Hello my lovely people! I decided to do a quick update on myself, my blog and being mia etc. As most of you are aware, I was gone for around 5 months -which isn't a joke- that's almost half a year! And then a week a go, I sprang back into action, back into the picture like I was never gone! So I feel a little obliged to explain my absence just to keep you in the loop as I know a lot of you appreciate my presence and input on the blogosphere and I don't want to take advantage of or ignore that kind of loyalty and consideration that we have for each other. We're #instasisters at the end of the day ;) 

I don't want to divulge any details about my personal life or anything which I'm sure you all can understand. But basically....I had some things going on in my life that needed my care, concern and attention and I knew I would benefit from the mental space and the physical effort away from blogging. I won't claim to put truckloads of effort and dedication into my posts but I can't deny the whole process is definitely a time consuming one and I just didn't have the capacity to balance it all. My mind just wouldn't have been in it.

The time that I couldn't give to blogging then became an actual break from the blog and Instagram...it was quite refreshing to be honest. Though I did miss it, taking this time away didn't stop me from being a passionate beauty enthusiast and everything I saw or bought that excited me - I was itching to share with you all! I can't even begin to tell you how much I missed you all...you girls know who you are!

Then came the lazy stage of the break. I had collected so many goodies and had so many reviews lined up that I became a little overwhelmed with the amount of work that I had put on myself. I had what some may call a bloggers block! Like I said in my comeback / empties post (here) the bag just got heavier and heavier, so did the list of reviews that I wanted to write and I quite literally crept back and pussyfooted away from it all. It took lots of courage and planning to decide to come back and I told myself to take it one step at a time and hopefully that way I'd be able to manage it all.

Skin Update

Also in the last 5 months my skin has been all over the place. I was ill for a while and I think the combination of poor health, stress and lack of a routine made my skin almost unrecognisable. I developed dark circles, pigmentation, was ridiculously dehydrated, fine lines made an appearance all over my face, texture and flakes were at a record high and I had some active breakouts. I couldn't put a speck of makeup on my face, it looked absolutely awful atop of my skin.

Instead of crying into a pillow or locking myself in a tower, I went on a mission to nurse it back to health. I reduced the amount of acids I was using, especially Salicylic Acid as my skin doesn't seem to tolerate it if used too often. I applied my serums and antioxidants regularly and consistently (I have to thank my Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair, my Paula's Choice Resist Antioxidant Serum and Pestle & Mortar Hyaluronic Acid for replenishing my poor skin). I slathered on the oils and moisturisers and ingredients that strengthened my moisture barrier, wore my sunscreen daily and used acids every other day to help it all along. Along with plenty of water Alhumdulillah (all praise to God) my skin has improved a lot since doing this, it's still a little dehydrated and the fine lines are still there but I'm more at peace with my skin now.

Makeup Update

It's no lie I have done some makeup shopping in the past 5 months, I'm no saint and I've never claimed to be haha! It's not a lot but there's plenty to show and tell for. With regards to application I have become even more minimal with my makeup, especially the amount of foundation I use, because of my skins poor health I was forced to reduce the amount of foundation I put on as it would make my skin look much worse. 'Less is more' had really become me. I wanted the makeup to be invisible and flattering. I wanted to see skin, I wanted to achieve what foundation was intended for and that is healthy perfected skin. I've always known less foundation looked better on me but especially now that I have a slightly harder job at perfecting the imperfections, getting the right finish is vital for me. I have some new favourite products and techniques that I can't wait to share with you.

Now that I'm back I am trying to be more proactive with the blogging. I'm sure you've noticed that I've been throwing reviews at you this whole week, reason being I've tried sooooo many new things while I was away so I really want to share my experiences and thoughts with you, if I could I would throw it at you all at once but we know that's near impossible haha! So expect many more reviews to come your way and lots of new goodies to show. I hope you've all been well yourselves in these last 5 months my lovelies. See you soon. xxx

P.S. Since it's Ramadan I may do another disappearing act, just giving you a heads up hehe...It's the month of more prayers, self reflection, building on that connection with God, taking from His bountiful treasures and paving the way for the coming year...so please please remember me and the world in your humble prayers. Peace! xxx

I have been so intrigued by the brand since watching and lusting after them on YouTube for years only to be saddened by the fact that it was so hard to get hold of here in the UK. A lot of our prayers were answered when Britains favourite drugstore Boots launched NYX not only online but in a good few stores. Since then I have had my greedy beady eyes on soooo many of their products but am definitely rest assured and being patient in getting my hands on them as I'm sure they won't be going anywhere anytime soon!

So I've been collecting a few bits and pieces here and there and no surprise, they're all lip products! No word of a lie...I fricking ADORE them all!!!! I'm quite selective with the shades I decide to buy and they are usually wearable nudes and naturals for my complexion as well as the odd vibrant red, berry or pink shade. I've done some swatches of the current ones I own but watch this space as you probably know I always have room for expansion! Without any further ado, here are the swatches taken from my Instagram (@Zahra_Najam)

- Liquid Suede Cream in Soft Spoken

- Lip Lingerie in Ruffle Trim

- Lip Lingerie in Exotic

- Soft Matte Lip Cream in Stockholm

- Soft Matte Lip Cream in Cannes

- Soft Matte Lip Cream in Abu Dhabi

- Soft Matte Lip Cream in Rome

My favourite formula would have to be the Soft Matte Lip Creams, creamy, moussy and eventually sets to a velvety matte finish yet look really natural and effortless, though they may not be the most pigmented of the bunch, they seem to make my lips look so powdery velvety soft, plump and puffy and are really comfortable on the lips. They don't have the longest durability compared to the rest but the finish is what wins me over. I find these dry down to a slightly different tone on the lips compared to how they swatch. I usually have to go over my top lips pigmentation a couple of times to get an opaque coverage. So keep all this in mind.

