Christian Dior 2-in-1 Prime and Colour Correct

One of the more annoying things about getting older (cough) is the necessity of dealing with skin discolouration as part of your daily makeup routine. Dullness, redness, dark circles, dark spots, the list is seemingly never-ending and seems to get longer as the years pass.
However: fear not dear reader, this is not a 'woe is me' post. At least there is something we can easily do about it. Christian Dior are the latest to offer an updated version of colour-correcting with the Fix It Colour: the Prime and Colour Correct stick brings some sophistication to what is essentially old school makeup artist/filming/backstage tricks.

Used specifically around the eye and lip contours, the centre of the bullet (imprinted with the CD logo) is a soft-focus powder to give an even, perfected skin surface and fill in wrinkles like a wrinkle-busting primer.
Around the central core, a green, yellow, apricot or blue shade targets and neutralises colour imperfections.

• 100 Blue: anti-dullness action
The lilac-blue colour is great on yellow-toned Caucasian skins and Asian skins. It evens out tired complexions for extra glow. Dabbed on the light-catching areas – the forehead and the tips of the cheeks – it gives them a rested look.
• 200 Apricot: perfect for matte or tanned complexions
Designed to even out dark skins, it tones down greyness, diminishes dark spots and corrects areas of hyper pigmentation and dark circles that tend to affect an olive skin.
• 300 Yellow: corrects dark spots and circles
On light skins this erases violet-tinted shadows, from blood vessels to circles under the eyes. It neutralises lips with a blue hue, bringing out the real colour of the lipstick.
• 400 Green: the anti-redness tool
Especially good for light complexions and rosy skins, used lightly it fades blood vessels and flushed areas. (i.e. hot flush klaxon)

The Christian Dior 2-in-1 Prime and Colour Correct is £23.00 and available from Boots.com 





*This post contains some affiliate links. If you are happy to click on them and support the blog, thank you very much. If you would rather not, just google the product. It's all good. See my full disclaimer here: http://bit.ly/1rpEmSq The views expressed on this site are the author's own and are provided for informational purposes only. The author makes no warranties about the suitability of any product or treatment referenced or reviewed here for any person other than herself and any reliance placed on these reviews or references by you is done so solely at your own risk. Nothing on this site shall be construed as providing dermatological, medical or other such advice and you are always advised to seek the advice of a suitable professional should you have any such concerns.

Hall of Fame - Makeup Atelier Paris Waterproof Liquid Corrector & Concealer

A few months back I attended IMATS and did a tour around the room with my great friend Kevin James Bennett. He walked me over to the Love Makeup stand and essentially told me to buy these. No option. 

I felt what it must be like to go cleanser shopping with me. 'Buy this. Don't talk, just get your wallet out.'

They were £8.00 as a special show price so I bought two. Well, reader, I married him wish I had bought all of them. 

This concealer has replaced all of my usual choices, with the exception of my Urban Decay Naked, which I have kept on hand because it's slightly thicker, so good for active blemishes.

I use this around my eyes, on pigmentation, on scarring, all over. It's light, non-drying and dries quickly. The clincher though, for me, is the waterproof feature. If I was in a circus sideshow I would be 'The Incredibly Sweaty Woman' and this concealer DOES. NOT. BUDGE. The weather in London has been uncharacteristically hot this week and this concealer has been a life-saver. 

I mean it literally stays put like a dog waiting for it's owner to come out of a store. Or a kid waiting for you to come out of the loo (speaking from direct experience on that one). 

So, I'm bringing out the Hall Of Fame badge. For it's price, colour range and quality this is a no-brainer. For reference, I use FLWA2 and FLWA3, but there is a great guide for how to pick your correct colour on the website here.

It's £12.50 and for some reason is not currently available at LoveMakeup.co.uk so the links are:

MakeupAtelierParis/WaterproofLiquidCorrector - available to buy here

LoveMakeup.co.uk - not currently on sale, but a brilliant site worth investigating if you're a true makeup obsessive

Kevin James Bennett - puts the word 'Pro' back into Professional Makeup Artist - I love him. There is nothing, nothing, this man does not know about makeup. I will buy whatever he says, whenever he says it.

