My Everyday Moisturiser: Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel

I'm still a huge fan of my La Roche Posay  Effaclar Mat (review here) and still recommend it as a great mattifying moisturiser, but I've found something that I feel is more beneficial to my skin as far as moisture goes. Enter Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel, my new favourite fuss free moisturiser for Combination/Oily and Oily skin gals like myself.

I first discovered this yellow bottle of goodness when I bought my Mum some Clinique skincare for Mothers Day a year or so back. I remember trying it out a few times and really liking how it didn't add any excess gunk to my face. It moisturised beautifully and left my skin not looking oily throughout the day - result! 

I stopped using my Mum's as I felt bad and happily fell in love with Effaclar Mat. 

The newest release from Clinique is their Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+, which I had seen around at work as the girls were promoting the new addition to the DD family. It reminded me of my brief affair with the gel alternative and led me to getting a bottle for myself, which I'm really glad I did!

DD gives me the same kind of mattifying feeling that the Effaclar Mat does, it's definitely not rich or dewy looking which is what I want. Make-up goes on beautifully over the top of it and my Estée Lauder Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher (review soon!) works really well underneath it. Both of these together provide the perfect base for make-up and a nice shine-free base for no make-up also. 

Unlike the Effaclar, it feels like its really moisturising my skin deep down, not just providing a mattifying layer that won't make me look like a chip pan face. My face feels plump and smooth after I use it, which I love. 

Moisture in the skin is so important, and I'd rather have moisture in my skin and be slightly oiler than to not moisturise at all just so that my skin looks matte all day. Having said that, this moisturiser controls my oil really well and gives me more of a glow than an oily look throughout the day, which I'm really happy with. 

Another great thing about this product is the price point. A massive 100ml will only set you back £29.50 (most high end moisturisers are 50ml and some cost much more for only half the amount of the Clinique) and will last a lifetime. I got mine with my employee discount and managed to snag a whopping 200ml for an absolutely bargain-ous price *very happy Chlo*. (I don't know if this size is available to buy on counter but it's not on the Clinique website! It is showing up on the Debenhams website for £37.00 but is not in stock so may have been discontinued!) I use roughly the size of a 5p coin and it does my whole face and spreads partway down my neck. 

DD is 100% Fragrance Free, as all of Clinique's products are, which is great for those who's skin is irritated by fragrance.

A fantastic, fantastic product that I really recommend if you have Combination/Oily or Oily skin. 

You can pick up the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel at any Clinique counter and online here. (The 50ml tube is £17.00).

Benefit Speed Brow

Benefit Speed Brow - £13

Just a quick post about a product I am absolutely loving, my new friend Speed Brow by Benefit.

I find Benefit as a brand quite hit and miss with their products. I am a huge fan of their Erase Paste and use it almost every day, but some of their other products, mainly their base products, have disappointed me. 

I first tried this product at work, as while I was on counter I noticed in the mirror that the hairs on one eyebrow were brushed the wrong way and made it look terrible. I don't know if you know what I mean when your eyebrow hairs get out of control and go in funny directions? As Estee Lauder don't do a brow gel, I quickly popped over to Benefit, applied a quick bit of Speed Brow, and hot footed back to my counter. I was quite skeptical of the tiny brush and didn't think it looked like the best applicator but the small size allows you to be really precise and brush them with accuracy into the desired shape.

I was so impressed by how it smoothed my brows through and kept them in place all day without looking like there is any gunky product on them whatsoever. They literally didn't budge! To touch, my brows felt like they weren't going to move but they didn't feel hard or crispy at all, still soft. It also helps to smooth through the product that you've applied in your brows to help it look natural and not too harsh, but doesn't wipe the product away.

Unedited heavy swatch of Speed Brow on my hand.

Combing the product through is really easy and the colour is perfect for the shade of my brows. Speed Brow does only come in one colour but I do think it's quite universal, it's light enough for blondes and not pigmented enough to look obvious on really dark or black brows. The colour also has a taupe/ashy undertone to it which most people brows naturally have.

All in all, a really fantastic product that does what it says on the tin and one that I would happily repurchase!

You can pick up Benefit's Speed Brow at any Benefit counter and online at benefitcosmetics.co.uk.

Have you tried Speed Brow before? 

