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Rimmel Lasting Finish Breathable Foundation

One of my favourite, more affordable foundations for a long time, before I believe it was discontinued. (Damn them!), was the Rimmel Lasting Finish Nude. It was the one with the white top not the red one. I liked it the best because it wasn’t as thick, but it still gave decent coverage and lasted well on my oily skin. Their newest member of the range is the Rimmel Lasting Finish Breathable Foundation.

First up, I got this pretty early on, I hadn’t seen much media hype about it. It took me a long time to figure out how to open the bottle. Yes, it took me longer than necessary to realise you have to twist the cap, not pull it. It has a doe foot applicator, not a pump like it’s predecessors. Not my favourite choice of application, but each to their own. You can dispense it onto your hand or a palette and use it that way if you prefer.

According to Rimmel, the Rimmel Lasting Finish Breathable Foundation: ‘Perfects your skin with light to medium buildable coverage. It is enriched with breathable skin technology and moisturises for up to 25h. Up to SPF 20.’

If you’re familiar with Rimmel foundations, you will be familiar with the scent. The flowery aroma is something to be weary of, it can be quite overwhelming at first, although it does die down as the product settles.

For me, this foundation definitely has a light but buildable coverage. It dries down more matte in finish than I expected it to. I’ve read other reviews and they said it gave a satin finish on their skin. Obviously all of this beauty talk is subjective. On me, it definitely has more of a semi-matte finish. I have the shade 101 Classic Ivory which matches my skin tone pretty well. It’s a little more warmer than my bare skin. I prefer this, as it makes me look less pink 🙂

Rimmel Lasting Finish Breathable Foundation_2946

Rimmel Lasting Finish Breathable Foundation_2949

It covers redness and slight imperfections, not so great with deep pores or wrinkles. The wear time on me is pretty good, although if you have more dry skin it’ll be even better. Overall, I rate is as a grand foundation. I don’t really get the breathable aspect of it though? It’s not super heavy on the skin, but you definitely know it’s there. Also, if you have a drier skin type, and are looking for a more radiant finish, this definitely won’t work either. I’ll for sure get wear out of it as a day time foundation. But, I’m not head over heels in love with it.

You can find the Rimmel Lasting Finish Breathable Foundation available in store from Boots and online here now. And I found it for the cheapest price online from a reputable retailer from Feel Unique here.

Have you tried it?

xxx

November 29, 2017/by Gem

Makeup

Mac Cosmetics Current Favourite Lip Combo

Yet another post about Mac Cosmetics. I am having a bit of an obsession at the moment it seems.

My last post here was on my most reached for Mac eyeshadows. This one will be chatting about my current favourite lip combo from the brand.

Mac Cosmetics do a damn good lipstick. No one can deny that. I have always been a fan and have always had a few in my collection. They do a mean lip liner too and the more I have gotten into lip lining. (Yes, I am late on that bandwagon 🙂 ). The more I have added to my stash.

My current favourite lip combination just happens to be two products from the same brand, so I thought it justified a post.

Whirl lip liner isn’t new to me. I’ve owned it for a while now.

It’s the perfect mid tone brown shade. I use it alone and under similar lipstick shades. I also use it under not so similar lipstick shades. For me, It’s great for adding a bit of dimension or shade under lighter tones aswell.

This will set you back €17.50 here.

I have been loving pairing it with one of my newest Mac Cosmetics finds. This is definitely not a new lipstick. I hear people talk about it all the time, so I needed it in my life.

It’s a lustre finish lippie. This means it’s more shiny in finish. Doesn’t last as long on the lips as a matte finish, but it does leave behind a bit of a stain.

I am a mauve lipstick WHORE so this shade is just my jam. It is the perfect everyday mauve shade with a hint of pink. I wear it in it’s raw state too 🙂

Wearing it over Whirl just darkens it every so slightly and also makes it last a bit longer also. I can even out my lip line with Whirl too before adding Syrup over top for a more defined look. Using it on it’s own is a little softer.

You can find Mac lipsticks on the Arnotts website here.

