The Lo Down - Paula's Choice Primer and Exfoliant

Hey Guys and Dolls,

I'd never heard of the new brand on the Irish market, Paula's Choice before. I saw their products recently on Cloud 10 Beauty's website and they looked amazing. When I was given the opportunity to try some of their products I definitely said yes as I was intrigued to see what they were like.

I got the chance to try their Resist Smoothing Primer Serum SPF30 and Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant so I'm going to tell you my thoughts. I'll start with the primer and boy is this stuff good I love this product. It's clear and has a gel consistency that when applied to the skin leaves it feeling so silky, perfect for makeup application. This product is fragrance free and not tested on animals so that's good to know. It retails for €32.95 which is one of the more expensive primers I own. I really like it though and I'd definitely recommend it if your looking for a new primer.

The other product is the Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant is another amazing product. It's a liquid exfoliant as the name suggests, I've always loved this idea as it's quick and easy step in your skincare routine. This product is said to reduce redness, unclogs and diminishes enlarged pores and creates a radiant, even skin tone. For me it does exactly that. It's similar to Alpha H Liquid Gold but I think this one is better in my opinion. I definitely want to buy the full size when I'm finished this bottle but I'm sure this will last  a while as you only need to soak a cotton pad with it.

I've been really impressed so far with the brand, Paula's Choice and I'm looking forward to trying more products in the future.

Laura<3

The Lo Down - Flormar Illuminating Makeup Primer

Hey Guys and Dolls,

I like a good primer to prevent my makeup from slipping and sliding throughout the day. I used a couple of primers over the years some good some bad. Recently I've been using the Flormar Illuminating Primer and I'm a big fan.

This stuff costs €9.95 so it fall into the budget brand category so it's pretty affordable which is always good news. I use one pump for my whole face and it sits really well under my makeup plus it smells amazing. As you only need a pump this product will last for ages. Flormar is a hard brand to get a hold of I haven't seen it in too many stores out where I live so I bought this online.

I do really like this primer as it's amazing and so affordable I'd definitely recommend it.

Laura<3

The Lo Down - Rimmel Insta Fix & Go Primer and Setting Spray

Hey Guys and Dolls,

I'm not one to give a bad review as I hate negativity unless I really genuinely don't enjoy a product.I bought the Rimmel Insta Fix & Go Primer and Setting Spray in Boots a couple of weeks ago and I was expecting really good things. I just couldn't get my head around the scent of this product. Don't get me wrong this could have been an amazing product but yeah the smell isn't so good at all. It smells really strongly of cucumber which some people may like but me not so much.

For €10.99 I was left really disappointed from this product. I'm a huge fan of setting sprays and this could of been so much better. It was such a huge let down as I'm usually a really big fan of Rimmel products.

The spray head also isn't the best, it sprays out too much product which can drown your face and ruin your makeup which isn't good. I don't know what I'm going to do with this product as I'm probably not going to use it. I may give it to someone to see do they get on a bit better.

What is your favourite setting spray?

Laura<3

The Lo Down - New Products from Max Factor

Hey Guys and Dolls,

I've used Max Factor products for an age, I think I started using them back in secondary school when I started first. My school wasn't so strict on makeup at all so we could wear it when we wanted except in Home Ec when we were cooking or doing practicals for exams. I opted to use Max Factor Pan Stick which looking back now was actually a bit too dark for me but sure who could tell me anything because I know I wasn't listening one bit. I'm not too sure if you can even get it now anymore but I know it was a firm favourite with my sister.

I'm going to show you some products that have been released recently or in the past year or so. I've been using them a while and so far so good I like them.

Miracle Touch Skin Smoothing Foundation

I've used this foundation before and I was quite the fan. I'm pretty sure they've reformulated it in recent times but it's still just as good. The foundation itself comes in a compact which is so handy to chuck in the bag for on the go, even better for the odd touch up here and there. I feel this product best applies which the sponge that you get with it. I usually just apply a couple of dots to my face and blend it in. This foundation is quite medium coverage and fantastic for everyday. Now the only downside for me is the shade, I was sent the shade natural not too long ago and I'm a bit too fair for it. This shade could work really well when I have a tan over the Summer but in the meantime I'm going to lend it to my Mum as she's alot darker than I am.

