Review | Bourjois Happy Light Foundation in 53 Golden Beige

Hello everyone, I hope you’re all doing well and enjoying the spring weather. Today I am going to be reviewing the Bourjois Happy Light Foundation in the shade 53. I have been using this for a good couple of months now and I feel like I’m ready to review ^_^ The ‘happy light’ foundation is designed to do exactly what the name states: make your skin look look happy and glowing without the need for shimmer and glitter. Bourjois state it ‘corrects imperfections without masking’. Now I have to warn you that this is a very long and rambly review, I’m sort of in two minds about it...

Price, Packaging and Shade Range
This foundation is housed in a glass bottle which feels pretty luxe however it’s probably not the most travel friendly. I do like that the pump is a pretty coral colour, it reminds me of summer - oh  and there’s a cute little smiley smile under the words ‘Happy Light’! The pump distributes the perfect amount, I find one pump is enough for my whole face. Price wise it is £11.99 and it’s available in 5 shades which is again, is my biggest issue with Bourjois as 5 shades will not cater for everyone! The happy light range is actually darker than their previous foundations, by at least one shades so it’s worth checking out swatches in store rather than purchasing online first.



Application, finish and longevity
My favourite way to apply this is using a buffing brush. It’s too thick for the fingers yet looks far too sheer with a sponge. It offers a light/medium coverage and has a luminous finish. Although this shade is a little darker than I’m used to it blends into the skin nicely and give the appearance of tanned, healthy skin which is lovely!  The foundation doesn’t sit on the skin, it really does blend in beautifully which helps to give that naturally glowing look. In terms of colour correcting I would say that is does an OKAY job, sometimes I can still see redness through the foundation which is annoying because I feel like a foundation should at the very least even out the skintone and cover light redness. So needless to say a concealer is essential if you have spots or darkness. It certainly doesn’t mask the skin (as it states) but I wouldn’t recommend it to those of you who have a lot of blemishes and don’t want to take the extra step of concealer.

Without powder this lasts perfectly on my skin for about 6 hours before it starts smudging a tiny bit in some places like around my nose. If I am wearing it for a long day (which I generally tend not to do) I will powder but I actually don’t own a powder shade to match this which is a shame because I feel like unless I VERY lightly dust some on my face it can look kinda obvious and ashy ._.  Anyways point is, there are longer lasting formulas out there, but for the luminosity it gives I can deal with it!


This photo is a little bit crazy, just to show you the exact colour of the shade 53. I think this is probably best suited for NC30-35 and Barcelona in NARS. Although it looks daunting on my hand, it does blend in much nicer on the face and as mentioned earlier, I like to wear it when my skin is looking a bit dull, I’m pale and in the spring time when I want my face to have a bit more colour and warmth. In the winter this looked a bit too dark for me so I’m going to be getting the most out of this bottle in the next few months! Sometimes 8 hours later I’ll see my face in the mirror and be surprised with how nicely the foundation is generally looking and other times, usually on a more hot day I’ll notice it’s melted off a pretty large amount of my face... although that is always after at least 6-8 hours of wear.

I’ve already stated that the Bourjois CC cream reviewed here is my favourite drugstore base and that still stands. I find when I try to layer this up over any areas I need more coverage it looks too dark and noticeable. So for me this base is great for a shift at work or a lunch out with the girls because it can look lovely and really gives your face a healthy glow, however it isn’t perfecting, you do need a concealer and a powder would certainly help (although I don’t own one that matches this shade, boo!)

Overall Rating
Rating: 7.5
Pros: It gives beautiful dewy looking skin, it actually does look natural and not cakey in the slightest. Makes me look more tanned and it does work very well with normal/dry skin types as it is very hydrating. It blends easily and you can still see the skin under the foundation. When you powder the face after it gets a little shiny it still doesn’t look cakey which is awesome. The packaging is sturdy and made of glass. It photographs very nicely and it feels comfortable to wear on the skin.
Cons: The formula is so moisturising that it got shiny on my face which never normally happens. A touchup powder is probably essential for all skintypes who use this, I don’t think it would get it well with Oily skintypes because you will probably be shiny in a few hours. The shade selection excludes those with very fair skin and deep skin. However if you normally can’t get your shade in other bourjois bases, try this because it does run darker.