P.S. Abu Dhabi has stolen my heart. If you've eyed this shade with intrigue like me, then definitely go for it, it's a gorgeous pinky beige sand nude on my olive / yellow NC35 - NC40 complexion, looks absolutely stunning!) 

The Suede Creams are much thinner and liquidy in consistency, pigmented yet feel soft and comfortable on the lips, though I find they take quite a while to dry down completely. Like the name suggests it's a suede finish and feel on the lips. Once dry they do last a while. They have the least exciting range of shades in my opinion, it's more suitable for those who like wacky vibrant shades and I'm not brave enough to pull 'em off at all!

The Liquid Lingerie are moussy and thick in consistency like the Soft Matte Lip Creams, very pigmented yet dry down in a few minutes. I feel like these are the most unflattering on the lips if I use too much, they can sink into the lines and crevices of my lips and have the potential of making my lips look smaller and a bit dehydrated, especially with the lighter colours. 

To tackle this problem I use a pore filling primer on my lips then I apply a thin layer of product on both my lips, let it dry completely and then go over my top lip once more (as I have discolouration / pigmentation on that lip) and I get a much nicer finish, smoother and plumper a bit like the Soft Matte Lip Creams.

I used to dislike Ruffle Trim because it looked too pasty on me for my liking but ever since I started using this technique of thin layers it's like whole new dimensions and depth of tones came out of the shade, I adooore it and have been asked so many times what I have on my lips when I've worn it!

Using a thin layer with these are what makes it look much nicer in my opinion. These Liquid Lingeries do last a good time on the lips and come off with a bit of a fight haha! 

There you have it, my lovely little NYX lip collection. I absolutely love them to bits! I'm super duper impressed with the quality and want so many more of their different products and formulas! Well done NYX and thank you soooo much for blessing us Brits with your presence! Xxx

You can clearly see how olive All Day Luminous Weightless is compared to the rest! The others have more of warm yellow / peachy tones. They're all very decent matches nonetheless. 

I wish they had a shade in between Ginger and Caramel in the concealer range that was more golden, I use Caramel to colour correct under eyes or add some depth of colour if my mouth area is looking a little grey and Ginger is good for concealing / brightening under my eyes and is also close to my skintone, just more on the peachy side.

Hope this helps

P.S. I totally mixed all the shades together and applied it to my face. It actually made for an interestingly beautiful finish and shade....! Just saying...

A lightweight and luminous liquid base, formulated with light diffusers which unify skin tone and cover imperfections effortlessly. Specially designed ‘true colour’ pigments work perfectly with your skins’ natural tones in an ultra-blendable formula.

The result? The perfect Invisiwear effect.

Shade

There's a total of 5 shades in this range F100, F200, F300, F400 and F500. I got F200 which is meant to be for those that are between NC30 and NC35. Now I don't really like MAC foundation shades as I don't find them very olive yellow but rather I think they lean more towards warm/orange neutral. 

The shade F200 is a very good match to my skin tone, when I apply it to my skin, it disappears and blends in really well. It's almost like my skintone in a bottle! If I were to describe the shade I would say it's a olive beige shade with some yellow, it's not a very yellow shade but has just enough to work very well with my skin tone. It's definitely a better match for me than the F300 and I adore it! This is the third time I've given up on a potential favourite just because of trying the wrong shade!

Excuse my splotchy dry hands, the skin on my hand is quite translucent/transparent hence the splotchiness and veins.

Texture

The texture of the EX1 is very thick and creamy. I've travelled with my little sample pot and where some foundations can make a mess and coat all sides and end up on the lid, even possibly leak, the EX1 didn't budge one bit, so you know it's not a runny formula at all. I've applied it with both sponges and brushes and I've noticed that since it's a thick formula you have to bounce the sponge a little extra to blend it in and as expected you use more product with a sponge, the brush manoeuvres and blends the foundation in well and doesn't take as much effort and you get a bit more coverage. (I'm currently obsessed with a particular face brush at the moment and haven't been able to put it down, I haven't picked up a beauty blender since! All will be revealed soon...Check here for brush review!). Also even though I don't have the full size bottle, I really like the packaging for the EX1, it's simple and effective, I love how clean and efficient the pump action is, you'll never waste a drop!

Feel

This is a lightweight formula as advertised but I don't think it's as lightweight as some of the newer foundation releases. Back in 2013 when it had first released you could say it was one of the first of its kind to offer decent coverage yet an invisible look and feel but foundation technology has evolved since then and there are many products out there now that provide an even more lighter feel. But yes I would say this foundation has the potential of looking and feeling invisible depending on your skin type/condition and how you apply, prep or set your makeup.

Finish

The EX1 Invisiwear does set to a demi matte finish on me and I have combination dehydrated skin. I wasn't anticipating this at all. At first it looks like a satin finish and exudes a glow that satin foundations would leave but after around 5 minutes it sets to a matte finish. In fact I have to be weary of how much powder I put on top or else it dries down too much and I'm left looking a little matte and a touch cakey. I have to wait for the foundation to dry down/set first so that I can see where I can/need to powder. It dries down especially around my mouth for some reason where I also have some texture, so I've learnt to use extra moisturiser there and go easy with the powder.

