High Street vs. High End Pressed Powders

Todays post is for the benefit of those of you who really think about where you spend your money, what you spend it on and the benefits of said products. There's the age old argument in the beauty blogging world about whether or not high end makeup is worth splashing out on; today I'm going to compare two pressed powders; Rimmel Stay Matte (Pink Blossom) and MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural (Medium Plus). 

As you know I have major issues with oily skin so I really need a good mattifying powder just to set my makeup and reapply during the day without it looking awful and cakey. Also instead of using liquid foundation I'll often use a powder alone when I'm on holiday abroad because I find that liquid is just too heavy when it's so warm.

Price

MAC: £20.50 from Debenhams

Rimmel: £3.99 from Boots

A massive £16.51 difference in price so it's really important that you know whether it is worth buying MAC or not!

Packaging

MAC: A classic flip top pan, one issue being that the clear plastic probably wouldn't take much pushing out, one drop at the wrong angle and I'd imagine it'd be out, I've never had an issue with it but it's worth noting the potential for breaking!

Rimmel: Pull off lid, very much a budget design but doesn't impact the product in any way. 

Product Performance: 

MAC: In the pan the powder is so unbelievably soft and easy to get onto your brush, if anything I'd say it was bordering on a bit messy because it is so soft. You don't need much on the brush to get a full face of product on. 

If I apply this in the morning it gives me confidence that I'm going to be shine free for at least 2/3 hours after which I usually apply some more if I have it with me. What I will say is that if you are someone who constantly reapplies during the day, do be careful that this doesn't make you look cakey because it will build up fast on your skin. I'd recommend a spritz of a makeup refresher before you dive in with this for the 3rd or 4th time in the day just to see if that makes a difference. 

I'm NW18 and the shade medium plus seems pretty perfect to me, Light would be too light I think but any darker and it'd look orange.

Rimmel: I found this really difficult to get onto the brush and after a few uses the product like clumped up to form shiny patches in the pan which do need scraping off if you want to get some product onto the brush; this might be something to do with the fact that it's flat rather than domed, or maybe it's just the product, I'm not sure. However, because not much product goes onto the brush it is less likely to look cakey on the skin so quickly.

I didn't think that this was as good for use alone without any foundation underneath, I really did feel completely bare. However I would say that this would definitely be worth trying if you don't have spots and you are just looking to even out your skin tone and mattify your skin. 

Overall which one am I most likely to rebuy?

For what I use it for and how often I use it I'm definitely going to rebuy MAC Mineralize Skinfinish because it just totally does the trick for me whereas Rimmel just doesn't do enough, even though there's a massive price difference, in this case it's worth it for me to splash out. 

What I will say is that if your skin isn't too oily and you only have a slight shine after maybe 4 hours,  try Rimmel first before you jump in with MAC but unfortunately for those with darker skin tones you might not find a Rimmel shade that suits your colour because they all seem very light ('beige' is their darkest shade) whereas MAC's shade selection seems to suit a wider range of skin tones; definitely go to a MAC counter if you can and get matched.

Micro Bead Nail Art Tutorial

A real 2012 retro nail art idea is the micro bead manicure; it's a simple but kind of messy nail art tutorial but it can look really effective for a special occasion.

I got this idea from Coleyyyful when she posted about her little ebay buy, I had to try them just out of curiosity. The ebay seller has a number of different colour beads so there's probably something for everyone depending on what sort of colour you are wanting. I got silver (pictured above) and rainbow so I could have two different looks. 

You get 20g for £1.75 which isn't bad at all; because these are so tiny 20g is actually a lot! After using them once I still have enough for at least another 3/4 applications I reckon, if not more! As Coleyyyful's tutorial suggests, this is a really easy look to recreate; there are 3 simple steps (after the obvious prepping beforehand which you do before any manicure). All you need is a little pot to keep the beads in, a bigger tub (where excess beads drop), a nail colour of your choice and a top coat.

- Choose a base colour and paint it onto your nail (I used one quite thick coat)

- Hold your finger over the larger tub and pour beads over the nail until completely covered; repeat on all nails and let them set for a minute or two.

- Paint some good quality topcoat over the top to try and seal the beads onto the nail.

And there you go, a Micro-Bead manicure for £1.75!

I love the look of these especially for a special occasion; not so sure about the feel of them but they are very eyecatching. Unfortunately for me longevity is pretty much nil, they are so easily flicked off but as I say it'd be ideal for a night out or 2 days absolute tops because after that they start to look scruffy as some of the beads have fallen off. This isn't anywhere near as messy as I first thought, they don't drop off in bed like I thought they would, they just come off during everyday activities (i.e. Washing up, opening cans etc.)

