BEAUTY: Revlon Colorstay Skin Foundation (Estee Lauder Double Wear Dupe)

Just before I went away to America my Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation ran out (panic!), I thought I'd just buy some more while out in America as I presumed it would be cheaper. After doing a lot of searching it seemed it wasn't any cheaper and the fact that I have a £25 Debenhams gift card waiting to be used, it was too tempting to just wait to use that. I then had no foundation for my holiday, after a lot of searching around for a high street foundation that had a medium to full coverage I settled on the Revlon Colorstay Combination/Oily Skin Foundation in Ivory ($9). This foundation is available in 20 shades, it was quite overwhelming standing in the middle of Walmart trying to match my skintone without any samples to try. I settled on Ivory which isn't a bad match but I think I could have done with one slightly darker, as it's summer I will be fake tanning.

I'm seriously impressed with the coverage of this drugstore foundation! Every drugstore foundation I had tried previously never really gave me the coverage I wanted, hence moving to high end foundations. It's true to its claim, as  medium to full coverage foundation. It blends really easily, I've been applying it with the EcoTools Custom Buffering Brush and it's a match made in heaven. It sinks into my skin to make it look flawless.

(Similar to the Double Wear - a glass jar with no pump, which makes getting the foundation out of the jar quite hard!)
I was also surprised at how well it lasts, I don't use a primer on a daily basis yet this foundation stayed put almost all day long. I did need to 'powder my nose' throughout the day but that's not really a reflection of the foundation. This has become my favourite drugstore brand and it is a good dupe for the Estee Lauder Double Wear. Personally, Double Wear is still my favourite just because I love the consistency and full coverage look but for day to day use I'm now using Revlon Colorstay.

Do you have any other foundations that are good dupes for the Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation?


Feel free to leave me a comment :)

SALE: House of Fraser High End Beauty Event

It's pay day and I'm at home all day with the online shopping world to try and avoid. It's going to be tough! I just spotted that House of Fraser have a beauty event sale on with some good discounts on high end beauty products. These discounts end TODAY (Friday 20th May 2014) so I thought I'd share my findings with you lovely people...

^Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette WAS £37 NOW £33.30^

^Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream WAS £28 NOW £20^

^Benefit Rockateur WAS £23.50 NOW £18.50^

^Elizabeth Arden Flawless Finish Perfectly Nude Make Up SPF 15 WAS £28 NOW £20^

^Laura Mercier Pout Perfection Lip Trio WAS £31 NOW £27.90^

^Yves Saint Laurent Your Eye Must-Haves Gift Set WAS £25 NOW £22.50^

^Yves Saint Laurent Touché Éclat Radiant Touch WAS £25 NOW £19.99^

^Yves Saint Laurent Anti-Cernes Multi Action Concealer WAS £23.50 NOW £21.15^

^Nars Cosmetics Sheer Glow Foundation WAS £31 NOW £27.90^

^Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion - Original WAS £16 NOW £14.40^ 

^Guerlain Meteorites WAS £37.50 NOW £33.75^

^Nars Cosmetics Radiant Creamy Concealer WAS £22 NOW £19.80^

^Nars Cosmetics Contour Blush Olympia WAS £30 NOW £27^

^Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick WAS £32 NOW £28.80^

^Nars Cosmetics Illuminator WAS £22.50 NOW £20.25^

^Benefit Watts Up Soft Focus Face Highlighter WAS £24.50 NOW £22.05^

^Urban Decay Electric Pressed Pigment Palette WAS £38 NOW £30^

^Baylis & Harding Ice Cream Collection Sweet Temptations Trio WAS £6.50 NOW £3.25^

^Dior Miss Dior Eau de Parfum 100ml WAS £96 NOW £77.50^

^Benefit CORALista Blusher WAS £23.50 NOW £18.50^

^Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask 100ml WAS £22 NOW £17^

Righty, I'm off to probably make a purchase I shouldn't....

Feel free to leave me a comment :)

Helen x

BEAUTY: Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in Vanilla

I had heard so many good things about the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation from beauty bloggers, so when I saw it on the Fragrance Direct website for only £2.99 it was the perfect opportunity to try it out! I've have read that this foundation is actually best for the summer months, as it's a lighter foundation and creates an almost 'glow' but nevertheless I thought I'd try it first in the winter!

