BeautyUK - New CC cream, Pressed powder, palette in amazon

As we have seen this year has brought with it amazing drugstore makeup. Continually pushing the boundaries and improving formulas to give women more choice and to ensure that quality is the main aspect when it comes to products. I've once again been given the amazing opportunity to review for BeautyUK, whom are an affordable and one of those companies bringing quality to the table.

They say

CC Cream - Lightweight, hydrating and colour correcting cream that will keep your skin safe under the sun with an impressive SPF 30! Contains light reflecting pigments that illuminate the skin to give a radiant and flawless complexion.  Incredible performance at a fraction of the price of other CC creams on the market.

Compact face powder - Achieve lightweight, enhanced coverage from this must have compact powder. Presented in a gorgeous glossy black case with flip lid, large mirror and applicator puff.

Eyeshadow/Gel liner palette in (2 Amazon) - WINNER! - Best New Eye Product 2011 at the Pure Beauty awards in London. Everything you could want in a palette! A collection of our 6 intensely pigmented shades and 2 gel-based liners - More precise than a pencil, more forgiving than a liquid, this super-smooth formula offers more control, play time, and build-able coverage than your average liner

So firstly I was sent the new CC cream and (numb.2) Amazon palette. The powder I bought myself plus another amazon palette for my sister in law. 

Lets start with the packaging, I like BeautyUK's style with packaging. The black and white keeps it simple on the compact, whilst the CC cream is a simple concept but looks impressive. It certainly does not give the impression they have comprised the packaging for quality products, in my opinion.

The CC cream is SPF 30 which is fabulous for those of you whom are jetting to hot countries as autumn descends. I'm in the colour 10 natural and that's the only downside to the product is the colour spectrum. Now that's not just BeautyUK that's all makeup brands. 

So the coverage is light whilst being hydrating and it gives a nice healthy glow, does even out minor skin tones issues. I just needed a little more tapped on my birth mark area, then all was even.

I actually would say this is a CC cream I would use when it's a daily for light coverage.

Now the powder again is number 1 to go with the fair shade. I would love for companies just to have a page chart. So I can just look for my skin tone, then look on that line. What CC cream, powder, foundation and concealer etc shade is

best suited for me.(*not just BeautyUK all brands) 

Anyways the powder is soft and buttery which threw me a bit, as there was no wastage. It all was on my brush lightly tapped the excess. It is lightweight with a powder puff. Personally i dont use them at home, I love my RT powder brush. I do however leave it in the powder for touch ups when I'm at the hospital.  It's soft on application plus it doesn't highlight blemishes or go cakey on the dry areas. So highly impressed with this powder.

Now to the eyeshadow/gel-liner palette in Amazon (2) award winning. I have used the posh palette and shadow palette in glitz, which are highly pigmented plus they offer exceptional quality. So the colours in the Amazon palette are again pigmented, easily blend-able plus don't give much fall out considering there are some pretty shimmer shades. Even the white shadow which in most palettes is quite a find. This will bring out all the shades in the palette brighter if a light layer of white is applied, plus a great highlight for the inner eye. 

Again the shadows are amazing pigment for the price and also the top layer is by far my favourite combination. However I have used the coral colour on my lid, taken the top middle gold from the tear duct then blended this with the coral. Then use the smallest brush and add the black for the smokey and defined finish to the eye.  

Eyeshadow with the dark liner pressed with an angled brush in a thin liner

Now the one odd thing is the liners look navy and brown. I saw the blue liner, payoff on colour is again excellent and true to the palette. It's a drier formula so if you prefer liquid, then I would suggest using a damp brush or mix medium to make it more liquid. Then to make sure the colour is intense, set the liner with a powder of the liners colour. 

Now you come to the brown and when I swatches it, I expected a dark chocolate brown. Instead under the brown lawyer was a dark mix colour of the brown, navy and black. I liked it as the colours all tie together with the shadows in the pan.

The CC Cream and Powder Coverage

Overall I really liked the CC Crean with the compact as it gave a nice finish and felt nice on the skin. My eye look was  I found to be easy to achieve, as the palette makes it easy to choose and blend a combination. Mix of matte and shimmer but no fallout so I was impressed.

