REVIEW: Barbara Daly foundation

Finding the right foundation is, for many of like attempting to climb Mount Kilimanjaro - a lifelong ambition. (But not quite as extreme, obviously.) 

I myself have always struggled with foundations as I have somewhat oily, shiny skin that tends to dry out incredibly quickly, meaning that for my skin to look its best I need a foundation that is moisturizing, not too oily and that gives a matte look finish - fussy, I know. 

As I have said before Rimmel is my go to brand, from eyeliner to powder, it is most definitely a brand I trust and so it makes sense that for the past few years Rimmel is the only foundation I have really used, that is until a couple of days ago when I invested in a little bottle of Barbara Daly make-up. 

To be totally honest, when I walked into the beauty section I was always going to buy yet another tube of Rimmel's Matte Look foundation, however,the slightly lower price of the on sale Barbara Daly collection caught my eye. 

Priced at just *£4 this oil-free foundation seemed like a real bargain, and so with my bank account in mind, I decided to throw caution to the wind, scrap the Rimmel foundation and invest in something new, and dare I say it, something a little cheaper. 

I must admit that I love the frosted look of the little glass bottle that the foundation comes in, it really adds a touch of class to the product.

The first thing I noticed about the foundation itself was the gentle floral scent it seemed to be infused with, not overly strong or heavy but perfect for taking away that 'foundation-smell' that you get with many high-street branded products. 

The texture of the foundation feels light and silky and can easily by applied using just your finger tips with a little help from the built in bottle lid spatula, as I call it. 

The thinner consistency of the foundation allows it to give only a light covering, perfect for creating a natural look, however this thinner consistency makes it almost impossible to cover blemishes without the use of concealer or powder.

In my new BD foundation, perhaps in need of a little blush?

Despite the lack of spot and blemish cover this foundation provides, it's light texture, matte look finish and of course low price makes it a great buy and one which I would most definitely recommend.

*disclaimer: £4 sale price, usually priced at £8, available to buy here. 

NAILS NAILS NAILS - My Modelsown sale haul!

As you might have guessed from my sales post the other day (here), I have in fact been making the most of the online sales, making the odd 'necessary' purchase here and there, despite the fact that with the current state of my finances I probably shouldn't be - after all, student loans only stretch so far.

However, there are some things that a girl, especially a fashion and beauty loving girl just cannot live without, modelsown half price nail varnish for example, is one of them.

Plus, when you actually think about it, in the long run buying beauty essentials in bulk in the sale is, technically, a way of saving money. So I guess I am off the hook then!

My student money problems a side, I decided that whilst on sale I would order five modelsown nail varnishes, the minimum amount to qualify for their half price discount. I went for four bottles from the new hyper gel collection (here) and also a bottle of Gold Finger (here). 

After some umming and arring, for my four hyper gel colours I finally decided on White Light, Red Lustre, Naked Glow and Pink Veneer, and boy am I glad I did, the colours are just perfect.

*Photo taken from my own Instagram. Follow me here. 

I especially love Naked Glow and Pink Veneer, both of which fit perfectly with one of this spring's biggest trends - pastel colours. Which according to pretty much every style guru on the planet, are once again set to be big this coming season - everything from sugar shades, to subtle tones.

At this point I should probably admit that I am normally a Rimmel girl through and through, from nail varnishes to eye liner, Rimmel has always been my go to brand. This is mainly due to their slightly lower prices than other mainstream beauty brands, such as modelsown. However, with the modelsown 50% sale I had absolutely no excuse and was more than happy to try something new.

So far I have only had a chance to try out my favourites, Naked Glow and Pink Veneer and I must say I am more than impressed. I just love the thicker consistency of these hyper-gel nail varnishes compared to your average nail varnish, and can honestly say that despite the fact that drying times, especially of Pink Veneer seem to be rather long I am more than pleased with the results of these two.

*Quick tip: If like me you struggle to sit still long enough for your nails to dry, why not invest in a quick drying topcoat, available from modelsown here.

Just like the bottle says, these hyper-gels give you the glossy gel nail look without the need for an expensive UV light - ideal for us girlies watching the pennies. 

I would however say, that the only thing missing from these varnishes is the slightly thicker look and stronger coat that can be achieved with UV gel and shellac nails.

But overall, I would most definitely recommend modelsown hyper-gels for anyone wanting to achieve a shiny, glossier look.