Tuesday 29 April 2014

Bourjois Color Edition 24H Cream to Powder- Kick ass Cream eye shadow.

The actual name for this product is weird. Can you see that? Colour  Edition 24H Cream to Power.  Lucky there is a little picture of an eye, or that could get tricky!

What they say:
A new generation cream-to-powder formula is the newest member of the Bourjois' Eyeshadow family! Fine and silky, this soft cream colour turns into powder upon the contact with the skin leaving you with a luxurious, second-skin feel. In just one sweep Colour Edition gives a metallic sheen and intense colour that last 24 hours

What I say:
A cream eye shadow that sets instantly, with none of the usual stickiness and potential immediate creasing of so many cream eye shadows before it.

I picked up 'Or Desir'. a beautiful gold colour.

It swatches our nicely, and is just such a delicate shade, but easily buildable if you wanted to.

I am currently loving wearing this on my lids and a deeper power shadow blended through the crease, it is an effortless, and quick but effective, well defined look.  Throw on some mascara, a bit of liner if you have time and you're done.

I can't comment on this product's 24hr claim, as I don't wear makeup that long.  What I can say is that at the end of the day, I still look in the mirror and see the lovely eye makeup created rather than 'I swear I was wearing makeup when I last looked in the mirror'  
We've all been there, 9pm, perfect makeup, looking goddess like, 4am- who the hell is that?

I would liken these to the Maybelline colour tattoos, except they are less smooth, not in a bad way, I find the colour is easier to apply, perhaps, less slick would explain it better.  The straight to powder finish means that adhere to the lid as you apply it, rather than slipping.

The other major difference is that they are larger pots, so getting a brush in the top is not a problem, or if you use your fingers but find the size of the Maybelline pots means you end up with colour under your nails, you won't find that here.  The pot is also plastic, which I see as a bonus, because I break glass, it also means it is lighter for travel.

All in all I'm a fan.
In the UK, you can buy these from Bourjois retailers for an RRP of £6.99.
If you're in Australia, it might be trickier, a quick search of the Priceline website tells me these aren't available there (at time of writing) but you can buy them from ASOS albeit with a limited availability of colours, because of that they are priced (probably to clear) at £5.50, as with all ASOS items, these have free delivery.

Cream shadows, love em? hate me? Do you use them as stand alone products or more of a base like I do?


Sunday 27 April 2014

Seventeen Cheek Stamp Blush


A VERY long time ago, Australis made a product that had a buffing sponge on top of jar of loose blush powder.  Aside from the odd malfunction where the sponge came off and you wore half the tub (This never happened to me, but I saw it on 2 occasions) these were PERFECT.  OK not perfect, you couldn't really wash the applicator and as I say, wearing half a jar of blush in your cleavage? Not OK, but there were fab, they applied and blended the blush seamlessly and I loved them.

When I saw these cheek stamps, I was immediately drawn back to that little Australis pot of colour, and HAD TO try them.  They sounded almost identical.

I bought The Cheek of It and Stare Struck.  A peach and a plum.

Out of the box, they look like this:

 

So far so good, the walk down memory lane begins...

But on the inside, was not what I was expecting:



It's a solid blush and a sponge applicator, on top of the blush is a plastic cover to keep the sponge clean in transit, it is also a REAL pain to get out, I think I resorted to tweezers for one of them.

I'd like to point out there products didn't have testers, which isn't too uncommon in my local Boots store, not because they don't put them out, but because they 'walk' it had lead me to believe, on many occasion, there is a special place in hell for people who steal foundation testers.

The colour pay off of these if pretty awesome, and the colour selection- 5 colours in the range, from a pretty pink of a deep plum is also pretty cool.
Wearability is great, but then I've never had much of an issue with blush disappearing from my face.

The real issue, sadly, is what makes these different. The stamp.
Because the sponge is spring 'loaded' you have to push it to close it, and unless you kept that annoying piece of plastic, this forces colour onto the sponge.  Which mean picking up only a little, is near impossible.
You can lightly stamp the colour on to the cheeks and then blend, but really, if you're going to that trouble, why not just use a blush straight from the container.  Which is exactly what I do.  This has advantages too.  Because the pot has sides, you don't make little 'spills' of powder, and you can tap your brush if needed and waste virtually no product. 

As a blush, I love them, as a new and clever way of applying blush? Not so much, unless you are either a fan of thick stripey blush, or rag doll cheeks; in which case, they are PERFECT.

