Chantecaille Just Skin

This is a bit of a long one. (Sorry I'm not sorry ;))

After hearing the world rave about this stuff like it's moon dust, and then proceed to moan about its price, I spend a good while deliberating whether or not to bite the bullet and splash out. And I did. Twice. What the hell is wrong with me.

Anyway. At the end of my last exam, (Employment Law, if you're interested) I headed out to Space NK with one thing on my mind. Chantecaille. (I did actually go in with two products on my radar, the other being the Kevin Aucoin Sensual Skin Tinted balm, but who am I kidding, in my heart I knew I would be leaving with the Chantecaille.) So I arrived, and spent longer than was probably necessary swatching and examining between two shades, Alabaster and Bliss, entering and exiting the shop to get a good idea of the colours. And I settled on the shade Bliss, because I have a strange reluctance to buy the palest shade of a range. Even when it probably matches better. Don't ask. So I wandered to the shop assistant and asked for my chosen shade, only to be told it was out of stock. Now, the reasonable man would have probably considered looking at Kevin Aucoin's offerings, or waiting until the stuff was in stock. But I am not the reasonable man, and I left not only with Alabaster (the palest shade...grrr) instead of my preferred choice, but my name on the waiting list to get my hands on Bliss. Now I don't know about you, but I think that signals alarm bells, that I have a certain...problem. I was about to say, I wish there was a Shopaholics Anonymous, but I just googled it and there is one. Who knew. I'm signing up...I promise...

Anyway. So the actual product. It. Is. Incredible. It's a thick balmy texture that is literally, like blending skin into skin. It's undetectable, it's perfect. It doesn't cover the spots and dark marks perfectly, but its blurs and evens out so that they are so much less noticeable. I have a lot of freckles on my face, and I dislike wearing foundation because it looks so obvious over freckles. I also have a lot of redness in my skin, which again looks very obvious if tried to cover with a meduim/heavy coverage base. So my philosophy is a light, luminous base that blurs without offering much coverage, and then pinpoint conceal my imperfections, eg. spots and scars. This fits that bill perfectly. It's probably as heavy, coverage wise that I would ever want to go, unless I'm going out somewhere where there will be pictures, like a night out or a special occasion. I've been using it most days since I bought it. It has SPF 15 and it's a physical mineral sunscreen for those of you who are interested. This makes it good for daytime wear, but I use a toner with glycolic acid in it daily so I do need to use a higher sunscreen to prevent sun damage. This just looks so damn lovely. It has a slightly radiant finish, not really in the dewy category, but also not in the natural finish. It's between the two. If it were a paint, it would be a satin finish, for all you Dulux fanatics out there. Funny story. A few years ago after a quick browse in B&Q for paint samples to no avail, I found a sales assistant and asked if they had any Durex paint samples. Facepalm. Freudian slip. So embarrassed. And then I had to follow him around with a beetroot face whilst he led me to them, and they were exactly where I had been looking but failed to see them. If I had just opened my damn eyes and looked properly I could have avoided the whole situation. I am scarred haha. Another thing, does anybody else wish that Dulux (careful now.. haha) would do all of their colours in nail polishes? Hmm? Just me?

Wow how did we get on to that? Anyway, I love it. It lasts ok on me. To be honest if I get 6 hours out of a base I think I'm doing well. I only use bases on the centre of my face where I have redness and blemishes, and given that I have an oily t-zone this is the first place for product to break down. I have very well behaved normal skinned cheeks that don't need any coverage (yippee) and where foundation would quite happily sit all day long. But I don't need it there, because like I said, it's very well behaved! It's always happens like that! I just blot and hope for the best. I do powder sometimes because of my cursed oiliness (thanks Mum), which helps longevity but I don't reapply powder in the day as I hate the feeling of blotting, powdering and layer upon layer of grease on my face. Sorry to be so blunt. I think powdering definitely helps it to last longer but also takes away the gorgeous finish that has earned this little baby cult status. Which it totally deserves. Winner!

Emma Hardie Moringa Lift and Sculpt Cleansing Balm review

This stuff is definitely having its moment! I can't watch a YouTube Favourites video or read a beauty blog without this stuff getting a mention. And, if you can't beat them, join them!

This stuff is Caroline Hirons go to cleanser. Cleansing balms are a bit of a weird experience if you haven't tried one before though. It feels very counter intuitive as an combination oily skinned girl to be smearing oil onto my face to clean it, but it does clean really effectively without stripping my skin. I only use this at night, in the morning I use the Ren ClearCalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser or Rosa Centifolia Cleansing Gel.

