Bargain Wish List

wishlist


I do love my bargains so I thought I would share with you all the things I have been wanting recently - the best part... nothing costs more than £7! 
  
*All price include delivery costs*
 
W7 Photo Shoot 16hr Budge Proof Foundation in Buff (lightest shade)
eBay - £3.99 here 
I have read quite a few good reviews of this now and for £4 it is worth giving a try. The only downside I can see to the foundation it that it is a glass bottle with no pump dispenser, so you have to hit it on your hand to get the foundation out - not good! I always seem to like W7 products but I just don't like how they are a copycat brand.. I'm always on the fence with them.
 
Emma Hardie Professional Cloths x 3
Beauty Bay - £6.90 here 
These have just been reduced from £10 and I think they are now worth trying. These are double sided cloths; one side is a muslin type material and the other is a micro fibre side. So these would be great for using with a cream or oil based cleanser. Also what I like is you can place them over the face to steam and open the pores after cleansing or before a mask etc.
 
Sally Hansen Insta Dri Speed Dry Drops 
eBay - £3.28 here    
 I am forever smudging my nails after painting them, especially when I do nail art and it takes longer to dry, so these would be ideal. Again, I have read some really good reviews on the product and love the idea of not having to paint a top coat on.

Fimo cake nail art

120 3D Cake Fimo Nail Art 
eBay - 99p here
I have never tried Fimo in cane or cut-up form before because I have always thought it was a bit too much and cheap looking. However I love this Cake Fimo pieces and think at only 99p including delivery they are worth trying out. If I don't like them I know my nieces will love to try them on their nails. 
 
Figs & Rouge Cherry & Vanilla 100% Organic Balm 
Feel Unique - £3.49 here 
I have a few Figs & Rouge lip balms now and really do like them. The tins are cute and being 100% organic really appeals to me. I'm pretty sure the Cherry & Vanilla flavour is new and it sounds lovely!
 
Essie Mini Duo Set - Brazilian & Super Bossa Nova 
eBay - £3.64 here 
This little duo has been calling to me for the past month now. The colours are bright and perfect for spring/summer so I am sure I will cave and get them soon enough. 
  
Anya Hindmarch BA 1st Class Cosmetics Bag
eBay - £6.20 - here   
 Many moons ago Anya Hindmarch produced a range of cosmetic bags for British Airways First Class customers (they would get this free with different toiletries!) but I am guessing there was a lot of left over stock as I am always seeing them on eBay (that, or they are fake!). I don't really need a new makeup bag... I actually have a Paul & Joe one in a similar shape, but I just love the vintage image and it would make a great travel makeup bag. 

What have you been wanting to buy recently? 

Fee xo.  


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Random Nail Art with Nail Art Pens

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After painting my nails today with I decided make them more interesting by adding a bit of nail art. I'm not actually that in love with the nail art but I love the gold glitter polish as an accent so thought it was still blog-worthy.

The lovely warm nude nail polish I used was Sally Hansen Complete Salon in Cafe Au Lait (Boots - £2 here) which is actually one of my favourite nail polishes. I then applied two coats of the amazing Avon Color Trend Top Coat in Gold Flecked (eBay - £3.99 here) as an accent on both index fingers.

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I then randomly added different patterns to my nails with two Sally Hansen Nail Art Pens. Sadly these are almost impossible to get hold of now even on eBay, though you can find other shades such as gold and silver. I would however recommend trying out an extra fine Sharpie pen (make sure to add a top coat or it will wash off!) if you prefer a proper pen to hold when doing nail art - I know I fine it a lot easier to keep steady and to grip. 

To finish I used a Color Club Top Coat, as a top coat will diffuse any mistakes you have made... you can even apply two layers of top coat actually. 

I feel like I am a bit rusty with nail art at the moment as I haven't done it in quite a while. So I will have to get my Sharpie pen out and get practising again! 

Fee xo.  
 

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Organising My Makeup Collection

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Over the past few weeks I have found my makeup collection on my desk becoming more and more cluttered. I know it's because I need to invest in more acrylic Muji storage. But first I thought I would have a good sort out and tidy things up. 

