Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Illuminating Powder Gelee Review

If there is one product that I think is a Summer essential, it's the highlighter and if you only buy one this Summer, make it the Illuminating Powder Gelee from the limited edition Bronze Goddess collection from Estée Lauder ...

Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Illuminating Powder Gelee in Heatwave

Estée Lauder says 

Turn up the heat. Give yourself a heavenly glow with this super-luxurious bronzer. This seductive all-over bronzer is endless summer. Smooths on as a soft sheen. Builds to a luminous pearl highlight. 

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Illuminating Powder Gelee in Heatwave

My thoughts 

The second I applied this highlighter to my skin, I was smitten. It has a beautifully soft formula that literally glides over the skin, applying evenly and lighting up the skin with a wonderful, lit from within appearance. Providing that all important healthy glow this warm toned bronzer screams Summer. This is one makeup item that I am using every day. An utterly gorgeous must have. 

Wearing EL Bronze Goddess Illuminating Powder Gelee in Heatwave

A mega 10/10 

Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Illuminating Powder Gelee costs £38

*Gifted by Boots Lakeside 

Holiday Makeup By Day With SEVENTEEN

I recently spent a fabulous week holidaying in Ibiza, the week consisted mainly of lounging by the pool, the waterpark and a few brilliant day trips out and of course visits to the beach. I know it is known as the party capital of the world but seriously there is so much more to Ibiza than just the club scene. If you haven't been I highly recommend making a visit.

As a beauty lover I do tend to travel heavy when it comes to make up despite trying very hard to narrow down some faves, I just like to have options!  This time however, I was sent a few bits by the lovely team at SEVENTEEN to try, so I pretty much pushed aside/emptied out my usual faves and those tried and tested to take a leap of faith in these products....

During the day by the pool I like to keep things simple (I have a son aged 7 and we spend A LOT of time in the pool!) so I just went with my really high sun protection, a light coverage of the SEVENTEEN CC Cream which has SPF25 to just even out my skintone and hide those pesky blemishes.. I must say this CC Cream is a fantastic product, a little went a long way and it was the perfect shade for me (medium) but more on this in my next post - Holiday Makeup For Evening. 

I also opted for some highlighting magic from the SEVENTEEN Skin Wow Primer, this gave a beautiful dewy and super healthy appearance to my skin. Described as a 3 way HIGHLIGHTER GLOW & PRIMER, I used it all three ways and loved the way it lit up my skin, blended well so that its cool tone looked completely natural and just gave a wonderful glow and all round pick me up.

The biggest leap of faith by far was the SEVENTEEN Waterproof Mascara which promised the following - Both waterproof and smudge resistant this non clogging mascara lengthens lashes and lasts all day. As I mentioned, I spent a lot of time in the pool and we also had an adjacent water park that featured a HUGE bucket that tips its entire contents of water on to you if you stand under it. My son thought this was hilarious and made me stand directly under it, the cheeky thing!

So was the waterproof mascara up for the water challenge? I can confidently give this a massive thumbs up and resounding yes. It passed the water test with flying colours. Only the teeniest tiniest of smudging and no panda eyes in sight. I wore this mascara all day everyday. As a waterproof mascara this gave great definition and length to my lashes, was light and the formula wasn't thick or gloopy.

SEVENTEEN CC Cream £ 6.99
SEVENTEEN Waterproof Mascara £4.69
SEVENTEEN Skin Wow Primer £5.99

*Sponsored post 

Kiko Modern Tribes Collection - Review

Yet another gorgeous range from Kiko Cosmetics to show you today, in my eyes they can do no wrong - Kiko Modern Tribes Collection - This collection is sun kissed, glowy with a pretty pop of colour...

What I adore about the bits that I was sent was just how wearable and Summer lovely they are. Wooden cases with gold decoration reaffirming its tribal foundations. This is Urban Modern Tribal at its finest.

I was sent -

Tri-Bal Baked Blush in Mysterious Earth £14.90

A perfect all-in-one product to bronze, blush and highlight with, this is definitely one of my top picks from the collection.

Graphic Ritual Kajal Eyeliner £5.90

These eyeliners are soft and creamy to apply and are suitable for the inner and outer eye, making them perfect for tightlining if that is your thing. 

I was sent two shades - Talisman Gold which a stunning gold and a deep and rich earthy dark blue in the shade of Masai Blue. 

Once applied these do not budge. 

