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Friday, 4 November 2016

YouTube Made Me Buy It - FACE PRODUCTS


Recently, I have seen this 'Tag' pop up here, there and everywhere round the online YouTube/Blogging world, with many people that I follow doing their own version of it. I knew that I wanted to at some point do my own version, as it seemed really fun and also very relevant and so I guess today is the day!

I have been an avid watcher of the YouTube beauty community for a good five years or so now (wow, how time flies) and over that time period, it's safe to say that I have been swayed to purchase a product or five here and there after many a recommendation or feature in videos I've watched. Sometimes it may just take one person to mention or use a product to get me interested, but the majority of the time it's when a real hype builds a round an item that I enter the danger zone where potential damage may occur to my poor ol' bank account. Once this happens, it can typically go one of two ways. Either I'll fall head over heels for the product and thank my lucky stars that I heard about it and listened up; or we won't get along as much and I question what on Earth I was thinking. Usually, it's the former; but today I thought we'd have a little look at just what I've purchased due to YouTube and what category each item falls into. When I had a look through my collection, there was quite a lot, so for today I've decided to break it down into 'Face Products' (with a few Extras thrown in for good measure), with hopefully 'Eyes' and 'Lips' coming soon too...

L'OREAL LUMI MAGIQUE PRIMER - Kicking things off at the very beginning (a very good place to start). I have sample many makeup primers over the years of being a makeup lover and YouTube watcher, but one which I think I bought into predominantly due to the way it was being hyped up online. So many people were using it in tutorials as a base and really enjoying it and you know what? A few months ago I finally added it to my collection and I love it too. It leaves my skin feeling super hydrated and really does give it a radiant look - though in a sheeny way, not a glittery one. It just makes me look a tad healthier and glowy and the pearlescent tone complements my paler skintone nicely.

BOURJOIS HEALTHY MIX FOUNDATION - Foundation-wise, the one which I definitely feel was mainly due to YouTube is this one from Bourjois. There was a time, way back, when this base was a favourite of anyone and everyone and as a result, I bought it to give a go myself and still to this day, it remains one of my ultimate favourite foundations. It's nether overly dewy, nor overly matte - just a nice in-between - and provides a nice, medium-to-full depending on whether you build it up or sheer it out) level of coverage. It sits so flawlessly on my skin and lasts super well throughout the day aswell. Plus, it smells divine. What more could you want?

L'OREAL TRUE MATCH FOUNDATION - A foundation which I also bought into as a result of the major love-in that was occurring online at the time is the L'Oreal True Match. So many people were raving on and on about this one, comparing it to more luxury, high-end bases and deeming it as possibly the best foundation you could find at the drugstore. So, I really thought I had a good shot of liking it just as much and I really wanted to enjoy using it - you know? But, I'm afraid we just don't get along. I tried and tried and tried again with this foundation and each and every time I just can't make it work as I want it to and as other people claimed it to. It never manages to sit on my skin as nicely as the Bourjois offering and even if I do manage to make it look somewhat presentable, within a few minutes it starts to separate and cake up on my skin and just doesn't look good at all. I know this is a firm favourite of a whole host of people, but it just isn't The One for me.

RIMMEL WAKE ME UP CONCEALER - This concealer was swiftly added to my collection a good few years ago on the basis of it being featured here, there and everywhere in basically every YouTube video I watched. I really liked the whole concept of a illuminating concealer that could potentially work wonders underneath to make me look more awake and having never given anything like that a go before, I was rather intrigued to see just how well it worked. I was hopeful, and while I do admit it does do a fairly god job at making my undereyes look more bright and perky, it never really became something I reached for regularly. The colour, while it is the lightest shade, isn't really light enough to get the full effect and I've come to realise now that overall, I much prefer a concealer that has good coverage - rather than an illuminating finish. If bought in a light colour, it kinda does illuminate in a more natural way anyway and it means I can use one concealer on areas all over my face, rather than just the undereyes.

COLLECTION LASTING PERFECTION CONCEALER - Ahhh, now this one I'm sure you all expected to be in here. I feel like this was the original hyped-up drugstore product on YouTube back in the day and I have to say, it is the one which I am perhaps most glad I believed the hype about. This is cheap as chips and does an awesome job at covering everything from dark circles to blemishes to redness and everything in-between. It's thick, but blends out like a dream and never looks cakey or dry on the skin. I'm sure the majority of you lovely lot will have given this stuff a go by now, but if you haven't - just go out and buy it. You won't regret it...

RIMMEL STAY MATTE POWDER - There was once a time on YouTube where everyone was using the Stay Matte Powder from Rimmel - namely, Tanya Burr. In all of her older tutorials, it was the only face powder she used and with it being so cheap and cheerful, I knew I had to give it a go. I picked up the 'Transparent' shade - much like everyone else - and ever since, it's been the one powder which I've used for the longest and most consistently too. It mattifies the skin nicely, never cakes up or looks heavy and I love how I can use it whenever and wherever and not worry about it changing the appearance of my main base.

