skincare review: indeed labs hydraluron range

Hey guys!

As I've gotten older, I've realised that my skin tolerates less and less of the cosmetic products I put on it. Can you believe that I never used to use any skincare items when I was in my teens (yes, even in my late teens), and I never had an issue! My skin was normal and clear, I rarely even got a small pimple - I was incredibly lucky. But, know that I'm in my early 20s, I have noticed that my skin is starting to lean more towards being dry than it is normal. Especially in Winter!

This Winter, my skin has been having a time of it. Its been incredibly difficult to keep it smooth and hydrated, and because it is getting drier, my makeup is starting to look powdery and caked up - which is my biggest makeup pet peeve. So, I've been searching for skincare products that are going to keep my skin looking like it did before when I was a youngin' - and I believe I've found the answer/s.

The Indeed Labs Hydraluron range is a godsend. Never before has a brand made a whole selection of products that I have been interested in. The combination of these are incredible - and my skin has never been so hydrated and rejuvenated! It makes my skin look amazing under my makeup, and best of all, my foundation is gliding on and staying un-caked throughout the day as well. I really wanted to introduce them to you guys (in case you haven't jumped on the Indeed Labs bandwagon yet), because Winter is awful for all of us, and you may be having the same issue that I'm having with my skin.

Read on to see exactly what these products are, and what they do for my skin!

Moisture Boosting Mask

These are sheet masks - am I the only one who never used a sheet mask before these? - and these masks contain hyaluronic acid with a slowly timed release for longer lasting hydrated skin. I basically use these every week, or every two weeks, and I press the mask into my skin and leave it for 15 minutes. After I take it off, I rub in whatever is left on my face and let it completely soak into my skin. It honestly feels like a pre-serum to my actual serum and masks my skin feel rejuvenated and refreshed!

You get four masks in a set, and you can find it here for $29.99AU

Ultimate Moisture Boosting Serum

Honestly, I've used this product the least out of all of the range, but it is 100% my favourite! This also contains a pure form of hyaluronic acid as well as red marine algae to really help hydrate and nourish your skin. I love to use this in the morning as my everyday serum, and the effect it has had in such a short time is absolutely incredible. My skin absolutely drinks this up, and it has such a beautiful glowing effect. Also, you only need a pea sized amount to really moisturise your face, which is such great value for money!

You can find the serum here for $34.99AU

Moisture Jelly

The newest addition to the range, the Moisture Jelly seals in the deal from the mask and the serum. It contains a combination of 5 scientifically proven ingredients that instantly provide moisture to your skin. Instead of being a cream moisturiser like most out there, this is actually a gel or a jelly as the name suggests. Like the serum, it soaks in immediately, and makes my skin feel like a babies bum. I should mention that the serum and this moisture jelly together are a match made in heaven. I use them both in the morning before going with my face for the day and there are no words. Just amazeballs.

You can find the moisture jelly here for $39.99AU

I should also mention that I do use these in conjunction with a cleansing system - its really importnat to obviously get rid of the dry patches before going in with any hydrating products otherwise they don't have the same effect! Luckily, Indeed Labs also have an Exfoliator included in their range! While I haven't tried it, given how much I love these I have no doubt that it will be a purchase in the near future.

What are your must have Winter Skincare products? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time...

xxxx

in between blogging, you can find me here!

instagram: http://instagram.com/beautybybek

twitter: https://twitter.com/bekaaturner

*These products were kindly sent to COAMA HQ for consideration of review. All reviews are 100% honest!

foundation friday: laura mercier silk creme foundation

Hey guys!

It's that time of the week again - and this weeks Foundation Friday will be all about the Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation. One of my favourite foundations ever, and probably as close to holy grail status as I've been able to get so far in terms of foundation.

Never was there a foundation that I wanted to try more than a Laura Mercier one. Seriously, when I went to the States last year, this was the first foundation on my list. I didn't even care about the price! I had heard so much, and seen so many reviews and swatches, and see how gorgeous it looks on the skin that I knew I would love it from the moment I locked eyes on it in Sephora.

