Although I don't seem to write as many nail posts as I used to, I'm still obsessed with nail polish. Nothing makes me happier than seeing a flash of colour when I'm typing, or seeing a set of pretty painted toenails peeking out from my sandals. My nail polish collection is getting seriously out of control though, but I can never resist adding new ones to my collection especially when it's from a brand that I haven't used before. As you know I love trying new things so for one of June's My Pure reviews I decided to try a nail polish from German brand, Benecos.
I've tried a few products from this BDIH Certified brand now, and I have to say for the price point I've been pretty impressed. The brand produces a wide range of affordable, good for you, skin, body, hair care and make up products, that use organic ingredients where possible and are free from a lot of chemicals and preservatives that you would normally find in toiletry and cosmetic products.
When you think of nail varnish though, one of the things that you probably think of is chemicals, surely there is no way that a nail polish can be natural and good for you? Well think again, all of the nail polishes in the Benecos range are not only cruelty free and suitable for vegans but they're also 5 Free. A lot of nail polishes now describe themselves as 3 Free but there aren't that many traditional style, nail polishes out there that describe themselves as 5 Free. What that basically means is that Benecos nail polishes are free from toluene, formaldehyde, camphor, phthalates, and colophonium or colophon, which have been found to cause skin irritations and breathing problems.
My Pure currently stock 15 shades of nail polish from Benecos but the shade I tried was French Lavender. I'm a huge fan of lilac and purple nail polishes so this one was right up my street.
Packaged in a 9ml size cylindrical bottle, this polish has a short, and thin, but good quality brush. The polish was quite fluid but the brush was easy to control and it applied easily and smoothly. and dried quickly. The coverage was okay after 1 coat but I felt that it really needed two coats to give the full depth of colour.
The finished colour was quite a bit deeper than it looked in the bottle, it wasn't the lilac tone that I'd anticipated and instead it had very much a dirty, dusky lavender, purple finish. Wear wise, I always test nail polish without a top coat and two days in, I only have a little bit of tip wear.
Although the colour didn't end up being quite what I expected I have to say I still liked this nail polish. It applied and wore well, it dried quickly and it definitely didn't seem to have as strong a smell as some polishes that I've used in the past. I'll definitely be trying a few more colours in the future, and if like a lot of people I know, you're looking for a gentler, or 5 Free nail polish, then this could be the brand to try. Benecos Natural Nail Polish in French Lavender comes in a 9ml bottle and retails at £6.95 from My Pure. Are you a fan of free from polishes? Let me know your thoughts x
I've had a little bit of a blogging break over the last week but I'm back today with the return of my Sample Saturday series. Like blogging at the moment this series has taken a bit of a back seat but from this week Sample Saturday will be a regular thing once again.
One of my favourite brands at the moment has to be Kiehls, after an fascinating skin analysis, and an amazing facial**, At last I think I've discovered both a brand and products that can really make a difference to my skin.
The facial was the best pre birthday treat that I could have had, my skin felt incredibly, smooth and revitalised, and like all good beauty therapists, Kate from the Kiehls counter in House Of Fraser, in Intu Metrocentre went just that little bit further and gave me a relaxing and hydrating hand and arm massage.
I've made a couple of Kiehls purchases since my facial (a large beauty haul post is coming soon) and with those purchases and my skin analysis, I was lucky enough to receive quite a few sachets and sample sized products to try. I received a couple of things from the skincare line which have already become firm favourites and I also received a couple of sachets of one of their most famous products - Creme de Corps.
Kiehls have been around since 1851 and they have an amazing history and pedigree when it comes to skincare but probably one of their most famous products is their body cream - Creme de Corps. The original formulation remains one of their most loved products and it's held in high regard by a wide range of therapists, make up artists, celebrities and even Victoria's Secret Models.
