Nars Sheer Glow VS Armani Luminous Silk Foundation

Hello, My Gorgeous Beauty Bees, I hope you all had a great week :) I've sadly had a challenging one as Mr Flu has come to visit me with a vengeance! ☹

Word of advice...remember to wrap up warm and don't do what I did and pop to the shops with just a hoodie on during hailing winds.

So, I didn't include a favourite foundation in my Top 10 Holy Grail Beauty Items post as it was a year of trying out different ones, however, I thought it would be a good idea to review two higher end foundations that are loved by many, The NARS Sheer Glow & the Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. As their names do suggest, both foundations are geared towards making your skin look glowy and luminous, which is something that I’m always aiming for due to my dry skin type. I'm going to share my honest thoughts on if I think they are worth the hype, some more affordable dupes I've discovered and which one I would repurchase again.

Let's start with the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk. I picked this up as I heard it's a favourite of the Kardashians and let's be honest, who doesn't want Kardashian looking skin? When the store assistant first tried it on my face, I was astonished on how healthy and flawless it made my skin appear! I was also impressed by the varied colour selection that caters to most skin tones. I went for the shade 3.5 and it was the perfect match for me!

The consistency of this foundation feels extremely lightweight and silky, gliding effortlessly onto my dry skin. As it has a lightweight formula, I hardly notice that I have foundation on which is perfect for everyday use. However, I have to say that I'm not blown away by the coverage as I have hyperpigmentation and prefer a bit more of a fuller coverage. I would definitely say that this is a light-medium coverage and I have to use a good two pumps along with a dense makeup brush to get a medium finish, which I don't mind so much for everyday use.

Although I'm not in love with the coverage of this foundation I do like the finish it provides as it gives me that gorgeous, almost airbrushed luminosity that the Kardashians rock so well. A few other things I enjoy about this foundation is that it doesn't separate or become patchy throughout the day so it's failsafe if you’re going to an event such as a wedding, plus it photographs beautifully too. It also has great lasting power, lasting up to 6 hours on me, although I do recommend you use a mattifying primer if you tend to get oily throughout the day. I personally like to pair this with Benefit The Porefessional Primer as I find they work well together.

You may be thrilled to know that I have found a pretty good dupe for this foundation, which is only a quarter of the price! Any guesses for what this could be? I believe Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation is a darn good dupe, so much so that I tested this out by applying both of them to each half of my face. I kid you not, that they looked identical to each other from the coverage to the luminous finish and even the colour match! (I got it in number 3). Of course, the Luminous Silk is longer lasting but would I rush out to repurchase it again? …Probably not, as I can't say I'm obsessed with it and I've found myself a cheaper dupe :)

Kardashians Favourite?

So you may have guessed that the one that I am obsessed with and will be repurchasing is the infamous Nars Sheer Glow Foundation. Honestly, I feel it should come in a gold bottle, as that's how amazing this foundation is! After seeing many YouTubers, including Tanya Burr who uses it in her makeup tutorials and it looks marvellous on her, I decided to give it a go. I chose to do the lazy thing at first and guess my colour to be 'Deauville'. How horribly wrong I was :( It made me look like I was doing my makeup for Halloween as it was way too light, so I ended up selling it on depop. 

I thought I'd try again as I actually enjoyed the formula so off I went to a NARS counter to get a colour match. Similarly to Luminous Silk, it has a great colour selection, which is always a good thing as I like to recommend products to Instagram followers, friends and family so I appreciate brands that cater to various skin tones. I was matched up to 'Punjab', which this time made me look human and yes, of course, I was also sucked into buying the notorious 'Nars Orgasm Blush (yes, we all cringe at the name). The combinations of these two products are beautiful! (like jam is to a fresh doughnut)…oh, don't I just have a way with words?! 

This foundation does not feel in any way sheer and compared to the Luminous Silk, it is a lot thicker in consistency. I would definitely recommend you buy yourself a separate pump for this foundation, as sadly it does not come with one and you can easily spill a bit too much out. This foundation is medium to full coverage, though as it's super pigmented, two pumps provide me with a full flawless coverage especially when I apply it with the Morphe M439 brush …what a dream team.