I've never done a makeup collection post so I thought while I was organising everything I would take a few photos and show what I use daily.

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The above messy before image is my 'base' drawer which contained a few foundations I didn't use and was just a bit overcrowded. 

I moved both my Max Factor Xperience foundation (great, but too light in coverage for winter) and Stila Foundation (don't really like this - too waxy feeling) to my surplus makeup storage and added two new BB cream that I want to try out - The Body Shop BB Cream and a mini one from DR Jart. I also removed two No7 Stay Perfect Concealers (my skin is too dry at the moment) and added two Lush Skin Tints into the drawer - the Feeling Younger Skin Tint is a liquid highlighter and Charisma Skin Tint is a liquid bronzer/tint which I love to mix with my foundations. 

I then placed all my concealers at the back of the drawer. My favourite at the moment has to be the Witch Liquid Concealer which is in a click pen design. 

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I also tried to organise the top drawer of my muji storage unit that houses my most worn lipsticks but this is definitely were I need more storage, probably two more drawers for extra lipsticks/lipstick pens and also lipglosses. Favourites here have to be the NYX Round Lipsticks as the formula is the best I have ever tried.

I then decided to create separate drawers for my blushers and bronzers as I use to have them all in one drawer which meant half of them didn't fit so were stacked up on my desk. Now I have more room to add more blushers and I can see all my favourite bronzers. At the moment I'm really enjoying the Make Believe Enhance Sunbeam Bronzer - the kabuki brush that comes with it is also so soft. Also loving my recent purchase of the Topshop Cream Blush in Head Over Heals.

In addition to this I have a powders/primers drawer and an eyeshadow and gel eyeliner drawer to sort out but I got a bit bored so will do that another time!

Once I add to my Muji Storage I think I will do a makeup collection post and go through what each drawer contains.

Fee xo.

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Advertise your Blog in February for only £8!

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I have decided to offer blog advertising again for the month of February. Also I have decided to stick to my rate of £8 as I do want to keep it as low as possible so help other bloggers out! 

So here is how you can advertise with me...

The advert which will link to your blog with be 200x100 pixel in size (example below) and will be placed in the left hand sidebar. All adverts will be up from the 4th of the month to the following 4th just so that if gives you that extra time to send me the ad etc. 
Please if you are unsure of how to re-size the image you want, use www.resizeyourimage.com and then add your blog name/text over the top. No self portrait images please. 


 Important details
If you are a blogger and would like to advertise with me please contact me at makeupsavvy@live.co.uk with the subject 'Feb blogger advertising' along with the image/ad you wish to use (the correct 200x100 size) and your blog link that you would like for me to link to. I will then email you back to confirm all is fine & dandy! Payment is then expected by the 3rd of the month via paypal or else I won't be able to include your ad. This is open to blogs worldwide.

Email & payment deadline - Sunday 3rd February

Please if you are a business respect that this is a special rate for independent bloggers and doesn't reflect my advertising rates at all. 

Thanks, Fee xo. 


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Bargain Sally Hansen Complete Salon Nail Polishes!

Sally_Hansen_Complete_Salon

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure nail polishes are truly one of my favourite nail polishes to use after Model Own. They are never sheer and apply with one stroke as the brush is wide and curved at the tip. 

But the best thing of all is they can be found on lots of discount websites such as Fragrance Direct and are now doing the round in Poundland stores! I picked up 5 shades in my local Poundland and know others who have spotted the range up and down the country. From my £5 spend my favourites have to be Greige Gardens and The Sky's the Limit... a perfect one for summer! 

I have also amazingly discovered that the Sally Hansen nail polishes are sold on Boots.com for only £2! Which is pretty amazing seeing as only a few months ago Boots were selling them at £8 each. There are 20 shades to pick from - here.

Really these are such great quality nail polishes! 

Fee xo.


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Deborah Lippmann Razzle Dazzle Dupe!

Deborah_Lippmann_dupe

Last week I reviewed the Essie Mini Winter Collection (post here) and as soon as I swatched Essie Leading Lady I knew it was a dupe for Deborah Lippmann Razzle Dazzle. 

