MY FAVOURITE HYDRATING MASKS

I have long been a girl who mostly buys clearing or deep cleansing masks, thinking they will actually 'do' something to my skin like clear it up, brighten it etc.. avoiding hydrating masks was my habit. I was a thinking that my moisturiser is enough hydration, why have hydrating masks on top of that?

Well, I finally decided to cave into the hydrating masks when I noticed that after flights my skin was dull and felt way too tight for comfort. I vowed to get a couple of good masks, for the airplane and use them so I can fly in with a Miranda Kerr glow to the skin a girl can dream! Now that I have found them, they became part of my everyday routine, and definitely not just in airplanes!

My first purchase was Sisley's Gel Express aux Fleurs -Express Flower Gel, Hydrating toning and firming mask, it surprised me with its consistency, my initial thoughts were-> if you get a hydrating mask, it will be even heavier than your moisturiser, so something lard like as the Nivea original cream (which is great for elbows and knees but not so much the face). How wrong was I! This mask is much lighter than any moisturiser I own, not sticky or greasy at all, it is of a light gel consistency which sinks into the skin and doesn't need to be cleaned off with water after, you can simply wipe the residue with a tissue and start your makeup. It smells a little of flowers as it's name suggests but not too much, and leaves your skin so soft and hydrated and pump, you really do feel the difference with the before and after! Since it's not oily or greasy, it is great for oily or combination skin like mine.

After this initial success in the hydrating masks department, I decided to venture onto new discoveries to extend my hydrating drawer.

I stumbled upton Decleor's Hydra Floral, Anti-pollution, Flower essence Moisturising mask'. Same kind of idea- you put it on and wipe the residue when you are ready to proceed with makeup. This is more of a light cream consistency, and has a stronger floral smell. Also super moisturising but not sticky or greasy either, it leaves the skin completely happy and soft.

My final purchase, to finish off my collection was Rodial's Dragon blood hyaluronic mask, XXL hydrating mask and skin plumper. Ok, this is a little more extreme than the two above. It is moisturising with a punch! It contains Hyaluronic Acid, so if you know you react well to it and suffer from any dull or dry skin, get this! It completely transform the skin overnight, you can use it for 15 minutes as a mask or, as I do with most of these masks, use it overnight and cleanse your baby soft skin in the morning.

This really does what it says, leaving skin super plump, mega hydrated. It would be perfect for skin which was over exposed to the sun. It does not irritate my skin at all, and is simply a miracle worker. I comes in a gel consistency, smells quite strongly of citrus fruits but doesn't feel greasy or sticky on the skin at all. Amazing for long haul flights or overnight flights if you want to arrive looking and feeling fabulous :)!

What are your favourite hydrating products?
Have you tried any of these, and if yes, let me know.

UK readers can find SISLEY's mask here, DECLEOR here and RODIAL's mask here.
Sometime there are amazing deals on them here!!! 

                                                                        Love, London Girl  xxx

THE CLEANSER EVERYONE SHOULD OWN

I have heard a lot about this cleanser and in December, I finally decided to give it a go and I'm glad I did! Clinique's Take the Day Off Cleansing balm does exactly that- it takes all the dirt/grit/makeup/pollution off your skin from your busy day. This is a no faff, no nonsense cleanser.

Like your perfectly fitted little black dress, it does the job, but if you want frills and extras, it won't give them to you. It doesn't have a scent to it, so if you like your cleansers to have a relaxing scent while you work them in, this won't have it.

That said, the cleanser balm melts like butter in your hands and makes a nice film which you massage into your face and it removes everything! Waterproof mascara, glued on lashes, eye makeup, foundations, everything just starts to detach, leaving you with soft, non stripped, clean skin. 

I love this when you don't feel like taking your time and just want a cleanser to quickly do it's job so you get to bed quicker- I think using it will actually be quicker than a face wipe (so no more excuses to use face wipes at night!!!), you don't need to spend time to rub your eyes like crazy to remove the makeup, it is a super quick, effective cleanser. 

I also love the fact that you don't have to use a muslim cloth/flannel with it, if you are in a rush, just wash it off with water and it does not leave any oily residue! 