The original formulation which is crammed full of sesame oil and cocoa butter remains one of their best sellers, but never one to rest of their laurels and their history, Kiehls are a brand that like to move with the times, and as a result they've introduced several new variants of Creme de Corps, including the one that I tried, Kiehls Creme de Corps Soy Milk & Honey Whipped Body Butter.
This was the product that I was lucky enough to be massaged with during my facial, and just that small taste (and scent) of it left me wanting more. Designed to provide up to 24 hours of hydration, this body cream is packed to the brim full of good for you ingredients including shea butter, jojoba oil, beta carotene and Kiehls signature plant based ingredient squalane, and of course extracts of soy milk and honey. It also contains no parabens, glycols, or silicone's.
Unlike the original this product has an almost mousse like texture. It has a whipped, airy like appearance, yet it feels creamy and buttery on the skin. It's quite thick but it spreads easily onto the skin, and a little goes a long way.
Given the creaminess and buttery feel I was expecting this product to take an age to absorb but providing you don't use to much, it sinks in pretty much straight away, without any residue, or a sticky or tacky feel. I'm not sure whether or not the feeling lasted for the full 24 hours but immediately after application and for sometime afterwards my skin felt and looked smooth and hydrated, and smelled good enough to eat.
I have to be honest and say that the name originally put off this because I absolutely hate honey! I can't stand the taste of it and to me the smell is even worse! Thankfully though, this doesn't smell anything like honey. To me this smells like cake, it's a creamy vanilla, coconut scent that makes me think of coconut cake, smothered in creamy vanilla butter cream. Despite the creaminess and sweetness this isn't too sweet a scent, and despite the fact that I'm not the biggest coconut fan either I personally didn't find it either overpowering or sickly.
Although I've only used 2, 5ml sachets I can definitely say that I'm in love with this product. Despite it thickness it absorbs into the skin easily, and leaves the skin looking healthy and with an almost glowy appearance. Given the texture and the scent I think that this product would make the perfect summer body moisturiser and I also think that it would make a great after sun. Due to the insane amount of body creams and moisturisers that I already own, I can't see myself purchasing this at the moment, but I'd definitely consider buying the full size in the future. Kiehls Creme de Corps Soy Milk & Honey Whipped Body Butter comes in two sizes and retails at £36 for the 226g tub and at £45 for the 340g tub. It's available from Kiehls standalone stores and concessions nationwide and from their own website, and from various websites Debenhams, House Of Fraser and John Lewis. Have you tried Creme de Corps? Let me know in the comments x
*On Counter Sample **Complimentary Skin Analysis And Facial
My name is Louise and I'm a candleaholic! I love candles and so does my mum, you can pretty much find a candle in every room in our house bar maybe the porch and the shower room. We love candles not only for their scent, and their ability to rid the house of nasty niffs (essential if you're a pet owner!) but also for their relaxing properties. Looking at a candle flame just makes me clear my head and breathe just a little bit more slowly.
Between us we probably have enough candles to stock a small shop but like so many things, in my eyes there is no such thing as too many candles, so I decided to use some of my birthday money to replenish my stock.
The main thing that I wanted was either a medium or a large Yankee Candle in the Lemon Lavender fragrance for my room. The lilac colour matches the paint work in my room perfectly and the subtle but zesty lemon tones perfectly compliment the clean, heady hints of lavender. This is one of my all time favourite Yankee scents and I tend to burn it just before I go to bed because I find it quite a soothing scent, some people though find it quite zingy and refreshing, it all depends on your nose I guess. I bought this one from a local retailer Collectables and this is the medium jar candle which retails at around £18.99. (Note to self though don't leave candles in hot cars because they have a tendency to melt a bit!).