Seventeen is exclusively available at Boots.  Although Boots in a UK store, there are shops in other countries such as Thailand- if you or someone you know is on holiday there soon, sweet talk them.  You never know.




Friday 25 April 2014

My Top 10- Makeup Brushes



 


 I had originally planned to do a 'Top 5 Brushes',  but it was too hard. Instead here is my top 10 makeup brushes, in no order.

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush


 This one divides the blogging community a little.  I love it, it's dense, soft and perfect for speedy early morning buffing of foundation. It is fast, effective and bloody good value for money.

Real Techniques Blush Brush


Another one that people seem to love of loath.  I love that it is tapered, so I can pick up just a little colour but then is is soft enough to blend it all at the same time.  I reviews this brush here.

Tarte Blush Brush 


 This is one of those random brushes that you fall for, I got it as part of a gift set, but it is the perfect contour brush, it's both flat and dense, so it can place colour precisely and aid the blending, because it is slightly tapered, it is great for picking up just a little product.

Rae Morris Mini Kabuki

 This is the Mini Kabuki from the newer magnetic range, I don't have the original to compare.  I love this for highlighting, it's dense and fluffy but quite small, making it perfect for a light swipe of colour across the top of the cheap bones.

Rae Morrish Flawless Shader


 This is the Flawless shader from the original Rae Morris brush set.  It's a fantastic brush for blending out any harsh lines on the face or applying powder to large areas.  It is also really good for contouring as it is dense and quite thin.
The only difference between this brush and the same from the new Magnetic range is the appearance, also the brushes are slightly softer. No reason to upgrade.

Rae Morris Medium Oval Shadow Brush


 I love this brush for laying down any base colours or packing on colour, it's not as stiff as most, but because it is reasonably large, and picks up colour well, it does a great job at placing it on the lid.

LancĂ´me Blending Brush
I love this brush for general blending, it came with an eyes kit my mum brought back from the US, it's synthetic, a little bit stiff and reasonably tapered, I'm not sure how it became one of my faves, probably because it's purple, and then because it did a good job.

Hakuhodo S146

As blending brushes go, this one is quite small, it makes it perfect for blending into the crease while my eye is open.  My eyes are quite hooded, so if I try to place colour and blend into the crease with my eyes closes, it ends up looking terrible  So I don't.
This is the tip of the brush against a 5p coin and a $1 coin, just to give you an idea of how small it is.

Hakuhodo mini pencil brush


 This brush doesn't have name on it, it came as part of a set.  It is tiny and I really like it for detail work like the inner corner or lower lash line.

You can see in this picture, just how teeny tiny it is.

Last, but no means least:
Illamasqua Lip Brush


 At first this probably looks like every other lip brush, but it isn't, its as thin as most lip brushes, but it comes to a point, it isn't as rounded as most.

This photo shoes how pointed it is.  Unfortunately, Illamasqua changed the design of their lip brushes, they now come with a cap, and they are more rounded than the old design.  As soon as I realised this, I sent all of my friends a huntin' at their local Illamasqua counters and managed to pick up a few more. I only use a lip brush for my OCC Lip Tars, but this is a god send for doing a perfect red lip on someone else as the line you can create is perfect.

So there you have it, I really wanted to mention a few others, such as the Illamasqua concealer brush, and also the brush up brush, but to be honest there are other brushes that do the same job as these.  I adore makeup brushes, so picking only 10 was really tough.

Do you own any of these brushes? do you have your own faves I haven't mentioned?















Wednesday 23 April 2014

Rimmel Scandaleyes Eye Shadow Stick review

I love a good eye shadow stick/crayon/pencil.  I am a complete sucker for the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Shadow Pencils or the NYX Jumbo eye pencils and I am convinced these a darn good dupe of either bot both.  Described as a 24hr waterproof eye shadow pencil, they do pretty much the same thing, at a fraction the cost.  They are not as soft as the NYX pencils and sadly, do not seem to come in the huge range of colours that the NYX ones too.

These are the colours Bullet Proof Beige, which is actually more of a golden shimmer and Tempting Turquoise, which is as the name suggests a turquoise colour.

This is a better picture of my tattoo than a swatch.

I've worn these for a full day, although I have not challenged the 24hr claim, because I can't stay up that long and don't sleep with makeup on.

On the lids they are not in the least bit sticky or greasy, which it a pet peeve of mine, I hate being able to 'feel' a cream shadow, it MUST set immediately.