All in all, I have used it from December to now (you can see I only have a couple of times left to use it) and I will always repurchase it, I think everyone should have this cleanser in their bathroom cabinet. It simply does the job! 

What are your favourite cleansers?

Have you tired this one?

Love, London Girl  xxx

LITTLE LIP WONDER- CLINIQUE SUPERBALM LIP TREATMENT

I have been flying a little more this month, visiting family and as a result, I was left with very dry, sore and flaky lips, hardly a look you want your family to remember on you when they haven't seen you in 6 months! It got so bad that nothing really helped and soothed them, they got so tight my bottom lip even bled a little ouch! I was flying back to London and wondering around in Duty Free to find something that can help me before I go on the plane and the recycled air makes it even worse.

There are not that many options available as everything was more cosmetics than lip care. I stumbled onto the Clinique Superbalm Lip Treatment and decided to give it a go. I lathered a huge amount of this onto my lips, trying to seek some comfort and to soothe the irritation and kept topping up as much as I could throughout the flight.

In the plane I decided to detract myself from the whole thing by watching 12 Years a Slave, great movie BTW! After finishing my movie in tears of joy after the final reunion scene, I noticed that some skin on my lips was flaking off, my lips started to peel even more, at first I got scared, thinking maybe too many layers are starting to peel off, and it will leave me with even more irritated lips underneath.

There was nothing I could do at this point than to take a tissue and literally wipe the layers of the balm away (and as I later found out, wiping all my dead dry skin away too!). Here comes the miracle---> once I wiped everything off, I realised I was left with THE SOFTEST BABY LIPS EVER! OMG!!! They were no longer red and irritated, they didn't hurt or felt sore/dry, they literally were brand new! I was absolutely speechless! I did not know a lip product can make you shred skin. Nothing in the packaging said that it would do this, I only expected them to be hydrated. Truly this was a 2 hours miracle! I could put on a super nude lipstick if I wanted to and my lips would have looked great!

Everyone should own this product, whether you have dry lips, irritated lips, sore lips or you are just in need of something that actually works! If you have an event coming up and you only have a couple of hours to fix your lips before slapping on that sexy red lip- no more problems!

I have already recommended this to my sister and my mum and will continue to spread the love!

About the product - I love that it is in a squeezable tube, making it very hygienic when out and about -tube, bus, plane, you name it! It comes out looking like a thick transparent gel which looks like a transparent gloss when it's on the lips (will look very glossy if you put a lot on like I did). It is quite sticky in consistency, but for the miracles it did to my lips, I will forgive this.

It is not a large tube and retails for £13 here. After the results I had with this I would buy it even if it was tripe the price, but I can see why some people would said it's too small of a tube for that price, maybe these people never tried it?!

All I know is that I will always own one (or more) or these little beauties. Especially after the allergic reaction I had to the Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour cream (read about it here), it took me over 2 weeks to get my lips back while using Nuxe's Reve de Miel every hour, if only I knew about this product earlier!

What are your favourite lip balms/lip treatments?
Have you tried this one, if yes, what did you think?

Love, London Girl  xxx

GREAT BUDGET CLEANSERS

For something that is in your face only 2-3 minutes a day, a good cleanser should not cost you the earth. If you want to treat yourself to a luxury cleanser, I'm all for it! However on my skincare list of 'what to invest into', serums, moisturisers, oils, masks come first and cleanser is the one I feel you can sometimes get away with a cheaper alternative.

Here are the ones I found to be of great value and which you can buy over and over without breaking the bank.

 My favourite for morning cleansing is the Una Brennan's Super Facialise Vitamin C+ Brighten Skin Renew Cleansing Oil and it is very oily/silky when you put it on your face, but very nice to massage in, and can be rinsed with or without a cloth so it doesn't leave a residue even when you don't feel like using a cloth to take it off and just wash it off with lukewarm water.

 I usually get a little lazy with using cloths and stuff in the morning, I want my cleanser to do it's job and then for water to completely rinse everything away, this really does the job. It is refreshing, not stripping and smelly a little citrus-y which is nice first thing in the morning :).