Of course there is no need to use both, this is just my current lip combo fave and I wanted to share it with you 🙂 Have you a favourite Mac Cosmetics lipstick?

xxx

September 13, 2017/1 Comment/by Gem

Bargain Buying, Makeup

Five Budget Makeup Favourites

I have begun to do monthly favourites again on Beautynook a while ago now and am really enjoying it. It makes me extra conscious of products I continually pick up.

So, I thought I would start doing just general favourites too. Monthly ones can be for makeup, skincare and anything in between. These posts will be a little more theme driven. Hope that’s ok 🙂

So here’s five budget makeup products that have really been floating my beauty boat at the moment.

The Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer.

Excuse the appearance of mine, unfortunately the writing on the tube doesn’t withstand much…touching really :p

I used this years ago when it was all the rage and then just forgot to ever repurchase it, once I became a full on makeup fiend. Why, I don’t know, because it’s a bloomin’ good!

I have the shade ‘Fair 1’ which brightens up my pale complexion really well.

I do use this on it’s own and it works well. It has good coverage. But, most of the time I like to layer it over my Urban Decay Naked Concealer (I’ve a full review of this here). The Naked Concealer I have is too dark for me, so layering them on top of each other gives me hardcore under eye coverage and some brightness too. The consistency of the Lasting Perfection is really easy to blend so it’s works really well for layering. It’s a gem of a product. You can buy it from Boots here and it’ll set you back €5.79, not bad at all, right?

2. My second budget makeup favourite is what I use to apply the concealer with. It’s the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. Again, mine has seen better days. But it means I do actually use it…alot!

I’ve had a Beauty Blender in my stash since we were first able to get our hands on them here in Ireland and I do really love it. In in my humble opinion though, the Miracle Complexion Sponge is just as good! It melts both cream and powder products into the skin so you’re never left with cake face. And as an oily skinned gal who loves her powders for longevity, this is awesome for me.

I also love that it has a flat end and a more pointed end because it caters to all contours of the face.

I’ve also jumped onto the ‘baking’ bangwagon of late, so this is perfect for applying powder under the eyes too. In fact, other than blush and of course whatever I apply on my eyes, I can pretty much do my whole face with this. My poor brushes don’t know what to do with themselves. I’ve just been having a real moment with my sponges 🙂 The Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge is €7.99 here from Boots. They also come in a double pack here too for €14.99.

3. This is another product I picked up first years ago, loved and then forgot about. This is the Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser Primer.

This is very much the stereotypical silicone primer so it’s definitely a love hate thing. For me and my skin it work really well.

I have large pores, so I need a primer that will glide over them and make them less visible. It has a matte finish too. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a miracle worker or anything like that. But it does the job of holding onto my makeup for longer and gives a smoother base to work on top of. It’s something I’ve repurchased many times over the years and have never regretted it. It’s €11.49 again from Boots here.

4. Number 4 on my budget makeup list is the H&M ‘Sheer Tan’ Solar Flair Bronzing Powder.

When I was in Oslo at the start of the year, I picked up lots of products from the H&M beauty line. Some just didn’t cut the mustard for me at all. This bronzer however, has remained in my everyday makeup stash and I reach for it alot.

As the name would suggest it gives a sheer pop of colour.

It’s has kind of a satin finish to it, but no shimmer or shine. it is really finely milled, so blends really smoothly and naturally onto the skin. Their bronzers come in 6 shades so there’s one to suit all and they cost €7.99. We can actually shop online from H&M now so here’s a link if you fancy a nose too 🙂

5. My last favourite is a new one to me, and the first product I’ve ever used from the Freedom brand. This is their Duo Brow Powder’.

They look really similar to the Anastasia Brow Duos, right?

I bought this on a whim from the Superdrug website. I did a quick google for colour swatches and thank god for fellow bloggers out there because it worked out really well for me. This is in the shade ‘Soft Brown’.

I use the lighter shade to fill in my brows either on it’s own or over pencil, depending on the day. Then, the darker shade it great for adding dimension or filling in any gaps.

The powders aren’t super opaque in colour when you swatch them, which would have put me off buying one in store.

This is weirdly why I am enjoying them so much though. It actually means I don’t go over the top filling in my brows so they end up looking somewhat natural 🙂 You can buy them from Superdrug online here and they cost £3.

