Not So NUDE Magique...

I heard about this launch a while ago and being the BB cream lover that I am I was excited to try it. Before I even get started I will let you in on a secret.. I don't like it! I am beyond disappointed. It's completely different to my Garnier, it's closer to Origins Vita-zing in that it 'adapts to your skin tone'. It starts off white and as you rub it it warms up and blends in, unfortunately the more you rub it the darker it becomes. As you can see I bought the FAIR skin tone option but as is clear in the photo below.. it's a touch deeper than fair! This is just my first impression of course and I haven't had chance to do a full face with this stuff yet. I'm hoping that I will find a way to apply this without rubbing it into an Oompa Loompa orange. I'm not sure if it's the rubbing action itself or the heat from my hands so I'll try a brush and get back to you but given that it's a new product I wanted to give you a first look asap.

It kind of reminds me of Glow Job by Soap and Glory. Perhaps it has teeny tiny subtle bronzing particles as opposed to big chunky obvious ones, who knows? I will.. when I come back to you with a comprehensive review. For now I'm distinctly underwhelmed and a little annoyed I wasted my money.

If this still appeals it's available at Boots now for £9.99 here

Miss BB

All Used Up...

I was inspired when Fee at MakeupSavvy did an all used up post some months ago and vowed to start collecting my empties and do the same. It's taken a little while and unsurprisingly there are more skincare items than cosmetics (I don't like to use anything up) but here's e everything I've recently used up..

The question is.. would I buy it again?

Soap & Glory 'Some Like It Hot' Thermal body scrub

I love thermal products! It seems a little bit magical, doesn't it? Well it does to me and the instant warm sensation of this scrub had me hooked.. at first. Unfortunately the heat barely lasts 10 seconds and after that it's just your average body scrub and I wouldn't pay £8 for an average body scrub. I did discover toward the end of the tube a lot of grey liquid which got extremely hot on contact with my skin so I believe that it was all stuck in the top on the tube, unfortunate because if it had all been like that I would have really liked this product!

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish

This s a firm blogger favourite but it took me a long time to pick it up and even longer to actually use it. I tried it a couple of times and it was ok but nothing revolutionary so back in the cupboard it went and n to the next cleanser I was. I revisited Liz Earle in November and began using it on a daily basis, the key to this stuff is regular use! My skin had never been smoother/clearer and I have since repurchased this! I do begrudge paying £23 for 200ml but I will continue to until i find a replacement.

Mama Mio Boob Tube

I loved this, I really did! I used it when i was pregnant and I'm not sure if it made a different to the firmness of my bust as I lost my baby weight but the condition of my skin improved after only a couple of days. Unfortunately this is one pricey lotion at £29.50 for 100ml and that is just out of my budget for essentially a body lotion! If ever I have the spare cash or it is gifted to me I will be very happy to be reunited but for now.. It's just not worth it.

Clean & Clear Dual Action Moisturiser

Regular readers will know my feelings on this wonder-stuff and needn't continue reading this section but would I repurchase? Yes, Yes A thousand times YES! I use it as a moisturiser, I use it as a treatment for blemishes and for £2.99 you can't afford not to try it! You won't be disappointed.

Garnier Cleansing Wipes

Just rubbish. There's not a lot to say about cleansing wipes, they either work or they don't and these my friends.. do not! They are too dry to wipe ANYTHING and I would absolutely not recommend them! They are only £2.99 but it was £2.99 I wish I hadn't spent.

Herbal Essences Smooth & Soft Mask

I tried this and the tousle me softly at the same time and both really impressed me! As drugstore haircare goes Herbal Essences really know their stuff! I would buy this again if I wasn't so in love with my Aussie and Macadamia stuff but never say never and I would recommend them to any of you considering a drugstore mask. My only advice would be to shop around.. you can usually find these on offer somewhere, currently that place is Superdrug where they're half price at £1.95

Garnier BB Miracle Skin Perfector

This was £9.99 when it launched but I haven't seen it anywhere for more than £7.50 for months. I would repurchase it full price though again and again. It's supposed to be a 'BB' cream but not knowing exactly what to expect from a BB cream i would describe it as the best tinted moisturiser I ever tried! It diffuses imperfections and evens out skin tone while giving the illusion of a makeup free face.

