Category: MAKEUP REVIEWS

B makeup setting spray

B Cosmetics from Superdrug is one of the good ones! I have tried a few items from them and so far I loved them. Today’s review will be on their Makeup setting spray.

What the brand says:

B. Makeup Setting Spray is that “last but definitely not least” element of your makeup regime, helping give your look staying power and minimising shine. The fine texture of this setting spray helps to empower your look and to give it a just-applied look and feel all day or night. The mist feels almost weightless and prevents shine. Whatever the day throws at you, your makeup will look as fresh as when you applied it.

 

Experience

The spray is housed in a matte black bottle and sprays in a fine mist. It doesn’t have any particular scent. I was gifted this product a while back.

What I liked: I really liked how fine the mist is from this setting spray. After shaking, I do a few spritz over my face and neck. It dries quickly and doesn’t leave any marks or patches on the skin. This setting spray doesn’t add a dewy/luminous finish but it doesn’t promise that anyway. It’s not an extreme matte finish either. What I noticed was it really helps to help and lock in makeup and keep shine at bay for longer.

I wear powder foundation daily to work and using this to set my foundation (currently the Bare Minerals Pro Powder) I noticed my makeup looked fresher for longer and my tzone which usually gets oily/shiny after 4-5 hours didn’t get oily/shiny as quickly. The thing is I didn’t even notice the benefits that much until I decided to test the powder foundation without the setting spray.

Verdict

I really like the setting spray. I love it for summer/spring when my skin is more oily and I prefer a semi-matte finish. As you know I always prefer dewy/luminous makeup setting sprays all year round even in the summer however I also like layering a semi-matte/matte setting spray over a dewy one to reduce shine.

I would buy this and would recommend.

B. Pro Makeup Setting Spray is £6.99

Review Round up: Makeup Setting Sprays

Are you a fan of makeup setting sprays? I am. I love using setting sprays when I do my makeup to lock and extend the wear of it. I also love using it to amplify products like highlighters and eyeshadows and melt the excess powder into the skin.

I tend to gravitate towards dewy and luminous setting sprays because I prefer this finish over a matte look but I have also used matte setting sprays especially when I’m on holiday in a hot country( even so I would layer a matte setting spray over a dewy one lol). I also love layering setting sprays, this is perfectly fine to do.

If you are looking for a new setting spray, here are some I have in my collection

Skindinavia Bridal Makeup Finishing Spray– the original version of this has a cult following but I decided to go with the bridal version because I wanted something with a dewy finish. This setting spray is great and does give a natural dewy finish to the skin. I don’t see what the hype is because I have certainly used better setting sprays that set makeup so that it doesn’t budge. Maybe the original version is better so I still want to try it. It’s a good setting spray its expensive but its ok.

MAC Fix Plus Pink lite– I LOVE the original Fix plus and I’ve been buying it since it was only £12! Fix plus leaves the skin hydrated and dewy without looking oily. It’s a holy grail product for a lot of people because it just works. I love that they have expanded the range to include different finishes and scents. This one has pink shimmer in it, it’s not overpowering and too glittery so I love using this as a ‘topper’ and layering it over other setting sprays when I want my makeup to be extra glowing. I can also use it on my chest for extra glow. There is also a gold and bronze version I want to try. The shimmer settles to the bottom so remember to shake well before using!

Cover Fx Illuminating Setting Spray– so this is my least favourite mist out of the bunch. I love CoverFx so when I saw this setting spray I was really excited to try it. This spray is a glitter mess! It leaves glitter/shimmer everywhere and dries patchy. Even when I shook well before using I found the glitter overpowering. I like luminous setting sprays but I don’t like obvious glitter/shimmer. I now use this on my body when I don’t have time to use my body illuminators, this is quick and easy t mist this and go

B Makeup Setting Spray– this mist is surprisingly good. This gives a matte finish and sets makeup so for me I can only use it during the summer months. I have used this intermittently because of the matte finish but I really like it. I usually layer it under a dewy setting spray. (Gifted)

You will find more setting spray reviews here

What’s your favourite setting spray?

Review Round up: Makeup

I have another batch of reviews for you! I will be talking about a few concealers I have been using over the last couple of years and some other makeup products.

Let’s start

I love concealers and over the years I have tried a few. Those tiny products are great for multitasking and can be used for highlighting, contouring, bronzing and concealing depending on the shade you get. You can even use it as a foundation if you get a good match and yes concealers can be used for contouring or bronzing( you don’t need a specific ‘contouring’ product to contour with).

