Clarins Extra Comfort Foundation Review

So a couple of weeks ago I was browsing the Clarins counter. I was looking at the new True Radiance foundation, which I thought looked really beautiful however I had been dying to try Extra Comfort ever since it came out last year. The wonderful sales assistant let me see how the Extra Comfort looked actually on my face, and well, it was love at first sight for me!

I kind of wanted a new foundation for Autumn/Winter so when I saw how Extra Comfort looked on me, I realised it was exactly what I was after and I bought it straight away! I bought shade 103 Ivory, which is I believe the lightest shade available.

I think the packaging is absolutely beautiful. It is in a very heavy glass jar with the signature Clarins gold lid. I know many people would agree with me that it is quite impractical and at times a bit messy. For me though, my make up never leaves my dressing table so it works fine for me. However, if I were travelling I don't think I'd be taking this foundation with me!

As you can see this shade is not for the super pale despite being the lightest shade available. It is extremely creamy, so blendable. I have applied it with a couple of different foundation brushes but I think the best way to apply it is just using your fingers. You really don't need a lot of product, and this foundation can do marvellous things, you will see!

Before: No foundation…. my skin isn't great at the moment. I am experiencing some redness & hormonal breakouts.

After: much better! This foundation is amazing in my opinion. It has a great level of coverage, and I think it makes your skin look absolutely flawless.

The finish of this foundation is demi-matte, it feels really smooth and silky. Although it has a high level of coverage I don't feel caked in makeup.

It has quite  a lot of skincare and anti-aging properties, which I suppose are not of too much benefit to me right now but it smooths fine lines and wrinkles and moisturises and plumps the skin at the same time as creating this flawless base. I think that it just incredible.

I have been so, so impressed with this foundation. It lasts really well on me all day and has just generally performed better than anything I have ever tried. My other favourite foundation, Lancome Teint Idole, I feel does not provide this level of coverage or the same flawless finish.

Clarins Extra Comfort is a little on the expensive side at £36.00 due to the fact that it is basically makeup and skincare combined. I think that it is worth it though!

I hope this review was of help if you are thinking of trying this foundation!

OPI My Address is Hollywood -Nail Polish

How cute is this nail polish? I got this one recently from Amazon and I love it. It's not too "in your face" - it's a lovely shade of pink with a very subtle shimmer. 

As always with OPI polishes I was able to apply this one like a dream. I used 3 thin coats in the photos.  I can get a good 4 or 5 days out of this polish, which is absolutely amazing for me!

I am not really into pink nail polishes so much, but I am quite fond of this because the colour is a little bit more "grown up" and not a Barbie pink colour. Also, I really love the name! It makes me feel so glamorous! 

I tried (and failed) to capture the shimmer of this polish, it is quite subtle but you will see a soft golden shimmer throughout the polish.

Autumn Weekend Makeup (and playing with new products)

 I love weekends because I have a lot more time to sit and do a proper face of makeup. During the week for work I only really wear foundation, mascara and blush. So it's nice to really play around, especially with eyeshadows!

Yesterday I treated myself to 2 new Clarins products - Extra Comfort Foundation and Blush Prodige (02 Soft Peach). I absolutely adore them both and thought they would be great products for Autumn and Winter especially.

So for the base I used Clarins Extra Comfort  (103 Ivory), I contoured a tiny bit with the Chanel Soleil de Tan, and used the Clarins blush on the apples of my cheeks. I also used a bit of Touche Eclat under my eyes.

For the eyes, I started by using the new Clarins Instant Light Eye Perfecting Base with my old reliable Naked palette eyeshadows of course! A flick of Lancome Grandiose mascara, and I brushed this Maybelline Brow Drama through my brows (I still don't know what to make of this product!)

And to finish off I used my favourite lip product from the summer which is the Clarins Lip Balm Crayon in Creamy Pink.

 I shall do a full review of both my new Clarins foundation and blush once I have used and worn them for a good couple of weeks, but so far so good I love them!

OPI - "Lincoln Park at Midnight" - Autumn nails!

I love this nail polish for Autumn. It's a beautiful, intense, deep purple with shimmer. It applied beautifully and lasted for a good 5 days with no chipping. I have never had any problems with OPI nail polishes and this is no exception. Definitely a new favourite of mine!

Six Products for Autumn!

I am so excited for Autumn, i can't even describe it. Without a doubt it is my favourite season, and I look forward to it every year! I have already re-jigged my wardrobe, and boots and chunky cardigans are already making an appearance. But it is natural that we shake up our beauty products too. Here are six things which will be a staple part of my beauty routine this Autumn!

Lancome La Vie est Belle Perfume - Gone are my summery, fruity perfumes. It is time for this classic beauty. This is the most gorgeous, elegant perfume. It is not something I associate with summer, for me it is the ultimate Autumn/Winter perfume. I try not to use it too much, as it is my "good" perfume but damn it smells so good!

Lancome Teint Idole Foundation - Over Summer I used CC Cream and tinted moisturiser a lot for my base. Lancome Teint Idole is my ultimate foundation, of course I used it over Summer too when I needed a bit more coverage. I really missed using it every day though! It's my holy grail foundation.

Urban Decay Naked Palette - To me, this is Autumn in a palette. Beautiful warm eyeshadows. There is nothing about this palette that I don't like. My favourite combination for Autumn is Half Baked all over the lid, which is a beautiful gold and Dark Horse in the crease and lower lid.

