No7 Airbrush Away Foundation Review

Today I am sharing with you my thoughts on No7 Airbrush Away Foundation and how I think it is a pretty good dupe for a luxury brand's own foundation....

No7 say 

No7 Airbrush Away Foundation glides over the skin like liquid silk.

It delivers buildable coverage whilst blurring the appearance of fine lines and pores.

Clever optical blurring powders give a velvet yet radiant finish, like your complexion has been placed into soft focus.

No7 Airbrush Away Foundation also contains Berryflux Vita to hydrate and care for skin. Non pore blocking. Hypo-allergenic.

How to Use

For Best Results
Always shake before use
To draw the foundation up in to the dropper ensure that the cap is fully screwed down
Squeeze the bulb gently to dispense a few drops onto the back of your hand and then, starting from the centre of your face, blend outwards using a foundation brush.

My thoughts 

As you will see from the swatches the foundation is fairly runny, thus it is easy to apply and glide over the skin, blending in without any drag. It's quite strange really as even though it blends and leaves a nice, flawless finish, it feels as though it is sitting on top of the skin if you happen to touch your skin.

The finish is ever so slightly powdery but bright and radiant and the look lasts all day. It smooths lines, hides pores, covers redness and looks really natural. My skin but better and who doesn't want that!?

I really like it for an everyday foundation. As I mentioned right at the very top, I found this really similar in texture and finish to the YSL Fusion Ink Foundation and it is half the price!

Below I have added swatches and a full face shot of me wearing No7 Airbrush Away Foundation.

The shade I am wearing is Calico 

Swatch of Calico 

Calico blended 

Wearing No7 Airbrush Away Foundation in Calico

No7 Airbrush Away Foundation 30ml costs £16.50 

*PR Sample

No7 Youthful Replenishing Facial Oil Review

No7 say

The experts at No7 know that keeping a beautifully radiant, healthy and moisturised complexion in the cooler weather can be tough. That's why we have developed the NEW No7 Youthful Replenishing Facial Oil; a perfect blend of natural oils and vitamins that keep skin soft, nourished and radiant, while reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

100% of women agreed that adding a few drops of the product to their usual day cream gave their skin an added moisture boost.*

*Consumer trial on 119 women (UK)

- An extra boost of moisture for more radiant & youthful skin in just in week
- Helps the skin look more radiant & maintain a healthy skin barrier (vitamins C & E)
- Helps to smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles (vitamin A)
- Intensively nourishes and helps to lock-in moisture (Rosehip and Jojoba Oil)
- Contains a blend of skin identical oils to prevent future dryness

My thoughts 

This oil smells wonderfully delicate and sweet. I have been using it for over four weeks now and it is a real addition to my skincare regime. My skin has really suffered this winter, and as I have had 3 patches of psoriasis on my face I have avoided anything deep cleansing or too harsh, scrubs and only using gentle moisture boost masks. It hasn't had its usual bright look and I was ready to add an oil to the mix. This one from No7 came just in time. The scent makes it a pleasure to use and I have kept it up nightly, following with my nighttime moisturiser. I use one large drop which does leave my face a little oily but I don't mind it at all.

The results - In the morning there is no sign of oiliness. My skin feels softer, looks more radiant and brighter. I really like this product and it has made a huge difference to the look and feel of my skin.

No7 Youthful Replenishing Facial Oil costs £23 and will be available from Boots stores and Boots.com later this month. 

*PR Sample

New Makeup Brushes From No7 - Reviewed

This February No7 is relaunching its range of Cosmetic Brushes, including five brand new products, to make it even easier to achieve professional make up results at home. The NEW No7 Cosmetic Brushes will help you become an expert in contouring,  create the perfect smokey eye and give you a gorgeous flawless base.

Well I am all for creating a professional result at home and so I put a couple of the new brushes to the test...

No7 Stippling Brush (£14.50): 

No7 say - The ultimate tool for a professional-looking and flawless make up base. The layered bristles of the brush ensure an even application of your favourite foundation, enabling you to create the perfect, airbrushed look at home. No7 Advisor, Samantha Catt suggests “Load the brush with a liquid or powder foundation and then apply by dabbing the brush on the face creating a dot effect. Finish off by blending the products into the skin using light circular motions for an immaculate base.”

My thoughts 

I have never used a stippling brush before I was sent this one to try and so I cannot compare it to any others on the market already. I was curious to see how it would compare to a standard foundation brush which resembles a paint brush and can (if you are not careful) result in streaks of foundation from the brush strokes. I tend to use my fingers as it is quicker  then trying to use a foundation brush to achieve a nice finish. I had no such problems with the stippling brush and I think I am a convert to be honest. 

