REVIEW || PIXI BY PETRA ON THE GLOW BLUSHER TRIO

*This post contains gifted items and affiliate links.

I don't think I've ever liked the formula of cream blushers until trying these Pixi On-the-Glow Blush Sticks. I've tried a few in the past including MAC cream blushers and just felt like they were too hard to work with, especially when it came to blending.

BEAUTY || FACE OF THE DAY USING LUXURY AND DRUGSTORE PRODUCTS

Today I wanted to share with you my top beauty products for an every-day look. They are mostly high-end products, however, they can be easily replaced by more affordable alternatives on the high street.

I never thought that I'd find a primer that's nearly half as good as Benefit's Porefessional, however, the Clinique's colour correcting super primer is amazing. It glides onto my face making it look and feel velvet smooth and on top of that it tones down the redness of my cheeks. It's a perfect base for anyone who suffers from rosacea or any type of redness on their face.

The next product which I am obsessed with is the Esteé Lauder Double Wear Maximum Cover foundation in shade 'Creamy Vanilla'. The current price of this product is £29.50 from what I can remember, but I have actually bought it for just under £15 on feelunique.com back in March when it was on offer. It is very thick and creamy in consistency but very easy to blend. You also don't need a lot of product for your whole face which is always a plus as it will last you longer. The only downside of this product is that it doesn't come in a lot of shades and the one that I use is the lightest shade that I usually wear when I fake tan or mix it with another product.

MAC's Studio Fix seems to be everyone's favourite foundation, however, I am not the biggest fan of it myself. Don't get me wrong, it's a very good foundation and it is affordable as it can last up to a year for only £21.50 that's only £1.80 per month, however, I find it too mattifying and drying for my skin type. BUT when I mix it with my Esteé Lauder foundation to create a lighter shade it works perfectly well and gives my skin a flawless finish. This way my face doesn't appear dry nor oily. I use the shade NW10 which I find slightly too pale for myself, however last time I purchased the NW15 and that was too warm for my skin tone! Maybe next time I will try the NW13 or continue to mix two shades together.

After applying the base I set it with a Chanel loose powder for extra coverage and to make my make-up last longer. I swear by this product and it lasts forever, I have over half of it left and I've already had it for over a year. I'd love to recommend this product to you all but sadly it was a limited edition item and is no longer available to buy.

So, the next step I applied my Bourjois bronzer. Loads of people boast about this product saying how good it is - I won't disagree with them as I do really like it but I wouldn't call it my favourite just yet (I haven't found my favourite bronzer yet, so if you have any suggestions please note them in the comment section below!). I usually apply bronzer under my cheek bones to make them look slimmer and when I've acquired my desired look I then apply some bronzer to the sides of my forehead to further contour my face. I then apply my favourite highlighter to the apple of my cheeks for a nice natural glow.  The product I have used to highlight is by MUA and I think the shade is called 'Iridescent Glow'.

For my eye look, I used MAC's Brûlée, Era and Naked Lunch. Firstly, I applied Brûlée across my eyelid and under my brow, then I blended in Era in my crease to add a bit of colour to my eyes. Era is an earthy brown shade which makes blue eyes pop out more, hence why it's one of my favourite colours! After I've blended in Era with Brûlée in my crease, I applied Naked Lunch across the to give my shadow that extra shimmer and make it look more glamorous! This is definitely one of my favourite looks to do as it is super simple and only takes a couple of minutes.

Of course for my eyebrows, I used one of my favourite compacts from Benefit. I have been using this product for nearly two years now and I still have plenty left. It is one of the best beauty purchases I have made and I must say that Benefit have smashed it with this product! I have tried a few different types of brow powders, but this one is my ultimate favourite.

I received a sample of MAC's new mascara with my recent order and I am in love with it! It's the False Lash Mascara in Extreme Black (Sadly it is not discontinued). It covers my lashes perfectly well, and as most of you know I have really fair lashes so it makes my eyes look bigger and there's no need for falsies as you can actually see the definition on my real lashes which look super long and thick! When I went into MAC's pro store in Nottingham last week to pick up a few things, the full-size mascara was on my list and I was very upset to find out that it was out of stock! :( To add more volume I applied a coat of Zoom Lash (also by MAC) which I wasn't so keen on when I first got it but it's grown on me a bit now.