*No affiliate links.

Bobbi Brown Intensive Serum Corrector and Concealer

I think everyone I know owns a Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick. And Bone eyeshadow. And quite possibly the original Corrector and Concealer kit. Where I was absolutely on board with the first two, I hadn't, until last week, got on board with Corrector and Concealer. Instead of being sensible, and asking the always amazingly talented team on-counter specifically how to use them, I would bungle through, using, I now know, the wrong colour and most importantly, in the wrong order. Duh.

Last week, to highlight the exclusive launch of the new Intensive Skin Serum Corrector and Concealer at John Lewis, I filmed a 'Secret to Perfect Skin' tutorial with the gorgeous Hannah from Bobbi's Pro team. You literally see my lightbulb moment on screen. It's really not that difficult Hirons.

Regular readers will know that I am anaemic, and always suffer with dark circles. Always. It's the first place I go to when applying concealer. The joy of the new Intensive Serum Corrector and Concealer is that it is designed to target all of the causes of dark circles around the eyes that I am asked about the most often namely aging, illness, excess pigmentation, irritation and dehydration. 

They're beyond easy to use and the effect is immediate, looking more like you on a good day, than you wearing a ton of makeup.

Case in point:

The eye on the left is wearing the new Corrector and Concealer, right eye is my usual darkness. 

You can watch Hannah and my clearly much-needed lesson here – and further details on the products are below.

• Designed for all skin types.
• There are 16 Corrector Shades and 15 Concealer Shades
• Available Exclusively at John Lewis and Johnlewis.com from 1st-16th September.
• Book complimentary Secret to Perfect Skin Makeup Lesson at any John Lewis Counter nationwide.
• Bobbi Brown's Makeup Artists are available to help you find your perfect shades of new Intensive Skin Serum Corrector & Concealer. Visit or call a Bobbi Brown counter in John Lewis now for a complimentary Secret to Perfect Skin Makeup Lesson. www.johnlewis.com

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Bobbi Brown via Mode Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Bobbi Brown.

Delilah Cosmetics - GORGE.

 Even after all my years in the industry I still love it when I see something new and think 'PHWOARRR'. That's exactly what I did with Delilah.

The brainchild of 3 friends, Delilah is a British born and led brand that launched onto the scene fairly quietly this summer. It's also, like Charlotte Tilbury (for me anyway), a brand that literally makes you think you need every piece. I wish I was joking. I cherry picked the two that I've used religiously since I got them - although more will undoubtedly make their way on to this blog before long (esp the loose powder).

This, dear readers is Stiletto Cream Lipstick and to show you the true representation of the colours on their website - always a bugbear of mine - this is one I papped at home with no filter:

The colours are exquisite and they hold, the textures are beautiful and the packaging is reassuringly heavy. Rose gold is used throughout the range to great effect.

And this little wonder has replaced the aforementioned Tilbury Retoucher as my grab'n'go concealer. Perfect consistency for me, I use this all around the eye area, sides of nose, around the mouth to redefine lip line when out and about.. pretty much everywhere.

The only downside is the lack of availability in stores. Delilah is available in selected spas and online at www.delilahcosmetics.com - and I suspect that is their choice - but someone, somewhere more readily available needs to pull their finger out and take this brand on. It's a travesty. *becomes a beauty buyer*

Prices start around £20. The lippies and the pencil concealers are both £24. Love.

La Bella Donna Ultimate Pure Perfection Liquid Mineral Foundation

I'm not saying this foundation is amazing but if this were a beer commercial - it would be Heineken Carlsberg (thanks BBB :)).

Probably the best foundation I've ever tried - and I've tried EV. E. RY. THING.

I had a photo shoot this week. You may notice I'm not big on having my photo taken. I am the Chandler Bing of blogging. I think I look good, I smile - and then I see the results and want to throw myself out of the window - and throw the camera at someone's head. I'm just not photogenic. End of.