The difference is that instead of being flat the stippling brush is almost circular which helps with application. It is really easy to use, feels soft on the skin and foundation looks flawless and practically invisible in just a few easy circular motions, with no streaks! I have clearly been missing out.... 

Anyway, the No7 Stippling Brush is a great, affordable brush that gives a fantastic base.

No7 Contour & Highlighter Brush (£14)

No7 say - Innovative and versatile, this double-ended brush is the must-have tool for the contoured effect. The angled bristles of the brush allow you to add definition, whilst the dome-shaped brush is perfect for highlighting areas of the face that naturally catch the light.

My thoughts 

Contouring and highlighting the face is a real makeup trend at the moment and No7 have tapped into this by introducing their dual ended brush tailored for contouring and highlighting. 

Once again the brushes are soft but not too soft that they are ineffective and surprisingly small but actually it is perfect for precision contouring and defining. Highlighting is also easy to do with the other end. The brushes picks up product brilliantly and once the product is on the skin it is easy to blend beautifully. 

I can highly recommend both brushes. 

The new makeup brushes from Boots No7 are out in February 2015

*PR Samples

Nails Inc Snowflake Whitechapel Over Navy Nail Polish

Today's Nails Of The Day features one of my favourite ever top coats from Nails Inc - Snowflake Whitechapel over No7 Stay Perfect Nail Colour in Blue Patent. As I suspected it is utterly gorgeous!

*PR Sample

Boots No7 Christmas Look No3 - #TaDah

Today I am sharing my final Christmas Look - No3 from the contents of the blue package. This look features Navy & Nudes and I have to say a traditional smokey eye and nude lips is one of my favourite looks for going out in the evenings so I was only to happy to give this a go.

I wore this to an evening do last night and was incredibly impressed with its longevity. It lasted all evening (bar the lipstick).

For my base I used YSL Teint Touche Eclat Foundation in Shade BD40

Products Used 

No7 Stay Perfect Eyeshadow Trio in In The Navy
No7 Stay Perfect Amazing Eyes Pencil in Deepest Blue
No7 Natural Blush Tint Powder in Coral Flush
No7 Instant Radiance Highlighter
No7 Precision Lips Pencil in Nude (not pictured)
No7 Sheer Temptation Lipstick in Romantic
No7 Stay Perfect Nail Colour in Blue Patent (patent effect)
No7 Extreme Length Mascara

I applied the shimmery shade from the eyeshadow trio all over my eye and then the navy powder, I lined my eyes with the pencil for a more intense colour but navy was a nice alternative to the usual smokey shades. I have tried various shades of the Blush Tint Powders and have to admit to being a bit in love with them, they are so natural looking on the face and Coral Flush in particular really brightened my face. I have to give a special mention to the Precision Lips Pencil in Nude, it applied so smoothly and made an excellent base for the sheer temptation to go over and leave a glossy finish.

I matched my eyeshadow with dark blue polish which only needed one application and applied the Nails Inc Snowflake Whitechapel polish on my ring finger as a statement nail for extra party bling.

I loved this look!

What do you think?

If you want to find out more about any of the 3 No7 looks that I have featured then click this link http://www.boots.com/en/No-7/No7-make-up-inspiration/Get-the-look/

*PR Samples

Boots No7 Christmas Look No 2 - #TaDah

Hot on the heels of Christmas Look No1 comes my Ta Dah moment with Look No2.

This Christmas Party Look comes from the contents of the Red Package. I do associate Christmas with a strong red lip and so I was happy to see a red lip product featured inside this parcel. It also came with the Golden Sands nail polish that I have already shown but I fancied teaming the red lips with red tips so I swapped the polish for a red one for this complete look.

Once again I used the Stay Perfect Foundation in Cool Vanilla as my base.

Products used

No7 Stay Perfect Shade & Define in Glistening Ray
No7 Stay Precise Liquid Liner in Brown/Black 
No7 Lash Impact Mascara in Black
No7 Natural Blush Cream in Maple Silk
No7 Instant Radiance Highlighter
No7 High Shine Lip Crayon in Statement
No7 Stay Perfect Nail Colour in Devil's Delight

My thoughts 

I love this Christmas Party Look. The liquid liner frames and enhances my green eyes to stand out beautifully and it was easy to apply. The warm cream blush gives great definition to my cheeks. If you haven't tried the Lip Crayons from No7 I can highly recommend them. I have one in Daydreamer, a wonderful nude shade that is worn almost on a daily basis. If you are shy of a red lip or don't know where to start with wearing red lipstick I would say to get the Lip Crayon in Statement as it is so easy to wear without feeling self conscious.

