Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation Review

Okay, so iv become quite familiar with Illamasqua products in the past couple of months as we have them in our kit and use them at college. When I say 'we' I mean the girls in my class and I guess you could say we all have a love-hate relationship with this foundation. 
The first thing I LOVE about this foundation is that it comes in a wide variety of shades 26 in fact ,and comes in yellow and pink undertones,  which I think is perfect for any make-up artist! Its a full coverage foundation so it covers absolutely EVERYTHING! (yay). I think that the packaging is very basic but nice and it stays true to the Illamasqua brand but there are definitely better looking foundations out their! Their also very easy to mix together and I like constancy of the foundation because its a liquid considering that it's a water-based foundation and its not too watery or heavy on the skin - depending on how much you apply of course! The hate side of the relationship is that this does NOT  suit all skin types which is such a disappointment! Iv seen Nic Haste (pixiwoo) use this in one of her tutorials and her skin looked flawless and glowing so I honestly believe that this foundation only looks good if you have perfect skin/normal. I have used this and when i'm having a bad skin day it just seems to accentuate my blemishes making my skin look even worse and when trying to use this on someone who has dry skin..its a complete NO GO! Unless you mix a ton of moisturiser with it which is such a kurfufle. I just wouldn't even bother because it clings to all the dry patches on the skin and makes whole face look and feel horrible. 

'Inspired by the cult Asian market Beauty Balm creams, Skin Base Foundation is a brand new, refined formula unlike anything on the UK market. Easily blendable, it effortlessly creates a perfect complexion, and like the entire Illamasqua foundation range, is undetectable in a professional HD environment. Suitable for all skin types, it smoothes, softens and conditions your skin whilst providing natural, buildable coverage.The Ultimate 'Skin Realism' Foundation.'





This is what the foundation claims to be, and of course their is some truth in this as it is easily blendable and does create the perfect complextion but it is not suitable for all skin types and I haven't noticed any conditioning properties when wearing it.
Im not sure if I would re-purchase this again for my kit as I think their is a lot better products out their for the price (£27) but it's all about personal preference I guess.

So, here's my opinion on the Illamasqa skin base foundation- I hope you like it and its given you some insight if you were thinking about buying this product.

Thank you for reading and please leave a comment on what you think

Love Harveer xx    

How to get hair like Kim Kardashian on a budget!

How to get sexy, bouncy, voluminous hair like Kim Kardashian on a budget! 

For all of you that know me you'll know that i'm completely OBSESSED with Kim Kardashian! I love everything about her! especially her hair, looks and her boyf;) Anyway I have decided to post this for all the girls out their like me, envious of her hair and would love to have hair like her but not spend a fortune trying to get it! Iv included drug store products and a few tips to help you along the way. Hope you enjoy! x x 

Step 1- Skip the shampoo  

Now this wont only SAVE you money it will do wonders for your hair too! I used to wash my hair everyday until a few months back! (oh now naive).  Yes washing your hair every single day does clean it but also strips all the natural oils from it and leaves it dry which is the complete opposite to Kims! She apparently washes her hair every 2-3 days. If you find that you have greasy hair then just simply use a dry shampoo. Batiste is widely available in the UK and comes in a variety of shades from blonde to brunette!- so now these no excuse!

Step 2- Conditioning 

Conditioning is sooo important! Not only to ensure you have hair like Kim Kardashains but to also keep it healthy. The conditioner that you buy with your shampoo is simply not enough to get long lasting soft ,shiny hair as this only just cotes the hair stand so that its able to be brushed without creating any long lasting damage, where as deep conditioning treatments get right into the core of the hair stand. 

I think getting a regular hair cut to minimize split ends and conditioning treatments are the way forward. Iv tried that many conditioning treatments that some could all me an expert! My two favourites are the Kerastase Nutritive Masque- This is a god send! I usually put this on once or twice a week after a shower or when I feel like my hair needs some major TLC I put it on whilst in the bath as steam makes the product work better by penetrating into the stand quicker. I leave it on for about 2/3 hours or over night ( 10-20 minutes will be enough ). This thermo-reactive masque claims provide intensive nourishment for dry, limp, heat damaged or sensitised hair which it exactly does! This is definitely one of those products that 'says what it does on the tin' I haven't tried any of the other products from this brand as it is quite pricey retailing from £22.30.  (http://www.beautydept.com/nutritive-masque-nutrithermique-200ml.html ) But I would definitely purchase this again though. 

A drug store version of this is the new Loreal professional Inoa colour care- again, this product is AMAZING. Especially for colour treated hair! 

I was given a tester of this when walking through Leeds and got stopped by some people giving out little gift bags- I wasn't going to take this because I find it really annoying getting stopped in the middle of town when your in a rush but i'm sooo glad I took this because tbh I probably would of never discovered it! This is a professional product so you wont find it in a drug store but I have linked a website where you can purchase it from ( http://www.salonsdirect.com/products/hair/permanent-hair-colour/loreal-inoa/?gclid=CMi7-eb16rMCFe_MtAodHCQAUQ ) There's not much to say about this except for the fact that's its amazing and does the exact same as Kerastase Nutritive Masque but for a fraction of the price! This product retails at £6.99 so what's not to love? 