While I was in Collectables I also got a few votive candles. These are ideal for more intimate fragrancing, and for fragrancing smaller spaces. I'm intending to use these ones in my craft room / office when I get it sorted, so I picked a couple of refreshing and revitalising scents, that will hopefully help me combat that afternoon slump. The two fragrances that I chose were Mango Peach Salsa, and Lemongrass and Ginger. Mango Peach Salsa is a real old favourite of both mine and Mummy Lou's, it absolutely mouthwatering and smells like a peach and mango smoothie with just a hint of spice. Lemongrass and Ginger on the other hand is a relatively new addition to the Yankee stable, and as you would expect it has the lovely, aromatic citrus scent of lemongrass. I can't really pick up the ginger but maybe that will come to the fore when I burn it. Yankee Candle votives or sampler candles normally retail at £1.80 each.
That was it for full price shopping but a couple of weeks ago, my bestie Dawn and I went on a little road trip for her birthday, the whole point was to head to Seaham, a small town on the North East coast just south of Sunderland, and eat ice cream in probably one of the best ice cream parlours around Lickety Split! If you follow any North East blogger on Instagram (including me!) then you'll know about their amazing ice creams, and ice cream sundaes - if your up north at any point then you must pay a visit!. Anyways I digress, the weather wasn't that great on the day, so after a little walk around the marina we got back in the car and headed a little but further south to the Dalton Park Outlet.
Dalton Park is basically just a large outlet village in Murton, Co Durham that is crammed full of Outlet stores, ranging from national chains such as M&S, Next, Thorntons, Joseph and Gap, to more localised stores including a Collectables.
The first store when went into was M&S and whilst my bestie was trying on work clothes, I had a little look at the small home section and I saw some candles and decided to have a sniff. The one I fell in love with was the M&S Specially Blended Jasmine & Orange Flower Aromatic Candle.
There were several sizes and style to choose from but since I'd never tried an Marks and Spencer candle before I went for the small 90g size which came in a cute glass jar tied with raffia. I love anything to do with jasmine at the best of times, and combined with the orange blossom, this candle has a heady floral scent that just screams summer. It actually smells very like the Courreges La Fille De'L' Air perfume that came in a recent My Little Box (see my unboxing video here). I've been wearing the fragrance quite a bit since I got it and to me that's very similar to what this smells like. It was reduced to just £2.25 and based on this experience I'm definitely going look at Marks and Spencer's candle selection next time I'm in store.
Our next stop was the Collectables outlet, and I picked up a few pieces, in some more of my favourite scents. Me and my mum already own these fragrances in both small, and large Yankee jars, but I love the scents so much I couldn't resist picking up both a votive and a wax melt, in both the Tarte Tatin, and the Pain Au Raisin fragrances. As I say votives are perfect for fragrancing a smaller space, and the melts, or tarts as they used to be called are ideal for a strong, quick hit of fragrance. The two scents that I chose are in no uncertain terms foodie fragrances, and as Yankee Candle fragrances are so true to life, the names pretty much describe exactly what they smell like. Tarte Tatin smells exactly like an apple tart, with the tartness of the apple, the warmth, sweetness and buttery taste of the pastry, and the spice of the cinnamon, where as Pain Au Raisin has the buttery scent of the dough, and the sweetness, and spice of the cinnamon and raisins. I probably saved a few pounds on these in total and I'm really hoping that these sweet, cake scents, will help me with my cake and sugar cravings.
We had another wander round and some how we ended up in the Hallmark Outlet. This basically a card outlet and it was full of cards and gift wrap, but they also has quite a few gifting items including two huge candle displays. I was a bit candled out by this time so I just had a little look at the Village Candle display. I've never tried anything from Village Candles before so I had a good sniff, there were some amazing scents, but I stayed strong and decided to just buy some candle accessories instead. All of the Village Candle accessories were reduced and since they are the same size and the medium and large candles I decided to treat myself to a shade and a candle plate.
I didn't look at the price till I got to the till and when I did and I was really surprised at just how cheap they actually were. The Lilac Lustre Candle Plate was just £1, and the matching shade was just £2. The prices were absolutely insane, after doing a bit of research their accessories are cheaper than Yankee anyways but the quality is almost identical and a comparable set from Yankee would probably retail at around £23 for a set this size - Bargain!
