Lily Lolo Mineral Foundation - China Doll

Hi guys! Today is a review I should have posted years ago because I've been using this product since before Bee's Knees existed! If you read my July Favourites post (HERE) you'll know that Lily Lolo mineral foundation is my go-to base product for the summer, especially on hot sunny days! 

When I was on the market for a mineral foundation many moons ago, Lily Lolo was the stand out brand for a number of reasons. Firstly they have values which match my own - ethically-sourced and cruelty free. Secondly it has natural ingredients that don't clog up your skin and cause break outs. And lastly and on a more practical note, they sell sample sizes which means you don't have to purchase a full sized product to test it against your skin!

I know Lily Lolo do have stockists in some salons in the UK, but to be perfectly honest I have never been to a beauty salon (beauty blogger confession?!) and didn't intend on starting just to try Lily Lolo. So instead I ordered a selection of samples to see which would be the perfect match for my pale skin. It turned out that my ideal shade is China Doll (which I think is one away from the palest shade, Porcelain) and I've been using it ever since!

I know a lot of people haven't tried mineral foundation before and feel a bit wary about it, preferring instead to stick to the traditional liquid or pressed powder foundations. In fact it was the other way around for me - Lily Lolo was the first ever foundation I tried and so when I went on to use other foundations it was a strange experience! Mineral foundation is incredibly easy to use and it's very difficult to get it wrong. Once you match your skin to the right shade you're halfway there because application is so quick and easy, I just use a kabuki brush to blend the foundation right into my skin. A common myth is that you can't get a good coverage with mineral foundation but in fact you can create any kind of coverage you would like. For me, this means quite a light coverage which is still enough to cover any blemishes and discolourations in my skin.

I apply this product after using concealer and just blend it straight into my skin. I used to apply a pressed powder or primer beforehand but I've found that actually the finish is better when I don't. I then apply contour and blush products before using the Lily Lolo Finishing Powder to stop any shine occurring later in the day (I use the matte one). 

It's quite hard to photograph this product so I apologise for the perhaps unhelpful picture! What I would say is that the foundation from Lily Lolo is a very fine powder and doesn't become cakey unless you go completely overboard with it. Instead this product gives my skin a perfect, flawless finish that I just can't match with any other foundation I've tried. It's the perfect shade for my skin and in the summer I can't see myself reaching for a different base product anytime soon!

You can buy Lily Lolo Mineral Foundation direct from the company online HERE for £13.49 or pick up a sample for only £1.49!

Have you tried Lily Lolo before? Are you a fan of mineral foundation?

xx

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Lily Lolo Natural Eye Liner Pencil

Morning everyone! So today I'm sharing something else from one of my favourite make up brands - Lily Lolo. You can read some of my other LL reviews HERE and HERE.

If you are a long term reader of Bee's Knees (and I mean seriously long term, like 18 months+) you'll know I used to have a bit of a penchant for coloured eye liners. It was a bit of an obsession I had when I was a student before starting full time work. Although I don't indulge in this obsession anywhere near as much as I used to, I am still partial to a nice subtle coloured eyeliner. If anything, this is because I am incredibly unskilled and boring when it comes to using coloured eyeshadows - I much prefer to use neutral shades and then add a little pop of colour with my eyeliner - it's much more difficult to make a mess of it!

I received this LL eyeliner in this gorgeous muted blue shade free with a purchase a long time ago. It's not actually available on the site at the moment, so I'm not sure whether it's been discontinued but my comments apply to the eyeliners in general, so including the brown and black shades.

Having tried a great many pencil eyeliners in my time, I am a stickler for good quality! This pencil is soft and does not drag at all around the eye. It gives a nice amount of colour payoff and the thickness of the line can easily be adjusted by sharpening the pencil if you want a thinner more accurate line. It doesn't budge all day, blends very easily and is one of my favourite eyeliners. I also adore the colour, it brings out the green in my eyes.

The LL Natural Eye Liner Pencil is available direct from LL online for £5.99 HERE.

