MAC Studio Fix Powder and Laura Mercier Secret Concealer

Hello and welcome to my Realm of Beauty.

If you're a regular reader, you might have noticed my absence for the past 4 weeks. Things have been incredibly difficult lately. But I'm starting to get used to the work load and the transition from uni student to teacher. My work hours are crazy and I have little time to relax and write for my blog. I've been feeling really guilty for these few weeks about not being able to upload a new post on the weekend. But hopefully, this is gonna mark the come back to a regular schedule.

Today's post is going to be on two additions to my daily makeup routines. They're both such brilliant products that they have me thinking "what the hell have I been using until now?".
Of course that's not to say the products I've posted about before are bad. It's just that these suit my life style more.

Let's start with MAC Studio Fix Powder. Obviously I don't need to introduce this to many of you, as it's one of the most loved MAC products. It's basically a power foundation, which is designed to mattify your face. This is partly why I think it's the perfect fit for me, since I have really oily skin. It's taken the place of my much loved Clarins Even Matte liquid foundation, but not because it's higher quality. It's purely because it's easier to apply and work with in the rush of the morning. I use the flat side of my Real Techniques Complexion Miracle Sponge to apply this. And if I'm going somewhere from work, I use the sponge that's inside the package. The coverage is pretty impressive for a power product and it definitely can be classed as medium at least.
Another reason why I love this product is that you can use it with a powder brush on top of your liquid foundation, both to add more coverage for going out and to control the shine throughout the day. It really is an all rounder product if you have oily skin.
I have this in NC30, which is a perfect match for my yellow complexion.
The price is £22, which is expected from MAC. I wouldn't recommend buying it online, since I think you should always be matched at the store.

The next product I'd like to talk about is Laura Mercier Secret Eye Concealer. This is my first ever high end concealer. Obviously, as I have talked about it on my blog before, I've had high end concealer pens before, but they're more about brightening than concealing. I was really getting sick of drugstore concealers and their failure to match my skin tone. I also wanted a proper under eye concealer, since that's really the only area I'd like to conceal in the morning. Drugstore ones were either too creamy to work under the eyes, or too pink or light toned. The only one that I found to be a good match was the Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer, which wasn't as long lasting as I would've liked.
So I was long overdue a proper high end concealer for under the eyes. Naturally, the first place I went to was Laura Mercier because I knew from Lisa Eldridge and other respected makeup artists that the brand's concealers are holy grail products.
I was matched with the perfect colour (2.5) at the Laura Mercier in John Lewis. The application process is also super easy because it goes on very easily thanks to its creamy yet light texture. I lightly press against the product with my ring finger and gently dab under my eyes. I then set it with the wet pointy end of the Real Techniques Sponge.
The price (£19.50) is very reasonable, considering that it's a Laura Mercier product and it will last a long time since you only need a tiny amount each time.
The one bad thing that I have to say about this is that it settles into the tiny wrinkles under the eyes, it's not visible at all though, unless you look closely in a mirror. Which is why I also really wanted to buy the Secret Brightening Powder, a heavenly powder with invisible lightening particles that are designed to lighten up the under eye area. The powder also helps settle your secret concealer and to stop it from caking for those with oily skin. But sadly they were sold out. I will report back here once I have purchased it.

That's all for today's post my lovelies. I hope you enjoyed this blogpost. All my social media links are on the right hand side of the screen, if you want to follow me for more updates and beauty posts.

See you soon x

Best of Drugstore Mascaras

Hello and welcome to my Realm of Beauty. 

The time has come for a new blogpost and this one is gonna be all about mascaras; one of the most essential items in anyone's makeup bag. Mascaras are truly wonderful because on their own they are capable of transforming your face and making you look instantly awakened. They can be volumising, lengthening or combination of both for more drama.

In my experience, people have different tastes in mascaras. Some like them clumpy, some hate volume, some get annoyed if they're too lengthened and etc. But, there are hardly any debates over the highest rated mascaras. These mascaras manage to impress everyone and go on to become best sellers.

Mascaras are also one of those makeup items that can be of high quality even if they are from a drugstore brand. Of course nothing for me will ever replace Lancôme mascaras, but they are quite expensive and so I only like to purchase them on special occasions.

For everyday use, I have searched for and come across these three wonderful gems. So let's get to it.

L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes Feline Mascara: a very welcomed twist on their classic and much loved volume million lashes, this mascara is amazing for a natural daytime look, which is focused on curls and natural volume and length. The curved wand is wonderful for getting the lashes from root to tip, and giving the appearance of cat eyes by focusing on those long lashes at the end. The formula is really nice and glossy. If I have one criticism it would be the way it comes off. If you wash your eyes with water, you'll realise that it flakes when it comes off, which means it doesn't leave black smudge under your eyes, but at the same time the flakes can get in the eyes and that's just annoying. Using makeup remover solves this problem to some extent, but not all the way. It is a bit difficult to come off and it stays on your lashes only to flake off when you wash your face in the morning.
The price is £9.99, which is perfectly reasonable and worth adding to your makeup collection.

Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara: an oldie but a goodie for sure. You can never go wrong with this mascara. It doesn't offer much lengthening and you really need an eyelash curler to curl your lashes beforehand. But the volumising effect is amazing. It's not too dramatic which makes it perfect for a natural daytime look. I personally like to switch between this and the Feline one, just to introduce some change into my daily makeup routine.
The removal process is very easy. Just a little bit of makeup remover and it's off your lashes for good. Which is wonderful, considering it doesn't smudge even a little throughout the day.
It's the most expensive out of all the three, at £10.99. But that's still a really good price for the quality of this mascara.

Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara: I've saved the best for last. This is an absolute wonder, in that it's so good that you won't believe it only costs £7.99. You would expect this kind of quality from the best high end brands. It really deserves to be just as much loved as it is, and a best seller.
The formula is perfect for the wand. It offers amazing volume as well as length. The effect is really eye popping, both literally and figuratively.
The curved wand will curl your lashes beautifully and it's perfect for gripping every single one of them. The bristles are arranged in the perfect rows/columns (depending on how you look at it) to avoid clumping and they are flexible enough to glide over your lashes with ease and comfort.
I personally save this for nighttime looks because the effect is too dramatic for the natural look that I desire during the day.
The removal process is a bit tricky. Like the Feline mascara, it can be a bit flakey. I usually need 2 cotton pads with lots of makeup remover per eye. But I think it's a small price to pay for wonderful lashes that look fake but aren't.

There you have it lovelies. I hope this was helpful. Next time you're in boots or superdrugs and are looking to get a good mascara, you can trust that these three will not fail you.

