Nars Sheer Glow with Benefit 'That Gal'

My favourite foundation/primer combo of the moment - they are the Benefit 'That Girl' brightening face primer and Nars Sheer Glow foundation. These together seem to work really well with my super dry winter skin at the moment.

Benefit 'That Girl' brightening face primer (21.50)

Please excuse the wear and tear of the outside packaging, I've had this product for a couple months now. I was initially a bit hesitant to get this as I thought it would be gimmicky and would end up making me look like a greaseball by the end of the day. But I have been pleasantly surprised by it. The 'Bad Gal' comes in what looks like a cross between a Prit Stick and play dough machine, and you have to twist the bottom to get the product out.

I hate this because it reminds me of little worms. So I am not a big fan of the container it comes in. The product itself is a light, creamy pink. It smells very sweet and lovely. Despite the colour, it is suitable for all skin tones, as I find with a lot of Benefit products. The idea behind this is, that it is meant to help brighten dull complexion as well as act as a primer. It does brighten the complexion, and as you lightly blend it over the skin, you can see your face looking a bit more healthier. It also smoothes out the skin so acts as a good base for foundation. What I do it put this on after my moisteriser, let it sink in whilst I do my eye make up, them put the foundation on top. It also works really well as a highlighter which I tend to top up through the day.

Nars Sheer Glow (£29 for 30ml)

I got skin matched last summer in 'Sycracuse' which was a pretty good match for me. Reviews of this foundation are in abundance, and they tend to be positive. I agree with these reviews. Although pricey, this is lasting me ages. I would say it is a medium coverage, and no matter how many layers I put on, it never seems to look 'caked'. It dries to a natural, healthy finish and does not wipe off the minute you touch it. In fact it is very well long wearing. At the moment, it is the best foundation I have tried and experienced. I will definitely be repurchasing this. I've got enough left for maybe three or four faces so looking forward to see what shade I'll be for winter.

What I have recently discovered is using the 'That Gal' under the Nars Sheer glow, my skin looks flawless without looking overly made up or like a disco ball. The foundation will last throughout my 9 hour work day, and I just need to lightly touch up around my t-zone if I'm planning to go out in the evening.

It photographs beautifully as well - the skin looks flawless, glowing and radiant.

One word of warning with bad gal, is that I have discovered that it does not work well with all foundations. Its a disaster under Mac Face & Body, and anything too 'liquidy'. I don't find it works well as a primer with some other foundations and to be honest, I only use it with my Nars. Actually, it works well with the Maybelline 24hr Stay as well.

This Is Yesterday

16 years ago, Richey Edwards from the Manic Street Preachers walked out of the hotel he was staying in, and never came back. This guy didn't realise how much of an inspiration he was to his and the future generations with just the power of his words. Depression is such a bitch. But of course it would be wrong to sum him up to something as simple as that.

I was lucky enough to see the Manics again on 21 January 2011 at the Brixton Academy. I got seating this time which was good because I got to listen to them properly. But I was itching to get up from my seat and jump up and down like a maniac a good few times (I somehow managed to restrain myself). I looked around me, and it was filled with people of all ages, nationality and race. In front of me was a guy probably in his early 50's singing along to every single tune. Next to us was a girl who just leaned forward all night, her face in awe, hardly saying a word. There were a few students behind us who analysed their early days work whilst the stage was being prepared. There seems to be a form of solidarity with Manic fans that you don't tend to get with other bands.

Again, I tried to take some videos on my crappy iphone, and again they turned up not too great. As a tribute to Richey, I found some of my favourite Manic songs - some written by Richey, and some by Nicky Wire - which I wanted post.

James Dean Bradfield did a three song acoustic set midway through the gig. "This is Yesterday"was my favourite. My eyes were all welled up during this song, as also were a lot of people around us. It just shows Bradfield's talent in its pure form. Richey and Nicky write the lyrics, and James puts it to music. I can't fathom the talent of being able to do that. For someone to be able to put your words to music perfectly. He gets it right with every single song. Plus, his voice is bloody amazing.