I really love these, they make you candle look more like a little lamp, and the shades really help your candle to burn more evenly and last longer. I particularly love the crackle glass and the way that the candle light reflects through onto the walls. This is what the set looks like with my Yankee Lemon Lavender.
The final candle related item that I picked up was a set of glass votive holders from Poundland. Obviously these were just a £1 for the two, and the blue and white stripe and spot design will work perfectly with blue walls, and carpets and the white ceiling in my office.
If you're interested I've also uploaded an You Tube video to accompany this haul so please have a little watch below or if you're on a mobile device you can watch it via this link x
Ahhh I can't wait to start burning all of these now and to experience all of these lovely aromas. I can't help it I'm just addicted to candles and I think they are something that I will never stop buying. I am trying to branch out a little more in my brands though and step away for the Yankee, so if you've got any candle recommendations I'd love to hear them, and in particular if you have any Village Candle recommendations I'd love to them and I'd also love to know where you buy yours from x Thanks for reading and happy home fragrancing!
I'm late again but I've just uploaded my May beauty favourites video and I'd love it you'd take a look, either by watching the video below or by clicking on this link.
Products Mentioned
Gatineau Tan Accelerating Lotion For Face And Body
I hope you enjoyed this video and / or you found it useful, If you did please subscribe and if you have any questions on anything that I talked about then please leave me a comment x Thanks for reading and hopefully watching x
Sometimes I really think I should start taking my own advice. It seems as though I'm very good at telling other people what to do, but then I go out and do completely the opposite. Case in point - I'm always telling my Godparents not to go shopping and not to go into Primark when the kids are off school, so what did I do a fortnight ago? I went to Primark of course! The trip was a disaster, it was hot, stupidly busy, and the renovations in the Intu Metrocentre branch meant that there was only one set of tills open. Needless to say I took one look, dumped my basket and walked straight back out of the door!
It was a total nightmare but I still wanted to have a look round Primark, so on Wednesday I headed back in Intu Metrocentre to get my Primark fix. The store is still a nightmare due to the expansion, and if anything it was actually hotter this time round but thankfully it was a lot quieter, and I was able to have a proper look around.
Unfortunately clothing wise it was another one of those disheartening Primark trips, I had no real reason to buy anything overtly summery and most of the things that I did like just didn't look right or they just didn't seem to be available in any of the larger sizes :( I did pick up a pair of my favourite indigo jeggings which were still on special at just £6 - I virtually live in these things and they are just so comfy but they have the look and the feel of a skinny jean. I thought clothing wise that, that would be that but then I saw this stripey top.
I know fashion experts always say that horizontal stripes can make you look bigger, but I love the look and so what if I look a bit curvier. I love a Breton style stripe, and the thin very dark, navy blue stripe, gives this top a real nautical look.
This over sized t-shirt is made of a slightly textures slubby style fabric, and it would be lovely and super wearable on it own, but what attracted me to this one is the crochet detail on the cuffs and on the front hem. The slubby fabric is overlaid with a white crocheted diamond pattern which I think adds a bit of extra interest. This top also came in a variety of plain colours and it was only £4, personally though I love the stripes, and this top will be fab with my indigo jeggings and either my navy or my white Converse.
Next up shoes, and boy do Primark have some nice ones in at the moment - from knee high gladiators, to strappy sandals, trainer styles, canvas pumps, and flip flops, I really do think that have something for everyone. The first thing that I looked at was the flip flops - by rights I probably should have walked away and looked at something else, I probably have more pairs of flip flops than the average shoe shop, and since I'm not going abroad this year the opportunities to wear them will be limited, but I didn't and I added this pretty pair to my basket.
You know me I love a bow, and this super cute pair, of blush, nude toe thongs have the cutest little filigree, gold tone bow on the strap. They were only £3 and they come in loads of other different colours and patterns.
