Armani Chester Beauty Experience

Other than Giorgio Armani’s Luminous Silk Foundation, the Armani range has completely new to me. The wonderful Kate from the Chester counter, booked me in for a one to one meeting to help me discover the history and feel of the Armani brand, and of course try some of the products out.

Giorgio Armani himself designs and approves all products, the line came after the success of this fashion line, hence the focus on textures feeling like fabrics – Luminous Silk Foundation, Sun Fabric Bronzer, Fluid Sheer Illuminator.

Kate stripped me back to bare skin using their luxurious skincare range, before we discussed the makeup products and I had a mini makeover.

My base comprised of the Maestro UV Primer, Armani Designer Cream Foundation, High Precision Concealer and the Micro-Fill Powder. With being on Roaccutane, my skin needs extra protection from the sun, even in winter, so SPF50 in the primer makes a perfect base.

The foundation has a lovely moisturising formula with plenty of glow, this worked well with my very parched skin. It’s not very high coverage so Kate used the High Precision Concealer under my eyes and on my acne scarring. A light dusting of the powder set the base but didn’t leave the skin looking cakey.

Next up, we moved onto eyes, one thing I learnt from Kate was that Armani love the Egyptian eye make-up look. Imagine the eyeshadow being pulled out, away from the crease and not upwards towards the brow bone, this extends the eyes and creates a sultry look. We went for a neutral smokey look using Eye Tints in Suede Smoke and Spice Smoke, as well as the Smooth Silk Eye Pencil in #1. The Eye and Brow Maestro in Ambre and Eyes to Kill Excess Black Mascara were used to complete the look.

I loved the look of the bronzers and blusher, Kate chose the Sun Fabric Bronzer in #200 and the Cheek Fabric Blusher in #506 for me. The big fluffy brush she applied them with was incredibly soft, I can highly recommend checking out the brushes if you are at a counter. Finally for the cheeks, Kate dabbed a touch of the Sheer Fluid Highlighter in #2 to add dimension. 

We used a lovely pink lip colour, the Lip Maestro in #508 to add a touch of colour to my lips. I did get a sneak peak of the new Lip Magnets too. The shade #200 is Armani’s signature red shade that is attended to suit all. You’ll find this colour in each of the lip ranges.

Kate also talked me through the exquisite fragrances on offer at the counter. Amber is listed as a note in lots of popular fragrances but it actually doesn’t smell of anything. The scent we know as amber is created on what people think the amber stone should smell like. The Armani Amber fragrance is on the top of my Christmas list.

I thoroughly enjoyed my mini makeover and chatting to Kate about the brand, I learnt so much. I have a few products to try so I’ll make sure to let you know my thoughts in future.

SHARE:

Autumn Boots Wishlist

My summer sandals have been packed away in the bottom of my wardrobe and now it's time to embrace Autumn fashion with some new boots.

I've picked some of my favourite ankle boots from the high street, some would be ideal for everyday wear and some can be worn on a night out to make an outfit more fitting with Autumn weather.

Clarks Black Ankle Boots via Brantano
These classic style boots will see you through Autumn and could be paired with any outfit!

River Island Glitter Block Heel Ankle Boots
Sometimes you just wanted to dress up an all black outfit, these boots would look incredible for the party season.

Next Suede Western Boots
I've been lusting after a pair of Ash western style boots and came across these dupes at Next, costing a fraction of the price.

Ego Zina Heeled Ankle Boots
These sock boots would look so stylish with a roll neck chunky jumper dress, to be dressed up or down for day and night.

Which boots have caught your eye?

*Sponsored Post

SHARE:

Skin Update and Product Switch Up

I am down two weeks into my course of Roaccutane and I've already started to see changes in my skin. The first thing I noticed was my lips drying out, then my t-zone started to feel tight after cleansing. 

I've already started adapting my skincare routine. I have stopped using acne fighting products and any exfoliating ingredients and swapped them about for simple skincare that combats dry skin.

My routine is now down to just three products after I cleanse, Cetaphil Moisturising Lotion, Dr Lipp Nipple Balm for Lips, and Origins Eye Doctor Eye Cream.