The liner however was hard to apply with the brush included (used it to see if it was good). It wasn't and very scratchy so I went back to my brushes and found it to apply like a dream. It is a dryish formula to apply. However I'm not sure if I could use a mixing medium to make it softer to

work with.

BeautyUK Website

BeautyUK Facebook site

Benefit - Porefessional

Benefit is a company well known by all and I have a few products by them I have tried and loved. I then was given some samples of the Porefessional to try and see if I found it to be to my liking.

They say

POREfessional is the UK's best-selling primer*

Quickly minimise the appearance of pores & fine lines for smoother-than-smooth skin! Apply this silky, lightweight balm alone, under or over makeup. Translucent, oil-free formula complements all skintones and helps makeup stay put. Contains a Vitamin E derivative, known to protect skin from free radicals.

I don't have a problem with my pores usually but some days I can have them visible on the bridge of my nose and cheeks at times. So I used a dot to gently tap like I would a concealer to fill the pores. The porefessional is a beige cream which is a little tacky to the touch but then dries quickly before I apply my primer and foundation on top.

I like this product but find my use would be for a more primer based product and this little tube will do me well for the times I notice my pores. I may repurchase this for winter as I do notice my pores more then. So I can say this is good but apply with light taps and not get the urge to over load the skin like a primer as its not for that purpose. So if you do suffer from pores you worry about then this is a good product and also blends in to the skin. As this would be darker shade then I would buy if it was a foundation, so worry not that it looks to be dark for your complexion.  As this when tapped into the pores blends to not be noticed.  

I know my old age means my pores and lines are getting more obvious so my need for this sort of product may increase. I will purchase a backup come winter if my little samples do not give me enough to see me through.  As its a handy product to own, in case you need it on a day your pores do not behave as my skin often does. 

Do you use Porefessional ? What do you think ? Is the full size a good investment ?

HealGel - Intensive (Smooth, Repair and protect)

I first heard about HealGel from the Pixiwoo sisters whom used it in the winter when there skin was dry. Which is what happens to me, so I was so happy to get a chance to review HealGel. 

About HealGel -

The HealGel skin care range was created by a team of the world’s finest plastic and cosmetic surgeons, with the help of a renowned dermatological biochemist and a well-known actor, to provide genuinely effective treatments for all skin types 

HealGel is an aqueous gel, bringing together in one formula the best active ingredients to soothe, repair and protect your skin.  The advanced skin rescue formula was designed by a team of the world's leading plastic surgeons and a renowned dermatological biochemist.  They pooled their cutting edge research to provide peerless base-layer treatment for all skin types. It is cleverly designed; the nano-technological elements (liposomes containing the key ingredients) deliver predictably to the depth of the skin where they are needed most. It is easy to use, being light, non-greasy and delicately fragranced.  It provides a perfect primer for any make-up applied, and you only need to use it sparingly.

HealGel.  Impeccable pedigree, remarkable results.

HealGel Intensive Link

Its non greasy gel and absorbs very easily, so use this sparingly it will spread really well onto the skin surface.

Plus it's cooling to use in these hot summer days, most creams are too heavy and just leave you melting. HealGel intensive is perfect for these hot days.

So as you can see the Gel above and whats it looks like. It has a slight scent of lavender but nothing you will notice after its dried in. I exfoliate each night between my clarisonic, or a gentle face wash exfoliate. 

So this is very nice after that exoliation and feels refreshing also. It's says apply 2-3 times a day and I would moisturise that amount on a days where its hotter or during the winter too. This review I have done the morning and night routine. As that's when mostly all women would do skincare routines. 

I must say this kept my cheeks pert (it has a slight tightening feeling on application),defiantly very hydrating against the dry areas, which I no longer have. My T-zone also goes a bit dry in summer season, this has kept me amazingly at a normal skin type.(However I still use normal/dry skin aimed items)

 This is going to be a must have for me in winter when I hydrate before applying primer, then at night time when I'm moisturising. 

You maybe thinking its only 30mls and alot for skincare. You need 2 plumps to do your face, so it will last you a great length of time length of time. 