(Please note I added this picture after writing the post and have now been using the balm for about 4 months now!)

The balm melts into quite a thick oil if you use it straight on your face without any water. I like to take a little amount, (about the size of my little fingernail) and work it into my face, then wipe away with a hot flannel. I keep rinsing my clean and fresh flannel with hot running water and wiping until no more make up comes off. Your cleanser should remove all of your make up. This one does as I generally don't wear that much other than a tinted moisturiser, some concealer and some bronzer. I also have the Exfoliating Rosehip Seeds which came as part of the Professional Cleansing System and these are good for a manual exfoliation. It leaves skin glowing and fresh. I do this every few weeks because to be honest I prefer acids to exfoliate with as they help my unclog pores much better. I don't plan on buying them again, they are ok but I'm not a huge fan of them, I don't find myself reaching for them very often. I don't really have an opinion on the dual sided muslim cloth. Yes it's nice and the microfibre side would probably be lovely for people with really sensitive skin but I like my good old flannels.

I double cleanse every day in the evening as I wear tinted moisturiser and an SPF so the first cleanse removes my makeup and the second one cleanses the skin. If I was wearing foundation all over my face or a particularly heavy coverage product or maybe one with a high SPF, I would use Bioderma Crealine H20 to remove the majority of my make up before I cleansed. This is just because I wouldn't want to get foundation all over my flannel. Then I wait until my face is dry before starting with the Emma Hardie, as I always apply it to a dry face. This balm melts away make up, grease and grime without leaving an oily residue or leave you feeling tight skinned. And it smells AMAZING. I think it smells mainly of orange and neroli - a scent I adore. It smells like a herbal orangey Savlon. I also love the smell of Savlon, it reminds me of my Nan and Grandad as it was their fix-it-all cream for literally anything. You know on My Big Fat Greek Wedding where Tula's Dad Gus uses Windex on everything? That's my N&G with Savlon. I also love the smell of rough, fabric plaster dressing. My childhood summed up in two smells. Grandad also used to heat the plaster up on the gas hob with a blob of Savlon on the non sticky part, because it made it stick better. Just brilliant. Anyway, I like the smell. It is sweet and lovely, I really enjoy using it. 

I can see the tub is going to last me a while yet, I've had it about 3 months and have made a bit of a dent in it, but I will definitely be buying it again it when I do finish it. I barely touch any of my other cleansers now that I have this as it's just so lovely to use. I might try and use up my other balm cleansers in between as it would be a shame to waste them but this is definitely my favourite of the three! I bought mine from BeautyBay for around £28 as part of the Professional Cleansing System. It isn't listed on the website any more as I guess it's out of stock but it will be back up soon I should imagine so keep your eye on it. Failing that it's available at SpaceNK here for the RRP £42.

EDIT 10/06/2013. I have started to use my Clinique Take the Day Off balm as my first cleanse and the Emma Hardie as my second as I am loving using this stuff and don't want to run out of it as quickly. I'm rationing it out haha!

Revlon Photoready Cream Blushes Review

 Pinched, Flushed and Coral Reef.

 Pinched

 Flushed

 Coral Reef

These blushes feel very silicone heavy, and as dimethicone is the first ingredient listed this is no surprise. The shade Pinched reminded me of Nars Penny Lane a little bit, but as you can see from the pictures it is a really sheer peach colour with a little shimmer. This will be a stunner in the summertime with a tan for a subtle, healthy glow. This does take a bit of building up to get a dramatic effect but I think this looks really undone and effortless when applied lightly for a natural effect. Flushed is the total opposite, and is a gorgeous bright fuchsia pink which packs a punch with a lot of pigment. Applied with a light hand to the apples of my cheeks it really brightens up my complexion and makes me look like I've just been outside. It really helps to perk my face up. I have a lot of natural redness in my cheeks and this helps me to concentrate it in the right areas without looking overdone. Coral Reef is a beautiful orange coral, and like Flushed is very pigmented so only a touch is needed. This is definitely a summertime colour for me but I have enjoyed wearing it in the darker weather just for a bit of a pick me up. I have loved wearing all three of them with Chanel Bronze Universel in the areas the sun would catch my face in preparation for the warm weather - when it arrives, that is. They last quite well, but I always find blushes to last quite well on my as the skin on my cheeks is very normal and well behaved. No dry patches or oiliness there, thank you!

