Hello guys! So over the past couple of months I have been collecting a range of different foundations ranging in price, finish and texture to compare them all. I have been using these foundations in my makeup routine and now I have got to know them a bit more I thought i'd share with you all my opinions on finish, longevity, application and value for money. For reference I am extremely pale so every shade is the lightest in the collection, however I will list my colours below.

SOAP AND GLORY- ONE HECK OF A BLOT FOUNDATION

I purchased this foundation at boots for £12.00 in the shade 'fair enough' which is tiny bit orange for me but it does tone down as it sinks into the skin, so it isn't anything too major that I cant work with. The foundation itself is a liquid formula that sets into a powder/velvet feel and surprisingly it actually does what it says on the bottle, it blurs your pores and gives a gorgeous matte flawless finish. When working the foundation into your skin I would recommend using a brush over a blender as the foundation sets super quickly and once it has set blending it becomes an absolute nightmare as it does not budge, this is great for longevity but a bit of a problem if you have dry skin. I personally have combination skin where i'm dry around the outer perimeter of my face then I get an oily T zone. If my skin is feeling particularly dry one day I avoid this foundation like the plague as it set into my dry spots and ends up looking patchy and awful, so steer clear if you have dry skin but if you have more oily skin you will absolutely love this foundation as it does last the day and its great value for money. The colour range isn't great if you're fair like me but its nothing you cant work with, but i'd definitely recommended this foundation, its easily worth the £12.

BOURJOIS HEALTHY MIX SERUM

When I bought this foundation my friend actually recommended it to me as I wanted something to make my skin look glowy and healthy. I picked this up for £10.99 in the shade 'light vanilla' which again is slightly dark for me but this is the norm for me so i'm used to working with foundations that don't compliment my fair shade. This foundation is absolutely beautiful on the skin, its a liquid formula that is easily blended and can be built up. The coverage is amazing and it covers all the redness around my nose which is a struggle with most foundations. I personally use a damp beauty blender to blend this out which works amazingly but using a brush or your fingers works just as well. The finish of the foundation is beautiful leaving your skin looking healthy and glowy which is exactly what it claims to do. I wouldn't say it lasts 16 hours but it does wear well during the day and it doesn't go patchy or cakey which is good enough for me. I must admit my favourite time to use it is when my skin is feeling tired and dry, if i've been drinking the night before and my skin is dehydrated this stuff just brings it back to life, it is a life saver! I cannot recommend this foundation enough, it works amazingly on my combination skin but it is quite dewy so it may not work well for those with oily skin as it could just make you look more oily but for £10.99 you cant go wrong, i've almost finished the bottle and I will be taking a trip to boots to repurchase. 

MAX FACTOR SKIN LUMINIZER FOUNDATION

I went through a craze at the end of the last year with wanting a luminizing and glowy foundations to give my skin a bit of life, so when I saw this foundation I had to buy it for £11.99 in the shade 'light ivory'. Now a pro of this foundation is that the colour actually matches my skin tone (hallelujah) however thats probably as far as the pro's go for me. As you can see I have used a lot of the bottle as I really wanted to find a way to apply this foundation that would work for me but to be honest I can't say i'm a fan. The formula is very thick which makes it a bugger to blend, I always opt for a brush as I find my blender struggles with blending thicker foundations. The coverage is good don't get me wrong but it tends to look a bit cakey and it doesn't actually make my skin luminized or glowy, instead it just sits on top of my skin and it doesn't look great. My biggest annoyance about this foundation is the longevity, to begin with the foundation covers the redness around the mid of my face but as the day goes on it completely dissapears on my nose and leaves me looking like Rudolph. I've tried everything to avoid this, using a concealer on top and using setting powder but nothing seems to work. I personally wont be repurchasing this when it's empty and I wouldn't really recommend it, but you never know just because it didn't work for me doesn't mean it wont work for you.