It's shocked me having seen what this product can do and has taken me quite by surprise. This is a lovely and product I would purchase again. Especially for winter as I struggle to cover my dry areas, so hopefully HealGel will improve and hydrate my skin enough so my makeup's not as heavy come winter.

Thank you HealGel and I'm extremely impressed.

HealGel Website link 

HealGel Facebook page 

Benefit - New Stay Flawless 15hr Primer

Now it seems I've had a few benefit items this month and that's the beauty of blog sales. So I bought this with the Oxygen foundation and they were barely used. 

They say 

Flawless works overtime! Our instant PRO-long primer acts like a magnet to lock on your foundation for 15 fresh & flawless hours. This invisible stick primer glides directly onto skin for optimal wear and a natural-looking finish. Go longer. Stay flawless!

94% said it helps foundation last longer

97% saw an improvement in the look of skin/complexion

94% said it increased foundation coverage

97% said it enhanced foundation’s performance

So I've heard so many mixed reviews on this item, it really is something I would encourage you visit a store have trial of or require a sample and then decide.  It reminded me of a prit stick and honestly I watched every video on how to apply, tried my numerous foundations etc and it always ended up the same.  Just streaks of thick glue stick texture and felt like I was giving my face a latex layer. It didn't blend with any foundation like it should have and I used my fingers as I thought maybe the warmth will disperse the product. Making it easier to blend together and apply. However this was not to be and it was just streaky and didn't blend plus then when I wanted to set my foundation I use a press puff as I didn't want to ruin a good brush. The powder then ended up uneven and and more heavy in the areas that had the streaks of Primer. 

I did not understand why it's so hard and it drags on the skin and gives no way to manoeuvre your foundation. I really think if this formula was more of a cream or gel based primer then it would sit and blend better. It seems very gimmicky and I'm all for innovation but this is a expensive product being marketed.  I passed this onto my sister to use on her holiday and I want to see what she thinks of this works on her skin as she is a normal/oily combo where as I'm a normal/dry so I think the dragging and dry formula did not help my skin.

So il additionally add her comments to this blog when she returns.

What's your impression been of the new Benefit Primer ? 

Lass foot cream - plus new lypsso layout

This foot cream is from Lass which is a natural brand I've not heard of and was very willing to trial for lypsso.com

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They say

Lass Foot Care Cream is an effective moisturizer that maintains the health of your feet by treating dry, chapped and cracked heels. It softens, soothes and protects your skin from getting rough and damaged. The herbs in it freshen the skin and does not harm even when used regularly.

- Balanced formula of this cream softens the skin and heals cracked heels and chapped areas of the feet giving your feet a natural moisturizing and conditioning effect.- Authentic Ayurveda. Natural Product. No Animal Testing. Affordable priced and honestly marketed.

 It is a thick cream with a scent like floral but a mix of fruity scent mixed. Its not unpleasant but I wouldn't be able to use a over-scented product. I found it to absorb really well and also found the properties of this foot cream to help my dry skin (don't worry, I hate feet so no foot shots).

I tend to crack at the heels and with this is does moisturise and keep that to a minimum. So that's left me impressed. I applied this in the evening. As its best to shower and use a Pumic to remove the majority of the dead skin if its that bad. Then massage this in and it will absorb and penetrate into the skin overnight. This is best as if you applied in the morning your feet cannot breathe and make the skin very thin skinned and prone to soreness. Just a tip. So loved this all natural product that soaks in, smells amazing and my only minor niggle is the packaging could be improved and bought into a more modern logo and layout. However like I say if the product works then then you can decant into a pot you love into ur bathroom. Don't let packaging sway you as you may miss a diamond holy grail item.

If you would like to try the Lass foot cream or any other products, just click the purple box below and it will take you straight there.'

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 I also want to bring up the topic of a website called lypsso. Its probably not a name unfamiliar with in the blogging world but I wanted to bring to the attention of everyone this fabulous site. Its just been its updated and also now has a YouTube website. Also to offer insight into how and best use of the site. It offers some fantastic information. 

There ethos is 

Lypsso is the first non-biased meeting point for beauty users, professionals and companies to exchange ideas and information about beauty salons, treatments and services, natural and organic beauty products and professional beauty equipment. 

