20160831

The August Beauty Report | Favourites, Disappointments & Products on Trial


Seeing as you guys gave really positive feedback last month when I trialled this format, I'm bringing you a Beauty Report for August. In case you missed it; this means I won't just be talking favourites but also about products that disappointed me and new products I've been trying out during the month.

Favourites



Hylamide Matte 12* | £23 | This is in danger of becoming my favourite primer! It doesn't have a silicone base so doesn't feel slippery at all. It also isn't drying despite blotting away my shine and stopping it coming through during the day, I'd say it's actually moisturising. It does also have a nice smoothing effect so my base looks flawless when I use it. Overall I'd totally recommend this, especially if you have combination skin like me.

Urban Decay Colour Correcting Fluid in Peach | $28 | It took me a while to gauge whether I was feeling this corrector or not to be honest, but it's really grown on me and I haven't reached for anything else these past couple of months. It is quite a light shade unfortunately however it works under my foundation or on top when blended out underneath a skin-toned concealer to cancel out and brighten the dark circles under my eyes. It's very slightly thicker in consistency than the original but still blends out seamlessly and has amazing coverage and longevity. This will be landing in the UK during September so keep an eye out!

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Poured in Moonstone | £30 | I've really been enjoying cream highlighters lately and so thought I'd get my hands on this pretty light gold shade that I'd somehow overlooked from Becca's lineup. I found the powder was a bit too stark for me but the cream is perfect for a noticeable but natural highlight. It does give a dewy look on the skin but doesn't have that thin, greasy texture with loads of glitter that so many formulas do.

ColourPop Cheek ShockHighlighter in Churro | $8 | UK Shipping | Can you tell I'm having a bit of a moment with cream highlighting? I'd tried soooo many times to get my hands on this Limited Edition tie dye highlighter and had even bought a couple of its component parts (Stole the Show, Wisp and Avalon) by way of consolation! However earlier this month it was finally mine! It was well worth the wait because it's this stunning bronze/rose gold shade that's perfect for my skin tone to get a sun kissed look. It blends out beautifully and looks so dewy (but not shiny) on my skin.

Laura Mercier Illuminator in Indiscretion | £32 | This is quite an understated highlighter so I don't think I've been giving it the love it deserves but recently I popped it in my everyday makeup drawers and used it so much. It's gives a really subtle, dewy look and the powder itself is very lightweight and finely-milled. The shade is quite hard to describe and 'champagne' doesn't seem to do it justice because it also has these rose gold and slightly bronze tones to it.

Clinique Cheek Pop Blush in Fig Pop | $23 | I'm a long-time fan of the Clinique Cheek Pop formula; it has a bit of a sheen that makes it look very healthy and luminous on the skin along with meaning that it glides on beautifully. It's that perfect level of pigmentation, never looking like too much but being noticeable on the cheeks without the need to keep layering it up. It also wears so well on my skin without going patchy. Fig Pop is a gorgeous (slightly vibrant?) rosy mauve shade that's right up my street and I know I'll use even more when Autumn arrives. Sadly this hasn't been released in the UK but you can get it from Sephora if you're planning an order.

Colour Pop Super Shock Eyeshadow in On the Rocks | $5 UK Shipping | I've really been loving this super-shimmery cream eyeshadow for an evening smoky eye look. I've been using warm matte brown shades in the crease and on the outer corner of my eye then pressing a bit of this on the centre of my lid with my finger. I absolutely love the look it creates! It has a very opaque formula that's so long-wearing and crease-proof. It's this beautiful rich golden-brown shade that's going to be perfect for Autumn.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Eyeshadow Single in Cognac | $12 | This has been another smoky eye favourite! I'm a big fan of the Anastasia single powder eyeshadow formula; Cognac has minimal fallout and amazing payoff. The formula is nice and creamy but not so slippery that the longevity is compromised. It applies so well and even used on its own is very multifaceted on the eyelids. It's again a very deep, rich Autumnal shade, this time it's a reddish brown.

Clarins Instant Light Lip Perfector in 10 Pink Shimmer* | £18 | I received a few of these shades from the Limited Edition In Bloom collection (the rest of them are reviewed here) however my favourite is this pretty pink. I was never a lipgloss person however this gives me a glossy sheer lip without feeling sticky or thick or gloopy in the slightest. It's what I've been reaching for on those more minimal makeup days.