Make sure to follow me on social media, all the links are on the right hand side column.

See you soon x

Welcoming Autumn

Hello beauties and welcome to my Realm of Beauty.

Autumn has arrived. The season of pumpkin spiced latte, halloween, freshers week, start of university, cardigans, layered clothing, cinnamon candles and getting ready for Christmas. It's also the season of gorgeous dark lips and dark, warm eyeshadows. So I thought I'd dedicate a post to welcoming autumn. A post full of beautiful berry colours and shimmery dark eyelids. These products are gonna be used a lot throughout the next 3 months.

As I have mentioned many times in the past, I am not really a fan of matte lips. But I couldn't really resist buying Mac's Diva when I visited the store last autumn. This was my favourite lipstick to wear all last year and I found myself reaching out for it as soon as the weather started getting colder. It's one of those irreplaceable products in my makeup collection. But, I still can't wear it on its own because I just hate dry lips. So what I do is I put on my best lip balm underneath and apply the lipstick over it. The lipstick is so pigmented that if I need to moisturise my lips throughout the day, I can just apply lip balm on top and it wouldn't make any difference to the appearance, it just makes my lips moisturised.
The lip balm I've been loving recently is Burt's Bees - Red Dahlia. This is a tinted lip balm with berry undertones, so it really goes well with Diva. I've never come across a lip balm as moisturising as Burt's Bees. It's one of those things I'll never stop buying. Also, keeping your lips moisturised is an essential thing to do in autumn/winter, otherwise you'll end up with cracked lips.

The nighttime version of the Mac's diva is my Clinique Pop - Berry Pop. I've already talked about why Clinique lipsticks are my favourites, so if you like you can check that out here: Why I think Clinique Lipsticks Are The Best.
The reason why I don't use this for daytime is because it's too precious for me. Also, if I wanted to apply my lip balm over it, it wouldn't really work since the lipstick itself is very creamy. So I just keep it for date nights and other night time occasions.

Swatch: Mac's Matte Diva and Clinique Berry Pop

Of course no dark lip is complete without the perfect lipliner. I always always wear lipliner with my lipsticks, more so when they are dark, or very red. And the perfect autumnal lipliner is Mac's Lip Pencil - Burgundy. This matches both of the lipsticks really well and I don't think I need to talk about the quality of it, since everyone knows Mac's lip pencils are THE BEST.

Moving on to blusher. I adore the Max Factor Miracle Touch Creamy Blush. The shade I use, which really compliments my skin tone, is Soft Murano. It also happens to be a very autumnal shade for blusher and it's perfect for a daytime look since it doesn't have shimmer to it.

For slightly more dramatic blusher to wear for nighttime, I love using Nars's Cactus Flower. The colour is so gorgeous and the gold shimmer makes it the perfect blusher for your fotd. It compliments a variety of lipstick shades, from classic reds to dark reds and berry. You can see the amazing shimmer in the swatch picture at the bottom of the post.

When it comes to eyes and creamy eyeshadow, you can't get much better than Maybelline's Color Tattoos. They have the perfect shade for autumn, which is called Metallic Pomegranate. This is such a gorgeous dark red with gold shimmer, which makes it a perfect match for the berry lips and the Nars blusher mentioned above. I apply this on my eyelid, and blend the edges into my crease. I don't tend to use anything else in conjunction though, it really is enough on its own. The texture is incredible and if you don't have oily eyelids like mine, it will last a long time without creasing. I just apply eye primer before I put it on, which makes it very long lasting. Although, I don't personally use it for daytime looks, since I think the colour and shimmeriness of it are a bit too much for daytime. But it's the perfect eyeshadow for evening looks. You can see the shade in the swatch photo below.

A matte shade that is perhaps more suited for daytime is Mac's Sketch Velvet. The shade is very cool slightly grey looking with a hint of dark purple. It's a very nice shade to wear in the crease, with slightly warmer tones on the lids. But on its own, it can be a very chic addition to your daytime look.

Swatches: Mac's Sketch Velvet, Maybelline Color Tattoo in Metallic Pomegranate, Nars Cactus Flower and Max Factor Miracle Touch Creamy Blush in Soft Murano.

For nails, I love Rimmel London Salon Pro - Celebrity Bash. It's the perfect shade of red for this season, and it compliments all the wonderful colours of makeup we've mentioned. These Rimmel nail varnishes have really good quality. They're glossy and shiny and don't need 2-3 coats to look proper, one coat is enough. Their consistency also doesn't change much over time, which of course is a bonus.

So there you have it my lovelies. I hope you enjoyed this post and found it interesting.
Make sure you follow me on social media for update and new posts. All the links can be found on the right hand side column.

See you soon x

My Everyday Makeup Routine

Hello and welcome to my Realm of Beauty.

It's been nearly 2 weeks since I started my training year and I've already found the perfect routine that is professional, quick, easy and long lasting. So I thought I would share it with you. This routine works for everyone who has to leave the house early in the morning and come home at 5 or 6 pm. That includes students and everyone with a full time job. It is a very minimal look and it only takes about 10-15 mins to do.

Before I start, let me just say that skincare is the most important part of my makeup routine. If I take care of my skin, I'm not gonna need a full coverage foundation, nor am I gonna need to spend a lot of time concealing spots and blemishes. If you wanna know about my skincare routine, click here: My Skin Care Routine | For Oily Skin.

This post will be divided into two categories: what I use in the morning; and what I put in my makeup bag for touchups at lunch time.

In the Morning

Clarins Ever Matte Foundation: this foundation is the love of my life! Those of us with oily skin have a difficult time finding a foundation that lasts a good few hours. As I've said this before, looking for a foundation that keeps your skin oil free all day is unrealistic. The best foundations for oily skins can keep you shine free for about 4 hours, after which you're gonna need powder to keep your face matte. 

After my long search for a good matte foundation, I finally found my perfect match with this Clarins foundation. I apply it with my fingers, mostly because I wanna save time, but also because I want light coverage. 

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer: the perfect concealer for your under eyes and imperfections alike, this is a holy grail product for me. It doesn't cake and it lasts all day. I apply it with my Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge, using the tip for blemishes and spots and the cone for under my eyes and around my nose. 

Max Factor Creme Puff Blush in Seductive Pink: I adore this blush. It suits my skintone perfectly, it's very high quality, it lasts all day and it's the perfect balance of shimmery and matte which makes it perfect for a professional daytime look. I have nothing but praise for this beautiful product. I apply it on the apples of my cheeks and extend it to my hairline with my beloved Estee Lauder blush brush.

