First off a massive apology from me! I haven't blogged in sooooo long. I've been ridiculously busy because I'm now in my last year at school so the workload is pretty intense. Then Christmas came along and I was really busy with family and friends enjoying the holiday. And then I've had four January exams which doesn't seem like a lot to some people but some of my friends only had like 1 or 2. So I've been devoting all my time to studying and revising! But by the time this post is up my exams will be over and I can get back to blogging!
Anyway as my first post back I thought I would talk about high-end make-up products. Many people have this idea that if something is more expensive it will always work better. However, in my personal opinion, I think there are a few high-end products out there that aren't worth the extra money. Saying that however, there are loads which are fab!
So I'm just going to take you through the ones I own and say wether I would recommend them or not;
LAURA MERCIER TINTER MOISTURIZER SPF 20- ILLUMINATING (NATURAL RADIANCE) $43.00/ £27
I will be the first to admit this product is very pricey. However, I do think it is worth it.
What Laura Mercier says: A lightweight, buildable sheer foundation formula that delivers a youthful, radiant finish, while protecting skin from the damaging rays of the sun with broad spectrum SPF 20 UVA/UVB sunscreen protection.
This tinted moisturizer provides a sheer covergae that is great for the warmer months when you don't want a full coverage foundation. It is buildable and gives a lovely sheen to the skin. If you have combination skin like myself, setting it with a light powder after will prevent you from looking too oily. The SPF is also great for summertime. Overall a nice product.
NARS SHEER MATTE FOUNDATION- (SANTA FE) £29.50
NARS if by far my favourite high-end brand. It's one I trust and will definitely be getting more products from in the future.
What NARS says: An oil-free, soft-matte-finish foundation with sheer, buildable coverage that controls shine throughout the day while evening the skin tone. Replete with skincare benefits and the NARS Complexion Brightening Formula, it leaves skin more luminous, softer and smoother. Used daily, Sheer Matte Foundation improves the skin's brightness and texture.
I asked for this for Christmas but never expected to get it because of the rather expensive price tag! But I did and I'm so pleased because this foundation is great. It's sheer so if you're having a good skin, you can only apply a little bit, but if you need a bit more coverage it can give you that too. For my skin type, this is perfect as it gives me a matte complexion but there is also a 'glow' version for dryer skin types that need a little pick-me up. This lasts well on the skin. I would recommend this product to anyone with oily/combination skin.
ELIZABETH ARDEN PURE FINISH MINERAL BRONZING POWDER (MEDIUM) £25.00
I now have several Elizabeth Arden products in my make-up collection. I wouldn't have thought about trying their products but my parents bought me back some from Spain and since then I've realised they are a decent make-up brand!
What Elizabeth Arden says: Infused with natural minerals, these Pure Finish Mineral powders contain light-reflective mica and skin-softening silica to assure a natural luminous look, plus aloe vera and chamomile – ingredients known for their soothing and moisturising benefits. Sweep over cheekbones, forehead and brow bones, with its own Kabuki-style brush, to give skin a healthy sun-kissed glow.
This bronzer is really light and natural. It is quite shimmery so do apply is lightly. It doesn't look orange or patchy on the skin and gives you a healthy looking natural glow. I wouldn't recommend this bronzer for contouring as it isn't matte but sweeped on the highest points of your cheeks, it gives a lovely natural glow and bronziness to the skin.
BENEFIT ERASE PASTE £19.50
I only have a sample size of this as I got it in a gift set. I won't include a picture as the pot is so beat up after being dropped on a tile floor!
What Benefit says: This concentrated, creamy concealer brightens and camouflages in one easy step! Targets dark circles, discolouration and imperfections. Three shades with brightening melon undertones to suit every complexion. Comes complete with a fully illustrated, step-by-step lesson and mini-spatula for easy application.
I think the main problem I have with this product is I have it in too darker of a colour. I have it in medium and it doesn't suit my skin tone at the moment in winter as it's quite a lot paler. I've heard fantastic reviews of this product but i found it quite heavy and patchy when applied on the skin. Also it didn't seem to last a very long time and didn't do a full job of covering up my imperfections. In my opinion, I don't believe this concealer is worth the money and you could find better ones for a lot less money.
I think the main problem I have with this product is I have it in too darker of a colour. I have it in medium and it doesn't suit my skin tone at the moment in winter as it's quite a lot paler. I've heard fantastic reviews of this product but i found it quite heavy and patchy when applied on the skin. Also it didn't seem to last a very long time and didn't do a full job of covering up my imperfections. In my opinion, I don't believe this concealer is worth the money and you could find better ones for a lot less money.
ELIZABETH ARDEN COLOUR INTRIGUE CHEEKCOLOUR (TEAROSE 02) £24.00
What Elizabeth Arden says: Lighweight cheekcolour that glides on for a radiant, natural look.
This blush goes on nicely on the skin and provides ok pigmentation. However on my skin it does seem a bit patchy after a while. I know of other blushes that give better colour pay-off and last a lot longer on the skin.
(Tearose by Elizabeth Arden on the right and Torrid by NARS on the left)
NARS BLUSH (TORRID) £21.00
Not even going to beat around the bush, NARS is my all-time favourite make-up brand. As it is high-end the amount of products I have from them is not too big at the moment but I definitely plan to expand as the slightly higher price tag is most definitely worth it! The blush I own is a beautiful coral colour with lots of gold particles in it. This doesn't look too glittery on you skin and all it does is warm up your complexion and give it a beautiful glow. It is much more velvety than the Elizabeth Arden blush (and cheaper too). The pigmentation is incredible and it lasts a long time on the skin. I cannot recommend NARS enough. They offer such high-quality products in an amazing range of shades.
