Essence Instant Perfect Liquid Make Up

When it comes to liquid foundations I am incredibly choosy about what does and does not go on my skin. I absolutely hate anything that is really thick and makes my skin feel as though it is caked but equally, I am not a fan of anything that oxidises, gives patchy coverage or makes me look orange.  I want a foundation which is medium coverage and works with combination skin. 

So when I was invited along to the fabulous Duck & Dry Salon in London's West End to have the fabulous Kenneth Soh colour match me to the brand new Essence Instant Perfect Liquid Make-up, I was quite excited to see if there was something to suit my skin.  Whenever I am colour matched for anything, I am always, without question one of the two lightest shades that are available, sometimes I need to have two different shades mixed together to work for me and other times, in fact, twice now, I have been told that the lightest shade is too dark for my skin tone!

Achieve a flawless, matt look with this Essence Insta Perfect Liquid Make-Up. It boasts a waterproof finish and, drop by drop, you can build the coverage to nail your look. There are various different shades available (sold separately), which can be mixed and matched to build the perfect colour for every skin type - making sure you're #instaperfect.

I was matched to shade 30, which is called Funny Ivory and it is near enough perfect for my skin. There are two lighter shades which come before this one with shade 10 being Cool Porcelain and shade 20 being Very Vanilla. Then upwards of my shade, there is 40 which is Pretty Beige, 50 which is Perfect Honey, 60 which is Crazy Caramel, 70 which is Sweet Almond, 80 which is Hot Chocolate and 90 is Lovely Mocha.  I know some people will think there should be a lot more shades and some will think 9 is just about right. 

What I like about this liquid texture is that it isn't too thick, it isn't too thick in fact it is just about perfect.  Designed in what is called practical drop-packaging, the shape of the bottle allows you to 'drop' the liquid onto your hand, brush or beauty blender and what I like about this is that I find I need fewer drops than I expected and the formula is buildable without looking 'caked on' and it does give a medium coverage.  

What I really like about this foundation is how it sits on my skin.  Alongside my primer, I find that there is no clinging to dry skin, one of the downsides to having combination skin is that I have an oily t-zone with dry cheeks, it does a pretty good job at dealing with my t-zone but what surprised me the most is that once applied, I found it lasts pretty much all day, by which I mean it is applied around 8am and by 6pm it is still visible, but if I am going out of an evening, then I do need to touch up.  I set my make up every time and for £4.50 this Essence Instant Perfect Liquid Make Up is fabulous, I literally can not fault it at all.

This has been a first little foray into the world of Essence and whilst I am lucky enough to have been given a goodie bag full of products that I am working my way through, this is one product I cannot recommend enough.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page here

StarSkin Coco Nuts Nourishing Coconut Hot Oil Hair Mask

I love a good mask. A mask for my face, under eye, feet, hands and even my hair. Just lately I’ve had a little more time on my hands owing to a badly sprained ankle with torn ligaments, so I’ve made the most of pampering myself that little bit more because sitting down is pretty much all I have been able to do.

Part of my hair care routine is to enjoy a weekly mask or treatment and it is something I have been doing ever since I was in my teens and VO5 Hot Oil was the in thing to use. As I've got older, my hair has changed quite a lot. Gone is the bottom length naturally wavy hair and in its place is shoulder length straightened hair, which is much easier to manage. The mask I have used recently comes from Starskin and it is the Coco Nuts Nourishing Coconut Hot Oil Hair Mask and it is just beautiful.

Treat your tresses to the STARSKIN Coco-Nuts Nourishing Hot Oil Hair Mask, a deeply conditioning treatment to leave locks super-soft and silky. 

Using a powerful blend of natural oils such as:

• Premium-grade Virgin Coconut Oil is blended with best hair superfoods to penetrate hair shaft to repair and nourish the hair (and scalp) from inside out.
• Starflower Seed Oil – Thickening, 
• Baobab Seed Oil – Nourishing, 
• Sea Buckthorn Fruit Oil – Volumizing 
• Sacha Inchi Seed Oil – Strengthening.

