It’s with bittersweet feelings that I announce the farewell of my beloved blog, Makeup Junkie. It’s hard to believe I started MJ 6 years ago. I can still remember sitting at my computer and publishing my first post
Comments Off on Soap and Glory Solar Powder Bronzer
Soap and Glory is one of my favourite drugstore makeup brands, and I loved every single product I’ve ever tried from them thus far. The Soap and Glory Solar Powder Bronzer is a product I’ve lusted after for quite some time, but was put off purchasing it incase it was too dark for my skin but I decided to bite the bullet and buy it as part of their 3 for 2 offer. The Solar Powder Bronzer is £11 and is described as being a multi-shade shimmering bronzer and highlighting brick and is available in just one shade. The packaging has just recently been changed in the last month to a plastic compact which is great news, but I have the original packaging which is made from cardboard which isn’t ideal as it gets very shabby, very quickly so the new plastic compact would be a lot better.
The Soap and Glory Solar Powder Bronzer is divided into two sections, with one half of the powder being a dark shade of bronzer and the second half of the powder is a lighter shade. In the middle of the powder, there is a raise S&G which has a metallic pink overspray which makes the powder look stunning.. there’s no doubt about that, but I hate oversprays as they wear off so quickly so in my opinion, they’re completely pointless. The darker shade within the powder is completely matte, and is a warm orange toned bronze shade, whilst the paler shade is a light tan with golden shimmer. I was surprised by the shimmer in the lighter shade, as I’ve read so many reviews saying that it was a matte bronzer, but it definitely isn’t matte as you can see from the swatches so I’d perhaps skip this bronzer if you don’t like shimmery bronzers.
Both shades of the powder are very smooth and buttery soft, with the lighter shade being the softest.. they’re both so pigmented, and you only need to tap your brush into the powder lightly to pick up enough product for your whole face. Even though the darker shade is quite warm toned, I think it works well as an all over bronzer to warm up the complexion but I like to use a fluffy brush like the Real Techniques Blush Brush for a subtle bronzing. I personally don’t like shimmery bronzers as I don’t find them very flattering, so I use the shimmery pale shade as a blush rather than a bronzer, and it looks really pretty and reminds me of Benefit’s Rockateur. I think this is a lovely bronzer, and it’s such great quality for a drugstore product but I’d really like Soap and Glory to create a matte version, as it would then tick all of the boxes to be the perfect bronzer.
As promised, my edit of the best budget (high street/drugstore) foundations. This has been a long, long time in the making – I’ve tried some really shockingly bad face bases and some excellent ones and the four that follow are, I think, outstanding. I hope that there’s something for everyone – prices range from £7.99 to around £16 for the Effaclar BB Blur (worth every penny) but nearly all of the products I’ve featured have some sort of offer running that make them even more affordable.
Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation: All Skin Types, Dewy/Fresh Finish, Medium Coverage
My absolute pick of the bunch, though Effaclar comes a very close second, the Healthy Mix Serum (£10.99 at Boots here)stands up to even the most luxurious foundations. Light, juicy, fresh, it’s non-greasy and nicely hydrating so suitable for just about every skin type. The very oily or very dry might want to prep and prime accordingly – either an oil-absorbing primer (Laura Mercier, Urban Decay) or a rich moisturiser depending on circumstances. Though I’d say that prepping the skin is important before using any base, if you have particularly oily or dry and flaky skin. (Stay tuned for a video on that very subject. I’ve been primer-testing!)
Effaclar BB Blur: Oily/Combination Skin, Flawless/Airbrushed Finish, Medium Coverage
I say “medium coverage” but that’s only because it’s the fairest way I can think of to describe the way that La Roche-Posay’s Effaclar BB Blur (on offer for £11 instead of £16 here) works. Really, in terms of pigment, coverage here is quite light, but the way that the BB magically blurs imperfections and gives this sort of miraculous airbrushed finish means that the final result is similar to one you’d get with a heavy coverage foundation. Except that the product is almost entirely weightless – a soft, fluffy mousse that just glides over the skin, smoothing over lumps and bumps and making the skin appear flawless. Watch the video to see exactly what I mean – there’s also a post with before-and-after pics here.
Max Factor Face Finity 3 in 1: All Skin Types, Velvet Finish, Full Coverage
A three-in-one wonder from Max Factor that primes and conceals as well as providing a full coverage foundation. Great for oilier skin that tends to see makeup sliding off or going patchy throughout the day, but I wouldn’t rule this out at all if you’re drier – I have always found this to be quite nourishing in feel despite the velvet finish. Find it at Boots here – it’s £9.99 at the moment, £3 off.
L’Oreal Paris Infallible Matte: Oily/Combination Skin, Matte Finish, Full Coverage
This is a great little find – just £7.99 at Boots here, a neat tube that’s easy to cart about and a radiant, full-coverage finish that reminds me a lot of Chanel’s Perfection Lumiere Velvet. I’ve said suitable for oily skin, but mainly because it is so good at keeping shine at bay – it’s perfectly OK on normal-dry skin too, so long as you’re adequately moisturised. Very dry, flaky skin perhaps not, but I have to say that I’ve had no problems with this around my nose or on my chin where I tend to get red and dry. Again, take a look at the video to see this being applied.
