Bourjois Bio Detox Organic Foundation

Bourjois base makeup has always been a range I rate very highly, and I have featured a few of them on the blog before. Bio Detox Organic is their latest invention, and with stats like '98.8% of the total ingredients are from natural origin' and '21.9% of the total ingredients from Organic Farming', it is certainly their most impressive sounding foundation. A-Level Biology made me none the wiser as to how the addition of chlorophyll would benefit my skin, but whatever its purpose may be, it does contribute to the overall theme of the foundation. I was excited to try this as soon as I read some early reviews by bloggers who received samples from PR events, but I was left somewhat disappointed when I finally managed to get my hands on it. The first time I used the foundation, what struck me was how difficult it was to blend. The foundation has a paste like consistency, and needs to be used quickly as it almost starts to congeal as soon as it is pumped out of the bottle. It can easily look cakey if not blended properly too.

If I wasn't a beauty blogger I would have probably discarded or passed the foundation on, but, for the sake of giving a more thorough review, I forced myself to use this foundation for over three weeks, and fortunately - as I became more efficient in applying the product - I grew to like it more and more. The matte finish and the medium coverage is exactly to my preference, and on my oily skin the lasting power is far superior to any of the other Bourjois foundations I own. Despite the texture, it doesn't feel heavy on the face once applied, but it does seem to transfer quite easily so I make sure to set it with a light dusting of translucent powder. I probably wouldn't recommend this foundation to others, but I do urge those who have bought it (and disliked it) to give it a longer trial.

Price: £10.99/30ml

Ingredients: Aqua/Water, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water*, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Silica, Glycerin, Alcohol*, Octyldodecanol, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Glyceryl Stearate, Laruyl Laurate, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Hull Powder, Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystarate, Hordeum Vulgare Extract*, Sodium Zanthan Gum, Parfum, Cellulose Gum, Citric Acid, Tocopherol, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Dehydroacetic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Phytate, Potassium Sorbate, Benzyl Salicylate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Dextrin, Moringa Pterygosperma Seed Extract, Limonene [+/- may contain: Mica, CI 77007, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI77499, CI77891]
*Ingredients from organic farming.


As the foundation has almost no slip, I find it can be difficult to blend evenly and leave unattractive streaks on the skin. After applying the foundation (I like to use fingers, but any method would be fine) I go over everything with a dry sponge. I wouldn't recommend using any sort of dampened tools to apply the foundation; I don't know why but it does not work at all. On the left is my normal skin, and on the right is with the foundation applied. My skin is in fairly good condition right now (*touch wood*) so my camera couldn't really capture major differences, but I hope it does show the matte finish of the foundation at the very least. I used the shade 52 Vanilla here on my yellow-olive NC20-25 skin, but it is just a smidge too pink for me. i think perhaps 53 Light Beige would be a better match.

Suqqu Liquid Foundation Aqua

Asian brands make the best bases for my colouring (olive-yellow) and skin type (oily t-zone, normal elsewhere) but they can be difficult to test in person - or even to get hold of - for those not living in Asia. One of my favourite foundations is the Liquid Foundation Aqua made by Suqqu (pronounced soo-koo), a Japanese brand which is only available in a handful of countries across the world. I cannot believe it has taken me this long to blog about Suqqu, but they make some amazing products. For those in the UK, Suqqu has counters in London and Birmingham Selfridges, and the Edinburgh based store DollyLeo Apothecary also stock a small range from the line. Suqqu products can also be purchased worldwide from Mihoko, Ichibankao and DollyLeo online stores. They have recently revamped their entire line but I don't know whether this particular foundation has been/is going to be discontinued in the process. Aqua has been discontinued, and will be replaced by the new Frame Fix foundation.

Price: £38/24ml

Ingredients: Water, Cyclomethicone, Titanium Dioxide, Phenyl Trimethicone, Ethlhexyl Methioxycinnamate, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Maltitol, Mineral Oil, Phytosteryl/Isostearyl/Cetyl/Stearyl/Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Dimethicone Copolyol, Magnesium Sulfate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Tribehenin, BHT, Dimethicone/Methicone Copolymer, Silk Powder, Tocopherol, Dimethylaminoethyl Methacrylate, Carthamus Tinctorius Flower Extract, Gardenia Florida Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Methylparaben, [+/- May Contain: CI 77491, CI 77482, CI 77499, Talc]




The packaging is okay; simple, sleek, but nothing revolutionary. The foundation comes in a frosted glass base with a plastic lid. I am disappointed by the lack of a pump, but thankfully the opening is fairly small and thus easier to control. Also included with the foundation is a dense diamond shaped sponge and a pouch to store it in.


I used two layers of foundation in the pictures above (left), and it still looks like my skin - only much more even. The foundation has a wonderfully light and natural looking finish which I adore, and reminds me a little of Giorgio Armani's Lasting Silk Foundation - but more suited for oily skin, and without the high alcohol content. I do still get oily on my t-zone, and I need to blot one or twice throughout the day, but the foundation itself stays intact on my face all day without needing to be touched up. It is a somewhat drying foundation (due to the water content) and may not suit those with dry, or noticeably flaky, skin. There are only six shades in this range, and I use 15, the second lightest shade, which is best suited for a yellow NC20 complexion. I imagine those lighter than NC/NW15 or darker than NC/NW35 will struggle to find a suitable match.

beauty on a budget: Maybelline SuperStay 24HR Makeup

long-wearing foundation is a great option for me because i have oily skin. some formulas just slide off of my face no matter how well i prep before applying them. Maybelline's new SuperStay 24HR Makeup promises 24 hour wear and no rub off. so how does it compare to my HG makes-me-look-flawless-no-matter-what-and-doesn't-go-anywhere-until-i-take-it-off foundation, Double Wear by Estee Lauder?

here's the scoop:

i was a bit sceptical, and not really looking forward to using this foundation, but i had to get over myself and just do it (and i did spend my own money on it!). to really put it to the test, i decided to take it through one of my 1 1/2 hour workouts (hey, it says right on the bottle that it lasts through heat, sweat and humidity, i had to do it!).

so, i ran for 30 minutes then took a 1 hour spin class. by the end of both, i was impressed with what i saw. there was foundation on my towel, but my "face" didn't look like it was melting off. of course, the makeup wasn't perfect if you looked at it really close, but i thought it held up well considering what i had just put it through.

following my extreme experiment, i decided to be fair and wear it for a week under normal conditions-- just everyday life. the formula has a buildable coverage, and is a bit thicker in consistency compared to DW. i noticed it didn't always look great by the end of the day, but overall, it kept decent coverage, held up well and removed easily at the end of the day.

one thing i really am not happy about is the lack of shades available (only 12). my shade, Caramel, is the lighter of the only two dark shades. i realize this is a typical issue with drugstore foundations, but this could always change.

have you tried Maybelline SuperStay 24HR Makeup? what do you think?

xo
pic taken by me :)

Oh, it's a black thing: The search for great coverage

The number of times I have been shown something that could only be
described as milky beige and told ‘That’s the darkest shade we do…’.
Foundation is one of the most difficult things to get right on black
skin. MAC do a good job but surely in this day and age all brands
should cater for darker skins? Most cosmetics companies don’t have the
right shades or they have way too much red pigment in