Barely-there Bases

The older I get, the more ridiculous a full face of slap looks on me. Less is definitely more these days and luckily there seems to be a whole raft of products out there to help me cheat a good skin day. I have an obsession with bases (amongst my many other obsessions) - foundations, BB creams, CC creams, tinted moisturisers, tinted serums .... basically if there is a new product released that fits one of these categories I find it pretty hard not to invest and give it a go. 

Cover FX Custom Cover Drops

I picked up this ingenious product in New York earlier this year, and I must say, I struggled with the application at first. It has taken a fair bit of experimentation to get the quantity and consistency right. This is marketed as a product of pure pigment which you can add to your existing skincare. You only need to apply the teeniest, tiniest amount (1-2 drops maximum) otherwise you have way too much product to try and rub in. I find for my skin, it works best if I apply a face oil first and then pat this in using my fingers. I also picked up the Cover FX Mattifying Primer and it does go on nicely over this as well. I really love the packaging and the full range of 24 shades would be a fabulous investment for my pro-kit. I use shade P40. Available at Sephora in Australia!

RMS Beauty "Un" Cover-Up

This is a fabulous little pot of goodness which is a concealer, but can also be using as a very sheer foundation. It has a coconut oil base so it just melts into the skin. I am shade 22 and I apply it with my fingers. Definitely a great option for an Australian summer. Available at Mecca Cosmetica.

RMS Beauty 'Un' Cover Up shown here with RMS Beauty Living Luminizer

Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation Serum

This range is marketed as 'No Makeup Skincare' which is perfect for someone like me who suffers from hormonal break-outs and likes a bit of coverage even if i'm only heading to the gym. I have oily/combination skin so I apply this straight onto a clean face. It is a two-in-one product so I don't need a moisturiser underneath. It has a fairly watery consistency but it is very easy to blend with your fingers when you dot the product around your face first, just shake well prior to application. It is a one-shade-fits-most system and as the product is so sheer, it would work for most caucasian skins. Available at Mecca Cosmetica.

Paris - Le Haul part one

I spent a lovely few days in Paris last week with my friend Kelly and we had a ball. Lots of eating and walking the streets ... and lots of shopping too of course! I didn't go crazy but I did pick up a good few bits and pieces in Sephora and Parashop, my French pharmacy of choice. Here is what I got.

Guerlain Météorites - described as 'Light Revealing Pearls of Powder' they are light diffusing powder balls which are shaped by hand and used to minimise flaws and add brightness. I have been intrigued by these for a long time and when I came across them in Sephora I thought 'when in Paris ....'. I went for colour number 2, Light. It comes with a puff but is much better applied with a fluffy powder brush. And they smell absolutely divine. You can buy these on Sephora with UK shipping available here. 

YSL Rebel Nudes in colour Fuchsia Tomboy - ever since Sephora sent me that lovely sample these have been on my list (see post here). It was so hard to choose a colour but I had bought a fuchsia top in Galleries Lafayette earlier that day so I decided to get something to match. The texture of these is strange - cool on the lips at first. The staying power is amazing and that is something that is hard to find in a gloss format. 

Dior Addict Fluid Stick in 869 Vie D'Enfer - these were everywhere in Paris. Dior have obviously spent big on advertising for this campaign and it worked on me! I bought this to compare to the YSL I bought above. I went for a classic red. It is part gloss, part lipstick. I can't decide which I prefer but I may just have to give it to YSL on the angled brush applicator. 

Marc Jacobs Beauty Highliner Gel Eye Crayon in Ro(cocoa) - is it possible for an eyeliner to be too soft? This may be the case with this one. At times the soft texture is a dream as it glides on with absolutely no tugging, however when you try to tight-line with it on the upper lash line it is a little too soft. Evidence of this can be seen in the picture below where the point of the pencil has worn down. It is supposed to have a built-in sharpener which I can't seem to locate. Any ideas? I love the colour though and as with all Marc Jacobs Beauty products, the packaging is luxe.

I picked up a few little handy Sephora brand things that I thought you might be interested in seeing. The first are these cool eye-remover swabs that look like a simple cotton bud but have eye makeup remover in the middle which runs into the bud as you snap the top. So handy for traveling! The second handy this is this reusable wipe for removing makeup. No more cursing when your hotel does not provide flannels to wash your face, just whip this out and you are covered. It dries hard like a chamois but becomes soft when wet. I take my makeup off with Bioderma first, then used this cloth with a cleansing balm to get everything else off. Unfortunately I can't seem to find this product online to link it in this post. I also got another small bottle of their makeup brush cleaner because it is easy to transport and works a treat.

