Review: Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer

 I was running out of my Rimmel Wake Me Up, and my skin's been getting crappier by the day recently (thanks, summer heat), so I needed a concealer that could cover blemishes well.  After hearing all the hype around the Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer, I decided I needed to try it.

I picked it up at Superdrug for £3.99, and didn't expect much from it for that price, yeah it might cover my spots/scarring for a bit but I was fully expecting it to wear off after a couple of hours - no way would a £3.99 concealer last 16 hours.

WRONG.

I have to jump on the band wagon and agree that this is a must-have makeup bag staple.  It goes on well, has full coverage, blends easily, doesn't go cakey, and lasts. all. day.

The concealer is available in 4 shades, Fair, Light, Medium and Deep.  I, of course, being the vampire-skinned, almost albino, ghostly pale person that I am, use the shade Fair.  The colour match is spot on, and the coverage is incredible.

Unlike some concealers I've used in the past, Lasting Perfection doesn't lose a lot of it's coverage when it's blended - which means I can wear a light-medium coverage foundation and let my skin breathe a bit more!

I use it over any redness, scarring and blemishes, and under my eyes - it takes a little bit of extra blending to make sure the under-eye area doesn't crease, but it usually stays put exactly where it's applied and doesn't budge all day - which is impressive in the heat we've been having in the UK recently - I'll come home and most of my foundation will have worn away, but I don't look too bad because my problem areas are still well concealed and blended to look, well, like normal skin.

I do find that if I apply it over a healing blemish / cystic that it doesn't sit very well, but nothing really does.  That's the price you pay for constantly messing with your face without realising I guess. (Read about how I reduce the size of blemishes here).

The only other 'Con' I have is that, whilst the product itself is transfer proof, the lettering on the packaging is not.  Pro Tip: Paint the concealer tube with clear nail polish as soon as you buy it, otherwise you WILL end up with black smudges on your hands, face, clothes, walls - everywhere.

Overall I do really love this concealer and will repurchase and repurchase and repurchase.

It's available to buy from Superdrug for £3.99, Boots for £4.19 or Amazon for £3.99.

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Make Up Basics - Contouring and Highlighting

So you've put on your foundation, you've concealed any blemishes and you're left with a completely 2D face that's all one colour and looks... flat.

Contouring and highlighting can be pretty daunting to start off with, but it's a really easy way to add dimension back into your face.








The most important parts of contouring are 1. Blend, 2. Blend, and 3. Blend.

You can use powder or cream bronzer, or you can use a foundation a couple of shades darker than you'd usually use.  If you do choose the latter, I'd use it very sparingly, and add another 'blend' onto the above list.

If you're using powder bronzer, make sure it's matte - you don't want a glittery face, people will think you're from Twilight.

Apply your chosen contour product in the areas shown on the picture, and only apply a bit at a time - knock off any excess powder from your brush, wipe any excess cream from your sponge/brush onto the back of your hand.

Apply the least amount humanly possible into the outside of your face, temple/outer corner of your eye, the hollows of your cheeks, under your jaw and down the hollows either side of your neck.  You can also add bronzer to the sides of your nose for a slimming effect, and underneath your bottom lip, for a slightly poutier look.

Apply it in layers, take your time and blend out as you go.  You don't want lines of brown across your face, just subtle colour difference where your face is naturally hidden from the light.  Think about how the light would hit your face, and apply narrower layers as you build up the colour. 

You just want to add the depth you've hidden back into your face. 

Next comes highlighting.  You can use anything lighter than your base colour to highlight - an illuminator, a light coloured concealer, a lighter shade of foundation, loose pigment, light blush or highlighting powder.

You can use shimmer or matte, it's completely down to your own personal preference


You only want to add highlights to the parts of your face that the light would hit - 


Your brow bone
The tops of your cheekbones
The bridge of your nose
Your cupid's bow

When applying to your brow bone, you want to go just under the arch of your eyebrow and work down under the tail.  You can join the eyebrow and cheekbone highlights, just remember to blend everything out so it doesn't look like you've just drawn white lines all over your face.

