Is The Ordinary Just Plain Ordinary?

If I had to pick the most popular beauty brand of 2017 so far it would without a doubt be The Ordinary. With a waiting list of 25,000 people for their latest product, what is so special about a brand that claims to be so ordinary? Well I tried their High Adherence Silicone Primer to find out.

I first heard about The Ordinary's High Adherence Silicone Primer when Wayne Goss mentioned it in a video. I love Wayne and his videos so when he was raving about these primers that were under £6, I had to try them! I'd also heard other bloggers mention The Ordinary's skincare which intrigued me but seeing as I was out of a primer I decided to try that first. 

As previously mentioned The Ordinary currently sell two primers with one being aimed at oily skin (The High Adherence Silicone Primer) and the other for dry skin (The High Spreadability Fluid Primer). I would describe my skin as combination leaving me to choose between the two, but seeing as my pores appear quite visible at times and with my skin getting oiler as the weather warms up I decided upon the High Adherence Silicone Primer costing me only £4 from ASOS.

The High Adherence Silicone Primer is described as a "matte, hydrating and blurring primer, for make-up that looks higher in definition and lasts for longer. It can also be used alone as a non-greasy hydrator that reduces the looks of pores and imperfections". Unlike other brands, there are no wild claims saying that it will make me look 10 years younger or like a photoshopped version of myself, and this is key to the Ordinary as a brand. While their names may sound like the product has come straight out of the lab and it takes a bit of research to understand what some of the products do, they cut back on excessive branding to offer low cost simple products. 

Yet despite their understated claims my expectations were still high, admittedly this is not the brands fault and merely a side effect of the excessive hype surrounding their products, but unfortunately this led to my disappointment. In terms of living up to it's claims I'd say it did minimise the appearance of my pores but not noticeably, as for the appearance of my makeup I'd say it wasn't really improved, if anything my makeup looked a bit patchy around slightly drier and acne prone areas of my face. Therefore if like myself you have combination skin I would recommend only applying the primer to the very oiliest areas of your face or alternatively opting for their other primer. 

If you have incredibly oily skin and struggle to get makeup to stay in place then this primer will probably work well for you but if you have even the slightest bit of dryness this product probably isn't the one for you. 

It is important to remember that just as the name of the brand suggests, this is a simple product with simple claims and will not revolutionise your makeup routine. At the end of the day, it is a silicone based primer and not all that different to other silicone based products such as the Nivea Men's After Shave Balm. I think this is definitely something I will bear in mind when trying more products from The Ordinary in the future.

Have you tried any products from The Ordinary? What should I try next?

Eleanor xx

The Practicalities Of Fashion

Why is it that all of the trends I like and want to wear are always so unpractical? Whether it be the flared sleeves that make the simplest of everyday tasks impossible or backless and strappy tops that make it impossible to wear a bra but going braless is impractical in itself especially if you often find yourself running for the bus *guilty*. 

But the fact that women's fashion is notoriously uncomfortable and impractical is nothing new, if you look back through the history of fashion you will notice that there are no jogging bottoms or comfortable clothes in sight. Instead we women have been putting ourselves through the pain of fashion in the form of corsets and dresses so big that you need help fitting through a door frame since the 1800's. 

What I'm Wearing | Boohoo Bodysuit, New Look Trousers (Similar), Adidas Stan Smith Trainers (Similar)

But comfort and practicality isn't what fashion is about otherwise we'd all go round wearing leggings and waterproof coats. Fashion is a form of art, a way of showing the world the person you are and the person you want to be. When I wear a backless bodysuit I feel sexy without showing too much skin or when I wear a bell sleeve off bardot top I feel fun and flirty. So while I may have difficulty knowing which bra to wear or doing up the poppers of a bodysuit, when I'm in my clothes I feel good and that's what really matters.

Eleanor xx