Creme De La Mer the SPF 18 Fluid Tint Review

Hi everyone. As requested, here is my review on Creme De La Mer's Fluid Tint SPF18. I bought this cream almost a year ago, and have never got round to reviewing it until now!




It's an extremely high end product at £50 for a 50ml tube. Though, if you calculate it in cost/ml, it costs the same as my previously reviewed Lancome BB Cream.

It comes in a creamy, thick lotion which can be easily applied and blended.

According to La Mer:

Designed for daily use, this water-borne formula absorbs instantly into the skin to provide broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection. A trio of natural and sea-derived ingredients uniquely benefit the skin. Gemstones absorb light energy, transforming it into beneficial green light to enhance anti-oxidant activity. Photonic spheres within The SPF 18 Fluid Tint redirect and diffuse light. Smart, light-reactive seaweeds impart natural humectant properties to bind moisture - preventing dehydration. Worn over Crème de la Mer, The SPF 18 Fluid Tint acts as a generator, actually boosting its efficacy.

The SPF 18 Fluid Tint captures beneficial light while diverting potentially damaging light. It brings a touch of colour to the skin for a smooth, even finish.

The fluid tint on my skin:

As you can see, coverage is low. It did not fully cover small signs of skin irritation on my chin.


However, it gave my skin a really nice natural finish with a great glow.

My Thoughts:

Texture and Scent

The texture is thicker than most fluid tints. It has the texture of a creamy lotion, and due to its thickness is not as easy to spread across the skin as most fluid tints. I love the scent! It's the scent of most of the La Mer products, fresh with a hint of floral.

Colour and Coverage

The fluid tints come in only three shades; light medium and dark. I got mine in light, which suits me perfectly.

Coverage is like most tinted moisturisers: sheer to medium. It won't conceal acne, but it does even out any redness in the face. The coverage is also buildable by applying another layer on it onto the skin. I really like the finish. It gives a flawless looking finish with a great healthy, sun-kissed glow. It enhances my skin rather than masking it.

It provided some moisture to my skin, but not much. I use it on top of my daily moisturiser.

Lasting Power and Oil Control

The lasting power is great, and the tint lasts all day. My skin doesn't feel oily at all with it on. However, I'm living in a dry winter climate so I'm not sure how this cream would fare for oily skin types or those living in tropical countries. I have read that the fluid tint tends to look shiny on those with oilier skin types.

Would I recommend it?

I would have to say yes. As a treat to be used sparingly. I love this tint as I get compliments on my skin whenever I wear it. It has what I look for in a tinted moisturiser; sheer coverage to even out my skin tone, gives me a 'my skin but better' natural look, contains SPF, lasts all day and smells great. I recommend it to those with already good skin, want sheer coverage and is willing to pay a bit extra! However, as it's so expensive, many people out there would think this is not wirth the price and find much cheaper alternatives that give similar results.

Pros:

- contains spf (though it is a low spf of 18)

- has sheer to medium coverage to even out my skintone

- gave my skin a flawless, sun-kissed, healthy, natural looking glow

- lasts all day

- smells gorgeous

Cons:

- sooo expensive at £50

- SPF 18 may be considered too low

- the glow is a little on the subtle side, so may not be enough for those who like especially dewy looking skin

- only available in 3 shades

*disclosure: like all of my reviews, this is my genuine opinion. I was not paid or influenced to give a good review. As my opinions are my own and they may not be the same for everyone esle. Everyone has different skintypes. What works for me may not work for everyone and vice-versa. Thanks for reading!*

My Christmas FOTD

Hi everyone! I wanted to share with you a Christmas inspired FOTD.

I used my newly purchased Illamasqua Cream Blush in Lies to highlight my cheeks. I really love this blush as it gives a really great glow.

For foundation, I dug up my Chanel Vitalumiere. Haven't used it for over half a year. I love how sheer it is, almost like a tinted moisturiser.

