Clinique Even Better Foundation

Clinique Even Better Makeup | Boots | £24.50 | Link

If you caught my recent haul you will have seen that I picked up this absolute gem of a foundation from Clinique with promises that I would write a full review on it so sit tight as I have a lot of things to say about this product!

So I guess I should briefly point out in case you didn't catch my haul post where I already explained this, that I've been having problem skin and Clinique Even Better Makeup with SPF 15 was the foundation that was recommended to me by the sales assistant. According to Clinique this is made with an oil free formula that helps your skin tone appear more even both short term and in the long term - the website also calls this a moderate to full coverage foundation. I had this applied to me at the counter in Boots, and my first impressions of it were pretty decent to be honest. The lady had put this foundation on so flawlessly but without making my skin look like it was caked in makeup. It corrected the redness around my nose, covered blemishes with ease and just generally made my skin look naturally glowy and beautiful - something it hasn't done for a long while now.

My slight concern was that I would buy the foundation and struggle to replicate the awesome results that the Clinique MUA did for me. One thing that I am glad I paid good attention to was the type of brush she applied it with, now she used a flat foundation brush - a type of brush that I have never braved to use before. But while I was in Boots I decided to pick one up to use with the makeup as what she had done was a good job, so I got one from EcoTools. The next morning when it came to reapplying my makeup I was pleasantly surprised that I managed to recreate a good a job. I used the EcoTools flat foundation brush and it didn't really take too much getting used to, using more of swipe/pat motion. 

The foundation feels very light when you apply it, and its consistency is pretty liquid based - when you shake it it sounds quite watery in the bottle, I love how this feels on the skin it is almost like a moisturizer - it feels so breathable and almost as if you don't really have any makeup on your face which I think is lovely particularly as this will probably be more of a daytime option for me. Another perk of the foundation is naturally the SPF as I will be wearing this during the daytime so it never hurts to get some added protection in there does it?

The wear time of this foundation is the only real let down for me, I think that because of its watery consistency it seems to wipe away from the face within a few hours. I don't apply powder to set it so I'm not sure if adding some powder would help the duration of this foundation last a bit longer but without powder it does slip away from your face by the middle of the day which is unfortunate.  

You could definitely go medium to full coverage with this depending on how you prefer it - I really like how this can achieve quite a high coverage while still looking very dewy and skin-like.You also don't need to pile loads on to achieve a nice finish, although one thing that I would say about this foundation is that I definitely prefer it with a flat foundation brush as it gives such a better coverage and looks really beautiful. I tried this with my RT Expert Face brush for experiments sake and the coverage just wasn't there and it didn't have that lovely finish to it that you can achieve with a foundation brush.

I'm really surprised that this foundation doesn't pop up a bit more often on the beauty blogging scene because it really is a nice foundation for day time wear that gives a beautiful dewy finish with moderate coverage. However I wouldn't recommend this foundation for someone looking for a long lasting foundation as sadly I don't think that this would cut it. You wouldn't get a days wear out of this without needing to reapply or touch up, and so in terms of price I think that isn't the best value for money as I can imagine a bottle will run out fairly quickly. This isn't exactly a drugstore price foundation at nearing the £25 mark but in comparison to some high end foundations that isn't too alarmingly priced. Thankfully the bottle isn't glass so its super travel friendly meaning you can chuck it in your makeup bag on the go no problem for those necessary touch ups.

Wearing Clinique Even Better Makeup

QOTD: Have you tried Clinique Even Better Foundation?

Learning To Believe

Source

My relationship status has not really been a subject I've been comfortable to speak about on my blog before. Given that I don't really go into too many personal details on here why on earth would I bring up something like that anyway? However back in the day when I used to blog I was more than happy to mention the fact that I had a boyfriend and yet in the year I've been writing this blog I have touched upon the fact that I'm single once, at a push twice.

So where does this rather out of the blue post come from then? Well I suppose when you've been single for almost two years, relationships,certain people and what's happened to you in the past and then looking ahead to your unknown future, are all things that can play on your mind quite a lot when you let it.

Its difficult to write a post like this without wearing your heart on your sleeve a little bit, but I'm definitely a girl who is pretty guilty of wearing her heart on her sleeve a bit too easily. There is the slight fear that in pressing publish at the end of this post that anyone who reads it knows a little bit of your business. But hey I'm going to attempt and write this in the most honest way possible while keeping some level of privacy to myself.

In my own way I justified my silence over being single as being down to the fact that there wasn't really anything to say - it was a bit like yep I'm single and I'm getting on with it. And yes I suppose I could say I've been getting on with it in some sort of fashion. It has nearly been two years, which I think is quite a long time now. And honestly, being single really isn't as bad as I thought it was going to be at first. Its gives you a lot of time to focus on yourself and exactly what you want.

There have only been a few 'romances' lets call them, for me since being single. What these have taught me is that its always those unexpected people who get you the most, those are the ones that take you by surprise - give you the highest of highs and often the lowest of lows. But they are without a doubt the best. They are exciting. They have you on your toes. They give you butterflies. They make you feel alive. And often they break your heart.

