Bourjois Bio detox foundation review

For the past couple of weeks, Bourjois Bio Detox has been my foundation of choice. I have really gotten into organic foundations after discovering UNE Skin Glow Foundation and realising organic doesn't have to mean expensive. The organic content is slightly higher in this foundation compared to the Une foundation, (98.8% vs 98.2%) and a higher amount of ingredients from organic farming, (21.9% vs 17.1%) but it's not a huge amount. Aside from the figures, the Bourjois foundation is different in that it contains chlorophyll, which I only know as having something to do with leafs, and not something you'd find in a foundation. It apparently has the advantage over other ingredients of filtering out polutants and bringing in oxygen. I was a little sceptical but this was one of the reasons why I wanted to try. Living in a city is obviously going to be damaging to your skin but if there's a product that can actually reverse the elements your skin is exposed to I think it's worth a try. So far so good. I find the consistency quite similar to the Une foundation. I realise this is a problem for some as it's a little gloopy and cakes up, not applying evenly. For my skin type this is not a problem as the natural oils help to achieve an even finish. Another advantage of this over Une is that after a few hours wear, I'm not greeted by the shine monster. It holds up longer and I don't need to powder. I should add that my skin is at it's driest around this time of year, so come spring and summer is when the real test will be.

I'm also loving the pump design of the bottle which is a lot easier and less messy and probably my most preferred method of getting the foundation out of the bottle.

There's not really much more to add about this product at the moment, it's a very similar product to one I already own and love. Bourjois own Une so I'm not too surprised that they're so similar.
That's all for now, have a great Saturday!
xXx

Bourjois 1001 Lashes Mascara Review

I briefly mentioned this mascara in a recent post but didn't give much of an opinion on it. It turns out I really like this mascara. I have quite low expectations with Bourjois, I find their eyeshadows quite boring and not very well pigmented, their nail varnishes chip super quickly and anything else I've tried to be a little overpriced for the quality. That said, I do really like their mascaras. I went through a phase of wearing nothing but the Volume Glamour mascara, I loved the plumped up lashes I found myself with, that no other mascara could match with just one coat.

I've since become very fussy about what I want my mascara to do, and I no longer just want volume, but length and separation too. (We girls are allowed to be fussy!) I can't really fault Rimmel's Glam'Eyes mascara for achieving all three and that mascara has definitely earnt its place as one of my HG's. I would say the 1001 lashes mascara is on a par with Glam'Eyes. It might not look much in the picture below, but this is just one coat, and I've found that it's very easy to build up for a more dramatic look. Also I'm not blessed with very long or thick lashes!The bristles are shaped very similarly to Glam'Eyes and aren't at risk of snapping off, they're firm but flexible. What makes this mascara unique is the shape of the wand, the bristles are kind of twisted around which actually helps to coat more of your lashes. I would highly rate this mascara, it's good value for money, (on offer right now around £6 at Superdrug I think) and is a pretty innovative design.

I love the super sleek packaging too. I did at first think this was a lash primer because of the white packaging, but I've found it's easy to pick this out of my mascara collection amongst all the black tubes!

Bad points? I've noticed that as the day wears on, I end up with a slight black mark on my brow bone from this mascara. That's because it really curls my lashes up to the point where they keep touching my brow bone. Slightly annoying yes, but it goes to show what it can do for my sparse eyelashes. If they bring out a hardier, waterproof version I think my problem is solved.

Just another reminder about my giveaway. I will be picking the winner really soon, so you have one more day to leave a comment if you want to be entered!

Make-up product of the month

Product of the month for April has to be this new nail polish by Bourjois. This is shade 31 which is called Bleu Violet. A bit of French we can all translate as purple blue which is exactly how to describe this shade, it's not quite purple, not quite blue. It's a gorgeous colour and when I went to pick mine up from Boots it was the last one available, so clearly a popular choice.

Excuse the chipping in the picture, but these are painted nails a day old. For me this a little soon to begin chipping, especially as the varnish is advertised as having lasting hold up to 7 days. I would recommend putting on a thin layer of top coat to make your nails last longer. I opted out of using one this time because the So Laque! range is very shiny so there didn't seem much need for a top coat, but it would be useful just to get extra wear from it. Here I've used two coats of the varnish which is expected from most varnishes and this is definitely enough coverage.

So this is a new shade for spring and I think it will see me through the summer months too as it's much bolder and brighter than the darker shades I tend to wear in autumn/winter. It's described on one fashion website as being "electric", which I think is a perfect term for it and it ties in with the latest neon trend. Great for summer nights with a clashing colour summer dress, experimenting with nail colour is an ideal way to try out trends you might not want to extend to your face make-up.

Sweet Kiss by Bourjois

I'm not usually one for buying a lot of lipsticks, and I try not to be one for getting suckered in to fancy packaging. However, I couldn't resist this new lipstick range from Bourjois when I saw it. Attracted partly by the introductory price and partly by the package, I decided to try this because up to now I haven't been disappointed by Bourjois, they offer affordable, good quality, long lasting make-up products.

The case is a vibrant, shiny purple, with a silver switch on the side. You move the switch down to release the lipstick which is then in a metal silver twist up case. I chose the shade Rouge sur mesure which is a classic red colour. It looks like a brilliant red colour, and if you apply a swatch on your hand and then smudge the colour, you see the pink undertones in the lipstick, so it's not such a dark red colour to wear.

So as someone who doesn't buy a lot of lipstick, this is a very bold colour. I usually focus on eye make-up, and creating ways to make them stand out, but to complete this look I would keep eye make-up very minimal and classic, just some black eyeliner across the top lid and mascara. I think this creates a look that can be adapted for day or night time, it can brighten up an otherwise dull outfit in the day, or bring alive a simple black dress at night.

The colour pay off of this lipstick is fantastic. When using it, I started off with a clear lipliner and used a lip brush to apply the colour rather than applying it directly to my lips. Despite how bright and richly pigmented it is, it's surprisingly easy to use. The lipstick is so moisturising, that it just glides on, feeling very natural. It isn't moisturising in a lipgloss, sticky or wet kind of way, but just feels like you're not wearing anything on your lips at all. For me this is a definite advantage of the lipstick and is why I rate it quite highly. I have found it difficult to find a lipstick that offers pure colour with almost a matte finish without it being too drying on my lips and usually I find moisturising lipsticks too gloss like, not always a look I want to go for. Sweet Kiss however only gives a subtle shine, plus the clever design of the package is something I want to keep reaching this product for!