A couple of months ago I was going through a very dehydrated and dry phase, many of my foundations would look really dry and dull on my skin and the texture and flakes would look more pronounced, this was also one of the foundations that looked awful on me. So I don't think the EX1 is good for those with very dry, dehydrated and textured skin. Thank God my skin has improved since then and I can comfortably wear this without too much trouble. Definitely do your skin prep and moisturise well as the matte finish may not be forgiving if you have very dry skin. 

In terms of pore filling and skin smoothing, the brand doesn't claim for this to fill in pores or anything but I think it fills them in enough like most foundations would do anyway, it also isn't a smoothing or plumping foundation like the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation (review here) or the Urban Decay One & Done (review here). This is more of second skin finish where it mimics the skins natural texture. I have no complaints with this, I still like it very much. 

Coverage

I would say this foundation offers medium to buildable full coverage. I have some mild redness and post acne marks, general uneven skin tone and hyperpigmentation. Since I don't have the full size bottle I can't tell you how many pumps I use but I can tell you that I use 6 small dots around my face and get a proper medium coverage on my self. I'm not very keen on full coverage so I tend to go for a more natural look and finish to my skin. I love how even this makes my skin look and because it's so close to my skins colour it really looks great on me. I colour correct under my eyes and around my mouth and I get a pretty flawless finish.

Build-ability

The EX1 sets so I suggest building one section before proceeding to the next, I prefer to build thin layers at a time and only were I need it. Since this blends so well into the skin I find this builds nicely too but take into consideration the dry down as this looks drier on me the more I  build it on my dry/dehydrated areas. 

Longevity 

This foundation sets to a demi matte finish so it lasts really long on my skin, especially after setting with powder. I like the way satin/matte foundations look on my skin as the day goes by as my natural oils come out and give my skin a healthy natural glow, the matte nature of this foundation works well with my skin type and I get really good longevity out of this.

Oxidation

The EX1 Invisiwear does oxidise and deepen a bit to a slightly orange tinge, but not too much that it looses the olive yellow tones that work so well with my skin, it makes me look a little more tanned and golden and I don't mind that too much, I actually quite like it. A lot of people have complained about how orange it goes on them but there isn't much you can do as the shade range is very limited, having only 5 shades means you can't go down a shade as the shade differences between all 5 shades are quite distinct. Shade F100 is actually more on the neutral pink side which doesn't really make sense. But we can only hope Farah Naz (the creator) brings more shades to the range as I think that would do very well for the targeted consumers of this brand. 

Overall I really like the EX1 Invisiwear foundation. I adore the shade more so as it contains a nice balance of beige, green and yellow to match my skin so well, even the oxidation colour is manageable. I don't have many foundations that flatter my skintone that well but this one is definitely one of them along with bareMinerals Original Golden Medium (review here and here) and Nars Stromboli (review here and here). With the right skin prep I can make the demi-matte finish work really well for me, the skin like finish and the longevity is great. If you have an olive yellow complexion and haven't tried F200 in this range I suggest you get a sample and give it a go. My success with the EX1 Inivisiwear Foundation has made me want to try more of their products now! As usual I hope this was helpful. Toodles!

Description from website:

AIR MAT FOUNDATION

MATTIFYING HIGH COVERAGE FOUNDATION FOR AN UNDETECTABLE FINISH THAT LASTS FOR UP TO 24 HOURS.

Finish

This has a soft velvety matte finish on the skin, it's not a flat matte and the skin still has nice dimension to it but if you are quite dry and dull to begin with this can look a bit flat. Because it's summer now (well...) and my skin gets a teeny bit oily in warm weather conditions I find this looks soft and skin like on me. It fills in my pores and smoothens my skin nicely giving a soft focus blurred effect which I really really like.

I have worn this when my skin was very dry, dehydrated and flaky and this foundation was a big no no! It looked absolutely horrendous on me, picking up on every bit of texture/bump and sitting and highlighting every line, extra moisturiser nor the beauty blender was making it work, after trying and trying I was ready to give it away but now that my skins in better condition and not so dry I do like how it looks on me.

Coverage
I'm really impressed with the coverage you get with the Air Mat foundation. I'd say this is a medium to buildable full coverage foundation. I use a small pea sized amount and get medium coverage which is more than enough for me. It evens my skin out really nicely and naturally and conceals any redness and mild marks on my face whilst still looking skin like. I really like how skin smoothing it is and the soft focus effect this gives to my skin.

Like I mentioned earlier this can look cakey on me if my skin is more on the dehydrated side and has more texture which is why I'd avoid building too much coverage with this foundation, it can be unforgiving if I wanted to get this to full coverage as my skin isn't 100% smooth even on its good days, I do have a little texture at the moment in certain areas of my face and I am also slightly dry in these areas too so building coverage can look cakey in those specific places.

Build-ability
The Air Mat sets so I suggest you blend it in quickly. When I try to build layers with this foundation I find it can sometimes get a bit cakey if I'm not adequately moisturised, reason being since it's a powder finish, the powder dissolves into the moisture on your skin giving it an invisible finish, so if there isn't enough moisture on the skin to take more product the foundation can sort of sit on top of the skin instead of melting in to it. So if you have my skin type, use extra moisturiser if you want more coverage and no cakiness. And since this sets I recommend building layers one area at a time before moving on to the next area.

