High End Beauty Haul

I bought these products a long time ago but never got around to blogging them, and who doesn’t love a high end beauty haul? Get ready to swoon…

High End Beauty Haul

I am not the type of person who buys high end make up very often. I prefer to spend the same amount of money and get a few more products for that price. But occasionally you just need to have a splurge! I had a few vouchers from family and I basically see vouchers as free money to spend on things you wouldn’t usually buy yourself. So I went a bit wild in Selfridges and Debenhams!

I have been raving about the DiorSkin Forever foundation ever since I bought this. You can see my Rosacea Review video HERE, where I show the amazing coverage, the luminosity it gives the skin, and essentially just fangirl all over it! Yes this foundation is pricey, but in my opinion totally worth it.

Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet + Foundation – The girl selling me this foundation looked so utterly bored with life and I got the feeling she was just telling me what I wanted to hear. So when I asked if it was high coverage and she said ‘yes’ I was a bit dubious.

It’s not high coverage, let’s just get that out there straight away. It does layer but it doesn’t give the luminous finish of the Dior, so I’ve not been using it as much. I’m going to do a YouTube video of this soon so you can see how it fares against my rosacea. Summary: It’s good but it’s not great – maybe one for days when I’m not super red.

I’ve been toying with buying a Chanel foundation for a while. I used to wear one in uni (oh the heady days of student loans and no financial responsibilities!) and loved it. In comparison to the woman on the MUFE stand, the Chanel make up assistant was super lovely: chatty, friendly and asked me lots of questions to find the best foundation for me. Together we chose the Chanel Perfection Lumiere Foundation – it’s a medium coverage foundation that easily builds to full coverage and gives a really comfortable and natural finish. Plus the packaging is stunning: all frosted glass and angles. YES.

Chanel Vernis Nail Polish in ‘Frenzy’ – While I was talking to the Chanel assistant I was just staring at her nails. I have a thing for greige nail varnishes and hers was beautiful. She informed me that it was ‘Frenzy’ and was actually being discontinued (becoming an Asia-only offering apparently) and they only had one bottle left. Can you say ‘red rag to a bull’? Discontinued…low in stock…limited edition. These phrases do something to me. A mist descends and when I come to, my bank manager is weeping. It’s worth noting that Chanel polishes were notoriously terrible quality and chipped if you even breathed near them, but the new ones have apparently been reformulated to solve this problem. I’m sad that this one is the old formula as it’s stunning and only lasts about 2 days on me but I’m excited to try the new polishes. Have you tried them? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Chanel Rouge Allure Luminous Intense Lip Colour in ‘Pirate’ – A Chanel lipstick is one of those things that makes you feel like you’ve got your shit together. Your hair could be a mess, you could have toothpaste on your top, your life could be falling apart… but once you pop-click that lipstick open you are instantly chic and in control (even if only in your own mind). This isn’t the most unique or most long-wearing lipstick I own but it makes me feel ten feet tall and if that isn’t worth the money, I don’t know what is. ‘Pirate’ is a cult shade because it’s the ideal blue-based red that’s a satin finish. Just gorgeous. You can see me wearing it HERE.

Tom Ford Lip Colour ‘Flame’ (matte) – I had wanted a Tom Ford lipstick for ages. I’m a sucker for packaging and this is such a gorgeously masculine tube: heavy and chunky with harsh edges. It also has the most satisfying magnetic close ‘click’ I’ve ever heard. I picked the matte formula and went for a gorgeous bright orange-red. I love the colour and the way it looks, but it’s not as matte as I’d like which means it tends to go a bit ‘goopy’ on the outer corners of the lips which is shame for the price but it’s so pretty I could probably forgive it anything! See it in action HERE.

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution in ‘Red Carpet Red’ – Okay, yes, I did use this lipstick before I took photos because I’m a TERRIBLE blogger *hangs head in shame* but I couldn’t resist it! I’ve spoken about Charlotte Tilbury lipsticks before so let’s just quickly recap: These are matte – I mean MATTE – but they have a pretty glow to them so your lips look fuller and softer so they’re always flattering. I love the formula of the others I own so much that I knew I needed a classic red from the collection. And this one is a beauty.

There are two swatches below that show the lipsticks from L-R: Chanel ‘Pirate’, Charlotte Tilbury ‘Red Carpet Red’, Tom Ford ‘Flame’ (matte). In the first picture the two reds are shown as more true to their shades, and in the second photo the Tom Ford lipstick (on the right) is more true to its colour in real life.

As you can see below, the Chanel is a bit more ‘dusty’ coloured than the super vibrant Charlotte Tilbury. It’s only when they’re next to each other that this is obvious: on the lips, the Chanel looks lovely and bold. The Chanel is a tad lighter and rosier while the Charlotte Tilbury lipstick leans slightly more blue but they are quite similar.

As you can see below, the Tom Ford lipstick is a gorgeously pigmented and creamy formula. The other lipsticks took two swipes to reach this opacity, but the Tom Ford is just one swipe. SWOON.

What’s your favourite high end beauty product? Which is your favourite item from my high end beauty haul? The comments are open as always!

Lex

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