You guys voted this in this week - so read on to see a full review on one of the best foundations available (in my opinion - or everyones, whatever)!

First of all, packaging - its a burgundy, slightly shimmery tube, with white lettering. It's a squeeze tube, so it doesn't have a pump, which means it is a little hard to determine how much will come out. Especially since this is a foundation where a little goes a long way, it would be handy to have a pump. But beggars can't be choosers.

This is a mousse formula, really thick, but easy to blend out. As for the coverage - this is super duper high coverage. It is not what I would personally call an everyday foundation, purely because of how much coverage it gives. You really only need the smallest amount to cover your entire face and achieve that full coverage, bur you do need to be careful as if you overstep that line between just enough product and too much product, you are possibly going to be a cakeface.

In saying that, despite the fact that it is high coverage, it has this gorgeous luminous finish to it. Its not matte or completely dewy, but my skin always looks healthy and fresh when I wear this. I love how easy it is to make my skin look absolutely amazing, and in photos too! I always wear this when I go out clubbing with friends or to an event that I know I will be photographed because it looks that great on.

Here are some swatches to give you an idea how much this covers (including my sore, which is apparently still here three weeks later:)

As you can see, it covers my sore, my veins and any other imperfections that I may have - but it still looks like skin. I just adore this foundation. It's very high up there in my foundation ranks, and I would highly suggest that if you are after a full coverage foundation (whether it be for everyday, or for special occasions) that gives you a glowly, radiant finish, that you give this one a go. I could go on for days about how beautiful it looks on, but really you just have to try it for yourself. Plus, the fact that you barely need any to cover your face means that it will last forever and ever.

You can find Laura Mercier products at David Jones, with the Silk Crème foundation priced at $59AU

Thanks for reading! Hope you found this interesting, and quite possibly your new foundation purchase ;)

Have you tried this foundation? Let me know in the comments below!

Also, because this was a late post (my bad), there will be FOUR blog posts this week.

Until next time...

xxxx

in between blogging, you can find me here!

instagram: http://instagram.com/beautybybek

twitter: https://twitter.com/bekaaturner

review & swatches: rimmel london moisture renew lipsticks

Hey guys!

Todays post is all about these gorgeous new additions to the Rimmel London line. I was sent a selection of these to try out and I am loving them so much that I decided to write this to tell you guys about them! Especially given that these are drugstore releases, so they are easy on the wallet! I think these are the new re-formulated version of the Moisture Renew line with all new colours and packaging, but I'm not 100% sure (#badbeautyblogger). In any case, I have been playing around with these for a week now and I have been loving everything about them!

These lipsticks are so beautiful to wear - so beautifully creamy and opaque. They glide on super easy, and are are pretty much full pigmentation with one swipe. The fact that they are 'moisture renew' lipsticks means that they aren't drying on your lips, and they don't catch on any dry patches either. While I'm not sure if they actually moisturise my lips any more than a normal lip balm, they don't take away any hydration either.

Heres an overview of the lipsticks I own!

Ringa Ringa Roses

A beautifully light pink with shimmers throughout.

Vintage Pink

A gorgeous everyday mauve, with a hint of purple undertones

As You Want Victoria

A muted fuschia pink shade, that's still incredibly wearable!

Diva Red

A deeper wine red shade.

In Love With Ginger

My favourite of the bunch - an a very warm red with a strong orange undertone. The most perfect summer colour, I cannot wait to wear it with bronzed skin.

Swatches (l-r): Ringa Ringa Roses, Vintage Pink, As You Want Victoria, Diva Red & In Love With Ginger

Can you see how gorgeous these colours are? Just absolutely beautiful, and they all swatch like butter and stay incredibly creamy. I should also mention that the staying power of these, especially the darker shades, is amazing. When swatching these, I wiped my arms with a makeup remover wipe and then soap and the colour still remained faintly. I definitely recommend trying these out if you are after a lipstick that is easy to apply and wear for everyday, and that isn't going dry or crack your lips.