Benefit Boi-ing Concealer 

This stuff is really good. It's dubbed as an industrial Strength Concealer and I've always had one in my makeup bag since I discovered Benefit about 8 years ago. It hasn't always been my go-to but it's been nice to know it's there if I need it. I would have said I would repurchase had it not been for a very recent acquisition. Soap & Glory's Kick-Ass concealer knocks this out of the park at it's just £10 as opposed to £16.50. Sorry Benefit, you've been beat!

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder

This was my pressed powder for 2 years! I have lost count of how many I've bought over that time but given that it's only £3.99 I didn't mind repurchasing. It didn't do anything life changing but it was a good value pressed powder that held my makeup and kept me relatively matte for a good portion of the day. As I said I have repurchased in the past and wouldn't rule it out for the future but I just replaced it with 17s Shine Control version for the same price and am preferring that right now.

Maybelline One By One Mascara

This was my favourite mascara for most of last year. It was the first mascara that seemed to really work with my stubby lashes and do something a bit special with them. It really opened my eyes (literally) and I would definitely repurchase. My last mascara buy was the Volume Million lashes from Loreal which I also really like but I will purchase the one by one next to see which is really my favourite.

What are the products you repurchase time and time again?

Miss BB

Ginvera BB Cream

I was sent this product to review and much as I'd love to I'm struggling as the shade is just too dark - darn me and my pale (MAC NC15) skin. I will offer my first impressions and am hoping that come the summer I will be tanned enough to give this a real go and then I'll revisit my review. 

You all know how much I love my Garnier BB cream so I was really looking forward to trying a more traditional formula. The Green Tea Nude Cover offers SPF 30 which is pretty impressive for any cosmetic before you even consider coverage, moisture and anti-ageing properties.

It's the consistency of a foundation but it goes on like a thick moisturiser. Despite this the finish is satin, It's advertised as matte but I wouldn't go that far. It is nicely dewy but I would need at least a little powder. It's a much higher coverage than I am used to from my Garnier equivalent so it does more than just 'even out skin tone'. We know green tea is good for your insides so we can only assume it does miraculous things when applied directly to the skin. I won't be able to share my results over an extended period of time until I'm tanned enough to really use it 

The folks at Ginvera say the shade settles after a few minutes and should suit all skin tones. I'm not sure about all but it was a better match after a minute or two. I'd say the palest it got to was around MAC NW25 so for all of you there or darker this would be a better fit. 

Ginvera BB Cream is currently on offer at £15.00 here

Miss BB

BB Cream, 6 months on...

So you know how much I raved about the Garnier BB cream when it first launched last summer. That post (here) was one of my all time most popular as was the corresponding video on my YouTube channel. I thought it was about time I did a follow up. Often I will review a product after a week or two of loving it and then the novelty wears off and I go back to using something I had before, not with this. I have used it almost every day since I got it and the only time I've turned to foundation is for nights out when I want a little more longevity. I will say this, it has lasted a very long time! I bought it 6 months ago and am only just about to replace it now, that was one thing I was wrong about, he tube seemed so small I couldn't see it lasting more than 6 weeks. I don't think it has done anything miraculous on a skincare level but it doubles as a moisturiser and it definitely hasn't made my skin worse. I consider it to be no more than a cosmetic product which some object to as original Korean BB creams are supposed to have magical powers if the comments on my video review are to be believed. The real skin benefits to using this is how much lighter than foundation it is, your skin can breathe. Since I converted to tinted moisturisers (a couple of months before I got this) my skin has never been clearer, it could still do with being brighter and less tired looking but blemishes are few and far between. It does what I need it to do and that's all I want. Don't hold your expectations too high, for you it could be the worst BB cream but the best tinted moisturiser you've ever used!!!

I don't just want to re-hash my original post so I'll leave it there. There are so few new products that manage to work their way in to my permanent routine, I can't recommend this highly enough! My only bugbear is the shade range. During winter even the light shade is a touch warm for my pale skin, for that reason I'm considering trying the new Loreal Nude Magique BB Cream which adapts to your skin tone (like Vita-Zing) but that doesn't launch until March. I'm surprised I've not branched out and tried other versions on the market already but I've been so happy with this one I haven't even been tempted. There's a new Maybelline foundation launch soon (post to come) which I worry may lure me back to the dark side but I know I will come back to my beloved Miracle Skin Protector!

Miss BB

(haha.. get it?)