Products Used:

Face

Chanel Vitalumiere Foundation, 10

Paul & Joe Face Colour, 11

Illamasqua Cream Blusher, Lies (to highlight)

Eyes

Chanel Ombres Paupieres Eyeshadow, 60

Collection 2000 Extreme Liner

Shu Uemura Crisscross Eyelashes

Lips

Max Factor Lipfinity Colour and Gloss, 560 Radiant Red

This is the first time I've worn false lashes in an FOTD. As you can see I'm not used to them yet, makes me feel very heavy lidded!

I'm off to Malaysia in a few days, so Merry Christmas everyone! Hope you have a wonderful holiday filled with joy and loved ones! While I'm at it, a Happy New Year too! Any new year's resolutions?

My new year's resolutions are:

1. Eat healthily and continue going to the gym regularly

2. Focus more on my loved ones, and make sure they know how much they mean to me

3. Spend less on makeup! The hardest part will be resisting limited editions...

4. Try lots of new recipes - preferably healthy ones to go with resolution No.1!

Book of the Month: The Last Duchess

Hi everyone, hope you enjoyed his review. Now, back to me. My book of the month for Novermber is The last Duchess by Daisy Goodwin.

I absolutely loved this novel. The book was set in the 1890's and is loosely based on the American heiress, Consuelo Venderbilt who married the 10th Duke of Malborough. I love reading fiction from this time period and am fascinated about the lives of socialites/debutantes in this era aswell as their fashion and stately homes.

So as you might have gathered, the book is about an American heiress who marries an English Duke. The aristocracy in Britain were suffering from declining incomes aswell as the new inhertance tax, and therefore found it extremely difficult to maintain and keep their stately homes. Meanwhile, in the US, vast fortunes were being made. American heiresses would make their way to Europe to obtain titles and other things the Old World had to offer.

It was not so much the plot that made me love the book, but the detail and historical accuracy that went into this novel. I truly felt like I was drawn into that era, and through reading, could experience a little of what it was like to be a debutante during that time. The book is filled with interesting characters, some carrying with them dark secrets. I found the book a very good read, and I was hooked after a couple of pages. After I finished the book, I was still thinking about it alot and wished the author has a similar book on sale.

Diorskin Nude Natural Glow Fresh Powder Makeup Review

Hi everyone, today I'm doing a quick review on Diorskin Nude Natural Glow Fresh Powder Makeup. This will be a glowing review as I absolutely love this powder!

This is a loose powder foundation costs £32 and comes with a small flat top brush. The large version of this brush costs over £20, so it's quite a good saving! I think the inclusion of a brush is a pretty new addition, as a few bloggers have notified me that their foundation did not come with a brush. In fact, the make-up assistant was also surprised to find it included a brush.

I bought the shade 020 light beige, which matches me well.

The box includes a picture diagram on how to use the powder.

According to Dior:

The first loose powder foundation with a 'water' sensation. Surprising, moist and refresing as it touches the skin, the powder glides like a caress to even out the complexion with a sheer finish and leave it fresh, matte and luminous.

Exceptionally rich in precious minerals, vitamins and trace elements, Mineralized Water acts like a hydrating and energizing cocktail for the skin. your complexion glows with intensity and dazzles with well-being. Your skin gradually becomes more beautiful.

My Thoughts

I use this powder alone over moisturiser. I love how you don't need to use a setting powder on top. Here are some pics of it on my skin:

Coverage:

I LOVE this powder. Used on it's own, it looks so natural on the skin. It feels weightless, whilst providing sheer but buildable coverage. I was most impressed with the radiant glow it gave my skin, without making it look shiny or oily. The powder feels moist compared to other powder foundations and my skin felt comfortable and hydrated with it on. As it is a powder, it had pretty good oil control and I don't need to use a setting powder on top of it.

* A Tip for achieving this glow is to dab the brush containing powder onto the skin first before swirling the brush in circular movements to blend the powder *

Who would I recommend it to?

It's a great foundation for those with normal-combination skin types, and for those who already have good skin and are looking for sheer to medium natural looking coverage.

Does it irritate my skin?

Most foundations which include minerals irritate my skin, but this one doesn't at all. Nor does it clog my pores. For an extra flawless finish, you can also use this powder on top of foundation as a loose powder.

How is its staying power?