You can find these here at Priceline for $13.95AU!

Have you tried these lipsticks? Let me know your favourite shade down below!

Until next time...

xxxx

in between blogging, you can find me here!

instagram: http://instagram.com/beautybybek

twitter: https://twitter.com/bekaaturner

*These products were kindly sent to COAMA HQ for consideration of review. All reviews are 100% honest!

foundation friday: nars sheer glow

Hey guys!

First of all, I want to apologise - this post is so late. Unfortunately, last week overwhelmed me and I was only prepared for the first half of the week - now that I do Foundation Friday posts, I wait until Thursday to write it. That way it gives you guys all the time to vote on which you foundation you want to see. Work just completely got in the way this week past, but its a lesson for the next weeks to come.

In any case, if you couldn't tell from the title. NARS Sheer Glow Foundation finally won out of all the foundations! I'm so happy about that - this is a fantastic foundation in my opinion, and its definitely a must try if you have normal to dry skin, and love a healthy radiant finish.

I have mine in the colour Punjab which has strong yellow undertones. I have it to match me when I'm tanned and its definitely a fantastic match. The best thing about this foundation in my opinion is it's shade range - since there is 15 shades, there really is a colour for the palest of pales and darker skintones. We can whinge about the price of high end foundations all we want - but you have to admit, they fulfil one of the biggest foundation dilemmas of all time by having a variety of cool, warm and neutral undertones.. Something drugstores don't always manage to solve.

Let's look at the packaging shall we - true to NARS, its simple and sleek, with the trademark matte packing on the lid. The only issue I have with this is that it doesn't have a pump - but NARS have solved that by making a pump to fit it, but selling it seperately. For me, this cost enough as it is without having to make a seperate purchase for the pump, so I will live without it. However, if you are someone who really cannot do without a pump, it is available to you.

In terms of consistency, this is pretty lightweight and easy to blend. Its a medium coverage on me - although, I have heard from others that the foundation doesn't have much in terms of coverage for them. Each to their own, but for me, this is a definite buildable medium coverage. It has the most gorgeous finish - healthy, radiant and dewy. Everything I want in a foundation really. It lasts forever, looks amazing in photos and my skin always looks gorgeous.

Another great thing about this foundation is that its perfect for everyday use and for night use - because you can sheer it out and add a light layer during the day and then build it up for a night out. So, although you are spending alot more than you may be used to spending, its definitely worth it when you can use the one foundation for a number of occasions.

Here is a swatch of the foundation so that you can see how it covers:

As you can see, my sore is completely covered from the first picture, but my skin still looks like my skin - in fact it looks like my skin but better. I defintely recommend this if you are after a foundation that is perfect for everyday (and the bonus nights out), and that gives you a healthy, radiant glow. However, I would only recommend this for normal to dry skin types - for oilier skin, I would try Sheer Glows sister Sheer Matte. I just don't know how the finish would go with oiler skin.

You can purchase NARS Sheer Glow in Australia from Mecca Cosmetica for $68AU

Thanks for your patience guys! I appreciate it so much. If you have a particular foundation in mind that you would like to see on Foundation Friday, let me know in the comments below! In the meantime, keep an eye out on my Instagram so that you can vote on next weeks contenders :)

Until next time...

xxxx

in between blogging, you can find me here!

instagram: http://instagram.com/beautybybek

twitter: https://twitter.com/bekaaturner

lip product addict tag

Hey guys!

Today post will be the Lip Product Addict Tag - I have wanted ti do this tag since I saw Shaaanxo do it on her Youtube channel, and ever so kind Serafina from Serafina's Stylish Sundays tagged me in her post, and I have finally got around to doing it!

Now, apart from foundation, the one other make up product that I am guilty of hoarding is lip products - I love me some lipstick, lip balm, lip gloss, lip tar etc etc. I am a particular fan of pinks and nudes, but really I'll try anything once. This tag actually had to make me think on some questions, I have so many that I love and adore that its super  hard to narrow it down at times. But, I did for the blog post (not the vine), and here are my answers!