When it comes to the bridge of the nose, you want to apply a very thin line of highlight - otherwise you'll be widening your nose (of course, if you want to widen the nose, use a slightly thicker line).

Highlighting the cupid's bow is a really good way to get a naturally pouty look without loading up on lipgloss and getting into the hassle of contouring your lips.  You just want to apply a thin line just above your natural lip line (the bottom of your frenulum) and blend it out.

Once you've practiced and got your preferred technique, you'll be able to contour and highlight as part of your daily routine, and figure out which products work best for you.  It's a case of trial and error, and as ever, practice makes perfect.

I hope this has helped, and if you want to leave a comment below to let me know what you thought of this, or what tutorials you'd like to see, please do!

Left - Base colour only

Right - contour and highlight

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Review: Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer

Following on from my Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation review, it seemed only fitting to talk about the concealer from the range.

Truth be told, I actually bought this concealer first, in  an attempt to win the battle against my under-eye circles.  Now, I haven't quite won yet, but this has taken me a good way into the lead.

I bought the lightest shade (of course I did, I'm a ghost), and it's just a bit lighter than the Ivory foundation shade, which is perfect for making those eye bags disappear.

The concealer claims an anti-fatigue effect and radiant glow, as does the foundation, and they both deliver on these points.  This might not 100% disguise my under eye circles, but it gets 90% of the way, and with a bit of help from the slightly lighter colouring of Benefit's Erase Paste, they're gone, and this makes sure that a glowing, healthy-skin look is left in their place.

It's a liquid concealer, so I use it underneath my foundation and then I'll touch up a bit on top if needed - it blends really well, so I don't tend to worry about it caking up on me if I use too much - I've never had an issue with it gathering in creases or drying out in the month that I've been using it.

The packaging matches the foundation, with a bright orange cap, making it super easy to find in my make up box - thank you, Rimmel.  It also has an applicator - one of those sponge tips, and it's actually pretty good for getting the right amount of concealer - one 'dip' into the tube is enough concealer to do both eyes and any blemishes/redness too - so it'll last ages, I hope!

It's a high-street concealer, so it doesn't cost the earth - it retails at £5.49.  Boots currently have a 3 for 2 offer, so you could grab the concealer, the foundation and get something else free.  Bonus.

Here's a quick 'before/after' of my eyes using this concealer:

Before - No Makeup

After - Using Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer

Overall, I do really recommend this concealer - it's light-medium coverage, but works perfectly to disguise redness and minor blemishes, used under foundation it can be built to cover under eye circles/more prominent blemishes.

I'd also suggest, if your under-eye area is quite dark, apply a bit more concealer over your foundation (either the same concealer, or a more creamy-based, slightly lighter shade concealer) and set with a translucent powder.

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Review: Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

I've recently changed my foundation routine, replacing a couple of products, and my previous foundation (ELF Studio Flawless Finish Foundation) was one that didn't make the cut.

After looking into a few different foundations, I initially decided to go and buy Bourjois HealthyMix Serum Foundation, but when I got to Superdrug and tested it, it did NOT live up to my expectations, and so I tested a few others and bought Rimmel's Wake Me Up Foundation.

The bottle states that it has an anti-fatigue effect, radiant glow and SPF 15.  And for once, I can say that I have a foundation that lives up to it's claims!

This foundation works miracles on my skin - no uneven skin tone, no dry, flaky patches, no slipping off the oily bits of my face, it's amazing.  It gives my skin a soft, dewy finish (which still shows through my mattifying powder a bit, as just a glow) and it just makes my face feel more 'pumped up' and healthy, thanks to the peptides, which increase elasticity and help skin to recover more quickly.

I have it in the lightest shade, 100 Ivory, and it fits my skin really well.  It blends super easily., meaning no dirty marks around my neck, and doesn't crease or cake up.  It provides a light-medium coverage, but builds well for heavier coverage.

Wearing Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

I love the packaging, The glass bottle looks a lot less cheap than the usual plastic ones, and it has RIMMEL embossed on the side, which is a nice touch.  The orange cap gives it a bit of a twist and it does stand out against the others on the shelf, and was part of the reason I was drawn to try it.

