Avoplex Cuticle Oil To Go from O.P.I

I've really neglected my nails the last few months. With the intensity of my course and the challenge I set myself running up to Christmas doing my every day, they are not in the best condition. On top of that, the bad weather this year meant that for the first time I noticed my very dry cuticles!

I started using O.P.I's Avoplex Cuticle Oil To Go, which has been added straight to my hero categories list. The ingredients include vitamin E plus avocado, sunflower, sesame and kukui nut oils, which makes the oil very moisturising.

I can't really compare it to anything because I've never got into the habit of using a cuticle oil before. My cuticles were at the point where the dryness made them sore, and with this I was able to sort out the dryness overnight.

My favourite feature about this product is the application. Part of the reason I haven't used a cuticle oil in the past is the mess and inconvience of carrying round a bottle of oil.

The oil borders on being the consistency of a gel and has a lovely sweet but light scent. You gently squeeze the tube to release the product and then brush over your cuticles.The design and formulation of this means no mess, and no feeling like you have to wait for the oil to soak in/dry before you can do anything else.

I got this with a bundle of O.P.I polishes from QVC and I’m glad I did as I wouldnt have purchased it otherwise.

On its own it can be purchased for £10.25 from Boots, but I also found it on CheapSmells for £7.49.  I think this is a little pricey but because it is so convenient travelling and the application is mess free it is something I would add to my repurchase list.

If you have any suggestions for cheaper but equally effective cuticle oil please let me know!

Beauty Angel at Cucumba

What was a long, long time ago now I attended an event to discover Beauty Angel, a non-invasive light treatment that uses Energising Light Technology (ELT). Treatment with the Beauty Angel can be used to help with skin issues such as ageing, texture, tone and scarring by using a broad spectrum of light (not UV though) to generate stimulate the production of collagen and elastin.

On the night I had a 5 minute session under the light and I immediately knew that I wanted to come back for the full treatment.

The Beauty Angel has short-term and long-term results including:

• Increased moisture
• A more glowing complexion
• Refined pores and improved skin texture 
• Soft, supple skin
• Reduced small wrinkles on face and decollete 
• Age and pigment spots fade
• Reduction of swelling around the eyes 
• Replenished collagen and elastin in connective tissue
• Hair and nail growth
• Positive effects on bones and tendons

Under the machine the light gets very bright but not so much that it is painful or uncomfortable. It also generates a lot of heat, so it gets nice and warm and it is very easy at this point to imagine you are lying on a beach somewhere.

The machine is on a timer and automatically switches off after the 20 minute treatment time. At that point it becomes very dark until your eyes readjust!

Although I don’t notice any immediate effects, in fact I think my skin looks worse, the next day my skin looks clear and bright. 

I opt to have a mini 10 minute facial before the treatment, which includes cleansing, exfoliation and a face mask that is left on while you are under the light, which Beauty Angel say helps the product to work better.

But the great thing about the machine is that you can use it while wearing makeup so of you only have a short amount of time or want an appointment during your lunch break, this is perfect for that.

If you follow me on Twitter you will know that a few months ago I damaged my skin with a home treatment that resulted in quite a nasty scar and I decided to use the Beauty Angel to help get rid of that.

I've had four treatments so far and my scar has faded significantly. Unfortunately, I didn't take pictures but after hearing what the machine could do my mum also started having treatments to correct some sun damage/pigmentation she has on her neck and I will have a post showing the results she achieves.

If you are planning on targeting a specific issue, Beauty Angel recommend regular treatments for a few months and top up appointments after that, but I think a session under the light is great for a skin boosting treat before a special event.

I have my treatments at Cucumba, a salon just off Oxford Street in London. The staff are really friendly, helpful and accommodating. At Cucumba a Beauty Angel treatment costs £23.50 and £33.50 with the mini facial.

Would you try energising light technology?

Sample session: Glamglow Super-Mud

Glamglow are probably best known for their exfoliating, tingling face mask. However, another product in the range is Super-Mud, a mud clearing treatment designed to target, prevent and heal for poreless skin.