Longevity
I actually don't set the Air Mat foundation with any powder, I don't feel the need to and I find it lasts a decent amount of time on me. Because it's matte and it sets I feel like it really meshes into the skin and becomes one with it. Nor does it really transfer much. Also as it's a matte finish my skin doesn't get too oily by the end of the day and the foundation is still holding pretty well. Some people with oily skin have complained that they get really shiny with this, which is probably why it works well for me as on me it's a comfortable matte and isn't overly drying for my dehydrated combination skin. I also find that this looks better on me as the day goes by and sometimes by the end of the day I will have a radiant sheen to my skin which I quite like as it looks pretty with the soft focus smoothing effect on the skin.

Oxidisation

It didn't stop me though, eventually the greed and curiosity crept back in and I couldn't resist but to pick up a tube of their newest launch City Radiance, described as a radiant and hydrating foundation and boasting of an SPF of 30. I mean, how could I not? It was aimed directly at me! I also adore the simplicity of the packaging, easy controllable squeeze tube with very little mess and it's pretty.

A fresh & luminous complexion

It anti-dullness, formula with radiance-boosting pigments evens out complexion for a natural, fresh-looking, radiant complexion. 

Anti-pollution formula: 

Its anti-pollution screen prevents the adherence of carbon particles and lets skin breathe 

Contains SPF 30 UV screen to protect skin from UVA & UVB, all year round 

24hr hydration for all day comfort, a must-have of all urbanites! 

Tested for you*:

“Skin looks more even”: 91% of women agree 

“Complexion looks less dull and more luminous”: - 88% of women agree 

*User test on 33 volunteers

Dermatologically tested. Non-comedogenic

Considering I'm very weary of drugstore foundations I still wanted to swatch this and see if any of the shades were suitable for me, shade 05 seemed to look quite golden olive instore (under artificial lighting) and was also aptly named "Golden Beige". So I bought it only to realise in normal lighting it wasn't as golden olive as I'd like. Haha! My luck with shades.... Seriously I bet you're all sick of hearing my constant mismatches and dislike for certain shades. 

I would describe shade 05 as a warm toned beige, so it has some peach/orange with a hint of olive and lots of beige. It's not an ideal shade for me obviously but I can wear it, as the description states, it does have a brightening quality to it which is why I don't mind this shade too much. I've recently been quite flexible with foundation shades that I wear, usually I'm insistent that it match my yellow undertones perfectly and blend into my neck but I've been a bit more relaxed and making sure it's close enough and haven't been too bothered about my neck being a different colour, I mean the hijab hides the difference doesn't it, so long as it looks good right?

I also sometimes mix in a teeny drop of yellow food colouring into the blob of foundation that I'm about to use and it does look very good. I actually got a compliment once when I done this, apparently my foundation looked really nice and made me look wide eyed and awake. So I suppose that's proof enough that it worked haha. Little did they know I done something as wacky as put food colouring into my makeup!  

I love the texture of this foundation, my skin has been going through an extremely dehydrated phase recently so I'm reaching for more hydrating bases. This is slightly thick in texture, it won't run down your hand, it's creamy and emollient and also quite light and kinda gel like. I am super impressed with the formula. Many people have mentioned correlations between this and a certain Chanel foundation and I seriously wouldn't be surprised if they took inspiration and some of the formula of that one to create this, it's superb quality! I would definitely recommend this for dry skin types. It's almost like a tinted moisturiser with very decent coverage and longevity.

Along with the lovely texture this also has a lovely radiant finish. It's so pretty on the skin, it's skin like, it's dewy (not overly), it's glowy, not oily (depending on your skin type), it really perks up the skin and is definitely ideal for the summer time. As I mentioned earlier I think this is ideal for those who want a radiant finish, so anyone with perhaps dull or dry skin particularly will benefit from this. I find this isn't too harsh on flakies, obviously I recommend exfoliating and starting with a smooth base but if there is texture it doesn't pick up on it horrendously and does give a somewhat smooth finish to the skin.

This feels really comfortable on the skin, the formula is lightweight, it's hydrating, it's moisturising, it's emollient, not at all heavy and not greasy either. I love how modern formulas these days are so lightweight now, you can barely feel makeup on your skin and that's absolutely fantastic, you could almost forget you have anything on! Nobody wants to be weighed down by the cake! 

You can get upto a medium coverage with this, it's sheer to buildable medium. It covers minor imperfections, evens skintone nicely and naturally, blurs pores and lines just enough, it's a great everyday foundation. This also blends beautifully and effortlessly into the skin. I've used with both sponge and brush and get wonderful results with either. This also builds really nicely, it's not patchy and just sinks into the skin without looking a bit cakey.

The City Radiance does oxidise, I've found this with a few Bourjois foundations actually. It definitely deepens a lot so bare that in mind if you want to consider shade matching. I'll include a before and after swatch to show the difference. It quite literally oxidises as soon as it comes out of the tube and within a minute it'll have oxidised by 2 shades and then it carries on to get a little more deeper. Does this bother me you may ask, yes and no... like I mentioned earlier I'm trying to be more open minded about shades now, I hate missing out on great formulas just because the shades aren't 100% on me, I won't go any further than 2 shades up or down of my skintone so anything within that range is fine and I can make it work or try at the least. But of course I would have preferred for it not to.

