Foundation - the results.

Saturday morning put on the Chanel and decided it was the one.  Then Em appeared and said that my face had looked better the day before with the Bobbi Brown, at the same time I found a very detailed review by Visionary Beauty which mentioned the high alcohol content, which just can't be good for dry skin so I headed off to Leeds still in two minds.

Boots had the foundation and one of the things I had thought was that maybe Beige Tendre B20 was a little too dark; when I had built up cover on problem areas it started to look a smidge orangey.  The next shade down was seriously yellow though so that didn't look like an option.  But, oh, I love that tube and so wanted my foundation in that packaging.  Why is it possible to make brain dead purchases based solely on packaging?

Decided would settle for a sample of the BB Illuminating foundation and test that for a week.  Got to BB and they had no sample pots.  No sample pots?  They might as well have had no make up.  If I hadn't been trialing the BB Moisture Rich all week I would have walked.  But as I had been and knew what it was that I didn't like about it I was able to ask the SA what the difference was between the two.  It seems the illuminating foundation is the one to pick if  you want more coverage than the moisture rich, want a more easily buildable foundation, still want some moisturisation just not masses and generally want something a bit more substantial.  As my issues had been how sheer and impossible to build the moisture rich had been it certainly sounded like the illuminating one was going to be the one for me.  Had a play with some and then decided to go for it and after using it for a couple of days I am happy that I did.

When, on the very rare occasion my skin is in good nick I would be able to just apply a thin layer to even out the tone and it will look as if I may be wearing a tm rather than a little foundation, which is lovely.  In the areas where I need more cover it does build well without becoming powdery or clogged looking.  With the MR I was applying my usual moisturiser, slithering around for 10 mins with the MR and then it would, very weirdly, start to feel dry and tight and not very comfortable.  With the Illuminating one I am applying a tad less moisturiser and it feels soft and comfortable all day.  The foundation doesn't set, as such, which I quite like - when it sinks into the pores on my chin I can give it a quick buff up and it sorts itself out.  It gives that lovely lit from within glow too, which is particularly nice under eyes and on top of cheek bones but without giving me the I rubbed my face with lard chin and nose that then require powder to remove the shine which then results in the whole area looking cakey in an hour.  Actually til I wrote this hadn't thought that through but this foundation does seem to be less glowy on my nose and chin and just does that on my cheeks which is a great effect.


It has the slight BB lavender fragrance synonymous with BB foundation, I like it as it makes me feel that this is part make up, part skin care which is no doubt the desired effect!  I am a marketing mans dream aren't I!

On the downside it comes in a bottle.  I hate foundation in a bottle, its not as portable as a tube and you cant get every last bit out no matter how hard you try and that is bloody annoying when you have spent £29 on a product and might only get to use £24 worth.  That said it doesnt come with a pump either, imo thats a good thing as generally a metered dollop via a pump is more than I need for one face so an amount gets wasted.  Personally for this to be the perfect foundation it would need to be in a tube.  Preferably one that looked like the Chanel one!!  One nice touch was the sachet of Bobbi Brown moisturiser inside the box when I unpacked it, having used it a couple of times I am not keen on the smell but it is nicely moisturising and does seem to work well under the foundation.

The real test will be when this bottle runs dry, if it is repurchased then its a winner.  If not, the quest continues for my HG foundation!

Sleek Scandalous Blush - quick heads up

Nipped into Superdrug to check this out on Saturday.  Had had a quick dip into a pot of Maybelline's new primer - which is basically exactly the same in texture and effect as Lancane anti-chaffing gel (a hint I got from the very clever Liplossiping!).  So anyway this is on my hand when I spot the red blush, had a dip into that to swatch on my hand thinking it was going to be a nightmare only to find that it was incredibly blendable and could be taken down to give a really nice sheer finish.  Was well impressed.  Then remembered the primer was on that hand and so tried it on the other.  Ah, maybe not!  Once it was on it was on and not going anywhere, rub all you like! So def one to use in moderation!

Sleek Scandalous Blush

 

Sunday pm photos

Em and her boyfriend wanted me to take some pics of them, as they are both pretty darn gorge it wasn't the most difficult job in the world!