MUA ProBase Full Coverage Concealers– these are described as full coverage but I found them quite sheer when blended. It does layer well and can be built to medium coverage at most without looking cakey. They are really cheap so I don’t mind but I think there are other cheap concealers that are much better. I have the shades 182 and 183 which are quite similar but I love the undertones of them.  * Gifted product

Makeup Revolution Fast base concealers– I really like this concealer. It is medium coverage and doesn’t feel heavy on the skin. It’s a twist-up pen with a sponge tip applicator so whilst it’s easy to apply, that sponge tip is not good for blending. I have the shade C13 which is always the concealer shade I get from this brand. I like this better than the MUA concealers. This gives more of a satin finish.

Sephora Bright Future Gel- Serum concealer- I fell in love with this concealer on a trip to NY a long time ago but I didn’t get it then because the shade I wanted was out of stock. A few years back my friends went to Canada and I asked them to pick this up for me but the shade is too dark so I don’t use it often. This concealer is medium coverage and easy to blend. I actually didn’t realise how dark this shade is, I will start using it as a base for cream bronzer/contour. This gives a radiant finish without overpowering.  I need to go to Sephora but since there isn’t one in the UK and the US site doesn’t ship to UK, I have to wait to go on holiday, find a Sephora and get a better shade. I have the shade Truffle

MAC Prolong wear concealer– this is a full coverage creamy concealer that feels slightly heavy on the skin. I love this, a little goes a long way with this concealer. The only reason why I don’t use it as much is that it’s in a pump bottle and I am used to using concealers with a doe-foot applicator. Application with the concealer is messier but the coverage is great. I have the shade NC50. This doesn’t give a matte finish but it’s not too dewy either.

Moving on from concealers, we have some complexion products

Iconic London Illuminator- so this illuminator is very popular and whilst I can see why the shade is wrong for my skin tone. I got this in an advent calendar a while back but I don’t use it at all. The shade is quite light so it can look ashy/slivery on me.  I have the shade ‘original’. I have tried using it with darker foundations but I do not like the undertone it gives them

GlamGlow Glow starter Moisturiser– this is actually a moisturiser but I don’t like shimmer in my skincare products. I mix it with another primer to give my makeup a radiant finish. I really like this. It smells great, moisturises my skin and leaves a light golden glow. It doesn’t pill when mixed with my primer and works well under foundation. I have the shade nude glow

Danessa Myricks Colour Fix– I’m obsessed with Danessa Myricks! She’s an amazing MUA I follow on Insta and she has these amazing products called ColorFix. This is a cream multitasking product that can be used anywhere on the face. I have used this as blush, lipstick and eye shadow. This is the matte version and you don’t really need to set it. Its transfer and waterproof and it’s also long-wearing. I really like this shade. She has a ton of other shades and different finishes. I have the shade coffee cake

That’s all the reviews for this batch of reviews! Make sure you check out some of these products, especially Danessa Myricks!

See you later

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Review Round up: Makeup Primers

In today’s post, I will be talking about a few primers I have been using over the years. Do you use a primer as part of your makeup routine? I find a lot of people are either strongly against or strongly for, I am in the latter category. I like knowing there is a barrier between my skin and makeup and I do find they make a difference.

I have a lot of primers and these are the ones I have reached for overtime but never reviewed previously:

MUA ProBase Primer oil– remember two years ago when everyone was using primer oils? I was gifted this around that time. I like this because it gives foundations a dewy finish. I prefer dewy/luminous makeup than matte makeup so mixing this in with my foundation gives me that. It doesn’t leave the skin too oily. I follow Danessa Myricks on Instagram, she’s an amazing MUA and she also loves dewy makeup. I’ve seen her countless of times mix an oil & illuminator with foundation and it gives the most beautiful finish. I’ve been doing that too and I must say it works.

YSL Touche Éclat Blur Primer– I saved up my Boots points to get this a few years back and I don’t regret it! This primer with the fine gold flakes/shimmer helps smooth and blur pores and leave it radiant. This has a silicone base so it really helps to smooth the skin. It’s pricey for a primer but I think it’s worth it. It doesn’t ball up when you blend your foundation on top of it.

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer– this is a very expensive primer so I opted to get a travel size first which is still very expensive, about £18 for 10 ml. I got this a while back and I think it was £15 then. Still, I got it because Hourglass is a luxury well-known brand and I wanted to know what the hype was about. Tbh it’s a lovely primer, it feels hydrating on and doesn’t have the smoothness silicone primer gives. It still feels smooth on the skin and helps to extend makeup review. But do I think it’s worth the hype and price? I don’t think so

Becca Velvet Blurring Primer– so when this was first released I was realised excited to try it. I got this via Beautylish sometime ago. I don’t like this as much because it’s very very fluid. I was confused when I used it for the first time because I wasn’t expecting that texture. I got a full refund from Beautylish because of this. It really does leave a velvet finish and it’s also quite matte but the texture for this is so wrong.

Touch In Sol No poreblem primer– I’m not sure if this is supposed to be a dupe for Benefit Porefessional but I like this better. I got the mini size in a beauty advent calendar. This is silicone-based and smoothes pores to reduce their appearance. I don’t use it all over my face, just in the areas I have large pores which are t-zone and chin.

What’s your favourite primer?

See you soon!

Brand Review: MAC Cosmetics

MAC Cosmetics is THE OG brand for a lot of people and one of the first brands that actually catered to dark skin girls( remember in 2011 when everyone’s fav MAC concealer was NW45?). My very first high-end makeup products were also from MAC.

MAC has a lot of products and it’s the one brand I frequently recommend to people especially when they want a brand they are familiar with (everyone knows about MAC). I have a few of their products, ok I have a lot so I am doing a brand review with swatches.

Back 2 MAC is their recycling scheme. Bring back 6 empty full-size products and you will receive a full-size lipstick for FREE!

Here are the top products I recommend:

Foundations

I have 4 of their foundations: MAC Mineralise Skin Finish, MAC Studio Fix Liquid, MAC Match Master Foundation and MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus. My 1st ever high-end foundation was the Match Master foundation. I only got the Studio Fix out of necessity at duty-free because I didn’t pack foundation and it was the only one available. Full review here. The powder foundation has quickly became a favourite for everyday wear. Full review here

Concealer

I have 3 concealers: MAC Studio Fix Cream, MAC Studio Fix liquid and the ProLongwear concealer. Again the cream concealer was the first high-end concealer I purchased in the OG shade NW45 lol. I like all the concealers.

Powder

I have 2 other face powders MAC Blot Powder and the Mineralize Skin Finish. I can’t remember why I got the Blot powder this but it’s such a good powder, I’m not sure why it’s not as popular. It’s great for blotting during the day but it doesn’t add colour or disturb makeup. Everyone knows about the Mineralized skin finish powder. I use this to set my foundation

Setting sprays

One of the top-rated items from MAC is the MAC Fix Plus. This OG HG setting spray melts powder into the skin, sets makeup and gives a natural glow to the skin. I have a lot of setting sprays and I have tried a lot, however, Fix plus is one I keep repurchasing. I have watched it go from £12 (yes £12) to the now £21! I also love they have extended the scents with lots of new scents and different finishes

Lipsticks

I clearly love MAC lipsticks because I own 11 of them! These are the first high-end lipsticks I ever owned. Since I started getting them I wanted them all hence 11 lol. I also recently discovered these clear caps on Amazon and they make such a difference. I hated all red lipstick until I met Ruby Woo

 

Cheeks

I only have 1 highlighter from them and it’s from their collab with Taraji. I got this for free because of a labelling issue at the time. MAC blushes are amazing, I have 3 shades: Sweet as Cocoa, Diva don’t care (limited edition), Raisin (the black girl favourite)

Conclusion

MAC is an excellent brand and it’s worth picking up a few of their products. They are competitively priced, easy to find and inclusive with their shades. I love their back 2 MAC recycling scheme which rewards you with a free lipstick. MAC cosmetics is so easy to find, they have standalone and they are also located in department stores

If you could pick

1 item only- Studio Fix Liquid or Powder foundation

3 items only- foundation, blush, lipstick

 

 

MAC Studio Fix Plus Powder Foundation Review

MAC is the OG brand for black girls! For the longest of time, it was the only brand to really cater for us (even though the artists always tried to sell one shade NW45 to every black girl LOL), my very first foundation and makeup products were from MAC!

Last year I got into Powder foundation for real as I was looking for something quick and easy for everyday casual wear to work. I got the Studio Fix Powder Foundation and I have been using it ever since. I have hit pan and almost finished it. I’m literally scraping the last bits of it. I have purchased a backup so I thought it’s the perfect time to bring a full review

Experience

I’ve had this powder since last year and literally, I’m on the last bits of it. The powder comes in 53 shades. They describe this as a one-step powder and foundation that gives skin an ultra-matte finish with medium-to-full buildable coverage that lasts for 24 hours while controlling shine.

