High end make up haul!!

I decided to have a splurge on some products I have been after for a while.  Debenhams had 10% off every item so I took full advantage!

I firstly hit MAC for two products which have been on my wish list for far too long...a loose pigment & a foundation.

MAC 'Tan' Pigment

I brought the loose pigment in 'Tan'.  This as I've said before has so many uses.  I love to sweep this all over the lid and use a soft/light brown in the crease as a transition color.  I will then add a small amount of pigment under the lower lash line and a light shimmery colour in the tear duct for a gorgeous subtle but glamourous eye look.  Another use for this pigment is to add a tiny amount to a few pumps of foundation to give a luminous look to your skin.  This wont change or alter the shade of the foundation, it simply adds a dewy effect which is perfect for the summer months.

The foundation I purchased was Studio Fix+ powder foundation.  I was undecided which to go for, the liquid form or the powder.  I went for the powder purely because of my oily skin & thought this could double up as a foundation on days where I don't want or need much coverage or use it over a liquid foundation to either add extra coverage or to set my foundation.  I got this in the shade NC35 as I still have a slight tan from the summer, however, I think I will go back and purchase this in the shade NC20 as so far I love it!!

The next concession I visited was Benefit. I absolutely LOVE this brand and it's the packaging that draws me in every time.

Benefit 'Rockateur'

I love the bronzer 'One Hot Minute' and couldn't believe it when a employee told me it was being discontinued! However, rather than stocking up on that I decided to try the new blush, 'Rockateur'.  This is simply beautiful.  It has the look of the perfect rose gold with lots of shimmer, however, the shimmer transfers onto the skin beautifully without making you look like a disco ball! I love applying this on the apples of my cheeks and slightly up along my cheek bones once I've applied bronzer, it looks amazing!  This blush, as always, comes with a mini brush which I usually dispose of, however, this one is slightly thicker & domed shaped which applies the product perfectly.

Benefit 'Lip Service'

The lipsticks have never caught my eye but while we were there my Mum picked up a 'Hydra-Smooth Lipcolor' in the shade 'Lip Service' which I just had to have! Was slightly in my comfort zone, and still in the summer trend, but it was a gorgeous wearable coral. The colour pay off is fabulous, but the finish is sheer & extremely moisturising, comparable to Revlon Lip Butters.  What is a little different though as like a foundation this can be built up to a medium-full lip coverage.  Again the packaging was spot on. It's a 'twist-up' bullet, like that of the Clinique Chubby Sticks.  The longevity isn't great and if you are on a budget then Juicy Papaya in the Revlon Lip Butter range is the one for you.

I have to use primers to keep my make up from slipping as the day goes on.  There are a few I like such as Garnier's 5 Second Miracle Blur, however, I don't find this minimises my large pores as much as I would like.  So, i purchased the UK's No.1 primer 'Porefessional'.  This silicone product is a flesh coloured formula which glides on beautifully and leaves the skin feeling smooth.  I am very impressed with is product & it's fast becoming a product I can no longer live without. 

Bare Minerals.  I have such a love hate relationship with this product.  I've tried both the original & matte formulas and always preferred the original.  However, since having the children & my oily complexion becoming so much worse, I decided to give the matte formula another go.  I got it in the shade 'Fairy Medium' which I always felt was too pink for my skin tone, however, this is the colour I have been matched too on various occasions.
The coverage is medium to full, but I find that a lot has to be applied if you are after a full coverage look.  With it being a mineral powder I don't find that it goes cakey on the skin or blotchy as the day goes on, but I do feel like it fades after a few hours.  I'm going to try using a new brush with it & see if my experience improves but right now I can still say that it's not a foundation I reach for as my 'go to' product.