After the shoot I resolved to admit defeat and beef up my current base to an ACTUAL foundation. I've personally always hated the feel of foundation - you know when you apply it and you can feel it sitting there? Ugh.

This La Bella Donna base is SO gorgeous that I'm tempted to keep it to myself and pretend that my glowing skin is just that - my skin. Meh. My gift to you this rainy Friday?: La Bella Donna.

The official blimph - with the odd usual helpful comment on the side from yours truly:

'Ultimate Pure Perfection an aqueous texture with unrivaled qualities that respects the skin.

• Visibly corrects and lifts the skin so your face appears healthy, smooth, luminous and radiant - HELL YES
• Contains moisturizing agents to provide hydration and comfort, due to marine extracts that boost cell energy to enhance natural radiance - HELL YES
• Botanical extracts stimulate cell activity and regeneration wile maintaining anti-inflammatory properties to nourish the skin - FEELS LUSH

Focus ingredients and the benefits:

• Sodium Hyaluronate: tissue repair, contributes to tissue hydrodynamics, movement and proliferation of cells and participates in a number of cell surface interactions - SCORE!
• Aloe Barbeadensis Leaf Extract: reduces the appearance of dry or damaged skin and restores suppleness - WHO DOESN'T WANT TO BE SUPPLE?
• Ficus Crica(Fig)Extract: calms redness, a superior antioxidant - DEFINITELY CALMS REDNESS
• Squalene: gives a soft smooth appearance, a natural component of human sebum
• Thymus Valaris (Thyme) Extract: moisturizes a boosts skin tone. Stimulates cell activity and regeneration, assists in regulating hydration
• Cicumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract: moisture binding, soothing, tightening, anti-inflammatory properties, nourishes and softens the skin
• Rosa Canina Fruit Oil: excellent tissue regeneration, reduces scars(trauma and surgical), reduces wrinkles
• Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract: calms redness, anti-inflammatory, stimulates circulation, promotes healing of all skin challenges
• Jaminum Officinale (Jasmine Oil): moisturizing, soothing
• Hedera Helix (Ivy) Leaf/Stem Extract: antimicrobial, excellent for any skin issues, soothing, calming benefits'

There are other items in the range - the Mineral Eraser (concealer) is also the dog's bollocks - and I cannot wait to try the rest. Apparently its predominantly sold in the US in dermatologists offices and spas etc so that women who have had invasive treatments can cover up straight away afterwards without risking irritating their skin. I totally get that.

My skin feels better wearing it than it does without it - and I have NEVER said that before.

La Bella Donna is sold exclusively at Beauty Works West. Prices start at £15.00 and the foundation in question is £44.00. And worth every penny.

*purchase

*no affiliate link

New Feature: Product of the Week - Sue Devitt Microquatic Illuminating Concealer SPF20

I have so many products that I love and have so little time to review and post about them all that I thought it would be nice to start championing them on a regular basis.

If you look over there -----------> on the sidebar you'll see Product of the Week.

For the inaugural week I've chosen Sue Devitt's Microquatic Illuminating Concealer SPF20 or 'that Sue Devitt concealer/thing' as I prefer to call it.

There's a lot to like about this product - I personally love the twist-pen applicator, the texture is perfect and it DOES NOT CREASE.

Repeat:
DOES. NOT. CREASE.

I use the shade Great Sandy Desert (well they were hardly going to be called shades 1,2,3 or 4 with a title like that were they?). I think it's the 2nd one up out of 4. It's fine for my eyes and I even think I could go one darker in the Summer months. I use it under the eye and over the lid to brighten my black holes. Bliss.

The folks at Sue Devitt were so thrilled to be POTW that they have offered one lucky BM reader the opportunity of trying it for themselves.
Simply leave your email/twitter id in the comments section and they will pick one the winner next Monday 22nd August.

Read more about Sue here.
Sue Devitt is available in Harvey Nichols and Fenwick and on QVC and the concealer is £21.00

Small Print:

• My original concealer was a PR sample
• The Giveaway is a gift from PR
• Product of the Week is not an affiliated link OR a sponsored post - it's just stuff I REALLY like
• Alrighty then