Review: Simple Kind To Skin Perfecting BB Beauty Balm

I'm going to go all out here and say that BB creams are quite possibly one of the greatest beauty hypes of the last few years. I hate the weight of a heavy, full coverage foundation, but my skin isn't always that pixel perfect for me to bypass any base whatsoever. Tinted moisturisers tend to give too little coverage and are often also quite rich, but BB creams are the perfect middle ground.

It seems like everyone and their nan has brought out their version of a BB cream, which quite often doesn't have much in common with what the term was originally set out to mean (and don't even get me started on CCs and DDs and EEs and what-nots). But when Simple, which is probably my favourite affordable skincare brand, released a BB cream there was no way I wasn't going to give it a go.

There is only one shade to universally suit all skin tones and originally that had me a little worried. Then I opened the tube and thought there was absolutely no way that shade was going to suit my pale complexion - I thought the cream was a write-off before I'd even tried it. I started blending and my face went an unnatural orange colour. Then I blended some more - still orange. I blended some more and all of a sudden, like some sort of magic trick, the orange disappeared and I was left with skin that was slightly mattified but still had some of its natural luminosity peeking through. Evened out just enough to give that extra boost of confidence, but not so much that it would look unnatural.

Simple Kind To Skin Perfecting BB Beauty Balm; Left: unblended / Right: Blended in

As for the texture it's a lot less thick than all the other BBs I've tried before, which personally I think is a bonus. It might sound a bit vain, but I like to have a very light base on when I go to the gym or for a run, but it's imperative that it doesn't clog my pores when I get sweaty and this fits the bill absolutely perfectly. But also for days where I feel like my skin needs just a little pick-me-up instead of a lot of coverage, this does a great job. You can see me actually wearing this BB cream in this Face Of The Day post.

So in the end, what I thought would be a write-off turned out to be yet another great product. I still feel like adding two extra shades - one lighter and one darker - would be a good idea, just so that those of us with particularly light or very dark skin don't have to blend quite as much. But overall, this gets a big thumbs up from me!

Simple Kind To Skin Perfecting BB Beauty Balm retails at £8.99

Review: Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer

When it comes to foundation and base products I can be very picky. I don't normally own more than two foundations at the same time (an everyday one and an "off-duty" one), but the ones I do own I always use up till the last drop. I like to make sure they're amazing quality and don't mind paying a little extra for a make-up product I'll be using pretty much every day, no matter what look I'm going for.

After reading plenty of rave reviews about this one in particular, it was only a matter of time till I caved and made my way to Selfridges to get myself a tube off the Laura Mercier counter. Not only is this my first foray into Laura Mercier beauty products, it's also my first ever tinted moisturiser (BB creams don't count), so I opted for the oil free version, as that gives a little more coverage and was more akin to the light, airy foundations I normally use.

I was matched to the shade "Porcelain", unsurprisingly the lightest of all shades. I'd say it's actually a touch too pale for me, but once blended in, it matches quite well. Either way I prefer my foundation to be a bit lighter rather than too dark. It's easy to warm up your complexion with a touch of bronzer and the right blush, while a base that's too dark is hard to put right.

For those who just want to know whether or not this product is worth the hype: Well, yes, I can definitely see why everyone loves it. It actually comes out quite thick, but once it's on the skin it feels feather light. No sweaty face underneath a crusty mask of foundation.

The coverage is quite light, but don't let that put you off if you don't have perfect skin (because trust me, I don't either!). It's like it's got some sort of magic ability to detect all redness, pigmentation or imperfections in your skin and tone them down significantly, while letting your natural skin shine through where it looks good. Not entirely sure how that works... but it works!

Now, even though it says "Tinted Moisturizer", I always apply a separate moisturiser underneath and use this in place of a foundation. Even on my normal/combination skin I feel like it wouldn't quite be nourishing enough on its own. If, however, your skin is particularly oily or you're in a pinch, skipping moisturiser underneath should be just fine.