Took some of them outside and then Kris, who spends as much time as poss in the gym, wanted some taking indoors where he could get his top off without dying of hypothermia, who was I to argue?!

Just love the look on Em's face in this one, that whole expression just says "look what I got!"

 One more and then the rest will be on my photo blog if anyone would like to see them.

 So pleased she has found someone who makes her feel so special, it's what every mum would hope for.

Saturday shopping list

Off to Leeds with Em today, we are on a make up only mission.  Although will be purchasing Armani or CK tighty whities for her bf for Valentines day, ladies she is one lucky girl he is seriously fit.  Is it wrong to perv on your daughters bf?  Yea, thought so.  Moving on.

Leeds - have been vacillating between the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua and Bobbi Brown Moisture Rich all week.  One day one works really well, then the next it is suddenly dry on my nose, or makes my face feel tight.  Overall think the Chanel gives better coverage and is certainly more buildable, the BB is thinner and I find it harder to build up.  Problem with the Chanel on nose and chin, my 2 major problem areas, is that the Chanel seemed to manage to combine sinking into my pores with sliding around, how is that even possible?  This morning have put some Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting touch under it and so far it is looking much better, so have a feeling am going to come home with that!

Also after another BB creamy lip stick, having looked on the website Twilight might be the one depending on how it is in the flesh.

Have a £5 Boots voucher to use before tomorrow so that is probably going towards a Ruby and Millie eye shadow brush.

Mentioned earlier in week huge painful lump on my nose, have spent the last 2 days worried it was a boil, have never felt anything like it, rubbing in moisturiser without having taken a pain killer first nearly reduced me to tears, I kid you not.  Last night it was agony and now this morning it seems to be less so, so perhaps the worst is over and its going to sod off.  Please, please sod off.

Have a fab Saturday everyone.

Is there anybody out there?

Started typing this post a week ago, but that was after 2 glasses of wine and was worried it was sounding rather pathetic and maudlin so deleted it!  

First off it's important that I state that my primary motivation for writing this blog is that I am a rather self-opinionated make up obsessive who has spent 34 of her 44 years striving to look her best and whilst I really liked reading other beauty blogs I wanted to have my say, in my own small way.  My Mum and Sister and some of my friends have generally asked my opinion on all things cosmetic and I was sending regular weekly emails to them telling them what I had found that was working for me that they might like to try and then decided that writing a blog would be a good way of doing that so they could check if they wanted rather than being beauty spammed by me and it would act as a diary for me to refer back to. Reading that last bit back I wonder if my use of inordinately long and unweidly sentences could be at the root of my problems. Must. remember. to. punctuate. 

And quietly, although it shames me to admit it, I rather hoped my blog would be popular and well read.  


Blogging is a bit weird in that respect.  You can do it anonymously, never comment on anyone elses blog and just lurk out there in the ether all on your own.  But I don't think many people blog like that, after all it's not known as a blogging "community" for nothing.  The whole point of blogs is that you share your opinion on a subject and random strangers get to tell you you are wrong/stupid/fantastic/an inspiration.  I used to labour over posts for ages and write in my "This is the Bee Bee Cee World Service" 1950's perfect ennunciation voice.  Which read horribly and felt totally false.  I have no discernible accent and for that reason alone am considered a bit posh by anyone that doesn't really know me (a bottle of sauvignon blanc soon clears up that misunderstanding) but in reality I swear like a trooper and I really struggle to write how I speak for that reason; no one wants to read a post littered with expletives, although I would be interested to know what people would consider acceptable or excessive.  This could be the subject of a whole other post so maybe I'll leave that there.


Back to the whinge about only have 19 followers.  Now I am the first to say 19 perfectly lovely, much valued followers is without a shadow of a doubt around 19 more than I deserve, thank you ladies.  But I look at loads of other blogs and have yet to see one less well followed and it makes me wonder if I am doing something wrong?  See, this is where this gets tricky, this is not me asking the few people that regularly leave me comments to comment saying "aw, we don't think you are utterly shite, chin up chick" although feel free if you want to!  But if anyone who is blogging and has worked to make their blog better read has any hints or tips I would love to hear them.  I do make an effort to read logs of blogs and to comment when I can as I appreciate that helps, I have frequently clicked on the blog of the person who commented above me to see what she is all about.


