Product Review: Estée Lauder Double Wear foundation

I’m not entirely sure how long I’ve been looking for a "perfect" foundation, but I know it’s taken me two BB creams and two liquid efforts to find it. Until I was about eighteen, I didn’t wear much make-up (or at least I can’t remember doing so!). I can recall using a lot of cheap Seventeen pressed powder compacts, and then making do with just a basic concealer dabbed on the most offensive spots. For special occasions, my sister usually made me up, so I wore whatever she had in her make-up bag! Then there came the big ‘Beauty Balm’ (BB) explosion, and - off the back of several rave reviews I read in magazines and the like - I bought Smashbox’s ‘Camera Ready’ version. This worked for quite a while, as it boasted SPF 35 and was a lightweight, low-coverage option for my low-maintenance needs. However, as those needs developed into more complex (some may say borderline obsessive…) demands on my make-up, I started casting around for alternatives. This was whilst I was living in Washington D.C., and when I heard that Benefit had launched their "bigger than BB" Big Easy "liquid-to-powder" product, I popped down to the Sephora in Georgetown to pick it up for (slightly) less than I’d be able to in the U.K. Unfortunately, all that did was convince me that I was definitely a liquid, and not a powder (or liquid-to-powder!) kind of girl. It also made me aware of how annoying it is that you can’t really test products before you purchase them. Sure, lots of beauty counters offer mini-makeovers these days, but if they really know what they’re doing they’ll use an abundance of things (clever lighting, mirrors, sales people etc.) to convince you to buy. 

So I was pretty pleased when I found an "invitation" (read: coupon) from Estée Lauder to get a "10-day sample of your perfect foundation" - Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup - in a recent copy of Elle. My knowledge on the brand had somewhat increased in the recent months due to my outrageous obsession with all things Kardashian (no judgement, please); Kendall Jenner is their newest spokeswoman (read: stupidly high-paid model). I started looking for opportunities to visit a counter and take advantage of the offer, but it wasn’t until the New Year that I managed to get to one. The process was quick and easy: a friendly Estée Lauder consultant matched my shade by working with me to narrow it down from her three original picks to the one I felt would work the best with my skin and its needs. This was 1N1, or "ivory nude", and I got a 4ml pot to take away with me, tucked inside a little leaflet with details of the shade written down. 

Birchbox Review: November

This month's box was a collaboration with Skinnydip London, an awesome accessories company that I’ve known about for a while. It seemed like a bit of a random pairing, and bar the box design and an add-on phone case and voucher (which you had to spend £22 to redeem anyway) there didn’t seem to be much Skinnydip influence. I was disappointed in the phone case design, as Skinnydip do a lot of really cool, quirky cases - such as this one - but the Birchbox offering was the same shell print as was on the box. I didn’t go for it because you also had to pay a small fee to have it included. The brand did take over Birchbox's Instagram page for a day, which was fun, and the box itself was packed!

Birchbox Review: October

So since I'm on a bit of a reduced budget now that Student Finance isn't my main source of income, I decided to invest in a monthly beauty box. I spend way too much money on new products every month, so I figured this was a way to try out new things without breaking the bank (and my dressing table drawers!). After a bit of research, I chose Birchbox, and I've been recording the results by posting reviews on my new Villoid profile! But as that's a rather limited platform, I wanted to include an expanded version here. This month there were a few products that I’ve decided to save, so I’m not able to review them just yet! One of the things I like most about these kinds of boxes is the size of the products; I can keep them to use when travelling! This way I save money, and have loads of luxury beauty items to use whilst I’m away. Let me know what boxes you subscribe to (or would like to!) and your opinions on the products featured, and any others!

Hello, British summertime

Okay, so it seems like this week the real British summertime has arrived. We can't really complain, considering this year's glorious heatwave that lasted much longer than any previous ones. 

And the relentless rain and grey skies - as well as a visit to Reading that was supposed to be for purchasing new kettles - has made me think about the most important item of one's winter wardrobe: a coat. I don't know about you, but I spend a considerable amount of time in my coat come the cold weather, and I've learnt (and this applies for most things) to splurge a little in order to get good quality. Unfortunately, I get restless for a new one every year; working on the cost-per-wear principle, I just about let myself off for this. It also means I have several options each year (probably too many - I need to do a clear out!). This year, I've already marked out some strong contenders - and here they are!

Product review: MAC Brow Set

It is a truth universally acknowledged (or at least by everyone that looks at them) that I have the unruliest eyebrows EVER. And the funny thing is, I never really paid attention to them until everyone else did - so, basically, when Cara Delevigne came along and seemed to single-handedly bring 'bushy' eyebrows back. Initially I was thrilled, but truth be told my eyebrows can't really be identified as 'bushy'. They're actually quite sparse, but very long and curly, so do need some taming. My first foray into this new world of brow-related products was a retractable brow pencil from Sephora, that had a handy mini-comb on one end. It soon became obvious, however, that I was going to need much more help than a tiny comb... I moved onto a Revlon Brow Fantasy pencil and gel duo, but disliked the brush (too bristly) and found that the gel dried out far too quickly. A quick Google suggested MAC's Brow Set as one of the best brow gels on the market, so on a visit to Cardiff with a friend I made the purchase.