Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer vs Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer

If there is a question that most beauty lovers want to know, it is what is better; the Nars Radiant Creamy  Concealer or the Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer. I have been lucky enough to try both so I thought I would share my thoughts on what I think really is the better concealer. The Nars one has remained my ‘holy-grail’ concealer for a long time now for covering blemishes yet when I reached the near end of the product I was desperate to try the newly cult UD concealer. So after giving both a good try, here is my run-down on the two cult concealers…

PACKAGING 

Starting with the exterior and look of the actual concealers. They are both fairly similar and what you would expect, the usual concealer wand with a doe foot applicator. The Nars one is packaged within a square style tube with a matte black lid which can get messy with fingerprints but that doesn’t personally bother me. Whereas the UD one is in a cylinder style tube with a metallic lid and is slightly shorter than the Nars tube. The UD applicator is also a lot more sponge-y than the Nars one and it carries more product too. The only issue with the UD applicator is that if you pull it out the tube too quickly some of the product may splash out. The Nars concealer contains slightly more product with 6ml compared to UD having 5ml.

PRICE

In terms of the price, there is a clear winner. The Nars concealer retails for £22.50 and the UD concealer for £17.50. It is also quite easy to nab a little discount on these prices too if you use online retailers like Feel Unique and ASOS. Obviously with the UD concealer being much cheaper it does make it that little more attractive.

SHADE

Both concealers have a very decent shade range so there should be something for everyone. For the Nars concealer, I have the shade Vanilla which is Shade 2 which is the perfect match for me. Unfortunately, I don’t quite have the right shading when it comes to UD as I picked up the wrong shade! I have the shade Light Neutral which is just a bit too dark for me. I did stupidly order this one online instead of being colour matched so my fault there but I do find the UD range quite confusing to understand so I would definitely recommend going to a counter!

COVERAGE & FORMULA 

Both concealers are very similar but the formula differs a little. The Nars one has a very thick consistency which personally I find too heavy for under the eyes but it works a dream for covering large and hard to cover blemishes. I know that a lot of people have an issue with the consistency of the Nars one but personally I find it very creamy (as the name would suggest) and also not drying on the skin. The coverage of this one is also superb and what makes it my holy grail, it definitely excels in that department. On to the UD one, as the name for this one suggests it is pretty weightless. The consistency is a lot more lightweight and thinner which I am sure many people will prefer. Yet it still offers very decent coverage although I would probably say the Nars one just pips it to the post on that. The UD concealer also has a slight scent to it which personally doesn’t bother me but is something to take note of.

So overall, two very good performing concealers which both feel comfortable on the skin and still offer good coverage. The UD one has been slightly more difficult to test due to my shade being wrong but I still really like it and I will definitely be picking up the right shade in the future! I do prefer the Nars one for coverage but the price for the UD one makes it a lot more appealing and I wouldn’t be surprised if it replaced my coveted Nars one!

Are you a fan of these concealers?

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Latest in Beauty Get The Gloss Beauty Insiders Kit

 

Apologies for the longest blog post name ever. I am not going to lie, I am not the biggest fan of beauty boxes. I just don’t like the idea of spending money on a box of products that I never wanted in the first place and from brands I had never heard of but I guess I slightly caved when I seen this one from Latest in Beauty. Packed full of well known branded goodies, some of which I had been lusting over for ages I just couldn’t say no. The best bit of course being the price at only £19 (excl. p&p) with the whole box being worth a jawdropping £116.

There is a good mix of products in the box from skincare to beauty. Starting with the Therapie Roques Oneil Cherish Skin Repair Serum (30ml). This is my first encounter with this brand and I’ve been loving giving this a try. The body serum firstly smells amazing and is for helping to heal the skin especially during the harsh winter. The Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate (10ml) comes next and is the serum in need of tackling signs of aging. It is a pricey one though if you were to get the full size! The James Read Sleep Mask Tan (25ml) is also included which is a brand I’ve never heard of. I am really not a fan of any tanning products but I will give this a little go despite being a little worried about the whole overnight thing, waking up looking like an oompa loompa is a terrifying thought! I do love a good oil product so I was quite happy to see an appearance of the Balance Me Radiance Face Oil (10ml). It comes in a handy rollerball and creates such a radiance on the skin. Finally, probably the most exciting skincare product is the GlamGlow Supermud Clearing Treatment (10g). I’ve heard a lot about this brand and was super excited to see it included. I have tried this out, it does smell horrible but that aside I do really like it. It made my skin feel so incredibly soft, shame there isn’t a lot of product.

