Happy Thursday guys, it’s nearly the weekend! After the few weeks we’ve had, the weekends are even more appreciated as time to unwind and relax. I’ve found it helpful to try and get back into my routines this week. However, in the evenings after I stop, I’m still struggling. My husband cracked a joke last night for the first time in weeks, so we’re getting there. It’s just going to take time. Anyway, I thought I’d try something new on the blog today: Splurge or Save.
There are new makeup releases daily, as part of my job, I’m checking the new in numerous times a day to try and stay on top of all the releases. However, do you need any of these new releases? I’m hoping to help you make that decision by sharing my thoughts on a few of the new products I’ve been testing recently.
There’s a real mixture of drugstore and high end in today’s selection. It’s pretty blush and lipstick heavy as that’s what’s been coming out recently.
I have to say, with how my mental health has been recently, I haven’t been wearing makeup as much. But, most of these products I’ve been testing for weeks anyway. There’s a couple that have arrived since all this sh*t kicked off. This week I’ve been feeling more like myself and excited by makeup again, which is nice.
Without further ado, let’s discuss these products and decide whether to Splurge or Save your money!
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REVLON PHOTO READY PRIME PLUS PERFECTING AND SMOOTHING – £10.99 from Boots
I actually think that this primer is a dupe for the Urban Decay All Nighter primer. They look and feel incredibly similar and they perform just the same. The Urban Decay doesn’t have dimethicone, the Revlon does. However, the Revlon doesn’t act like those thick, silicone heavy, putty like pore filling primers.
I used to think those were the only way to fill pores, but so many of them would pill up or look funky on the skin. Nowadays, I accept the fact I have pores and I still like a certain amount of smoothing, but primers like this one work much better. It’s almost like a blurring filter, but it doesn’t pill up. It’s a lightweight gel cream consistency that glides over the skin and sinks in. It leaves a slightly tacky base to grip your foundation.
I now like to blend and press my foundation in to avoid pooling in pores, so I don’t feel the need to fill my pores with thick putty like primers. Some of them were like less greasy Vaseline when I look back!!! I now try glowy primers, smoothing, serums, sunscreen primers. I have become more comfortable with my own skin and realised I don’t need to cover everything up like a mask.
So, Splurge or Save? SPLURGE! – It’s under £12, but performs like a primer that is double the price. It really helps keep my foundation in place, I don’t get oily or shiny with this, my foundations sit beautifully on it and it sinks into the skin so well.
L’OREAL PARIS TRUE MATCH NUDE HYALURONIC TINTED SERUM – £13.99 from Boots
I did a full review of this tinted serum here. TLDR: I LOVE this tinted serum. Although the formulation confuses the heck out of me because it’s got alcohol to help it evaporate and become powdery, but it’s meant to have hyaluronic acid and be super hydrating as well. Putting that aside, this is a gorgeous, long wearing tinted serum. Super easy to apply, but I would suggest working in sections as it dries quickly.
It evens out your skin, feels like you’re wearing nothing on the skin and it looks beautiful. For a tinted serum the coverage is actually pretty good. It covered quite a bit of my redness and I just needed to conceal the worst of my acne.
This is super long wearing, I can get around 14 hours and it looks flawless. I’ve been wearing this so much, it’s perfect for Summer and lasts through humid days, workouts, going from air conditioned to hot. It’s amazing!
Splurge or Save? SPLURGE!
BARE MINERALS GEN NUDE BLONZER IN KISS OF PINK – £24 from Bare Minerals
I was intrigued by this product. Bare Minerals make excellent powders. Their Gen Nude line is my favourite and I have some of the regular Gen Nude blushes. I don’t use bronzer, but I was interested to try this “Blonzer”. It’s supposed to be a two in one where you can just use this and you don’t need a separate blush or bronzer.
Honestly though? I don’t see the bronzing element. It’s just a blush? Maybe the Kiss of Copper shade would be more bronzey, but it’s too dark for me. The other shade is Kiss of Rose and that just looks like a blush too.
Yes the powder is beautiful, it’s easy to blend and lasts all day, but if you were to use bronzer, you’d still need to use bronzer with this blush.
Splurge or Save? SAVE.
TOWER 28 BEACH PLEASE LUMINOUS TINTED BALM – £18 from Cult Beauty
I’ve wanted to try these blushes for ages. We couldn’t get them in the UK for the longest time. I was tempted to buy them from the US, but the colours I wanted kept selling out. I bought three shades, but Magic Hour is the one you see here and my favourite. It’s a nude peachy pink.
In terms of formula, this is quite thick. If that makes sense? When you dip a finger in, it feels a little waxy, but also melts like a balm. It’s almost like a lip balm? They’re ultra pigmented and smooth. You can easily build the colour up, it layers well on top of itself and on top of the rest of your makeup.
It does look absolutely gorgeous on the skin. I like to apply with a brush. I dip into the colour then stipple it onto my cheeks. These give you a healthy glow, look very natural and are longwearing for cream blushes. The only thing is, they are not transfer proof. If you wear a mask, you’ll probably take it off and have a chunk of blush missing.
Splurge or Save? SPLURGE
GIORGIO ARMANI NEO NUDE MELTING COLOUR BALM – £32 from Look Fantastic
I was so excited to try these. I love everything from the Neo Nude line I’ve tried. These are advertised as being for cheeks and eyes. Easy to sweep on and sets down matte.
