REVIEW : Skinetica Anti-Blemish Super Toner Makeup Base All In One

Hi everyone. So today I'm reviewing the Anti-Blemish Super Toner Makeup Base All In One from Skinetica that was sent to me to try out a few weeks ago. Skinetica is a UK based company offering their customers skincare products to battle acne and blemishes. This product retails for £9.95/€11.53 and can be purchased online here. 

 

So this product helps to heal and fight acne with visible results in just 2-3 days while also removing blackheads and other impurities from the skin that other toners may leave behind. It also improves the skins quality making your foundation look better and stay on longer throughout the day. 

As I struggle with my skin I was really excited to give this a go. On the first use the scent of this product reminded me of fairy liquid but it felt really nice on the skin and my whole face felt so refreshed. I was concerned about using it as this toner contains alcohol and pervious alcohol containing toners dried out my skin in places, however this toner was really gentle on my skin. My skin never felt dried out or irritated at all which I loved. After a few days of using this product I noticed my blemishes were certainly clearing up which obviously I was thrilled about. My makeup was looking so much better on my skin however I didn't notice my makeup lasting longer. As the days went on although this product was helping heal by breakouts it didn't stop my skin from creating new ones. This product did work, I don't think using it alone is enough to curve problematic skin especially if blemishes are a thing you constantly suffer with. 

As you can see from the above picture (before using the product) I had quite big painful spots with a lot of redness. Below are the pictures of my skin after using the product for a certain amount of time. You can clearly see that after 3 days of use my skin is a lot less red and the breakouts have healed somewhat, however a week after use my skin has started to break out again but the redness has stayed away.

  

 

I hope you enjoyed this review, again thank you to Skinetica for kindly sending me this to try, I have given my honest review on this product so hopefully it helps you out. If you have any questions regarding this product please drop me a comment I'd love to hear from you, also to make my day even better hit that follow button to keep up to date with my posts! 

Thanks for reading, 

Catherine X 

FIRST IMPRESSION/REVIEW : Essence Camouflage 2in1 Makeup & concealer

Welcome back. 

 

So today I'm reviewing the newest product to the Essence range, it's their Camouflage 2in1 Makeup & Concealer Foundation. This foundation promises to provide a long lasting high coverage matte finish to the skin with no mask effect. The foundation comes in a handy 30ml squeeze tube for easy application. I picked up this foundation from my local pharmacy, McNallys for €4.80* but it can also be bought in most other pharmacies and Penneys stores nationwide. 

So I started as I always do by priming my face with the Catrice Pore Refining Primer. On the back of this tube it suggests to apply the foundation with a makeup sponge, so I'm using my Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge to see how it goes. So first off the consistency is thick but creamy. It blended out perfectly into my skin and the colour matched my pale complexion perfectly, I got this in the shade 10 ivory beige. I was a little disappointed that I had to use so much product however to get a good coverage, some of my bigger breakouts were still visible but in fairness they're practically the size of my head. The rest of my makeup blended really well on top on the foundation. 

So I had applied this foundation at 11am and wore it until 11pm that night. I was really surprised at how well this foundation lasted over the 12 hours. It had settled into my frown line between my brows, melted off my nose a little were I had been rubbing it, it did slightly cling to dry areas and spots and my oil had come threw but like for 12 hours I am impressed! I didn't touch up my powder at all during the day so a little touch up of powder and concealer and I would of been fit to keep going! For such a good price this little foundation is incredible. Granted it didn't look as good as some of my more expensive ones but it would be perfect for everyday wear. As I struggle to find a foundation that matches my paper coloured skin *yes I'm giving tanning a wee break* properly I have to stay I'm amazed such a cheap brand has a foundation this light. 

 

I would definitely give this foundation a 4/5, taking marks off for the fact I was expecting the coverage to be a tad bit better. All in all this is a great beauty bargain, definitely go out and get it! 

Let me know if you've tried it and what your thoughts on it are! Also please follow my blog to keep up to date with my posts and if that's not enough you can get me on Twitter, here. 

Talk to you soon x 

Catherine 

*price at time of blog posted 

REVIEW : Rimmel Sunshimmer Self Tanning Mousse

Hi guys! So today I'm reviewing the Rimmel Sunshimmer Self Tanning Mousse, which you may know if you follow me on my Twitter @blushingblonde_. The reason I purchased this tan is because it is loved by Xposes' Glenda Gilson, and let's face it her tan always looks on point. I purchased this from my nearest Penneys store for just €6.50* and in the dark shade. As far as I know it is available in a light and medium too. 

