages to cover redness/blemishes/spots effectively. The price is amazing compared to the other 4 foundations in this blog so if you find this product suits your skin then you've hit a bargain! 

Low Downs:

The shade that I use means that the shade is perfect for me in the winter but if I get a tan in the summer then I definitely have to mix with a darker foundation because the colour Almond is a little too light for my tanned skin. Unfortunately this foundation only goes up to almond (the darkest shade) which means those who are darker than my skin colour won't be able to find a perfect colour match. To be perfectly honest there is an unpleasant but bearable smell in this foundation which is probably because of its unique hypo-allergenic formula but that goes within seconds of applying it. 

3. CLARINS Ever Matte SPF 15

RRP £24 - I use the shade Chestnut 

High Points: This is another oil free foundation that works wonders if you have shiny areas and blemishes (like most people with oily skin). I actually felt like my skin felt less oily and very flawless after applying this foundation. The finish is very matte (like it should be) and it provides the perfect base for foundation. It also gives good coverage and I think this foundation gave me the perfect colour match for my summer skin tone and I would definitely purchase again! 

Low Downs: 

It comes in 10 shades, however I think the shade that I use (Chestnut) is the darkest shade for them which means those with a darker skin tone than me again are losing out again. :(

4. ELIZABETH ARDEN Flawless Finish Bare Perfection SPF 8

RRP £24 - I used number 48, Toasty Beige 

High Points: It gave me a 'flawless finish' and it had medium coverage which is enough for a day to day usage for me. It has an oil free formula which should benefit you if you have oily skin. 

Low Downs: 

The first thing I noticed was that it had a lower SPF than most other foundations which put me off because SPF 8 is hardly any sun protection, especially when you have oily areas like me and you desperately need anything that will help your make up stay on. Furthermore the shade that I used was too orangey for me and made me look a lot darker than I am which meant it didn't match the colour of my neck or the back of my ears etc. The finish was average and the foundation didn't feel extraordinary on my skin either. So unfortunately I would not go and purchase this again or even recommend it.

5. BENEFIT Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow! 

RRP £24.50 - I tried the shade Amber (but realised I should maybe have tried Toasted Beige)

High Points: SPF 25! What a good spf to have in a foundation. It is also 'brightening make up' which works well for tired, dull skin. Furthermore the oil free formula means it will balance your oiliness and shiny areas should be well taken care of. The formula is very very light on your skin so you hardly notice you have it on but if you do want a natural looking foundation then definitely go for this one. 

Low Downs: I felt it didn't have as much coverage as I would like, it's supposed to be light-medium coverage but I thought it was extremely light for me. If your skin is quite clear anyway then this is ok but for blemished skin it won't really do a lot. Also I don't think it 'brightened' my skin at all either which I regarded as a bit of a false claim.  

P.S. All these foundations are liquid and they all come in a 30ml bottle which lasts you a very long time which is why I haven't put the price as a low down for any of them. Foundation is really a long term investment to achieve an even skin tone and an effective base for the rest of your make up. Hope this helps!

In conclusion my ranking of these 5 foundations would be

1. CLARINS

2. NO7

3. MAC

4. BENEFIT

5. ELIZABETH ARDEN 

Below is a picture of my skin tone for you to get a better idea of these shades.

Priya.B.                 x

How To Have A Good Skincare Routine

Have you got a skincare routine?

I felt like I should blog about the importance of having a skincare routine because it seems everyone is complaining about having skin problems but also have the same answer when asked if they have a skincare routine! "No". They look at you clueless and confused - as IF a routine could improve their skin?! Well it can. 


First of all, you need the right products - and you need to know exactly what you want to tackle for instance it may be blemishes, dry skin, or even wrinkles. Because if you have oily skin there is no point in using a day cream which is for normal/dry skin because you're going to make your skin more oily! Equally essential are PATIENCE and CONSISTENCY - If you want results you need to make sure you wait it out because no one sees results in one day! Most skincare routines will show you results in 4-6 weeks even if you have the best of skin and you won't see results unless you are consistent and follow the routine religiously.


These are the must haves in your skincare routine in order of importance (not steps) so for a start, make sure these are stashed in your bathroom and you're good to go! 

No7 Beautiful Skin Day Cream
Normal/Oily -SPF15 & 5STAR UVA

1. So it's important to apply your DAY CREAM to your face in the morning to clean skin and in an upward motion to discourage sagging; make sure you apply the amount of a pound size coin. Don't forget the neck area - it's as prone to ageing and sun damage as your face is so don't neglect it. Preferably your day cream should have at least SPF15 and 5star UVA protection to protect you from the sun's since it's a big cause of ageing. 

CLARINS One-Step Gentle
Exfoliating Cleanser with
Orange Extracts (All Skin Types)

2. Secondly, people need to understand how bad it is when you wash your face with your soap; it DRIES out your skin and drinks all the moisture (it will especially affect you if you have dry skin already). So please invest in a good CLEANSER that suits your skin type and use it in the morning and before you go to sleep especially if you wear make up on a daily basis; NEVER sleep with your make up on! Cleansers remove impurities and make up residue and thoroughly clean your skin; apply these in circular motions and either wash off or wipe off depending on directions. 

