Estee Lauder Stay-In-Place High Cover Concealer (5N Deep) Review

I am slowly beginning to fall in love with Estee Lauder as a brand. For some reason, I just think it’s for older women and I am not sure where that came from. My Holy Grail MAC Studio Finish Concealer finished and I was in dire need for a new one but there are no MAC Counters very close to my work place or even at home. I went into Debenhams and I saw their lovely Gifts With Purchase enticingly displayed and I decided to try the Estee Lauder Double Wear  Stay-in Place High Coverage Concealer which I had heard good things about.

Packaging

I really like how sleek and compact the packaging looks and I think the characteristic Estee Lauder  Navy Blue colour works really well with this packaging. Once you open it, you also have a small mirror which is a really good touch especially if you want to touch up on the go.

Shade

I am in the shade 5N Deep (Neutral) and I know it looks unnaturally dark in this picture and even in real life but it’s actually the best shade for me when I apply it and blend it in. I and the Sales lady were pretty sure it won’t match but when we tried the shade above this it was too light and we tried this and lo and behold! It was a perfect match.

Application

Applying concealer depends on your preference. I use concealers to hide my dark blemishes from previous acne and spots. I usually apply my concealer after my foundation because I prefer it this way and I know a lot of people apply it the other way round. I feel applying it after foundation saves more time for me especially when I am rushing off to work. I use my fingers sometimes and other times I use a concealer brush to apply and blend it in.

Coverage

As the name implies, it is full coverage which means it really hides any pesky blemishes and it actually stays in place especially when you set it with a powder. I find that it can be a little drying when applied which is fine for me but if you have dry skin you may want to moisten your concealer brush before application. I would say the wear time is between 6-8 hours which I think is fair. Depending on how you much expertise you have, you may not need to touch up before the day ends but I do occasionally and other times, I can’t be bothered.

Cost
It costs £21 which is not the most expensive concealer out there but it is quite pricey and if they did not have a free Gift With Purchase (already reviewed here) and a 10% discount, I highly doubt I would have bought it. The packaging is so pretty though with a small mirror so I am guessing that's where the extra cost went to.

Cons

1.       It may be a little drying if you have dry skin which can also make it difficult to blend.

2.       It is quite an expensive concealer but you get a good amount of product and a little goes a long way.

3.       There are not a wide range of colours unlike the other Estee Lauder Concealers.

Personal Thoughts

I really like this concealer and I aim to finish it. It looks classy, compact and does the job really well. I am not sure I would repurchase only because I feel the MAC Studio Finish Concealer is better suited to my skin and more blendable than this but seeing that Estee Lauder owns MAC I guess the formulation may be the same. But MAC is cheaper than this so it’s a total winner...

Dr Organic Vitamin E Moisturising Cream

Hi My Lovelies,
I hope everyone has had a nice weekend so far. I am hoping you must have read my previous review of the Dr Organic Vitamin E Oil which is reviewed here.  This is the much awaited sequel. so, I will just jump right into it.



The Dr Organic Brand
I have always seen the Dr Organic brand in Holland and Barrett which is where I bought this oil. I know the brand mainly for their Manuka Honey which always looks enticing but somehow I never bothered buying it. Dr Organic is a skincare brand which prides itself in producing organic products to the highest and purest quality they can muster which is music to my organic product loving ears.

Packaging
I quite like the packaging given the price. It comes in a glass jar which feels quite expensive and sturdy which is good. It's not very heavy but it does fit in well in my travel makeup bag when i am travelling so that is very good in my books. It does have an outer packaging but it's not really important to keep it.


Formula/Ingredients
Dr Organic describes it as an intensive, emollient moisturising cream and i absolutely agree with them. Its major (or star) ingredient is Organic Vitamin E predominantly in a moisturising formula. It also contains Aloe Vera, Shea Butter, Panthenol, Cocoa Butter, Wheat Germ Oil, Bergamot Oil and Sweet Almond Oil which are all naturally derived emollients and antioxidant. It is super hydrating, rich in texture and very moisturising. I can't really say it has a particular scent or fragrance but it does not smell bad. According to the Dr Organic website, this cream is suitable for scars, stretch marks, ageing skin and dry skin but it is can be used for many more uses and in my case, it has been superb during the winter season fir hydrating my skin and keeping my acne and acne scars under control.

Texture
I am not going to lie to you; this cream does really come off really thick and truly, a little goes a long way. Although it has a thick consistency, it does not feel greasy when applied. I am sure many people will prefer not to use this for their face and i understand why given its consistency. However,  I use it on my face only at night and ocassionally in the morning. It really sinks into my skin fast so the thick consistency is only for a short while as my skin readily absorbs it.