I really love these blushes, but unfortunately they have been breaking me out in little red spots on my cheeks. Just little ones and they aren't painful, but I NEVER get spots on my cheeks, only on my t-zone and I know that theses are the culprits as I haven't changed anything else. I am persevering and seeing whether my skin will get used to them... as I only went and bought all three of them. I would like to see some more colours introduced because I really like them, despite them breaking me out like nothing else. Maybe me and Revlon face products just aren't meant to get along. My skin didn't like Colourstay foundation at all, and I have a sinking feeling that Nearly Naked is not my cup of tea either. Sigh. Maybe I should just stick to their lip products, I've been having quite a fling with them recently. I also love Revlon nail polish. Hands down the most long lasting nail polish I've ever tried!

Revlon Fire and Ice Lipstick

I heard of this when Lisa Eldridge did a video on red lipstick.  She said it is a loud, neon, bright, 'in your face' red. This is something which is totally out of my comfort zone and not something I would have expected myself to like so much!

I don't know exactly why I bought it...but I'm super happy that I did. It is meant to have both warm, orange, fiery undertones and cool, blue icy undertones and thus meant to suit a wide variety of skin tones - hence the name, Fire and Ice. It's been around since 1952, and it's an iconic, glamorous red. I have seen some tubes of this in vintage packaging flying around online and I am absolutely desperate to get my hands on a tube! It looks so retro and glamorous. This is the first red lipstick that I have put on where I actually feel like a grown up, and not just a young pre teen trying on my Mum's make up whilst she's downstairs. (This was a favourite past-time).

I think this is my new favourite. Perfect for spring...if it decides to put in an appearance, that is.

My skin looks best when it has very little coverage on as my skin it freckled and quite translucent, and coverage looks unnatural and obvious on me. I am a little tanned in this picture (hard to believe right?), and I think having a little extra glow and colour makes this red a little easier to wear. I have enjoyed wearing this with Origins VitaZing all over the face for some glow, Chanel Bronzing Base (Soleil de tan de Chanel) used where the sun would catch me for even more glow, Revlon Photoready cream blush in Coral Reef to help bring out the coral tones in the lipstick, as that is the colour it leans towards being on me, and lashings L'Oreal Beauty Tubes Mascara piled on. I also use the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer to pinpoint conceal my blemishes, as like I said, coverage can look really unnatural on me. Under my eyes I used the Lacura Light Reflecting concealer - this stuff rocks. Totally luxury, heavy, silver, glossy packaging that gives a satisfying click shut, very reminiscent of Burberry packaging, that feels way more expensive than it is. It feels very light and is reflective so good at detracting from blue under eye circles but doesn't have super coverage - but it never claims to! Since my eyebrows are very blonde and practically non existent, I also run Mudhoney eyeshadow from the Soap and Glory What's Nude Eyeshadow Quad palette through them for some subtle definition. I love it because it's a really ashy grey brown and not at all warm so I won't get orange brows - score. The formula of the lipstick is very creamy, moisturising and lovely to apply. I always slick on a lip moisturiser or balm that soaks in (as opposed to Vaseline or something which will create a barrier on your lips) when I start to do my make up so it has time to sink in, then I wipe off the rest that hasn't sunk in before I apply. This makes sure I don't have and dry patches for it to cling to, or rather it lessens the risk of that happening. I apply this with a lip brush to perfect the shape of my lips and work up a bit of a stain then tap on directly from the bullet and pat my lips together to amp up the colour intensity. If you want a powerful colour but not a shiny finish, try patting the lipstick to remove the sheen and this will have a slight mattifying effect. I have pink, cool undertones in my skin and a lot of redness in my cheeks. In person on me, this looks quite coral. An orangey, pinky, red. However it seems to photograph quite like a true red. I went a bit snap happy to try and show you the wide variety of shades it can look like. 

I like to wear this with a really casual outfit, it looks very confounding, throw away,  and effortless yet put together. Lisa mentions in her video how sexy a red lip looks when paired with a casual outfit. The epitome of glamour, confidence and sexy. Make up is a huge passion of mine, and I feel like a different person when I wear this. Everything about me just seems a little perked up and more cheerful. I love that something so simple can have such a substantial effect on the way I feel and behave. That is part of what I love about make up!

