Review: L'Oreal true match mineral foundation

After trying out a few different posts recently I have decided to treat you to a more traditional post.  A good old review of a product I have been loving!

I have never been a massive fan of mineral makeup and it's hardly the highstreet's strong point but after giving this baby a go, I don't think I will ever look back.

I presume I am not the only one who puts on their base at 7, half asleep with poor lighting and then after a few hours of working in fairly warm conditions looks in the mirror to find a slightly shiny, un-perfected face.  Only me?  This is where mineral makeup plays a key role!  Powders naturally combat shine and the foundation part gives you that extra coverage you might need to blur everything out.  This foundation doesn't come with the common 'cakey' misconception associated with mineral makeup but provides a natural coverage.

I now always keep this in my makeup bag (or 'pouch' as I like to call it) for midday touch ups or to add a bit of extra coverage when I need it.

The little brush does come in very handy when you are in a tiff, albeit a little scratchy but I just take another one with me anyway (more specifically, the real techniques buffing brush).

This foundation is 95% minerals and perfume and preservative free, making it ideal for every skin type.  However, it makes it a little pricer than your average highstreet foundation at £15.

A quick warning: Don't apply this on top of your foundation as a powder straight away!  It leaves it looking really cakey.

Have you tried this?  What is your opinion on mineral makeup?

ASOS wishlist

As I have already been rather adventurous this month and strayed into the world of haircare, I thought I would also dip my toe into the pool of fashion blogging.  Ok, I am not up for sharing all the outfits I wore this week just yet, but for the time being we can all admire what I have had my eye on (and don't have the money for) from ASOS.

As you can see, its mostly muted and monochrome colours, plenty of prints and a mixture of casual and sophisticated cuts.

Plus, my new cartilage piercing (see picture HERE on twitter) has got me all obsessed with earrings.  

Links:

'Deja Vu' T-shirt

'Listen up' ballet flats

Skort outfit

High waisted jeans

Palm print skirt

Floral print kimono

Stripy T-shirt top

Floral skater skirt

Triangle earrings

Sorry for the quick post but I have had 6 exams this week so you know, been a tad on the stressful side!  I have my last one next week though so after that you can expect a couple of bonus posts! Ooohhh, how exciting?!

gettin' my tan on

It has come to that very point in the British year where we have to take off some layers and bare a bit of skin (eekkk).  The only problem, most of us don't have much colour after hiding away in jumpers all winter.

Introducing Rimmel sunshimmer bronzing spray.  I picked this goodie up from the clearance section of Boots a couple of months back (I think is has the wrong lid but seemed otherwise undamaged) for a matter of pounds and although I didn't wear this much at first, the warm weather has exposed a bit more skin and my tan was well in need of a top-up.  And let me tell you, this does the trick!

The sunshimmer line has been well known for purse friendly instant tanning that delivers great quality, and after hearing such great things I thought I ought to give it a go!
I spray this directly on to my legs (and the rest of my body) and then rub it in with my hands which works just fine for a natural glow.  The colour is natural looking, not too orange, not too muddy, and the formula is easily applied which prevents streaks and evenly coats my legs.  In terms of wear I would say 16 hours is a little ambitious, and it isn't waterproof (big downer!) but it doesn't transfer, which I love and not something you often find in budget tanners.
When washed off, it doesn't leave any marks in my shower or come off on the towel much, but I would recommend using an old or coloured towel just in case!

I like this, it has errors but for value for money you can't go wrong!  I will definatly be keeping a closer eye on the clearance section in Boots for extra bargains!

How are you bronzing up for the summer?

Backcomb in a bottle

My hair is extremely stubborn and often refuses to react to any product I apply (hence the extreme lack of hair-related posts), however Umberto Giannini have not only come up with a texturizing product that works in my hair, but also has an effect that holds for the whole day!  If you are forever wishing for second day hair, here is your solution.

Now, it all sounds a little familiar to the Oribe dry texturizing spray, correct?  Well, unfortunately I can't fully compare it because I can't fork out for a bottle (nice cars are expensive you know!), but I can only imagine it has a similar effect minus the slightly sticky feel it can leave.

However for value of money, this one is worth picking up. I start by spraying this directly to the roots of my hair and massaging it in a little which provides some grit to create volume and then loosely spray it through the mid-lengths to create a little extra body.  Very quick and oh-so-easy!