Would you recommend any other brow gels?

A few of my favourite things.....

Just wanted to share with you a few beauty bits that are my favourites! There are some very old favourites along with a few newer ones - enjoy! 

MAC Eye Kohl in Teddy

I only used it on my bottom waterline in this photo, and I've been doing that a lot lately. The colour is so rich and smokey, it's a deep copper-brown that is metallic and is such a great alternative to black or brown liner. This is my absolute favourite eyeliner ever and it has been for some time now. I'm so happy that I found this shade - I hope it never gets discontinued!

MAC Face and Body Foundation in C5 and Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Evasion

I have loved Face and Body for over a year now, it is the most fabulous product ever. It has the same ingredient in that they use in lip stains, which means it is like glue! It's waterproof and can be used all over the body - legs, arms, you name it! It would be great for a night out to give your legs that high-definition look. It has a beautiful glow to it and looks just as gorgeous when set with powder. This foundation is almost magic, just when you think it couldn't get any more amazing - when you buff it into the skin, it actually becomes more opaque and thick the more you buff, so great coverage can be obtained from it! A beautiful product that I will always, always repurchase.

As for the lipstick, it's my absolute favourite of all time. It is the most beautiful pink shade that is quite nude and quite close to the colour of my own lips, so it's definitely a 'my lips but better' kind of colour. It's lovely and sheer, really moisturising and leaves lips with a slight sheen and wash of colour. I love it because I can apply it without a mirror and always know it will look good. I highly, highly recommend!

My custom MAC Pro Palette - (Shades clockwise from top left): Satin Taupe, Naked Lunch, Espresso, Soba 

I love my MAC quad, and it comes with me whenever I'm travelling or staying away, it's always in my everyday make-up bag. Naked Lunch was the first eyeshadow I ever bought from MAC! Ahhh memories. This is a really nice neutral palette that is really versatile - the Satin Taupe is great used as a taupe liner, Espresso is great for my brows and as a crease colour, Soba can be whacked all over the lid on it's own and look fab, and Naked Lunch is really brightening and looks great on the brow bone and inner corner of the eye. 

Nude, round nails!

I am loving my current nails - rounded shape with a nude gel polish. I don't know the name of the shade (sorry!) but it's Calgel, which I have spoken about in my nail post here.

Estee Lauder Double Wear a.k.a the Mothership

Needs no introduction - me and Double Wear are in a very intense relationship right now. Review here!

Biologique Recherche Lotion P50

A great exfoliating toner with tons of tingly ingredients including Horseradish (the smell is....interesting to say the least!) and Glycolic Acid. At £49.00 a bottle, this stuff isn't cheap, but it has improved the texture of my skin so much and will be so good for my skin in the long run, in terms of lines and ageing etc.

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream

A staple of mine! It's always in my bag, possibly the best no-fuss lipgloss ever! Looks great over any lipstick and oh so nourishing. I wear this on it's own a lot, and it's great for spots too! A firm fave.

Bioderma Crealine H2O

 A cult beauty product in the beauty world - and rightly so. I wouldn't use anything else to remove my make-up, although sometimes an oil based product is needed if I have heavy make-up on my eyes etc. The giant 500ml bottle lasts me for ages and is 100% worth the money. I order mine off of eBay from monseiurgeorgew.

The Original Tangle Teezer and Tangle Teezer Compact Styler

I love love love my Tangle Teezers! They are perfect for my hair as it's very thick and I end up pulling out chunks with normal hairbrushes and hurting myself in the process! These are so gentle and get rid of all my tangles without being painful or difficult in the slightest! Perfect for Afro-Caribbean hair that is weak and prone to breakage. The pink one is the compact version that I keep in my handbag at all times!!

Classic Beauty Blender

My sponge companion for make-up application on a daily basis - I love this lil pink guy! Makes all make-up look flawless and airbrushed, brushes just don't do it the same for me after this! I have reviewed it here!

Just a few of my faves ;-) 

I hope you enjoyed this post!

The Beauty Blogger 'Get To Know Me' Tag!

1. Is your hair naturally curly or straight?

VERY curly! Frizzy infact!

2. Do you dye it yourself or go to a salon?

Dye it myself with Garnier Olia - it's fab!