The scariest part of letting someone in is always the fear of eventually getting hurt. Or the painful realization that it wasn't what you thought it was. Everyone has a history. Most people have been burned. Its easy when you've been on your own for so long to be carried away by your feelings, by your fears and somehow it tarnishes your abilities to love again.

So how do you move forward? Do the scars stay with you forever or can you learn to free yourself of them? Perhaps if you're lucky you will meet a person who reminds you what it means to take a risk on someone, and maybe then the answers will all come in time.

A New Perspective

This blog post has been on my mind for a little while now, and given that we are in a brand new year what better time to finally put my thoughts into action and write it down in a post. See I'm trying this new approach to things from now and it will as a result have an impact on my blog, hopefully I see it as quite a positive change. My blog here is almost a year old and it has been a space for me to ramble on about makeup and related subjects which for the most part I have enjoyed a lot - it was a good outlet for me. However I want my blog to be something else now, other than just another beauty blog.

 Now I'm not saying I'm never going to talk about makeup ever again on here because I am, its still a keen interest of mine, however I need to take a back step from all the makeup and all the beauty blogs and YouTube for a bit. I have a few reasons for needing this change of perspective. I used to blog years ago just for the pleasure of writing and documenting my life, and I'm at a stage now where so much is going on I think it would be good to go back to those old ways.

If you follow me on instagram you may have seen a recent picture I posted declaring that I need to 'buy less shit' this year, and really this couldn't be  a truer statement. By this I don't mean that I think what I buy is shit - I (mostly) buy lovely quality products and 50% of the time they are well researched and thought out purchases while the rest of the time I buy on impulse for the sheer thrill of it. I just want to try and be a little more savvy about my spending and control the never ending wanting and not let it control me. I also hope that in doing this I can just try and enjoy and use what I already have more - which is plenty to keep me going for now!

I know that if I'm totally honest, this time last year I wasn't in the best place with myself. I was unhappy in a retail job, on the brink of breaking away but just waiting for the right time. I was lonely and hung up on someone. Basically I was lost and didn't really know my place. In the end I was going out and buying nice things on a binge to make myself feel better - and while it sort of worked for a bit, it totally spiraled out of control and I was ignoring what the real issues were.

Fast forward to January 2015 current day Grace and I feel like my head is screwed on a little tighter now. Hopefully I've got most of that crap stuff out of my system and I'm ready to look forward to the bigger picture. I'm more driven than ever to continue growing my business, although a lot of that is out of my hands and will probably just come in time. I have quite a few long term goals and I'm driven to one day be able to achieve all of those.

So instead of every single post being about the newest lipstick or the newest nail polish, I'm going to be throwing in a lot more personal posts that come from the heart and speak honestly about the things that are going on in my life. Sure not everyone wants to hear about that and if I lose a few readers then so be it but I'm not afraid of change and I'm excited to see where this new perspective on my blog takes me.

Manicure Monday: Essie Cocktail Bling

My chosen manicure colour of choice for this Monday's post is from Essie and its their shade Cocktail Bling. I don't own many polishes from Essie (definitely a BarryM girl me) but I think I'm going to branch out this year and try a few more from the brand. I've had Essie's Cocktail Bling sitting in my collection for well over a year now but I've never really enjoyed it until late. Its quite an unusual shade to describe as I would say it sits somewhere between grey and pale blue with a hint of mauve in there too.

Its not what I would call the 'prettiest' colour in my collection, however lots of my clothes at the moment have hints of this shade in them and wearing this polish brings it out really subtly. Its definitely an appropriate colour for the winter as its not a pastel its pretty muted down but has
a trendy yet sophisticated edge to it. This is best worn with a bottom and top coat as the colour and shine lasts far longer!

QOTD; Have you tried Essie's Cocktail Bling?

Products I've Used Up | Empties #6

What better way to get into a year of blogging than to talk about a load of products that I've used up over the past few months. I've been getting through loads of products recently, and am still in the process of using up lots more so expect to see quite a few empties posts in 2015! As you can see this post (and the ones to follow) include quite a few seasonal bathing products from the likes of Lush and Philosophy - these types of posts are always quite satisfying to do as I like seeing all the products I've used up. For quite a lot of these products I have already written full reviews on them so they will be linked below if you want to check those out.

Philosophy Pumpkin Pie.
First up was a shower gel I loved using during late autumn/early winter from Philosophy and it was their Pumpkin Pie edition. This was a delicious shower cream to use and it really got me in quite a seasonal mood ready for the winter months where it was so spicy and richly scented. The texture of this was very silky and luxurious which is always a nice quality in a shower cream. I also used this as a bubble bath a few times but seen as though I tend to shower mostly its main job was as a body wash. Although I enjoyed this and it made a nice change I would say that generally speaking I prefer shower gels to be a bit more zingy and uplifting - I shower in the mornings so I like to have something that's invigorating rather than this which is more on the decadent, indulge-yourself side of things.