You could also use it for evening cleaning, but I usually prefer something more creamy in the evening. The only bad thing I can say about this product is that it has no pump (!!!), so you either get too much out or too little, I hope they put a pump soon because it gets a little annoying, especially in the morning when you can't really be bothered to be careful, it's easy to end up with an oily mess all over your bathroom!

My second is from the same range-  Una Brennan's Superfacialist Rose Hydrate Calming Creamy Cleanser. I really think Una Brennan has great products, discover the rest of the range here! I bought the one for sensitive skin because I think it's always nice to have a more gentle cleanser even if you have normal skin like me. It comes out as a cream which you rub onto dry face (with or without make up), and you remove it with a damp muslim cloth/flannel. It is very soft on the skin, yet also doesn't strip it, leaves it feeling soft and fresh. It has a lovely rose scent which is not too overpowering.

I will always have a couple of different cleansers from high end too, but it's so nice to find something you can use on a daily basis which works just as well and feels as luxurious.

The Vitamin C+ Skin renew Cleansing Oil retails at £7.33 and the Rose Hydrate Calming Cleanser retails at £5.33. You can pick them up when there are 3 for 2 offers at Boots.

You can find the cleansers here and here in UK.
US readers can find the cleanser here.

What are your favourite cleansers?

Love, London Girl  xxx

A BIG KNOT PROBLEM-> BEST LEAVE-IN CONDITIONERS

I don't know if it is because I have long hair now, or because it is fine, or perhaps it is a little dry, but every time I let my hair down, at the end of the day, I get a huge 'nest' at the nape of my hair, completely tangled and I have no choice but to wash my hair again and start everything over.

Perhaps it's the combination of fine, dry and long and knotty which amounts to this.. I have even been thinking about a short chop but after spending a last 5 years trying to grow my hair out, I was not ready to give up on it just yet.

I fave not found a way to fully stop it yet but I managed to find products which decrease it by 90-95% and I have to share them with you!

First one is the Salon at home, Moisture Seal Hair Healer leave-in Conditioner by Charles Worthington. It is a light gel which I rub into my dry ends and mid lengths and it leaves my hair feeling nourished, soft and light, no greasy or tacky residue, even if you let your hair dry naturally (without using the hairdryer). It helps keep my hair knot-free and shiny between washes. I used to be hooked on Moroccanoil for years and this is as nice, if not better, as it leaves my hair even lighter than the oil. 

The second product I found to be amazing is mainly a detangler- the seven seconds Conditioner leave-in, from Unite. OMG! It makes brushing my long hair SO much easier, I just bought it and I am already dreading the day this runs out and I am planning to buy 3-4 more bottles next time. It is a must have if you have fine, knotty hair, it leaves your hair smooth and smelling amazing for days! I can't live without it anymore. It's a fact!

So there you have it, my favourite combo to combat knots! It's a great duo which really saves me literally from ripping my own hair off!

UK readers will find it a little hard to get your hands on Unite products, but you can get them here.
and Charles Worthington can be found in our trusty Boots here.

US readers can find the Unite detangler here.

What are your favourite hair saviours? Oils, detanglers, conditioners? Have you tried these?

Love, London Girl  xxx

BEST FACIAL AT HOME- OMOROVICZA DEEP CLEANSING MASK

I am always on the hunt for great masks, I tried a lot of different ones over the years, and I heard a lot about the Omorovicza Deep Cleansing Mask so I decided to finally try it out! I feel like my routine can't function without one (or more) cleaning masks as my skin gets clogged up easily if I don't do anything. I alway need to keep it clean for it to stay clear.

I have to say that this mask needs to be applied 2 to 3 days before your 'event' as it can bring out some dirt to the surface of your skin and give you small breakouts at first. Thankfully, these breakouts clear up quickly and you are left with beautifully clear, bright skin.

Although it is a clay mask, it is not drying at all and doesn't even harden on your face like clay masks usually do, leaving you unable to talk, smile, even sneeze while you are wearing the mask. This doesn't  harden or stiffen on your face. It tingles when you apply it but then stops and feels light and comfortable on the skin. It is highly effective but not too harsh, doesn't leave your face stripped or dry, it would be perfect for more sensitive skins in need of a nice, deep, yet gentle, cleanse.