BENEFIT HIGHBEAM £18.50
What Benefit says: Our satiny pink liquid highlighter accents cheek & brow bones for a radiant glow. Use as a spot highlighter or delicately blend all over your complexion. Looks perfectly radiant on all skintones. It's the "supermodel in a bottle"!
I've very undecided on this. I know soooo many people love it but I just can't seem to get on with it. Maybe it's because I have a travel size and you can hardly get any product out but it just doesn't seem to offer what I want from a highlighter. It's a little too shimmery for me; I would prefer a more subtle glow.
(Highbeam on the left and Girl Meets Pearl on the right)
BENEFIT GIRL MEETS PEARL £24.50
What Benefit says: This soft golden-pink liquid pearl glides on for a breathtakingly luminous complexion. Twist up & pat on over makeup or wear alone for a dewy luxurious lit-from-within glow. It's pure pearly pleasure!
I prefer this highlighter a lot more to the high-beam one as high-beam is an overly glittery silver colour whereas this is a much more natural gold that is glowy and suits my skin type. This also shows a lot better on the cheekbones and provides warmth to your skin. Again, I have a trail size of this but I might purchase a full size because I do like this product.
MAC eye shadows in Fig (matte) and honeylust (lustre) £12.00 each
The review says it all to be honest!
Honeylust is an intense gold glitter, similar to 'half baked' from the Naked 1 palette. It is extremely pigmented but unlike a lot of pure glitter eyeshadows, it doesn't have much fall-out. This colour is great for my blue eyes and I imagine it working with loads of other eye colours and skin tones too.
Fig is a beautifully warm and rich purple shadow. It's one if the few matte eyeshadows in my collection but I definitely want to purchase some more, preferably from MAC as they are so classic and polished looking and MAC provide an insane range of colours and their products are super high quality. For anyone debating wether to get MAC eyeshadows, I would really recommend them as even though you are paying slightly more for them, this shows through in the quality of them.
(Fig on the left and Honeylust on the right)
Smashbox limitless 15 hour wear cream shadow in Riches £15.00
What Smashbox says: Developed in our studios to take long-wearing color to the next level! These super luxe, super saturated shadows glide on and stay put, even through the longest photo shoots
I was so excited to finally purchase a smashbox product as I had heard great things about them. So I spotted this beautiful rich gold cream shadow and thought it would work wonders as a base under intense glitter shadows or as a stand alone eye colour. However, I do not think this is worth the hefty price tag. It isn't nearly as pigmented on the skin as in the pot, it creases as soon a you put it on and it doesn't last 15 minutes let alone 15 hours. I was very disappointed with this cream eyeshadow as I had high hopes for it but I would not recommend it. However, I do want to try other smashbox products.
Urban decay 24/7 glide on eye pencil in demolition £13.00
What Urban Decay say: Creamy, forever-lasting, award-winning and waterproof, 24/7 pencils
When I purchased this I was so excited to see how it would hold out on my eyes for a really long time. The good part- it does stay on your waterline and on your lids for a long time, longer than most eyeliners. However, it does become really smudged and faded and doesn't hold up its colour intensity. It is really nice and smooth to apply but it doesn't hold its colour well.
Urban Decay Naked (1) palette $50/£32
What Urban Decay say: Far from a group of boring beige shadows, Naked Palette's long, lean, seductive case is packed with TWELVE gorgeous neutrals
Everyone knows about the Naked palette and i'm sure so many of you own it. When I first started using this, I really loved it. However, after a while I started to notice a lot of fall-out from the shadows especially from 'Sidecar' and 'Half-baked'. Does anyone else find this happens? I really like most of the colours in this kit (minus Creep and Gunmetal) and the pigmentation is really good. However as they are so shimmery you do get quite a bit of fall-out which makes me question the very expensive price-tag.
Bobbi Brown Lip Colour in Red 10 £18.00
What Bobbi Brown says: This creamy, semi-matte lipstick gives lips instant polish with rich, full coverage
This lipstick is so lovely. It is a true matte red which doesn't look at all horrible with my pale complexion (at the moment) and blonde hair. I was worried that it would wash me out but it is such a wearable colour. The packaging is so sleek too but the only down-side to this is the off-putting smell. It has a really odd sickly sweet smell to it which I cannot stand. So i usually have to wear a lip gloss over the top to mask the smell but apart from that, it is a really lovely lipstick.
Elizabeth Arden High-Shine Lip Gloss in Tropicoral £15.00
What Elizabeth Arden says: Glides over lipstick for brilliant shine or smoothes on alone for glamorous, glossy lips.
This might just be the most gorgeous lipgloss I've seen. It is a beautiful coral with gold shimmer running through it. In the tube it looks stunning but it doesn't fully translate onto the lips. You still get the gold and coral but it isn't as intense. It is also quite a sticky lip gloss so not one to wear when you have your hair down!
So I hope you all enjoyed this post! Please keep in mind that this is just my personal opinion and what doesn't work for me might be great for you! :)
Stay Glamorous,
Ella xo