 

So after preparing my body the night before as I always do, I began to apply this mousse tan starting with my legs, the first thing I noticed is the scent of this tan, even though it is marketed as an unscented tan, it actually smelt quite nice. It reminded me of the Impulse Musk bodyspray my mother used religiously for years. However as all fake tans, I did wake up the following morning stinking of fake tan!

The tan applied really easily and looked pretty flawless everywhere. It takes this tan about 20-30 minutes to fully dry which isn't as long as some tans but also not the quickest. The following morning I had a gorgeous dark colour that was so seamless buuut stained smelly sheets, yuck!! Of course I lost quite a bit of that colour once I hit the shower, which is a bit of a pain. The colour I had been left with was still beautiful but I felt, for me anyway, that it wasn't really a 'dark' tan, so I'm glad I didn't opt for the medium shade. However as cheaper tans go this is a pretty good one. 

 

I hope you enjoyed my review on this tan and that it answered some questions you may of had, my advice is to definitely try it. I'll come back in a few days and leave an update in the comment section on how it wore so if you've any questions in the mean time please leave them down below for me. Don't forget if you liked this review or found it helpful to give my blog a follow! I'd really appreciate it. 

Talk to you soon X 

Catherine 

*price at time of review published

REVIEW : Oral B 3D White Brilliance

Hi guys. So today I'm reviewing something a little different, it's the Oral B 3D White Brilliance Toothpaste. This toothpaste promises to remove up to 80% of surface stains in just 2 weeks, leaving teeth visibly whiter on the front, back and visible surfaces between teeth while been safe for the tooth enamel. I purchased this toothpaste in my local pharmacy, McNallys for just €3.40*.

 

So over the past 2 weeks I've been using this toothpaste morning and night. The first thing I noticed about this product was how clean and fresh my whole mouth felt from using this, however the more I used this toothpaste the less I experienced this clean feeling, I guess my mouth and me got use to it. 

As I drink black tea like a fish drinks water, I had a lot of dark tea stains on the back of my lower front teeth, along with some slight staining on the front of my bottom teeth. Over the course of the 2 weeks I tested this out I was pretty impressed by how much of the stains were removed and reduced. I still have some stains on the backs and front of my teeth but this toothpaste has definitely shifted some of the staining. 

To be honest I haven't noticed a massive difference in the overall whiteness of my teeth, they might be a shade whiter but not enough for me or anyone else to notice. 

This toothpaste is certainly on the cheaper end of the scale when it comes to whitening toothpaste. If you're looking for a way to reduce staining on your teeth then this is perfect for you, I will definitely keep using it until I finish the tube but will more than likely try another type of toothpaste for better results. 

If you have any teeth whitening toothpastes or other products to recommend, please drop me a comment or tweet me at my blogs twitter, my twitter handle is blushingblonde_ , hope you enjoyed my review! 

Talk to you all soon X 

Catherine 

*price at time of blog posted 

FIRST IMPRESSION/REVIEW : Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation

Hi guys! Today I'm doing a first impression/review on the well known Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation. I say well known, as the majority of people who love makeup have either heard of it or tried it out, and from what I hear you either love it or hate it. This foundation is best known for its staying power and full coverage. The Double Wear is marketed as a medium buildable, lightweight, long lasting foundation with SPF 10. As I've oily/combo skin I was particularly excited to try this out, so I picked up a tester in the shade 'trawny'. 

 

I applied my primer as I always do, using the Catrice pore refining mattifying primer. I then doted the foundation around my face, the foundation is thick in consistency but it blended out really easily. I was surprised at how much foundation it took to get a full coverage finish though. Once set the foundation looked incredible and pretty flawless, everything went on top of my foundation so smoothly, there were a few breakouts peeking through still but it didn't enhance any fine lines or pores anymore than any other foundation. The foundation had little to no transfer and a matte finish. As it contained SPF 10 I done a flash test, there was no flash back from this foundation so I'd have no problem wearing this to an occasion or night out. 

 

I applied this foundation at 2pm and wore it for an ashonishing 11hours!! Yes, not taking it off til 1am!! It really lived up to what people were saying about its incredible staying power. I only powdered my t-zone once and that was after 8 hours wear, the foundation stayed put throughout kissing, eating dinner and having a few drinks, which would normally make my foundation fade around my mouth, especially the kissing! It didn't fade anywhere at all and the colour was a perfect match for my fresh fake tan. A lot of people have said this foundation is heavy and cakey but I didn't find that at all, but then I don't mind feeling my foundation on my skin. 