In the swatch picture above you can see it just as it comes out of the tube on the left, and then blended in on the right. You can clearly see the kind of luminous sheen it gives to the skin, though I find that the effect is a lot less prominent on the face - probably because you wouldn't use anywhere near as much product as I've done in the photo!

At £33 a tube I don't think I'll be repurchasing right away. Yes, I do love this product and it's lasted me about 4 months which isn't too bad, but I'm quite keen on trying some high street foundations and see if they can keep up with my beloved high end formulas. I'd also say that if I'm going to shell out that much money, then my all-time favourite, Chanel's Vitalumiere Aqua is still a touch better than this, as it offers smoother coverage, but I would highly recommend this to anyone who's looking for a natural and "lit-from-within" finish.

Monthly Favourites: August 2013

1) Laura Mercier Oil-free Tinted Moisturiser

I've seen people rave and go on about these for so long that eventually I just caved and had to give it a go for myself - and I have to admit, it's a pretty awesome product! My skin is behaving pretty well at the moment, so I don't need anything with massive amounts of coverage and this tinted moisturiser just fits the bill perfectly. It just seems to smooth things out a little bit, while feeling light as a feather and leaving a natural, healthy glow. My one bug bear (aside from the price!) is that seeing as it's oil free it could do with being a little more mattifying - it seems to leave my face extremely shiny, but that could just be down to the hot weather in all fairness.

2) Models Own nail polish in Luis Lemon

Another Models Own polish in my monthly favourites! I'm seriously obsessed with them - the formula never fails me and the shade selection is just amazing. During the last month of summer I've particularly been loving this neon yellow to put a spring in my step. It's phenomenal for a night out as well, as it literally glows in black light! You can read a post I wrote about this nail polish here.

3) Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl in Nude

I'd been hunting for a nude eye liner for months about a year ago, until I finally gave up and forgot all about it. Then I went out to do some beauty shopping with a friend when we stumbled across these and though I wasn't that fussed anymore I thought I'd give it a go. Great decision! The formula of this pencil is just amazing - soft, creamy, pigmented and stays on the waterline for at least 5 hours. The nude shade is perfect for a wide-eyed, healthy look, but without being quite as harsh and obvious as a white pencil.

4) Artdeco Clear Lash & Brow Gel

Apologies about the tube looking a little manky - unfortunately that's what tends to happen with clear brow mascaras when you apply them over brow pencil or powder. Aesthetics aside, however, this does an amazing job of keeping my brows in place ALL DAY LONG. Literally, they won't budge until I give them a swipe with make-up remover. For somebody whose brows always seem to have a mind of their own this is an absolute god send - it just makes me look so much more groomed than brows that are all over the place. Bear in mind, that it does make them a bit crispy and glossy, but to me that's not necessarily a downside.

5) Benefit They're Real Mascara

I'll admit that I was anything but blown away by this mascara when I first tried it and I'd even go as far as saying that I felt that I'd wasted my money a little. Yes, it makes lashes look really long and it's not too bad for curling, but somehow it was just missing a little bit of oomph. However, slowly but surely, this is really growing on me. There's just something about the brush that makes it grip literally every single one of your eyelashes. Nowadays, when I want a little more impact I just apply two or three layers and it works brilliantly, without a single clump in sight.

Sample Summary #1

I like the idea of discussing samples I've been trying in a summary style post, as it's not really worth making a separate post for every sample, but there are quite a few good and even amazing products I've been able to try that I'd like to tell you about anyway! Now I just need to make sure I remember to take pictures of all my samples before I slather them all over me, so bear with me on that one...

Mir gefällt die Idee, Pröbchen die ich benutzt habe in einer Art Zusammenfassung zu besprechen, da sie es nicht wert sind, einzelne Posts zu bekommen. Jedoch habe ich ein paar gute und sogar umwerfende Produkte ausprobieren können, von denen ich euch gerne erzählen würde! Jetzt muss ich mich nur noch daran erinnern, Fotos von meinen Pröbchen zu schießen bevor ich sie überall hinschmiere, aber das kommt schon noch....