Glamglow say that the Super-Mud has been developed to help fight all common skin concerns including, visible pores, problem skin, blemishes, breakouts, black and white heads, which sounds perfect for me right now since going back to college has reverted my skin to its teenage years!

Glamglow Super-Mud can be used as a full face mask or targeted spot treatment. Glamglow suggest applying approximately 2ml of Super-Mud evenly across the skin, which is a thin layer and exactly the amount in the sample sachet.

The mask has a black/grey colour and contains ‘bits’ of product. To me the product has a scent of liquorice, which I personally really like, but the scent didn’t linger for long.

The mask can be used for shorter or longer treatments, leaving it on for between 5 and 20 minutes. After applying, the mask began to set almost immediately and felt tight on my skin. Personally I prefer masks that do not set especially when leaving it on for anything more than a few minutes, but it was easy to remove using a hot, damp face cloth and didn’t feel too uncomfortable. 

I left the mask on for the maximum time of 20 minutes. At this point the mask had completely set and had a pale grey colour but, particularly around my nose and chin, I had spots of dark grey. Glamglow say that this is because of the activation of the pore-matrix in the mask, which “reveals dots of vacuum extraction, absorption and encapsulation of problematic sebum oils, bacteria and toxins”.

Immediately after use my skin looked brighter and my pores smaller. The next morning, my skin felt smooth and I didn’t have some of the smaller red blemished areas that I have been experiencing over the past few days, but I didn’t notice any difference when it came to larger spots.

A full size tub (34g) of Glamglow Super-Mud costs £39.99 and can be purchased online at FeelUnique and Look Fantastic. One tub is meant to provide 17 full face applications, working out at about £2 a treatment or 1,000 spot treatments.

Even though I'm not wowed by this sample, I would consider purchasing it because I expect that results, if any, will only be seen when used regularly and the ingredients, which include glycolylic and salicyclic acid are things my skin usually loves.

If you've used this mask and seen results of love to hear from you. Also let me know what your favourite mask is for dealing with spots instantly!

BBHQ April task: Blogging inspirations

This month the BBHQs participants will be chatting about their blogging inspirations. In our very first BBHQ post we shared the story of our beginning and you can read mine, and find out what BBHQ is, here.

This month we are going share what inspires and motivates us to create unique content on our bogs and tips for each other to keep our blogging flame alive! I'm looking forward to reading others posts and hopefully feeding off everyone else's inspiration!

What inspires you to blog and/or vlog?

Very simply, it makes me happy! The writing process, taking pictures, posting my blog and reading comments from my readers is all such a positive experience for me and as long as it positive I will keep doing it.

The beauty blogging community is a lovely one and is such a lovely thing to be a part of so it is hard not to be inspired.

Share some of your favourite blogs to read for inspiration?

In terms of writing style and honest, thorough product reviews my favourite bloggers are Grace from All That Slap, Annabella from Skin Scrubs, Astrid from Skin Deep and Claire from Eyelining Obsessions.

I also love The Sunday Girl and Makeup Savvy for their photography and it is because of their blogs that I wanted to improve the photos on mine. Sunday Girl in particular will have fruits or a background related to to the product name that are always so striking and leave me wondering how she manages to find fruit that should be out if season!

For makeup looks and general application my favourite bloggers are Frooti Beauty, Beauty for Thought and Beauties in Bloom, they are stunning girls and I wish I could make my makeup look as good as theirs.

I have lots of other blogs I could mention but you can find more in my blog roll.

Share some of your favorite Youtube channels to watch for inspiration?

I'm going to mention Frooti Beauty again because she has started tutorials on YouTube and it's great to see how she applies the products to get the looks she does and I hope she posts more! I also like watching Mouldy Fruit, who also has a blog, she is very natural on camera and her passion for makeup and the products she is using really comes through in her videos.

What are your favorite magazines to browse for inspiration?

