Make Up | Revlon BB Cream

REVLON PHOTOREADY BB CREAM IN LIGHT PALE

I actually bought this months ago. I went looking through all my photos to see what I've missed and found it in my June folder... Opps! I can't believe I haven't reviewed this sooner, bad blogger. You may have seen this BB cream in my recent BB creams post (here) but I wanted to give it a bit of a more in depth look as I do really like this product.

Most BB creams I try have a dewy affect, which usually I'm not a huge fan of due to my oily skin, but this one has a gorgeous matte like finish that I love. It is one of the thicker BB creams that I have tried, and when it comes out the colour does look scarily pale - like it would turn you into a vampire (hello Edward Cullen) however once blended in it actually creates a really natural look.

For me the only thing missing from this is longevity. This doesn't last for very long if I'm honest, for short use this is great, but for all day use it's not what you want to go for unfortunately. Otherwise, if you just need something for the evening or just a lazy Sunday then this is perfect for you.

Have you tried this BB cream? Are you fed up of BB creams now?

Trends | Battle of BB

This summer I have literally lived in BB creams. Compared to a foundation they are just that tad lighter, so it doesn't feel like your face is melting. I am a huge fan of BB creams and have tried a vast number of them (a scary amount really)... So today I wanted to show you guys the five I've currently got sitting in my cupboard waiting to be used...

Revlon Photoready BB Cream in Light Pale

One of my newer ones, this is part of Revlons Photoready range, a range that is meant to make your face look perfect and snap ready (as the name suggests). This cream is quite thick and looks scary pale when it comes out, but it blends it really nicely to go with your face colour and is very natural and matte looking. 

Longevity wise, it isn't brilliant I have to say - I wore it a few times to work and had to stop as by the time I got home there was nothing left, but in small doses this is beautiful.

No7 Beautiful Skin BB Cream for Normal/Oily Skin

The newest of the five, I bought this just before I went on my holibobs to wear in the hot weather. Again, it's a thicker cream as opposed to a liquid foundation and actually is a bit hotter than my liquid foundations so didn't really do the job i wanted of not melting my face. However, it did keep the sun off my face and I came away with no burn for the whole holiday. This is very natural looking when on, but very dewy which I find unusual for an oily skinned product - but still nice looking. Longevity wise it's great, and seemingly waterproof in the pool. However - this broke me out now end, I came home with spots in places I never had them before so this has unfortunately stayed in the cupboard ever since landing.

La Roche Posay Hydreane BB Cream in Light*

I was kindly gifted this and when I first started using it I fell in love. It has a lovely soft creamy texture that just melts into the skin, no weight at all and so comfortable to wear. It was the perfect colour choice as well, stayed for hourrss and kept the sun off of my face. All in all the perfect BB cream! However, in the end it didn't sit well with my oily skin and eventually I did have to stop using it as it excelled spots - lovely I know! If you don't have oily skin you have to get this though as it is lovely. I still wear it every now and then, but I can't wear it continually *sad face*

Dr Jart Water Fuse BB Cream (travel version)

I found this on a blog sale and snapped it up immediately as I'd heard amazing things and was definitely intrigued, but didn't want to settle with the price tag of the full size. Well, I should have done and I will because this is solid gold. It's lighter than a liquid foundation, even though it's a cream, blends to your skin tone naturally and applies like a dream. Longevity is impressive and no sun rays through this little barrier. My skin also feels ridiculously soft when this is on. This is definitely my favourite by far and I would recommend all of you pop out to buy it.

The Body Shop All in One BB Cream

Last but not least in the offering from The Body Shop. I got this as I was intrigued, it comes out like a white cream, but has pigments that burst when you rub into the skin, adapting itself to your tone. It's a little dark for me, and I've heard a lot of others as well, and I have the lightest version. It's a lovely base, very moisturising and long lasting, but like I said - tone is all wrong for me really and my real bug bear is that it doesn't contain SPF - how is it a BB cream without SPF?!

 

Overall, Dr Jart wins it for me - I have to be so careful with bases so they don't aggitate my oily skin and this just does wonders for me. Definitely be buying the full size when my mini one runs out!

 

What's your favourite BB cream?

