REVIEW: Bareminerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream in Buttercream ♡

Hi everyone, 

I have a very exciting review for you today! It is on the fairly new innovative product by Bareminerals.... the complexion rescue!! 

After hearing amazing things about this product and reading tonnes of reviews, I finally bit the bullet and purchased one myself! 

Now I have never been the one to wear 'light' coverage foundations, mainly because I feel uncomfortable and anxious about my skin and appearance in general. I usually go for medium to full coverage, however recently I've been wanting to look more 'natural' and 'barely there'. One of the reasons for this is the weather. We are now in summer and I just find that my usual foundations dry up my skin really quickly and make my skin feel powdery. Plus all my pores emphasise, making my skin look dull and just icky! 

The way that Bareminerals have described their new Complexion Rescue is by explaining the concept around the build up of the product itself. Most BB/CC creams or tinted moisturisers have their colour pigments on the outside and oils etc on the inside, whereas this product takes an inside out approach with mineral infused water on the outside with pigments on the inside. 

As a person with combo/dry skin, it made perfect sense to me to give this product a go as it is the water that first hits and hydrated your skin as opposed to the pigments. I was sold!!! 

The product itself is a new invention in itself but it is described as a cross between a BB/CC cream and a tinted moisturiser. 

The thing that I love about this product is that it comes in 35mls as opposed to 30mls, which is your standard foundation size. Another thing I love is the brush that was made to be purchased along side the cream (smoothing face brush). I've used the brush a few times now and it helps to get a more even coverage and is good to use if you want to layer the product and get more coverage. I actually really do like the brush and think it works perfectly with this product. It is fairly expensive though and I wouldn't normally buy a brush as expensive as this but in my eyes, it is worth it. 

I was matched to the shade 03 Buttercream at the Bareminerals, which I thought was a bit odd considering I am a 08 Bare Beige in the Serum foundation, however she explained that the shades were completely different. I'd recommend that everyone get matched at the counter. 

In terms of the consistency, it's very much like a moisturiser. It blends out effortlessly and has a slight cooling effect to the skin too. I would recommend shaking the bottle before you apply though and be careful when you squeeze the tube as it can be easy to squeeze out too much. 

As you can see, it looks a lot like a normal foundation in terms of the payoff pigmentation wise. What I LOVE about this product is the way it feels on the skin. It honestly reminds me so much of when you get facial and your skin just feels really smooth and soft. This is super rare for me especially because I have some really dry patches on my skin. 

It is perfect for summer too as it leaves your skin slightly dewy and glowy but not shiny! 

Above is a photo of me wearing the complexion rescue underneath my makeup (only concealer under my eyes and powder, so NO foundation). It took me 3 layers to achieve this result as I have some scarring and pigmentation issues. 

My skin instantly looks a lot brighter and healthier and it just looks ... good! It's quite hard to explain and I am still slightly baffled by this product considering I live in foundation. I honestly didn't think I could look this good without foundation but I am pleasantly surprised. 

If you are like me and want to wean yourself off full coverage foundations or just want to look more fresh and natural, I would highly, highly reccomend this product!! 

I will continuously be using this as I think it is amazing and although the coverage is very light (but buildable) it still somehow manages to make me look nice (I won't say flawless) and my skins general appearance look beautiful. 

In terms of the price, I got mine at the Bareminerals counter in John Lewis for £23.40 and the brush for £21.60 as there was a 10% off discount. 

I'd give this product a 9/10 hands down. 

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BEAUTY TAG ❤️

I can't get enough of beauty tags at the moment so here is another little one for you! 

I tag anyone and everyone to do this because they are so much fun! 

1.Would you rather go out with messy hair and nice make-up or nice hair and no make-up?

I'd go with messy hair because then you can just put it up in a pony tail and still look pretty. 

2.Would you rather shave your eyebrows or have your eyelashes fall out?

Hmm this is tricky because you can both draw your brows on with eyebrow pencil and use false lashes if you needed too... I think I'd go for the eyelashes because they fall out naturally anyway. I'm assuming they will grow back... 

3.Would you rather be forced to shop at only MAC or Sephora for the rest of your life?

We don't have Sephora in the UK so it's MAC all the way... I actually adore MAC anyway ❤️ 

4.Would you rather wear lipgloss/lipliner look or 80's perm?

This question is a bit random but probably the lippie option 

5.Would you rather leave the house with an obvious foundation line or overdone blush?

Argh I've probably done both but I think the blush would be less embarrassing. I can just say that I am embarrassed or I'm hot whereas there aren't any real excuses for the foundation line... Also blush tends to fade throughout the day anyway so eventually it will look semi decent. 

