An Instagram filter for your face: Jerome Alexander Magic Mineral Powder

I've got to be very honest with this one and say that the Jerome Alexander Magic Mineral Powder is one of those products I've seen in the past advertised on TV or on those stands in Boots and I thought it looked a bit tacky. The nasty plastic packaging doesn't help, but once I actually used the product, it changed my mind completely, proving the theory that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover or a concealer by its packaging in this case.

In a nutshell this is a powder that contains foundation, corrects and conceals. I thought it couldn't possibly work. For starters it looks pretty orange in its packaging but I was pleasantly surprised that it matched my skin tone, seemed to cover my redness really well and left my skin looking pretty flawless.

You'll see there are various colourful splodges in the powder, which I thought were there possibly to just look pretty, however this is where the magic happens. Each colour has an important job: Pink to brighten dull skin, Mint for discolouration, blemishes and marks, Purple to help cover yellow and sallow complexions and Yellow to hide discolourisation under the eyes. Working together these four shades combine with the powder to create a fab little product.

After application it didn't look like I had foundation on but my skin looked great. It didn't look like I had a thick coating of powder on either, which is a huge bonus. The powder didn't dry on my skin like many powders do and have done in the past, instead it concealed and corrected my redness really well. It's also hypoallergenic, contains natural SPF and is fragrance free!

The actual compact is a good size but I don't like that there's nowhere for the brush to go. I'm not keen on the sponge applicator so will probably discard it but it would be nice to have some way of keeping the compact and brush together. For £9.99 this is definitely something I think skeptics need to try out as I think you'll be suitably impressed. The only thing that I personally think needs improving is the cardboard/plastic packaging but once opened you can easily discard it!

Have you tried the Jerome Alexander Magic Mineral Powder before? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

*This post contains a PR sample.

My first foray into (high end) foundation: Estee Lauder Double Wear

Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation - £29.50
To be honest this blog is usually strictly budget beauty. I simply don't have the money to be buying high end beauty products all the time and I'm a real high-street girl at heart. Give me a Boots or Superdrug any day. Unfortunately my skin just doesn't seem to get on with budget foundation.

I have tried SO many different foundations in my time that all claim to stay put all day but nothing has really worked. I realise I'm a bit behind the band wagon with the whole Estee Lauder Double Wear but it's a recent discovery for me and I wanted to blog about it. The whole reason I ended up trying Estee Lauder was because there was a free sample in a magazine. It was the complete wrong shade for me but it stayed on my hand for hours and hours. I was so impressed that I went to an Estee Lauder counter, which was in my motherland of Boots may I add, and asked to try a sample.

I've never done this before. Usually beauty counters are a bit scary, full of red lipped, orange skinned consultants that will do anything to make a comission but the lady I encountered was really helpful. Somehow from just looking at my skin under the awful lights of Boots she decided I was a 'Ecru' shade and she whacked some on my face to try, with a very used brush I might add (ew!). Dirty brush aside, I was really impressed with the match and I was given a little sample bottle to take home with me.

I don't wear foundation every day, only on special occasions or where I need to look smart, but when I did use it I was so impressed at its staying power. I only need a thin layer for good coverage and it stays in place for hours. I wore it on a couple of nights out and didn't have to worry once about reapplying. While it is good coverage, it doesn't feel thick or heavy on my face and more importantly to me, it doesn't dry out and sink into the lines in my face.

I think it's safe to say I've found my staple foundation. No more budget foundations for me I'm afraid. It's Double Wear all the way! For £29 it's not cheap and I did have to wait until pay day to be able to justify it but I got a decent sized bottle that's going to last me ages! I think once you've found something that works you really need to stick to it. I'm so happy to have finally given this a try, hallelujah!

Have you tried the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Maybelline Dream Flawless Nude Fluid-Touch Foundation

As a 'beauty' blogger, I feel bad admitting that I don't often wear foundation. To be perfectly honest with you, I'm too lazy to apply it every morning. I'm pretty happy with my skin and going make-up free, but that's not to say my skin is anywhere near perfect.