These ingredients come together to penetrate the hair shaft to repair damage and strengthen hair strands from the inside out. Ideal for locks which need a bit of a boost, the pre-shampoo mask will help hair become shinier, stronger and visibly healthier.

Earlier in this review, I mention the Hot Oil I used to use on my hair and if you remember how to use it, then this is very similar. You either heat the unopened hair mask sachet in the microwave for 20 seconds or sit it (unopened) in a mug of hot water for 30 seconds. Before opening, remember it will be hot, so please be careful, but cutting along the dotted line, you massage the hot oil onto to your dry hair and scalp ensuring you cover everywhere from root to tip. Then, using the accompanying hair mask/shower cap, cover your head for 20 minutes and then rinse twice using a clarifying shampoo and conditioner if you feel you need too. You can also use this mask as an overnight treatment too and even though you are wearing the shower cap, I would advise leaving a towel on your pillow as to not stain it with the oils. 

What I love about the Starskin Coco Nuts Mask is that it is so easy to use and not as messy as I was expecting it to be. When pouring the oil onto my hair, I actually poured it slowly into the palm of my hand, so I could also check the temperature and then applied to my hair and scalp, brushing through with a wide-toothed comb to ensure I covered every possible part of my head and scalp.

Not only does this mask smell just incredible, if you love the scent of Coconuts, then you will absolutely love this because alongside that scent is also a slight hint of berries too. Coconut Oil is an amazing ingredient for your hair and my hair stylist told me that not only is it one of the only oils that can fully penetrate the hair shaft, it is also so incredibly hydrating that moisturises and nourishes too. Whenever your hair is feeling really lank and lacklustre, Coconut Oil is amazing at restoring life to your tresses.

This mask for my hair has been just amazing. I used it in place of my usual hair mask and honestly, the difference is incredible. My hair is soft, it is smooth, it has that just left the salon shine and styling is just a breeze, my hair straighteners ran through my hair easily and I have no flyway’s, a first for a very long time. Suitable for all hair types, including hair which has been coloured, this hair mask is free from parabens, phthalates, silicone, alcohol, mineral oils, sulphates, triclosan, mercury, artificial colouring and harsh chemical preservatives. StarSkin also recommends that you should use this mask at least 1-2 times a week, but for me, my hair feels so good after one use, I haven’t felt the need to use it quite so soon. This mask is priced at £8.50 and you can purchase it from LookFantastic, BeautyBay, Selfridges and Feelunique.

Have you ever tried anything from StarSkin before?! 

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page here

MUA Super Stylo Satin Finish Lipstick

MUA or Make Up Academy, depending on your preference, have had some fabulous releases of late and there are quite a few that I have really loved playing with.  The first is the Super Stylo Satin Finish Lipsticks and they are incredible considering they cost just £3.

With eight shades in the range to choose from - Super Nude, World Class, Superior, VIP, Major, Elite, Heroic and First Class, they are described as giving full coverage.

I have three of the eight lipsticks and at a first glance, they look like Chubby Sticks but once the lid is removed, you can see that they are in fact lipsticks.  The bottom part of the stick performs a twisting action to move the lipstick up and down and because the lid fastens on so snugly, they are perfect for carrying in your handbag.

I have shades First Class, Elite and World Class and each shade glides onto the lips as though it was a balm with its soft and creamy formula.  I had expected it to stick to dry skin, but it doesn't, instead, it pretty much hides it from view.  Long wearing, I have found that I get between 4-5 hours wear out of these shades, whether I am at work, at home or out and about.  They don't feather or bleed once applied and when it comes to removing, I just wipe off any excess with a cotton wool pad and then remove the rest when I do my double cleanse.

As you can see from the swatches (which are unedited), they have quite the pigment to them.  World Class is a Dusty Pink Shade and one which is perfect for any occasion and it is the shade I have worn the most.  First Class is a beautiful Red and there is a slight blue undertone to it.  Elite is the shade which surprised me the most, I had expected to hate it, but upon wearing, it is an almost lilac shade but looks more like a Mauve shade depending upon the light.

You can find these Super Stylo Satin Finish Lipsticks in Superdrug along with the rest of the MUA brand.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page here