3. Do you wear the same style everyday, or do you change it?

I do it pretty similar everyday but sometimes I chop and change.

4. Do you do your own mani/pedi or go to a salon?

I go every two weeks to get my nails done, but I do my toes myself :-)

5. How often do you change your nail polish?

2 weeks (I wear gel/Calgel).

6. Do you polish your toes in the winter or just the summer?

I get a bit lazy with them in the Winter and tend to just have a clear polish on them as no one ever see's them but in Summer I do try to always have them painted.

7. How long does it take for you to put on makeup?

If I'm going 'out out' then I can take up to 45 minutes, but everyday maybe 25-35 minutes. It depends on what make-up I'm doing.

8. What do you do first? Face or eyes?

Face if I'm not wearing eyeshadow, and eyes first if I'm wearing eyeshadow.

9. Do you collect makeup or just buy what you need when you need it?

Collector! A hardcore one *hides face*

10. How often do you wear false eyelashes?

Hardly ever, I can't apply them to save my life!

11. Do you do a full face of makeup everyday?

No, I'd say I average on 4 days a week wearing make-up, I love to not wear any and let my skin breath/be able to rub my eyes LOL :-)

12. Do you wear makeup when you're home alone or with family?

I don't really, no. Unless I'm bored and putting on make-up for fun or to practice which I do a lot.

13. Will you leave the house without makeup?

Yeah, I do it all the time. It doesn't bother me. I think it's pretty strange when people say 'I can't leave the house without make-up on'. I'm pretty comfortable in my own skin.

14. How many high-end products do you have?

A lot LOL :-)

15. Do you plan your OOTD every night or decide when you're getting dressed?

If I'm going out somewhere then I always plan, if it's day-to-day then I might or I might not, it depends.

16. How often do you change your handbag?

Hmm....every month maybe? I don't know.

17. What time do you wake up and go to sleep?

If I have work about half 7am, on my days off I try to get up between 8am and 10am, depends how tired I am! And I go to sleep about 12pm every night. 

18. How often or when do you workout?

Never! Haha, I want to, but I'd rather be at home with a cuppa!

19. Left handed or right handed?

Right.

20. How tall are you?

5'3" - roughly.

21. Do you speak any foreign languages?

A little French, very little.

22. How many pets do you have?

My puppy dog Chilly who is my pride and joy, I also had a black Goldfish called Francois (after NARS) but he died :-(

23. How often are you on Blogger?

Quite a lot just browsing at other blogs and writing posts too, maybe once a day? I don't know.

24. Do you read comments posted on blogs?

I do a lot actually.

25. Do you keep a list of products to try as you see other posts?

Yes, LOADS of lists!

26. How did you come up with your blog name?

My middle name is 'Mykel' and I love Coco Chanel.....so I just thought of Coco Mykel!

27. What kind of camera do you use for your photographs?

Samsung NX1000 - I love it.

28. How often do you clean your house?

N/a - my Mum does it but I do sometimes hoover around and clean the bathroom if I'm feeling nice!

29. What's your favorite color?

Purple probably :-)

30. Do you swear?

Yes LOL.

31. What are you doing with the rest of your day?

Just about to hop in the shower and wash my hair ready to go and see my friend Michaela!

-

Give this Tag a go if you like! I hope you enjoyed my answers :-)

Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation in 190 True Beige - Review

Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation in 190 True Beige - £8.99 here.

Revlon's Nearly Naked Foundation is something I've read about and watched people talk about for a good while now, so I popped into Boots to pick up one and try it for myself. Having just written my rave review on Estee Lauders Double Wear (post here), I wasn't looking for anything to top it, because frankly at the moment that one ticks all my boxes. I don't tend to go for drugstore foundations, simply because I like a really good base and the ones I've tried haven't really cut it. I wanted to try this one as I know not everyone can afford/want to spend loads of money on high-end foundations and it's something different on the blog! 

This foundation has ten shades, and out of those ten I managed to find a really good match which is '190 True Beige'. I was impressed by the shade range and it's a nice change to see a drugstore foundation with pretty much a shade for everyone. Even one of their darkest looked like it would suit my Mum who is an NC50 in MAC and can never find foundations dark enough in Boots, Superdrug etc. (That's a whole other issue for another day, I will definitely do a post on discrimination of fair and dark skin tones in the make-up industry.) I'm not sure about the lightest shade as certain people are lighter than some brands lightest shade, but just pop into Boots and try some instore.

