Favourite Foundation - Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua

I'm really into value for money, and I always feel that, despite the price, I always get that with Chanel. None more so than with their perfume, and their foundations. My absolute favourite foundation (of all brands, prices, and types) is Vitalumiere Aqua. I tried Vitalumiere first, and really struggled to match the colour with my skintone. I tried the Aqua version in "B10 - Biege Pastel" and it was absolutely perfect. As the name suggests, the product is water based, and as such it feels very natural and light on the skin. It is a sheer coverage, so if you're looking for a heavy foundation you'd probably want to give this a miss. I find I get the best finish when I use a round, flat-topped brush like the MAC 187.

At £31 it isn't the cheapest option out there. There are certainly amazing foundations out there which are more than half the price (Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation being my new favourite cheaper foundation). However, I keep going back to the Chanel foundation. Overall I find it has everything I want: sheer yet perfecting coverage, well-matched colour and tone, and a dewy finish. One point of issue is that I don't find it to be the most long-lasting of products, however with every foundation I have ever used, I have had this problem. I think it's my fault rather than the foundation's!

I bought my Chanel foundation from Selfridges: http://www.selfridges.com/en/Beauty/Brand-rooms/Luxury/CHANEL/Makeup/Complexion/

Creme De La Mer: Gel Moisturiser

I had a make up session with my friend last week, and showed her a different technique with her gel eyeliner. As a thank you I was lucky enough to receive a little pot of Creme De La Mer gel moisturising cream for me to review. The words "gel moisturising cream" are a true description, as the product lies happily in between the two - a semi-opaque amalgamation of gel and cream.

This product smells beyond divine - what is my obsession with smells?! It's so luxurious it verges on the intoxicating. I dipped a pinky-finger into the pot, having been instructed that I needed a miniscule portion of product (quite rightly too, given it's humungous price tag). The trick is to rub the product between the tips of your fingers to warm it up, then gently apply the product to the face and neck in a dabbing motion. The website informs me that it is gentle enough to use on the delicate eye area, which I can attest to. Once applied the product feels soft and gentle - I didn't get so much as a tingle on my face. With every minute that passed, the effects of the product became more palpable. My skin felt more and more sensational. It's hard to describe something that feels "perfect", but it really did. It feels a tad silly to even mention the fact that it wasn't oily, greasy, drying - anything other than perfect.

Four hours after application, my face still feels soft and supple, but I'm actually craving more product. Not because my skin feels thirsty, just because it was a joy to apply. Maybe I've fallen in love with the product partly because it does feel more "exclusive" because of its hefty price tag. It's like the cost effect in reverse - rather than being more critical due to its expense, I feel like I'm actually being less critical, so convinced I am that it's worth every penny.

Having said that, would I really buy a 30ml jar for £95? The answer is: probably not. This may be a shocking statement considering my gushing review, but I genuinely won't be buying a pot of this anytime soon. It really is just TOO expensive. I would genuinely feel guilty if I encouraged anyone other than a millionaire to purchase this product. However, I can recommend that if anyone is even remotely interested in this product should attempt to acquire a test pot. The one I have is 3.5ml and it will do you a fair few tests. See how you feel about it at that point, and if you really like it, save up and take the plunge. If you're even slightly in doubt, look elsewhere.

Creme De La Mer Gel Moisturiser is available at the official website: http://www.cremedelamer.co.uk/

I just had to show you the cute little tester pot. So miniature!

Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation review

If I'm ever in need of a new high street/drug store foundation, I make a beeline for the Bourjois counter. They've had some interesting foundations in the past (namely with unhygienic brushes attached to the bottle) but in general their foundations are top-notch, and very competitively priced at around the ten quid mark. My latest acquisition is the Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation. I bought shade 51 (light vanilla) which is just my shade. I rarely find a high street foundation which matches my pale, yellow-toned skin but Bourjois always hit the mark. I find their shades in general err more on the side of yellow tones, but believe me, there are plenty of pink toned foundations on the high street to keep everyone happy! This is quite a thick foundation, around the texture of double cream, but it blends exceptionally well. I like to apply it with my fingers, as it responds well to the heat from my hands. The finished result is quite brilliant: flawless coverage, even application, and the smell is divine. It's quite a distinctive smell - of fruit - but if you like that you'll be happy. If you have an oily to combination skin you'll need to powder with this. It claims to have "up to 16 hours" wear, but I would focus on the "up to", as with all products which sport this claim. It's very unlikely to last 16 hours without touch ups. My favourite thing about this product is how soft my skin feels after application, and even more so when applied over a very softening moisturiser.

All in all, it's gorgeous, and one of my all-time favourites. The price is brilliant, too. I bought mine from Boots: www.boots.com

Make Up Library - Make Up: The Ultimate Guide by Rae Morris

Rae Morris' writing style is admirable: there is no fakery here. Even in her introduction to the book, she describes her ascent to make up glory as imperfect: she "fell into make up". A theme of imperfect beauty permeates this book - the pictures have not been retouched, only enhanced through styling and a bit of clever lighting. But that is not to detract from the incredible make up - it's all stunning, and in fact, only made more stunning by the knowledge that it is real.