I don't really like this eyeliner but it was the only one I had at the time - it's the Loreal's Super Liner Blackbuster. The brush applicator is too thick to handle with ease, which makes it harder to draw flicks to suit my eye shape. However, it's a good product but not my favourite. It's long-lasting, so would be perfect if it had a slimmer applicator.

For my lips, I used MAC's Cremesheen lip liner in shade 80% (discontinued) and Brave lipstick on top for an ombré nude lip. This is my favourite lip look which I find looks really good with most eye looks. I recommend this combo to everyone who loves a 90's lip - a darker liner with a pale middle. 

Do you own any of these products? What is your daily go-to makeup look?

*This post contains affiliate links.

Lots of love,

Maya xo

REVIEW || ESTEÉ LAUDER DOUBLE WEAR MAXIMUM COVER FOUNDATION IN CREAMY VANILLA

Who's still struggling with finding the perfect foundation? Me Me Me!! But not any more. Now that I've found my long lost best friend I am forever happy. This miracle foundation is what everyone with any skin concerns needs. It does its job better than any other foundation I have ever tried - and trust me, there have been many.

I have heard so many good things about Estee Lauder's Double Wear foundations and have decided to try out both of them. I went to my local Estee Lauder counter at Boots and asked for a sample of the normal Double Wear and one of the Maximum Cover. I got given the shades 'Cool Bone' for Double Wear and  'Creamy Vanilla' for Maximum Cover. What I can tell you is that the colours did NOT match my skin tone at all. I am usually NW10 or NC15 in MAC foundations, depending on the type and consistency so I would expect to be similar colours in Estee Lauder but I guess it's just the personal opinion of the staff that work there, as well as the store's lighting.

After long consideration, I decided to purchase the Maximum Cover foundation in the shade 'Creamy Vanilla' as it is the lightest shade in the collection - not very impressed with the shade range, I'm hoping that the brand will consider expanding their shade range for lighter and darker skin tones in the future. And I am very impressed with the coverage it offers. It makes my skin look flawless, slightly orange (yikes) but flawless. Okay, I am exaggerating a little bit, it doesn't make me look orange but it is a lot darker than my natural skin tone so I have to blend it very well which can be time-consuming, or I would apply some fake tan to match this shade. However, you do not need a lot of product for full coverage which I like about this foundation as it is expensive and will probably last me for a year. A little goes a long way!

You can see here how dark it actually is and I only put the smallest amount on the back of my hand! I would say a pea-sized amount would be enough to conceal acne and scarring on my face (not saying that you need to do this). The consistency is very different from all the foundations I have ever tried. It is very velvety and smooth and almost like a cloud?? I cannot explain the texture of this foundation but it doesn't feel like you have any on your face after application so it's very good for people who wear heavy make-up and dislike the feel of it. I forget I'm wearing a full face of make-up when I use this foundation! 

Overall, I am very pleased with this product as it truly is a lightweight and very full coverage. A little goes a long way, meaning that one tube should last around 6-12 months even with daily use. Sadly, the shade range isn't great but hopefully, you'll be able to find the closest match to your skin tone. Sometimes I mix it with my NW10 studio fix foundation as it's too light for me at the moment. A girl can never win... but it's a definite 9/10!! YAY! - Estee Lauder has since updated their colour range and has added a few new undertones too.

If you are looking for a foundation that's similar to this one without breaking the bank, then have a look at the comparison between these two foundations.

Have you tried any of the Estee Lauder foundations? What did you think?

*This post contains affiliate links.

Lots of love,

Maya xo

REVIEW || BATTLE OF THE PRIMERS - MAC SKIN BASE VISAGE VS BENEFIT POREFESSIONAL VS THE BODY SHOP INSTABLUR

One of the most frequently asked questions is 'how to get flawless skin?'. Well, ladies and gentlemen, I have the answer to your question - PRIMER. Even the best foundation won't give you the same effect as it would with the use of a good primer. In this post, I will talk about three top-rated primers and what I really think about them.

Benefit Porefessional Primer Review:

First, we've got Benefit's POREfessional which was my very first primer ever. It is rated No. 1 best selling primer in the UK! So I bet all of you are thinking - is it really that good? I must have it! Let's take a look at the packaging of the product. It is in a form of a long slim tube which is easy to squeeze out. It feels like silicone when you touch it (the packaging) and is also soft when you bend it to get the product out. 

