L'Oreal Infallible Collection

I seem to be slightly obsessed with L'Oreal recently... Maybe it's because overall the brand displays a high-end vibe but for high street prices? Or maybe it's just because it's always on 3 for 2 at Boots. Either way, I've noticed I've some how managed to accumulate enough L'Oreal products to fill a whole shelf and among these treats I hold three popular products from the almighty Infallible range.

Annoyingly, Mother Nature blessed (or cursed) me with oily skin which left to it's own devises, can get a little crazy... So a foundation with strong staying power is essential. I mean there's nothing worse than catching your reflection half way through the day and practically blinding yourself as the light reflects off your shiny face (this seems to happen to me quite often). I'll always be a die hard fan of my beloved Estee Lauder Double Wear but at £30 a bottle it's not always affordable to splash out. Thankfully though, we can rely on our high-street brands to save the day with affordable prices and L'Oreal is renowned for delivering high quality cosmetics that won't break the bank! 

The Infallible 24H Foundation was top on my list to try. A high-coverage foundation that disguises the appearance of fatigue and blemishes as well as staying fresh for 24 hours? Yes please! I must admit, it was difficult to find the perfect shade and it's not the easiest of foundations to blend so would recommend applying this with a beauty blender (sponge) but once applied it does deliver high-coverage with a lovely glow. Disappointingly, it only stays put up until about lunch time and is in no way 'touch proof' as they claim. I have to wear glasses at work and found the foundation transfers onto them, leaving foundation-less patches on the bridge of my nose (even though I primed my skin before hand and set the foundation with powder) Okay so inevitably, when wearing glasses all day there's bound to be slight marks but out of all the foundations I've used this foundation has been the least resilient; it's safe to say I wouldn't even consider wearing this on a night out.

I decided I needed to go down the Infallible 24H Matte Foundation route and applied it in hope of a better result. Positively, it does deliver a long lasting matte finish and is somewhat water/ steam resistant but it didn't give me a natural appearance and it was so very obvious I was wearing a thick foundation. I persevered with it for about a week, experimenting with different application techniques and sandwiching it between a range of primers and powders but broke up with it after reading the ingredients. It contains so many parabens and chemicals that I simply couldn't bring myself to use it anymore.

On a positive note, I do love the Infallible Powder Compact and have re-purchased it twice already. Although it's a pressed powder, it's quite loose so one swish of a brush is plenty. It evenly sets my foundation and delivers a flawless finish without drying or caking which is perfect. I love that it comes with a handy mirror and sponge for on the go touch ups, definitely in my top three for high-street powders! Honestly, I'm disappointed that I didn't fall madly in love with this range, I really wanted to! And although these foundations weren't my cuppa tea, I have read other reviews which have sung their praises so it just goes to show that it completely depends on your personal preference and skin type. 

Neeks ☯

My Current Go-To Work Make-Up

Aloha!

Kylie Jenner inspired me, and a lot of other women, to bring back the 90's brown lip. Being so pale it's hard to find the right shade of brown but on a 3 for 2 offer, I found a brilliant Max Factor lip liner, that has now become a trusty fav (good MAC dupe!). I through this simple make-up look together on a whim because I wanted to try the brown lip and it's now become my go-to for work. It only took me 15 minutes, so perfect for rushed mornings, and you can't really go wrong with the matte nude shades.

FACE  

After completing my morning skin routine, I began by dabbing Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser onto my T-zone (click here for review). It's velvety consistancy melts across the skin and fills in all those large pores and fine lines; leaving a smooth base for your foundation.  I then stippled Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum-Gel Foundation from the middle of my nose, outwards. This is a really nice lightweight foundation that still provides full coverage whilst letting your skin breathe. I love to wear it to work because it injects a splash of radiance when you're skin is looking a little tired. Next I used Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer, one shade lighter than my foundation, for some light highlighting and to conceal under my eyes, and my blemishes. Since the eye make-up and lips were to be matte I thought I might as well keep with the theme and use  Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder to set. This is a great powder for those of you on a budget, under a fiver, and does what it says on the tin! 

For a warm bronzed feel, of course I used my ultimate fav, Bourjois Chocolate Bronzer! (Okay I know it's not actually called that but let's be honest it's a fitting name and you all know what I mean) I applied this beauty in 'the magic 3' (under cheek bones, temples and jawline). Applying your bronzer in this way will slim your face and accentuate your cheek bones. Finally I finished the base by dusting Bourjois Little Round Pot of Blusher (15 Rose Eclat) on the apples of my cheeks. You can't really go wrong with these little pots and this shade in particular gives you a gorgeous natural warm glow. You could continue by applying a highlighter on your cheek bones but it's not necessary as the blusher has little light reflecting pigments. 

EYES/ BROWS

I always start by shading in my brows with Rimmel Professional Brow Pencil (Hazel). Now I naturally have blonde eye brows that are almost invisible so it's hard to find the perfect match. I've been using the brow pencil since day dot and thoroughly recommend to all my fellow red heads out there! I then used L'Oreal Brow Plumper (Blonde) to add definition and give my brows that oomph. The reason I shade in my eye brows first is because it gives you a frame to work with when applying eye shadow.

 Moving on, It comes as no suprise when I say that I primed my eye lids with the legendary UD Primer Potion (Original). I don't really need to go into too much detail with this as I'm pretty sure a lot of you will be getting a bit bored of the constant praise I give it (hehe). All the eye shadows I used were from the Original UD Naked Palette, which you can see is looking pretty tired, as I've had it for so many years! This is a realllyyy easy eye make-up to apply and only take a few minutes. First I used a flat brush to pat Naked onto my lids. Then I took my trusty MAC 224 blending brush (click here for review) to contour my eye socket with Buck, a really warm brown, that compliments the lip liner perfectly. Lastly, I took my flat brush again to highlight under my brow bones, the middle of my lid and the inner corners with Virgin. Highlighting and shading your eyes in this way will make them appear bigger, brighter and more awake. 