This product is very interesting to me. Since it’s called a balm, I expected something like the Tower 28. In reality, it feels powdery, but also creamy when you dip your finger in. It’s really hard to describe, but I was taken aback when I first touched it! It is definitely lightweight, pigmented, easy to use. I used it as a blush and it almost blended itself! So quick and easy to apply.
I like to stipple this on, just like I do with all my cream blushes. It sets down fairly quickly and is definitely matte. I bought shade 51 which is called a peachy pink. As you can see, it’s definitely more peach than pink. However, I can still wear it.
I must say the shade range is quite odd to me. A lot of them look quite grey in tone, I would not be able to wear them! Then there’s a super bright orange and a muted orange. The other shade I’m interested in is the mauve. I do think this is an innovative product and it looks gorgeous on the skin. It’s not the longest wearing product ever. I got about 6 hours before it started fading. But it’s so easy to work with. I’d say if you’re scared of cream blushes, try this first and work your way up to the liquids and real balm like creams. This formula is fool proof!
Splurge or Save? SPLURGE.
DRUNK ELEPHANT O-BLOOS ROSI DROPS – £30 from Cult Beauty
Blush that you can mix with your moisturiser and put all over your face? I wasn’t convinced. So, I bought a set with a mini O-Bloos Rosi Drops, their SPF and bronzing drops.
I had seen another reviewer use the Rosi Drops as a blush, so I decided that’s what I would try. I am someone who flushes red very easily, due to some conditions I have. So, the thought of adding a pinky/red hue to my whole face filled me with fear.
I understand the premise. That it just tints your moisturiser. But it still wasn’t for me. So, I have been using this as a liquid blush. It’s a pink liquid with shimmer. No noticeable bits of glitter, but a definite glow.
This product is relatively easy to work with, but it’s got a bit of tack to it. It doesn’t lift your foundation, but building the colour up needs a bit more work for it to blend. It does give you a healthy flush, it’s a lovely colour. You can get this to be a deep flush or sheer it out. It wears really well. I’ve worked out with it on and wore it on a super hot day. It stayed in place and looks gorgeous. Like the Tower 28 though, a mask is where it slips up. A chunk of it will go onto your mask and trying to reblend it to cover up the gap is not happening. Once it has set, that’s it.
I can see this being great for those no makeup, makeup days. A quick stipple onto your cheeks, tinted SPF and you’ll be good to go.
Splurge or Save? SAVE on the full size. SPLURGE on the small set that’s £19 first. It comes with an 8ml bottle which, considering you only need a small amount of product each time, will last you a while. If you love it, then buy the full size!
MAC LUSTREGLASS SHEER SHINE LIPSTICK – £19.50 from Selfridge’s
If you have learnt anything about me in the past few years of sharing beauty on my blog, you’ll know I ADORE a MAC lipstick. I love their cremesheen, lustre and love me formulas. I have too many MAC lipsticks to count. These new Lustreglass Sheer Shine Lipsticks are a reformulation of the lustre formula. As someone who already loved the lustre formula, I was slightly apprehensive. It’s like in the supermarket when you pick up something and it says “New improved recipe” – it never is. It’s always worse.
However, MAC have absolutely nailed the Lustreglass formula. It’s more hydrating than the lustre formula, glides on more easily, makes your lips look SO healthy. I’ve fallen head over heels in love with this formula. I have the shade Sellout and I’ve ordered See Sheer and Thanks it’s MAC. There are a few shades in the new formula that you will recognise from the old formula, but there are plenty of new shades too.
I have almost bought See Sheer many times over the years, but I’m glad I waited now as I’ll get the super hydrating, balmy version!
Splurge or Save? SPLURGE!
L’OREAL PARIS COLOR RICHE LES NUS SATIN LIP – £9.99 from Superdrug
I have another of the Color Riche lipsticks and I wasn’t that impressed with it. I found it quite drying and it tugged at my lips a bit. However, I saw that there was a new Les Nus collection and I had to try one. I bought shade 173 Nu Impertinent. It’s a pinky nude with a hint of brown. I actually think it’s a dead on ringer for MAC Patisserie. However, the formula is very different. The MAC one is a lustre, the L’Oreal a more opaque, satin finish.
The only thing I don’t like about this lipstick is the bullet shape. I find it so awkward. It looks nice, but it’s not practical. It’s a lovely shade, hydrating and opaque in one swipe. However, I find myself going for different lipsticks because they’re easier to apply. Even swatching this on my hand was tricky because of the shape. It does smell nice, quite a fruity scent which is a nice change from vanilla.
It is a nice lipstick formula, it doesn’t blow me away, but the colour is gorgeous and I would say it performs like a higher end lipstick. I’m thinking it’s quite similar to the Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution. Although those are called matte lipsticks, there is a slight sheen to them. The L’Oreal may be ever so slightly more shiny, but the feel of the formula, the thickness, pigmentation etc. feels like CT.
I’m really torn over whether to say Splurge or Save. I’m trying to just judge the formula, but when the application is awkward that has to have a bearing on my review.
Splurge or Save? SAVE. I like the formula, but the shape of the lipstick is just annoying.
There we have it. Some of the new products I’ve been testing recently! I found this really fun to write actually! It’s like quick fire reviews and a split decision over whether I recommend or not. Definitely want to do it again, I hope this helped you decide whether or not to save your pennies or buy some of these products!
