Maybelline Better Skin: Foundation & Concealer Review

Foundation on left and concealer on right 

I'm always looking to improve my skin and what better way to do so than through a foundation with such qualities. I think we always look to clogged skin stemming from the makeup we put on our skin so the idea of a product going against this immediately caught my eye. I picked up shade ivory which was a good match for my skintone and concealer shade light which again was a good match and a nice partnership of shades.

Foundation: I'll start with the less favorable review which is the foundation. I like the formula and finish of this foundation it left a nice natural look to the skin that wasn't too dewy but had a nice glowing boost to it. Unfortunately this foundation just doesn't last on me I found it literally slipped off the skin by midday. It's such a shame and I've tried all my primers to try and find a match but it just didn't work out for me. In terms of the 'clear skin' claims it's not a heavy foundation at all so didn't cause my any blemishes however I'm not sure it did anything favourable either. There's a lot of barriers between my skin and my foundation now - serum, moisturiser, primer that I can't really comment if it could directly 'better' my skin. It is however super light and natural in its application so goes give the look of 'better skin.'

Concealer: I really do like this concealer! For me this is the perfect touch up concealer it blends effortlessly into any makeup I have on and can be quickly dabbed over red marks or blemishes and then blends out really quickly. I found this gave good coverage and a small amount covered the reddest blemishes I have. It's firmly staying in my handbag makeup bag as the shade is perfect for my right now. I don't think this has many 'better skin' qualities at all as again it doesn't make any noticeable differences to blemishes or pigmentation of the skin but it is a nice little concealer. Again it does however give you the illusion of better skin after application.

The foundation comes in 8 shades and is £8.99 - The concealer comes in 2 shades and is £5.99.

Make Up Clear Out: Face & Base

My Ikea Helmer has been going strong since July in 2012 - I still love it ever so much but it has somehow become far less organised and a lot less easy to close. I realised there was a lot of product in there that was too old to use - a lot that I'd never used and probably never will and shamefully alot of products that were empty. I have three of these posts altogether splitting my entire make-up collection up.

Empties: 

I've used up L'Oreal Nude Magique Eau de Teint and it's time to just let go. I keep trying to shake one more application out of this but it's definitely empty and I need to just admit it. I will be repurchasing this when the weather warms up a bit as I really loved using it. 

Too old to use: 

Shamefully I found this No7 High Lights illuminating lotion at the back of a drawer - this huge bottle of highlighter is so so old. They don't even sell it anymore and I think it was one of the first beauty products I ever bought years and years ago. I knew it wasn't a good thing to be putting on my skin anymore and threw it away but to be fair you would never had told how old it was on application it's held up ever so well over the years. It's a massive Benefit High Beam dupe and cost something like £8 when I bought it which for such a huge amount of product was an absolute bargain. 

I'll never use again: 

There's lots of cheap products in here that I've been lured into buying over the years. I've really learnt buying cheap foundation does not work out so knew it was time to just through this lot out. MUA 'BB cream' is horribly thick for and just didn't blend into my skin. The Technic foundation oxidized quite badly on my skin and again just didn't have a nice finish or texture. The Nivea tinted moisturiser is ok for what it is but has never found it's place within my make-up routine so it was time for it to go. The technic concealer palette and primer again never found their place - I have so many more products that will always take priority over these that they just never get used. The ELF pressed powder was just orange and has never been used apart from for testing then washing straight off. Finally the maybelline and natural collection concealers just don't suit my skin tone anymore I bought these when I loved a facial fake tan but they are way to dark for my paler complexion.

It was so therapeutic going through my collection and my drawers are so much neater now it also made me rediscover some little gems that I'd forgotten about that will feature in an upcoming post.

L'Oreal Nude Magique BB Concealer

L'Oreal Nude Magique BB Concealer £5.99 Boots

I have a little concealer habit at the moment and naturally couldn't resist picking up the concealer L'Oreal have bought out to go with their BB collection. It comes in one shade that blends out to suit all skin tones and apply's with the roller ball built into the tube. It has a really thin consistency a little like it's BB cream counterpart however it is pretty pigmented and really brightens up the under eye area. It says it has caffeine in too which I'm not sure really does anything noticeable but the cool metal ball does really wake up your eyes in the morning just from it's temperature. L'Oreal have marketed this for eye bags and imperfections - I personally find it too light and thin for any blemishes but it is a lovely concealer for the under eyes. I think I'll get lots more use from this when the weather starts to warm up and my skin is naturally more glowing. It fits really nicely next to the BB cream by the brand and is a nice extra to the range.

Seventeen Phwoarr Paint Concealer - Fair

Seventeen Phwoarr Paint Concealer £5.49 (Boots)

Seventeen is always a brand I kind of pass by when I'm in Boots - I think its the name, being 24 I always imagine I'm a little too old to be perusing a brand named after the number I haven't been for 7 whole years. However when I read Gemma from Gemsmaquillage's review I had to give it ago. Seventeen Phwoarr paint concealer is a camouflaging concealer it's super thick and covers up the darkest of dark circles. It comes in 2 shades fair and medium - fair is perfect for me. I have quite oily skin and this being so thick means it lasts really well but I like to add a sweep of ELF's undereye setting powder  so it lasts all day long. I'm super impressed with this for just £5.49 as its so pigmented you only need a really small amount to get good coverage so I think it will last ages too. This is the first thing I've bought from Seventeen probably since I was a teenager and I'll definitely not walk past the stand so quickly next time I'm shopping. The Seventeen lip crayons and blush shades look lovely too. The range is included in Boots current 'buy one get one half price' too so everything works out as a super bargain. 