Our mission is to be the first point of reference for all beauty sector stakeholders, including beauty users (those of us who visit beauty and hair salons or use beauty products), professionals (from an independent beauty freelancer or salon owner  to a large branded salon chain), beauty journalists (from bloggers to columnists) and beauty companies (including beauty product and professional beauty equipment manufacturers).

 We want Lypsso to be at the forefront of the beauty industry, enabling a free and safe forum for beauty related discussions that connects all beauty stakeholders with each other and helps beauty stakeholders find solutions that meet their needs.

Lypsso offers an all in one area for professionals and also consumers to check products via reviews like this one, new companies with natural product available plus within your local area a whole list of professionals. Also it will have a link to go buy natural products from a review you have seen and may offer a discount. So its worth checking out first as natural brands are hard to come by.

So if your a beauty blogger, professional or just interested in finding beauty and salons that offer quality and natural, pop on over and see the new and improved Lypsso.com

Lypsso website

Lypsso Facebook

*Im not being paid for this review, all that I received was the deluxe sample to review. I was aware of the changes at lypsso and wanted to share them incase you need a "beauty pages" as I call them. 

Fashionista - Foundation, Compact, Kohl and Lipstick

Fashionista a brand affordable and now in twined with MUA to give the biggest range of makeup on one site with so many options to purchase.  It was during the sale I bought some essentials to try and see if the quality was as good as what I expected. It's a little more expensive then MUA but it does show a bit more of a polished packaging.

As you can see the foundation, compact powder, eyeliner and lipstick are of a more classy packaging with a hint of red and just simple look. I especially love the compacts look with the black swivel case and fashionista reflecting logo and massive mirror. 

So with the foundation it is a luminous of nature to give a lovely glow to the skin and does need a primer if you are of a dry skin like me. However this does not cling to dry patches like I expected it too but offers a medium coverage. It's easy to blend and also it does build up, I used it to conceal a little more of my problem areas. However this is not a foundation I could use when my skin is at its driest in winter. 

The powder is a lovely creamy and fine milled powder that comes with a soft and lovely puff like the loose kinds. However I do prefer to buff in my powders with my kabuki brush to make sure all is blended in and also to buff in my blush,bronze. To ensure that there is no lines or unnatural looking cakey look to my makeup. I'm not as young as I was.  I need the powder as a second layer to cover all the blemishes I have. 

Now with the white kohl I wished to use this as a multi use item in my collection. I would use this to blend a little on my eye lid to make my bright shadows pop in colour. The white underneath is a well known way in which to make the shadows show on the lid more and give a better base, also shade a small amount in the tearduct to brighten the eye. Also the white in the waterline will make the eye brighter. Just a few tricks I use and I think this creamy liner fashionista made will serve as a welcome addition to do all these tasks.

If you did not wish this but wanted a smokey look, then a more beige colour to cover veins and discolouring to aid this look. In this you could find a primer of beige colour, which would be easier to apply. 

Then finally the lipstick which was the most surprising of the selection of products I purchased and I will be again when another sale is on. It's a pigmented, creamy, hydrating lipstick which is amazing quality. The tube is of a pinky red casing and of a high quality appearance. I was highly impressed and you won't be disappointed in purchasing them. I will say that I would only purchase these products especially the foundation and powder at a slightly lower cost then the one advertised at all time. The pencils and lipsticks are worth the money which is reasonable considering the quality. However the shade ranges for the foundation and powders are very small and for the money you could get one to suit your skin better if this is something that worries you. Especially if you are of sensitive skin type, then I would try to visit superdrug where it is stocked and then swatch them. 

Other wise this is an impressive collection and adds to an already impressive alliance with MUA, whom already are known for there high quality and amazingly priced makeup. 

Fashionista Website

Heaven - Tinted moisturiser

So I have not heard of this natural company called heaven, i was intrigued when I saw they needed reviewer to test the tinted moisturiser. Then were so lovely they even sent me a bee venom to try. I'm so grateful to them for putting there trust in my blog. 