In these pictures I have a bit of an orange tint around my my cheeks/nose area, especially in the second picture - I have no idea what this is. I hope I didn't walk around with it all day, but I didn't notice it on myself at all. Who knows - I guess it is one of life's little mysteries.

This picture below is showing more accurately how it looks in person on me.

This last picture is taken after about 4 hours wear after I had drank and eaten. Stuck around pretty well but could do with a touch up in the centre, so would be a good idea to take it with you if you're going out.

The colour looks pretty accurate in this picture as well.

Rather large collective makeup, skincare and haircare haul!

Please don't judge me. I thought I'd gather together the things I have bought in the past few months for a post. I honestly didn't realise how much stuff I've been buying and not noticed it gathering up until I piled it together. This is about 2 months worth of stuff. But hey, I'm a working girly and this is something I enjoy spending my money on. I'm doing well in other financial areas of my life so at the moment it's not a problem but this just gave me a little nudge to be keeping an eye on my spending habits! As a bit of a forethought, I am not posting this to show off or brag, and I purchased everything with my own money.

I also buy most things when they are on offer. I tend to keep my eye on them and just wait until they are on sale, so the majority of these were bought on offer or for cheaper than their retailing price. I will include some little mini reviews for the ones I have used already.

Herbal Essences Beautiful Ends Split End Protection Intensive Mask - got this for around £2.50 from Sainsburys as it was on offer and I remember trying it a few years ago and liking it.

Percy and Reed Hair Really Rather Radiant Colour and Shine Shampoo and Conditioner, Quite Frankly Flawless Finishing Polish and the Smoothed, Sealed & Sensational Volumising No Oil Oil for fine hair - all currently come with April's edition of Glamour magazine so I got all 4 freebies for £2 a pop.

Happy Hair Days Rosemary and Mint Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner. Love this stuff for a gentle everyday wash that won't strip but leaves my hair feeling cleansed. SLS free = bonus! 2 for £5 at Sainsburys.

The L'Oreal Shine Caresse Stain AKA Glossy Stain dupes in Lolita, a shimmery pinky mauve, Princess, a gorgeous orange coral, and Juliet, a bright red. £7.99 each from Boots, was on a 3 for 2 and I got them with my advantage card points.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains in Romantic, Crush and Honey. On offer at Boots for £5 each.

YSL Glossy Stain in Shade 2, I think it's called brown red or something.. don't quote me. Got it as a late Christmas present.

Maybelline Colour Sensational lipstick in Pink Brown. think it's about £8 from Boots.

Revlon Lipstick in Really Red, a matte, bright red, and Black Cherry, a deep glossy berry shade. Also bought for £5 when Revlon was on offer.

Revlon Photoready cream blushes in Coral Reef, a gorgeous orange coral and Pinched, a nudey, peachy pinky and shimmery colour. Pinched reminded me of Penny Lane by Nars, never owned it but always admired. These are very silicone-y to the touch and remind me of Chanel Bronzing Base which I LOVE and I think these will blend and suit each other really nicely in the spring/summer time. Were about £7.99 in Boots I think, on a buy one get one half price deal. Hoping Coral Reef will look amaze with the L'Oreal Shine Caresse Stain in Princess in the summertime (think Thirsty Merc - In the Summertime, BRING ON THE SUNSHINE :D)

Revlon Nearly Naked in 110 Ivory and 150 Nude. I bought the two palest pink toned shades, Ivory is a good match but I thought it would be good to have a slightly darker shade to mix in some summer and holiday time when I am a little bit tanned, and I don't want to have a super pale face as Ivory is a very pale shade. The two shades in between these are yellow toned, Shell not so much but I think yellow toned foundations look too obvious on me, which is unfortunate as a lot of brands who make great pale foundations make them in yellow toned shades, ahem, Bourjois. Nearly Naked was £8.99 at Boots and buy one get one half price.

Clarins Instant Smooth Self Tanning, got this when it was £17.50 but I believe it is now £18.00, naughty Boots.

MAC Soba eyeshadow, a golden light brown that reminds me of demerara sugar! Looks amazing all over the lid and blended out, a la Vivianna Does Makeup. £14 at MAC shops/counters.

Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Pink Gold, a gorgeous rose gold shimmery colour, but makes you look slightly pink eye ish/ill. I've luckily never had that, thank god=odness but it can make you look a bit ill. Patted in the centre of the lid over Permanent Taupe it looks fab though. If you have it and can't make it work on its own try blending with a brown to make it more wearable. Also looks incredible used as a highlight on cool toned skin. Use sparingly and blend quickly as it sets fast, but by jove, when it's set, it stays put. Try adding a little to your foundation or TM for instant radiance. LOVE! £4.99.

