BATTLE OF THE CONTOUR!

Anastasia Beverley Hills VS Smashbox Shape Matters

I've had my ABH palette for about 1 year now and I've always been pretty happy with it. To be honest I had nothing else really to compare it to. I feel like Anastasia was the first to bring out highlighting and contouring products to the makeup world and then out of nowhere all other brands started bringing out their own version. Now anytime I wear makeup, I HAVE to contour my face. Who doesn't want that perfectly chiseled Kim K face!! The fact that you can give yourself cheekbones or slim down your nose without surgery is amazing... and cheaper!! It just gives a bit dimension to your face so it doesn't look so flat. The pictures below show how I've used the contour & highlight shades to create the illusion of a slimmer nose and cheekbones.

My sister bought me the Smashbox Shape Matters for Christmas and I've been LOVING it and have found myself reaching for that over the ABH contour palette. Why? Well here's my opinion on the both - see what matters most to you before you fork out on a new contour kit.

• The pigmentation in the Smashbox palette is insane. The colour pay off from the shadows, the contour etc - its SO good and a little goes a long way.
• I like the fact that the Smashbox palette has eyeshadows, eyebrow powders and contour & highlight shades. If you are travelling or going away you could easily just take this 1 palette and nothing else! 
• Price of ABH is £39 and the Smashbox Shape Matters is £60 - quite a difference in price but I think you get more for your money with the Smashbox palette, they even supply you with a dual ended eye shadow brush!!
• I like the fact that you can now customise the colours in the ABH contour palette and there is now pre-made light, medium and dark palettes. When I got mine it was the first palette she released so there is some shades I have never used which feels a bit of a waste. 
• I like the packaging of the Smashbox palette better. It's heavier and you get this giant mirror - again perfect for travelling. My ABH palette got dirty very quickly and I can never get it clean! I hate grubby makeup ha ha.

Smashbox Palette Swatches of Contour/Highlight Shades

ABH Palette Swatches of Contour/Highlight Shades

Ahhh the power of make-up!! 

As I said though, I was always pretty happy with my ABH kit. If my sister hadn't bought me the Smashbox kit for Christmas I wouldn't be looking to buy a contour kit until I had hit pan on the shades I constantly use. There are so many brands creating contour palettes it is hard to choose which one to go for. I definitely recommend doing your research by reading reviews and looking at swatches before you fork out on a contour kit. At the end of the day you only need 1!! 

Hope this helps!

As always, thanks for reading xo

FIRST IMPRESSION - NARS VELVET MATTE SKIN TINT

Nars - Velvet Matte Skin Tint

"An oil-free skin tint to protect and perfect with a soft-matte finish"

Ok, so I am a full/matte coverage kinda gal when it comes to foundations. Yes yes, dewy skin is so youthful and beautiful but unfortunately for folk with oily skin like myself, you end up looking like a right hot mess with makeup sliding all over your face! It's not a good look....trust me! I am always very apprehensive when it comes to trying any base makeup that is not a matte full coverage foundation but I read soo many good things about the new Nars Velvet Matte Skin Tint online that I just had to try it. 

There are days where I wake up and I cannot be bothered with a full cake-face of makeup. Sometimes that extra 20 mins in bed is more appealing than making myself look, well... alive but then I tend to regret that choice when you get the questions from your colleagues such as "What's wrong?", "Are you ok?", "You look tired!" ...First world problems I know.  

Basically, "Velvet Matte Skin Tint" is just a fancy way of saying "tinted moisturiser" but I think Nars get away with calling it a fancy name because I have never used a tinted moisturiser with coverage as good as this! I'd say it is medium coverage but definitely buildable. I think it looks like my skin only better...and it evens out skintone.  It's so lightweight on the skin you forget it's even on!  

I mean seriously - look at the coverage - no shine, no redness - all over even base!

This is the perfect "foundation" for taking on holiday, it's lightweight and has an SPF30. It's always daunting not wearing much makeup on holiday so this would be able to give the appearance of perfect skin, even during the day if you were going on trips etc. I'm 27 and still insecure about people seeing my naked skin so this is a huge deal finding something that can make you feel and look a better version of yourself without too much effort. 10/10 from me Nars!

Shade: Alaska

Where To Buy: Nars Cosmetics, Asos, Feel Unique, John Lewis, House of Fraser

Price: £30

Thanks for reading! 

PROBLEMATIC SKIN!

Real-U Australia

I've always had problem skin, ever since I was a teenager. Yup I was always the spotty one out my group of friends (I know, poor me!!). My self esteem was pretty low and even now at 27, if I have a massive breakout I feel so insecure and hate people looking at my "horrible" skin. I thought I'd tried every skincare brand for acne-prone skin until I read online about Real-U Australia. The reviews online are insane with people showing off their incredible results, sometimes even after just 1 use so I knew it had to be good. 

I love the Real-U motto - "Real-U's is all about keeping it real. Real people; real stories; real results" - a company who are genuinely interested in feedback from their customers are a winning company in my eyes. Ebony (who has been a skincare professional for 20 years) is extremely friendly and helpful. There is a link on the website "Asky Ebony" where you can ask her skincare questions which I think is brilliant! 

The Real-U products work as a 3 step system: 

1. Cleanser

2. Control Serum

3.  Moisturiser 

I was very lucky to have been sent the control serum from the lovely Ebony to try out and considering it is part of a 3 step system, the difference in my skin by using the serum alone is amazing. It's not a thick heavy serum like some that I've previously used and it doesn't dry out my skin either. It has dramatically reduced my pores giving me a more even skin texture. I've been putting it on twice a day after cleansing my skin and not only does my skin look good, it feels good too which is always a nice confidence boost! 

Real-U's hypo-allergenic products don't contain any damaging benzoyl, peroxide or salicylic acid in them which can irritate your skin so if you are a "Sensitive Sally" like me - your skin will thank you for this.

I would definitely recommend checking out their products and giving them a try if like me, your skin breaks out. It really is worth investing in good skincare because no amount of makeup can truly hide problematic skin. The better the base, the better the makeup will go on and in my opinion, the better it will look. And hey, like my mum always says, you'll thank yourself when your older for looking after your skin when you were younger! 

My skin before using Real-U

My skin after using Real-U

My skin is SO much more brighter, the redness has completed died down, my pores are less visible and my skin is a lot smoother. I feel much less insecure now when I don't wear makeup as none of the nasty spots or pores are out!!

If you're still unsure whether to try out a new brand - read more reviews on Instagram @realuaustraliafeedback - you will be amazed at the results!

Check out the website https://real-u.com.au/ for more reviews and other Real-U products which I've not mentioned in my blog

I hope you find this review helpful. 

As always, thanks for reading!

Lx