Review: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser

Sunday 29 September 2013


I don't know why my hands look so grey...! My original image has been distorted by Blogger :(

FOTD using Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser (No concealer)


I managed to bag the ultimate bargain when I bought the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser, as I got a 'bonus size' 200ml tube for an amazing £18 in the house of Fraser sale a few months back! This usually costs £33 for 50ml! I would have originally opted for the oil free version as my t-zone can get quite oily, but I couldn't pass up the bargain and thought I'd give this a go.

I absolutely love this tinted moisturiser for good skin days. It has low coverage, so I find it evens out my complexion but I can't get away without concealer. I was having a rare good skin day in the images above, but you can still see some of my blemishes on my chin and forehead and the redness around my nose is still visible. I have tried applying it using my fingers or my beauty blender dupe. Both methods work fine but I prefer using my fingers as I get slightly more coverage that way. It has quite a runny consistency and blends easily. It feels lovely on the skin as it isn't heavy and leaves you with a dewy finish, which makes your complexion look lovely. I always powder down the centre of my face, as I tend to get oily there.

My gripes with this product lie mainly in the longevity and coverage. On a work day, I need my base to last through the day for at least 9-10 hours with minimal touch ups. I wasn't expecting miraculous longevity, but even with powder this only lasts a few hours before I start getting shiny and it starts wearing away. I would also prefer if the coverage was slightly fuller. As this tinted moisturiser is pretty low coverage, it has to be reserved to good skin or non work days, which means it doesn't get as much love as some of my other base products. Occasionally after using this tinted moisturiser, I have noticed I get a few small whitehead type blemishes, so I feel that this may break me out slightly as well which is a bit annoying as my skin doesn't usually break out from makeup products.

I love this for non work and good skin days, despite the occasional breakout, and would definitely recommend this for less oily skinned gals and people who like dewy, light bases. I think it's a great product for summer or sunnier climates, as it has SPF 20. I may have to try the oil free version, as I've heard that has better coverage. Has anyone tried it and can vouch for the coverage/longevity?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Review: Nivea In-Shower Moisturiser

Thursday 12 September 2013



After reading tonnes of rave reviews for the Nivea In-Shower Moisturiser, I have to admit I was underwhelmed when I started using the product.

I really liked the concept of moisturising in the shower, as I thought it would be great for saving time and effort. However, when you think about it, you're cutting out one pre-dressing step but adding one in the shower... So in effect it doesn't make that make difference, however it does mean you can spend more time in the warm shower - score - and it somehow feels like less effort than moisturising post-shower.

The Nivea In-Shower Moisturiser has a moisturiser like consistency and is easily massaged around the skin. It smells a lot like Nivea Creme (The moisturiser in the blue tubs), which is a pleasant and clean scent. The smell doesn't linger too long once washed off, so you needn't worry about it mixing with other fragrances. Note: Be careful when stepping out of the shower/bath, as the base turns into your own mini ice rink and gets super slippery! I have quite dry body skin, so I find that I have to use quite a lot of product to get adequate post-shower moisturisation, which has resulted in getting through this 400ml bottle pretty quickly. After rinsing, there is a slight residue on the skin. It feels like a layer of moisturisation on the top of the skin and while I'm not a fan of residue leaving products, this is just about tolerable in my books. Once I have stepped out of the shower and dried off, my skin feels very slightly moisturised (mainly due to the residue left on the skin) but I always feel like it could do with more. That either means using even more product in the shower (which doesn't feel economical) or moisturising again post shower (which defeats the point of this product).

I wouldn't recommend this if you have dry skin, but I think it might be good for people with normal skin. I also think that it's quite a good product for men, as the scent and packaging are fairly gender neutral.

Have you ever used the Nivea In-Shower Moisturiser?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

September Wishlist

Sunday 8 September 2013

Clockwise from left: Yankee Candle Car Jar in Christmas Cookie, The Great British Bake Off Everyday Book, Charlotte's Magic Cream, Snake Upper Arm Cuff, Topshop Marnie Shoes, Soap and Glory Smooch Operator

With payday just gone and me being a busy bee, I haven't had a chance to mooch around my local shopping centre to spend some of my hard earned money. So I turned to the wonderful world wide web and have compiled a wishlist of things I want to spend my money on...

I passed my driving test in July and bought a car a few weeks back. I've been looking around online for a car air freshener, which looks nice and smells lovely. Yankee Candle Christmas Cookie is one of my favourite Christmas candles and I was surprised to see a few places still had these in stock. So I'm definitely considering buying one for my car, even though it's not Christmas season yet (Although I've seen some Christmas chocolates and mince pies start to appear in the supermarket...!)

With #GBBO on the tellybox again, I've been in the baking spirit. My baking skills are average at best, so I figure you can't go wrong with a bit of Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood showing you the way into the world of baking.

Charlotte Tilbury released her range of makeup, skincare and brushes earlier this month and I have been swooning at some of the range after seeing swatches online. However the thing I have been seriously lusting after is Charlotte's Magic Cream. It's definitely pricier than I would usually spend on a moisturiser, retailing at £70 but if I recall correctly, Charlotte refers to it as 'a pushup bra in a jar' - Now who wouldn't want that for their face? As the Autumn/Winter months approach, I know my skin will be in need of something to give it a boost and I think this might be it.

I really like the look of upper arm cuffs on nights out, especially if you're wearing something sleeveless. I think it's a great alternative to your typical wrist wear, but I haven't seen many to buy in store recently. I spotted this on eBay for less than £2 and managed to purchase this in less than 2 minutes.

These Topshop shoes look lovely for the upcoming Autumn months. I love the subtle nod to monochrome and animal print with the dalmation dots on the heels. I can picture these transitioning well into Autumn with a pair of skinny jeans or cigarette pants.

I am a complete lip balm junkie. I currently have about 4 in my handbag and am lusting after this Soap and Glory one. I haven't heard many people talk about this one, so who know if it's any good... But I gave it a sniff in Boots and it smelt bloody amazing!

What are you lusting after at the moment?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

(Images from Topshop.com, eBay.co.uk, Google.co.uk, Boots.com)

NOTD: Papaya

Sunday 1 September 2013

2 coats of Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in 'Papaya'

Papaya is a perfect muted creamsicle orange for summer. I've been wearing it lots recently on my fingers and toes over the past few weeks. The formula is easy to use, each coat dried quickly and this was fully opaque in two coats. I'm always impressed at how well these Barry M Gelly polishes last on my nails and this one didn't disappoint, as my nails remained chip free and shiny for a few days. These polishes are a bargain at only £3.99. I also have Greenberry and Prickly Pear, but I am definitely going to have to take a peek at some of the other colours in the range.

What do you think of the Barry M Gellys?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy