Laura Geller Spackle Primer

LAURA GELLER SPACKLE PRIMER FOR UNDER MAKEUP RRP £20

Hello fellow beauties, I'm back to beauty reviewing, but for those who had a look at my Japan posts, thank you and I hope you enjoyed the series!

 I was kindly given this from my boyfriend's mum, so thank you if you read this! If you aren't familiar with Laura Geller, it's a makeup brand formed in the US and has big connections with QVC shopping channels across the world. I'm always looking for a primer that will make my skin a blank canvas, which is something I find that most high street primers are poor at. 

This cute little squeezy tube comes in at around £20 and it's 59ml of primer will last you a good while so it may be worth buying a more expensive primer as those are the ones that tend to last. You only need a little bit of the primer and it goes a long way, a couple of finger tips worth! 

I wasn't expecting the primer to be as liquid-based as it was.  I always find it harder to create a new base with liquid or gel primers, do you? I found I was rubbing it in for a while and I'm not sure whether it really sunk into my skin that well. I do find though that applying a moisturiser before the primer will help to create a more even base. It gives off a smooth finish but I found it didn't even out everywhere with the same degree, for example, under my eyes.

Alongside the gel being Aloe-Vera based, Spackle is made with plant extracts, anti-oxidants, white Tea and Centella Asiatica Extracts. You do feel like your skin has been refreshed and revitalised and it's lightweight, meaning it's not heavy on your face and it doesn't clog into deep pores. 

As what primers should do, It did make my makeup last a little longer than without a primer. Now that I'm back at university, my makeup needs to last longer and I will definitly be considering this for daily use, however, I do prefer a more thicker substance to create a smoother new base. afterall I want a blank canvas, I think this product is more about cooling and refreshing the skin with it's rich ingredients.

Let me know if you have tried this brand, really intrigued!

Lauren x

Review and Ideas : Benefit Cream Eye Shadow

  

Benefit cream eyeshadow RRP £14

I am a big lover of Benefit, always really appreciative of the fun colours and their crazy ideas (blusher as a liquid lip and cheek stain- err amaze). So, I'm always after eyeshadows and I saw that Benefit did some cream based ones that stay put and don't crease. There are fifteen colours to choose from: Get figgy, skinny jeans, Fahrenheit, Stiletto, Strut, Tattle tale, gossip, birthday suit, my dates my brother, busy signal, flatter me,pre nup, bunny hop,flying down, RSVP.

As my bank balance in low from lots of summer holidays, I  was forced to picked one -My dates my brother. I needed a pink highlighter for my brow bone and lid and thought this was a nice soft colour to put on for a base too. I was advised to use an eyeshadow brush and I see why now, it was really hard to apply with fingers, it looked very very messy! So apply with a fine brush starting at the edge of the inner lash line with the tip of the brush. Sweep across and move towards the outer eye and then same again for brow bone area. If you want to build up the colour to make it more intense, leave for a minute to let the first base settle and continue process. Although I don't have any other colours to my collection yet, I wad advised by the lovely Benefit lady to build up shadows and contours by mix-matching cream shadows! 

Now here is the surprise, it's a liner too! These cream based shadows can be used as an eyeliner by getting the tip of the brush and sweeping it across the eyelash line! However, I attempted, and with this light colour, it didn't stand out and looked a little strange but I can imagine with some of the darker colours the effect is great! The shadow doesn't crease but make sure to use a primer beforehand to make sure it stays for the duration of your day! I love that you can be as simple or as dramatic as you like with these shades using effective buildup! Love it Benefit, may have to break the bank balance again!

Smokeyblush TIP : Use lighter colours(my brothers my date, birthday suit, tattle tale, flatter me) to highlight brow bone area or use as a base colour to create smokey eyes or a natural day time look!

Review and Ideas: Balance me beauty

 Daily Essentials Pure Skin Face Wash 15ml RRP £3.50

Daily Essentials Balancing Face Moisturiser 10ml RRP £6.00

Radiance Face Mask 15ml RRP £4.50

I've heard great things about Balance Me beauty products and they couldn't be more right! I sent for some mini products to find my feet with what I could order more of in the future,now, I want it all.

Firstly, the pure skin face wash ; Initially, I was pleased to see that the product contained no petroleum or sulphate which can irritate the skin. This face wash is the most innocent of them all out there! It contains grapefruit extract, frankincense oils, an anti oxidant named moringa, rice bran oils and spruce knot to create an even complexion with a polished look. I noticed the floral smell instantly with a hint of medical aromas. I also noticed that a little on your finger tip goes along way when mixed with tepid water. Circulate your finger tips on your cheeks, nose trip, forehead and chin once applied to create a layer of face wash. To apply over eyes, I put a little bit on a warm cloth and run it over my eyelids to protect the delicate eye area. I loved this face wash as it was good value for money and it gets rid of daily grime and dirt that develops on the face. 

Secondly, the Balancing face moisturise, I only really saw the effect after using my three products in a row, but it was a great effect. I applied over my face and décolletage and saw a noticeable change, especially to my cheeks, they felt softer, and appeared more balanced and calm. Sometimes, after doing a cleansing routine followed by a moisturising session, I have found my face stays red and patchy for a few hours. My least favourite out of the three, yet it was still a great buy for the price!

Lastly, my favourite of them all! The Balance me Radiance Skin Mask-AMAZING. This three in one skin mask exfoliates, cleanses and brightens the skin with it's natural ingredients. The mask contains ground walnut shells that exfoliate the dead skin cells and removes the layer of grime. It contains a fruit acid complex to restore your natural radiance too! I noticed the aroma was very similar to the other products and felt It was a little medical and needed a hint of zingy fruit to make applying more fun! Apply to the face using a circular motion to let the groundnuts to their work! Leave for five minutes and remove residue with a damp cloth. This was my favourite as my natural face oils had been replenished and my skin tone felt even and not irritated like most masks leave on my face!

Thank you BalanceMeBeauty, love your stuff,

Smokeyblush

Review and Ideas: Illamasqua Neutral Palette

Illamasqua Neutral Palette RRP £30

So I was a little naughty the other day....I couldn't resist the 'Neutral Palette' from the amazing Illamasqua shop in Liverpool. Dazzled by bold colours and glitter everywhere, I can understand this is definitely the makeup for your alter ego. I'm a big fan of smokey eyes on a night out and to get a great effect you need great pigment. Well folks, I just found it. This palette is £30 so may seem a little steep but It comes in a cute box and the case for the eyeshadow is sturdy and will last being pushed around in makeup bags!

The neutral palette has four colours in which you can create contoured lines and highlighted areas to make the eyes seem bigger. The palette contains three matte eye shadows : 'Stealth' (Cream), 'Wolf' (Chocolate), and 'Obsidian' (Black). Exclusive to the palette is a glittery gold colour called 'Vintage'. This palette has rich pigment so only a little is needed to go a long way! Create smokey eyes by using lighter colours on the inner eye and gradually darker colours towards the corners. Negative : I would have loved to have seen a little eye shadow brush within the palette which would make it easier to carry around on nights out! Watch out for a video soon, smokey eye tutorial, MAC or Illamasqua?

Smokeyblush TIP: Use a soft angled brush to get into the eye socket line and create smouldering contours. I like to use 'Stealth' on the brow bone to create a highlighted area. Only use a little black on the tip of your brush, it's the deepest black ever so use wisely!