Empty Products- The December Edition

So I'm going to pretend that it isn't the 11th January and I'll pretend that it is still blog-acceptable to post my empties from December 11 days late! Any other month I'm sure it wouldn't feel so weird but with Christmas and New Years already feeling like a million years ago I feel odd publishing this so late. However I am a creature of habit and the thought of not posting this was going to make me feel all unbalanced and strange so I am posting it anyway. So here you are, my selfish empties post! Enjoy!

Estee Lauder DoubleWear Foundation- I told you all here about how sad I was that my shade was being discontinued and the new 'pale' shades were no where near a suitable replacement. Anyway, this has definitely run out, it lasted me quite a long time as you only need to use the smallest amount for a good medium coverage finish. Read reviews here and here.
Will I buy this again?
I've got one bottle stashed away in my discontinued shade, but to be honest I have gone off this foundation a bit anyway so I am not too heartbroken I won't be able to buy 'Shell' anymore.

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer 'Fair'- I have a couple of tubes of this knocking around, one in my bedroom and one in my handbag. I think it is a good concealer at a good price- I find it blends well, has fairly good staying power (not sure about the 15hr claims) and good coverage. All factors you would want in a concealer!
Will I buy this again?
Yes.

LUSH 'Twilight' Shower Gel- I bought a mini bottle of this to try out, I ended up loving it. It's packed full of lavendar and malt so will soothe the senses and the skin. I have been working a lot of night shifts recently, so having a shower with this before bed helped me unwind and get to sleep. I had to go and buy the 250ml bottle as soon as it ran out, such a shame this was limited edition for christmas :-(
Will I buy this again?
Already have!

LUSH 'Snow Fairy'- This certainly isn't my favurite yet I feel compelled to buy it every year. Snow Fairy is so sweet and sugary, great in the mornings but one I have to alternate- I can't handle it every shower!
Will U buy this again?
No, until next year...

Kiehls Ultra Facial Moisturiser - I used this sporadically and then gave it to Ben  to finish because he loves Kiehls. The several different parabens on the ingredients list were fairly high up too and it put me off. In consistency it's a light lotion, yet it never fully absorbed into my skin- I was left with an ultra shiny face for hours after applying this and it left a residue behind. Bens skin on the other hand, soaked it up immediately. It's not one for me.
Will I buy this?
No.

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish- I've always got one of these on the go even if I am using or trialling another cleanser, I love how creamy and trustworthy it is!
Will I buy this again?
Yes.

Super Facialist by Una Brennan Tea Flower Deep Clean Purifying Ceansing Wash- A cleanser that after my first use I really wasn't sure about has become a new favourite. What is even more great about it is that it costs only £7.99, the quaity of this range of skincare is fantastic for the price you pay. This has really helped clean my blocked pores and balance my skin. Would recommend if you have oily or combination skin or suffer from breakouts.
Will I buy this again?
Already have!

Yves Saint Laurent 'Shocking' Mascara- I like this jet black formula and the fibruous wand does hold onto lashes. This is definitely a mascara for building bold volume, not for natural lash lovers. I sort of preferred it when it was drying out a bit as it made my lashes look delicate and feathery. Not fantastic at securing a curl, but my eyelashes are notoriously straight.
Will I buy this again?
I'm not sure.

The Body Shop Banana Conditioner- I did really like this conditioner, it made my hair feel really silky soft used in conjunction with the Banana Shampoo. I can't find an ingredients list on the bottle so it is hard to know how natural this product really is however I always have huge respect for The Body Shop not testing on animals and using recycled plastic for their packaging. Since I've been using a different conditioner I have realised how good this one is.
Will I buy this again?
Yes.

Estee Lauder Gentle Eye Makeup Remover- This was very effective and gentle, it didn't really disturb my senstivie eyes and removed eye makeup really well. It's oil free which is wonderful because there isn't an oily residue left behind that so many eye makeup removers do. It was lightweight and the 100ml bottle lasted me nearly 2 months used daily.
I'm not sure I would pay full price for this, £19 sounds too steep for an eye makeup remover in my opinion.
Will I buy this again?
I would if it wasn't so expensive as I love that it is oil free.

Batiste Dry Shampoo- I always buy the Cherry scent because I think it is the best of a bad bunch. This works like a dream, it's so reliable and I always repurchase (and it's always in my empties posts!)
Will I buy this again?
Already have.

As always, link me to your empties posts and let me know what you think of any of these products!

Stocking up on 'Shell.'

Estee Lauder DoubleWear Foundation, £27.50 for 30ml.

When I was told that Estee Lauder were increasing their shade range in Doublewear foundation from 18 to 30 I was really excited. With a foundation shade expansion, I assumed this meant they'd cater for both the pale and deep end of the spectrum comprehensively. 'Shell' was my closest match in Doublewear, the palest with cool undertones, it wasn't a perfect match but good enough as it didn't leave tide lines and blended into my neck well, but was discontinued when the new shades came in last month.

I was disappointed when I swatched the new 'pale' shades which are 'Cool Bone' (supposedly the equivalent to Shell but it is much richer and pinker in colour) and 'Ivory Nude' (far too deep) against it.
Unfortunately these new shades are unwearable for me, they're too deep so I went out and bought the last 'Shell' on counter. While DoubleWear isn't necessarily my favourite foundation- (sometimes I do find it a bit much) it was reliable in terms of it's impeccable staying power and great for bad skin days as it does airbrush the skin out well. Definitely not one I can wear everyday, but one I like in my possession! I'll be rationing my last bottle!