As for the packaging, it's actually really nice, much nicer than most drugstore foundation bottles. It's a nice, slim glass bottle with a white lid and the design looks very minimal - fitting with the concept of the foundation itself. The foundation has no pump (is this a new trend?!) which means you have to pour the foundation out, so be careful! Not realising that this was a water-based foundation, I decided to use it with my Beauty Blender - big mistake! Because this foundation is water-based, my sponge just soaked up a lot of the product, which is obviously a waste and required me to use more than I normally would have. The sponge does release product when you squish it down against your face, but a brush would be much more ideal! Keep this in mind when you are applying foundation - water-based ones work better with fingers or brushes and silicone or oil based foundations can work with either a damp, sponge, brushes or fingers. Sponge drama aside, I applied one layer and then just went over any other areas of redness that needed a bit extra.

Me wearing just the Revlon Nearly Naked foundation and nothing else.

As you can see the coverage is light, but the foundation itself is actually undetectable in the close-up photo. You can still see my freckles which is nice, and you can't feel it on your skin at all. So if you like your foundation to look like your not wearing any, then you may really love this. I have pretty good, clear skin, and no breakouts at the time that I tried this, so my face looks flawless and natural with this. As you can see, it hasn't tackled my under-eye darkness at all, but I wasn't expecting it to as it such a light coverage. The coverage is almost like a tinted moisturiser, but the consistency is very light and fluid, easily blendable too.

Here I added some MAC Studio Fix Powder in NC42 to my t-zone to set and mattify slightly.

I used my Studio Fix powder to add a touch more coverage in the t-zone, which you could do with any opaque powder. 

Rest of make-up done!

As you can see, the foundation looks really nice on and when the rest of my make-up is done. The beauty of this foundation is that it's perfect for down days when you just want a bit of coverage, a lick of mascara and thats it. If i were to do that with Double Wear, I get so much coverage from it that my face looks all one colour and the planes of my face need to be put back in with blush and bronzer - if that makes sense? Basically, this foundation makes you look like you, just a tad better. So if you have good skin, not many imperfections and just want to even everything out and look naturally flawless - this is for you! If you have more redness, lots of breakouts, pores etc then this won't really do much for your skin. 

Overall, I like it. I wouldn't wear it if I was going out, but on days if I am just popping to the shops or don't need to look made-up, a quick layer of this will do. The SPF 20 is great too if you're going to be outside during the day and want to protect your skin while still wearing a bit of coverage. 

Revlon's Nearly Naked foundation is available in Boots and Superdrug.

Have you tried this foundation?

(If you want to know what other products I used in this post, they are listed at the bottom of my previous one here!)

Laura Mercier Crème Smooth Lip Colour in Arabesque - Spring '13 Collection

Laura Mercier Crème Smooth Lip Colour in Arabesque - £20

After photographing this lippy, it became apparent that taking pictures of lipsticks is in fact my idea of a good time, who'd a thought 'eh?

I picked up this Laura Mercier Crème Smooth Lip Colour in Arabesque a few months back in John Lewis when shopping in Central London. This lipstick is part of the Arabesque Collection for Spring '13 and I was won over by the colour immediately. 

Arabesque is a gorgeous peach pink shade, smooth and creamy with no shimmer.

  The colour pay-off is nice, the texture is really creamy and very easy to apply. It feels moisturising on the lips, however because it's such a creamy formula, it does accentuate flakes, dry patches and settles into lines *frowns*. I have a problem with a lot of lipsticks for this reason, but this one does accentuate problem areas quite badly. It looks really nice blotted in slightly after I've scrubbed my lips and applied a lip balm which I normally do anyway before applying lip products.

Arabesque Crème Smooth Lip Colour
swatched on my hand

I do really love the shade and it looks lovely under lip glosses of a similar shade for a more full lip effect. Like all LM's products, the packaging is beautiful, really chic and expensive looking. It feels nice and weighty too!

You can pick up Arabesque from any Laura Mercier counter or on Space.NK for £20, but I do think it's limited edition so it wont be around forever!

Have you tried any Laura Mercier products?

