Laura Mercier Face Illuminator Review

The look of this powder alone makes it worthwhile buying, that is once you get over the fear of ruining the delicate rose mould.

Appearances aside, Laura Mercier’s Face Illuminator has a creamy texture, which blends naturally into skin tone and doesn’t leave a patchy powdery finish.

The pearly glow highlights cheekbones, but is much more subtle than bronzer and doesn’t give you a streaky look. Instead skin looks illuminated and because of the creamy formula, it lasts so you don’t have to keep applying.

Laura Mercier’s Face Illuminator is £31 and available from Johnlewis.com.

Rating: 9/10 - Skin looks brighter and healthier with this Face Illuminator and the packaging is beautiful, making it a great gift or a very special treat – either way, very worthwhile investing in.  

Chanel Ombre Essentielle Eyeshadow Review

Burgundy is a key shade for AW11 both in terms of fashion and beauty, which makes Chanel’s Ombre Essentielle Soft Touch Eyeshadow in ‘Trace’ the perfect choice. Flecks of glitter give the rich colour a lift and makes eyes sparkle.

The powdery consistency makes the colour easy to blend, but to achieve a darker shade you need to apply the eyeshadow several times. When you do this watch for the over spill under your eyes.

Despite the powder formula this eyeshadow does last for at least eight hours and you don’t get a crease line, nor will it smudge around your eyes.

Chanel’s Ombre Essentielle Eyeshadow is £21 and available from Boot.com.

Rating: 7.5/10 – It’s a good eyeshadow, but the price is a little off-putting. Although you’re buying into a luxury brand, you are only getting one shade, so you have to choose carefully.

Read other eyeshadow reviews.

Leonor Greyl Crème Moelle De Bambou Review

Parisian haircare brand, Leonor Greyl is reknowned for its luxurious (and expensive) range, which targets both distressed tresses and problematic scalps.

The formula for Crème Moelle De Bambou aka shampoo for long and dry hair is based on active ingredients like silk proteins and bamboo marrow, which restore hairs natural gloss and overall health to increase manageability. 

Unlike most shampoos, Leonor Greyl’s has a much thicker, creamier consistency and has a smell reminiscent of an old apothecary. It’s medicinal, but in a good way.

The shampoo comes with strict instructions to brush hair thoroughly before washing and to concentrate on massaging it into the scalp, which are worth following even if massaging your scalp five times does take ten more minutes.

While the shampoo doesn't lather up quickly or as much as other shampoos, hair does definitely feel cleansed and doesn't seem to get dirty or greasy as quickly. Plus dryness is reduced thanks to the natural ingredients and hair is left looking glossier. 

Like all Leonor Greyl products, this shampoo does come with a higher than average pricetag, but you will see results. It's perfect for dry, problematic hair and scalps, as quite often if you have longer hair your scalp doesn't always get enough attention. 

Leonor Greyl's Crème Moelle De Bambou is £20.95 from Michaeljohn.co.uk. 

Rating: 9/10 - it's not necessarily an everyday all-year-round shampoo because it is quite expensive, but if you're having trouble with your scalp or hair this shampoo is a good place to start.

Soap And Glory For Daily Youth Review

The catchy tag line and promise of giving skin a healthy glow with in seconds of applying it made me sceptical of Soap & Glory’s For Daily Youth 6-in-1 Superboost Moisture Lotion.

In keeping with the packaging the lotion has a hint of pink, but unlike Soap & Glory’s bodycare range, For Daily Youth lotion has a lighter smell, which reminds me of refresher sweets, in a good way. The consistency is looser and lighter than most moisturisers and blends into skin quickly without leaving a sticky residue.

With a mix of vitamin E & A as well as Soap & Glory’s highdration 365 complex, skin is given a full on moisture overhaul. This moisturiser is lightweight and doesn’t feel like it’s clogging up pores, making it perfect for every day use.

Surprisingly the lotion does actually give skin a subtle illumination and is great if you want a dewy finish, although you may need a little extra cosmetics help on that front.

Soap & Glory’s For Daily Youth 6-in-1 Superboost Moisture Lotion is £12 and available from Soapandglory.com.

Rating: 9/10 – You get a lot for your £12 with this product. Skin feels moisturised and looks healthy - it’s the perfect lotion to give your complexion a lift.

Benefit Velvet Eyeshadow Review

The smoky eye is huge beauty trend for AW11 and a Christmas party classic. Benefit’s Velvet Eyeshadow in the new ‘Raining Men’ shade adds an instant glam factor to your look, and taps nicely into this season's metallic eye trend.

The teal shade is not as harsh and full on as your standard charcoal and the flecks of glitter brighten eyes and give them some added sparkle. With a powdery texture, this product is easy to blend and rework until you’re satisfied with your look.

Layer the eyeshadow with a brush along your eyelid following your lash line and concentrating on the outer corners, and then use your finger to smudge and blend across the rest of your lid and under your eyes. Use a brush to touch up and add more colour to the outer corner of your eyes to make them look wider. Finish with lashings of mascara and a flick of eyeliner along the roots of your eyelashes and voilà, a quick and easy smoky eye.

One thing to watch out for with this eyeshadow is it can smudge easily, so try using a good primer before to prevent it from smearing completely. A good eye make-up is also essential, otherwise you can wake-up looking like you’ve done a round with Mike Tyson.

Benefit’s Velvet Eyeshadow in ‘Raining Men’ is £13.50 and available from Benefitcosmetics.co.uk.