Has your foundation ever been discontinued?

Midweek Post: Le Teint Touche Eclat

Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint Touche Eclat foundation in 'BR10', £28 for 30ml.

If you've been reading my blog a while you'll know what a big fan of YSL I am. I think they have the edge over the Diors and Chanels when it comes to their cosmetic offerings, so when I heard about this release earlier in the year I knew that it'd be something that would be 'very me' beauty-wise, there's nothing I'd love more than to have a healthy, polished complexion.

It was hard, very hard, to put down the DoubleWear and give this a go. I was so used to the trustworthy staying power of DW that I was dubious to try any other foundations for risk of them falling off my face or going patchy after 4 hours.

YSL's Le Teint Touche Eclat is a very light foundation with inbuilt 'glow'. In consistency it is a thin gel, the coverage is buildable from light to light medium if desired and there is a shade that matches me well (BR 10).

There's no other way to decribe the finish of this than as shiny. It is shiny, but not greasy. I would recommend setting this with a powder in areas where you may not like to be too shiny, for me that is on the forehead, nose and chin yet due to it's finish, it glows through the powder and creates the look of inner radiance that, come on admit it- we all want. 

I was nicely surprised at how well this lasts too, aside from a bit of slip in my oiliest areas, it stays in place without a primer for a full day at work (lets say 7-8 hours indoors). I even put it to the test- it endured a day at Ikea and several hours of stressful DIY putting-together of various flatpack furniture and still looked alright at the end of all that. I'm very impressed!

Overall, I give this foundation a big thumbs up. It works well for me as it isn't too thick, it adds a radiance to the skin, it blends easily (I find it works best with fingers) and it matches my skin. This has certainly become my go-to foundation.

Do you use this foundation? What other foundations have you found to be surprisingly long lasting?

Midweek post: Candy lips

I've got back into my bold lips and simple eye looks recently. The other day I thought I'd wear bright candy pink lips so thought I may aswell document it as a FOTD! I put ombre lips into practice, a look I'm really loving at the moment as it let's me be (a bit) creative but is also wearable for day to day! I love the depth it adds to lips when you use a darker liner and blend it to a lighter shade, though it's always important to remember, and god knows, AVOID that not so charming look that was so popular in the 90's- sorry Naomi!
It was also the second time I used Illamasqua's Sealing Gel. I'll pop a review up of this in a couple of weeks when it has been tried and tested properly!

Let me know if you use any of the products used and what you think of them.

FOTD:

Estee Lauder DoubleWear foundation in 'Shell' mixed with L'Oreal Lumi Magique primer

Chanel Poudre de Universelle in '20 Clair'

MAC 'Harmony' blush (contour)

MAC MSF in 'Soft and Gentle' (cheekbone highlight)

Benefit 'Sugarbomb' blush

Eyes:

Estee Lauder peach/gold eyeshadow from the 'Topaz Mosaic' palette

Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner (waterline)

Yves Saint Laurent 'Shocking' mascara

MAC 'Showstopper' on brows

Lips:
Rimmel Lasting Finish Lip Liner in '004 Indian Pink'

MAC LE lipstick in 'Naughty Saute'

Thankyou for reading!

Midweek post: May Favourites Video

I'm back with a video, it was rushed and not my best I don't think, it's so hard to remember what I want to say about products when I'm filming...I need to start writing lists! I'm much more coherant in written posts.

Let me know what your May favourites are :-)

Estee Lauder DoubleWear Foundation...my opinion!

Estee Lauder DoubleWear Foundation in 'Shell', £26.50 for 30ml.

Hiyaaa! I'm here today to share my views on the infamous Estee Lauder DoubleWear!

As part of the DoubleWear line this foundation promises to stay put all day (15 hour wear), it's oil free and contains SPF 10- all plus points so far! For reference I have the shade 'Shell' which is the palest shade with cool (pink) undertones. It matches me pretty much perfectly.

When I first tried this foundation I couldn't make my mind up about it, somedays I loved it, others I didn't, but if I am honest I fall in and out of love with foundations very often!

It is a rich liquid that applied thinly offers a high medium coverage that dries to a semi-matte finish. It is not full coverage, your skin is still visible underneath but this offers enough coverage for any blemishes, or uneven skintone concerns not to be a worry and it perfects the look of skin really well. If you're looking for full coverage then DoubleWear Maximum Cover is available, a paste- like foundation that will cover everything, even scarring or tattoos!

From experience I find that the 'less is more' approach is the right way to use this foundation, DoubleWear is what you make it and too much applied will look cakey and settle in pores.

I love the way it is so smooth to apply, it blends really well (but you do have to work quick) and also buffs into the skin really well. I find that with a small amount of setting powder on my t-zone I stay shine-free for about 3 hours, this will be longer for those with dryer skin than I! Even after these 3-4 hours I don't look shiny, just dewy on my t-zone. 

As much as I love the classy glass bottle to look at, it isn't the most functional. Glass always worries me, travel wise it isn't the best packaging as there's always the risk of breakage. It also doesn't have a pump to deposit the product, you have to pour it onto your hand which means the product wastage may be more likely, and you'll always be left with a bit at the end that you can never get out!!

All in all, this has become my 'go-to' foundation for now. I don't wear it everyday as I think my skin needs a couple of 'days off' a week. Skin Base just wasn't cutting it anymore and with the onset of sunny weather I did want an SPF contained in my foundation. I am also enjoying the new Invisible Fluid which I'll do a FOTD and mini-review on soon.

Do you use DoubleWear foundation? What's your favourite foundation at the moment?