Blogmas - Day Eleven: My Foundation Collection

From L to R: Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen WOW foundation, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation, MAC Studio Sculpt foundation & Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Tinted Moisturiser.

Hi guys.

Sorry that I haven't been posting over the weekend, work got a bit hectic and I was on so crazy shifts so I wasn't getting in until 11!  

For day eleven's post I am going to talk you through my foundation collection.  It is only small but I want to add to this and have a few foundations I want to try out in the new year.  

Foundation for me is a no brainer!  It has to be high end.  I know that seems a bit petty of me but I have tried drugstore foundations in the past and all of the one's I have tried all break me out the next day and I can never get one that matches perfectly.  High end foundations never break me out and all match my skin beautifully and have a flawless finish.  I don't mind paying the extra money for something that makes me feel comfortable in my skin.

Now my skin is quite dry and so I look for a foundation which has a dewy finish to it, three of which this applies to and one which I will explain below.

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen WOW foundation.

I first tried this out when I purchased the Flawless Complexion Makeup Kit from benefit and there was a small sample size of this foundation inside.  I instantly fell in love with this foundation and went out to purchase the full size as soon as I could.  

I have the shade "Believe in me" Ivory and this matches perfectly.  I feel this has a medium to full coverage depending on how you apply it.  I have no problems with it creasing and it covers any imperfections easily.  It also has SPF 25 built in so I don't have to think about using an SPF under it (not that we need to worry about sun protection at this time of year in the UK!)  I can't detect a scent to it which is great for those who don't like scented products.  

The price of this is £26.50 and you can purchase this from Boots.

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation.

I have recently written a post on this foundation which I will link here.  This has been my go to foundation as it is lightweight yet gives me the coverage I want.  

MAC Studio Sculpt foundation.

This was the first high end foundation I ever bought and although this is a good foundation, it isn't the one for me yet.  I find that this foundation is quite matte and sinks into my dry spots and clings to any imperfections.  It is also quite dark for me as well.  I have the shade NC25 and this is a good shade for me when I have a tan other than that, it doesn't work for me.  I am going to try and make it work by sheering it down with a primer or get a product which helps balance out the foundation.  

The price of this is £25.50 and you can purchase this from Debenhams.

Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Tinted Moisturiser.

My final product is a tinted moisturiser which I received in a Birchbox this year.  I used to love tinted moisturiser's growing up but as my skin has gotten older, they don't give me the best coverage I need.  

This has an OK coverage which is good for days I only want a natural look or days when my skin is behaving itself.  I don't normally reach for this but I know that when I need it, it is there for me.

The price of this is £27 and you can purchase this from Birchbox.

So that is my foundation collection.  I am going to try and purchase more drugstore foundations to see how they react to my skin but I need to get my confidence up in order to do this.

What is your favourite foundation?  Any recommendations for drug store foundations?

Bye for now.

Jess. X

My Fragrance Collection

Everyone likes to smell nice but not everyone likes to smell the same.  There are many fragrances out in the shops whether it be a supermarket or a drugstore or a department store or even online to name a few, you can find something you like from there.  Now I am not saying I am a big expert on what to look for in a fragrance nor am I an expert when it comes to what notes are in perfumes so I have done a bit of research into my collection (which is not very big) and what notes are in what perfumes.

I don't profess to own a lot but what I do have is a modest collection.  I have decided to include a body spray as I have been using this one quite recently so I thought it was only best to include it.  I am going to review them in the order I got them.  

Some of these I bought with my own money and some where gifted to me as christmas presents or as a gift.

Charlie Red

This has to be the first scent I ever owned.  Back when I was in high school, I always remembered loving the Charlie body sprays and when a perfume came out, I was given it for Christmas and I was over the moon.  I wore it all the time.  Charlie red is a very sweet perfume yet has a floral scent as well.  Top notes include; Orange blossom, Gardenia, Plum, Black current, Violet and Peach.  Middle notes include; Carnation, Tuberose, Orchid, Jasmine, Ylang-Ylang, Lily of the Valley and Rose.  The base notes include; Honey, Sandalwood, Amber, Musk and Cedar.  

This perfume is one that I don't reach for as often as I have ones that I like better and I don't know if it would suit me as a 25 year old and for that reason, I tend to keep it for nostalgia reasons.

Benefit Laugh with me Lee Lee

This perfume also has a bit of a nostalgia for me as this is the very first 'proper' perfume I owned.  Way back when I was 19, I had mentioned to my ex that I wanted this perfume after smelling and testing it in a department store.  Little did I know, he bought it for me and I wore it non stop.  Laugh with me Lee Lee is a very floral yet has a sweet aspect to the scent.  The top notes are; Cassis, Melon and Citruses.  The middle notes include; Black violet, Lily and Jasmine.  The base notes include; Sandalwood, Amber and White wood.

I loved this perfume and am gutted that there is no more left and I am toying with the idea to repurchase it.  I have kept the bottle as I feel that it is a quirky, little bottle and it makes me smile looking at the dents and scuffs on the gold bits.  Me and my ex are still good friends so I feel I can't make myself throw it away, even if I got a new one.

Juicy Couture Viva la Juicy

This little bottle is in my collection all thanks to YouTube.  I cannot remember who raved about this back in 2012 but all I know was that I wanted it.  Back then I had to go to a specialist perfume shop to smell and test it but now I have seen it in Boots and Superdrug so it has become a popular brand.   This is the first perfume my current partner bought for me for Christmas and for two years, it would be my signature winter scent as well as the occasional going out scent.  I love it but I am having to limit the use of this as I am slowly running low on it.  The top notes are; Mandarin orange and Wild berries.  The middle notes include; Honeysuckle, Gardenia and Jasmine.  The base notes include; Amber, Caramel, Praline, Sandalwood and Vanilla.  

Michael Kors Glam Jasmine

I first saw this in a Boots store back in my home town and instantly fell in love.  I must have spent a whole semester thinking about how much I wanted this, reading reviews and testing it every time I went into the Boots near uni.  I just didn't know if I had the guts to purchase it myself and I needed something for my other half to buy me for Christmas so on the list it went and on Christmas morning, there is was.  I guess he liked the smell of it too as I know he would have chose something else if he didn't.  This fragrance is quite simple when it comes to the notes of it.  The notes include; White flowers, Jasmine, Cassis and Sandalwood.  

It is a very mature scent so I only ever wear it on special occasions as I feel that it can be overpowering as an everyday scent.

Ghost by Ghost

This was another scent I wanted quite recently and one that I got a good price on.  I have already done a review on this which will be linked here.

Ted Baker Regency House

This is the only body spray in the collection and I have added it into my collection as I have been using this a lot quite recently as it is always in my handbag and I love the smell at the moment.  I have also done a review on this which will be linked here.  It has also become my signature spring scent at the moment as it is quite a light scent. 

So there is my little, modest collection of fragrances.  I have my eye on one but am still toying with the idea to buy it as I haven't had the chance to smell it and I don't want to buy it without at least smelling and testing it first.  

What is your favourite scent at the moment?  Have you got any recommendations for new ones?

Bye for now.

Jess. X