No7 Eyelash Curler: a very simple but effective addition to everyone's makeup bag. It does the job perfectly.

Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara: if you want full, natural, long lashes then this is the mascara for you. What's more is that it doesn't smudge at all and stays in place throughout the day, even for glasses wearers like me. One coat is usually enough for me, but sometimes when I want a more dramatic result I apply two coats. 

Rimmel London Professional Eyebrow Pencil: another highly rated drugstore product, it is perfect for filling in your brows where you need it. The application is super easy and quick. The result is natural and long lasting. 

Mac Cosmetics Clear Brow Gel: one of those little products that make a huge difference to your makeup routine. Gives your brows some order and keeps them in place all day.

Lancôme Shine Lover and L'Oreal Color Riche: perfect lipsticks for daytime. They are both moisturising and add just enough colour to your lips to transform your face and complete your makeup look. Those of you who are regular readers know by now that I love my shimmery lipsticks and these two are the perfect examples. 

My Shine Lover is in the shade Plum d'audace, and my Color Riche is in the shade Berry Blush. Both are very subtle shades of plum/pink and are therefore perfect for a professional look. I switch between the two to introduce a little change to my routine. 

In My Handbag

Clinique Blended Face Powder and Brush: this is an absolute necessity for oily skinned people. It's the ideal way to reduce the shine throughout the day. Applying it requires minimal effort and time. It comes with a very handy retractable brush, so you can easily carry it with you. If you want to read my full review click here: Review: Clinique's Blended Face Powder & Brush.

YSL Touche Éclat: I use this when I'm really tired to add a bit of light and radiance to under my eyes and cheekbones. It sounds like an insignificant thing to do, but trust me it makes a huge difference. The highlighting elements introduce a natural light to your face and make you look refreshed. It also contrasts the blue in the dark circles to make you look well rested. 

Simple Revitalising Eye Roll-On: I know this doesn't really count as makeup, but it is a necessity for my makeup bag. Being a teacher is no easy task, you get very tired by lunch time but you can't really do anything about it. You eyes are tired and heavy and you just wanna sleep on your desk. This eye roll-on is the perfect product for those moments. It's so refreshing and instantly wakes you up and cools your eyes. 

Sanctuary Spa Velvet Hand Cream: in the wise words of house Stark: Winter Is Coming. And that means dry hands. I use this hand cream religiously at work. It doesn't make your hands slippery but it keeps them smooth and moisturised. They feel just like velvet, as it says in the name. This is one of those products that I'll keep purchasing again and again. 

With this routine I feel like I've found the perfect balance between simple and natural and time saving. The touchups take only a couple of minutes and the morning routine doesn't require you to get up super early and compromise your sleep time. And I know I haven't included any eyeshadow in the routine, but that's because I have very oily eyelids and even the best eye primer, such as Nars, can't keep the best eyeshadows from caking at the end of the day. Even when I use Maybelline Colour Tattoos, which are meant to be long lasting, with a primer it will end up caking. It really is a shame because I would love to play with eyeshadows in the morning, but there's really not much that can be done here. I just have to save it for those occasions when I'm only out for a few hours. 

There you have it lovelies. I hope you enjoyed this post and found it helpful. 

Please do follow me on social media, all links are in the right hand column. 

See you soon x

L'Oréal La Palette Nude Rose Review and Swatches

Hello and welcome to my Realm of Beauty. 

It's been a busy couple of weeks. I've started my training year and have been trying to adjust to getting up at 6 am and getting home at 5 pm. But hopefully, now that I have a regular schedule I can write more routinely.

Today's post is going to be about a beautiful eyeshadow palette brought to us by L'Oréal. I fell in love with this palette as soon as I saw it in Boots.
First of all, the packaging is very elegant for a drugstore palette. After all, you can never go wrong with a black case and gold writing.

But most importantly, the colour range is absolutely gorgeous. All the shades are very wearable and suited for every occasion. I especially love the orangey gold shimmery shade. The dark purple shade is also perfect for converting a daytime look into an elegant nighttime look. The palette is also sized perfectly for your everyday bag. What's more is that the brush that comes with it is very nice.

Let's move on to the quality of the shadows.
The application is quite nice. I would say they could be more pigmented. Also, they're a little bit dry and therefore hard to blend. But for the price of £14.99, it's pretty amazing and I would totally recommend it. Especially if you're not the sort to pay around £40 for an eyeshadow palette.

Now on to swatches. The top picture is natural light, and the bottom is with flash.

I hope you enjoyed this post lovelies.
Make sure you follow me on social media, all the links are on the right hand side.
See you soon x

Drugstore Haul

Hello and welcome to my Realm of Beauty. 

Today's post is gonna be a popular one: drugstore haul. Who doesn't love affordable quality makeup? I know I do. I love watching beauty vloggers' drugstore hauls, making a list of everything that tickles my fancy and purchasing them gradually when I go to Boots and Superdrug.

I recommend keeping a list on your phone of all the makeup items that you want to add to your collection. That way, you can keep track of things you like and the next time you're at a drugstore and have extra money to spend, you can look at the list and pick things you always wanted. Also, Boots and Superdrug usually have promotions for most loved brands, like Maybelline and Rimmel. Most of my drugstore products were purchased in 3 for 2 promotions at Boots. I also love Boots's advantage card. Just a few months ago I was able to buy an Elie Saab perfume I always wanted with my advantage card, which would've otherwise set me back £54!

But enough into. Let's get to it.

All products can be purchased at your nearest drugstore or online at boots.com and superdrug.com

Maybelline eyeshadow palette: The Nudes 

An amazing substitute for high end nude palettes, and a genius move by the Maybelline exec. They must've seen the rise in popularity of Urben Decay's naked palettes and decided to launch their own version for those who don't have £38 to pay for an eyeshadow palette.
This palette only costs £7.99, which is amazing considering the quality of the shadows. It features all the nude shades one might need, from matte to shimmery, form highlighting to black.
What's more is that it comes with instructions at the back of it. So beginners can look at the back to see what shades can be mixed together and where on the eyes the specific shades need to go.

Maybelline Dream Pute BB Cream

This 8-in-1 BB cream is an essential for those who don't like full coverage or even foundation, but still want enough tint to even out their skin. And at £6.99, why not add it to your makeup bag?
It's designed for oily skin and therefore has 2% salicylic acid, which protects against blemishes. It's also SPF 15, oil free and hydrating, so it's the perfect balance of matte and moisturising. It comes only in 5 shades, so one might struggle to find a shade that's suited to their skin tone. But since it's a tinted moisturiser rather than a foundation, you'd be able to get away with it if it's not exactly suited to your colour.
I do find my face getting shiny quicker than if I used a matte foundation. So maybe it's better suited to less oily faces than mine. But it's nothing a touch of powder can't fix.

