Mini Makeup Revolution Haul

I love Makeup Revolution, when it comes to affordable makeup they are the brand you can always turn to and rely on. I'm pretty sure at one point a few years ago my entire makeup bag was all Makeup Revolution. Whilst I still love the brand, I don't really use their makeup as much as I used to, not because I don't like their products,but because when it comes to makeup there's always something new to try and I just can't help myself when it comes to discovering new brands and trying the latest release of a new product. It was only a month or so ago when it felt that everyone couldn't get enough of Makeup Revolution and word was that their new Conceal and Define Concealer was a pretty much like for like dupe of the Tarte Tape Shape Concealer, which got me really excited. I've always wanted to try Tape Shape, but I've always been put off by the price tag and knowing me I'd probably fall in love with it and that would be cause some damage to my bank balance every time I needed to repurchase it. For weeks and weeks my local Superdrug seemed to be permanently sold out of the Makeup Revolution Conceal and Define Concealer until last week, where they had my shade C5 in stock and I actually felt like jumping with excitement when I saw it. What made things even better was that Superdrug also had 3 for 2 across their makeup, so I decided to pick up a few other bits from Makeup Revolution and today I thought I'd give a little mini review of the things that I picked up.

Five Makeup Items That Give Me That Instant Pick Me Up

I remember the days before becoming a mum, I used to enjoy and spend a good hour doing my makeup every morning. Now I know this sounds excessive and a little bit over the top, but I enjoy doing my makeup; Nothing beats the feeling of getting a new eyeshadow palette and having a good play around with the shades and creating new and different looks. This routine that I used to have set me up for the day and I love the confidence good makeup can give me. Don't get me wrong I'm all about the natural look too and I don't need makeup on to leave the house, but if I'm honest I prefer wearing it and it makes me feel a lot better about myself. Fast forward two years and I barely get five minutes to do my makeup, if you have a toddler you will know that it is no easy task. I do miss my eyeshadows (they only come out at the weekends or special occasions) and although I don't spend anywhere near as much time on my makeup, I still want to wear it and I still want that instant pick me up that I get whenever I apply it. So today I thought I'd share my top five makeup items that I use every morning and these are the staples that I couldn't live without and the ones that really make me feel good about myself.

Maybelline Fit Me Makeup Range | Foundation, Concealer & Powder

It's been a long time since I talked about base makeup on my blog, usually when I find a foundation that I love I stick with it for a good while until it stops working its magic, then I look for something better. It was only by chance that I got to try out the Maybelline Fit Me foundation, thanks to my mum and since trying the foundation I've been doing the whole of my base makeup with the Maybelline Fit Me Range. I can't remember when I last used quite a few products on my face from the same brand, but I'm addicted to this range and I love the results so I thought it was about time I shared with you guys what I really think.

Urban Decay All Nighter Foundation, The Best Foundation Ever?

THE BEST FOUNDATIONS FOR HEALTHY GLOWY SKIN | BOURJOIS REVIEW

Blogmas Day 10 - Makeup Revolution Aqua Priming Base

Makeup Revolution Aqua Priming Base* £6.00

When it comes to primers I was always a little bit skeptical about them and questioned myself so many times if they were worth the hype or not. I had spent my money on a few cheap ones and to be honest I wasn't convinced as I didn’t see much difference and just thought thats another layer of makeup to slip off my skin at the end of the day. Fast forward a year or so and you’ll find that now I never apply my makeup without using one first. The reason for this is because I came across the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer and was completely blown away by just how good it was and the difference it made. I think Smashbox primers will always be my favourite as I swear by them, but over the last few weeks I’ve been using another primer along with my Smashbox one that I love the results that gives.

Now the first thing you may be thinking is that it is a little extreme to be wearing two primers at once, but hear me out as I promise you it works. A few weeks ago I came across the Makeup Revolution Aqua Priming Base, which is a primer that comes in spray form that you just spritz all over your face. Whilst this Primer Water can be used on its own, I prefer to use it along side my trusty Smashbox Primer as I find that they both do different things.