I heart cosmetics is very generously offering space on her blog to new and less well read blogs for a bit of shameless self-promotion and with her nearly 2000 followers that is a terrific gesture.  Needless to say I have asked for an opportunity to be featured, although given the sheer number of responses it may well be 2015 before she gets to me!


I did try a giveaway to increase my followers, only 3 people entered!!  It was a crap give away though and from that I learnt that if you aren't going to do it well its probably best not to do it at all!

And then I wonder why do I want more followers, am I so needy that without the validation of total strangers I don't feel there is any value to what I am doing.  Errm, yes I think that might be the case, god I am pathetic.


If you have ever blogged and had similar concerns I would love to hear from you, or did you all just do it as an outlet for you with no care about whether anyone else read it?  


Now what would be really funny would be if this post got no comments at all.


Tumbleweed moment in the blogsphere.

FOTD - Sin and Hustle

Eyes - UDPP, Sin on lower lid, Hustle into crease, Darkhorse upper and lower lash line, smidge of naked below lower lash line to soften.  L'Oreal telescopic mascara. Clinique ultra fine brow pencil in soft brown.

Face - Bobbi Brown Moisturising foundation (its an on/off love affair and I can't commit!) MAC creamblush in Lilicent and Pixi highlighter (so not me, so loving it!)

Lips - Bobbi Brown lip pencil in Cocoa, Creamy lip colour in Heather Buff.

Sin is super shimmery so decided any brow highlighting would be a lily gilded.  Hustle is lovely, blended into sin it takes on an almost purpley hue, very soft and neutral looking.  Seriously have never had so much fun doing my eyes!  

UD - Naked just messing!

Boring evening with nowt on tv so thought I'd have a bit of a play with my Naked palette.  Weirdly for a big night out I might give this one an outing.  Half baked lower lid, Gunmetal into crease blackened into crease with a dash of Creep, Sin on brow bone, whisky water line top and bottom and Gunmetal lower lash line.  Pixi highlighter on cheek bones - took me aaaaaaaaaages to find them, MAC cream blush in Lilicent.  Oh and the other eye is Toasted and Hustle - which isn't as shimmery as I had thought so going to get an outing soon - with a bit of Virgin and Half Baked thrown in for good measure.  S'cuse dodgy flash photo's.  Sat in guest house breakfast room looking like a hooker, must dash before someone comes in and offers me a tenner.

Quick FOTD

Eye - Whisky liner, Virgin all over, Buff in Crease, Face - Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Beige Tendre, Dusting Diorskin translucent powder nose and chin, MAC cream blush in Lilicent, Lips - was Bobbi Brown Cocoa pencil and Cream lipstick in Heather Buff

No prizes for guessing what I used!  Whisky liner top and bottom, Virgin all over and for a change (!) Buff in crease, its quick, effective - I think, and I don't have to think about it, with UDPP under of course.  Having used the palette a couple of times now I would have liked a matte light shadow - virgin is a tad shimmery for me to be completely happy with it on lid, fine for brow highlight and perhaps if Hustle and/or Toasted could have been matte too, not used them yet and tbh am a little put off by the shimmery'ness.  Tomorrow might try my UNE matte cream shadow all over and maybe try Toasted or Hustle in the crease. 

UD NAKED - EOTD!

Late to the party doesn't really cover it I know, but hey I'm there now.  A tiny part of me was really worried that this might just not live up to the hype, even if that "hype" is other beauty bloggers raving about it and we all know no-one slates a crapster like a beauty blogger, so if they say it's good, you know it will be.

As you may have anticipated - it's love.  With bells on.  I know everyone that blogs already owns this but I have a couple of friends that don't blog who are interested so please bear with me through a couple of swatch pics before a couple of EOTD's.

So photos:
 
Outdoors, overcast day. 


Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar

 
Buff, Half Baked, Smog, Darkhorse


Toasted, Hussle, Creep, Gunmetal and Zero (black) and Whisky (brown) eye pencils.
Thanks for the loan of your arm Em!

To paraphrase Forrest Gump "this palette is like a box of chocolates" it was so hard to decide which ones to dive into first so I thought I'd play it safe.

I read on the fab A Model Recommends an interview with MUA Geraldine Shaker and when asked what her single most anti-ageing make up trick or technique was replied " Shade the socket of your eyes with a dark eye shadow – this will knock a decade off older eyes." which sounds like a sound plan to me!  Bearing that in mind I have done a couple of EOTD's.


First up yesterday:

Yikes, someone please remind me in future not to do that scary hair scraped back thing!  This is whisky pencil upper and lower lash line, blended.  Virgin all over lid to brow and Buck in crease.  Frankly I think I have the eyes of a 9 year old!

Now today:

This is whisky upper and lower lash line, Buff all over lower lid, Buck into crease and Virgin to highlight on brow, also used the UDPP on this one, so 13hrs later not a crease in sight.  Have had this palette 24 hrs and already feel like I have got my eye shadow mojo back - first time I have had 3 eye shadows on my eyes in what feels like ages!

I love how smooth all the shadows are, they all blend so easily and wear beautifully.  Sadly think the Bobbi Brown taupe is going to be very overlooked now.  I am dying to have a play around and do something a bit more exciting but think will have to wait for the weekend for that, am thinking might have a go at my first smokey eye!  Oh, one downside the lid on the black pencil, Zero was wedged on so hard had to get Steve to tackle it and in doing so he snapped the pencil.  Which might have been a trauma and I can sense some of you gasped at that! but I don't wear black eye liner and Em does, so I donated her the black and kept whisky (which I am unexpectedly loving, just as you had predicted Fee!) all for myself, so win, win!

 

 

Good old Emily!

Bless her, she went to Selfridges in her lunch break and bought 3 more copies of Glamour, sold 2 to her colleagues at work and is giving the other to her friend - but first she swiped the sachets of Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua out of them for her mother, isn't she a total honey?!  Of course she told the ladies who purchased the mags what she had done, in case you think she is a heathen!

Having a few dryness issues with it today, have just had to rub some moisturiser into nose and chin to haul it out from pores in chin and to de-flake nose.  That said nose is still suffering from this hideously painful lump under the surface of the skin so that wont be helping.  Think will decant all 3 sachets into a little pot as have a feeling first squirt was the watery element and today got the powder side, perhaps if better mixed it will be balanced all the time.

Em and I planning girly shopping trip to Leeds on Saturday so thinking will try and get samples of Guerlain Lingerie de Peau (as raved about by Cheeky Beauty) Chanel Vitalumiere the normal version and MAC Studio Sculpt too as it's what Em uses and although I think it can look a bit mask like maybe with a lighter application it would good.  No plan to make rash purchase this time - am almost being grown up about this!  If anyone can think of any others they would suggest please let me know, ta.

Foundation - another contender

Disappointed with a capital "d" with the Bobbi Brown sample I got.  On initial application it is incredibly moisturising, almost too much so and is very shiny.  And then, even without any powder after an hour or so it is dry, tight, itchy and looks powdery as hell.

Got a sample of Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in a magazine (Edit: it was the January Feb issue of Glamour just in case you fancy trying it) at the weekend and with nothing to lose slapped some on.  First impressions good, it is quite strongly perfumed, but I like that.  It is slippy, very liquid and light in texture and I immediately assumed coverage would be pants.  It applies really nicely, blends easily - so far not taken a brush to it only used my fingers and no issues at all.  As you may have read in earlier posts my nose is having some serious issues right now.  When I applied a reasonable amount of this foundation it looked dry and flaky and not great at all, Em was at home and she insisted that I wasn't using enough, I needed to build up the coverage - with other foundations that would be a terrible idea but this stuff is amazing. I added a good bit more, till I was happy with the coverage and it looked fine, not great but not bad at all.  When I looked in the mirror 20 minutes later it is no exaggeration to say that it looked terrific, total coverage with no tell tale redness or dryness.  The foundation seemed to have melded into my skin.  I have a glow!  Not the sheen of a shimmer filled foundation either, and not shiny "lard face" shine, just a glow as if lit from within, I ate a candle style!  So this stuff is either fab or I am about to discover that Steve and I are increasing the size of our family!!  

