So I had some make up that had been running low recently (why do they always all run out at once?) and decided to take the opportunity to review some new products.
Lily Lolo are a cruelty free British cosmetic company well known for their mineral foundation - they specialise in mineral make up. So far everything I've tried from them has been great. Kiko is another cruelty free brand I've noticed recently, although they aren't British. They do ship to Britain from their website. Their make-up is not what I'd consider "natural", but I'm not as strict with some products. I doubt eyebrow pencils are going to reawaken my acne.
So today I decided to try out my new products. First Up, Kiko Dark Circle Concealer. I was absolutely convinced in store that I'd picked up this yellow toned version, but sadly when I opened it I saw it was porcelain. Luckily I'd still picked up the lightest shade. I usually opt for all natural and mineral concealers, but I'd seen some bloggers talking about this and wanted to give it a go. If it worked I'd wear it occasionally on nights out, and wouldn't expect little usage to cause any skin problems.
When I hear "porcelain" I think of a fair, cream whitish tone. This was a darker, salmon tone. I had doubts that it would be light enough for me, but I'd heard that salmon shades are good at cancelling out dark under eyes. Which I have in excess, by the way.
Once blended in it wasn't too dark. I did cover it with Lily Lolo's mineral corrector in PeepO. It's great with purple tones, but as mine are so damn purple I feel it isn't always enough. It did work great over the Kiko concealer, and by the time I had my Honeypie Minerals foundation on the bags were gone! Yes, it took three layers to cover those bad boys.
I skipped the contour today as I left my powder at home in a bid to start wearing less make-up in France. It has worked, as I now only wear it on trips out or to review a new item. Add in the sun exposure I'm getting here and my skin will be glowing when I return to Scotland!
Next up was the Lily Lolo mineral blush in Sunset. Despite my fair skin I always prefer darker blushes. My lips and natural redness are more "rosy" than "pink" anyway, so I always think it looks better.
Here are some swatches I done for comparison. From top to bottom:
Lily Lolo's mineral blush in "Sunset". It is described as a demi-matte, but (to me) it has a strong shimmer. I usually go for matte blushes, so decided to try something out of my comfort zone. I love it, but wouldn't want anything any more "shimmery".
Below, for comparison, is Everyday Minerals mineral blush in Tea Rose. This is a light baby pink, which I chose to go with my fair skin. It is a beautiful shade, but again I think I prefer something a little rosier and darker.
At the bottom is my Everyday Minerals All Over Shimmer in Hint. It is so hard to find a good highlighter for pale skin. Seriously, most of them are darker than than my foundation. Everyday Minerals do three shades, aimed to cover all skin tones from light to dark. This one is basically white, and the only highlighter I've used so far that gives me any sort of glow noticeable against my pale skin.
The Kiko Precision Eyebrow Pencil has been praised online, so I decided to pick it up. At only €5.90 it's pretty cheap. It was very precise, and comes with it's own sharpener. It went on easily and hasn't budged all day. The Eyebrow Designer Gel Mascara was on offer for €2, so I snapped that up too. Again, it's worked very well and hasn't budged all day...
I was so excited to try Lily Lolo's mascara. I've heard a lot of bad things about natural mascaras, yet I've seen this one praised again and again. I'm lucky enough to have natural thick, dark lashes, so I've never been too picky about mascara. The only thing I can't stand is smudging and clumps. This has neither! It definitely helped shape and lengthen my lashes and I haven't had any smudging/irritation all day.
And so this is the finished look! Apart from the concealer (which is slightly too dark for me) I would definitely repurchase all the products. There's this stigma around mineral make-up that it's too cakey, doesn't offer good coverage and doesn't give a natural finish. I'll let you be the judge of that! Below are my before and after pictures of today.
So this is what I'm wearing. All are cruelty free, to the best of my knowledge.
Kiko dark circle concealer in Porcelain
Honeypie Minerals colour corrector in Green (face)
Lily Lolo colour corrector in PeepO (under eyes)
Honeypie Minerals mineral foundation in Fair
Lily Lolo mineral blush in Sunset
Everyday Minerals all over shimmer in Hint
Kiko precision eyebrow pencil in 05 Brunettes
Kiko eyebrow designer
Lily Lolo mascara in Black
Natures Ingredients lip balm in Vanilla
Barry M lip liner in Russet
I use EcoTools brushes, which are available from Boots, Honeypie Minerals or through their own website.
So if you're looking to change to a cruelty free beauty routine I'd definitely recommend each of these brands. Honeypie Minerals, Lily Lolo, Everyday Minerals and Barefaced Beauty (not mentioned here) all do great make-up. Kiko is good if you're not into minerals but still want to go cruelty free. All brands are on the lower end of the price scale and pretty affordable.
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