Repurchase? I really am in two minds here. On the one hand I love how healthy and tanned I look when I’m wearing this and also how it almost looks like I’m not wearing any foundation at all! On the other hand I get more coverage from the CC cream and I do expect my skin to be totally evened out when I’m using a foundation, otherwise I’d turn to a BB cream ._. so it really depends on if I find something with all these pros but better! Actually I just realised it may be a brilliant idea to mix the CC cream into this...I shall report back if that is successful!

I apologise for how rambly this has been, I feel like I haven’t said everything I need to say but at the same time I can’t think of anything else worthwhile to add...this always happens when I’m on the fence about things, especially when it comes to base products because some days they can look outstanding and other days they just disappoint me y’know?

Have you tried the happy light foundation? What is your favourite Bourjois base?

Thank-you for reading ♥
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Review | Bourjois Happy Light Foundation in 53 Golden Beige

Hello everyone, I hope you’re all doing well and enjoying the spring weather. Today I am going to be reviewing the Bourjois Happy Light Foundation in the shade 53. I have been using this for a good couple of months now and I feel like I’m ready to review ^_^ The ‘happy light’ foundation is designed to do exactly what the name states: make your skin look look happy and glowing without the need for shimmer and glitter. Bourjois state it ‘corrects imperfections without masking’. Now I have to warn you that this is a very long and rambly review, I’m sort of in two minds about it...

Review | Diorskin Nude Foundation in 31

Hello everyone! Today I’m going to be reviewing my first ever Dior foundation. This is the lightest from the three in the ‘Diorskin’ range, suitably named the Diorskin Nude (£32.00). I picked this up on the whim actually when I saw a flash sale of 20% off, and I just couldn’t resist - darn you online shopping. It has SPF 15 and gives a light/medium coverage.



Packaging
If I had only one word? Luxurious. Glass bottle, silver detailing, the lid has a ‘CD’ on the top, and Diorskin engraved on the bottle too. It feels weighty and it feels worth the price you pay - me likes!

The formula and coverage
This foundation is called ‘Nude’ and from that name I kind of thought it would have a dewy look on the skin. However I would describe the overall finish as velvet/satin/slightly matte. Which actually is probably more natural looking that dewy skin now that I think about it! Although it says to shake the bottle on the back, this isn’t one of those runny types of liquids, it’s lighter than your average foundation but still, none the less a foundation texture. It gives a light/medium coverage. I tend to use 1 and a half pumps each time I wear this foundation - one for all over, and another half for areas I have more discolouration and uneven skintone. When I use two pumps I can can get almost full coverage but I feel like it starts to look a bit too much. What makes this foundation beautiful is it’s ability to even out the skintone whilst give a very natural finish to the skin and still not mask it.

Edit: I have started wearing this on top of the Soap and Glory SPF, I use two pumps and something about that spf makes the foundation apply better and look beautiful, as well as last for a long time! Skin prep is important for this one, it really does make all the difference :)



Application and longevity
I have tried this with the backstage blender sponge, with the RT buffing brush and with my fingers. My favourite method of applying it is with the sponge, which I will have reviewed here. With a brush I feel like its a little too streaky and I tend to need more product. With my fingers - I can’t fault this application as the overall finish looks amazing, the warmth of the fingers really help the NudeSkin foundation to melt into the skin, whilst still giving great medium coverage - the only problem? It just takes far too long for everyday!

