Bare Minerals Prime Time Brightening Primer

When it comes to make-up primers, there’s often mixed reviews. Some make-up artists swear by them, others will disagree. For me, I’m still not sure – some work, some don’t, it’s as simple as that.

I recently got my hands on a new primer range from Bare Escentuals - Bare Minerals Prime Time Brightening Foundation and Eyelid Primer, due to be released in February 2011. The range consists of a brightening foundation primer and a brightening eyelid primer.

The Prime Time Brightening Foundation is claimed to be an innovation because it simply contains a face brightener and primer in one. With combined light reflecting pearls too, it helps brighten your complexion as well as giving your skin a satin finish. I will admit I haven’t yet tried this on my face, but after applying it to my hand, it did feel silky soft.


The eyelid primer is available in two colours – original and pearl (right) and it’s fantastic because you can get away with wearing it alone without any eye shadow. I also applied it to my hand in the morning and was surprised to see that it was still visible later on in the evening.


Both products come with added Vitamins C and E and are formulated without any preservatives, oils and fragrances – great if you have sensitive skin. If you suffer from having an oily t-zone like I do, then the face primer is useful because it says it absorbs excess oil from your skin too.

You can get the foundation primer for £19 and the eyelid primer for £16 as of February 2011, from Bare Escentuals boutiques in selected department stores and online at
http://www.bareescentuals.com/

Small print - PR sample

ORLY Nail Lacquer

I’m not a huge fan of purple nail polish, but considering winter is well and truly here, I wanted my nails to look a little more festive. So after being given this ORLY Nail Lacquer, in Plum Noir by one of the lovely ladies at Halpern, I was eager to give it a go.

I loved how dark it appeared on my nails just after one coat. I often find that you have to apply two or three coats for the colour to appear as it’s supposed too. The lid is also large enough to hold and has a special rubber coating, so that it’s easier to grip onto. It’s also really easy to apply and considering my nails took me less than 30 seconds to do, I don’t think they look that bad...

The ORLY Nail Lacquers are £8.75 each and available from http://www.orlybeauty.co.uk

Small print - PR sample

Boots No7 spring collection...

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending the Boots No7 Spring collection launch. Created by makeup artist and creative director, Lisa Eldridge, the collection has been inspired by 1960’s St Tropez and boasts a beautiful range of colours. Unlike renowned No7 products, this collection comes complete with gorgeous packaging too.

For me the Lipstick in Brigitte, Beautifully Matte foundation and Gel Eyeliners stood out the most. I’m a sucker for a pink lippy and a black eyeliner and not to mention still on the search for an affordable foundation too. I’ve never tried a gel eyeliner before, so I’m looking forward to trying this one out.

This collection is available in Boots stores from 26th January until 22nd March 2011.

Scrubbing up...

A good face exfoliator is hard to find, especially one that scrubs off the yucky bits without leaving your skin red-raw. I got sent a Clarins Gentle Refiner Exfoliating Cream a while ago but put off using it. Truth is, I was given a Clarins perfume many, many years ago and the smell put me off for life, well until now...

Up until this product, I have never come across the perfect face scrub and now I won’t buy anything else. Formulated with two different types of beads – one to exfoliate and the other to purify – the Clarins Gentle Refiner is tough enough to slough off dead skin but also soft enough to leave you with a freshly cleansed face.

The scrub is a little pricey at £23 for 50ml, but it’s oh so worth it!

Small print - PR sample

Accessorize your makeup bag...

I’m a huge fan of Accessorize – always have and always will be – but my purse strings pull tight when they see I’m about to spend £20 on a necklace I’ll only wear a handful of times. So hearing that they were introducing cosmetics to their stores, I was eager to have a look.

The whole range has been divided into five different collections - Je T’aime, Illusion, Rock Star, Exotic Brights and With Love – all of which are reasonably priced and beautifully packaged too. Having had a look, the ones that stood out for me were the Eye Dust pots (£3) and the With Love Bronzing Block (£7), both of which are almost identical to well-known Barry M and Benefit products.

The Accessorize cosmetic collection is available in store (larger stores only), online at www.accessorize.com and in selected Superdrug stores only.

Starry eyed surprise...

Having worn 17 as a teen, I always feel a little nostalgic when presented with one of their products, which is why I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the Starry Eyes Trio eyeshadow. Available in a range of colours, each set is perfect for creating the smokey-eyed look.

Neptune, the most dramatic of the four comes with a deep purple, metallic gold and dark grey shade, for an exotic twist on the smoky eye trend.

Starstruck is more traditional with intense black, metallic and lighter grey shades that will suit any hair, eye and skin colour. For a less intense look, opt for the two lighter shades instead.

For a green goddess look, go for Galactic which comes with khaki, champagne gold and rich green colours – great if you like to make a statement.

Lastly is Moondust, a mixture of two blue shades and a lighter white colour. For the perfect party look line your top lashes with the dark blue and blend with the lighter blue and silver.

All for £4.99 each, these are great for the festive season and a must-have for any girl’s makeup bag.