REVIEW: Primark PS...Pro Longwear Mineralized Foundation

I have to admit that I'm somewhat of a bargain hunter *holds hands up* - as much as I adore luxury items, I just love finding items which don't break the bank. And when it comes to beauty and make-up, I love finding affordable products which are equally as effective as their more expensive competitors. 

I got extremely excited when I found out last year that Primark were launching a 'professional' make-up range and couldn't wait to get my hands on it when I saw it for real. I can be dubious about budget make-up because I sometimes worry about the effect it will have on my skin, but having found a few unbeatable and affordable products, I am willing to at least give something a try. 

 

The PS...Pro range is quite vast for only being a small section of a massive high street retailer, but if your local store is anything like mine, you will be lucky to ever find the products in stock, which speaks volumes in itself. Either that, or I'm not the only one who feels passionately about bargain items! To begin with I thought I would try the foundation which retails at only £5. Because of the price I purchased two shades which allows me to mix my own colour depending on how light or dark I require it to be.

 

APPLICATION: I apply this foundation with a damp beauty blender which ensures maximum coverage. By dampening the beauty blender, it becomes impermeable and all the product is transferred straight to your face. If you prefer a lighter coverage I suggest using a foundation buffer brush instead. This foundation is very easy to work with - it is blendable and buildable, however I don't believe you really need to build it up as it is very full coverage. It has a dewy finish which is ideal for anyone with dry/normal skin. Amazingly though, it also works on my oily skin when set with a good mattifying powder! A win-win for everyone. 

 

LONGEVITY: I can get approximately 8 hours out of this product before I have to touch it up. There is a need for me to reapply powder after this time because I am oily, however I don't think it would require this if you have a different skin type. The coverage lasts all day and I've even worn this whilst working out so I can really can attest to just how much this foundation can take!

 

OVERALL VERDICT: I am in LOVE. Honestly, for £5, I cannot recommend this product enough. Full coverage, suits all skin types (with a little extra powdering if you are oily), can withstand workouts, and lasts all day. I cannot urge you enough to try this, it provides serious competition for the likes of MAC Studio Fix, and for only a fraction of the price. I know it sounds too good to be true but it isn't!

If you decide to try it then please let me know!

 

Friday’s Giirl

x

MAKEUP: My Current Favourite Products

Hey guys! I'm back again with a new post for you all and this time it's all about the make-up because, let's face it, I can't go too long without buying and trying something new. I have five absolute *MUST HAVE* products right now, and hopefully by sharing them with you now, you'll have time to get your requests in to the North Pole and hopefully wake up to some awesome little stocking fillers on Christmas morning! So without further ado...

1. MAYBELLINE FIT ME! CONCEALER NO. 15

Okay, I feel reeeeeally guilty saying this because I am, well was, an Urban Decay Naked Skin concealer girl through and through, BUT, dare I say it, I think this is...equally as good, if not better?! There, I did it, I said it. Seriously though, I had heard amazing reviews about this product, and when I managed to pick it up for only a couple of pounds, I had to try it. I won't continue to compare it to the other product I just mentioned because it is incredible in its own right, but I will tell you why I love this more. 

 

 
This concealer sits SO smooth on my skin. I always begin my make-up by filling in my brows and carving out around them with concealer, and then taking it further down onto my eyelids to act as a base for my eyeshadow. I use a flat concealer brush to do this and then buff it all out with a blending brush (the Inglot 4SS- you NEED this!). Now, I am still following the same steps with this concealer but I find that I don't need to buff as much as I would with others. I also apply it over the top of my foundation to highlight under my eyes and down the centre of my face, and it blends so flawlessly with a damp beauty sponge. To make it last all day I bake the forenamed areas with a translucent powder and the product doesn't budge all day. 

 

Have I persuaded you already? If not, the price might twist your arm to at least go out and try it. You can pick this up here for only £5.99 - bargain! With four shades to choose from you should hopefully find a shade that's perfect for you.  

