MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot

I am super excited to write this post not only because I love this product so much but also because I just purchased a new camera so my pictures look 1000000x cooler, in my opinion.

I haven't explored MAC in depth - I've only ever bought 3 products from them, but each of these I deeply love so I feel intrigued about the rest of their makeup range.

I purchased this eye primer about 2 years ago and used it on-and-off, but for the past year or so I've applied it almost every day as an eyeshadow primer. This is the only eye primer I've ever used but I'm so scared to try a new one just because it is SO GOOD and so I'll be a tough critic towards future eye primers that come my way.

I apply it with my finger (I've tried using a brush and it just makes the bristles stick together and doesn't blend well) all over my lid and set it with a nude/pastel yellow shadow, then apply my chosen shadow look for the day on top. The shade that I bought is Painterly which is such a pleasant shade for an eyeshadow base as I've tried it with so many different shadow colours (brown, orange, pink, nude) and it just goes so well with all of them. I sometimes even wear it on its own for a subtle colour to my eye if I want to go for a 'natural, no makeup, makeup' look. 

I'm all for anything that increases the staying-power of my makeup and this producct definitely does this. It keeps my eye makeup in place for at least 8 hours, and even after 10 hours it's still clinging on. I did trial this against using no primer at all (just a nude base shadow) and using concealer as primer, and neither of these methods worked as well. I also noticed that shadows applied on top of the Paint Pot were more pigmented than applied over just a nude powdered shadow, or concealer.

Not even the price of this MAC product makes me go bleurgh, as for £16 from MAC's official website, it will last you a hefty amount of time.

Can you recommend any amazing eyeshadow primers that might measure up to this one?

P.S. If any of you reading this has a Canon DSLR and is willing to give advice and tips on the buttons/settings, I would greatly appreciate it if you contacted me (info on 'Contact' page). Thanks!

Libby

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The Body Shop Fresh Nude Foundation

I think everybody has a few beauty items that they never want to stop using because they know it does a good job and they're scared to try something new. Mine was foundation. I've been using Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum for 3 or 4 years now and my last bottle recently ran out so i needed to buy a new one, but I thought I'd stray from my comfort zone and try out a new foundation. The Body Shop's Fresh Nude Foundation was recommended to me when I was thinking of buying Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk, because they're apparently very similar and Fresh Nude is less than half the price.

The lovely girl that works at The Body Shop colour matched this foundation to my skin, although I didn't have my concealer with me to check that it was lighter than the shade I was about to purchase, but I bought it anyway and was relieved when I got home to discover my concealer is, in fact, lighter. I bought the shade Bora Bora Tiare 012.

First of all let's talk about the shade range. This product comes in '16 nature-inspired shades' which are all so different. Some have yellow undertones, some pink, and their names are so unique. I've said before on this blog how much I love the words that The Body Shop uses, I mean, "Hawaii Macadamia", "Fiji Sand" and "Seychelles Cinnamon". These names definitely portray a sense of allurement.

My skin-type is combination. I begin the day with some normal and some dry patches on my face, and after several hours my t-zone begins to appear slightly oily, and my old foundation was able to keep this all under control and slightly even it out. 

Left: applied 

Right: slightly blended

Bora Bora Tiare 012 has yellow undertones which is what most suits me when it comes to foundation shades. It is light and slightly watery, although not completely runny. As you can see on the right swatch, when blended, this foundation gives more of a medium coverage as opposed to a light coverage (the product claims to give a light coverage) and it is definitely buildable without looking cakey.

This foundation claims to leave "skin feeling beautifully fresh and comfortable all day" with a "semi-matte finish". It does leave a fresh and flawless finish that can either give you a beautiful, healthy glow if left, but a velvety, smooth surface if set with powder. It doesn't feel harsh on your skin, perhaps due to the calming and hydrating Aloe Vera and English Rose Water (which also gives it a lovely smell!). This foundation is also parabens free and suitable for sensitive skin, and it has an SPF of 15, so we're looking great and not harming our faces in the meantime!

The only negative thing I have to say about this product is that it does begin to fade away after 6 hours or so, but I'm sure this time will be extended if you apply more than 1 layer to your skin!

Fresh Nude is a beautifully impressive foundation for only £15. Plus, sign up to their Love Your Body Card and E-mail service and you'll have offers coming out of your ears... I'm not joking, hehe.

The internet is lacking in reviews for this foundation so I'd love to hear how you got on with it with your skin type. Let me know in the comments below!

Libby

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