I have been using this as an everyday foundation for work and sometimes for occasions. I have the shade NW48 which has a golden undertone.

Honestly, I LOVE this foundation. It’s quite easy to buff into the skin and it gives a skin-like finish that is not too matte and not dewy. I don’t find it cakey which is really good for a powder foundation. It is has medium coverage and very easy to build up.  I love this because it’s quick and easy to use. I use this every morning before work and it only takes me about 5 to 10 mins to buff it into my skin. It works really well with a lot of primers. It also works well with or without a setting spray but I prefer to use a setting spray just for extra luminosity. It wears well throughout the day and doesn’t fade. In terms of oil control, I’m not the oiliest but I still find that by midday I would need to blot my t-zone.

Does it oxidise? Sometimes. For some reason, on some days this oxidises and looks slight grey towards the end of the day. Sometimes it looks worn by the 5th or 6th however but most days it’s fine. This foundation is not transfer-proof.

Does it work for dressed-up events? YES! When I have little time to get ready, I use this as a foundation over my concealer and add blush and highlighter. Because I can build coverage with it, it’s quite easy to use for dressed-up events too.

A lot of brushes work well with this foundation but the ones that I love are Elf Powder Brush and the Powder Blurring Brush. These brushes give an airbrush finish.

Verdict

I have recommended the Studio Fix Plus Powder to almost everyone who tells me they want something quick and easy to use. The powder can also be used to set makeup, I use lightly if I want to set my foundation in place. It’s great to use as a foundation alone too. It’s easy to blend and has great coverage and you can set it with a setting spray or not. It comes in a lot of shades! The foundation lasts a while because I have been using it every day for at least a year and I am just about to finish it. As with all my foundations, this separates around my laugh lines.

I love it so much I bought a backup already even though I got the Bare Mineral Powder Foundation as a gift.

So is this worth the hype? YES.

I have a full review on the Studio Fix Liquid Foundation here

MAC Studio Fix Plus Powder Foundation is £27 on LookFanastic

Do you have this? Do you love it? MAC is still one of my favourite brands, I have a few of their items… maybe I will do a brand review.

I always recommend getting stuff on Look Fantastic because they always have a discount code available and most of the items including the high-end brands are included! The delivery is quite fast and I haven’t had any issues with them

Stay safe, catch you later

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GlamGlow Glowsetter Makeup Setting Spray

 

I love GlamGlow, their face masks are some of the best I have ever used (I am obsessed with Supermud and Youth mud). I bought their Glow setter makeup setting spray some time back and finally got around to using from November.

Glowsetter promises to boost radiance and help makeup stay longer. It provides protection from environmental aggressors, leaves skin hydrated and soothed.

Experience

So I have had this for a long time and started using it from November. The very first thing I noticed about the setting spray is how fine the mist is. It sprays in a very fine mist so it doesn’t disturb makeup. it has a pleasant scent and I have experienced no irritation.

In terms of its performance, the glow setter helps to leave my skin hydrated and melt the excess powder into the skin. I do have it layer it a few times but it leaves my skin glowing. It’s not overbearing and t doesn’t look oily although if you have extremely oily skin you may not like this.  The mist dries fairly quickly without any patches.

Verdict

A quick and easy setting spray. I really like how fine the mist is on the setting spray and how it leaves the skin radiant. I’m also very happy with the additional skincare benefits you get. I use this daily to set my powder foundation for work and it gives it a radiant smoother finish. My skin feels hydrated after use. I still get the oily tzone during the day but it doesn’t claim to control oil anyway.

If you like dewy setting sprays I would recommend this. It’s not overbearing, there is no shimmer or glitter but you have to layer a few times.

GlamGlow Glowsetter is £24 on LookFanastic

 

 

The Ordinary High-Adherence Silicone Primer Review

The Ordinary Colours is the makeup range from the brand. It features two types of foundations: High Coverage and Serum foundation, I have reviews of both of them on the blog. There are also two primers and today’s post is a full review on the High-Adherence Silicone Primer.

The High-Adherence Silicone Primer promises to smooth and blur the appearance of skin. it gives a matte yet hydrated appearance and can be used alone as a non-greasy hydrator or as a primer before makeup application.

Experience

I really like silicone-based primers because of the smooth effect they give the skins o when the released this I knew I had to try it. The texture of tis primer is very lightweight compared t other silicone primers I have used, it also feels very hydrating on the skin. It doesn’t have any particular scent. The primer comes in an easy to use squeezy tube.