On to beauty products. The Daniel Sandler Concealer Brush was included in the box and is quite a thin and dainty brush. I have tried this and I am not the biggest fan, it is too small for my liking as I prefer a slightly larger brush for concealer. Two Essie Nail polishes (5ml) made their way in too in the shades Shearling Darling and Parka Perfect , a dark maroon and a grey shade. They are so up my street! Moving on to the product that made me purchase the box altogether; the Laura Mercier Foundation Primer (30ml). This primer alone retails for £19, the price of the box and after lusting over it for so long this was the prime reason for picking up this box. I haven’t fully tried this yet but I like it so far and it is quite different from any other primer I have used. It is a very lightweight gel texture and glides smoothly on the skin. Last but not least the Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner (2g, full-size). Being a huge eyeliner fan I had been dying to try this for ages and couldn’t believe my luck at seeing a full sized product in this box. Sadly though it didn’t quite live up to expectation. It has such a fine nib but unfortunately I found it hard to work with and it felt like it was dragging my skin rather than gliding on like my Soap and Glory one does. A no-no from me on that one.

While there was a couple of no-go’s I did find some gems and I can’t wait to start using them properly.

Unfortunately this box is now sold out.

Are you a fan of beauty boxes? Are you a fan of any of these products?

 

 

Makeup Tips for Glasses Wearers

Glasses used to be seen as being “uncool” and “geeky” however times have moved on and now glasses are seen as a trendy fashion accessory. I’ve had pretty bad eyesight for around 10 years now *gasps* and so glasses are more a “necessity” rather than a “fashion accessory” to me however I would feel strange looking without them but whatever the reason behind them there are a few cautions to look out for when it comes to applying makeup. Eye makeup always makes me feel that little more confident and when it comes to applying makeup for glasses wearers, one thing; its all in the eyes!

1. Mascara – Depending on your vision eyes can appear either smaller or bigger with glasses. Being short-sighted (close up vision) my eyes appear smaller so its important to me to make my eyes appear wider. Mascara is a great way in opening up your eyes and using eyelash curlers can also be a further help.

2. Eyeliner – Eyeliner is very important. The tip is to match the thickness of your eyeliner to the thickness of your frames. As I have pretty large frames I tend to go for a more thicker line of eyeliner. Also adding a white or nude eyeliner to the inner corner of your eye can help them look wider. Also if you tend to adopt a cat-eye winged eyeliner look ensure that the flick can be seen from your glasses and isn’t hidden behind the frame for those with smaller frames.

3. Eyeshadow – Wearing glasses means that the focal point is straight to the eyes so its important to keep things neutral. Try to avoid bright shades of eyeshadow and stick to more neutral shades so if you don’t already then think about asking for Urban Decay Naked palettes for your birthday, they are a treat! Also avoid applying eyeshadow higher than your frames reach.

4. Eyebrows – Eyebrows are important when it comes to wearing glasses as they are more noticeable so ensure they are kept tidy and are shaped to the style of your frames.

5. Concealer – If you are prone to dark circles or bags under the eyes be sure to conceal this area to get an even colour (i.e  Maybelline Instant Age Rewind concealer) and also use an under eye brighter such as the YSL Touche Eclat or even a highlighter to bring a little life to your eyes.

6. Cheeks and Lips – And last but not least, by leaving the eyes neutral don’t be afraid to add a pop of colour to your cheeks and lips. And also ensure to add a little highlight to your cheekbones 🙂

I hope these tips were helpful. Everyone has different preferences and its up to you how you apply your makeup.

How do you adapt your makeup when wearing glasses?

 

 

 

2015 wishlist

 

New year, new long list of expensive beauty items I don’t particularly need. Last year seen the start of my makeup obsession and lets just say my purse wasn’t too happy with my shopping decisions. Getting to experiment with different brands and products has allowed me to become more aware of my makeup needs and what products I really need to achieve the best results. Its no surprise I have really took to high end brands and it looks like this year is going to be filled with trips to Space NK and House of Fraser.

Anyway on to the list, I have picked 8 items but lets be real here if I picked every item I wanted to buy then I don’t think it would be quite possible to cover them all in the one post so I’ve stuck to the top 8 most wanted.

First on the list is the best primer I’ve ever tried. Its the highly raved about Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation primer. I have had no luck with primers and I recently got a sample of this and tried it out and lets just say the results amazed me. It is pricey but its hella good. Next is the dream duo from Nars, the Sheer glow foundation and creamy concealer. You may recall seeing this on previous wishlists of mine and as you can tell I have still not spent the cash on it but this year is the year! I also want to try the Urban Decay Naked Flushed palette in Streak, it just looks so heavenly and these shades seem perfect for my pale complexion. Now that my Naked palette collection is complete I need my hands on the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette. The shades look so beautiful and the palette is always the talk of good reviews so why not! Being stuck with a cheap and terrible pair of eyelash curlers is doing me no good. After hearing constant rave reviews from pretty much every blogger particularly Anna from Vivianna Does Makeup these Shu Uemura curlers are meant to be the bee’s knees. No surprise that Nars made the list again with the Copacabana illuminator which looks like such a beautiful and effortless highlighter. And last but not least after converting my usual stippling brush in favour of a buffing brush for foundation I have noticed far superior results. It is so much easier to blend but I would love to get my hands on the Bobbi Brown Full coverage brush which I have seen so many bloggers using recently. Its pricey but it seems to get flawless results.

So what is on your 2015 wishlist?

