Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation: The Review

Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation £33

I have never been one to get whirled away with the next best thing but after hearing about this new foundation I couldn't wait to try it out. I have never owned or tried any of Laura Merciers products before but have always heard such great things about them. The brand has such a loyal following that I just couldn't wait to get a slice of the action.

Laura Mercier silk Creme Foundation is a full coverage high end foundation and it is one of my absoloute favourites. This foundation seems to tick every box, its perfect. Despite the foundation being quite expensive it is so highly pigmented that a little goes a long way. I use a pea sized amount and buff the foundation in with my Real Techniques buffing brush. This leaves my skin looking flawless as the foundation is so good at covering redness, blemishes and scarring without making the skin look cakey. The foundation leaves a silky matte finish with a healthy glow (not dewy).

As well as leaving a gorgeous finish on the skin this foundation also lasts a long long time. My T zone tends to get quite oily but this foundation stays all day without me even needing to set it with powder.

Overall I would say this is my new absolute favourite foundation of all time (very big statement). It is perfect in every single way and I would recommend it to anyone whos looking to get the ultimate perfect complexion.

Have you ever tried this foundation or any of Laura Merciers other products? What do you think?

Love
The Fashion Doc.

#manicmondaymusicmadness week four.

I heard this song last week and it has been stuck on repeat ever since. Since sticking it on my ipod I have been none stop dancing and its been my favourite song to listen to when I'm on the treadmill. It's so addictive and I can see this song being massive in a few weeks time. This song is a collaboration between Just Blaze and Baauer, two very different artists with two very different sounds. Just Blaze is an american producer signed to Jay Zs label and has produced songs for both Jay Z and Eminem. Baauer is an american house producer/DJ who has made massive tracks such as Harlem Shake and Dum Dum (I would definitely recommend checking these out). The mix of these two genres has given rise to the perfect blend of music and they have created a massive tune. I hope you likey.

Benefit CORALista: The Review

Benefit CORALista: £23.50 from Boots

Another gem of a product created by one of my favourite beauty brands Benefit. I have always been a lover of Benefit ever since discovering their holy grail bronzer Hooler (review coming soon) and I honestly didn't think they could produce a product which I love as much as their bronzer. But I think they may have just gone and done that. Now, I still love my trusty Hooler bronzer but I may of found a fun new mistress which I just can't get enough of.

When it comes to the packaging of course Benefit didn't disappoint. The blusher comes in a fun pink leopard print container, something which you would find on a stall at a Rio de Janerio carnival. It's super cute and lightweight and also has a magnetic closure to ensure it won't get cracked and go everywhere in your handbag. Also, once you open the box there is a mirror and a brush which are perfect for touch ups when your on the move.

The blusher contains 8 grams of product which does make it a bit pricey but taking into account that it is very pigmented and therefore you don't need to use alot of product it is definately worth it. The blusher is a gorgeous pink corally colour and looks beautiful on the skin. The blusher glides on nicely and lasts for a good number of hours before reapplication is needed. It leaves a lovely glow to the apples of my cheeks which gives my face more dimension. Overall, I am a massive fan of this blusher but considering that it is quite expensive I am sure there are some dupes out there if you are looking to spend less money.

Have you tried the Benefit CORALista? What did you think?

#manicmondaymusicmadness week three.

I'm always on the hunt for fresh and exciting new music and there's nothing I like more than finding that new track and thinking how did I ever live without it. Even though I love finding new artists, songs and exploring new genres of music it is easy to forget about the amazing music which I have discovered weeks, months or even years before. It is because of this that this post is a bit of a blast from the musical past. I dug around in my itunes collection and rediscovered this gem. I discovered Santigold a few years ago and was lucky to see her perform at last years Reading Festival. She was amazing and the performance was beautiful and full of energy. This song is my favorite from their first album I hope you enjoy it.

Whats your #manicmondaymusicmadness blast from the past track?

Love
The Fashion Doc.

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation: The Review

I may have been a bit naughty. Me and one of my house mates ventured into central London to do a spot of shopping (January student loan hello there). I wasn't planning on spending too much and just planned to take a dress back to Miss Selfridge but of course this didn't happen. After pushing our way through the madness of Oxford Street we found ourselves in the Selfridges beauty hall. Now, I must admit I love Selfridges particularly their beauty hall. It's an Aladdins cave for beauty lovers. We mooched around Mac and Illamasqua and then I spotted it. Nars. I'm a sucker for trying out new foundations and I knew I couldn't live any longer if I didn't purchase a certain product. I ran over and knew straight away that the student loan was in for a hammering.

