Maybelline Fit Foundation - Review

I bought this foundation on an absolute whim.  I was having a money worry, and decided my Diorskin foundation was far too expensive to justify.  So I set out to find a cheaper alternative, and I’ll be honest, I didn’t hold out much hope.  I have been on a foundation crusade for almost ten years now....so you can’t blame a girl for getting cynical.

I don’t even know why I bought this foundation.  Did it say it was hydrating? No.  Do I struggle to colour match? No.  Did it offer any revolutionary new cosmetic breakthrough?  No. Have I had success before with Maybelline?  No.

But I purchased it anyway.  Pretty bottle and all that.

And I love it!  I can hands down say it comes a close second to my Dior foundation.  I don't think it matches the impressiveness of the Dior foundation, but I’m definitely a fan.

 

The consistency of the foundation is very smooth, very creamy and with an almost gel-like base.  As soon as you pump it out, the consistency gives a clue as to how easy this is to apply and blend.  The USP for this foundation is that it has no waxes or fillers.  I’ll be honest, these buzz words are new to me.  I didn’t even know I had waxes or fillers in my foundations, and I certainly don’t know their function!  But maybe this is at the route of the silky texture of the foundation.  Who knows.

 The application is a doddle.  It applies easily with a brush or your fingers, and it melts into your skin very quickly which means you don’t end up with any brush marks, and you don’t end up just dragging the foundation around your face. 

The finish of this foundation is quite tricky to describe.  It is definitely moisturising because I didn’t get any flakes or dry patches, and my face didn’t look chalky or ‘mask-like’ even after a full day of wearing it.  Having said that, it isn’t greasy or dewy at all.  I think this is why I am attracted to it, and why I lump it in the same category as the Dior foundation.  Matte-based foundations for truly dry skin are SO difficult to find.  This is, in my opinion, what makes this a bit of a gem.  Don’t get me wrong, there is a very slight dew to it but I barely had to dust any powder over it to completely eradicate it.  It also then gives you flexibility – dewy complexions work with some make-up looks whereas others demand a more matte base.  You can get both from this little bad boy.  Having said that, my skin is very dry and therefore this may be a bit too greasy for people who don't suffer from dry complexions.  It isn't greasy on me, but it feels like it has the potential to be.

Coverage-wise I was impressed.  I was worried the lack of these mystical waxes and fillers may mean the foundation isn’t quite as heavyweight in its coverage, but this does not appear to be the case.  I’ll be honest, the coverage isn’t as good as the Diorskin but it is not far behind.  It doesn’t take much layering to achieve an acceptable level of coverage.  I’d compare it to Chanel’s Vitalumiere, in that it evens the skin tone out and covers imperfections, but wouldn’t hold up well against a big hot red spot.

One thing I preferred about the Maybelline foundation was its lightweight appearance.  It is definitely not as thick as the Dior foundation and doesn’t sit on the skin quite as much.  I look quite heavily made-up in Diorskin, but in Maybelline I just look like I have quite nice skin with a bit of tinted moisturiser over the top – (bearing in mind I don’t have quite nice skin!)

I bought mine in shade 210 (Sandy Beige).  The Maybelline display in my local Boots actually showed which shades relate to light, medium and dark skin, and (what I thought was a nice touch) it also then matches the concealer and powder to the foundation shade you pick.  I don't use their concealer or powder, but oh well.  The 210 shade was the lighter end of the "medium skin" range, and I'll be honest, it is a tad too dark but as it is summer at the moment I am just about pulling it off.  I might indulge in a lighter shade for winter though.

Overall I’d give this product an enthusiastic thumbs up.  Something holds me back from declaring it a worthy advocate of the Diorskin, and I think this might be the slight reduction in coverage and the fact it is slightly less matte in its finish.  I also think this might be a bit of a marmite foundation, where it will totally work for some people and be completely unsuitable for others.  But it gets ticks all round from me.  Who would have guessed!?

