J'adore Dior

I haven't covered Fashion Week or Couture Week for a few seasons now. Although I am studying fashion, I don't feel my opinions are strong enough to justify critiquing fashion just yet. However, I have just been flicking through Dior's Couture collection and it is simply beautiful. The change over from John Galliano to Bill Gaytten has been smooth and even. Gaytten has created a collection based on Dior's heritage; clean cuts and beautiful tailoring. I can't help but love the 50's references, and simply adore the chiffon. Sigh*

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Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation Review

I am so behind on 'new' foundation loves, but I have finally gotten my hands on a sample of the Laura Mercier Sillk Creme Foundation! It seems everyone and their cat loves this foundation for its semi-matte, yet luminous finish and excellent coverage. It is also hailed by gurus and bloggers that it doesn't oxidize (go orange) at all, and gives a beautiful coverage all day long. I was given the colour Cream Ivory by the sales assistant in John Lewis. Frankly, his service was horrific and I will be writing to John Lewis Oxford Street this week to complain!

Throughout the day, I updated the experience on my Twitter so follow me there for up to the minute updates. To begin: the application was interesting. I used my MAC concealer brush to apply dots along my inner cheeks, which is where I usually begin my foundation as that area needs the most coverage. I began blending it in with my Real Techniques buffing brush and was horrified as it split and went all crumbled as the MAC Matchmaster did. However, with further blending it seamlessly blended in to my skin leaving an almost full coverage. This foundation also builds well as I needed a little more coverage on my cheeks.

Very fashionable dressing gown- thanks mum. So as you can see the coverage is pretty impressive. Unfortunately I have an open spot (my own fault) on my forehead, but you can see it doesn't quite cover red spots or under eye circles. For the first time in what feels like forever, I used my YSL Touche Eclat in shade 1 (original collection) under my eyes and MAC Select Cover Up concealer in NC20 on my spots and around my nose. This worked perfectly.

On the tube home... So after 5 hours of pretty incredible wear, shiny nose hell arrived. I have oily skin and powders make me look cakey, so having a shiny nose is something I am used to. Overall though, the colour and the coverage was impressive throughout the day. Bear in mind I was in an air-conditioned room all day and then in the freezing cold air, then the hot tube. 

By the end of the day the shininess had covered my face, and the product had begun slipping away. This was after 10 hours of wear, so I am genuinely very impressed with the product.

Pro:

• colour is great
• coverage is almost full, leaving the skin showing through a tiny amount
• it lasts a very long time in different environments
• the skin feels soft and not cakey
• doesn't sit in fine lines 

Con:

• doesn't cover spots 
• doesn't cover dark circles
• takes a lot of blending to seep in to the skin
• price!

Overall:

8.5/10. I am really considering asking for this product as a gift for my birthday in March, rather than paying for it myself. Available at most department stores, and on Laura Mercier's website. 

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Spring Trend: Flirty Lashes

Inspired by Louis Vuitton's S/S12 make up looks, today I used a new mascara to experiment with more flirty lashes. My general mascara love is Rimmel's Extra Super Lash in Brown/Black. I love the natural look that doesn't look clumpy, overly black or fake on my pale skin and blonde hair combination. The Vuitton spring look however, made the lashes look fluttery and flirty. Focusing on the outer corner to create an open eye look, false demi or individual lashes can be applied for an evening appropriate look. You could also use a separating and lengthening mascara on the outer lashes too.
So I raided my limited supply of mascaras and picked out MAC Zoomlash in Black. I was hunting for my YSL Shocking but I couldn't find it anywhere. I used the tip of the brush to manually place the outer lashes where I wanted them and used light coats to build up the intensity. If you have a favourite mascara for the Spring season, comment below and I will check it out.

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MAC Matchmaster Foundation Review

Today is the day I reveal possibly my biggest disappointing on 2011. Late I know, but I forgot how badly let down I was by this product and I used it on Monday. MAC's foundations have had a bit of a bad rep with me. I loved Satinfinish when I was in my first year at uni, but as my skin became more oily it began to 'split' during the day and look kind of like a split custard on my face.
Matchmaster has basically the same effect. I purchased the MAC Matchmaster foundation in November last year after reading press about it in September and hearing loads of Youtube girls and bloggers talking about it. I was advised that the shade 1.0 was ghost white, but it turned out that it was pretty much the perfect colour for me. It didn't have a hugely yellow undertone, which I had been so used to from my Chanel Mat Lumier and Pro Lumier.

