Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation... First Impressions

Hi Everyone,

I know I'm a bit late to the party with this one but today I purchased Revlon's Nearly Naked Foundation for the first time after reading about it on Lily Pebbles' blog. Normally I am a Medium-to-Full coverage kind of girl, but recently I've found myself favouring a lighter coverage more and more. Honestly, I've never had particularly bad skin but I do worry about redness, and I am a bit of a concealer obsessive.

I bought Revlon's Nearly Naked foundation in the shade 'Shell' which I think should be a good colour for me as we head into Autumn/Winter. It is quite yellowy at first swatch but does have pinker tones in natural sunlight. Personally I prefer a yellow-tone foundation to counteract the redness I mentioned earlier so this shade suits me fine.

The bottle, as many before me have already noted, is a bit annoying. There is no pump which I don't normally mind or expect from a drugstore brand, but with the Nearly Naked foundation it is particularly annoying as the foundation itself is very liquidy and the mouth of the bottle is quite wide, basically making it impossible to pour out a sensible amount!

Once applied though, this foundation seems to come into its own. I like the coverage and the way that it feels on my skin, and think this could be a great everyday foundation for me. As this is a First Impressions post and I only bought this today it's a bit early for me to make a firm decision on it just yet, but I'm looking forward to putting it to the test and seeing how it looks after an 8-hour day at the office!

Have you tried Nearly Naked? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Rosie x

March Favourites

Hi Everyone,

I hope you’re all enjoying the weekend and the warmer weather! All this sunshine has put me in a really summery mood and I’ve become one of those Brits that throws on a pair of shorts and flip flops at the first sign of a bit of sun!

Today’s post is about a few new products that I have been enjoying using recently. As you can see from the pic I have a bit of a thing for MAC Mineralize Skinfinishes at the moment and I’ve pretty much tripled the size of my collection in a month! The next one I have my eye on is Lightscapade and I’d be really interested to hear your thoughts if you’ve tried it.

Debenhams have been doing a 10% discount offer lately on their website so I used the opportunity to buy a few bits (as you do!) and picked up the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle, which I’ve had my eye on for a while. This is a beautiful ‘gilded peach bronze’ colour according to MAC and has a good amount of shimmer to it without being overpowering. I have been using this product more sparingly during the day to avoid looking too ‘sparkly’ at work, but can’t wait to try it for a night out!

I also managed to pick up Mineralize Skinfinish in the shade ‘Stereo Rose’ from the MAC website as part of their limited edition Fantasy of Flowers collection. I had read about this first on Lily Pebbles’ blog and having seen a few photos I knew that I had to try it for myself. This has become my go-to blusher of late as it is a perfect rosy-pink colour with just a hint of shimmer. It is buildable and just generally very pretty!

I also bought the Extra Dimension Skinfinish in ‘Fairly Precious’ which is more sparkly than the other two I would say and perfect for creating a fresh, dewy look. I love the light pink colour of this and would also wear it as an eyeshadow, although I would say that it is slightly less versatile than Soft and Gentle as the pink tone can’t be used all over.

Also on my favourites list is a MAC lipstick in the shade Hue. I picked this up in a blog sale a few weeks ago (I think I mentioned this on my blog already) and I’ve basically worn it nearly every day since. It is the easiest colour to wear- a lovely pinky nude that is not too pink nor too brown for my skin tone, and the formula is lovely and creamy and seems to last quite well despite being a ‘glaze’ rather than my usual favourite ‘cremesheen’.

A friend of mine at Revlon recently gave me a little goody bag and in it was this fab brow pencil and gel called ‘brow fantasy’. Unfortunately it is a little light for my natural colouring (I was given the shade Dark Blonde) so I have to use a touch of powder as well to darken my brows up, but I love the idea of this product and the gel works really well to tame any unruly hairs!

