L'Oreal Nude Magique BB Cream SPF 12 *Review*

So I've been trying out this product for over a week now... so I thought it was due for a review :)

I've tried one other BB cream... and that's the Garnier BB cream (light) and I have to say I really don't like that one... it feels far too greasy and it seems to slide off my face as the day goes on... overall not a good product for me personally (although I know a lot of people love it). 

So, the L'Oreal Nude Magique....... It's quite a weird texture, it's a white cream (quite runny so be careful) with little 'grains' in it which are called 'smart pigment capsules'. It is marketed as a Bare Skin Beautifier, and I think it does just that!! Here's what it looks like as a white cream, and then partially rubbed in (I find it does take some rubbing in to get it totally smooth).



I know a lot of people have had the problem of the Light shade being too dark, and I do think it is too dark for a 'light' product as you can see on my hand.... however, on my face, I like a bit of colour as I'm quite pale, as long as it's rubbed in properly and you make sure that there aren't any horrible lines near the neck then it's absolutely fine! I usually use concealer over the top and then a lighter shade in a powder to set it and it's a really nice finish. 

Sometimes if I want a heavier look, I will use this BB cream as a primer.... it says that it has a 'flawless and dewy looking' finish, but on my skin I find it to be much more matte, which is great to use under other make up (in particular my Clinique Tinted Moisturiser). This does create a heavier look, but I find that the L'Oreal Nude Magique creates an excellent base!

 

Again... this probably looks quite dark to you guys, and I agree, but I love the actual product so much that the shade of it doesn't really create a problem, as it can be blended out and it's not 'so' orange that it's unusable! A light powder should correct it. I have used the Nude Magique alone with only a bit of concealer, powder and blush, and my friend was surprised that I only had that on, as it looked really flawless!

So far it's a great BB cream to try. I have combination skin (dry/oily in places and prone to breakouts) and this really leaves me with even skin, to either create a natural summer look, or as a base for other foundations/products. Because I find this to be quite matte, I would recommend using a good exfoliator every morning (a daily one such as Neutrogena Grapefruit daily scrub or Philosophy Microdelivery).

I've not seen too many reviews on this product, and most of them were in French when I did find them! So I hope this has been helpful to you guys! Any comments just leave them below, thanks for reading!

Lucy xx

Diorshow Iconic Mascara 090 Review!

Hey guys, just a quick review on a mascara I've been trying....it's the Diorshow Iconic mascara in 090 Black.

So I don't usually want to pay a lot for a mascara, but recently I've been wanting something that would give a false lash effect without the false lashes (I like wearing them, but generally only on nights out and not during the day time). Where I work, we sell Dior products, and I recently helped someone with a mascara, and after looking at reviews online, I wanted to try it for myself :)

The brush is exactly what I like about a mascara brush, it's plastic (not bristles, however my previous post concluded that I like the bristles on the Benefit Bad Gal!) 

The actual parts which apply the mascara are evenly spaced, so that when you're applying it, no lash is left out (much like the effect you would get when using a four or 5 blade razor.....weird comparison I know... haha but it really does create a nice even look!

Just one to two coats of this mascara can create a really nice look, and a few more and you're set for a more dramatic look It only starts to clump after about 4 coats, but if I wanted that much of a dramatic look then I would probably use false lashes too to prevent the clumping look! Here's a pic of what it can look like, this is with about 2 coats on...... (apologies for the crappy quality!)

Overall I really like this mascara, I don't know whether I will definitely repurchase because it is expensive, it retails at around £20-£25 depending where you buy it (luckily I got staff discount so that helped). But yeah, it's just really easy to create a nice semi-dramatic look for the day with minimal effort really, you don't have to stand there for ages trying to build it up, it's pretty instant, and as I said, with a few more coats you can create a dramatic look too.

Hope this review has been helpful to you, feel free to leave me a comment below :) Lucy xxx

Benefit Bad Gal Lash Mascara *review*

There are very mixed views on this mascara.... after getting this free with Glamour magazine, I was honestly expecting it to be average at best! I know friends that have tried it and disliked it.. and for a freebie I wasn't too bothered, as it's a good way of trying before I buy! :)

The first thing to say is that it's not a super 'wet' mascara, and it can feel like hardly any is going on.... but with a few coats it really builds up to a nice mid-dramatic look. The best thing about this mascara I have found is that it doesn't seem to clump! For example this morning I applied one coat, and then a few hours later I applied two more coats and it hasn't clumped once, the lashes are suitably separated and they look fuller. I absolutely hate it when mascaras clump in certain areas and there's nothing you can do to separate them again....

The brush is not one I would usually go for, as it's got bristles instead of being plastic, and I find that these usually do nothing for me, and leave me clumpy and messy! This one however works really well for me, I don't know how... maybe its because the bristles are close together? Hmmmm...

This sample size from Glamour is perfect to carry around in the handbag, and knowing that it isn't going to clump means I can apply it throughout the day and build it up for the night time (usually I would take all of my make up off and start again...)

I really recommend trying this mascara, and for £2 with the magazine you can't really go wrong!! :)

Thanks for reading! Lucy xxx