I love the look of Deborah Lippmann nail polishes and 'Happy Birthday' has been on my wishlist for a long time now, but if I am honest I would never spend £16 on a single nail polish so finding dupes for DL polishes is great! 

Here are the compared nail swatches and you can find the price comparisons below...

Deborah_lippmann_dupe
Essie Leading Lady also on index finger - Deborah Lippmann Razzle Dazzle on little finger.

As you can see both nail polishes are very similar! But I would actually say I prefer Essie Leading Lady as it is smoother in finish and only takes two coats, were as Razzle Dazzle needs at least 3 coats. 

Deborah Lippmann Razzle Dazzle 15ml - £18.00 from Beauty Bay here
Essie Leading Lady 13.5ml - £7.99 from Boots here
Essie Mini Winter Collection 4 x 5ml (including Leading Lady) - £11.95 from Beauty Bay here

So as you can see the Essie dupe is a saving of £10... plus in my opinion it is a nicer nail polish!

Great for anyone that received the Deborah Lippmann Mini Razzle Dazzle in a past Glossy Box and may want to re-purchase it when it runs out. Or for anyone that loves the shade but can't ever warrant spending £18 on it! 

Fee xo. 


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Lazy Links #3

 


A slightly later Lazy Links post than usual as, well I was being lazy in bed! It is Sunday after all and is freezing outside! 

There have been so many amazing blog posts this week that I actually found it hard to narrow down the links I wanted to share. 

Hope you enjoy the links...




I have been very much in to getting my makeup more organised this week and so this post has come at the right time. I love my my muji storage for the bulk of my makeup but these images just prove you can use all sorts of things as storage.
Even if you don't have a large nail polish collection or any desire to be this organised, Mich's missions to organise her collection is something to be impressed by! Even if it only tempts you to create your own nail polish wheel of your favourite shades there are some great tips in this post. MY favourite tips has to be painting the underside of the plastic nail so that the glossy plastic gives the finish of a top coat! I will only be purchasing clear nail wheels from now on. 

I had to include this recipe even though it isn't beauty related. An amazing recipe if you are wanting to lose weight/eat healthy. I only contains two ingredients - eggs whites & banana, is full of protein and is super easy to make. Plus it is so tasty with peanut butter!  

 



I am more than sure that if you read my blog you will watch Miss Budget Beauty's videos. But in case some of you don't I thought I would include her YT channel this week as I have been loving both her blog (here) and her videos so far this year. Khila is never afraid to tell you if she dislikes a product and is a lover of high street makeup and bargains. I just love her videos as they are exactly the things I want to watch - Makeup collection videos, what's in my..., Monthly Empties and Hauls etc.
 

I discovered Foxy Cheeks last week and instantly fell in love with the layout and photos - just so beautiful! I also love discovering new international brands and this post featuring Jacks brushes has inspired me to create my own watercolour/speckled makeup brush handles!

  *This is a blog you will need to translate though (Google Translate - just type in the website address)*

Sophie's blog has pretty much been my daily read for the past 4 months now. It contains everything I love - nail posts, amazing photography, dog/pet posts and reviews. Her photography and creativity with her nails just amazes me - a must read/see! 


Yes_Style_Korean_beauty

 A reader named Jess left me a comment on my Tony Moly Egg Pore Primer post (here) suggesting I take a look at Yes Style for Asian beauty products, so I did and then spent over an hour looking on the site! Really thank you Jess for your comment if you are reading this! I now want some Missha Fruit Mix Sheet Masks (here) a Diamond Shaped Necklace (here), a very cute Panda Cape (here)... and I cannot decided on which diary I would get as these just have so many amazing ones (just search 'diary' for them all to come up).

Diego Dalla Palma Snow White Palette 
(£9.99 - Fragrance Direct here)
Italian brand Diego Dalla Palma is still a fairly new in the UK (can be found in Tesco, M&S and Debenhams) and is a little steep in price normally, though the quality does warrant it. But this palette, which was released last year in Tesco stores is now a total steal on Fragrance Direct. The palette contains 6 eye shadows; 3 matte, 3 shimmery, a vivid red lipstick and black eyeliner. The eye shadows are lovely but the palette is worth it for the lipstick and eye pencil alone! I really would compare this to the quality of an Urban Decay palette. You can read a post on it with detailed images - here.