For contouring I really love this bronzer by theBalm in Bahama Mama. I read sooo many good reviews of this before purchasing and I can’t disagree with any of them- the colour looks scary in the pan but is more grey-toned than a lot of bronzers so leaves a natural shadow appearance when contouring rather than an orange stripe down your face! A light hand is all that’s needed with this but I really like it and the packing is really cute too.

Finally I picked up this bargain highlighter by Along Came Betty in Tesco for £2 and I really like it! I apply it under or over foundation depending on how strong I want the highlight to be, and it works really well. The colour is a subtle champagne gold (not dissimilar to Benefit’s Watts Up!) and if you wanted to give a stick highlighter a try without spending a fortune then I would definitely recommend it.

That’s it for my favourites this month- as you can see it has been quite highlight-heavy! I’d love to hear what you’ve been loving recently so feel free to leave me a comment below.

Rosie x

FOTD - Bronze Smokey Eye

Hi Everyone,

Today's FOTD post features one of my favourite looks- the bronze smokey eye. I must admit that I am not the most adventurous with my eye make-up on a day to day basis but I am getting better after following some absolutely amazing MUAs on Instagram. This one is pretty quick and easy and is just about subtle enough for everyday wear, although I did use false eyelashes today which definitely is not something I have time for every day!

Prep:

Ultima II Procollagen Extrema Day Lotion (I love this moisturiser and it is sparkly too!)

Revlon Photoready Perfecting Primer

Face:

MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NW20

Benefit Erase Paste in Medium

Clinique Even Better Concealer in Chamois

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium

Brows:

GOSH Eye Brow Kit (colours light and medium)

Cheeks:

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer (to contour)

Estee Lauder Ideal Light Brush-On Illuminator in Light (to highlight)

M&S Limited Collection Highlighter Drum

MAC Powder Blush in Melba

Eyes:

No.7 Stay Perfect Amazing Eyes Pencil in Black

Estee Lauder Doublewear Stay-in-Place Gel Eyeliner in Stay Onyx

Eylure Naturalites Natural Volume False Lashes

From the Urban Decay NAKED palette: 

-Shade 'Naked' on lid

-Shade 'Virgin' on browbone

-Shade 'Creep' along lower lash line

-Shades 'Darkhorse' and 'Smog' along upper lash line

-Shade 'Half Baked' on lid

Estee Lauder Doublewear Zero Smudge Lengthening Mascara in Black

Lips:

YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick in Nude Beige

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Vernis a Levres in No.19

Phew, that was a lot of products! I hope you enjoyed my face of the day and I'd love to know what your favourite make-up looks are.. Maybe I'll try them next time!

Rosie x

Valentine's Look!

Hi Everyone,

Sorry for the lack of posts this week, we have been right in the midst of all the recent flooding and spent most of the week staying in a hotel!

Today I thought I'd share my (slightly belated) Valentine's look. I really wanted to stick to natural-looking, glowy make-up this Valentine's Day as we spent it at home enjoying a home cooked meal (yum!). For the base I used MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NW20 which I mixed with a little MAC Strobe Cream to give a slight glow. I used my normal concealers (Benefit Erase Paste in Medium and Clinique Even Better Concealer in Chamois) and dabbed a bit of Estee Lauder Ideal Light Brush-on Illuminator across my under-eye area and down my nose.

For my brows I used a MAC eyeshadow in Brun. I set the look using MAC Skinfinish Natural powder in Medium, before doing a slight contour using my Chocolate Soleil bronzer by Too Faced. I added some subtle sparkle to my cheeks using M&S's Limited Collection Highlighter, and used a small amount of Maybelline Dream Touch Blush in shade 02 on my cheeks to add a light flush.

Now, onto the eyes! The eyeshadows I used were all from the Urban Decay NAKED or NAKED 3 palettes. For the base I used the shade 'Virgin', and then dabbed the shade 'Half Baked' all over my lid (both from the NAKED palette). Under my eyes and in the outer corners I used 'Darkside' from the NAKED 3 palette, and in my crease I blended in 'Smog' from NAKED. I lined my waterline with a white liner from Revlon, and in the outer corners used my No7 Stay Perfect Shade and Define in Gunmetal Grey. Finally, I finished the look with a bit of Benefit They're Real! mascara and a slick of MAC lipstick in Hue (recently purchased in a blog sale for a bargainous £6!).

