*Review* No7 Stay Perfect Foundation

I had my foundation matched at the Boots counter a few weeks ago

(If you haven't read it yet click here!) I have been using the No7 Stay Perfect Liquid Foundation for the past week now, and thought now's the time for that review!The foundation was RRP £14.00, however because I purchased in in conjunction with a 3 for 2 offer and also a £3 off deal voucher, I did get a lot more "products" for my money.

Application:

Without                                                                             With

Firstly I applied my usual simple hydrating light moisturiser after cleansing, and applied the liquid foundation from the bottle pump using my cosmopolitan beauty blender sponge. The foundation has a light texture and a healthy dewy finish, which went well with my combination/dry skin. I didn't use any setting powder on the images above as my skin has been really dry as of late.

Product:

The foundation was not overly heavy on my skin, however coverage was a little less than I would have wanted (marketed as "medium" coverage) despite me adding another layer on top.

I have worn this foundation for an 8 hours shift waitressing and I did get more of a shine at the end of the night particularly down my T-zone, but the foundation didn't go patchy and my skin still had the same coverage as above.

¶¶¶ 3/5 stars

FIN: Overall a nice foundation for a reasonable price tag,that generally does as it says on the bottle! very long lasting on my dry/combination skin, however if your looking for a flawless coverage, look elsewhere! I'm not sure if it was this that gave me a slight breakout along my cheek when I wore this on a night out, but I've heard that alcohol and make-up can cause skin to overreact and I think this may have been the issue rather than this particular foundation itself. I don't think I would repurchase this as I have my eye on the more pricey laura mercier mineral powder :)

So have you tried any of the No7 Foundations? Do you have problems finding the right foundation colour for you?

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Thank you for reading! I hope this review has been helpful, if you have any comments or queries please leave a message below and I will reply asap!

Ombre lips- something a bit different

Ombre has been around for the past few years, beginning with the brunette to blonde hair gradient filtering into dip dye clothing and now to ombre lips. Now many of the lip looks on catwalks A/W '12 have been using gothic dark plums and oxblood reds and although the looks are stunning they're a little less wearable 

Dior, D&G and Gucci

This is my interpretation of ombre lips, a day look that won't be scaring anyone away!

For this combination I used 2 products, a red lipstick and a lilac eyeshadow*. I used the lipstick straight from the bullet, blotted it off with tissue and then using my finger applied a bit more in a patting motion to ensure the edges were neat. Then I patted the lilac eyeshadow on the centre where my lips meet until I achieved the desired effect. The trick is to not place any eyeshadow on the edges of your mouth. I feel the shimmer gives the mouth a fuller look, similar to the way highlighter enhances your cheek bones!

I know its not the most practical look, the effect will be gone as soon as you eat, but you could try adding a lipstick sealer such as lipcote on top to extend the wear, and its a good way to "dip" into the trend (ahahah...ahem. excuse the pun- once its stuck in my head I can't get away from it)

*Red lipstick used: Boots 17 in showcase, Lilac eyeshadow used: M&S Sparkle eye palette, I wouldn't necessarily say you should use these products, they're just what I had on hand :)

What do you think of the look? Will you be trying the ombre lip look this A/W?

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*Review* New Foundation match service at Boots No7

Boots have launched a new foundation matching service only available in the UK as of yet, which has been marketed as the one-stop-shop for your skin's true colour match. The new device(shown on the left) takes several photos of your skin whilst projecting light right onto the surface of your skin to mimic natural daylight conditions. 

I went to a decent sized Boots store* where I took advantage of this free service having been fed up with dodgy foundation matches in the past done inside artifically-lit department stores and carrying my “what the heck, I have nothing to lose!” mentality I ventured towards the No7 counter. 

*(I doubt the service is available in small Boots pharmacies that do not sell the wider No7 make-up range, but if you want to check your local Boots here's a link to the boots store locator page!)

I picked up the little skin assessment card (excuse the warped photos, card doesn't retain its shape very well in my bag ^^") and gave ticks to ones that applied to me. Turns out I have quite a few skin issues that meant 4 different foundations were suitable, but none with all the properties I wanted...I think you should chose tick one statement from each of the 3 questions to narrow it down further otherwise you will be very confused at the end, which sort of makes filling out the card pointless in my opinion because your no further to finding the right foundation.

The assistant at the counter waaaas...pleasant enough, not a lot of chit chat and quick to get to the shade matching. And I mean VERY quick.

Firstly she removed any foundation I had on both sides of my jaw line, then using the device pressed on my skin took readings on both sides. I was matched with warm ivory.
She then asked me what foundation I thought best suited me, without even looking at my card or offering to explain the differences. I told I wanted to try the long lasting one and she applied some on my jawline. It did look like a very good match and blended seamlessly with my skin, however I was in store so it was still hard to tell without using a mirror in real daylight whether it lived up to the hype.

Now to receive the free colour match you don't need to purchase a No7 Foundation at the end, however I have been eyeing up this foundation having watched many a youtube video by the make-up artist Lisa Eldridge who has played a major role in the formulation of the No7 Foundations.

¶¶¶¶ 4/5

FIN: I was very impressed with the foundation match device and would recommend anyone who is unsure of which colour matches their skin tone to use this free service. I think other cosmetic brands will end up jumping on the band wagon and re-evaluate the way they match foundations for the consumer.

The only let down was their was no real consultation for which No7 Foundation best suited me, I would suggest googling** the different properties beforehand if you are interested in a No7 foundation.

**the answer to everything!

Are you going to try the match made service if you live in the UK? If you live elsewhere, does this foundation service sound like it would work for you? Comment below! :)

I will be posting a review on the No7 Stay Perfect Foundation, so subscribe to follow the updates @ 

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Thank you for reading! I hope this review has been helpful, if you have any comments or queries please leave a message below and I will reply asap!