Bobbi Brown Tinted Moisturizer SPF15

When I had my Bobbi Brown makeover last week, I decided it was time to buy a Tinted Moisturiser. There were two main reasons I didn't want to buy a BB cream. Frstly a kind of refusal of the BB cream obsession (especially given that by all accounts most non-South Korean BB creams are just tinted moisturisers with a different name.) Secondly, most BB creams have a higher SPF, for example, Bobbi Brown's is SPF35, which I worry might feel greasier and make me glow white in photos. I do have a separate face sun cream just in case though!

I bought the lightest shade they had in stock, Extra Light, which is the right colour for me in the summer. A lighter shade, Alabaster, is also available, and I think that in winter that would suit me better. In addition, there are 5 darker shades.

The coverage is really sheer, as you would expect from a tinted moisturiser it simply evens out any redness and makes the skin appear a little smoother. If you usually use concealer, you will probably still find yourself wanting to use some in conjunction with the tinted moisturiser.

It comes in a regular and an oil-free formation, and even though I chose the regular one, it's not heavy or greasy, and hasn't broken me out at all.

This wasn't my very first tinted moisturiser: I used Benefit's You Rebel Lite (£24.50 for 50ml) which is a little lighter than Extra Light in colour for a year or so when I was 14. It didn't make my spots any worse but it was a little streaky and perhaps a touch too yellow for my skin. I definitely prefer the Bobbi Brown formula. I would like to try NARS Tinted Moisturiser which comes in 11 shades, two of which are lighter than Extra Light, but it is £28 for 30ml, and it's SPF30. I've heard good things about it though.

In short, though, I approve of this formula and I'll definitely keep using a tinted moisturiser. I have a feeling that when the signs of aging start appearing (hopefully not too soon) I'll be happy that I'm already using some kind of base makeup and don't need to make the conspicuous move from bare skin to foundation.

Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Blush in #5 'Nip Slip'

This blush wins the award for the most random blush packaging ever.

A pump! What? That's not to say I don't like it though. It's fun to use (and it does come with an actual lid, so no spills.)

This is more than enough for two cheeks - only a tiny little pump is needed. This blush will last forEVER.

Despite being described as a 'neutral pink', it looks slightly cool-toned in the bottle, then super neon highlighter watermelon, ever so slightly brighter and darker than it appears above when it's swatched thickly, then it warms right up to a sort of hot peach when blended out. It is pretty thick, I apply it right after moisturiser (or tinted moisturiser as I've been converted!) to make sure that it blends out more than it did in the above swatch.

Depending on your colouring it may warm up even further on the cheeks as it did on mine. I can imagine this colour being flattering on almost every skin tone. It lasts all day and then needs a fairly enthusiastic cleanse to remove all traces of the blush - if you ever need a blush to last more than 12 hours, this is a solid candidate for the job.

I got it from Sephora where it was $26, and I'm on the lookout for places to get this range in the UK. There are a lot of products in the range that are called HD Micro-something, and if they're all as long lasting and well-pigmented as this blush, then I might be on to a winner. 

N.B. If you are wary of chemicals in your makeup, I would avoid these. I hope to be able to try Tarte's Amazonian Clay powder blushes, also from Sephora, which are said to be very well pigmented and long-lasting, but also all-natural.

Bobbi Brown Sheer Lip Color in Hot Raspberry

The other day I went for a make up session at a Bobbi Brown counter which ended in me buying a tinted moisturiser (yeah, I now wear tinted moisturiser) and a, excitingly, hot pink lipstick that is misleadingly described as sheer. I thought that a counter makeover was the best time to start trying lipsticks that weren't red, so on a whim I picked this neutral toned bright fuchsia.

Okay so it's not full cover, but the colour is by no means subtle. It feels totally weightless and also hydrating.

It lasts surprisingly well through a couple of glasses of water, and it doesn't lose its shine then its colour as you might expect, instead staying shiny right until the end (about 5 hours after application). Despite the brightness of the colour, I find it a lot more wearable in the daytime than most of my reds. Thumbs up from me! I'm after NARS Schiap next.

Bobbi Brown Extreme Party Mascara

I noticed a couple of days ago that both my trusty Clinique High Impact Extreme mascara and my Guerlain Cils d'Enfer mascara sample were getting pretty dry. Part of me wanted to just go to Boots and get some under-a-tenner Maybelline Extreme Cat Rocket Volum' Boost Lash (or something like that) but I can't resist the pull of the John Lewis make up counter. Along with the division between drugstore and high-end mascaras, I'd say there's two main price categories within high-end: those from, say, MAC, Laura Mercier, Bobbi Brown, Clinique, which typically cost £14-18, and those that cost £22-25 such as Lancome, Dior, Giorgio Armani. I decided to stick to the first category. More specifically, I wanted to make my first ever Bobbi Brown purchase*.

I'm starting to develop an opinion on mascara brushes and effects. I like bristle brushes as opposed to plastic ones, I like the brush head to be as large and thick as possible, I prefer a non-waterproof formula. I like mascaras that give fluttery lashes, but with potential for layering and buildability. Having done no previous research into Bobbi Brown mascaras, I picked the one with the largest bristle brush: Extreme Party Mascara, £18.

When I got home, I looked it up on MakeupAlley, where it has a solid pretty rubbish 2.9 out of 5. Lots of blog reviews complain that it's not Extreme Party enough, instead rather fluttery. Perfect!

This photo is two layers of careful application and wiggling. The brush is pretty massive and also it tapers off towards the end, meaning that you can get in to the little lashes on the inner corner, but it also has potential to cause clumps if you rush. But I never rush mascara, so I don't count this as a negative. The formula is fast-drying and curls my lashes very well.

I definitely prefer the brush to Clinique's Extreme High Impact, which is plastic. The original High Impact mascara (still available) has a bristle brush, but it's not as wide as Extreme Party's. This formula can be removed using cleanser, which is a huge bonus for me as I can't bear oil-based removers. This puts it ahead of Guerlain's amazing yet indelible Cils d'Enfer in my personal rankings. So I think I might be looking at my new favourite.

Of course, mascara preferences vary wildly from person to person, but if your mascara preferences sound similar to mine, I definitely recommend checking this out.

*I know, what?! Though I've never purchased one, I have used Bobbi Brown products before - I took my mother's Pot Rouge in Pale Pink off her hands, but I hated it. It was too cool and utterly un-blendable. Until very recently I've felt a little too young for BB. I don't know what caused my change of heart but, as I said when I bought the mascara, I think it's going to act as a gateway drug. Lots more Bobbi Brown will be finding its way into my makeup bag soon.