That's it folks! I hope you like my Valentine's look and please send me your links if you have done your own!

Rosie x

Face Of The Day

Hello lovelies!

Today I am doing a quick Face of The Day post to showcase some of the fab new products that I have picked up recently. I have always been a fan of the full coverage foundation, but in this look I am trying something a bit different and using a BB cream instead. I did not expect to like this look as much as I do, but the BB cream I used gives a lovely illuminating glow and is perfect for everyday. I hope you enjoy!

Face:

Revlon Photoready Skinlights Face Illuminator in Pink Light (under BB Cream)

Revlon Photoready Perfecting Primer in 001

Revlon Photoready BB Cream Skin Perfector in 020 Light Medium (applied with fingers, not a brush)

Clinique Even Better Concealer in Chamois (used as highlighter on nose, cheekbones, chin and forehead)

MAC Mineralise Skinfinish Natural in Medium

Brows:

MAC Eyeshadow in Brun, applied with Bare Minerals Brow Brush

Cheeks:

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer to contour

No.7 Instant Radiance Highlighter to accentuate the highlighted areas

MAC Blush in Melba

Eyes:

No.7 Stay Perfect Amazing Eyes Pencil in Black (on upper and lower waterline and smudged slightly under eyes)

Benefit They're Real! Mascara

Lips:

Natural Collection Lip Lines (this is an old one and I can't find the shade I'm afraid!)

Korres Lip Butter in Jasmine

Overall I love this dewy, fresh faced look and it was so easy to create that I will definitely be doing it again! The Photoready range from Revlon is a firm favourite of mine at the moment and looks so flawless in photographs- I am planning a post on my favourite products from the range which will hopefully be available soon.

Enjoy the rest of your week everyone and of course feel free to leave me a comment!

Rosie x

Product Review: Revlon Photoready Sculpting Palette in 001 Pink Rose

Left to Right: Blush, Bronze and Highlighter

Hi Everyone,

I hope you all had an amazing Bank Holiday weekend. I spent mine in a wet field at Reading Festival watching Eminem, Chase & Status, Azealia Banks, Disclosure and loads of other amazing acts! I wanted to do a little lifestyle post about it today but unfortunately my phone died early on and I took absolutely no photos, so it probably wouldn't be the most interesting post in the world. Also I was put to shame by all of the trendy outfits that everyone else seemed to be wearing- for me it was a miracle if I could just about find a clean pair of pants in my tent!

Anyway, that was my weekend, now on to today's post: a review of the Revlon Sculpting Blush Palette. I was so excited to get this as it looks like such a useful product; a combination of a highlighter, blusher and bronzer all in one place. This is another sneaky Revlon product that isn't coming out in the UK, but I was lucky enough to pick one up through a friend. 

The first thing that struck me about this product is the size- the palette itself is a good, handbag-ready size but the product isn't. For some reason, Revlon have chosen to make the blush the biggest product in the palette and the bronzer and highlighter both half the size. This for me just makes no sense, as I can barely get my brush into the smaller sections, and I'm far more likely to use the blush more sparingly than the bronzer.

As you can see in the swatches, the blush is quite pigmented but the bronzer is less so, which is another thing that disappointed me about this palette. The colour of the blush and the highlighter are actually both really pretty on the face, although I found it difficult to see any colour from the bronzer at all and I certainly wouldn't use it for contouring. I also found all three products to be really powdery and already the blush has started to crumble after just a few uses. 

All things considered, I think this product is a great idea that unfortunately just hasn't been executed very well. It is nowhere near as good as the Sleek Face Contour Kit (here) but I do really like the fact that Revlon have thrown a blusher into the mix as well. This product could be hugely improved if they rethought the sizes, got rid of the tiny brush that is included as I don't think it's really necessary, and put in a more matte bronze that could actually be used for contouring. All in all a bit of a disappointment for me I'm afraid, although I will continue to use the highlighter and blush from time to time.