Maybelline EyeSudio Colour Tattoo 24h Eyeshadow

This is truly a holy grail product. If I had a pound for everytime a blogger mentioned this product in a dupe or haul video/post I'd be rich by now. The range of colours on offer is to-die-for. My fav is Metallic Pomegranate, which is the most gorgeous burgundy colour and perfect for autumn. The creamy texture is absolutely gorgeous and it's very easy to apply. You can literally use your finger to apply and blend it. What's more is that it's super long lasting. Maybe not for 24h, as it says in the title, but more long lasting than any eyeshadow I've tried before. This is an absolute must have, so the next time you're in a drugstore browse through the colours and get yourself a pot or two because they only cost £4.99. Which if you ask me, is a bargain for the quality of this product.
If you're like me and have oily eyelids, you might benefit from applying it with eye primer to prevent it from creasing. That being said, that should only be the case if you're planning on wearing it from day to night. Otherwise, it will last around 4 hours on oily eyelids without the need for primer, which is amazing.

Maybelline Eraser Eye Concealer 

Okay, this is getting a bit Maybelline-heavy, but what can I do, I love this brand. This is the last one though, I promise.
This concealer is amazing for covering imperfections, blemishes and spots. I personally haven't used it under my eyes yet, mostly because the shade that I have is too dark for that purpose. It's super easy to carry with you everywhere you go because you don't need a brush to apply it. Altogether a winner, and at £7.99, it's really worth adding to your on-the-go makeup bag.

Max Factor Miracle Touch Creamy Blush

Yet another holy grail of drugstore makeup, loved by bloggers and makeup artists alike. Creamy blushers are one of those products that are hard to come by in the drugstore. And when you do find one, it's usually not a good quality compared to the high end ones (I'm looking at NARS). But this little pot is truly an exception. I just love the texture so much. And it blends so beautifully. I like to blend mine with Real Techniques Sponge, but fingers would do just fine.
It comes in 4 shades (I want more), all of which cater to different skin tones. It's totally worth the £6.99, and I'm not the only one who says so.

Max Factor Colour Elixir Lip Liner

Another gorgeous products from Max Factor. The colour range is amazing and practical. The texture is creamy and easy to apply. The only downside is that it's not long lasting enough. And I want my lipliner to last throughout the day so that I can just touch up my lipstick and nothing else. I personally prefer No7 lipliners to this. I've also heard that sharpening it is very puzzling, but I'm yet to sharpen mine and see how it goes.

Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara

I think this is the most loved Max Factor mascara out there. I love the lengthening and volumising effect of it, but I most of all love how it still looks quite natural and not too fake. So it's perfect for everyday mascara, especially since it stays on perfectly and doesn't smudge your lash line after a long day. There's also no sign of clumping or any other problems if you decide to apply it more than one coat, very buildable I would say. It's just a perfect mascara at the reasonable price of £10.99.

LOreal Paris Perfection Color Riche Lipstick 

By now if you've been following my blog you know that I love moisturising and hydrating lipsticks. This Loreal lipstick is exactly that thanks its Omega-3 and vitamin E, plus it's very creamy and pigmented. It just feels really soft and beautiful on the lips. It comes in a whopping 30 shades! And it's a perfect dupe for high end creamy lipsticks at half the price, which is £6.99.

Simple Micella Water

An absolute must have, gentle and effective and hydrating. Really, you just can't say no this, especially at the price of £4.49.

As mentioned before, all of the products in this post might be available in promotions at Boots and Superdrugs. So make sure you make the most of these promotions before they end.

So there you have it lovelies. Hope you've enjoyed this post. Make sure you share it with others and follow me on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and Bloglovin. All the links are on your right hand side.

See you soon x

Liquid vs Gel Eyeliner

Hello and welcome to my Realm of Beauty. 

Today's post is going to be about eyeliners; one of the most loved and at the same time hated makeup items in everyone's makeup collection. We've all been intimidated by them at some point in our lives. We've also all been jealous of those beautiful and even winged eyeliners you see on Instagram. If you get passed that initial stage of fear by practising your technique and familiarising yourself with the shape of your eyes, you'll get to the point of exploring all the different options out there: liquid, pencil and gel eyeliners.

Soap and Glory Supercat liquid pen and Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Liner. Both available at http://www.boots.com.

I personally started with pencil liners. But I only used it in my waterline or sometimes under my bottom lashes. I never got to successfully apply the pencil above my eyes, so I moved on to liquid eyeliner. I remember my first purchase was mac's classic liquid eyeliner. I initially had to practise with it but I instantly picked up the method and wore it a lot. It still took me a while to apply it though, because as a perfectionist I had to make sure that everything was on point.

After that I came across eyeliner pens. The results were very similar to the classic eyeliner, but a little less intense. The pens were a lot easier to apply, so I tried them in different brands, some of which I was really not happy with. Since I have oily eyelids, most of the eyeliners I've tried would smudge or leave awkward marks on my crease. It really is frustrating when you've got the most perfect winged eyeliner, but 2 hours later you find that half of it has gone on your crease.

I wasn't really satisfied with any liquid pens until I came across Soap and Glory's Supercat Eyeliner. I, like many other beauty bloggers, absolutely love this product. It doesn't smudge, it's super easy to apply and it looks beautiful. If you're just getting into eyeliners and would like to experiment with cat eyes and wings, then I'd totally recommend this especially since it's only £6 and widely available.

The story doesn't stop there. One day I was watching one of Lisa Eldridge's videos (can't remember which one) and in this video she used the Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Liner. I just loved the results and the fact that she recommended it was enough to send me to Boots to get myself one. Now, I have to be honest, I was always very intimidated by gel liners because I thought they were difficult to apply. But I thought I was confident enough with my skills to finally give it a try. And I'm so glad I did. Gel liner has become by far my favourite type of eyeliner. The intensity of the blackness is just amazing, and you can see the comparison with liquid in the pictures below. Also, if the product is high quality, such as the Maybelline gel liner, it will last all day without smudging.

Note: I didn't apply mascara in any of the pictures, because this way you can see the eyeliner more clearly.

Another advantage is that you can apply gels in your waterline, which you can't really do with liquids. Before I started using gels, I used to apply pencil in my waterline and liquid above my lashes. But now, I can just use the gel for both purposes.
You can see the comparison in the picture. I know it doesn't look like I've applied any product in waterline of the left eye, but trust me I have. It just doesn't show because that's the nature of liquid pens.

