PUT A STOP TO AGEING WITH BRAVURA LONDON

About a month ago I was kindly sent a package from a professional skincare brand Bravura London. I have heard of their chemical peels from fellow bloggers reviews and was tempted to try and jumped from joy seeing the huge package from Bravura on my doorstep. My skincare routine was tailored to my skincare needs and I was sent everything from cleansing oil through chemical exfoliators, toners, serum and moisturiser. Having tested them all for a month now, I have formed my first impressions about the products and I'd like to share them with you.

Glycolic Acid 10% (infused with lavender) & Lactic Acid 10% (infused with rose) are both chemical exfoliators. These are professional grade products so when using them care is needed. I started with 5 minute application twice a week (Lactic and Glycolic once only). I now builded up my tolerance to three times a week 10 mins session each with Lactic being twice a week and Glycolic once. I find Lactic Acid peel to be more beneficial to my skin, however working best if intervened with Glycolic acid application. Having using both for a month now, I noticed fine lines on my forehead to be slightly less visible and my complexion clearer. Small bumps I've been experiencing all my life, are now less noticeable and I hope that with continuous use, I can finally say goodbye to them for good. Yes, the products can be quite invasive for sensitive skin, so it's important to built up your tolerance and start small. I have experienced redness just after the application but that does goes away after few hours. I only use natural skincare afterwards, sticking to cold pressed oils or organic serums only for minimum 12 hours after application of chemical exfoliators. 

First Cleanse Oil makes cleansing a true ritual. It goes on as a heavy oil, I like to massage my skin with it which helps with releasing the toxins from the skin. I take probably around 2-3 minutes at face massage every evening. You can also use it in the morning. I recommend it as a first cleanse product to be followed with your favourite second cleanse cleanser. It goes on oily, but when lathered with water it turns in to a creamy cleanser. It works well enough at removing makeup, even mascara and it's very reasonably priced. Check the ingredient list below:

Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil*, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride(From Coconut Oil), Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil*, PEG-40 Sorbitan Peroleate (emulsifier), Tocopherol (Vit.E), Anthemis Nobilis Oil* (Roman Chamomile Essential Oil), Lavandula Officinalis Oil* (Lavender Essential Oil), Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil*. 

*Certified Organic

If using as a cleanser before chemical exfoliators, please ensure cleansing is done minimum an hour before exfoliators. Oil cleanser is perfect as it won't strip your face unnecessarily harsh before the peel is applied. 

Revitalising Ginseng Toner with Glycolic Acid 5% is an another of my pre-exfoliator rituals. I use this toner 30 minutes before the peels to ensure the skin PH is prepared for treatments. Using an acid based toner is great after cleansing. When we cleanse our skin PH gets higher so by adding a toner to our routine we neutralise that effect. It also provides gentle exfoliation to our skin daily and it's perfect for dry and sensitive skin. Ingredients such as ginseng and witch hazel supply the skin with oxygen whilst glycolic acid helps with the natural exfoliation. Check out the ingredients list below:

Purified Water, Aloe Vera, Witch Hazel, Horse Chestnut Extracts, Glycolic Acid* partially neutralised by Ammonium Glycolate*, Glycerin, Glucose, Fructose, Sucrose, Urea, Dextrin, Alanine, Glutamic Acid, Hexyl Nicotinate, Ginseng Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Biotin, Polysorbate 20, Fragrant Oil.

*Active Ingredients

Hyaluronic Acid Serum is super watery gel that essentially works like a sponge for your skin. Let me explain. Hyaluronic Acid is found within our bodies and it's one of the best anti-aging ingredients as it retains an incredible amounts of water ensuring our skin stays hydrated. What makes it even better is the fact is oil-free and can be used by practically any skin type. Only tiny amount is needed to fully cover your face and neck so be careful as the applicator can be very generous and you don't want to be wasting the product. Use it daily or twice daily, whatever your liking. I prefer to use it in the morning as it sinks in instantly! As it's water based, ensure the product is absorbed before applying any oil based formulas. I'm a huge fan of Hyaluronic Acid myself and I tend to use it daily in my routine, so I was super pleased to see this serum as part of the package :) Check out ingredients below:

Hyaluronic Acid Sodium Salt, Distilled water infused with Witch Hazel and Aloe Vera, Germall plus