The main fault of Diorskin nude is it’s lasting time on the skin. I have normal skin and don’t powder apart from under the eyes because I hate my face looking powdery and dull. With and without primer, this lasts flawlessly on my skin for about 7 hours. After 7 hours my forehead is normally fine and so is my nose, but bizarrely around my lips and my chin it seems to fade away slightly?? It doesn’t look too bad but it is noticeable and that’s not ideal. So although the finish is lovely for a daily foundation, I can’t wear it on my 9-6 days at uni because it won’t last as well as NARS sheer glow or my Bourjois healthy mix. I was quite disappointed that none of the primers I own made a difference, however if I do find something that helps it last longer I’ll add it here.

**Edit: I have started wearing this on top of the Soap and Glory SPF, I use two pumps and something about that spf makes the foundation apply better and look beautiful, as well as last for  a long time! Skin prep is important for this one, it really does make all the difference :)**



Shade of 31..
When I first applied this I got quite a shock because I was expecting it to be a lot warmer, and on my skin upon application it does look a little light. The reason I expected it to be warmer was because I had been using the Diorskin star sample which you can see above in the middle and right hand side is a lot more orange and warm. So I’m not super impressed with the shade range here. Luckily for me I wear a hijab and don’t show my neck so the fact that my face doesn’t match it at first isn’t a big deal, but I nearly always bronze up when I wear this to avoid looking ghostly. I do find that around 3 hours later the colour oxidises a LITTLE and matches me better, but at first it can look too light without a bit of  chanel tan de soleil! I think I’m very used to buying bases that are one shade darker than my skintone for that healthy radiant look and as a heads up, this certainly is not. I would say its a hair lighter than my skintone and ever so slightly on the neutral side rather and yellow.

Oh and for those wondering about the Dior colour system, as far as I know shades ending in 1 are yellow toned, 0 are neutral and 2 is pink toned. Regardless, DO be sure to pick up a sample before purchasing (they’re super generous with their samples, which is always a great thing).

Overall Rating

Rating: 8

Pros: It has a really natural velvet finish, blends beautifully into the skin, evens out skintone, gorgeous packaging, has buildable coverage, you don’t need a setting powder.

Cons: The shade range is limited, it can accentuate dry patches, lasting time on my skin isn’t great if you don't prep your skin well.

Repurchase?  *update 12/6/15* Since using this with the due of SPF and Rimmel primer I am LOVING this for everyday, so I probably will repurchase at somepoint, just not right away. I was reading this back and realised how important prep is and how it can change your whole opinion on bases! It's not an immediate repurchase, but I most likely will one day ^_^

Have you tried any Dior foundations? Any favourites?

Thank-you for reading ♥

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Review | Diorskin Nude Foundation in 31

Hello everyone! Today I’m going to be reviewing my first ever Dior foundation. This is the lightest from the three in the ‘Diorskin’ range, suitably named the Diorskin Nude (£32.00). I picked this up on the whim actually when I saw a flash sale of 20% off, and I just couldn’t resist - darn you online shopping. It has SPF 15 and gives a light/medium coverage.

Review | Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer in SX08

Kevyn Aucoin is most certainly in the luxury category when it comes to makeup, even the box is fancy, look at it!  This ‘sensual skin enhancer’ is something I’ve had my eye on for a while, but the price tag always held me back. So last year during black friday when beautybay.com had a generous 20% off sale I grabbed my chance and ordered it in SX08, which as far as I could tell from the online swatches was the closest match. So the sensual skin enhancer is  18g of multi-use, high coverage awesomeness. It’s designed to be used as a foundation, concealer, tinted moisturiser or even a highlighter and with all of those options promised I justified the £35.50 price tag link (minus 20% ofc!).

The packaging is this little pot and it’s a similar size to the Anastasia Beverly Hills dipbrow - but taller. The pigmentation is rich and greater than that of any foundation - a little goes a long way! I have tried this as a foundation and achieved this by mixing it with a little moisturiser or a small drop of sweet almond oil (thanks Goss makeupartist for this tip!) and it provides amazing pretty much full coverage despite only using a small amount!

