Since September has hit I've been enjoying makeup a lot more - whilst the weather was warm over the summer I could barely look at a foundation let alone put one on my face, but now the temperature has dropped a little I've been enjoying playing around with different products and looks. Since I haven't been using the same products day in day out - and have by no means found my 'autumn look' yet - I thought that instead of doing an 'everyday makeup' post I would share with you a couple of items that I've been enjoying recently (though not necessarily using on a daily basis). A rifle through my beauty basket brought to light a bit of a running theme; many of my current favourites are from longstanding and much-loved French drugstore brand Bourjois. Now that I think about it, I've always been a Bourjois fan - I remember buying their products right back in my early teens when I and my friends were first experimenting with makeup. Fast forward a good decade or so and the brand are continuing to impress me with their quality formulas and colourful, classic packaging, continually releasing new products and giving old favourites a new lease of life with updated formulas. Great quality, pocket-friendly and often on offer in Boots, I always seem to have at least one Bourjois item featured in my daily makeup routine and thought I would share with you some of my favourites.
First up, something of a holy grail item (and one of the only foundations that really 'works' for me) is their Healthy Mix serum foundation in 53 Light Beige. A lot of people, bloggers and non-bloggers alike, are fans of this formula so it must be a good 'un. This has recently been reformulated and relaunched as the Radiance Reveal foundation which I'm yet to try (but may well have to when this runs out). So why do I love it? Firstly, the colour match is almost spot on for me (albeit a touch light after a summer of sun-worshipping). Secondly, the formula is perfect - light and natural, it doesn't feel heavy on the skin but gives good coverage, balancing out any pesky redness/uneven skin tone (my personal biggest skin woe) giving you a radiant glow and helping to make you look that bit more alive on those early morning starts. I've had this for a while and until recently was applying it with the Real Techniques expert face brush, however since investing in their Core Collection I've been loving it with the buffing brush, which although gives a lighter coverage than the EFB, really buffs the product into the skin for a flawless, airbrushed finish that looks super natural and lasts and lasts (I wore this through a 7 hour waitressing shift and it stayed put all night). The perfect balance of a matte/glowy finish, good coverage without being heavy, plus it smells really nice - sort of natural and fresh, what you'd expect really from the packaging.
A product I've been enjoying using alongside this is their Little Round Pot blush in the shade 41 Healthy Mix, a lovely bright peachy-pink, marketed as a universal shade to suit all. I personally really like this shade and think it's so pretty both in the pan and on the skin (the photo really doesn't do it justice). A super versatile staple that goes with practically any look, giving you a healthy flush that really perks up the complexion. The cute, lightweight packaging also makes it perfect for popping in your handbag for on-the-go application (if I had a pound for every time I use that phrase on this blog...). I personally don't use the mini-brush that comes with it (but for the aforementioned on-the-go application it's pretty handy) and prefer to dust it onto the apples of my cheeks with a traditional long-handled blush brush before blending up to the temples. I recently picked up the Real Techniques blush brush with my Boots points which is a-mazing, soft and gorgeous (more on that another day, this is Bourjois not Real Techniques appreciaton after all). The only down-point to this little wonder is that the baked formula can be a little difficult to lift colour from - the solution? Use the end of your blush brush to gently scratch the surface and loosen the pigment - Bob's your uncle, a healthy glow in an instant.
A product I picked up fairly recently is the Shadow & Light kohl pencil in Brun/Caramel. Being a kohl lover - having worn it daily since the age of 13 - I thought I'd branch out from my usual repurchased Barry M brown kohl and try something new. I actually read about this over on Beauty & Le Chic and was drawn in straightaway because it combined three of my loves - brown eye makeup, kohl and Bourjois, sold. This applies so nicely - both ends are really pigmented (with a soft, buttery texture that glides on with ease) and look super nice when used together (lined with the brown and accented with the caramel) and teamed with some bronzer, mascara and a natural lip for a really simple, quick and easy look. Definitely another good one for on-the-go/travelling as it's basically a liner/shadow in one which can be used to create a defined bronzey eye all with one little pencil. Another recent purchase - after so many in the blogging world gave these their stamp of approval I had to try the Colour Boost lip crayons for myself, more specifically the shade Orange Punch. I knew from the many reviews that not only is this not particularly orange, but also looks different on practically everyone. On me this builds up to a juicy coral-red, but applied lightly gives the perfect 'lip colour but better' shade to finish off an everyday makeup look; neither too red nor too peachy, with a dash of coral and subtle glossy finish. It warms up the natural colour of my lips just the right amount, and is such a low-maintenance, easy product to apply, I can see this staying in my makeup bag all year round. Possibly the most appropriately named product ever, this applies so smoothly and feels nice and moisturising on the lips; the packaging again makes it super easy to carry around for a 'colour boost' on the go.
Lastly - yes, I love the So Laque Glossy polishes which I own several of for all seasons/occasions - the wide brush makes for smooth application, teamed with a super opaque glossy finish that stays put and comes in such nice shades. I've heard good things about their 1 Seconde range too, but none of the shades really appeal to me (and let's face it, I do not need anymore nail varnish anyway). I already spoke about the Magic Nail Polish Remover in my recent nails post, but this is another product I'll always repurchase - it speeds up the removal process no end and saves on cotton wool (which I get through at rapid rates as it is taking off my makeup at night). Also worth a mention is their super-affordable kabuki brush - the cheapest of its kind that Boots has to offer (truth be told the sole reason I first purchased it) and just as good quality as those that cost twice as much.