Have you tried this product? Let me know whether you agree!

Rosie x

Product Review- Revlon Colorstay Whipped Foundation

In natural daylight

Close-Up

With indoor lighting

Hi Everyone,

Today I have been trialing my new Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Foundation which I received courtesy of my lovely friend Sarah at Revlon (thank you Sarah if you're reading this!). This foundation is not available in the UK but is a big seller across the pond, and having read some rave reviews online I was dying to try it.

Revlon claim that this foundation offers 'All day flexible wear without flaking, caking or feeling heavy'. The texture is described as 'mousse-like' although I have to say it was quite different from what I was expecting. Having tried Maybelline's Dream Matte Mousse I was expecting something similar in terms of feel, but this is a much thicker, liquid formula that I would liken to thick, whipped cream.

I was given the shade 'Buff' which honestly is a little bit lighter than I would normally choose for myself, although having tried it I was soon won over. Usually I opt for yellow-based or neutral foundations to offset the red in my skin tone, and in the pot this foundation looked very dull, almost grey in colour which did put me off a bit initially. Once I'd warmed it up with a bit of blush and bronzer though I really liked the finished look, and it certainly doesn't feel heavy or caked on despite the thick texture.

Overall I am really impressed with this foundation. It has great staying power and is very light and comfortable on the skin. I can also imagine it would work with most skin types as it is very matte without being drying. The coverage is light to medium and this will probably become a make-up bag staple for me during Winter when I'm a bit paler. Sadly Revlon will not be releasing this lovely foundation in the UK so us Brits will have to either stock up the next time we're Stateside (which for me is not very often!) or else turn to Ebay where you can pick up a pot for about £10. If you are a fan of lighter coverage and want a long-lasting, everyday foundation then I would definitely recommend giving this one a try- let me know if it works for you as well!

Rosie x

P.S. There is still time to enter my giveaway to win a haul of Revlon goodies- just click on the link here!

100 Follower Giveaway!

Hi Everyone!

Today has been a good day for me, as it was the day that my blog reached 100 followers!! A huge thank you to all you lovelies that follow me, it really does bring a huge smile to my face.

To celebrate this momentous occasion I have also decided to host my first ever giveaway (hooray!). I'm obsessed with giveaways and have been for some time (who doesn't love something for free, eh?!). I love to enter these and I hope you will too, so in my giveaway today we have (drumroll....)

Revlon Colourstay 16 Hour Eye Shadow Palette in 560 Serene
Revlon Nearly Naked Pressed Powder in 030 Medium

Revlon Point Tip Tweezer

Revlon Colourburst Lipgloss in Rosegold

Revlon Colourstay Ultimate Lipcolour in 075 Nude

Revlon Colourstay Ultimate Lipcolour in 060 Stellar Sunrise

Revlon Colourburst Lipstick in 065 Rosy Nude

Revlon Colourburst Lip Butter in 096 Macaroon

Revlon Nail Art French Mix in Chance Encounter

Revlon Nail Enamel in 380 Elegant

Sinful Colors Professional Nail Varnish in 387 Bali Mist

Sinful Colors Professional Nail Varnish in 952 Hazard

Sinful Colors Professional Nail Varnish in 858 You Just Wait

That's 13 products in total, all of which are brand new and unopened. You may have clocked that there are rather a lot of Revlon products in my giveaway, and for this I have my lovely friend Sarah at Revlon to thank for bagging me so many amazing goodies.

All you need to do to enter is use the widget below and follow me on Bloglovin'- couldn't be simpler! The winner will be chosen at random in 2 weeks time. If the winner doesn't respond within 3 days then an alternative winner will be chosen. I'm very sorry to any international readers, but this time the giveaway is for the UK only- hopefully I can run an international one soon.

Good luck!!!

Rosie x


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