Finally another multi use product - Free Spirit Lips & Cheeks £8.90 

As the name suggests these creamy chunky pencils are suitable for use on your lips and cheeks. They are described as giving a radiant matte finish. I was sent Hearty Peach which I love, love, love! and a pretty in pink Unique Camellia. Both items are fully pigmented so you only need to apply once to get the full punch of colour. Personally I prefer the pink just on my lips as it is a bit too deeply pink as a blush on my skin. Hearty Peach gives a subtle peachy glow to the cheeks which I like but personally I think I would keep both matte shades for my lips only...

The price also includes a sharpener for your chunky pencil.

Swatches of the Kiko Modern Tribes Collection 

*PR Samples

Which Benefit Highlighter Is For You?

Benefit certainly know the benefit of highlighting the face as they have no less than five highlighters for sale. As I have four of them here I thought it would be useful to do a comparison and let you see what they look like alongside each other.

Now readers of BeautySwot.com will know that I pretty much use like to use highlighters every day. I adore the radiance that it brings to my skin and now I have seen what it can do.. I don't want to live without it.

Benefit Highlighters Swatched - From L-R - Highbeam, Sunbeam, Watt's Up and Girl Meets Pearl.

Highbeam is a Benefit best seller - this liquid highlighter is described as a luminescent complexion enhancer it can be used to spot highlight or added all over for a radiant glow.

Benefit say 
Our satiny pink liquid highlighter accents cheek & brow bones for a radiant glow. Use as a spot highlighter or delicately blend all over your complexion. Looks perfectly radiant on all skintones. It's the "supermodel in a bottle"!

My thoughts 

This is a cool toned, icy highlighter that personally I would save for the evening as during the day it can look a bit unnatural. Evening time is when anything goes!

Sunbeam - This is a golden bronze toned liquid complexion highlighter. 

Benefit say

This golden bronze highlighter gives you a natural, sunkissed radiance. Dot & blend over makeup on to cheek & brow bones for a bronzed glow that complements all skintones. It’s liquid sunshine in a bottle!

My thoughts 

I think this is best used in the Summer and Autumn months when skin is naturally sunkissed, Sunbeam complements and enhances the skin with a beautiful golden, natural looking glow. I love the warmth of this shade and for me it is a summer staple. 

Watt's Up! - Described as a soft focus highlighter for face. 

Benefit say

Our soft focus highlighter turns on “watt” ya got with a delicate champagne glow that’s gorgeous. With a cream-to-powder finish...it’s a switch on “wow” for all complexions. You’ll adore the smooth applicator & luminous sheen.

My thoughts 

I love this cream to powder finish stick highlighter. It is easy to apply and work with and it blends beautifully for a really natural year round glow. Liquid highlighters I find can remove powder blushers or powder foundations but this doesn't happen with the creamy Watt's Up. The champagne shade is gorgeous for all tones as well. My favourite for every day use. 

Girl Meets Pearl - Liquid pearl for face. 

Benefit say

This soft golden-pink liquid pearl glides on for a breathtakingly luminous complexion. Twist up & pat on over makeup or wear alone for a dewy luxurious lit-from-within glow. It's pure pearly pleasure!

My thoughts 

Girl Meets Pearl is a liquid highlighter that sits between High Beam and Sunbeam and actually is very similar to Watt's Up in shade. It provides a subtle natural radiance to the skin. 

Which is your favourite?

Contour - How To Create Killer Cheekbones

I don't have stand out cheekbones but with a bit of makeup magic and clever contouring I can create and fake those to die for cheekbones that I so desire.

How to create and cheat your way to Killer Cheekbones in 3 easy steps - 

Contour
Blush
Highlight

Step 1 - Use a matte contour blush in a shade one or two darker than your natural colour - Suck in your cheeks and follow the hollow under the bone to apply the blush - I love Smashbox Blush Silhouette in Rush.

Step 2 - Apply your blusher as normal, I take mine up to the hairline - One of my all time faves is NewCID Cosmetics i-glow in Coral Crush.

Step 3 - Apply a highlighter to the tops of your cheekbones for added definition and contrast - I absolutely love the Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc that comes with 4 highlighting shades.

The picture above is quite dramatic but you can still recreate killer cheekbones in a more subtle way - as seen in this picture where I am wearing a red lipstick

The blusher I used for this look was a matte neutral which is the the perfect shade for wearing with red lipstick but also works equally with a barely there nude/warm beauty look.

Cargo Blusher in shade Tonga

Inside The August Glossybox 2014 - Glossybox is 3!