I don't really have a favourite magazine for inspiration. I enjoy reading Stylist and occasionally will pick up Marie Clare or Red.

I also like picking up the magazines from Boots or Superdrug because they tend to have the latest products included and it is one way of keeping up to date.

How do you organize your inspiration? Pinterest board, notebook, sketchpad, etc.?

When I have an idea for new content I save it in my notes on my phone and constantly add and update it. I also have a folder full of images and features from magazines that I like either for the photography or writing style.

What motivates you to continue blogging and/or vlogging?

I enjoy it so much that motivation doesn't really come into it. I want to keep my blog updated and looking good so the only thing that limits me is time.

How would you describe your style of blogging and/or vlogging, how has it changed from when you first started?

My reviews are a lot more brief, but hopefully still as thorough than they were in the early days. I know that people generally just want to get information and click away and hopefully I provide that.

My photography is probably my biggest improvement and takes up most of the time it takes to prepare a post.

How do you handle competitive thoughts with other bloggers/vloggers?

I'm not naturally a competitive person so this isn't really an issue for me. I like to think that we all add something different to the community so, even though the topic is the same, there is a place for everyone.

After all, even though I can be convinced by my favourite bloggers that I need to add a product to my collection I'll still check out more than one review.

For fun, share some of your favorite inspiring photos.

Words inspire me much more than pictures do, so my favourite pins on Pinterest are quotes. I’ve tried to pick my favourite below and you can view the rest of my board here.

Pinned from media-cache3

My first Birchbox April 2013

You may know that at Christmas I won a subscription to Birchbox at #bbloggersxmas, which I recently activated.

After trying other beauty boxes I had lost my love of them slightly and decided that I was probably best saving £12 a month for one thing that I really wanted.

My first Birchbox arrived this week and I have to say I'm very impressed. I haven't had a chance to test anything yet but I thought I would quickly show you whats inside the box and ask if you would like to see a post like this every month? Or would you just prefer to see reviews of the products as and when I've tried them?

In this months box:

La Societe Parisienne De Savons

I'm not a soap user to be honest but the packaging and everything about this brand says luxury and even if I don't use it, it would look lovely as part of a gift for someone else.

It is worth £8.50, and I am assuming this is full size.

Gerda Spillmann, Renaissance Age Serum

I have a love hate relationship with serum samples. In my experience it takes a few weeks to get results so a sample will never provide you with enough to test the benefits, but it is enough for a first impression and to make sure your skin doesn't react badly, and that's probably all that's needed. Gerda Spillmann is a brand I haven't heard of before so this will be a nice introduction to the brand.

A full size product is £69.

Waleda Skin Food

Waleda is a brand I have tried before but not this product. It is described as an all-natural moisturiser for dry skin and Victoria Beckham is meant to be a fan. Just the name makes it sound perfect to me, so I am looking forward to trying this.

A full sized product is £8.50.

Natio Gentle foaming facial cleanser

I've been trying to move away from foaming cleansers in general but somehow I always seem to end up with another! But Natio say that their cleanser leaves out the traditional lathering chemicals so that skin doesn't feel dry, so I am curious to try this and see how my skin responds.

A full sized product costs £6.80.

Mirenesse Glossy Kiss

I've heard of Mirenesse before but not used the products. I was really pleased to see a makeup product in the box and extra pleased that I got a shade I would wear.

Again, I am assuming this is full size, which means the product is worth £17.50.

Lifestyle extra: Paname Paris mirror

When I first saw this inside the box I thought it was a badge! But in fact it is a lovely sized mirror great for a handbag/makeup case.

This is worth £7.50.

As I said previously I am very happy with the box and I know I'll look forward to it arriving each month. This particular box seems to be great value for money with two full sized products and another two generous sample sizes.

I also briefly want to mention the packaging.....how cute! I'm not sure about the use of the drawstring bag though. I also really enjoyed flicking through the magazine to find out more about the products in the box and other beauty news.

