Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Flawless Fluide

Foundations are one of my favourite beauty products to buy; that and skincare. Maybe because both are staples for a perfect base. Everything else is overrated but if you have a clear skin and a good foundation, what can go wrong? 

I've always loved the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser and it worked wonders until my skin became a little more problematic and lumps and bumps were getting a bit too obvious; a simple tinted moisturiser just didn't offer enough coverage. That's when I made my way to a counter and asked for something natural looking but buidable coverage, not cakey and also good for oily skin. I knew I was asking for an holy grail but my expectations were pretty low. 

I had come across the Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Flawless Fluide on shopping websites but never really heard about it. I didn't think it was nothing that exceptional when the girl at the Laura Mercier counter was trying to match my colour however, I bought it and came home to give it another try; couldn't be any worse than my other foundations which obviously weren't doing the job.

Well, I love it. This is oil free, light to medium coverage but definitely buidable and very skin-like. I normally apply this with my Sigma F80 or the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge; or the brush and then the sponge just to perfect it and achieve that flawless finish. All around, it's so easy to blend and it doesn't stick to any dry patches or blemishes. Even though it's oil free, I always finish it off with a translucent powder as I tend to have an oily T-zone. Is worth to say that I conceal my spots as normally (nothing too heavy) and one application of the Flawless Fluide over my whole face is enough for an even skin tone and a brighter complexion.

The Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Flawless Fluide (what a mouth full) is the best foundation I tried in the past few months. In fact, a couple of days ago I tried to use my Revlon Colorstay which I used to love and things didn't go as I expected; it just wasn't the same as this Laura Mercier beauty.  I wear the shade shell and for me, the best point about his foundation is how natural it looks but you can still buildable the coverage. 

What foundation are you raving about at the moment?

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Brand Focus: E.L.F.

Up until March I had never purchased anything from ELF. I was more than aware that the brand was highly affordable and people did enjoy some of their products. However, the idea of having to shop solely online without the possibility of physically seeing the foundation shades or feeling the brushes bristles always put me off of making an order.

It wasn't until I stumble upon Kathleen Lights videos that I really started to want to try a few things from the brand. As I had a trip to New York coming up I definitely thought it was the perfect excuse to pop into a store and see everything right there and then. By the time I went over to America my list of products to try was fairly big and useless to say I brought to this side of the Atlantic a pretty big bag of goodies.

The fact that everything is so inexpensive creates a great opportunity to try a lot of different things. I was very impressed with the quality of some of their products. I would highly recommend giving it a go if you're in searching to add a few items to your make up collection without leaving your bank account next to zero.

Here is a list of a few things I've tried and in my opinion are a really good quality for the value.

Brushes - the studio range is pretty good and they stock a good variety too. Some of my favourites include the Contouring Brush, Ultimate Blending Brush, Eyeshadow "C" Brush, Flawless Concealer Brush, Blending Brush. Some of them are even less than a fiver. Can't beat that. It's a good option if you are lazy when it comes to cleaning your brushes (like me) and want to have more options available. 

Eyeshadows - their baked eyeshadows (singles or trios) are very pigmented and they stock some pretty amazing. I have Toasted and Burnt Plum and their trio in Brown Bonanza and will definitely make a cheeky order soon to get my hands in a few more shades. 

Lipsticks - unfortunately the UK website doesn't stock the lipsticks I have and adore. I am a satin lover. A lipstick for me needs to be quite nourishing and I can only find that in most satin ranges. However, ELF stocks lipsticks which can be nourishing without being totally satin and definitely without being matte. My favourites and the ones I would like to try more shades from are, the Matte Lip Colour and I also got a tinted lip balm which couldn't be any more pigmented. Although I reckon this may have been discontinued as I can't locate it in any of their websites. Disappointing. 

Foundation - I actually fell in love with the foundation I bought and that's all I used for months. My bottle is about to finish. The Flawless Finish Foundation offers a medium coverage and definitely a flawless airbrushed finished. It last quite a good time although it doesn't work for me for warm environments as the shine starts to come through like there's no tomorrow. Still, highly recommended. For £7,50 it is definitely good for the price tag.