Collagen Moisturising Cream has a very interesting formula. Originally I started off using it as part of my evening routine as it felt rather on the heavier side. As it turns out the cream sinks in almost instantly and it's perfect to use in the morning under makeup. I tested it under all my foundations and didn't notice any issues. If applied over Hyaluronic Acid Serum, ensure the serum has fully sunk in. I found it works better if applied after oil based serum like my current fave from Resibo, if I want it to work as part of an evening routine. It's just not rich enough on its own for my dry skin. This is the reason I much prefer to use it as in the morning as it's perfect for daytime. In the evening I prefer heavier formulas that give me an overnight facial and this wasn't the case with this cream. However on the continuous use, I am seeing the improvement in firmness of my skin. I think the whole routine has been working well, but the cream has been the quiet hero of it all. Yes it's not the overnight here but works slowly in the background. Please check the ingredient list below:

Deionised Water, Aloe Vera Gel, Decyl Oleate, Squalane, Cetyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Glycol Stearate, Avocado Oil, Wheat Germ Oil, Sesame Oil, Avocado Butter, Beeswax, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A), Ascorbyl Palmitate, d-Panthenol, Ginseng Extract, Allantoin, Soluble Marine Collagen, Phenoxyethanol, Allantoin, Lactic Acid, Olive Butter, Milk Protein, Fragrant Oil, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid.

Overview:

Overall I am super pleased with my new skincare routine by Bravura London. Bravura is an inexpensive way to  introduce great quality professional skincare into your routine. I am beyond ecstatic with the results of my chemical exfoliators especially Lactic Acid and I will most definitely will be repurchasing it as soon as I need to. I'm also very happy with The Ginseng Glycolic Toner which is such a great dupe for the Pixi Toner, as it's just slightly cheaper and it works in a similar way. If I to recommend the product to you they would be the Glycolic and Lactic Acid Peels and the Ginseng Toner. I feel they fill the gap on the market and being so inexpensive anyone can afford them. Exfolliation is an important step in any skincare and Bravura has definitely hit the mark there. 

I didn't want to mention the packaging until the very end of this review. I wanted the products and the ingredients to scream quality at you first and foremost. However the shoutout is deserved and as a true packaging whore magpie, I must say, these bottles and jars have the most precious and centre stage in my cabinet. The matte colourful glass is just gorgeous and rose gold tops top up the design just beautifully. I would buy it over and over again because they are just so good but the fact the packaging is also so well made makes it just perfect. 

If you'd like to hear some more opinions on Bravura London check out these reviews by my fellow blogger friends:

Mummy's Beauty Corner

Fashion Confession

*All the products have been sent to me for review. Thank you to Type the Hype for an opportunity to review these excellent skincare products. All the opinions are my own and were formulated over a period of 4 weeks. This is not a sponsored post.*

Thank You For Reading,

Love

AUTUMN BEAUTY EDIT #1: MAKEUP

Autumn is my favourite time of year when it comes to makeup. It's the time of going for classics and innovating it every time. I have picked my makeup must haves. What are yours?

Becca Backlight Priming Filter £32.00 for 30ml

Genius primer that fights dull skin and signs of fatigue. Sounds familiar? Our skin is under a lot of stress during colder months with A/C in offices and colder weather, there's a lot of factors that make it look dull and tired. This soft focus, illuminating primer makes me look awake in an instant. It also works beautifully with drier foundations that never worked on my skin before. It is not fully silicon free but silica isn't the main ingredient. It works well on dry skin despite the silica component. If you're looking for that perfect glow within, Becca Backlight Priming Filter can be the answer to your prayers. 

Chanel Les Beiges in 10 £36.00 for 30ml

In autumn I look for lightweight bases that give me slight more coverage. Me and Chanel Les Beiges weren't a love from first sight. I hated it in the beginning. That is until I discovered how well it works with Becca Backlight Priming Filter. This duo gives me almost doll like finish. The finish it gives is semi matte with a certain amount of glow. It stays put for hours and it's my favourite office combination. Contour and blush are easy to apply on top and it keeps them in place throughout the day. It doesn't have the strong Chanel scent other foundations have and I really enjoy using it. This foundation needs a great primer to perform well, but when you find your duo - you will not look back.

Make Up For Ever Full Cover £21.00 for 15ml

This camouflage cream does what the name suggests, it hides it all. Super creamy formula that sets. I've heard it can be quite harsh for daily under eye wear but with great skincare I can't see the reason why it shouldn't perform well daily. I actually don't find the formula that heavy at all. I wouldn't necessarily pack the amounts you see girls packing in Youtube tutorials but small amount goes a long way here and it is a true full coverage. Long night at the office or maybe studying late at night? With this concealer no one will ever know!