The reason why I love the Makeup Revolution Aqua Priming Base so much is that it really adds a touch of radiance to my skin. I have really oily skin, so to combat it I always use a foundation that has a mattifying effect. Whilst this is great as it stops my makeup from falling off mid day, it also means that I can never go for that dewy skin look or use any makeup products that give me one as they just don't work with my skin type. This is where the Water Primer changes things as I find once I’ve applied my foundation over the top of this, my skin almost has a glow to it that certainly wasn't there before.

I don’t have full on dewy skin, but I have to say my skin does look brighter and feels a lot more illuminated every time I use this which is so amazing. I’ve not tried this primer just on its own, so I don’t know how well it sets my makeup in place, as I always rely on my Smashbox primer to do that for me. However I do find that my foundation feels so smooth and bends effortlessly into my skin once I’ve given my face a few spritz. 

This primer is also great for those mornings where I feel extra tried, which at the moment is a lot (pregnancy problems) and find this water based product so refreshing and its that perfect morning pick me up. A few sprays and my skin looks a lot less sleepy. The scent it also really refreshing and doesn't interfere in any way with my sensitive skin. 

Sometimes I like to add a bit more glow to my skin and spray this on my face once my full face of makeup is completed. I know this sounds crazy, but it doesn't make my makeup run and just seems to finish off my makeup look beautifully.

I would really recommend picking up one of these bottles from Makeup Revolution, you can pick one up from their website here. Let me know if you’ve tried any water based primers like this one. Do you think they're as good as this one from Makeup Revolution? Let me know in the comments.

Lots of Love

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Blogmas Day 7 - My Obsession with Revlon || Free Gift Set From Boots

Before I went away at the weekend, I decided to pop into Boots and pick up a few necessary essentials as you do! I didn’t really need to buy any new makeup, but when its all there staring me on the shelves its literally impossible not to. One thing that I did need to pick up was a new eyeliner. For me eyeliner is a bit like mascara, and I’m still yet to find my holy grail one. I’m always swapping and changing and am never loyal to just one. I went to Twitter and so many of you recommend the felt tip one from Revlon and as Revlon are one of my favourite drugstore brands I thought I’d give it ago.

As I browsed the Revlon Isle I noticed (of course I did) that there was an offer on where if I spent £15.00 on Revlon products I would come away with a free Revlon box containing more Revlon makeup…. Result! As one of my favourite foundations happens to be Revlon, I thought I would stock up and of course claim my gift. As the gift set was so pretty and contained full size makeup items, I thought I’d blog about it and give everything mini reviews as I’ve used them all.

The first thing I noticed in the box was the Revlon Lip Butter. Do you remember when these first came out and the bloggosphere went crazy? I swear everyone, including myself was going mad for these and its actually been a long time since I’ve worn any of mine - I have quite a stash, so I should probably rekindle my love with some of them. Any how, I must admit, I got rather excited when I saw this lip butter there as I’ve become obsessed with nudes this year and this shade is such a beautiful one. This Lip Butter is Creme Brûlée which I think is one everyone went crazy for at the time. It’s such a gorgeous soft nude that is really wearable - Think your lips but better! One thing that I’b always loved about the lip butters is that they are so soft and hydrating on, but at the same time have a great colour pay out. I think I’ll be getting a lot of use out of this Lip Butter and am so pleased to welcome it into my ever growing lipstick collection.

Sticking with the nude theme, there was also one of the new Revlon Colour Stay Gel Envy polishes in a really pretty nude shade, which actually matches the Lip Butter perfectly. Don't you just love it when your nails and lipstick match? Thanks Revlon! When it comes to nail polish I am all about the shine, the shinier my nail polish the better, so I just love it when brands do gel nail polish. This one from Revlon gives my nails such a glossy finish. I’m actually really impressed as I’ve now had this on my nails for four days and hardly have any chips and my nails are still really shiny. I’ve not tried any of the other polishes in the range, but this one has a great formula so I think I may have to pick some more up (any excuse!). 