Are you a pencil eyeliner kind of girl? Have you used LL before?

xx

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Lily Lolo Lipstick in 'French Flirt'

I am a long term Lily Lolo fan - ever since I discovered that China Doll was the perfect match for my skintone, I have worn LL mineral foundation, finishing powder and blush every single day (well, almost!). I realise I haven't actually done a proper review of any of these products and plan to remedy that as soon as possible because you need to have Lily Lolo in your life! Anyway, on with the lipstick review!

Lily Lolo packaging has always impressed me - it's ever so simple, chic and classic. I'm not one to invest in high end make up but LL products are always made to look expensive which I love. This silver tube is no exception.

After looking at swatches online (of which there really aren't that many) I decided to go for the shade 'French Flirt', hoping for a subtle red lip that I could easily wear every day to work.

The colour of the lipstick certainly seemed to fit the bill here, but what about swatched on the skin?

PERFECT. I don't think I've had a lipstick match my expectation as much as this since I discovered 'Perfect Day' by Soap and Glory (see my review HERE)! It's ideal for my pale skin and looks very natural on the lip. It inhabits the exact middle ground between sheer and opaque - and it's ridiculously moisturising. I often find lipsticks dry out my lips, even the good ones at this time of year! But I can happily report that I wore this for a full day at work (and I work roughly 11 hours per day, plus a commute there and back) - so for 14 hours I felt my lips were happy and moisturised by this luscious lipstick! Obviously I had to reapply (once every 3 hours or so) but I've never had a lipstick that hasn't needed reapplying over that sort of timescale to be perfectly honest.

Overall I am one very satisfied customer. I had high hopes of LL lipstick, after all they have given me perfect, spot-free skin for all of 2.5 years now! And they have outdone themselves with this lipstick. For only £7.99 I would definitely recommend you try this for yourself, you will not be disappointed! Click!

xx

Lily Lolo Blush in Beach Babe and Ooh La La

I realised a little while ago that I haven't posted much on one of my all time favourite make up brands, Lily Lolo. I discovered LL about three years ago now when I was searching for the perfect foundation to suit my pale skin. I found it (watch this space for a review) and then discovered a whole host of other magical make up products too!

LL packaging is simple, chic and practical. I love their branding, its classic and clean. The blushers come in these small round pots. I own Beach Babe (my first LL blusher - I've had it for 2.5 years now) and recently invested in Ooh La La.

LL blushes come in post of 3.5g and for this you pay £7.29. The price has increased a little since I first started wearing this brand, but it's still very reasonable. This is Beach Babe. 

LL is a mineral make up brand, and the blush comes in a pot divided in the middle - one side has holes to allow the product out but the other does not, to make sure you don't end up with absolutely loads of product rocking around in the tub. I find that I end up with quite a lot anyway due to travelling with this in my bag, as you can see.

Beach Babe is my favourite blusher of all time. It's a very subtle peach blush that suits my pale complexion perfectly. The colour is buildable, which makes this a versatile product, but I generally don't use much - just enough to give me a flush of colour and brighten up my cheeks.

Ooh La La is a recent purchase - I decided to try a pink blush and apparently this is LL's most popular shade!

This is a much bolder and more pigmented blush than Beach Babe, as you can see in the swatch below. I was a little nervous about using this on my face as I prefer understated make up looks and I don't feel very comfortable with a lot of colour on my cheeks. But that's why this mineral blush is perfect - if you only load a tiny amount onto your brush you can get the slightest hint of colour, which is absolutely beautiful at this time of year. Ooh La La gives you that much sought after 'just pinched' cheek look. I can see why this is a popular shade!

And now for some more general comments about LL and their blushers - yes, the product is a powder, and no that isn't to everyone's tastes. For me personally it is ideal as I hate the feel of liquid or creams in large quantities on my face. Mineral make up is much better for your skin and I did notice a huge improvement in the appearance of my skin and a reduction in break outs when I started using LL make up in general.

The blusher is very soft on the skin and feels just divine. I like to layer this over S&G Glow All Out to achieve that perfect balance of highlighter and colour on my face.

As I said, these sell for £7.29 for 3.5g but bear in mind that this amount of product will last you a long time, my Beach Babe is almost three years old and, as you can see from the photos, still going strong! You can buy LL products HERE.

