Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer

Arguably the most valued item in my everyday makeup bag is the Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer. It also comes with me wherever I go, for those moments when I need to touch up my make-up throughout the day.

It is an excellent and quite high coverage concealer, great for applying over blemishes, evening out my skin tone or topping up worn off foundation on the go. The packaging helps to make this really easy, it comes in a sleek little compact complete with a great sized mirror too. As the texture is quite drying, it isn't too great for concealing the under-eye area, where I prefer to use a lighter, illuminating concealer.

This product is also fantastic to last all year and get you through both the summer and winter months. There are two shades, similar in tone yet there is one darker than the other for those times when you get a little extra colour to help create the perfect custom-made shade. Also helping to make sure that this products lasts throughout the year, is that even with almost everyday use, it takes ages to finish. The high level of pigment means that very little product is needed to achieve perfect coverage, it is super long wearing and it doesn't dry out. In my eyes, this helps to make the high-end price tag of £26 a little more justifiable!!

I always apply this product after my foundation, it is so blend-able and creates a flawless finish. When I use this product at home during my morning make-up routine, I use a brush, blending the product on the back of my hand to warm it up and create the right shade. I then apply lightly onto the needed areas that haven't been covered by my foundation. I then set with my translucent powder and your ready to go! If I find I need a touch up during the day when my make-up begins to look a little tired I warm the product on my hand with my finger and gently apply.

This is something I don't see myself being without any time soon and I would recommend for all skin types and colours!

What's your go-to concealer? Have you tried this one yet?

Ali xx

Dior Hydra Life BB Cream

 Dior Hydra Life BB Cream - £41 from House of Fraser

The battle of the best BB cream seems to be ever debated and ongoing. After waiting for a while to find my perfect one, I eventually discovered the Dior Hydra Life BB cream. Combining the moisturising and sun protection elements of a skin care product with the complexion enhancing powers of a foundation, this one-step BB cream

This one product is suitable for all skin types and colours, as it blends effortlessly into the skin, adapting to your individual colour and tone. If anything, it is a little yellow in tone for me, but if you wait a few minutes after application and apply a little bronzer over the top it creates a very natural finish which is soft and velvety to touch.  As you can see in the final picture, the product has blended into my hand perfectly, adapting perfectly to my skin tone.

The coverage is pretty good, it evens out my skin tone and covers any irregularities. If you have any blemishes, all you will need is a little touch of concealer on the problem areas. I haven't found it necessary to add any powder to the skin, as the colour lasts and improves the skins moisture and hydration without adding any extra shine. One of the best aspects of this product for me, is that whilst giving a surprisingly good coverage, it feels extremely lightweight on the skin.

With an added bonus of SPF 30, I have been using this product as a sun cream whilst out in Spain and it has been so much nicer on my skin. I haven't burnt or suffered from any breakouts and my skin has remained hydrated yet flawless. This also means that this is perfect for holidays and will substantially cut down the amount of products you need to take with you!

The only downside to this product is the price, but I haven't found a high-street equivalent yet that lives up to this! Acting as a primer, moisturiser, foundation and SPF all in one, this all-in-one product is my favourite for summer.

Whats your favourite product for summer? Do you use a BB cream?

Ali xxx

Dior Forever Foundation Review

I am constantly trying out new foundations to find one which I think is perfect for my skin and after trying a sample of the Dior Forever foundation, I fell in love with it and had to buy it!

It is described as 'flawless perfection fusion wear makeup' and I think it lives up to the description. It is a medium coverage foundation, minimizing the look of any blemishes or marks and it evens out my skin tone perfectly whilst making sure my face doesn't look like its caked in foundation. I wear this foundation with Rimmel fix and perfect pro primer and I find that it hardly tires after a long day. Usually, I tend to wear a slightly heavier coverage foundation if I'm going out in the evening but I find this to be great as day or evening wear because whilst it covers any blemishes and gives a great coverage, it still doesn't look too heavy on my skin.

I have this foundation in number 020 (light beige), as my skin is quite fair, and there are 10 other shades to choose from. I find the colour match to be perfect and the foundation blends really easily with my skin. It is so easy to apply, I use a foundation brush and a small amount of this foundation goes a long way! It also feels so soft and natural on my skin and has a nice light fragrance to it. I also have had no skin problems as a result of this foundation which is really important to me!

The packaging is quite expensive looking, coming in a frosted glass bottle with navy lid; however as the price is £29.50, I think this makes it look like a premium product. The pump is also really great and easily controllable - you don't get loads coming out at once!

I wouldn't recommend this if your looking for a light, dewy foundation as this gives quite a semi- matte effect, however, I love the balance between the good coverage and the light natural feel.

Overall, I am so happy with this product and I think I may have finally found my perfect foundation!!

Let me know if you have tried it too!