L'Oreal Infallible Sculpt & Blush Sculpt - Review

Hello pigeons!

It's been a while, I know. I'm sorry. The irony is that I have so much to tell you it's almost overwhelming. There have been some awesome products getting a lot of my love recently which I've failed to update you on. I've been thinking I really ought to make a list so that I can organise my thoughts more coherently and then I won't feel too overwhelmed to write about it all!

I thought I'd kick-start my writing again with a little show-and-tell of a couple of new products that have hit Boots this week; the L'Oreal Infallible Sculpt and the Blush Sculpt.

Contouring is MASSIVE. It's really become a mega trend in the last year, so much so that almost all of the budget brands have now launched their own take on how to chisel your cheeks. I don't know how it got so huge, and a part of me wonders if it's just another ploy to make us even more paranoid about our features and make us part with even more moolah than we already do. Well, it's made me paranoid enough to start noticing photos where I haven't contoured in some way.

So here's a little first-impressions on these two new face babies from L'Oreal seeing as I only acquired them today. First up, the Infallible Sculpt:

L'Oreal Infallible Sculpt in Light-Medium

This is a decent-sized palette with two balmy cream-to-powder compacts. There are two colour options available, light-medium and medium-dark. This is the light-medium one which I think would be fine for very pale to medium olive complexions. The darker side is the contour and the pale side the highlight, although it doesn't behave like other highlighters...more on this later.

It's not clear how you're supposed to apply this, there is no brush supplied as L'Oreal have created their own to buy separately (out of stock where I was today). I tried using my fingers to stripe the product on which worked fine, although a brush of some sort works better for blending (I used a Real Techniques expert face brush).

The pigmentation is just enough for a gentle contour effect and it blends out really nicely. The feeling is like a silky balm (obviously it's silicone based) but the texture feels much more sophisticated and high-end than I was expecting. It's very similar to the YSL Le Teint Sahariennes cream-to-powder bronzer in fact, expect the colour is much more suited to contouring as it's much cooler in tone.

The paler side of the palette I'm not overly enamoured with. It just seems to look a bit ashy on the skin. There is no perceptible shimmer or gleam, and I can't work out how it's any better than using any other highlighter, or even nothing at all. However, I'm going to give it another chance this week when I test it out a bit more.

L'Oreal Blush Sculpt in Nude Beige

The Blush Sculpt on the other hand I totally love! There seem to be 3 shades available at the moment, and I chose Nude Beige as I've not seen anything quite like those shades. In reality the name is misleading as it's more of a peachy copper and my goodness it's really gorgeous! The idea is that you swipe the darker shade lower on the cheek, and then top up with the paler one and then the highlight on the top. This is what I've done here in the photos but to be honest you get a beautiful effect when you just swipe a brush over all three shades and use it like that, it just seems to sculpt naturally, I don't know how!

So, here's mon visage avec a bucket-load of contour products! My camera phone is pants and the lighting is pants but the idea is to show the shade contrast and at least you get the idea. As you can see the effect is pretty soft (although in real life you can see it more) and the colour of the blush is just so pretty. It is on the shimmery side but this seems to fulfill the highlighting element quite nicely. It's not garish shimmer by any means but just seems to enliven the complexion really beautifully.

( If you're interested the rest of the make-up is: Bourjois CC cream over Laura Mercier Radiance Primer (holy grail primer BTW), Clarins Instant concealer, on the eyes Laura Mercier eyeshadows in Morning Dew and Fresco with Stila liquid liner and Dolly Wink Volume Mascara, on lips Revlon Red Colorstay lip pencil with a bit of lip balm)

At the moment the Infallible Sculpt is on offer at £6.99 (will be £9.99) and the Blush is £7.99. L'Oreal is on 3 for 2 at the moment as well.

I'll be back soon with some more make-up juice for you all, sweetpeas! Hope you enjoyed this little update!

Angel Face

MAC MSF in Soft & Gentle, MAC Creamy Bisque and Boots No7 blush in Honey

 I like to call this my 'daily Angel' makeover. What it is essentially is a beautifully fresh 'nude' look which focuses on radiant skin and sparkling eyes (note, I say eyes and not eyeshadow.... ). This is not about colour or drama, it's about letting your natural ethereal quality shine through even when you're feeling less than heavenly :)

What you'll need for your Angel face!