2. URBAN DECAY 'SIN' HIGHLIGHTER

This product has been out of stock for MONTHS, I couldn't get my hands on it the whole time I was working for the brand. But thankfully, the UD gods sent stock in just before I was leaving so I had to have it, while I had the discount obvs! We all know that highlighter is my favourite make-up product ever and I am always buying more *slaps hand*, but this is without a doubt the most pigmented one I've ever used. It is AMAZING! 

 

It comes in three shades - Aura, Fireball and Sin. Aura is a light pink shimmer, Fireball is almost like a rose gold shimmer, it looks gold in some lights and pink in others, and Sin is a gold shimmer. All three are stunning and your colour choice is merely personal preference. For me, I chose Sin as it is perfect for an everyday look, for example with brown smokes, or with gold glitter when I'm heading out. 

 

No doubt I'll buy all three at some stage though, it is me after all! Just pop it on with your brush of choice, for me it's the Zoeva 129 Luxe Fan Brush, and you're good to go!

 

 This retails at £19 and you can purchase it here or from your local Urban Decay.

3. SUVA BEAUTY 'NEUTRAL NECESSITY' PALETTE

This is a brand that you potentially haven't heard of and I personally hadn't until a few months earlier this year. They are Canadian, and I'm so glad that they've made an appearance here in the UK because their eyeshadows are to DIE FOR. Luckily for me, the salon I'm working in now is stocking the brand so I can play with the colours all I want, EEK! 

 

The Neutral Necessity palette is stunning, and absolutely perfect for this time of year. With 7 matte shades and 1 satin shade (Prohibition Pub, Turkish Bath, Lock Bridge, Shanghai Nights, Night Market, Islander, Hookah, Madrid), this is a staple product for all you make-up junkies out there.

 

Perfect for creating a natural daytime look with creams and browns, or a dark smokey eye using plums, browns and black, the possibilities are endless. Having a butter formulation and a built-in primer, the payoff from these eyeshadows is fantastic, and they last me all day when applied on top of the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer. 

 

Another bonus to this palette is that the magnetic pans are replaceable so when your favourite colour runs out you can buy it on its own, or even keep the empty palette and use it to try out some new colours. 

 

The palette costs £45 and you can purchase it either in-store at SK | Makeup Studio, Ballymena, or online at www.skmakeupstudio.com.

4. ILLAMASQUA SKINBASE FOUNDATION

I only purchased this foundation about six weeks ago, admittedly whilst I could get discount on it before leaving my job, and also because I had always heard people saying it was amazing. I got matched up after I came home from Ibiza to an 8.5 but sadly, I need a lighter one as I've lost ALL my tan *sad face*. However, I'm happy to use the same colour and mix it with some sort of other lighter foundation. 

 

This foundation is highly recommended for dry skin, but right now I have combination skin - oily in the T-zone and fairly normal elsewhere, and I find it still works so well for me. It is full coverage, yet doesn't feel heavy or cakey on the skin and undoubtedly covers any flaws or blemishes I have. Boasting vitamins C and E, it also smooths, softens and conditions the skin. It doesn't budge all day, and I cannot find one fault with this foundation. With 26 shades to choose from, some with pink undertones and others with yellow, and with knowledgeable staff, you can be sure you will be matched up perfectly to your desired shade. 

 

To make it even better, Illamasqua are British and are recognised by PETA as a cruelty-free brand. I'm finding more and more people are on the search for products which are not tested on animals, and if you are among those people, I cannot recommend Illamasqua enough. This particular product retails at £32.50 and you can purchase it here or at your local Illamasqua counter. 

5. MINK'D BY SK 'SPACED OUT' LASHES

I have gotten so used to wearing lashes that I feel naked without them and subsequently wear them on a daily basis. I have naturally long lashes and don't particularly need them, but I find that they really complete the dramatic eye looks that I wear to work every day. 

Financially it makes more sense for me to purchase mink lashes, as the cost per wear is less than that of normal false lashes. The longevity of a pair of lashes really boils down to how well you treat them, but roughly speaking, false lashes will last about seven wears and cost on average £1 per wear. Although mink lashes are more expensive, the cost per wear comes in around 66p and you can wear them approximately thirty times! Saying that, if you are really careful with them you can get much longer out of them, sometimes up to sixty wears! Be sure to use Duo glue with them to make them last as long as possible.