I initially bought the 'Beige' to use as a base for colour, but the more I use it, the more I like it worn alone or with a darker colour through the crease.

Colour pay off for these as well as the others in the range is great for the cash and I thoroughly recommend these if you are in the least bit interested in eye shadow pencils or want to give one a try.

A quick search of the Priceline website tells me these are available in Australia at $12.95 OR you can buy them from ASOS for less (but there is a smaller range of colour) and free delivery.

Eye shadow pencils, love em? Hate em? let me know.



Monday 21 April 2014

No7 Instant Radiance Highlighter and Pop & Glow Cream Blush


When I was at Boots the other day, these little pretties caught my eye.  I'm a sucker for anything tipped to make my life easier, and these crayon designed blushes and highlighters fit the bill.

The highlighter doesn't have a shade as currently they are only available in this beautiful champagne colour.

I picked up the blush in Classic Rose but there is also Mango Sorbet and Rose Blossom available.
They are super pigmented, and glide on effortlessly.
You can barely see the highlighter, but it is the shimmery line just above the pink.

Perfect for depositing colour which is then blended out with either your fingers or a bush.

So far, I am completely in love with the highlighter.  I thought I would love this blush, but I think I need to practice getting just the right amount of colour.  I think I might need the other two colours to aid this.

On the whole I hate products you have to use straight from the tube, and although there are certainly designed with this in mind, they are chunky enough you could easily run a brush over the top to prevent product to skin contact.

No7 is exclusive to Boots, which, although a UK company, do have stores in other countries such as Thailand.

Saturday 19 April 2014

Rae Morris Magnetic Brush Review

When Rae Morris released a new set of brushes, I was in 2 minds.
Do we all remember The Bitter Brush Debacle of 2012 (I knew that title would come in handy one day) So when I heard there was to be a new brush range released, I just wasn't sure how I felt.

Being the makeup brush addict I am, I was fighting a losing battle with myself.
I pre-ordered the Eye Brush set


I already had a few of the Kabuki set from the previous range, but they are still quite different.
I had 2 Flawless Shaders from the previous range, one, the original I was sent, which then leaked dye, and the second one that was a gift from Rae at IMATS, read about it here.
The new one is a perfect symmetrical and rounded brush.  
The new bristles, and EVEN SOFTER than the older range, and the handle looks more finished.  The brush does the same job, only now it is softer.


The Deluxe Kabuki is an unrecognisable upgrade from it's past self.  The brush is shorter, which isn't a bad thing, the bristles are denser and much more tapered.  It is less traditional looking than its predecessor, but functions better, there is now also a magnet in the end of this brush, which the last range left off the Kabuki brushes.

The most obvious physical different between the brushes is the shape and the magnet location.  On the old set it was in the ferrule, which seemed like a good idea at the time, but then we put the brushes in cups and they ALL stuck together, making it annoying to grab a single brush while working.  

On the new range they are located in the end of the brush, which is now flat.  There is a plate available to buy on which you can stand the brushes.  I have not purchased this, and have no immediate plans to do so.

The old brushes had a slant to the tip, which I think was purely for aesthetic reasons, what I have found from using these brushes over the past 2 years is that they get damaged from storage in a cup because of this shape, so I was glad to see this go.

The bristles are all softer than the originals, and I'm not sure why (maybe I got crap ones originally?) and nothing had been officially said about this.  When I spoke to Rae at IMATS in 2012, she said they she wasn't happy with the manufacturing and would be swapping, I don't know if this was before or at the same time as the new brush range.

All in all, I love these new brushes, some of them are just different coloured versions of the older brushes, such as the Mascara Applicator (I don't even use this, the idea of a metal comb that close to my eyes is a NO NO), and others which might seem this way, such as the Precision Bent Liner, are inexplicably better.

My stand out brushes from this range (of the brushes I have) are:


  • #2 Mini Kabuki- my new preferred highlighing brush
  • #3 Ultimate Cheekbone- lovely for contouring
  • #4 Square Kabuki - perfect for under the eyes
  •  #8 Point Shader -  really great smaller blending brush, perfect for blending up into the brown bone
  •  #8.5 Crème Shadow Shader -  great general blending brush
  •  #9 Detail Precision Shader - perfect, of my eyes at least for blending IN the crease, I do this while my eye is open and this being is a bit small is perfect. Ideal fro a cut crease.
  • #11 Medium Oval Shader - perfect for placing colour on the lid, especially the base colour
  • #15 Precision Bent-Liner - just works, generally I do not love bent liners, I refer angle liners, but this is a great brush.