The Ethos

As a qualified teacher in beauty therapy I run my very own Heaven training school for therapists from all over the world. My in-depth knowledge of the spiritual and healing side of health and beauty also brings a unique addition to my training skills. Highly acclaimed with numerous awards for both treatments and products I have had and have the pleasure of treating many celebrities from the world of music, film, sport and even royalty and qualified to provide tips on all manner of issues including: acne, anti-ageing, nutrition, hormonal problems, post natal depression, healing, hair loss, reflexology, colonics, semi-permanent make-up for cancer patients and stress; treating everything holistically, looking at internal and external influences to get to the root cause of health and beauty issues.

By using Heaven's all-natural organic range of products you will see spots and blemishes improve while keeping a youthful complexion. Feel the difference immediately and check your complexion after five days - the results are remarkable. With Heaven, you can realise your own natural beauty.  Be healthy, happy and your skin will radiate beauty:

So first of all the packaging is more on the high end side and defiantly impressed. It comes wrapped in a box of white and black the initial on the top. Then its securely inside is cardboard casing with the Heaven glass jar. Now I was highly impressed, as this was a well thought of packaging to ensure your product looks good,plus a joy to show.

Tinted Moisturiser

On opening you can see this is a fully filled jar by the plastic cover being completely covered and on opening there is a lot to scoop back in the jar. Hence the big amount on swatching, this is what I slid off my finger after scraping all the lid excess into the jar. I kept the plastic lid as it still could barrier the main lid from product. I was impressed also the colour is darker then the actual picture as the flash did lighten it. However it does blend out so if your pale or tanned this will be fine. I chose to use the lightest part of my body which is my inner arm to swatch plus blend out to show the final colour.

  I'm impressed as it doesn't oxidise and it doesn't take long to blend. I feel its a luxurious cream which does add a lovely glow to the skin without being over bearing. Also not a type of tinted moisturiser that slides off and feels heavy in the heat. 

I really enjoy this product from heaven and I will use this in a look I'm doing, also post the pictures of my looks. As I'm doing very neutral looks and artistic. You can see above in the picture, me with heaven tinted moisturiser applied and how light it is, plus the colour looks dark but blends really well.

I tried the bee venom and its a nice rich moisturiser in a little jar, I really love this and I prefer to use a little in the evening or under the makeup.  This was really lovely and I will fully review this when I'm finished with my current skincare reviews. 

Heaven Website

 --- So thank you Heaven cosmetics. ---

Artistic makeup

Okay so I have been delving more into artistic makeup this last month, due to one of my favourite makeup artistist challenging us to do our favourite icon. Now if we got over 10-15 entries we could then add another ... If we so wished.

Now my first entry was of course. 

Anne Boleyn - she is my icon as I love that period in time but she was way ahead of hers. She lived when men were the dominator and women were submissive but she changed this through her daughter Elizabeth the firsts rule. 

Also it's post beheading hence the bloody bandage. 

So then we were allowed another entry horrahhhhhhh.

Mine was, Mother Earth as I believe she makes everything grow and keep in balance but she is a true icon as life is a pure miracle. 

So the infinity symbol I choose for life and also the flowers detail .... I literally did not know how to do them as my brushes are not fine enough or even meant for this creative work. 

Now I did a third entry but decided not to enter it as I classed it more on the hair and was quite, subdued on the makeup.

It was,  Florence nightingale whom founded nursing sterile techniques and also is my hero. As I'm in hospital a lot so she makes me happy that we have a safe clean environment.

So what do you think of my artistic works ? As I loved it and I love my regular looks but this is a lovely thing to do every now and again. 

Xxxxxxxxx 

Amie - Bright eyes : Makeup remover

Now I stand by brands that work and Amie is a brand that give value for money and results. So you can imagine when I saw the Bright eyes makeup remover I was like wow I need to try this. 

They say : 

Very Gentle Eye Make-up Remover 

For easy make-up removal without tears. 98.9% natural ingredients

Eye make-up remover is an essential product for most girls who wear mascara, eyeshadow and eyeliner regularly and who find that they need a specialist cleanser that really removes all traces of eye make-up easily, as the last thing you want to do is rub away at the delicate eye area trying to get your make-up off ! Bright Eyes removes make-up effortlessly and gently without stinging or irritating the delicate eye area. Harmonising natural actives – meadow cornflower and chamomile soothe and decongest while grape water cleanses. Cooling cucumber hydrates and refreshes. 100% oil-free to ensure a non-greasy after-feel.