Maxfactor 2000 Calories mascara

When you have teeny tiny eyes like mine you quickly learn that mascara is your best friend, and when it comes to different brands, mascara has to be the only cosmetic where I am fiercely loyal.

Ever since I can remember I have sworn by Maxfactor 2000 Calories mascara.  My Mum uses it and first introduced me to it, my little sister uses it, and I've introduced it to (forced it upon) a number of my friends.

I have tried other brands in the past, and there were some notable products which tempted me away for a while, but I've always come back to the old faithful 2000 Calories.

I've got a confession to make though ... I may not have come back to this one if Revlon hadn't gone and discontinued the mascara love-of-my-life, aka Revlon 3D Extreme (RIP).  But enough about that....lets get down to business.

Maxfactor 2000 Calories is a stalwart of the Maxfactor range, and has been around for years.  I think it might be a bit of a staple for a lot of women though, as Maxfactor recently revived it with a cheeky ad campaign and a very slight change to the packaging.  Luckily they didn't appear to mess with the actual formula though.  But I think this is a sign it must have decent sales, as you don't tend to get many cosmetic products relaunched.

I have short, squitty, sparse eyelashes and (I've made this point 100 times before, but let's make it again) I have VERY small eyes.  They're quite deep set, my eyelid is practically non-existent and the skin under my eyebrow is quite heavy.  In a nutshell, my eyes wouldn't ever appear on a list of my best features.

Maxfactor 2000 Calories is literally one of the only mascaras which really loads up the volume on my lashes.  It does clump a bit, which I know a lot of people don't like, but personally I embrace a clump or two as it makes my lashes look a bit more bulky and thick.

I think one of the secrets behind this product is the brush.  It is the old-school type with bristles and the head is a typical size of a couple of centimetres.  The bristles look like lots of fine bristles packed tightly together, and I think this is the key that makes it pile the mascara onto your lashes.  When applying mascara, you should always use a wiggle motion.  The wiggle motion is a must. Place the mascara wand at the base of your lashes and as you drag it up, wiggle the brush from side to side.  It means the mascara coats your lashes more and it holds onto them better, meaning it pulls the lashes upwards (so they curl up more). I've tried other products which have a similar-looking brush and they don't perform anywhere near as well, so there's got to be something extra about it but I have no idea what it is.

I do also use Shu Umera eyelash curlers just to help out the curl a little, but this has only been a recent addition to my make-up bag.

This mascara doesn't smudge or flake, and lasts really well.  It also comes off easily with eye-make-up remover.  The only issue I have with this is how quickly it dries out.  When you first buy it, it doesn't pack quite as much punch.  Once you've used it a couple of weeks, it starts to get more gloopy and that's when you get some seriously good lashes out of it.  A couple of months later and it has dried out quite a lot.  I think it might be because it loads so much mascara on your lashes, it runs out quite easily.  But at £7.99 it isn't the most bank-breaking product on the market.

If you need an idea of the results, I applied the mascara to one eye and not to the other, and you can see below the difference - it is quite pronounced!  I'm not going to lie, there's a fair few coats on the left eye, and I often wait for it to dry a bit and then load on another coat (it seems to apply better when my lashes are still sticky from the first coat).

Because mascaras are quite expensive and are such a key item in my make-up bag, I haven't taken the risk to dabble with many other brands for a good few years now.  But I have tried Diorshow mascara, which is meant to be the absolute daddy of the mascara world, and I didn't think it was notably better than the 2000 Calories, and the price is a LOT more. 

I'd say if you want thick, dark black, foolproof lashes...then give 2000 Calories a whirl.  Ah just look at the pretty lashes it gives you...

To all my fellow cosmetic junkies....

For a long time now, I have been tempted and intrigued by the mineral loose foundations offered by Bare Minerals.  I feel like I've read every review and every blog post related to them, and yet I still couldn't decide whether to buy some or not.

