Benefit Skincare

Thank goodness for the Benefit boutique in Carnaby Street! After a few disappointing trips to the Benefit brow bar in Debenhams on Oxford Street, I was rather concerned as to where I would get my eyebrows shaped in the future. All the girls in the boutique were delightful, helpful and very professional. I finally got my eyebrows shaped to the standard I expect. Whilst I was waiting for my tint to set in, the lovely Vicki introduced me to some of their skincare. Now I'm not one to believe the hype. I find makeup brands that venture into skincare a bit cliche. I think well what do they know about skincare? Anyway I needed a new serum and moisturiser so gave in to the Triple Performing Facial Emulsion and the Instant Comeback Facial Serum.  When I tested these on my hands I was more than amazed! They smelled phenomenal to start with and they melted beautifully into my parched skin. I was sold! Packaging aside this is serious skincare. The Triple Performing moisturiser is oil free and contains SPF 15 PA ++ It has a tri-radiance complex that helps capture and maintain water on the skins surface. This works perfectly under makeup, it instantly hydrates my oily skin without leaving it greasy or uncomfortable. The serum is an age-defying booster worn under your moisturiser for maximum effect. It's fast absorbing and helps protect against visible signs of ageing. It also contains the tri-radiance complex locking in moisture. I must say I have been using these for the past week now and I am really enjoying them. My skin is no longer in a frenzy. It looks bright and radiant and feels soft and supple. No gimmick here, just great skin! 

Have you tired any of Benefits skincare? What do you think?

Laura Mercier Mineral Foundation | Review

Hello lovelies. So I caved and bought the Laura Mercier Mineral Foundation. I have heard so much about this foundation but being a true devotee to Bare minerals I was hesitant to try it. I got the shade Rich Vanilla which is a tad too dark for me, will be perfect when I'm tanned. The powder itself is so finely milled it buffs onto skin like silk for a gorgeous glowing ( not shiny) complexion.

Description from the LM website here

Oil free and water-resistant

Apply as a buildable foundation or a pigmented powder

Pure Pearl Powders and Mica impart a soft focus effect creating a natural, healthy, youthful glow

Zinc Oxide works as a sunscreen agent to block the sun's harmful rays

Contains anti-aging properties

Apply Mineral Primer to skin prior to application to enhance SPF 15 protection

Use with the Blending Brush for flawless application

Use with the Face Brush for more coverage

Non-comedogenic

0.34 oz./9.6g

This works wonderfully over any foundation as a luminous setting powder or if in a slightly darker shade, to add some colour and dimension to your skin. It has an almost invisible texture that gives  medium to full coverage in seconds. I prefer to wear this over a BB cream like Rachel K or Garnier for bit more coverage. I find that this doesn't cake up or get chalky around my chin or nose. It makes my skin look so smooth and healthy. I like to apply this with the real techniques buffing brush as I find this picks up and holds the right amount of product.
Laura Mercier Mineral Foundation comes in eight shades. The container has a nifty twist and lock cover that's easy to open and close.
I must say I am rather impressed with this foundation and if you are on the fence about trying it, I say try it!

Watch my video below to see how I apply it.

Thank you for reading
BlondeTeaParty x

Benefit Gimme Brow Review

Hello lovelies. So I caved and bought this after one of the lovely girls at Benefit tried it on me. She said I would love it and I do. You know how new things always get hyped up so much you get put off, well I didn't think this teeny weeny product would do much but I was wrong! This stuff is amazing! Gimme Brow is a brow volumizing fibre gel. The buildable micro fibres attach themselves to your eyebrow hairs creating a much fuller brow. It basically cuts out the need for filling in eyebrows with pencils or powders. It does it all in one quick application. Now I have Brow Zings and love it, but sometimes I just don't have time in the mornings to apply it, Gimme Brow takes half the time and gives the same effect if not better! It comes in two shades, light medium and medium dark. I got the light medium which is perfect for me.

How it works: sweep it back and forth through your brows starting at the outer end to create an instant filled in brow. The tiny brush gives the most precise application. It's that easy! Gimme Brow is waterproof and smudge proof! This is a summertime essential for natural, groomed brows in seconds. Gimme Brow retails at around £15.50 which I think is pretty pricey for such a minuscule product and I wonder how long this will actually last if used on a daily basis. All in all I like what it does to my brows.

 

What do you do to your brows?

Thank you for reading :)
BlondeTeaParty x 

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum Review

Hello lovelies and Happy New Year!! Kicking off the New Year I'm all about getting my skin in the best possible condition. It couldn't be easier since using this little miracle in a brown bottle. Yes you've all heard the rave on this and its true its absolutely amazing! Results are literally over night, I'm not exaggerating. Advanced Night Repair was first introduced in 1982 and has been a number one seller ever since! It has recently been reformulated with the synchronised recovery complex II giving it even more power for the modern day face. It is an anti-age night serum which repairs damaged skin and dramatically reduces the signs of ageing while you sleep. It is a fact that while we sleep our bodies ability to regenerate is much faster that during the day as we are fighting pollution, sun and daily ageing elements. It also protects you skin in the long term against future damage from UVA and UVB light, smoke and pollution.
A serum is used before a moisturiser and is absorbed by the skin on a much deeper epidermal level resulting in maximum and continuous skin repair. The texture is light and silky and melts into skin. ANR contains vital levels of Hyaluronic Acid which help the skin retain moisture instantly and overtime.
So if you are unhappy with your skin or its looking a bit lacklustre give this a try, you won't regret it. Its perfect for all skin types and best of all doesn't cause breakouts!