Applied on it's own, on top of moisturiser, I found it to have good staying power. The foundation lasted all day without any touch-ups. I have read that it becomes slightly too oily at the end of the day for those with oilier skin types.

Pros:
- SPF 10

- provides light to medium coverage while looking so natural

- gave the skin an amazing radiant, healthy glow

-does not irritate my skin

-easy to apply and is long lasting

-don't need to apply setting powder on top

-can also be applied as a loose powder on top of liquid foundation for those who like extra coverage

-comes with a flat top brush

Cons:

-brush is not as soft as others I have tried, a bit on the prickly side

-as it has a moist feel to it, it has some oil control, but may not be enough for those with oily skin types

- the loose powder formula means it can be a bit messy to apply

- does not come in a large variety of shades

-expensive at £32

My Non-Beauty Buys This Winter

Hi everyone, I thought I'd do a post on non beauty buys for a change. Here are a few things I've bought in the last couple of months. I haven't done a lot of shopping this winter, but am very happy with the items I bought.

I bought these baby creamy pink shoes from KG. I'm a sucker for things with bows, and couldn't resist these shoes. The pink insoles are mine. I added then to make the shoes extra comfortable.

Technically the item below was not a buy. It's a gift from a sweet relative in Canada. A gorgeous pair of dusty rose/grey shoes from Banana Republic.

I bought this bag online from Urban Outfitters. I love this particular shade of blue. I also like the flowery pattern embossed on it.

This sweet coat was from Miss Selfridge. It has a detachable fur collar and bows on the pockets and at the back. (I know, again with the bows!) This coat has kept me super warm, especially the last couple of weeks with the freezing spell.

And lastly, from Selfridges I bought this cute earring holder to join my collection (the 2 behind). It's so much easier to store my earrings this way as they don't get tangled up in a box, and I can easily see all the pairs I own -making it easier when deciding which one to wear.

Western BB creams: Lancome UV Expert BB Base SPF50+++ Review

BB creams have been popular in Asia for many years now, and Western brands have recently caught on making their own versions of the cream. Here is a quick review on Lancome's UV Expert BB Base SPF50 PA+++.

The product in packaged in a small 30ml tube. Great for travelling, or carrying around in your bag.

The ingredients list:

Like most BB creams, this only comes in one shade, a pale beige. My guess is that this colour would only suit those with fair skin.

This is the cream partially blended on my skin. You can see there is a slight grey-cast to it:

However, once fully blended the grey cast almost fully disappears:

The BB cream on my face. It give a nice dewy finish:

And an FOTD using the BB cream (my skin looks a different shade in the 2 pics due to different lighting conditions):

According to Lancome:

'This incredibly lightweight texture unifies skin tone to ideally cover imperfections, such as brown spots, blemishes and fine lines.

Upon application, your complexion looks naturally flawless and even with enhanced make-up result. Skin is protected, visibly brightened, moisturised, soft and smooth, glowing with healthy translucency.'

My Thoughts:

Texture, scent and shade

The cream had a medium to thick consistency, which spreads easily over the skin. It's not as thick as most BB creams. The scent is pretty strong and smells of a flowery perfume. As previously mentioned, it only comes in one shade. The colour is a pale beige and will only match those with lighter skin colour.

Coverage

Coverage is not as good as most BB creams, but I found it to give the perfect amount of coverage for those with already good skin and want to even out their skintone. The finish is great! Really nice and glowy, making the skin look more radiant. Because the cream looks so dewy and glowy, it may look a bit on the shiny side on those with oily skin types.

Due to the light coverage, I found this cream to act more of a tinted SPF cream rather than a BB cream.

Staying power and oil control

I found the cream to have decent staying power. I'm not sure how well this cream fares for combination to oily skin types, or those living in tropical climates. It's winter here and my skin is currently normal to dry. As the cream is super dewy and has no mattifying effects, it may be too oily for some.

Would I recommend this BB cream?

I would recommend this cream to those with good skin and are looking for sheer to medium coverage to even out their skintone. I LOVE the fact that it contains SPF50. The bonus of this cream is the nice radiant glow it gives the skin. Having said that, this cream is pretty expensive (~£30) for such a small tube so I think it may not be worth it. There are less expensive creams out there who might do the job just as well.

