Emily Ellen

Saturday, May 07, 2016

THE BEAUTY BLENDER. HIT OR MISS?

The Beauty Blender. The sponge that is E V E R Y W H E R E. Why? How? Who would have thought a sponge would take over the likes of everyone's beloved buffing brush for foundation? But it has. I bought this about a year ago now in Sephora in New York and i have to say, since buying it there has not been a day i haven't used it. It's amazing. I use it for primer, foundation, concealer, cream contour, highlight and also my newest discovery.. Baking underneath my contour and on my under eye highlight. Amaze.

Since the launch of 'The Beauty Blender' a lot of companies have jumped on the bandwagon and tried to compete and make their own version. I must say a drugstore option sounds a lot more appealing to people seens as this sponge is £15-£20 just for a sponge, and that may seem a little extreme. However, I can totally see why people spend that on it. I have tried, Models own, Real Techniques, Make up Revolution and NONE of them compare to the real thing.

I try and explain this to my friends when they ask why i don't just use a sponge from boots. What i found with the cheaper sponges is that when you were to dampen the sponge with water before use (I never use my sponge dry as it soaks up all your foundation) it would never expand like the beauty blender does and is really stiff compared to the elasticity of the BB. You can squeeze the BB flat however the other sponges don't expand as much as the BB. This means that my foundation didn't blend as well into the skin and i couldn't use 'the bouncing' motion that is needed to blend it in. Instead, it just held a lot of product that i wanted as coverage on my skin.

Another thing i found with other sponges was that they either ripped after a few months of use or they just never washed the foundation out of the sponge fully. Obviously that is so unhygienic and will cause break outs and a spread of nasty bacteria on your skin. The BB cleans out amazing after every use. I just use a face wash/ baby shampoo. It looks brand new after every time i clean it AND i've had this sponge for over a year now, thats so good. So in my opinion i have definitely got my money's worth buying the real thing instead of buying cheaper alternatives.

THIS SPONGE IS A MASSIVE HIT. Im obsessed.

Because i love the Beauty Blender so much (clearly) i am going to be featured on 'Get The Gloss' later this month speaking about why i love it. For now though you need to go and check out this guide on their website. I've had a read myself and it is full of interesting information about the tools used to apply make up over many decades and LOTS of tips from make up artists and their recommendations on what tools you should have in your make up bag.

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

FINDING THE PERFECT FOUNDATION

Foundation is one of those makeup items that, although essential in most peoples routine, still really scares others. Foundation really isn’t as scary as it first seems and finding the perfect foundation for you is something that is quite easily achieved.

1. Highend or Drugstore

Although I think spending a little more on your foundation is nice I don’t think it is necessary and the drugstore has some amazing ones for a fraction of the price of the highend ones. That said you do get a little more guidance on higher end makeup counters but don’t worry if you can’t afford it, opt for a drugstore one.

2. Work out what you want from your foundation

Do you want a full matte foundation that will last all day or are you after something more light in coverage with has a dewy finish? Keep in mind your skin type and what you want this foundation for, if it’s for evening then a heavier one might work better and for the daytime people typically go for a lighter foundation (but it’s completly up to you!)

3. Look online

There are so many reviews online that it would be silly to ignore them, I rarely buy a makeup item without first reading reviews. Find out about the finish, coverage, colour range and longevity particularly from someone with a similar skin type to you, if reviews are generally awful all over the internet then I would probably stay clear.

4. Colour Match

Colour is very important when it comes to foundation but potentially the hardest thing to get right, particularly if you’re quite dark or very fair.Unless you’re repurchasing ordering online is very very difficult and should only be done at a last resort. For higher end brands I would always recommend going in and getting the counter staff to help you and allow them to apply it to your face so you can really see what it will look like. I always try two or three shades on my jaw area and pick my favourite one to be applied all over.