It left my face visibly clearer, brighter, less red, smoother and reduced under my the surface bumps (usually on my forehead) which just hang around and never fully develop into pimples (!!!)

If I have a bad pimple, I apply this mask on top of the pimple and leave it overnight, in the morning more often than not, the pimple has disappeared:)! So it's a great spot treatment too.

I have to say that it was the closest I have ever come to a facial treatment at home. It really does give you this 'fresh out of the spa skin'. I do however have to say it did not clear up the blocked up pores on my nose, so on the downside, it does not remove blackheads like other clay masks do (my favourite being the Glam Glow which sucks all blackheads out completely). So I would call it a facial equivalent but without the blackhead extractions procedure.

That said, it really is a great product and I love using it once to twice a week when I feel my skin need a little kick. It is very expensive, but a little goes a long way, on the picture I used the mask 8 times and you can see I barely made a dent in it.

I strongly believe in investing in good masks and using them often to keep your skin looking it's best. I would rather use drugstore makeup for the rest of my life than skimp on masks/skincare. If you don't have good skin, no foundation will fully cover it. In my book, skincare is where you can invest in products you know work great for you.

You can find the mask here for US readers and here for UK

Have you tried this mask?
What are your favourite clearing/hydrating masks masks?

Love, London Girl  xxx

ELIZABETH ARDEN 8 HOUR CREAM

This product I picked up about 6 months ago and was sure I was going to love it, I heard so much about it from beauty bloggers, makeup artists, everyone and their dad and their cat has tried this and apparently loved it. Like most people, I suffer from dry chapped lips sometimes and need a quick fix to make sure I can wear all my brightest lipsticks at any time without thinking about the fact that they will cling onto the dry patches. 

When I first used it on my lips about 6 months ago, I went all out, building a big layer of the product on my lips and going to bed, the next day I woke up in horror with very sensitive lips, very irritated, very hard and literally peeling like crazy. I got so worried, thought it could be the 8 Hour Creme, but for some reason really doubted it, blamed it on something I ate or other creams I used that night. (I guess I did that because the product cost 25 pounds and you are not ready to give up on that easily!)  

I was not ready to believe that I had such a strong allergic reaction to a 'holy grail' product that works for everyone, since I have NEVER been allergic to any skincare/makeup before. Simply not possible. I put the 8 Hour Creme away and waited about a week or so to get my lips back. 

I finally found the product 2 weeks ago in my stash and thought 'OK I will try out a little of it again to see if this happens again and then I will know for sure'... I did. This time I was much less generous on the amount I would apply, more cautiously... and surely enough, the whole lip disaster repeated itself!

I have now regained my lips back after using insane amount of Reve de Miel Lip Balm by Nuxe, and can truly say I am 100% allergic to this product. I searched around the web to see if any poor soul had the same reaction to this product as I did and I found a handful of exactly the same reactions as me.

Bottom line, I really wanted to love the product, I have given it a good go twice, and I am sure it works wonders on a lot of people and I'm a little jealous about that, and they should continue using it and loving it. However, if you have never tried it out and want to have a go, PLEASE get a sample, or try from a friend, or buy the smallest tube available to make sure you don't go through the pain I went through. The reaction I had really hurt my lips and took a long while to go away.

Have you tired the 8 Hour Creme? Did it work well for you?
What are your favourite lips products?

Love, London Girl  xxx

GLAMOUR FOOD- HYDRATING SKIN TONIC

I picked up this little gem from the cosmetic section of Whole Foods, it has tons of natural interesting makeup/skincare body care products. I am a big fan of the Hydraluron serum so when I saw that this is a toner with Hyaluronic Acid I decided I needed to try it out!

Everyone gets frustrated on spending money on a toner that does -nothing. I have been through so many and only a few really worked and did anything, fortunately, this is one of them. 

Toner used to be used for cleaning the rest of your cleaner residue off. Nowadays, it no longer a relevant step in your makeup routine as most of todays cleaners wash off completely without leaving a residue. So no wonder people pick up toners and think they don't do anything, well if there is no residue from your cleanser, the toner's job is already done!