 

These particular lashes have been chosen by my friend Shawna and come in four different styles. 'Spaced Out' are my favourites because they are full but not too thick, have different lengths of hair which blend better with my own lashes, and funnily enough, are perfectly spaced out!

 

 

These mink lashes are cruelty-free and are ethically sourced, and can be purchased through Facebook or in-store at SK | Makeup Studio, Ballymena for £20.

 

Have you tried any of these products? If you have then be sure to let me know what you think! And if Santa is kind enough to leave any of them for you on Christmas morning, please Snapchat me and show me! I'll leave all my social media details below so you can contact me. Thanks for reading!

 

Friday’s Giirl

x

Instagram - @fridaysgiirl

Facebook - Friday's Giirl

Snapchat - lboyd5

MAKE - UP: Jamie Genevieve Masterclass

In one of my posts earlier this year I mentioned that I was training to become a make-up artist. I completed a six week course which included a very exciting photoshoot on the last day! Since then, I have been practising lots, both on myself and on friends and clients. With an abundance of YouTube videos and online tutorials, there is always so much to learn and the industry is forever growing and improving. 

Some of my favourite looks that I have created so far...

Some of my favourite looks that I have created so far.
So, hands up if you follow Jamie Genevieve on Instagram/Facebook/YouTube... *ME*

Last week, I attended a masterclass with Jamie at the amazing MNXPro studio in Belfast (check them out on Facebook/Insta if you haven't already) and oh my...WHAT. A. BABE. When I arrived, Jamie was barefaced and she was STUNNING! I honestly don't think I would wear make-up if I looked that good naturally! If I'm being honest, I felt a little starstruck, I couldn't take my eyes off her. 

I can't stress enough just how LOVELY Jamie is - she sat and chatted to everyone until we were ready to begin. And then, off she went! We watched her apply her make-up as she normally would. A gorgeous taupe/purple smokey eye with gold glitter on the inner corners, heavily contoured/highlighted skin, and a dark plum lip. 

Image © Jamie Genevieve Instagram

I got lots of tips from how Jamie applied her make-up and left feeling SUPER inspired. As a result, I couldn't wait to try out her look on myself so here it is...

I will admit than when I applied this eye make-up I felt like a zombie but that's because I usually don't wear a lot of eyeshadow and concentrate more on liner. But when I had finished I LOVED it - the colours made my blue eyes look so striking but unfortunately the intensity has been lost in the photographs *sad face*.

The products I used are as follows:

EYES - All shadows are from the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette, namely Nooner, Factory, Darkside and Blackheart
          Maybelline black gel liner in the waterline
          Barry M Dazzle Dust in 44 applied on the inner corner on top of Primark lash glue
          Primark 'Define' false lashes

BROWS - NYX Tame and Frame Brow Pomade in Espresso 

FACE - Nivea Mens Sensitive Post Shave balm as primer
           MAC Studio Fix Fluid foundation in NC25 mixed with Estee Lauder DoubleWear foundation in Ecru
           Max Factor Pan Stick in Fair and Cool Copper to contour
           Poundland Make Up Galley Bronzer in Matte Medium 2 to set contour
           Seventeen Instant Glow Shimmer Brick in Gold Bronze on cheeks to contour and highlight
           MUA Undress Your Skin Highlighter in Iridescent Gold to highlight cheekbones, nose, forehead, brow bone and chin

LIPS - MAC Lip Pencil in Nightmoth
         MAC Lipstick in Cyber
         Rimmel white eyeliner pencil in centre

I think this look will be great for the party season especially with the pop of glitter. I can't wait to try more looks similar to this - thank you Jamie for all the tips and inspiration!

If you want to see more of my make-up work, please head over to Facebook and like my work page - LB Hair and Make-Up Artistry.

Thank you for reading,

Friday’s Giirl

x