The Nars Sheer Glow Foundation is a high end medium coverage foundation. It is buildable and leaves the skin looking flawless and glowing. I have normal to combination skin and I have fallen in love with the way it makes my skin look. I love a dewy look foundation as I think it makes your skin look so healthy and glowing. This foundation gives a gorgeous dewy finish without making my face look sweaty even at the end of a long day. It also gives the right amount of coverage and doesn't leave the skin looking cakey.  The foundation also comes in a large range of colours so it is perfect for everyone (I got it in shade Fiji). This foundation is rather expensive but I do think it is worth investing in what you put on your skin and I do find that you get what you pay for with foundations. Overall I think that this is a fantastic foundation for people who want a medium coverage foundation which leaves a dewy finish. I dont know how this foundation would look on an oily skin type but it is perfect for either normal, combination or dry skins. I have tried various foundations in the past and I can honestly say that this is my favourite one yet.

Have you ever tried the Nars Sheer Foundation or any Nars products?

Love
The Fashion Doc.  

#manicmondaymusicmadness week two.

So...this post is late. Again. I apologize! Life and a little thing called disorganization got in the way! One of my best friends from home came to visit me last weekend and knowing us we had an interesting night which (as always) got a bit too crazy!! We went to Fabric and then went to Cable which are clubs in London. We ended up leaving Cable at twelve in the afternoon, which I must admit was quite an odd experience partying for thirteen hours but one I would probably repeat.

So onto the music. This is a song which I have absolutely loved for the past few months. I started getting into house music in 2012 and now it is one of my favorite genres. So this song is just a cheeky slice of what house music has to offer. If your not a fan, spit it out. If your intrigued, grab it with both hands and get right involved...there is a lot of house to be discovered out there.

Lady Gaga Fame: The Review

This Christmas I was a very lucky girl and was quite spoilt by my lovely boyfriend. When I opened a certain little package and found a perfume bottle inside I got awfully excited. It wasn’t any old perfume he had bought me it was Lady Gagas new perfume Fame. I haven’t always been a massive fan of celebrity perfumes but I had heard great things about this one so I couldn’t wait to rip the box open and have a good look.

The bottle is quite different to any other I have seen and is eye catching and bold. The perfume bottle is rounded with a beautiful gold claw on top. The biggest thing which drew me to this perfume is not the bottle but the colour of the liquid inside. Fame is the first of its kind, the perfume is actually a black liquid which turns clear once airborne and I was definitely drawn to this unique selling point.

I found the scent of the perfume quite surprising. With Gaga being such an individual and the bottle and fluid being so different to anything else I have seen, I was expecting big things! On first impressions I was slightly underwhelmed. I was expecting a fierce, powerful musty smell but the perfume is actually quite feminine and floral. Despite being slightly underwhelmed at first I now a love the scent and wear it quite often. The other major part of this perfume which I love is that the smell does stay on your skin for quite a few hours which is always a perk! I would definitely recommend you to have a smell of this next time your near a fragrance counter to see if you think that it is worth the hype.

Have you ever smelt Lady Gaga Fame? What did you think?

Love

The Fashion Doc.

#manicmondaymusicmadness week one.

Welcome to the first of the weekly #manicmondaymusicmadness posts. This is a weekly post where I will share a cheeky little song with you to help you get through the week. I personally am not a fan of mornings. Especially Monday mornings, they are of the devils creation. Its physical and mental torture for me when my alarm goes off at 7:30am. It’s time to get up and face the week…great! Following a weekend of Jagerbombs, pulling shapes on the dance floor and falling asleep at sunrise I’d rather lick my cat than wake up early on a Monday morning. It’s because of this deep dark hatred that I have decided to do these posts. Each Monday morning (hopefully) I will post a song which is fun and upbeat to try and make those Monday mornings a little less dire for you all.

 Just to clarify, I know that this post is a day late but I returned back to university on Sunday so I have been getting back into the swings of things. Also, this song is slightly different as it’s of a more calmer vibe to the ones which I will share in future posts but as I’m just about to get into the bath I didn’t want something too hectic.

So this week’s song is Mikky Ekko-Pull me Down. You may recognise this name as he featured on Rihannas song Stay. Even though I think Stay is such a beautiful song I think there is a lot more to Mikky Ekko and I would definitely recommend you to check him out if you like the song below.

Whats your #manicmondaymusicmadness track to get you through the week? I would love to have a listen!

Love

The Fashion Doc.

Benefit They're Real Mascara: The Review

Benefit They're Real: £18.50 from Boots

It was on a Saturday shopping trip with my sister when I found this beauty. Post nandos and after hours of unsuccessful shopping I walked past the Benefit counter in Boots. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a picture of a 1950s pin up looking overly sultry and linked to a lie detector machine. Interesting. I looked again. This wasn’t a bizarre plastic surgery add, oh no but Benefits new mascara.  They’re Real Mascara. A mascara which makes your lashes so luscious, long and fabulous that they have to state that they are real. Bold statement. Before my mind had enough time to remind me that my student loan was STILL not available to me just yet, I ran over to the counter and bought myself one.   

