Saturday 7 December 2013

Beauty Hall Bargains


You may have noticed that many department stores are having a discounted week this week, including Debenhams, House of Fraser and John Lewis. With the Christmas party season upon us, there were a few little investments that I was keen to make so I could get my 'Festive Face' sorted – a few little essentials!


One that's been on the list for a while is the YSL Youth Liberator Foundation – oh how reviews of this have plagued our blogosphere and fuelled our lust for it over the last couple of months... And consequently, what a nightmare it was to get hold of at a discounted price! Alas, I laid my desperate paws on this this morning for a delightful £30.60 in House of Fraser (with their loyalty card deal) rather than the usual £34 which I admit, does not strike as a great deal but hey ho – the price of beauty! Be warned, Debenhams are pricing it at £37 for some strange reason so their 15% off is actually not as good a deal. You can however pick it up at John Lewis who are price matching Debenhams 15% off, making it about £28 (if you can get hold of your shade!) which is easily the best deal.

This foundation has been hailed the latest ticket to radiant, faultless and utterly complimentable (should definitely be a word) skin, perfect for constant photo-readiness; for these reasons I've been keen to give it a try for myself for a little while. Radiance foundations are my go-to as thick foundations just don't sit well on my skin at all, however these lighter options can often disappear by the end of the day. Unfortunately limited staying power and people who never top their makeup throughout the day (yup that's me) don't mix at all... In any case this formula is described as medium to high coverage which I actually find very surprising. When I tried it in the shop (as usual there were no bloody samples) it really felt very light on my skin but did give a dewy effect which I plan to tone down ever so slightly with powder. Anyway, I've got high hopes for the staying power and finish of this gem especially with Christmas parties in mind... I'll keep you posted!

Next up is Benefit's Porefessional – around £20 down from £24.50 in Debenhams. I've just finished my little tube and it's been an absolute saviour for a longer lasting and mattified base; I find it really just takes off the inevitable 'shiny edge' of a radiance foundation later on in the night and keeps your skin looking and feeling fresh long term. The texture is really nice, a strangely smooth, gel consistency which melts into skin with absolute ease and instantly makes pores appear smaller and gives a generally more even appearance. I do find the name a bit misleading on this one to be honest and I actually didn't fall in love with it at first at all because of this. However after a recent rediscovery I can wholeheartedly vouch for it's effectiveness as an all over primer – don't try and use it just on pore heavy areas though – you won't get your money's worth!


Finally, a bit of a last minute one thrown into the pot... the YSL Glossy Stain in 16. Whilst perusing the counter, I thought it was about time I took a piece of Fleur de Force's advice and tried one of these beauties and I'm so glad I did. As the name suggests, it's a gloss that stays put like a stain hour after hour – the dream gloss. I was originally keen to go for a nude but ended up settling on this kind of fuchsia colour as it just seemed to suit me the best. It's the most perfect colour in my opinion – I even wore this out in the day today which is so unlike me due to the usual impracticalities of darker colours! I needn't have worried though as it looked stunning and stayed put all day without any top ups – I'm flabbergasted. I think this one deserves its own full review as it's, hands down, a new fave for me. I urge you all to go and test one for yourself... £19 rather than the usual £23.50 at Debenhams.

What will be your staples for the party season that I should be stocking up on?

H x

5 comments:

  1. Hi! Stumbled upon your blog. Great review. Would you like to follow each other? Let me know at my blog.

    Shikin Kikin | shikinkikin.blogspot.sg

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  2. I have been on House of Fraser and Debenhams websites countless times this week. Love a sale.

    http://emmabebeauty.blogspot.ie/

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  3. Great buys, I really want to try the youth liberator foundation - I had a sample bottle of the youth liberator serum and I loved it x

    Heather | Of Beauty & Nothingness

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    Replies
    1. Definitely go try it in the shop! I think it's great, feels so light but such good coverage :) xx

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  4. i really want to try the ysl foundation, i have heard so much about it.
    You got some amazing deals! xx

    beckysbeautyfix.blogspot.co.uk

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