Desperately Seeking Susan - Universal Blush from So Susan Cosmetics

I never feel like my face is properly finished until I've swept a hint of blush over my cheekbones. As well as lifting everything upwards as if by magic, it also has the power to highlight and define in one swoop. I do love the cosmetic alchemy contained within the contents of my make-up bag!

Blushers which double up as a highlighter are great as they really save on time so I was over the moon when I discovered the Universal Blush from So Susan Cosmetics.

Universal Blush from So Susan Cosmetics (£18).

One of the  things which attracted me to the product was that the founder wanted to create a range of cosmetics which acted in a face loving way similar to skincare. The Universal Blush is designed to work with your skin's natural chemistry and is a lovely golden, peachy flush created to flatter all skin tones. It's infused with Buriti Fruit Oil which is meant to help repair the epidermis and improve skin elasticity as well as reducing redness and offering UV protection.

The finely milled cake is rich and pigment heavy, with a light sweep delivering a buildable product which blends like a dream. It has a soft golden shimmer which works as a highlighter and gives your skin a natural glow without being glittery.

The only criticism is the plastic case the blusher cake is house in. Whilst the cardboard packaging is beautiful, the container itself feels like an afterthought. For £18 I'd expect a heavyweight case with a mirror and indeed, it took me to drop it just once for the cake to completely smash. I decanted it into a small pot so it's still easily usable, but a luxury priced product shouldn't have that issue.

Despite that, I would definitely repurchase the product when my current one runs out as I've found whatever stage of the seasons my face is reflecting (milk bottle pale vs lobster red despite spf 50), it naturally adapts to a shade which works for me. It's nice to not have to do the suntan colour maths under fluorescent lighting and hope for the best! As someone who suffers from skin which can be prone to both redness and dryness, it glided on and covered like a dream with no irritation whatsoever.

To view the whole range of So Susan products, you can visit their website here.

Until next time,

Diana xx

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(All photos (c) Diana Thompson / Fashion Loves Photos unless otherwise stated. Please do not reproduce without written permission.)

MakeUp Revolution - Budget Beauty With Long Lasting Results.

A little while ago I was pointed in the direction of the new budget beauty brand, MakeUp Revolution. The brand offers a purse friendly range of cosmetics which mimic the bold colour palettes of the likes of Illamasqua, but with prices cheaper than a coffee shop latte.

With prices from just £1, it seemed a little too good to be true. However the incredible range of shades (including their limited edition Vamp Collection lipsticks) had me intrigued so I decided to place a small order to see how well they worked.

MakeUp Revolution Powder Blush in Wow. £1.

The first item I tried was the Powder Blush in Wow. At just £1 I wasn't expecting much from it so was pleasantly surprised with the pigment heavy rosy pink shade - perfect for my pale skin! The packaging looks like exactly what you'd expect from a £1 blush. It comes supplied in a no-frills plastic case, but one which does the job at holding the product in place. Despite being dropped, it managed to keep the blusher cake in one piece. As for the blusher itself, it's part way between a satin and matte finish. It feels very lightweight on the skin, and the pigment heavy powder can be built up into a strong wash of colour and blended out with ease. It needs to be set over powder for longer staying powder, and found that even on the hottest of days, it lasted a good five hours - not bad for £1!

MakeUp Revolution Vamp Collection Lipstick in 100% Vamp. £1.

The other product I couldn't resist was their 100% Vamp lipstick from their limited edition Vamp Collection. The colour was a stunning dark berry-black which when applied to the lips left a gorgeous semi-matte finish. They work far better than their £1 price tag would have you believe, but it is best to apply over lip liner and then blot with powder for a much longer staying power. 100% Vamp is packed with lots of pigment and can be built up from a sheer wash to a dense bold statement lip. Like the blush, the price is reflected in the packaging but who cares when you have such a great product for such a small price. That said, if you're planning on carrying the lipstick in your bag, I'd put some masking tape over the lid to stop it from falling off.

I really was left completely surprised by the quality of the products, and already have my eyes on their palettes for a cheeky second order. If you want to have a look at their huge range of shades, you can visit their website here.

Until next time,

Diana xx

Follow me on Tumblr, Blogloving, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!

www.fashionlovesphotos.com

(All photos (c) Diana Thompson / Fashion Loves Photos unless otherwise stated. Please do not reproduce without written permission.)