Giorgio Armani Face Fabric Foundation in shade 1. Love this. A light feeling, light coverage foundation, also very silicone-y and works great with the Chanel bronzing base. A word of warning though, as with all foundation but silicone based ones especially, make sure you really cleanse this off at the end of the day because of the silicone base I find it can clog pores. Not too sure how much this is as I was given it as a gift by my equally obsessed by make up friend. What a good pal.

Collection 2000 Illuminating Touch Concealer - £4.99 at Boots. I like it, more illuminating than covering though, good for light under eye bags but you might want to try mixing with the Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer if you want radiance boosting and covering properties. A great combo for heavier bags though, it stops the Lasting Perfection from looking cakey or being too drying.

Origins Drink up Intensive Overnight Mask - £20 at Boots. Smells lush. I use weekly, sometimes less often as a treat but warning as it's very rich, hence the name, duh. I can get away with using this on my cheeks regularly though as the skin there is normal.

Ren Vita-Mineral Day Cream, Rosa Centifolia Cleansing Gel, Frankinsense Revitalising Night Cream and Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask - came as a set for about £13 I think, from John Lewis. Nice to try some little minis to get a feel of the brand before buying a full sized product. Like dipping your toe in. I only bought this so I could get the Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask! Ha!

Glycolic Formulations Therapy Cream 25% Glycolic Acid. - £6.99 TK Maxx. This stuff is. Seriously. Strong. I started using a tiny layer every other night as recommended but this was too much for me and I went all peely. I am used to glycolic in my skincare but this is too strong for me to be using every other night so have stopped using at the moment. Might donate to Mumma B or try using less often. Remember your sunscreen!

Super by Dr Nicholas Perricone brightening activator. I use this like you would use Alpha H Liquid Gold (never tried that though). It smells like melons (main ingredient I think) but also like that sweet smelling liquid stuff you put in horses hay, so whenever I use it I am magically transported back to my horsey days at the stables. Yum. £12.99 from TK Maxx.

Laidbare Spot the Difference Problem Skin Treatment Cream. Smells lush. A great non drying spot treatment to help balance oil. The brand themselves remind me a lot of Ren in their packaging style and brand ethos. £3 from TK Maxx, bargain.

L'Occitane toning face mist. I got this from TK Maxx as well as I love the Immortal water toner thingy, this is a bit more refreshing though and smells quite spearminty.

This Works Fresh Skin toner - £7.99 TK Maxx. Love. This. Brand. I'm obsessed. I'm collecting everything. Smells like neroli which I LOVE.

L'Oreal Age Perfect Refreshing Toner. About £4 from Sainsburys I think. I went on a bit of a toner spree, as you can see. This one is nice too. Plus it has the BeautyMouth approval (the reason I bought it!)

This Works Active Serum, £8.99 from TK Maxx. Love this. Quite tingly upon application and it stinks to high heaven but leaves me looking very radiant and glowing.

La Roche Posay Effeclar Duo. Got this in Paris for a good price, can't remember exactly how much, about 9 euros I would say. I don't have a euro symbol on my keyboard. #firstworldproblems

Emma Hardie Amazing Face Lift and Scuplt Moringa Cleansing Balm and Rosehip Exfoliating Seeds. Love it. Smells like a sweet herbal savlon, and gets rid of make up and grime. I like the cleanse with Clinique's Take The Day Off balm first and then use this afterwards because I like to double cleanse but I don't want to use all this up and I tend to use more to remove make up with as opposed to just cleansing the skin. Comprenez vous?

My dog Meg wanted her picture taking. She told me so.

So that's all folks. Lol, as if there wasn't enough!

Dr Jart Regenerating BB Cream review

I really love the Dr Jart Water Fuse BB cream, I have a review on it here. So I was interested to try the Regenerating version to see how it fares in comparison.

Shade wise it is a lot lighter, so if you have tried the WaterFuse and it was too dark for you then this might be a good alternative. I'd say it will suit light to lighter medium skin tones. The colour when blended out does not oxidise or get any darker on me, and I don't find it has a grey cast, which is what many people complain about with BB creams.

