Face oils : why you need them no matter what skin type

First thing is first, don't be afraid of oils!! I have a real combination when it come to my skin. Most of the time I'm a real greasy monster, but I do also get bad dry spots if I don't look after my skin / if I get dehydrated. This is a blog that I feel I will add to over the years when I discover more and more skin oils, but for now, here are a few of the oils I have tried.

One if my friends at school always had the most beautiful skin and put it down to using Bio Oil on her skin everyday, twice a day. When I first heard this I was shocked! 

Having such oily skin, I was really unsure about putting more oil on my face. I finally decided while in my second year of university, (after too many nights out and seriously dehydrating my skin) to just go for it! So one night before bed I added bio oil to my beauty routen and was amazed. 

The next morning my skin looked so healthy and didn't feel greasy or oily at all!  I was converted! 

 I started using Bio Oil at night, but I found it was just too oily to use in the morning! Which was frustrating, so I needed to find an alternative. 

Bio oil isn't really made for putting on your face (as I see it) it's very thick and doesn't sink into the skin quickly. 

Next I decided to try ESPA replenishing face treatment / oil. As you can imagine from the title, this oil was specifically designed for putting on your face. Great start :) 

I really like this oil. I can use it in the mornings before applying my make up and don't find that it is too oily. It does leave my skin looking and feeling great, as the bio oil did, and had no after effects such as my make up slipping off etc. I really like the smell of this. It reminds me of the great outdoors, my partner on the other hand hates it and says I smell like mould when I wear it. (He always has had a way with words haha) 

Most recently I have been trying out Ole Henriksen pure truth youth activating oil. 

I have to admit, this stuff makes my skin look beautiful. It glows and looks so plump. But what's the catch? IT STINKS! I really cannot stand the smell of this oil. It's so over powering and really takes away from how beautiful it makes your skin look. Which is a real shame! 

So what to do? If you are on a budget, bio oil is the way forward. It's cheap and cheerful and does the job. I really like the ESPA face oil and love the outcome of the Ole Henriksen. If you have no since of smell, id opt for Ole Henriksen every time, if however you do have a normal sense if smell and don't like anything over powering, I'd say head to ESPA. 

Which ever product you use, the message is still the same, DONT BE AFRAID OF FACE OIL! It will change our skin for the better. And those greasy monsters out there like me, it'll actually even make your skin LESS greasy / oily because your skin won't need to make as much natural oil as you will be topping it up with this! Trust me, from one greasy monster to another, do it! Use face oil! 

Prime Time! It's all about the perfect primer

Primer makes such a big difference to the way your make sits and the duration it stays on. I have tried a lot of primers and these three are the best I've tried so far!

The first primer is Laura Mercier Foundation Primer. This is a new one for me and I've fallen in love with it. 

It has a lovely texture and glides on. This primer is a gel and I find that it is not sticky at all! My make up lasts so well with this primer, whether that's in the office or out and about. 

You can only buy an oil free version of this, but I'm a greasy monster and find that this primer is fine without having to get the oil free version. They are the same price, so you can choose either without having to worry about a difference in cost. 

Alike the first primer, the BareMinerals Prime Time primer is also a gel. I have to admit, of the three, this is my least favourite. I just don't like the way it sits on my face. I don't find that my make up goes on evenly when I use this. 

My skin texture feels a bit odd when I put this on my face. But I think that's just personal preference. 

The third primer is totally differnt from these two. 

The Shu Uemura UV under base mousse is one of my all time favourites! I always use a sponge to apply this, as I feel that you get a better effect. It's really light and speads well. 

It also has a tint to it which means if you have nice skin, you could wear this on it's own without foundation and have a flawless look. It is also SPF 30 PA +++ so you skin is safe in the sun 

I have also tried other mousses from this range and not liked them as much, so make sure you try them before you buy! 

Overview 

So to wrap things up, the BareMineral prime time is my least favourite primer of the three, but still better than a few other I have tried on the market. 

Laura Mercier and Shu Uemura battle it out for top spot on my list. The Shu Uemura is great for sunny days, it provides a light tint so you don't have to apply foundation if you don't want to and will protect you from the sun. 

However I think if for the everyday working woman, Laura Mercier is the best I have tried. It's gel texture is so nice on your face, and my make stays put all day!! 

Macadamia Deep Repair Masque and Heating Oil Treatment

This week I tried out some new hair products by Macadamia Natural Oil. 

These products have a unique blend of macadamia & argan oil which leave your hair looking, smelling and feeling incredible! 

The first product I tried was the Macadamia Heating Oil Treatment. Simply apply to damp hair and dry as normal! This oil is really nice, it's not sticky and it doesn't leave your hair feeling greasy in any way. I have been using this for about 5 days now, and my hair feels and looks so healthy already! You only need a 5p piece size of the product. 

I have only applied this to the tips of my hair, and I feel adding it to the roots would be too much. I blow dry and straighten my hair everyday, so the heat was really starting to damage my locks. But this seems to be almost reversing the effects! 

As you can see from the image below, the oil comes in a variety of sizes. 

Prices 

30ml       £12.95

125ml     £29.95

300ml     £60.00

The second product I tried was the Deep Repair Masque. Wow what an amazing product! You know that feeling you get when you've just been to the hair dressers and your hair just feels amazing for like a day!? While this masque will give you that feeling....but for days! 