Morris writes about make up techniques in exacts, for example in her explanation of using eyeliner for large, rounded or protruding eyes: "Never use hard-egded eyeliner: either above or below; a smudged liner is the only type allowed". At first read, this can appear slightly dictatorial, but who am I to argue? Her insistence of the use of her methods only serves to enforce her knowledge of the subject. Unlike some other, perhaps more diplomatic, guides, this one appears encyclopaedic in its exactness.

Unlike in her stringency of methods, she is clearly a great believer in the variety of imagination. There are a plethora of looks in the book: some safe, some seriously brave. My favourite is the "dramatic evening look", showing a woman sporting paired-down skin and eyes, with strong (but not drawn in) brows, and an incredible purple metallic lip. It's simple, but highly imaginative.

It is compendious in its coverage of make up for age-ranges and skin types. The section for make up for the over 40s is especially a triumph: contemporary and incredibly flattering looks for mature women is something seriously lacking in a lot of make up guides. Again, there are some brilliantly authoritative messages to the over-40s:
         
          "Never, ever use biege or pink-based foundation. Here is how to age yourself instantly: what most woman don't know is that pink, beige or any cool-coloured base powder or foundation sucks warmth out of the skin, something you don't want to do".

The looks themselves are a joy: particularly the gold make up on Sarah, which is youthful, sexy and fun.

This book was published in 2008, and I'm sure many lovers of make up have this book. My reason for posting about it is that it I can't find another make up guide I love more. I am planning to review more make up books along the way but I wanted this to be my starting point. It is available on Amazon for £11.80:  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Makeup-Ultimate-Guide-Rae-Morris/dp/1845432665/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1321097438&sr=8-4

Favourite Dark Lipstick - Dior Rouge "Fantastic Plum"

I'm really into statement lips and my favourite colour is plum. I picked up Dior Rouge Dior lipstick in no. 874, "Plum Fantastic". I love Dior lipsticks in general - I have found they are creamy without being sticky, and the ones I have worn are very comfortable. The price is steep, however, and at £22.50 in the UK you really want something of excellent quality. This lipstick has been my favourite plummy colour since the day I got it. It is buildable and can be worn almost as a stain - to achieve this I take a small amount of the lipstick on a dense lip brush and apply firmly, then blot. The less you apply, the more cherry-like in colour it appears. It can then be built up to create a dramatic look, especially when teamed with a dark lipliner (I use Dior Contour lipliner in no. 988, "Mysterious Plum". When liberally applied, either with a lip brush or straight from the bullet, the colour becomes a true, dramatic plum. In the above picture I'm wearing it "medium" - halfway between the stain effect and the full-on effect.

I really am loathe to criticise it, but I must say that I don't particularly like the way it wears off. It can go a bit patchy but this may be due to my initial application (told you I didn't want to criticise it!) Also, it requires vigilance to wear throughout the day or to a meal. Forget eating a sandwich! I have been known to take it off completely before embarking on a food extravaganza - and then reapply afterwards.

All in all I love it - it fulfills all of my dark-lip cravings. It's still available in the UK at House of Fraser: http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/Dior+Rouge+Dior+Lipstick/143516164,default,pd.html. I'm not sure of its availability in other countries but I am happy to investigate!

Le Blanc de Chanel - Heaven Scent

I picked up Le Blanc de Chanel on a recent impromptu shopping trip - as always I go for one thing and walk out with another. I'm quite new to primers so when I heard about Le Blanc de Chanel I thought it would be as good a place as any to start!

The product retails for £29 in the UK (in Selfridges), and, from my limited internet research, around $45 in the US. So not exactly a bargain product. However, it oozes luxury. First off, the smell. Oh my, the smell. I can't even describe it properly - it's sweet and perfumed, just heavenly scented - "peachy" as described much more accurately by my boyfriend!

The product itself is a pure white liquid, rather like the consistency of single cream. You get a little spatula with which to scoop out the product from the glass container - unfortunately no squeeze pumps will be found here.

This can be used in a number of ways, firstly as a primer to foundation and other make up products. It may be too liquid in texture for oily skins. I have combination skin and found that when initially applied, this product tends to sit slightly on the skin until it has a chance to work its way in. I can't say I have seen a noticeable improvement in the longevity of my foundation, however I tend to wear dewy foundations which aren't known for their staying power. My favourite way to wear it is to apply it with a stippling brush (I use the MAC 187) in a swirling motion until it sinks into the skin, and then apply concealor where needed and a little dusting of Chanel Poudre Universelle to set it. The real wonder of this product is how it tackles redness and uneven skintone. I've tried this out on a few people and have been quite astonished by its ability to cover redness and uneven skintone. However I must admit that part of its ability to cover redness so well is the fact that when applied this product can look ashen and "mask-like" on the skin, especially if applied more liberally. This is coming from a very pale girl! So I start with a small amount over the whole face, and then spend a little more time and product on my redder areas. This means I don't have to look ghost like.This can also be applied over foundation to create a glowy, dewy effect and highlight certain areas, although I've found a similar effect from putting it underneath, and still getting the benefits of the primer.

I came home tonight from work and found my skin looked healthy and nourished, without looking ashen. My skin tone was mainly even, although the uneven skin tone around my nose and chin were just starting to peek through. Oh well! It can't work miracles!