Summer Care | Poolside Pals

As we speak I am by the pool in a villa in the South of France. Last year I didn't go on a summer holiday so I'm mega excited. I flew out on Saturday evening with Adam to join my parents, Uncle and Aunt. Nice. So, I thought I'd pop a little post on my poolside pals - those beauty bits that I'll be wearing by the pool.

Waterproof Mascara

Yes, I am one of those that has we still wear mascara by the pool. So sue me. Anywho, I love L'Oreal Telescopic, however it runs like a mother. So I've popped the waterproof version in my suitcare and this will be gracing my eyelashes every day by the pool. Nothing worse than panda eye by the pool!

Facial SPF

Foundation is far too heavy for the pool. And although there are some fab lightweight foundations now, it's still a tad too heavy so I'm falling in love with BB creams at the moment. I have a couple of favourites such as Dr Jart and Revlon's new PhotoReady BB cream.

Summer Toes

My finger nails are all gellish-ed up at the moment, so it's just my toes that I need to take care of. This Summer Collection from Essie is gorgeous and perfect for the summer. I love Sunday Funday, it's a gorgeous shimmery coral and they are the mini version so perfect for travel and Essie quality - which means long lasting!

Protect Your Lips

I'm completely in love with No7 BB Lips. Yes, a lip gloss and a tad heavy for by the pool, but it contains SPF so it protects your lips so you don't have to worry. Blush Coral is the perfect summer colour and sutble enough to get away with wearing it by the pool. Any lips product with SPF in it is a winner for me, and if it's a gorgeous colour it's even better.

Tweezers

Okay, so not waiting at the poolside with my but I cannot live without my tweezers on holiday. Without much make up on the little whiskers on the face need to be vanquished and any stray hairs from the bikini line need to be gone as well! I love these Tweezerman mini's - portable and o so cute!

What's your poolside pals?

Summer Care | No7 BB Lips

NO7 BB LIPS IN BLUSH CORAL AND BLUSH PINK £8.50 each

After seeing these little lip products on Rebecca's blog I was intrigued, then a  little tipsy visit into the Boots at Waterloo I seemed to have bought two shades - opps!

So, BB is something that has been around the block, I don't have anything against them and I think in this weather they are ideal - either that or a tinted moisturiser anyway. So having a lip product claim to be a BB I was intrigued. If anything I think it's more suitable as a lip balm - because it's a balm. Stating the obvious but you know!

Anywho, so I'm not a huge fan of squeeze and spread applications anyway, so I'm not a fan of that, but the product itself I really do love. It's comfortable on the lips and I love that it has SPF in it. The colour isn't too pigmented either, it's just enough to tint the lips and give a subtle colour.

Blush Coral is a gorgeous pale coral, very subtle and really easy to wear and suitable for all skin types. Blush Pink, the darkest in the range, it's a gorgeous deep pink that is perfect for something a little dressier, but still (you guessed it) subtle!

Overall I do love these, they are perfect for the weather at the moment, protecting the lips as well as becoming a gorgeous summer staples shade. A little pricey for a gloss, but they were buy one get one half price, and I had a cheeky No7 voucher - so really it cost me £9 for the both of them - not bad!

What's your summer staple lip product?

Make Up | Hydreane BB Cream

LA ROCHE POSAY HYDREANE BB CREAM IN LIGHT £15.00*

I'm definitely a lover of BB creams. Those days where you don't want anything too heavy on your skin - look no where else, BB creams are the thing you need. Especially in summer. So when this little beauty landed on my doorstep I was incredibly excited and started testing straight away. I love their Effaclar Duo, it's the one constant spot buster in my life so anything from La Roche Posay was always going to excite me.

So, hello BB cream. The consistency of this is heavier than other BB creams I've tried, yet it feels incredibly light on the skin. It's easily applied with my Real Techniques and absorbs quickly and easily. It feels as light as BB cream should on your skin, not heavy like a foundation. The tone is perfect for my skin, it's basically spot on which I love.

I've been using it on its own mostly and it works well that way - I've had a couple of people compliment me on my foundation and then are shocked when I've said it's a BB cream - a real testament to it I think as other BB creams I've tried have very little coverage.