The key to this look is fresh looking skin. I like to mix a little Armani Fluid Sheer No2 (a light highlighting liquid) into my Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua (review coming soon!) or use my Erborian BB cream with some Fluid Sheer applied on cheekbones. Don't pick anything too heavy on coverage or on shimmer. You want a light veil of cover just to even out the skintone. If you have a foundation which has a 'glowy' effect,  you may want to skip mixing in a liquid highlighter, adding only afterwards if needed.

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua and Armani Fluid Sheer No 2

Add your powder/liquid highlighter on cheekbones, browbone, down the centre of the nose, just above the cupid's bow, and a little on the forehead (skip this if you are oily skinned).

Add a neutral, pale terracotta blush. Something not too pink. I use Boots No7 powder blush in Honey. Build up gradually, you don't want much colour but just enough to give warmth.

No7 Blush (Honey)

 Conceal under the eyes and do the rest of your blemish concealing (if necessary).

For Angel eyes

For the eyes, apply your primer. I've been using Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin which is a champagne shimmer, but any primer will do. Then take a champagne/flesh-toned powder highlighter and sweep this over the eyelid. Add a pale cream/white shimmer eyeshadow (I'm using MAC Creamy Bisque) to the inner corners to brighten even more.
Add a bronze/gold brown shimmer pencil to the waterline (I use MAC Teddy but MAC Powersurge would be even better), top and bottom and very softly smudge a little into the bottom lashline.

Keep brows natural, brush them through or fill them in a little if want.

Curl lashes and apply a lengthening mascara for clean, long fluttery lashes. I've been using Hypnose Doll Eyes.

For the lips just massage in a little lip balm and then, using your finger again, massage in a little rose shimmer lip colour so that it becomes the most natural of angelic lip stains. A more nude colour also works beautifully, like Collection 2000 Cream Puff lip cream in Angel Delight (very appropriate). I've also been using Laura Mercier 'Courtesane'.

Courtesane (top) & Angel Delight swatches

 So, so easy. So, so pretty. So, so flattering and youthful. This will make your eyes sparkle and will knock years off.

As a bonus it looks great in the harsh autumn/winter daylight because there is no colour as such yet the eyes are defined enough for daytime.

My favourite 'je ne sais quoi' look for cold, gloomy days.

What's your favourite winter face?

Travel Make-Up Bag - London weekend

Mr P and I are off to London for the weekend, not just for the usual slob around at my parents' house, but also for a swanky night on the town on Saturday night. Finally get the chance to glitz it up a bit so this is a more upgraded version of my usual travel staples.

The bag is an old orange mesh Body Shop one that I've had for yonks but somehow it's always been my bag of choice. The mesh makes it practical and pretty and the size is just about right.

 My Effaclar K and Cicaplast are still my skin carers of choice. The Cicaplast is a must these days as I have a particularly nasty mark on my cheek which needs healing pronto and this accelerates the healing like nothing else. Also included are my Clinique All About Eyes which I've been using for the last 5-6 months or so and my new love, Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm. Can't. Live. Without.

I picked up this little brush travel case in Muji and it's fab for carting about make-up brushes and keeping them separate from the rest of my make-up bag. Inside are my Real Techniques Detailer brush (for concealer), my MAC 224 brush (for 'airbrushing' concealer), Ecotools blush brush, and an old Body Shop foundation brush.

Eye stuff includes my Shu Uemura lash curlers, Laura Mercier Eye Basics primer, Hypnose Doll Eyes mascara (review to come soon), Kiko Long Lasting Stick shadow, Le Metier de Beaute eye pencil in Sequoia Brown, Benefit Speed Brow, and last (and perhaps least), some individual false lashes by Sephora which I may or may not use. 

Base stuff: Erborian BB cream, still going strong after almost 7 months of constant use, Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage, Garnier Tinted Roll-On for eyes, Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer, and samples of Armani foundation.

Other: Nars Orgasm blush, Armani 400 lipstick (just in case I'm feeling brave and because GG wants me to ;)), and Viva La Juicy mini perfume (because Mr P likes it).

The look I'm going for on Saturday is a simple bronze-y smokey eye (with the Kiko shadow stick), and hot red lips. I have a plethora of lipsticks in my handbag so if the red lips don't work it's not the end of the world.

What are your weekend must-haves?