Although this is definitely going to be the years where I try and ingratiate myself with high heels again, I do love a ballet pump, and for the price, Primark's are as good as anyone elses, These tan ones though are a little bit different to anything else that I have in my shoe collection.
In the basic, flat ballet pump style with a partially open toe, the body of the shoe is almost woven together, in a slashed and criss cross design, I think these are really unusual, the fit is really generous and they have a soft padded sole, for extra comfort. I think they also come in black and these shoes were just £6.
I've been buying quite a bit of jewellery lately some of which you'll see in my upcoming May favourites video (and if you're observant the video to accompany this post!), but I couldn't resist having a look at the newly relocated jewellery section and picking up a few simple pieces.
I really should stop buying rings, although I'm trying really hard to wear more of my jewellery this year I just don't seem to be wearing rings as often as I should, this one though called out to me. I love the cage style design that seems to be everywhere at the moment, and I also loved the slightly irregular shape of the stone, and of course that the stone, looks as though it's embedded with glitter. I really liked this and it was only £2.
The final thing that I got was a necklace - It's very rare to see me without a necklace at the moment, and I'm loving wearing a variety of different types of necklace. I've worn quite a lot of chunky pieces but I've been wearing the odd more delicate piece, and this one will fit the bill perfectly.
These disc style necklaces are very fashionable at the moment, as are spinning necklace, and this one combines both of these trends in one. It comes on a fine gold tone chain, and the pendant is a spinning disc, one side is in a white, almost faux mother of pearl tone and the other size is in a plain, polished gold tone, which is outlined with tiny, clear crystals. I love the fact that you can get two different looks from the one piece and I also love the fact that it was just £2.
Please, please, please have a little watch of the accompanying video that you can see below and via this link if you're on a mobile device. You can listen to me ramble and talk a little bit more about of things that I've mentioned in this post, or can you?
Urgh why do I always do this, I filmed the video then I found something else in the bottom of the big that I'd forgotten to mention - this pretty nail polish!
I'd initially gone to see if the new beauty range was in store, and surprise, surprise it wasn't but I saw this nail varnish and it just screamed Louise. I love, love, love my daisies, and the pretty pink, polish that was just £1.50, came with a little pot of pink, and lilac daisies, to fulfil all of your festival and floral, nail art fantasies. If flowers aren't your thing though Primark have several other nail bits and bob in at the minute containing everything from Superman and Batman decals, to jewels, glittery top coats, gel effect polishes and a whole new range of false nails.
I didn't really see anything though this time round that I thought I must go back and get that so it might be a little while before my next Primark trip but you never say never do you. If you have any questions on anything that I've bought please let me know and if you've posted a Primark haul either on your blog, You Tube or even Instagram then leave me your links and user names below xx
There are so many mascaras on the market these days, that it's almost impossible to choose which one to buy. There are so many different things to consider - Are your eyes sensitive? What colour do you want? Do you want length, or do you want curl or even volume? It's a tough choice, especially if you're a mascara whore like me, I love trying new mascaras and I very rarely show any brand or product loyalty. I have a mascara drawer that's full to bursting point with new and unopened mascaras at all different price points and acquiring a new mascara always makes me happy.
Most of the mascaras in the drawer are one offs that have came in goodie bags, magazines, gifts with purchase or in beauty boxes, but suprisingly given my attitude to mascaras, I do have a few mascaras from one brand in particular - Benefit! As you know I love Benefit and in my collection I have a mini Roller Lash and a mini Bad Gal Lash, and I also have several full sized and mini They're Real Beyond Mascaras that I've received in beauty boxes, as pressies, in sets and that I've even bought myself.