The down side is that drawing wings with gel liner is more challenging than with liquid, at least in my experience. You also need a fine liner brush, which is an added expense. The good news is if you buy the Maybelline gel liner, it will come with a brush of its own which has two sides: smudging side for smokey eyes; and fine liner brush for precise application. I personally use the Real Techniques Fine Liner Brush. It's much easier to use and it's of higher quality.

Final thought:
if I'm in a hurry, or not in the mood to spend 10 minutes applying eyeliner, then I'll reach for Soap and Glory's Supercat. But since I don't really use eyeliners for everyday makeup, this rarely happens. I also sometimes use it to outline the lines and go in with the gel.
I much prefer gel liners to liquid liner. And since I only tend to use eyeliner when I'm going out in the evening, I can afford to spend time applying it. Trust me, it's really worth it. Also, since there's such an amazing product like Maybelline's Lasting Drama Gel Liner available for only £7.99 at any drugstore, you don't really have any excuses not to try it out. I personally don't think I'll ever seek a high end gel liner, that's how amazing this product is.

There you have it lovelies. I hope you enjoyed this comparison post. Make sure to follow me on social media for updates and tips. All my social media links can be found in the right hand column.

See you soon x

Why I think Clinique Lipsticks Are The Best

Hello lovelies and welcome to my Realm of Beauty. 

Today's post is all about lipsticks, Clinique lipsticks to be exact.
Lipsticks are the most important makeup item for me. I could leave the house with no makeup on and it wouldn't phase me. But if I didn't have lipstick on I'd somehow feel incomplete, like I would be missing an item of clothing.

I am quite picky when it comes to choosing shades and types. I'm not a fan of nude lips, because they don't really suit my skin tone. And, I don't like matte lipsticks because I prefer moisturised lips to dry lips. So already, I have eliminated the very popular and arguably most loved lipstick in the market: mac's matte lipsticks. You also tend to get more shades with matte lipsticks, so that's another thing I'm missing out on.

Clinique Lipsticks available at http://www.clinique.co.uk

For a long time I've been searching for the perfect moisturising lipstick. One that's not too greasy and not too shiny, but is still moisturising and long lasting and pigmented. I thought I had found my true match in Lancôme's Rouge in Love range, which ticked all the boxes for me. Until Clinique launched their Pop Lip Colour and Primer range. I was very intrigued by the description of this product, which goes like "Luxurious yet weightless formula merges bold, saturated colour with a smoothing primer. Glides on effortlessly to give a modern-velvet finish. Colour stays true and keeps lips comfortably moisturised for 8 hours". So I went to my nearest Clinique counter and the lady tried on 3 shades for me. I instantly fell in love with the intensity of the colours, and how moisturising they were without adding too much shine. This was the perfect match I was looking for. It really does what it says in the description. Thanks to the primer, it glides on perfectly and gives a gorgeous finish to your lips. The moisture doesn't really get absorbed either, so I barely feel the need to reapply it, unless it's after a meal. 

Don't get me wrong, I still love the Rouge in Love lipsticks and would purchase again as soon as I've ran out. But they are more expensive (£22) than Clinique lipsticks (£16), so I can't really use them everyday. 

By now I have almost made my case and have argued why Clinique lipsticks are the best. But there's one more product that I haven't mentioned: The Chubby Stick Intense Moisturising Lip Colour Balm. This is yet another wonderful product by Clinique and the reason why I love it is in the name. It's more shiny and much sheerer compared to the Pop Lip, but that can be an advantage when you want just enough colour and mostly moisture for a daytime look. I also love the shape of it, which makes it super easy to apply. It's £1 more expensive than the Pop Lip, but you get more out of it because it's taller. 

The shades that I have are limited, but as I said I'm quite picky when it comes to shades I like. I do aim to collect more though, so I'll keep you updated. The Berry Pop (15) shade is a gorgeous plum/berry colour, perfect for evenings and autumnal looks. While the Love Pop (13) shade is a gorgeous light violet, perfect for daytime and summery looks. This is the lightest shade I can pull off without looking like a ghost. 
My Chubby Stick shade is Roomiest Rose (06), which is a beautiful pink colour, perfect for everyday makeup.

Clinique Pop Lip Colour + Primer and Chubby Stick swatches.

Clinique Pop Lip Colour + Primer and Chubby Stick lip swatches.

So there you have it, my case for why Clinique make the best lipsticks. If you're like me and don't really like matte lipsticks, then they're the brand for you. 

I hope you enjoyed this post. Make sure you follow me on social media for updates and future posts. Links can be found on the right hand column. 

See you soon x

My Skin Care Routine | For Oily Skin

Hello and welcome to my Realm of Beauty. 

Today's post is gonna be about skin care. More specifically, how I look after my oily skin.

Those of us with oily skin are both blessed and damned at the same time. Blessed because our skin never looses its moisture and as a result, we are less prone to ageing and developing wrinkles than those with normal/dry skin. However, we are more prone to breakouts and acnes. In addition, searching for a matt foundation that keeps away the shine throughout the day is an impossible task.

Since 7 years ago, when I started caring for my skin, I have tried numerous skin care products. My current routine is the results of years of experimenting and finally coming to a combination of products that actually work together to look after my skin.

Before I introduce you to these products, one thing needs to be said. It is very important to be realistic and to not expect too much from your makeup and skin care. As I have mentioned in my previous post when talking about foundations for oily skin, it is unrealistic to look for a product that keeps the shine away for the entire day. If a products claims to do this, be it a foundation or a moisturiser or a cleanser, you should not trust it. Moreover, if a product actually delivers the "no shine all day" promise, you should stop using it because it is very bad for your skin. These products work by blocking your pores so that the oil is trapped underneath whatever you have on, which can cause all sorts of troubles for your skin.  So just be diligent out there, and know that keeping your face matt all day requires touching ups during the day. You can for example always carry a power with you to use mid-day over your foundation.

Now with the important "warning" out of the way, we can get started.

Storage is from Stackers available at amazon.co.uk

Morning routine: 

In the morning, right after I wake up, I use the Clear Skin Oil Balancing Exfoliating Face Wash by Simple. This product is a life saver for those of us with oily skin. It has no artificial perfume or colour and no harsh chemicals. It's just full of goodness and vital vitamins. The 'zinc' element helps absorb excess oil while the 'witch hazel' reduces blemishes and 'B5' helps to keep the skin smooth and soft. And at the price of £3.99 and wide availability, it's really worth adding to your routine. 