First up, something of a holy grail item (and one of the only foundations that really 'works' for me) is their Healthy Mix serum foundation in 53 Light Beige. A lot of people, bloggers and non-bloggers alike, are fans of this formula so it must be a good 'un. This has recently been reformulated and relaunched as the Radiance Reveal foundation which I'm yet to try (but may well have to when this runs out). So why do I love it? Firstly, the colour match is almost spot on for me (albeit a touch light after a summer of sun-worshipping). Secondly, the formula is perfect - light and natural, it doesn't feel heavy on the skin but gives good coverage, balancing out any pesky redness/uneven skin tone (my personal biggest skin woe) giving you a radiant glow and helping to make you look that bit more alive on those early morning starts. I've had this for a while and until recently was applying it with the Real Techniques expert face brush, however since investing in their Core Collection I've been loving it with the buffing brush, which although gives a lighter coverage than the EFB, really buffs the product into the skin for a flawless, airbrushed finish that looks super natural and lasts and lasts (I wore this through a 7 hour waitressing shift and it stayed put all night). The perfect balance of a matte/glowy finish, good coverage without being heavy, plus it smells really nice - sort of natural and fresh, what you'd expect really from the packaging.
A product I've been enjoying using alongside this is their Little Round Pot blush in the shade 41 Healthy Mix, a lovely bright peachy-pink, marketed as a universal shade to suit all. I personally really like this shade and think it's so pretty both in the pan and on the skin (the photo really doesn't do it justice). A super versatile staple that goes with practically any look, giving you a healthy flush that really perks up the complexion. The cute, lightweight packaging also makes it perfect for popping in your handbag for on-the-go application (if I had a pound for every time I use that phrase on this blog...). I personally don't use the mini-brush that comes with it (but for the aforementioned on-the-go application it's pretty handy) and prefer to dust it onto the apples of my cheeks with a traditional long-handled blush brush before blending up to the temples. I recently picked up the Real Techniques blush brush with my Boots points which is a-mazing, soft and gorgeous (more on that another day, this is Bourjois not Real Techniques appreciaton after all). The only down-point to this little wonder is that the baked formula can be a little difficult to lift colour from - the solution? Use the end of your blush brush to gently scratch the surface and loosen the pigment - Bob's your uncle, a healthy glow in an instant.
A product I picked up fairly recently is the Shadow & Light kohl pencil in Brun/Caramel. Being a kohl lover - having worn it daily since the age of 13 - I thought I'd branch out from my usual repurchased Barry M brown kohl and try something new. I actually read about this over on Beauty & Le Chic and was drawn in straightaway because it combined three of my loves - brown eye makeup, kohl and Bourjois, sold. This applies so nicely - both ends are really pigmented (with a soft, buttery texture that glides on with ease) and look super nice when used together (lined with the brown and accented with the caramel) and teamed with some bronzer, mascara and a natural lip for a really simple, quick and easy look. Definitely another good one for on-the-go/travelling as it's basically a liner/shadow in one which can be used to create a defined bronzey eye all with one little pencil. Another recent purchase - after so many in the blogging world gave these their stamp of approval I had to try the Colour Boost lip crayons for myself, more specifically the shade Orange Punch. I knew from the many reviews that not only is this not particularly orange, but also looks different on practically everyone. On me this builds up to a juicy coral-red, but applied lightly gives the perfect 'lip colour but better' shade to finish off an everyday makeup look; neither too red nor too peachy, with a dash of coral and subtle glossy finish. It warms up the natural colour of my lips just the right amount, and is such a low-maintenance, easy product to apply, I can see this staying in my makeup bag all year round. Possibly the most appropriately named product ever, this applies so smoothly and feels nice and moisturising on the lips; the packaging again makes it super easy to carry around for a 'colour boost' on the go.
Lastly - yes, I love the So Laque Glossy polishes which I own several of for all seasons/occasions - the wide brush makes for smooth application, teamed with a super opaque glossy finish that stays put and comes in such nice shades. I've heard good things about their 1 Seconde range too, but none of the shades really appeal to me (and let's face it, I do not need anymore nail varnish anyway). I already spoke about the Magic Nail Polish Remover in my recent nails post, but this is another product I'll always repurchase - it speeds up the removal process no end and saves on cotton wool (which I get through at rapid rates as it is taking off my makeup at night). Also worth a mention is their super-affordable kabuki brush - the cheapest of its kind that Boots has to offer (truth be told the sole reason I first purchased it) and just as good quality as those that cost twice as much.
Bourjois are constantly drawing me in with their new releases, so I thought I'd also share a couple of things that have caught my eye and made it onto my never-ending beauty lust-list. For some reason, their foundations always appeal to me and I'm keen to try a few more - the 10 Hour Sleep Effect in particular looks like it would be good for when you need a bit more coverage after burning the candle at both ends (something I'm often guilty of), however I'm not sure how good the shade range for this one is. The 'Summer on the Riviera' bronzing range (comprising BB cream, maxi bronzer and primer) that launched this summer had me hook, line and sinker with it's gorgeous jade/bronze packaging but as I already owned similar products to those in the range I exercised some (very out of character) self restraint (next summer though, I'll be all over it). Although I'm currently sworn off black eyeliner for everyday, their recent Queen Attitude Kohl Kajal launch looks so cool - again, I love the packaging and think it would be a nice product to carry around with you. Last but not least, their recent addition of Little Round Pot cream blushes in sweet streamlined, disc-like pots got my attention, but since I'm also lusting after the Revlon PhotoReady cream blush I stayed my hand.
I probably won't be purchasing any of these any time soon (though never say never) but thought it'd be fun to share!
Are you a fan of Bourjois products?
What are some of your favourites?
Chandra
x
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