Benefit They're Real Beyond Mascara was released in 2011, in a blaze of publicity and it's popularity has grown so much as of 2015 it's now the UK's No. 1 best selling mascara. I can see why and that's probably why it's something that I've repurchased, but I do have a bit of a love, hate relationship with it and today I'm going to tell you why x
Benefit They're Real Beyond Mascara is so named because it pretty much promises to give you that perfect false lash effect look in a tube and it also promises to do everything that you could ever want a mascara to do, It claims to lengthen, curl, volumise, lift and separate your lashes. It also claims to be long wearing and not to clump, smudge or dry out. Can a mascara really do everything for everyone? Well Benefits consumer tests certainly seem to suggest that this one can at least in part, in their research 94% saw dramatic length & volume, 94% saw a visible lift in their lashes and a massive 100% of participants saw long wearing results. Were my results the same? Let's see x
Unlike a lot of Benefit products, packaging wise They're Real seems to have a little less of the quirk factor. This mascara generally comes boxed and it comes in a pretty classy looking, gunmetal, plastic and metal tube.
Most mascaras these days are all about the wand and the spoolie and this one is no different. Long gone are the traditional bristles that you would find in Bad Gal, They're Real embraces the new generation of plastic and rubber spoolies, covered in row upon row of tiny vertical prongs, what makes this one special though is the tip of wand
It;s not easy to see it in this picture but the slightly domed tip is also also covered in tiny rubber bristles or prongs or whatever else you want to call them. This tip is specially designed to separate the lashes but you can also use it to flick out the corners of your lashes for that real fake lash look.
For me the formulation is good, it's not too wet and it's not dry or flaky. I've only tried the Black but it's a true rich matte black, some black mascaras can look ashy but not this one, it's a proper black mascara. which is designed for maximum impact.
At the risk of telling you something you already know, I'm assuming that you all know how to apply mascara, we all have our own ways of doing it, but Benefit provide you with some application instructions anyway, which actually do make the application a little bit easier. Holding the brush horizontally, they advise that you apply the mascara to your bottom lashes first and that you apply your mascara by wiggling the brush from side to side, rather than just brushing it on. Then if you've ever watched the amazing Benefit head make up artist, Lisa Potter Dixon on QVC UK you'll know that you need to twist the brush, and go VERTICAL, using the domed end of the brush to separate, curl and fan out your lashes. Then in theory you can then layer, and repeat till you achieve the look you want. The key words being in theory but more on that later. Here are a couple of before and afters so you can see the difference that just one coat makes.
Before
After
There is absolutely no doubt that just one coast of They're Real has made a significant difference to my lashes, they're thicker, they're definitely longer, they've got a definite curl to them and they're much darker! It also wears well, it doesn't flake, it doesn't feel drying on the lashes, and it doesn't irritate my eyes and it also doesn't come off until you take if off with a decent cleanser or eye make up remover. You could say that it does everything that Benefit says but for me the words, close but no cigar spring to mind.
I like this mascara but I do have a few issues with it, first of all the wand attracts way too much product and as a result you can end applying way too much at once, it just doesn't seem to have as good a wiper system as Roller Lash does.
Although as you can see above one coat gives a dramatic enough result I do find that if you apply more than one coat in order to get a real full on false lash look, it has a real tendency to get a bit thick and clumpy, I know the whole point of the domed end of the wand it to lift and separate the lashes, but in my experience it's sometimes so clogged with mascara that you need to actually wipe it before you use it, and sometimes even then it just doesn't cut the mustard. It's not ideal and more often then not I still need to comb my lashes thoroughly with a lash comb to get that picture perfect false lash look. Okay it doesn't take any effort to pull out a lash comb but with a mascara and a wand that promised so much it is a bit frustrating
Thankfully for me, most of the time one coat is enough, and all I used to perfect the lashes you can see above was the mascara wand itself. There is no doubt in my experience that this mascara does achieve most of what it promises and I will probably repurchase it in the future but if you fancy giving it a go, take some tips from me - take care and time with your application to avoid blobs and clumps, and either have on hand a wipe to clean your wand or a lash comb to achieve that flawless lash look, oh and make sure you have a decent cleanser or eye make up remover at the ready, because this stuff stays on. Benefit They're Real Beyond Mascara in Black retails at around £19.50 for 8.5g of product and is available for various retailers including Debenhams, Boots, John Lewis, House Of Fraser and of course the Benefit Cosmetics UK website. Thanks for reading and don't forget to let me know if you have any questions about this review x
Hi Guys x I hope you've all had a lovely, sunny weekend, I've had a couple of busy days but I'm back now with another My Pure review for you and it's another one from German, natural beauty brand Lavera.
