Sleek Bare Skin Foundation Review

Right, let's get straight to the point. Sleek Bare Skin Foundation feels like nothing. As in, when I've got it on, it's really easy to forget I'm wearing any base at all and that's the truth.
In fact, it's so light on the skin that it's less noticeable than a lot of BB creams and tinted moisturisers I've tried, and that's saying something.

A liquid formula, the bare skin foundation glides on and blends in smooth as butter, evening things out and delivering light coverage on the way. The foundation comes in 12 shades ranging from very light to dark so most people should be able to find their perfect match, or at least something close to it. I have shade 'Shell' which is the second lightest and too be honest a little bit too light for me (though I got this in my goody bag from the Blogger's Tea Party earlier this month and we were asked to give our skin tone in advance so we could get a close match so I'm not complaining!).
I was also very kindly given the Control Shine & Prime Oil-Free Mattifying Primer which is fairly similar to Benefit's Porefessional primer in terms of look and feel. I'm sure this is a great product for oilier skin types but I'm going to keep this one stashed away until summer when things start getting greasy up in here.

I've tried the bare skin foundation with and without primer and I much prefer it without as it is a moisturising formula and I need all the hydration I can get right now!
In terms of coverage, when it says it's light, it's not fooling around. The coverage is definitely light but still enough to conceal minor blemishes and make everything look better in general. Here's a before and after:

I haven't really dabbled in Sleek as a brand but I think this foundation may just convince me that the rest of their products are worth a shot. Sleek Bare Skin Foundation is £8.99 at Boots, Superdrug and online here.

I have too many...Red Lipsticks

To me, cold weather means it's time to crack out the red lipstick. I feel like make up can be a little heavier in the chillier months, probably because it's less prone to smudging or sliding off my face in a tube induced sweat, so I've been digging out my scarlet lippies, some old, some new and thought I'd give you a little look. Yep, this is my saturday night. Hardcore.

First off the bat (and my current favourite) is the Rimmel Kate Lasting Finish Lipstick in 001

This smells kind of like cherries and contains a 'black diamond pigment complex'. I'm not sure what that means, but I really dig this lipstick. It stays put for a long time but doesn't feel like a long wearing product. I got mine from Boots for £5.49


And this pot of loveliness is the Crimson  Rouge by Besame

I wrote about this stuff in a previous post. It's essentially a rouge for the cheeks, but makes a great long lasting lipstick. To apply I just press it onto the lips with my fingers. I got mine from the What Katie Did London Boutique. I've had it for a couple of weeks, use it everyday, and have barely made a dent in it!

This one is New CID i-pout in Scarlet

The i-pout is smooth and creamy and glides on pretty effortlessly. The staying power isn't great, possibly because it's packed with vitamin E, but the built in light and mirror mean you can reapply it anywhere. It feels really hydrating and I love the brightness of the colour. I bought this one from New CID at Debenhams, Oxford St for £15.

Chanel Rouge Allure in Passion

This is the lipstick that started it all! I first purchased Rouge Allure a few years ago. I'd just been offered a job at a magazine so I decided it was time I treat myself to a red lippy and make an impression :)
I bought this from David Jones in Australia, but over here you can get a little Chanel of your own from department stores or larger Boots stores for £24.

Collection 2000 Volume Sensation in Cherry Pop 8

This was one of those impulsive lunch break purchases. Cheap and cheerful, I found this lipstick to be great value at only £2.99 from Boots. The formula is supposed to be moisturising with 40% 'volumising' ingredients. While it definitely is hydrating, I'm not particularly sold on the volumising aspect. This lipstick has an unusual minty/ menthol feeling which I don't personally like too much but minty fans would. I really like the brightness of this one and the pigment is incredibly strong, especially for something so affordable.

Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Lipcolor

This was my first venture into the realm of stay-put lipsticks. While I love the colour of this one, I have found that it doesn't stick around for as long as other long wearing lipsticks (Maybelline Superstay is the best I've tried) and it has a rather chemically smell. I've seen a few mixed reviews about this one, and a lot of people really rate it. I don't detest it but I do find it really drying - perhaps this could be remedied by adding my own balm over the top? This liquid lippy is £8.99.

Lastly, the latest edition to my red wardrobe is Sleek MakeUp Pout Paint in Pin Up

I've done a post about this before and it's truly amazing. I can't believe how intensely pigmented it is and I think it's pretty cool that you can mix Pout Paints together to create a custom colour. Pout Paints retail for £4.99 and you can find them at Superdrug.
So there you have it, that was the best of the reds that I own. I'm hoping to get my paws on a tube of MACs Ruby Woo because I've read so many great reviews on it. Could it be the ultimate red? Hopefully I'll find out soon enough ;)

Thanks so much for reading.

Hannah Rose xxx

P.S. sorry about the mildly terrifying self portrait pics :o

LIPSTICK REVIEW: Sleek Pout Paint

As a fairly loyal Boots customer, I rarely set foot in Superdrug stores. This is probably largely due to the fact that I have a Boots card, so therefore I'm more inclined to spend up there where I can earn points to spend on even more products I don't actually need :)

That said, I did visit Superdrug at Charing Cross Road today for a post-work beauty fix and I ended up having a great time rifling through beauty brands I'd never actually played with before (and also realised Superdrug have a loyalty card of their own. Have I been living under a rock?)! One of these brands was Sleek MakeUP. I was blown away by their extensive range (they make 17 shades of foundation!) and had to stop myself from grabbing at least one of everything! I decided to allow myself one treat from the Sleek range, and having heard rave reviews about Pout Paint, snapped up one of these pocket sized wonders.

Pout Paint in Pin Up

I chose 'Pin Up' - a classic rich red.

To put it blatantly, this stuff is awesome and certainly ticks a lot of boxes

• It is seriously highly pigmented
• You only need a tiny amount per application
• The staying power is outstanding
• Dries quickly
• Has a velvet/ matte finish
• You can mix it with other Pout Paints to create your own custom colours - a great touch :)

A tiny dot like this....



Produces this!

This product is really impressive and the fact that it's so highly pigmented means the colour stays true to what you see in the tube and won't transform on your lips.

Pout Paint is available in 11 shades (including blue!) and retails for £4.99. Here in the UK Sleek MakeUP is available at Superdrug.

I'm starting to think there's space in my purse for a Superdrug Beauty Card too...

Edit: 02.17 Pout Paint is now seemingly discontinued!