Can't wait to try Look no3!

What do you think of this look?

*PR Samples

Boots No7 Christmas Look No 1 - #TaDah

Boots No7 recently sent me three parcels each containing a bundle of makeup to create a Christmas Party Look. In the next two days I will be sharing the looks I came up with and my thoughts on each of them.

This first look is using makeup from the Gold package.

The parcels also contained Stay Perfect Superlight Foundation in 3 different shades and a matching Match Made Concealer but unfortunately none were the right shade for me so for my base I have used No7 Stay Perfect Foundation in shade Cool Vanilla.

This look used the following products

No7 Midnight Lash Mascara 
No7 Stay Perfect Shade & Define in Glistening Ray
No7 Metallic Eyes Pencil in Camouflage
No7 Radiant Spheres Highlighter

No7 Instant Radiance Highlighter

No7 High Shine Lip Gloss in Plum Blush

No7 Gel Look Shine Nail Colour in Golden Sands

Stand out products for me from this look are the Midnight Lash Mascara (separate review to follow)
and the Golden Sands Gel Look Shine Nail Colour which instantly gave a sparkling party look to my nails. 

This look is quite natural and understated but with oodles of radiance. I am a highlighting fiend so I approve a lot. If I was to do this again I would pop a plum lipstick under the lip gloss for more definition to my lips to make the look more wow for the evening. 

The Radiant Spheres Highlighter is fab as it has three shades in it for definition and highlighting. I used the pink for my blush and then just swirled my brush all over the compact for a radiant gleam.

What do you think? 

*PR Samples

No7 Lash Impact Mascara Review

Boots No7 Lash Impact Mascara has been my go to mascara recently. Featuring a more traditional brush it promises Intense volume control.

No7 says 

Turn up the volume for dramatic looking lashes with maximum clump-free layers.

Hypo-allergenic.

My thoughts 

This fibre brush is easy to use and the mascara leaves lashes looking fuller. The brush lifts and coats every lash, giving the effect of more volume and very decent length and as my after shot shows without clumping. It doesn't flake or smudge.

I like this as a day mascara as for evenings I like a bit of thickness in my lashes but this mascara does exactly what it says.

Before 

After

Boots No7 Lash Impact Mascara in black costs £13.50

*PR Sample

No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Hand Cream

No7 say 

Visibly younger. This super hydrating, easily absorbed, protecting and renewing formula has been created to target the signs of ageing and help your hands have a more youthful future. It intensively conditions with day long moisturisation for softer and smoother skin and works to reveal younger looking hands in 4 weeks. Fine lines are visibly reduced, skin feels more supple with improved elasticity and looks more even.

My thoughts 

This is a lovely cream, it has a scent that is one that I would call a real cream fragrance. Texture wise it is a curious mix of feeling light on the skin, instantly absorbing with a non greasy finish and yet also feeling rich and comforting at the same time. Hands are left feeling comfortable and moisturised, super soft and appearing smoother for hours. It also has added protection of SPF15 which is fabulous.

No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Hand Cream 75ml £10.50

*mini sample 

No7 Beauty Calendar

Would you like to wake up every day with a beauty treat in the countdown to Christmas? Well now you can with No7's Beauty Calendar. It promises 25 skincare and makeup treats and having seen the contents I completely agree!

It features a great mix of body, face and makeup products that everyone will love. Most products are mini sizes but the sample sizes are pretty generous and there are a few full size products included too. Featuring best sellers like No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Day Cream, No7 Youthful Eye Serum, No7 High Shine Lip Crayon, No7 Lash Impact Mascara it is also full of useful everyday staples.

Retailing at £35 but with a value of £130 this is an absolute steal.

I am quite fussy with what I like but I will be using every single one of the products inside!

I predict this to be a sell out.

The No7 Beauty Calendar costs £35 and is on sale 29th October in store and online.

*PR Sample

My Top Five Foundations

Listed below in no particular order are my current top five favourite foundations - 

Elizabeth Arden Flawless Finish Perfectly Nude Makeup £28

A light to medium coverage foundation that is so light in texture that it melts into the skin leaving a natural and radiant finish that makes my skin look so good.