Considering it's a radiant hydrating foundation, I find this formula holds up really well on its own, the formula obviously does play a part in this. It's not like for example the original YSL Touché Eclat foundation (review here) where it can literally slide and melt off of your face because of its high emollience. The City Radiance certainly works well for my combination dehydrated skin type. The moisture level in this foundation allows me to set it in place with some powder without compromising on the radiance/glow, I usually set just the tzone where the dew can look a bit unsightly. If you have oily skin, mattefying primer or powder will help keep it intact or you many want to skip this one entirely and if you are very dry you may even skip the powder and leave it as is. I wouldn't say this has all day lasting abilities but I think it can last your average work hours, especially if necessary steps were taken for your skins specific needs.

Overall I really like the formula of this foundation, it's an excellent comfortable hydrating foundation and looks beautiful on the skin. Again my only qualm is the shade, also 6 shades isn't enough, especially if it's suitable for only light - medium beige complexions. Come on Bourjois, expand your colour range, please acknowledge the other end of the spectrum! I almost forgot to mention the smell, this smells ah-mazing! It's fresh and pretty just like the packaging and formula, it's not a strong fragrance so don't worry it doesn't linger. Also I can't comment on the anti-pollution screen that this claims to have, I mean, how do you monitor pollution on the skin?? Breakouts? Skin health.....? Anyway I hope you enjoyed this review, if you have any questions do let me know and I shall get back to you as soon as! Toodles!

They currently have 6 shades in the One & Done. Swatches were available pretty soon after its launch so shade matching was quite easy. The website also has shade descriptions corresponding to the Naked Skin shade range. I was considering Medium Light at first because it seemed to look the most yellow and I wear 4.0 in the foundation but after watching a few YouTube videos I saw a lot of people similar to my skin tone wearing Medium. I do regret not getting the Medium Light instead.

After swatching I noticed that the 6 shades are actually quite neutral undertoned, the shade Medium is quite neutral/peachy on me, unfortunately there's hardly any olive in it and my skin needs to have bases with a good balance of yellow and green for it to compliment or flatter it. Any bit of pink, neutral or beige can clash with my skin and look a bit weird. The shade Medium does make my skin look more neutral/peach and looks a little strange against my overly yellow neck but I guess being a hijabi has its pros as my neck is usually covered most of the time! I don't love the colour match but because it's a light coverage base I can easily get away with it and the peach tones do have a slight brightening effect. I would look into getting a sample of Medium Light because it definitely looks more yellow.

Nars ADLW Stromboli, One & Done Medium and Naked Skin 4.0

The texture of One & Done is really interesting, it's like a thick-ish, smooth, creamy gel, primer type consistency that runs down your hand slowly. It reminds me very much of the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation (review here) and it does have very similar second skin effects on the skin. I've applied with both sponges and brushes and I like how it looks with brushes (I use a flat top slanted dense kabuki), it blends so effortlessly into the skin and it provides more coverage than a sponge. I reckon this is a great in between formula for different skin types, it falls right inbetween oily and dry. This'll be perfect for anyone with normal skin, combination skin, slightly oily and slightly dry.

Like the CT Magic Foundation this doesn't feel heavy on the skin when applied considering it's thick, it's very smooth and creamy. I do like the feel of it on my skin, it seems to plump, hydrate and smooth out the surface of my skin. You can't really feel it on the skin, sometimes I actually forget I have it on. I use this ontop of my usual moisturiser as it's not enough for me on its own. If you're very oily then prime and set with mattefying products and if you're very very dry exfoliate and layer on the moisture.

The finish is very skin like, I love how it fills in pores and lines, it really plumps the skin and gives it a smooth finish (like the CT Magic Foundation). On my combination/dehydrated skin it's a satin/demi matte finish with a healthy skin like radiant glow. I have used this when my skins been a bit flakey and I didn't like how it sat on my skin at all, it accentuated the flakes and just sat on and around them. This is definitely a product for my good skin days! 

The One & Done will give you upto a medium coverage, it is as they describe a tinted moisturiser. If you like lightweight bases, light coverage and products that allow your skin to peep through then this is definitely for you. It covers the mild redness on my face well, conceals minor imperfections and unifies my complexion nicely and looks very natural. Of course without saying, this looks better on me after I've colour corrected my under eyes and around the mouth.

I find that the One & Done has a setting factor to it, I've noticed that if I want to build it up (once it sets) it starts to get a little bit patchy and then I have to go in with a beauty blender to smoothen it out, it's best to build it while it's still wet if you're using a brush. Like I said earlier you can get a solid medium coverage with this.

The One & Done doesn't really oxidise, I haven't really noticed any major colour change with it. I mean it is a little peachy/orange on me but I feel like when I have a lighter layer on, my skintone does peep through making it seem like it adapts slightly.

On my skin type I don't feel the need to set this with powder because it's not at all greasy, it's just the right amount of glow for me without setting. If the weather has been warm that day I'll have a slight sheen on my face by the end of it and that's it, I may have to powder just the t-zone. I think it's because of my skin type that makes this product last long enough on my face. It's a really good in-between formula.

Overall I really like the formula of the One & Done Hybrid Complexion Perfector, it ticks all my boxes for an everyday tinted moisturiser / primer in one. The only qualm I have is the shade, it's just not yellow/olive enough for my skintone, the only reason I'm keeping it and getting so much wear out of it is because the formula is really nice and works so well for me. I knew I was right to be excited about the One & Done, I can definitely say Urban Decay know how to create amazing base products! 

