Nude Palettes - Maybelline vs Collection

Nude palettes are big news.

We had Urban Decay's now iconic NAKED Palette, which now has 4 variations, followed by L'Oréal's Color Riche La Palette which I've since given away (I'll come back to that!) and may, many others. 

It seems palettes are back in fashion when they were previously seen as full of dud colours and the more sensible option was to go with individual shadows (or a duo if you were brave!) 

However, cosmetic companies have seriously upped their game and two great palettes I own are the Collection Eyes Uncovered Nude Bronze Palette (£3.99, boots.com but currently £2.99!) and the Maybelline The Nudes Palette in "In the Nudes" (£9.99, boots.com - currently with an offer on buy 1, get 1 half price on Maybelline products). 

Looking at the palettes and given the different costs, there are some similar colours in there and I wanted to share a comparison between the two (given the Collection Palette only contains 6 as opposed to Maybelline's 12, but it still equates to a difference of 83p per pan for Maybelline compared with 66p per pan for Collection). 

So firstly, a comparison of the colours (Collection top). As mentioned, Maybelline's Palette contains double the number of shades, but there are similarities in some of the colours (Collection shades are on the left). 

Ivory & Shade 5 from bottom row (sorry Maybelline, but first mark against you, I like knowing the names of colours!):

Both a pearly light nude, with Maybelline's looking slightly more gold. 

Mink & Shade 1 from bottom row:

Both a light bronze - very similar colours, Collection just slightly more intense 

Ochre & Shade 3 from bottom row:

Both a shimmery gold, again more intensity from Collection as well as a bronzier undertone. 

Golden Brown & Shade 4 from top row:

I can't tell these apart - practically identical! 

Ember 

Ember actually stands alone, in my opinion. It has a beautiful purple undertone which I find very unique. 

Nutty 

Again stands on its own - not my favourite and a little too dark. 

So now onto the individual palettes, starting with Maybelline. 

Colour 6/10 

Some of the colours are very nice, but I do feel there's a bit of duplication with some shades and they are not as intense as promised. 

Formula 7/10

You don't need to blend as much with these and the powder is finer than Collection but the pigment is weaker than the Collection palette (you can see from the swatches that they fade off on application). 

Wastage 4/10 

I find 3 of these very nice and the rest are ok (minus the black which is essentially grey). 

Travel 7/10 

The packaging is pretty sturdy but I'm still not sure I'd trust it in my hand luggage. Definitely far from the worst though. 

Lasting 7/10 

Lasted very well with no flakiness. Very impressed with how it lasted in the crease. 

Value for money 6/10

£9.99 isn't too bad considering L'Oréal were looking for £14.99 for theirs and it pales in comparison. But the lack of swoon-worthy colours drags the value down a few pegs. 

And now onto Collection. 

Colour 9/10

I love the colours and there are no colours in here just to make up the numbers. Plus Ember is very unique. 

Formula 8/10

Creamy, pigmented and nice to apply. The only downside is you do get some of the shadow falling down while applying and you do have to blend away the excess a bit more. That being said, it means a little goes a long way. 

Wastage 8/10

I wouldn't personally reach for the dark colours, but good to have them in there for the full offering. 

Travel 4/10

There is no way on earth I would travel with this in my hand luggage. Cardboard packaging as opposed to plastic held together by a small magnet - I would definitely be wedging this in to my make-up bag. On the upside, the smaller size gives more room in your make up bag so that's a bonus. 

Lasting 6/10

This doesn't last too well in the crease and it did get a little itchy towards the end of the day. Still not bad though. 

Value for money 10/10 

This is an absolute steal for a beautiful product - I can't fault the value that comes with this palette. 

So all in all, both perfectly nice palettes but Collection clinches it for me with their intense shades, colour pay off and value for money. However I would recommend the Maybelline palette to those looking for a less intense look and it is still very good for the price. 

Which one do you prefer? Are there any other similar drugstore palettes? 

Love Nicola x 

Products vs Acne

                     

I have a mild case of adult acne on my chin. It's painful and it's a pain in the ass. 

If you find yourself in the same position, the best thing to do is definitely to go to the doctor first as they may prescribe you antibiotics to clear it right up (I'm half way through my batch). 

However, while I've had these horrible spots on my face, I've tried a few products designed to combat them. 

But did they work?

1. Neutrogena VISIBLY CLEAR Pink Grapefruit Facial Wash (£4.69 - Boots.com)

The claim: "Cleanses deeply to help eliminate spots and blackheads. The refreshing gel purifies the skin without overdrying whilst a wave of pink grapefruit uplifts the senses with a burst of invigorating freshness." 

The reality: I'll start with the scent - it is very uplifting and wakes you up without having a horrible citrusy scent to do so. The product didn't aggravate my acne - it never felt itchy or tight and your skin does feel comfortable after use. However, this did not stop new spots appearing and went some way to minimising spots but did not completely clear my skin. 

I would agree with their "non-drying" claim and that this is a refreshing and invigorating facial wash, but it did not get rid of my spots. That being said, this is a nice face wash for someone with acne as it is not harsh and leaves the skin feeling comfortable. 

Verdict: 6/10 for freshness, hydration and generally being a nice face wash for sensitive skin

2. Freederm Sensitive Facial Wash (£4.99 - Boots) 

The claim: "Gently penetrates the pores to thoroughly cleanse the skin, helping to control excess oil and fights spots, leaving your skin softer and smoother."

