Revlon does it again - Nearly Naked foundation/powder

Good evening all, hope you've had an awesome weekend :) The weather here in Belfast was ridiculously lovely today - really crisp, bright and sunny - it's got me all excited about Spring!

I've been looking forward to doing a post on the new(ish) Revlon Nearly Naked foundation because I absolutely love it!...

Initially the name put me off trying this because my skin is far from perfect so I usually opt for a medium or full coverage foundation and I figured this would be more of a tinted moisturiser but I'm happy to admit that I was completely wrong. I find the coverage to be medium and definitely not as light as I was expecting - it evens out my skin tone whilst looking totally natural and although it doesn't do a good job hiding any spots or dark circles that's what my awesome Revlon Photoready concealer is for :)

The texture is amazing because it's creamy and light as air so actually feels more like a moisturiser than a foundation. It's very similar to Healthy Mix by Bourjois which is a long-time  favourite of mine so if you like that then chances are pretty good that you'll like this

One of my main concerns about light textured foundations is that they'll wear off after a couple of hours and I'll be left with practically no coverage or, even worse,  horrible faded patches on my face! Every time I've worn this I've finished off with the Nearly Naked powder and it looks fab for about 6 hours, at which point I'll usually add another dusting of powder to my t-zone as it tends to get a bit shiny throughout the day

As for the Nearly Naked powder... It's nice but not exceptionally so. The texture is very fine and light so it's great if you want something that's buildable but still natural and non-chalky. It definitely adds a little extra coverage when dusted over the foundation and it's handy to carry around in your bag because it comes with a mirror and puff applicator. These days I think almost every drugstore brand has at least one or two great powders in their range so if you already have a powder you love I wouldn't suggest buying this just to go with the foundation because it's nothing to write home about

Hope this was helpful if you're thinking about trying this. If you've already got it let me know what you think! ♥

Other stuff : 

Size : Foundation - 30mls, powder - just over 8g
Shades available : Foundation - 16, powder - 6 
Price : Foundation - £8.99, powder - £7.99

NYX Pore Filler

Evening all :) So I was just thinking back to when I was a teenager and the only makeup I wore was a dusting of Rimmels Clear Complexion powder and a dab of lip balm... Perhaps a gloss when I was going all out. How things have changed!

I don't exactly cake it on with a trowel or anything but I've definitely noticed more n more steps being added to my routine over the years, it doesn't seem that long ago that I first learned about things like primers and highlighters

For me to consider adding yet another product to my "steps that can't be missed" list it has to be pretty fantastic  The NYX Pore Filler was one of those spare of the moment online buys; I was won over by the claim on the tube which says "magical agent that minimizes the look of pores to create a smooth, porcelain doll-like finish to your face" So, yeah, my expectations were pretty high!

First things first; the texture is a cross between a cream and a liquid and is unbelievably silky but it's super thin so doesn't feel heavy and uncomfortable on my face (a problem I've found with a lot of other silicone based products) It really evens out the surface of my skin and does a great job of filling in any obvious pores so they appear to shrink even before I've applied my foundation. Generally they're small and well behaved but sometimes the pores on my cheeks and nose seem large enough to be used as storage when I'm only carrying a tiny clutch bag and although this doesn't get rid of them entirely it makes a gigantic difference

There is a very light tint to the cream but this barely shows up, even on my ghostly pale skin. I've found my makeup looks fab when applied over this but it doesn't work in the same way as a primer because it doesn't seem to actually extend the wear of my foundation at all. Hardly a major issue considering that's not what it was designed for but it'd be a lovely little bonus!

Here in Belfast I haven't found any stores that actually stock NYX products so I get most of mine from Amazon, though the majority of places online seem to be selling this for about a tenner. I reckon that's good for 20mls cos I only use the teensiest amount and I can see this lasting me months

Right, I'm off to make some brinner, hope you have a great weekend ♥

Makeup to wear to bed...

I was getting ready for bed and decided I just had to do a little post on a product I've been really enjoying recently; Pure Transformation Night Treatment from Bare Minerals.

This is essentially makeup you wear to bed that promises to improve your skin (I know, right?!) I'd heard about it on QVC when it was first launched and couldn't help thinking it was kinda ridiculous, I mean who can't go 8 hours without makeup... when they're sleeping!?!?! But as someone who has suffered from pretty unpleasant looking acne I could see why it might be appealing

I'm not particularly vain or anything but answering the door to the postman or the Dominos delivery guy with a makeup free face is never the highlight of my day. They might not care that I have some impressively volcano like spots and pores the size of the Grand Canyon but I do and I'd much rather keep it between me, my dogs and my Rapid Action Clearasil Gel. So a skin perfecting powder that is designed to be worn over my other skincare products suddenly seems like a relatively sensible idea

Anywho, I got a little 2g sample size in a Bare Minerals collection from QVC and I figured it was worth trying. The pot comes with one of the typical sifter style dispensers and has a brush in the lid, which could  be handy but it takes up tonnes of space making the packaging super bulky and is awkward to clean. I use a normal Bare Minerals foundation brush so it really is just like applying a regular Bare Minerals foundation before sleepy time. Which feels super strange. Even after using it for almost a month I haven't got used to putting makeup on twice a day, though I could definitely get used to waking up looking fresh faced a blemish free (almost)

I know this might be hard to believe because this is a skin treatment but it actually gives better coverage than a lot of powder foundations I've tried - it feels smooth and light on the skin and gives a nice matte finish. On days where I'm not planning to apply any makeup I've found myself adding a light dusting of this over my daytime face products because it evens out my skin tone and adds a little brightness to my face without looking heavy or cakey

I can't say I've noticed a complete transformation but my skin has definitely improved; the texture is more even, my pores are less noticeable and I haven't had as many of those little skin coloured bumps that congregate around my cheeks and forehead (I'm sure they have a proper sciencey name but I haven't a clue what it is)

According to the Bare Minerals website the benefits come from the ActiveSoil Complex which seems to be the basis for most of their skincare. This isn't the most amazing product I've ever used but it's good enough to have convinced me to order a full size pot

Other stuff -

Shades available - Clear, Light, Medium and Tan
Price - £45 for 4.2g Yep, the price shocked me too, especially when I checked the price of the regular Bare Minerals foundation which is only £25 for 8g!