Being a right fuss pot with my mascara, I’m always on the hunt to look for something new - I really can’t wait to be loyal to just one! My little freebie pot came with a Revlon Photoready 3D Volume Mascara. Now I don’t know if this is new or not, but I’ve never tried it so its new for me. I wore this for the first time over the weekend and I have to say I was a fairly impressed. I don’t think I could go as far to say as its one I’ll be repurchasing, but it did give my lashes amazing length and once layered up my lashes also had some good volume. The only thing I didn't like was that it didn't give my lashes any lift or curl, so they ended up looking quite flat. I suppose I could curl them before hand but I am way too lazy for that (beauty girl problems!).

The gift box also came with a free eyeshadow quad, which I’ve not photographed as I gave it to my sister right away as I thought she would get better use out of it - I have so many eyeshadow palettes and have more than enough colours. I’m pretty sure it was a neutral palette which had some lovely warm brown shades in for any of you who are interested. 

So as far as a free gift set goes, this one is fab and well worth picking up. Like I mentioned at the start of this post I did purchase two of the Revlon items - The Colourstay foundation which is one of my all time faves and the Colourstay eyeliner. I have to say I’m really impressed with the liner, it makes doing winged liner so easy and faff free. The only problem I have with it, is that it does fade throughout the day which is so annoying; It comes out jet black so I really don't understand where the colour disappears to, but on its first application it does look fab!

I am a big Revlon fan and if you are to I think its well worth popping into Boots right now, spend £15.00 and getting some free Revlon goodies too, especially as all the free bits are full sized products! Total bargain. 

Are you a fan of Revlon? Let me know in the comments below.

Lots of Love

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L'Oreal Infallible 24H Matte Foundation || Review

I don't know if I'm a little late to the party here, but today I would like to talk to you all about my current favourite foundation - The new L'Oreal Infallible 24H Matte. I didn't even know this foundation existed until I saw it on offer a few weeks ago at Boots and picked one up. Since then I've seen it pop up on loads of beauty blogs and it seems that I'm not the only one who's loving this new high street favourite. 

For those of you who have been reading my blog for sometime may know what when it comes to foundation I like something a bit heavy duty and one thats going to work with my combination skin, not work against it. So when I saw that L'Oreal had released the Infallible foundation in a matte formula I knew I had to try it. 

First of all let me start with the packaging - I love it. Normally I think foundations look a lot more fancy when they come packaged in glass, even though glass bottles have many downsides. This plastic tubing with its black design looks very sleek and is so makeup bag friendly. What I really love about it is that it's so easy to dispense the foundation, just simply squeeze the bottle and just the right amount comes out. It has quite a small nozzle so your in total control of just how much foundation comes out, which means no waste. Again the plastic tube means you can get every last drop of foundation out.

Now for the actual foundation itself, I think it has to shoot straight up there with some of the best mattifying foundations that I've tried. Usually matte foundations that give a full coverage flawless look can feel pretty heavy and cakey. However the Infallible 24H Matte is incredibly lightweight for such full coverage foundation. It actually gives that 'skin' like look, which can be so hard to find in a matte foundation. The foundation is really silky and once blended in your skin looks flawless. A downside is that it can take a little longer to blend in. I actually find it works best applied with my fingers. If you don't mind blending for a little longer, I promise you the results are brilliant.

As for staying power, again I'm pretty impressed. I've not tried this foundation without a powder as I don't dare leave the house without it. But with powder this foundation is long lasting and does a great job at keeping any oily skin that's trying to seep through well at bay. As the 24H on the packaging suggests, L'Oreal say that this will provide 24 hour coverage, but towards the end of the my working day I do find that my makeup does need those essential touch ups - Nothing major though.

Another huge plus about this foundation has to be the price. I did pick this up whilst it was on offer, but it retails for £6.99 at Boots, which is such a bargain. I kind of wish that I had picked up the matching primer to go with this to see how well the two worked hand in hand. I might pick one up and do an updated review for you all. 