Anyway, back to the point. As I was browsing my local Boots I spotted the new Maybelline Dream Flawless Nude Fluid-Touch Foundation and thought it has been a while since I bought a new foundation so I popped it into my basket.

I'd only previously seen a few mentions of it on a couple of blogs and on Twitter and had seen good things about it so thought I'd give it a try.

It comes in a range of 12 shades, which isn't too bad. I'm usually at the very light end of the spectrum and pick up the products with 'Ivory' as the name, no change here. The foundation itself is a very runny texture and actually comes with a special 'dropper' that you're meant to hold above your finger to enable just the right amount of product to hit your finger and in turn hit your face. To be honest, I got bored waiting for the droplet to drop and ended up rubbing the brush/sponge over the dripper to get the product on it. We're on a clock here people, nobody got time for waiting for that!

The foundation is pretty thin, but buildable. I have VERY dry skin and foundation usually starts to sit in the creases/cracks in the dry patches and ends up looking awful. On first application of the foundation I applied way too much and this very thing started happening. I started again and applied a LOT less, which ended up sitting on the skin really well. There was no horrible drying or cracking and I actually received a fair few compliments on my foundation, albeit from members of my family but I'll take what I can get.

The foundation feels very lightweight on the skin, which I think is great, and leaves it feeling very soft and smooth. Unlike most other foundations, this one doesn't go horribly orange and actually looked pretty good even under the harsh lights in Boots.

I'm actually really pleased with this foundation and definitely think it will become a staple of my make-up bag for those days when I want to perk my skin up a bit. Before trying this I wouldn't want to wear foundations on special occasions/nights out due to the dryness, but this one I feel I can wear with confidence.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway to win some Makeup Revolution Lip Lacquers here. 

Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation

Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation - £47*


I've had this foundation for quite a little while now. I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to review but I really wanted to make sure I tried it properly. It's such an expensive brand that I really wanted to make sure it was the product for me.

Before I tried this I read a couple of other reviews and I'm surprised that I don't really agree with the majority of them. A lot of them complained about a fishy scent to this foundation, but I really don't smell it. It does have a particular scent, but it's not unpleasant at all and I certainly can't smell it once it's applied.

If you didn't know, the foundation is created by Dr Perricone, who is a noted dermatologist. He believes that cellular inflammation is the underlying cause of wrinkles and his products target this inflammation and aims to improve this. This isn't really something I can report back on as I don't currently have any wrinkles, thank God, but my mum (sorry if you're reading this!!) has used this in the past and absolutely loves it. She actually texted me when she saw me upload images of the product to the Facebook page and said she'd happily take the product off my hands if I didn't like it. Well, bad luck mother, because I love it!

The foundation's main selling point is that it isn't a heavy, matte foundation, so it doesn't feel cakey on the skin and it lets the skin's natural beauty show through. This would be no good if you're really trying to cover up a lot of blemishes but if you only have a few teeny ones or you're having a relatively good skin day then this is perfect.

The foundation comes in a little bottle with a pump, which is really handy. I simply put a little blob onto the back of my hand, dip my brush in and away I go. As I mentioned, the coverage is quite thin but I found on some applications (not all, weirdly!) that this made my skin look a little bit shiny, however a dab of powder and that's all sorted out.

This is perfect for summer months as well if you don't want your face feeling too heavy with make-up in the heat. I particularly like the thin coverage because my skin sometimes reacts badly to foundation, but it seems to be ok with this and it doesn't irritate it at all. The foundation has great staying power as well and unlike a lot of others that I've tried, this doesn't dry out and start 'cracking'.

I would certainly recommend this but it's quite expensive so you really need to make sure it's the right foundation for you or if you can, get a little sample, before splashing out on the full size.

Have you tried the No Foundation Foundation? What did you think?