On the front of the product, it tells you what it is and what it's used for. Best way to apply this product is to use it on top of your moisturiser but only on the t-zone unless you are going for the more-than-flawless look. It definitely can dry the skin out so I'd say avoid putting too much on as a little goes a long way.

Few of the advantages of this product are that it is very silky and lightweight when you put it on. Your skin will feel very smooth and velvety in touch. This is literally the best feeling in the world, it's like stroking a puppy for the first time! It is also oil-free which means that it will reduce the appearance of oily skin and give you a smooth effect without the shine.

The instructions that come with this product are written in a few languages, which will make this a great gift for someone that lives overseas or doesn't understand English. The product itself is very soft and silky in touch and easy to apply. Just make sure that you moisturise your face and let it dry before you apply any sort of primer on your face.

As you can see it is a beige colour, however, it applies without colour on your face and doesn't seem to leave a white cast on darker skin tones either. It smoothes out pores, fine lines and wrinkles and leaves a protective, soft in touch layer on top of your skin so the foundation stays on for longer and doesn't clog up your pores. I do find that this primer works best with a satin-finish foundation.

This is by far my favourite primer and sadly I have run out of the big tube and will definitely repurchase it around Christmas time or maybe for my birthday as a little treat!

Overall rating: 9/10

You can buy this product for £29 here or the bigger size for £47 here.

MAC Skin Base Visage Review:

Next, we have MAC's Prep+Prime Skin Base Visage. I have heard many good things about this primer and have always wanted to try it out for myself and see if it's worth the hype or not. The packaging of this primer is very elegant and looks rather luxurious. The bottle is shiny and silky in touch which gives it the proper catwalk-product effect. Very simplistic design, yet super effecting. I think that it appeals to make-up geeks such as myself as it just looks so sophisticated.

Little info on what the product is and how to use it, just like the Benefit primer, it's also written in other languages. It is advised to use this product up within 6 months of the day you opened it, however, the Benefit primer lasts for up to 12 months which might be the better option if you don't wear makeup every day and are looking for products with a longer shelf life.

This primer is very luminous, it shines from left to right as if to wake your face up and give it a natural glow. The consistency is very similar to a face cream which makes it a lot easier to apply the product and spread it out evenly. You can also use this product without a moisturiser as it calms and soothes the skin while blotting out redness and oil leaving the skin shine-free but with a natural radiance. So this is a multi-tasking skincare primer that'll make a good primer for normal skin types that are lacking a bit of glow. I would highly recommend to never replace a moisturiser with a 2 in 1 product though!

Overall rating: 8/10

You can buy this product for £24 here.

The Body Shop InstaBlur Primer Review:

As you can already probably see, this is an obvious dupe of Benefit's POREfessional. The packaging looks similar and even the shape of the packaging is the same. The packaging feels really soft to the touch but matte at the same time, it almost feels like the anti-slip grip on slipper socks! It is called the 5-action perfector, we shall see if it's really that good...

The all-in-one slogan states that the product controls shine, reduces the appearance of pores, conceals blemishes, unifies complexions and extends make-up wear. Sounds pretty perfect for anyone who gets super shiny and has blemishes, right?

This is an actual translucent primer, so it should suit all skin tones and types unless you are allergic to any of the ingredients then obviously stay away or try a sample of it first. Unlike Benefit and MAC, this primer's shelf life is 24 months from the day you open it, so even if you don't use it every day you don't have to worry about it expiring after a few months which is a win-win situation yay!

As you can see the primer' consistency looks a bit curdled. It comes out in chunks and won't come out of the tube easily so you have to squeeze it out quite hard but carefully so just enough product comes out but not too much. This primer feels like pure velvet in touch, it is very similar to the POREfessional in the way it feels on the skin and smells divine! I think this might not be the best choice for you if you have sensitive skin as it might be perfumed.

Once you start applying the product you will notice that it creates a thick-ish layer over your skin which might feel slightly cakey on the skin. I would suggest spreading the product out thinly so it doesn't give you the cakey feeling.

After applying the primer in circular motions I noticed that it smoothed out my pores very well, but left my skin feeling a bit heavy. I am not the biggest fan of this product as it does rub off quite easily, but who knows it might be just because my skin type is so awkward that it only agrees with certain products?

Overall rating: 6/10

You can buy this product for £15 here.

Have you tried any of these primers in the past? If so, what was your opinion?

*This post contains affiliate links.

Lots of love,

Maya xo