This foundation is a much lighter coverage compared to my usual foundation (Estee Lauder Double Wear), which did take some getting used to. You don't achieve the flawless look that fuller coverage foundation's give you, which personally I prefer during the winter months. Our poor skin goes through a lot in the winter, with the constant changes of temperature, so I like to have a fuller coverage foundation. However when the summer comes a long I'm a fan of tinted moisturisers and I think this foundation will become a firm favourite of mine throughout those sunny summer months.









It blends nicely but I found it didn't soak in very quickly, I think this is part of the 'dewy, glowy' look this foundation creates. My skin did look considerably more glowing, which again I think will suit the summer months more. With the 'rosy cheek' look already around throughout the winter, I don't really want to look 'glowing' as well - slight overload!   

Have you tried this foundation?








Feel free to comment :)

The Pure Joy of Bobbi Brown Foundation and Creamy Concealer Kit :)

After making a visit to a Bobbi Brown counter in Selfridges I couldn't believe how amazing their Creamy Concealer Kit was! I have really dark circles under my eyes, I've tried roll on serums, countless creams but nothing improves them (If anyone knows a really good eye cream for dark circles, I'd love to know about it?) So I decided to try and find a concealer that would cover the dark circles up! This is what prompted my visit to the Bobbi Brown counter. Firstly they applied a moisturiser that is designed for around the eye area, then applied the creamy concealer and patted over the powder within the kit. When the lady showed me the results I couldn't believe it, where had my dark circles gone?! My skin actually looked flawless and I promise you, it NEVER does! My amazement and joy came crashing down when I saw the price, £24! The Creamy Concealer Kit was only relatively small and at that price, however amazing it made my skin look, I just couldn't justify it. 

I went home and explained how flawless it made my skin look to my partner, not thinking he would actually be paying attention, but he was! On Valentine's Day last year I opened a black, shiny, small package...the Creamy Concealer Kit! I was so excited :)

On the left is the creamy concealer and on the right is the setting powder.

Here's what Bobbi Brown has to say about their Creamy Concealer Kit:

'Conceal and set in one portable kit. Bobbi's Creamy Concealer blends easily to instantly cover, lift and brighten dark circles. It also helps maintain skin's moisture levels for a smooth, virtually line-less look. Fuss-free pressed powder sets concealer for long-lasting wear.'

It does come in a small container but it lasted me 10 months! I couldn't believe it and it was perfect timing for Christmas. I put the Creamy Concealer Kit on my Christmas Wishlist and was very lucky as my partner not only got me it again but also the Bobbi Brown Foundation SPF 15, a sample size mascara, lipgloss and their foundation brush (which the lady at the counter gave him free, not quite sure how he managed it!)

I have the 'Sand' shade in the concealer so he got me the 'Sand 2' shade in foundation, which is perfect! This foundation retails at £30 for 30ml. This is what Bobbi Brown say about their foundation:

'A truly modern foundation that offers invisible, weightless coverage that looks like skin, not makeup. This long-wearing formula evens tone, minimises the appearance of pores, conceals imperfections, and offers broad spectrum UV protection. Its hydrating technology leaves skin feeling cushioned, comfortable, and clean. Ideal for combination, normal and normal to dry skins.Award Winner! Winner of a Beauty Bible Anti-Ageing Award 2012. Best Base Range, In Style Best Beauty Buys 2011.'

I had never used the foundation before and am still pretty new to it but so far I'm impressed. The consistency is very runny compared to most other foundation's I've used. This makes it a bit challenging to manage, I usually put my foundation onto my hand first and it always starts to dribble off! It is absorbed nice and quickly once I have applied it to my face, which is a positive attribute of the foundation.

Foundation blended in.

As you can see the foundation does give good coverage, which isn't too heavy. Personally I don't like foundations that have a heavy coverage so this level is perfect for me.

This is what the concealer and foundation look like together:

As you can see barely any dark circles under my eyes (they are there, trust me, just well hidden!) and the foundation gives a nice even tone and coverage.

Have you tried either of these products before?

Did you like them?

Feel free to leave me a comment below :)