Look Beauty BB Review

Look, a popular weekly fashion and beauty magazine here in the UK, launched a make up range earlier this year. Whenever I am in Swansea I always take a look at their stand and about four months ago they had discounts on some of their products. I have always liked the idea of BB creams and like the lighter coverage of a tinted moisturiser. So I was excited when I saw the Flawless Fix Beauty Balm on a half price offer meaning it was £5 instead of £10. I bought the palest shade they make and it's pretty much the perfect shade for me.

I cannot express my love for this foundation/BB Cream/Tinted Moisturiser hybrid enough. It glides on effortlessly, looks really natural, comes in an array of shades and doesn't clog pores. It's not greasy like the Garnier BB Cream and mimicks skin really well, all the while helping to even out the skin tone. It provides a similar look and coverage to Bourjois Healthy Mix in my personal opinion. I cannot say it's made my skin better, but then it doesn't really claim to. You can build the coverage and you get a fair amount of product for your money. The packaging is hygienic and the glass packaging feels expensive, even though you aren't paying a great deal for it. I really do love this product!

I'm wearing the Beauty Balm in the above photo and this is only one pump, which isn't a great deal of product as the pump works well to only dispense a little at a time. As you can hopefully see, it is enough to cover the face with a thin layer of product which let's freckles show through, but also helps to even out the skin, covering redness. Highly recommend it! It's now my go-to daily foundation and will remain so until the winter really kicks in, no doubt.

Chewing the Fat

Today I want to talk about something that most people will roll their eyes at as it's been done to death. "Chubby blogger decries the lack of fat girls in the fashion industry". However, it's not as simple as that. I've been all sizes between an 8 and a 22 (UK) and I am currently a size 12/14 (mostly 16 in dresses as I've a natural 36FF/G bust); I know I look fatter, but that's the truth.  I look much bigger because I've got massive boobs and tops tend to hang down from them, my widest point, and I have a chubby face (if I put on 1lb, I swear it goes straight to my jawline). Also, I am only 5ft 2" so any excess weight looks wrong on me. I know I carry excess weight. I make no excuses other than I love food and being a Masters student my life is spent reading academic books and writing, my portion sizes are too large and I don't exercise enough. I am currently trying to lose half a stone to get within my ideal weight range for my height.

I want to start by saying I am not condoning the use of models at the extreme ends of the scale - by that I mean super thin and morbidly obese. It is incredibly unhealthy to be either of those things and I do not want young girls/women to think it's okay to aspire to either of those ideals, because it isn't. The one thing I always stress is to be healthy. I feel Look magazine has triumphed in its use of models that are more representative of their readership. I appreciate looking at the models that are more like me and seeing the cut of the clothes on them; what's the point in me looking at size 8 girls with no boobs? Simply put, the clothes would not look as good on me. It doesn't make sense that I'm often made to stare at girls whose shape is nothing like my own and expected to be inspired enough to buy that item of clothing; if anything it just makes me feel like as a bigger girl, I don't deserve to own such beautiful clothing. 

I love to look at fashion blogs and be inspired by the beautiful clothes, yet rarely do I find a popular blog that's run by a girl who isn't a clothes horse - wasp-waisted, small-footed, with a nicely proportioned bust.  I can't help but feel sometimes that if I looked differently, I'd have more readers - be that smaller or bigger (I'm not small enough for the fashionistas to welcome me into their clique, not large enough for the curvy girls to embrace as one of their own). I know there are some popular bloggers who aren't minuscule or massive, yet I feel they are few and far between. Us mere mortals who rely on average cameras, a boyfriend that doesn't know how to take the sort of photos I want, a tiny budget (or none at all in my current case), and a witty anecdote to reel people in because we aren't a 'bright young thing' or a 'bubbly smiler', get nowhere. I'm in a weird category; not big enough to shop in Evans or the Curve collection on ASOS, and yet most shops whose clothes are meant to fit me, don't actually fit very well as they won't accommodate a large-busted, small-hipped, bloated-tummied, flat-bottomed woman. Jeans are a nightmare as I need them to fit my stomach, where I hold most of my weight and excess skin from losing too much weight too fast, but then they bag around my crotch (due to aforementioned small hips and bum) and make me look like I'm harbouring a willy when I stand a certain way. Not a good look, I assure you. 

All I'm trying to say is, if you are an "In-Betweener" like me, please don't lose heart. Not all of us that are into fashion are very small or very large. I don't get many views on my fashion/outfit posts and I know deep down, that it's likely that people think I have an awful dress sense and I have absolutely no charisma in textual form. Nevertheless, I keep this blog going because I want the rare girl who is like me to see my blog and think, "She's rounded and she likes fashion, so I can do it too". I want the fashion blogging world to be more colourful and have more shapes in it; there is room for everyone. Yes, I have more clothing restrictions than a smaller girl as I just can't wear certain clothes, but do I not have the right to a voice or to show you photos? Am I not entitled to have fashion bloggers who are In-Betweeners like me to draw outfit inspiration from? I love looking at fashion blogs full stop as I'm fashion mad, but sometimes I wish I could garner inspiration from someone whose size is similar to my own...preferably near to my budget too! Thank you for your time.

Nicole x

Review: Look Beauty Eyeshadow

Look is a popular UK-based weekly fashion magazine. It features celebrity news, trend reports and excellently shot "normal" sized models mostly wearing high street clothes; it is written in an accessible manner and yet still manages to steer clear of the trashy style that other magazines of this genre tend to fall in to. As a fan of the magazine I was excited to learn, like many beauty bloggers, that Look were bringing out a make up range available in selected Superdrug's stores. Sadly, my local store doesn't stock the range (along with Sleek, MUA, Fashionista and any other cult bargain beauty brand - boo!) and as a result I had to wait until I ventured back down south to my hometown over Christmas before I could get my hands on anything. I ended up choosing a single eyeshadow in 'Luxe: Shade 18' to review; the stock levels were low and whilst I have colours like it already, the other colours left were just not my cup of tea.

This shade, whilst beautiful, is not in any sense unique - it is similar to 'Half-Baked' by Urban Decay to name but one comparison. I cannot find anywhere online that states the exact price of the individual eyeshadows, as most blogs have just regurgitated the PR circulation which states that 'prices range between £4-£18', which isn't helpful. I couldn't find anything on Look's site itself and the range isn't available to buy on Superdrug's website. However, I can tell you it isn't in line with MUA, Sleek or the other budget beauty brands that Superdrug tends to favour. I don't begrudge paying a little more though; the consistency of the shadow is lovely and smooth, it is highly pigmented, and I believe that Look make a donation to the 'Look Good...Feel Better' cancer charity with each purchase (a worthy cause). I do feel that the packaging of the single shadows is slightly uninspired but unlike many other beauty bloggers, this wouldn't necessarily deter me from purchasing a product. One other thing I did find incredibly irritating is that the amount of product you get is not printed on the label either, so I cannot divulge this information I'm afraid. In summary:

Pigmentation: Great; true to pan.
Consistency: Lovely and soft; no chalkiness in this specific shade and applies with ease.
Packaging: This is merely functional so won't appeal to those who like 'pretty' packaging. I like that it's clear and you can see the shade clearly, however. It's sturdy too.
Price: As I said, I cannot really comment on this as I can't remember and can't find it online.
Availability: Only available in the UK and only in very selected Superdrug stores at that; even when the stand is in the store they are generally incredibly empty which is disappointing (although I have found this with many Superdrugs across Wales for all brands).
Marks: I would give it a respectable 7/10.