If you are interested in subscribing to Birchbox more information can be found on their website.

Let me know which beauty boxes you love, or are you over the beauty box trend now? Also don't forget to leave me your thoughts on having a regular Birchbox post.

Sample session: The Discovery Box by The Fragrance Shop

Today’s sample session is a little different, because it’s actually five samples all wrapped up in a cute box.

The Discovery Box by The Fragrance Shop is a box that allows you to try the latest fragrance launches from The Fragrance Shop.

Perfume samples are the only beauty samples that I really appreciate, they are great for your handbag and on holiday and even though perfume is generally something you know if you like straight away, I always appreciate the opportunity test something throughly before I make up my mind.

This box is the second edition and contains five fragrance samples as well as a leaflet with details of the fragrances and discount vouchers for £5 off a bottle 30ml or more. The box costs £5 every quarter, which is a very affordable price and being quarterly it means you won’t get overloaded with samples or vouchers that you won’t use.

The samples in this quarters box are:

Lacoste Eau de Lacoste Pour Femme

30ml EDP £32.50

Top notes: White pineapple, Calabrian mandarin and bergamont

Heart notes: Orange flower, jasmin sambac and pineapple flower 

Base notes: Sandalwood, vanilla, vetyver grass and Peru balsam

What I think: This scent was fresh and I could smell the top fruity notes even after it had settled on the skin for a bit. I could also pick up on the woody base note and overall I liked the scent and it is something I would consider purchasing.

Roberto Cavalli Just Cavalli

30ml EDP £29.50

Top notes: Neroli from orange blossom

Heart notes: Tahitan Tiare

Base notes: Palisander wood

What I think: This scent smelt like posh talcum powder to me, it was very flowery. After a while the scent did settle and was much more subtle and wearable but it is still not something I would choose to wear. 

Juicy Couture Couture La La 

30ml EDP £34.50

Top notes: Mandarin, green apple, red currant and water hyacinth

Heart notes: Lily, peony, violet leaves and orange flowers

Base notes: Smooth woods and liquid musk

What I think: This was a clean and fresh scent and considering the top notes this wasn’t as citrus as I expected, after it settled the musk scent came through.  

Vera Wang Lovestruck Floral Rush 

30ml EDP £34.50

Top notes: Champagne with apricot blossom and pink pepper

Heart notes: Pink passion flower, marigold and white freesia

Base notes: Cashmere woods with sheer musk and white amber

What I think: This was my favourite scent of the lot, although it is floral, it was also light and fresh and something that I would wear on an everyday basis. 

Nina Ricci Nina Leau 

30ml EDP £24.99

Top notes: Apple, grapefruit mandarin and neroli

Heart notes: Accord wash with gardenia and a kick of cherry

Base notes: Musk

What I think: I love the look of the bottle for this scent the most, the perfume was strong and not too pleasant at first but after it settled it had a subtle musk scent.  

I’m in mixed minds about the box, I really enjoyed trying out different sets at home and having the chance to let them settle on my skin without feeling pressured in a store, but I am not sure I am someone who would get the best value from it.

However, I do think this  box would be ideal for anyone who is really into perfumes. It is a great way of trying the latest scents and making a purchase with the handy £5 discount. You are bound to like at least one of the scents and buying just one perfume would mean that you more than get your money back for the box purchase. Every bottle after that just makes it better value for money and I think in the run up to Christmas it would be a great way of picking up gifts for your girlfriends/family at a discount.

What do you think of the perfume Discovery Box, is it something you would sign up to?

I was kindly sent this box to review, but all thoughts are honest and my own.

Spending ban empties

I am so glad I can finally throw these empties into the recycling. Having them piled up over the last three months was very frustrating, but there is a weird satisfaction now looking through the pile of the rubbish.

Minus a few bottles of shampoo, shower gel and a cleanser, this is everything I finished since the new year. I made a point of finishing products that were near the end of their life as well as travel sizes of products I had been saving for trips away. Not only do I not go away very often but when I do I tend to take what I know and like to use.