 Hope you're all having a nice weekend. 

Fee xo.


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Discovering Tony Moly Products!

Tony_moly_egg_pore

My love of beauty has taken me down many paths in the past year - reading up on makeup history in the 19th century (Victorian era), creating my own makeup room and becoming slightly obsessed by Asian beauty brands.

I recently discovered a really interesting Korean brand - Tony Moly through Blush and Brunch and had to purchase something from eBay ASAP! 

I was planning to repurchase the DHC Velvet Skin Coat primer as I love heavy duty silicone primers (I don't use them daily mind, as they do block pores!) but opted to buy the Tony Money Egg Pore Sily Smooth Balm (eBay £7.57 free p&p - here) when I spotted it on eBay. I instantly loved the unique golden egg packaging and at half the price of the DHC primer it was a no-brainer! 
 
Tony_moly_uk

This literally arrived yesterday (shipping took exactly 10 days) so this is by no means a review... however I just had to share with you the amazing-ness of the primer and a few other products from the brand. 

The Tony Moly Egg Pore Silky Smooth Balm contains 20g of primer and actually does look like a squashed egg white, which is a bit gross if I'm honest, however it thankfully has a citrus scent to it which is really pleasant. I have tried this out once so far and I'm pretty impressed as it does visibly smooth and diffuse the skin, concealing pores... but I will do a full review with before & after picture once I have used it more.  
For £7.57 I really think the Egg Pore Balm is worth it if you want something different and a good silicone based primer. Also amazingly, after you have used up the primer you can crack the top of your golden egg and use it as a plant pot (apparently it already contains seeds and you just water it - bizarre!) or you can place it on your desk to hold pens and pencils! 

Here are some other amazing Tony Moly products that I have my eye on...


tony_moly_products_ebay_uk

*All products listed below are free from p&p and custom charges to the UK*

1. Tony Moly Petite Bunny Gloss Bars (£3.64 each, 9 shades available! - here
These were the first Tony Moly products I came across on Blush & Brunch with Rachel describing them as similar to the Revlon Lip Stains. I know I will end up buying at least one of these for the super cute, or should I say kawaii, packaging.

2. Tony Moly Pocket Bunny Moist Mist 60ml (£6.32 - here)
From what I can make of the eBay listing this is a hydrating mist for refreshing the face or spritzing after your makeup to make it look a bit more dewy. Again I have been sucked in by the super cute packaging! 

3. Tony Moly Cats Wink Mascara (£4.42 - here)
I am always after a new mascara to try so why not go for one that is has a catchy name and is shaped like a cat! This may be a totally rubbish mascara or my future holy grail, who knows! But at only £4.42 I know it will be my next mascara.

4. Tony Moly Peach Hand Cream 30g (£4.09 - here
This has to be my favourite looking product after the Egg Pore Balm. I mean how amazing does this hand cream look! I would want to take this out with me and be the odd girl on the bus using something that looks like a giant peach but actually I know it would just bring me joy seeing it sat on my bedside table! Also I forgot to mention that it is actually peach scented too.

5. Tony Moly Red Appletox Honey Cream 80ml (£7.60 - here)
Again so wanting this for the amazing giant shiny apple packaging! This is actually a sticky honey moisturiser that you apparently pat onto the face and it fully absorbers in to the skin. However a product that would probably be more beneficial to my skin is the  Tomatox Magic White Massage Face Mask 80g (£6.91 - here). Asian brands are all about their silly skin whitening products but I try to ignore this and see them as brightening products (because that is what they basically do). This is a face mask that is housed in a tomato shaped pot which aims to reduce blemishes to the face and brightens the skin. 

I hope I haven't been too much of an enabler here and you've enjoyed this slightly different beauty post! 

Fee xo.