 So, I applied this on Monday using a stippling brush from Real Techniques, which is my most favourite foundation brush ever. I have, in the past, also applied Matchmaster using a Model's Own Foundation Brush (similar to a MAC 190) and my fingers. All three application techniques however, just don't work with this product. I am at my wits end of trying to find a way to make this actually blend in to the skin. It first looks streaky, then crumbly and over the day just split up entirely.

The coverage is frankly rubbish, but I have been really lucky with my skin this week and have been really wanting to wear a lighter coverage foundation. It looks OK from about 2 metres away, but any closer and you just look multi-coloured and patchy! Such a disappointment considering the price. 

I have oily skin, like a boat of chip fat oily skin, so for me the sign of a really terrible foundation is one that can make my skin look flaky, uber dry and unhealthy. I want a matte to semi-matte finish, so a dry and crumbly finish just isn't for me. If you have worn this foundation and love it, leave a comment below and let me know. Also, if you have a medium coverage foundation that you love just let me know.  For on-the-move make up reviews, follow me on twitter here. 

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OOTD: Butterfly Comfort

 

Another average outfit. I spent the day at the library working on my current research project. I am evidently becoming an expert in future community and where fashion & cosmetics are going in the next five years. 2017= very exciting!
Shirt: New Look
Jeans: Topshop
Bag: Paul's Boutique
Cardigan: Atmosphere
Perfume: Burberry Body
Earrings: Forever 21

So the sun managed to make an appearance over North London today, so despite begin only 5 degrees outside I wore my Bourjois sunglasses I got in the summer holidays, and felt beyond glamorous. It was definitely a busy day, full of iPad's running out of battery, children running in to me and loosing my eyesight slowly but surely staring at books.
I am currently in love with testing new face products. I have been looking at face masks for the last week, and this week I'm trialing two new foundations. I wore possible the most rubbish foundation, for its price, today and I will be reviewing it later this week. How was your day?

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Purple Liner Challenge

So the big trend this season, as I said in my "Spring Trend: Pastel Nails" video is... candy pastels. Today I rocked purple eyeliner. As a fun alternative to my usual black winged liner, this purple look was more unique and exciting.

 I used my Accessorize pallet that I got for Christmas from my boyfriend's Mum. I selected the blue/pink toned purple from the top row. I used a MAC 266, which is an angled eyeliner brush. I ran the brush under the tap, and knocked off the excess water. I then dipped the brush into the purple colour, and ran it along the top lash line. It applied quite watery, but was easy to build up colour intensity. I also used the MAC Matchmaster foundation again today, review coming up this week!

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Mayan Mud Mask

So unless you hadn't guessed, I have become obsessed with face masks. I got a few new ones for Christmas, and I have become really obsessed with them. You can read my Elemis reviews below, but today I am using a natural mask.
For Christmas, I got a Mayan Mud Mask. Yes, that's Mayan as in the people who have predicted the end of the world. I've always had a bad run with mud masks, as they generally contain cocoa butter and shea butter. This mask, to my surprise, is actually mud. Like, grainy weird looking mud. It's dry, and doesn't have that elasticy rubbery texture that packet mixed masks you can get from Boots and Superdrug. You start the mask by mixing it with a tsp of warm water. It takes alot of mixing, but becomes a thick watery paste.

I used a Model's Own foundation brush to apply the mask on to my skin. I used up and down motions starting at my chin and working towards my forehead. Just a word of warning, it is incredibly watery and drips down the face so hold your head over the sink!

So I look insane. I am wearing a towel around my shoulders as I am wearing white pajaymas and don't want them ruined. It dries into a crumbly mud texture on the face, which is slightly uncomfortable. However, as you wash it off with warm water it acts as a mild exfoliant getting ride of any dry skin that's left behind. Here's another shot of me looking insane:

At the end of the day, the mask has left my skin feeling tight but in the way that is good... makes no sense, and  soft which is just lovely. So for looking absolutely mad, the results are worth it. On to the next mask! I promise there are some OOTD's and different reviews coming up!

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