Ofra x Kathleenlights Long-Lasting Liquid Lipstick in Miami Fever | $20 UK Shipping although I wouldn't say the Ofra formula is my favourite one as far as liquid lipsticks go (I've tried a lot and know exactly what I want from them!) the shade Miami Fever is in a league of its own. Don't get me wrong; it's a very opaque formula and actually goes on very smoothly and has a creamy, non-drying texture when first applies, however I do find that these feel drier on my lips as the day goes on. Generally a bit of lip balm before I have to reapply at lunchtime is enough to stave it off though. I love the burnt orange-red tone of this and haven't been able to get enough of it for an evening look.

Vivderma Comforting Gellee Cleanser* | £32 | When it comes to makeup removing gels, oils and creams, my standards are also sky high! I honestly wasn't expecting to find a new favourite from a less-well-known brand I'd never come across before. However I did! It has this honey-like scent and consistency that just feels so luxurious on the skin and is so effective at removing my makeup (yes, even that stubborn waterproof black eyeliner!) without stinging my ridiculously sensitive eyes.

Niod Flavanone Mud Mask* | £29 | I've pretty much been reaching for nothing else this month when it comes to face masks. This kind of does it all in one go: it gives a deep cleanse, helps clear up blemishes and makes my skin appear glowing and healthy. The pot is a little bit fiddly but I can really forgive that for such a great face mask!


Disappointments



Stila Perfect Me, Perfect Hue Palette | £28 | So many people love this and being a huuuuge fan of Stila, I was expecting to as well, which makes the disappointment all the more crushing! I've tried their eyeshadows before in my beloved Eyes are the Window Soul palette and felt confident that these would be of the same quality. I hadn't tried their blushers before however Stila had't disappointed me so far so I was convinced they'd be amazing too and this would be my perfect travel palette. It also seemed really great value for what you get inside. They do this in a range of shades to suit different skin tones and I selected Medium/Tan because it looked like it would really suit my skin tone and the shades all appealed to me.



The two blushers: Inspiring (golden-orange shimmer) and Mysterious (matte peachy-mauve-nude) just don't apply evenly or blend out nicely and just look patchier as the day goes on until they're basically invisible or just look a mess! The eyeshadows weren't up to the standard I expected based on Soul; the matte deep plum Magnetic didn't even swatch well with my fingers and the more you layer it, the more it just seems to break down what's already there. It was really had to blend out and work with on my eyes; it just seemed to stain wherever I started trying to blend it in. The matte brown crease colour was similarly a lot of work. The only shade I like is Daring, an almost foil-look copper shimmer and even that looks a muddy mess by the end of the day.

Products on Trial



Clarins Wrinkle Control Sun Protection Face Cream* | £20 | As I mentioned in my post on my Italy Holiday Beauty Picks, I do find the name of this a bit off-putting; I'm only 23! However I really really rate this sun block. It is only SPF15 (though it is also broad spectrum) so I used this in the evening. It may be due to the lower protection it offers in comparison to the usual sunscreen I'd wear on my face whilst on holiday, but this is so good to wear under makeup! Although it's white in colour it blends out without looking ashy and you don't have to leave it to settle for ages before putting on foundation to avoid the peeling effect. Overall I really like this and would repurchase it, though I think I'd opt for the SPF 30 version next time.

Clarins Sun Care Radiant Oil* | £20 | This is an oil mist containing SPF 30 (again it's broad spectrum) which I find is a good level for me personally on the body. The mist is nice and fine and I find the formula so nourishing that I can use this alone without the need for a separate body moisturiser. My skin is dry though, so I can see that it might be a bit too much in terms of oiliness for others. I really like the formula and with it being an oil and the fact I can spray it on then, that I don't need to spend ages working in the product. I don't really burn anyway but I am still careful with reapplying sun protection. Whilst I definitely caught the sun in Italy, I didn't experience burning or peeling or anything like that.

Clarins Ultra-Soothing After Sun Gel* | £21 | Although I don't usually burn, I do get discomfort from being in the sun. The skin on my face is really sensitive and even my body can get quite prickly and sore after a day in the sun. This is such a nice, soothing, cooling formula to calm down angry skin. It even helped the soreness and itchiness when I was unfortunate enough to get some mosquito bites. I think this is probably my favourite product out of all 3 I tried from the Clarins Sun collection.