The post The Best Budget Foundations appeared first on A Model Recommends.
Comments Off on Neroli and Orange Blossom: Take me to my Special Place!
I adore the smell of both Neroli and Orange Blossom – they transport me to a calm, happy place. Ages ago I wrote about Charlotte Stockdale’s collection for Jo Malone, in which she brought to life some of the scents from her travels, scents that were special to her, and I mused over which particular fragrances would be my own special choices. Well: things with Neroli, things with Orange Blossom. I love Rose, and Oud & Bergamot is, I think, my number one “finished fragrance”, but when it comes to picking just one note, the heady and exotic Neroli wins every time.
Closely followed by Orange Blossom. Though often I find it difficult to tell the two apart. Which is kind of forgivable because they are, after all, extracted from exactly the same blossom. Just extracted in slightly different ways. Neroli, apparently, has a slightly sweeter (more honeyed) scent whereas Orange Blossom is perhaps lighter and more classically floral. I dunno. I find it difficult to separate the two, sometimes, as I’ve already mentioned. Anyway: let’s take a look at some gorgeous orangey-neroli-y beauty stuff…
The Firm & Revitalise Dry Body Oil from Aurelia, £48 from Cult Beauty here. Yes it’s pricey, but I do think that this is one of the very best body oils I’ve ever used. It’s just incredibly uplifting – the neroli blended with rose and with mandarin – and the oil formula leaves your skin silky smooth. I did a full review here, should you wish to have a read.
More body oil reviews…
Diptyque’s Fresh Lotion for the Body, £34 from Space NK here. Lighter and fresher in scent than Aurelia’s dry oil, this is the perfect post-beach body moisturiser. Soothing and cooling on the skin, this absorbs quickly and doesn’t leave any stickiness or greasiness, just a beautiful summery scent. There’s almost no need for a separate perfume.
The Mothers Massage Oil from Neal’s Yard Remedies, £19.50 here. A nourishing oil to keep pregnant and post-baby skin nice and supple, this has the best heady fragrance. Lots of people steer clear of overly-scented things during pregnancy (there were many products I had to avoid!) but I just found this massage oil to be so calming and relaxing. If I had a “special place” it would have taken me there. (Sidenote on this “special place” thing that all of the meditation apps go on about: does anyone else have trouble visualising a special place? For some reason, mine always seems to be this weird derelict house opposite my old school bus stop!)
More pregnancy beauty…
Queen of Hungary Mist from Omorovicza, £46 from Cult Beauty here. This is my ultimate, ultimate facial spritz and I must have reviewed it and mentioned it here on A Model Recommends and in interviews and magazine features about two dozen times. It’s more than just a spritz, for me – I take a small spray (shown in photo) on planes and trains and so on, and I use it to fragrance hotel rooms and pillows and unfamiliar bed linen. (Sounds dodgy: I’m merely referring to all of the linens I’ve encountered throughout my holiday-let-hopping period.) Think of it like a portable spa experience. In terms of actual beauty uses, I often spritz it after cleansing and before serum and repeatedly throughout the day if it’s hot or I’m stuck in front of the computer all day. It has the most deletable, delicate orange blossom scent and feels more hydrating on the skin than many other high-end facial sprays.
More orange blossom scented things…
The post Neroli and Orange Blossom: Take me to my Special Place! appeared first on A Model Recommends.
Comments Off on Pregnancy Beauty Tips for Glowing Skin…
This video was originally entitled “Pregnancy Skincare Habits I’m Keeping!” but it was all a bit sensational and you know how I like to stay low-key… So we’re onto Pregnancy Beauty Tips for Glowing Skin, which is very accurate because my skin has been glowing like a beacon since Christmas, with not a blemish in sight. Of course that could be down to pregnancy hormones (I suspect much of it is) but there have been a few little tweaks I’ve made to my beauty regime, too, and I thought it would be remiss of me to not mention them.
You’ll notice that there’s a general gravitation towards more organic products and formulas that are perhaps more gentle and simple; this has been a subconscious decision, I feel, because there was never a moment when I thought well, I’m not putting THAT on my skin! At any rate, it hasn’t been a total switch – I’ve still used loads of hi-tech lotions and potions (see the serums I’ve included) and acid exfoliants and the whatnot. Just less than usual. I’m so interested to see which routine I’ll end up going back to once I’ve had Baby AMR, but I definitely think that the “habits” I’ve started during pregnancy will stay with me. The facial oils, the antioxidant serum, the more gentle formulas…
You can watch the video here or by clicking play below – all of the products mentioned are listed underneath the video pane. Obviously I haven’t included all of the gorgeously gentle skincare brands out there – please do browse the skincare section of this website for more ideas.
