Esteé Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup in 2C3 Fresco

 Esteé Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup, £27.50/$36

I never used to care about what brand of foundation - or any makeup item for that matter - I would buy. If it worked well and performed to my standards, then I didn't care what brand it was. If it was a fiver and worked fantastically, then I would use it. But now, I feel like, especially those who are interested in makeup, care more about what brand they're using more than the actual item itself. Instead of Maybelline, Revlon and Bourjois, we are more used to brands such as Benefit, Nars and Urban Decay, for example. I don't speak for everyone, clearly, but for me, I definitely feel that the label is what attracts me into a product. I'd much rather buy a MAC lipstick than a Collection 2000 lipstick. I suppose there are benefits to high end makeup: you get what you're paying for. The quality is clearly much better than those from the drugstores and tend to be much better for your skin. Nevertheless, I love drugstore makeup - especially mascaras. I feel that they're as good of a quality, if not better, than any high end version. Additionally, I love drugstore eyeshadows - I think that some of them are on par with the standards of my MAC eyeshadows. (Ok now onto the review...)

However, when it comes to foundations - or anything that touches my face - I am so picky and, also conform to a "label snob". Today, I'm going to review the Esteé Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup which retails for £27.50. I bought this in America for $36 which works out to be roughly £22 - so I got it for much cheaper than in England.

Double Wear falls in the middle of three Esteé Lauder foundations. First is the Double Wear Light which gives sheer to medium coverage, then there is the Double Wear (medium buildable) and lastly there is the Double Wear Maximum Cover which provides full, matte coverage.

This foundation has a medium coverage which is buildable. You can layer the foundation up and it does not look cakey. The finish it gives is natural and semi-matte. As for the "15-hour staying power" claim, I definitely agree. I put this foundation on at 7.30am and by the time I get home from school (9 hours later) it is still in perfect condition. I know it's bad, but I don't take my makeup off when I get home from school so it's still on my face for another 5 or 6 hours. After this time, however, you can see your natural oils coming through the foundation, but it is hardly dramatic. It doesn't come off in the rain which is great; especially for those in the UK!

All of the Esteé Lauder foundations have an extensive foundation colour range with different codes fitting different skin types. W = warm (red, yellow undertones), N = neutral (peach undertones) and C = cool (pink/rosy undertones). Double Wear includes 21 shades which is great if you are looking for the perfect match.

To conclude, this foundation is perfect for those wanting a near-enough full coverage foundation without the heavy feel on the skin. It corrects any minor imperfections and creates a flawless base. I do think that I am going to need a lighter shade for winter as I bought this in the summer...forking out £28 isn't going to me fun. But it's worth it.

Suzanna x

hh

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer, £25

Along with everything else I bought in New York - see here! - I decided to pick up this primer. I know you can get it the UK but it was a spur-of-the-moment kinda purchase and was much cheaper! 

Smashbox are renowned for their primers that each have a different purposes and cater for every possible need. Here's a run through of them:

• Photo finish "original" - creates a flawless base, smooths lines, extends make up wear
• Photo finish "light" - same as original but for oily, sensitive or acne prone skin
• Photo finish "plus dermaxyl" - reduces wrinkles
• Photo finish "hydrating" - delivers immediate hydration for hours
• Photo finish "colour correcting adjust" - reduces redness and discolouration
• Photo finish "luminizing" - imparts the perfect amount of radiance for glowing skin
• Photo finish "colour correcting blend" - evens out skin tone and counteracts dark spots
• Photo finish "colour correcting balance" - brightens sallow or dull skin
• Photo finish "more than primer dark spot correcting" - instantly smoothes and brightens skin

All are £25, except the last one which is £28.

I opted for the original that is designed to create a flawless base that preps the skin for foundation whilst smoothing fine lines and extending make up wear. Sounds too good to be true.

Bit of history with myself and primers. I've never liked them. They have never seem to do anything for my skin so I just haven't bothered experimenting with them. Yet I heard some really good reviews on two primers: the Laura Mercier one and the Smashbox one. Whilst in Sephora I decided to try the Smashbox origina.

I used it the following day and I broke out instantly, so I stopped using it. Then when I got back home I decided to try it again and it didn't break me out but it didn't really seem to do anything special. It definitely made it easier to put my foundation on, but as for the "smooths lines" and "extending make up wear" claims...yeah, I don't think so. I'm going to keep using it though but I won't be repurchasing when it's finished.

But low and behold, I have found two amazing uses for this product.

The first being using it to tame flyaways. Yes, I'm talking about hair. Simply rub a bit of the primer between your fingers and smoothen down the ends of your hair. Voila. The second being using it to remove smudged eye makeup and mascara. Just pump a bit on a cotton bud and wipe under your eye to remove any smudged makeup. It's a lifesaver, especially for when you are in a hurry and don't wanna mess it up!

I hope this review helped you in some way or another!

Suzanna x

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in Memento

 Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar, £10/$17

One of the many things on my list of things to buy in New York was this - the OCC lip tars. I didn't really care what shade I bought as long as it was wearable and not some crazy blue colour which I have seen! I picked up the shade in "Memento" which is a really gorgeous coral/pink shade which looks great on all skin tones.

They are really innovative lip products. The formula combines the longevity of a lipstick - not to mention the crazy pigmentation, but we'll mention more about that later - with the ease of application of a gloss. It is recommend you use the small lip brush it comes with for an even application, especially for the darker colours, yet it is easy to use without. They go on slick and glossy, and dry down to a really nice satin finish - not to mention the fact they are extremely lightweight and never look or feel heavy.