So are there any downsides? Just one I think, I've found that it can be a tad oily - and with my own oily skin it means that sometimes it can make my skin look very shiny/oily and a couple of spots have popped out. But when this is only when my skin is having a particually oily day. I have found that using La Roche Posay Effaclar Mat* (review coming soon) that this does combat this so it's not actually too much of an issue.
This BB cream will definitely be coming with me on holiday, it contains SPF so I don't have to worry about that and it just looks really natural. So far, probably the best BB cream I've ever used. It is at the higher end of my budget, but it's definitely worth it. Also, I love that you get 40ml of this product. Foundations and BB creams are usually 30ml, so you get that extra 10.. Definite plus! It does everything I would want a BB cream to do - definitely on the top of the list for me!

Have you tried La Roche Posay BB cream? What's your favourite?

The How To | Five Item Face

So, the other day I moved in with my boyfriend for 5 days. Why 5 days? Well, because his parents went away so we had to house sit. Everything was going well (well, okayish - when told to get chicken he got turkey and was promptly sent to Sainsburys) on the first night. All was good. Wake up the next day, go to get ready for work and here comes my issue - I forgot my make up.

No, how a beauty blogger FORGETS to pack her beauty items is beyond me. So, I had to drive home quickly put on a very quick face of make up and head to work - making it with about 30 seconds to spare. This gave me the idea to do a post on quick make up - and then I saw others named the "5 item face" so I thought I would combine to two...

So, first of all is your base. For me the idea before the five item face is that i won't be using moisturiser or primer, so on goes the BB cream - in this case it is La Roche Posay Hydreane BB Cream in Light. It's thick enough to be mistaken for foundation, but light to wear so it's a win all round. Next up is my 17 Glow Shimmer Brick - this is a highlighter/bronzer in one and I cannot live without this, and in this case it takes care of two areas in one product. Next I go to the eyes... Some sort of eyeliner is a must for me, and recently I've been reaching for Rimmel's Scandaleyes Eyeshadow Crayon in Black. I use it as a liner on my waterline and with a quick smudge you have some colour (well, black). Then I pop on the mascara - I do not leave the house without this on, it's just a golden rule for me. Lately I've been loving L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara in black. It's long lasting and lengthens fantastically. Then I finish off the look with my lips. Here I've used Bourjois Rouge Edition Lipstick in Shade 4. Long lasting, moisturising and the perfecct everyday colour.

This is pretty much my everyday work face - just minus the primer, moisturiser, blusher, eyeshadow, concealer, lip scrub and gloss... So actually quite a lot. But I have to say, this five item face doesn't do too badly!

What's you five item face?

Dr Jart BB Beauty Balm

Dr Jart Water Fuse BB Beauty Balm (travel size)

This BB cream has been raved about over a ridiculous number of blogs. It's one I have always thought about trying, but at £18ish I couldn't really justify it. However, I then saw this little travel size version on a blog sale for £4 and thought, why the hell not.

I have used it on its own and as a base for my foundation as well and I really like both uses. On its own I have found it to be pretty naked coverage. It absords really well and doesn't look like you're wearing make up, which I like. It evens the skin tone and doesn't aggravate my oily skin.

As a base I have found that it holds my foundation in place really well and doesn't adjust the colour too much, which I have found with some tinted bases that I've used.

It's thicker than my Maybelline BB Cream, but thinner than the Body Shop version - so it's a happy medium. It's thicker than my liquid foundations so I feel it helps with coverage, but it really is invisible when it's on the skin. It's like your skin but better.

I'm really happy with this product and I'm very tempted to purchase it nearer summer time for my holiday as I prefer these to foundations, plus it contains SPF - always handy! At the moment I'm happy just using the travel version as a base though. No idea where you can get it from, I'm sorry!!

What are your favourite BB creams?

The Body Shop All in One BB Cream

The Body Shop All in One BB Cream in Light £12

I've actually only had this a few days, so not long, and usually I do like to wait a little longer before I post a review on something, especially something that could impact on my skin. However, this I felt couldn't wait. This product jumped the queue of reviews!

I've never been overly excited about BB creams. I've tried a couple, my favourite so far being the Maybelline one, however this surpasses everything I have tried so far - including tinted moisturisers and most foundations. It's up there with my Collection Lasting Perfection foundation - and you know how much I love that.