The finish is natural, leaning towards matte. It is thick and feels really nourishing on the skin, and has more coverage than the Water Fuse, which makes sense as the regenerating is aimed at covering blemishes. It also has high SPF, activates skin rejuvenation and contains Dr Jarts exclusive Berry Cocktail antioxidant system. Snazzy. I was worried about it being heavy on the skin but it feels light, which is odd given the coverage it gives and the nourishing skincare factors. I seem to break out easily by heavy products but I haven't found this to give me any extra spots. It's nice to find a product which gives good coverage without feeling cakey or heavy. This leaves me looking natural and fresh faced, whilst covering spots and redness. If you have any bad spots you might find you need to use a concealer as well, but I haven't found myself reaching for one. I also haven't been using eye brightening concealers when I use this as I find this is really lifting if you use it under the eyes. It's nourishing, hydrating and brightening, but not too heavy which is perfect for under the eyes. A bit of an all in one.

I have enjoyed using this in the winter when my skin has been slightly less oily. The light colour means that it suits me well when I am not tanned which has been ideal through the colder months.

Dr Jart BB creams are available at Boots, I bought mine whilst it was on offer for half price at £10.50, but it usually costs £21.00.

Dr Jart Water Fuse BB Cream review

For my base, I definitely fall into the natural/light/sheer category. I hate looking cakey. I am freckled as well, which means using a heavier coverage product will look obvious as my freckles look half heartedly covered, and peek through as a grey-ish colour - I don't want them to be covered up, I quite like them!

I would rather use a light, natural base and use concealer on any spots or slight redness. A couple of my favourites are the Thisworks Perfect Look Skin Miracle and Origins VitaZing. 

You all know the claims that BB creams make so I'm not going to bore you. If you don't, (have you been hiding under a rock?) then google them. Dr Jart is one of the more well known Asian brands, and I kind of foresaw this as being a TM with amped up skincare, SPF and coverage. I feel like that's pretty accurate. They are thicker than your standard Tinted Moisturiser and whilst still being sheer to light coverage do an excellent job at covering redness without being totally obvious and looking like you're wearing make up. The Water Fuse is aimed at oily/combination skin types and will help skin retain moisture without being heavy or oily. I agree; it feels like it's letting my skin breath whilst still offering coverage which is lovely.

There are these little water beads that pop up when you blend it in with your fingers which appear and then disappear, which is quite interesting. See the half blended last picture. It's like they get sealed into your skin. Strawberry Blonde Beauty has a great picture on her blog of these little beads. I pretty much agree with everything she says in her post, go and have a look at her blog because she's lovely!

 I don't use this every day as I have a lot of other bases I enjoy so can't tell you about the skincare benefits as I feel like I'm not ready to give a well rounded opinion, I like to use things regularly and daily so I can get a real feel for them before I tell you whether it has worked for me or not. That said, I can say it hasn't broken me out and I do suffer with reactions to certain products, especially rich or heavy ones. I usually get red painful bumps when I react badly to a product but haven't had any of that, thankfully.

Finish wise, I don't like shimmer. Fullstop. Sheen - yes, Shimmer - no. This is a natural leaning towards sheeny finish. I like it. It doesn't last all day for me, but I think that's more my lifestyle and skin type's fault rather than the products. If I blot my skin twice or three times a day before the oil can start to break the product down then it lasts a lot longer and has a more natural finish, as opposed to shiny face. I hate shiny face. I don't like the finish of powder but this will help it to last longer if you have oily skin all over your face so it might be something to consider, but I always think that an overly matte finish looks less natural and kind of ruins the healthy glow that this gives, which is one of the main things this BB cream has going for it! Shade wise... options are limited to one colour. I am pale and pink toned, but I can just about make this work - it's not too orange on me though it does look it on my hand as they are a lot paler than my face. It has also settled into the lines in my hand but that's because they are very dry. I thought I would include the pictures anyway so you could see the colour and finish, and please bear in mind that this is the middle of winter when I am my palest, and I used quite a bit of product so it would photograph well. My skin suits tanned and glowing - I do tan well but not easily - I go brown eventually. If you are darker medium skin tone to to dark skin tone this probably won't work for you. Sadly. But for a light to medium skin tone I can see this working if you blend it well. With most light and sheer products it's not too blindingly obvious if you have not got the perfect shade for your skin as they tend to be more forgiving.

I can see it will be good for everyday use as the SPF25 will offer you good protection, definitely going to be a favourite in the summer when I want a natural easy glowing base with minimal effort required - a perfect holiday base!

I hope you found this helpful!