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How To Spend Your No7 Vouchers

No7_vouchers_boots

The Boots No7 vouchers have been back for a while now and are coming to an end this Sunday. So if you have any in your purse it is time to snap to it and spend them this weekend! 

Boots they are still giving out the vouchers when you spend over £5 on anything in-store so if you need to stock up on essentials etc then this weekend is the time to do it also.
 
Now I will confess I have gone off No7 quite a bit in the last 6 months. The prices have become way too high and they have changed a lot of their products, but not for the better if go by the mass of 1 star reviews on Boots.com. However with the £5 off Skincare & £3 off Makeup vouchers there are some pretty good products still to be had!

Money Saving Expert.com explained a great way to purchase three products whilst only spending £5 plus the vouchers. Basically if you purchase the No7 Face wipes (£2 with the voucher) and 2 x No7 nail polishes (£3 with the voucher - all No7 products are on 3 for 2 at the moment so the 2nd nail polish will be free) it comes to only £5 (normally £19). So if you are stuck as to what to spend your two vouchers on you could always do that. 

Here are the products that I really like from No7...

 
No7_products
Makeup Picks - £3 off

No7 Precision Lips Pencil in Nude  - £6.35 (here)
This is just a great staple lip liner to have in your makeup bag if you wear a lot of neutral lipsticks or even glosses. I'm also pretty sure this was created by Lisa Eldridge who is the creative director of No7 on her quest to find the perfect nude lip pencil. £3.35 with voucher.
No7 Stay Perfect Eyeshadow - £7.00 (here)
I own a few No7 eyeshadows now and must say I love the pigmentation and texture of them. Favourite shades have to be Mink, Wheatsheaf and Truffle. £4 with voucher

No7 Flawless Finish Sponges - £3.75 (here
If you suffer from foundation looking cakey on dry patches of your face then these sponges may help. There are better sponges on the market but these are good enough to see if you like using a damp sponge to apply foundation with. These are also perfect for cutting up in to little cubes for stippled nail art effects such as ombre and galaxy nails! 75p with voucher.


Skincare Picks - £5 off

No7 Beautiful Skin Day Cream for Normal/Oily Skin - £12.50 (here)
When I'm not using my Botanics serum this is the moisturiser I use. I wouldn't recommend this full price as I'd say your money is better spent on a skincare brand such as La Roche Posay but with £5 off this is worth it. A good gentle moisturiser for confused/combination skin. £7.50 with voucher

No7 Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser - £9.95 (here)
Thankfully this is one existing product No7 didn't change the formula of and I so glad! If you can't afford the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish this is a good alternative. Really soothing and just lovely to use. £4.95 with voucher

No7 Luxurious Foaming Shower Oil - £9.95 (here)
 I haven't actually tried this product but I have seen some good reviews of it online and it looks like a really nice, nourishing product for winter. £4.95 with voucher


On a slight side note... a word of warning with the No7 Stay Perfect Concealer (see here) which I have previously raved about as my favourite concealer for oily skin - No7 have changed the formula of this and the reviews on Boots.com are pretty terrible. Hopefully Boots will see sense and bring back the original product. I just don't want anyone to purchase it on my previous recommendations and hating it! 

Fee xo. 

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Essie Winter Mini Collection

Essie_mini_winter_collection

Last week I mentioned that I picked up the Essie Mini Winter Collection in the ASOS sale. However I actually found it even cheaper on Beauty Bay for only £11.95 with p&p - here

So I thought I would show the nail swatches for each mini Essie polish and be an enabler, as I seriously love this set! 
 
The lovely mini set consists of 4 x 5ml polishes from the Essie Winter 2012 collection. For reference full size Essie polishes from newer collections are £7.99 and contain 13.5ml. So the mini set really is a great way to try out 4 nail polishes (I say try out but these polishes will last you a long time) from Essie without spending over £30 on the full size ones
 
Essie_wheres_my_swatch

Even though Where's my Chauffeur? is part of the winter collection this is a true Tiffany blue that will be perfect come spring on fingers and toes. Like all of the mini polishes in the set this only needs two coats and applies evenly, without streaks.

