Wow, never did I expect to receive so much make up to play with!  All of us lucky insiders were sent boxes of Rimmel & Bourjois products to create summer looks.  The mega bonus was a Nokia smart phone which keeps me on the “web-side” whenever I need to be, so I can catch up with what’s happening on Superdrugloves.com.

So, I took the opportunity to ‘share the love’ my two pals, Jo & Carly, whilst having a Girls Night In (or as we call it, a “GNI”!).  I created a day and night look for each brand and here’s how we got on…

When I think of Rimmel, I think of products that are cheap, bright and fun and this sums up Jo – she’s a party girl and likes to experiment with funky shades in her clothes and make up, she’s not cheap but fun with her is free!

Since there wasn’t any foundation in the kit, I used the Sun Shimmer Instant Tan in medium matte as a base for a fresh summer day look… or so I thought.  Although the wash off product is meant for face and body, it did not glide well on the face and looked a tad orange, I’m sad to say, so I won’t be using it on my face in future.  I’ve used the same product on my legs previously and I’m happy to report that it works much better.  From here I applied the Glam Eyes Spicy Bronze all over the lid, which went on really nicely.  I used the Exaggerate Waterproof eye definer in Aqua Sparkle on the lower lash line; it was a bit waxy to apply, even when using the included smudging tool but had a nice glitter to it and a beautiful colour.  To finish off the eyes, I used the 3 Looks Adjustable Volume Mascara that gives volume control by twisting round to various points.  Sadly, I didn’t find this very user-friendly, thinking I’d broken it after the first twist; it opened in two ways (so I spent a while figuring what the 3^rd was) and then when I noticed the twisty mechanism with the 3 points on it that actually was the correct way to use it, I couldn’t see the difference the ‘looks’. Still, it gave a decent coat to the lashes without clumping. Next I used the Stay Glossy in Endless Summer, that looked lovely but felt a bit sticky / tacky.  Lastly I swished a bit of the Natural Bronzer over her cheeks to complete the look; the bronzer is mineral based with an spf8 and went on nicely.  Unfortunately, the instant tan let the look down due to the lack of coverage to get more of a flawless skin.  I would have used an alternative foundation but I wanted to the brand and not mix anything.

For the night time look I swept more Spicy Bronze over her lid and took it just up to the brow bone.  Then I used the turquoise eyeliner inside the rim of the lower lid; it’s waterproof so it didn’t go on this area so well.  I next used the Glam Eyes Posh Peacock in the socket and upper and lower lashline, the products didn’t blend very well together but do go on nicely on their own.  I then used the more intense part of the mascara to finish the eyes; again, it was not as gloopy as it looked and coated the lashes but nothing more than that.  I added more bronzing powder, lip gloss and alternated the 60 Seconds nail polishes (825 Sky High and 810 Blue My Mind) to complete the look.

So now on to Bourjois – a French brand that hints at sophistication, glamour and comes in great packaging… Enter Carly.  A natural beauty that rocks everything she wears with class; OK, she’s not French but she’s as chic as.

I applied the Healthy Mix foundation, which was a little too light for her skin (No.53 light beige), all over the face which smelt amazing, very fruity!  It’s not very moisturising for a drier skin like Carly’s so I would recommend it more for a combination / oily skin as its oil free.  Next, I lined the upper lashes with Liner Feutre in Noir and smudged with an eyeliner brush to soften the line for daytime.  The shape of this pen-like liner was fantastic and made the line very easy to create.  I finished the eyes with Mascara Elastic which is said to make your eyelashes 130% more visible in length; I wouldn’t go that far but I think it helped Carly’s eyelashes to look longer.  Only downside is that it is quite difficult to remove, even with an oil based remover.  To the lips we used Effet 3D in No. 46 Rose Lyric which again, had a lovely smell.  Lastly, I used the Delice de Poudre to blend away the paleness of the foundation… et voila!

For the night time, I enhanced what I’d already done for the day. I went over the upper lash line again with the Liner Feutre to make it more dramatic.  I then took the Ombre Stretch eye shadow in 04 Flexi Brown along the same line and blended it with the liner and in to the socket crease.  I added more mascara then used the Sweet Kiss Naturel lipstick in 07 Framboise exquise before applying the Effet 3D in No. 49 Brun Rosé authentic.  To complete the look I added a flush of Blush Bourjois in 34 Rose D’Or to the apples of her cheeks.  The girls and I preferred both of the Bourjois looks as the products seemed of better quality and texture, there really was no contest.

The Bourjois foundation looked like the perfect colour for Jo so I tried day and night looks on her and look at the difference a bit of foundation makes!  For the daytime I went for a natural English rose look with lined eyes and pink lips and cheeks.  For the evening, I used inspiration from 1930’s and used the eye shadow all over the lid, emphasising the crease.  I used the same products as I did on Carly for both the day and the night but I think you’ll agree that they look different on both the girls.  The nail varnishes were lovely and very easy to apply – 1 seconde innovation in No 13. and So Laque! In No 29 Dangereusement Rouge.  Jo was wearing the first one and said that it was rather difficult to remove!

Hopefully I’ve showed you something different… and thanks again Superdrug!

I’m off on holiday tomorrow to Italy (my boyfriend booked it as a surprise mini break but let it slip that we’re going to the land of fab pasta, wine and coffee but still hasn’t disclosed the actual destination).  It’s 11pm and I haven’t packed yet… we’re going in the morning eek!  Hence the lack of links in this post…. I’ve not had time to get it all done tonight, sorry

‘Til next time,

Amy x

P.S. Hollie – mega envious about your trip to Japan… I am desperate to go!   Looks like you had loads of fun!