3. Tips for adding Volume to flat lifeless hair

Try using volumising shampoo- now I have never really noticed a difference when iv done this. This think this mainly due to me having Asian hair which is thick and wavy and have a lot of it! If you have fine hair then I think that this is a step you shouldn't skip!

Blow dry your hair upside down- you've probably heard this too many times and don't think that it makes a different..but your wrong! it does! It dries the hair from the roots upwards which is KEY to create volume! Alternately you can always dry your hair normally but use a round brush which has the same effect but takes more time. 

Always use a smoothing serum to create shine and add softness and heat protect-ant to minimize damage which is also essential.

Don't ever use conditioner right on the roots of your hair as it usually tends to way it down and make your hair greasy more quickly. 

4. Unfortunately Kim uses heat on her hair to get this look...which isn't bad but I wouldn't recommend using heat on your hair every day as its extremely damaging.To get loose bouncy waves like the one above you will need to you 1.5-2inch barrel tongs- these will not give you ringlet curls. If you don't want to use heat on your hair, why not try rollers? There are are wide range of inexpensive brands out there. My favourite are the famous Sleep- In Rollers! I love these so much! You simply put them in your hair at night and sleep in them, there so comfortable too! I have seen so many pictures of celebrities were these from Katie Price to Amy Childs so they must be good.

So, that's it! My take on getting the perfect Kim Kardashian Hair! I hope you liked it and it helps you out abit and let me know how you get on! :)

Thanks for reading! 

Love Harveer xx

Make-up Kit Wish List

Make-up kit essentials wishlist
with M.A.C. AUTHENTIC, smbsi, BeautyBlender

1. The famous Urban Decay NAKED palette

I have heard SO much about these two products from beauty bloggers/vloggers and more! Iv always wanted to have these two products but iv always been put off by the price! The cheapest that I could find on the internet was around £36.00 for the original one and £43.00 for the naked 2 palette. I still think that these are a bit pricey for the amount of eye shadow you get but I don't doubt for one second the quality of the eye shadows as Urban Decay are very well known and trusted brand. I already have the primer potion and I truly think its amazing! It makes my eye shadow last all day and the product comes in a variety of shades. I think I will defiantly have to get this product as I just simply think their great for any make-up artists kit, they have a mixture of shimmery, satin and matte  colors which I think is essential for creating a variety of make-up looks. 

 2.  Bioderma Crealine H20

This is not just any ordinary toner..this is something special. Used by many of my favourite make-up artists and models this a extremely mild and gentle formula of make-up remover. It's gentle and hydrating enough to take off make-up over and over again with out making the skin red or blotchy as many of these high street brands have hidden chemicals in are actually quite harsh on the skin. What makes this product great is that its suitable for all skin types! Although this product is amazing its not that readily available as it is a French brand...(will defo be stocking up on this on my trip to Paris in March! yay) If your not going to France any time soon here's a link where you can purchase it http://www.gurumakeupemporium.com/epages/BT4080.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/BT4080/Products/191%5B1%5D/SubProducts/191%5B1%5D-0001&ChangeAction=SelectSubProduct  

3. Real Techniques Brushes 

I am literally DESPERATE to have these. Not only am I completely obsessed with Samantha Chapman who created these but I'm even more obsessed with the product,, which is weird because I don't even own a set yet. I fist fell in love with these when I used my friends and I instantly loved how soft they were and how beautifully they applied my make-up. I know they do and eye set as well which I want which I can only imagine being the same. As for now I will have to stick with the brushes I used in my kit for the moment. But I WILL have these in my life soon....hopefully. 

4. MAC 127 Brush 

In the beauty world this is seen a the must have eye blending brush. Its a very soft but densely packed brush which makes blending colours and also putting contour into the crease very easy. I have a brush extremely similar to this but iv always wanted this just to see what all the hypes about. 

5. MAC Painterly Paint Pot 

Paint pots are usually used as a base on the eyelid before putting on eye shadow.They are a highly pigmented eye colour that when is placed on the eye is a creamy formula but dries with an intense vibrant finish. You can wear them by its self but when used with eye shadow they stop it from sliding and creasing which we all know is very annoying! They basically make the eye-shadow more intense and make it last longer. Mac do these in a variety of shades which is great and they are usually priced at £14.50 depending where you shop, but I think this is totally worth the price considering how much of a staple item they are for make-up artists. If you not a make-up artist and you are looking for a similar product but for a fraction of the price then you'll be happy to know there is a brand called 'MeMeMe sold in Superdrug'. 

6. Beauty Blender 

Iv heard so many people rave about this product and I would just like  to see what the fuss is about. Iv heard that Kim Kardashian's make-up artist uses this on her so it must be good! Iv never really had a good relationship with sponges and much prefer using brushes to apply my foundation because I just think sponges soak up all the product and just don't blend as well. Iv already ordered one of these for my kit to review it so ill do a separate blog post about that. 

Hope you enjoyed reading my very first blog post! Leave a comment on what you think 

Love Harveer x