Pros:

-SPF 50
-sheer to medium coverage, gave a lovely radiant, glowy finish

-compact enough to carry around in handbag

Cons:

-expensive at RM165 (~£30) for a small 30ml bottle

-too much fragrance, irritated my skin slightly

-coverage may be too light for some tastes

- only comes in one shade, too light for those with darker skintones

Anticipation of Spring 2011 Collections

Hi everyone, here are some photos to get you excited for upcoming Spring 2011 beauty collections, while it's cold and dreary outside for most of us. Sorry for the lack of info, I just wanted to do a quick round-up on things which have caught my eye. Spring collections have always been my favourite as they are so vibrant and pretty.

Paul and Joe:

Parasol Spring 2011 Collection

image curtesy of Kiss and Makeup

YSL :

The colours look so pretty and fresh! The range includes a highlighting powder called Pink Celebration, and 8 new Rouge Pur Couture Lipsticks.

One of my favourite brands, Guerlain:

I like the look of: Ecrin 6 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette Rue de Rivoli

and Blush G de Guerlain

Givenchy:

The star product of this collection will be the Photo Perfection Light Evanescent Fluid Foundation SPF10 with foam applicator and radiance formula

This Blush Gelee caught my attention as I love blushes in its many forms

Lancome:

Ultra Lavande Collection by Aaron De May.

I'm not fond of lavander coloured makeup, but this collection has some beautiful looking pieces, including this La Rose butterfly Blush

Ballerine Color Fever Gloss Natural Origin, Lancome Le Vernis and LA Base Dewy Glow Smoothing Radiance Enhancer (which I am VERY interested in the sound of).

Shu Uemura:

Inspired by butterfly's wings and tropical jungle sunsets.

Morphollium Blue Palette, Sunset Gold Palette, Shine Mystic Eye Colors, and Peacock Partial Eyelash

From all the the above collections, I'll be interested in investigating the; YSL Pink Celebration Highlighter, Givenchy foundation and Lancome LA Base Dewy Glow. How about you?

Guerlain L'Or Radiance Concentrate with Pure Gold Review

Hi everyone. Guerlain L'Or Radiance Concentrate with Pure Gold is my HG makeup primer. I've used it for quite a few of my FOTDs and decided to do a review on the product itself.

According to Guerlain:
'Instant radiance to reveal a perfect complexion. Gold is the most precious of metals. Pure, it reflects light in an extraordinary and unfailing way. To light up the complexion, Guerlain has chosen to include 24-carat gold in a hydrating and soothing gel. The gold gas been fashioned into precious flakes using a unique time-honoured method, to integrate them magically into the gel. As though suspended in the air, the flakes sparkle to reveal their precious treasure: radiance. The complexion is immediately awakened, thanks to the formula's extreme hydrating action: +112% after two hours and 93% after 6 hours (instrumental test).'




The base is housed in a beautiful glass bottle, which feels quite heavy and of good quality. The base itself is extremely lightweight. It melts so easily onto the skin, dispersing and evenly distributing the gold flakes. There is a slight fragrance to it which is subtle and pleasant. The base is very luxurious and feel so fresh and cooling on my skin. I found that it helps keep my skin quite moisturised too. The gold flakes disperses into very tiny gold shimmer particles, leaving an amazing glow.

It looks great alone or under makeup. I sometimes just dab a small amount onto my cheeks to give them a great dewy sheen. A little of this product goes a very long way. I've had this bottle for a year and there's still so much of it left. (It has a recommended shelf life of a year though, so might need to replace it at some point).

Here is a pic of me taken from a previous FOTD post, with the base and a little BB cream on top.


This base looks great under powder foundation too. Here is a pic of me & fellow scientists at some party at a genetics convention in Rome, wearing the base under powder foundation.



Pros:
- lightweight, yet luxurious feel
- gives skin an incomparable dewy, radiant glow
- slight moisturizing effect on skin
- looks great on its own, and under liquid or powder foundation
- very easily applied onto the skin
- non greasy
- only a little is needed, so product lasts a long time


Cons:
- expensive at £40