KIKO Skin Modernist 2-in-1 Foundation & Concealer | £18.90 | It's rare that I find a foundation that's pretty much a perfect colour match (my shade is Neutral Gold 100) other than in high-end formulas, so I snapped this up based on that! It has a doe foot applicator which is really handy for touch-ups. It's actually a pretty full coverage, though I'd say my blemishes are pretty much covered when I use this as a foundation, my dark circles definitely need a bit more brightening. However it looks very flawless on the skin and lasts pretty well. It does have a slight tendency to settle into fine lines and the shine starts to creep through a little on my t-zone after 5ish hours. Overall it's not one of my all-time favourites but it's a welcome new addition to my stash.

KIKO Divine Tone Moisturising Radiant Face Serum | £18.90 | Like the foundation, this is from the Neo Noir Limited Edition collection. Although it's billed as a skincare item, it comes in two shades and mine (02 Medium Dark) has a subtle golden sheen so I've been using it as a primer. It isn't going to fill in your pores or anything like that but it gives the skin a real glow. It reminds me of the Becca Backlight Priming a Filter but a little less full-on dewy (that stuff is way too much for my skin in summer - I just end up looking greasy!) Overall I really rate it and would recommend checking it out.

Sleek Solstice Highlighter Palette | £9.99 | This has actually been sat in a drawer for a good couple of months! However given all the hype it's been getting and because I need to have a clear out before I move house, I decided to give it a proper go this month. There's one pinky-white pearly cream highlighter - Ecliptic, a baked lavender-toned powder - Hemisphere, a light yellow - Subsolar and a baked peach colour - Equinox. I'm not that into Ecliptic; it's a little bit thin and greasy-feeling for my liking. Hemisphere isn't great on my skin tone but I can work with it and I do like the formula; it's got a nice metallic sheen and blends out very naturally. Subsolar is a really nice one, again it's quite sheeny and doesn't have obvious glitter in it. Equinox is definitely my favourite shade; it has the same formula as Hemisphere but the colour suits me a little better. It looks very natural on the skin and I like it. Overall, even though I don't use all of them, I do think this is good value. I'm not sure it's worth all the hype because it doesn't rank up there with my highlighters from Becca, for example, and I do have affordable highlighters I like more. However maybe it's just a case of these not being the sorts of colours that suit me best!



Seventeen Mega Matte Lipsticks in Looking Buff, No Corals & Rioja Your World* | £4.49 each | Seventeen is a really underrated brand so I was excited to try their new matte lipstick formula. It's creamy and doesn't skip over the lips but still gives a very true matte finish. I don't find these drying and they last so well without transferring too much. Looking Buff is an everyday pinky-nude shade that's right up my street. No Corals is not as scary as it looks in the bullet! When I first saw it I though there was no way I could pull off such a bright shade however when I gave it a go, it's actually a very wearable vibrant pink-coral. Finally there's the Autumnal berry shade of Rioja Your World. Overall these are a real bargain that I'd recommend checking out.




What do you think of the products in this month's Beauty Report? Which new products did you try during July?




Don't forget to follow me on:


*DISCLOSURE - PRODUCTS MARKED WITH AN ASTERISK ARE PR SAMPLES/GIFTS OR PURCHASED WITH GIFTED VOUCHERS. ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN. 
PLEASE VISIT MY DISCLOSURE PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Share:

32 comments

  1. I bought the Hylamide Matte after you talked about it in your previous posts and I'm really enjoying it! The Seventeen Matte lipsticks are great, I actually just posted about them today :)
    What a shame about the Stila palette, you would have thought that the quality will be as good as their previous palettes! x

    Mummy’s Beauty Corner

    ReplyDelete
  2. Gutted about the review of the Stila palette, I was so tempted by it! x

    NINEGRANDSTUDENT: A Lifestyle Blog

    ReplyDelete
  3. I swear if you give the Sleek's stamp of FULL approval, I'd go and buy it. I've been trying products you like and I LOVE all of them ;)

    Selene Addicted

    ReplyDelete
  4. Such a shame that Stila palette was a disappointment, it was actually the exact one that I had been eyeing up for some time now. I'm not sure if I get the hype over that Sleek palette, I guess the shades don't really appeal to me all that much. Oh and I am loving the new Seventeen Mega Matte lipsticks, they're actually matte but not drying x

    Beauty with charm

    ReplyDelete
  5. I said it before and I will say it again: I really like this beauty report kind of posts! The Hylamide Matte 12 sounds great, the Clarins Wrinkle Control Sun Protection Face Cream and Ultra Soothing After Sun Gel as well!