So photos, as I have them thought it would be useful to add the photos from last week to this too.

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Beige Tendre - 20

Bobbi Brown - the 3 coats photo

Max Factor Experience Weightless foundation

Now clearly for £9.99 the Max Factor is more than holding its own, but when you compare the £27 Bobbi Brown with the £31 (shee'it!) Chanel the difference, on my skin at least, is marked.

Couple that really show off the "glowy" effect of the Chanel.

I really like how my skin looks in this - glow not shine.

Ok some fair old shine here but that was full light from the window, where its not beaming it does look much nicer than usual!

Having done a bit off googling it seems that Vitalumiere Aqua went on sale in the UK on 14th January - although its not availalble on the Boots website at the mo I think it is on Debenhams and Selfridges.  Frankly if you are in your 40's with dry, lack lustre skin that can never get enough moisture, with pores that seem to suck your foundation into them to make a real feature of them, with a propensity to just generally look a bit shite, then this is the foundation for you.  All £31 of it.  Did I mention the price?  Luckily I have a little cash stash for just such purchasing emergencies - shhh!  Oh and better than all that it comes in a lovely tube, all the better for hacking up to get out the last very vital drops.

Monday morning just got a whole heap better....

 









Swatches to follow for my non-blogging friends (Victoria that's you!) who don't already own this.  Huge love to Leanne OCD and Steve for this, it's like Christmas all over again!

Skin advice needed, please!

Skin having some kind of weird melt down.  Even as a teenager I never got spots and in spite of having rosacea and associated pimples I never get a proper spot.  Now rather than spots I am suddenly getting very large, very sore lumps on my face, last weeks was on my chin, this weeks on my nose which is bloody agony.  I wish I knew what was going on, if there are any skin care experts out there, or anyone who has experienced similar and can offer any help or suggestions please shout.  Unless you are Fran.  Last week when I asked the same question she reached under the counter, picked up a carrier bag and handed it to me with a raised eye brow.  Cheers love! 
Needless to say not planning any fotd any time soon!

Oh and still no sign of the Naked palette.

Nails Inc - Cool Caramel

£10 for Nails Inc is just not happening.  Weirdly everytime I have paid full whack the polish has been craptacular, when I get a freebie with InStyle or Diet Coke its never as bad, is that psychological, maybe if we are spending a reasonable amount of money on a product we have expectations that we don't apply when its a freebie??  Anyway, that was in danger of getting deep.

Feast your eyes on this baby:

I have a feeling this could be my mannequin hands nail polish but will be waiting til February to find out.  Em has already used it and it is stunning on her although her hands are either orange with fake tan (bloody vile stuff) or are pale with no pink in them, unlike mine so hopefully it will look as nice on me, will do NOTD pics in Feb when I get round to wearing it!

Update.  I am not sure if there are other people like me?  I am hysterical about my nails and hair - wont leave home if having a bad hair day type of thing.  As  you may know am having a month off from nail varnish to nurture my nails and get rid of all the flakes.  Have Mavala hardener for the tips and Nailactan to smooth on every night and although the tips are still flaked the nail bed is looking much happier and my cuticles are much less trashed.  So why, in the name of all thats holy did I sit and bite my nails on Thursday evening?  I cried, literally sat and cried with my glass file in hand trying to tidy up the damage.  I seem to go into some kind of self destruct mode with my nails.  I did catch myself before they were super hideous, there was enough left to smooth off with the file but I did make 2 of the biggest flakes even bigger, my nails haven't been this short in about 10 years and I cant bear to look at my hands.  Breaking the ban with Scarab could be a lot further off than I had hoped.  Silly cow that I am.