MAC STUDIO FIX FLUID

This was the first MAC foundation I actually purchased. I went to the MAC counter at debenhams and felt overwhelmed with what to look at/try. The consultant came to me and offered to try different products on me to see what I liked and this caught my attention. I payed £22 for this in the shade NW13. The formula is quite thick and has an unusual smell, I personally love the smell of MAC products but it is quite strong so that is something you may want to keep in mind. I like using a beauty blender with this as it is easily blendable and I find using a blender gives the best coverage and blend. The coverage of this foundation is AMAZING, literally it blanks out everything on my face and covers everything I want to hide. The finish it matte but it is not drying at all but it does feel quite heavy on the skin as it is such an intense coverage. The bottle itself is glass and quite small but a little goes a long way and the bottle has lasted me months, but do keep in mind that I do hold this back for special occasions where I want my skin to look flawless. With the right setting powder this foundation will last all night and will not cake or go patchy. Even though £22 is a bit pricey it is worth it, the quality you get for the price you pay really shows and the great thing about MAC is that there is always a shade for you as they cater to every undertone and skin colour.

YOUNIQUE MINERAL TOUCH FOUNDATION

I received this foundation last month for £30 in the shade 'Scarlet' which is actually a great match for me. The packaging is absolutely gorgeous with a glass bottle and a pipet instead of a pump which means you can control how much product you actually put onto your face. The foundation itself is a liquid but once it goes onto your skin it turns into a powdery/velvet finish, I cant say that i've ever owned a foundation with this kind of finish but it is nice. It is easily blendable but I prefer using a brush over a blender as I can really buff it into my skin. I find with this foundation that it takes a while to set so you can work with it for a while to get the finish you want, however it is also a hinderance because in the time it takes to set if you touch your face it will move the foundation so I do recommend using a setting powder with this. The coverage of this foundation is mind blowing, it literally covers everything and leaves a nice glow to your face. I wouldn't say the foundation is dewy nor matte more of satin finish on my skin. I find during the day it tends to fade around my T-zone but I do have fringe so I can get quite oily on my forehead so that is understandable. I personally love this foundation, it's so lightweight that you cant even feel it on your skin which is strange considering it is such a high coverage. Would I purchase this foundation again? Probably, if it wasn't £30 as I do find that steep but I strongly recommend you try this foundation if you get the chance because it is amazing.

MAYBELLINE FIT ME FOUNDATION

Another purchase from boots for £7.99 in the shade '115'. When I bought this foundation the first thing I noticed was how small the bottle was, I did expect it to be slightly bigger but for the price I couldn't complain. I just have to say that I love love love this foundation, I don't actually think I can fault it. Its a liquid formula that blends out so easily with whatever applicator you prefer, I personally use a damp beauty blender (surprise surprise). The coverage is good as it covers my redness and imperfections but with my heavy duty spots I do like using a concealer over the top. It leaves such a gorgeous glow to the skin and actually sinks into it so it looks natural and not like you've got a tonne of product on your face. The longevity is good, it does last through the day with powder and concealer which I know isn't mind blowing but for such a cheap price its amazing. This is hands down one of my favourite foundations and I always reach for it, if you get the chance try this foundation as i'm sure it will not disappoint!

MAC FACE AND BODY FOUNDATION

Lastly is the MAC face and body foundation which I bought for £22 in the shade C2. The first thing I noticed about this foundation is that it was extremely pink toned which scared me a bit i'm not going to lie but it actually surprised me and wasn't pink on the skin. I prefer using a brush with this foundation as I find a blender doesn't work amazingly with it as it can go patchy. Personally I don't use this foundation for coverage because the truth is that it gives next to no coverage, but it gives a lovely colour and glow to my skin enhancing what i've already got. It tones down my redness and gives a bit of colour to my paper white skin which I do love. Other than that this foundation doesn't do much else, personally I wouldn't repurchase for £22 but i'm glad i've tried it and it is good for those days where you want just a little bit of help with your skin and don't want to plaster it with product. If you're looking for coverage this foundation is not for you but if you're looking for some natural enhancement to your skin you will love this foundation!

I hope you enjoyed this post on my foundation collection and that I was able to help you decide whether or not these products are for you. If you have any questions feel free to ask away!

See you in the next post!

Jamie.

Hello everyone! In the past couple of months I have heard of a new makeup brand which is growing called Younique. Younique works in the same sort of way as Avon, they have representatives which you can buy their products from or from the online store. Over the past couple of months I have collected a few things from Younique which I thought i'd share with you as the prices are quite extortionate and if any of you are like me you like to know you're getting your moneys worth before you cash out. I am in no way connected to Younique or represent them and all opinions are my own.

