Revlon ColourStay Foundation | A Must Have!

When it comes around to that time to buy foundation I always dread it because I struggle buying my shade, being pale most of the lightest shades from drugstores are ivory and tend to have a slight warmer tone to them which I need more of a cooler tone so I tend to go to the more higher end foundations, the only drugstore foundation that i’ve yet got on with is the Boujour Healthy Mix.

I have used Revlon’s Colour Stay foundation in the past, the version without a pump, but it really didn’t get on with my skin, I don’t know if it was a bad batch or something but I found it impossible to blend and it was so thick. A couple of weeks ago I was wandering round Boots swatching different foundations and came across ColourStay again, I tried the pump version and this seemed better suited for me.

Revlon’s ColourStay foundation (£12.99) has 35 different shades and all suitable for all skin types covering dry/normal and combination/oily.

“ColorStay™ Makeup now with a convenient pump applicator for mess free application. Flawless, matte coverage that lasts up to 24 hours.”

I picked up combination/oily in the shade ivory, as i’ve mentioned above ivory tends to be warmer, but this is definitely toned down, it is better suited for my skin without being ghostly white. The foundation is quite thin, which one pump does my whole face sometimes less than that, it is really lightweight and provides medium coverage which is easily buildable without getting that cakey look.

I tend to have quite a bit of redness and dark circles, this foundation works wonders to even out my skin tone leaving me with a fresh and matte looking base. I can honestly vouch for the foundation being long lasting, I can apply the foundation approximately 3pm and work a 12 1/2 hour night shift and it’s still perfect in the morning without looking oily making me look better than I feel.

This honestly is my new favourite and will always have a spot in my makeup bag.

What’s your favourite drugstore foundation?

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel

I received this 50ml sample of *Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel in the post from BzzAgent. After receiving this product and reading up on the product my first impressions are positive.

"Hydro Boost Water Gel instantly quenches dry skin and keeps it looking smooth, supple and hydrated day after day. The unique water gel formula absorbs quickly, like a gel, but has the long-lasting, intense moisturizing power of a cream. It boosts skin's hydration level and locks it in all day. 

Naturally found in the skin, hydrating hyaluronic acid acts as a sponge for dry skin cells, moisturizing with up to 1,000 times its weight in water, resulting in more supple and smooth skin."

The product claims to lock the moisture into your skin, my skin is in a pretty bad place at the moment being quite dehydrated and spots everywhere! *sad face* so i’m hoping this product gives it that boost it claims.

Upon opening the product, I was quite pleased with the packing, it comes in a lovely blue pot which is attractive to the eye. The product itself is quite a thin consistency but once applied to your face it absorbs nicely into the skin within seconds and does not leave your skin feeling sticky. Once I had applied the product to my skin using a circular motion it left my skin feeling incredibly soft. So far I have tried it before applying my foundation, due to my skin being in a bad place my foundation doesn’t seem to be blending as well as it normally does, however after using this product it has provided the perfect base for my foundation leaving my makeup looking pretty darn perfect!

I am excited to keep on testing this product out to see whether it does everything it claims! I shall keep you posted!

*This post contains sample products*

SUQQU A/W 2015 Collection

 I was kindly invited back to SUQQU at Selfridges, Manchester Exchange Square to have a peek at their current Autumn and Winter collection. I absolutely LOVE autumn especially the different makeup looks that are created and the absolutely gorgeous eye palettes so when I was invited along to test out SUQQU’s new collection that was definitely a no brainer.

I was taken care of for the next couple of hours by Natalie who started off removing my makeup and performing SUQQU’s Gankin Massage, if your not familiar with this then you can see the process on my pervious post. Natalie spent 45 minutes performing the massage and I felt well and truly relaxed afterwards.

My skin was fully prepped for my makeup, I must say the new collection is absolutely stunning and I was lucky enough to be able to test it out.  Natalie applied frame fix cream foundation (002) which makes my skin look flawless it has to be one of my new favourites, balancing eyebrow (02) was then used to fill in and shape my brows. One of SUQQU’s new Autumn/Winter palette Kaoribara was used on my eyes creating a gorgeously blended smoky eye look finishing my eye area off with their new gel eyeliner pencil (02) and their mascara volume curl. Cheek and face colour (ex-02) added a gorgeous subtle glow to my cheeks finishing the makeup look off with their new creamy glow moist lipstick (12).

I  absolutely love my makeup look it definitely brings out my blue eyes, and have since decided that I want to use this palette for my wedding makeup. I felt really welcome and didn’t even feel shy at any points, my confidence has definitely grown since I started blogging.