  • Eventually I would like to add to this collection, but in immediate future, my eyes are set on the Wayne Goss Brush Set because I think they look like a great set of Hakuhodo brushes.


    Do you have any of these brushes? What are your favourite brushes? What do I need to try next?





    Thursday 17 April 2014

    Miss Sporty Mono Eyeshadows

    I love makeup, the only thing I like more than 'normal' makeup, is cheap makeup, GOOD cheap makeup.
    In Australia, makeup is expensive, but the real annoyance is the difference between a 'drug store product', and a 'premium product' is not huge because 'drug store' brands are SO expensive.  In the UK ( and America, but I'm not living there) the most noticable difference is that the divide is bigger.  The premium products, are a bit cheaper, but the drug store products and HUGELY cheaper.  Further to this, there is a better range, so while the Loreal, Revlon and Max Factor products are readily available, and so are the Maybelline, Rimmel and Bourjois, there is, and always has been a good selection of even cheaper drug store brands.
    Australian bloggers already know some of these secrets, such as the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer, the MUA eyeshadows and the Sleek Palettes and blushes, but I'm going to showcase a few other items from a some other 'cheap' brands you might have never heard of.  Mostly just for fun.

    Today, it is the turn of the Miss Sporty Mono Eyeshadow.  Most of you probably know that my relocation of the UK was not a move, but a move 'back'  I was born here, and lived here until I was 17. At that time, on a teenager's budget I used to use all of these brands, and I remember feeling like there was a higherachy of drugstore products, with Miss Sporty and Collection (Collection 2000 back then) at the bottom.  Isn't it funny that 12 years later, on a grown up budget, I am now CHOOSING to buy these products, because if there is one thing that (sometimes) comes with age, it is wisdom, wisdom that 'names' don't mean a thing when it comes to quality.  So without further a do....

    Miss Sporty Mono Eyeshadows in Candy -a metalic teal and Romance a matte pinkish bone colour, with just the slightest hint of a micro glitter.

    I must admit, when I bought these, I actually bought them for my 4 year old, who has decided makeup is fantastic, and rather than let him have my Inglot palettes to play with, I decided to buy him his own.  At £2 each, I figured it was the best bet.  HOWEVER, when I got them home and swatched them, I fell in love, needless to say I bought Jamie some other ones.


    You can't really see romance, maybe the hit of a pale matte finish to the left of Candy, and this photo doesn't even begin to do justice to the stunning pearl finish Candy has.

    I wore these colour together, over a primer (of course) Romace as the base and then Candy throught the crease, they easily managed the full day, although that might have been due to the hard working primer.

    The only real issue I have with these are the names, Romance is a true nude shade, so I suppose I could see the name choice, but Candy? Where the hell are you getting metalic teal Candy? 

    Am I missing something? If you can shed some light on this name choice, answers on a postcard....alternatively....you could just leave a comment.


    Tuesday 15 April 2014

    Samples Challenge Week 4

    Thankfully I am getting through these samples, although I must say, I seem to have collected a few more over the last few weeks.

    This week, just 2 samples, as most of the samples I have left are either perfume or skin care, I will only use a 2 at a time.  Although I don't have sensitive skin, I hate to use too many new products in one hit, so if I do react, I can figure out what to.  I also don't wear perfume every day, so I simply woudn't get through too many samples.

    This week:

    Marc Jacobs Daisy- I love Marc Jabcos perfumes, so looking forward to it.

    and Laura Mercier Flawless Skin Face Polish I've never used a Laura Mercier product that wasn't makeup, or at least a primer, so I'm eager to give this a shot.


    How's your sample stash? is it dwindling yet?

    Monday 14 April 2014

    Rimmel London- Exaggerate Undercover Shadow Primer Review


    I'm a complete eyeshadow primer devotee, it's just not worth it to not wear a primer.  That being said, I am ALWAYS on the hunt for a good value primer.

    I picked this up the other day out of interest more than anything.  I have no idea how long it has been around, and with such plain packaging I might well have passed it by many times.

    What they say:
    Rimmel's unique primer to maximise the colour and wear of your shadow!
    Makes colour waterproof! Apply to lid, let dry, apply eyeshadow colour.

    What I say:
    This is a budget primer.  The applicator is the same as a traditional lip gloss wand, which I hate because it feels gross to rub it on your skin and put it back in the container.  I do tend to put it on my finger and apply that way.