To finish of the eyes I lined my top lash line with Rimmel Scandaleyes Liquid Liner. This is a great eye liner for creating super thin or thick bold lines. It is supposed to be water proof although I don't class it as waterproof (tried and tested!). I then applied Max Factor False Lash Effect 24 Hour Mascara Now I've been using the original version for 6 years but this one has great staying power! The only down side is it's ridiculously difficult to get off! (I mean not being funny but I didn't take the whole 24 hour thing literally) Saying that, it defines each lash and adds length and volume for that 'fluttery' look. 

LIPS

Starting from the cupids bow and working my way in I applied Max Factor Color Elixir Lip Liner (Brown & Nude). When I got this I was quite skeptical and didn't have high hopes but after testing the water I was pleasantly surprised. It's very creamy and keeps lips hydrated which is a must for me as I do get dry lips easily. It's very soft to apply, light weight and non transferable. I probably had to top it up once throughout the day but if I'd applied a lipstick over the top I think this could have been avoided. Alternative you could always go for a jaw dropping red.

So that's my current go-to work make-up, I hope you guys like it and hopefully give it a go. What make-up do you wear to work? (If any?) Let us all know!

Neeks ☯

Top 5 Spring 2015 Lipsticks

Aloha!

If you're anything like me, your lipstick has the ability to transform an outfit, make a statement, reflect your mood and develop throughout the seasons. In A/W 2014 nudes and deep plum shades exploded and MAC Rebel soon became my A/W fav. Thankfully, Spring is among us and that means the sun is shining, new life is emerging and everything seems to get that little bit more cheerful. To reflect this light mood we have bright peaches, matte and shimmery pinks and Kylie Jenner brown's so, from left to right, here is my top five Spring 2014 lipsticks! 

Maybelline Colorsensational (Petal Pink & Peach Poppy) 

Maybelline seemingly hasn't launched a great product for me since the Instant Pore Eraser (see post). But recently, whilst picking up some regular toiletries I stumbled across their Rebel Bouquet Lipstick Range. Their creamy texture left my lips feeling hydrated and more plump plus they're lightly floral scented. You do have to use a little more than usual, as they're more like a gloss, but despite this it stays on for most of the day. Overall I think they're really cute and easy to wear daily. They're not overbearing and inject just enough colour to give you that spring feeling. I would say the soft pink and light peach shades would suit most skin tones. I mean for just over a fiver, they're a pretty good bargain.   

Max Factor Colour Elixir (Bewitching Coral) 

Believe it or not, this one was actually free in a Max Factor deal in Boots. I don't know why I never buy Max Factor lipsticks to be honest because I always end up being rather fond of them, when I receive a sample or free gift. This particular range of lipsticks are supposed to give you the benefits of a lip treatment while you wear it. It's '60% Elixir treatment' and includes a range of anti-oxidants along with Shea, avocado and aloe butters. I don't know for sure what the Elixir is but my lips do stay hydrated when I wear them. This rich coral shade is very vibrant and sheen. It's versatile, as you can wear it on it's own, or apply it over another lipstick to give it that extra oomph. 

MAC (Candy Yum-Yum) & (Please Me)

Okay so you already know why Candy Yum Yum is in my top five! (see post) I was raving on about the lip pencil a couple of months back and for my twenty first birthday, I got the matching lipstick from everyone at work! This mega bright, matte pink has been my go-to for a while now, it's kinda replaced my beloved MAC Rebel and I already know I'll be wearing it to Bestival in September. Please Me was also a birthday present, from my sister Sophie, I'd been easing myself into the '' matte brown lipstick zone'' because Kylie Jenner has some how hypnotised me, and most other girls in their twenties, to wear it. Thing is, it's hard to get the right shade as I'm so bloomin' pale but that's when I received this baby! Just the right cross between dusky pink and light brown... you simply can't go wrong. 

Okay so that's my top five Spring 2015 lipsticks! What are you favorites from the above? What lipsticks have you been wearing lately?

Neeks ☯

January Favs- Lippy's

Aloha!

Every make-up addict has a vice.. For some it's brushes, for others it's eye shadow but for me it's lipsticks. And no matter how many shades of 'coral pink' I have I don't have THIS one. I actually counted my lipsticks the other day, 55 in total, I think it's safe to say I don't need anymore. However, this didn't stop me from purchasing 3 new lipsticks to ease my way into the new spring/ summer 2014 trends. 

And from left to right our first summery shade is the Bourjois Rouge Edition (17 Rouge Millesime) £7.99). Perfect for everyday click here it's quite light and glossy yet gives you a sweet splash of colour. Our next shade is the Rimmel Kate's Lasting Finish Matte Lipstick (107) £3.99) I absolutley love this, with a simple eye make-up it makes a nice statement during the day but also could easily be worn at night time. It's a blue based red so for all you fair skinned ladies this will look beaut. The only trouble with it is it bleeds really easily so make sure you line those lips! And lastly we have Rimmel Kate's Lasting Finish Matte Lipstick (110) £3.99) deffo one to watch out for the new 2014 spring/summer trends. Bold orange matte lipsticks are in- along with simple eye make-up and a fresh complexion. This lipstick particularly looks amazing on dark skin but pretty much anyone can wear it, don't be scared to wear bold lipstick! With the right shade it's sure to turn heads. 

Light and glossy or bold and bright lips? Let me know! 

Neeks x