Have you tried Lily Lolo yet? What is your favourite product?

Don't forget my giveaway ends tonight and you can enter HERE!

xx

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A quick note on brushes...

My HMIMFW post a while ago has inspired me to share with you the brushes I use everyday! This will only be a quick post but I hope it'll help you if you're in need of some new make up essentials!

This is my Lily Lolo Super Kabuki brush, which I use when applying my mineral foundation and finishing powder. I LOVE this brush, I've had it for about 7 months now and despite washing it every few weeks and using it every day it's held its shape nicely and hasn't shed any hair. Linky!

 

 This is my blusher brush, from the Body Shop. Again I've found this brush to be such good value as I've had it for 15 months now and its still in perfect condition! No shedding and its stayed in shape and super soft. Linky!

My concealer brush is from Lily Lolo and I use this to apply my LL mineral concealer. Brilliant. Linky!

 

Finally, my eyeshadow brush is from the Body Shop. Don't want to sound repetitive but I've had this brush for AGES and provided I wash it every few weeks its stayed in excellent condition. Linky!

xx

How much is my face worth?

I've seen SO MANY HMIMFW posts all over blogs recently and was curious as to how much mine would come to! I like to think of myself as a bit of a bargain hunter, but I may surprise myself! Here we go...

I always start with AVON Magix Face Perfector - the best primer/base I've ever used, and it's occasionally on offer so not too expensive. It also has spf 15 which is always a good thing! Currently £5.25 but usually £10.50 from AVON. Linky!

I then prime my eyelids with E.L.F. eyelid primer. Bargain product at £1.50. Linky!

If necessary, I then pop a bit of mineral concealer on any blemishes or imperfections with my Lily Lolo mineral concealer in 'Nude'. I LOVE Lily Lolo, but more on that later. This is £7.29 for 5g, which lasts forever, so a good value purchase. Linky!

 

My foundation is 'China Doll' mineral foundation from Lily Lolo. It took me about 18 months to find the perfect shade of foundation for my skintone, but now I've discovered it I can't see myself using anything different. Lily Lolo is a great company - brilliant ethics and vegan friendly. The ingredients to their mineral cosmetics are also really good for your skin, and my own spot problems diminished significantly after switching to LL foundation! £12.49 for a tub that lasts ~6 months. Linky!

 

I then seal in my foundation with this divine finishing powder, also from Lily Lolo. I use 'Flawless Matte' because I have a tendency to get a bit oily in the afternoons. £12.49, and again it lasts around 6 months. Linky!

 

My blusher is also from LL! In shade 'Cherry Blossom', it's £7.29 and my pot is still so full after using this since November! Brilliant value and a lovely tone for everyday wear. Linky!

I then usually pop on a thin line of eyeliner colour just above my top lash line. I use this gorgeous blue or a nice purple by Collection 2000. They last all day and stay in place perfectly due to using primer! £1.99 Linky!

 

My everyday eyeshadow is this eye colour from Body Shop, in shade 7 which is 'Conker'. I bought this about 15 months ago and I've still got plenty left, so it's brilliant value. I love the metallic golden shimmer element in this shadow, but its subtle enough to wear during the day just to enhance a natural look. £8. Linky!

My mascara of choice is AVON's Supershock mascara in black. £8.50. Linky!

I then like to use Soap & Glory's 'Arch De Triumph'. I currently have a fringe so don't need to worry about my eyebrows (they're quite fair so I often fill them in with the brown end of this pencil), but I do use the white highlighting end every day in the corners of my eyes to open them up a bit. Currently £7.66 from Boots. Linky!

So, to add up my 'face':
Primer: 10.50
Eye primer: 1.50
Concealer: 7.29
Foundation: 12.49
Finishing powder: 12.49
Blusher: 7.29
Eyeliner: 1.99
Eyeshadow: 8.00
Mascara: 8.50
Highlighter: 7.66


TOTAL: £77.71!

I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised! I've seen so many other bloggers with much higher totals so I'm very pleased!

xx