1) Diorshow New Look Mascara

Let's get straight to the point: I'm completely in love with this mascara. Unfortunately the sample size was so tiny that I managed to use it all up before I remembered to take some pictures of it on, so my apologies for not showing you what it looks like on.
The tiny wand gets into every corner without clumping and the formula is long-lasting and flake free. It's not overly volumising, but if you're a fan of length, separation and mascaras that make you look like you have a million lashes (which I am), then this is for you.
Unfortunately I currently have more important things to spend my money on than mascara (yes, I really just said that), so at £23.00 for a tube which I'll only have to replace in three months, I won't be buying the full size any time soon.

Kommen wir direkt zum Punkt: Ich bin verliebt in diese Mascara. Leider war die Probegröße so klein, dass ich alles aufgebraucht hatte ehe ich mich daran erinnerte, ein Foto zu schießen. Entschuldigt also bitte das fehlende Tragebild.
Das winzige Bürstchen kommt in jede Ecke ohne Klumpen zu bilden und die Formel ist langanhaltend und krümelt nicht. Sie schenkt nicht allzu viel Volumen, aber wenn ihr wie ich ein Fan seid von Länge, Separation und Wimperntuschen, die den Anschein geben, dass man Millionen von Wimpern hat, dann solltet ihr diese hier ausprobieren.
Leider gibt es momentan wichtigere Dinge, für die ich mein Geld ausgeben muss als Mascaras (ja, ich habe das wirklich gerade gesagt). Bei €31.95 für eine Tube, die ich nach drei Monaten wieder ersetzen muss, wird die große Größe wohl etwas warten müssen.


2) Lancôme Rénergie Éclat Multi Lift

Getting foundation or tinted skincare samples always disappoints me a bit, as it's pretty much guaranteed that they'll be too dark for me. In this case I received shade 02 - Doré and, surprise, surprise, it's too dark. Shade 01 - Sable would have probably matched me just fine.

Proben von Foundations oder getönter Hautpflege finde ich immer etwas enttäuschend, da es sozusagen garantiert ist, dass sie zu dunkel für mich sind. In diesem Fall habe ich Farbe 02-Doré erhalten und - was für eine Überraschung - sie ist zu dunkel. Farbe 01 - Sable wäre wahrscheinlich recht gut für mich gewesen.

Nevertheless, I was determined to try this out, so I wore this at home when no one was looking and made sure to only use a small amount, blend it out really well and also apply some on to my chest and neck. The result wasn't too bad, but not something I'd want to go out in.
The finish is kind of dewy and it might even have added a bit of shine to my skin, so if you prefer your face matte you'd definitely have to powder over it. It evens out skin tone a little bit but doesn't give anywhere near as much coverage as even a light foundation. As for the skincare benefits it did clog my pores unfortunately, though at least I didn't get any breakouts from it. Drier and more mature skin (which this is aimed at after all) would probably be able to handle the ingredients much better.
At £39 it certainly ain't cheap and as it doesn't suit my skin I won't be buying the full size.

Trotzdem wollte ich die Creme unbedingt ausprobieren, also habe ich sie zu Hause wenn niemand guckte getragen und trug nur eine kleine Menge auf, die ich gut verwischte und auch im Hals- und Dekolletébereich auftrug. Das Ergebnis war nicht schlecht, aber ich würde es trotzdem nicht gerne außer Haus tragen.
Das Finish ist frisch und etwas glänzend; wer also lieber ein mattes Gesicht hat, müsste unbedingt drüberpudern. Der Hautton wirkt ausgeglichener, doch die Deckkraft ist viel geringer als selbst bei einer leichten Foundation. Was die Hautpflege angeht, verstopfte die Creme leider meine Poren, doch zum Glück bekam ich von ihr zumindest keine Pickel. Anspruchsvollere, reifere Haut (für die dieses Produkt schließlich gemacht wurde) würde mit den Inhaltsstoffen wahrscheinflich viel besser auskommen.
€68,90 für eine ganze Tube ist schon ziemlich heftig und da sie nicht zu meiner Haut passt, werde ich sie mir mit Sicherheit nicht nachkaufen.


