Sunday 18 December 2011

Armani High Precision Retouch Concealer

Every girl has something in her makeup kit she would not be without . . call it a desert island must have , call it a "cry if it ever got discontinued product" , call it what you will but I'm sure each and every one of us can think immediately , of that very product that makes us feel better about our appearance.
For some it is mascara (I know women who will not open the door to the postman without it , let alone leave the house!) , for others it may be lipstick that's their staple item or maybe you're a girl that's obsessed with perfectly groomed eyebrows and would be mortified not to have your brow gel/pencil/shadow with you. .which I have to admit I am certainly guilty of.
But despite all the other wonderful delights in my makeup bag , I have to say hands down my Armani High Precision Retouch Concealer in shade 3.5 Light Sand , holds the top spot for my desert island makeup essential.
It covers dark circles under the eyes , darkness or redness on the eyelid , blemishes , spots , fine lines . It is a beautiful lightweight liquid texture and the applicator is a super, super fine brush. After applying my tinted moisturiser I lightly brush the concealer under my eyes , to the outer corner of my eyes , over my eyelids , a couple of beauty spots that I don't like , my nose to mouth lines , around my nostrils , the line between my lower lip and chin and on either side of my top lip. I then blend very gently with my MAC 190 foundation brush. If you find this too large for you , then use a flat concealer brush . I don't find this product works or blends as well using only your fingers .
Once blended , any darkness , discolouration or fine lines melt away into nothingness . My skin looks flawless and yet as though I am not wearing makeup . It builds beautifully , so if you have particularly dark circles under your eyes or an angry red blemish/es this works very well using 2-3 layers and doesn't look heavy or cakey in the least . In fact this high precision concealer contains light reflecting pearls, vitamin E and moisturisers, and diffuses the light so it actually nourishes and smoothes the skin , rather than making it feel dry or god forbid settle into fine lines which is a big no no!
I have tried many concealers in the past , all the famous most hyped about ones , but this by far is the ultimate for me. I have a yellow toned , olive skin and I find a lot on the market are too pink and dull looking. This conceals perfectly but is undetectable and sometimes I will wear just this , a bit of brow gel and I'm ready to go. It's good enough that you don't need foundation or tinted moisturiser.
If you're fed up spending a fortune on concealers that promise the earth and do not deliver , and your search for the best concealer out there seems fruitless , I'd say look no further-this is your baby!
At £24 it ain't cheap but mine lasts a good 4-5 months , and has lots of beneficial , skin nourishing ingredients so actually it is well worth it . . . and let's face who can put a price on flawless skin.

Available:Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and www.georgioarmanibeauty.co.uk
Shades Available:Three . 2-Ivory 3-Pale Peach 3.5-Light Sand
RRP:£24


Friday 16 December 2011

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser vs Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint

Having been a massive fan of Armani Hydra Glow Foundation for many years , when it was discontinued I was in disbelief and very disappointed , as it really was the best foundation I had ever used and left my skin with a gorgeously subtle glow and was the perfect shade and just the right coverage for me.

Now that it had been discontinued worldwide and I could not get it ANYWHERE , and believe me I tried , my search began for the next "perfect" foundation for me . I tried them all ( I was savvy enough to get samples instead of buying!) Christian Dior , YSL , Chanel , Estee Lauder , MAC , Shu Uemera , Shiseido , the list is endless. . you get the idea!
Not one even came close to the results Armani Hydra Glow gave me. I was gutted-they all seemed to be dull and grey looking, even the ones that were yellow toned and promised to deliver radiance etc, etc. I then came across Lancome Teint Renergie Lift R.A.R.E which finally was able to give the radiance I had so missed from a foundation, firmness to the skin , plus the right coverage but all that was missing was the exact shade. It was a shade or 2 lighter than my skin tone and the next shade up was a tad too dark! Damn, almost there! So I opted for this and applied a little more bronzer to my cheek bones and temples to make up for it's lightness .
Not long after I then decided , as I am blessed to have very good skin (thanks mum!) , and rarely suffer from breakouts , to not cover my skin up and wear something fresher and more sheer. I decided to give Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser another go. Previously I had found it to be too sheer and it would just slide off half way through the day and look patchy. Plus the shade Sand had been a little too dark for me . Never a good thing! I explained this to the Laura Mercier consultant and she suggested I try the non oil free formula as for some reason the Sand shade is lighter in colour than the oil free version .
I couldn't believe the difference it made . The colour was spot on and the texture felt richer and creamier than when I had used it previously . Maybe the non oil free version makes all the difference!
I played about with different application techniques at home to find the ultimate finish and felt that fingers were by far the best. Over flat a foundation brush or a Stippling brush . For the best finish , after cleansing and moisturising (and sometimes using Laura Geller Spackle which is a great primer) I squeeze a 20 pence piece sized amount into the palm of my hands , rub together lightly, then apply in gentle downward stokes onto my face , following down onto my neck . I then blend in thoroughly with my fingertips until I have a fresh , flawless , slightly dewy finish looking back at me . If I want slightly more coverage I repeat a second time just using a pea sized amount and smoothing just across my nose, forehead and around my nose . This helps it stay on for longer and if I'm going out in the evening I might add Lancome Teint Renergie Lift R.A.R.E Foundation to it in 50/50 measurements , then rub lightly in palms and apply.
On a day to day basis I use one layer of Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser and it is perfect . It makes my skin look amazing without looking like I'm wearing makeup which is the ideal really .People regularly comment on how great my skin is as opposed to how good my foundation looks, which is the ultimate compliment . I would absolutely recommend this to anybody who likes the no makeup makeup look!

Recently Liz Earle Skincare launched a tinted moisturiser . Their first foray into makeup having previously only sold award winning skincare, which I am a big fan of -especially the Skin Tonic , Superskin Moisturiser and Superskin Concentrate . As I know the care and time Liz takes with all her products I knew it would be a good 'un and couldn't wait to try it. I am fortunate that they kindly sent me one
The Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint is available in 3 shades. My shade is Beige 02 for the winter but I could use Beach 03 in the summer months. I have a light olive skin tone which is sometimes darker as I like to self tan . The texture is fairly thick for a tinted moisturiser , and again I played about with application techniques for this and chose fingers as the best choice . I squeeze a pea sized amount in the palm of my hands (as this has more coverage than the LM tinted moisturiser) rub lightly , then apply in gentle downward strokes . It gives the most INCREDIBLE glow and sheen to the skin . It makes you look like you've a month of good night's sleep and as though you've had the best facial of your life . I am very impressed! I love the dewy look which is not greasy , and love that is cares for your skin too containing natural source vitamin E , Borage and Avocado oils. It looks beautiful with a cream blush blended gently in and takes years off. Which , let's face it is what most women want!
All in all these two tinted moisturisers are the best on the market and I would highly recommend either .

Here are some facts about both to help you choose which one to go for!

Laura Mercier Non Oil Free Tinted Moisturiser:
SPF:20
RRP:£33
Coverage:Light-Medium. Buildable
Shades Available:9
Available From: Selfridges , Harrods, Harvey Nichols, House Of Fraser , John Lewis , Space NK and online.

Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint:
SPF:15
RRP:£21
Coverage:Medium
Shades Available:3
Available:John Lewis , Peter Jones , Liz Earle Store Duke Of York Square, Chelsea and online.