Tarte Amazonian Clay Foundation

I have been using this foundation for a few weeks and I am loving it. This is the first product I have used from Tarte and I am now so excited to try more.

This is the amazonian clay 12 hour foundation and I have the shade Fair Sand. This is a full coverage foundation but it still feels lovely on the skin. It is a thick cream like foundation rather than being a runny liquid and it buffs on to the skin very nicely. It has a very matte finish so if you like the dewy look I would not really recommend this. It gives the skin a very nice base to then add powder products to the face without them looking patchy or cakey which I sometimes find with bronzer if I'm not careful.

 This is a 50ml bottle which is unusual as most foundations come in 30ml. The brush actually came free with the foundation from QVC and after a bit of research I believe it to be the 'buffer airbrush finish bamboo foundation brush' costing $34. 

I can't understand how QVC can sell the foundation and brush for £32.50 when it costs $73 USD from Tarte. I am very impressed with the foundation and also the service from QVC when it comes to getting hold of products from America. The only downside is the range of shades they have available compared with the Tarte website, but QVC let you return products no problem if they are not right for you!

Are there any Tarte products you recommend I try next?

Charley Rose x

First Impressions - Barry M Chisel Cheeks

Today I have a first impressions post for you. Yesterday I accidentaly walked in to Boots again and found myself browsing around the make up stands. I have wanted to give this product a go ever since Sabrina from Love Laugh and Makeup used it in a video. I have only ever used nail polish from Barry M in the past and never owned any of their makeup. This little palette retails at £6.49 which is at the bottom end of the scale for a contour kit. The first thing I noticed was the highlighting powder being a matte shade. It has no shimmer what so ever and it really does add light to your face. If you are new to contouring I think the colour of the bronzers may be a little scary. The dark one is quite dark and as far as I'm aware the kit only comes in one colour, so I don't think it will be suitable for pale skin tones. 

I used this for the first time today and did my base and concealer as normal. I then used the pale powder to set the concealer under my eyes and it really did brighten them up which I love. I then went in with the middle shade and started to shade in my cheekbones and took some up on to my forehead and around my hair line. I then used the deepest shade to sculpt my cheekbones even more and add more definition. I quite like the product as the dark shade is deeper than my current daily bronzer so I can create a more chiseled effect if I want to. I do think this is great for someone new to contouring as there is also instructions to show you where to put each colour. The only thing I would say is that they should have a few different palettes for different skin tones to branch out to more customers. 

What are your favourite contour products?

Charley Rose x

Prime Time

This is a little post about the primers I have been using lately. I've reached a stage where I can't wear foundation on my naked skin. I must use a primer first or it feels weird. 

Here are 3 primers which all carry a very different price tag.

1. ELF Mineral Infused Face Primer - £6.95

2. The Body Shop All-In-One Instablur - £14

3. Benefit Porefessional - £24.50 for full size product

Both the Elf and Body Shop primers are clear and the Benefit one is tinted. However it only comes in one colour and it doesn't really add any colour to the skin. The cheapest is the Elf primer with a pump, which is always a plus for me. It makes my skin feel so soft and smooth and velvety and my foundation applies lovely over the top. It helps my make up last all day without sliding off too. The only bad thing is that the product doesn't seem to last long. It is 14g and I don't know what that is in ml but ELF often have 30/40/50% flash sale making it very cheap.

Next in price is Instablur, which I read and youtube'd a lot of people raving about and bought myself one when The Body Shop also had 40% off everything! I find this to be very thick. When I squeeze the tube it comes out in blobs (is that even a word) but once I put it on my skin it applies nicely. To be honest it doesn't seem too much different to me than the Elf primer but due to the size of the tube it probably works out the same price anyway.   

Benefits Porefessional is a much thinner formula which is also tinted. This does seem to smooth out pores very well which is what it claims to do. It keeps my make up on all day and gives a lovely base for foundation. But this is a high end product and I don't think that the formula is so much greater than the other two for the difference in price. 

I honestly love the Elf primer. My skin just feels so soft and you definitely can't beat that for value. The Body Shop also have Wonderblur which I think I will give a go next time. I have heard people say it is better than the Instablur so I would like to see for myself.

Is there any primers you would recommend? High End or Drug Store?

Charley Rose x