Clinique Beyond Perfecting 2-in-1 Foundation Review

As an acne prone gal, I always go for full coverage foundations but I hate a heavy foundation, so the search for a perfect foundation for my skin type is quite tricky.

I used to use Estee Lauder DoubleWear Foundation, but it seemed to dry out my skin and set like a clay mask - not cool. So I went on the hunt for another high end foundation replacement (cheap foundations break me out). Clinique were the ONLY counter in John Lewis to offer a tester for foundations. The other brands such as Urban Decay, Charlotte Tilbury etc just expected you to buy the foundation and deal with it. I knew I was never going to just buy a foundation without trying it because I know how sensitive my skin is. Imagine buying a £40 product only to find out that it breaks you out or gives you a rash? NO THANK YOU.

Beyond Perfecting foundation is advertised as a 2 in 1 foundation and concealer, they say you only need to use the foundation to cover blemishes or an uneven skin tone. I have to say that this is true, the coverage is amazing, I only need to use a concealer under my eyes as I like a lighter shade to brighten up that area. Clinique were actually cheaper than all those other stuck up brands, so after I got (badly) colour matched, I went off with a couple of pots (different shades) to test at home. I got about a weeks worth of foundation out of each pot! I decided to buy the colour 15 - Beige, the one they had colour matched me to, but it had a weird tone to it and I ended up having to use a concealer with it to lighten the shade slightly. Recently I found that the colour 10 Honey Wheat is more my tone (slightly orange, but much better than the beige).

Clinique Beyond Perfecting Pros and Cons

PROS:

* Amazing full coverage

* Doesn't feel heavy on the skin

*A little bit of product goes a long way

* Doesn't break me out

CONS:

* Yet to find the perfect shade (are all the colours slightly dodgy? who knows)

* The colour matching service is not great

*The foundation is difficult to set (I use MAC Prep & Prime Powder to set) , it will come off on your pillow or on somebody's T-shirt when you hug them very easily

* Is not cruelty free

See my YouTube video for a coverage reference, I show my acne scars and then I apply the foundation so you can see the difference:

Stop Seeking Acceptance From People Who Are Committed to Not Accepting You

Anyone who has ever experienced peer pressure, usually at school, will probably know what it's like to not feel accepted. Unfortunately this feeling can follow you through to adulthood. The problem isn't with you or how you are as a person, it's because you've let yourself be defined by how other people treat you. I personally struggled with feeling accepted throughout school. Girls are the worst, they can decide to not like you for absolutely no reason. I constantly felt bad about myself because I wasn't getting invited to the parties my friends were going to and sometimes even my own friends would leave me out, like I had become an unpopular choice for absolutely no reason. Maintaining friendships through school was hell, absolute hell but it also taught me so much.

There comes a point, after about the 10th party or friend group gathering you're not invited to where you have to think - I don't care. It's emotionally exhausting to constantly fight for a friendship, to constantly act how you think they want you to act - Super friendly even when they've offended you, always starting the conversation first, inviting them out to places with you (which they're often too busy to go to anyway). You have to realise that these people are not your friends if they're making you feel rejected and left out. After years of desperately trying to fit in I thought 'OK, I can either carry on and feel heartbroken every time i'm left out of another gathering or party, or I can stop trying and see things for how they are.'  The moment I stopped trying to fit in, stopped texting them first, stopped inviting them to hang out with me I felt free. There was a point where I felt lonely and friendless, but I met new people who were on my wavelength, who taught me what a friendship should feel like - it shouldn't be hard work!

So when I now encounter people with the same attitude as the mean girls at school, I put on my emotional coats of armour. I'm polite, I'm friendly but I don't force a friendship. My friends are on my wave length, my friends message me first as much as I message them, my friends suggest meeting up instead of me always asking. That's what a healthy friendship is. Unfortunately I still see people trapped in this vicious cycle of needing to be accepted by toxic people. It's so not worth it! You are a lovable person, and you do not deserve to feel rejected. Focus on the people who make you feel good about yourself, who remind you of all your good traits and leave the others behind. Be mature, be friendly, be polite, but keep those toxic 'friends' at arms length. For the sake of your own happiness.

I found the following article very empowering, so if you are struggling with a toxic friendship take a read of this: The Huffington Post

Also check out my YouTube video where I talk about my struggles during school which lasted from about age 13- 18!