YOUNIQUE MINERAL TOUCH LIQUID FOUNDATION- £30

This is my most recent buy from Younique and I have been dying to try it out for so long, it claims to have a high coverage but give a natural healthy finish, you can buy this from them for £30. This foundation comes with a pippet rather than a pump so you just despense drops onto your skin or your brush then apply. The foundation itself is quite thin and a little goes along way which I tend to learn the hard way by plastering it all over my face then realising that maybe I didnt need that much. I've found this foundation applies beautifully with a face brush such as the Real Techniques expert face brush but not so great with a beauty blender so keep that in mind. When you use a beauty blender with this it doesn't blend very well and actually looks patchy so avoid using it with this foundation and opt for a brush instead. This foundation is incredibly lightweight, I don't think i've ever owned a foundation that sinks into your skin like this one. It literally feels like there is nothing on your skin and is not tacky or drying it just sits lovely on the skin. Id personally say the finish is matte/satin as its not overly dewy but it does leave a nice glow on the skin. I am as white as a sheet so I have the lighest colour in 'scarlet' which matches me pretty well considering whenever I buy the lightest shade of any foundation its still always a little bit dark for me. I love this foundation and would highly recommend it, yes the price is a bit steep but the quality makes up for it and the packaging is stunning with the glass bottle rather than a plastic one.

YOUNIQUE MOONSTRUCK PRECISION BROW LINER- £15

This was one of my first buys from Younique, I decided to play it safe as you can't really go wrong with a brow liner and the price was a lot cheaper than their other items. The liner comes with two ends, a spoolie on one and the liner on the other. The spoolie is very small and dense so you can get right into the hairs to brush them to where you want them which is great. The liner itself is a screw up top so it doesn't get messy when its in your bag. It applies very easily and the thin top means you can get the thin strokes to act as brow hair. I have the shade medium brown which is great for me and it is a very cooled toned brown so it looks natural. I love this product, its a staple in my makeup bag and I don't know what my brows would do without it!

YOUNIQUE OPULENCE LIPSTICK 'STINKIN RICH'- £15

I received this a present for christmas and anyone who knows me knows I love a red lip. This lipstick has a very creamy formula and is so moisturising on the lips which I love. The shade is in 'stinkin rich' and its a very blue toned deep red which is stunning and looks gorgeous on the lips. Personally i'm a sucker for matte lipsticks and creamy/gloss lipsticks really just don't do it for me because I can't be bothered with the hassle of them smudging everywhere throughout the day so for £15 i'd probably just go to MAC and buy their matte lipsticks, BUT other than that I cannot fault this lipstick and surprisingly the staying power is actually good so if you're into cream lipsticks this is for you but if you're more of a matte lover like me then i'd probably not recommend this for you.

YOUNIQUE MOONSTRUCK ADDICTION PALETTE 'NO 2'- £38

This shadow palette was another original item I purchased from unique for a whopping £38. The palette comes with seven shades- for images of these refer back to my MOTD tutorial post. There are three versions of this palette, a warm neutral toned one, the cool toned with black and silver, and the cool toned with purples and pinks. I opted for the black and silver palette as I really wanted to put these shadows to the test and see what their pigmentation was like. I personally love this palette, the colours are very pigmented and blend beautifully. Would I pay £38 for it again? Probably not as the price is extremely steep for what it is, but I definitely recommend a try of it if you have the money.

YOUNIQUE 3D FIBRE LASHES- £23

If you've ever heard of Younique its most probably from this product which came about last year. This mascara comes in a cute little black bag and two containers. The product itself acts a mascara but you actually have small black fibres in one of the tubes that stick to your eyelashes like lash extensions would. I've had this product for around three months and I still can't make my mind up on it. You start by taking the transplanting gel which essentially looks like a black mascara and apply it thinly on your lashes, then you go in with the fibres on top of the transplanting gel till you get the look you want then finally apply another coat of the gel. Now this product is amazing for giving your lashes volume and thickening them up but for me it didn't work as well for lengthening which is something you may need to keep in mind if you're interested in it. It is quite time consuming so I don't recommend making this part of your everyday makeup but when it is on it does look good. The downside to this product is the fibres, every time I apply this mascara I ALWAYS end up with fibres in my eye which then makes my eyes water which messes up the rest of my eye makeup, is it annoying? Yes. However I have been told you just have to play around with it and find the best application for you. I would recommend this product as it does do what it says, it does give your lashes incredible volume but if you have sensitive eyes like me its probably not the best for you as it will irritate your eyes if you get the fibres in them.