Simple Clear Skin Oil Balancing Exfoliating Face Wash available at Boots.com.

After I've dried my face with a clean face towel, I apply the Clinique Clarifying Lotion in No. 4 with a cotton pad all over my face. This is such an amazing cleanser and comes in 4 ranges. 1 is for dry skin and 4 is for oily/greasy skin, 2 and 3 are for those with normal/combination skin. I just love it when I can see the dirt and oil on the cotton pad after I've used this.
The No. 4 lotion contains alcohol which can be a skin irritant for some, so if you are one of those people it's best to go for a different number. I personally love it because it helps keep the oil to minimum for longer. It's also deeply penetrating and gets rid of all the dirt that's accumulated under your skin.
It is on the pricey side, but I'm not one to hesitate spending money when it comes to skin care. The 200ml bottle is £16.50 and the 400ml bottle is £26.50.

Clinique Clarifying Lotion in No. 4 available at  Boots.com.

The next step is moisturiser. I have wrestled with this for so long. It is very tricky to add extra moisture to a face that's already oily. But I can't forgo it either because the benefits of using moisturiser are well known, plus they really are important when it comes to applying foundation.
So, as you can understand I had a hard time finding a moisturiser that didn't make me even more oily. Until I came across this gem: Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel. This is a holy grail of skin care for me. At this point, it is one of the very few products that I know I will not ever replace. The texture is gorgeous, it is not drying and it glides smoothly and perfectly on the skin. And once it's on, you don't even realise you have moisturiser on and yet you feel all the benefits that come with it. It controls the shine without giving you dry patches and is full of natural goodness. I just cannot recommend it enough.
Again, this is a pricey product (£30), but it's really worth it.

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel available at Boots.com.

Now, I know at this point some of you are wondering why I don't use the 3-step skin care routine offered by Clinique, since I already have 2 of the products in this range. The reason is because I have spent a long time looking for a good face wash and now that I've found 2 of them, one which you have met and one that's coming up in my night routine, I am just scared to let them go and try the Clinique face wash. If I could get my hands on a sample it would be great. But until then, I'm gonna continue using my 2 beloved face washes.

Night routine:

Before I go to bed, I usually look like a disco ball because of the amount of oil on my skin. No matter what I do/use, I end up with a shiny face at the end of the day. So it is important to make sure I treat it before any breakouts occur. For this reason I use Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Exfoliating Face Scrub. This is an absolute gold and I have already been through 4 bottles of since I discovered it. It is so gentle on the skin thanks to the 'witch hazel' and yet tough on the dirt and oil that's trapped inside the pores. It unclogs your pores and leaves you feeling refreshed and clean. It also helps prevent breakouts and dries any existing spots thanks to its 'tea tree' element. 

And at the price of £3.79 you just cannot resist to add it to your routine. 

Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Exfoliating Face Scrub available at Boots.com.

Next I use the same Clinique clarifying lotion to cleanse my skin before applying moisturiser. 

Night time is when I can stop worrying about looking shiny and apply a more conventional moisturiser to maintain moisture throughout the night. This is when I use Palmer's Cocoa Butter Night Renewal Cream, which is a fantastic anti-ageing and firming cream with Shea Butter and vitamin E. I really take my time with this to massage it onto my skin. And when I wake up in the morning my skin is visibly firmer and well rested. 

It might be a bit unusual for a 26 year old to use an anti ageing and firming cream already. But since I lived 19 years of my life in Iran and barely used sun screen (I know, very bad!), I'm afraid that I've done some (reversible) damage to my skin. Which is why I thought it would be good idea to start using this cream to counter act those years of negligence. 

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Night Renewal Cream available at FeelUnique.com.

So there you have it lovelies. I hope you enjoyed this post and found it helpful. 

Let me know if you have any techniques to tackle oily skin. And don't forget to follow me on social media for updates, all the links are on the right hand side. 

See you soon x

Colourful Eye Makeup, Wearable and Easy

Hello lovelies and welcome to my Realm of Beauty.

Today's post is gonna be a makeup tutorial for an easy and wearable colourful look, perfect for summer days.
With autumn just around the corner, you can make the most of what's left of this summer by adding a little bit of colour to your everyday look and maybe use those colourful eyeshadows and eyeliners you have lying around.

The secret to a colourful daytime look is to lower the intensity of the colours you want to use, make it look balanced and effortless. If you have a coloured eyeliner that you don't often use, you can always smudge it and blend it with a neutral eyeshadow. Or you can use two eyeshadows of completely different colours to create a fun colour-block eyeshadow (the look for this tutorial). There are many ways you can play with colours, but the point is: don't be afraid to experiment.

Tip: you can choose the colours of your eyeshadow and eyeliner based on a pair of colourful earnings that you own. As you'll see in my pictures below, it will help bring the whole look together and it looks super fun.

 So let's begin. As per usual, the post will be divided into two sections: eyes and face.

 For eyes:

I've had the gorgeous Lancôme Ombre Hypnôse-Lagon Secret eyeshadow for a very long time. But there aren't many occasions that I can use it on, which is a shame because I love the colour of it. So I thought I'd create a colourful summery look with it, only I didn't have a colour that's the complete opposite of it. However, I remembered that I had a beautifully pigmented pink blusher by Lancôme (Blush Subtil-Rose Paradis) in my makeup collection, so I used it as my base eyeshadow for this look and also as a blusher. This added a beautiful harmony to the look and made it even prettier. So I advise you to use this method if you have a similar blusher in your makeup collection. 

Once the base is on, you can do either of these two things: use a bright eyeliner in a similar colour to my turquoise eyeshadow along and above your lash line; OR wet an 'accent brush' or eyeliner brush and dip it in your colourful eyeshadow and apply it as you would with the eyeliner. The second method is what I used to achieve the look. Real Techniques brushes are my holy grail, so every eye makeup that I do is with their Starter Kit.

Since this is a daytime look, you don't want to make the line winged, just leave it up to the outer corner of you eyes. You can also go in just under your waterline and lashes with the brush or the eyeliner to add a bit of colour under your eyes. 

To finish it off, I used a neutral eyeshadow in my crease to give the eyes more definition. But this is totally optional and up to your preferences. 