So what do toners do in the 21st century? Well to each their own but I feel like it has 2 purposes. One - to gently chemically exfoliate (like the Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner which I love!) and Two- to hydrate. I know you put moisturiser to hydrate your skin, but if you add a hydrating toner before your moisturiser, your skin with thank you, no matter if you are oily, dry, combination like me.

This has a nice natural smell, comes out a little watery but you only need one pump on a cotton pad and swipe it everyday (preferably days and night) over your skin after cleaning, but before moisturising. It is very light and disappears into the skin quickly. It is completely Natural, and contains Hyaluronic Acid and antioxidants from Blueberries and Dark Chocolate (!).

I love to do this step between my cleansing and my moisturiser and although I still love my Hydraluron serum, I think it's always nice to have another option and alternate between them and for £16.96 it's simply wonderful (considering a little goes a long way).

For UK readers you can buy it in large Whole Foods shops or in the Organic Pharmacy in store on on their website here.
Organic Pharmacy Ships all over the world so have a look if they have it in your country.

What are your favourite toners?

Love, London Girl  xxx

PERFECT NUDE LIP- BARDOT STYLE

I know summer is around the corner, and this means that everyone is ready to pull out their brightest lipsticks, and I completely agree with this, however, there is nothing sexier than bed head, big black eyeliner flicks and a plump nude lip any time, any day...right? :) It is a classic look which suits most people and looks great all year round.

So on days you don't feel like wearing bright lips, you can still rock a sexy, sultry nude lip and vamp up the eyes a bit more. Here are my favourite picks for that perfect Bardot lip.

It's difficult to find a nude lip which doesn't wash you out, or look too pink, too brown, too concealery... It took me a long time to find the perfect shade for me. I know not all these products won't work for everyone so do go swatch them in store before buying, I added options for lighter/darker complexions. 

Lets start with liner, if I want my lip to last the longest, I would usually line my lips and colour in with the liner to create a perfect base and then go on with my nude lipstick on top. My favourite lip liner is No 7's Precision Lips Pencil in the colour Nude. If I want a low key nude lip, I sometimes just wear it alone, it makes my look more put together. Do swatch it in a store because it could look a little brown on lighter complexions. No7 also has a darker nude shade for darker complexions called Caramel.

Continuing with the low-maintenance route, Clinique's Chubby Stick Moisturising Lip Colour Balm in Heaping Hazelnut gives a great on-the-go nude lip, enough shine that I won't make your lips look dry or chapped, and perfect colour pay off, not too concealer-like, blends into the lips beautifully. I love to pop this into my bag as it gives me colour, shine and keeps the lips moisturised when i'm out and about. It's sheer enough to be applied without a mirror, but it's pigmented enough for you to feel you only need one coat. I wouldn't say it's the most long-lasting lipstick you can find, but since it's an all-in-one (lip gloss, lipstick and lip balm), I don't mind reapplying it throughout the day.

Onto my heavier, more serious nude territory is Tom Ford's lipstick in Blush Nude. It should get an award for it's packaging alone! It's definitely the right amount of pink/beige, it simply hits the spot for me. It's more long lasting than the Chubby Stick. I love to wear it in the evening, apply one coat, blot, and the apply another coat and it will last a very long time. It's moisturising enough that it doesn't make my lips appear dry (which happens a lot with other nude lipsticks).

Tom Ford's collection also includes a Nude Vanille shade, which is very similar, but lighter and with less pink it in, it personally washed me out, but I think it could be a perfect alternative for lighter completions. Tom Ford also added another, more "browny nude" shade called Sable Smoke which could be perfect for darker complexions.

Tom Ford's Blush Nude lipstick swatched

Finally, if you want to go for an all-out Bardot look, a sexy lipgloss would be in order, my favourite is the Hourglass Extreme Sheen High Shine Lip Gloss in the colour Child (exclusive/limited colour). Enriched with Vitamin E to keep your lips hydrated and glossy, it works perfectly with any nude lipstick underneath, or on it's own for a more subtle nude lip to compliment smokey eyes.

What are your favourite nude lip products? Have you tried any of these?

Love, London Girl  xxx

MY FAVOURITE DRUGSTORE BASES

I made a favourite foundation post a couple of weeks back, if you are interested in it you can find it here. So I thought I would continue on the foundation route and share my favourite drugstore bases with you.

