Beauty Bar: My Year Of Drugstore Foundations

For me, putting on my foundation in the morning is one of the key steps to preparing for the day. It has the power to even out skin tone, cover blemishes, brighten the appearance of skin and generally make my pale complexion look more alive.
I've tried out countless foundations over the last decade, some to much more success than others, but here's a run down of the products I've tried in the last 12 months, how I'd rate them and how likely I'd be to repurchase.

Bourjois Paris - City Radiance
My Shade: 01 Rose Ivory
Rating: 8/10
Claims: To protect skin from pollution, give a brightening effect and give SPF30 skin protection.
My Thoughts: I really liked using this foundation. It's a light formula that I found to give around a medium coverage. It gave my skin a bit of a glow, without looking shiny. I really liked the protection that it gave too, as wearing SPF daily is so important.
The only thing I would like to see added to this foundation would be a UVA protection rating of 4 or above, particularly as skin protection is one of its main claims.
Would I Repurchase? Yes, I'd definitely repurchase this foundation to create everyday makeup looks.
Try It Here

Garnier - BB Cream / Tinted Moisturiser
My Shade: Extra-Light
Rating: 7
Claims: Miracle Skin Perfector that has 24hr hydration, evens skin tone, smoothes lines and imperfections, boosts healthy glow, contains SPF 15 protection and has Vitamin C.
My Thoughts: I know that this is technically a BB cream, rather than a foundation, but I did use it in place of a foundation for several months so thought it was worth a mention.
This BB cream is really brightening and does have a pigment to it to even out skin tone. It can leave the skin looking a little shiny though, so when I used it I always followed with a matte powder.
Would I Repurchase? Yes I would. I'd use this during the summer months when I don't want anything too heavy on my skin.
Try It Here

Bourjois - Healthy Mix
My Shade: No. 52, Vanilla
Rating: 3/10
Claims: To be an anti-fatigue foundation, that brightens skin and enriches it with Vitamins C, E and B5.
My Thoughts: I had heard amazing things about this foundation and it was recommended to me many times by friends and other bloggers. However, I was so disappointed with it!
I found it to be really heavy, and could both feel and see the foundation on my skin.
I think this might be more for you if you like a heavier coverage, but to me it didn't look natural enough and left me with dreaded Oompa Loompa vibes.
Would I Repurchase? Never.
Try It Here

L'Oreal Paris - True Match
My Shade: Rose Ivory
Rating: 9/10
Claims: Micro-Match Technology creates a true to skin feel and perfectly captures skin tone and undertone. Contains SPF17, 24hr hydration and is 'super blendable'.
My Thoughts: I love this foundation! It provides a medium coverage that is brightening, and doesn't look cakey. The range has a real variety of shades, which means that I've been able to find one that looks very natural on my skin. I also love that it contains SPF protection.
The thing that has impressed me most about this foundation though is it's longevity. I apply it at 8am, and its still giving great coverage at 6pm! I have never used a foundation before that has been that good, including designer products that cost triple the price.
Would I Repurchase? Definitely! This foundation is so good that I'd use it for any occasion, day or night. The only things that could put me off buying it again, would be that it isn't vegan and doesn't contain any UVA protection (although this can easily be remedied by my morning moisturiser and sun tan lotion).
Try It Here

Overall, I think the winner has to be the L'Oreal Paris True Match foundation. I think this will be a firm staple in my make up bag for years to come.
And for days when I want a more dewy look, I've started to mix with it a drop of the Bourjois Paris Sculpt Light highlighter - just a little extra tip there if you're after a bit more of a glow!

Have you tried any of these products before? If so, how did you find them and do you have any other staple foundations?

Lisa xx

Wedding Bells: The Venue

Back in the day, venues for weddings tended to either be in a church or at a registry office. Nowadays however, people are branching out to also use a variety of special places or exciting overseas destinations to say their "I do's".
There are lots of elements to take into account here of course, but it's good to think about the venue early on, as this can shape a lot of other things down the line.

Here's a few things to think about when selecting a venue for your ceremony and reception.

Shop Around
It's the boring one to start with but it does have to be said that your budget can massively affect the venue you choose.
If you have an endless budget then you can pretty much have your pick of wherever you want, but if you have a more modest budget then it makes sense to shop around and compare prices of venues.
You need to know if you're getting a good deal for your dollar. Research venues on the internet and then go and have a look around.
Meeting with a venue's events planner can be so helpful, as they'll be able to tell you the practicalities and possibilities of making your dream day a reality. You can also ask them about cost and any other questions that you have.
They'll likely ask you about the date and timings for the day, so it's good to have a think about those before you go to meet them.

Churches
If you'd like to get married in a church, you'll need to either live in the parish or have been regularly attending the church for 6 months. You can find out which Church of England church belongs to your parish by using this website.
Be aware that, as with all venues, there will be a cost to using a church, such as the venue hire and payment for musicians, caretaker, etc...

Set The Tone
The venue you choose will be a big factor in setting the tone of the day.
Want to stay traditional? Consider choosing a venue set in the home town of the bride.
Want a fancy day? You could go for a huge church for the service, or a luxury hotel.
Want a more homely feel? A cute parish church or converted barn could be for you.
Are you city dwellers? Why not use an unexpected city centre venue? We got part way into talks with Leeds Art Gallery for our wedding reception - as this was where we went for our first date and where Tim proposed to me! Unfortunately, the venue had to pull out as they unexpectedly needed to have extensive work done to the building.
Or is the great outdoors more your bag? There are plenty of gorgeous venues set out in the countryside, or even not that far from cities and towns. Last summer we went to a wedding in the grounds of a local mill. The bride and groom arrived on canal boats, the ceremony was outside in front of a beautiful willow tree and there was a giant tent for the meal, speeches and party.

Decorations
When you're looking at venues, think about how you could decorate them. How do they relate to any Pinterest or mood boards that you've made? Do the venue have any photos of previous weddings that have taken place there?

Your Guests
It's important to take your guests into account when choosing your venue.
For instance, think about the distance that they'd need to travel, both to get to the service and then to go on to the reception if you're having them in separate venues.
If you're wanting to have a big wedding with lots of guests, then getting married abroad might not be the best idea. It's a long way for a lot of people to travel, and for those guests who aren't your close friends or family, the cost of travelling and accommodation might be too much for them to pay.

Catering
It's really important to think about the catering possibilities of a venue. Do they have their own caterers? Or are they happy for you to bring in your own? Do you like the sound of the menus they offer? Where would a meal take place? Are their prices within your budget?

Photos
The look, position and facilities of your venue are really important to think about in terms of the photos you'd like.
For instance, if you'd like some of the photos to be taken outside - would you like a cityscape in the background? Or a beautiful garden? Or something dramatic, like rolling hills or the ocean?
When we thought we were going to be using both a church and reception venue in Leeds city centre, we planned to go and have photos part way through the day in a park, so that we could have some photos that didn't have cement as a backdrop!
However, in the end our reception had grounds that we could have our photos in, so that was ideal.
When you look around venues, think about where group photos could be taken, and ask the events planner about ways that this has been done in the past.

What's the venue of your dreams?
Lisa xx

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