    http://fannyanddailybeauty.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. I really love this post idea, I hope it comes back for September! The sleek palette is one of my all time favourites, even over high end ones. Equinox is my favourite shade and I'd happily pay £10 for just one. Such a shame about the stila palette. I've debating buying it but i'll skip it now. I also really want to get my hands on fig! xx

    LPage Beauty

    ReplyDelete
  7. The Sleek palette looks okay, but that's all.. just 'okay'. I don't think having lavender coloured highlight appeals to me that much!!
    Churro looks amazing on your skin tone though! Some people are selling it for $30 it was so in demand! Crazy. X

    Natasha Kendall

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's crazy! And yeah I think I just tend to suit more golden highlighter tones xx

      Delete
  8. I really want to try some Ofra products! They look amazing and I keep hearing great things about them!

    xo, Liz
    http://lipstickandconfetti.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ah, ColourPop On the Rocks is one of my all-time favourite shadows! Such a unique, shimmery brown. And you really can't go wrong with Clinique Cheek Pop blushes! :)

    -Jen

    www.vibrantbeautyblog.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. It's a real pity about the Stila palette because usually their products are pretty amazing & it looks great. Clinique Fig Pop & Colour Pop On The Rocks are both right up my street! Great post, as always! xx

    Beautylymin

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'm really disappointed with the Stila palette it looked like such a great one too! \jen / enter my too faced giveaway x

    ReplyDelete
  12. That's so disappointing about the Stila palette! I've been on the fence with purchasing it or not but I think I'm going to pass! Same with the sleek highlighting palette! It's been sooo talked about. It's refreshing to hear something different!


    JennyLovesBeauty♥

    ReplyDelete
  13. Definitely need to try the Hylamide Matte. I love Deciem and just ordered a few more skincare products this time from the Ordinary brand they've launched! I really like my Stila palette, I have it in Light/Medium and it works were ally well for me but I'm not a fan of their In the Light palette or lip glazes the only other products I've tried!

    Danielle's Beauty Blog

    ReplyDelete
  14. The Colour Pop Highlighter looks gorgeous! Such a shame that you didn't like the Stila palette because it looks so pretty x

    http://emmaboughtwhat.blogspot.co.uk/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know - the shades looked stunning, it's a real shame! xx

      Delete
  15. Ah the Colourpop highlighter looks so beautiful

    Beauty Candy Loves

    ReplyDelete
  16. Great post! Your favourites sound amazing! And that's a shame about the Stila palette. I haven't really tried anything before but I'm curious! Any recommendations to try? :)

    Nicole | In The Life of NM

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As I said, I do really like their Soul palette. Also the Stay All Day eyeliner is great xx

      Delete
  17. I hear so much about the Sleek highlighting palette but everytime I swatch it in store I'm not very impressed. Is it better on the skin than it is swatched?

    http://claresloves.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As I said, I don't think it's for me either way :( xx

      Delete
  18. I feel the same about the Stila Perfect Me, Perfect Hue Palette! It was a big disappointment for me :( I have the same medium tan one and the only shade I use is the blush shade in inspiring. Even so, it isn't the best formula that I've used!

    Sarah | Bows & Pleats

    ReplyDelete
  19. Those matte lippies look pretty cool! Great swatches! =)


    - Cielo
    Mermaid in Heels

    ReplyDelete
  20. The Stila palette looks so beautiful, I want to get my hands on it! The sleek highlighter palette is so so gorgeous as well! :O (I hope you're well, I haven't had a chance to blog for ages!)

    Sally - DiagonSally

    ReplyDelete
  21. I love this format Jasmine, so interesting! Such a shame about the Stila palette as I normally love Stila but seems like they've compromised in quality a bit here.

    I absolutely love the Clarins oil spray, I'm so lazy with SPF but this has actually made me more disciplined with applying it!

    The Makeup Directory

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah it's such a shame - I usually love them too so I'm not sure what happened here! xx

      Delete
  22. That sleek highlighter palette has had me umming and ahhing, however after reading this I think I'll skip out and not purchase it! Not least because I own far too many highlighters already thanks to the ABH Glow kits, however it just doesn't seem to be super wearable for a warmer skintone, I can see why Nikki and Jaclyn love it though!

    Iqra | The Blushing Giraffe x

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your comment - I read and appreciate every single one :)

There's no need to spam - I will check out your blog if you leave a click-able link under a genuine comment!

If you have a question please check back for my reply or tweet me @jasminetalksblg

xx

© Jasmine Talks Beauty | All rights reserved.
Blog Layout Created by pipdig