My favourite thing about this foundation is the gorgeous and unique finish that it gives. I usually find that thicker, fuller coverage foundations tend to be quite drying however, this foundation dries matte but still makes your skin look luminous and glowy...how amazing is that?! Even when I get it to a full coverage and due to the fact that it still provides radiance, my skin still looks like skin, which is hard to come by with fuller coverage foundations. 

I also feel it lasts all day on me too, which is perfect for taking you from day to night and I don't feel the need to touch up or powder throughout the day either. I haven't found a more affordable dupe for this foundation as it's all kinds of awesome, however, if I had to pick one then I'd say the L’Oreal True Match Foundation is similar in pigment and coverage. They also have a fantastic colour selection catering to most skin types. 

The Morphe M439 is the perfect brush for this foundation 

To summarise my review, I can see why both of these foundations are loved my many beauty gurus for different reasons. The Luminous Silk would be perfect if you don't like the feeling of not wearing foundation and if don't require a full heavy coverage, as the finish is lovely. The NARS Sheer Glow is a good all rounder, as you can build it up to the coverage you desire and I also feel it is suited for both dry and oily skin due to the glowy yet mattifying finish it gives your skin, pretty awesome if you ask me:)

Have you tried these foundations? Which ones do you love?

Lots of love

Elle N xx

MY CURRENT MAKEUP WISHLIST...

                             

       

                             

Hello my fellow beauty bees and a Happy 2017 to you all! I hope you're having a good month so far and are not too snowed under with work, college or uni!

I'm guessing that some of you may have made some New Year resolutions. One of mine is to spend my money wisely, which sadly includes not buying excessive amounts of makeup that I don't need, so I can save my money for the more 'important' things. However, a girl can wish and treat herself every now and then, right? After all, what's more important than a popping highlight? 

I’ve had this wish list for a while now, as I feel these items have subconsciously been stored in my brain due to constant Instagram worship...which is by no means a bad thing and must mean they are worth the hype…at least to some extent. Most of the items I mention are more on the higher end of the scale as I feel they are more of a luxury and less obtainable over affordable makeup. So without further ado let's get stuck in!

• As soon as winter comes around I like to go full coverage with my base and generally go all out with my makeup. Although my skin has been behaving itself lately, a full coverage concealer I've been lusting over since it was released is the Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer. I gave it a swatch while I was out shopping and love how blendable and pigmented it is! Although I'm currently using the NARS Creamy Concealer, which I must say, I am not a huge fan of (sorry to the fans out there) but thankfully it's almost finished so I will be purchasing the Naked Skin Concealer for sure! 

• Sticking with full on makeup, another product I have been rhapsodising over is the Becca Pressed Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal. In fact, the first product I used for highlighting was the BECCA Liquid Shimmering Skin Perfector, which I adored, so I'm surprised that I haven't yet bought any of the pressed versions. Although they have a selection to choose from, I'm set on Opal thanks to a beauty YouTuber that I adore ‘Jamie Genevieve’ who uses it in every makeup tutorial and it looks amazing on her! It gives you that extra shimmering wet skin look that everyone is going crazy for. I seriously recommend you to Google the swatches online or watch one of Jamie's videos as I'm sure it'll be added to your wishlist too!

• Another thing that I'm sure is on every makeup enthusiast wishlist is the ABS Modern Renaissance Palette . It’s constantly saved to my wishlist on Cult Beauty, as it always seems to be out of stock (crying face emoji). As I've mentioned in my ABH Contour Kit review, I’m not a huge fan of the contour kit formula as it doesn't sit right on my dry skin however, I'm hoping that the shadows are more blendable, and as the eyelids contain more oil I'm sure they will be fine. This palette looks like no other one that I own. If autumn could be a palette then it would be this one. It contains such beautifully, unique and rustic shades.