Cocoa Brown Gentle Bronze - I have to admit that I have got a little bit addicted to tanning over the last year. For the new season however I am trying to wean myself off it (it's amazing seeing my natural skin tone again!). Gentle Bronze is the most fabulous gradual tanner, EVER! It gives me a beautiful light colour, just a little bit of "glow" to take the edge off my pale skin.

Cocoa Brown Lovely Legs Spray - I have been reaching for this a lot lately as well! I am a bit of a lazy tanner, and quite often I only use Gentle Bronze on my top half. I whip out the Lovely Legs depending on what I am wearing that day. It is dead handy to apply to your legs and the tops of your feet if you are wearing pumps and have forgotten to tan your legs! It has great staying power too.

L'Occitane Hand Cream - I got this when I was on holiday in Paris and absolutely love it. I use it several times daily! I hate when my hands feel dry and tight and this is perfect to combat that. Plus I love that the tube is absolutely enormous! Hopefully it will last me a long long time! It has a beautiful scent too. It is a very luxurious thick cream but it absorbs well and does not feel greasy or sticky. Brilliant!

What products do you like to use in Autumn?

*new* Clarins "Ladylike" Autumn 2014 Collection!

Is anyone else as excited about Autumn as I am? It is my favourite season of the entire year! I was really taken aback by the sheer beauty of the new collection from Clarins - it just screams Autumn! Beautiful natural, earthy shades, perfect for the new season.

I am very lucky that the lovely folks at Clarins sent me a few pieces from the new collection to try, and trust me they are even more beautiful in real life.

First up, we have the Ombre Matte Cream-to-Powder Eyeshadows! Aren't they beautiful? I absolutely love cream eyeshadows, but I think the name is misleading here…. they are most definitely powder shadows but they are quite dense and the texture is so smooth, like a cream.

Swatches left to right: Nude Pink, Taupe, Earth

As you can see they are extremely pigmented! You could absolutely apply these to your eyes using just your fingers. I prefer to use a brush though. Nude Pink is a wonderful blending shade as it is almost exactly the colour of my skin tone. Taupe and Earth are absolutely beautiful, and I have been alternating wearing them each day, blending out the edges with Nude Pink!

 Earth

Taupe 

What I love about these shadows is how super easy they are to apply. I love the intensity of them, the beautiful colours and the elegant packaging. They would be great for travel as one shade worn alone looks stunning.

What disappointed me a little is how, after about an hour or two of wear they start creasing. I have tried a couple of different primers (even my trusty ArtDeco eyeshadow base) to no avail. I can only put it down to the sheer density of the powder. I really do love these eyeshadows but I do wish they had better longevity!

I was also sent the Instant Light Eye Perfecting Base! This is a very light yet creamy product. I guess it would be similar to Urban Decay primer but a bit more creamier. I loved how this applied, it really smoothed out over my eyelids and created almost a blank canvas. The actual colour of the base is a good all-around shade but it may be a little dark for super-pale folks. If you are applying eyeshadow over it then it won't be an issue.

The Instant Light Eye Perfecting Base couldn't stop the Ombre Mattes from creasing though..in fact I tried it out with other eyeshadows (Urban Decay and MAC) and it held them in place for a good 6 hours before I noticed creasing. I think the only primer which will serve all day and not crease up is the tacky, almost sticky kind. While I think that this is  a beautiful product, I don't think it is the best for prolonging the wear of eyeshadows. It's great for really smoothing the eyelids and it does have a brightening effect though. On my little or no makeup days I do apply this alone to make myself look a little more awake!

I think this collection is absolutely beautiful, though the products I have tried are not without their flaws. I am still playing around with them, it is a matter of trial and error on how best to wear them. I have especially been enjoying the eyeshadows, I am quite fond of my shimmery shadows so it has been a different experience for me playing around with mattes! I must say that I am converted! I love them for an Autumnal look.

The Clarins "Ladylike" Collection is available now!

My bedroom had a makeover!

Originally I had planned to do a beauty review today, but this is so exciting for me that I couldn't help but share with you!
Recently I decided it was high time my bedroom had a full makeover - new carpet, paint, wallpaper, furniture…. believe me it was long overdue. I spent ages picking out everything that I wanted and now that it has all come together, I am so delighted with how it looks!

Sorry there are a lot of photos in this post!

I wanted the overall look to be rather neutral. I have 2 picture frames which are to be put on this wall over the bed, I just haven't got around to doing that yet!

My chandelier…from B&Q

Ikea Pax wardrobe and 2 Brimnes units….I absolutely love the wardrobe. Space is limited in my small bedroom so the sliding doors are a godsend.

 The far wall I chose to have feature wallpaper. I really love this, the colour and design are perfect for me! I also got a new TV with built in DVD player also to save space. I still need to get a cable tidy for it!

My dressing table is an off/white cream colour and it really doesn't match anymore. I am hoping to get it spray painted silver, I think it will be a nice contrast.

I went for a darker coloured carpet, I really love this!

Plenty of storage in the wardrobe! My clothes, bags and shoes all fit in with tons of room to spare!

My bedlinen and curtains are from Next Home.

My birdcage bedside lamp, from B&Q.

A close up of the wallpaper design. It is a Dulux paper I believe and the other walls are painted "Dusted Damson" which is the perfect match for the branches on the wallpaper.


I am absolutely delighted with the finished look of the bedroom, it looks so sophisticated now and grown-up! It was a lot of hard work and the reason why I haven't been blogging that much lately. It's amazing how redecorating one small bedroom affects everything!

I hope you enjoyed this look into my room, I really am so made up with it! :)