Let me know if you've tried this and what your thoughts are. As always I hope you found this useful. See you around! X

Skincare:

Cleansers, toners and makeup removers:

As I've mentioned many times before, I'm not really a wipe type of person so I haven't tried many brands or versions, but these have come in handy for fixing makeup mistakes and of course for the late late night makeup removal, just to get the most of the cake off my face ready for cleansing. These B. Pure Sensitive Micellar Wipes are very very effective at removing makeup and surprisingly good at removing tough liquid lipsticks which I usually remove with baby oil, I don't find them especially gentle though, they definitely could've been softer and a bit more moist. Cheap and done the job fine, would probably repurchase when on offer and I think I may just have to keep a packet or two lying around for emergencies from now on!

Boots Time Delay Micellar Cleansing Water is something that I have used and reviewed before (find out why I love it HERE), I do like this Micellar Water, effective and doesn't leave my skin feeling stripped like some Micellars can. My skin feels soft after using, so would definitely repurchase when on offer.

I do enjoy using a creamy cleanser to melt off my makeup and this Good Things Manuka Honey Creamy Cleanser not only smells comforting but leaves my skin feeling nicely cleansed and comforted at the same time, a good option for dry skin folks, I use this to remove my makeup at the sink with a flannel or muslin cloth. Nice, gentle and effective, would definitely repurchase.

Keeping to creamy cleansers, the Boots Botanics Hydration Burst Dual Action Cleanser is another "at the sink with a muslin cloth" typa cleanser. Though I find this one melts makeup better than the Good Things Manuka Honey Creamy Cleanser. This is a thick gel formula which works better on a damp face than dry, this smells nice on its own but when mixed with makeup it smells kinda funky and not in a good way. I do like this but I have a few cons to mention. No.1 is that it's really hard to squeeze the product out the tube, I had to cut it very early on in its life just so that I could use the darn stuff inside (see multiple cuts on tube). No.2 when I use this to remove my eye makeup I would always be left with foggy clouded eyes so I'd be partially blind for a bit until I rinsed it all off properly. It's good but it's nowhere near perfect and the cons for this actually puts me off repurchasing.

Aaaah...! I have spoken about this desirable duo many times before. I ADORE the Dr Darren Mckeown AHA Active Radiance Cleanser (sadly discontinued even on eBay but raved about here) and when used with the St.Ives Daily Microdermabrasion Scrub, it's almost like angels hard at work on the surface of my skin leaving it smooth, soft and glowing. The texture of the St.Ives isn't rough at all, it's like a very dense but gentle scrub that doesn't scratch and mixed with the gel formula of the Dr Darren, it worked so bloomin well to gently take dirt and dead skin cells off my skin. Since the Dr Darren Cleanser is unfortunately discontinued and this bottle was my last, I will have to bid farewell to my old friend. Adieu old friend adieu, until we meet again (or you pop up on eBay hopefully sometime soon in the future).

Bravura Revitalising Ginseng Toner. I do love me some Bravura, apart from this being an affordable and identical dupe for the Pixi Glow Tonic, this works really well to properly prep your skin for some acid work. This brings down the PH of your skin so that any acid you use ontop works effectively, I will do an in depth review of my personal experiences with this and other Bravura products I own. But for now, yes this is good if you want a dupe for the PGT and some light acid toning, though personally I prefer their other toner (which is the Calendula one), I find this Ginseng Toner can leave my skin a little too tight for my liking. I'm on my second bottle now so yes, probably would repurchase as it's gentle enough to use for acid prep.

Superdrug Vitamin E Refreshing Toning Mist. An Instagram @Ummbaby influenced purchase. This is good if you want to inject some quick moisture into your skin added with some Vitamin E benefits. Hydration mists are good multi use products, whether you want to layer moisture during your skincare, prep your skin for foundation, dampen your sponge, finish your makeup by setting it and taking away any powdery-ness or a midday hydrating top up, everyone should own a version of this stuff. This Superdrug's one is cheap and does the job okay, though I wish the packaging was less bulkier and perhaps slimmer for smaller hands like mine? If overdone this can get sticky like most glycerin based mists (for a non glycerin based mist check here). Repurchase? Maybe...maybe not, might try another brand since I'm your traditional product junkie.

Another face mist I finally finished is The Body Shop Vitamin C Energising Face Spritz. I much prefer the Vitamin E version of this, this one squirted instead of sprayed and left a tacky ish feel to the skin which I didn't really like, I don't think there are many if any Vitamin C benefits in this as it's too far down the list anyway so don't expect any major wow factors, the smell is strong which may be the only energising thing about it, not a favourite so will not repurchase, there're much better options out there.

Face Creams and Sunscreens:

I am a PROPER moisture junkie, I tell you no lie, I am on a mission to try them all out, one by one, just so that I can find the one! I think having dehydrated confused combination skin does that to you!

Simple Replenishing Rich Moisturiser. This is light and runny in texture yet has some emollience to it, I think if you have normal to dry skin this would be good for you as I don't think it's ideal for anyone with really dry, flaky or dehydrated skin types, you'd probably have to exfoliate and remove the layers of dead skin first to appreciate this moisturiser even a tiny bit. This wasn't enough for me on its own and worked better with some oil underneath. It can also feel a bit heavy and tacky if you try to pile it on. Now that I've tried it I can check it off the list. I won't repurchase.

