bareMinerals: a Flawless Future Collection

If you are regular reader of this blog then you will know how much I adore bareMinerals make-up. So imagine the squeal that left my mouth when I recently discovered a fabulous offer on Feel Unique (via Money Saving Expert).

Now, I have never purchased a ‘group’ of products like these. It has been the occasional item here and there, so the whole bulk buy is new to me and also one of those things where I will plan on using every single item, when in hindsight I won’t. Needless to say, I absolutely love them.

I won’t talk too much about the Original SPF Foundation because I have previously spoken about it here, but the other products are also great. To start with the Clear Radiance All-Over Face Colour is great for giving complexion a quick boost. During winter we start to lose our natural summer glow and this is great for giving skin a subtle hint of radiance without looking too overdone.

Secondly, the Frame & Define Brow Styler (in Universal Taupe) is just your simple eyebrow pencil. I really, really like this product and its all down to how slim the nib is. I usually use a well-known Benefit eyebrow product, but often find the brush really hard to work with, so the Brow Styler from bareMinerals is perfect, plus the colour is a very good match too – I have mousy brows so finding a colour that isn’t too dark is often quite difficult.

I’m not really a huge fan of highlighters. They’re one of those products that I know are important, yet I’m really unsure on how to use them (note to self: must YouTube) and therefore they end up sitting in a drawer until they’re ready to be thrown out. I imagine the same habit will follow with the Stroke of Light Eye Brightener. bareMinerals claim to immediately brighten and defuse dark shadows around the eye area, as well as reducing the appearance of fine lines over time. Now, as much as I want to believe this, I’m not sure I can. I thought this was what eye creams and concealers were for, but we shall see.

Now the Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss (in Go Getter) is, by far, the most impressive product in this collection. I usually HATE, and hate is a very strong word, lipgloss – they’re sticky, slippery and disappear within minutes and trust me, I have tried a fair few. I put this to the test at the weekend. I was drinking and eating and it did a real good job of staying put and I only reapplied on a couple of occasions. The colour is nice too, a subtle pink that can be worn anytime – day or night.

Now, I really don’t want to discuss the last product, Flawless Definition Mascara too much because I will be reviewing it in my Mascara Monologues series. But I will let you into a little secret – it got me more excited that the gloss. So keep your eyes peeled soon.

All of these bareMinerals products can be purchased from www.bareminerals.co.uk or www.feelunique.co.uk. Prices are below:

Original SPF Foundation £25
Clear Radiance All-Over Face Colour £19
Frame & Define Brow Styler £13
Stroke of Light Eye Brightener £22
Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss £16
Flawless Definition Mascara £16

Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer

Since this product launched in January I've read many mixed reviews - some loving the product, others finding it mediocre, but each one commenting on the range of colours. With eight colours to choose from, I opted for nude. The reason for this being that I'm not exactly the most daring when it comes to lip colours. I don't ever believe I could pull off the red lips look and bright pink can make my lips look like they've disappeared, which is why I played it safe.

On first impressions the consistency of the product is fantastic. I'm really not a fan of the sticky, tacky feel that you can get from similar products, instead this one provided a smooth, silky finish. The colour is fully opaque, even with the nude.

What I love the most about this product is the brush. It has a tiny hollow hole at the end, which holds more product than the usual lipgloss applicator. This is perfect and also means I'm not constantly dipping in and out of the pot for more product. 

I must admit I'm completely won over by this product and might even invest in another colour! I purchased this product from Boots for £6.49, but it is available from other drug stores. 

Clinique Pretty in Prints

I do love a limited edition collection - they're way prettier and so much more exciting - which is why I was glad to see Clinique were introducing one for Spring. Pretty in Prints is a brand new make-up palette designed by Michelle Smith, designer of women's fashion label Milly.

I haven't managed to get my hands on the palette yet, because it's not available to buy until 1st February. But I have been told it comes with a gorgeous range of eye, lip and cheek colours in shades of subtle pinks and browns.

To buy the palette it will set you back £25, but it does come in a really cute compact with a bag - all of which have been designed with the Milly signature print. You can also get your hands on a Limited Edition Long Last Glosswear SPF 15 (in a warm melon shade) for £14 and High Impact Mascara for £15, all of which are part of the Milly inspired range too.