REVIEW || MAC MINERALIZE CHARGED WATER SKIN HYDRATING MIST - THE BEST FACE PRIMER/SETTING SPRAY FOR DRY SKIN

Have you been wondering which setting/priming spray to buy? I've tried out quite a few different ones so I guess I can be a bit of help to y'all.

The first priming water I've used was the MAC Prep&Prime Fix+ after hearing all the hype about it all over the internet. I didn't really know how to use it and the staff member who served me at my local MAC shop wasn't very nice and she seemed like she didn't care about my skincare needs so I wasn't too happy about it. Anyhow, this doesn't affect my opinion of the product - I'm just stating that I wasn't told how to use the product to begin with haha.
After moisturising my skin, I sprayed the product onto my skin as a primer and waited for it to dry before applying foundation. I also used it to dampen my beauty blender and felt like it helped keep my makeup stay put, and other times I sprayed it on top of my makeup if I felt like my skin needed some hydration. Therefore, I think that the original Fix+ is great for everyone as you get a lot of use out of it and can use it in many different ways.

But, this time I wanted to go for something more moisturising as my skin is getting more mature (I' only in my 20s but it's best to start taking care of skin ASAP in my opinion), so I went for the Mineralize Charged Water Skin Hydrating Mist which has little droplets of oil inside - it's gold okay, it's beautiful! I was a bit sceptical about getting it as I didn't want it to make my face look oily as I usually go for a fresh but matte look. The first thing I noticed was that the scent was a lot different to the original. It smells very citrusy to me which I absolutely love in facial mists - I hate the smell of Urban Decay's All Nighter Spray but I love the job it does haha!!! It is always a plus when a setting spray has a scent that you enjoy, however some people find it irritating when makeup products have scents. The packaging is the same other than the box it comes in - all mineralize products come in white packaging. I do like the lid on this product as all you have to do is twist it, but I remember it breaking on my old spray so I hope it doesn't happen this time!

Overall, I must say that this priming water is very good for those who have dry skin but only if you use it before applying makeup as I found it moved around my mascara a bit as it made it a bit wet which made it transfer onto my skin. I will continue to use it as a primer rather than a setting spray as I feel it works better for me this way :)

Have you tried any of the MAC Prep&Prime Fix+? Have you got any setting spray recommendations?

Lots of love,

Maya xo

REVIEW || GIORGIO ARMANI LIGHT MASTER PRIMER

Remember the craze over MAC's Strobe Cream? Well, that's how I felt about this primer as I was buying it - to add a natural and radiant glow to my skin. I had also bought the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk foundation (read my review here), so I thought it'd be best to get the 'matching' primer and try both out!

The Giorgio Armani Light Master Primer sounds like the perfect match for the Luminous Silk foundation, even though my skin gets quite oily throughout the day in my T-zone, I still decided to buy it and try it out as I love their products.

I love love love the packaging. It looks and feels expensive - probably because it bloody was hahaha. The bottle is rather big so you get a lot of product for your money.

The consistency is quite thick. I expected it to be slightly more like a liquid highlighter but I'm kind of glad it's thicker because it shows that it's supposed to work as an illuminating primer, rather than a liquid highlight. I was confused at first and didn't know whether to apply it all over my face or to the high points of it. Then after trying it out a few times - each time being different, I decided to apply it to places where my face is quite dull and needs a little bit of shine.

I came to the conclusion that this primer is great for illuminating dull skin, however, I don't think it helps my makeup stay on longer like a proper primer should... I'd say try it out for yourself, but there are many great dupes which are much more affordable, such as the L'oreal Infallible Primer Shots Luminising Primer.

*The Light Master Primer has been replaced by the Luminous Silk Hydrating Primer. This post contains affiliate links.

Have you tried the Light Master Primer? If so, what did you think of it?

Lots of love,

Maya xo

Review || Nivea Men Post Shave Balm

Morning My Lovelies!

Who hasn't heard of the wonders that Nivea's Men Post Shave Balm does to your skin? I've certainly heard all sorts of positive comments so I decided to try it out myself. I must say that I was really excited to try it, not only for the way it works but also the smell because it reminds me of Kieran haha!

The packaging is quite nice, to be honest, it looks like an aftershave bottle and it's glass, and all this time I thought it'll be in a plastic bottle! So, as you can imagine it's quite heavy so not the best item for travelling, sorry but I had to leave it behind in England this time.

The smell is amazing if you like musky men-like scents. If that makes sense? If I pour out too much then I always end up rubbing it all over my arms and end up smelling them throughout the day.

The consistency, on the other hand, is not what I expected at all. It is very runny and feels quite slimy but once you've put it on it feels like you've splashed yourself with water. I find it very refreshing for my skin and usually use it as a moisturiser rather than a primer.

As a primer, I think this product is good if you don't wear luminous makeup and want a satin/matte finish to your foundation as I've noticed it makes makeup stay on longer if you use such foundations. Personally, I love this product, I think it's definitely worth trying as it's really inexpensive and it feels great on the skin! And if you don't get along with it then you can always pass it on to another member of the family!

Have you tried this product at all? What did you think of it?

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