1. Favourite Lip Balm/Treatment

If you couldn't tell from the picture, of course I had to choose two. These are my teo favourites for two seperate uses. My Lucas Paw Paw Ointment (left) is 100% my saviour for if my lips are beyond repair from any other lip balm - I'm talking cracks, sores, dryness etc, you name it, this will help soothe it. And, of course, my Chapstick in the Cake Batter flavour takes the cake (#seewhatididthere) of all my lip balms. Chapstick is hands down one of my favourite brands for lip balms, and this flavour is just the bomb.com, and I'll forever be using it.

2. Best Eye Catching Red

I don't wear reds regularly, and as a result, I don't actually own many. But of all of them, MAC's Ruby Woo is definitely my favourite. It's blue based, so it doesn't make my teeth look orange, and its a gorgoues mid tone red that isn't too dark, or too light, so it goes with a lot of looks. I should also mention that it's a matte formula, so this baby does not budge!

3. Favourite Luxury/Drugstore Lipstick

It should come as no surprise that the YSL Rouge Volupte in #1 is my favourite luxury lipstick, and quite possibly my favourite lipstick of all time. No lipstick will ever beat this formula, and the colour is this beautiful nude baby pink - right up my alley! My favourite drugstore lipstick goes to the Maybelline Colour Whisper in Lust for Blush, my most used lipstick of all. Such an easy everyday pink, and also a super close dupe for MAC Creme Cup as well.

4. Favourite MAC Lipstick

I just want to point out that this is like asking a mother to choose her favourite child - there is just no way. I love all my MAC babies, but of all of them, MAC's Syrup is probably my most worn. Its just an easy mauve pink that is my MLBB easy.

5. Most Disappointing Lipstick

Leaving my feelings of the company out of this, I was just really disappointed with this lipstick. And not only this shade, but this is probably the one that really got me. I just expected so much more out of it because I heard so many great things about it. The colour is sort of coral, creamyish and smells like an off MAC lipstick. Not only that, but for some reason my lipstick looks like I've thrown it against walls. It sinks into lines on my lips and emphasises any minor dray patches as well. Just really unhappy with it honestly, especially when I'd heard some of my favourite beauty guru's rave about it.

6. Lip Liner - Yay or Nay?

Recently, I've been really into lip liner! I haven't ventured into different colours though, sticking eith nudes and pinks. My favourites are these two pictured: NYX Mauve Lip Liner (bottom) and Chi Chi Lip Liner in It Girl (top). I have especially been loving the NYX one to line my lips almost everyday - its super smooth and creamy, so easy to apply! Plus because of the colour, I can overdraw my lips slightly and it looks completely natural.

7. Best Gloss

I may have only owned this lip gloss for two weeks, but I already know that this is holy grail, I'll-forever-repurchase status. Its Whitening Lightning's Lip Gloss in Butter Cream. Its a gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous baby pink, and it is just perfect for every single look in the world of looks. I've been pairing it with the NYX liner I mentioned above nearly every single day, and its most perfect everyday lip colour. Just in love with this lipgloss, and I don't think that will ever change.

8. Something Extra

I just wanted to give a quick shoutout to the Too Faced Lip Injection Colour Bombs (I have a full review here), because they are amazing. They give a gorgeous wash of colour while similtaneously plumping your lips, which I love!

Thanks for reading guys - I love tags, because I feel like its an easier way for you guys to get to know me. I think thats pretty cool :)

I tag:

Claire from Beauty With Claire

Dani from LaceandLovexo

Kirsty from Lipstick Addict

Tarlie from T&K

And anyone else who wants to do this tag! Leave your blog down below if you do, so I can check it out!

Until next time...

xxxx

in between blogging, you can find me here!

instagram: http://instagram.com/beautybybek

twitter: https://twitter.com/bekaaturner

tea review! body slim tea australia

Hey guys!