• So, I've mentioned that I didn't get along with the ABH Contour Kit but the one I have always had at the back of my mind ever since contouring became a thing was The Sculpting Powder by Kevyn Aucoin. I admire the fact that it's a single product specifically designed to sculpt the face and give the illusion that you have Kate Moss-like cheekbones thanks to the greyish undertones that it has, without looking chalky or orange on the skin. I have also seen this in action during many online tutorials and yes it does fake rather striking cheekbones.

• Surprisingly, I’ve gone off applying wing liner recently and have just stuck to eyeshadow with lashings of mascara. I've wondered why this could be and figured it's because I have yet to find a staple liquid liner that I love. I tend to stick to drugstore liquid pen liners but I find that they dry out pretty quickly or are not as black as I'd like them to be. I started doing some research on pen liquid liners that are a little more expensive and the Kat Von D Tattoo Liner kept reappearing. I like the concept of it being Tattoo-like, which insinuates that it will be foolproof. You all know that I live for the Kat Von D liquid lipsticks due to the longevity, so I'm hoping that the Tattoo liner will be no exception. 

• Speaking of KVD Liquid Lipsticks, I cannot write a makeup wishlist post without mentioning liquid lipsticks. I was cleaning out my handbag the other day and counted that I had 6 liquid lipsticks in my handbag that were an identical shade! I believe I need liquid lipstick rehab! Anyway, although I adore the KVD ones another release I was excited about was the Huda Beauty Liquid Matte Lipsticks. I haven't yet tried anything from Huda Beauty but was drawn to these lipsticks as I love how simplistic and sophisticated the packaging looks and adore the beautiful, vintage inspired shade range. As I am a 90's child at heart, the shades I have my eye on are Spice Girl, which is a gorgeous retro brown shade and Venus which is very similar but much more of a nude tone, I'm pretty sure they'll be added to the growing collection in my handbag soon. 

I hope you enjoyed finding out what I'm currently lusting over and inevitably will be purchasing in the near future. Once I get my hands on the goodies I will be reviewing all of these products with swatches :)

I'd like to know what you guys have been lusting over and what is on your wishlist? 

5 THINGS I'VE LEARNT IN 2016!

Hello, and welcome to a slightly different post from me. It's 5 pm on New Year's Eve and I've decided to spend my NYE reflecting and documenting 5 things/lessons I've learnt in 2016. Do I desire to join the sounds of laughter that can be heard from the streets? ...No, I've made a conscious decision to dedicate my NYE to this post, while my salmon cooks in the oven and I sip away on my red wine. What better time to reflect than just before a New Year begins, right!?

2016 has definitely been the most fruitful year for self-discovery, self-progression and learning the concept of self-love! I've had amazing moments but, there have also been times where I've seen better days, which have ultimately prompted me to try to make those days few and far between. I'm happy to share with you ways in which I've made ME a better version and how you can too! I hope you gain some inspiration from this post :)

1) Stop procrastinating  

Although I'm a go-getter at the best of times, indecisiveness and procrastination are my biggest downfalls. Being indecisive in simple things such as whether to post that Instagram post or should I book a particular course, is something that would drive me crazy! I made it my mission to overcome procrastination or, at least learn how to control it. 

I quickly realised that it was primarily to do with the fact that I wasn't confident in my decision making, which was fuelled by self-doubt. I identified that the only way to overcome procrastination was to refrain from entertaining the uncertainty that comes along with decision making! Therefore, I started making decisions by disregarding any urge to ponder in self-doubt. As the old saying goes 'procrastination is the thief of time' therefore, you have to battle those demons and retrain your mind to be confident with your decisions! It takes discipline but the more you do it, the easier it becomes! 

2) Find a hobby you love

I feel like shouting this from the rooftops, as I believe it is super important for encouraging self-improvement! I'll use my situation as an example; I had a full-time job which was pretty demanding and my down time would include going out for drinks on the weekends or treating myself to a TV and duvet day, to unwind. There’s nothing wrong with having some downtime except, over time I felt that I was living for the weekend, which developed into feelings of emptiness and lack of self-worth. 