Rose Jam Shower Gel.
While I'm on the topic of shower gels I thought that I would talk about Rose Jam from Lush, another seasonal bathing item and this one was much more up my street! Rose Jam is a limited edition release over the festive period and I'm a little gutted I didn't stock up before it sold out in the sales - next year I will definitely be buying the size up as I only got this in the mini version. Rose Jam is absolutely gorgeous - it has a winning blend of floral and fruitiness to it which works so well together. If you like rosy scented products and didn't get round to picking this up at Lush I would definitely recommend it this winter if its released again!

Palmolive Almond Soap.
Last bath/shower product to mention today is just a bar of soap from Palmolive I picked this up on my holiday. Not really a bar of soap girl but I dabble in and out of them from time to time and this was pretty nice. Fresh smelling, does the job not much more to say on that one!

The Body Shop Vitamin E Moisture Lotion SPF 15.
If you've been reading my blog for a while you may already know that I'm a big fan of the Vitamin E range from TBS. I chose this moisturizer during the summer and on my holiday as it contains SPF 15 and it was a decent moisturizer and I just continued to use it up until it was empty, which took longer than you would think actually. The Vitamin E Moisture lotion is very light, quickly absorbs into the skin - it isn't sticky or greasy feeling on your face it has a pleasant, fresh smell to it and its affordable so its pretty win win really.

The Body Shop Vitamin E Hydrating Toner.
Another Vitamin E product emptied and this time in the form of a toner. To be honest I don't have a great deal to say about this, or toners in general really as I don't quite see the point of them or that they make any real difference in your skincare routine. Sure this is pleasant enough and I'd probably recommend it to someone who wants to try out a toner as its way cheaper than most high end skincare branded toners, but I doubt I will be picking another up as this is just for me an unnecessary step in my routine that I can probably afford to miss out on.

Cotton Pads.
Cotton pads: essential item, one that I'm always stocked up on and I always buy these from Aldi as they are cheap as chips and you get a double pack. Simples.

Snow Fairy Massage Bar.
My last seasonal beauty product for this empties post from Lush is the Snow Fairy Massage Bar. This is a nice addition for those days where you really want to indulge your skin in some oily TLC. Massage this into your body and the result will be sickly sweet smelling smooth skin. Not a product you would want to use on a day to day basis as it is greasy and requires a bit of a wait for it to sink in.

Garnier Soothing Eye Makeup Remover.
Garnier eye makeup remover has been my go-to product for years and years, I'm sure I've probably already mentioned one before in an empties post! Its so reliable that I just always go back to it. Its similar to a Micellar water in the way its very gentle yet effective at removing even the toughest of eye makeup products. I'm going to try something new for a change this time but I know I will be making a repurchase of this at some point!

Khiel's Creamy Avocado Eye Treatment Sample.
I asked for this sample from a Khiel's counter ages ago and once I used it up I did actually go out and buy a bigger sized pot of it. As sample sizes go this contained enough product for me to decide whether or not I actually liked it enough to buy it, I think it lasted about a week and that was using it twice daily.

QOTD: What products have you used up recently?

Clinique Haul

Hello 2015! I'm starting my year of blogging with surprise, surprise a haul post. But I'm being a tad cheeky with this one as I actually picked these bits up a few weeks ago - technically last year - while I was on my recent winter break, when we went for a little visit into Norwich for a spot of shopping. While we were there I made a quick stop at the Clinique counter in Boots.

I'm pretty sure that I've mentioned that my skin has been really playing me up in the last few months, and my mum suggested that I go and try out some of Clinique's products as it might be a bit kinder to my skin. She also said that over the years Clinique have been some of her favourite foundations, so the first thing I was in search of was a foundation. As much as I love my Nars face products I do think that they have a tendency to make me break out a bit so I think that a new foundation could help in my skincare troubles.

It took a matter of seconds stood at the Clinique counter for me to feel utterly overwhelmed by all that they had to offer in the name of foundation. Thankfully I was quickly approached by a very helpful shop assistant and I told her all of my concerns, and the sort of foundation I was looking for - medium coverage nothing too cakey and she offered to try some on me so I could get a correct colour match. The foundation she recommended was the Clinique Even Better makeup, and she did an amazing job at applying the foundation and I loved how it looked - I won't say too much more as I plan on doing a full review shortly in the new year.

The next product I decided I would try was the Dramatically Different Moisturizer which was another family recommendation as quite a few of the women in my family use/have used it. I tried a little sample version of this moisturizer a while back and my skin got on with it so I hope that this will be a good safe option for me as a moisturizer. Lastly, I decided to try Take The Day Off balm to remove my makeup with. I've heard balms are meant to be one of the best types of cleansers to get every last scrap of makeup off your face and the shop assistant also said it was really good as a makeup remover.

Having been using these products for the last few weeks I'm already impressed with each one of them, as I mentioned I have a full review on the foundation on the way but if anyone would like a review of the other two products leave me a comment below :)