It is hard to believe that globally Glossybox has turned 3, the concept of having beauty products delivered to your door monthly is hugely popular and it seems, certainly for now, that this enthusiasm shows no sign of abating.

I get very excited when my postman knocks with this monthly box and this month it was no different.. The outer carton this month was black and glossy with a pink bow as shown in the pics above. The actual box has had a little redesign and is not glossy and more box shaped. As ever the items were wrapped up with a bow, this time it was a smart black colour. Very pretty.

However, what is really important is the contents and this month, I personally was not disappointed. Every single item will be used.

A closer look at the contents

So the highlight for me is the Kryolan for Glossybox Highlighter in Cashmere FULL SIZE £12.95

Readers of BeautySwot.com will know I pretty much wear a highlighter every day so I cannot wait to wear this one. No glitter, just a beautiful natural shade cream highlighter for a velvety gleam.

Comfort Zone Essentials Cleansing Milk FULL SIZE 250ml £20

I have just finished my cleanser and although I have a few others to work through I don't have a cleansing milk so will be interested in giving this a go and discovering a new brand at the same time.

Figs & Rouge Mini Hand Cream 20ml (full size 80ml £6.95)

I can always do with a new hand cream and this one from Figs & Rouge is a fruity affair, now I am not a major fruit scent fan but this Mango and Mandarin one isn't bad at all, not overpowering and quite refreshing. The 20ml size is ideal to pop in my handbag.

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer 40ml (full size 250ml £38)

I was pretty sure that this has already appeared in a previous Glossybox so I checked back to find that yes my memory was correct, this appeared in November 2011. OK it was ages ago but it seems I hadn't forgotten ;-) Philip Kingsley is also celebrating this year, 40 years of Elasticizer so the tie in is rather nice.

Anyway, my hair is in need of a good condition so this will be used up..just need to find a spare 20mins!

Lalique L'Amour EDP 2ml (full size 50ml £67)

Now I know that perfume samples of this size are not always appreciated but this is a really gorgeous scent and it does come with a hefty price tag...so in this case I think it was worth popping in the box. L'Amour is a truly sensational soft floral perfume with a hint of tea about it with the inclusion of Bergamot. It also features top notes of rosebuds, floral white heart notes and a musk base. Addictive.

Finally, a little birthday bonus

Yves Rocher Pink Nail Polish 3ml FULL SIZE £3.60

This dinky bottle contains a pretty creamy pink shade called Rose, it is very similar to a tea rose lipstick shade. I love it as a nudey easy to wear shade, you can see me wearing it in the top pic. I needed two coats to achieve opacity and smooth application. The brush is tiny but on my small nails it was ideal.

Final thoughts

This month my box was really rather good, excellent value with 3 full sized products and ALL the products will be used.

The August Birthday GLOSSYBOX is £10 (+P&P) and will be available throughout August 2014 from www.glossybox.co.uk while stocks last.

*PR Sample

#MyNo7Feeling Look 1 - Seven Days Of Makeup

I am taking part in the Boots No7 #MyNo7Feeling challenge where for the next seven days I am going to try out seven different looks from Boots No7 Makeup Range and share them with you.

I am looking forward to experimenting and pushing myself out of my self imposed comfort zone. I have been given free reign as to which look to wear when so I am easing myself in slowly with this first look that is totally up my street! A golden bronze summer face with a coral/orange lip. I adore this look!

This look is inspired by these 3 items

Stay Perfect Mascara £12.95 I happen to love this mascara so was delighted that this was included in this little bundle. A great long lasting, good definition mascara that doesn't budge until you just wash it away with water.

Instant Radiance Bronzing Highlighter £9.95 - I use a highlighter in some form pretty much every day so I was in my element when this was included, this is really easy to use with its crayon style applicator and creamy texture. Just apply and blend on the cheek bone for a gorgeous golden glow. Can also my used across the bridge of your nose and cupid bow.

BB Beauty Lips SPF15 in Geranium £9 The BB Lips provide three benefits - Soothing nourishment, beautiful colour and UV protection. Geranium is that perfect Summer shade, a bright and happy mood enhancing shade. The formula is non sticky, feels good on the lips actually, not at all drying either. I think it is brilliant that it has SPF15 as well. Good price and good creamy but sheer colour pay off. I would look at other shades in this range.

So here is the finished look 

What do you think?