My two favourite ways to use this however are as a slightly more sheer base - medium coverage, or simply as a concealer. I dab my ring finger in the pot, warm up the product with both ring fingers and gently tap it in around my undereyes. This is the ONLY concealer I have ever tried that covers up dark circles 95% without a corrector! To get a totally flawless undereye however, I do like to use a small amount of my Benefit Erase Paste - shade 3, but I’m sure the majority of people would get away with just this.

As a concealer this shade doesn’t really BRIGHTEN my under-eyes as it’s a perfect match for NC35, so I am thinking about possibly buying SX06 at some point in the future, when I’ve used up all my current concealers and a nice healthy discount code heads my way of course! This shade works beautifully as a concealer/highlighter for skintones of NC40+ though, I used it on my mum and auntie for a wedding and they loved it!

As the consistency is thick and you have the option of sheering it out, the overall finish is semi-matte and it lasts a very very long time. Under my eyes it does crease if not set properly, so that is incredibly important to remember, and as SX08 is so orange/yellow toned I like to use a neutral coloured face powder and then a light dusting of Ben Nye banana powder (reviewed) for special occasions.

Anyone looking for a versatile, high coverage product should look into the SSE because this stuff is amazing! Although it is ridiculously expensive, it's the only base/concealer type of product that conceals and covers with very little effort, plus the value of it (how you need a small amount each time) makes up for the dent in the bank account!

Overall Rating

Rating: 9

Pros: Phenomenal coverage, multi-use, strong yellow tones available, a decent overall shade range, travel friendly, long lasting on the skin, a little goes a long way- it’ll last at least two years, super creamy and blends into the skin like a dream!

Cons: Expensive, as it has a mattish finish so skin needs to be thoroughly prepped when using it for foundation, as it is so creamy it does tend to crease under the eyes so setting is a must!

Repurchase? Yes I would as this is the most concentrated product I’ve used - but I want to add SX06 first as this for brightening and concealing at the same time would be amazing!

Thank-you for reading ♥ 

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Review | Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer in SX08

Kevyn Aucoin is most certainly in the luxury category when it comes to makeup, even the box is fancy, look at it!  This ‘sensual skin enhancer’ is something I’ve had my eye on for a while, but the price tag always held me back. So last year during black friday when beautybay.com had a generous 20% off sale I grabbed my chance and ordered it in SX08, which as far as I could tell from the online swatches was the closest match. So the sensual skin enhancer is  18g of multi-use, high coverage awesomeness. It’s designed to be used as a foundation, concealer, tinted moisturiser or even a highlighter and with all of those options promised I justified the £35.50 price tag link (minus 20% ofc!).

Review | bareMinerals bareSkin Pure Brightening Serum Foundation - bare buff 10

Hi everybody, I hope you’re all well! Today I am going to be reviewing bareMineral’s brand new foundation, which I mentioned in this haul. It is their first ever liquid foundation, made with the same philosophy as the rest of their line to ’provide women with good-for-you alternatives to foundation’.  It has been made with ‘bare minimum’ ingredients and provides a brighter, youthful finish whilst still providing a natural look and feel. Sounds almost too good to be true right?!

This will be one of my longer reviews as I feel like a lot of people want detail and in-depth info. I also think a lot of people who get the sample bottle (which is adorable btw) may not use it properly and so do not experience the beauty of this unique base product. Take the time to read about how to use this and then apply it properly and I’m certain you’ll notice its beauty!

So first things first, the best way to describe the bareMinerals bareSkin foundation (£22 from this link only) is as a tone correcting mineral foundation and skincare serum in one. According to the BareMinerals website ‘100% of women experienced more even-toned skin immediately after application’ which I do agree with, and also 95% said they found ‘measurable improvement in the appearance of dark spots’ after using this for 8 weeks.