Laura Geller Balance-n-Brighten Baked Colour Correcting Foundation £26.00 for 9g

Definitely a new discovery for me. This is a powder foundation and I use tit on no makeup days or to add extra coverage to my base as a setting powder. It works great both ways and I really enjoy using it. Multi-layer baked foundation works great at colour correcting and it has won my battle with redness. It hard to describe how well this formula works. It's super soft and buttery to touch and blends in beautifully. I use large kabuki brush to distribute it evenly and it has a place in my daily makeup bag as it's super easy to top up during the day if needs be.

Makeup Geek Contour Powder Pan in Break-Up £8.50

If you struggle to find a cool toned bronzer for super pale complexion, Makeup Geek to the rescue. Break-Up is aimed at those with Porcelain to Fair skin with cool undertones. So if you're pink to neutral in tone this is the shade for you. The powder is super pigmented so light hand is a must. It takes couple of days to get to know the product but the contour it gives is quite incredible. If blended correctly it creates the shadow so natural, it's quite hard to bit. I have looked forever for a perfect contour powder and this is it.

Maison Jacynthe Blush 02* $26.00

Maison Jacynthe is new natural makeup brand available. I have been lucky enough to receive few items to test and I especially fell in love with this natural blusher*. Formulated with coffee extracts, corn, macadamia and apricot oils with 93% organic origin, it's not only a makeup item but it could double as skincare. The formula is silky smooth and hydrating on the skin and it brightens my face. I really love this shade as it's perfect to add just a little flush to my pasty pale complexion. I have had high hopes and they were exceeded. It's my current number 1 blush and I can't see that changing any time soon. 

Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance £41.00 POST

This was the one summer launch everyone was waiting for and with the warm tones here to stay, I can't seem to be able to go a couple of days without it. It was perfect for summer and now it's filling in my autumn needs. I already reviewed it, so if you'd like to know more and see the swatches check out my review HERE. If you haven't got it already, I honestly can't recommend this palette enough. It's not just about the perfect composition and buttery shadows. It's everything. This palette is the one, I could be left with if all my makeup disappeared overnight. It is my holy grail. It is currently sold out everywhere, but don't fret, this wasn't a limited edition and stock is coming.

Urban Decay Naked Ultimate Basics £38.50 POST

I already branded it the prettiest palette in my collection. I mean, just look at it! Packaging is truly to die for. Everyone needs that ultimate matte neutral palette and this one comes pretty close to perfection. It is not perfect of course and I talk about it more HERE. I really enjoy using it for my every day needs, as with the great selection of neutrals from cool to warm tones, this is the one palette that'l take you from daytime to evening. It is still new in my collection, but already very much loved and used. It would make for a perfect Christmas present to any makeup addict out there.

Huda Beauty Liquid Matte Lips in Famous £18.00 for 5ml

This is the ultimate autumn lip for me. Dark deep berry works beautifully with any complexion, but it gives my super pale skin, the dark lip without looking overly gothic. I love the formula, I love the scent (hello Malibu & coke), I love the staying power. No it won't survive the full meal but on the days where you on the go snacking and juicing, it will last for 8+ hours. And did I mention I just adore the shade? Well done Huda :)

Jouer Liquid Lipstick (Fall Collection) in Bronze Rose £16.00 for 6ml

If there's one brand that's smashing the on trend metallic lip, it's the Jouer. Bronze Rose is a new addition to my ever growing Jouer collection and it's just precious. Perfect deep rose with metallic finish will work on most skin tones. For pale skin, it'll give you a statement daytime lip if you'd like to experiment. It's not as metallic as other shades in the collection which makes it perfect for those who would love to try this trend but are scared. The staying power is incredible too. I like the formula and pretty much everything about it.

MAC Lipstick in Rebel and Eugenie £15.50 each

I apologise as Eugenie was a limited edition shade but I can't seem to put it down in the last few weeks. It's such a pretty yet comfortable matte to wear. It lasts well through the day and it's been on my lips more than I'd like to admit. Rebel is a signature autumn shade. If there's one you should own from MAC it is most definitely Rebel. Formula is creamy with satin finish. It's lasting but non drying and the colour is just perfection. If you haven't already, I'd drop everything and go to MAC to get it. You won't regret this purchase.