In total I used up 7 skincare products, 8 shower and body products, 8 hair products, 2 lip products and 1 alcohol gel.

There are only two products in the pile that I was disappointed to finish. The first was Liquid Gold. Having had a series of break outs and a rather bad spot disaster resulting in quite a serious scar I could do with the benefits of glycolic right now. Although I have the Nip + Fab pads, I can now see there limits and for me they are suited to maintaining good skin rather than helping to create it.

The second product was Rimmel’s Exaggerate waterproof eyeliner. I actually ran out of this quite early on and surprisingly don't have any other black waterproof eyeliners. I've tested out a few others in my collection since but I've been disappointed and instead I've started using liquid eyeliner more and leaving my waterline bare.

Products I was glad to finish we're the Bioderma micelle solution, which is something I don't understand the hype for, and the Coconut body cream from Bath and Body works, after so many months of using it I got sick of the scent!

I finished three makeup products, four if you count BB cream as a makeup rather than a skin care product, which based on my new rule, means that I can buy two makeup products. But other than repurchasing the Rimmel eyeliner, nothing I want springs to mind although a good review of any of the new CC creams may tempt me.

Spending Ban COMPLETE

So 100 days since the new year have passed and the spending ban is finally OVER! I didn’t quite make it through without spending, which I am disappointed about, but I know that even with that slip up I have saved money and I have managed to reduce my pile of products. The fact that in 100 days I didn't need to make one essential purchase just shows how many products I have multiples of.

I'm going to do a separate empties post showing everything I finished in the last 100 days, what I struggled to go without and what I plan on repurchasing, so this post is about what I learnt and what next.

If you didn't see my original spending ban post you can find it here, as well as my one month and two month updates and you can also read what purchase lead me to breaking it!

What I learnt:

I'm an emotional spender

This was my biggest lesson. If I have a bad day I want to treat myself. Usually it is something small and inexpensive and that is where beauty comes in. That being said a lot of times browsing in store or just filling up a basket online and not clicking buy is enough to cheer me up, but to save myself from temptation I wasn't doing that, which was frustrating.

I like to eat

I realised that taking out beauty and clothes makes my biggest expenses travel and food. I can’t do anything about London transport prices but I buy lunch most days and eat out a lot. I don't necessarily want to change that, because all my social activities revolve around eating, but the spending ban certainly opened my eyes to it.

I always use the same products

I'm referring to makeup when I say this. Over the course of the last 100 days I've reached for the same makeup and I really need to make the most out of my collection. I'm better at not hoarding skincare and that generally gets used up quicker anyway.

What now?

I've decided to extend the spending ban a little longer, probably until the end of the month, partly as a penalty for breaking it but also just to keep saving money. I am going to relax my conditions though, originally I banned myself from using vouchers and points I have and I even didn't activate a subscription to Birchbox I won at Christmas. I've now activated my subscription and if there is something I really want or need I'll buy it from wherever is cheapest and will save my vouchers for something special.

To make more out of my makeup I’ve also set a rule that if I want to buy something new I have to finish two makeup products first. I'm not sure how well I'll do with this but we'll see.

In all the spending ban was a positive experience and I'm glad I took part. It was good to read the updates from other bloggers and have that support at weaker times.

If you took part or are thinking of starting your own spending ban let me know, I'd love to hear how you are getting on.

Sample session: Davines Shampoo and Conditioner

I decided to test a Davines hair care sample this week, which I received in the #LiveBloggers goodie bag — yes I am still working my way through that!

Davines is a salon brand that I wasn’t aware of prior to the event. Founded by the Bollati family in 1983, the Davines Group started as a research laboratory producing high-end hair care products for cosmetic companies, later creating their own brand of hair care products.

I tried the Melu mellow anti-breakage lustrous shampoo and the Nounou nourishing illuminating conditioner, both from the well-being range, which address hair and scalp wellness.