Strangely enough, my paycheck doesn't ALWAYS go towards expanding my makeup collection. I know, shocking right? I thought I'd give you a quick little insight into other interests in my life - because, although writing about beauty and makeup will always be my first love, its nice to sometimes have a little refresher from the norm.

If you didn't know me personally, I'm a huge tea and coffee drinker. I go through tea like its going out of fashion, and my taste has evolved from the creamy, milky English Breakfast to the herbal Green Teas and Chamomile. I recently got the chance to try this newer herbal tea called Body Slim Tea, which has a whole range of benefits, including helping to reduce bloating and possibly aiding in weight loss. I decided to do a 14 day (or actually 11 day as I ran out of the tea), and document my thoughts here. 

This company is Australia made and Australia owned! It does claim to aid with weight loss, and it also has a number of benefits that come from 100% natural and organic ingredients, including Green Tea, beal flowers, apple, licorice and curry leaves. You are supposed to drink this twice a day, once in the morning, once at night, and brew the tea for about 3-5 minutes.

Here are some the benefits that may come from this tea:

- Reduces bloating

- Calms the stomach to help with painful cramping

- Gets rid of nasty toxins that cause additional fat storage

- Speeds up metabolism

- Relieves constipation and indigestion

- Immune booster

- Suppresses sweet cravings

- Improves sleep

Do I agree with all the claims? Read below to find out!

Unfortunately, my pack only with 14 tea bags, so I wasn't able to have two cups a day in order to complete a fourteen day detox - that's okay though, it may just have altered the results a little. The first thing I loved about this tea was honestly the taste! I have tried other 'detox' and 'weight loss' teas in the past, and I have been unable to drink most of them because of the foul taste. This is quite pleasant, not unlike green tea actually.

 While this did not help me personally to lose weight, I do feel that it helped reduce any bloating that I usually experience. I definitely felt alot lighter, happier and energised during the time I was drinking it, and I feel that it kept all my bodily functions in order as well (sorry #tmi). As for the other benefits, I cannot say that I experienced them - however, that would probably change if I was to drink the tea over a prolonged period.

If you are someone who enjoys herbal teas, and is looking for something to help feel better and healthier, definitely give it a try! You can find the tea here at http://www.bodyslimteaaus.com/

Hope you enjoyed this post - it is a little different from my usual posting, but a little breath of fresh air is nice occasionally! For those after my normal beauty related content, I promise that it will resume as normal on Wednesday :)

Until next time...

xxxx

in between blogging, you can find me here!

instagram: http://instagram.com/beautybybek

twitter: https://twitter.com/bekaaturner

foundation friday: maybelline superstay better skin

Hey guys!

Welcome to the second instalment of my Foundation Friday series! I have to say, both weeks that I have done this, you guys have surprised me. I always thought that NARS Sheer Glow foundation would be one of the first reviewed - but each time its been overshadowed: first by MAC Cosmetics Face and Body Foundation and now by the Maybelline Better Skin Foundation.

This was voted by 38 of you, out of 69 votes. I understand though - it's a new edition (previously released in the UK earlier in the year) and I'm not even sure if it's been released in the US yet! I was too excited to see this in Priceline, because it's been spotted in various Coles and Pricelines, but has been eluding even my local Priceline. Clearly, it's so new that it hasn't even rolled out to all stores yet, and only just recently hit their websites. I was drawn in by the name - after all, who doesn't better skin?

I don't know if you guys have tried the original Maybelline Superstay Foundation. I have, back in the day. While I wasn't a huge fan of the foundation itself, or its shade selection, I was also super pleased with the staying power. It was a MISSION to get it off my face. Which is amazing. Would this be worse than the original Superstay formula, or possibly be my new favourite foundation?

Keep reading to find out! (And don't look at my Instagram, otherwise the surprise may be spoiled..)

