BareMinerals Ready Foundation and Precision Face Brush

Bareminerals Ready Foundation £25

I don't usually experiment with foundations; mostly because-out of pure laziness-I hardly ever use them. With limited time on my hands I usually skip the step altogether and just splash a bit of moisturiser and powder over my face. Terrible, I know. And so, with the wish to abolish this horrible habit, I purchased the Bareminerals Ready powder foundation. Spreading and blending the liquid was the hassle before, so hopefully I can stick with this one! The product comes in a medium sized black compact with a small mirror inside. Looks lovely and professional but my one teeny complaint is that its made of a matte plastic (like Nars products) and so will get very dirty very quickly...

Since I'm no pro in  the guess-the-best-skin-match game, I got the lovely woman from the Bareminerals counter to help me choose the right shade for my skin. All I can say is that I'm going there again! She took moisturised, primed, set and re-did my face with the Ready foundation so that I could get a proper look on how to apply it and what it would look like in the end! I highly recommend getting shade-matched, not only for the amazing experience, but because there are around 20 shades to choose between so it can get a bit tricky. The brush she used (which I had previously purchased) is the Bareminerals Precision Face brush, and it's one of the most incredible brushes I've ever bought! It's very dense and compact, making it perfect for picking up pressed powder (like this foundation).

Precision Face Brush £23.00

I have nothing bad to say about this foundation. It easily beats others I've tried, including the benefit Hello Flawless (my most recent). It's easy, quick and really does give you medium to full coverage! It covers up my uneven skin tone (including any redness around my cheeks) and even covers red spots and black circles. If you're going to try this one I would advise you buying the brush as well, you won't be disappointed. My only fear with this foundation is that some people have said it's extremely delicate, so don't let it go rolling around your handbag as I'm sure to do in the not-too-distant-future.

The Urban Decay Primer Potion Alternative: Revlon Photoready Eye Primer

I remember when I lusted after the much coveted Urban Decay Primer Potion. Let's face it; we all have at one point. Well known for it's heavenly ability to keep your eyeshadow in place all day and night long, I was convinced I needed it in my life. Sadly, without paying, in most cases, extortionate shipping prices, it's unfairly hard to find Urban Decay (except from the Naked Palettes) in the UK. Bless the day when an Urban Decay counter appears in my nearest Boots/Superdrug...

 But! After much debate on whether it was going to be yet another waste of my money, last year I stepped up and bought the Revlon Eye Primer as an alternative. All I can say is that I'm so so glad I did! I've tried the UD Eye Potion (a friend's) and the Revlon primer definitely matches it up. It keeps my eyeshadow on all day and night without very much product. What's more: it's lasted me more than one year even though it looks so tiny and I use it almost everyday. It's also advertised as an Eye Brightener, although I can't really see how it 'brightens' my eye-it may be due to the light pink colour of the primer which is known to help brighten the eye (remember the Eye Bright from Benefit? It's exactly that colour). It also hydrates, blends, doesn't crease... Seriously,
I thoroughly recommend this one, especially for those who live in countries that don't stock Urban Decay. It's cheaper too (no surprises there...)