 SUQQU are currently offering 15 readers 50% off their Gankin massage at their Manchester counter using the code beautyandthelittlelady50

 

Mini Boots Haul

Having a Boots store literally just down the road does me no favours for my makeup addiction! I am forever walking round the store with Scarlett getting bits and bobs, I literally can’t help myself. I have been on the look out for a new foundation as I currently use Lush Colour Supplement in Jackie Oates but it doesn’t really provide the coverage I would like when my face breaks out. I stumbled across this Bourjois Healthy Mix in Light Vanilla (£9.99) which is their lightest shade, I swatched it in store even though there were no mirrors and bad lighting it looked pretty good so I grabbed it.

As many bloggers will know it is a huge pain in the arse when you buy something you want to review on your blog but you can’t use it until it’s photographed but I managed to get around this because it’s pumpable (YAY). I got home and tried it out straight away, I instantly liked how it wasn’t too thick and creamy compared to some foundations as that can feel quite heavy on my face and look cakey for my liking.  I also love how this foundation provides me with a lovely full coverage from just one pump for my whole face and yet it looks really natural adding a subtle healthy glow.

I also picked up the Bourjois Colorband (£5.99) in the shades Brun Dadaiste and Beige Minimal I bought these after seeing them being used on a bloggers Youtube video, which I can’t remember for the life of me but I adored the colours. When I headed to Boots they had a 3 for 2 offer on all Bourjois products so I swatched these and instantly fell in love with the pigmentation, it was simply stunning. These Colorbands have a lovely creamy texture which glide over your eyelids effortlessly staying put for hours without the need of a eye primer and are crease free what more could you want?!

I am not a huge eyeshadow wearer I usually opt for a winged liner and plus I am also totally useless at blending! though I have found these Colorbands to be fantastic making my life so much easier too, they are super easy to blend leaving your eyes looking amazing in a couple of seconds.

I would definitely say that was a successful mini haul and I shall be purchasing the other shades at some point!

Have you tried any of these these? What did you think?

SUQQU Gankin Massage

I was kindly invited along to SUQQU at Selfridges, Manchester earlier this week. SUQQU are a brand that I haven’t really heard of before so I was really interested to find out more, the name SUQQU was derived from the Japanese word sukku-to meaning “posture with attitude” which I really like.

I was greeted by Natalie who took care of me for the next couple of hours, she made me feel very welcome and comfortable. Natalie began with removing my makeup and then started on their famous Gankin massage using their Musculate Massage and Mask Cream.

“SUQQU’s GANKIN MASSAGE was created by exploring the relationship between stiff facial muscles and sagging skin. Stiffness indicates that the lymph flow is not working efficiently and therefore prevents waste from being drained smoothly causing the skin to swell or sag.”

Their Musculate Massage and Mask Cream is a really rich and thick cream unlike your usual masks and moisturisers which enables you to apply sufficient pressure to promote blood circulation and strengthen muscles in turn creating hydrated, supple and bouncy skin.

Above is a guide as to how you can perform a Gankin massage on yourself, the massage that Natalie performed was slightly different. To be perfectly honest it did feel slightly weird at first as I have never had a massage on my face and it was quite firm but I felt incredibly relaxed afterwards. Straight away I could notice that my eyes were more tightened and defined.

 Once my skincare and massage was done and I was left feeling well and truly pampered, Natalie let me try out some of the new summer range that had recently been released.  When someone else does my makeup I always try and go for a look I wouldn’t usually do myself, I find it interesting to see what others can create which gives me new ideas.

Natalie was really interactive, explaining each of the products to me, their key ingredients and what they are great for, which really helped me gain more knowledge about the products and what she was using on my face. First up was my base makeup which I have well and truly fallen in love with. Their Frame Fix Fluid foundation provided me with high coverage covering over my dark circles and spots and barely budged an inch throughout the day so there was no need for any touch ups.

I chose a gorgeous subtle purple smokey eye look which looked absolutely amazing using their new Eye Palette ex-01. I seriously love how pigmented the shades are and hurrah they don’t crease on my lids which I always find a problem with some brands. Finally Natalie finished my eye area off with SUQUU’s Liquid Eyebrow Pen 02. 

Lastly I decided to finish the whole look off with a subtle lip colour using their new Creamy Glow Lipstick Moist Ex-17 which is a colour that I wouldn’t usually choose but looks great on. I love how creamy these lipsticks are which is great for me as it doesn’t highlight the dry patches on my lips.

Products used:

Frame Fix Fluid Foundation

Balancing Cheeks 03

Lighting Liquid 

Eyebrow Liquid Pen 02

Eye Colour Palette Ex-01

Eyeliner Creamy 03

Mascara Base

Mascara Volume Curl

Creamy Glow Lipstick Moist Ex-17

Have you been for a facial massage before?

