Space NK

My very good friend from university, Miss M, is getting married in October and yesterday we went to Space NK for her to get a make over to try out different products. When I got married I went to Laura Mercier in John Lewis purely because the girl there had beautifully done make-up which I always think is a great advertisement. The great thing about Space NK is that they stock different brands so I feel that you are more likely to get shown the best of all of them rather than being told that one particular brand is the one to have. The main reason to go for a make over I think is to properly try out products that you just wouldn't normally get to try.

Chantecaille Future Skin Foundation

Miss M, like me is a big fan of black eyeliner and flicks at the side of the eye but, unlike me, she rarely wears foundation, blusher or much on her skin apart from the odd bit of concealer. As she says getting the right look for the skin is the most important thing for big events and photographs. If you wear eye make-up everyday then you basically know what looks good on you but getting the right products for your face can be a minefield.

The recommended foundation (which Miss M, after long deliberation at its £52 price tag, did end up purchasing) was Chantecaille Future Skin foundation in Porcelain. It is a lot of money but comes with built in primer which is a big bonus for events when you want your make-up to stay put and look fresh without needing touch ups. You can pay £25 or more for a separate primer so I suppose you could see that as contributing to the price for this. I personally like my foundation to give me some colour - this is because I have pale skin but a lot of freckles so a darker foundation works well to make my skin look more even. Miss M prefers a lighter look which works really well on her skin and this (applied with a brush) looked fantastic. I was taking test pictures and you could really see the difference. It's an oil-free gel foundation so gives a lovely light-reflecting dewy look without having a greasy finish on the skin.

Nars Multiple

To stop the shine in photographs though we used so Laura Mercier translucent pressed powder on the t-zone, chin and undereyes just to give a more matt finish - also purchased by Miss M. Nars Smudge Proof Eye Shadow base was applied as a colourless primer to the eyelids - another great trick for keeping make-up where it should be and looking fresh. And light gold/brown eye shadow applied which was very nice although as I said earlier we were keen to see the products you can't really try out unless you are having a make over. Although she's usually a fan of black eyeliner we decided brown would be softer and can be smudged to give a more smokey effect if needed. On the top under the lashes we used Laura Mericer eye liner in brown which you apply using a wet square topped brush. This gives great definition without putting anything on the top of the eyelid. It looks tricky to apply but is actually really easy and worth the effort.

Chantecaille Faux Cils Mascara

For me there were two other stand out products. The Nars Multiple used as blusher (as the name implies it can be used pretty much anywhere) so easy to apply and such a gentle colour that it's possibly the most natural blusher I've seen!! And the Chantecaille Faux Cils mascara which smells of rosewater and gives thick, long lashes. Both of these were resisted by Miss M (and me) at the time but about an hour later she had planned to make a return trip on pay day to get these. The mascara is a whopping £31 but it's the next best thing to wearing false lashes - a real wow factor mascara. Both of these are now on my wish list! As is the Laura Mercier smudge brush which they didn't have in stock. Great for smokey eyes and that 'I-always-look-this-fantastic-when-I've-just-got-out-of-bed look'.

It was really exciting to be able to try out these products which I'd often picked up in shops but hadn't wanted to fork out for unseen. I really recommend getting a make over if you want to try before you buy. Yes it's slightly embarrassing sitting somewhere while someone paints your face but it's worth it and if you take a friend it's definitely not so bad!! xx

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Foundation

Collection 2000 has been around for a while but I have to admit I've never really used any of their products - I remember my sister having a very nice lip gloss by them that I was envious of and well... that's about it. I decided to try out their Lasting Perfection Foundation which was maybe a bit of a harsh introduction. Having freckles I find it really difficult to find a foundation that gives a good coverage and doesn't make me look an odd colour. I end up spending quite a lot of my make-up budget trying out different ones and so far have been pleased with a lot but not found the perfect one. Well Collection 2000 isn't perfect but at £5.99 it's really impressive.

One of the reasons I wanted to try it out was its SPF20 which makes it perfect as a summer foundation - you never know when the sun's going to peek it's head out. The colour I chose is biscuit and I actually think this would suit most people with a fair to medium skin colour. You do have to make sure that there aren't any visible streaks (I switch the light on a have a good old stare in the mirror) but it's so easy to apply that you can just rub any problem bits and they'll smooth away. I found it gave a really good even covering, lasted well, covered redness and blended well under the jaw line. Great for those feeling the pinch this summer or if you want something cheap to take on holiday xx

MAC Iridescent Powder (Make up 3 - Top 10 for 2010)

Right now please correct me if I'm wrong in my review of this but what's the point? I spent £17 on a product that not only doesn't come with anything to apply it with but also seems to be absolutely useless unless you just want an uber sparkly face and sparkly hands and sparkly husband and sparkly friends... I want my £17 back please. Can't remember this much disappointment in one product which is sad because their pressed powder is lovely.



2015 update - I love this now. Yes I only use it at Christmas and when I was to be super-sparkley... but I love it. Sorry MAC - objection retracted.

Mac Fix+ (Product 3 - Top 10 for 2010)

In May I tried out Mac Fix+ and I really liked it. It really does seem to keep my make-up on during the day and is a refreshing spritz if you are about to go out without reapplying your make-up in the evening. It also works well as a primer before applying make-up if you don't want to use a cream primer or want something that is going to do two jobs for the price of one. I love spritzing this on tired make-up or make-up that's been matted out with powder to bring life back into it.

The worst thing about this is the spray mechanism. Although I like the packaging and on principle the way the spray works (you twist the top slightly in order to get the downwards action) you really don't get an even covering as you do with a more traditional spray. The best thing about this is the smell - it smells fantastic. First thing in the morning after the night before this will really perk you up and refresh you.

I really recommend this to anyone who wants a little help keeping their make-up during the day or wants something at their desk to keep their face refreshed during the day or wants to reapply their make-up in the evening. It's £11 and you only need a small amount so this is a good investment.

Lancome (Make Up 2 - Top 10 for 2010)

Now I have to confess I've been a little naughty. In my original list I said I was going to try out Bobbi Brown Lip Colour in Beige... well I'm not. I changed my mind I fell in love with another lip colour and I thought I should review that instead.

Coral is supposed to be this seasons lip colour - I've been wearing it on my toes for ages but couldn't imagine it looking very good on my lips but after a lot of testing (I know you aren't supposed to actually try them but how can you tell if you don't...) I settled on Lancome's L'Asolu Rouge Advanced Replenishing and Reshaping Lipcolour in Orange Sacree. I LOVE IT. Ok so it tastes so good that I've chewed most of it off before I get to work and I did immediately had to steal my mums lip liner so it didn't make me look lipless (Cover Girl Lip Liner in Hazel if you want to know) but the colour is just so summery and fantastic I don't mind.

The only problem with this lipstick was the price - it's £18 which for me is a lot to spend on a lipstick. I don't know why... maybe I'm behind the times. I have to say that initially I did have buyer's remorse. £18 can get you so many other things that you might need but now you'd have trouble separating me from this new favourite. This is a real treat for yourself so go in and get it guilt free... i'm sure you've done something to deserve it xx