Max Factor CC Cream

Max Factor CC Cream €15.25

I've been threatening to buy this since I first discovered it in Boots, and my holiday gave me the perfect opportunity to try a new, lighter foundation because you know..... I need it! This CC cream promised a fuller coverage to BB creams, and that was the main draw for me. I need a full coverage, so BB creams never appealed to me, and I could never find one pale enough for me anyway. I picked up the fair shade yesterday (there are 3 shades to choose from- Fair, Natural and Tanned) and tried it for the first time today.

Before powder

Overall, I'm really impressed with this foundation. The coverage isn't sensational, but it's very buildable, so you can pretty much custom match it to your needs. I applied it with a foundation brush and the liquid formula blends very smooth and evenly. I've had it on all day and it still looks freshly applied. It dries with a slight sheen so if you like a matt finish, like I do, then a finishing powder is a must. As for it's colour correcting abilities, as you can see from pictures my cheeks are still slightly flushed, but it hid the redness of blemishes very well and freshened up the circles under my eyes.

After powder (Natural Collection Pressed Powder)

Rimmel Apocalips in Apocalyptic

Since dying my hair pink, I've been craving a really bright, vibrant pink lipstick to wear on a night out. I wanted something that I could put on once, and only have to top it up once or twice throughout the night. I plumped for Rimmel Apocalips in Apocalyptic as it was by far the most concentrated shade in the range (there are 8 shades to choose from) and I have to say I am so, so pleased with it.

Apcalyptic

The colour is EXTREMELY pigmented so a little goes a very long way. The formula is smooth and quite thick so you get a very clean, even spread of colour without the lacquer ever going sticky! It's extremely easy to wear! There's a lovely gloss to the lacquer initially, which lasts quite a while, but even when the gloss fades you're still left with a vivid pop of colour for hours! There is nothing discreet about the colour, it's bold, bright and in your face so is best worn with quite neutral eye make up.

I'll most definitely be treating myself to one or two more of these, at 7.95 they are worth every penny!

Wow Brown Ready To Glow Tanning liquid

Hi everyone!

I'm so sorry I couldn't keep up with the JuneBBC challenge, there was a lot of personal stuff going on over the last few weeks, and I just didn't have the time to devote to it. Rather than bombard you with half assed posts, I thought it would be better to just bow out. I still read what I could, and you guys did an amazing job!

I've been meaning  to do a review on Ready to glo for quite a while, since I first tried it about a month ago. Honestly, I had heard very little about it before winning a bottle in a Facebook competition. I had been religiously using Cocoa Brown, and you can read what I thought of it here but who doesn't like a change from time to time. I won't lie, the bottle did sit on a shelf untouched for a few weeks while I plucked up the courage to look past the fact that it said DARK tanning liquid on the bottle, but don't let that put you off!

So I applied it as per my usual tanning routine and I was so, so impressed. The colour was beautiful. I was genuinely afraid that it would be far too dark for me, but even as it was developing it never made me look like I was wearing tan. I just had a very healthy glow. You're supposed to leave it on for 5 hours (or longer for a deeper colour) then shower, but on multiple occasions I've completely forgotten to wash it off because there's just no smell off it at all! It doesn't have the pretty floral scent that Cocoa Brown has, but we can make up for tat with a quick spritz of perfume.

My favourite things about Ready To Glo are

1. It's very difficult to mess up. It's a paraben free liquid formula that dries very quickly, but is still extremely blendable. It goes on with a lovely golden colour straight away, so you can be sure that you got absolutely everywhere.
2. There's no smell of it at all!
3. The bottle is small enough to carry around with you should you need to, and the packaging is simple but very pretty
4. It's very long lasting! I'm on my 4th full body application and I'd say my bottle is still just under 3/4's full.
5. I have found, and this almost beggars belief, that even in areas with dry skin the tan doesn't cake nearly as bad as a lot of other tans. I have often ended up with filthy looking elbows, even after moisturoising regularly, but Ready To Glo really minimizes that!
6. There's a little logo on the bottle letting you know that it's plane friendly, and I just think that's the cutest thing ever!
7. Fran and Don are very interactive on Twitter. Any time I've mentioned Wow Brown I've gotten feedback from them. For me, good customer service like that really endears me to a brand or product.