Thanks for reading
BlondeTeaParty x

Makeup Geek Eyeshadows & Gel Liner

 Hello lovelies. So I finally caved and purchased some must have shadows from Marlena, beauty guru of all beauty gurus, creator of Makeup Geek. I had heard so much about the quality and value of Marlena's makeup through other you tubers, I just had to try them. I must say they are pretty impressive.

The colours I purchased starting from the top right are: Crème Brulee, Moondust, Shimma Shimma and Brown Sugar. These are just the most gorgeous colours and are highly pigmented. The quality is outstanding! I purchased the Z palette from her site too and I love it!! The last thing I got was one of her gel eyeliners in the colour Rave. I use this as a cream shadow base as well as a liner.

I think these are great value for money and comparable to MAC and I will definitely be trying out more products in the future. You do have to pay a customs charge if you live in the UK so do be aware when purchasing online. Check out Marlena's YouTube channel here and her online store here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BlondeTeaParty x

 

 

 

 

Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation Review

Ok so I'm really late on the bandwagon with this one but I've been debating purchasing Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation for a loooong time! I've read countless reviews but still felt a bit underwhelmed. I finally succumbed after watching my favourite YouTuber, Sam Schuerman here wear this in almost every one of her recent videos and I was like gosh what is on her skin! This was it!  So off I went to Debenhams Oxford Street to have a gander!
When you read the description of this foundation it sounds amazing all singing all dancing!
 It all comes down to trial and error. So lets see if this really does what it says on the tin!

Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation  says its a weightless ultra definition liquid makeup
its paraben free, anti-ageing,  contains skin nourishing  and anti oxidant green tea extract, It's oil free, it optically blurrs imperfections with its light reflecting technology, skin is airbrushed with a demi matte finish. It comes in 18 shades. Shades ending in  0 denotes cool undertones whilst shades ending in 5 symbolises warm undertones.
It allows buildable coverage and comes in a hygienic pump. I purchased the shade 4 which is for medium skin tones with golden/olive undertones. I basically wanted it to match my EL Doublewear shade I had on.Most cosmetic counters in department stores in the UK are reluctant to give out foundation samples which is a real shame how do they expect customers to trial run a foundation?( rant post coming soon) so anyway I had the sales assistant apply a few shades on one side of my face and 4 seemed to match perfectly to my otherside with the ELDW on. Sold!
As I made my way home on the DLR ( this is like a tram link my none UK lovelies) I whipped out my mirror to see what it looked like in broad daylight. I must say it looked pretty good close up, really smooth and airbrushed compared to my other side.

Now the true test for me is the work day! How will this hold up from when I put it on at 7am till I take it off at 9pm? How will it look after the lunchtime blot? If it stands up too all these things then it will be a winner for me! So today is the trial run!

So I used one and a half pumps on the back of my hand and applied it with my beloved beauty blender ( yes you do need this!) Then my usual collections concealer under my eyes and finished with my Rimmel Stay Matte powder.

Here's how it looked this morning and at the end of the day!

Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation get this here
This retails at £27:00


Verdict? Check out my video below

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation- New Formula Review

Hello lovelies! Happy Tuesday! Any of you who are die hard fans of Estee Lauder DoubleWear Foundation will know that the formula has changed. The shade range has also changed as 10 new shades have been added, so now there is a whopping 30 shades, problem is, customers are finding that their regular go to shades have altered, making them darker,pinker or orange.
Estee Lauder say they haven't changed the formula, just added more colours to the range!! You can't pull the wool over our eyes! The formula has clearly changed, its nothing like the original DW if anything its similar to DW Light. The texture is much more fluid, not nearly as much coverage and does not hold back shine as well as the original did.
I've been trialing out a ten day sample in the shade Tawny 3w1, I used to wear Sand!

Estee Lauder DoubleWear Stay in place makeup
non stop wear- even through heat and humidity,comfortable, oil free, oil controlling, 15hr staying power, medium, buildable, SPF 10, natural semi matte finish.

Having had the old formula, I noticed the change straight away. Some may welcome the new change, others not so much. I personally found the old formula to be more oil controlling.
The original formula was thicker in consistency and dried to a matte finish on the skin. I never had oil break through with this, never had to blot once.
The new formula's blendability is great and it feels light on the skin but it has a very dewy effect for me. It does not stay matte at all which was the whole purpose of this foundation.

 

 

 

  

ELDW Original Formula - CONS

  

• Thick consistency, dried quickly so had to work fast to blend                     
• Tendency to look cakey/chalky if over applied
• Caused white cast in photographs

                                         

                                          PROS

 

• Full coverage, covered acne and scars perfectly
• Oil control, never had a shiny nose
• Long lasting, stayed put from morning till night
• Transfer resistant, never rubbed off on clothes or phone

ELDW New Formula - CONS

• Medium coverage
• Minimal oil control, I'm shiny by 11am
• Changes to original shades
• Transferred while talking on my phone

                                    PROS

• Easy to blend into the skin
• Soft focus effect
• Photographs beautifully
• Looks natural and fresh
• Does not get cakey
• Feels comfortable, like you're wearing nothing on your skin
• Easy to remove

So, whats the verdict I hear you say? Well, its a beautiful foundation, I like the way it feels and looks on my skin, I only wish it controlled oil like its predecessor. Needless to say I will be purchasing a full sized bottle.

 

 

What do you think??

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by

 

BlondeTeaParty x