L'Oreal Lumi Magique

I've had this foundation for a few weeks now but I've been too quick to judge in the past and totally changed my mind about products so I wanted to give this one a good run before revealing my thoughts to you all. I've been hooked on my Garnier BB cream for so long but recently wanted to return to a more traditional base. I've struggled to find one that fits (more reviews to come) and my skin type has changed since the last time I was on the 'foundation market' so i made a few poor choices before I arrived at this one. In the meantime I returned to my beloved Nars Sheer Glow. Nars remains the one and only brand to have perfectly colour matched me and I think that clouds my judgement when I'm reviewing them a touch but I do love it. When I first bought this I was hoping it would replace my HG foundation as I don't fancy dropping £29.00 to replace it when I'm out and although this is a very close second.. it's not quite as good! I don't want to get into that now, I'll likely pit them against each other in a future comparison post but for now I want to talk about the Lumi Magique as it's own animal.

First of all.. I really like it! I'm not going to keep you waiting for my verdict, I think it's great! I've tried some not so hot L'Oreal foundations over the past few months and this has totally redeemed them where I'm concerned. It's a light to medium, buildable coverage and it feels like I'm applying a second skin its so lightweight. It doesn't dry too quickly (like the True Match) and leaves a kind of satin finish. They say you will look 'lit from within'.. well I'm not so sure about that but once I'm all made up it does give me a familiar (*cough* Nars) glow.

I don't know why I do this to myself but here's my before and after...Although it's what I consider to be light to medium it's as full coverage as I would want and completely weightless.

I'm not saying that everything about this product is perfect because it's most certainly not.. it has flaws as everything inevitably does. The staying power is.. not good. The photos I took were less than half an hour after application.. by lunchtime unless you are staying indoors and doing absolutely nothing you will feel it's time for a touch up. I do find that improves when I wear my Clarins Beauty Flash Balm (or I suppose any good primer) but then I'm doubling up and increasing the cost, aren't I?  It's has similar lasting power to a tinted moisturiser worn alone but a lot more coverage. If you're looking to upgrade to your first full foundation this might be a good first step.

*Please ignore my dry lips.. it's still winter here up North!*

I've been mixing this with a little of the Infallible which is far too drying (post to come) on me to be worn alone and it does definitely improve the longevity but you lose a little of the 'glow'. I do really like this and as I'm coming off a serious BB cream binge it's the perfect gateway foundation for me right now. It's a lot like my Sheer Glow but unfortunately the one thing I would change in my Nars counterpart is how long it lasts and even that is better than this so I was disappointed. I would still recommend you give it a go if you like a lighter coverage  because at the end of the day we'll probably never find the absolute perfect foundation, will we? So we have to choose what's most important and I'd rather my makeup wear away early than look dry and cakey all day.

Miss BB

Kiss Me, Caresse Me...

Why these haven't been all around the blogosphere and back again by now I have no idea 'cause they're AWESOME! I don't buy a tremendous amount of drugstore lipsticks. I have a substantial collection so I generally invest in MAC now (they're just so pretty) and I'm rarely tempted by launches outside of the beauty hall. I am just setting a scene for you here so you understand the power of these beautiful new sheer lipsticks from Loreal. I love everything from the funky, clear packaging to the moisturising feel and glossy finish. This will be my first of many from this range I can tell.

I'm yet to try the Revlon Lip Butters but I absolutely cannot wait. We have a few more weeks til they launch here in the UK though and for those of you on the edge of your seats like me these are definitely worth a look. They are everything I expect the Lip Butters to be but the packaging looks.. well... less cheap. They're just a bit of a luxe version I think. It's not like the Lip Butters are likely to be an inexpensive alternative either so I think they're going to have to really bowl me over now I've found these babies. There were no testers when I was in Boots today so it was tricky to choose and I went with a relatively safe option in 'Tempting Lilac'. It's a very pretty shade with the tiniest hint of shimmer when applied. The formula is beyond anything else I've tried, I don't expect staying power but this isn't a product you're going to need a mirror to reapply. I love sheer lips for that very reason and these will be great to throw in your handbag day or night. 

After the extreme disappointment of their Nude Magique they totally redeemed themselves with this beauty. I'd recommend you run out and buy them now as Boots is running a 3 for 2 on Loreal. I'm seriously going back tomorrow for 3 more so you can expect more swatches very soon. 

I think I got these ahead of the official 'launch' because they haven't really been hyped anywhere and they aren't available to buy online yet so I'd imagine we'll be hearing more about these in the coming weeks.

Miss BB

No17 Mirror Shine

I saw these first on pearls and poodles blog and I knew I had to have them. 

They are No17s sheer lipstick range "mirror shine"

It's like a cross between a lipstick and a gloss and it feels balmy when on your lips, gorgeous! I picked up two shades... only one was in a fit state to photograph unfortunately but I will be repurchasing the second and going back for more so you can expect further posts on these because I love them! 

They remind me of something no7 did years and years ago, My Grandma gave me an old lipstick that looks like a very dark plummy red but on my lips it was a really sheer "just bitten" shade and I loved it. At the time I was probably only 9 or 10 but I fell in love with that lipstick and I've never found anything that was so similar until now. There were two many to choose from but I will definitely expand my collection while the 3 for 2 offer is still on at Boots. I picked up Hollywood (pictured below) and Nudist Peach which is an incredibly flattering and easy way to wear a nude lip if you're scared of going the full hog - I will swatch as soon as I can because that's my favourite colour for sure. Since I bought these I've looked up so many reviews and the stand out recommended shade is Beehive, it's commonly compared to Hue by MAC which intrigues me.

How many of you were already on this glossy bandwagon and why did nobody tell me about it?????