Illamasqua Matte Veil Review

So I've taken a bit of time before gathering my thoughts on this one by actually trialling it for a couple of weeks. I'm a big fan of Illamasqua products and when I first tried Hydra Veil I thought it was an amazing, innovative product. It hydrates skin, smooths out texture and gives foundation a great base and last. What I really loved the most about Hydra Veil is that it worked on pretty much all skin types and has since become a staple in my freelance kit.

So when I heard about Matte Veil, I was instantly sold. With my normal to oily skin gradually getting more and more shiny as the weather gets somewhat warmer, I didn't want, I needed this product!

As the title suggests, this primer is designed to mattify skin and reduce shine. The first thing I noticed is that it smells a lot like Palmer's Cocoa Butter! It's texture is less jelly-like than Hydra Veil and more like custard. Unlike Hydra Veil, it doesn't set in the jar either. Instead it keeps like a lotion in the pot.

There are a lot of things I like about Matte Veil; It feels instantly hydrating, it doesn't leave the skin dry or tight like some mattifying primers do, it's easily absorbed, helps foundation glide and blend onto the skin and with it, make up sits better and lasts longer. I also like the fact that it doesn't make skin look lacklustre after applying this product.

Unfortunately I just didn't find that it kept my skin matte for very long. I do have quite an oily T-zone and even when I wear powder based foundations I still seem to have a shine on by midday, and this product didn't do much to improve that. I trialed it for 2 weeks using more of it, then less. I tried applying it with a brush and then another time with my fingers. I even tried it with different foundations including Mac Studio Fix Fluid which is normally very matte but I still didn't feel that it kept my base shine-free for long enough.

It might just be my skin type but I was a little bit disappointed as Hydra Veil worked so well for me. However, as I never write off any product I will still keep it in my kit for it's use as a great pre-foundation prep product.

Have you tried Matte Veil? Did it work for you?

Just love

Rina xoxo

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation

Okay so I have to admit, I was really looking forward to using this foundation. So many good reviews about it, on the favourites lists of many other make up artists and beauty bloggers so I was expecting something good.

NARS describes this as a buildable sheer to medium coverage foundation with a glowing, natural, radiant finish. It's also supposed to leave the skin more hydrated, luminous, softer and smoother and if used everyday it claims to improve the skin's brightness and texture. It's recommended for those that have a normal to dry skin type.

Given all this, I expected the foundation to look really radiant and glowy especially on my normal to oily skin type. However I couldn't help but feel that the foundation felt and looked a little bit flat and cakey. I applied it with my fingers as recommended and really warmed it into the skin. The coverage was very good but if you like sheer coverage I'd steer clear. This version of 'sheer' is completely different to my understanding of sheer which is that of a tinted moisturiser or my favourite sheer foundation, Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation.

I bought it in the colour Tahoe which was the closest match to my skin. So the closest equivalent to Bobbi Brown's Golden or MAC's NC44. I liked the tone of the foundation but it was just a smidge too light. However, the next shade was far too dark so I compensated by using a bronzer to warm my complexion up and to avoid me looking like my face was a completely different colour to my neck and chest.

On another occasion though I applied it with an Illamasqua Highlighter brush and buffed it on over Illamsqua's Hydra Veil Primer and it went on so much better. Still I felt it was a little bit matte looking but as I was going to a party I didn't mind looking more made up. It's great as an under eye concealer though. Used with a full bristled synthetic concealer brush, this formula builds up really well under the eyes and there was minimal creasing as the night went on.

So I guess my conclusion is that for me this foundation should really be called something else. The words 'sheer' and 'glow' don't come to mind when I have it on. However I never write off a foundation as I believe there's always a use for any foundation. If not now then maybe later. I'd say it's good for people that want a bit of coverage and want to make more of an effort to get that flawless look. It doesn't have an SPF in it either which I like. It means that for photography it prevents you from looking 'white' in pics so a good option for wedding days. I must admit, it photographs incredibly well.

In the picture of me I'm wearing it with a Bobbi Brown Bronzer in Golden Light and Laura Mercier Highlighter 01. So out of 10, I give it a 7.

Let me know if you've used NARS Sheer Glow Foundation and what you thought of it.

Just Love

Rina xoxo

October '14 Beauty Buys

I was only intending to buy one product that I'd been meaning to review for a while but I ended up buying a few more... Oh well, more products to review, not entirely a bad thing.

So I ended up settling on the following:
NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Tahoe
Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder in Highlight-01
Illamasqua Skin Base Lift in White Light and Deep 1
Illamasqua Colouring Pencil in Seize
Illamasqua Lipstick in Shard from the Sacred Hour collection

I'll be reviewing some of these separately with more pictures soon.

Just love

Rina xoxo

My Favourite Foundation Brushes

'Your make up is only as good as your brushes' or so the saying goes. But when it comes to foundation it's definitely important to use the right tools. The right brush not only makes sure that your make up looks good but it can also save you time and prevent you from overusing or wasting your foundation.

I have used many foundation brushes and as a make up artist I'm obsessed with adding to my collection but as of late I have settled on a couple of new favourites.

I've noticed that recently foundation brushes have moved away from the flat paddle brushes that used to be the trusted applicator for all mediums of foundation. These are still great and I love my Bobbi Brown foundation brush below, I have 3 in my kit. These brushes are great for application. Unlike sponges, flat paddle foundation brushes were synthetic and so didn't soak up liquid foundations, saving us from wasting our favourite foundation formulas.

Then there was the stippling brush. The MAC small duo fibre brush was a favourite for a lot of beauty junkies including myself. I did buy this brush for the purpose of applying foundation but I found that with liquid formulas, the tips on the brush sometimes just moved the formula round in circles on my skin. I didn't ever feel like it blended the product very well and often went over my face with another brush or my hands. It is, however, great for applying loose powder products and for blending powder blush.

Brushes are always improving though and a lot of companies are able to produce good quality brushes with synthetic fibres. Synthetic brushes have always been a must for liquid and cream products and for a while it seemed that synthetic brushes were always flat so not great for getting around the contours of the face. But now I've noticed that synthetic brushes are being produced for the use of all products which means we now have access to a variety of shapes and sizes of brushes for applying foundation.

Currently my favourite brushes are the Illamasqua Highlighter Brush and the Bobbi Brown Full Coverage Brush.

The Illamasqua Highlighter Brush although designed for it's namesake is also perfect for blending liquid foundation onto the skin. Small in size and shaped into a dome, this brush gets product around areas like the nose and mouth evenly. It's also my absolute favourite for applying cream blush as I feel like it practically blends the product for me. No harsh lines or blotches of extreme colour when I use this for cream blush.

The Bobbi Brown Full Coverage Brush is an absolute dream for applying and blending liquid foundation. When I first used this brush for foundation I thought 'where have you been all my life!' Of course it's made from synthetic fibres but it feels like velvet. It's great not only for applying foundation but it blends make up onto the skin flawlessly and with minimum effort. For those of you who aren't so great at blending, this brush does all the hard work for you! You just pick up a small amount of product and buff it onto the skin. You'll even find that you will probably use less product as the brush clings on to hardly any of the foundation meaning that what goes onto the brush, goes onto the face. Minimum product is wasted and so your foundation goes further. And best of all it's quick. It blends as you go along so you don't have to keep going over and over your face until the product blends away.

So there you have it, my current favourite foundation brushes. And I say current as make up companies are always bringing out new and wonderful brushes so no doubt I'll have a new list of favourites eventually. I hope so anyway :)

Have you used any of these brushes? Let me know what you think of them and what your favourite foundation brushes are.

Just love

Rina xoxo