UD - Naked Palette update

Have had email from Debenhams to say mine has been dispatched!  Am sooooo excited.  Seriously not been this excited since I asked Santa for a doll and a pram for Christmas, walked past it in a daze on Christmas day as he had put it at the end of my bed and not under the tree, then cried when he thought he had forgotten and then cried  harder when my poor mother hauled me back to my bedroom to see it!  

In exciting other developments it appears that it may now have a brush (great post Lyuba!) and not the 24/7 eye pencil, which frankly would be a massive plus for me.  Had already planned to donate the pencil to Em, sorry chick your loss but I'll let you have a swipe of Half Baked from time to time to make up for it!


Right, back to pacing up and down in front of the letter box.

Bobbi Brown - Taupe eye shadow

Well that didn't work did it - my post scheduling failed to happen oops!  

Confession time.  In the past I really liked eye shadow and in my teens used to do insane things on my eye lids, when they were taut and I was wide eyed and lovely.  Ok, I may never have been lovely but my eye lids were once taut.  One particular fave involved lemon yellow inside corner, bright pink middle lid, bright green edge of lid and into crease and yellow on brow bone.  I was, of course the height of cool and much admired by my friends for my ability on the maquillage front.  Sod off, it was the 80's we all looked stupid.

20's saw the arrival of babies and no time for anything more than a slap of moisturiser.  I was heavy, make up free and had my hair cut by a friend who thought a woman with a round fat face suited a pudding bowl hair cut.  Some friend.  My twenties were quite frankly my fuggly period.


30's and the realisation that fuggly was not the way to go.  Changed hair dresser, changed my life!  Got glasses instead of spending months at a time with conjunctivitus from my contact lenses, lost 3 stone and unleashed my inner siren.  My thirties were FUN! 

Moving on.  40's and now I want to look polished, we (sometimes) have a bit more disposable income and whilst I am never going to be a teenager again I think its just a case of changing gear, or at least I do now having read loads of other beauty bloggers, admittedly most of whom are still in their 20's and 30's at most.  I just want to look in the mirror and see someone that knows what works for them, that maximises their good features (when I find one believe me you'll be the first to know) and glosses over the less than lovely bits.  So I am rediscovering my love of make up and especially eye shadow.  So far no lemon yellow but give me time!

One of the bloggers I really like is Jane at Modesty Brown and I credit her with re-awakening my love of all things eye.  Her looks are neutral but still interesting and very wearable and she made me realise that just a little of something nice can make a really big difference to how you look.  Taupe is the word I would associate with Jane, based on her blog posts and as a result I decided it was the way to go.

 

I am having a bit of a Bobbi Brown thing at the moment.  I also bought the taupe eye shadow and even as I handed over my £15 I was wondering if I was mad to be parting with £15 for something as dreary looking as a matt taupe eye shadow.  Once I got home and had a play I realised that I had made the right decision.


Inside with flash, above


Outside in natural light, above
 
Whilst I am not sure this is what I had in mind when I was thinking taupe, I am seeing brown, I do think this will get a huge amount of wear. As you would anticipate it feels like velvet to apply, and wears well but it doesn't blend as well as I had hoped, to the extent that I have just done a google to see if it is one of the ones more intended for use as a liner - seems not, I just struggle to get it really nice and smooth, even with a base shadow to work on top of, maybe its me and my rubbish application.  Of course now I want a shade that more closely resembles the "taupe" I had in mind.  (kicking myself for just letting the SA pick up the shadow they called taupe and not going with her to the counter to check it was what I wanted.)

 I know I used this pic on my post about the foundation but it also a good one for showing off accurately the taupe eye shadow. Now I want bone, for all over, a shimmer to jazz things up for evenings and a lighter shade that more fits with my definition of taupe!  It never ends!!

But.  All my dreams are about to come true.  I have been working away for 2 days and whilst I was away Leanne at OCD emailed to say she had heard that Debenhams were going to be selling UD Naked on their website, Steve staked out the site and yesterday morning ordered it for me as a surprise!!  I was delighted yesterday evening when I got home and he told me so now I am pacing up and down in front of the door waiting for the post man!  Looked at the Debenhams site last night and they are not showing the palette again so presumably they sold out really quickly.  Leanne thank  you so much for the heads up!  