I have been a fan of the first one for years, I always think I will find something better, but I never do. It is the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation. I have combination skin (with some dry patches sometimes) and it simply gets my skin. Does not cling onto dry patches, does not make it cake-y, illuminates, gives a nice dewey and healthy glow without any shine particles. Completely undetectable in daylight. On top of that, it has beneficial ingredients for your skin like Litchi, Goji Berries and Pomegranates which gives your skin vitamins while you use it! Perfection in a bottle! If I had to pair it with a high end foundation it would be the Vitalumiere foundation by Chanel. Super dewey and super moisturising but still looking modern and fresh and not oily!

I have also tried the Healthy Mix Foundation but I felt it was heavier, and less dewey/glowy. I will keep buying this until they stop selling it, it's that good, it's one of the only foundations I completely finished and ran back to buy on the next day. My shade is 52 Vanilla, as always with drugstore foundations, there are not many shades, but it you are lucky to match up to one, definitely get it! I would recommend this to dry skins but not to oily. It also has not SPF so photographs beautifully!

My second favourite is the newly launched 123 Perfect CC Cream again from Bourjois. This a fairly new addition to my makeup drawer but I keep reaching for it over and over so it had to be included here. For me the BB, CC etc creams are just a marketing trick in my eyes so I usually stay clear of them, but here I decided to try it out and I'm glad I did.  

It claims to have 3 coloured pigments, Orange for Anti-fatigue, Green for Anti-Redness and While against dark spots. I don't have dark spots on my skin so I cannot tell you if this is working, however I can tell you that this is a very light yet pigmented enough base which covers most imperfections on my skin. I only need concealer on big breakouts as this covers everything else. In consistency and finish, it reminds me of my Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation, which I love too. It definitely brightens up my skin and gives a healthy looking glow which lasts for 6-7 hours for me. I do however like to powder it on my T-zone if I want it to last that long. It is SPF 15 so could be good for the summer. 

I simply love these two bases, I think there could possibly be a link in the fact that Chanel and Bourjois are sister brands owned by the same company, perhaps even their formulations are similar, since they both come into my top foundation brands who knows. What I know for sure is that I can't be without these two tubes in my everyday life! 

You can find the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum in Boots here for £10.99.

and the 123 Perfect CC Cream from Bourjois here for £9.99. 

Have you tried any of these bases? 

What are your favourite drugstore foundations?

Love, London Girl  xxx

URBAN DECAY 24/7 GLIDE-ON EYE PENCIL BLACK MARKET SET

I heard a lot about these little wonders, that they don't smudge and have great colour pay off so when I was browsing around last week and found a set on sale, I simply couldn't resist!

I got the Black Market set of 24/7 Glide on eye pencils form Urban Decay. I bought the set from Debenhams it is only available in store so have a look when you are close by. There are 6 beautiful shades  (from left to right) : INK- a deep navy blue, BLACK MARKET a dark kohl-y black, WEST a rich brown shade, APATHY a beautiful khaki green, DESPERATION an elephant grey colour and RIOT, a gorgeous dark purple. (from left to right)

Swatches of the 6 shades from left to right: RIOT, DESPERATION, APATHY, WEST, BLACK MARKET and INK.

Considering the fact that each 'standard size' pencil is sold at £15, this set of 6 different colours was a bargain for £18.20

Yes, the full sized ones are double the length of these travel ones but two travel ones equal one full sized one and overall you still get more shades and more pencils for your money! It is also an amazing starter set if you simply want to try out their formulas and see which colours work for you.

I think they really do a great job in staying in place when you want to have a colour on the waterline or a smudgy smokey eye, normally, I always end up with my smokey eye UNDER my eyes, but I am pleased to say this really does not budge or wear off. My favourite colour for the day is the grey to create a subtle definition by still very natural, and my favourite night would have to be a tie between the classic black BLACK MARKET  and the violet RIOT (perfect colour to enhance brown eyes!).

I think I will get a lot of wear from all 5 colours as they are all very wearable.

Have you tried them out yet? What are your favourite eye-pencils?