YOUNIQUE MOONSTRUCK PRECISION BROW GEL- £15

Last but certainly not least is the Younique precision brow gel which is honestly amazing. Now I have seriously problematic brows in the sense that they just do what they want, I cannot control them without this product. I apply this after filling in my brows and it makes them look so so good! The small brush really picks up the hairs and makes my eyebrows look so much fuller and natural, and it actually keeps them in place which I have never had before. I will most probably re buy this product again and again because it is that good, I honestly could not recommend it enough.

And there you have it, above is a photo with all the products mentioned on the face. I will also list all other products used below. Now would I recommend Younique? Yes, yes and yes again. The products are extremely high quality which does make up for the price of the items, Younique is still a growing company so check out their online store and have a browse, you will not be disappointed. 

See you all in the next post!

Jamie.

Foundation- Younique mineral touch foundation 'Scarlet'

Concealer- Maybelline age rewind 'Light'

Eyebrows- Younique brow liner, ABH brow pomade and Younique brow gel.

Eyes- Younique moonstruck palette 'No 2' 

Mascara- Younique 3D fibre lashes

Face- Kat Von D shade and light palette, Collection speedy highlighter, MAC blush 'melba'

Lips- Younique lipstick 'Stinkin Rich'

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When it comes to makeup application I tend to be a creature of habit by always reaching for my beauty blender, however when I saw these ten set of makeup brushes on Ebay for £4.59 I had to buy them. In the set you get five face brushes and five eyeshadow brushes with a range of colours to choose from like black, pink/white and gold/white. The brushes are made of synthetic hair and have a plastic handle which is great as you can easily wipe them clean after use.

EYESHADOW BRUSHES-

In the set of eyeshadow brushes you get four blending brushes, one of which is angled and a pointed brush. These brushes are amazing for blending and really smoke out your eyeshadow and you have the pointed top brush which is great for defining your crease as it is so dense. I have continuously used these brushes and the only thing I have noticed with them is that they have to be cleaned extremely regularly as the product clings to them which can create a mess if you re use.

FACE BRUSHES-

The face brushes were the set I was most curious about to see how they worked with foundation. There are four that are quite similar there are two flat topped, one angled, one domed top and one pointed. I was actually quite impressed with these, they are great for applying liquid foundation and actually create a high coverage, streak free application. The two problems with these brushes that I have found is that they aren't very dense so you have to be quite gentle when buffing in your foundation as the hair bends. Also with one of my brushes the glue quality wasn't great so the handle came apart, this was expected and can be fixed with super glue so it isn't a big issue but it is annoying.

APPLICATION

I photographed my makeup after using these brushes for my eyes and face. I used the flat top brush for foundation which works really well to blend it into your face evenly and create a streak free finish. The angled brush is perfect for applying your contour as it enables you to get right to the cheek bone and blend out the powder so it looks natural. The pointed dome brush was used for the highlight powder under my eyes as the point top means you can get close to the under eye to set your concealer. Overall I am SO impressed with these brushes for only £4.59 they are a great quality and do the job. Would I give up my beauty blender for them? Probably not, they are a great option but I will always reach for the beauty blender. They are great if you're just starting out with makeup and don't really want to pay the high prices for brushes but want a flawless application. I would really recommend these brushes as not only are they good, they are a steal!

Link below-

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181927226576?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2648&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Jamie.

   PRODUCTS USED:

• Nivea Men Aftershave Balm- Sensitive. 
• Mac Studio Fix Fluid- NC20
• Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Pomade- Dark brown.
• Younique Moonstruck Addiction Shadow Palette- Peppy, Cocky, Blissful
• Bourjois Liner Pen
• Younique 3D Fibre Lashes
• Kat Von D Shade and Light Palette
• Soap and Glory- Glow all out.
• Mac Matte Lipstick- Sin.
• Mac Fix+

The shade and light palette (pictured above) is described as ‘an exclusive contour palette denaturing three shades for contouring and three shades for highlighting, designed to shape and define facial features to create a look of authentic dimensionality.’-Sephora. It is sold in stores for around £35.