Exam Celebration Beauty Haul

Hellooo my lovelies,

 So yesterday I went shopping and I decided to treat myself because I PASSED MY UNI EXAMS (cue party poppers!) and I had been so worried and anxious about them for over a month so I was super relieved! I actually had a panic attack in one of the exams so I was certain I had at least failed that one but I done really well and I thought I deserved a treat. So I went to YSL and Space NK (are you excited yet???!) and bought a few goodies! I'd actually intended to get something from Bobbi Brown and Benefit aswell BUT I found drug store alternatives and thought I should be budget friendly and try them out first.

 Firstly I went to Boots and I was browsing the make up shelves, doing my usual routine of swatching every tester in site when this Revlon Highlighting Palette caught my eye. It looks very similar to Bobbi Brown's shimmer brick which by the way ladies costs £32!! and this one was a steal at £8.99 so I'm glad I popped into Boots before heading to the Bobbi Brown counter! I had been lusting after the shimmer brick and this looks like it just might solve that pressing need to buy Bobbi Brown's one! Revlon are also doing a Rose Glow one which is also similar to Bobbi Brown's rose coloured one if you prefer that one! The second thing I popped into my basket in Boots (well hand hehe) was the new Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser which is meant to be very similar to Benefit's Porefessional and less than half the price at £7.99! So I thought that would definitely be worth checking out because I don't actually use a face primer currently!

 Then I popped into Jenners and got myself the YSL touche eclat in shade 1 which I have wanted for so so long but I wasn't sure if I wanted to spend £25 on something that had mixed reviews. I tried it on at the counter though and I decided to bite the bullet and buy it because I've been constantly debating over getting it!!

The last thing I bought was the Copacabanna illuminator by NARS which I have also wanted for quite a while now! It's a lovely shimmery, pink highlighter and it wasn't too expensive for NARS at £22 and I felt I deserved to treat myself.

 I don't feel too guilty because I only bought two high end products which was very restrained of me!! and I feel I deserved it after all my hard work for my exams which thankfully paid off!! If you would like a review of any of these products then please be sure to let me know in the comment section below.

Have you had exams recently? Hope they went well! What beauty products have you been lusting after? Have you tried any of these?

SHOP THE POST:-
Maybelline Baby Skin- http://www.superdrug.com/face-make-up/maybelline-baby-skin-primer/invt/839263%26bklist=
Revlon Highlighting Palette- http://www.boots.com/en/Revlon-Highlighting-Palette_1416321/
YSL Touche Eclat- http://www.boots.com/en/Yves-Saint-Laurent-Touche-Eclat-Radiant-Touch-Highlighting-Pen_1214075/
NARS Cocacobanna Illuminator- http://www.narscosmetics.co.uk/color/multi-use/illuminators/~/illuminator

Lots of Love,

A x x x

How I clean my makeup brushes - IPA

Washing my Real Tecniques Brush with IPA.

Hellooo my lovelies,

 Cleaning makeup brushes is probably the worst thing to do with loving makeup and using a lot of brushes, it's the bit that every girl puts off (or at least every girl I've met) until it really becomes a desperate situation e.g. your best eyeshadow brush has been used with a black eyeshadow! I have found a really cheap product that works super well and makes cleaning your brushes much less of an ordeal!

 This miracle product is called IPA and its pretty much 100% alcohol and is an industrial cleaner so it can also be used for around the house chores etc.This also sanitises make-up products and brushes so it's brilliant for when you're doing someone else's makeup- which is why make up artists love this stuff! I first heard of it from a lovely, lovely lady who has an amazing blog and an amazing Youtube channel which I love so I shall link those below for you to check out because she really deserves a lot more subscribers and followers! This lady's called Zoe and she has a beautiful daughter called Cole who is a make-up artist and uses this product and Cole also has a really amazing blog and Youtube channel that I shall link below. ANYWAY you can get this product in various different sizes off Ebay for really cheap. I think I paid around £8 for two massive bottles and it literally lasts forever! I've had mine for a while now and it doesn't even look used! Another brilliant thing about this product is you get FREE yes FREE next day delivery?!?! Now it's rare to even get free delivery these days but free next day delievery?! I'm all over that (I hate paying money for postage!) and at first when I seen that I was sceptical and didn't actually expect to see it the next day but true to their word it arrived the next day!!

 I picked my two bottles because they came with spray nozzles which makes life a lot easier than having to pour it out and make a mess and the bigger volume you buy, the better value for money it is as with most things. It's really easy to use aswell you can use it for a deep clean by spraying a wad of kitchen roll or a cloth and the brush and swirling it round and round until it's spotless. However, it can also be used for spot cleaning because it dries within seconds so panic not when you realise all your eyeshadow brushes are covered in dark colours before you need to run out the door!! IPA will save the day and it has for me multiple times because I am super duper lazy with cleaning my brushes! 