Love, London Girl  xxx

BECCA SIMMERING SKIN PERFECTOR

I tired a lot of dupes for this product, but the real thing is the real deal! I have two shades, Moonstone  and Pearl. Pearl is a beautiful, very natural translucent shimmer, it is NOT metallic or too shimmery! It just gives you a well moisturised looking and dewy glow. Strong face shimmer is not acceptable after the age of 10 so please don't wear it on your cheeks ;)

And Moonstone is a much warmer tone, Dior J'adore kind of glow but much more wearable! Not over-the-top, still managing to look very undetectable and natural.

I have to stress that both shades are very daylight friendly! Some highlighters look great in the evening, but too shimmery under the naked sunlight. Edward Cullen in sunlight! but the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfectors look amazing in daylight, no shimmer particles, nothing heavy or metallic, simply glowing from within skin.

I usually use Pearl all year round and Moonstone in the summer when I want to emphasise tanned skin and get a warmer golden glow. 

They are versatile, on a particularly dull skin day you can wear them all over under your foundation as an illuminating primer, or mix them with your foundation/tinted moisturiser. 

Alternatively, you can simply wear it on top of your foundation, buffed on the high points of your face like top of cheekbones, bridge of nose, upper lip (cupid's bow). 

Also, If you want extra glow on a special occasion I would suggest doing it once, waiting for it to set and then repeating it with a second layer. I did this technique on my wedding day and it looked great and lasted all day/night, I have posted my wedding makeup photos on my favourite foundations blog post, have a look here. 

Here are the swatches, Moostone is on top, Pearl on the bottom, I have not fully blended them in so you can see their consistency and colour better. 

It has an SPF 25, but since you only need to use a thin layer it would not give you adequate protection so if you use it during the day I would strongly suggest to use a good SPF cream before.

The main drawback is the cost but I have used the Pearl for a year and a half and the bottle still looks pretty full! You get a lot of product for the money (50mls) and a little goes a very long way so it will certainly last you a long time. Becca has another two beautiful shades - Opal, a stunning pinkish illuminator and Topaz, a beautiful deeper golden colour. 

Have you tired any of them? What is your favourite illuminator/highlighter?

UK readers can find it here. 

US readers can find it here. 

Love, London Girl  xxx

REVLON'S COLORBURST LIP BUTTERS

Revlon brought out a cute new range of very pigmented yet very wearable lip butters. I spent half an hour deciding which shades I want to get out of a whopping 21! I ended up going for Tutti Frutti, Candy Apple, Berry Smoothie and Raspberry Pie. I thought in the lines of 'one coral, one red, one pink and one deep pink'..

They come in a cute packaging and are very moisturising, something of a hybrid between a lip balm and a lipstick, they have the pigmentation of a lipstick but the moisturising properties of a lip balm. Another great thing about them is that you don't have to wear the shade full on, when they are initially applied, a thin layer gives you a natural hint of colour without the drama, so perfect for a classy day look, but if you realise you have plans in the evening too, you can just add a thicker layer on and you have a good burst of colour. This makes me always carry at least one in my bag so I can quickly go from day to night, perfect!

015 Tutti Frutti: An orangey coral shade, I love to wear this one sheer during the day, it looks fresh and I'm sure I will love it in the summer too! Great all-rounder coral and it is much easier to wear than more opaque orange lipsticks. 

swatched

---

035 Candy Apple: A cute tomato red, not orange, very wearable, I love to wear it as a statement lipstick with a simple eye look. 

swatched on the left

---

050 Berry Smoothie: very natural 'your lips but better' colour, super wearable pink shade, the one I just can't let go of, wear it everyday. It looks much darker in the photo than it really is, the swatch shows the real colour you get. 

 swatched on the left

---

010 Raspberry Pie: Darkest colour of the four, although you can wear it sheer, it is a beautiful statement dark pink, reminds me a little of a beetroot pink, very wearable too and stays on a long time.

All 4 shades from left to right:  Raspberry Pie, Berry Smoothie, Candy Apple and  Tutti Frutti.

Have you tried any other colours? I have my eyes on Juicy Papaya!

UK readers you can get them 3 for 2 here.

Love, London Girl  xxx