True Magique True Match Concealer

I've always liked these little pen concealers but I've always been a little stubborn about them. As a whole I don't think they last very long and are pretty expensive compared to your average concealer sticks which last for ever. This L'Oreal True Match Concealer was £8.19 from Boots. I did get it in the 3 for 2 so it worked out about £6. I picked up shade 'Ivory Beige' which is the lightest yellow toned shade. I really love this for under eye concealing it just completely lifts my eyes and makes even the worst nights sleep look kind of bearable. It has a slight highlighting quality to it for me as it is so light so I can only use this under my eyes as it only exaggerates blemishes rather than conceals. It lasts well and blends out pretty effortlessly. 

I think it's a product I need to just realise is a staple in my makeup and even though it doesn't last a particularly long time it does do the job so is definitely worth the money. I just need to get over myself and keep it in my life as everytime I do repurchase it I remember how much I love it. 

Maybelline Fit Me! Range Review

I've been pretty loyal Rimmel Wake Me Up for the last few bottles of foundation but when I saw this new range from Maybelline I of course bought it all. Firstly the packaging is lovely - it's super sleek and could easily be mistaken for high end NARS products. What I also loved about it is there was the most useful POS card next to it that made buying these products simple and stress free. I'm not sure about anyone else but I for one tend to stick to the same skin products just through finding a shade that suits my skin. I've gone through many bottles of foundation where under the harsh store lights it's looked perfect but in the cold light of day doesn't match my skin at all. 

Next to the range (I bought mine in Tesco) was a card showing which shades suit - light, medium and dark skin. It was also broken down into whether you had a pink undertone or yellow undertone. This made picking out the right shades so easy and on swatching the tones that the card suggested meant I wasn't left with a hand of foundation unsure as to what any of the swatches actually were. 

I'm currently laying off the fake tan so went for shades 

Foundation 120

Pressed Powder 120 

Concealer 10 

Foundation

I really like this foundation it glides on well and doesn't sit in any dry patches. It gives a very natural dewy finish without being overly glowy and matches my skin tone perfectly. It's quite runny in consistency but gives a really good medium coverage which can be built up to be pretty much full coverage. It lasts so well and I still have good coverage after a full day at work.

Pressed Powder

I'm not a huge powder fan but I wanted the whole range so gave this a go. I found that for a powder it sat well on my skin and was perfect for touch ups if I was heading out from work. It set my make-up well and when buffed in gave a really nice finish. I have quite dry skin so usually powders go patchy on my skin but this goes on pretty flawlessly and doesn't make my skin look cakey. 

Concealer

A lot thicker than the foundation in this range I really like the concealer, it covers any blemishes and also brightens my eyes really well too. It doesn't do anything revolutionary in my opinion but it is a very good concealer. 

I'm really happy with this range and have been using it non-stop since I bought it. It suits my skin really well and looks lovely. I can't find it anywhere online but I have seen it in most supermarkets I got all of mine in Tesco. 

Has anyone else tried the Maybelline Fit Me range? 

Natural Collection Cover Up Stick

I've always had this product in my make-up collection. It's never been my favourite concealer but it has been one I've repurchased time and time again and I think its kind of comforting to have it as a back up in my drawer. The Natural Collection Cover Up Stick retails for just £1.99  and is available in two shades fair and medium. It takes the form of a lipstick and can be used like all concealers to cover blemishes and high under eye shadows. 

It's consistency is very thick and you need to make sure your skin is super moisturised before you apply it as it can easily form very dry spots on your face. It is a product that is always useful to have though it's cheap and does the job. It is by no means the best concealer I have used but it's useful to have lying about if yours runs out or you need something a little thicker than your normal concealer. For this reason it has remained in my make-up bag for years and I can't imagine not picking it up now. Especially when there's a 3 for £5 offer on Natural Collection I always go for this product. 

Erase Paste - Benefit

This Erase Paste was also part of the PorefessionallyPretty Kit I received, it was another product I’ve always had my eye on but haven’t wanted to part cash for in the past. It’s £19.50 RRP and available here. My little tester pot is adorable it came in shade medium which I probably would have picked from the three shades on offer - Fair, Medium and Deep. 

The Benefit Website Says - This concentrated, creamy concealer brightens and camouflages in one easy step! Targets dark circles, discolouration and imperfections. Three shades with brightening melon undertones to suit every complexion. Comes complete with a fully illustrated, step-by-step lesson and mini-spatula for easy application.

This concealer is very thick and the medium shade is very pinky which is something I’ve never really found in any concealer I’ve previously owned. I thought it would be far to pink for my skin but it actually blends well onto my skin. For me it doesn't sit well on top of my foundation where I mostly use other concealer but as it is so thick it works brilliantly underneath foundation. As my foundation wore off during the day this kept cover on my blemishes somewhat longer which I really liked. 

The peachy colour of it is brilliant if you wanted to brighten up some dull skin tones I'm not really sure its right for my skin and complexion overall as I think it would work brilliantly over foundation to really brighten up eyes. It’s only a little tester pot so I will definitely make my way through it for breakouts as it’s so thick it’s perfect to go under foundation to cover all kinds of blemishes. 

I don't think I'd buy this product again mostly because its not completely right for me and has a hefty price tag in my opinion. I also find the little pot a bit annoying in terms of application for a concealer I like a tube or brush, the sample didn't come with a spatula like the full size one does but I can't see myself loving a spatula either to be honest.