Illuminate Me

I tend to go through trends in my shopping/obsessions cycles. For example, I will spend a month obsessed with hair products. So I will research hair products, and purchase 6 or so different ones, and play with them, and then not buy any more hair products for ages. Instead, I will become obsessed with lip gloss, and buy three more of those, and then move on to tanning products and so on and so on. I do the same thing with clothes, and that is why every season I end up with three tops that look really similar. Currently I have two loves, tinted moisturizer (I currently have 3 and a tinted Sunscreen - I am weird I know), and illuminators.

Just to prove that me being a crazy nut has a purpose, I am going to review the illuminators that I have added to my makeup collection, so that at least I bought them for a reason right? (Just gotta keep telling myself that...)

First: Clarins Beauty Flash Balm. Cult Favourite. 30th birthday this year. FANTASTIC. Honestly, it deserves the cult following. I use BFB when I am going out a night, because I have combination skin which doesn't need much illumination during the day, it needs powder to dampen the shine down. Plus, I have different illuminators for the day. BFB is great because I can wear it for an entire night and not get oily. At all. It works as an absolutely beautiful primer, which is moisturizing but not crazy, and it keeps my makeup in place all night. The only thing that I don't like is the smell, it's a little old lady-ish for me.

Sorry about the dodgy pictures, N has the camera in Hawaii! (Jealous)

Second: Natio Glow. This is similar to BFB, which doesn't work in quite the same way, but does a good job for an illuminator. This product smells really nice (lavender and rose geranium), and definitely helps you get a lovely glow on. I think that it is more for those lovely people with dry skin, because this one doesn't work as well for me in maintaining my makeup, I do get oily after awhile. Plus, it contains mineral oil (as isoparrafin). Which sucks. I saw that and I bought it anyway (so I can't whinge), but I am trying to stay away from as many chemicals as much as possible (within reason of course), and mineral oil is one of my targets.

Slightly thicker consistency than BFB too.

Third: Sportsgirl Face Glow Instant Face Illuminator. This product is pretty awesome for being $9.99. It is basically a creme bronzer with an illuminator mixed in. I use it sometimes after I have fake tanned to deepen the colour of my foundation a little, and I dab it on my cheekbones after BFB/foundation when I am going out. It is a very light bronze colour, and would suit many pale faces beautifully, if you had darker skin it would be a lovely illuminator. Plus you only need the smallest amount because it spreads very easily. One thing with this one, is that because it contains the bronze colour it is very important to blend, and to blend quickly, as it dries very fast.

See how light it is? Almost matches my hand, and I am super pale!

Fourth: MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in "Soft and Gentle". I use this every day, it is AMAZING. It doesn't look fake at all, and gives your cheekbones and where-ever else a beautiful soft glow. This is a powder illuminator, which I put on last in my make-up routine using a small brush, on the top of my cheekbones, sometimes under my eyebrows, and sometimes down the middle of my nose. The fantastic thing is that it is not noticeable at all, it isn't in any way a scary 80's obvious silver white shimmer on your face.

See how subtle it is? That is applied with my finger in a thick lump to be noticeable in the camera too. It is gorgeous.

Finally, in my little collection, I have Benefit Girl Meets Pearl. This is another liquid illuminator - "liquid pearl for face". Pearl is lovely, she has a gold shimmer through her, and I use her on my cheekbones to brighten and illuminate. Girl Meets Pearl smells divine, like raspberries, and contains chamomile to sooth the skin. I don't know if that is really necessary in an illuminator but i like it none the less! Plus this illuminator is really light-weight, unlike BFB and Natio and Face Glow which are cremes, Pearl is more of a thin fluid, so it really gives you the "I am crazy healthy" look without being noticeable.

Pearl is very fluid, I couldn't get her to stay like Natio and BFB

Maybe this is too many illuminators for one girl to have...

Please don't worry that I am a rampant consumer who will never use these up though, now that I am getting over my buying illuminators phase I will use them all up before I get into that phase again. Plus, they are too good to go to waste anyway!
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