Diorshow Fusion Mono

The Dior Show Fusion Mono is a gel-mousse texture that gives a mirror shine effect when patted onto the lid, but when applied to the crease and intensified it gives a subtle matte definition. The above colour, 821 Chimere, is a rose gold on the lid but adds a little something extra to the 'No Makeup, Makeup' trend when applied to the crease. It's almost as if a contour powder has been used as a crease shade. There's no fall out and judging by comments on Instagram, it can be used as a highlight too. 

The colour lasts and although described as mirrored, it's too not glittery and transparent, it is multifaceted and buildable. I have used it daily and by looking at the product above, it's hardly noticeable, so it looks as if it will last a long while. 

The product is used in the crease to give subtle definition to the eye.

Having read Jen's post on Dior's spring line, I'm excited to see future products! 

£22.50 for 6.5 grams. 

www.dior.com

Kiehl's Clearly Corrective Dark Circle Perfector

Today's review is for those of you who suffer with panda eyes in the morning, whether as a result of one too many late nights or just frustrating genetics! I think my problem is a combination of the two and I'm always on the lookout for products that will make me look like I've had a few extra hours shut eye.

THE PRODUCT

Kiehl's Clearly Corrective Dark Circle Perfector is a skin-colour eye cream that claims to instantly brighten the under eye area and visibly correct dark circles. I discovered it whilst shopping for cleanser (Kiehl's are brilliant for giving out samples of products that you might want to try) and the first thing the lady in the shop told me was that a little bit goes a very long way... she wasn't wrong!

APPLICATION

You really do need a tiny amount of this product. Used carefully it is opaque enough to cover dark areas, however this means that if you use too much it goes sort of chalky and doesn't blend in. It's not a moisturing product as such so it sits on top of the skin, hence why you only need a small amount. I'm very glad I was given this advice because had I gone in too heavy-handed I would have been complaining about the product rather than singing its praises!

RESULTS

I'll admit I was initially sceptical of the bold claims, but it really does work! It's paler than my skin tone, so in summer it's a bit too pale for me, but I use it to correct dark circles and then go in over the top with my usual toned concealer and the combination works very well. It even has SPF30, which is fantastic, because I know like many people I tend to ignore the eye area when protecting my skin from the sun!

THE VERDICT

I'm very impressed with this product and would definitely purchase it again. At £29 it is a bit expensive, but when you only need a tiny amount it will last a very long time. It's definitely worth picking up a sample if you are interested as I'm not sure it is a shade that will work on all skin tones and types.

£29 for 15ml, www.kiehls.co.uk

On a separate note, Kay has just left for sunny Florida (jealous? moi?!) so coming up over the next couple of weeks she will be sharing holiday-related posts such as beauty must-haves for travelling and tips for packing your suitcase. So keep an eye out for those!

Kure Bazaar – nail polish without the chemical nasties

For the final post under this month's theme, Kay passed a nail polish my way to try by Kure Bazaar (a shade called September), that contains up to 85% natural ingredients. Having faced up to the fact that we absorb a lot of the product we apply to our skin directly into our blood stream (you can read all of our 'Healthy January' posts here), it has become important to me to find some good options for nails.

I'm a nail polish addict, I'll admit it. I've been wearing nail varnish of one shade or another almost every day for the last 20 odd years. I recently tried to give my nails a detox and went out with bare nails (oh how exposed I felt!) for a good couple of weeks. It was necessary, as years of slapping on one chemical-laden shade after another and removing them with equally chemical-laden products has left them weak. It definitely did my nails some good but as soon as Kay handed me this incredible shade of pink I had to slap it on my mitts immediately. It's beautiful....

I'd probably describe this colour as a raspberry pink; it's bright but not your typical hot pink. It's so pigmented that one coat is all you need, although a second coat and a top coat add extra shine and make your manicure last that much longer. The brush is a very nice size and shape and the polish glides on evenly. As an extra bonus it dries very quickly – a relief for every cab driver who has ever had to wait impatiently in my driveway when I inevitably decided to paint my nails at the eleventh hour!

So what makes Kure Bazaar so special and worthy of the £14.95 price tag? Well, it's the brainchild of Brazilian model Kartika Luyet, who aims to give us all better nail health by preserving our nails' natural vitality. These polishes are being billed as revolutionary due to the lack of 'toxic baddies' and inclusion of natural ingredients like cotton and wheat.

According to online natural beauty shop Love Lula: Kure Bazaar Nail Colours have NO Toluene, NO Formaldehyde, NO Dibutyl Phthalate, NO Synthetic Camphor. I'll admit I don't know exactly what all of these are but I sure as heck don't want them on my nails!

I feel the packaging is worthy of a mention here. I know that one concern Kay and I have had when looking for beauty products that contain fewer chemicals, is that the packaging should look high end – especially if the price tag is. You often have to pay a little more for natural products but if the product is great and the packaging looks sleek then it tends to be worth it. And this scores very highly.

In conclusion, due to the fact that I get through a horrendous amount of nail polish, I don't normally spend this much on it. However I do believe in almost every case you get what you pay for. Nothing about your typical nail polish is natural – the smell, the colour, the list of unpronounceable ingredients – but this nail polish is different. I'll hold my hand up and say I think it is well worth the price.

Sadly we often associate natural products with a poor performance, leaving a frustrating conflict – do we want fantastic, effective products or ones that are kind to our bodies? Thankfully companies like this are raising the bar and giving us both. This product is vibrant, lasted the best part of a week without chipping, and who knows, in the long term it might even help a nail polish addict like me to improve the condition of my nails.

Kure Bazaar Nail Colours, RRP £14.95. Check out the other fantastic shades on offer at www.lovelula.com

Bellapierre Coral Cheek and Lip Stain

This was a freebie I received through glossybox.co.uk and is a coral cheek and lipstain by mineral makeup company Bellápierre.

It is so much better than I thought it would be! It's a subtle coral colour, which adds warmth to the cheek and is not overly coral or orange. Actually, it reminds me of a rose gold. It blends really easily – far easier than other cream blushes that I've used previously. A little colour goes a long way and it gives a lovely healthy glow. 

However, it's on the lips that this product really comes into its own. When applied, it looks like a subtle pink nude and reminds me of the L'oreal Collection Privee 'Exclusive Nudes' collection, especially the Julianne Moore Barely Peach. 

It is moisturising and although not totally natural, it's paraben free and does include some natural ingredients, such as Vitamin E, which explains the moisturising-ness. 

I am using it as a lip balm as my Naked Lips Superfruits has run out. Sad times. But it's the kind of product that can be applied without a mirror, on the go, will prevent chapped lippies and add a warming colour. It also doesn't leave that gross residue like some products.

A few snaps getting ready for a night out. Even in artificial light, it holds its own, giving a subtle enhancement to cheeks and lips. 

www.bellapierre.co.uk 

Welcome to our beauty blog!

Once upon a time, two little girls sat next to each other at primary school and decided to be best friends. More than twenty years later those same two little girls were now grown women, who really should have known better than to trek through the woods in high heels just so that they could take some photos in front of a pretty patch of bluebells...

But despite almost twisting their ankles and some unrepeatable foul language shouted at high volume (our sincerest apologies to the local dog walkers!) they did it anyway, because it was the start of a new adventure. The two best friends had decided to own up to their joint obsession with beauty products, come out of the cosmetics closet and start a blog to share concise reviews of their most exciting discoveries…. and that, my friends, is what you are reading.

Welcome to Your Beauty Best Friend!

xxx