    This has a fair amount of slip, a liquid feel rather than a cream, it makes it easy to apply, once set, it acts as an excellent grippy base for shadows.  Sometimes, with the cream basked primers I find that they can be tricky to blend with, either because you didn't use enough and so the edges are rough, or because they are thicker on the lid.  This was not the case here, it was a dream to blend over, and a full 12 hours later my eyeshadow still looked as fresh as it did that morning.  I haven't yet put the 'waterproof' claims to the test...

    For the money, and even though it has a less than fab applicator, this is an amazing primer.

    You can get this in the UK from Rimmel stockists for £4.99, but always look for specials!
    A quick look over the Priceline and ASOS websites tells me this product is not currently available in Australai, but use the powers of social media to find out and nag!

    Saturday 12 April 2014

    March Empties

     The lot.  There were a few empties this month.

    The Samples. The sample challenge is well under way, I must admit I forgot to keep some of the empties from some of the samples, especially the Philosophy skincare.  Also, although I have set the challenge in March, not all samples are created equal, so I find I get through some in one try and others take longer because they are bigger.  Simple.

    Both of these samples are from Benefit
    It's Potent Eye-Cream.  I had a trial jar of this in Australia, and I quite liked it, but this sample seemed a little harsh on the delicate eye area, so I won't be buying it.
    The Big Easy. Pretty much as soon as I tried this sample I knew I was going to buy it, it's brilliant. The correcting side of it is great, this was, what I thought, tiny sample, and I combined a few of the shades, but it did such a perfect job with a small amount, and then was all velvety and lovely like a powder.  I'll be doing a more in-depth review of this soon. When I was in a department store a short while after trying this, they had 10% off and claimed it was 'pre-release' by a day, so I grabbed it.



    Soap and Glory goodies.
    The Righteous Butter. With the sudden change to a cold  freezing climate - going from Australian Summer to UK Winter - not surprisingy, my skin got dry, and I needed something to do some hard core moistuising. I love this, and because they have 'Christmas' packs which then are half price after Chrsitmas, I probably have enough to keep me going until next year, but if I didn't, I would be purchasing this again.
    Hand Food. This is my fave hand cream, you don't need a heap, which is why it lasted so long it lost it's label.  It goes on smooth and is absorbed instantly.  Just what you want for winter hands.  I have re-purchased it.
    Heel Genius. As the name says: it's genius, for your heels.  Also if you suffer from the dreaded scaly elbow it's also great to pop a bit on there, it will clear it up brilliantly.
    I have re-purchased this one too.


    Beauty Care Co. Green Tea Facial Wipes
    I was not a fan, they were a bit rough and tough on my skin. Also, they did not remove mascara. Liar.
    I got these super cheap from K-Mart, 13000 miles is a bit far to travel to get more, but even if I was in Aus, I wouldn't buy these again.


    Smart Value makeup reomver pads.
    These are the cheapest of the cheap but I love them, they're from Big W and I make a point to buy these. They don't have 'sealed' edges like so many cotton pads, and I find these edges a little harsh on my eye area, so I deliberately buy the cheap ones.  I can't repurchase these because of the distance, but I CAN hunt down an equivilent.


    Bioderma Crealine Solution (or Micellar Water)
    Absolute Godsend of a product.  I am currently using the B.Pure version because it is a fraction of the price, but if for some reason that became unavailable. I would jump back to this in a heart beat, it is THAT good.


    Girlz Only Dry Shampoo
    If you excuse the terribly tacky name, this dry shampoo is great. I hated all those before it, and most since.  It is possibly the 2nd cheapest dry shampoo available, but it works with my hair.  I'm currently using up another brand, but then I will be back to this.


    Original Source Mint and Tea Tree Shower Gel
    This stuff smells SO clean and does a fab job of waking me up in the morning.  I have another bottle to use up, but I will probably always have some floating around.


    Clarisonic Refreshing Gel Cleanser
    When I first got my Clarisonic brush, I didn't know what to use with it, so I bought the gel cleanser too. It did the job and meant I learned what the ideal product texture was.  I like it, but probably won't re-purchase.

    There we have it, March's empties, a little later than I planned, mostly due to being away for most for the 1st week of April.  I'm hoping to have a few more for April as there are some products I'm really not a fan of that I just need to use up! I know you know what I mean....

    Friday 11 April 2014

    A Heart More Broken than the Shadow selection- My fist Scottish Inglot experience.