The shampoo is designed for long or damaged hair, in particular for long hair with a tendency to break. Davines say that its active ingredients — polyquaternium-67, a conditioning agent, quatenium-8, a softening, conditioning agent and spinach extract, an anti-oxidant with remineralizing and strenghtening properties — respect the structure of long hair and strengthen it.

It's a bit difficult to comment on the antibreakage claim from the shampoo from just one use, but it did smell gorgeous and fruity and left my hair feeling very clean.

The Nounou conditioner is meant to be ideal for chemically treated and coloured hair to restructure, moisturise and prolonging the colour. The conditioner didn't smell as nice as the shampoo but it did leave my hair feeling soft and moisturised and gave it a healthy looking shine.

The application is slightly different to a regular conditioner in that you leave the conditioner to work for 5 to 10 minutes, comb through, then rinse. I personally spend too much time in the shower but obviously if you are in a hurry this wouldn’t be an ideal conditioner for you.

I doubt that there is any hair care set that I'll go out of my way to look for but if I did stumble across this I would pick up the full size. The only problem is that I think it is a little pricey. The shampoo costs £6.35 for 75ml and £13.35 for 250ml and the conditioner costs £6.55 for 75ml, £14.65 for 250ml and £37.50 for 1000ml. The products can be purchased online at salonskincare.co.uk.

One thing that I read on the website, which I thought was a nice touch for a brand is that Davines adopted a zero impact policy for many of their haircare and skin care lines. The carbon dioxide emissions generated by the production of the packaging are offset by the protection and reforestation of nature reserves in Italy and Costa Rica, which is actually something that would persuade me to purchase from the brand.

Quick review: No7 BB cream (medium/dry)

Having loved the Garnier BB cream, I wanted to give the No7 offering a chance to impress me too.

No7 were the first to introduce skin type variations of the cream. Having dry skin, the more moisturising is it and greasier it feels the more I love it, but I do think that having a type for oily skins, which I assume doesn’t have a greasy feel, is a really good idea.

That being said, I found this felt less greasy than the Garnier cream, which at first I didn’t like since it also seemed harder to spread. I usually apply this using a flat top brush, which makes blending the product easier and minimises wastage.

The cream gives a medium coverage but I don’t find it easy to build and instead, use a concealer for any spots and marks. It has a dewy finish, which I prefer to tone down using a bit of translucent powder or even a really thin layer of mineral foundation. The cream lasts for about 6 hours, which I am impressed with.

There are two shades available, fair and medium. I opted for the medium, although the difference between the two for my skin tone is minimal in my opinion. That being said, it’s not a great match and it some lights my face does look darker than my body, and I haven’t been able to use this during the winter because without a tan it looks that much darker on me. 

This falls under the “it’s all right” category of products for me, so although I will still be on the hunt for a better BB cream, I wouldn’t rule out buying it again.

The BB cream can be purchased from Boots and costs £12.95, but there are always offers and vouchers to be had to get it for cheaper.

Glotan Tan in a Can

I'm not the greatest user of fake tan, mini disasters in the past had put me off, despite my love of the sun-kissed look. So when Tan in a Can offered me the chance to trial their product, I was nervous but excited too.

I have always used cream based fake tan and never had a spray tan. Tan in a can is, as the name suggests, an aerosol can, which you spray as a light mist over the skin.

The Glotan tanning solution was developed by Julie Allen, who has worked in the beauty industry for over 20 years. Julie was fed up with the quality of salon tans and wanted to created a solution that was ‘as organic as possible,’ alcohol and fragrance free and contained natural moisturisers and vitamin E.