Drugstore can often be a little trickier but doable. Try a few shades on the back of your hand and compare them to your face in a mirror, then pick a few shades to also apply to your jaw line to find the perfect shade. If you’re a little worried about this take a friend to help you decide on the best colour for you.

Avoid going a shade lighter or darker particularly in a heavier foundation and keep in mind the undertone of your skin, if the colour is too warm have a look if they have a cool or neutral range or move onto a different foundation all together, colour is so important and an off undertone can make your head look disconnected to your body.

5. Try before you buy

I very rarely buy a highend foundation without first wearing it for the day. I go into a counter in the morning and have it applied, I then have a nice look at the colour/finish in natural lighting and go about my normal day. By the end of the day I can tell if I’ve had a breakout and reaction to the foundation, if I like the foundation and how it wears. I think when you’re investing £25/£50+ in a foundation it’s important to make sure it’s right and if i like it I will always return later in the week to purchase it. You can explain this to your counter staff, people do it all the time and since you’re planning on buying it if it’s good enough it isn’t cheeky or anything like that.

A lot of counters will also offer you a few days/weeks sample of a foundation and I would really recommend taking full advantage of that. Trying a drugstore foundation is much harder, I’ve heard of people taking their own little pots to take a few pumps of foundation to try before they buy but I’m not too sure if this is widely acceptable but do let me know in the comments.

So onto some of my favourites (I have normal-dry skin)

Drugstore

L’Oreal True Match Foundation, Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation (be careful if you’re sensitive to scented products), Revlon ColorStay and L’Oreal Infallible

Highend

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua, MUFE Ultra HD and Too Faced Born This Way

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Drugstore Bargain Beauty Products (+ some high-end dupes!)

Garnier Micellar cleansing water

Since I discovered this little drugstore bargain, I've not even thought about buying Bioderma! Bioderma's great, but at the rate I get through this stuff, it's much more economical for me to rely on Garnier's budget version. I use this to take off eye make up, to clean up makeup spills and messes, and to wash my makeup brushes! I've even thrown it onto my cream carpet as a desperate measure when I spilt some tea and it got rid of the stain!

Maybelline Lash Sensational mascara

I remember someone likening this to a high end mascara - maybe a Benefit one, I can't quite remember, but I know that's why I bought it, and it really is an excellent drugstore mascara. It applies really quickly, coating your lashes straight away without needing to build up lots of coats, and it really lengthens my lashes without clumping, and lasts all day. The only slight issue I have with it is that although it's not supposed to be a waterproof mascara, it takes as much effort to remove!

Maybelline master ink matte liner

I'm a liquid eye liner snob and I'm not afraid to admit it. Most liquid liners are rubbish if you have oily lids like me, and until now the only one I've found that stays put without transferring onto my upper lid area is that Kat Von D Tattoo liner, which isn't sold in the UK! I tried this one on a bit of a whim after it was sent to me, fully expecting to have to re-do my makeup within ten minutes, and was thoroughly impressed that it dried straight away and stayed where I put it! I'm super impressed, and of course this version from Maybelline is way cheaper and much easier to get hold of than my usual KVD favourite.

Collection Lasting Perfection concealer

Nearly everybody loves this concealer, and it's not hard to see why. It's probably the best concealer you'll find on the highstreet at this sort of price, and I find it covers better that a lot of my high end alternatives. The lightest shade is brilliant for under the eyes.

Rimmel exaggerate lipliner

I first discovered this lip liner when the shade Eastend Snob was being held up as a dupe for Charlotte Tilbury's pillow talk. I bought it and loved, and then oddly enough, went on to buy the Charlotte Tilbury version when I was on a bit of a Selfridges

makeup shopping spree. Turns out I much prefer the Rimmel version! I goes onto the lips really smoothly, it's very pigmented and lasts hours, plus it never needs sharpening! Here I have the shade You're all mine, because Eastend Snob is constantly sold out when I look in the shops *sob* - but I've actually really grown to like this more pinky version.