There you have it! Five Budget Makeup Favourites from me. These are products that I am using pretty much everyday right now and loving.

Let me know if you have any budget makeup favourites 🙂

xxx

July 25, 2016/2 Comments/by Gem

Makeup

L’Oreal Nude Magique Cushion Foundation

Cushion foundation and products have been getting alot of press of late. They are definitely not a new phenomenon, originating in Korea, but now they are making their way slowly to our shores. In Asia, cushion foundations would be deemed a fusion of makeup and skincare in one, so kind of like a bb or cc cream but in compact form. This obviously makes them easier for travel too. The cushion is supposed to make the formula of the foundation lighter and offers you a lighter application of the product inside. So there’s a quick synopsis on cushion foundation (in case you ever wondered), now let’s get into my thoughts on the new L’Oreal Nude Magique Cushion Foundation 🙂

Within the L’Oreal Nude Magique Cushion Foundation compact, you get an applicator sponge in the top layer.

You then have an air tight lid to help prevent bacteria getting into the actual cushion and the foundation within it and obviously to prevent the liquid spilling out.

The L’Oreal Nude Magique Cushion Foundation is made in the same vein as the original Korean cushion foundations (and it’s also made in Korea too), so it has a light weight, water infused formula which contains SPF 29. It has a sheer coverage, but you can build it up to a more medium coverage if you want. That’s how I personally wear it.

It is said you get the best application from a cushion foundation using the sponge that comes with it. I have tested it with it and it does work, but I just find it a longer process and a bit of a pain. So, like a rebel, I use my foundation brush to apply it. Using the brush allows me to buff the foundation into the skin more too and fill in any deeper pores on my face (which I have plenty of).

I have shade number 1 which is porcelain and this is a good match for my Mac NC20 skin. If your skin is lighter than mine though, there’s really not an option for you which is a bit annoying.

There is 7 shades in total. I would recommend swatching in store before making a choice though.

Here’s the L’Oreal Nude Magique Cushion Foundation in action.

I just dab my brush super lightly onto the sponge.

And then apply it just as I would my normal foundation.

Before Application

The finish to me, is more satin than dewy and the formula feels really lightweight and comfortable on the skin. It knocks back redness and evens out the skin tone but in a natural way.

It obviously doesn’t last as well on me throughout the day like my ride or die L’Oreal Infallible Matte Foundation (there’s a full review of that here if you’re curious), but considering it’s a lightweight, satin finish, water based foundation with SPF 29, it lasts pretty well on my oily skin with primer and powder on top. I start to get some shine on my t zone after maybe the third hour, but if doesn’t oxidise or look unsightly, so I would probably wait until the fourth or fifth hour of wear before powdering.

Overall, I personally really like the L’Oreal Nude Magique Cushion Foundation. I am finding it a great addition to my Summer makeup and getting alot of use out of it. At €21.99 it is very much at the higher price end for ‘drugstore’ foundation, so it really just depends on whether you buy into the whole cushion foundation thing and if would work for your skin needs, so I hope I’ve given you a bit of insight into it anyway 🙂

You can buy the L’Oreal Nude Magique Cushion Foundation from Boots instore or online here.

I would love to know your thoughts on it and if you’ve tried any other cushion foundations. Keep me in the loop! 🙂

I have a separate post coming on the Glam Bronze Cushion De Soleil. I just thought this post would be way too long talking about both of them, so keep an eye out for that!

xxx

June 17, 2016/by Gem

Makeup

Rimmel Moisture Renew Sheer And Shine Lipsticks

These are some of the new Rimmel Moisture Renew Sheer And Shine Lipsticks, that I am sure you have probably seen on your social media feed alot of late, if you follow lots of lovely bloggers like myself 🙂 I don’t mean I’m a lovely blogger I mean I follow lovely bloggers ha! Anyways…

Rimmel already have their Moisture Renew Lipsticks, these ones pack more of a colour punch than the new Rimmel Moisture Renew Sheer And Shine Lipsticks that have more of a sheer colour.

The Boots description of them is:’Rimmel London Moisture Renew Sheer & Shine Lipstick, a moisturising lipstick with a translucent, luminous, vitamin-enriched colour.This gloss-in-a-stick moisturises lips, giving a radiant touch of juicy colour and energising shine.Added SPF 20 helps protect your luscious lips from the harmful effects of the sun.’