Now onto the pigmentation. The lip tars contain an unprecedented amount of pigment and, the phrase "a little goes a long way" totally applies to them. As you can see above, I put the tiniest amount on my hand (smaller than a pea) and, once blended, it covered my whole hand without loosing any colour which is perfect.

Scouring the internet I found that you can buy these from Selfridges at a reasonably price of £10 and, if you're in the States you can pick them up in Sephora for $17. I'm definitely going to pick up some more!

Suzanna x

NARS Powder Foundation

NARS Powder Foundation, £31

Powder foundations are not my thing. I just don't like them, especially for my skin type which is prone to breakouts and therefore, doesn't need a product like this to clog my pores up. I was watching Blair Fowler's (juicystar07) videos on YouTube and she used this product and it looked flawless on her. I don't just buy products because beauty gurus rave about them (although it is a good thing to know other like the product) but she has the exact same skin type as me so I thought I'd give it a go and hope for the best. I bought it in Sephora in New York for $45, but in the UK it's £31 (which is in fact more expensive than buying it America, just saying). Anyway, I've been using it for just over two weeks and here are my thoughts.

I think this product is very versatile. It can be used as a setting powder on top of liquid foundation that gives a sheer, light, natural finish coverage by using a big fluffy brush. Or can be used as a foundation on its own by using a more dense brush or a flat-top kabuki that provides a more full coverage effect. Even used as a foundation it still feels extremely lightweight on the skin. I recommend using a setting spray like the ones Skindinavia has to offer or the Caudalie beauty elixir to get rid of that 'powdery' or cakey look if you need too - I never need too! I love the matte finish it gives and the product stays put for hours which is great. The compact itself is quite big (picture two) yet can be used for touch-ups throughout the day. It also comes with a nice power puff that can be used to create a more full coverage, but I never use them.

Pros:                                                                             Cons:

- Extremely lightweight                                                    - It can leave the skin with a cakey or powdery

- Matte finish                                                                  effect but it's easy to get rid off or disguise

- Versatile                                                                      - Pricey at £31

- SPF 12+ and PA++ protection                                       

- Available in 16 shades (mine is fiji)

Overall, I'm loving this product and I'm glad it doesn't break me out - I was worried when I first tried it! When I've finished it, I am definitely going to purchase a new one, yet spending the £31 is going to hurt a little bit.

 Suzanna x

Anastasia Brow Wiz

Anastasia Brow Wiz, $20/£12

My morning makeup routine is fun, especially recently due the many new products I'm in the midst of trying out. One of the products I'm exceptionally loving is the Anastasia Brow Wiz in the shade "Medium Ash".

I first heard about this pencil through the Pixiwoo videos as they seem to use it all the time. Unfortunately I couldn't find it anywhere in the UK so when I found I was in New York, I went into Sephora and luckily found it. Despite it's $20 price tag (that's just over £12) I picked it up anyway and I'm so glad I did.

"The slimmest of slim dual-ended mechanical brow pencil and brush"

The shade I got it in was perfect, not too dark yet not too light and matched my hair colour perfectly (which I think is important). It's super easy to define your eyebrows or to extend them without it looking obvious and the spooley helps blend the colour whilst grooming them. 

Overall, it's the best brow product I've ever used and when it runs out I will have to book a flight to America to pick another one up. Over exaggeration? Maybe...

Suzanna x

Music Favourites: October

Happy first of October everyone!

The first post of every month is now going to my music favourites because, well, I want it to be.

Like last month, which you can read here, I'm just going to show you my iTunes playlist with my favourite songs all of which were on constant repeat throughout October. Perfect, isn't it?

As you can see I like many different genres: pop, country, dance just to mention the ones above.

First on the list is Beneath Your Beautiful by Labrinth feat Emeli Sandé which is definitely a surprise favourite of mine. I'm not a fan of either artists, but this collaboration and song is simply perfection - I never knew Labrinth - famed for rapping - could sing so well. 

Rascacielo by Demi Lovato is the Spanish version of her song "Skyscraper". In my opinion, it's better than the original English version and considering I know all of the words in Spanish shows how addicted I am!

Can we just all take a minute to appreciate Taylor Swift's new album, Red? I could put her whole album up there, yet I decided to go with my most-played being, funnily enough, the name of the album. Red by Taylor Swift is such a great song - it's got beautiful, relatable lyrics and her voice is as stunning as always.

I love dance music - Calvin Harris, Pendulum and, of course, Swedish House Mafia. Their previous singles "One" and "Save The World" are classics, and their new one is no exception. Don't You Worry Child by Swedish House Mafia has been on repeat ever since I first heard it - it's super catchy and just makes you want to dance, obviously! I just wish it was longer than 3 and a half minutes, thank God for the repeat button!

Lastly, we have a song that will always bring back memories for me. I first heard this song when I was in H&M (random, I know) in 5th Avenue, New York. You know when you haven't heard a song before you jot down some of the lyrics to google later, well I did that when I got home and have been addicted to it ever since. It's Better Than Her by Matisse, an artist I've never heard of but she sings the most addictive songs ever. It's so catchy, I'm listening to it as I write this now!

(source: silentradio)

Before I went to New York, I was on iTunes buying songs for the boring near enough 8 hour flight when I came across a new band. Little Comets (pictured above) are an indie-rock trio from Jarrow and Newcastle and are made up of two brothers and their best mate. I listened to their latest album, Life Is Elsewhere and instantly new I found a new favourite band of mine. Their songs are so easy to listen too which makes it so relaxing! If I had to choose a favourite song from the album it would be "W-O-E", which I have no idea what it stands for, and "Jennifer". The guitar playing in both is amazing and so distinctive, ah I just love them. Definitely check them out if you haven't - you certainly won't regret it, I promise you.

Beauty reviews back tomorrow!

Suzanna x