Review | Max Factor Xperience Weightless Foundation

Blended slightly with fingers

Max Factor Xperience Weightless Foundation RRP £9.99

I've mentioned this product as my everyday foundation on my blog quite a few times. I've been through so many foundations in the past few years, but it's always Max Factor ones I can rely on. I've been using this foundation for over a year and it's definitely something I could not live without!

I use the shade Raw Silk 45, which is the second lightest shade of the six.

The packaging is very simple, black and green which I really like and it makes it seem more expensive than it is. For £9.99, you get 30ml of product, which is a standard amount for any foundation. I like how you have to squeeze the product out because you can use as much or a little as you want. This way, I think you waste less product as you do with a pump dispenser as it won't stick to the sides or clog up in the bottle.

"Luxurious flawless coverage with a weightless feel. Suitable for sensitive skin. Won't clog pores. Oil free."

The description on the back totally sold this foundation to me, and I'm happy to say it lives up to it's promises! I have very sensitive skin and I haven't broken out or had any skin issues from using this foundation. As it's oil free and weightless, it also hasn't given me any spots or blemishes. I would say this foundation is a light to medium coverage with one layer, but can be built up to a more fuller coverage with two layers. I usually have two layers of this foundation on and it doesn't feel heavy or caky at all. The consistency of the foundation is liquid, it isn't too runny and doesn't feel wet on the skin. The finish is quite dewy, so is great for people who have drier skin, but can be mattified with powder for those with oilier skin. The staying power is also really good. I never have to reapply through the day and doesn't turn patchy/ cling to dry skin. It also has SPF 10 which is great for all year round to protect your skin from the sun's rays.

What's your everyday foundation?

 

Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Blog Lovin

Mini Haul | Beauty

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Lace £2.99 | Pantene Ice Shine Hairspray £2.99 | Aussie Limited Edition Luscious Long Leave-In Conditioner £4.99

Primark Natural Look Lashes £1 | Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer £4.19 | Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express Mascara £7.19 | Soap & Glory Thick & Fast Mascara £10

Recently, Sainsbury's had a 3 for 2 offer across all hair care products, so I decided to pick up some new things to try. Firstly I picked up the Aussie Limited Edition Luscious Long Leave-In Conditioner as my hair has been feeling very dry at the moment, particularly at the ends. I absolutely love Aussie products as they always leave my hair silky smooth. This conditioner has eucalyptus and avocado oil in to "pamper your hair beyond the bounds of decency". It smells great, my hair feels soft after use and it leaves my curls very defined. Next I needed a new dry shampoo and I decided to try the Batiste one in Lace. I've heard some nice things about this product and I think the bottle is very pretty. So far I've been loving this! I've used it quite a lot this week and leaves my hair feeling fresh and smelling lovely. The final hair product was the Pantene Ice Shine hairspray. I used to use about a year ago, but I always change up on hairsprays because I usually buy what's on offer. I really like this hairspray. It's made for fine hair, which is what I have, so is strong but doesn't leave your hair crispy. I also find it sprays nicely, like a fine mist.

The next few beauty items are from a couple of shopping trips. I picked up the Primark Natural false lashes as I needed something to practise putting on eyelashes with and I heard in one of Kate's (dollybowbow) videos that these were pretty good! I also picked up my all time favourite concealer, the Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection in Light 2. This concealer lasts me ages and gives a full and even coverage every time. If you haven't given into the raving posts/ videos and bought this product, I urge you to now! Next up are my two favourite mascaras, Maybelline's Colossal Volum' Express in Black and Soap & Glory's Thick & Fast mascara in Super Jet Black. I can't fault either of these products! They apply so well, give a volumised, full and long lash and also last really well throughout the day.

Love, love, love!

Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Blog Lovin

Review | The Nail Doctor Nail Strengthening System

The Nail Doctor Rescue Me 10 Day Nail Strengthening System RRP £10.29

I have always suffered with really weak, peeling nails that hardly grow and when they did, would snap off instantly. I saw this on the Fragrance Direct website and for £1.95, thought it was worth trying out.

 This system is aimed at nails that are: thin, peeling and splitting, which are definitely what my nails are like. It promises within 10 days your nails will be healthier and stronger.

This system comes with two steps: Toughen Up extra strength base coat and Rock On nail hardener.

The base coat is there to nourish the nails and has "the perfect combination" of vitamins A, E and B5 as well as aloe, proteins, red algae and a calcium builder to make your nails thicker and stronger.

The nail hardener (or top coat) creates a durable, protective layer over the nails. It contains: nonychosine, amino acids, ceramium rubrum extract and calcium to help the nails maintain moisture, become harder and improve their growth. To be fair, I didn't know what some of these ingredients were actually for, but they sounded impressive on the bottle. 

These polishes can either be used with a coloured polish in between or on their own. I have mostly been using them on their own as I can't wear nail polish to college. However, when I do use them with a coloured polish they do act as a good base and top coat. My nails haven't been badly stained and the top coat does refrain from chipping. My one big issue with the polishes is how small they are! Per bottle you get 4.4ml of product and as you can seen within a month I have used half of each! I only use both polishes about twice a week and it seems like I've used up a lot of product. If I was paying the full £10.29 for this set I would be very annoyed.

As for the results, within 10 days my nails felt a little bit stronger. However the tips of the free edges were still very weak so broke and caught on things easily. I really didn't think there would be any improvement in just 10 days as my nails grow so slow, it would take ages for the damaged nail to grow out. I have now been using this system for about a month and I must say my nails are slowly but surely getting stronger. They actually have white tips instead of clear and they seem to grow quicker. However, they are still easy to break which meant I had some long nails and some really short. So I made the decision to cut my nails down short so that they could grow together and hopefully be stronger.

I do recommend trying this, but only if you're a patient person who will use this weekly. For me, it doesn't stand by the 10 days promise, but this may depend on the condition of your nails. 

You can buy this system from Cheap Smells for £3.49 HERE or Amazon for £6.51 HERE.

Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Blog Lovin