While I didn't pay for my first bottle of Ready To Glo, more came across it by accident, I'll definitely be a repeat customer. My current bottle is getting packed away to jet off to Tenerife in 2 weeks and I'll be depending on it heavily so my pasty white skin doesn't stick out too much. I'll certainly be raising a cocktail to Fran, Don and Ready To Glow on my holidays :)

#JuneBBC day 4- favourite foundation

As a pale girl, foundation can either bring me untold joy, or complete sorrow. Im either too yellow, too orange or too pink. It's so hard to find that one foundation that just ticks all the boxes- matches your skin tone, gives you a good full coverage, and stays put for the day. I absolutely despise the ring of shame, but unfortunately a lot of the leading "budget" brands leave me looking like something out of Charlie and the chocolate factory.

As a rule I stay away from the foundations of Rimmel, Collection 2000, natural collection,  and most high street brands to be honest,  because they just don't cater for the paler lady. The only high street brands that have ever come close to my skin tone are Revlon and L,oreal.

My foundation of choice is L'Oréal,  either true match Ivorie rose or Infallible Porcelain. Both give a great coverage,  match my skin tone almost perfectly and stay put all day. They are both my go to foundation. I would highly recommend them.

There are also some more expensive brands that would satisfy all my expectations. I'm in a habit of living off sample's at this stage because I refuse to spend €30+ on a foundation that doesn't look good in every light. For example, I have tried samples of almost every MAC foundation available, and not one of those sample's has convinced me to buy a full bottle. My advice would be to never buy from a brand that won't give you a sample to take home and sample in every light. What looks good in store may not look as good in natural light. If a brand expects you to be loyal to them in future,  they should work to get you in the first place. The best brands for samples, I've found, are Inglot, Estee Lauder and Yves Saint L'aurent, they give you about a weeks worth of foundation in a little pot so you can be completely sure it's the right foundation for you.

June BBC Day 3- Favourite Hair Product

One would be forgiven for assuming that someone who is as cruel to their as I am would have an artillery or hair products available to treat and rescue my hair from time to time. Alas...I do not, my cruelty knows no bounds. Honestly, most of my hair products revolve around masking my hairs condition rather than improving it. I will  try be nicer to it, I promise!

One product I've bought pretty religiously over the last few years, since I started dying it heavily) is Shockwaves Shine and Anti-frizz serum. It's great for smoothing out fly away's and seems to add a big of weight to the hair, which I find great for freshly washed hair. It gives your hair a lovely healthy shine, something my hair is badly lacking! The only downside, but one that is easily avoided, is that if you use too much your hair can look very greasy! It's very cheap too, retailing at about €6 for a 75ml bottle, which generally lasts a few months.

June #BBC Day 2- Favourite brush

I found this one hard, because honestly I don't have a favorite brush. I've always used my hands a lot when putting on make, party out of habit, and partly because I just find it a lot more accurate to apply the likes of highlighter with my hands. And i tend to use sponges for foundation. Obviously I do use brushes for the likes of powder, blush and eye shadow, but they're mostly just things I've picked up cheaply along the way, or gotten as gifts.

So....that's about it unfortunately. Day 2 is definitely not my best day!

June #BBC Day 1- Favorite Eyeliner

Ah, eyeliner, I hate you almost as much as I love you. For me, if I have a bad eyeliner day, I just have a bad day. I adore flicks, so any eyeliner I buy has to promise me killer flicking ability. And it has to have staying power. I've bought so many eyeliner that have ended up in the bin because my eye watered and the liner ran everywhere, or stains the crease of your lid.

NYC Liquid Liner

My current favourite liner, and one of the best liners I've ever used, is NYC Liquid liner. I was pretty convinced that I wouldn't switch back to liquid liners after discovering felt tip liners, but I gave this a bash and absolutely adore it. It makes cat flicks super easy, goes on think and jet black and stays out for HOURS!! It's less than €3 too, and worth every single cent! I'll absolutely be buying this again, and probably be taking out shares in NYC between this and their Expert Last Lip colour.