And if you'd like to know what other fall lipsticks I recommend, I have a whole post about it HERE

*PR sample*

Thank You For Reading,

Love

NEW IN: URBAN DECAY NAKED ULTIMATE BASICS PALETTE REVIEW WITH SWATCHES

*Beauty with an edge*

Urban Decay Naked Basics 2 (POST) is my ultimate matte holy grail palette. It has all you need to create any given daytime look and even transform it to evening. I love mattes as my hooded eyes just look better in all matte shades. When I first saw UD finally coming up with a new Basics palette, I knew I will need to get my hands on it. And to see this gorgeous rose gold/ copper beauty and not buy it, would be a cry for help. Yes, I own a lot of palettes and no, I don't buy EVERY new palette on the market. In fact I'm being pretty good recently and only going for palettes I know I'll like and that bring something new to my collection. There's always a room for all matte palette in my opinion and this one was too stunning to walk away. Urban Decay Naked Ultimate Basics is a new gorgeous addition to Basics family and if you'd like to see more of it, please continue to read :)

Packaging:

I can't ignore it. It is by far the prettiest palette I own. The rose gold high quality plastic that's still light enough to travel with. Imagine a CD case - it's just a tad smaller than that. The design of the front is just exquisite. The burst design that's not only painted but moulded in, makes for a stunning finished effect. With the large company name and logo on front, somehow not disturbing the art of the design itself. The back is super basic, matte plastic with basic information about the product. 

What's inside?

Inside hosts a large, good quality mirror, 12 eyeshadows (1.2g each) and a small double ended brush. Considering how much of an eyeshadow giant Urban Decay is, you'd think they'll finally get that brush perfected. No such chance. It's business as usual or BYOBB (Bring Your Own Blending Brush). I like the mirror and you can easily do your makeup when travelling with it. Do I wish, Urban Decay succumb to the square eyeshadow pot design? As always. I find the characteristic pods little fickly when it comes to getting the product on the brush. Having said that, the new palette features quite a nice break in between the shades, meaning they're less likely to mix when the product gets dusted by a blending brush.

Formula:

Formula and pigmentation varies from shade to shade. The lightest shade is the only one with satin finish, the rest is matte. The four shades in the top row (transition shades) are quite lightly pigmented. Don't get me wrong, there's pigment there but I think that step was applied to help with blending in the crease. Transition shades don't need to excel in pigmentation and these four are gems in their own light, despite being more sheer than others. All the shades are super soft, almost buttery to touch and swatch lovely both on the fingers and when transferred to the skin. All swatches you see here are done with 3 swipe method, on no primer. I get asked a lot why my swatches look slightly different to when maybe you do it. I think it has a lot to do with experience in swatching. Every product requires certain amount of pressing when swatched and you also need to press the product onto the skin. I hope that clears the whole "It can't be 3 swipe method" debate. 

Shades: 

Blow - light champagne satin finish, great pigmentation

Nude - light beige matte finish, ok pigmentation

Commando - medium beige with neutral tones matte, good pigmentation

Tempted - medium taupe brown with cool tones matte, good pigmentation

Instinct - medium taupe with purple pink tones matte, good pigmentation

Lethal - dark taupe brown with purple tones matte, great pigmentation

Pre-Game - light yellow beige matte, good pigmentation 

Extra Bitter - dark warm brown with red & orange tones matte, great pigmentation

Faith - medium dark warm tone brown, great pigmentation

Lockout - medium dark neutral brown, great pigmentation 

Magnet - charcoal matte, good pigmentation but nicely build able

Blackjack - black matte, good pigmentation (it's not Blackout from Naked 2 but softer version)

Overview:

It's lovely to see such a great contender from Urban Decay as most of their palettes end up disappointing me. I really like UD mattes. They are not up there with Makeup Geek in my opinion, but rarely any shadow is. It's not a love from the first side as the recent palettes from Anastasia Beverly Hills (POST) or Jeffree Star (POST) but it's definitely close. I much prefer it to the Kat Von D Shade + Light palette (POST).

I think the shadows have mostly great formulas and the colour payoff is lovely. It is the ultimate daytime palette for me. It's nice to see a mixture of neutrals, cool and warm tones in one palette. It's travel friendly, looks absolutely stunning on my vanity and as a typical magpie, I can't stop staring at it. I have tested it for more than a week now and I honestly can't stop modelling my eye with it. It's perfect for daytime and evening, it will suit most skin tones, although more fair and medium than dark. There's a good balance of shades and if there's one matte eyeshadow palette everyone may need - it could easily be this one. I still prefer the formula of MUG shadows, however they're not as travel friendly. Naked Ultimate Basics is definitely taking a proud place on my vanity and in travel makeup bag. 