Blush/Bronzer Powder - the Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder is the only blush or bronzer I got at the time as I was curious to see if this was a dupe for any of NARS shades of blushes and bronzer. This little duo has a pretty good pigmentation and it is handy to carry around.  

 Have you tried any ELF products? What would you recommend?

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Beauty: Where To Splurge

Having a beauty blog, following blogs, watching YouTube videos or even being a girl for that matter, puts you in a place of great temptation to go out and shop. Oh if you only knew how much time I spend scrolling through the ASOS app ... It is not surprising that for most of us there is surely a careful consideration before spending our earned money on something. So today I decided to share with you where I normally spend a few more of my pennies and why. 

When it comes to beauty, skincare products are something which I normally won't budge on. There are great drugstore skincare ranges but given that my skin can sometimes be quite unpredictable, I often reach out for more high end brands to get the job done. If you have good skin then everything will look good on you (almost) - that's my motto. 

Foundation is another big statement when it comes to spend a few extra pounds. Again, there are great products for all skin types, coverage and purpose at the drugstore! Revlon ColorStay, Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation, L'Oreal Paris Infallible Matte Foundation are a few of my favourites. I  personally feel that a high end foundation will back you up even at your worst (skin) times. 

Eye-shadow palettes are for me a great way of having a variety of options all in one place. They seem indeed rather expensive however, if you think about the fact that a Maybelline Color Tattoo is about 5 pounds, a Urban Decay Naked pallete with 12 shades at 38 pounds works out quite well - just as an example. 

Primers. A good primer can perform so many miracles when your complexion is just not collaborating much. In this category I stay a little divided as I am currently loving some much less expensive primers from the drugstore. Although I can only say wonders about the more high end ones I've tried in the past. My love for the Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch is still very much alive. 

And finally, brushes. These can be a hit and miss in my opinion. I reckon it is more a matter of brand rather than high end or drugstore. I mean, no one denies how great the Real Techniques brushes are. We all have a great love affair for them. 

What products do you normally splurge on?

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MAC Matchmaster Foundation

A couple of years ago, back when my interest in make-up was definitely not as big as it is now this foundation was very much adored. I was over in America for my brother's wedding when one day decided to head over to MAC and with the help of a member of staff I left the store with a much lighter wallet. Of all the stores I could have gone to, I went to MAC. That's to show you that I didn't really know what I was doing. But you gotta start somewhere, right?

According to the official merchandiser, the Matchmaster Foundation includes in its composition pigments which enable the foundation to adjust to your skin tone in order to give you a flawless medium coverage. And it also has SPF 15 so was the ideal choice for the LA weather at the time. Sounds like the dreamy foundation. And it was - it easily became a favourite of mine and I remember wearing it every-single-day. But then, I lost interest and the few times I went back for it, I hated it. 

However, some weeks ago, I decided to give it a try again. As I was organizing my foundation stash, I was also looking for something with a decent coverage that I could use at work without feeling the need to peel my make-up off after 2 hours into my shift. Because my current job involves far too much running about and warm environments, I tend to not worry a lot about my make-up and in fact try to wear foundations that I don't like so much anymore. I normally just want something that will even out my skin tone nicely enough and that keeps the shine at bay. 

So I went back to try the Matchmaster and it was better than what I expected. The medium coverage is pretty decent specially if you like light foundations. The finish is slightly dewy giving you a flawless and even complexion. I used this with and without a setting powder as well as with and without primer and I must say that it's great at keeping that shine under control. I also found that even after long periods of wearing it, didn't seem to crease at all - t-zone included. I have the shade 1.5 and all around I see why this can be a really good product however, it has a unusual yellow undertone to it and that is why I am not completely sold on this one. Some days it works out quite well but some others, maybe my skin just doesn't collaborate and it gives me a bit of an ill look. No one wants that. 

If I would repurchase this? Probably not. I actually have no idea if they have reformulated the Matchmaster since I bought it but I have experienced other foundations that work better for me. 

Have you ever tried the Matchmaster Foundation? What are your thoughts?

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