     I love Inglot shadows, but then show me a Beauty Blogger who doesn't.
    Recently I made a trek to the nearest Inglot store to me in Scotland, determined to increase my collection- seriously, I know I don't need to.....


    I love Inglot so much, that on my wedding day, when I did my own makeup, they were the only shadows I used

    Inglot shadows makeup a majority of the shadows in my pro kit.  I LOVE them.

    So imagine how gutted I was to make this hour long trip to do some much needed colour (retail) therapy to discover a store that didn't even remotely resemble the Inglot stores I have been in Australia.

    Initially, the store didn't even seem like a retail shop, focusing more on doing nails and other beauty treatments than selling products, complete with hand written 'specials' signs.
    So unsure was I about the store, I actually asked if they sold the Freedom Palettes- yes, they did, but the miserable selection of broken, water damaged, dirty and faded shadows was all they had left (ok, her words might have been different) ALSO they only had 16 pan palettes left.  That didn't bother me, just an excuse to buy more shadows. Until she got the '16 pan palette' out and it was actually a 4 pan face palettes, but 'you can get 4 shadows in each one'
    I politely declined on the grounds I am too OCD for that and I like they to look neat, also I knew I had a spare Z Palette at home and I could order the actual palette from the Inglot website, but I am reluctant to order any colours that way as I like to swatch.

    I carried on looking for shadows, I enquired about the magnetic boards they usually give you to select the shadows- they had none- just put them on the counter.  Through dirt and faded shades, I managed to find a few I didn't already have.  It was made  slightly harder by the complete lack of organisation of the shades and finishes.

    I picked my 16 shadows, after I was informed that they didn't actually had 5 of them, I paid for my 11 shadows, then the SA disappeared off and came back with a crumpled used 'other store' carrier bag, and without giving me the choice, put my shadows in it, informing me that they didn't have any bags and 'really needed to do an order'

    So annoyed by this whole transaction, I decided to double check if this store was in fact even a real shop, it is, still listed on the Inglot website, and still apparently functioning as such.

    Maybe Australian stores spoiled me, maybe they are of a higher calibre, or maybe this one was just miserably disappointing?  Either way, it left a nasty taste in my mouth and the decision never to return to that store.

    When I took to Twitter with my concerns, the feeling was that I should email head office to inform them of the situation.  I have done this, I eagarly await their response, and when I get it, you'll hear it here first.

    What about you? Have you ever been super exicted to go to a store only to be bitterly disapointed? What about Inglot stores? Have I always been lucky? Are they not created equal?


    Thursday 10 April 2014

    The POREfessional Agent Zero Shine


    The POREfessional Agent Zero Shine (what a mouthful) is a new product from Benefit.

    What they say:
    Operation shine control! The POREfessional: agent zero shine instantly minimises shine and helps smooth the look of pores. Our invisible shine-control powder joins you in your top secret mission for smoother-than-smooth skin. Pores and shine don’t stand a chance! Just twist, tap & sweep to look fresh-faced, without a trace!

    What I say:

    It is a mattifying powder, it has a cool name, and quite clever packaging.

    How they say to apply it:
    Twist off built-in brush from base. Then tap powder into lid and dip brush. Sweep on moisturised skin or over makeup to instantly mattify your complexion. Touch up over makeup during the day…or whenever shine dares to return.

    What? They're a brush us there?

    Yep.


    The brush is actually pretty good, and becuase it comes away from the contained, it is able to be washed with all your other brushes.  Tapping a small amount into the lid and using it like that appeals to the clean freak in me. It makes it far more hygienic that a brush straight into the product, or heaven forbid a brush attached to the product.


    As for the performance, it does exactly as it claimed it would.  I applied it mid afternoon over makeup, just as the shine was beginning to come through.  It looked, fine, no colour, not chalkiness or ashyness.  Looked fine.  

    It felt weird.  I can't quite explain it, but if you could imagine your nose suffocating, if you have ever work grease paint for any purpose, or full stage makeup, you might understand what I mean.  This did pass, and it still looked OK, but for a while it was almost as if my skin felt even greasier.  If you are someone who wears full coverage foundation, set with a powder, you may not mind this feeling, I however would prefer to have blemishes show, than wear thick makeup.  SO perhaps this just isn't right for me.

    I know I need to give this product more of a chance, but it was so off putting, I am delaying it. Tomorrow. Tomorrow I will try again.