When I bought the Botanics Hydration Burst Cleanser I also excitedly bought the Hydration Burst Hydrating Day Cream thinking this was definitely aimed at my skin type. Omg I'm going to cut this short and say not repurchasing ever, very highly fragranced, this broke me out in clusters of tiny painful whiteheads the next day, not only that the gel was also sticky in texture to begin with and never really sunk in properly. Not for me obviously!

A good few months ago right around when Winter kicked in, my skin was going through this awfully dry dehydrated phase (all it needed was some tlc and some acid of course haha!) so I was desperate for a moisturiser that would quench my skins thirst properly and so I decided to get the Eucerin Dry Skin Replenishing Face Cream with 5% Urea. This is thick in texture, emollient but not very creamy, I like creamy textures for my moisturisers. Sometimes I thought it wasn't enough, sometimes it was better with some oil underneath, it was definitely better after some acid exfoliation but it never really wowed me and for £11 it wasn't really worth it for me. I've read great reviews but my skins so darn fussy there's not much I can do about it.

Lush Imperialis Facial Moisturiser. Not just tonight, Josephine... Anyway like I said I'm always on the hunt for good moisturisers for my confused skin so when I saw the label on this and it read "great for skins that can't make up their minds" I thought hey, yes, that sounds like me, I'll give that a try! I have and it's okay, sinks in nicely, does moisturise but it's not quite enough and some areas were still feeling rough and unloved. So not for me unfortunately. Probably best for normal combo skin types. 

Along with the Creamy Cleanser I bought the Good Things Manuka Honey Daily Moisturiser too. I was so excited to try this, I don't know why? I think it was the generous size (100ml) which actually started to drag and took me forever to finish near the end haha! The scent is indentical to its cleanser, with SPF 12 (not written on packaging, had to contact them for this) it provides okay protection probably for British Winters, this is creamy and emollient but wasn't enough for me and left my skin looking and feeling a bit greasy but still yearning for a teeny tiny bit more moisture, I also felt like this gave me reoccurring small spots, again I think it's good for normal to dry skin types. I do like this but won't repurchase.

Another moisturiser I was itching to get my hands on, The Body Shop Vitamin C Glow Boosting Moisturiser. It's a gel formula, very refreshingly cool and wet when you put on, has a very strong smell which I don't think is entirely good for the skin tbh. Best suited for normal to oily skin types, anyone with dry dehydrated skin won't feel comforted or reassured with this on, there's just not enough emollience or creaminess in this, it can also get bitsy and ball up if you use too much or rub it a little too much. Nice burst of hydration for normal to oily skin. Not repurchasing.

This is a little sample I received, The Organic Pharmacy Double Rose Rejuvenating Face Cream. The texture is alright of this, creamy and emollient for normal to dry skin but the rose scent was rather overwhelming, to the point it gave me a headache. So I wouldn't repurchase.

I've reviewed The Body Shop Vitamin C Daily Moisturiser SPF 30 before and have raved about it and loved it before but I do have some issues that I'm not too sure about anymore, it's emollient and can look a bit greasy, it's almost enough moisture for my skin but I don't like the tingly buzzing feeling I get when I put this on and the frangrance is way too strong for my liking. Isn't it amazing how your opinions can change of something over time? Wouldn't repurchase.

I much prefer the Simple SPF 30 Moisture Cream at the moment, I've reviewed this before but love it more now and am currently enjoying my third bottle of this. On its own it's not quite enough, but with a few drops of oil underneath it's just right. No strong scent, no excess greasiness, no heavy white cast on my tan skin. A list of emollients and skin conditioning ingredients, it's definitely a safe and reliable option for me. It's not as emollient and creamy as I'd like for when I want to put makeup on but is fine for no makeup days. I will definitely be repurchasing until something else as good and just as affordable comes my way. 

Treatments and Lip Balms

I have been a long and steady devotee to Carmex lip balms, let's say...around 8 years now. I've gone through many many many tubes, we have a very deep rooted bond Carmex and I. Carmex saved my life 8 years ago, being a long time and regular sufferer of cold sores and constantly chapped lips, no lip balm helped my suffering lips apart from Carmex. The Salicylic Acid in this really helps to keep the cold sores at bay. It really softens the dry flakes and kept my lips soft and hydrated. It's literally my desert island product. I adore the Cherry flavour and the fresh summery zingy and delectable Lime flavour has also become a firm favourite. The orange flavoured Everyday Lip Conditioner is okay, it has a conditioner type texture and sinks in and absorbs straight away but doesn't quite soften and hydrate chapped lips the way the balms do so won't be repurchasing that. Since I'm a product junkie I'm eager to try other products out but I'll always have a Carmex lying around. 

Vichy Normaderm Global Anti-Imperfection Hydrating Care

Oh I was so excited about this, I read so many good reviews. But unfortunately I don't like the texture at all, it's very similar to what La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo does, it helps with spots etc. I used this as a serum underneath products as well as on its own but never liked the texture, it bitses up and was never hydrating enough for me. I just couldn't get over the balling up. Because I didn't use this enough I can't really comment on its effectiveness, so won't be repurchasing.

