This means that over the past few weeks, I've been on the hunt for products to make me look fresher and more awake. I'm not expecting miracles, just something (anything) which will help me look...well...alive.
So, I was delighted when the lovely Wizard PR sent me a parcel of goodies from the fabulous Diego Della Parma, which are ideal for any spring beauty junkies out there.
The range is a high-end Italian brand which, amazingly, is exclusively available at Tesco and Tesco online - perfect for sneaking into a weekly shop!
Each product comes in a beautiful, sleek white case. It's very minimalist, very elegant and looks great on my dressing table. Is it sad that I hate products which don't look pretty on my dressing table? Anyway...
First up was the powder blusher in shade 09, a stunning shade of rose pink which I think would suit most skin tones. It was lovely and silky to apply and left the apples of my cheeks with a fantastic "I've had 100 hours of sleep, even though I look like a ghost beneath this" glow.
This is one product which I will definitely buy again and again because it put a real spring in my step. As I've mentioned before, blusher is my Desert Island product as it makes me look alive, without the need for foundation (so long as I have a good concealer too!) and this was no exception. Although it does cost £19 and isn't the cheapest, it lasted for most of the day without the need for reapplication, something which I find many blushers struggle to do.
Next was this pastel blue eye shadow in shade 12. At first, I was a little wary of this...it gave me flashbacks of my first, ill-advised experiments with make-up when I was at primary school (think candy shadows and coconut, frosted pink lippy) But I put aside my doubts and tried it on - and I LOVED it!
It didn't have that horrible glitz to it that many pastel shadows have. Instead, it simply made my eyes look wide awake and actually open - a very, very impressive thing when you're not sleeping at night. It also apparently contains Vitamin E to help keep eyelids looking youthful, which is a real bonus.
Lastly, my absolute favourite - the pastel pink lippy in 38, which is perfect for giving your lips a hint of colour, without looking too 'done'. Better still, it contains collagen and UVA filters to keep your lips full and protected throughout the summer.
This lipstick not only gave me a super-smooth, super-soft pout, but it also gave me the colour lips which I'd love to wake up to every single day. Sadly, it's never going to happen, but at £14 this is a fairly affordable treat (lippies seem to last me forever!).
Anyway, I am in love with this whole range! It gives you a gorgeous, spring-like glow and makes me feel radiant. The colours are fresh and pretty, without looking too 'done' - top marks!
So, what does the make-up look like on? I was aiming for fresh-faced and barely there, rather than slathered on. So...here we are...
I would have done a "before" and "after" pic, but I fear that that would scare small children and put you off the blog for life. Please, please excuse the terrible skin and the fact that I'm still in my jammies in the photo! I blame it on Bump...
Sam x
