Liquid -Bourjois - Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation
greylove31 8/21/2012 6:39:00 PM
Having read all the great reviews on Healthy Mix, I decided to give it a try. I selected the shade by testing it in the store, putting a thick streak of Vanilla down one cheek and the same in Light Beige on the other. Both looked OK in the shop, but then I went to my car and checked in the rear view mirror to see in daylight and the beige one looked orange on me; the vanilla was a good match, so I bought Vanilla. Well, the colour really is a good match for my light skin with olive undertones. It goes on pretty nicely, it's quite a good foundation, doesn't cause any problems BUT doesn't really give me enough coverage unless I put on quite a lot of it (like, more than one pump) then I feel as though I'm wearing too much make up. I will use up the bottle I've got but this make up doesn't have enough pigment in it to give the coverage that I need...probably better for people who just want or need a light cover. The finish is good, not too matte, not too shiny and it does stay on pretty well also. Overall, a reasonably good foundation for the price but it doesn't transform the look of my skin.
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Mascara -Rimmel - Extra Super Lash (Curved Wand)
greylove31 8/9/2012 2:29:00 PM
I like Superlash mascara and tend to re-buy it. I've found it to be the best of the drug-store, cheapie mascara bunch, out of the few that I've tried anyway. A lot of cheap mascaras just give you a few thin straggly lashes all clumped together, but Superlash does a reasonable job to separate and thicken lashes and I find the curved brush one even easier to apply. Not as good as high-end mascaras but for £5, does a good job! However, after using this all the time lately and then using an Estee Lauder mascara today, I could really tell the difference in quality. Verdict: good and serviceable cheap, everyday mascara
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Liquid -Clarins - Everlasting Foundation SPF 15
greylove31 8/8/2012 2:57:00 PM
After using Double Wear for years, I'm searching for a new foundation. I really hoped Everlasting would be the Holy Grail! I must admit I haven't actually bought this foundation, but have tested it over a few weeks with several free samples from the Clarins counter. I have been swithering on whether to buy it or not! Here's why: Good Points: Very good coverage (for old acne scars, uneven skin tone in my case) Looks quite natural and glowy (more natural finish than DW and covers better!) Easy to apply with fingers and nice finish Cheaper than Double Wear (?) Bad Points: If your skin is at all oily, there is oil breakthrough and it wears off after a few hours Doesn't have the right shade for me Tends to oxidise on my skin and go darker/orange I have combo skin - oily T zone - and some days, oilier than others. I was willing to overlook the 'not lasting' problem (even though I set with powder), since I only work in the mornings, it didn't matter too much. Though I have to say, by the evenings, my skin looked a right mess with this. But worse than this, was not having the right shade for my pale olive skintone. I tried Sand, which at first I thought looked really nice, until I examined it closely in daylight and realised it was too dark and orange-toned. I then tried a sample of Nude, but it was too pale and washed me out. You're probably wondering why I was considering buying it at all BUT it does look lovely, really nice when you first apply it, and for maybe 3-4 hours. I did try it again today with a primer underneath and it went on even smoother and lasted a bit longer - until mid-afternoon. So primer definitely helps. Unfortunately, just can't find the right yellow-toned shade. If I could, then I probably would buy it. I'd recommend this foundation for people with non-oily skin, as it will last longer once applied and maybe those with a darker -tone skin than mine. I really didn't know whether to give this 3 lippies or 4 ... but since it doesn't work for me, gave it 3 (though it probably works great for other people with different skin type).
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Concealers -Estee Lauder - Double Wear Stay-in-Place Concealer 
greylove31 7/14/2012 4:46:00 PM
This is my HG concealer for dark under eye circles. I will use no other! It covers well, it lasts well and it doesn't set in under eye creases. I use shade 01 Light and usually buy the product 'new' on ebay, to avoid the higher price of the Estee Lauder counter.