"Faster" - this is my favourite song of all time. I remember being actually scared of this song when I first heard it because it sounded so in-your-face and accusatory. But slowly, it became such an empowering song to me. It actually makes me feel stronger when I hear it. Like I can take on the crap gets thrown about for those few minutes.

"Roses In The Hospital" - just a great song to sing (shout) along to. Sounds fantastic live.

"Revol" - another one of my all time favourites, and probably my favourite videos with 'Faster'. But gosh does Richey look so vacant and apathetic in this, heartbreaking in retrospect.

"La Tristesse Durera (scream to a sigh)" - this was written about war veterans. Every word is so powerful and emotional in this song. 

"Little Baby Nothing" - Legend has it that they originally wanted Kylie to sing the vocals. Thank goodness her corporate record company didn't let her. Instead, Richey managed to get Traci Lords to sing with Bradfield. Lords couldn't be around for the video and the rest of the band couldn't be bothered to do it. So its just Bradfield, a Lords 'looky-likey' and a bunch of MSP fans with loads of slogans. I think this is a fantastic video as every time I watch it, I find something new to think about. To me, this video is the core essence of the Manics - no compromise.

Richey's presence is always felt around them even though he vanished so long ago. Whenever they play, the area of the stage where he always stood, is always left vacant, ready for him in case he decides to come back. They did have an extra guitarist (I think he was there at the XFM as well), but he respectably kept his distance towards the back. Is he dead, or wondering the sights of Goa? Everyone has their own opinion, I have mine.

People either can't stand the Manics, or are devoted, die hard fans who research every reference and lyric and quote from their songs in order to derive the true meaning to what they are trying to tell us. To me, the Manics are just so clever and intelligent. They don't write about romance or having a nice day. They are far too political and real for that. I remember listening to 'Your love alone' and then reading somewhere that the title came from a friend's suicide note. They don't do love songs! These guys have known each other since they were six or seven and they are still the best of friends, maintaining their roots when they could have gone all LA. I know I have dedicated quite a few posts to them, and I hope I don't come across as some Manics crazy nut. Its just that the band, and Richey's 'manifesto' as they call it, has become to mean a lot to me again over the last year. The Manics always comforted me back during those awkward teenage years because they made it alright to be different and not conform. Although some of their songs and behavior have proper pissed me off, they'll always have a corner of my heart.

http://manics.nl/

Related articles

• Manic Street Preachers, Brixton Academy, London (independent.co.uk)

Stuff from Accessorize and Claire's

I picked up some jewellery recently which were absolute bargains.

The Accessorize stuff were 70% off. 

The earrings were £1.20 and hair clips cost me £1.80. I have recently got into the habit of tying my hair to the side, and like to stick some fun clips to the bun to help it stay put. So these are ideal for doing this type of hair style.

Claire's is my 10 year old niece's favorite place in the world. She would live there if she was allowed. I took her to watch Disney's 'Tangled' (which by the way was based on my favorite fairy tale Repunzel. We loved it) and popped into Claire's to spend some money she had saved up. I probably am a bit too old to be shopping there myself, but I do like their jewelry. They had an offer where you get any five sale items for a fiver. So I picked these up.

The top two are necklaces. I also got a ring and two pairs of earrings. BARGAIN. My favourite are the earrings in the middle.

My niece picked up five items too. In contrast to what I got, her purchases were; some florescent eyeshadows, an Edward Cullins notebook,  big flower Hairband, novelty erasers and 'Hello Kitty' necklace.

Perfumes Galore

Luckily for me, the original Ghost is my second most favourite perfume of all time. This is because it is dirt cheap during the winter sales.

I stocked up on two of the gift sets for about £11 each from Boots today. Each bottle is a generous 30ml and comes with a 50ml lotion. I have constantly repurchased this perfume for years now. As I tend to use perfume like body spray, I don't feel too bad when I end up finishing this quickly. I always get compliments when I wear this, and it lingers on my skin and clothes (and hair!) for ages.

Another thing I always pick up in the winter sales form Boots are miniature perfumes.