Read the full review here - http://www.beautyswot.com/2014/04/elizabeth-arden-flawless-finish.html

bareMinerals BARESKIN Pure Brightening Serum Foundation £26

bareMinerals first ever liquid foundation blew me away with its results. Flawless perfection, a bright and natural finish with buildable coverage.

Read the full review here - http://www.beautyswot.com/2014/08/bareminerals-bareskin-pure-brightening.html

YSL Le Teint Touche Éclat Foundation £30.50

Over two years down the line this foundation still impresses me with its ability to transform my skin, illuminating and enhancing in a great gel like formula.

Read the full review here - http://www.beautyswot.com/2012/08/ysl-le-teint-touche-eclat-foundation.html

Boots No7 Stay Perfect Liquid Foundation £14

This foundation provides almost full coverage and has excellent staying power, I would use this on a daily basis as a good alternative to Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation.

Read the full review here - http://www.beautyswot.com/2013/10/no7-stay-perfect-liquid-foundation.html

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup £29.50

A best seller and it is easy to see why. A perennial favourite of mine, this foundation provides full coverage and all day staying power. It is heavier than other foundations but it really does cover everything and is ideal for the winter months. 

Read the full review here - http://www.beautyswot.com/2011/01/estee-lauder-double-wear-foundation.html

No7 Extreme Length Mascara Review

No7 say

With No7 Extreme Length Mascara you can open your eyes to incredibly intense, fluttering lashes. Its smooth formula is perfect for building up your lashes without any clumps.

The exclusive, uniquely shaped flexible brush grips and extends each lash for maximum length and eye-opening definition. It is easy to build intensity by adding the mascara to individual lashes, even those in the corners of your eyes.

My thoughts

I was given this mascara as part of the #MyNo7Feeling challenge and liked it so much that I have found myself reaching for it more often than not.

The brush/wand is rubber based and the bristles are short. I find that that particular wand suits my lashes. It lengthens and defines my lashes beautifully in two coats. There is no clumping, no flaking and no smudging all day.

Impressive. The perfect day mascara.

And finally, the obligatory before and after pics!

Before 

After 

No7 Extreme Length Mascara costs £12.50 

*PR Sample

#MyNo7Feeling Look 7 - Seven Days Of Makeup

Today is the final day of the Boots No7 #MyNo7Feeling makeup challenge and I must admit I am a little sad. It was great fun trying out all the looks and yes at times I was pushed out of my comfort zone and none more so than today. I call this the Monday Blues as the trio of items are all Blue.

Having green eyes I am not altogether convinced that blue is really a shade for me and I have to confess to having a real aversion to Teal that started 7 years ago when I was pregnant with my son, just the thought of the shade made me feel nauseous and that feeling hasn't really left!

Makeup For Look 7 

The trio is made up of the following

Boots No7 Stay Perfect Nail Colour in Cruising £6
Boots No7 Stay Perfect Eyeshadow in Turquoise £7
Boots No Stay Precise Liquid Eye Liner in Sky High £7.50

Cruising is a Teal shade of nail polish which I know is hugely popular but just not for me, however it is highly pigmented so you could get away with a single application if time is short.
I didn't apply the eye shadow to the whole eye lid as I felt it would be too much for my small eyes, so it sat just above the lash line where I had applied the liquid liner and in the inner corners as a brightener.
The liquid liner was my favourite product in this trio, the applicator brush was sturdy yet soft for precision application. It was so easy to get a neat line, I was very impressed. The colour was an electric blue which provided a cute flash of colour and its vibrancy lasted all day. I would definitely take a look at other shades in this range.

For the blush I used the Cool Pink that featured in one of my previous looks and a nude lipstick.

Look 7 

The Nail Polish 

So there it is, the final look. I hope you have enjoyed this series of posts.

*PR Samples

#MyNo7Feeling Look 6 - Seven days Of Makeup

Today Hurricane Bertha was due to hit the UK in some shape or form. Torrential rain and high winds were predicted and so it only seemed right to choose the following trio for Look 6.

Makeup For Look 6

Boots No7 Extreme Length Mascara in Black 
Boots No7 Stay Perfect Nail Colour in Blackcurrant 
Boots No7 Stay Perfect Eyeshadow Quad in Purple Haze

Ooh these purples shades are really quite juicy, the blackcurrant nail polish is wonderfully dark and rich and only required 2 coats for full opacity. Purple Haze eyeshadow quad has 3 purple shades as well as a gorgeous grey and the mascara lengthens and separates, no smudging or flaking.

Purples and greys also really make my green eyes stand out so I know I will be getting a lot of use of this quad. Very pretty and the nail polish will take me right into Autumn and Winter. Love, love, love the Look 6 collection.