Although Lavera also produce a large range of skin and body care products, personally I'm all about their natural make up line. Many moons ago the words, natural and make up just didn't go together. If a make up product was ethical, contained no nasties and was full of good for you ingredients, then the chances were that the quality just wouldn't be that great. Thankfully times have changed though and over 25 years of experience has allowed Lavera to produce a highly regarded make up range, that's cruelty free, predominantly organic and contains no synthetic preservatives, colours, or fragrances.
Like all of the other make up products in their range, this cream highlighter is crammed full of good for you, skincare ingredients including, Castor seed, jojoba, argan, sunflower, rapeseed, coconut and olive oils, and Shea, and cocoa butter. It also includes a variety of natural mineral pigments, and various flower and plant extracts including mallow flower, Rosa centifolia and sea buckthorn.
It comes in a black plastic pot with a twist off lid. The lid contains a clear plastic section so you can see exactly what the product is at a glance.
There are two shades to choose from Golden Shine which looks darker, and more golden bronze toned, and the one I went for Shining Pearl. The swatch on the website isn't the most accurate I have to say, but Shining Pearl in real life is a beautiful, pearlised, creamy champagne colour.
This is a cream highlighter, and probably because of all the lovely oils, and butters it has a lovely creamy consistency, and thanks to the essential oils and plant extracts, it also has a lovely lavender, type aromatherapy type scent, which lingers on the skin.
All you do is take a small amount of the product (a little goes a long way), and dab it on to your cheekbones, your eyelids, under your brown or anywhere else where you would like a bit of shimmer and a bit of a glow. You can either apply it with your fingertips, or if you have one, a small stippling brush, or even one of the tiny beauty blending type sponges.
It can look a touch cakey at first especially if you're applying it on top of say a face powder but it blends down nicely and gives the skin, a subtle but noticeable shimmer, and glow.
Here I've applied it to my cheekbones, and I've also used it to highlight my brow arch, and I've also used it as a cream shadow and to add a bit of brightness to the inner corners of my eyes, I'm a huge fan of powder, liquid and cream highlighters, and for me this one is a nice addition to my collection. If you want all the shimmer, glitter and sparkle, and you're looking for that disco ball look then this probably isn't the product for you. If on the other hand you just want to add a tiny bit of shimmer and glow here and there then this product could be one to try. The Lavera Soft Glowing Highlighter comes in 2 shades and retails at £9.50 for 4g, from My Pure. Are you a highlighter fan? Let me know your favourites in the comments box x
From something that was once a mainstay in many peoples make up routines, in recent years loose powder seems to have got a bit of a bad press. Look at any You Tube video or magazine article on celebrity make up fails and you're bound to see at least once beautiful woman with a loose powder disaster and a floury, cakey face - not a good look!
Loose powder can be messy, and it can be cakey, drying and ageing but it if you've got an oily skin, it can be a god send. A lot of brands are replacing their loose powders with balms, and silicone mattifiers but for me I'll always be a loose powder girl.
Find a good loose powder and you'll realise why this product has been around as long as it has. The ingredients may have changed a bit over the years but if your skin is prone to oiliness and shine, then you'll know that a quick dusting of powder, both perfects and sets your make up, and takes away all of that oil and shine.
I'm slightly obsessed with face powders, and I always have a few on the go at once - I tend to use pressed powders for touch ups and when I'm on the go but for that first application at home I love the feeling of a loose powder on my skin. I've got one or two in my collection already but since I recently finished one I thought that I pick one up for one of May's My Pure reviews.