What bareMinerals Say

I did have a little look at what bareMinerals have to say about this, and I’m going to try and round it up into one paragraph. This is a ‘tone correcting mineral foundation’ and ‘skincare serum’ in one. Non-Chemical, formulated without silicone, fragrance, water, and oil. It is super-charged with lilac stem cells, which I had no clue about either till I read on the Sephora website: ‘Lilac plant stem cells are recognized for their exceptional healing abilities and are known to provide powerful antioxidant protection. BareMinerals extracts these cells, fortifies them with their unique mineral complex, and infuses them into their formula to improve the appearance of skin and help defend against environmental stressors.’ Now that to me sounds like a whole lot of fancy mojo, and we shall see if it does make a difference to the skin, which in all honestly is hard to tell when sticking to a skincare regime anyways because is it the foundation or the skincare?? It contains SPF 20 wonderful as it means I can skip the SPF in my routine! It contains vitamin C which helps to give that brightening effect and for me personally, the best part is that this is paraben free.

The Packaging

It’s a plastic cylinder, opaque bottle with a black lid. Not luxurious and actually not very functional. You literally have no idea how much product is left, which I know will be frustrating when I do get near the end because I actually adore this foundation and when it runs out and I’m not prepared I shan’t be pleased -_- Another slight disappointment is how messy the inside of the lid gets, very much like my former favourite MAC F&B, but not a biggie.

The foundation comes out of something that is similar to a pipette, but on a larger scale. When watching demos before buying this, I was surprised to see them squeezing the bottle, I don’t ever have to squeeze it. After giving the whole bottle a thorough shake I pretty much shake out three drops on the back of my hand and they come out without a problem!

The Application and Consistency

This foundation/serum has been described as ultra-thin, and I would 100% agree with this. It is the silkiest, most liquidish base I’ve ever tried. Now the idea with this foundation is to build up drops, if you want more coverage you add more drops. They recommend starting with two drops and adding two more for medium and two more for full. I, however always drop 3 onto the back of my hand, and I find this gives me perfect medium coverage. Using my middle finger I dot the liquid foundation all around my face, and then taking the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush I spread the foundation downwards, and then buff it in anywhere it looks uneven or streaky. I did try my fingers, but found that the liquid was too thin to achieve a flawless finish, so the density of the Expert face brush’s bristles are perfect for applying this! I’d also like to mention that drops go a long way! When I read about the product I thought it was bizarre that only a few drops could get a decent coverage, but I would recommend starting off with less and adding more where you need it, whilst being sure to blend it in properly.

SHAKE SHAKE, SHAKE SHAKE, SHAAA SHAKE IT!

if you do NOT shake this, it doesn’t matter what your skin looks like before applying this, when you do put it on your face you’ll find a blotchy nightmare. Why shake it? because the reduction in ingredients means this foundation doesn’t have a binder in it, so you gotta shake it all up to merge the foundation together so it can actually work how it’s supposed to on your skin. Shaking this stuff is so important that they’ve even illustrated it on the bottle for you in case you forget! I think the main reason why the bareMinerals counters are providing samples in adorable mini size is because it is SO important to shake it up, so don’t expect nice results if you don’t follow the instructions.

The Finish

Due to it being such a light-weight liquid consistency, I cannot feel it on my skin at all when it has set. That is a pretty amazing feat because normally when you apply anything all over your face, you can kinda feel it there! This is without a doubt a dewy finish, and I would very much agree with the instant brightening claim. I was blown away by how well this evened out my skin tone and gave me the most radiant glow. It blended seamlessly into my skin, and allowed beauty marks to show through.

Now as for the buildable coverage part, I did have some trouble. The reason being is, I started with my 3 drops and then wanted to try and add more coverage over the cheeks area. However when applying more product onto of the first layer, I found that no matter how I used my brush, it seemed to disturb the under layer and simply make more of a mess. It also started to look slightly cakey on the dry skin around my nose, so honestly I would say if you want more coverage you have to be prepared to add little by little, work in sections and allow layers to set. If you ask me that is WAY too much effort to get a fuller coverage, I would rather apply three drops, see my skin even out and brighten like no tomorrow, and then go in with a concealer on blemishes and excessive redness. That is the way to achieve a flawless look from any base product, especially one with such a light and liquid feel to it.