I’ve always been a big lover of benefit cosmetics since I discovered their hoola bronzer and their older mascara BADgal Lash. I find that you tend to get what you pay for with cosmetics and even though Benefit is more on the pricier side of things their products are of a high quality and I love their fun and vintage looking packaging.

The packaging of the mascara is much different to that of the previous mascara by Benefit. The mascara is in a metallic tube which makes it feel much more luxurious and substantial to most other mascaras which are in plastic tubes. The mascara has a plastic wand similar to that of the Mac Studio Fix mascara. There are small bristles streamlined down the sides of the wand and are splayed into a spherical shape at the end which ensures that the brush grabs even the smallest of eyelashes.

At first, I wasn’t over whelmed by this mascara as it didn’t seem to give my lashes shockingly great volume or curl which it stated it would. However, the more I used it and after a few minor tweaks to my technique I have developed a great love for this mascara. This mascara is amazing! Truly amazing and I am currently using it every day without fail. The mascara brush gives my eyelashes so much separation and definition but also gives the thickness which I crave. The mascara also dries quickly and also lasts for hours without smudging or becoming flaky. The only con with this mascara (if I was to be picky) is that my eyelashes become quite stiff which can make it quite difficult to add more layers of mascara onto the base layer. It can also be a bit hard to remove but this can be overcome with an oil based make up remover.

Overall, this is a very good mascara and is definitely worth the money. It lifts, separates and volumizes my lashes to give me a wide eyed look even after a few hours’ sleep. I would definitely recommend this mascara to people who are looking for a mid-range mascara which lengthens and separates their lashes.

Whats your favourite mascara?

Love

The Fashion Doc.

Raving or Behaving: The Friday edition

I'm currently frantically running around my bedroom getting ready before my friend comes round as we are going to a gig tonight. I am super excited as I do love a good gig. But here are two great songs that I am loving at the moment. The first, a bouncy one to get you in the mood if you are going out and the second a more chilled out song if you are having a night in. So whatever you are doing tonight, whether that is raving or behaving I hope you have a great night!

Tangle Teezer: The honest and frank review

The Tangle Teezer: £10.99 from Boots

An eleven pound hair brush….really? An eleven pound hair brush with a large number of awards and whom is owned by everyone and their mums. Interesting. The tangle teezer came onto my peripheries a few months ago when various bloggers and YouTuber’s began raving about it. With big claims that it delivers ‘rapid, pain-free detangling as well as polishing hair for high shine’ I couldn’t stay away from it for too long to see if this apparent holy grail of hair brushes is truly the Mother Theresa to knots as it claims to be.

The original tangle teezer was created by a London colour technician called Shaun P and with its massive success there are now five other detangling devices that they sell such as the aqua splash and salon elite. I decided to keep it simple and went for the original. I was drawn to the hot pink version and I liked its new take on the hair brush. The tangle teezer fits nicely into the palm of my hand which ensures great control when brushing through my mane. The bristles are quite different to the ones on my usual bog standard barrel brush and they actually remind me of the bristles on brushes which I used to use on my barbies hair. The bristles are thin plastic and are of two heights which are arranged on alternate levels. Despite loving the aesthetics of the brush I was a bit disappointed with how plastic and almost how cheap it feels. I would have much preferred it to feel more substantial considering its price.   So, moving on to the meatier and more important part of this review…how it actually works.

I have thick hair. I don’t mean the usual thick hair. I mean full on tropical rainforest bush hair which despite my wishes loves to get itself into a tangled mess far too much. Because of this the tangle teezer was against it with my hair and probably has easier battles when it comes into contact with finer hair. However despite this I was quite impressed with the tangle teezer. It isn’t completely pain free when I brush my hair but it is a hell of a lot nicer experience than when I use my older brush. The tangle teezer can battle most knots and does leave my hair silky soft without my scalp going through its usual daily torture period. When my hair is feeling kind to me and isn’t very knotty it doesn’t even feel like a brush is going through my hair. However, on bad hair days when my hair likes to get into its usual birds nest style the tangle teezer can ignore some knots which I then have to go through my hair with my old barrel brush to ensure that all the knots are out.

So would I recommend the tangle teezer? Yes I would, especially if you have notoriously knotty thick hair like my own. Brushing my hair used to be a painful daily battle but with the use of the tangle teezer it has turned it into a much more pleasant experience. I wouldn’t be too sure it would be worth parting with your cash if you have finer hair though as I believe that a cheaper normal brush can do just as good of a job.

Have you tried the tangle teezer before? What did you think about it?

Love

The Fashion Doc.