This pack of four were the only ones left from my local branch. From left to right, they are:

• Stella McCartney
• Armani Code
• Amor Amor
• Emporio Armani Diamonds

I actually don't know what most of them smell like, I love their size. I permanently have a miniature perfume in my make up bag.  

At 5ml each, they are small and light enough to carry around with you at all times, and perfect to use throughout an evening to freshen up. These last me AGES. I think this set cost me £11.

E.l.F Haul - Initial Thoughts

Eyes,Lips, Face were doing a free delivery promotion, along with a free product if purchases were over £10. So here is what I ordered, and arrived quite promptly:

Tinted Moisteriser spf 15 in 'Honey' (tone 2) - £1.50

I actually wanted tone 3 in 'Spice', but it was sold out. The reason why I picked this up was because I wanted something light for when I am out for a couple of hours (I am not expecting this to be long lasting), or to put on after work on top of my morning foundation.

At first glance, 'Honey' seemed to be a tad too light for me but I was pleasantly surprised when I swatched it on my hand, at it blended in really nicely.


Duo Eye Shadow in 'Butter Pecan' - £1.50

I had prevously bought the duo cream shadow in 'Butter Pecan' and did not like it as it creased like crazy on the eyelids. The swatch on this duo is not bad, although it was a bit crumbly. But overall, seems like a decent pair of eyeshadows.

Customs Eyeshadow in 'Sage' - £1.50

I like this eyeshadow. Its just the colour I was looking for, goes on really well and I know I am going to love wearing this. Real bargain for such a good quality product.

False lashes Neutral Lash Kit i 'black' - £1.50

I have read good reviews about these falsies and am excited to try them out. I'll probably chuck the glue out and use my Duo though

Cream Eyeliner in 'Purple' - £3.50

This is the most expensive thing I picked up. I have been thinking about getting a purple gel liner for ages as I do use a pencil every now and again. It comes with a small angled brush which is okay. On first impressions, I will probably need to do a couple of layers of this liner to achieve the opaque look I like. You have to wait a minute or two for the product to dry or else it rubs off completely but once on, it stays put. I reckon it might work as a decent base as well.

I know I will have to add on an extra few minutes into my make up routine whenever I use this, for £3.50, its a good price to try a colour like this out.

Shimmering Facial Whip in Pink Lemonade - £1.50

I got this to use as a highlighter for my cheekbones. This is where E.L.F surpassed themselves in customer services. I discovered this product faulty when it came through the post. Obviously I was a bit annoyed but I didn't know if I wanted to hassled of trying to get a replacement for something that cost me £1.50. But then I thought I'll jot them a quick email about it. I took a picture on my camera of the product and sent that through. E.L.F were content with what they saw in the picture and they sent through a replacement the very next day. So simple and hassle-free. E.L.F's customer services is one of the best I have experienced.

Onto the product itself, I have only had the chance to swatch it and it looks pretty pigmented. I'll try it out tonight along with the tinted moisteriser as I have a birthday dinner to go to. A bit nervous, as Nars Sheer Glow has been my staple evening foundation for over a year now.

Make-up Mist and Set - Free (usually £3.50
This is what I got free as I spent over £10.  I've only ever used the Boots Vitamin e spray to set my make up in summer. This will be interesting to try out.

There you go. An abundance of Make up for under £12! Plus they're all pretty good too!

Lierac Paris Skincare Review

Lierac is a french skincare brand that I've been hearing more and and more about recently.  It may have been around for ages and I've only just picked up on it. BritishBeautyBlogger, someone whose articles I really enjoy reading, recently wrote about using Lierac products as staples in her skincare regime. It made me more curious.

There is a website (the UK version could be better) but other that that, I didn't find a lot of information about Lierac online. Its main philosophy is the use of botanical - plants, flowers, root, leaves etc - fused with technology (increasing the effectiveness of the ingredients?) that will help renew and restore skin. 

My problem areas from the beginning of time are the dark circles under the eyes (which I think I have finally found something that is helping combat this - for another post), darkness around the mouth and brown spots on the sides of my face. Very common ailments for indian skin. Sun screen is helping to stop the development of more dark spots. My skin is also ridiculously senstive, and gets all bumpy around the cheeks whenever its gets in contact with a product it doesn't like.