3) SK-II Skin Signature

Ahh, had to save the best till last. I got this in my March Glossybox and secretly hoped I'd hate it as soon as I saw the price tag. It's not often you'll hear me rave about a skincare product, as I'm one of those stuck-up annoying people who regulate their skin with lifestyle choices. You know, 2-3 litres of water a day, 8 hours of sleep every night, a healthy diet, lots of outdoor excercise.... Well, let me tell you that when I tested this cream my life was so stressful I didn't do any of that. It was no sleep, no water, just coffee and alcohol, no exercise, hardly any food, lots of stress and on top of that I couldn't be bothered with a skincare routine, so this was the ONLY thing I used.
Normally, I'd be looking like crap with a lifestyle like that - hell, most people would. And here I was, looking in the mirror, expecting to find a scene out of Night of the Living Dead and yet I kind of stared at my reflection realising that my skin looked... really good!! And I know for a fact that it was this, as it was the only product I used and normally I'd be looking dreadful.
Well, you may be relieved to hear that my lifestyle is back to normal and this is still doing absolute miracles for my skin, though there's not much left in my little pot of magic. If there's such a thing as a Beauty God then He'll make sure I never run out of this sample, but somehow that seems a bit doubtful.
I know, I know, it's a somewhat ridiculous suggestion, but this is so good I'm thinking it might actually be worth an investment, despite the staggering price tag of £127.

 Ahh, das beste zum Schluss. Ich habe diese Probe in meiner englischen Glossybox vom März erhalten und sobald ich sah, wie viel die Creme kostet, hoffte ich, dass ich sie hassen würde. Ich schwärme nicht oft von Hautpflegeprodukten, denn ich bin einer jener nervigen Menschen, die ihre Haut mit Lifestyleänderungen im Griff behalten. Ihr wisst schon, 2-3 Liter Wasser am Tag, 8 Stunden Schlaf jede Nacht, gesundes Essen, viel Bewegung an der frischen Luft.... Nun muss ich euch verraten, dass mein Leben zu dem Zeitpunkt, als ich die Creme ausprobiert habe so stressig war, dass ich gar nichts davon tat. Kein Schlaf, kein Wasser, nur Kaffee und Alkohol, kein Sport, kaum Essen, jede Menge Stress und als krönender Abschluss hatte ich keine Lust, mich um meine Haut zu kümmern, also war das das EINZIGE was ich benutzte.
Normalerweise würde ich mit so einem Lifestyle ziemlich beschissen aussehen - die meisten würden das. Da schaue ich plötzlich in den Spiegel und erwarte eine Szene aus Night of the Living Dead, doch stattdessen starre ich mein Spiegelbild an und merke dass meine Haut verdammt gut aussieht!! Und ich weiß garantiert, dass es an dieser Creme liegt, weil ich nichts anderes benutzt habe und normalerweise furchtbar aussehen würde.
Meine Gewohnheiten haben sich mittlerweile wieder normalisiert, doch die Creme bewirkt immer noch Wunder für meine Haut, auch wenn von meinem kleinen Tiegel voller Zauberkraft und Magie nicht mehr viel übrig ist. Wenn es so etwas wie einen Beautygott gibt, dann wird er dafür sorgen, dass mir diese Probe nie ausgeht, aber das scheint mir doch etwas zweifelhaft.
Ich weiß, ich weiß, es hört sich albern an, aber dieses Produkt ist so gut, dass ich glaube, es ist die Anschaffung wert, auch bei einem schwindelerregenden Preis von £127.