Overall I love this foundation and once its ran out I will definitely be repurchasing. I would love to know what your thoughts are on this foundation are? Do you think its worth they hype? Let me know in the comments below.

Lots of Love

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How To Get Beautiful Flawless Skin With Claudia Louch Foundation

Claudia Louch Flawless Finish Foundation*

When it comes to foundation I would say I’m definitely one of those girls who loves something full coverage, pretty much any time of year. There are many reasons for this, the main one being I have oily to combination skin so it means anything that is sheer, dewy and basically anything that feels light as air is just not going to stay put on my skin. So annoying right? The one positive side to my somewhat slippery skin has to be that I’ve tried and tested my fair share of full coverage and mattifying foundations and I love to share them with you all. Foundation can be so hard to get right, so I feel that it’s important to share the best and worst of the bunch. 

One foundation that I’ve been loving over the last few months has to be the Claudia Louch Foundation as it is one of those foundations that worked its way onto my top list as it ticks all the boxes. For me I find this foundation to have great coverage and it does an amazing job at smoothening out my skin and covering up any blemishes or redness that I would much rather hide from the rest of the wold. 

When it comes to skin care, Claudia Louch has an amazing range, her products are all plant or mineral based and leave my skin beautiful every time they're used. Recently Claudia Louch has released her Natural Skincare makeup and the foundation I've been trying is one of the best I've tried.

One thing that truly makes this foundation great is that I find it to be really long lasting and it works perfectly with my skin type. Whenever I wear this I need very little touch ups and only then I only really need to powder my nose and forehead which is standard for me. What I find with most foundations that are full coverage and provide that ‘stay matte’ effect is that they can leave your skin looking a little dull and unfortunately it’s really hard to find the best of both when it comes to foundation. However, having said that, this foundation does give my skin a little pick me up and adds a little brightness to my complexion which I love. 

Blending is also no trouble at all with this foundation, again it does feel fairly thick on the skin at first but with a good foundation brush (my favourites is the Real Techniques) it works into your skin and creates a great base for the rest of your makeup. I love that flawless skin look and this foundation makes my skin look flawless every time, even when I'm not having a great skin day.

As you can see there are so many reasons as to why I currently love this foundation, it really is lovely to use and it's so important to have a great base for the rest of your makeup. Clauidia Louch also has a few other foundations in her range including a high definition one and one with a mousse formula which are going straight onto my wish list. 

I would love to know what your current favourite foundation is, especially if you have a similar skin type to me. Let me know in the comments below.

Lots of Love

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Smashbox Photo Finish Primers

I'm pretty sure I sound like a broken record as I'm forever raving about the Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer. I've been using the original clear one everyday for the past year and swear by it. I love it so much that I would say it's definitely reached that holy grail status! If you read my review of this product a little while back you will see that not only does this primer give you a flawless application when it comes to applying you're foundation and other makeup, it also keeps your makeup stay put all day. Ladies you honestly need to see it to believe it to see just how well this primer works.

I know the original primer has been a favourite amongst us beauty lovers for sometime now - Yes I was so late to jump on this train, but since the release of the original primer, Smashbox have released other primers with the same formula which suit different skin tones and create different looks on the skin. For Christmas I received the perfect little Smashbox gift set which contained three small sample tubes of the primer, including my beloved Photo Finish Primer. The other two primers included were the luminizing primer and the hydrating one, both which I have been loving and make me even fonder of the Smashbox brand.

The Hydrating Photo Finish Primer really took me by surprise and having oily to combination skin this is a product that I would never pick up at the shops or think to use. However it's the primer I've been reaching for pretty much everyday this year, which to me just shows how good it really is. Although I have that terrible t-zone that is prone to getting a tad oily and its the one place my makeup is guaranteed to slip during the day, I still suffer from dry skin - Weird right? As much as I don't want to put too many oily products on my skin, there are those days where my skin just feels thirsty and needs moisture put back into it. As soon as I apply this primer in the morning its like my face has had the ultimate hydration boost, my skin feels so amazing. So much so that as soon as this primer has worked into the skin, my eyes look more awake and I can see an instant change in the appearance of my skin - It looks healthy and glowy. 