Naked Ultimate Basics is available now for £38.50 from Urban Decay, Selfridges, Debenhams and Feel Unique. 

Thank You For Reading,

Love

FLAWLESS BASE FOR DRY/DEHYDRATED/MATURE SKIN WITH MAKE UP FOR EVER

Flawless base is a dream of every woman. Having dry skin could be a blessing, but it also comes with so many restrictions when it comes to base makeup. Anything too heavy/mattifying can quickly look cakey and set on any dry patches or in fine lines. Finding a perfect foundation and primer duo is a challenge but I may have found my holy grail in three little products from Make Up For Ever. 

Make Up For Ever (MUFE) is now widely available in UK in Debenhams in store and online. I am quite lucky to have a store in my home town, so I recently went and wandered in. The brand has been the discovery of September and having tested the products for a month now, I feel comfortable sharing my thoughts on them.

Let's start with foundation. MUFE Ultra HD Invisible Cover Stick Foundation in R230 (RPR £29.00) is a definite favourite of mine. My first impressions were great, however I had some problems with it at first.

The shade is perfect for me, neutral to pink in tone and super light, it matches my skin perfectly. The formula is creamy but light and it offers medium coverage, also build able. My favourite methods of application are with my fave Sephora Face Brush #55 and with Beauty Blender Pro Sponge. Both apply this foundation to such perfection, my face looks airbrushed. It doesn't set on any dry patches, it doesn't settle in my fine lines. I even tried it on my mom's mature skin and it gave her the most glowing and flawless result. It's quite incredible how it looks on the skin! I found that it's best set with my Bamboo Silk Powder and then buffed in with some Hourglass Dim Light. Yes, I apply two powders over it, however I only use a little, I just found that the combo of two gives me the best results. 

The issue that I've had at first, was getting the flawless finish to last on me all day, as the foundation kept going super shiny after 4-6 hours. Don't get me wrong, I like the glow, but it was too glowing, even for me. I tried applying it over various primers to include: Too Faced Hangover Primer, Becca Backlight Primer and Nivea Post Shave Balm but none managed to keep the foundation on for more than 6 hours looking good. It was only when I went back in to MUFE store, I was recommended their Step 1 Skin Equaliser Redness Correcting Primer (RPR £13.00). And what a discovery that was. Not only does it help keep the foundation looking BEAUTIFUL all day long, but also helps to neutralise the redness on my face. I have super pale skin with pink tones, so redness is something I've been battling forever and this green coloured primer actually WORKS. You only need a little all over the face. I let it sink in for at least couple of minutes before going in with the foundation. The primer is silicone free, so perfect for dry skin. Dry skin doesn't like silicone based primers as they sit on the skin, which makes rest of your makeup slid off quicker. I purchased the smaller version to give it a good test, but I'm sure to buy it again, when I'm done with it.

Lastly I bought the cult concealer that is MUFE Full Cover Extreme Camouflage Cream (RPR £21.00). Yes, this concealer is hardcore and worth the hype it's been getting for years. It covers the darkest of circles so well. I was worried about my undereye area, with it being such a heavy coverage, but as it turns out the creamy formula is actually quite light if applied with a light hand. Yes, you can go Nikkie Tutorials heavy with it, although I would't recommend that for daytime. I apply a small amount just below my dark circles and pat the product upwards to avoid setting in the fine lines. I use my ring fingers at first to get the coverage and then go in with the Beauty Blender for a flawless, dark circles free finish. I then set it with either Lush Emotional Brilliance Setting Powder or with my trusty Hourglass Dim Light. This concealer lasts on me all day long, it doesn't crease and I honestly can't praise it enough.

It's been a long and painful process of finding the perfect base products that actually work for my dry and dehydrated skin and these may not be perfect, but they are pretty damn close. I can achieve such a flawless looking base thanks to these three gems and I couldn't be happier. No, these aren't the cheapest and will set you back by £60-£70 altogether, but if you are like me and a look for a holy grail face products, you will not be disappointed. It took me a while to find the best way to use the foundation, but day by day, I understood it more and found my way. I really like how light they all are on the face, you really can't tell I'm wearing any foundation, when applied correctly and that's exactly the result I always look for. I don't like heavy coverage cake on my skin, so finding the right balance is a must for me. I highly recommend getting testers of all three, if you are near the MUFE counter and trying them for yourself. I hope you'll love them as much as I do. 

Thank You For Reading,

Love