Rating: 8/10 – The perfect shade for this time of year, although it will more than likely stay in your make-up bag well into the New Year. 

To get even more out of this eyeshadow, check out Aveda's Color Option Eye Shadow Transformer. 

Max Factor Elixir Colour Lipstick Review

Launched in September, the Elixir Colour Lipstick is definitely one of Pat McGrath’s best creations since taking the creative reins at Max Factor.

The wide range of shades is inspired by a woman’s wardrobe and there is a colour for every outfit. My favourite is ‘Firefly’ – it gives lips a hint of colour without being too loud.

The true triumph is in the formula though. A mix of shea and aloe butters as well as white tea and avocado leave lips soft and smooth with no need for lip balm.

Max Factor’s Elixir Colour Lipstick is £7.99 and available from Boots.com.

Rating: 10/10 – While you do still have to reapply after eating and drinking etc, this is a great value lipstick that doesn’t dry out your lips.

Dr Nick Lowe The Secret Is Out Lifting Super Serum Review

While this product has plenty of independent statistics to back up the tag line ‘proven to lift and firm skin’, to fully understand Dr Nick Lowe’s The Secret is Out Lifting Super Serum, you have to understand the doctor himself.

With a strong philosophy of a simple, regular skincare regime will result in more youthful looking healthy skin, its no surprise all of the products contain super foods such as acai and goji berries and are packed full of vitamins and natural oils.

The Secret is Out Lifting Super Serum isn’t an overnight wonder balm and you don’t feel the tightening feeling that you get with other anti-wrinkle products. Instead, this product is more of a slow burner and does offer reasonable wrinkle prevention, but it will take perseverance.

The consistency is good, although the serum does take a while to dry and moisturising on top is essential. Ingredients such as super berries and a peptide complex, which helps increase and restore elasticity, leaves skin feeling nourished and recharged, however visible line reduction can take at least two weeks of daily use.

Dr Nick Lowe The Secret Is Out Lifting Super Serum is £25.52 and available from Drnicklowe.com.

Rating: 7/10 – it’s good value for money, but it lacks the ‘wow’ factor.  

Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Review

With a concealer and highlighter in one, it is not surprising that Bobbi Brown’s Creamy Concealer is an award-winning product. While the concealer covers up dark circles, the highlighter enhances your complexion and makes your eyes look wider and brighter.

Both products work in harmony together with the concealer having a creamy texture, which is easily to blend in with your skin and the highlighter taking on a slightly more powdery consistency to increase the longevity.

For the best results use a moisturising eye cream beforehand as this creates a good base and makes it easier to blend the concealer. Although it’s not essential, I would invest in Bobbi Brown’s Corrector too, as this helps reduce the darker area of the inner corner of your under eye.

Once you’ve applied your concealer, add a touch of highlighter to the outer corner of your under eye along the very top of your cheekbones to give your face definition and brighten your eyes. 

Bobbi Brown's Creamy Concealer is £23.50 and is available from Bobbibrown.co.uk.

Rating: 8/10 - It's not the quickest product to use as blending the shades does take time, but Bobbi's concealer gives great coverage. 

Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturising Lip Colour Balm Review

Ever since Clinique launched the Chubby Stick earlier this year, the product has shot to the top of many must-have of best of beauty lists. With a crayola style appearance it definitely doesn’t look like your standard lip balm, however the nourishing formula of shea butter and jojoba seed oil ensures lips are left feeling soft and smooth. 

The Chubby Stick also gives lips a hint of colour and, unlike traditional flat tipped balms, the pencil shape with a pointed tip allows you to draw it on with precision. 

While the £15 price tag might seem a little expensive, this lip balm does last and doubles up as a lipstick and balm in one, so it is perfect handbag beauty buy.

Clinique’s Chubby Stick Moisturising Lip Colour Balm is £15 and available from Clinique.co.uk.

Rating: 10/10 – A fun, yet practical product.

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner Review

There is nothing skinny about this liquid liner. The felt tip is thick enough to create a striking line.

The tip is easily comparable to a marker pen, however it does have a fine point which allows you to draw on a precise flick Bridget Bardot style.

It’s not the best liner for under your eyes though as it doesn’t blend and it definitely wouldn’t work if you want to achieve a smoky effect. However, it is completely smudge-proof on your eye lid and lasts all day.

The turquoise shade is very bright and eye-catching, while the black version is dark (not quite jet black) and is perfect for every day wear.

Eyeko’s Skinny Liquid Eyeliner is £10 and available from Eyeko.com.

Rating: 8/10 – A great value product for everyday use.

Rimmel Day 2 Night Mascara Review

Rimmel’s Glam Eyes Day 2 Night mascara sounds like a great idea - two caps allowing you to achieve two different looks within one wand. The results, however, leave you feeling somewhat indifferent.

                      

The first cap, the lengthening ‘day’ look, gives an even coating without clumping. While it does highlight the length of lashes, it doesn’t provide an outstanding difference, especially with naturally long lashes.

The second cap, aka the volumising brush gives eyelashes a sparse coating, so you need to apply a few coats to get a lot of volume.

The overall effect of using both caps together is a little underwhelming. However, while it doesn’t live up to expectations there’s no denying that this is a good budget mascara. It’s one of the cheapest available and doesn’t leave lashes feeling heavy or clumped together.

Rimmel’s Day 2 Night Mascara is £7.99 and available from Boots.com

Rating: 6/10 - An interesting concept that is good for the price, but not as revolutionary as it sounds.