6.Would you rather wear MC Hammer pants or biker shorts in public?

Another random question but the shorts sound pretty darn cool! 

7.Would you rather have a bad orange-y spray tan or really weird tan lines that can't be covered?

Oh dear... Bad orange spray tan I think and then I wouldn't leave my house until it has faded. 

8.Would you rather have a bad haircut or bad hair color?

It depends on what the 'bad hair colour' is. Thinking about it logically, you can always dye it back so I think I'd go for the colour as hair cuts are a lot harder to fix. 

9.Would you rather have youtube or twitter taken away forever?

I can't live without my Twitter so it would have to be YouTube! 

10. Would you rather give up using makeup brushes or mascara?

This is such a tricky question because I have naturally blonde hair so my lashes are virtually invisible without mascara! It would have to be brushes I think... Hey I can still use my beauty blender right?  ;) 

I have to admit.... I was trying to be a bit smart with some of these questions hahaa 

Hope you all enjoyed it! 

Katie 

Xxx

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MY FAVOURITE BRONZERS ❤️

Hi everyone,

So today I wanted to bring you with a favourites post and since we are coming into summer, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to show you all my favourite BRONZERS!! 

Bronzers are honestly one of my favourite makeup products to buy (as are highlighters) and you can find amazing bronzers in both the drugstores and high-end. The ones I will be discussing today are my ultimate favourite bronzers and I've included both shimmery and matte bronzers that can be used for contouring and getting that 'beach/I've just been out in the sun glow'. 

Let's get started :) 

CHANEL - SOLEIL TAN DE CHANEL (Bronze Universel) 

So the first product I want to talk about is one from CHANEL. This product is a cream bronzer so it is perfect if you have dry or really dry skin. It is also perfect for summer as you can achieve a really nice subtle bronzed glow if you blend it out well. As it is a cream, I find it to be really easy to blend out and you can also do subtle contouring with this too. 

Above is a swatch of this bronzer on my hand and as you can see, it is a beautiful colour. I have warm undertones in my skin and I think that this bronzer works beautifully on yellow based skin as it looks like 'your skin but bronzed' if that makes sense. It is perfect if you want a more 'natural' bronzed look. I also found that this bronzer does not make you look shimmery at all which is perfect if you are going for a more natural bronze look. 

You can purchase this product for £31.00  from most high-end stores like John Lewis, Debenhams, Selfridges etc or from the official CHANEL website. 

Tip: be careful when it comes to choosing what brush to use with this product as the hairs in non-synthetic brushes tend to come out and stick to the bronzer.

BOURJOIS PARIS - Délice de Poudre Bronzing Powder in 51

The next product I would like to give a mention to is one from BOURJOIS PARIS. I have a real soft spot for this product as it was the first ever bronzer I ever purchased back in my early makeup days and I love it just as much now as I did when I was a teen. Unlike the CHANEL bronzer that only comes in one shade, this one currently comes in two (51 & 52). I have tried both and I honestly don't see much difference. This product is shimmery, although it's a nice shimmer that's subtle and not too intense and it is a perfect 'starting off bronzer' for those of you who are just starting to get into makeup. I've honestly used this product for years and I've probably repurchased this about 10 times at least. 

Above is a swatch and as you can see, the shimmer is virtually undetectable. It is a beautiful warm bronzer (quite similar to the CHANEL bronzer actually) and I feel that this bronzer would suit a lot of skin tones and shades. If you have darker skin though, I wouldn't recommend it due to it  being quite subtle. 

This bronzer you can buy from virtually anywhere. Boots and superdrug are your best bet and the current retail price is £7.99

NYC - Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder in 720A Sunny 

This bronzer is one that I think everyone should have in their makeup bag. I've found that is really hard to find a good contour bronzer that is both cheap and has no shimmer. That is until I discovered NYC. The packaging may not be my favourite.... However it's what inside that counts and at £1.99 this product is pretty freakin amazing!! 

From the swatch above you can see that this product is quite dark. (I am an NC25 in MAC for reference) although this looks quite warm toned in the picture, it is definitely slightly more cool toned in person. This is a perfect contouring product if you want something to add to your collection or are just beginning to experiment with makeup and for £1.99 you can't really go wrong. My only grip about this product is that it is so easy to pick up too much product on your brush so be careful. 

NARS - Bronzing Powder in Laguna 

Ahh NARS Laguna!! My favourite Bronzer of all time. I actually feel quite emotional writing about this one... Mainly because I have hit pan and that in itself makes me want to cry....