NATURAL COLLECTION 'PEACH MELBA' BLUSHER - If you've read round these parts for some time, you may well be able to tell that for the most part, I am not really a Blusher gal. Having naturally flushed cheeks, adding the same rouge colour back into my skin just after I've covered it up doesn't really appeal to me - but still, I chose to try this one a few years ago after it became the blusher which everyone was talking about and using on YouTube. Once again, it was a bit of a bargain - so I kinda felt like I had to give it a go cause, why not? I like it and do reach for it if I am I the mood for a bit of blush, but more often than not that isn't the case and so this perhaps hasn't got the best use it could have. A very pretty shade though, with very decent pigmentation and quality considering the price point.

BOURJOIS CHOCOLATE BRONZER - Again, I feel like there was a time when this was the one and only bronzer that people were using in their tutorials and mentioning in their favourites and so eventually, I picked it up to give it a go too. This is a bit of a different version, as it comes packaged with a highlighter too in a 'half and half' style, but the same product on the other side remains. Out of everything in this post, I have to admit that this is perhaps the product  was most disappointed by when I bought it after hearing so many rave reviews from people online. It isn't as pigmented as I'd ant it to be, takes a while to build up and has the tendency to look a touch orangey on my paler skintone if not used carefully. It smells pretty tasty, but the actual product itself isn't as 'Worth The Hype' as I imagined and hoped it would be.

SOAP AND GLORY SOLAR POWDER BRONZER - Unfortunately not pictured above as I've used all of my last one up! Now, this is one I'm definitely more in love with. There was a time when Lily Pebbles constantly raved about this bronzer and after a, I caved and bought it myself as always loved the look of it on her and I do really trust and value her opinion. I'm sure this is another item which has been featured round these parts quite a lot over time, but this has to be one of, if not the best bronzer I've come across so far. It's matte (I personally don't like shimmery bronzers that much), has great pigmentation and blendability and the split pan with two different shades (one lighter and one darker) means you can dial up or down the colour depending on preference and your own skintone. It got a perfect mix of ashy and warm tones - meaning it doesn't look too cool for overall bronzing, nor does it come off as orangey on my paler skin. Overall, its just perfect and I'm so happy YouTube caused me to find this.

THE BALM MARY-LOU MANIZER - I'm pretty sure most people would put this highlighter in their own version of this TAG, as I feel its popularity is definitely at least partly due to the online world. Before purchasing this, I'd never heard of the theBalm brand before and had never tried any of their products so I think out of everything, this was the item which I had the most doubt over when I came to order it. The only thing I had to go on was the fact that so, so many people were singing its praises at the time and I was always blown away by how stunning it looked when it was used in tutorials (I think one by  the lovely Meg Says finally swayed me). And you know what? I don't know what I was even thinking back then, as I could not be more in love with this highlighter now. Other ones may come and go and there may be times when I stop using this one for a bit, but as soon as I pull it back out and use it - I adore it all over again. It's such a gorgeous champagne-toned highlighter that has super crazy, incredibly high pigmentation - so much so that you literally need the tiniest touch in the pan to get a serious glow goin' on. Love, love, LOVE - and highly recommend.

SLEEK HIGHLIGHTING PALETTE IN 'SOLSTICE' - A highlighting palette that got my attention due to YouTube this time. Sleek was another brand that I hadn't really tried much from before sampling this and let's just say that now - I want to try everything. Not long ago this palette was making the rounds online, with everyone ranting and raving about it and eventually, I caved and believed the hype. I'd seen the glowy magic happen in front of my very eyes and let me tell you, it's just as good in 'real life' too. Four different, equally-stunning hues in a variety of formulas and each one delivers serious glow to the complexion. I know they also have a few other shade compilations of their Highlighting Palettes, but there's not one which has received such a buzz around it like 'Solstice', so I'm holding back...for now...

URBAN DECAY ALL NIGHTER SETTING SPRAY - Finally, moving onto a couple of 'Miscellaneous'-style inclusions that I figured I'd throw in anyway as they're both base/face-related and were both purchases that were mainly as a result of being featured hundreds of times on good ol' YouTube. The first - this setting spray from Urban Decay - has been a favourite in the online beauty community for ages now and it took me a while to get on the hype, but once I did - I basically haven't looked back since. This is almost like a glue, properly locking your makeup to your face and ensuring it does not move until you remove it at the end of the day. I've used many setting sprays since and while I've liked them, there's not one which has completely lived up to the way this one performs.

REAL TECHNIQUES BRUSHES AND SPONGES - Last, but certainly by no means least - Real Techniques. Not only would this brand cease to even exist without YouTube, I doubt I would have got on the hype (or at least got on it as quickly as I did) without it too. I love, love, LOVE Real Techniques and both their brushes and sponges are complete staples in my collection. Sam and Nic (from Pixiwoo) are lovely gals and whether you're a fan of them or not, I  seriously suggest you go and try out the range. Everything I've tried is amazing quality, stands the test of time and comes in at an amazing price tag. Not only something I'm glad that YouTube introduced me to, but also something that I'm super happy that YouTube allowed to happen in the first place. Go Team Internet...

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