This post contains PR samples

Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation

Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation - £5.99






I think I might have found a new favourite foundation! Hooray! I don't really know why I bought this to be honest, I was just in Boots and I was bored so was just buying things for the sake of it I think. Anyway, out of my boredom came this brand new foundation and I have to say I'm a big fan.

I don't know if you remember but quite a few years ago Rimmel bought out a Stay Matte foundation that was in a nude coloured tube (a quick google search and you'll find it) and I was a big fan of it then. I'm not sure if this is some revamped new version or if it's a completely different formula but what I do know is it gives great, matte coverage.

First of all I love the updated, purple/white tube/bottle or whatever you want to call it. When I was in the shop I wasn't actually too sure about the shade as it was coming out pretty orange on my hand, under the awful lighting, but as it was an Ivory shade I thought I'd try it anyway and see what it was like in natural light. I'm really pleased I did because the lighting in the shop absolutely did it not justice at all. I really think places like Boots should re-evaluate the lighting they have as it really messes with the look of products... but that's a rant for another blog post.

The foundation is exactly like a mousse. It has the same consistency as a chocolate mousse you'd eat from a yogurt pot or something. It's thick, bubbly and airy and it applies like a dream. I use a Real Techniques Expert Face Brush, which really helps work it into the skin. The matte finish is great for skin like mine as it glides over imperfections and impurities instead of liquid or powder foundations which seem to sink into the skin and shows off every dry bit.

It's got a nice scent to it too. I'm not sure if this is on purpose but some foundations can smell really awful. Luckily this one is ok. I found that you don't really need much foundation at all, which means it will last absolutely ages. I was quite happy with the coverage, which is a good light to medium. It doesn't feel thick and cakey on your skin like a lot of others and it lasts a good long while too.

For £5.99 it's really worth purchasing!

Have you tried the Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation yet?

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum - £10.99

Ok, I admit I'm not a regular wearer of foundation. I don't wear it on an everyday basis, actually I no longer even own a foundation.

I recently bought the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum on a whim while in Boots. (This happens a lot!) as I thought the 'serum' part of the name sounded pretty interesting. I also decided to invest in a decent brush to apply it to make sure I could really get the best out of it.

I picked up shade 52 Vanille. I don't actually know what is the correct shade for me but this seemed closest. First of all this serum/foundation smells lovely and it simply sinks into the skin and blends effortlessly, which for someone as lazy as me, is quite a bonus.

The product itself is a bit more watery than your usual foundation so you don't need very much. After blending I personally think it looks quite natural on my skin although I would like a bit more coverage. It's a very light foundation so I find it doesn't go 'cakey' and nasty looking, it just glides over the skin forming a nice smooth look.

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation - £8.99

I barely ever wear foundations but this one caused a bit of a stir in the blogging community so I decided to pick it up! I actually got it for around £5/£6 in Savers, saving me a few pounds!

I love the shape of the glass bottle and the orange lid and pump. It just makes it stand out a little better amongst other foundations in my opinion. You can easily see the product through the bottle and I noticed just how shimmering/pearlescent it is.

I picked up the #100 shade in Ivory. I don't think I'm too great at picking out foundation shades, I tend to just go for the lightest one I can find and try it out in store, which I know is really bad! I think Ivory is more or less the most suited to my skin tone, anything darker tends to look a bit too orange.

As you can see, once it's blended it leaves a little shimmer behind which I was a bit wary of! However, the foundation is supposed to make you look refreshed and awake and I think the pearlescent tones really help this.

Initially I was really impressed with the coverage as my normal foundation seems to just highlight my dry skin/spots, but with just a tiny bit of product this foundation seemed to cover them quite well. However, after applying a bit more of the product it started to do exactly what the others all do. I think this could probably be fixed by using a primer and less product.

Thankfully I seemed to have picked up the right shade for my skin tone and when applying it I noticed a really lovely fresh and summery smell. The shimmering wasn't too over the top either.

Overall this is a really lovely foundation and if I can get the amount of product just right it provides great coverage. With a little powder and primer I think it can become one of my make-up bag essentials!