So NARS Laguna.. If I could only take one product on holiday with me this year, it would hands down be this. This is one of the prettiest bronzers I have ever owned. It is a beautiful warm bronze shade that has a slight shimmer and gives a pretty glow to the skin. This works well as both a contour and an overall bronzer and I absolutely LOVE IT!  I've been out in the sun all day on holidays to Europe etc and it has stayed put all day, whereas other bronzers tend to fade and dissapear. You also get a lot of product with this. (I purchased mine in 2013 and it is still going) this product, you can purchase from your nearest NARS counter or on their website at a price of £27.50. This is a higher end bronzer, however in my opinion it is 100% worth it. The packaging is very sleek and beautiful too!! 

The swatch above doesn't really do this bronzer justice as it looks 100x prettier in person. 

I really really really love this bronzer!! 

The Balm - Bahama Mama bronzer 

TheBalm is a brand that I have recently discovered and so far, I am loving their products. After watching Shannon Harris on YouTube rave about this product, I went out and purchased it myself on feelunique.com. This bronzer is probably the darkest of all the bronzers I own, however it is still very 'workable'. I use this as a contour for my cheeks and it works perfectly for that. 

The bronzer is very matte and cool toned so it is perfect for contouring. It would also work as a bronzer for those of you who have darker skin. 

One thing I have to mention too is the packaging. TheBalm do really cute package designs for their products, which are also really compact and sleek too so perfect for slipping into your makeup bag and travelling. 

Benefit Cosmetics - Hoola Bronzer 

Finally, I want to talk about Benefit Hoola! This bronzer is and one of my favourites and probably one of the most talked about bronzers out there. Hoola is a beautiful bronzer that works well as an all over bronzer and a contour, which is what I primarily use it for. It also comes with a brush, which is surprisingly good especially for contour as it can produce a really nice fine line for contouring before blending it out. 

The formula of this is slightly chalky, however it blends out beautifully and effortlessly. 

This bronzer is currently priced at £24.50 so it is a higher end bronzer, however in my opinion it is worth it. I got mine for my birthday in November (2014) and it is still going strong. I use this religiously too! 

MAC - Bronzing Powder in Golden 

MAC's Golden is a product that I have been wanting to try for ages and I finally purchased it with high expectations. 

Although I now wish I had purchased a darker shade... Golden is still a really nice colour that looks beautiful on light to medium skin tones. It is very warm and has a slight shimmer. It also looks slightly orangey so can make you look very tanned without it being too much. Basically what I mean is it is orange without making you look orange... Weird I know! 

As this is a fairly new product, I cannot say much about it, however at the moment I have been using it almost every day and I am loving it so far! 

You can purchase this for £25 at MACcosmetics.co.uk 

Let me know what your favourite bronzers are as I am always on the lookout to try more :) 

I hope you are all having an awesome summer!! 

Love, 

Katie 

X

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SUMMER BEAUTY TAG - DESERT ISLAND

Since it's summer and the majority of us will be jetting off on holiday soon, I took this as a great opportunity to do a desert island beauty tag! (because what's better than being stranded on a desert island right?) stranded on an island or not, I thought this would be a great tag to do and it might just help me decide what products to take on my own holiday.... at least I will be prepared if the worse were to happen. oh dear! Anyway on to the tag and if you find yourself reading this post, I tag YOU to do this and discover what your favourite makeup items are!

Imagine you were stranded on a desert island and could only take ONE of each of your favorite products? What would you take and why?

SUNSCREEN: I usually just use whatever my mum packs in her wash bag when I go on holiday to be honest and that is usually garnier. I also love Johnsons holiday skin as it gives you a gradual tan whilst protecting you from the sun.

SHAMPOO: For shampoo I would take the Herbal Essences Coconut Hydrating shampoo because it makes your hair feel and smell lush. You'll feel like you are in the Caribbean. 

CONDITIONER: For conditioner I would 100% take the Tresseme Keratin Smooth, 7 day straight conditioner. There is nothing worse than frizzy or unruly hair and if you are going to be stranded on an island for quite sometime, you want to be looking slick and straight at all times. 

FACIAL CLEANSER: For cleaner I would take my LUSH Dark Angels cleanser. It is super cleansing and really brings out all the dirt in your pores. It is also charcoal based and works great as a face mask too. Perfect for those long lazy days on the island. 