Topshop: The Face makeup

So you may or may not have heard about Topshop’s new face makeup range but anyway launching this month, Topshop are introducing new facial products to their already well raved about beauty line. If you have never tried any of their makeup then its definitely worth a try, I love their stick highlighter and I also have a couple of their lipsticks which I reviewed recently here. Anyway now they have taken things a bit further and are bringing out a new range of items for the face including foundation, concealer, primer and a concealer palette. The prices of the products range from a a decent £10 to £16. I am still on the hunt for the perfect foundation and being described as a ‘liquid velvet for the skin’ its one I have to try however £16 is a little more pricey than your average drugstore foundation. I also really want to get my hands on the concealer palette it just looks fab and the packaging of all the items looks exquisite and expensive, another plus! Will you be trying out the new Topshop face products?

Makeup Haul: Soap and Glory, MAC, Bourjois etc.

 

So last week I did a little spot of shopping particularly to buy some makeup that I had been luring over for ages and I would like to share with you all the items I purchased. Most of the makeup I purchased from Boots which had great deals which I fully took advantage of! and I also visited House of Fraser and Topshop. Below is a little description of the items I purchased *warning long post ahead* and hopefully soon I may post some reviews/swatches on the products once I have used them a bit more.

I used to be one of those people who never bothered with eyeshadow, I always would stick to my trusty mascara and that was it really however recently I have jumped on the bandwagon and I now do love a little shimmery pop of colour on my eyelids. After using powder eyeshadow for a while I found it quite useless and felt as if it never really stood out on my eyes so after hearing many great reviews on Maybelline’s Color Tattoo I thought I would try them out. Boots had a great offer of 3 for 2 so I purchased 3: Pink Gold, On and On Bronze and Timeless Black. After trying them out a few times I have to say they are absolutely fantastic, the colour and application is long lasting and looks amazing. Thats that checked off my wish list! £.5.99 each.

Bourjois also had a 3 for 2 offer in Boots which I also took advantage of! Firstly, I bought the Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayon in 04 Peach on the Beach shade which I originally intended to buy. This is actually my first ever lip crayon ( I am late I know!) and this was £7.99. I haven’t actually properly used this yet so I can’t say much about it other than it is a great colour.

I also purchased Bourjois Effect 3D clear gloss as part of the 3 for 2 offer. I am not really one for lip gloss however I thought I would buy a clear one to create a different look over lipstick and to give my lips a bit of shine. It works great and is pretty long lasting, it also has a nice brush applicator. That was also £7.99.

And lastly from Bourjois I bought their Delice de Poudre Duo (bronzing powder and highlighter) for £7.99. I have heard many amazing reviews on their bronzer and I really couldn’t resist especially since it looks like chocolate and even smells like it *heart eyes emoji*.

I have really been in need of a good liquid concealer after having no luck really using the sticks so I purchased the blogging fave Collection’s lasting Perfection concealer. I bought this in the lightest shade Fair and it cost a great £4.19 and it really does a great overall job. Great buy!

And lastly from Boots I took quite an interest in the Soap and Glory makeup collection which was on a buy one get one half price offer which of course I took high advantage of buying four products. I was in need of a new bronzer and I really liked the idea of the multi-shade shimmer brick called Wonderbronze which looks really cute and comes in a mirror compact. The shades are all quite varied so you can stick to one or go for a sweep of them all for a sunkissed look. This was £11. I also purchased the Supercat eyeliner pen for an amazing £6 ( well £3 on the deal). I am quite the beginner when it comes to eyeliner and this has to be my favorite eyeliner, its incredibly easy to use, its long lasting and glides on easy. I then also picked up the Archery eyebrow tint and shaping pencil which I have heard great reviews for. My eyebrows are in the need for a little bit of shaping and I hate eyebrow pencils but when I seen this I thought I would give it a try and I’m glad I did. Its easy to use and makes my brows look a lot tidier and still natural. I picked up the Brownie Points shade and this was £10 (£5 on the deal). And lastly from Soap and Glory I bought Its About Prime ( nice little pun there) eyeshadow primer for £8. I never really used eyeshadow primer before but this stuff is great and my eyeshadow has stayed on perfectly in long hours with no creasing. Overall I cannot wait to go and pick up more from the Soap and Glory makeup line, their stuff is fantastic!

I then took a trip to the MAC counter at House of Fraser to pick up the Shy Girl Cremesheen lipstick for £15.50. Believe it or not but this is actually my very first MAC lipstick and I was in need of a nude shade and I really liked the look of Shy Girl so I purchased it and I am still very impressed. Its a great lipstick for day-to-day wear and looks great with a bit of clear gloss over it to shine it up. Love it and I will definitely be back at MAC for another shade.

And Finally I went to Topshop to buy their highlighter Glow Stick in shade Play up. I had been looking for a highlighter recently and since highlighting and contouring has only recently started to be popular there isn’t a lot of drug store brands that have released a highlighter of some sort. Despite already purchasing the powder from Bourjois I had my heart set on this Topshop twisty stick which I love. Its easy to use and has a great appearance on the skin. This was £10.