Makeup | Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Bronzer Review

Today, I thought I would add my two pence on one of the many new additions to Charlotte Tilbury’s makeup line – the Airbrush Bronzer in 2 Medium! I lusted after this all summer but just couldn’t bring myself to spend £39 on it and I find CT discounts are usually capped at 10% off or the brand is excluded altogether. I finally made the purchase when Space NK did their £15 off a £60 spend and made the most of the discount with a few other purchases too! 

 

First off, this is the largest bronzer I own by a mile, at 18g it’s a whopper! No risk of me hitting pan or running out any time soon so I guess that price tag becomes a little easier to swallow! By comparison, NARS Laguna is 8g and Fenty Sun Stalkr is 6.23g. With only four shades, it’s not the most inclusive and I have to say that the second shade Medium is not actually as dark as I was expecting and I wondered if I could have got away with 3 Tan which is a little shocking considering how fair/pale I am! 

 

 

Not being as dark as I expected is not necessarily a bad thing as it means I can easily build up the colour. The powder is very finely milled and I wouldn’t say its hugely pigmented – again not a bad thing in my eyes – and this really does give a beautiful airbrushed finish as the name would suggest. It’s smooth to apply, gives my face some subtle warmth and blends seamlessly into the rest of my makeup leaving no harsh, hard to blend lines. It’s matte too but not flat and I really am blown away with the formula!

 

Not sure why I sound so shocked as I love all the Charlotte Tilbury products I have and in particular the bronze shade from Bronze and Glow is a long term favourite of mine! The only thing I would say is that on my oily/combo skin I do notice some slight fading/wearing off close to my ear where I am on the phone for work. This isn’t something that’s noticeable to other people and is a recurring problem I have with all bronzers not just this one! 

 

The compact itself, apart from being a bitch to photograph, is absolutely beautiful, it’s like a giant shell! It’s size doesn’t make it feel overly heavy and it’s sleek and got a good size mirror too. I don’t want to jinx myself but I feel like if I dropped it the powder would break in an instant so let’s hope I don’t get butter fingers! 

 

I’ve included some unedited swatches with some of my other bronzers so you can get an idea of how the shade compares, hopefully it helps! I am forever looking up swatches of products I am interested in especially now when I can’t get to test them out at the actual counter! If you like these types of reviews check out my NARS Laguna one too! 

 

Have you tried this bronzer? Let me know your thoughts or tell me what your favourite Charlotte Tilbury product is! 

 

Danielle xx

 

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What’s in my Mum’s Makeup Bag #2

Morning all! I was having a nosy through my mums makeup the other day and thought I would do an updated version of this post from a few years ago (based on one Jasmine did)! Not much has changed but here’s a little look into a fifty somethings makeup bag! 

Like myself, my mum’s two favourite foundations are Estee Lauder Double Wear in Desert Beige and Revlon Colourstay Combination/Oily in Sand Beige. She has been reaching for the Colourstay more often these days as she’s not going too far and its obviously more affordable than the EL. Both are long lasting, full coverage and staples in both our makeup bags! When I discovered the Laura Mercier Translucent loose setting powder a few years ago I told my mum about it and lo and behold she bought a pot and loves it too! Its mattifying without being cakey and even though its expensive, a pot lasts a long time! 

 

Her bronzer which you can see is well loved it a cast off from me from longer ago than I care to remember! It’s the Loreal Glam Bronze in 06 Golden Bronze which seems to be discontinued (my mum said typical when I told her this which we will get to in a minute) or renamed as Back to Bronze now! She likes it as it’s not too in your face and the light shade means she can build it up! I’m one part impressed one part embarrassed my mum is still using this mini NARS Orgasm blush, she likes a project empty more than me! This is another hand me down from me as I already have the shade and while my mum said she likes the colour she found it too sparkly so it’s not going to be one she repurchases! She also uses an Estee Lauder compact she got as a GWP (shades are Signature Silky Powder Bush Nude Rose 11, Bronze Goddess Soft Matte bronzer 01 and Signature Shimmer powder Gold Pearl 01). Clearly the matte blush and bronzer shade are more loved than the shimmer but she says she mixes these as a blush. 

 

The NYX Retractable waterproof eye liner in Grey is the best eye liner my mum has found in recent years as it doesn’t smudge and stays put all day and as luck would have it NYX seem to have discontinued it! My mum currently has five backups as she noticed it was out of stock everywhere but the NYX website and I just went to see if I could link it and it’s not there anymore! She is not impressed! For her brows she uses Gimme Brow in shade 1 as it’s so quick and easy and she’s just asked me to get her a new one for Christmas too! Although she has tried the Charlotte Tilbury lip cheat in Pillowtalk she find she goes through it too quickly for what it’s worth so she is back to the No7 Precision Lips pencil in Nude as its much more affordable and does the job! Bobbi Brown lip colour in Brown has been my mums signature lipstick for as long as I can remember and the only one she used until I sent her a mini MAC Velvet Teddy for Christmas one year! The MAC is more matte but both last well and are similar shades, classic nudes!

 

With the amount of pan going on in this picture I asked what back-ups she has and similarly to last time we have Benefit Hoola Bronzer as well as NYX Blush in Mauve (another recommendation from moi and another one that is discontinued and she bought back ups of lol).

Like last time there is no primer, concealer, highlighter, eyeshadow or mascara here because my mum doesn’t use them! She wears glasses and gets her lashes tinted so just misses the mascara step and doesn’t see the point in the others! Do you recognise any of these products from your makeup bag? What do you do when your favourite makeup products get discontinued? 