Anywho, so The Body Shop BB cream is a brand new product for The Body Shop. It comes in three different shades, light, medium and dark (I have it in light) and is £12.00 - so a touch pricey for a high street BB cream I think. It comes out white and is filled with pigments that burst when applied and rubbed into the skin so that it adapts itself to your skin tone. Now I'm usually really wary of products that claim they adapt to your tone as I feel it's a bit of boohakey, but this suits my skin perfectly. The only colour match that beats it is my Clinique Stay Matte foundation (review to come).

Not only that, but the coverage on this product is so good. It's really light, however heavier then other BB creams I have tried. I apply this with my fingers as I feel my usual buffing brush struggles to apply it, and then I just buff it in after I've rubbed it in to give it a natural finish.

Now, I know I'm slightly biased in terms of the fact that I've recently become a Body Shop Consultant, so I have to tell you their products are amazing. But you know me, I won't rave about it unless I really love. And I REALLY love this. It lasts the majority of the day (although this is helped with a primer) and it doesn't make my skin oily at all - which is the first non oil free product I've used that actually does this. The colour is amazing and the coverage is perfect - not too heavy but it still makes your skin look lovely.

I know I said that £12 is a tad pricey, however I think it was £12 well spent and I'd much rather repurchase this then other, more pricey foundations I have used in the past or am currently trying. My only gripe with it, is that I don't think it contains SPF - which is a bit naughty seeing as BB creams are meant to contain this. That would have made it my perfect product.

I would definitely recommend this! I've heard some people say the medium is a bit orange for them, I use light and it's perfect for me. I would recommend going into The Body Shop and asking them for a colour match, but I think general rule of thumb is light for those like me, medium for more olivey, tanner people and dark for dark skin.

I've just realised how LONG this review is - but I really do love this product and I really would recommend it!

Have you tried this BB cream yet? What products do you love from The Body Shop?

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB

I'm a foundation girl - always have been and thought I probably always would be. Granted I tend to use a tinted moisturizer in the summer as it's lighter and contains SPF. I just tend to find it doesn't cover my skins as well and hide my imperfections.

I was really intrigued to try Maybelline's Dream Fresh BB Cream for two reasons

a) I needed a new type of daily coverage for the summer

b) I wanted to know what the hell BB cream is...

Ok so I wasn't sure if this was meant to be like a tinted moisturizer or a primer so I had a little look see.

It's meant to stand for either 'Blemish Balm' or 'Blemish Base'. It is meant to be an all signing, all dancing cream. It's meant to provide a good base for make up like a primer, even out complexion like a tinted moisturizer, cover minor imperfections and redness like a concealer, hydrate your skin like a day cream, brighten a dull complexion and some contain SPF.

If all of this is right I think I may have cut down my make up cabinet by half...

So does the Maybelline version match up to its impressive blurb?

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB in Light £7.99 from Boots

I chose the 'light' shade and it really does blend into the colour of my skin which is great. I love foundations that look invisible so, even though this isn't a foundation, I liked this part of it. It's a really light formula as well which is good as I had heard that some BB creams were quite thick so I was please with this.

It glides on really easily and doesn't feel oily which is great. It says to apply a light layer, however to achieve the coverage I like i have to apply a bit more then suggested - but once on it does coverage and as it suggests on the back it "blurs imperfections", but I wouldn't say it completely covers like a foundation so you do have to add a little concealer. My skin does feel lovely and soft after use which I like and I've not really found this with a lot of other foundations/tinted moisturizers.

It contains SPF 30 which is lovely as I always forget to use sun cream on my face (bad lisa!)

Overall I do like this product. It does give you a really fresh faced glow. I have had a couple of bad skin days so have added foundation on top and it does work as a primer as well which is handy! It is definitely a lazy day, cant be arsed with foundation products - or just if it's too hot for it!

The only thing I'm not 100% happy with is the size... it's not the biggest tube so I can't imagine it going very far which is a little frustrating but still, the product is a great product so I would buy it again and I would definitely recommend it :)

Have you tried any BB creams? Which would you recommend?