I would thoroughly recommend Cetaphil to anyone that suffers from dry skin, it doesn't contain any strong fragrances and it deeply nourishes the skin. It's been keeping flaky patches of skin in check.

I have noticed my eye area has become extremely dry, Origin's Eye Doctor is the only thing that seems to soothe them. I find my eyes are really dry and itchy so dotting some of this on soothes the skin instantly. 

The final step of my current routine is slapping on as much lip balm as possible. Roaccutane dries your lips out completely so Dr Lipps Nipple Balm for Lips has been a saviour. It's a very thick jelly consistency that creates a barrier from the cold weather and helps heal any cracks.

I'm currently trying out the Seven Sea Perfect 7 supplements, they aim to help with skin and nails, as well as energy and hormone activity, I'm enjoying taking them so far. You can find out more about the Perfect 7 on their website.

On my first month of Roaccutane I have been prescribed 30mg per day, this will be upped to a full dose of 60mg at the end of the month. So I'll keep you updated on side effects and the products I've been using.

*Sponsored post

SHARE:

Estee Lauder Double Wear vs Urban Decay All Night Foundation Review and Comparison

It’s a battle of the heavy weights today, I’m talking high coverage and long lasting foundations going head to head. Estee Lauder Double Wear versus Urban Decay All Nighter Foundation.

Before we get to the nitty-gritty of the comparison, a quick background on my skin type is needed. I have very oily skin, with acne and acne scarring, so as you can imagine I like full coverage, long wearing foundation. I apply both foundations with a damp Beauty Blender for an even finish. I always moisturise then apply a primer and finish with a matte powder after applying the foundation.

Estee Lauder has been my Holy Grail for a few years now, I was unable to find anything that matched its long wear time. Could Urban Decay’s new All Nighter Foundation knock Double Wear off the top spot?

PACKAGING

---

Urban Decay’s offering is a lot edgier and more contemporary looking than the Estee Lauder foundation bottle. One of the biggest flaws that Double Wear has it that it doesn’t have a pump, although I have heard you can buy a MAC pump and it fits onto the bottle. I often just pour the foundation onto the back of my hand and end up with too much! The All Nighter foundation has a handy pump making it easier to dispense the amount you want. Both contain 30ml of product, so a draw on that front. I do think the Urban Decay version wins on packaging though.
Winner: Urban Decay All Nighter Foundation

FORMULA

---

I’m going to be honest and say that both have a heavy, mask-like feel but the Urban Decay is ever so slightly lighter. I think this is down to the fact you need less of the UD option to cover the skin, so it does feel fractional better.

Double Wear takes a while to set and feels a little sticky until it dries, I haven’t found this at all with All Nighter. When I have very long days in London, both foundations feel heavy on the skin and by the end of the day I can’t wait to cleanse them off but I think you have to compromise with foundations like this to get the longevity.

I don’t have dry skin but I can imagine the heavy formulas of both would stick to dry patches so maybe get a sample first if you are worried about this. I have noticed that the Urban Decay Foundation does stick to the dip in my chin and sets oddly sometimes. My advice on this is to blend into the creases of your face, like chin and around the nose well.
Winner: Urban Decay All Nighter Foundation

WEAR AND LONGEVITY

---

Double Wear gained its Holy Grail status previously as it didn’t slide off my face by lunchtime like most other foundations. It still does let some oils through, so blotting is needed occasionally. The Urban Decay All Nighter Foundation does last a few hours longer before I start to notice oils coming to the surface.

Both options do need a blot and show signs of wear after a few hours but nothing you can't easily fix.

Winner: Urban Decay All Nighter Foundation

I think Urban Decay’s All Nighter Foundation has knocked Estee Lauder’s Double Wear off the top spot! It’s little added things that have made it a winner. If you aren’t sure which to purchase for oily skin, I would recommend All Nighter!

Have you tried these foundations? Which one is your favourite?

SHARE:

Summer's Last Hurrah - Tatton Park

I spent what felt like the last day of pure summer sunshine in Tatton Park with my two best friends. I took my Olympus Pen along to capture some of the beautiful features within the gardens.

Tatton Park has a country manor house, animal petting zoo and stunning gardens. There is so much to see and do, you can easily spend the whole day there.

Have you ever visited Tatton Park?

SHARE: