Arbonne Natural Radiance Mineral Powder Foundation SPF 15

Mineral foundations are a relatively new find in the Beauty Bite household. Recently I've become hooked on Bare Escentuals after hearing my sister rave wonders about their latest matte foundation, yet this summer I tried (and spectacularly failed) at getting this powder based beauty to work it's magic on me...

Arbonne's Natural Radiance Mineral Foundation is a rather generous portion of product weighing in at 8.5g. Designed to give the face a soft focused airbrushed effect, I was sent a pot of 'light' to try out for review.

Presented in a sturdy plastic jar, the product is dispensed via a series of vents that are secured after use using a thin see-through lid. Application is a tad messy - there's no doubt this design would benefit from a built in sifter - but when applied with a generously fluffy brush the powder itself transfers onto the skin effortlessly, filling each and every nook and cranny with sheer and subtle coverage.

Natural Radiance Mineral Powder Foundation sheered out

And here's for me where the main issues starts. Whilst this foundation is undeniably great at evening out skin tone and lifting a dull complexion, the radiance side of things sway far more towards glitter than glow. For night time wear I would happily load this powder onto my face, but for day time? I feel a bit like a walking mirror ball.

Natural Radiance Mineral Powder Foundation in shade 'light' applied to bare skin

I do enjoy wearing this base; it's comfortable, allows my skin to breathe and lasts a whole day's wear and tear - plus the added SPF 15 is a real bonus. Yet I just can't shake off the amount of shimmer. Radiance in products should be about creating a natural illumination to the skin, not simply dusting it with sparkle.

Extreme close up of product on the skin

Lately I've been trialling this as a body powder; something to dust liberally over my arms and legs before a big night out. It works fantastically well at providing a generous sheen to the skin and feels ultra smooth when buffed down. I think this works wonderfully as a night time cosmetic - and I can't fault it's skills at all in terms of the coverage I expect from a good foundation - but at £26 a jar I was honestly expecting a bit more than a glitzy coating of sparkle.

Arbonne Natural Radiance Mineral Powder Foundation SPF 15 is available from Arbonne directly priced at £26.

*this product was a free sample obtained by the Beauty Bite*

Arbonne RE9 Advanced Skincare

GUEST REVIEWER - THE BEAUTY BITE'S MUM!

I was a bit sceptical when I was first asked to try Arbonne's RE9 Advanced skin care range. Mainly for two reasons: Firstly, having reached my 50s, I've already tried many anti-ageing/anti-wrinkle products with limited success and, secondly, I would have to institute a regime using 5 products in both the morning and evening. I wasn't sure if I would have the patience for that. The packaging promised "visible results in 24 hours", so on the Monday I buckled down and began my 16 day trial.

Arbonne RE9 system includes a renewal serum, corrective eye cream, smoothing cleanser, regenerating toner, day creme and night creme.

I was extremely surprised on Tuesday morning when there was already a definite reduction in the fine lines around my eyes. Encouraged, I carried on with the trial and was really pleased with what happened over the next two weeks. The skin around my eyes became much smoother, the bags under my eyes were significantly reduced, plus the dark rings disappeared. The general tone of my skin improved - I do tend towards redness but after a few days of using RE9 the redness was gone and my skin tone was beautifully even. The area above my upper lip where I have vertical wrinkles (the ones I consider the real sign of ageing) became full and plump - and after 7 days, the pesky lines had disappeared completely! Furthermore, the crepey skin on my neck improved considerably and, by the end of the trial, was hardly noticeable at all.

Before I started, my only concern had been having to use 5 products twice a day, but like all routines it became routine and, after the first few days, hardly took any time at all. In fact, I came to quite enjoy the process, finding it a soothing and relaxing way to start and end the day.

After I finished the trial of RE9 I was very eager to buy it, but this proved to be surprisingly difficult. I went on the website to order it and found that I would need an Arbonne ID and PIN number, which I could get from a Consultant. I entered my details to "find a Consultant near you", only to find out there wasn't one in my area but there was a number I could call. I phoned on Monday morning, explained the situation and was told that someone would call that evening. Well, no-one called that evening. Or on Tuesday or on Wednesday. I phoned again on Thursday and a Consultant did ring me that day. She said I had arrived by an "unusual route", which was why I was having difficulties. She wasn't in my area but said she would send me an e-mail with information about how to get onto the website and buy the products. The e-mail, which was auto-generated, invited me to become an Independent Consultant, which wasn't what I wanted. I rang the Consultant and after a bit of a chat, finally managed to get the situation sorted out.

RE9 is an excellent product but if my experience of it hadn't been so good I would probably have given up trying to buy it because the overall purchasing process wasn't easy. I hope someone at Arbonne takes note. As for you, if you were interested enough by my review to try and get hold of RE9 don't be put off by my difficulties. Maybe I was just really unlucky...

So, would I recommend Arbonne's RE9? Absolutely.

Will I go on using it? Most certainly.

I can honestly say that it has worked for me. The fine wrinkles have gone and the bigger ones are clearly reduced. My skin tone is more even, my face looks much younger and my skin feels much smoother. Arbonne RE9 is an excellent product and I'm delighted to have found it.

STAR PRODUCT: If you fancy buying just one product from this range, I would highly recommend the eye cream.It really does work.

Arbonne RE9 Advanced is available from your local Arbonne consultant and the Arbonne website (prices start at £26)

*this product was a free sample obtained by the Beauty Bite*

Arbonne Make Up Primer

We love this product. As far as first sentences go in a review, we don't think you can really get much better than that.

Arbonne's newly revamped primer is an astonishing little force at combating the pains of fine lines and pesky pores. With just a few quick pumps of the clear liquid gel, the entire face can be prepped and set; helping you create an all over flawless soft finish.

Arbonne Make Up Primer Swatched

When applied, the Arbonne formula feels somewhat similar to that of L'Oreal's Studio Secrets. Blending into a dry velvety texture that hugs the skin, it enables a smooth, even layer of foundation to be faultlessly applied on top. The pump action of the light-weight bottle dispenses just the right amount of product needed to cover half the face (nice to see a packaging system that isn't too over enthusiastic!). We found with just a thin layer of this formula our foundation both sat better and appeared more "natural."

For some women primer is often seen as a step too far. However, we all have those occasions when we want to look better than our best. Arbonne's dreamy primer will not only help improve the appearance of your skin - but more importantly - make your usual foundation work harder and longer. On our testers it's worked equally well on dry, oily, normal and combination skin.

We loved how this product felt to wear. It held our base firmly in place and didn't feel at all drying. If you already have a primer in use, then this would be the perfect candidate for your next bottle. We've said it before and we'll say it again: we love this product.

Arbonne Make Up Primer is available from both the UK site at £24 for 30ml - and the American site at $36.

*this product was a free sample obtained by the Beauty Bite*

Arbonne Nude Lip Polish

Just like the wonderful Lipglossiping, we were lucky enough to be given the opportunity to try out Arbonne's brand new Lip polish in the beautifully understated 'Nude'.

In all honesty, we're not a big a fan of glosses. We hate how sticky they feel; how just a slight breeze can leave half your hair cemented to your face. So on application we were pretty chuffed with the lack of tackiness the Arbonne formula contained. Using an exclusive Optilight technology which works to promote natural radiance, the polish offers a semi opaque finish packed full of subtle shimmer. The dainty sponge applicator delivers quick, buildable and even coverage - perfect for when you're on the go.

'Nude' Lip Polish swatched from wand.

Having heavily pigmented lips means, once applied, the majority of glosses streak. Unfortunately this was no exception; yet this was certainly more to do with the shade then the formula itself. As shown in the picture below, it all became a bit Diana Vickers.

'Nude' applied directly to lips

However, with just a quick blot of tissue the colour sunk in nicely leaving the most gorgeous satin sheen. It felt absolutely fantastic to wear and even managed to last a whole Frappuccino without any transfer. For those people who hate gloss, this product certainly has the huge potential to woo.

'Nude' after blotting

At £16 for 5.9ml, Arbonne's Lip Polish certainly isn't the cheapest option around. However, having spent the last few days wearing this we'd be more than happy to splash the cash on further shades. If you're interested - check out the website to read the highly detailed ingredients list - as far as introductions to brands go, this Swiss company has left us hugely impressed.

Arbonne Nude Lip Polish can be order exclusively from both their UK website (£16) and their USA website ($22).

*this product was a free sample obtained by the Beauty Bite*