FLAWLESS SKIN - JUST A BRUSH STROKE AWAY? (Lily Lolo Mineral Cosmetics: Coverup)

Member Name: Skyedame

Product:	Lily Lolo Mineral Cosmetics: Coverup
Date:	19/10/07 (222 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy to apply. Good coverage with a natural finish

Disadvantages: Matte finish which is too dull for mature skin

***Who are Lily Lolo and what exactly are Mineral cosmetics in general?***

Lily Lolo are an internet based company selling only mineral cosmetics including brushes and sponges etc. Their range includes mineral foundations, cover ups, blushers and bronzers, eye colours and lip and nail
colours.Their web address is: www.lilylolo.co.uk

Mineral cosmetics are pure crushed minerals containing no harsh chemicals, dyes or fillers, are gentle on the skin and contain zinc oxides which have healing properties - perfect, they say, for those who suffer breakouts or have sensitive skin.

My review concerns the Lily Lolo Cover up, which is described as a concealer for hard to cover areas such as spots and blemishes.I decided to try it because, now in my late fifties, I have developed small, broken capillaries over my cheeks which one would usually associate with over-indulgence in gin but as I don't drink I can only assume it comes with the territory after exposing my English Rose complexion to a harsh and unforgiving Scottish climate for the past thirty years, despite daily smotherings of moisturiser and foundation. Oh yes, and age! Trying to cover up those little red veins with an extra layer of foundation just wasn't working. I've tried other specialist cover ups like Dermablend but found them to be far too thick and heavy.

Because Lily Lolo offer very reasonably priced samples I reckoned that at 99p for a quarter teaspoon sample packed in a little Ziploc bag (which is enough for a good few days experimentation) then I wouldn't break the bank if the product didn't work.

***What Lily Lolo says about Cover Up***

Conceals blemishes and gently smoothes away imperfections. More densely pigmented than the Lily Lolo foundation formula for maximum coverage.

***Well, does the hype live up to the claims?***

Absolutely, yes. I was extremely pleased with the results I achieved.

(1) Using the Cover Up on clean, moisturised skin: The result I achieved was a natural cover over the offending areas on my cheeks. Building up the thin layers (two or three) gradually, I watched as the red capillaries faded to almost nothing.

(2) Using the Cover Up on moisturised skin and a thin layer of my usual liquid foundation:

Even better. Because of my age, my complexion needs a helping hand in the brightening department. For this, I use one of the liquid foundations by L'Oreal. (I did try the mineral foundation) but didn't like the result.

*** How to apply ***

Once I've applied my liquid foundation and allowed it to settle for a minute, I then apply the Lily Lolo Cover Up (in the shade Nude Cover Up) over my cheeks and chin area.
Using my cheapo Kabuki brush (details later) or a short bristled brush which came with a blusher compact, I apply a couple of thin layers.

Tip a small amount of powder into a clean saucer, pick up powder with brush, swirl the brush into the saucer to ensure an even covering over the surface of the brush. Don't load too much onto the brush at once; a little goes a long way.

Gently tap the base of the brush on a flat surface to settle the powder into the bristles, this will prevent you from applying too much powder and getting a dry or chalky look.

Apply using small circles over the area which needs cover. In my case, I start at the side of my nose and gently apply the powder in small circles up to my temples.

This method of application takes a little getting used to, especially if you have ever applied face powder using a large brush. The method of that application and the method of applying the mineral powder is different but, once you know how, the results are excellent.

You could also use a Kabuki brush. These have been developed specially for the application of mineral foundation products. They are priced at £14 from Lily Lolo but are available elsewhere at various prices. I do have one, but it only cost me 99p as a special deal elsewhere. It's not of the highest quality but it's good enough for my use. I begrudge spending out more for a brush than the product it's designed for.

*** What are the results/how does the product compare to traditional concealers?***

I might mention here that in the Lily Lolo product description for the Cover Up, it says: "All the concealers can be mixed with foundations for those who require "very heavy coverage all over". I really don't think that the coverage I achieved when applying the Cover Up over my liquid foundation resulted in 'very heavy' coverage.

Compared with other traditional concealers I've used, providing you take care and apply the product lightly, Lily Lolo Cover Up gives excellent results.

I don't suffer from acne or other blemishes so I can't report on the coverage of that type of blemish, but certainly, the product will 'wipe away' the redness.

One thing I must say is that the product does give a matte finish, which I don't like. That tends to look very dull. So, to finish off my makeup, I use the Lily Lolo Blush (also reviewed) and a light sweep of my usual Body Shop Buff balls and this adds a slight sheen over the cheek and chin areas.

*** Staying power ***

I find that the Cover Up lasts all through the day and still appears fresh in the evening.

***The shades available***

Light: Blonde Cover Up A matte light concealer suitable for pale skin tones. Can be mixed with the paler toned foundations.

Light/Medium: Nude Cover Up A matte light-medium coloured concealer. Can also be mixed with light-medium toned foundation .

Medium: Caramel Cover Up: A matte medium coloured concealer. Can also be mixed with medium and tan shades of foundation.

***Ingredients***

The Cover Up products contain: Kaolin Clay, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Iron Oxides.

*** Price ***
Samples sizes of Cover Up = 99p
Full sized (4.5g in a 20ml sifter jar) = £7

P&P =UK Orders weighing up to 50g = £1 (although I have only ever paid 85p at the checkout for both sample and full sized products)

Full details of products and p&p details can be found on the web site (www.lilylolo.co.uk)

*** Finally ***

As mentioned in my other Lily Lolo reviews, I have picked three of the FAQs from the Lily Lolo website which might answer your immediate queries:

Are your products allergy-free?

Whilst our products are as simple as possible in formulation and made from the gentlest ingredients we can find no one product (or ingredient) is guaranteed to be allergy-free for everyone.

Do your products contain parabens?

No, none of the Lily Lolo range of cosmetics contains parabens, fragrances or fillers.

What is your animal testing policy?

We do not test any of our products or ingredients on animals or ask anyone to do so on our behalf. Our products are made from ingredients which have been used for cosmetic purposes for many years and are already considered to be safe. All our formulations have been assessed and conform to European Cosmetic Regulations.

Thanks for reading!

© Louise Saunders - 2007

Summary: Best concealer I've ever used to date