Smooth Miracle Primer
To go along with the Miracle Touch Skin Smoothing Foundation we have the primer which I adore. I never apply foundation without a primer as I have oily combination skin which means my foundation tends to move around a bit if it's left to its own devices. One pump of this stuff is definitely enough for my whole face which is amazing as it means the product will last ages. It's quite a light formula which I do like in a primer as I don't particularly like ones that are too heavy on my skin. This primer smooths skin texture which makes for a great foundation application so I'm happy all around with this product. Plus it has a pump which I do prefer to squeezing products out of a tube or sticking my fingers into a tub.

False Lash Epic Mascara
Now the thing that always comes to mind for me when it comes to Max Factor is their mascaras. They really are just fabulous, I've tried quite a few and they do leave my lashes looking amazing which is what you want isn't it? This mascara has quite an unusual brush it's sort of oval shaped and it fans out, at the end it has a little spikey ball which is perfect for picking up those pesky inner corner lashes. In December at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show makeup artist Tom Pecheux used over fifty tubes of this stuff to give the models showstopping lashes which goes to show that this stuff is the best.

Colour Elixir Marilyn Monroe Lipstick
Lastly we have a lipstick that everyone is sure to love. Max Factor released the Marilyn Monroe lipstick collection not too long ago. I remember at the time everyone was going mad for them and I can definitely see why. There is four lipsticks in the collection, three are made to suit different skin tones whilst Marilyn Ruby Red is the iconic red. I think this is such a good idea as some people like me may not be the biggest fan of a red lip but with this collection your sure to find a shade that suits you. I love Marilyn Cabernet, this lipstick is for darker tones but I do believe it suits me to a tee. It's a gorgeous deep red shade which would be great during the day blotted down or at night when it's all vibrant. The other shades in this collection are nice too don't get me wrong, I'm definitely going to try to wear them all more during the Spring and Summer months this year. I love the packaging on these lippies too as there just so sleek and look so pretty in my makeup bag. I definitely think Max Factor did a good job on this one.

I'm really impressed with all these products that I've mentioned. In the picture above I created a look using them all and I have to say I think the look came together really well. I'd definitely wear this look either day or night it's beautiful. Whats even better is that these products can be bought in the drugstore and aren't too pricey either which is always good to see. I'd recommend looking on the Boots website cause you can always see what products are on offer at any given time. If Max Factor is on offer I'd definitely recommend picking up the primer and mascara first, you'll always get use out of these two products that's for sure. All the products above retail for under the €20 euro mark which isn't too bad at all.

Are you a Max Factor fan?

Laura<3

The Lo Down - Gosh Primer Plus Bases

Hey Guys and Dolls,

I hope you enjoyed the first post in my Lo Down series yesterday as you could probably tell I have a soft spot for the Too Faced Sweet Peach palette. Today I'm talking about two primers that have stolen my heart. As I have quite oily/combination skin I do like a good primer to hold my makeup in place so I do like to look out for new ones on the market when I'm out shopping.

As soon as I bought these two beauts I knew I had to feature them on my blog. There such amazing value as supposedly the brand is being pulled from Irish pharmacies. The primers usually cost €14.99/€16.00 and I purchased them at a whopper discount so they both came down to €3.50/€4.00 which is an amazing steal I was beyond thrilled and over the moon.

The Illuminating Skin Perfector and Hydrating Blur Protect Rejuvenating Base are one of the best primers I've tried in a while. My favourite primer out of the two is the Hydrating one. It's a light consistency which is quite moisturising, amazing for under makeup. The other primer is illuminating so it does just what it says on the tin and gives a nice peachy glow. 

As the products are 30ml, they are also travel friendly and fit perfectly into my everyday makeup bag which is full of my favourites which is a plus. 

I've bought two other products in the sale which I will feature at a later date but definitely during this series. With the prices these products are at now you really can't go wrong at all. The pharmacy I bought them from is Lloyd's pharmacy in Leopardstown but I'm sure you would be able to pick them up in other branches throughout the country soo Happy Shopping.

What's your favourite primer? I'd love to hear your recommendations?

Laura<3