My main issue came with the fact the product is a powder, and my skin is notoriously dry and dehydrated.  In my experience these two things just don't go well together.  Having said that, I've read rave reviews by dry-skinned bloggers, and some people literally swear by this foundation.

Anyway, to cut a potentially long story a bit shorter, I decided to go into my local Debenhams yesterday and throw myself on the mercy of the girls on the Bare Minerals counter.

This finally killed my intrigue once and for all.  The foundation looked terrible on me.  It didn't help that the colour they matched was a bit too orange for me, but generally I found the powder to gather in my fine lines and sit on my skin, and the only way I can describe how I looked is 'haggard'.  My skin looked awful and this fuelled my suspicion that this foundation only works on two types of people - those with a greasier complexion or those with an already clear complexion who just want to look a bit more "make-up'd up".

And herein lies my message for the day to all my fellow cosmetic junkies who, like me, get a certain thrill from the temptation of new cosmetics that promise to make you beautiful.

Where possible, try before you buy.

This is a mantra I'm trying to live by and so far it has saved me a lot of money.  For example the Bare Minerals.  I'd have quite happily parted with £50 for their starter kit and been bitterly disappointed.  The same disappointment I got when I spent £45 on Giorgio Armani's designer foundation or £20 on Benefit's Erase Paste...

What makes it worse with these products is they are higher end, and if I'd have gone to a counter then the representative would have tried it on my face, I'd have found it didn't suit me, and I'd have walked away with my debit card intact.

I recognise there is a significant element of 'trial and error' with cosmetics, and that's why blogs and reviews are so sought after.  But if you've started to become aware, like me, that your obsession with seeking out cosmetic wonder products is starting to drain your bank balance then this is my friendly advice....

If you can get a sample, or get a counter artist to demonstrate it on your skin, then do it.  When they've tried it on you, make a note of the shade/product and WALK AWAY.  See how the product lasts on your skin, how it looks in daylight, how it settles.  Then if you like it, go back and buy it.  No harm done.  The key is to not be driven too much by excitement.  It is okay to wait for a wonder product.

Now all I have to do is listen to my own advice......

My hair product heroes

In the grand scheme of the hair world, I do not have the easiest hair.  It is long, and there is a lot of it.  It is the kind of hair that makes the juniors in the hair salon want to cry a bit inside when they are given my hair to wash and blowdry.

When it comes to controlling my unruly little mane, I used to make the mistake of assuming my hair was thick.  This was a faux pas.  It wasn't until I innocently made this comment to my amazing hairdresser, that she explained my hair wasn't thick and coarse, it was actually fine.  I just had a LOT of it.

Literally, if I'd have had a lightbulb handy, I'd have lit that little bugger up and held it above the many fine strands of hair on my head.  You see, I'd always been drawn towards hair products designed for thick, coarse and unruly hair, but had always found these to weigh my hair down and make it greasy and limp.  So I re-visited the hair product aisle in my local Boots and started perusing the fine hair products, and lo and behold, I found some that worked wonders on my hair.

This little moment of enlightenment with my hairdresser occurred a year or so ago, so I have now decided I have finally reached a point where I have built up a little wonder team of hair products that I repeatedly use and re-purchase.

Not all of them are for fine hair...in fact I'm not even sure any of them are, but I wanted to share my "fine-but-lots-of-it" story as I thought it might enlighten any other ladies out there who are under the illusion their hair is thick.  Consider yourself enlightened!

Anyway..I digress.  Here are my go-to, love-them, use-them-all-the-time wonder products! Ta dahhh.....!

Batiste Dry Shampoo in  Blush

Booo, boring I know.  But I am the biggest fan of Batiste's dry shampoo.  For me, they're a root-killer and greasy hair supehero in a can.  And a pretty can at that.

I've mentioned this before in my blog post about bleached hair (see here) but I swear by this dry shampoo when my roots are getting a little too long for comfort.  There's nothing rocket science about it, it is just that the dry shampoo deposits a white residue that quite simply kicks out some of my nasty dark roots.  You also get the added benefits that it makes the hair look less greasy, it adds volume and texture, and generally makes it easier to tease, style, backcomb, pin, curl (you get the point).  Now I must stress that I cannot vouch for this for my brunette/dark/redhead girlies out there, but for us (fake) blondes, this is a styling staple.