The primer layers well with other products and once pill. Compared to other silicone primers I have used, this one doesn’t have a powdery feel. I don’t think it leaves the skin matte or even gives a matte appearance, if anything it leaves a dewy finish because I have been using this during the fall/winter with powder foundations and my skin still looks dewy. On the left-hand side is where I have blended the primer out.

In terms of smoothing and blurring the skin, the primer has some effect although its’ not a massive one. My skin doesn’t feel dry during the day or matte. I have normal to combination skin and towards the end of the day, I find my tzone slightly oily and need to blot.

Verdict

I really like this primer. I don’t think it gives a matte finish as The Ordinary claim, rather it leaves the skin looking hydrated. The primer does give a smoother appearance to the skin however if you have really large pores I would recommend something else. For a silicone primer, it’s very lightweight on the skin and does not have that powdery feel associated with silicone primers. For the price, I think it’s excellent and it’s a great everyday use primer, which is what I use it for.

High-Adherence Silicone Primer is £3.90 on Deciem

B Pre Makeup Primer

Superdrug’s B brand is one of my favourite drugstore brands. Both the skincare and makeup collections have some amazing products at good prices. B Pre Makeup primer promises to leave the skin instantly retouched and smooth, leaving the skin even-toned and increases the staying power of makeup. It’s suitable for all skin types and tones

Experience

The primer comes in a squeezy tube with a pump which I must admit I love but for the first couple of uses, I had to pump it a few times to get it working. I have had no issues with it since then.

This is a silicone-based primer which feels really good on the skin. the primer has a smooth thick texture and its really easily to spread on the skin. it leaves my skin looking smoother and minimises pores. I really like this primer and works well with both powder and liquid foundations. It doesn’t leave the skin matte but more of a satin finish.

Verdict

This primer reminds me of the BodyShop Instablur primer but it has a smoother thinner texture. This is a really easy everyday primer which provides skin-smoothing benefits and doesn’t feel heavy on the skin. Whilst it does a good job at minimising pores, I don’t think it will be great if you have large pores. It doesn’t give a matte finish so if you are extremely oily you may not like this. They say it’s suitable for all skin types but I feel like normal to combo skin would probably love it better.

I really like the packaging: for a drugstore primer it’s quite unique. The primer doesn’t pil on top of moisturiser which is great because I don’t have to wat too long after applying my SPF to apply the primer. I have experienced any irritation from this.

If you are looking for a good drugstore primer for everyday use, I definitely recommend this.

This product was gifted

 

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer Review

The Fit Me line from Maybelline is probably one of Maybelline’s most successful lines! It has foundations in two finishes, powders and concealers. The Fit Me concealer has been hailed as a dupe for a top-selling high-end brand and it is also very hyped in the beauty community. I only tried this concealer last year because up until that point I was not a fan of any of the shades.

The Fit Me concealer promises flawless natural coverage that hides redness, flawless and blemishes. It is also oil and fragrance-free.

Experience

I have two shades in the concealer. I picked up shade 60 first, which is slightly darker and red on my skin tone. I picked this up because previously I could only find shade 50 in stores but this was too light for me. Much later on, I discovered shade 55 which has yellow undertones and is a good highlight shade for me.

The Fit Me concealers have medium coverage but are very easy to build to full coverage without looking cakey. These concealers are very much worth the hype. They are easy to blend and once set with powder, they do not crease on me. The finish is natural, it’s not matte and it’s not luminous but sits perfectly in between these two. The texture is lightweight, it doesn’t feel heavy under the eye even when I have built this up. They do not oxidise

Verdict

This concealer is usually called a dupe for the NARS Creamy radiant concealer, however, I won’t necessarily agree because the finishes are very different. NARS is more radiant whilst the Fit me is a natural finish. In terms of texture, they are quite similar but the NARS is slightly lighter. They both have medium coverage but I do not think they are dupes for each other, they are very closer though. If you prefer very full coverage, these can easily be built up without looking cakey. You also get some play time with the concealers as they do not dry down very fast so you can apply them and wait a while before blending if you want. I wish there was a shade in between 55 and 60.

I would 100% recommend the Fit me Concealers because they are very affordable and easy to access and they also come in a good range of shades( I think they have expanded the range since it first came out). it will definitely make my top 10 concealers from the drugstore and I would say its worth the hype.

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer is £5.99 at Boots*

*affiliate link used. If you decide to make a purchase through my link, I will earn a small commission which goes towards the upkeep of the blog (and allows me to keep bringing you excellent content) but the price remains the same

More drugstore concealers

Makeup Revolution Define and Conceal

Nyx HD Concealer