please don't say you love me

I HEREBY PROCLAIM SUNDAYS:  
YOUTUBE SUNDAYS.

So here is my most recent YouTube offering for you all! For any of you that have Prom coming up soon, this is a make-up look perfect for the occasion -
natural smokey eyes and showstopping 'ombre' red lips.

I decided to take a break from posting videos this weekend to see if my views build up at all by next week - my most recent videos have been averaging around 50-100 views each and moving increeeedibly slowly, so thought I'd leave it a short while to take a breather rather than just keep adding to the pile!

Apart from that though, I'll be posting new videos to here every Sunday, so stay tuned :)

Hope you've all had a fabulous weekend!

ex oh ex oh

Amant de la mode

it's time to begin, isn't it?

Happy day, beautiful.

And believe me, you are beautiful.

I’ve spent the last few weeks thinking a lot about beauty, and our perception of it. How people see others and more importantly, how they see themselves. I don’t think 99% of girls realise how truly beautiful they are. 

I’m not talking external, small-waist-long-legs-blonde-hair-and-blue-eyes beauty. I’m talking about being yourself, and that being truly beautiful, inside and out.

So there’s something I want you to do, go to the mirror, right now - with make-up, without make-up - and look at yourself. I mean really look at yourself. Drink it in, because this is YOU.

Stop worrying about your hair, it fits you just right. The scars on your body are precious, symbols of your journey, where you may have fallen, but are now standing here in front of me.  When you smile, there’s this wonderful sparkle in your eye. Your hands are perfect and unique. You have a good heart and you conquer every day no matter what it throws it at you. 

I don’t care if you’re over-weight or under-weight, or average, whether you have large or small breasts, whether you are tall or short, or the colour of your skin, or if you have acne or crooked teeth, or one eye is smaller than the other. I don’t care that you have a little pooch on your tummy, or that you have wrinkles under your eyes, I don’t care if you have large hips, or big feet, and you shouldn’t care either, because as long as these body parts are a part of you, they are beautiful.

There are three very important words that every girl should learn and MEAN: I. love. myself.

While you’re there, for what may be the first time, properly looking at yourself in the mirror - who you are; who you have become; and who you continue to grow to be - say these words to yourself. Repeat them if you have to until they sink in. No matter what anyone says, no matter what society deems ‘pretty’ – you are more than that. No girl should ever be confined to a 5 letter word. 

You will be: ‘pretty’ intelligent, ‘pretty’ amazing, ‘pretty’ funny, ‘pretty’ incredible, but you will never be merely ‘pretty’. You are BEAUTIFUL.

As someone who knows exactly how it feels to think you’re not ‘pretty’, to feel like you’re not what the magazines say you should be, to feel like you’re not quite good enough, I think sometimes we all need to read words like these. 

Someone loves you just as you are, at this very moment. So love yourself. Know what you are.  

Know what I see when I look at you.

ex oh ex oh,

Amant de la mode

gotta let it happen;

Good eeeeevening, pretties!

When it comes to make-up, a girl's skin is like her fingerprint. Although it can look the same, everyone is unique, and should treat their faces that way when it comes to skincare and the products they choose. What may work for one person, may not  work for another - whether you fall under the same 'category' (ie dry/oily/combination) or not. These are just my personal views on this product so please take them with a pinch of salt as it will not be this way for everyone!

I have particularly troublesome skin; it's dry in areas, and oily to varying degrees in others. Not to mention pale, blotchy, freckly, uneven and can get really spotty if I don't treat it well/use the right products. This has meant that finding a foundation that's right for me has been a bit of a trial, and I've pretty much been through every foundation under the sun (well, that's probably a lie. But I've definitely been through quite a few!). 

I generally stick to highstreet or 'drug store' products, from Boots to Superdrug or the like. I have a relatively big budget when it comes to my makeup, but not so much so that I can trial the higher end without being certain I like it first. That's why I was one very happy lady when I saw that this foundation was around the same price that I've been paying for lower-end brands.

 

(I originally discovered these through MUA Lisa Eldridge's YouTube video playlist dedicated to foundation, I found them extremely useful and so far she has never led me wrong when it comes to makeup products. If you'd like to see the videos for yourself, click here) 

The 'Beautifully Matte' range promises to keep skin shine-free all day. I have to admit I was sceptical as my skin barely lasts an hour without producing oils and giving me a horrible sheen, but I am pleased to say that I found this to be pleasantly surprising. While it may not last ALL day, it certainly keeps my skin matte for many more hours than it would be using any other foundation. 

A point to note, is that if you use the primer first, you should allow it to set into the skin for a few minutes before applying the BM foundation, otherwise it is far less effective. This means it may not be suitable for busy girls on the go!

While shine-free is ideal for photos, it does contain SPF 15 which is not. 

The foundation comes in a range of 14 shades and is hypo-allergenic, so great for anyone with sensitive skin like me! It also contains skin-friendly ingredients such as Cucumber Extract to soothe skin, Meadowsweet to minimise blemishes and Salicylic Acid, an exfoliating ingredient that cleanses the pores and fights spot-causing bacteria. The only downside of the Salicylic Acid, is that for particular skin types it can be very drying, so may not be ideal for some combination skins. This is a medium to full coverage foundation and is extremely buildable as required.

One last detail is the packaging. Although the pump bottle for the foundation is plastic, it has a matte finish to it which I find to be a nice touch, and does at least look more expensive than it feels. It comes in a 30ml bottle which is fairly standard for most brands. The primer is in user-friendly squeezey packaging that makes it easy to get every last drop out, ensuring you get your money's worth!

A comparison:

My skin at the end of the day, using my old foundation (it doesn't even show up as oily here as is true, but was the best representation I could get under any lighting!):

VS

My skin at the end of the day with No7 Beautifully Matt:

 

I wish you were able to tell better but there really is a huge difference!

CONS: the only con I have for this makeup is that by the end of the day it can feel a little thick, and where it smoothed over your pores to begin with, can start to settle into them. However, it's nothing a quick touch up can't fix!

If you're looking for a lightweight, barely-there foundation, this is probably not for you. But the primer alone would be a nice alternative to the two together, for those of you brave enough to go bare. Possibly even for wearing at the gym to avoid any heavy make-up whilst working out, but still looking impossibly fresh at all times!

Rating: 8/10

What foundations are you trying and buying this week? And what are your make-up essentials?

ex oh ex oh

Amant de la mode