Boots Botanics Super Serum Triple Age Renewal and Super Serum Radiant youth

These were another couple of products that I had really high hopes for which received really good reviews. I'll mention the good first, the texture of these are amazing, it absorbs so beautifully into the skin and doesn't ball up, it was wonderful layering products with this on and gave a bit of extra hydration and moisture to the skin. But they are extremely fragranced, I just couldn't get over how strongly fragranced they are. One of them legit smell like D&G Light Blue, I used them regularly and didn't notice any benefits to my skin, and any anti ageing ingredients were right at the bottom of the list. I also felt like it irritated my skin a little, so won't be repurchasing unfortunately.

Fragrance, Hair Care and Body Care

Soap & Glory Mist You Madly was one of the first products I tried when S&G first launched and I fell head over heels in love with the scent and the brand, I wanted to own everything in their range. This is one of those scents that are soft, sweet and comforting. The scent reminds me of something from the 70's...even though I wasn't around then haha! Would definitely repurchase but they need to sort out the packaging! It's so hard to dispense the spray, the narrow part is so hard to hold and control, the bottle keeps sliding down, so I have to hold the bottle in one hand and push the spray using the other and it still slips away. Love the product hate the packaging.

I also finished a bottle of Eau de Lacoste 30ml by Lacoste. It's a fresh / floral feminine scent with hints of orange similar to D&G Light Blue. It's not too bad, nice everyday scent. Probably wouldn't repurchase as I have other everyday fresh scents that I prefer over this. Pretty packaging!

I'm not much of hair maintenance typa gyal, I don't seem to have the patience with hair at all. Which is probably why I like to use hair oils sometimes since it helps to get rid of knots quicker. I also like to do a deep treatment once in a blue moon and leave it on for a few hours or overnight. This Vatika Cactus Enriched Hair oil with garlic is meant to help with hair loss which is something I do struggle with. I couldn't tell you if it's helped with hair loss much as like I said I use it once in a blue moon or to quickly de-tangle the lengths of my hair. But oil is generally good for the hair and scalp so yeah, probably would repurchase. Lightweight texture and nice scent.

I have used up millions of bottles of the Garnier Body Repair Anti-Dryness Restoring Moisturiser and will continue to use it till my last breath, it's the only thing that really works for my dry reptilian skin, so when Garnier came out with the Balm version I was excited to try it out. I'm not too keen on the balm it bitses up when you rub it too much and it's not as moisturising as the lotion so won't be repurchasing, it also doesn't smell as pleasant.

Makeup

Eye Makeup:

I've binned a ton of mascaras in one go as I've been hoarding onto these dry sticks for far too long. To keep it short I'll only be repurchasing the original Max Factor False Lash Effect it's my holy grail mascara and gives me everything I could possibly want from a mascara, curl, lift, definition, length and amazing volume whilst keeping the transformation looking like my own natural lashes (or a set of falsies) and also completely clump free. The decent ones I would reconsider are L'Oreal Telescopic (definition and length), Avon Supershock (definition, curl and volume) and No7 Exceptional Definition (light natural definition).

I won't be repurchasing the remaining:
L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes: Some definition and volume but not enough to wow me, little lift.

Maybelline Falsies: Found it a little too clumpy and thick.

Max Factor False Lash Effect Waterproof: Clumpy, messy, wet and no lift or definition.

MUA Extreme: Clumps into small bits and flakes off onto skin, decent definition and lift though.

MUA Eye Define: Thick texture, flexible wand, flakes off onto skin, some definition but nothing special at all.

I also finally finished two eyeliners: 

Avon Glimmerstick in Bronze, pretty bronze shade, won't be repurchasing as it's not a modern day, long lasting, budge proof formula.

Barry M Intense Black Eyeliner, bog standard eyeliner but won't be repurchasing as it's too dry and hard to use, much better formulas out there these days.

Collection 2000 Black Gel Liner, which I haven't finished but it's a cheap gel liner which doesn't really stay put, for £5 it's not bad! I want to invest in the Inglot 77 gel liner next insha Allah!

Face Makeup

I've already made a post of my first #makeupmilestone on Instagram where I finished my first foundation: bareMineral Original foundation in Golden Medium, my holy grail everyday foundation, the first ever perfect match to my skin tone and a lovely natural undetectable finish. I've reviewed this here. I'm using the Matte version (review here) now but will definitely repurchase the original once I've finished the matte one. 

My little tester tube of Maybelline Fit Me foundation in 220 (reviewed here). A good dewy drugstore foundation and the closest I've come to a drugstore match. 

Sleek blusher in Sahara, as you can see this is ancient packaging and it's about time I chuck it away. Lovely matte rusty peach brown shade, great as an inbetween blusher bronzer for tanned skintones. Definitely repurchase!

No7 Instant Radiance Concealer in III. Decent light peachy concealer which I used up as under eye highlighter/brightener. Probably wouldn't repurchase as No7 products are a little overpriced and not well suited for Asian skintones. 

Garnier Anti Dark Circle Roll On. There is so much product in this tube and it doesn't seem to want to end! There's tonnes left in there. It's a bit too sheer for my liking so won't be repurchasing. 

LA Colors Cover Up! Concealer in Pure Orange (reviewed here), this technically isn't an empty because it simply went missing, like the stick literally fell off the face of the earth and all it left behind was the casing. I looked everywhere but never found it haha! Strange case (no pun intended) but has since been repurchased as it's my favourite drugstore orange colour corrector for the discolourations around my face. A favourite till something else effective comes my way!

We have finally come to the end of this ginormous empties post. If you made it this far then bravo! I'm impressed! Hopefully I won't be leaving it till this late again. Until next time lovelies, toodles!