A completely unnecessary piece of information, but my favourite scent is 'Blush'.  Can't say why really...it just smells fresh and girly and nice!

Kerastase Nectar Thermique

 

This is probably one of the more expensive products I own for my hair.  At approximately £16 it isn't a bank breaker but it is the kind of price that makes me a little uncomfortable when I am parting with my money.  But be reassured, as this lasts a long, long time.  I must have owned mine for well over 8 months and I use it on the ends of my hair pretty much every time I wash it (twice a week) and I'm about three quarters of the way through the bottle.

 

I saw this reviewed on Fleur De Force's Youtube channel and thought I'd give it a whizz as my hair is dryyyy.  It is touted as a heat-styling protection for dry to very dry hair, but I find it to be a great smoothing product.  I rub a small pea-size amount into the ends of my hair after washing and then comb it through and dry as normal and I definitely think this makes my hair softer and less coarse and flyaway.  It definitely isn't greasy and it has quite a subtle, warm smell to it.  It is an added bonus that it also protects against heat products, as I literally ravage my hair with straighteners. 

 

The long and short of it is, that after trying a LOT of blowdry/smoothing creams, this is by far the lightest but most effective one.  I'd recommend it to any hair type.  It's a dream.

 

Moroccan Oil Treatment

 

If my hair is feeling particularly dry and unhappy, then I skip my Kerastase Nectar Thermique and bring out this heavyweight.  Now I know this product has literally burst onto the haircare scene over the last year or so, but I first read about this a few years ago when Lauren Conrad from The Hills said it was her haircare secret.  Conrad is a massive hair crush of mine, so if it was good enough for her...!  The one problem for me was the price.  At over £30 it is pricey.  So I bought this smaller 15ml bottle for about £8 and it has lasted SO long.  I've had it about a year and a half and although I only use it now and then, I'm only a third through. 

This is becase you only need a teeeeeeny tiny amount of this.  A little goes a long way, even if it doesn't feel like it does.  I can't really put my finger on what this product does.  It smoothes your hair, makes it more manageable and gets rid of flyaway and split ends.  Yet it seems to do something more...  It is literally like a drink for your hair.  I don't use this all the time as I find it a tad heavy for regular use, and if I go just a tiny bit over on the amount then my hair does look greasy.  But as an occasional hair treat, it is a winner.  I apply it after I've washed my hair, through the ends only, whilst it is wet.  If my hair is particularly dry, I very occasionally use it on dry hair to hydrate the ends off.

Aussie Luscious Long Leave-in Conditioner

Not a great deal to share about this product, other than it is one of the best all-round leave in conditioners I've tried.  I spray it all over my hair when I get out of the shower, and BEFORE combing it.  It is light enough to use on your roots and all over.  I 100% think my hair is easier to comb after using this.  It also leaves my hair with THE nicest scent of fruity coconut, which stays on the hair for a while.  It also has the added bonus of protecting your hair against heat, and the more I can get of that, the better!

Schwarzkopf Got2B Dfine hyper wax

I stumbled across this product a bit.  When I curl my hair, I always need something to neaten and define the curls, and weigh them down a bit without making my hair greasy.  My most-loved product for this used to be the Toni & Guy wax but they got rid of this when they rebranded (disaster!)

I bought this on e on offer in Superdrug for £2 but it is only normally about £4.  You get a decent size pot for your money (75ml), and it has the nicest smell.  It is really fresh and fruity and again, the smell stays on your hair for a good amout of time.  The beauty of this product though is the texture.  It is really hard to describe, you have to just try a bit and rub it between your fingers to see what I mean.  In the pot it is quite light and whipped but when you rub it on your hair it goes quite matte and rigid, and it is PERFECT for defining curls. 