LANCOME Tonique Douceur
Softening Hydrating Toner
(All Skin Types)

3. Using a TONER after your cleanser will leave your skin refreshed, absorb your creams better and remove all traces of your cleanser; personally I think is most effective when used with a cotton wool pad and acts as a finishing touch in removing all residue from your face! Again use one that suits your skin type! 

No7 Beautiful Skin Night Cream
Normal/Oily Skin

4. A NIGHT CREAM is different to your day cream because it has a lot more moisture than a day cream - this is because whilst your skin is sleeping it drinks more moisture! So invest in a good night cream, use it before you sleep (on clean skin) and don't be lazy, you'll be pleased when you see results in the morning ;) 

No7 Beautiful Skin
Purifying Exfoliator
Normal/Oily Skin

5. Exfoliating unblocks pores, removes blackheads and removes dead skin cells. It will also brighten your skin so if your skin is looking dull and tired then maybe you need to invest in a good EXFOLIATOR to suit your skin type! Use this twice a week if you have oily skin but once a week if your skin is dry. 

OPTIONAL 

6. SERUMS are treatments which you might want to use to tackle problem areas for example most serums in the market are to tackle wrinkles, I've seen some that also tackle blemishes and visible pores. These are to be used under your day cream and night cream but only a pea size amount. 


7. EYE CREAMS are quite under rated but are equally as important as day creams, most day creams want you to "avoid the delicate eye area" and this is where your eye cream comes in. Your eye area needs three times as much moisture than your face which is why an eye cream exists. Apply a rice grain amount along with your day cream. 


So in order - 
1.Cleanse
2.Tone
3.Serum (optional) 
4.Day Cream
5.Eye Cream
*Go about your daily missions; remove your make up with an eye make up remover/wipes if you wear it*


6.Cleanse
7.Tone
8.Serum
9.Night Cream
10.Eye Cream


Exfoliation can be done in the morning/night between your cleanser and toner! :)


Priya.B.
P.S. The images I've used are the products that are included in my skincare routine. 


x

CLARINS - One Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser

I am so tired right now but I've got a new found obsession for this product so I had to blog about it before I went to sleep!  

CLARINS - One Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser 

                 (with Orange Extracts) 

                                               So I was given a little sample to try by one of my Beauty Girls at work because she really recommended this for Oily/Combination skin, even though it does say the cleanser is for all skin types. So the first thing that I fell in love with was the smell, it has this amazing CLEAN orange smell, it sounds stupid to say clean but if you smell it you'll understand ;). This product is supposed to cleanse, tone and gently exfoliate at the same time so it could be used on a daily basis. The silica microbeads unblock pores, remove impurities and get rid of your dead skin cells. I've only been using it at night rather than in the morning because I don't want the exfoliating particles to be too harsh on my skin. 

So how did I know this was an amazing cleanser? THIS is how. 

I always remove my make up before I go to sleep with wipes and then cleanse and tone - my toner is a wipe off one so I use a cotton wool pad on which I can normally see some makeup residue. :( When I washed my face with this Clarins cleanser, it felt pretty ordinary other than the gorgeous smell but when I used my toner with the cotton wool pad I saw that the cleanser had literally taken off ALL the makeup! Normally, the previous cleansers I've tried haven't given me such a deep clean but this is a product which is very effective and would be ideal to use if you use make up daily especially foundation. 

You can buy this from a Clarins counter which can be found in Boots or John Lewis and retails at £19.50 but I'd say try a sample before purchasing the full 125ml bottle just in case! I'll be purchasing very soon :D 

Priya B. 

Eye Shadows & Lipsticks To Suit Your Skin Tone And Eye Colour

My first beauty blog! :) 

Right so I had to think long and hard about this, where to start?! I thought I'd start off by something that a lot of people ask me. It's what SUITS them. This is actually more important than people think and very under-rated! Certain colours do suit and complement certain skin tones and eye colours more. It's a FACT!

Eye shadows

Blue eyes:

A deep blue, grey, violet and purple.

For an edgier look try silver, turquoise and fuchsia.

Brown/dark brown eyes:

Copper/bronze, chocolate, coffee, champagne, brown, beige and khaki green.

For an edgier look try tangerine, royal blue/navy, hot pink and violet.

Green/hazel eyes:

Deep khaki, brown, apricot, purple and plum.

For an edgier look try gold, lime-green and bright purple.

 Lipsticks

Light, slightly pale skin: 

Rosy pinks, coral and peachy browns, if you want to wear red lipstick it is better to go for an orangey red.

Medium toned, olive skin: 

Rose, plum and soft pinky reds.

Darker skin tones: 

Most reds suit you especially a deep brownish red, raspberry, magenta, burgundy and plum. Try to avoid nude shades and neon bright pinks.

****A lot of people don’t like wearing red lipstick because they feel their teeth are a little yellow – wearing a red lipstick with a blue undertone actually helps the teeth to appear whiter! ;) ****

So make sure you make a note of this and hopefully you'll end your battle of wasting money on shades you've bought in the past which haven't suited you.

Priya B.