Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch Primer and Wonder Volume Mascara

Hey Guys,

New post focusing on one brand today: Clarins.

I have chosen to highlight 2 products that I really really like and use every single day. Those products are:

1- Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch / Lisse Minute Base Comblante

2- Wonder Volume Mascara

1- The Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch

Description on Clarins website:

“This award winning primer is the perfect combination of make-up and skin care. With an ultra-light, ultra-smooth texture it glides on skin, leaving an imperceptible veil on its surface, filling in and smoothing away the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and pores. Your skin is left ' foundation ready' to give your make-up a more even and flawless finish. Can also be used alone or mixed-in with your foundation.”

You got it, this product is a primer to be used prior to applying a foundation but what works well as well is mixing the primer with the foundation or concealer and then proceed to application. It blends really easily and gives the same smooth and flawless finish than when applied on its own.

This primer does its job perfectly, smoothing the skin, covering dilated pores, fine lines you can have around the eye area or nose and mouth. I am really happy with the results I get from this primer.

See the results on me below. Sorry for the redness my skin has been extremely sensitive lately and really red on the cheek area. Despite the redness I think you can really see how the primer smoothes and evens out the skin where you can usually find undesired dilated pores!!

Without the primer

With the primer on

2- Wonder Volume Mascara

Description on Clarins website:

“Promotes fuller-looking lashes after the first brush stroke and delivers incredible volume thanks to the "Wonder-Full" complex. Lashes are brushed individually and intensively coloured for hours.”

I think that this mascara is a great one if you want long natural lashes. Personally I prefer to focus on volume than length as I am happy with the length of my lashes but if you are not looking for a dramatic effect then give this one a go, you won't be disappointed.

See the before and after pics below:

Before 1

Before 2

After 1

After 2

Like I said, I do think that Clarins Wonder Volume mascara works best for length than volume but when I want more volume I just add a layer of either the Givenchy Noir Couture Mascara or the Max Factor Wild Mega Volume (I discovered both thanks to my little sister and I have been wearing them ever since she's advised them). 

Givenchy Noir Couture

Max Factor Wild Mega Volume

Apart from all this, it is a really nice mascara, not difficult to remove and more affordable than Chanel or Givenchy for example.

I hope you will find this post interesting and useful. Any other products you need an opinion on or before/after pics just let me know guys, I may well have what you are after in my stock ;) 

Kristina 

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet SPF 15

Hi guys!

Hope you are all well and enjoying sunny days here in the UK!! (humor) :)

It’s been a while since I last posted an article, sorry :/ but today I thought I might give a little review and thoughts on a new foundation I have been using for a month now: Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet.

Product description:

Perfection has met its matte. Lightweight and oil-free, the unique formula of this fluid foundation provides a long-lasting, matte-velvet finish. Soft-focus pigments smooth and perfect the skin for a flawless look that lasts all day.

You know how much I love my Perfection Lumiere already, a pure matte formula which provides full coverage. Well this one is matte indeed but its formula is the complete opposite to PL. It is way lighter and thus perfect for coming days. I went for Shade 20 which is too light for me once applied but this foundation does oxidise!

As far as application is concerned I would advise you to apply this with fingers as the brush soaks up a lot of product. 

It’s very smooth and enjoyable to apply, very light and soft. It is honestly a really nice formula that dries instantly and turns into a very velvety feeling. It covers but not too much. if you are looking for full coverage, this one is not for you. In my opinion its not even that build-able, I do apply two coats as one coat is definitely too sheer but again it is a light formula with very light / sheer coverage. Two coats work best for me as I do have blemishes to hide! I personally have a shiny T Zone and dryer cheeks. The great thing with this foundation is that even though it is light, it really has a matte finish and would work well for oilier skin.

Pros :

1. Smells so goooood

2. SPF 15

2. Velvet is the prefect word here!

2. Blends very easily into the skin

3. Very light formula

4. Amazingly long-lasting taking into account how light the formula is!

Cons:

1. Not really build-able

2. As a consequence it has a really light coverage

Overall I give this a 4/5!

Hope this helps guys, any thing else you need to know feel free to ask and share!

- - Kristina - -

Mac Viva Glam II, Bourjois Rouge Edition #2 Beige Trench and Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss

Hi everyone!

Today I wanted to post a quick review on my current favorite combo of nude lipsticks as I probably wear them 99% of the time. 
With spring just around the corner, I believe that this combo is a very nice and soft transition to coming sunny days! 

The ones I use the most are:

1. Mac Viva Glam II (satin finish)

2. Bourjois Rouge Edition #2 Beige Trench (creamy/satin finish)

3. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Super Natural

Mac’s Viva Glam II: just gorgeous!

It is actually a muted pink-beige with shimmer in it but in my opinion it tends be on the dry/drying side but used with a moisturizing lip balm it looks great! It has a slightly mauve undertone to it and gives a really natural finish.