To complete the look I used the Spice blusher from earlier this week to bring warmth to my cheeks and paired it with a peachy nude on my lips.

Look 6 

Face

Blackcurrant Nails

*PR Samples

#MyNo7Feeling Look 5 - Seven Days of Makeup

Day 5 of the Boots #MyNo7Feeling challenge and today it is full on glamour with a red lipstick. I call this Siren Saturday...

Now I already have the red lipstick that was included in this trio of items so I was quite comfortable wearing it, however I wore it all day and normally I would just wear a red lipstick for an evening out.

Makeup for Look 5

Boots No7 Stay Perfect Lipstick in Love Red £9.75
Boots No7 Stay Perfect Nail Colour in Devils Delight £6
Boots No7 Natural Blush Tint Powder in Cool Pink £8

Look 5

I kept the look very simple as the red packs a powerful punch and is a real statement shade. I just applied foundation, a touch of the cool pink blush, mascara and a creamy liner on my waterline to widen my eyes.

I loved this look. Love Red is such a beautiful red shade that really does brighten and open up my face and surprisingly once I hit the shops I felt confident and I found people really responded to it. Will I wear it during the day again? Definitely!

So there it is Look 5, a classic red lip, I didn't apply the nail polish as I ran out of time before I went out but I will be posting it as a nails of the day very soon.

*PR Samples

#MyNo7Feeling Look 4 - Seven Days Of Makeup

Day 4 of the Boots No7 #MyNo7Feeling challenge and today we move into the Berry shades which I am right at home with, they really bring out my green eyes.

I already have the lip crayon from this trio and needless to say I adore it. If you haven't tried the lip crayons from No7, I strongly recommend them.

Look 4

This look consists of the following items

No7 High Shine Lip Crayon in Berry £9
No7  Natural Blush Tint Powder in Spice £8
No7 Stay Perfect Nail Colour in Temptress £6

The blusher is really fine and soft and a really gorgeous warm yet natural shade. I found it really light but buildable and I may have been tempted to apply a bit stronger but that is just because I like really defined cheeks :)

The disappointment for me was the nail polish, I found it watery, streaky and uneven which made it hard to apply. I had to apply 3 coats to get that rich colour that the bottle promises. It is a shame as the pink I tried earlier in the week from the same range was fantastic.

Anyway here is the finished Look 4

*PR Samples

#MyNo7Feeling Look 3 - Seven Days Of Makeup

Day 3 of the Boots No7 #MyNo7Feeling challenge. I am getting used to the idea that my make up is set out for me! Although the products have been grouped, it has been left to me to decide which group to use on which day.

Look 3

So we have the following three items

No7 High Shine Lip Crayon in Statement £9

No7 Stay Perfect Shade And Define in Glistening Ray £8

No7 Lash Impact Mascara in Black £13.50

As soon as I saw the shade of the lip crayon I knew I was going to love this look. I have the High Shine Lip Crayon in Daydreamer which I adore. These are a great dupe for the Clinique Chubby Sticks and much cheaper!

I applied Glistening Ray which is a creamy shimmery shade on the whole of my eyelid and on my bottom lash line (not on the waterline) this brightened up the eye area. For definition I applied a little black eyeliner for definition and completed the look with the Lash Impact Mascara which gives volumous lashes. 

I always maintain that the right lipstick for you is one that makes your eyes stand out which Statement really does. 

Take a look at the finished look 

*PR Samples

#MyNo7Feeling Look 2 - Seven Days Of Makeup

On Wednesdays, we wear pink..so say The Mean Girls. Naturally I opted for the pink grouping for today's look. I don't tend to gravitate to pinks, I tend to prefer corals or raspberries for more of a colour punch but when I do wear pink I don't mind it at all. On the other hand, pink on my nails especially in the Summer is glorious.

Look 2 

Today's look comprised of

No7 Pop & Glow Cream Blush Stick in Rose Blossom £9.95 

No7 Sheer Temptation Lipstick in Pretty Please £9.75

No7 Gel-Look Shine Nail Colour in Holiday £7

I already have the Pop & Glow Cream Blush, it is great for Summer as you don't get a powdery finish and it blendable and buildable. The lipstick is pink and glossy, a little sheer. The whole look was very natural, very sheer so I wore nothing on my eye apart from mascara. 

The nail polish is a lovely formula with a great wide brush for easy application. I needed two coats to achieve opacity and the colour comes out brighter than it looks in the bottle. 

Here is the finished look

What do you think?