*PR Samples

Beauty Look - How to do Sultry

I love playing with and trying out make up and of course creating different beauty looks. I love seeing just how different my face can look with the help of a few colours and tricks!

The look above is one that I particularly adore - A bit sultry, a bit sex kitten. This is a look where the focus is predominantly on the Kohl eyes but the rest of the makeup has to be soft but sculpted for real impact. I think this is great date night make up.

The products I used 

Foundation - Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Foundation in Champagne 
Bronzer - Little Mix by Collection Bronze It Jesy Bronzer
Contour Blush - Smashbox Blush Silhouette in Rush - Create fabulous cheek bones
Blusher - Cargo Cosmetics Blush in Tonga - A neutral blush
Highlighter - Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc Pink Tourmaline - I love this shimmer bloc as a radiance enhancer.
Lip Gloss - Beautiful Movements Cosmetics Nude Lip Gloss - The perfect peachy pink nude gloss allowing the eyes to shine.
Mascara - Benefit They're Real Mascara
Eyeliner - Maybelline New York Master Kajal Kohl Liner in Pitch Black - For added interest I have drawn two flicks coming out at the corner of my eyes.

Instant Radiance With Too Faced Sweetheart Beads Radiant Glow Face Powder

I do love glowing, radiant skin and although I do have a strict beauty routine that I rarely skip on there are of course times when my skin can do with a quick fix/boost of radiance. The fastest way to cheat your way to radiant skin that positively glows is with a highlighting product. I have many liquids, sticks and powders exactly for this purpose and I tend to use them mostly on my cheekbones...

However, right now I am absolutely loving this pretty heart beads from Too Faced. Too Faced Sweetheart Beads Radiant Glow Face Powder is a pretty, vintage style tin that looks like it should contain sweeties.. what it does contain however is cute radiance imparting hearts of varying shades of pinks, golds, bronzes and browns.

Too Faced say

- Blendable multi-coloured heart pearls for a natural glow
- Can be used for buildable colour or a hint of shimmer
- To illuminate and brighten the skin

My thoughts

Swirling your brush around in the pot, you can apply all over the face for the most beautiful subtle sheen of radiance, or just apply as you would as a highlighter. It is completely buildable for more depth and warmth if required. I personally love the pretty gleam it provides, my face looks fantastically healthy and glowing without leaving an oily or greasy appearance.

Illuminate, brighten, shimmer and glow. The Radiant Glow Face Powder does it all.

Very, very nice product.

Too Faced Sweetheart Beads Radiant Glow Face Powder £26

*PR Sample

Bronze & Glow - Benefit Hoola & Sunbeam

Ah Summer you have well and truly arrived in Style!

To help me with that all important 'Summer glow 'I have been rotating between using 3 of my favourite bronzers and applying a highlighter as I do love the radiance that it provides across my cheek bones and how it lights up my face when the sun hits it.

A recent discovery of my mine is Benefit's Hoola Bronzer - This is a fabulous matte powder bronzer that is exceptionally smooth and silky to apply. It is easy to blend, looks natural and is buildable depending on how brown/sunkissed you want to appear and gives a lovely warmth to the skin that is ideal in Summer.

Swatch of Hoola 

I have reviewed Sunbeam before but needless to say I am using this as it has a wonderful golden/bronze tinge to it that just complements bronzers so well for that authentic golden glow.

Benefit Hoola Bronzer £23.50

Benefit Sunbeam Highlighter £19.50 

Bright & Glowy - Make Up For Summer

The sun's out (at last) and this is one of my favourite looks for daytime. Coral blush awakens the face and is super flattering and bright coral lipstick intensifies and enhances the whites of the eyes. I wear it with a light brightening base ( GINVERA BB Cream is excellent - coverage vs lightness is the best I have tried) and add a cream based highlighter for extra glow. Pair with a bronzer and lashings of jet black mascara and you are set for Summer.

Swatches

L-R

Pur Minerals Beach Bum Gloss Stick - Super glossy hint of colour that works with your own lip colour, bright coral but wearable. I wear this in the mornings for the school run as it is less punchy than a full on lipstick.

Sleek True Colour Lipstick in Coral Reef - This fluoro bright lipstick with a sheen finish is packed with colour, one swipe and you get gorgeously creamy rich, even coverage. Coral Reef is not a colour you would wear if you want to hide away, it is so bright and punchy, instantly awakening the face. I love it. Shades optional.

