Avon BB Cream Review

So for those of you who follow my twitter or have read my last couple of 'Look of the Day's' then you will know that I have been using Avon's ideal flawless BB cream instead of my YSL Teint Touche Eclat foundation for the past week.

My reason for doing this is I have been wondering about BB creams for a while now and wanted to try one out. I like Avon products and find them to be decently priced for what they are so I thought I would give it a try.

BB creams have been around for a while, first originating in Germany, but I became aware of them from the Japanese BB creams that have been around for a few years. They have been called many things; Blemish balm, Beblish balm or Beauty balm...Avons product is known as a beauty balm.

So this is how the product arrives...

Simple packaging 

Its a 30ml product so the same as an average foundation - which is good as this means it will last a while. 

The product out of the tube

The product is a lot thicker than foundation but seems to provide a similar coverage, it is light in its application and not heavy on the skin. It is also quite moisturising but needs a powder with it to stop it being overly shiny. 

 

I went for the lightest shade 'ivory' as I am quite fair skinned. It matches my skin tone really well which is a real bonus as its often difficult buying from a catalogue or online where you cannot try the product before you buy it. 

Straight away when applying it you can feel that it has fillers in it, so on application it gives a really even tone and texture to your skin. I did however have some difficulty applying it without having streaks - my perfected method is to apply with fingers and then use a stippling brush to blend in. 

I also tried various forms of powder to set it, the usual loose powder that I use (Clinique loose powder) did not go well with the BB cream and I was very shiny after about 30 mins. So instead I tried my Lancome pressed powder and this seemed to create a lovely finish and last all day...HOWEVER...I was caught in the rain on one day and the result was not pretty...my face was left looking scaly...so I would not recommend wearing it in a downpour. 

Over all I like the product and will continue using it on days where I want a lighter feel on my skin or just cant be bothered with foundation. It does take a bit of practice to get a good finish with it, but once you perfect this it lasts just as well as foundation and gives a great coverage.  

Hope this is useful and it would be great to hear what BB creams you have tried and tested!

Muchos love 

C

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Review: New YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat Foundation

This weeks review product is YSL's new Le Teint Touche Eclat foundation. The now best selling foundation has managed to include YSL's award winning concealer/highlighter - Touche Eclat, a product which many a beauty enthusiast has coveted and raved about. So I went treated myself to a product that I thought would be of the same standard. 

I was very interested to test this new formula, and was lucky to get my hands on it when I did; as I was informed that prior to its release there had been waiting lists all over the world for this product, and in fact it has quickly become one of the best selling foundations - globally. 

As soon as I enquired about the product I was given facts and figures to go along with it, and a lot of 'Scientific' spiel about its highly innovative technology. The reason YSL are doing so well with this foundation seem to be because they have released a number of 'technologies' at once with this foundation. Unlike many, many other foundations, it contains no powder but instead uses a gel medium base. This is useful for a lot of reasons. It stops your make-up drying out and it creates a better base for your other products. Lasting all day with a good finish. It also claims to contain 'liquid gold' which is the reason for its 'glow'; which is unlike other foundations that uses particles of pearl for this same result. 

As sceptic as I am with new foundations I wanted to try this one out as I love Touche Eclat. I chose a shade that seemed invisible against my skin (BD20) which is one of the lighter shades of the 'gold tone' shades. As I find a shade like this will go from season to season and through the summer months can be touched up with bronzer to give more of a sunkissed glow. ( I use the lightest shade of Body Shops baked bronzer). 

The packaging on the product is lovely, really luxurious and everything you would expect from a brand like YSL. But as always the proof is in the pudding, and so the only real test of quality is how well the product works. 

I have been using the foundation for well over a week now and am a complete convert. It does exactly what it says on the tin, long lasting with a non powdery finish. There is also less need to wear a concealer under or over it as it does an amazing job of making your skin tone flawless, it even hides most blemishes perfectly, which is a rare treat in a foundation. It has a dewy finish without powder applied, but when you prefer to wear powder it has a satin finish that will not look too matte. 

A little also goes a long way here, the pump provides enough to cover the whole face and down the neck with just one pump. 

As far as I am concerned, other high end brands will struggle to top this, and it has a great value at £28, which is less than many others - especially when we consider that the Touche Eclat concealer on its own is £25. YSL are providing us with what seems like excellent value. 

So if you are in the market for a new foundation, have loved the original Touche Eclat or simply want to know if it lives up to the hype; I highly recommend giving it a go, you wont be disappointed. 

TTFN 

C

Laura Mercier Oil Free foundation review

Hi guys!
So as I have mentioned before I really do not have good skin, and so I am unable to use the cheaper brand foundations (which make me really break out). But I am also not a very loyal foundation buyer, I usually change every time as up until now there have always been issues with whatever brand I have used.

I mentioned a while ago that I had a make up haul, and the oil free foundation from Laura Mercier was one of the products that I bought. I am the shade 'Warm Ivory'.
Before this foundation I was using a Lancome Teint Idole Ultra one in their palest shade (which I have been told has been discontinued any way). The Lancome one was also an oil free foundation which my skin needs as I have combination skin. But the Lancome foundation was quite drying and its coverage (although the fullest coverage in their range, was not enough for my needs).

I had been pointed to Laura Mercier by a friend who assured me that the foundation was 'the best you will EVER use'. The colour matches my skin tone perfectly, I am very light with slight but not strong yellow undertones to my skin; usually I have to compromise on the colour and usually end up having to go a shade darker (or a shade with more yellow/ orange tones than my skin has) or in the case of the MAC foundation that I have used go a shade lighter which really made me look pale.
Even though the foundation is oil free it does not dry out, but has good staying power so that it doesnt 'slide' off my face either (another problem I had with the MAC foundation that I used).

The coverage is also brilliant, without making me look 'cakey'. Its a pump bottle and I only need one for really good every day coverage, which means that the bottle will last next to forever.

The one down side to this foundation is that it retails at £33 here in the UK, so it is by no means a cheap product. But I believe with foundations you really do get what you pay for, and I believe that 100% with this product; totally worth the splurge, especially when you consider its going to be sitting on your face all day every day.

So hope that was help full, maybe if you're thinking about changing your foundation or 'upgrading' from your drug store brand, I would definitely reccommend the Laura Mercier products. But as always, shop around and always go for the product that's right for you.

TTFN
C