To apply Tan in a Can recommend the following:

• Wax or shave 24 hours before application to avoid irritation
• Use on dry skin
• Stand in a shower cubicle or in the bath as the tan creates a mist (which easily washed away)
• Leave 12 inches between your skin and the can to create a mist (if the tan starts to drip you are spraying too close)
• Apply in a light circular motion and allow the mist to settle
• Do not point at specific areas
• Do not spray the same area twice (it is better to build up the colour over a few applications)
• Allow to dry for about 10 minutes before dressing
• Do not bathe or shower for at least and hour

The application takes practice, my best bit of advice would be to get as far away as possible when spraying to avoid drips, and once you have applied be careful about wetting where ever it is that you have applied the tan, other wise you risk water marks on your skin — yes that was my lesson learnt the hard way! Of course applying to the back of your legs and your back is going to be very tricky on your own so it is best to get a friend/partner to help.

I did get drips of the product where I had applied to closely or not moved the can around when spraying, but I was able to lightly dab with a tissue to get rid of the excess and this didn’t affect the finish result.

The best bit about this tanning application is that once you have sprayed on the tan, that’s it. No rubbing it in and no long drying time. The light mist of product means that your skin doesn’t feel wet or sticky and I was able to get dressed soon after applying and carry on with my day. Another bonus is that the product didn’t leave that fake tan scent on the skin.

‘One coat’ of tan against untanned skin

I applied the colour over two nights to get an idea of how well it builds, the first coat gave a really natural looking colour and is the best I have achieved from any tanning product. On the second night the tan was deeper and the colour can be built up to as dark as you desire.

I did have some areas where the colour built up more than others, particularly near the wrists, but I believe this was down to my application. However, it was easy enough to even out by washing my hands with soap and gently rubbing with a muslin cloth.

The tan lasted for about a week and I was pleased that it faded evenly and that is wasn’t obvious that I had used a tanning product.

For a return to fake tanning, I was impressed with the results and I’m looking forward to using this in the summer when I’m not wrapped in multiple layers! 

Tan in a Can can be bought online and is priced at £21.99 for 200ml.

Sample session: Urban Decay Naked Foundation

After feeling inspired by Lisa Eldridge’s foundation video series, I decided to get my hands on a sample of Urban Decay’s Naked Skin foundation, which is the product that initially piqued my interest in trying liquid foundation again.

Urban Decay describe the Naked Skin as “weightless ultra definition liquid makeup,” which blurs imperfections to deliver a flawless finish that looks professionally retouched and feels invisible.

There are a total of 18 shades, each catering to different undertones, I was matched to shade 4, which is perfect for me. 

Aqua (Water/Eau), Cyclopentasiloxane, Butylene Glycol, Silica, Cyclohexasiloxane, Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Sodium Chloride, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Litchi Chinensis Pericarp Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Tribehenin, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Dimethicone/Polyglycerin-3 Crosspolymer, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Polysorbate 20, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Propylene Glycol, Carbomer, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Hexyl Laurate, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol 

As you can probably tell from the picture the formulation is very watery but you only need a small amount of product to get a light to medium coverage and the foundation sets quickly. The foundation does have a very faint scent but it doesn’t linger. I applied using my fingers but have also used a brush to buff in the product.

The foundation gives a demi-matte finish and is very natural looking, so it is great for use on an everyday basis. I was told that the foundation is buildable but I didn’t find this to be the case. Although it was very good at evening out skin tone I needed to use a separate concealer for my scars.

Used alone, without primer or a setting with a powder, the wear time was between 6 to 8 hours, but using a primer I was able to wear it for over 12 hours without noticing any fading (with the exception of my scar).

I found that the foundation did highlight some of my driest patches, but overall on my dry skin I really liked the look and my skin felt smooth and hydrated throughout the day. I think that oily combination skin types will also like the finish and formulation of this and I had no problems with my skin breaking out in the week that I tested this. 

I am very tempted to purchase a full size bottle. At £27 it is expensive, but the formulation is worth it in my opinion.

If you are interested in Naked Skin I would definitely recommend getting a colour match and a sample from Urban Decay, the sample is meant to last over two weeks, which is plenty of time to get a feel for if you like the product.

Naked Skin can be purchased from Urban Decay online, Debenhams, House of Fraser, Beauty Bay and Look Fantastic.