February 2013 Favourites

My February favourites... only a little bit late!

Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Foundation

I love this foundation, I have had quite a few busy longs days so I have been choosing to wear this foundation on days I know I need the extra oomph, it gives my skin the right amount coverage and a lovely healthy glow.

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder

I've struggled with some new foundations not mixing well with my combination/oily skin so this powder has been a god send for me!

Maybelline Colour Tattoo eye shadow in Pink Gold

I love this eye shadow, it's a really pretty colour that really compliments my pale skin. 

Rimmel Blush in Pink Rose

I originally went into Boots to buy Rimmel's Santa Rose blush as I used to be obsessed with it when I was younger, but I swatched this by accident and loved it, it is a lovely pink colour which gives a nice glow so you don't need to use a highlighter.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl eye liner in brown

I mentioned this in my January favourites and I included it again, as I am still loving this eyeliner and have been wearing it everyday.

L'Oreal Studio Secrets Anti-Shine Mattifying Primer

I've had this for a very long time and never really used it, I tried it recently as a last resort to help combat my shiny skin with a new foundation as nothing else was working, and I have been really impressed as I have noticed a difference in how shiny my skin becomes during the day!

L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes Extra-Black

I always go on about how much I love this mascara but recently I went back to my mascara addict ways and have been testing out quite a few different mascaras (review series coming soon!) but I went back to this the other day and fell in love with it again, it's soo good! 

Ooops I forgot to include my Bourjois Rouge Edition lipstick in shade 17, I love this lipstick and often pick up shade 17 in Boots and think ooh this is pretty, go to buy it again then realise I already have it! You can see the picks and full review here.

Elaine

Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Liner Review

I recently went and had my makeup done at a Bobbi Brown counter with Rachel, just for fun... as you do, the assistant was really lovely and suggested a classic Bobbi Brown eye liner look, I always wear eyeliner so was skeptical how it would look different, but she used a gel eyeliner in Espresso Ink, she commented that as I have quite dark eyes I can use a brown eyeliner and still have the intensity black would give. I loved this look straightaway as it was something different to my usual thin black eyeliner, I couldn't quite afford Bobbi Brown so I went on a hunt for a high street alternative...

And found Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner, I know this has been around for a long time but Maybelline is a brand that I'm not usually drawn to and I'm not really sure why, so I was surprised when I tested this that it was a perfect match for Bobbi Brown's Espresso gel liner. This gel liner is only £7.99 compared to £17, you can find Maybelline's liner here.

The colour is a really rich pigmented brown, some other high street brown eyeliners seemed really flat and the colour seemed a bit hint of beige, whereas this eyeliner has a bit more intensity to it. I found this liner a joy to use, the gel liner is soft and easy to apply, the colour is pigmented you only need one stroke to get a great line and colour, and once it has dried it really does last all day without smudging even near my inner eye.

There is a brush that comes with the eyeliner but I found it was quite hard and a bit scratchy, so I bought an eyeliner brush from Eco Tools for only £5.49,  Rachel swears by this brush for her gel liner and I have found that it is much softer and easier to use than the brush provided. 

I really like this eyeliner and would definitely repurchase, it has inspired me to experiment a bit more with coloured eyeliner and to not always play it safe with black. I'm excited to try the new shades that are being released in December, you can see swatches here at British Beauty Blogger.

Elaine

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream Review

Maybelline's launch of it's BB cream passed me by at the time, I just assumed it wouldn't be for me, not really sure why, until recently I sent away for a free sample pack available through Maybelline's facebook page. I'm not sure how long they took to arrive, but it was quite a long time, as when they arrived I had actually forgotten I had even applied for a sample!

I received 3 sample sachets in light, so I gave a sachet to Rachel to try out too.

Maybelline say... Feel BB Fresh! Our 1-step wonder for a dream skin day, every day. 8-in-1 Skin Perfector. Why you'll love it, imperfections look blurred, a natural looking glow, fresh feel, compliments skin tone, skin looks smooth, hydrates, protects with SPF 30, and oil free, non greasy.

I found the consistency to be thicker than I expected and was more like a foundation, quite similar to the original Garnier BB cream, however it did feel lightweight on my skin. You only need to use a small amount of BB cream for your whole face, I found the coverage to be light to medium as it can be built up for extra coverage, I did need to use concealer for blemishes. The BB cream did gave a great natural fresh finish, without looking too much, it lasted on my oily skin for about 4-5 hours before becoming quite shiny and started to disappear. Price £7.99.

Pro's

• I found that this was quite a good colour match for my skin, not perfect but one of the best light shades of BB Cream on the high street.
• Maybelline have 4 shades in their range, which isn't huge but it is pretty good for BB creams.
• SPF 30 is quite impressive.
• Coverage was better than I expected, and I did find it gave me a great even finish. 

Con's

• My skin did become quite shiny after a few hours, so it might not be the best match for my oily skin.
• I found that it didn't have the longevity that I wanted, by the time I finished work the coverage had disappeared.

Would I purchase?

Elaine - I did like this BB cream, but it didn't come close to my Garnier BB cream for oily skin, I would consider buying this if some how I fell out of love with Garnier.

Rachel - I'm used to wearing tinted moisturiser so I found this BB cream to be quite heavy, I also didn't find it to be particularly moisturising, overall it's ok but it doesn't stand out enough for me to buy it.

Have you tried Maybelline's BB cream? Which BB cream would you recommend?

Elaine