Essie_beyond_cozy_swatch

Beyond Cozy was the nail polish that originally tempted me to purchase the set as it is nothing like I have in my nail polish collection. The swatch is two coats without a top coat, but trust me it comes to life even more with a good clear top coat - just so sparkly. I'm absolutely in love with this mix of gold/antique silver. Also surprisingly enough it isn't too hard to remove unlike most glitters!

Essie_snap_happy_swatch 

Snap Happy isn't my favourite from the set but is a nice orange based red that I'm sure I will make use of. Again this only needs two coats and applies really nicely with a lovely glossy finish. Cannot fault it but nothing really amazing!
 
Essie_leading_lady 

 Another amazing nail polish in the set! Leading Lady is a wonderful cranberry red with lighter red glitter running through it. I was convinced this would need at least 3 or even 4 coats but was pleasantly surprised when like all the rest it only took 2 coats to become opaque. I would say with this though that it looks at it's best with a clear top coat to smooth out the glitter which does give a slightly bumpy finish.

This is my first ever mini Essie set purchase and I have to say I think I'm liking it more than any of my mini OPI sets! All the polishes are very consistent in application, fast drying and the bottle sizes are good.

I would say that if you like the look of this just snap it up as I'm pretty sure the set won't be around for long as it is last year's winter set. 

Fee xo.

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The Ultimate iPhone Case for Nail Addicts

iphone_chanel _nail_polish_case 

Actually scrap that, I think all beauty lovers would enjoy a Chanel nail polish phone case! 

I spotted these yesterday on a website called Shop Fancy and instantly wanted to get one so had to share my find with you all. 
 
Now the price for a phone case is a little steep - $35... which is around £22, but as far as I can see that also includes shipping costs. The cases come in Fracas (iPhone 4/4S - here iPhone 5 - here) and Blue Satin (iPhone 4/4s - here iPhone 5 - not available). Also for the Galaxy s3.


I love how realistic the image is of the nail polish especially the actually nail polish, it is spot on! For anyone in Australia, U.S or Canada you can actually purchase the cases quite a bit cheaper and with more colour options on Etsy from a seller called The Custom Art

Now that I have discovered these I am being greedy and wishing for a Chanel Peridot Nail Polish case! 

Fee xo.  

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Clarins Spring 2013 Mineral Loose Powder

Clarins_mineral_loose_powder_2013

When it comes to powders I don't ask a lot. I just need one to remove excess shine from my T-zone and to set my makeup.

However for the past week I have switched my good but cheap-y Rimmel Stay Matte pressed powder for the new Clarins Mineral Loose Powder and I can honestly say I now see the appeal of more expensive finely milled loose powders.

The new Clarins Mineral Loose Powder comes in three shades - light, medium and dark but is transparent in finish (prices/links at the bottom of the post). The jar is a massive 30g of powder which I am frankly amazed at.... this powder will last you years (I shouldn't say this with makeup having 'expiry' dates but really, who throws away powder products!) and contains a removeable sifter and powder puff.

 

For my first application of this I planned to use it how I normally would a pressed powder, down my t-zone to remove shine. But instead of just mattifying the skin it also seemed to diffuse my not so sightly enlarged pores around my nose and chin. Which then led to using the mineral powder over my entire face... something I have never done before. Instead of looking cakey they powder created a mattified but radiant finish, which actually amazed me as I was expecting just a nice finely milled powder that removed shine. 

 Since then I have been using the powder daily in the exact same way without my skin looking like it has been powdered at all, it is literally like I have clicked the 'clear skin' function on my photo editing programme! I can see this working on both younger oily skin and more mature skin with fine lines.


I think the beauty of this powder has to be that it is so fine and weightless so whether you use the powder puff for better coverage or a powder brush to lightly dust the skin this will not look cakey or overly matte, plus the powder makes the skin feel so soft. I can honestly say I have been more than impressed! 

Also I cannot not mention that the powder actually have a light scent to it, I would best describe it as fresh and cucumber-y which is a lovely touch.

The mineral powder retails for £30.00 and can be found on the Clarins website... though if you want to save yourself a few pennies Escentual currently stock it for £24.00 - here.

Fee xo. 


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