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Nars Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation

Am I right in saying the Nars Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation has had a bit of a moment since it’s release? Some may say blogging is dead, but I 100% wanted to try this foundation because of all the hype online.

Now I will say I have seen some not so great things said about it. But sure balance is key in this industry and not everything can work for everyone (generally). We’re all different, looking for different things and different results. It’s one thing I love about this beauty world.

I picked up the Nars Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation when ASOS were having a 20% off everything sale. I had gone in to buy it a couple of times in Brown Thomas, but they never have my shade. It’s also important to note too, Nars counters never give out samples, which I think is a load of baloney! But sure didn’t I buy it anyways 🙂

So what do Nars say about this foundation? They say it has:

‘Liquid texture.
Luminous finish.
Fade resistant for up to 16 hours.
Available in 33 shades’.

I colour matched myself to the shade ‘Mont Blanc’. And it’s a pretty perfect match.

My thoughts on the Nars Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation are kind of contradictory if I’m being completely honest. I love the packaging, it’s very sleek. I love the formula. In my humble opinion it’s has really good coverage, but not oh shit, I’ve just put plaster all over my face, good coverage. Although you can definitely build it up.

I wouldn’t call it ‘luminous’, although it’s not flat on the skin. There’s definitely a bit of a satin sheen to it. It blends like an absolute dream. And when I first apply it, I could probably say it’s one of my favourite foundations ever. The term ‘weightless’, I can 100% get on board with though! However, there is a ginormous but! Saying it’s a fade resistant for 16 hours foundation in my very humble opinion is just plain madness. I did google other opinions on it because obviously I would have more oilier skin, and people with combination and even drier skin types were of the same opinion. It just doesn’t last. On me, it starts to break down after probably the second hour. Considering I use two primers, powder and setting spray, its just not cool! Where I’m more combo, it lasts a little better. But still, at the end of a day wearing the Nars Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation, I look super greasy.

Here it is in action in video form:

I want to love this foundation with all of my heart. Dramatic much Gemma? I love the finish, the application and the coverage. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t last the test of time for me, even with all the makeup accoutrements 🙁 In all honesty I probably went for the wrong Nars Foundation. I should have went for the All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation. Lesson learned!

Have you tried it yet? I would love to know your thoughts on it.

xxx

September 14, 2018/by Gem

Makeup, Youtube Video

Benefit The Porefessional Pore Minimizing Makeup

I jumped in at the deep end with the new Benefit The Porefessional Pore Minimizing Makeup.

This very cute package arrived the other day from Benefit with all four products from the range.

I thought I would do a complete first impressions video using everything including the new Benefit The Porefessional Pore Minimizing Makeup.

I’ve used the Benefit The Porefessional Primer many times before over the years and do really like it. So, my first impressions are of the other three products that are newer in the range. The Matte Rescue, Agent Zero Shine and the Pore Minimizing Makeup that was the whole point of the press release 🙂

Obviously you don’t have to buy all four products, they are pretty pricey! But if you do, I go through and use all four step by step. And also, I don’t read the instructions on the makeup and do a really bad blogger job of showing it in action 🙂 I think I make a pretty decent comeback in the end though so don’t judge me on that, k?

Here’s a before and after of the first three products minus powder and obviously eyes and brows done aswell.

Then here is my skin with all four products applied with the added makeup accoutrements 🙂

If you click on the video either above or directly on my YouTube channel here, you can see them all in action one by one, my first impressions and how my makeup fared throughout the day. I do a check in after wearing them for about six hours.

The whole Benefit The Porefessional range is available from Benefit retailers nationwide with the Pore Minimizing Makeup coming this month. You can have a closer look at the products on the Boots website here. Anything take your fancy?

Gemma

xxx *****PR SAMPLE****

May 5, 2017/by Gem

Makeup

Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer

I am months and months late to the Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer game, but I got there in the end 🙂

The Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer has reached the pinnacle of cult status in the beauty world. Hype hits me in strange ways, I either completely and utterly jump on board or I couldn’t be arsed. For this one, I didn’t jump on board at all.

I went to a blogger event in House of Fraser a few weeks ago and they gave us a voucher to spend, and so spend I did! I finally caved and bought the concealer.

I have been using it consistently since I got it.

I picked up the shade Light Neutral.

In hindsight, this shade is too dark for me personally (I’m NC20 in Mac), I can make it work, but I should have really gotten the first shade in the range. They just didn’t have it in stock and I didn’t want to wait.

So when I am using it, I use a translucent powder to set it, rather than a powder with any colour.

It has a light consistency, but the product itself is full coverage. You can’t dawdle too much around the Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer, it will set, so be careful!

The applicator is a soft round tipped doe foot applicator, which makes applying the product really easy and pretty much fuss free.

Although I have oily skin, I do get dryness under my eyes. The Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer does have a drying formula, as it sets, but it doesn’t interfere with my skin texture. It doesn’t settle or it doesn’t crease, and it lasts really well throughout the day too. I haven’t had any issues with flakiness or extra dryness using it.

Here’s my under eye before application.

I don’t suffer with a huge amount of darkness, I do have pigmentation and some redness too though.

I apply the Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer straight from the applicator. The packaging has good suction, so you don’t get too much excess product on the doefoot.

The Light Neutral shade does have a peachy tone to it as you can see above.

Day to day I’ll usually just use my foundation brush to blend my under eye concealer in.

So here is my under eye after one application.

You can see all any discolouration or pigment is gone. I usually add another small amount then on the inner part of my under eyes, just to be sure 🙂

It has pretty awesome coverage and it doesn’t cake up if you layer it, which is brilliant too, considering it sets so quickly.

As the Light Neutral shade is a little dark for my complexion I don’t get any brightness from the Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer which I do like from my under eye concealer, but that’s due to the colour matching, not the product itself.

I have to admit I can kind of see what the fuss is about with this product. I know the Catrice Liquid Camouflage Concealer is deemed a ‘dupe’ for the Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer, and I can get why. However, now having both I think the Naked Skin has a lot more pigment and is more blendable. Obviously I know the price difference is pretty huge though.

You can pick up the Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer from House Of Fraser or from Debenhams in store or online here. It will set you back 22 euro.

Would you splurge? Have you already? Let me know 🙂

xxx

April 12, 2016/3 Comments/by Gem

Posts

So what do Nars say about this foundation? They say it has:

‘Liquid texture. Luminous finish. Fade resistant for up to 16 hours. Available in 33 shades’.

Have you tried it yet? I would love to know your thoughts on it.

xxx

I jumped in at the deep end with the new Benefit The Porefessional Pore Minimizing Makeup.

I am months and months late to the Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer game, but I got there in the end 🙂

‘Liquid texture.
Luminous finish.
Fade resistant for up to 16 hours.
Available in 33 shades’.