The reality: This is the strangest treatment I have ever tried. Firstly I was terrified to use it after reading reviews about the nasties in the product, but I gave it a go. For the first while, I was delighted. My red spots firstly flattened and then turned from red to pink. I was well on my way to ditching the acne for good. Or so I thought. Suddenly the treatment stopped working and the spots resurfaced. I can only assume that this face wash fights less aggravated blemishes but does not have the tenacity to deal with full-on acne - granted it is an over the counter treatment and more intense treatments designed for acne would most likely need to be prescribed. 

I have no photo of this product because I tossed it. I don't know who I would recommend this to as I feel it would be too harsh for someone with just oily skin and it may strip it too much. But it is, in my opinion, not effective on acne. It also smells very medicinal and is very messy due to the gel like formula. 

Verdict: 3/10 for price and that it did some work at the beginning of use

3. Simple Kind to Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes (£3.25 - Boots.com) 

The claim: "Perfect blend of ingredients to help to refresh and tone your skin. Perfect for even sensitive skin." 

The reality: I was in a bind one day. I had run out of micellar water and didn't have anything to remove my make up. I had (foolishly) turned my back on these little beauties and for the life of me, I can't remember why. I have used other facial wipes which have felt so harsh, scratchy and drying, but these are fantastic. They are so gentle, soothing and refreshing that I feel they are perfect for acne prone or sensitive skin. They remove make up well - not every last trace, but they don't claim to do so, so I can't hold it against them. 

These are the UK No 1 and I can see why. They are the only wipes I keep in my cabinet! (They're also ideal for removing make up swatches from your hand, FYI). 

Verdict: 8/10 for being the best facial wipe on the market

4. Vichy Normaderm Night Detox (£15 - Boots.com) 

The claim: "Helps to control the production of sebum and purify the skin. Blemises appear reduced, pores look less visible, complexion looks radiant and skin feels clean and purified." 

The reality: I had such high hopes for this product based on the claim and the reviews. This was supposed to be one of those wonder night creams that you applied before bed and you were supposed to wake up to beautiful, radiant skin. That did not happen. I don't know why, but my acne did not agree with this. Spots grew larger and redder and even spread further up my face. I stopped using this while keeping all other parts of my routine the same to check it was this product and the acne went back to its normal state. I can't explain it, but for my skin it didn't reduce blemishes (it increased them) and my complexion was worse for using it. 

From the reviews, this clearly works for some people - maybe for those with blemishes but not quite full on acne. I wouldn't repurchase and I can't tell you how sad that makes me! 

1/10 for ease of application

5. REN Bio Retinoid Anti-Ageing Cream (£44 - cultbeauty.co.uk) 

The claim: "Deeply nourishing and hydrating it will reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles leaving skin looking smoother, firmer, more even toned and radiant." 

The reality: I realise this is an anti-ageing cream, but I started using this for my acne, sort of by accident. On cultbeauty.co.uk, I had purchased a REN Skincare pack filled with miniature REN products. One of those products was the Bio Retinoid Cream and (again in a bind), I used this when my other night cream ran out. I started using because the feel of it is very nice and my skin feels comfortable when it is applied but I had no idea Retinoids are often used to treat acne. I found this was much like the Neutrogena wash. It didn't dramatically change my acne, but keeps the area comfortable and moisturised without feeling oily. So at the moment, I don't feel my acne gets worse using this. 

For a product that does not claim in any way to treat acne, this is a great little night cream and they live up to their promise of being suitable for sensitive skin. It feels very nice on the skin and that's essentially what I'm looking for in a night cream. Plus it has Hyaluronic Acid (my fave!) 

Verdict: 7/10 for feel, look of skin after use and for inclusion of Hyaluronic Acid 

So what did we learn? 

None of the products I have tried have rid me of my acne. 

The only thing I have used that has resolved the situation is antibiotics. So I would suggest making an appointment with the doctor and keeping skin as comfortable as possible by avoiding overly drying products (specifically those designed for oily skin - not all people with spots have oily skin and this could strip away necessary oil forcing your skin to pump out more sebum to compensate and making the situation worse.) Instead use products designed for sensitive skin, like the Simple wipes and follow the handy tips below. 

1. Wash your face with tepid water - overly hot or cold can aggravate acne. 

2. Try not to touch or pick spots. This can cause them to spread. 

3. Try to avoid primers. The ingredients can form a seal over skin which can trap sebum and make spots worse. 

I hope this was useful for all my fellow acne sufferers! 

Love Nicola x 

And so it begins...

Well hello there! 

My name is Nicola and this will be my first blog post on Beauty Unmasked. 

I've started Beauty Unmasked due to my recent obsession with longwear make up. As I now stay out of the city but still work there, my make up needs to last for at least a commute plus a full working day -  about 11 hours most days which is no mean feat! 

A lot of products on the market claim to be long lasting - smudgeproof, kiss proof, sweatproof, waterproof...you name it! So quite simply, I wanted to get to the bottom of the claims and the hype and find out what works and what doesn't, which is hopefully useful to those who buy as much make up as I do. 

I've enlisted the help of some awesome chummies to help me road test some of the beauty products and we already have our first plan in place which is getting us very excited, so watch this space...

Love Nicola x