My SUQQU wish list

RMK ‘The New Lip’ Summer Collection

I was kindly invited along to RMK at Selfridges, Exchange Square Manchester to view their summer collection ‘The New Lip’. When I arrived I was greeted by Lucy who I had already met on their previous event in December, so I felt less nervous as she is very friendly and welcoming.

Lucy started with removing my makeup and continued onto prepping my skin ready for my makeover, she talked through all the products she was using as well as giving me options of what I wanted to use. My skincare routine took around 20-30 minutes and I felt well and truly pampered, afterwards I must admit my skin looked amazing and refreshed.

Skin Care:

Cleansing Balm

Foamed Soap

Skin Toner Smoother Light

Firming Essence

UV Face Protetor 

Next Lucy moved onto the base where she left my skin looking radiant because of the creamy foundation, definitely a new favourite of mine.

Base:

Makeup Base

EX01 & 01 Liquid Concealer

Creamy Foundation 202

UV Face Powder 202 

Then the eyes, I absolutely love my eye colour and opted for something a little different this time, instead of going dark and smokey I wanted a more natural and peachy kind of look.

Eyes:

Crayon & Powder Eyes 01

Powder Eyes N 18, 08, 10, 19

Extra Deep 02

Eyebrow Mascara 04

Eyeliner 05 (Brown)

For my lips Lucy used their new range ‘Irresistible Bright Lips’, I opted for a colour that I usually don’t go for and it looked great! their new range is lovely and creamy which is what I always try and look out for as it doesn’t highlight the dry patches on my lips. I am definitely impressed with their new range and the verity of colours which you have 25 fantastic shades to choose from.

Lips:

Bright Lips 01 (Vivid Pink)

Sketch Lip Liner 03

Others:

Rose Face Mist

The whole process took over a hour and I felt well and truly pampered at the end of it, I love that they had tonnes of time for me, I wasn’t rushed at all. Their new summer lip range contains 10 shades from their Irresistible Bright Lips range and 15 shades from their Irresistible Glow Lips range. Also as part of their summer range they have many more shades in their Irresistible Sketch Lipliner (4), Ingenious Powder Eyes N (3), Ingenious Powder Cheeks N (2) and Nail Colour EX (2).

My RMK wishlist:

Timeless Truth Herbal Rejuvenation Immortelle Mask

Apologies ladies & gents for the little blog break, my dad has been visiting and the little lady isn’t feeling so great but I am managing to slowly get back to it.

I absolutely love my weekly pamper sessions, I always try and make time for it especially after running after a one year old and a job so a little time to myself is really important to me. So when I stumbled across Timeless Truth on The Bloggers Hub I instantly wanted to work with them, they decided to gift me their Herbal Rejuvenation Immortelle Mask* (£4.90) to test out and review on the blog.

Timeless Truth Ltd. Is the exclusive UK/Ireland distributor for Timeless Truth Facial Sheet Masks which provide the latest advances in bio-technology for amazing anti-ageing results. Timeless Truth have two ranges, their Fusion Masks and Luxury Masks.

This Herbal Rejuvenation Immortelle Mask is one from their fusion ranges which is neither a cream or a gel, these masks are fabric and face shaped making it super easy for use and application. This mask contains organic immortelle extract with hyaluronic acid helping to reduce fine lines and the visible signs of ageing. Skin is nourished and stimulated whilst the upper layers of the epidermis are moisturised.

The mask comes in a gorgeous matte packet which feels and looks expensive, the directions of how to use the mask are explained on the back of the packaging and also put in picture form for ease.

Upon opening the mask I found it a little fiddly as you had to remove the plastic layer before putting it onto your face whilst it’s quite slimy. The mask is designed so that your are able to shape it around your face perfectly but I must admit I do look slightly creepy wearing it, like something from a halloween film haha! As I have not used a sheet mask before I found it a little hard to get used to and especially as there was tonnes of serum in the packet and on the mask.

Apologies for the unflattering photo!

If your after a refreshed feeling then it’s best to pop it into the fridge for a couple of minutes before hand. I opted for the refreshed feeling and it felt really good when I adhered it to my skin instantly adding a cooling effect.

Once applied to my face it did tingle slightly but that shortly passed, during the time period it was on my face it continued to remain moist and cooling unlike some face masks. After waiting 20 minutes I removed the mask which was a simple process and my skin felt so refreshed and soft. I was really impressed with the results, my skin really did feel rejuvenated. To be honest I didn’t really notice any difference in terms of fine line reduction as I don’t have any so I can’t really comment on that aspect.

My Timeless Truth Mask wish list

Have you tried any TT products before?

Simple Cleansing Micellar Water

About a month ago I was lucky enough to win the Simple #SimpleActs Twitter giveaway winning one of their new Cleansing Micellar Water (£4.49) for me and one for a friend. I haven’t used Simple’s products for a good few years but I absolutely loved their moisturiser! So I was over the moon when I found out that I had won.