So new that it hasn't even made it to the Maybelline Australian website yet! Here is what the Maybelline UK website has to say about the foundation:

"Dull, blotchy, uneven skin? Visibly improves your skin every minute you're in it. Our first hydrating foundation with Actyl C and SPF 20. Flawless all-day coverage. The formula helps skin look more radiant, fresher and even, with all-day wear."

It comes in a little glass bottle with a pump, with the packaging is okay - definitely eye catching, but I'm not sure if that's in a good way. It has been released with a concealer, but that wasn't available at the Priceline I went to at the time. Considering I had only vaguely heard of this foundation, I am a little surprised that there wasn't much hype around it before it got released here. In saying that though, it's pretty inconsistent with the stores its been released at across the board, so maybe they are waiting until it's available everywhere.

So what do I think? Well.. I love this foundation. So so so much. It is definitely a thick creamy formula, if you can see in the above photo, and its a definite medium-full coverage foundation. It blends like a fricken dream, and I honestly need about a pump and a half to cover my face and achieve that medium coverage. I would describe the finish as a satin finish - it's definitely not dewy, but not quite matte either. I haven't tried to build it up, but I wouldn't recommend it. Given how thick the formula itself is, and how much coverage you can achieve using a small amount, I can only imagine that it may not build as well as you would hope.

In terms of the skin benefit it claims to have, I am very happy to announce that while I am not sure this hydrates my skin any more than my normal moisturiser, my skin does look fantastic once I take this stuff off. The effect was not immediately obvious, but after wearing it and removing it after three days, I definitely did notice a difference. The other thing that Maybelline delivers on is the staying power - on me, this foundation lasts all day. And I mean lasts - I have not noticed any fading or patchiness, even on my nose and chin where my foundation usually wears off throughout an 8-9 hour day. It's terribly difficult to get off - I have been removing it with my normal make up remover (Garnier Micellar Water), then going in with my Clarisonic and a separate cleanser to get it all off. I'm not even exaggerating when I say that my Clarisonic brush head is now stained from this foundation.

The only qualm I have about this foundation (yes, there is seriously only one thing) is the shade selection. Unfortunately, because this was so new at the Priceline I went to, there wasn't any testers available. So, of course being the impatient little cosmetic obsessed brat that I am, I guessed my shade. It's not too bad - only thing is it is that is does have a slight orange tint that seems to become more prominent as it oxidises. I will be buying another bottle when it goes on introductory sale, and hopefully that will match my skin tone a little better.

As with last week, here are pictures of the foundation on my hand, unblended and blended, using that nice, ugly red sore as a point of reference for how much this covers:

Also, I wasn't self tanned when this photo was taken, so the shade looks worse than normal. It's not usually that obviously dark, so just excuse that.

Basically, this is a new staple for me. I can see this being a foundation that I will repurchase time and time again, and I've only used it for a week. I don't even care that it is a little orange, although hopefully that will be corrected when I grab another shade.. That's how good it is. I love that this has been released for Winter, because it covers all my redness and any extra 'surprises' (see: big fat pimples) that Winter tends to bring with it. It may not be a perfect summer foundation because of how thick it is, but you never know - have to wait and see!

This has been put up on the Priceline website (finally!), so hopefully it will be available across all stores in time for the next catalogue. It's available in eight shades, and retails for $21.95AU.

Thanks so much to everyone who voted - if there is a particular foundation you want me to include in next week's Foundation Friday choices, let me know in the comments below! Otherwise, keep an eye out for Monday to be able to vote on next week's contenders!

For reference, I do have normal to dry skin - so unfortunately, I cannot comment on whether this will work for you if you have oily skin. I don't see why it shouldn't, given the finish and staying power, but I cannot be 100% sure. I'd recommend looking up reviews of people who have oily skin and have tried it in order to see whether it would work for you :)

Until next time...

xxxx

click here to read last weeks foundation friday: mac face & body

in between blogging, you can find me here!

instagram: http://instagram.com/beautybybek

twitter: https://twitter.com/bekaaturner