You can use this up to twice a week, I really don't think you'd need to use it any more than that! 

The texture is really thick and buttery and smells AMAZING. 

You apply the masque to wet hair and leave it for up to 7 minutes. Then wash the product out and continue with your normal routine. 

Price 

100ml        £12.50

250ml        £26.95

500ml        £36.75

1000ml      £68.75 

Just to give you an idea of how far this stuff goes, I have a 15ml sample, and it's enough for TWO treatments! (My hair is about half was down my back, where your bra strap is). So it really will last you ages! 

You can buy all procus directly from the website 

www.macadamiahair.co.uk 

I also know that Harvey Nicolas stores sell these products too :) 

Roll on pay day, you need these products in your life!! 

Blush! Bobbi Brown vs Benefit

I love a good blush. I always go for a very pink blush to add a little bit of colour to my pale face. My two favourite blushes at the moment are Bobbi Browns Blush Pretty Pink and Benefits Hervana. But how to choose!? 

Both of these colours look so beautiful on and both are colours that I feel will match most skin tones. 

Although both the colours are very pink, the Bobbie Brown colour is much darker and richer, whereas the benefit blush has more of a shimmer to it, almost like more of a highlighter. 

Below I have done a line of each colour to show the difference. 

So when you open up your blush they will look like this... 

Price 

Bobbi Brown     £19

Benefit              £23.50

There is a slight price difference, however the benefit blush also comes with a handy little brush in each box too! 

So which is best!? I will be honest, I love both of these brands and both of these blushes! They both transition well from day to night and are reasonably priced. 

If I could only choose one I hear you ask!? I would pick the benefit blush. You can layer it up for a bit more depth and it highlights your cheekbones well. 

Happy shopping! 

Benefit : They're Real

I was pretty dubious about trying this mascara after hating Benefits 'bad gal' mascara. But about 2 years ago ( when this was first launched ) I was wow'ed by 'they're real' and I've never looked back. 

It has a real host of awards such as:

Shortlisted - Cosmetic Launch Of The Year, Beauty Magazine Beauty Awards, 2011
Best Mascara, The Beauty Shortlist, 2012
Best Newcomer - Shortlisted, Shout Beauty Awards, 2012
Ultimate 20 Must-Haves You Can't Live Without: Best Mascara, Debenhams, 2012
Best everyday Mascara, Woman and Home, 2012
Lash Lifter, Glamour Power List, 2012
Best Mascara, Skin Deep Beauty Blog, 2012
Best New Makeup Product - Eyes or Lips - Prestige, CEW Beauty Awards, 2013

(Benefit website)

This mascara really does make a huge difference to your lashes. I love this for an every day lash, it adds just enough lengh and thickness to your lashes to make them look full, but natural. 

I wouldn't say this is a good alternative for a night lash, I would still always go straight for my false lashes! 

It can be a bit of a nightmare to remove, I would recommend an oil based make up remover such as the Shu Uemura cleansing oil. 

But it's a good price at just £19.50! A real bargain. http://m.benefitcosmetics.co.uk/product/view/theyre-real

Estée Lauder : Bronze Goddess Soft Shimmer Bronzer

I'm not really a huge Bronzer fan. I only really use it when I am on holiday to add a little bit of colour to face (so that it matches the colour of my body) 

So I thought as I am on holiday at the moment and using Estée Lauder's Bronze Goddess now would be a good time to write about this product! 

This Bronzer is a beautiful colour and has loads of shimmer to it. It goes on really nicely, but takes time to build up the colour. It's not very dark, which is nice. I find I normally have to go over three maybe four times to get the right colour, and I'm very pale. If you want a really obvious Bronzer, this isn't the product for you. 

Due to the fact it has loads of shimmer, this can highlight any skin imperfections. So make sure to use a good concealer on any blemishes before applying. 

Overall a nice Bronzer to add a little bit of colour, but not a heavy / obvious Bronzer.  The shimmer can sometimes highlight imperfections, so go easy with this if you have bad skin. 

Shu Uemura : Face Architect Foundation

Finding the right foundation can be a complete nightmare! I feel like I've tried everything on the market. I very rarely stay with the same foundation for more than two purchases, so to keep my hooked, a foundation has to be amazing. 

At the moment I am using Shu Uemura Face Architect in shade 364 medium light amber. 

I like this foundation because it has a nice pinky base. I have very pale skin, so adding a little bit of colour is always good for me. I wish this foundation was a little bit thicker though. I find it is a little bit runny so doesn't quite give the coverage I want and need. Also, it doesn't wear as well as I would hope. By mid afternoon I find my make up is melting off my face (I work in an office with air con which really affects the way my foundation sits) 

As well as being a foundation, this product is also a sun screen! It's is SPF 18 PA ++, so you know that when you are wearing it, you are protected from the suns harmful rays :) 

But I think all in all it is an okay foundation, I'm on my second bottle at the moment and to be honest, I don't think I'll be investing in another. Which is a real shame because I use a lot of products from this brand and like them all! 

I think if I didn't have 'problem skin' this would be a perfect foundation. It is light and for people with great skin, it would cover beautifully. 

Price : £34 per bottle 

Website : http://www.shuuemura.co.uk/makeup/face/foundations/smooth-fit-fluid-foundation