 This micellar water recommends you apply a generous amount to a cotton pad, then wipe the pad around the face without running your skin, then gently wipe around closed eyes and there is no need to rinse off afterwards leaving your skin feeling clean and hydrated.

I have been using this in my makeup routine for the past couple of weeks and I am really impressed with it, it removes all of my makeup with a few swipes across my face and my skin is feeling incredibly soft and hydrated. I must admit I do tend to get a little lazy some nights with removing my makeup, it does feel like such a chore when your so tired. Having this micellar water to go to has been a life saver many nights as my makeup is easily removed, my skin feeling clean and not sticky in the slightest.

*Superdrug currently have this on offer for £2.19*

The Buddha Beauty Company

 I have never heard of The Buddha Beauty before so I was interested to find out more, they are located in Manchester so they are quite local for me and a huge bonus is that they are cruelty free, vegan and gluten free. I was kindly sent this *Organic Sweet Orange Dry Body Oil (£9.50) to test out for myself. Straight out of the box I was impressed with the simplistic look of the packaging. The royal blue contrasts against the white and looks really nice along with the mustard yellow. As soon as I opened this bottle to give it a sniff I was blown away by just how amazing the smell is. It does not smell synthetic like a lot of high street brands do, it smells so pure and soothing. The natural ingredients included are: Almond oil and Sweet Orange Essential oil which makes me happy as it contains no perfumes and no preservatives.

To use this product you “Hold the bottle around 30cm away form your skin and spray a light layer all over your body paying particular attention to any dry areas of skin, after a few moments the oil will dry leaving your skin silky smooth” This is a really nice product because like it says above it does not leave an oily film on your body and skin which a huge plus because it means I can pick up my daughter without her slipping out of my hands. My skin feels absolutely amazing after using this and the smell of orange lingers on my skin for hours.

This 250ml bottle is definitely going to last me a long time as with it being an atomiser on top it means that barely any is used per spray but still goes a very long way, overall I am very happy with this product and definitely think I will be picking up more from the Bhudda Beauty store due to them being such reasonable prices and all natural products.

What is your favourite natural skincare product?

My Buddha Beauty wish list

Trilogy Skincare Event

I was kindly invited along to the Trilogy Skincare event in Manchester a couple of weeks ago, I was over the moon when I received an email asking if I wanted to come along as I have only been blogging for around 7-8 months.  I have been to other events with my friend Heather over at Of Beauty and Nothingness but this was the first event that I was going to on my own so I was super nervous but there really was no need to be. The event was held at the Sky Lounge at Double Tree By The Hilton which was on the 11th floor, it was an absolute gorgeous day for the event so they were super lucky to have the weather as it complimented their products.

If you haven’t heard of Trilogy before then they aim to “make high-performance products that are a little bit different. And we always strive for the better. Better ethically, aesthetically and environmentally. We’re inspired by natures purest extracts, creating products to help you make a more conscious decision about the way you care for your skin, your wellbeing and your world.”

When I arrived to the event I was greeted by the lovely staff at Double Tree By The Hilton who were very welcoming and directed me into the room where the event was being held. I was led into quite a large room with four different tables displaying Trilogy’s products and a gorgeous view over Manchester. To begin with the event was rather quiet with only 5-6 people attending as it was on between 12 and 8, I felt quite comfortable and less nervous.

I was greeted by the lovely Trilogy people, I do apologise because I cannot remember the names for the life of me. The team talked us through each of the products on each of the tables and what they did ranging from Rosehip Oil, Everything Balm and Anti-Aging. Each table was displayed with a range of products and particular fruits for example berries that were included in the products or represented the packaging adding gorgeous colour to the display and complimenting the products.

After we had information on the products we were asked if we wanted to participate in making our own moisturiser to which I agreed. We were greeted by a lovely lady from the team that explained what the process to make your own moisturiser was, the table had little drawstring bags containing a large syringe, pot of wax and essential oils and last but not least a wooden stick. She explained what different essential oils were in the pot and the we added hot water to the mixture which was sucked up through the syringe and then forced out until the mixture was creamy and no more lumps. Once the mixture was ready we then added the fragrance which contained rosehip and frankincense, only one drop was needed to create a gorgeous essence. The moisturiser we created makes your skin feel incredibly smooth and smells absolutely amazing.

After we created our own moisturiser to take home we had some lovely lunch on the terrace with the team, other bloggers and magazine editors. Unfortunately I had to leave the event early as my little girl had to have her 12 month injections but I had a great time and they gave me a generous goody bag with a couple of products to test out.

Have you tried any Triology products before? What is your favourite?