Whereas the original primer is more silicone based, the hydrating primer feels water based. A little goes a long way and it works into your skin very quickly. It honestly makes such a great base for your makeup to sit on and my foundation glides on whenever I've used this. As for staying power, my makeup does stay put pretty much throughout the hole day, not as well as it does using the original Photo Finish Primer - But I don't feel as though my makeup is running off my face at all. A quick touch up of powder around my nose and forehead is all I need to get my makeup looking perfect again. 

If you have dry skin I would definitely recommend this primer, I promise you that you'll love it, especially if you're already a fan of the Photo Finish Primer. If you have combination skin like me, again this primer would be perfect for you, especially on those days your skin needs that extra hydration boost.

The Luminizing Photo Finish Primer has to be one of the prettiest primers that I've ever used and it creates that gorgeous glow fresh faced holiday skin look. This primer is a little thicker in constancy than the other two primers featured in this post and has a velvet like texture to it and can take a little longer to work into the skin. Once applied it leaves your skin looking so smoothed out and gives you a warm but ever so slight bonzed glow. You're skin really has that luminzied look to it, which makes it appear healthy. 

This primer I know is going to be reached for a lot in the summer, and for best effect I would say that this works great under a foundation that's not too full coverage; One that gives you dewy skin would be perfectly paired with this primer as the gold shimmers would really shine though. 

As with all the Smashbox primers that I've tried, I've found each one to prolong my makeup, fill those fine lines and smooth out the skin. They are honestly the best primers I've tried and I love how there are now so many in the range to choose from - Making them perfect for any type of skin tone and suitable for different times of the year. I would love to try the pore minimising one next, it sounds amazing and one to rival Benefits Porefessional. 

I've you've tried any of the Smashbox Primers, please let me know what one is your favourite in the comments below.

Lots of Love

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2014 Favourites || Makeup

January maybe the month of the blues, but one thing that I always look forward too is rounding up all the makeup and beauty bits that I've been loving over the last twelve months and putting it all together for a yearly favourites post. I think over the last twelve months my makeup collection has probably doubled in size and upon reflecting I think it 2014 was definitely a year where I branched out and decided to try and test out more brands and try different types of makeup. I have to say I found it extremely difficult to narrow my yearly favourites down because I as I was looking though my collection there were so many beauty bits that I love; So the ones that have made it on to this post are the true treasures in my collection and the makeup items that I don't think I could have lived without last year. 

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer 

Out of all the products that made it's way into my everyday makeup routine pretty much for the entire year has to be the Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer. I am so WOWed by this product and it for me it definitely reaches that holy gail status. The first time I applied this primer I noticed how much easier applying my foundation was and this primer continued to amaze me day after day - Whenever I use this my makeup stays put and last for hours - No touch ups needed. If there was one makeup product that would be at the top of my list to try this year, the Smashbox primer would be at the very it.

Benefit Brow Zings 

Not a day passed in 2014 where I didn't reach for my Benefit Brow Zings, this dream eyeshadow kit made its way into my last yearly favourites and you know its real love when you've been loving it even more for a second year running. As you can see from the pictures my kit is more than well loved and its about time I bought myself a new one. I find that the gel works perfectly at shaping and defining my brows, whilst the powder is the perfect shade for me and makes filling in my eyebrows so easy and fuss free. It's so beautifully compact that its perfect for popping in your makeup bag and for any touch ups on the go. I've tried and tested the HD palette but prefer the results of this one by miles. 

Revlon Colorstay Foundation & Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream 

For the best part of the year I would say I prefer a foundation thats a little more heavy duty, one that provides full coverage and works perfectly with my skin type. Not only that I want one to make my skin look pretty flawless too. I tried quite a few foundations during the last twelve months and the one that really stood out to me and got me making a few repurchaches is the Revlon Colour Stay Foundation for oily skin. I love that this is a high street foundation, so its super affordable and does the job brilliantly, I cannot fault it. My skin always looks even and pretty perfect whenever I use this and rarely do I need to touch it up though out the day, even on those hot sticky days during the height of summer.

One foundation that really took me by surprise this year and one that I bought based on recommendations and was some what a bit of a whim purchase for me is the Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream. Even though this is labelled a CC cream, its medium like coverage for me makes it more of a foundation and I'm quite happy just to wear this on my skin on its own. I love how radiant this makes my skin look and it always gives it a lovely dewy glow. I also love how the colour correcting side of this foundation cancels out any redness on my skin which makes it look perfect.

Bourjois Poudre Bronze Bronzing Powder 

Another beauty favourite of mine, which has been an all time staple in my makeup bag is the Bourjois chocolate bronzer. I've been using this for years and I've found no other bronzer compares to it. If you've been reading my blog for sometime you will know that I always rave about this product and I just cannot fault it. It works perfectly for contouring or for an all over sun kissed bronzed look. It's not too shimmery and for me is the perfect bronzer, I love it.

Bourjois One Seconde Ultra Black Mascara* 

I would have to say that mascara is the one beauty product that I'm never really loyal too and I think that is the same for the majority of us. There are just far too many out there and its the one beauty product that you can't really swatch or get a feel for whilst your out shopping. Whilst I'm always picking up new mascaras to try, there has been one in particular that has really stood out to me this year, which is the Bourjois One Seconde Ultra Black Mascara. I love it when a mascara gives my lashes plenty of volume, and this one does it beautifully. There are no need for falsies when you use this, and the ultra black formula really makes your lashes super black, which I find creates that illusion that they are longer.

Revlon Colorstay Liquid Liner 

In 2013 I was more of a gel liner kinda girls, but in 2014 I don't think I picked up my gel liner at all - It was liquid liner all the way. I don't know what brought on this change, but I just find that liquid liners last a lot longer and they look more 'black' when applying and don't seam to fade as much. One liquid liner that really stood out to me is the Revlon Colour Stay liner. This is the liner that just keeps on giving - I've been using it pretty much everyday since August and it doesn't seem any closer to running out. Once this liner is on it does't budge and throughout the day it still continues to look jet black - Theres nothing worse than liner fading as the day goes on. The fine nib of this liner also makes it really precise when doing your liner which is just what you need for those tricky cat flicks. 

Urban Decay Naked Palette 

I've had the original Urban Decay Naked Palette for around two years now and I don't think I'll ever get bored of it. As you can see form the picture my palette is looking a little worse for wear but I would prefer to call it well loved. I just adore so many of the warm toned shades in this palette, they work so well for everyday use,  are highly pigmented and long lasting. It's more of the lighter shades that I reach for, for an everyday makeup look - Sin, Sidecar, Buck and Half Baked are my most reached for shades. I think every beauty lover needs this palette in their collection, I can't recommend it enough, its perfect. 

Mac Chatterbox || Makeup Revolution Lip Geek* 'Ken Will Want Me'

If you know me well, you know I love lipstick, especially pink lipsticks they are my weakness. I'm always drawn to these barbie pink shades in particular, I find them really wearable and they seam to suit my skin tone well and most makeup looks. Mac Chatterbox is another one of those all-time favourites of mine, the one in the pictures looks pretty new, but its about my third one. Its one of Mac's amplified formulas so its really long lasting and super pigmented, I pretty much wear this everyday in summer. A new favourite that I found last year is such a beauty of a lipstick, and I equally love it as much as 'Chatterbox'. The beautiful lipstick that comes in this bright metallic pink and purple casing is the Makeup Revolution I Heart Makeup Lipgeek Lipstick in the shade 'Ken Will Want Me'. I was won over with the name of this lipstick before even trying it, and once on it looks stunning. Its this beautiful barbie pink toned lipstick that has a subtle blue undertone to it, its seriously gorgeous, I just can't fault it.