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Mascara -Estee Lauder - Double Wear Zero Smudge Lengthening Mascara
greylove31 7/14/2012 4:42:00 PM
I love Double Wear mascara, it really does stay put and doesn't smudge at all! Makes lashes look great, easy to apply and amazingly easy to remove - comes off just with a dampened cotton wool ball. So eye make up remover is not actually needed. If it wasn't so pricey, this would be the mascara that I would wear all the time (it lost a point on high price).
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Liquid -L'Oreal - Lumi Magique Foundation
greylove31 7/14/2012 4:33:00 PM
*** I've edited this review and it's lost a lipstick. This foundation is just too 'shiny' **** OK so I bought this foundation brand new on Ebay for just £7 (I had tested it in Boots for shade matching). I love that it has the pump and nice bottle and it feels lovely when you apply it to your skin. I've only worn it twice so may have to change my review later but so far: Day 1 applied with fingertips and I was really impressed! I had used Chanel Pro Lumiere and at first I thought this stuff was every bit as good - illumanating, smoothing, glowy. I made a mistake though - I put a slightly shimmery powder (mineral powder with mica in it) on top to set it. It looked great indoors, but when I checked my face in car rear view mirror, it was like, mega-shiny! Looked ridiculous...and also after the first couple of hours, the coverage wore off. Day 2 applied with fingertips and set with a mattifying powder (Corn Silk). Much better - not so madly shiny and iridescent and it also seemed to last bit longer. But after 8 hours or so, it had mostly disappeared and the flaws in my skin (redness, acne scars) were visible. I also bought a shade that is too dark (Gold Linen) which is always offputting in a new foundation, so that alone makes me inclined not to give it much of a chance. On the whole, I would say this is a poor cousin of Chanels Pro Lumiere: doesn't cover as well, nor does it last as long on the skin. But it is a very cheap price and I guess you get what you pay for. On me, it does look good for the first few hours and in indoor light, so maybe worth keeping as an evening foundation. It's just not lasting enough for me for an every day wear make up. If I mixed it with a paler and longer lasting foundation, then that might also make it work for me. I think this make up would be best for women with good skin that doesn't need too much coverage and no oiliness at all. I do have oily patches (combination skin) so that doesn't help the lasting power.
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Liquid -Estee Lauder - Double Wear
greylove31 7/14/2012 4:11:00 PM
****Another update! I'm re-purchasing DW. I had the wrong shade before - Pale Almond, which was too pinky toned. I've been matched to Sand now and using a sample of that, and it is much better for my pale olive skin. It is hard to find just the right shade with this foundation. Also I find mixing a small amount of EL Idealist Illuminting serum with the foundation gives the more natural, 'glowy' appearance I was looking for, then I build on the areas I need it with straight DW. Still not quite the Holy Grail, but the one I keep going back to!**** ***I've edited this review and given an extra lipstick; after all, Double Wear has served me well for many years. I also tried the more careful application method - using less product and blending well with a brush - and this did make it look better. Not sure how I got away with 'slap and go' when younger, but now seem to need to spend more time on it!*** This is my first review! I'm a veteran of Estee Lauder Double Wear, been using this make up for about 15 years - so yes, in the past, I would have given this 4 stars and said I would buy it again (and again..), but something has either changed with my skin, or with this make up. Before I went on Roaccutane, I had oily skin and Double Wear was great - stayed put, didn't go oily or greasy looking and covered acne well. So that's why I used this make up for so long. However, since my course of Accutane, I don't have really oily skin any more and no acne (still got scars and large pores though). Now I find Double Wear cakey and dry-looking, especially on my cheeks and not natural looking at all. OTOH, could it be that Estee Lauder have altered the formula somehow without telling us? I just don't remember it being so dry and flat looking before, it's major selling point was that it covered well, whilst still looking natural. Anyway, for oily skin, this is a really good choice, but for older, drier complexions, well it doesn't seem to work for me any more.
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