 

Danielle xx

 

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Current Skincare | Facial Mists #1

I’m really enjoying going through my stash at the minute and doing these current skincare posts so here’s what is currently in my facial mist collection! First up, my ultimate favourite, holy grail – the January Labs Restorative Tonic Mist! I have lost count over how many bottles I have went through of this stuff now and I could not recommend it more! It’s refreshing, hydrating and really helps with blemishes! Containing aloe extract, witch hazel, sodium PCA, flower oil extract, licorice and calendula extract, this mist is anti-inflammatory and works as an antioxidant too! I use this in my morning and evening skincare routine after cleansing and toning before treatments or serums and moisturisers. There is a slight scent but it’s not offensive in the slightest and it’s been a staple in my skincare routine for four years now! Believe me when I say I am DEVASTATED Cult Beauty do not stock this anymore. If anyone knows of another UK seller please tell me because the shipping and customs to order this from the USA are more expensive than the product itself which is $24 

 

As a side note, it seems Cult Beauty have removed a few more indie brands from their website, as well as January Labs, I noticed Mabel + Meg have disappeared too. Obviously a business decision was made but as a consumer this is disappointing to me as that’s what I went to Cult Beauty for, not the big brand names like Elemis etc they have started selling. Personally, as Cult Beauty rarely do discounts, I try to wait for the GWP offer before making a purchase off their site and that’s when I will splurge! Look Fantastic do 20% off Elemis every day of the week so if I was buying something from them it would be off LF! Anyway rant over! 

 

Next up I have the Pyunkang Yul Mist Toner which I purchased at the same time as the cult favourite essence toner. Cooling and soothing, this contains Barberry root extract (antioxidant and anti-inflammatory) as well as sodium hyaluronate so it feels nicely hydrating too. It’s also fragrance free and has been a real nice addition into my skincare routine as it’s so calming! Its £9.50 and Tonic15 usually have up to 15% off with a code! 

 

My other long term love and one I have just recently repurchased as it’s a handbag/desk side staple for me is the Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater! It contains aloe and rosewater and like the others feels very refreshing and hydrating on the skin. I spritz my face with this throughout the day and find it doesn’t disturb my makeup as it delivers a good even dose of hydration. It also helps with the mid-afternoon slump as its cooling! Worth mentioning this contains fragrance which I find quite light so it doesn’t bother me but I know a lot of people don’t love this spray! It’s £6.75 from Beauty Bay and they often have 20% off it! 

 

Finally, the Sukin Original Hydrating Mist Toner was one I picked up from Holland and Barratt a few months ago when trying to meet the minimum spend for free delivery haha, at £2.50 I couldn’t say no! This is also one I prefer as a handbag spritz and I love how dinky it is! I thought I would go through it very quickly but its lasted me ages! It contains chamomile and rosewater and again it feels cooling and soothing and I know over winter when my skin dries out with the heating and weather extremes it will help hydrate it! 

So, that’s what I currently have in my collection! It’s also worth noting these are all alcohol free which is important to me as I use them mostly as an extra step for hydration and the calming effect they have! Let me know what your favourites are, I am always on the lookout for new products! If you want to see my other instalments in this blog series, here are the last batch of cleansers and toners!

 

Danielle xx

 

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Dry Shampoo Showdown #2

A couple of years ago I reviewed the dry shampoos I owned at the time and I thought it was time for a slight update (although you will see one repeat performance!). Dry shampoo is an every couple of days essential for me, I’ve got greasy roots and my hair is long and fine meaning it can look limp if it’s not freshy washed so dry shampoo is a lifesaver! Here’s what I’m currently using up! 

Batiste Dry Shampoo and De-Frizz

It had been a few years since I tried Batiste when I decided to pick up this bottle in its new packaging! Then once I used it, I was reminded why I stopped buying it. I thought with the promise of the invisible formula they would have updated their formulation but sadly not. I find this to leave a white cast on my dark hair, it barely soaks up any oil and the scent is very old fashioned. My hair is not massively frizzy but I do get some flyaway’s and I didn’t notice a difference with this. I know lots of people swear by Batiste but for me it’s nowhere near good enough! 

 

VO5 Refresh Dry Shampoo 

Probably my most repurchased dry shampoo ever (seriously, search VO5 in my search bar) and this one also featured in the first instalment of this blog series! It’s got a fresh, clean scent, leaves absolutely no white cast and easily gives me an extra day out of my hair making it look less greasy and much fresher! It doesn’t take too much effort rubbing in the spray either as its basically transparent! It pains me to say I think this has been discontinued as its out of stock or ridiculously priced online although sometimes I see it in random grocery shops. I hope they bring it back as it was such a great dry shampoo and so affordable too! 

 

TRESemme Day 2 Between Washes Volumizing Dry Shampoo 

When I lived in Canada, I went through so many bottles of the TRESemme dry shampoo so when I got home I was gutted when I couldn’t find it! Eventually I saw this version which is slightly different and though not *quite* as good, still worth a go if you are looking for a dry shampoo on a budget. Similarly to the VO5, it has a very fresh, light scent and doesn’t leave a white cast. I don’t find it does a lot for volume though despite its claims though I do have long, fine hair so not much does! 

 

Bardot Dry Shampoo 

Lastly, I have the Bardot dry shampoo, and it’s another one I *think* may have been discontinued sadly! This is my second bottle of this and while the RRP is £19 I would never pay that for a dry shampoo. I would be bankrupt at the rate I go through them! I got mine for £2.50 when MMCL did a huge sale a while back and it was money well spent! It’s another translucent formulation, it soaks up my oils nicely and also leaves my hair looking like it’s got a bit more oomph! The only thing I’m not keen on is the floral scent but throughout the day it becomes less strong! 

 

Overall, the V05 wins for me, it’s an old favourite and ticks all the boxes! If you’d like to read the last post in this series, you can do so here! I definitely need to revisit the Klorane dry shampoo soon! What is your favourite dry shampoo? 

 

Danielle xx

 

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