There are eight varying shades in this new collection to choose from. Boots Ireland only seems to have six of them available though. They vary from the general lipstick colours, red,pink,coral,mauve,brown,nude. The usual shades us lipstick junkies are looking for.

I have 3 of them to showcase for you today 🙂

700 ‘Better And Brighter’.

200 ‘Glow-rious Pink’.

300 ‘Pink Rules’.

On first swatch the Rimmel Moisture Renew Sheer And Shine Lipsticks remind me alot of the Revlon Lip Butters we all went crazy for a couple of years ago. I loved them so much I bought colours on eBay that you couldn’t even get in Europe at the time, that’s makeup dedication right there 🙂

The Rimmel Moisture Renew Sheer And Shine Lipsticks definitely have a colour to them, while feeling really comfortable on the lips. If you like a defined lip line I don’t think these will work for you as they are really soft and nearly like a gloss without being annoyingly sticky. They also don’t have the Rimmel telltale lipstick smell, they do have a very light kind of fruity fragrance to them, but nothing in comparison to what we would be used to with Rimmel of late.

Overall, I think the Rimmel Moisture Renew Sheer And Shine Lipsticks have a very long name yep :). I think they’re really pretty, but I can’t say they’re anything new really.

If you’re in the market for a sheer glossy lipstick, the Rimmel Moisture Renew Sheer and Shine’s will set you back €8.29, are on 3 for 2 instore in Boots or online here in Boots at the moment.

What do you think of them?

xxx

April 25, 2016/by Gem

Bargain Buying, Makeup

H&M Makeup Haul Part 2

This is round two of my H&M Makeup Haul. The is the face products round 🙂 If you want to see the eye products I picked up, just click on the link here and you can see them up close and swatched. Again, I’ll link the UK H&M website here for all price listings as I bought these in Norway and was probably ripped off 🙂 Everything is pretty reasonable price wise .

First up in my H&M makeup haul part two is the Cover-Up Concealer.

Now, I wanted this in Ivory, but I couldn’t find one on the stand to save my life, so I got Vanilla, that’s a tad dark for my skin, but sure I’ll make it work. This would be an all over skin concealer, however I think I will chance it as an under eye one and see how it works.

It has a thin consistency and seems to blend really well into the skin. On first swatch it hasn’t a huge amount of coverage, but it definitely seems like it could be build-able.

I just blended it really softly here

Next up is their Immaculate Compact Foundation.

I chose this over one of their setting powders because I tend to like a bit of coverage with my face powders.

This is in the shade Ivory and I adore the packaging.

It comes with a mirror, the powder and than a sponge underneath.

The powder is really finely milled. There is a bit of a weird scent to it but nothing to crazy. After swatching it, the shade Ivory which I believe is the lightest shade they do may be slightly to dark for my natural (MacNC20) skin tone.

This is a bit annoying considering there are paler people than me out there.

I also got their Solar Flair Bronzing Powder. I had actually seen Lily Pebbles talk fondly of this so I knew it was something I wanted to try.

Again, I love the sleek packaging and it comes with a good sized mirror.

I got the shade ‘Sheer Tan’. I think this was the lightest bronzing shade they do. I really like that they do different colours. That is not a regular thing within a beauty brand.

I can detect a really really subtle sheen to the powder when swatched and like the powder foundation it is a really finely milled powder. I think I’m really going to like this 🙂

The last thing I have to show is one of the H&M Pure Radiance Powder Blushers.

Again, I’ll address the packaging, it’s super pretty and these have a gold bottom which I really love.

I chose the shade ‘Sunrise Pink’. I thought this was the most wearable shade for me.

It’s a dusky pink with a fleck of gold sparkle running through it. When you apply it though, the shimmer doesn’t seem to translate too much.

Personally, I’m happy about this, but if you’re looking for the sparkle you might not be.

Overall, on first impressions, I am really pleased with my H&M makeup purchases. The packaging, the products themselves and the price points are really great. I look forward to actually applying these to my mug now and seeing how they fare 🙂

Thanks for reading.

xxx

January 27, 2016/by Gem