BODY CLEANSER: I don't use cleansers as such on my body, however the body shop Fiji Green Tea body scrub is the best thing I have ever used on my skin. It is super refreshing and also feels quite cooling too with a scent that lasts for ages on the skin. This product screams summer to me!

TONER: In terms of toner, I usually go for something quite cheap or make my own. I am currently using a tea trea based toner made from highly concentrated tea tree oil and water in a small spray bottle. The tea tree really helps with redness and spots so you can look spot free and feel toned at the same time. 

MOISTURIZER/OIL: The moisturiser I would take would be the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel. This is a lovely product that makes your skin feel very hydrated and smooth. It really sinks into the skin and makes it feel soft and lush. 

EYE CREAM: For eye cream I would take the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Eye Cream. It is highly moisturising and makes your under eye area feel nourished. It is also perfect if you have dry skin as it really does add moisture to your skin. 

BODY OIL/LOTION: For body lotion I would take one of the Victoria Secret body lotions as they have great scents and the bottles are super cute too. My current favourite is the coconut and vanilla scent. 

PRIMER: The primer I would take with me would be the BareMinerals neutralising primer. As my skin can get quite uneven and also red from acne scars, this is the perfect product to help counteract the redness. The formula as well is quite creamy and not so much silocone-y or grainy like a lot of other primers so I love if for that reason too. 

FOUNDATION: If I was going to be stranded on a desert island, I probably wouldn't take a heavy duty foundation, purely because I wouldn't be seeing anyone and also because I don't like to wear heavy makeup in the sun anyway. If i were however to take a foundation, I would take the Bareminerals Brightening Serum Foundation. It is a really nice silky textured foundation that is super easy to apply. It also looks very natural and gives your skin a beautiful satin look. I would also bring with me the Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream as the moisture in this is incredible and perfect for long, hot, summer days. 

EYESHADOW: For eyeshadow (although I don't wear it much), I would bring with me my Naked Palette by Urban Decay because it offers a lot of different makeup looks and bronzed looks too. 

EYE LINER: My Superliner by L'Oreal is one of the only eye liners that I can actually use without getting it everywhere so this product would be a must. 

MASCARA: For Mascara I would bring Rollerlash by Benefit as this mascara is incredible and offers amazing curl so there would be no need to bring an eyelash curler. It is also super easy to remove and does a great job at separating the lashes. 

BLUSH: Instead of blush I would bring bronzer. (Does that class as cheating?!) I would bring my NARS Laguna as it is absolutely beautiful and perfect for summer. It is also my favourite makeup product EVER so I can't really leave it behind now can I?

LIPSTICK: For lippie, I would bring Ruby Woo by MAC because I live in red lipstick and Ruby Woo is super long lasting and super bright as well. Nothing like making a statement on a desert island with a bright red lip!!

LIPGLOSS: I barely wear lipgloss but I would probably bring one from NYX because they smell lush and so yummy! (The butter lip glosses)

SCENT: My favourite scent right now (although I don't actually have it) is the Turquatic Fragrance from MAC. It just screams summer to me and would be the perfect fresh scent for any summer holiday. 

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REVIEW: DARK ANGELS - LUSH COSMETICS

Hi beauties, 

Today I wanted to give a little mention for a new love of mine that is Lush's Dark Angels Cleanser. 

This is a new product that I have recently bought and so far it is proving to be uh-mazing!! 

This is a charcoal based cleanser. Charcoal being a very good ingredient for bringing out all the dirt and gunge that can clog your pores, I was expecting high things from this product and I after using it for a short while, this product has exceeded my expectations as far as the results are concerned! 

I am in LOVE!! 

This product does more than clean out my pores, it has completely transformed my skin. Okay I may be slightly over exaggerating but honestly this has helped my skins general appearance so much! It has worked wonders for my hyper-pigmentation and blackheads and all that icky stuff! It has done a phenomenal job compared to previous skincare products I've used and I am so happy I purchased it. 

In terms of what the product looks like inside, it basically looks like compost! The look of it may well put many people off, along with the smell, which isn't bad but it isn't good either. If you are hesitant, I'd say try it because regardless of what it looks and smells like, this product is amazing!! 

My only downside to this product is that it is sooooo messy and because the charcoal is quite dark, it can stain light coloured face cloths and flannels so be careful! I'd still repurchase this though as the extra effort of making sure I don't stain my sink or my carpet is worth it!! For that reason, I'd give this product a 4.5/5!! 

I hope you all give this a go! It is available at lush.co.uk and in stores! (For reference I ordered online and got the bigger pot and the total came to around £20 including postage) 

Hope you all have a nice evening,

Katie :) 

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