The best bit about this foundation is that you hardly need to use any to get great coverage - I find that a small pump (about 1/3 pump) does my whole face, and lasts all day.  With 30ml in a bottle, it'll last a good few months, and I will definitely be repurchasing it, as I haven't broken out once in the week I've been using it.  Result!

At £8.99/30ml, it's a pretty standard price high-street foundation, and it's definitely worth the money.  I'd recommend this for any skin type, and there's a good range of shades, too.

Available to buy from Superdrug.com


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Review: Glossybox June 2012

After mentioning Glossybox in a few of my blogs so far, I've decided I should start reviewing the boxes I receive - starting with the first one I got, back in June 2012.

Glossybox is a monthly subscription of 5 high-end beauty product samples (with some full-size products sometimes, too) for £10 + £2.95 p&p.

You can earn Glossydots by reviewing the products sent to you in a quick survey, and redeem points for a free box. (1000 GlossyDots = 1 free box)

 'Tried and tested by the Glossybox Pros, Glossybox does the hard work for you'

The first item in my 06/12 box was a little box with 3 samples of Agent Provocateur Eau Provocateur perfumes.  I won't lie here, the box is in my makeup case and the phials are still full.  I don't like perfume samples and I don't want to smell like these ones smell.  The Black one, L'Agent, is supposed to be 'fresh' and 'floral'.  It smells like an old man's house.  The Pink one, Signature, is 'citrus teamed with red fruit' - honestly smells like talc. And finally, the Red one, Maitresse, is supposed to be 'a floral feast'.  I just don't like it.

This one was a let down, I'm afraid. 

(RRP £39/50ml - available from AgentProvocateurParfums.com)

Second in the box was a Glossybox brush, 'Made with best quality goat hair with natural tips from Asian mountain goats'.  The hairs are indeed super soft, but they don't pick up any product, and they don't lay it down - which, for a makeup brush, isn't all that great.  The design is okay, I like the all-black look, and it hasn't shed at all, but it just doesn't do the job.

(RRP £15)


Next was a sample size Yves Rocher Ultra Volume Sexy Pulp Mascara.  It has a really nice curved brush applicator, and lays on the product really well - coating individual lashes with no clumps.  As it claims, it doesn't weigh down lashes, it's not heavy but still gives a good impact.  The pigment's good (I have the black one - also available in brown and blue), and it stays on for ages.  I have no complaints about this one!

(RRP £16.90, available from Yves-Rocher.co.uk for £8.95 - online exclusive)





Vichy Dermablend Ultra-Corrective Foundation Cream Stick

 'Ideal for camouflage of skin concerns such as dark circles, acne marks, redness, dark spots, vitiligo, and the masking of tattoos. Product benefits: 40% pigment concentration- Twice the coverage of a traditional foundation. Fragrance-free and hypoallergenic. Sweat resistant & water resistant. SPF 30. Long lasting-14Hr hold.' 

Despite all it's miraculous claims and the recommendations from anyone I mentioned it to, this isn't suited to my skin.  It provides really heavy coverage, which broke me out - although I'm sure for someone less sensitive skin, it would work well.  I do think it's a lot to pay for what is, essentially, a concealer stick, and there are similar, less expensive products on the market.  

(RRP £19/12g, available from TheGarden.co.uk)

The final product in the 06/12 box was a tiny sample of the Summer Warmth Bronzer from BM beauty.  It is a mineral bronzer with the fewest ingredients I've ever seen in a product - Mica, Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide.  It is very pigmented and applies really well.  It has a really dark colour to it in the packaging, but it goes on as a nice warm golden bronze, with a bit of a shimmer.  It builds well or you can leave it as a light dusting for a healthy looking glow.  It's not too expensive, and it has no bad ingredients (In fact, all their makeup is free from parabens, BUAV, animal products and synthetic dyes/fragrances) so it gets a big thumbs up from me.

(RRP £8/4g, available from BMbeauty.com)

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