Application
As stated earlier, i use this only at night and ocassionally during the day if i feel my skin feels a little dry which is really rare. I apply this straight after the Vitamin E Oil (reviewed here). When I first started using it, it felt a little heavy straight after i applied it but it got absorbed within a short time so it was fine. These days, i don't even notice how heavy it feels on my skin. If you have dry skin, i think this cream will be suitable for you especially during the winter or drier seasons. If you are combination to oily skin like me, you may want to test run it for a couple of nights to see how you fare but i am pretty sure you will enjoy it.



Results
Every time I use this cream at night, I always wake up to really soft skin which has been really refreshing this winter season. I really like this cream and using it together with the Vitamin E Oil has brought really significant improvements to my skin which has been visible to the boyfriend and my close friends. It is definitely not a quick fix as i stated in my precious review of the Oil, it took me a little more than a month to see significant differences in fading away of Post Acne Scars and Blemishes. In terms of skin texture and softness, I saw significant differences overnight and a massive improvement within a week of using this cream. I have not broken out at all using this and that was my biggest fear instead it has helped clear my ocassional Acne and i have not broken out at all except for a few naughty hormonal fellas which were very short lived.



Cost
Again, I got this from Holland and Barret for £7.39 but i got it together with the Vitamin E Oil and they had an offer of buy one get one half price like they always do which is  massive bargain seeing that i still have a good quantity of this cream left as i use only very,very little every night.

Verdict
I really love the Vitamin E Organic Cream range from Dr Organic and it has really changed my skin with some other changes which i have made with my skin care. It's definitely worth a try regardless of what kind of skin you have. I can imagine that ladies with very dry skin or dry skin will like this and if you have oily skin, it's still worth a try because it will help balance out hydration and moisture levels.



That's it folks. I hope you have enjoyed this review like the previous ones. I am sorry i have been a little erratic with my blog post but you know sometimes life gets in the way and i have had a few things going on but i will be back with a grind soon. I have taken tonnes of pictures so that's always a good sign to watch out for more posts. Thanks for sticking by me and see you in my next post..toodles..x

Maybelline Baby Lips Review (Peach Kiss)

Hi My Lovelies,

I hope you have all had a wonderful weekend. The recent change in weather has been quite a rude shocking surprise. It has been quite nippy and rainy as well and that's the worst combination for me. I can do either cold or windy or rainy but not a combination. Not At All. The change in weather has also impacted my skin and it has been doing all sorts of crazy things lately. I am not quite sure who the chief culprits are but I am trying out a few remedies which i would report back to you in due time. But today's post is about the Maybelline Baby Lips which has helped restore my chapped and dry lips to baby soft puckers in the current climate..let's dive in, shall we? The Maybelline Baby Lips has been raved about on many beauty blogs and the beauty world generally starting from the USA (where it was first released) and spanning over to the UK and Europe, Asia, etc. Of course, the publicity that trailed it left me wanting to try it out soon. 

Packaging

I am a stickler for good packaging and I particularly like this one. The Maybelline Baby Lips comes in different colours but i opted for the Peach Kiss which comes in purple packaging because it is one of my favourite colours. I think the packaging looks really colorful with "baby lips" inscribed all over in a nice and fun way. I know it does look a bit girly and playful but we all need to chill out from the classic expensive packaging to something fun and relaxed like this.

Ingredients

It contains basic lip balm ingredients which soothe and fixed chapped lips while nourishing it.It contains petrolatum which many people may not be a fan of but it does the work of keeping the lips soft and smooth against harsh weather conditions or from being dry and chapped.

Application

It's pretty straightforward to use. Open the lid, swipe it across your lips, smack dem and you are outta the door. Apply as needed..that's what i do at least. It's so easy to use and can be retracted easily. It feels really light on application especially for a balm because I sometimes half expect balms to feel heavy on the lips but this one does the job and still remains light.

Formula/Shade

I chose the Peach Kiss shade which is a tinted version. The tint is more of a natural colour or flesh toned which is perfect for those days when i want to go "au naturel" or my no makeup makeup days.To be honest, it does not impart any tint on my naturally tinted lips hehehehhe.. I guess it is more suitable for lighter lips but i don't mind at all as i am after how effective and soft it keeps my lips. If you are not big on lipsticks, you may want to try this to give that extra tint of colour to the lips without the feel of a lipstick. Alternatively, you can wear this under your lipstick which i do almost every time. I use this in the morning shortly after taking a bath so it can sink in and do its trick then apply my lipstick with the rest of my makeup. Easy peasy!

Cost

For the quality you receive, i'd say £2.50-£3.00 is a fair amount to invest. I got this from Sainsbury's for £2.50 which is not a huge savings from £3 but then it's better than nothing. I like that it is affordable, good quality and easy to find. 

Verdict

The Maybelline Baby Lips gets a huge tick from Fashstyleliv for being an amazing little product and i would definitely repurchase if need be. Have you tried any of the Maybelline Baby Lips and what's your favourite?

Hope you enjoyed this post and i'd see you in my next post. I hope you all have a wonderful week ahead filled with good tidings...x..toodles..