For face:

After hours of researching for a good foundation for oily skin, I finally made a decision to purchase Clarins Ever Matte Foundation. I've used it a few times since I purchased it and I absolutely love it (it also smells divine). If you're like me and have been "suffering" from oily skin, you know how hard it is to find a good foundation that can last for a good few hours. Why am I not saying all day? Well because it would be unrealistic to look for a foundation that keeps away the oil and shine all day. If a product does that you should not trust it because it is blocking your pores and trapping the oil and that can cause all sorts of troubles for your skin. An excellent foundation for oily skin should keep the shine away for about 4-5 hours. This is why those with oily skin and long working hours should always carry a powder and touch up during the day. 

My favourite method of applying foundation and concealer is with the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. To me, this is an absolute necessity in my makeup bag. Of course you can pay extra and purchase the original Beauty Blender. But I personally haven't found the need to do that. If you're interested to know how to use the sponge, check out the tutorial by the amazing Sam Chapman, which I'll link at the end of this post. 

For lips I used one of my favourite lip liners, No7 Precision Lip Pencil-Rose plus one of my favourite lip colours Clinique's Chubby Stick-Roomiest Rose. The combination of these two is absolutely brilliant. 

To finish off use a translucent powder, I used Clinique's Blended Face Powder, which I have review here Review: Clinique's Blended Face Powder & Brush. This step is only for those with oily skin, so skip it if you have other skin types. 

There you have it beauties. Hope you enjoyed this post. My social network sites can be found on the right hand corner. Don't forget to follow for updates and beauty tips. 

See you soon x

Flawless Foundation by Real Techniques | Miracle Complexion Sponge Tutorial

Review and Comparison: Tinted Lip Balms

Hello beauties and welcome to my Realm of Beauty. 

Today's post is gonna be about tinted lip balms. Some days I don't feel up to putting lipstick on, but I hate the natural colour of my lips because they always look really pale and make me look like a ghost. So tinted lip balms are my saviour on these days. Not to mention that they're incredibly hydrating and good for cold winter days.

So let's get started. The lip balms I'm gonna review are: the famous Maybelline Baby Lips - Cherry Me; the much loved but underrated Burt's Bees - Red Dahlia; and even more underrated Korres Madarin Lip Butter Stick - Rose.

Swatches

Moisturising aspect: 

This for me is the most important aspect of a lip balm. The best one out of the three is Burt's Bees. It's made of 100% natural ingredients including Shea butter, and it slides on the lips beautifully and with ease. The moisture stays on the lips longer than the other two products. Though Baby Lips seems more moisturising when you apply it, it gets absorbed by your lips quickly and you find yourself in need of applying it again. However, this could just be due to the specific shade, since the other shades offer a range of other benefits such as SPF20. I'll strive to collect them all and write a separate post on them.
The Mandarin Lip Butter also has a gorgeous texture thanks again to Shea butter. It's quite thick thanks to the SPF15, which for me is a fantastic benefit that the other two products don't have. That being said, the moisture doesn't last as long as Burt's Bees, but don't let than stop you from adding this to your handbag.

Colour aspect:

If you purchase a tinted lip balm, you obviously expect it to give your lips a hint of colour.  I wanted to have a range of different colours, from pink to red to dark red. As you can see in the picture of the swatches, that goal was achieved with these three products. However, as you see in the pictures below, the clear winner is the Mandarin Lip Butter, with Baby Lips following closely. I don't really see much colour when I apply Burt's Bees, but I understand for some this can be a good thing. I adore the pink colour of Baby Lips and I always have it on when I'm at home.

Price aspect:

Maybelline Baby Lips is the cheapest out of all three and can be purchased at almost every drugstore for only £2.99. It comes in 6 different shades and is totally worth having in your handbag or just to use at home.

Next on the price list is Burt's Bees which can be purchased for £5.99 at http://www.feelunique.com. It comes in an amazing 9 shades! And take my word for it, it's totally worth every penny.

Lastly comes Korres Madarin Lip Butter Stick which costs £8.00 and can be purchased in 5 shades on http://www.feelunique.com. I understand some people might not want to pay this much for a lip balm, but the colour range is gorgeous and the SPF15 makes it much more desirable. The texture is also very unique, you'll love the feeling on your lips.

So there you have it. I hope you enjoyed this post and found it helpful.
Make sure to follow me on Twitter and Instagram for updates.
See you soon x

Vintage Inspired Makeup with Berry lips - Makeup Tutorial

Hello lovelies and welcome to my Realm of Beauty.
This post is gonna be a makeup tutorial and review of products used to achieve this look. First have a look at the photo and if you like the look, carry on reading.

Before I get started, I should declare my love for vintage fashion and beauty. I love the eyeliner, the lips, the eyebrows, the neckline, the tiny waist accentuated by the big skirt and tight waist, polka dots and so on. My makeup and fashion goals are always drawn from the likes of Dita Von Teese and her burlesque style. So if you like my blog and want to follow my blogging journey, expect a lot of vintage inspired looks.

For the purpose of this tutorial, I will divide the look into 2 sections: eyes and face.
Here is a picture of the products I used to achieve this look.

Eyes: 

As I have mentioned in my preview makeup tutorial, I like to always do my eyes first then move on to my face. The reason being that if I get any products on my face while doing my eyeshadow I can safely remove them without messing up my makeup, and I can rest my hand on my face if I have to, without worrying that I'm sliding my foundation.

First start with putting NARS pro primer all over your eyelids (or any other eye primer that you have). This amazing product helps prevent your eyeshadow from smudging and provides a gorgeous and smooth base for the eyeshadow to go on. It is on the pricy side (£19.50), but it's totally worth the money (don't be put off by the word "pro" in the title) and it's gonna last you a very long time, unless you're planning on wearing proper eyeshadow on a daily basis.

For the eyeshadow I used the Maybelline Nude Palette. I absolutely adore this palette, it's cheap (£9.99) and high quality, it blends beautifully and the colours are just fantastic. Once the primer is on, start with a neutral tone with a slight shimmer, which is the number 1 shade in the photo above. Use a flat brush to put this on. Then proceed with the crease colour. Any darker shade would do, so you can get creative with it. I used the number 2 shade shown in the picture. Blend that with a crease brush and make sure you take all the edges off. The purpose is to make it look darker in the outer corners and blend it completely with your base shadow about half way on your eyelids. Once that's blended, go above your crease and under your eyebrows with a light, highlighting shade like the number 3 shadow in the palette. This will give you a lovely shimmer under your eyebrows. Proceed with blending this in with the crease shadow, but make sure you blend downwards since you don't want the dark shadow to get under your eyebrows and mess it up.