With salt sprays being 'so last year', this has been my everyday go-to for texture.  Love it.  I will defiantly be picking up the full size next time I pop into Boots (It's only £6.00!)

Umberto Giannini Backcomb in a bottle - £6.00

PS: So, you may notice a little blog re-vamping that has been going on here.  Some parts still aren't working but I am trying to get that fixed.  It's goodbye to Hey, its Em and hello to emma lsrs!  You can follow HERE on bloglovin for all my new posts, the old page won't be updated.  Enjoy!

New Release: Bourjois rouge edition velvet

For me, Spring always comes along with bright colours and pastels.  So it's bye bye to the deep red and berry lips and hello to brighter shades; enter Bourjois rouge edition velvet in Hot Pepper.

These liquid lipsticks have got the whole gloss to matte formula down to a tee.  They apply smoothly with an easy doe foot applicator, are very pigmented and set in a minute to a matte finish that DOES NOT BUDGE!  I wore this for a whole day, through a few meals and by the time I got home it was still noticeably there, inside my lipline and not on my teeth.  Yes, it may have faded a little bit but nicely so, it was still evenly pigmented and just looked a little sheerer.

The texture of this is not what I am used to, it feels almost balmy when applied and then drys so that it feels as if you are wearing nothing at all which I really love.

Hot pepper is a bright orange toned red, a shade I have been wanting for a while now.  But if you don't fancy that there is a more neutral red, a bright pink and a few almost-nude shades which are a bit more 'meh' in my opinion,  I would defiantly opt for the brighter ones.

At £8.99 each they are hardly the most expensive product out there but maybe not best for those on a tight budget.

I highly recommend these to anyone looking for a bright, matte lip that stays all day!

A post-holiday pamper

Happy Easter Monday everyone!

Over the past 10 days I have been away in lovely sunny Lanzarote and after 10 days of heat and a super late flight (landing at 1:00am, eeekkkk!) my skin hair and nails were in need of a good ol' pamper.

In the shower I used my L'oreal intense repair hair masque which not only smells really good, but also nourishes your hair making it feel so soft!

I then used a few pumps of my favourite hair serum; the KIKO restorative hair serum (this one is pretty much the same).  This stuff is a godsend, I swear!  It helps to keep split ends at bay and your hair silky smooth.

Next job; skin.  After giving my skin a good cleanse I used a sample of The Body Shop's Vitamin E Sink-in moisture mask.  This is by far the most loved range by The Body Shop and I am not one to disagree, my skin just drinks up every product I have tried!  Including this mask which has a creamy consistency and feels very cooling on application.  It left my skin feeling smooth and plump giving it just the boost it needed.

And the final step; perfectly polished nails.  Nail polish has been my most recent addiction and I have bought far too much but after a while of thought, I decided on my KIKO nail lacquer in the shade 385 Pastel Blue because it has some brightness, alike the new models own collection which is known to compliment tans, but a little more toned down. I'm not ready to sport a bright neon shade just yet!  I took a little extra time doing my nails than usual and I have to say, it really makes all the difference.

After all that, I think I am just about ready to face the miserable British weather and piles of revision work!

Review: the body shop big and curvy mascara

Over the years I have tried and tested my fair share of products from The Body Shop and loved them all! But from lipsticks to shampoo to body butter, I have never come across a product surrounded by so much controversy as this!  If you take a look on The Body Shop website, you will see that this mascara is labelled as a 'best seller', however after looking through the reviews I found this very misleading.

The reviews are mixed, its defiantly the marmite of mascaras, love it or hate it I thought I would share my own opinions;  the first thing that I noticed about this mascara was the wand, nothing too shocking but I rarely see a skinny wand with fibers (like a brush rather than a comb).  The wand picks up plenty of product, too much in some cases and can cause my lashes to clump together, but other times I have used it is has created lovely, long, natural looking lashes, never much volume though

As non-waterproof mascaras go, this one is pretty long lasting and holds a curl well (I don't curl my lashes often though).

One use that I love for this is on my bottom lashes, every time it subtly defines and lengthens them without smudging at all!

Overall, it's nice enough but doesn't give such a 'wow' feeling as others I have tried.  For £10 (not exactly the cheapest) I think there are plenty of other mascaras that are better than this, but who knows?  This might be the one you fall in love with?

Have you tried this mascara?