No 7 BB Cream Review

A couple of weeks ago I blogged about my Boots Haul,which included a No7 BB Cream. I'm an extreme latecomer to the BB cream party, it didn't particularly appeal to me as I have a reliable foundation which gives good even coverage, so what else could a BB cream offer? Having now tried No7's BB cream I realise that the two are pretty much completely different products. The BB cream has a light moisturising formula, yet provides a noticeable even coverage.The best thing about it is how easy and quick it is to apply, there's no need for a brush or sponge, simply blend in with your fingertips and in seconds you have a more even skin tone; it's great for days when you're in a rush or don't want to overload your skin with products. The other benefit is that it is long lasting so with its light-weight formula it's great for summer (and it has SPF 15 to protect your skin in the sun). Unfortunately I often need a medium-full coverage foundation to fully disguise imperfections, so the No 7 BB cream won't be replacing my foundation, but it has become a firm fixture in my make-up bag for the summer months.

Chanel 'Le Vernis' Nail Colour Review

For my last birthday I was lucky enough to receive a Chanel nail varnish which had been on my wishlist for some time. It is a versatile light pink shade, named as 'ballerina', and here's what I thought of it:

The Pros:
- It is a lovely colour and leaves a shiny gloss finish on your nails, giving a salon-manicure look
- It is easy to apply, and applies with no streaks

The Cons:
- The biggest negative for me was how durable it was, (or wasn't). I've worn it a few times now and the longest it has lasted without chipping is just a day, and the shortest is a few hours. It chipped far too easily once it was dry.
- It took several coats of polish to obtain a solid, noticeable colour, which meant it took a long time to dry completely and was easily smudged in the mean time.

For me, when you consider the high price tag (approx £20) for a bottle of nail varnish, the quality just does not match up to what I would expect from such a well-known brand, and having searched for other reviews of the Chanel Nail Polish, it seems to be the consensus. Whilst I was thrilled to receive the nail varnish, I don't think it will be joining my regular make-up purchases when it runs out, as although I love the colour and glossy appearance, this does not make up for it lasting for such short lengths of time, and considering how much I like my chanel foundation, overall I am disappointed with the quality of this particular product.

P.s...today the resident pheasant learned a new trick...if no food has been put out for him he knocks on the glass with his beak to demand the situation be rectified immediately! I don't think it'll be long before he's venturing in the house to help himself to breakfast, lunch and dinner!

My make-up must-haves ♥

Having sorted out my overflowing make-up bag this afternoon, I thought I would post about my essential beauty items. I tend to find my skin is a little dry so to ensure my skin is primed enough before I use foundation I moisturise with No 7 completely quenched moisturising lotion . Although not specifically a facial moisturiser, I find having tried many others that it's the only one which moisturises my skin enough to help prime it. Another essential I would recommend is the 17 Even Tone Corrector Stick . This is a green concealor which neutralises any areas of red, and I find it blends easily and is easily covered under your foundation, and i think it works much better than using a skin-coloured concealor alone.

My all-time favourite beauty item however is the Chanel Vitalumiere Satin Smoothing Foundation. Whilst the most pricey item in my make-up bag, retailing at £34 in the department stores, I really think it's worth it, having tried L'oreal,  No 7 and a few others along the way. So what's so good about it...Firstly it's very easy to apply, I use a foundation brush to help blend it in properly and it gives a good even but natural-looking coverage, which when dusted with a light powder will last all day. Left bare it gives a dewy finish which I like, as i think it gives your skin a healthy glow, but if you prefer a more matte finish, a quick dusting of powder takes it away. It also has an SPF 15, so helps protects your skin from the sun and prevent skin damage, I find this very useful as I always forget to use sun cream on my face. Additionally, although it is expensive a little goes a long way, I find that a bottle generally lasts a full year, and I always wait for either a money-off voucher from boots in the post to combine with extra points from the in-store card machine, or for Debenhams to run their 10% off all beauty products promotion, making it slightly more affordable.

No 7's Great Gatsby Inspired 'Deco Darling' Collection Preview

In a few weeks No 7 will be launching it's AW limited edition collection of make-up, which will be available to purchase in-store until boxing day. This year the collection, designed by Lisa Eldridge, takes inspiration from the upcoming film set in the roaring 20's starring Leonardo Di Caprio and Carey Mulligan, 'The Great Gatsby'.

The range includes 2 nail colours, 'Speakeasy', a shimmering grey, and a glitter top coat in 'Daisy Darling', an Eye pencil, Eye Pallette with smokey greys and dusky bronzes and golds, and a loose powder highlighter. The collection will range in price from £5.50 - £12 and according to Lisa "the No7 Deco Darling Collection will leave you looking and feeling as elegant as scenes from The Great Gatsby".
I'm looking forward to trying the glitter top coat and highlighter when they hit the shelves on 31st October.

No 7 Stay Perfect Nail Colour "Milan" Review

In the January sales I treated myself to a No 7 gift set from Boots, which among a few other pieces of make-up included a sparkly pink nail varnish. I  have finally got round to trying it out, and I'm still a bit undecided on this one. It applied very easily, streak-free and dried really quickly, and only needed two coats to achieve the colour in the bottle. However the finish was a bit more metallic than I'd expected so it's a bit too shiny for day-time wear and I'm not sure it goes with many of my evening outfits. I think I might keep this one to wear on my toes in the summer.