P.S again my swatch on the far right is not doing it justice at all, but you can see that it's evened up my hand haha, added brightness etc; You can see it much clearer on my instagram and there will also be a quick application video ^_^

Lasting Power

The only problem with the super dewy finish is I did have to set it in the places my face gets the most hot. Mainly my nose and around my mouth. Using a touch of the Bourjois Healthy Balance powder this kept it in place for a whole 11 hours. WITHOUT primer and powder it lasted on my skin for 8 hours, and with P&P it looks decent after 12 hours. Now I will say that if you live in a very hot country, are super oily or get hot very easily this foundation will not be your best friend. The weather here in the UK has been so bizarre, and I have found getting dressed to match the weather quite a challenge! Unfortunately the day I decide to wear my gorgeous green thick slouchy-yet-chic sweater from H&M, I’m in a lecture hall which has no AC and over 50 people. The result? (bearing in mind this was 10 hours AFTER application, but with powder) half the foundation had migrated, and I was left with very pink cheeks, the redness around my nose showing and my dark circles pretty much exposed, due to poor setting. It stayed on my forehead and chin, but simply could not handle the heat after that amount of time. Note to self: this is NOT the base to pick when you know you’ve got a very long and challenging day ahead.

Did it meet my expectations?

YES. I wanted a light/medium base that was similar to and could subsequently replace my MAC F&B as I am now boycotting MAC cosmetics. BareSkin provides me with medium coverage, a dewy finish which I can set and change to satin, it brightens up my skin, looks absolutely radiant and best of all blends so seamlessly that it could really look like bare skin! Whilst F&B lasted longer without the need for primer/powder, it did leave a slightly tacky feeling on the skin and was thicker in consistency. It also did NOT include SPF.

The ease of blending this in flawlessly as-well as the SPF, vitamin C and plant extracts make it a whole lot better for my skin than F&B! I will admit that I have relatively blemish free skin, and I don’t know if this would do a good enough job in covering up acne scars and breakouts. So if you look for medium-full coverage, I would probably avoid this because it would take a lot lot lot of effort to build this up to 100% coverage and you’re better off purchasing an actual foundation which is supposed to be thicker coverage.

You can purchase it for only £22 from here (normally £26) which is an amazing price for 30ml of this, considering the lack of harmful ingredients and the beautiful finish you are left with. Also remember a little does go a long way, so it's a better idea to buy a mid-range base like this and use less, then to buy a highstreet foundation and use more. (Not to mention that you'd never get this sort of finish from a drugstore foundation, believe me I've tried!)

This to me is a lovely daily base and I think that bareMinerals have done a great job. I don’t know how they got a foundation/serum with such a small amount of ingredients to be able to correct my skin tone, blur imperfections and yet still look incredibly natural and effortless! It really is like nothing I have tried before. I just wish it would work better with dry patches :c

Final Verdict:

Rating: 6

Pros: light consistency, a little goes a long way, blends seamlessly, gives a natural yet flawless look, is brightening, contains no parabens, silicone, fragrance, water or oil, is MINERAL!, blurs out uneven skin tone with no effort at all, is a better substitute to the MAC F&B in many ways, comes in a range of shades, contains vitamins and plant extracts, in general just makes your skin look evened out and glowing with radiance, it provides medium coverage if you are looking for a base that will even out skin tone and boost complexion this is the one!

Cons: packaging isn’t very functional, you cannot see how much product is left, the lid gets messy very easily, I took 1 off for the lasting power, which you can extend with primer and powder as I have mentioned, but I would have loved it if I didn’t need to take those extra steps, from my experience you cannot get FULL coverage. It makes dry patches look even more terrible, which is a shame seeing as it's so runny I would have expected it to glide over them, but it can look a right state around my nose.