Retails at £15

Bourjois Rouge Edition #2: this is the first lipstick that I tried from Bourjois. 
It is creamy, shiny and glides on really easily on to your lips. The formula is not drying and rather pigmentedhowever the staying power could be better.

In terms of comfort Bourjois wins the battle here.

Also, Beige Trench is a nude with, I believe, pinkish tones to it. As far as I am concerned I do get rosiness from it because I have pigmented lips naturally but I am not sure the rosiness would show up on paler lips. It is lighter that Mac’s Viva Glam II.

Retails at £7.99

From R to L : Bourjois, Mac, Revlon. Picture taken under a tree shade.

Revlon Super Lustrous:  a perfect nude shade that gives a tiny bit of a pinkish tone to your lips. When used with the above mentionned lipsticks it is the perfect combo to get a very nice and natural nude/pinkish flush to your lips.

The formula is very light and not sticky at all! + + + !

Retails at £6.99

Sames swatches exposed to direct sunlight .

What is your current favorite lipstick or lipstick combo?

Kristina ;)

Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Balm

Hi guys! 

Today I thought I could give you a short review on the incredibly efficient Reve de Miel lip balm from Nuxe. I have been using this lip balm on a daily basis and at least twice a day for a year now. It has become a real essential in my make up bag and make up routine.

Use:

I apply it every morning prior make up (it is a good lip primer) and every night before going to bed.

I would not recommend using it during the day as the jar is not the most hygienic container.

Texture / smell:

It is honestly really thick, and again it may not be the best lip balm to use during the day because of its consistency. I would rather go with a Labello or any “less heavy” lip stick during the day.

It is thick, really buttery even waxy (weird when you first start using it) and has a nice honey smell.

It is a heavy lip moisturizer; if your lips don’t tend to get chapped then it might not be the right product for you.

Results:

Again, I swear by it! It is in my opinion the best lip balm I’ve ever used so far. When I apply it before going to bed and when I wake up the next morning my lips are sooo nice, plumped and fully moisturized.

You can see results after the first use, but really!

Price:

It is maybe on the pricey side for a lip balm but considering the amount you get it is really worth it! A jar lasts easily a year.

Retails at £9.50 in the UK - I buy mine in France ;)

Feelunique

http://www.feelunique.com/p/NUXE-Reve-de-Miel-Baume-Levres-Ultra-Nourrissant-Ultra-Nourishing-Lip-Balm-15g
Nuxe UK

https://uk.nuxe.com/reve-de-miel-ultra-nourishing-lip-balm-160/reve-de-miel-nourishment

I have heard a lot about the Creme de Rose by Dior, any of you guys who could give a feedback or comparison between Nuxe Reve de Miel / Dior Creme de Rose?

Until next time, have a great week!

Kristina

Chanel Perfection Lumiere review and current foundation routine

Hi everyone! Makeup addicts or just curious ;)

I thought it would be interesting to open this first chapter with some make up essentials: Foundation.

 

I’ll thus start by introducing my all time favorite : Chanel Perfecion Lumiere.

I have worn that foundation for as long as I can remember and think I will just always go back to this one as it leaves the exact coverage I need on my skin and the shade 30 Beige perfectly matches my winter (current) skin tone. And this fruity smell... OMG! 

I think this foundation has one the best textures, it feels very light on the skin, it glides on and blends really easily, be it with a blending sponge or a foundation brush. The application is really nice and soft and it gives the most incredible dewy finish to your skin, with a satin though matte finish, I know it may sound weird but it doesn’t have a matte/dry finish at all.
In my opinion, it gives a medium (possibly buildable) coverage as it covers small blemishes and redness but the result is honestly stunning! It really achieves a “pore less" look. It can suit normal to combination and oily skin types. It’s definitely not matte enough for very oily skin types and in my opinion not suitable for dryer skin types.

Retails at £36 (House of Fraser, Debenhams)

Swatches from The Beauty Look Book (useful as you can compare the different Beige range of shades for Chanel)

I personally like applying this foundation with my all time favourite foundation sponge from Kiko.

Even though no powder is needed on top of the Perfection Lumiere I still always finish with a powder (T-zone only) I like using my Clarins Poudre Douceur in Transparent-01 (discontinued! It’s a shame!)

My tricks and tips:

As a concealer I love using either the Collection Long lasting concealer in the shade 3

http://www.boots.com/en/Collection-2000-Lasting-Perfection-Concealer_984434/

or Maybeline Erase Eye Concealer in the shade light (more brightening than the Collection one but leaves less coverage as well)

http://www.superdrug.com/face-make-up/maybelline-eraser-eye-concealer-light/invt/654050

My tip here is to mix the concealer with my current foundation (half half) to get a shade that would match my proper skin tone as I don’t really like having white under eye circles when the first aim is concealing i.e hiding and not emphasizing!

Have you tried or been using one the above mentionned items? 

Feel free to share your thougths on them in the comment section!

;) Kristina