When you're happy with the result move on to the eyeliner. Map the shape out with a liquid first. For this you need to be looking down into a mirror until you get to the outer corner of your eyes. Then you need to look straight ahead and draw your line right below the crease. This will make sure that you eyeliner doesn't go into the crease and get cut off, because that will look a bit odd. Go aw far as you like with the flick, but be aware of your eyeshape. Once you've got the outline, go in with a gel liner. I love Maybelline Eyes Studio Lasting Drama Gel Liner. It's long lasting, smudge proof, has intense colour and is easy to apply with a fine eyeliner brush. It also comes with a brush of its own, which is fantastic especially considering the price (£7.99).
Now you just need a little highlighting shadow in the inner corner of your eyes.

For mascara I used Maybelline Lash Sensational. This mascara is truly a holy grail of drugstore makeup and I'm sure you've heard a lot about it so I won't bore you with the details.
You also need a light brown eye pencil for your water line. I used L'Oréal Paris Infallible Eye Liner-Chocolate Addiction, just to give my eyes more depth and definition. Avoid this step if you have small eyes.
Lastly, you need a little bit of the crease shadow for under your eyes in the outer corner. This should be next to invisible so don't draw it too much.

If you have short eyebrows, your eyeliner flick will most likely go past your eyebrows. To remedy this, you need to draw in you brows. I'm not really an expert in this because I've never had the need to draw my eyebrows in. But I did have to draw them to the level of my flick, which is simple enough. For this I used the brilliant Rimmel London Professional Eyebrow Pencil. It's such a simple product and super easy to use.
I'll leave you with a picture that shows my eyebrows more clearly.

Face:

For foundation I used Lancôme Miracle Cushion Foundation. I absolutely adore this foundation. It sits beautifully on your face and I love the idea behind it. Do I think it's worth £29.50? Probably not. I use it occasionally because the pot is very small and I'm afraid that it's gonna run out quickly.

For under eye concealer and concealing little imperfections, I used Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer, which I talked about in my previous post. I blended that with the sharper edge of Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. I LOVE this product. It's good for blending concealers, cream blushers and foundations. Just one of the best products you can add to your makeup routine.

To highlight my cheek bones, nose, cupid's bow and around lips I used Lancome Teint Miracle Concealer Pen, which again I've talked about in my previous post. I'm not a fan of contouring mostly because I love vintage beauty, but also because I love my round face and don't really see the appeal in the whole contouring practice. That being said, you can achieve wonderful results by just highlighting certain areas of your face. These areas include: under the eyes, on your cheek bones, down the centre of your nose and around the lips. It's minimal effort with maximum effortless effect.

For cheeks I used my lipstick. I'm such a fan of using lipsticks as blushers because you get a perfect match between your lips and cheeks and it just looks so effortless and divine. The lipstick I used was Burberry-Oxblood, and to use as blusher I put some on my cheeks then blended it with the sponge. It takes effort to blend it in perfectly but I think it's worth it. The lipstick itself is wonderfully creamy and moisturising, but I don't think it's pigmented enough. Sometimes that's a good thing though, so no complaints.
To finish the look I used Mac Lipliner-Burgendy. I don't think Mac lipliners need any introduction. They are truly worthy of any praise that's given to them.
If you have oily skin like me, you can add loose powder as well. I use Clinique's Blended Face Powder, which I dedicated an entire post to. So you can check it out if you're interested http://parizbeauty.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/review-cliniques-blended-face-powder.html

So that's the complete look. I hope you enjoyed this makeup tutorial.
Make sure you follow me on Instagram and Twitter for updates.
See you next time x

Review: Clinique's Blended Face Powder & Brush

Hello and welcome to my Realm of Beauty. 
For today's post I'm going to review Clinique's Blended Face Powder. Before I start the review, I should start by mentioning that I have a very oily skin. I use all the right products and still come home everyday with an oily skin. At least that used to be the case before I met this wonderful product.

So what is the Blended Face Powder and where does it fit into your makeup routine?
Powders come in 2 different forms: loose and compact. Compact powders are more modern whereas loose powders have more of a vintage feel to them. If you're after a product that can potentially replace your foundation, or be used in your handbag for touchups, then compact powders are the way to go. However, if you just want something that sets your foundation in place, absorbs the oil on your skin throughout the day and gives the face a matt finish, then loose powders should be an essential in your makeup bag.
As you can probably guess from the picture, 'The Blended Powder' fits into the second category. To review it I'm going to consider some important characteristics that I think a loose power should have.

Texture: this product is wonderfully light weight. It does not create another layer on top of your foundation, nor does it add any colour. The reason for why I purchased it was because I was struggling to keep my skin free of shine throughout the day. I wanted a product that could absorb the oil and keep my skin flawless and I would say I hit the jackpot. It keeps your foundation in place, especially on warm days, and it reduces the appearance of your pores and gives a photo-ready feel to your skin.

Application: the powder is very simple to use. You just tip it over a little bit so that enough product is dispensed through the holes. It needs to be applied after you've done the rest of your makeup, i.e. on top of your foundation/BBcream. For brush you should use the largest brush in your collection. And this is one of the things I love about applying it. It just gives it a vintage feel (and I'm all for anything vintage), sort of like a flash back to old hollywood glamour.

I use the largest brush in the Estée Lauder collection that I've had for almost 10 years! It was the first thing related to makeup that my mom gave me. I don't know if they've been discontinued or still sold, but if you can get your hands on them I'd recommend you do so.

Colour: now I don't know much about the different colours that are offered with this product. There are 5 shades, starting from Invisible Blend, Transparency 2, Transparency Neutral, Transparency 3 and 4. From what I understand, there should not be a massive difference between these shades. However, if you have a fair skin it is best to go with the Invisible Blend or Transparency 2 if you have pink undertones to your skin. If you're unsure, I'd recommend going for Transparency Neutral. I personally use number 3, but that's because I wanted it to match my slightly tanned foundation over the summer. You can always go to a Clinique counter and ask them to match you with one if you want to be more safe.

Price: this is a bit of a tricky one. The product costs £23.50, which can be considered a bit expensive. But I'd argue that it's worth it because it's gonna last you a very long time. From the pictures you can see that the container is quite big, and I'm not lying when I say it's full to its limit. So you definitely do get your money's worth. Plus, you get a cute little retractable brush with it that you can fit in your handbag and use for all sorts of different purposes.

In the end, It comes down to your preference. If you think your foundation is doing its job perfectly, then there's probably no need to invest in a loose powder. But for those who struggle with oily skin such as myself, it is a wonderful addition to your makeup routine.

I hope you enjoy this post. I'm planning on dedicating a post to routines and products for oily skin, so if your'e interested make sure you come back.
Follow me on Instagram and Twitter for updates.
See you soon x