Makeup Winning with W7!

Hello lovely readers!

It occurred to me the other day after finishing my makeup that the majority of products I'd just applied belonged to one brand in particular & its one that completely took me by surprise! The dark horse in question...W7! A brand that has really drawn my intrigue, especially renowned for their dupes of certain more expensive brands.

Its easy to see why I've missed paying attention to the brand what with it not being hugely available on the high street, though I AM starting to see them pop up in more places now. As it turns out W7 have some pretty amazeballs products for absolutely fab prices & I thought it was high time I shared a few of my favourite ones with you!

First we have these three boxed delights, Africa, Honolulu & Honeycomb that were actually my first W7 purchases many moons ago & the love is still going strong. These 3 are all stated as bronzers however I'd say only Honolulu falls under that category. 

A beautifully warm toned matte bronzer that is perfect for my skin tone & blends so beautifully, as you can see I've almost hit pan with this it is THAT good! This is my go to contour shade pretty much every day.

Next up we have Africa which is a pretty pearlescent illuminating powder that I love to apply as a final step on top of everything to give my makeup that pretty ethereal glow that every girl loves to achieve! Isn't the product itself so pretty, embossed with a pretty leopard print design?

Then the Honeycomb bronzer, which is definitely too light to be classed as a bronzer on me however for paler skin tones I'm sure it would be perfect! I love using this to highlight my cheekbones, cupids bow, bridge of my nose & anywhere else I want a warm sunkissed glow. Each three of these powders are fantastic quality, pigmented, buttery smooth, easily blended....& just £4.95 each. What more can you want?

Next up we have some recent buys which I found in TK Maxx, one store which is now stocking W7. After the success of the boxed blushers/bronzers I was intrigued to try more so picked up the primer, eye shadow palette, foundation & cream contour sticks.

The primer (RRP £6.95) which has been compared to Smashbox & received mixed reviews has put all others on a back-shelf for me...for the moment anyways ;) I love it, the purple tone designed to brighten the complexion, this silicone based primer applies smoothly leaving my skin feeling velvety soft & creates the perfect canvas for my foundation.

The In The City eye-shadow palette which I picked up for a steal at £4.99 is the absolute BEES KNEES, not only is it compact, so a perfect travelling companion, but each shade is MATTE so perfect for everyday wear, with the option of intensifying for evening wear with the few darker shades. The shadows are smooth & apply so well with minimal fall out...I can't fault it.

I've yet to try out the cream contour sticks, I picked these up on a whim as they were only a few squids with the idea to start practicing the whole cream contour business (in which the lovely Safiyah has been educating me) but the formula of these look lovely & creamy so we will see how it goes!

For me though the golden star has to go to my final product....the Genius Feather Light Foundation. This stuff has blown my MIND. I took a bit of a risk as Natural Beige was the only shade available in store, but as luck would have it the match was perfect! Twas clearly fate ;)

I'm not a fan of heavy coverage so the title of this one definitely caught my intrigue. The matte glass bottle & pipette dispenser mixes things up a bit, packaging wise. 

I apply the foundation using a flat foundation brush, which is what I love to use right now for foundation application. 

The formula is divine, the foundation literally glided on to my skin immediately within a few strokes creating a smooth, even complexion all over. 

Due to the lightweight formula the foundation felt so light on the skin & lets put it this way...when someone compliments on how well you're complexion is looking...you know its been money well spent. And seeing as I paid a grand total of...£4.99 for this...well what more can I say? I think my MAC Face & Body has some serious competition...*cue mugshot of me wearing said miracle foundation with a slightly flabberasted Miss kitty*

So W7 are definitely winning in the makeup game in my book! Now if they could just expand & get themselves out there in more stores...they'll be laughing. At the moment I've spotted W7 in TK Maxx, Beauty Base, Asda and Fragrance Direct.

Thanks as always for reading! Have you tried anything from W7?

Lotsa love to ya!

Review and Giveaway - Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation

Hello there lovely readers, hope you're all good & well!

Something a bit different today on a topic that all beauty addicts covet... ladies..lets talk...FOUNDATION. The beauty product that pretty much all women have in their makeup arsenal. And from that then comes the question...high street or high end? I confess I am a loyal follower of high street makeup, there is such a vast range of great quality products available that are just as good as higher end for a fraction of the price!

That being said there are occasions where I, like many, succumb to the luxury temptation of high end makeup, one such being foundation choices. For my everyday makeup good old high street has been good to me, Bourjois & Rimmel being my brands of choice for a nice light coverage. However when it comes to weddings & evenings out I do like to reach for the more luxurious brands for a more flawless finish.

One high end foundation that has been on my radar for a while having heard so much about it & which has received countless rave reviews is the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. Every review I have read of this much coveted foundation has been nothing but positive praise. Well lovelies, after finally having the opportunity to try it myself I can safely say...IT IS LOVE.

Lets just say I now understand why many prefer to venture towards higher end foundations! They just seem to deliver that added oomph factor that is hard to achieve with high street brands. I do confess from my experiences with MAC & Estee Lauder, whilst the makeup finish is flawless, I could feel I was wearing the foundation if that makes sense? No such problems with Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk however.

Coming in a gorgeously sleek matte glass bottle packaging, this award winning foundation has a matte yet lightweight formula that is both creamy & dewy & simply glides on to the skin smoothly, creating a silky 'my skin but better' flawless finish. Stuff of dreams! Time for some obligatory shots? Unfortunately my camera decided to die & I had to resort to using my phone (no filter!) so here we go...

I applied the foundation with a flat foundation brush & found that one pump was perfect for light to medium coverage, which can easily be built up on if needed. I was delighted to note that it also gives off the most gorgeous healthy glow. I've used shade 6.5 (Tawny) which was pretty much a perfect match for my skintone.

I suffer from dry skin & always worry, especially with matte finishes, how my skin will deal with it, but I experienced zero problems at all with the Luminous Silk, no caking, no blotching...I hardly felt like I was wearing anything at all!

It is worth mentioning that this foundation does not contain SPF, great for photos! However something to bear in mind in case you require additional SPF protection. But I think its pretty obvious that I am officially converted to Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk, now I've been introduced to its wonders there is no looking back for moi!

So yes, a fantastic high end product that actually delivers. *Applauds* The Giorgio Armani Lumious Silk retails for £36.50...I know. A wince worthy price to be sure & one I would normally run a mile from, however this foundation has proved itself worthy in my eyes, plus its suitable for all skin types & comes in a whopping 21 shades.

But I do have a bit of a treat for you my beauts! I'm happy to have teamed up with the lovely people over at House of Fraser & offer you dolls the opportunity to win a bottle of this divine stuff to try for yourselves! I have a pretty bottle of the Luminous Silk in shade 9 to giveaway to one of you my lovely readers :)

For a chance of winning & experiencing for yourself the wonders of Giorgio Armani's Luminous Silk foundation simply enter via Rafflecopter below.

Good luck and thanks for reading as always!

Lotsa love to ya!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer - * this review and giveaway has been in collaboration with House of Fraser. I am not affiliated with the brand nor paid for this post, this review has as always been my 100% honest opinion!)