Liz Earle Healthy Glow Powder Blush in Nectar - Words cannot express how much I love this blusher, unfortunately I dropped it the day I received it so the packaging broke but it's what's inside that really counts.  Nectar is described as a rose pink but I think there is definitely a hint of orange in it. I finger swatched it so you can see just how bright and stunning this is. So complementary to my skin tone, Nectar brightens my cheeks effortlessly with a pop of colour and provides a healthy glow. The formula is sheer but buildable so it looks really natural on the skin and not powdery in the slightest. If you haven't tried the Liz Earle blushes I can highly recommend them.

Benefit Watt's Up Soft Focus Highlighter -  One of my all time faves, this is a champagne toned highlighter that is in stick formula, just glide across the top of the cheekbones and blend. Simple but effective natural looking radiance.

Kiko Sun Bronzing Blush in 101 Crystal Rose

Another gorgeous item from the Kiko Make Up Milano Limited Edition Fierce Spirit Collection. This time it is the Sun Bronzing Blush.

Coming in 4 shades I was sent 101 Crystal Rose 

Kiko say

Blush that combines three shades in a single product for a custom made look. Use the three shades separately or mix them up to sculpt your face and outline facial features with a radiant finish. Silky touch and long-lasting performance. Hypoallergenic formula and paraben free.

Swatches of all 3 shades 

Daylight

Flash

My thoughts 

This is such a pretty blush. It is cased in a sturdy gold compact and comes complete with a mirror. The three shades can be used alone or blended making it a great versatile, mulit-functional product. The brown is a warm matte brown and good as a bronzer and also for contouring. The main blush shade is a delightful raspberry colour and the highlighting shade is a frosted pale pink.

Texture wise this is soft and creamy and blends beautifully on the skin.

I cannot fault this blush at all. I think it is great value.

Kiko Sun Blushing Bronze in 101 Crystal Rose costs £13.90 and is available online from Kiko or from Kiko stores.

*PR Sample

New CID Cosmetics i-glow, i-shadow and i-shine reviewed

I was recently sent some pieces from make up brand New CID cosmetics, I have already written about how much I love their i-glosses and the pot of eye shadows from The Bodyguard Collection.

i-shine in Kir Royal £12.50

Described as a super shiny gloss, I must admit I much prefer my glosses to be applied on a wand applicator. I found this to be too gloopy and messy to apply with just my finger and if I am carrying this around I would need a separate brush. That said it is is pretty pink shade, it smells of yummy coconut and it is glossy.

Swatches of Kir Royal

Daylight

With flash

i-glow in Coral Crush £24

Daylight

With flash

I liken this to an ice cream swirl, so pretty in the case. Pinks, coral and swirls of gold shimmer. i-glow baked powder gives a gorgeous glow to the cheeks when applied and there is no need for a separate highlighter. It is quite light so the swatches below are quite heavy so you could see the colour (as I was having a hard time capturing its prettiness with my camera!)

Swatches of Coral Crush 

Daylight

With flash

i-shadow in Florence £22

I absolutely love this eye shadow quad and have been wearing it most days - 4 shades that are so wearable.
one matte shade, 2 shimmers and a highlighting colour. Perfect. Texture wise they are smooth and creamy, making them very blendable and they last all day.

The casing is slim and smart too. My only niggle is the applicators included. The handle is too small (even for my fingers) and I end up getting eye shadow all over my fingers. I prefer to use my own applicators that are not double ended.

Swatches 

With flash

Daylight

The matte brown makes a lovely base colour or worn alone it really brings out the green in my eyes. The light brown/bronze shimmer is so pretty and the dark brown with shimmer is fab for depth and lining the eyes for definition. Florence is a gorgeous quad palette.

Coming soon - my review of i-prime - Foundation primer.

For more info visit www.newcidcosmetics.com

*PR Samples

Embracing The Frostiness - Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc Pink Tourmaline

Another highlighter you may say.. I say a girl can never have enough, each of the ones I possess are a little bit different from the others..just so you know!

Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc Pink Tourmaline Mosaic is just perfect to create a gorgeous icy glow to skin. To achieve a cool tone to my skin I concentrate on swirling my brush against the white and pink and for an altogether warmer glow I swirl it across the whole Shimmer Bloc. Radiant, bright and illuminating this is one of my favourites. Embracing the inner ice maiden, I have been reaching for this a lot over the winter period.

The baked powder formula is incredibly smooth and silky making it easy to blend.

Natural Light

With Flash

Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc Mosaic £31

Do you have a favourite highlighter?