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick* - Happy Nude Year

When Bourjois released the Rouge Edition Velvet lipsticks last year I was one of those bloggers who instantly fell in love with its unique formula. I have seriously been obsessed with these lipsticks from the word go and have built up quite the collection since they're release date. I just love its velvet cream like formula that is in no way drying; Combined with the longevity of these lipsticks just makes them incredible. My favourite shade has to be one of Bourjois most recent releases which is 'Happy Nude Year' - This pink toned nude is the perfect everyday lipstick colour and matches every makeup look and every outfit, I love it.

So there we have it, my yearly round up of all the makeup bits I've been loving over the last twelve months. I love reading these posts, I don't know about anyone else but its a good excuse to start topping up my wish list again and I just love to know what everyone has been loving. If you've done a yearly favourites post please leave your link in the comments below - And of course let me know what you've been loving.

Lots of Love 

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Smashbox Photo Finish Primer

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer £25.00 

If I was to pick one holy grail item in my makeup bag it would be without a doubt the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer. I know that this much hyped about primer is loved by many, but I was a little late at jumping on the bandwagon to try it. It came into my life this summer and its been an every day stable in my makeup routine since, I actually love this product so much, I don't know why it's taken me this long to blog about it. 

The beginning of this year was the year that I started introducing primers into my makeup routine, and whilst I saw the difference they made in the application of my makeup and they way they made my skin look pretty flawless, I never found one that managed to make my makeup last all day - Until I tried the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer that is...

I had always heard so many amazing things about this primer, but if I'm honest I was a little put off by the £25.00 price tag and I didn't know if paying that much for a primer would be worth it, but I can tell you its probably the best £25.00 I'ver ever spent, this primer is that good.

I am someone who has always had to re-touch my makeup constantly thoughout the day, and I often find that my skin is prone to getting oily especially around my nose and cheeks, which always causes my makeup to slip and slide though the day, and I'm sure many of you are nodding your heads agreeing with me because its just so annoying. Whilst a good powder has always come to the recuse, it can be a lot of faff and I've always wanted to find that perfect product that just keeps my makeup put. I have no idea how it does it, but the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer is that dream product for my skin that really does keep my makeup put, makes my skin look even and flawless and sometimes I don't need any powder touch ups at all, it's seriously makes me go WOW.

The Smashbox Primer is a clear gel that has a silicone feel to it, and you only need the smallest of blobs to cover your face evenly, it this just glides on to your skin so easily - It has a really velvety feel to it and it makes the perfect base for your foundation. I have to say at this stage I don't really notice a huge difference in my skin, other than it feels very soft and it makes my skin tone look a little more even. However it makes applying your foundation or any other base makeup you might use so easy, and blending and working your foundation into the skin becomes effortless.

The real noticable change I noticed using this primer, is that it really does keep my makeup in place pretty much for the whole day. During the summer I had a cheerleading event in London where I was dancing for hours in a parade, I used this primer and my makeup was still perfect, even though it was hot, humid, raining and I was rather sweaty though all the dancing (totally gross I know), but it just gives you an idea at how well this primer is and how well it works for me. It's like it somehow tells the oils in my skin to hold off and puts this barrier up between my skin and foundation. 

I know this primer will be forever in my makeup bag, and if there is one essential beauty product that I could recommend to you, this would be it. If you have a similar skin type to me, I would definitely invest. Smashbox also have such a good range of primers to work for different skin types and I know there is one for minimising pores, I've not tried any of this but I can imagine they are just as good. As for longevity, like I mentioned I bought this in the summer, use it every day and I still have a lot of product left, which I'm amazed at - Your £25.00 really does go a long way.

I totally love this product! I would love to know if your a fan of this Photo Finish Primer from Smashbox and if you've tried any other primers that work just as well - Please let me know in the comments below.

Lots of Love

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