I always curl my hair with GHDs and after I rub a small amount of this between my palms and smooth it down the ends of the curl it just defines and neatens them like a dream.  Because it is light, it also doesn't make the hair greasy so you can reapply several times to really seperate and define your curls.  I am such a fan of this product.  It turns the most ringlet-y bouncy curls into sleek waves.  Love, love, love it.

Tigi Bedhead After Party

 

My final hair product is my old faithful Tigi Bed Head After Party.   I have been using this since university, so over 8 (ahem) years now.  I can honestly say it is my favourite hair product of all time.  It is a smoothing cream and it smells divine.  I can't tell you what the smell is as I can't describe it, but it is potent and it is gorgeous smelling and I can't stop sniffing it whilst writing this...

 

I smooth this on my hair when it is dry and it controls it like nothing else.  The best thing about it though is it is completely non-greasy.  I've never gone overboard with this and been left with greasy hair.  You can literally smooth it over the ends and it will calm them and soften them and make them look like they haven't been ravaged by bleach.  It is fool proof and NOTHING out there is as effective, believe me.  Use it on straight hair, curly hair, waved hair, on the tip of your ponytail, on the ends of your fringe..it is just so versatile and so effective.  At about £8-£9, you literally cannot afford to not have this in your hair kit.  Buy it.  Now!

 

Tangle Teezer

 

I was a bit sceptical about this hairbrush.  It claimed to be a wonder tool for tangled hair but it looked such a random shape and the bristles looked so...well...pathetic.  But I saw a blogger who has amazing long hair say she swears by it, so off I went.  It costs £8 which isn't the cheapest for a hair brush, but my my, does it work.  I won't use anything else on my hair now when it is wet and fresh from the shower.  The weird little chubby design means the brush sits perfectly in your hand so you get a decent grip.  Then you literally brush it through your hair and it really gets through those tangles a treat.  My hair gets SO tangly.  The juniors in the hair salon often look a little like they want to cry when they are given my birds nest to comb through - maybe I should bring this little baby with me..!? Anyway.  I don't know why it works, apparently it is something to do with those pathetic looking bristles (they bend better?) but when I find a wonder product I don't tend to worry myself too much with why it works. It works, it is pink, and I get so much less broken hair from using it.  Winner winner.

 

 

So...that's the end of my epic-ly long journey through my hair care wonder products.  If you want any more information on any of them then pop a comment below and I'll do my best to assist.  Happy haircare buying!! x

Collection 2000 Lasting Colour Nailvarnish - Vixen Red

I have been doing a lot of nail varnish posts at the moment...I think I have gone a bit nailvarnish mad.  I am blaming this though on the sudden influx of gel-nailvarnishes that are flooding the high street at the moment.

I am an absolute sucker for a shiny nail, always have been, always will be.  So these new generation of nailvarnishes are temptation in a bottle for me.

My latest purchase has been the Collection 2000 Lasting Gel Colour varnish in 'Vixen Red'.  I'm trying to be a good girl money-wise at the moment, so this seemed a good compromise to quieten the little shopping voices in my head, seeing as it was only £3.18. £3.18!! Cosmetics under a fiver always fill me with joy.

Regular followers of my blog will know I have about a hundred variations of this dark wine-red colour, but this one offered to be shinyyyy!! Sold.

I must admit, for the price tag, I was impressed with this product.  I don't normally like to say "for the price..." as I am a bit uncompromising and fussy with my cosmetics, but in this case it definitely applies.

For £3.18 you get....

1. A brush that is nice and wide, and fans out well on your nail, meaning you can actually cover it in one or two swipes.  I love wider brushes, I think they are the secret to an even coverage, so this ticked a big box for me. 
2. You get decent colour coverage.  I say decent because it doesn't match up to the coverage you get with the No.7 gel nailvarnishes, which in my opinion are SO good (see my blogpost here) but for a dark nailvarnish, it doesn't go on too weak or watery. I'll be honest, I preferred this once it had had 3 coats, and I did what I normally do when I 3-coat it up, I apply two before bed then a third in the morning, as I find it dries better.
3. You get a decent sized bottle. Collection 2000 have always made cheap but quality nailvarnishes, but they are normally teeny tiny.  This is a proper decent sized bottle, which will last.