I use a lot of eyeliner and review so much eyeshadow that glitter and shimmer can stick when your rubbing with all your might. Believe me I've had some liners easily crumble off but others that need me to soak a cotton wipe for ages to get it off. 

With Amie bright eyes its a light liquid that was so nice on my eyes and not stingy as some makeup removers can be if they are taking harsh eye makeup off and make you look like your having a serious reaction to pollen in the cusp of spring. 

Now I did 3 makeup entries with some pretty detailed makeup and mix of matte, shimmers, creams, pigments and primers. To really test this remover out I needed to put it through its paces. So I thought that it needed every kind of eye makeup to do that. I wear gel liner as a religion so I only changed this by adding a liquid version too. So that I can show how extensive this remover can be without being harsh. 

Very impressive and far cheaper then my Elizabeth Arden eye makeup remover so yes this is a exceptional product that meant my makeup was removed with less wipes and remover. Also my eyes did not suffer and the makeup that would leave my eyes red and sore from rubbing it off has been changed by this product. I don't rub and rub so its amazing to just take my makeup off in 2 minutes flat then be done. Again another brilliant offering from Amie skin care. 

Amie Gift set

Amie : Bright eyes

Pure Hart Cosmetics- Lipsticks and Lipgloss ( Part 1)

Now mineral makeup il admit is something I'm just getting into and I've become interested as to how it would help my skin. So I found a company called Kay hart mineral makeup, whom kindly allowed me to trial the line. (Can't thank Kay enough) The website is currently being re-worked but you can still order via the original site. Offering skincare, mineral makeup and nail colours and art. 

So this first post will be on the lipstick and lip-glosses. I was sent 3 of each and they look similar but they apply very different. In this picture is also the mascara I will be using this week in my looks to show the eyeshadow colours post which will follow this post.

So with the lipsticks as with all mineral lipsticks can be a little less finely milled then commercial kinds. This being the mineral and Kay kindly explaining to allow the lipstick to warm a little so that it applies with ease, this did help and also Improved with the colour payoff. They are matte to the touch and I would pair these with the glosses below as I feel the colours do compliment. However a simple balm would be sufficient to help remove the matte feeling. In saying that we are in summer so chapped lips are not so much of a problem. 

Petal - 094

Parisian Pink - 100

Poppy - 103

Now the glosses we move onto as you can see come on the swatch a little dark but when applied do tone down to the natural lip colour and these glosses really did impress me. 

Lipgloss - Merlot 097G

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I love how merlot is a deep rich reddish gloss yet when applied brings more of a rich berry feel to the lips and makes them stand out. 

Lipgloss - Champagne 101G

Champagne was beautiful as a rosey gold and when applied have that natural look with a hint of golden depth to the lips. Very nice day-time gloss which will compliment a whole host of looks.

Lipgloss - Temptation 108G 

Temptation was a nude colour and again looked dark but when applied it really works to the lips natural colour. I was very impressed.  So overall the lipsticks do take and need a bit of warming up but when they do apply (every mineral lipstick I've tried has a little gritty feeling) but that doesn't mean they are not good quality. Especially when looking for natural makeup. They lip-glosses were my favourite with the colours and application. Not to sticky on the lips and doesn't look overly glossy. Again I like that the glosses don't shine overly glossy. They are like a mix of gloss and lipstick to my feeling. So while you could apply these over a lipstick, you can also use these alone and make them the perfect handbag lip product. The wand in the lipgloss made it easy to apply, so if your looking for a natural makeup supplier then have a look at Kay's supply.

The website is under a new construction and I am contributing alot more looks with Kay's amazing mineral makeup. The eyeshadows are amazing and the concealers I've used already which is amazing to set undereye concealers and also neautralize any skin tone issues you may have. 

Pure Hart Cosmetics website

Pure Hart Cosmetics Facebook page