I have always known about her, and her blog, but over the past six months especially i have been reading Caroline Hirons' blog religiously. She posts about everything from face masks to serums and product ingredients. She has plenty of years in the biz and really knows her stuff, so when she says something is good i tend to believe her. Something she also does really well on the blog is teaching tips about how you should be applying things, when you should be applying things and cheats sheets for every skin type imaginable.
Well, it wasn't until i read her blog that i really new anything about second cleansing, and had never really given it a second thought. However, when i did think about it it kinda does make sense. So, i use the REN Evercalm Gentle Cleansing Gel after i've taken off my make up with either the Clinique Take the Day Off Balm or the Simple Make Up Wipes (Eek!) to thoroughly clean my skin but never really thought about using a cleanser to treat my skin or further cleanse. When using my REN, really it's probably just removing extra dirt but if you use a second cleanser you're actually getting a chance to treat completely clean skin for anything from acne prone to dull skin.
Anyway, she recommend this, the Oskia London Renaissance Cleansing Gel - Illuminating Vitamin Facial Cleanser with Vitamins A, C & E, Omega 6, Pumpkin Enzymes, Chamomile and Rose. It contains plenty of natural ingredients to "help strengthen and revitalise skin whilst eliminating every last speck of residual everyday grime". You can use this to remove make up but, as Caroline says, it's far to luxurious to use just to remove your make up. This leaves my skin feel ultra clean without feeling dry or tight, and my face always feels so soothed. Not only do my acne breakouts half in size but the general look and feel of my skin smooths and clears out.
When applied the light, pink gel melts into almost an oil and is easy to work into the skin. You don't need very much to do your whole face, and i personally love to work it into the skin and then massage my face with my knuckles and fingers - funnily enough another Hirons tip. I just love how it makes my skin feel, and i can see an almost immediate difference after using this - i would highly recommend this, and if not this then give second cleansing a go.
The Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel can be bought on Cult Beauty for £28, a little pricey but well worth a try.
K|xo
Liz Earle is a brand not all that well known for it's cosmetic, but rather it's extensive range of naturally active skincare. So, when i was on my rampage for foundations, i stumbled across this one and wasn't really sure what to expect from it. I love the skincare they offer, i use the Cleanse & Polish in my everyday skincare routine and also the Gentle Exfoliator & Deep Cleansing Mask as and when my skin needs it. So i thought why not give their make up a shot.
The Signature Foundation is Liz Earle's only traditional liquid foundation, but they do offer a Perfect Finish Powder Foundation and a Sheer Skin Tint. This one is targeted at all skin types and contains a natural source of Vitamin E. Similar to the Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation, it's supposed to have a natural finish but i would say this is dewy-er than the Bobbi Brown. It claims to have buildable coverage, offering a light to medium cover, and is also supposed to be easily blendable. It's supposed to be long lasting and a radiant finish, giving you the skin you've always wanted.
I found that this foundation is very limited when it comes to it's shade range, and there is quite a large colour difference between shade 01 Porcelain and 02 Ivory, 02 is quite a fair bit darker.
Here we are again, another naked face below.
As you can see, i think it really does stake it's radiant claim and does come across rather glowy, but honestly? There's nothing special about this foundation. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad. It lasts well enough, it's got good enough coverage but it's just nothing special. It's not got any great claims, but what it does do well is even skintone - don't all the other foundations i've tried do that? It does look very natural, i'll give it that. However, when applying like i do all of my foundations - with my fingers, and then a buffing brush - it did take some extra buffing and it did get a little streaky.
So, if you're looking for an easy to wear, natural foundation then this is a good one to start with. This is probably something i'll wear in the Summer months but i feel like perhaps Liz Earle should stick to their kick-ass skincare.
Liz Earle's Signature Foundation can be found on JohnLewis.com for £21, in a glass, 25ml bottle with a pump.
K|xo
I have never owned anything bareMinerals. Until now. I have a lovely friend at work, Lizzie, who swears by her bareMinerals mineral foundation, and lipgloss and honestly loves the brand. I, however, just cannot get on board with powder foundation so have kind of steered clear. But when i spotted this little beauty, while trying to come up with gift ideas for my birthday, i knew it was something i just had to try.
This is the Ready Eyeshadow Duo 2.0 in The Covert Affair, and first thing you notice is, just like Nars, it has that velvety black packaging that picks up all the dirt and is impossible to clean but that's something i can come to terms with for a lovely product. As you can see the shades inside are called Air & Catch Me If..., Air is a beautiful golden toned champagne shimmer and Catch Me If... is an unusual golden toned pink/plum/burgundy shade. They work beautifully separately but are utterly gorgeous blended together and are quite clearly made for each other.
I am happy to report that the eyeshadows themselves are not just beautiful, but lovely to work with too. They're a silky texture and are somewhat lighter than they look in colour when applied, perhaps kind of sheer but can be built up and actually i really love that about them. It makes them super easy to blend, and take very little work to put together to create a lovely day to day look. Not only are is the product buttery and blendable, but also have great lasting power. These last me a long day at work in the air conditioning/outdoor humidity/still air inside the store. I actually love wearing these for work, it's just something more exciting to wear than my usual wash of colour and, as i said before, they blend so easily that it takes next to no time to do before work.