Make-Up Wishlist - February

So I've done a few 'wishlist' posts before, but this one is strictly make-up. There are a lot of products that I'm lusting after at the moment, and my birthday is coming up so I hope to pick up some of these things in the very near future!

1. Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush in Cherub - I've been dying to try Daniel's Watercolour blushes for so long, the idea alone intrigues me and they get such amazing reviews. Cherub is their bestseller and looks like my kinda colour! He is the nicest guy too which is always nice to know - he's always talking to bloggers and make-up lovers on Twitter (he replied to me once *screams*) so check him out @danielsandler Love you Daniel *blows kiss*!

2. Estee Lauder Pure Colour Shadow Paint in Chained - I decided I had to have this when I saw it in one of Anna's (ViviannaDoesMakeup) videos, Chained is a gorgeous deep bronzey colour which I think would be great for a really quick smokey eye applied all over the lid with a finger.

3. Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch Primer - Really intrigued to try this one as I really don't get on with Benefit's The Porefessional primer after trying very hard to like it - too greasy for me. This Clarins primer promises to smooth out lines and imperfections which is what we all want, right? I'm very keen to try this under my eyes to hold onto my concealer. 

4. Illamasqua 'Blush Up' Brush - A great idea from Illamasqua as I always apply my blush to my cheekbones not the apples of my cheeks - I feel it sculpts and lifts my face much more. This brush would make it so much easier to get that chiseled strip of blush.

5. Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Powder Pink - Having never tried a cream blush product before I am really keen to get my hands on this Bobbi Brown one. The price point is quite reasonable as it's a multi-use product and the colour looks subtle with a beige hint which is different from the peachy pink blushers I usually go for. (My fav being Laura Mercier's Second Skin Blush in Peach Whisper).

6. Kevyn Aucoin 'The Celestial Powder' in Candlelight - I first heard about this highlighter from one of my all time favourite make-up artists Mario Dedivanovic - Kim Kardashian's make-up artist. He used this on Khloe Kardashian for a photoshoot and it looked absolutely beautiful on her.

7. Kevyn Aucoin Pure Powder Glow in Myracle - Another one introduced to me by Mario, he used this on Kim Kardashian for a red carpet look (*edit* I found out that the shade he used is actually called 'Shadore' and is not quite as bright as Myracle *edit*) and it contrasted beautifully to her bronzer as it brightened up her face so much. It looks very shocking in the pan but looked beautiful on the skin. 

8. Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation - Need I say anything about this product? I need to get my mitts on it. Medium to full coverage with a luminous finish?! Yes please. 

9. theBalm timeBalm Concealer - I had never heard about this product until a few days ago when I saw Karen from Makeup and Beauty Blog (She's hilarious) say that it was one of her all time favourite concealers close behind MAC's ProLongwear Concealer which I really like. The word 'balm' just seems to get me every time. (I'm sure its my Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm obsession that has spurred this on.) The texture looks creamy but is apparently non-drying and has great staying power. It retails for around £12 on Feel Unique also which is great!

Have you tried any of these products? What products are you lusting after this month?

Mac Lustre Drops in Pink Rebel Review

MAC Lustre Drops in Pink Rebel - £17.50

I stopped by MAC Pro in Carnaby St the other week and I decided to pick up a product that I have been lusting after for a while. The 'Lustre Drops' are described by MAC as:

" A bronzer that applies like liquid sun. Water-based, beautifully smooth to apply with added pearlized lustre. Inspired by the popular M∙A∙C Face and Body FX. Provides sheer, natural-looking highlights 

with a luminous, shimmering finish. Limited edition. " 

Pink Rebel is a gorgeous champagne/gold shade with a hint of pink and gives a really natural glow to the skin. 

I've been using the lustre drops on the high planes of my face - cheekbones, bridge of nose and cupids bow. You can also mix the drops with your foundation or moisturiser for a natural glow all over - making this product so versatile. You also don't need a lot, a tiny dot will do for highlighting the face and a few drops to mix with is fine. 

This product is great if your skin is feeling dry or dull from the cold weather or if you're feeling drained - it helps make your skin look healthy and dewy.

For me, this is a great product to have in my collection as I am a big fan of glowing, healthy skin! You can pick up this product up online here or from any MAC store.

Have you tried the Lustre Drops?