I have been trying a couple of Lireac products for about three months now, and thought enough time had passed to give my opinion on them.

First up, my: The favourite 'Apaisance Anti- redness fluid cream'. 

The cream contains :

• Linden Mallow extracts - limit inflammation and increase the tolerance of the skin.
• Oat Extracts - helps the skin to fight against external factors and their accelerating effects of skin aging thanks to their richness in essential amino acids
• Algae Extracts and Correcting Pigments - reduce the appearance of small blood vessels on the skin surface.

I like using this in the mornings before a moisturiser when not using a serum. I concentrate around the mouth area and have noticed that it has evened out the skin time ever so slightly. It might be due to the tinge of green in the product itself that gives an illusion of a more even complexion, but it is really exciting and have found myself a bit addicted to the stuff. It is not a serum and has more of a 'lotion' feel to it. I find that it sits really well under a moisturiser and foundations. 

Next up is the 'Apaisance Dermo-Comfort Cream'. 

This cream contains :

• Plant Extracts - Also with Linden and Mallow and Oat to strengthen the skin's natural barrier to help protect the skin from external aggressions
• Indian Ginseng Extract - intensifies the anti aging and protection action.

I use this once a day, either under a serum in the mornings when I am not wearing make up or as a night cream. This is because the consistency is thick and my skin is loving it in the winter at the moment. Sometimes I use the two both together at night to give my skin that extra treat. They make my face feel plumper and look a bit better.

Both products are from their anti-aging range, and designed for sensitive skin. I have been quite reluctant to start such products as I don't want to start too early. But now that I have (ahem) just ended my 20's (I'm cool, I'm cool about it.... I think...!), I've been slowly introducing it to my routine. 

I alternate between different products because I don't want my skin getting used to anything as eventually, I find things can stop working for my skin. Both priced at £30 for 40ml, you can peruse their entire range on the Lookfantastic website.

Side note: Lierac is part of Eco-Emballages and participate in a European programme to eliminate and recycle all components of their packaging. What a wonderful thing.

Soap & Glory 'The Fab Pore Hot Cloth Cleanser' review

Another cleanser review, and a few more still to come. As you can see, I have almost run out of my No7 Cleanse & Polish which I very much enjoyed using.

You can see my initial thoughts on the product here where I also talk about the original hot cloth cleanser, the Liz Earle one.

My skin seems to like the concept of using muslin cloths so thought I'd try out the Soap & Glory version of the cleanser.

 

As with all Soap & Glory products, this has fun packaging which looks nice in any bedroom or bathroom. The packaging on the product itself is just as lovely and although it looks made out of tin, I think it is plastic. 

Directions for use, and texture of product itself similar to other hot cloth cleansers.

However with this one, you leave it on for a minute or so before you use your muslin cloth (which is included). I find that just leaving it on for that extra minute really helps get rid of all the make up and grime. What I tend to do is apply a small squirt of the product onto my face, and then another squirt around the eye area. I warm the products into my hands before I apply to my face. It sinks right into my skin and it really does feel like the make up melts away from my face, including the stubborn eye make up. It smells very aromatherapeutic, which can be a bit strong for some. One of the key ingredients it boasts of containing is Panthenol which is a form of vitamin B5. You can read up on the beneifts of panthenol here. I have no clue how much of this ingredient is in this product, but any amount can surely be of some good?

This is another cleanser which I really like. It takes off all my make up, does not irritate or dry my skin out and controls those pore and blackhead problems. A definite thumbs up for me. You can pick this up for under £10 at Boots. For 12m, I reckon this will last you a couple of months if you use it every day, but for me it will last longer as I have other cleansers which I alternate with.

****ASOS is selling it for £5.50 at the moment!!!****

One thing to be aware of though is that the product comes in a toothpaste tube like packaging. So remember to squeeze from the top down to ensure you get as much product use as possible. I obvioulsly need to remember to do this from now on:

Talking about other cleansers, I went and bought me some Eve Lom which I will write about in the next coming weeks.