Repurchase?  *updated* No. Since this was one of my first higher end bases I saw the difference between drugstore, both in quality and how accurately it matched my skintone. However since then I have tried many bases and can compare them to this, which I have been using for over a week. So in comparison, this base doesn't really set and I can feel it on my skin which is irritating - maybe I've become a bit of a snob after trying the likes of MUFE and Dior??? Either way I wouldn't recommend this for everyone and its one of those bases that starts off as an exciting new love and ends with later when you realise that actually compromising on the longevity and how it feels on the skin isn't really worth the pros!

EDIT: 17/4/15 So its been a couple of months since I purchased and reviewed this, I have to say I've noticed it doesn't fare very well in the heat so I had to knock off a point for that. Gotta make sure that I apply powder properly in order for it to last, not too bad but worth noting!

Have you tried this yet? What are your thoughts?

Thanks for reading!

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Review | bareMinerals bareSkin Pure Brightening Serum Foundation - bare buff 10

Hi everybody, I hope you’re all well! Today I am going to be reviewing bareMineral’s brand new foundation, which I mentioned in this haul. It is their first ever liquid foundation, made with the same philosophy as the rest of their line to ’provide women with good-for-you alternatives to foundation’.  It has been made with ‘bare minimum’ ingredients and provides a brighter, youthful finish whilst still providing a natural look and feel. Sounds almost too good to be true right?!

Review | Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream

Hello ladies! I’m very excited to be sharing my favourite base with you all! When my best-friend asked me to recommend a natural looking base which feels light on the skin but provides decent coverage this CC cream was the first thing that came to mind (and she loved it too!).

I had never bought into the whole BB cream hype, mainly because the well-known drugstore brands didn’t seem to have tones that suit the olive skinned/yellow tones among us. Also the reviews were so hit and miss, I decided to stick with the base I was using. However looking for an ethical replacement for my favourite light/medium base needed to be done soon because I’m almost out of that stuff. After reading the fantastic review written by Kal from Cluttered Closet I was pretty much sold! It sounded amaaazing, and I had high hopes ^_^

A CC Cream also known as a ‘colour correction’ cream is supposed to even out your skintone and cover up redness without that thick heavy feel of a foundation - well done Bourjois you have nailed it! This has fast become one of my favourite bases I have ever tried. I have the shade 33 Rose Beige, which when first applied does look a little light for my NC30ish skintone, ok scratch that, it looks FAR too pale, pale enough to worry me at first... but when it has 'set' properly it blends into the skin perfectly, and the colour almost adapts to my skintone. I would say it takes a good 10 minutes to stop me looking too pale and chalky and I should also add that Rose Beige does lean on the SLIGHTLY on the pinker/orange spectrum, which did disappoint me when I first saw it. But as I’ve said, it does set to a more neutral colour.

The Bourjois 123 Perfect CC cream (£9.99) contains 3 pigments, orange for Anti-Fatigue, Green for Anti-Redness and White for Anti-darkspots. The consistency is not super thin, but certainly not as thick as a foundation. A little goes a long way, and my favourite way to apply this is with my fingers. I am most definitely a brush girl, but this blends the most seamlessly with the warmth of fingers. 

For me this the ideal ‘everyday kind of base’, as it does even out my skintone, provides great coverage while feeling light to the touch and also it contains SPF15 which is always a plus. This is not something I would choose to wear to a wedding or a special occasion because it doesn’t provide that flawless face look that you can achieve with a foundation. However it does cover redness on my cheeks and around my nose which I was very happy with. It just does its job of being a colour correcting base very well, and that's what I want in a base for daily use.

The finish is what I love most, I don’t need to use a powder with this (unless you have oily skin) as its satin and very natural looking so provided you have blended this is well, you can get away with looking like you have no makeup on. I love how it doesn’t mask the skin, it really does blend INTO the skin like a cream does and it is SOOO quick to apply. I can still see all my beauty marks and also a little pink from my naturally rosy cheeks with one layer. This is definitely light-medium and it reminds me a little of my MAC F&B but with a lot less dewy.

The main criticism of this for me is that it is only available in 4 shades, which in this day and age especially is ridiculous - especially when other drugstore brands have started expanding their shade range extensively, Bourjois please do the same with this CC cream in particular!