Starting a beauty blog was something I always wanted to do but procrastination and self-doubt were stopping me. I figured that learning how to manage self-doubt would lead me to work on my self-worth and purpose. I came to a point in my life where I needed a new focus and was ready to put in the work. Not only has my blog diminished the feelings of emptiness that I had, but it has also added value to my life. Your hobbies may include painting, cooking or even bird-watching if it makes you feel good then make more time for it...you never know where it may take you :)

3) Be realistic with your expectations 

This may seem like a simple analogy though the amount of people I hear complaining that they are not losing weight fast enough or they are not as successful as they would like to be is astounding. Shall I tell you why they’re not reaching their intentions?...because they are not setting realistic goals and planning smart. A lot of us expect to reach our goals overnight and get frustrated and give up if we fail.

I'll explain how I like to plan smart to ensure that I'm doing everything I can to reach my full potential. I recently bought myself a notebook, and like the old fashion way, I write down a daily goal that I want to achieve. The goal may include writing a blog post or booking myself in for a body pump class at the gym. If I fail to achieve that goal then I'll go back to my notebook and write down why I failed and methods I can put in place to plan my time smarter to enable me to achieve them. Setting small, obtainable goals has made them more achievable and also, writing them down in a notebook has given me a sense of order. 

You also have to put in the work, don't expect to be successful if you’re not setting goals and pushing yourself to your full potential. Success doesn't happen overnight so patience is another thing you need to keep in mind when setting your goals, especially when setting long-term goals such as weight loss. Remember to plan smart, reevaluate failure, work hard and most importantly, have patience :)

4) Happiness comes from within 

You've probably heard this saying floating around quite a lot and it’s one you may see on many self-improvement or relationship advice forums but as cliché, as it may sound, I believe that it is 100% true. The only person that can make you feel fulfilled is YOU! You should never rely on anyone else to add value to your life or make you feel whole. Therefore, you need to ensure that you feel content and whole by investing in yourself above anything else. 

As I’ve chosen to live on my own, one of the things I've learnt this year is to get to a place where I'm content with my own company. It hasn't been an easy journey and one that I had to do a lot of self-evaluating for, but once you start exploring yourself and making changes, you begin to feel a sense of empowerment and worth. This is why I feel it's imperative to spend more time doing more of what you love and also set small, obtainable goals. Starting my blog has brought happiness and added purpose to my life, as it's something that I LOVE doing. I plan to continue to self-evaluate this year to reach my full potential, and so can you!

Take time to reflect 

5) Exercise more

This seems to be a popular New Year’s resolution that’s made by many, but normally for the wrong reasons. Exercise shouldn't solely be used to improve your physical form but to also improve your mental wellbeing. Studies show that exercise reduces stress and is a form of natural antidepressant, as your body releases endorphins, which provide a positive feeling and help decrease stress.

Recently, I joined a gym as I not only wanted to get physically strong, but I also desired to feel mentally strong too. The feeling I get after I complete a body pump class is one that I constantly want to chase. Yoga and meditation classes are also particularly helpful for fighting stress and anxiety, which Is why I try to attend at least once a week. Where I feel going to the gym and attending classes works for me, you don't particularly need this if it's not your scene. Taking a brisk 30-minute walk is just as good for your wellbeing too! Also remember to take a moment to breathe if you're feeling overwhelmed, as that also does great things for your psyche. 

In fact, you could try it now! …Take 60 seconds to gently breathe in and out, while reflecting on what you've just read. Perhaps, write down three things you’ve taken from this post and how you would like to incorporate it into your life this year! I hope you all had an amazing NYE and are feeling inspired and motivated to reach your full potential in 2017! Remember Shia LaBeouf’s, now infamous, words 'Just do it!'. 

I hope you have enjoyed reading this post, it was definitely worth staying in on NYE for :) I would love to know what lessons you've learnt in 2016 and what are your New Year’s resolutions? 

Lots of Love Elle N xx