So, photo time...

These are my lovely little nails after two coats of the nail varnish and no top coat

And here are those same bad boys after a 3rd coat and a clear top coat

I think the 'shine' of the varnish on its own is pretty good.  I haven't yet found a gel nail varnish that doesn't look better with a clear top coat, but then as I have said, I am all about the glossy finish. I think that for a £3.18 nailvarnish with a £1.20 Miss Sporty clear top coat, the bottom photo looks a lot more luxury than what I paid.

The varnish lasted well too.  It didn't last 10 days as promised on the bottle, but this is because I am an impatient little lady and I can't be dealing with one nail colour for 10 days.  Plus I bite my nailvarnish off (dirty habit I know) so 10 days just ain't going to happen in my world.

But for reference here are my nails 3 days later....

Oooo, pretty (cheeky little leg in there too!)

Summing up on this product, I'd say it is a decent nail varnish for a really good price.  My only issue is the amount of layers it needs to get good colour depth, but for half the price of the No.7 one I can't really moan about having to do an extra layer.

The colour spectrum for this range is also a bit more commited than other brands.  They do a really nice range of nude/taupes which I've seen other bloggers review and they look really high end.  There is also a really nice poppy red and a gentle coral which will look amazing in the summer. I am going to go out and buy the crystal clear, as I've seen lots of good reviews about it as a glossy top coat, and I haven't dabbled yet in using a gel top coat (it makes sense though?) I'll keep you updated, but in the meantime, happy shopping!x

Models Own - Blueberry Muffin

I've been a bit seduced lately by the pastel nail colours in the Models Own nailvarnish range.  Every time I walk into Boots they are just there, looking all summery and pastely, and they look so pretty.  Recently Boots ran a "buy one get one half price" deal on all their cosmetics, and I just couldn't fight it any more so....meet the Models Own nail varnish in Blueberry Muffin...

The unique selling point about this nail varnish is meant to be that it is scented, and you can get an idea of the fragrance via a nifty little scratch and sniff sticker on the lid.  The scent is a bit take-it-or-leave-it in my opinion.  It smells like a really sweet scented nail varnish smell but once you've painted it on, you don't really notice it.  It's a cute little gimmick but I wouldn't buy it just for that reason.

I would definitely say that the selling point of this nailvarnish ihough is the strong pastel colour, bearing in mind the product only retails at a fiver.  I'd say that with pastel nailvarnishes, the coverage is key, and this product covered equally as well as my more expensive Essie nailvarnishes, yet awas lmost half the price.

You definitely need two coats..this is the coverage after one....

Annd.... after two.

I still have the same issue with Models Own nail varnishes in that the brush is very thin and therefore it isn't the easiest product to apply.  It certainly doesn't glide as easy as other nail varnishes do, and I definitely think they would benefit from beefing the brush up a bit width-wise.  But coverage-wise, this is perfect. You get a really dense block of pastel colour from just two coats.

The colour I bought was a really pale pastel blue.  It looks a bit turquoise in the photos, but in real life it looked very similar to the colour of blue tack.  Which I'm not sure if this put me off a bit.  Was I the only one who used to put blue tack on my fingernails at school when I was bored, and pretend it was nailvarnish!?  Maybe. (Stop sharing now.)  But that is what this reminds me off.

Either way, if you are looking for cheap pastel shades for the summer, I'd definitely point you in the direction of the Models Own counter.  They offer a baby pink, a mint green and a pastel coral, all of which will look amazing with a summer wardrobe.  Grab them whilst the Boots offer is on, and you'll get two really good nailvarnishes for £7.50...bargain I'd say!