*update 15/9/11 - this eye shadow is rubbish and has languished in my "things I wouldnt use if hell were to freeze over" drawer from about 2 weeks after purchase. Frankly save your pennies!

If I have done things correctly...

there will be a post on the Bobbi Brown taupe eye shadow tomorrow and one on the Nails Inc freebie polish on Thursday.  Or there wont. There will just be a long and rather boring hiatus whilst I am in a field in Newark.  Talk amongst yourselves if that happens and I'll be back on Friday to sort it out!

Bobbi Brown - Moisture Rich Foundation

I have used Bobbi Brown foundation before, pretty sure it was one I repeat purchased until I got fed up of having to go to Leeds or Manchester to get it.  Decided that as its famed for its lack of pink tones that it might help to hide the pink in my complexion.  Went to House of Fraser in Leeds, Charlotte the SA was very thorough, cleaned off all my foundation - is there anything nicer than sitting in from of the world and his wife with all your blemishes on display?!  And then did 3 swatches Alabaster, Porcelain and one other didn't catch name of it but it was too warm.  She decided that Alabaster was too pale, whilst Porcelain was an exact skin match it would be too chalky applied all over so tried a 4th, Cool Beige, which we both agreed worked well.  She used the Moisture Rich formula as I had said that I like to look dewy rather than matt, this might be slightly more glossy than dewy in reality, even Steve commented that my skin looked "greasy" before I toned things down with a dash of loose powder.

That was yesterday and whilst I was loving the shade and the tone of the foundation on me I wasn't sure that slip sliding away look was really working for me.  This morning its a whole other story.  I am loving this foundation.  Yesterday I thought it was too hydrating/moisturising/oily and I certainly couldn't wear this without a bit of loose powder, but thats actually a benefit, in the past adding powder for a bit of extra coverage and to set my foundation has led to the dreaded face cake look, on this foundation the powder takes up the shine, adds a little extra coverage but still looks fresh.  The yellow tone, to my eye, is very apparent - in a good way!  My face just looks fresher, cleaner and a huge benefit is my blush, MAC Lilicent cream blush, looks lovely on top of this - which is good as MAC at Selfridges in Leeds no longer have Uncommon in stock.  I have a tiny sample pot that may just last me the week and then I am going to have to purchase I think.

Photos:

Indoors with flash

Outdoors in what passed for daylight today!

 FOTD

Face - Bobbi Brown Moisture Rich foundation in cool beige

           Dusting of Dior loose powder

           MAC Creme blush Lilicent

Eyes - UNE matt shadow in S02 all over to even out tone

           Bobbi Brown shadow in Taupe on lower lid and dry to line under eye

           Clinique superfine liner for brows in soft brown

           L'Oreal Mascara in black

Lips -  Bobbi Brown Cream lipstick in Heather Buff

           Bobbi Brown lip pencil in Cocoa

Ladder - B&Q!  taken outdoors with flash as its so over cast.

Update - my face started to feel really tight by midday and I cleaned all my foundation off, added some moisturiser and re-applied. I think all the powder to take down the shine had done it.  

No foundation redness very much in evidence.

One coat of foundation, much less pink but still not enough coverage.

3 coats and a slap of lippy in the hope it'll stop you noticing the horribly unwaxed top lip!
Reasonable coverage but ooh the shine:

But if I add powder to matify am going to end up feeling dry and tight.  Bloody bugger and damn, might end up sticking with the Max factor at this rate.
Ok in for a penny in for a pound.  Same thing but with Max factor Experience weightless foundation.

 Max Factor - 1 coat.

MF - topped up with a bit more where the pinkness is worst, not 3 coats though.

MF whupping BB' arse I feel!
How's that shine?

It's still a bit shiny but no worse than the BB.

Side by side comparison, as you look at this pic on the left is the MF and on the right (the side with droopy eye!) is the BB. Even without bearing in mind the MF is £9.99 and the BB is £27, I think MF is the winner.  What do you think?  Apart from that you are sick to death of looking at my face!  Haven't given up yet, next stop will try another BB foundation in the same shade but in a less moisturising formula.  Hope you found this interesting.