"Zest is the secret of all beauty. There is no beauty that is attractive without zest." - Christian Dior

Friday 28 June 2013

Burberry Beauty – Fresh Glow


I admit – I am usually a sucker for hype, as my Drawer of Uselessness will attest to (actually, I think that will become two drawers very soon. I should just throw it all away, really – or at least find it all new homes). But so far, I have resisted all companies’ attempts to sway me to buy primer. 

I just…….. don’t see the point, really. My skin is dry, so I don’t usually get the problem of foundation slipping down my face/creasing eyeshadows etc – mine is usually the opposite problem, i.e. that it all clings unseemingly to flaky patches so that I look like I’ve got early-onset leprosy. So, my make-up priming routine consists of moisturising (as per normal), then maybe moisturising again (if I’m having a Gobi Desert day), then on days where I’ve got client meetings I’ll also put a thin layer of Clarins Beauty Flash Balm on, then….. away you go. JD.

Wellll……. When it comes to Burberry, my magpie tendencies kick in. And I must admit, I have heard nothing but good things in the beauty blogs I normally read, so I thought – do you know what? I’m going to take the plunge.

According to the website,  Fresh Glow is…… “all-in-one make-up and skincare product to moisturise and highlight. Innovative luminous fluid base for instant radiance. One shade perfects all skin tones. Apply as a moisturiser for a radiant glow or use as a shimmering highlighter.”

OH. MY. GAWD.

If any product is worth its hype, THIS IS IT.

I'll say one thing for Burberry - their packaging is classy. Although this is heavy plastic rather than glass,
so much better for travelling

Camera just wouldn't pick up the GAWJUSNESS of this stuff. on the far right is a patch that I blended out - to the naked eye, it's a slightly visible patch of radiant loveliness which really isn't coming across here. Grr. 

Right then – what do you want a primer to do?


….. make your foundation stay on longer?
Check. I’m finding that my make-up stays put until I get home, which is a mini-miracle  in its own right (usually I top up a bit at lunch and then it has still all but disappeared by the time I get in the car – so I’m getting another good two or three hours if I use Fresh Glow).

…… give your skin an “inner radiance”?
Cliché aside, check. There is a very fine shimmer in this which is NOT DISCO-GLITTERBALL TERRITORY. It genuinely makes my skin look more refreshed, and……. dare I say it…… younger? Plumper, certainly, which is pretty much the same thing.

… mix nicely with your normal foundation to make a perfect light summer-appropriate base?
Check. Tried and tested with Lancome Teint Miracle, Diorskin Nude, Revlon Colourstay, Estee Lauder Double Wear Light, and it works with every single one.

…. also double as a subtle highlighter?
Check. Along the cheekbones and high points of the face, this will give you an inner-lit glow. NOT a highlighter in the truest sense (i.e. Guerlain Meteorites, Becca Skin Perfector etc) but this will give your skin a little something extra - which may leave people wondering whether your glow comes from having copious amounts of grunty-monkey-sex with the postman, or something. Or not.

….. work on its own as a radiance booster even on non-makeup days?
Check. Check check check check.

At the risk of making this sound like a gushing torrent of “can-do-no-wrong”, this only comes in one colour - fine for us pasty Patsys, but not so good for the deeper-skinned lovelies out there. *NINJA EDIT* It now also comes in a slightly darker shade, "Golden Radiance", while this lighter one that I have got is now called "Nude Radiance" on the website. Yay!

Also, this stuff is PRICEY. £34, from the Burberry website. That’s thirty-four English pounds. However, this stuff will LAST. I have been using it pretty much every day for a fortnight and I’m barely made a dent in it – a little goes a long way, so this will last a good four or five months, even if I keep using it every day (which I probably won’t, once the novelty wears off).

Caught up in product hype? GUILTY. But at least this one lives up to it.

Jen
x


Wednesday 26 June 2013

QUICK REVIEW: Burberry Beauty – Lip Cover lipsticks: Antique Rose, Sepia, Brick Red


Another drive-by review today – about another product I love. Burberry seems to get all of their products right – whether it’s lipsticks, eyeshadows, or base products (especially the Fresh Glow which I have recently bought – review coming soon!). Everything is done with taste, class and ridiculously superior quality.

In the spotlight today are the Lip Cover lipsticks (of which I own three, which is nowhere near enough). Having also got a couple of Lip Velvets and Lip Mists, I can safely say that there is no bad apple among the formulas, but that they do very different things.

According to the Burberry UK website, “……….Burberry Lip Cover adds a touch of radiance. The lightweight combination of nourishing oils and gel dispersed pigment ensures intense moisture and long lasting colour. Burberry Lip Cover contains anti-aging ceramides for fuller lip definition. Apply like a normal lipstick or apply to the finger and press into the lips for an effortless natural colour.”

Although I have next to no idea what ceramides are, I think the description is pretty spot-on. The Lip Covers are more of a satin finish, meaning they are more nourishing, have good slip and keep my lips relatively hydrated. The drawback to this of course is the re-application – wear time for me is less than an hour, but to be honest when the packaging is this luxe and the product itself is so damn awesome, reapplying this bad boy is no chore.

The three shades I have are:

No. 11 Antique Rose – a soft dusty  mauve-rose, which applies a little “milky”-looking on me, but that disappears once it has settled for five minutes.

No. 12 Sepia – a lovely deep, neutral rose shade with brown tones that is dark enough to give definition and pizzazz, but not so over the top that it isn’t work appropriate.

No. 19 Brick Red – a deep, velvety red that can also be work appropriate if blotted, but can also be layered up for night-time oomph. Nowhere near as bright as it's Lip Velvet cousin, Military Red - so infinitely more wearable. I'll get a lot of mileage out of this one.

Swatch-tastic:



L-R: Brick Red, Sepia, Antique Rose
Top: Antique Rose; Middle: Sepia;  Bottom: Brick Red
Bare lips, for reference
No. 11 Antique Rose
No. 12 Sepia
No. 19 Brick Red
Due to the slippiness of these, and the opaque coverage (swatches below are one-swipers), I would recommend copious blotting and lip-brush application for these. I went for the “straight-out-of-the-bullet” approach for the lip swatches, and as you can see, it looks shoddy – not too bad for Antique Rose, but you need precision for the darker shades.

My wishlist is getting longer……. There are at least five other shades I NEED IN MY LIFE.

Burberry – is there nothing you get wrong?

Jen
x