Xen Tan Dark Lotion Review with Before and After Photos

You should have already heard about Xen Tan, it's a bit of a cult product really; raved about by some of the biggest beauty bloggers and first introduced to most people when a sample tube featured in one of the first GlossyBoxes. Without before and after photos, reviews of fake tan become a little bit futile, I think so this is a review of Xen Tan Dark with before and after photos.

Paraben and oil free, this tanning lotion applies with a sheer finish and has subtle olive undertones. It's supposed to be the 'weekly tan' so it encourages the assumption that it should have some staying power. It is vanilla scented; which to me is a refreshing change for a tanning brand to admit to it having some scent because often they say 'fragrance free' but it actually leaves you smelling like a biscuit tin.

Before I got this I was a bit tan-o-phobic to be honest, I'm quite pale and I have a right panic on with most tans because I'm worried about ending up like an Oompa Lumpa. 

But given the hype I thought I'd take the plunge, invest in a tanning mitt and try this bad boy out. Please be warned, you are about to see a photo of my very pasty, chunky, white legs.

Glad that's over, I thought it was better that you saw a before and after picture rather than just after because then you'd have nothing to compare it with. 

Before I applied this I used some Xen Tan Exfoliator in the shower to get rid of the dead skin, It smells divine but I shall tell you more about that anothet time.

So when you apply the product it does leave a trace of where it's been so you don't forget where you've been and cake it on. I only apply quite a thin coat and it soaks in well and doesn't leave your skin at all greasy; in fact I'd say my skin feels really moisturised after using this. I usually apply it before going to bed so I can sleep on it for a good 6 or 7 hours and wash it off in the morning so I know it's had enough time to develop. 

This is what my legs look like after Xen Tanning.

I absolutely love it, it's the perfect colour which I totally didn't expect. I actually applied some of this when I came back from Greece because I don't tan at all and everyone commented on what a lovely colour I was.

The only downside to this for some people is that is does smell, but strangely enough I actually like the smell. The smell does pretty much disappear after your first shower though so it's nothing to worry about too much! 

Unlike some tanners I've tried, this fades gracefully and doesn't end up patching around your elbows or knees which is a massive plus, and it does have some decent staying power unless you wash excessively or go swimming a lot.

This is a bit of a pricey product at £22.40 for 236ml but I think it's definitely worth it because I've had a fair few uses out of it and it's still got about a quarter left in the tube. 

You can buy this on the Feel Unique Website

Other fake tan reviews:
Vita Liberata NKD SKN

Estee Lauder Double Wear Review

This is a product that seems to have split the blogging jury somewhat, some love it and some pretty much loathe it. Some said it was too heavy and felt like a mask, others said it gave them the perfect coverage. I don't normally use Estee Lauder products because I always thought of the brand as something for the older ladies but I thought I'd give Double Wear a try. 

Containing SPF 10, Estee Lauder say that this foundation can stay in place for up to 15 hours and can power through heat, humidity and non-stop activity. It shouldn't come off on your clothes (the dreaded orange collar!) and it should feel lightweight and comfortable.

First of all, I was very surprised at how thin in consistency it is, I find it really difficult not to waste any when I pour it out to use it because its surprisingly thin considering it's a medium to full coverage foundation, by how people were talking about it I was expecting a thick gloopy mess.

I don't wear this on a daily basis, I tend to alternate my foundations according to the occasion or what my skin is like. I wear Double Wear when I'm going out or when I feel like my skin is particularly bad.

It's very easy to work with and blends really well, I use the Sigma F80 brush and honestly at this present moment I couldn't think of any better tool to help me apply my foundation. A little of this product does go a long way and I know that i'm in danger of losing the product just through wastage on my brush and on my hand. 

To me, it doesn't feel like a mask at all, it just feels like any normal foundation; no different to my MAC Studio Fix Fluid just with better coverage. If you really are worried about it feeling too heavy on your face then I definately recommend asking at the counter for a sample of both Double Wear and Double Wear light. The on the other end of the scale there is Double Wear Maximum cover which acts as a total camouflage type of makeup. 

As for staying power, I did a full hours zumba class whilst wearing this and it pretty much stayed put. Used with Benefit Porefessional, this foundation keeps oil breakthrough to a minimum and is the absolute perfect colour for me.

The only downsides to this foundation are the fact that it doesn't come with a pump (although I do believe they can be bought!) and possibly the price. At £33.50 it's not cheap by any means and the bottle is still only 30ml, however I personally think it's worth the money and I will definately be rebuying when I finish this bottle (which will be a long while yet!)

You can buy this from Debenhams  for £33.50 but I don't recommend that you buy it blind, I highly recommend going into store and trying this out first!