review: lumiere cosmetics.

my latest rant (i might begin each post with one of these): mo' money, mo' problems. well, in reverse. i have NO money and too many problems. a whopping £17 in my bank account, an ebayer who won't refund my money (always nice), and an ex-workplace who are a fortnight late with wages. Y U NO PAY ME?! nevertheless, i was pleased to find a parcel from lumiere mineral cosmetics waiting for me at home. the kind folks there generously sent me seven samples of their mineral products which, according to them, "naturally enhance the wearer's finest features (ooooo) while simultaneously minizing problem areas (i gots lots o' dem), allowing each skin type the ability to delight in the look and feel of naturally smooth and radiant skin". sounds like a sweet deal, right?

clockwise from top left: ditto 06 eye pigment, au naturale silk blush, medium warm luminesse foundation, medium warm cashmere foundation, soft brown eye pigment, woodberry mineral blush, taupe eye pigment.

i'm very happy with the selection as i don't think i would've necessarily picked these on my own and got a bunch of pleasant surprises. looking at the products, i decided to do a basic glittery eye. my favourite is the glittery ditto pigment - how gorgeous is it?! it is just as coppery as it is in the pot, and is definitely the kind of shade i'd expect to find in mac, rather than on the high street. i had all of the pots open, and chose the two shades i thought would work best with one another. i even swatched them... i mean, serious stuff was going on. however, it was only once i finished applying my make-up that i realised i had in fact applied a blusher!

au naturale mineral blush on the left, ditto 06 pigment on the right.

nevertheless, these two shades were easy to blend, even if i am a bit slow in realising that one was a blusher... they also had decent pigmentation (much better than i was anticipating) and were soft to the touch, as were all of the samples i received. however, i am a total fusspot when it comes to packaging, and  prefer pressed powders in palettes rather than loose powders. it's easier to store, doesn't go everywhere, and is just far more convenient.

having realised that one of the blushers was already on my eyelids, i therefore went and tried out woodberry on my cheeks. woodberry definitely photographed a lot more natural than it looked in person. it's a shade that is completely out of my comfort zone (it's the first browny one i've ever tried), and it wasn't the colour that disappointed, but the application. for some reason, it looked really blotchy and i just couldn't blend it out properly. maybe you're supposed to apply it gradually, who knows. maybe it's just a bad formulation. i applied it the same way i would with any other blusher and it just didn't look right. in the future i think i will use it on my eyes instead, or perhaps very sparingly on the cheeks as a contour instead.

as for the foundation... well, unfortunately the luminesse foundation was a tad too dark for me, so i can't offer a real opinion on it. however, i really like the cashmere foundation, which has grown on me. i don't feel comfortable just wearing powder as a base, because a lot of the foundations i'm currently using have a moisturising quality to them which is necessary (given that london is freeeeeezing)! powder on dry skin just makes me squirm. so, i applied foundation but minimally, in order to let the powder do most of the work. when i looked at myself in the mirror, i did feel as if i looked really matte. so if any pin-ups are reading this (or lovers of the old-school make-up look), i actually really recommend this for that. regardless of that, it made my skin photograph like an absolute dream. in every single picture my skin looks really smooth and so  it's really great if you're going somewhere and intend on taking a lot of photographs. once again, i find loose powders hard to work with, but if this came in a pressed powder compact, i would be all over it.

face: no 7 lift and luminate day cream, sephora base subliminatrice, bourjois healthy mix foundation (52), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), lumiere cashmere powder (medium warm), 

eyes: urban decay primer potion, lumiere mineral blush (au naturale), lumiere ditto pigment (06), urban decay eyeshadow (twice baked), maybelline gel liner, rimmel kohl pencil, max factor false lash effect mascara, mac eyebrow pencil (stud).

cheeks: lumiere blush (woodberry). 

lips: revlon (mauve it over).

admittedly, i wasn't sure what to expect with these products. the mineral cosmetics market (in the uk, at least) is still relatively niche and no brands really 'stand out' to me the way other brands do. their marketing always seems to be really bland, and leads me to believe that mineral make-up as a whole is outdated and dull. i know about bareminerals and some high street brands, but haven't felt drawn by what they offer. however, lumiere cosmetics has certainly showed me that there is hope and that i shouldn't be so quick to dismiss what they promise. if you have a look on their website, they have a varied colour selection. and i can promise that the colour on the site is what you get.

review is honest, as always.

review: no 7 essentially natural foundation.

more and more companies are encroaching into what used to be a niche market when it comes to make-up: organic, mineral and natural being key. i like the idea of it and do certainly prioritise natural beauty products when it comes to lotions and the like, but i am also a human being and i am not blessed with a naturally dazzling face. this is why i'm not so keen on it in a make-up context. one waaaaaambulance for me please...

additionally, i also don't feel crazy about the lack of silicon in natural products. i know it's not the best thing for your skin, but it makes such a difference when it comes to application. however, the only foundation i'd ever use which falls into that sort of thing is by no 7 - and so i thought a review might be useful for others who might be hesitant about using more mineral products. if you have a lot of pigmentation, scarring or acne then i wouldn't bother with this as it is extremely sheer and has very light coverage - i couldn't ever imagine it covering flaws the same way mac studio fix fluid does. it's also not very long-lasting either, which makes it hard for me to justify its £13.50 price tag. i know, i know... i'm probably not selling it well. but - THERE IS A BUT - it is so hydrating and lovely if you have dry skin. it feels so light and makes your skin feel silky smooth, and is therefore my to-go product during the cold winter months.

that's right: winter months. it is now august. i would fall on my knees and plead with england to give me a singular ray of sunshine but i am going on holiday this week and so a breakdown has been averted...

face: no 7 essentially natural foundation (light beige).
eyes: lancome l'extreme mascara, mac eyebrow pencil (stud).
cheeks: topshop blush (neon rose).
lips: max factor (chili).