I would definitely consdider trying more from the bareMinerals brand and definitely the eyeshadows.
The Covert Affair can be bought on JohnLewis.com for £19.
K|xo
Bobbi Brown was probably one of the first beauty brands i started to discover after i became a John Lewis Partner. First it was the corrector, then the creamy concealer, and onto the sparkle eyeshadows. I'd heard many things about the foundations but just never taken the plunge. When i did start to look into what bases they had to offer, the first thing i encountered was bad reviews. Many of the foundations i was looking at either didn't come with great reviews or the ones that i could find pointed to the product not being right for my skin type. It wasn't until i came across the Skin Foundation that i decided i'd just give it a go. The next hurdle was the shade range; i read that Bobbi Brown had great colour options, but when i came to look none of them looked quite right. I tend to usually be the lightest shade, so opted so going with 00 Alabaster. When i purchased it, in the bottle it looks light but really pink so i was a little worried that it would completely throw me off. However, when applied, thanks to my neutral undertones, i can make it work.
If you couldn't work it out from the name, the Skin Foundation is supposed to offer invisible, weightless coverage that evens skintone and looks like skin, not make up. It's a BB best seller, and it's easy to see why. It's claims are quite something; a long-wearing, hydrating foundation providing evenly toned, glowing skin. It conceals pores and imperfections, plus has buildable coverage - just layer up where you need extra coverage. What's not to love? It's best suited to normal/oily skintones, but when i'm dehydrated i pair it with a good moisturiser and have no problem - however, i think i'll love this best during the Summer months.
As usual, below is my naked face to get a true feeling of the product.
And now you can see what my face looks like with one layer of the Skin Foundation all over my face, with no other products applied. I just love how this looks and feels. I must say that i think i'll love this on good skin days, but they are right as it's definitely buildable. With a little concealer in the right places i love this for a lighter option, especially as the Summer is on it's way.. i hope. As you can see from the close up, pretty much all my redness is evened out and as i said, a little concealer on my darker acne scarring and i'd have a pretty perfect coverage. Do bare in mind, all my high coverage lovers, this is definitely only light to medium.
As it's the Skin Foundation, you can expect a skin-like, natural finish which is what i would describe as a satin. As usual it was applied with my fingers, and buffed in around the edges/areas that need it. I didn't have any problem with streaking, or it settling anywhere and it was easy to apply. It lasts pretty well, but it's gonna need some more road testing and i'll get back to you on that one.
The Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation can be found on JohnLewis.com for £31 in a 30ml glass bottle, with a pump and to top it all off it contains SPF15, perfect for Summer!
K|xo
Similarly to Chanel, Burberry is one of those luxury brands i never thought i'd ever indulge in. However, with the beauty of my discount i've been lucky enough to purchase a couple of items, now, from Burberry Beauty.
I've got a couple of the eyeshadows, and they are something quite beautiful, but the lipsticks are a whole different ball game. As you can see above, the packaging is chrome with the classic Burberry check imprinted all over. It's mirrored, and there is something about that just feels so special and opulent. You definitely get what you pay for with this brand, not only a great product but packaging too.
This is a Burberry Kisses Lipstick in 101 Bright Plum, and i originally bought it at the beginning of the year, when i was still feeling very Autumnal and did worry that i'd spent a lot of money on a product i'd only get the chance to wear a few times a year. However, when it arrived i actually love the shade far more than i thought i would. Yes, it's a beautiful shade of Plum - more than perfect for the Autumn and Winter months - but there's also something quite bright and sumptuous about it, making it still wearable for Summer too. I can just imagine this with a plain black and white outfit, some cute sandals and this for a pop of colour. It's so incredibly comfortable to wear, and i love that it has a good lasting time but wears gently, leaving a lovely stain behind.
The Burberry Kisses range is marketed at being a build able formula, so you can apply a thin layer to sheer it out and apply multiple layers to get it really opaque. "The weightless formula delivers a customisable make-up result - a single kiss of colour gives understated luminosity, two or three kisses give intense depth and vibrancy." It has a comfortable, satin finish and creates a luminous colour with a lovely, light texture. It's enriched with a signature blend of tea, lavender and rosehip, and glides on to give six hours of hydration.
Just to complete the whole package, i love the Burberry check impreneted on the actual lipstick bullet - that's a real luxurious bonus.
I bought mine from JohnLewis.com for £25.
K|xo
Ps. You might have noticed, or will come to notice, that i keep mentioning being able buy product from JohnLewis.com at the end of my posts. Now, yes i do work for John Lewis but i am in no way getting paid to mention the products, all opinions are my own and none of them are affiliated links. I just love John Lewis customers service (yes, i'm biased) and the great makeup counters as well as click and collect services they offer.