Final Verdict:

Product rating: 9

Pros: It’s fantastic for evening out the skintone, it really does cover up redness and the colour although it looks VERY off at first, sets to a beautifully natural shade and finish. It’s in my go-to base for every-day and it looks fantastic applied with fingers which makes it even more practical.

Cons: As I said, the shade looks horrendously light when first applied, but this does set. Also I do wish there were more shades available.

Repurchase? Yes I would buy this again, its the most effective yet natural looking base I’ve come across. It almost blurs out imperfections despite being thin in consistency and allowing the skin to breathe properly.

Thanks for reading!

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Review | Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream

Hello ladies! I’m very excited to be sharing my favourite base with you all! When my best-friend asked me to recommend a natural looking base which feels light on the skin but provides decent coverage this CC cream was the first thing that came to mind (and she loved it too!).

Review | No7 Beautiful Skin BB Cream Normal/Dry

           No7 Beautiful Skin BB Cream for Normal / Dry skin - £12.95 – link

One of the things I got the opportunity to try for a few days was this BB cream from No7. To be honest I’ve never been that interested in this type of product since finding my HG (link). The way I see it a BB cream is a lighter version of a tinted moisturiser with added benefits like SPF etc.;

My skin is pretty good, the main problems are uneven skin tones and the odd blemishes, so when it comes to a base on a good day I opt for concealer where I need it, on a ‘normal’ day my beloved F&B and then when my skin is playing up and I don’t have a lot of time it’ll be my L’oreal True Match. Essentially I’d rather have nothing spread all over my face, than something that gives such a light base I’d have to dot concealer over it anyways.

Ok so I’ve painted quite a negative picture of my perception of BB creams, but believe me I approached this with positive curiosity ^_^

‘Its unique 3-in-1 formula evens and enhances skin tone and disguises imperfections, while the nutrient-enriched formula helps to banish blemishes.

The added protective power of SPF 15 and 5 * UVA technology to help skin stay youthful, No7 BB is the only way to wear this season’s must-have essential - perfectly-pared back, beautiful skin.’

Packaging: It is pretty simple, no pump just a squeeze bottle with a screw lid. It is pretty compact so easy to slip into a makeup bag for travelling and it won’t take up lots of space on the dressing table. It is easy to wipe clean and the tube contains 40ml of product. I actually think for the price and considering its a ‘drugstore brand’ this is quite pricy, and so would expect great results from it.

shade: So I had the shade fair to try, I did think it would be too light but actually has a warmer tone. According to the boots website it is only available in two shades fair and medium which isn’t brilliant as again a lack of choices for fair skins or darker tones. I was pleasantly surprised with the colour as I have a medium skin tone (I’m guessing around a NC35 but not 100% sure).

Application and feel: The consistency is very thin as expected, and on the packaging it is recommended to apply it with hands or a sponge. I worked this into my skin using my fingers and it blended very nicely. For a short while afterwards it did feel and look a little shiny, as it’s made for those with dry skin so once wearing it, I did feel like it was providing my skin with lots of moisture.

Overall finish: Once blended into my skin it did look slightly too light for my skin tone (but I do like picking a slightly warmer colour for my skin tone to add colour). This however wasn’t too much of an issue as that is the purpose of bronzer, however the actual look of the cream with its lack of coverage was fine for an ‘au natural’ day but for me personally as I’ve already said, I’d much rather skip the lightest base and use moisturiser and concealer instead. It did slightly even out my skintone, but I feel that it showed too many blemishes to be regarded as a quick go-to product and although it was non-patchy or sticky and did blend in nicely, if it was mine I wouldn’t repurchase it.

I do understand the appeal of BB creams, but once a girl has a HG it’s hard to measure up to that. Have you tried this BB cream? Also I’d love to know if there are any BB creams that you really recommend – challenge my opinion on them ;D

Review | No7 Beautiful Skin BB Cream Normal/Dry