I'm so happy with this foundation that I'm planning on purchasing the lightest shade and the shade trawny so that I can have a shade to match me at every stage of my fake tan. I seriously don't know why I didn't try this product out before. You can pick up the full size product for €40* or a sample size in Arnotts or Brown Thomas or purchase online by following the link here. 

Have you fallen in love with this foundation? Leave your thoughts in the comment section or share your favourite foundations, I'd love to hear from you! 

Talk to you soon X 

Catherine 

*price at time of blog posted 

REVIEW : bBold Smart Mousse

Hi guys! So today I'm talking about the newest tanning product from bBold, which is the Smart Mousse. This tan is non toxic, paraben free and full of Kahai oil and Aloe Vera which helps tone and moisturise the skin while providing a streak free tan, while also using 100% natural DHA. This tan was one I couldn't wait to try as you Apply, Shower, and let it Develop. Yes, I kid you not, long gone are the days of hopping into bed feeling smelly and sticky while destroying everything you come into contact with! (Boyfriends Rechoice) 

 

So after my usual fake tan prep routine had been done the night before, I began applying this tan using the bBold mitt. The mitt is pretty standard but works well, I will admit I prefer using a double sided mitt as it protects both sides of the hand. On application, there isn't a fake tan typical smell of the product, and it has a colour guide to ensure a streak free application. The tan glided on so easily and looked incredible. 

Depending on how dark you like your tan to be you just have to wait, 1hour for a softly kissed tan, 2hours for a golden glow and 3hours to be beautifully bronzed. I waited 3 hours, during this time my tan had developed a typical fake tan smell and took about 30 minutes to dry. I then rinsed off in the shower, patted myself dry and headed to bed.

The following morning I woke feeling fresh and had a gorgeous colour, my skin was so soft and no fake tan smell or stained sheets! I will admit I was hoping the colour of my tan would be a shade darker, but I have to say it was the nicest colour I think I've ever gotten from a fake tan, very natural and flawless! All my foundations matched so well to the tan as well which is always a plus. I don't want to talk to soon, but I think this might just be my favourite ever fake tan. 

 

This tan retails for €14.95 and is available in most pharmacies nationwide and online by following the link here . Hope you enjoyed my review, leave your thoughts on this tan below and any questions you may have, I'd love to hear from you. 

Talk to you soon X 

Catherine 

*price at time of blog posted 

FIRST IMPRESSION/REVIEW : PS PRO Foundation

Hi guys! So today I'm doing a first impression/review on this PS PRO Foundation from Penneys (Primark) which I picked up for €6.00*. This foundation is labelled as a longwear mineralised foundation with vitamin A and E, SPF 15, that smoothes the appearance of imperfections and moisturises the skin with a natural finish and weightless feel. 

 

So I began by priming the left side of my face with the pore refining mattifying primer by Catrice, to see if a primer made the foundation last longer or apply smoother. So the first thing I noticed about this product is the scent from the foundation, its quite perfume-y which I'm not a huge fan of. Applying this to my face the foundation consistency is a little bit tacky and thick but blended out really easily on both sides. I certainly loved and was shocked at how well this foundation matched my paper coloured skin, as I picked it up in the shade porcelain for when I'm not fake tanned. Once blended out I was worried as my whole face looked quite shiny and as I've oily/combination skin I was sure I would be battling the shine all day, but once set with powder it looked perfect and had no transfer. It also had poor coverage, a lot of my breakouts were still very visible even though I tried to build up the product. 

 

I wore this foundation for 8 and a half hours during that time, I only had to powder my tzone once but it did turn ugly on my chin just a few hours after application along with clinging to dry breakouts I have and then started to fade pretty much everywhere. More of my breakouts were visible. However I feel this foundation might work with a really good mattifying primer and heavy duty concealer which I will certainly try. I give this foundation a 3/5, as the colour match was incredible and surprisingly I wasn't as oily as I thought I'd be. 

Hope this review helped you out if it did please give it a like and follow my blog to keep up with my new posts. Leave your thoughts on this foundation if you've tried it in the comments and I'll talk to you soon! X 

Catherine 

* price at time of blog posted