I've already spoke a little bit about the ethics and history of German brand Lavera in a previous post but I think it's important to remind you of the significant role they've played in the natural beauty industry.
Lavera as a company are over 25 years old, which surely tells you something about the quality of their products. 25 years in the beauty industry is a long time, and in that time many brands have came and went but Lavera have stayed at the top of the natural beauty market. They produce a wide range of products that only use natural ingredients, which are organic where possible, and that are formulated without synthetic preservatives, colourings or fragrance. The range is also animal friendly, and dermatologically tested to be suitable for even the most sensitive of skins.
The product that I decided to try was the Lavera Fine Loose Mineral Powder which comes in the one shade Transparent. Lavera are firm believers in the fact that make up should be good for your skin, so this product contains a host of good for you ingredients that you probably wouldn't expect to be in a face powder.
Suitable for all skintypes this talc free formulation, contains a wide variety of natural minerals and light reflecting pigments, as well as rice powder, and nourishing, organic oils, butters and plant extracts including, argan, coconut, sunflower, olive and jojoba oils, cocoa and shea butter, and extracts of rosa centifolia, mallow, lime blossom and licorice root.
The powder itself comes packaged in a basic, but practical screw top jar, and features a little insert with holes in so you don't dispense too much product at once.
The pot also comes with a useful, soft velour powder puff. You can apply the powder either with the puff provided but either patting or rolling it onto specific areas of shine, such as the t-zone, or if your skin is just generally oily or if you want to set your make up, you do what I generally do and use a big fluffy brush
The powder itself has a beautiful soft and velvety feel, it is very finely milled and it feels very lightweight on the skin, and no matter how much you apply it never feels cakey or drying. I think that that's probably down to all of the moisturising ingredients and plant oils, that also give a subtle but noticeable aromatherapy type scent.
The shade is called Transparent, and unlike a lot of loose powders that claim to be translucent, and despite the fact that it does seem to have a hint of colour, it doesn't drastically change the colour of your foundation or look obvious or chalky on the skin. My skin is you know, as very pink toned and quite pale, and this shade really worked with my skin, I can't say though how this would work on darker skin, a true translucent but should be okay but that's something that you would need to try for yourself to be sure.
I've been using this powder to set a variety of foundation, and it worked equally well on all of them but perhaps the one that it's performed best with is the Lavera Natural Liquid Foundation in the shade 02 - Ivory Nude. I reviewed this product a little while ago now (read my review here) and whilst there were aspects about it that I liked, the colour was a little bit off, and the creamy formulation meant that it didn't last very long on my skin. When I saw the accompanying powder, I thought would give it a go and see if it made a difference, and believe it or not it did.
Not only did it seem, to calm down the richer colour, but it also took away all of the initial shine, and glow in an instant, and it helped the foundation not only last longer but it also it made a lot more wearable on my oily skin
I've took a few photos below but I don't really think they show the difference that well after all this is a transparent powder so you aren't really supposed to see it. In the before pictures I'm just wearing the Lavera foundation and nothing else, and in the after photos I've just added a dusting of the Lavera Fine Loose Mineral Powder.
Before
After
I know you can't see too much of a difference in these photographs but I think you can see a slight change in the skins texture in the after photographs. What I like about this powder is that it is so light weight, you can barely see it or even feel it on the skin, you skin just looks smoother, and with a more even tone and texture. The oil just seems to disappear in a minute and your skin doesn't feel caked, thick with product or dry and flaky. If you have oily skin and you love natural products than I would definitely recommend this product. As well as using it set your make up, you can also dust this powder onto bare skin and use underneath your make up, to mattify the skin, and to even out your skin tone. Yes it's a little bit messy and you get a bit of fall out here and there but if you want an even toned, matte complication, then this is definitely something to try. The Lavera Fine Loose Mineral Powder in Transparent comes in an 8g pot and retails at £15.90 from My Pure. Are you still a loose powder fan? Let me know below x
