Revlon Colourstay VS Max Factor Face Finity 3 in 1

Foundation Review and Comparison -
Revlon Colourstay for combination/oily skin VS Max Factor Face Finity All day flawless 3 in 1 Foundation

I was out makeup shopping last night for a new foundation as I'm soon to run out of my current one, but I was completely stuck between which one of my two favourite foundations to buy - Revlon Colourstay or Max Factor Face Finity 3 in 1!

After a lot of strategic thinking and about 30 minutes staring at both products in each hand, I managed to choose between the two, and this sparked me to do a review on each, and a comparison too.

Revlon Colourstay for combination/oily skin - £12.49 (Buy here)
For a drugstore foundation, this may be a little pricey but I still think it is completely worth the money. It has full coverage (and I really mean FULL coverage!) and looks completely flawless on the skin, so if your looking for a great cover up foundation, this is perfect. It is raved about by so many people, and when you try it, you'll know why! It's so smooth on the skin, and doesn't accentuate blemishes or open pores at all.
As with all foundations, there are a couple of downsides however.
Unlike a lot of foundations, there is no pump, and the foundation just runs straight out of the bottle, and for me this can be a little messy sometimes and I can end up pouring more foundation out of the bottle than I need to, resulting in a lot of foundation been wasted. The second downfall is that this foundation does oxidise (darkens slightly when applied to the skin), so it would be advisable to buy a shade lighter with this product.
For some people, this product might be a little too heavy on the skin especially when applied with fingers, but when applied with a buffing brush, the results look almost airbrushed and this finish lasts pretty much all day (probably not quite 24 hours, but enough to last you through a late night)
Overall, in my opinion this is one of the best foundations available in the drugstore market.

Max Factor Face Finity All day flawless 3 in 1 Foundation - £11.99 (Buy here)

Again this is a drugstore foundation with a slightly higher price tag, but it is also definitely worth the money. Like the product says, this definitely works as a primer, concealer and foundation all in one, as the coverage is excellent and the finish is beautiful no matter which way you apply it, much like using a good quality primer underneath your foundation.

The product is called 'All day flawless' and I do feel that it lasts pretty much all day, maybe not quite as long as the Revlon Colourstay, but still long enough to last you through a whole day without needing to reapply or touchup. 

Like the Colourstay, sadly this product also oxidises when applied, but this is a problem that can be overcome easily if you just buy a shade or two lighter, however unlike the Colourstay, this bottle has a pump, which means you can very easily control how much foundation you are using.

Although I find that this product isn't raved about as much as the Revlon Colourstay, I really feel that it definately should be as it is an excellent foundation.

Comparison 

Both foundations provide the best coverage I've ever tried so this is a very hard factor to compare, but I think the pump on the Max Factor Face Finity probably just pushes me slightly more towards that, as I hate the feeling of wasting a tonne of foundation every time I use the Revlon Colourstay. I also feel that the Max Factor Face Finity is a little bit easier to use and more forgiving, as the Colourstay can look slightly cakey if you try and layer it, whereas the Max Factor doesn't. 

So I hope this was helpful, I'll be doing more reviews very soon so stay tuned for those!

Winter Grunge

                  1. Topshop MOTO Dress shirt, £60.00                      2. Berry Red Lace Trimmed Ankle Socks, £3.50

                  3. Burgundy Leather Look Backpack, £24.99             4. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick, £7.49

                  5. Alastrina Suede Platform Sneakers, £35.99

For those not into Glitter and Glam at Christmas, I recommend going the Grunge route and trying out these very flattering Oxblood red and Plum colours, perfect for winter!
I absolutely LOVE this very casual shirt dress paired with these super comfy platform sneakers, both things that can easily be pulled off with almost anything, but by adding the berry red socks from Topshop and this gorgeous dark red lipstick, this look is instantly made more feminine and (more importantly) Christmassy!

If I could afford this dress (sadly I'm a very poor student), I would DEFINATELY buy it, but I'm sure I'll find an alternative in a place like Primark - If only.

Delicious Christmas Mince Pies Recipe

I had never actually made mince pies before today, so I wasn't quite sure how successful my first attempt would turn out, but I was so surprised at how easy these were to make, how good they turned out, and how extremely delicious they were!
I recommend EVERYONE to give this recipe a go, especially as it's Christmas, which means YUMMY FOOD!

You will need -
225g Cold butter (Diced)
350g Plain flour
100g Golden caster sugar
280g Mince meat
1 Small egg
Icing sugar (For dusting)

Method - 

Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas Mark 6/180C Fan oven.

Rub together sieved plain flour and diced, cold butter with your hands until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs and sticks together slightly.
Add a pinch of salt and the caster sugar and combine the mixture until it forms a ball.

Wrap the ball up and chill in the fridge for about an hour.

When the dough is cool enough, add sieved flour to your work surface and a rolling pin and roll the dough out to about 1/4cm - 1/2cm.

Find the correct size round cookie cutter or the top of a glass to cut circles of dough to line the inside of baking tray holes perfectly, with no overhang.

You may want to test the size and shape of your cutters until you find the perfect one, a glass tumbler worked best for the size of my baking tray.

Lay the circles of dough into each hole of the baking tray, if your tray isn't greaseproof, rub a little butter into each hole beforehand.

Add a spoon of mincemeat into each hole, making sure it doesn't spill onto the edges of the dough.

To cut the lids of the mince pies, I used the same sized tumbler as before and cut a regular circle lid, then used a smaller, scallop-edged cutter and cut out the middle. I placed both of these pieces onto the top of the mincemeat and sealed the outer edge of the larger circle to the bottom piece of dough. 

The reason I cut the smaller circle was so heat can escape from the mincemeat when cooking, but it will not burn as it is not fully exposed to the heat of the oven.  

When all the pies are covered, crack open a small egg and brush over the tops of each pie.

Bake for around 20-25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown, then take out of the oven and leave to cool. 

Sieve icing sugar lightly over the tops of each mince pie, 

and Enjoy! 

Christmas Candy Cane Hearts

So I saw a tutorial for these adorable simple Christmas sweet treats and decided to give them a go myself, only to find that they are even easier to make than I first expected!

All you will need is:

- Mini Candy Canes

- White Chocolate

- Candy Sprinkles

So go check out my video below on exactly how to make them! 

Enjoy!

DIY String/Twine Lanterns and Ornaments

I've been wanting to get my hands on some of these string lanterns for so long now! So, as Christmas is approaching, I thought I would try making some as decorations, and they are a lot easier than I actually expected!

All You'll need are:
- String/Twine
- PVA Glue (Mixed With Water)
- Balloons
- Plastic Bowl
- Silver/Grey Spray Paint (Optional)
- Blue Tac

So check out my DIY video below on how to make these, I hope you enjoy!