In my next post, Le Haul part two I will show you what I bought at Parashop. And don't worry, it is not the usual Bioderma and Nuxe lip balm that you have read about a thousand times before. I'm not that predictable!

Marc Jacobs Beauty Style Eye-Con Reveal

The Sephora US order that I blogged about last week (here) arrived in a record 4 days which helped the soften the blow of the duty & tax charges that I paid. The item within the order that I was most excited about was the Marc Jacobs Beauty Style Eye-Con (or eye shadow palette) in 'The Tease'.  A very sleekly packaged palette holding 7 beautiful eye-shadows in a range of luxurious purple and mauves. In fact, I am so in awe of it that I can't even bring myself to use it yet. Here are some images, in all its unblemished glory ....

The palette is housed in a jet black fabric pouch. Unfortunately the press-stud which closes the pouch came away in my hand as I opened it. Moving on, once I got to the actual palette I was highly impressed. It is glossy and beautiful, the colours are very wearable and there are some neutral blending shades included too. 

Yes, that is the actual applicator supplied ... ridiculous ...

If purple shades are not your thing, there are 3 other options to choose from, the most versatile being 'The Lolita' which has all your nude/day time options covered. My only gripe (aside from the aforementioned press-stud issue) is the tiny foam applicator they include. I feel that this cheapens the product, and can't imagine anyone actually using it to apply their eye shadow.

You can purchase the Eye-Con palettes exclusively through Sephora here. They cost $58 USD or £37.39 (plus duty & tax). For more details on Sephora and their UK shipping options you can go here. 

Sephora and UK Shipping

When I found out the Sephora USA site was now shipping to the UK I literally ran to my computer to see what I could buy. You think i'm joking but I assure you I am not. On my last trip to New York, over the course of 4 days I made about 6 trips to Sephora and came away with multiple items on each visit - such is my love for the place, and for the US prices.

Sadly as I clicked away on the site, my excitement slowly dissipated. There are a lot of brands that do not ship to the UK, including Hourglass, Laura Mercier, Kate Somerville, NARS and any nail polishes. The other annoying thing is it doesn't alert you to the fact that it can't be shipped to your location until you hit the check-out screen. On the plus side Clinique does ship as does Marc Jacobs Beauty. I wanted to pop a few Clinique products in my bag to see how the prices compare once you add in the taxes.

I have been lusting over the All About Shadow palette by Clinique. It retails for £32 here and the online Sephora price is £22.82. I also did a price comparison on the Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey which retails for £17 in the UK, the online Sephora price being £9.51.

Marc Jacobs Beauty is still not available to purchase in the UK, so buying this online is obviously a big bonus.

Sephora are charging a £10 flat rate shipping fee if you spend over £75. The important thing to note is that they still apply duty and tax to your order at the check-out. I was charged an additional £20.97 for my order on top of the shipping fee, making it an additional £30.97 all in (ouch). You can see the breakdown below.

It's a shame but not a surprise that this was too good to be true. I am still really excited to receive my order but I won't be placing future orders unless it is for something truly exceptional that you can't buy in the UK.

Christmas Beauty Treats

There are some absolutely gorgeous Christmas beauty treats for sale at the moment. Even though it is only October, I can't help buy feel excited about the festive season when I look at these.  Last week I blogged about the L'Oreal Luxury Beauty Advent Calendar which you can read about here.  And here are a few extra items to add to the wishlist.

Clarins Christmas Crackers

How chic would your table setting be with these babies lying around? 

£39.00 for 6 from Selfridges here.

Ciate Mini Mani Month Advent Calendar

Featuring a mini-sized treat per day to take you right from 1 December to Christmas Day. £42.00 from Space NK exclusively here. Act fast as this sold out last year.

Beauty Ball Shimmer Balm by This Works

This lovely tree bauble contains a shimmer balm to use as a highlighter on your cheekbones, lips and cleavage. £12.00 from Space NK here.

For amazing gift sets you can never look past Sephora. These are from the US website however I will be in Paris in early December and may just have to see if I can pick some of these up there.

Sephora - Give Me Some Lip gift set  

A set of six lip favourites in pinks and nudes. $25.00 USD here. 

Sephora - Lash Stash gift set

An 11 piece set that guarantees amazing lashes and includes a set of false lashes. $45.00 here. 

Sephora - Fragrance Sampler gift set

Featuring 14 samples of their best selling fragrances and a clutch bag. Once you have sampled to your delight, you can take the included certificate into their store to redeem a full sized bottle of your chosen fragrance. $70.00 here.