  IPA tends to work best with powder based products but it can also spot clean liquid and cream based products too. However, when I decide it's really time that I gave my foundation and concealer brushes a deep clean, it's time to whap out the Fairy liquid. If you don't have IPA and don't want to waste money buying it then you can just substitute it for Fairy liquid for all your brushes! It doesn't even have to be Fairy Liquid, any washing up liquid will do the job all the same.

I hope this blog post maybe helped some of you who are looking for a quick, easy and stress free way to freshen up your brushes!

Have you tried IPA? What do you use to clean your brushes?

Shop this post:-
Ebay IPA- 100ml £3.88 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-X-100ml-IPA-ISOPROPYL-ALCOHOL-ISOPROPANOL-LIQUID-99-9-PURE-ATOMISER-SPRAY-/251257804108?pt=UK_BOI_Medical_Lab_Equipment_Lab_Supplies_ET&hash=item3a8021d54c
500ml £6.10 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-X-500ml-IPA-ISOPROPYL-ALCOHOL-ISOPROPANOL-LIQUID-99-9-TRIGGER-SPRAY-HEAD-/261198161728?pt=UK_BOI_Medical_Lab_Equipment_Lab_Supplies_ET&hash=item3cd09fa740

Links:-
Mammafulzo Blog- mammafulzo.com
Mammafulzo Youtube- http://www.youtube.com/user/MammafulZo
Coleyyyful Blog- coleyyyful.com
Coleyyyful Youtube- http://www.youtube.com/user/Coleyyyful

Lots of love, 

A x x x 

Valentines Day Gift Guide!

Hellooo my lovelies,

 So it's that time of year again, the time where couples start to get super excited and singletons start to feel extra lonely. I used to hate being single on Valentines Day and it always felt like I was really alone but I came up with a few things to make Valentines Day special even if you're single this year and nice gifts for those who are in a relationship. So I thought I would do a blog post and share these with you. I don't know if I have any male readers but for those of you who have a girlfriend or just want to buy their friend something special I've included a few ideas! I was going to wait till the first of February to post this but I'm super excited for Valentines Day and I'm already starting to get organised so I thought it would be nice to whap it up now. (I nearly managed to wait till February...)

 Firstly if you're single this Valentines, a really nice idea is to go out somewhere with your best friend/s for a meal or order a takeaway and have a nice pamper evening with your girls.Take the opportunity to get glammed up and put on a nice new dress to make you feel good. You can even buy each other small gifts, Valentines Day is about love, who said it has to be your love of a partner? It's can just be about appreciating and loving the people around you and yourself. If you don't have any single friends who can do something on Valentines day then treat you because you deserve it, so buy yourself some nice Lush products and run a nice deep bubble bath and take in your favourite book! Have a glass of wine or a cup of tea and sink into the suds and just relax, do a face mask and indulge in doing the little things for yourself that you normally wouldn't have time for. Such as giving yourself a manicure or buying yourself something you've been lusting after for a while. At the end of the day we don't always need someone else to treat us, we can treat ourselves too!

 For those of us who are lucky enough to have found that someone special, I have seen quite a few lovely gifts around that I'd love to receive for Valentines Day and ones that would be ideal for boys. Valentines Day is also pretty special to me because me and my boyfriend started going out on the 14th of June so Valentines Day is a mini anniversary for us too!

 The first gift I've seen which I think alot of you will have seen cause they've been everywhereeee at the minute!! is the rings from Pandora's Valentines Day collection. How amazing are these?! These little rings are gorgeous and are only £35!! I love how they're super simple so it would go with everything and you could wear it everyday to remind you of that special someone! Pandora's packaging is stunning so you don't need to worry about having shoddy gift wrapping skills either (which I definitely do!) The great thing about these is you don't need to worry about getting the size wrong, just guess the most popular sizes which I think Pandora say are 52, 54 and 56 and if it's wrong, you can take it to a store and Pandora change it for free! (so keep your receipts guys!!) Pandora have been super clever this year and I reckon they'll be the Michael Kors of Valentines Day! Which colour is your favourite? I can't decide but I think the red maybe has it for me! (Me not choosing pink for something again?! there must be something wrong!!)


 The second idea that I think is a really lovely and simple one is to buy rose petals which you can get off Amazon for super duper cheap and this could be used for both boys and girls. Then scatter them either in a nice bubble bath for your other half or on the bed and then light a few candles and it just creates a calm, romantic atmosphere. You could even have a shared bath...(awkward territory!)  With Valentines Day, the best thing is not the most expensive gift out there, it's the one with the most thought that shows you've put time and effort into thinking what the person would like. A nice bunch of red roses will never go wrong either, every girl likes receiving roses and if you know your girlfriend has a different favourite flower then go for a bunch of her favourite. Flowers are a must for Valentines day!

 A more pricy one that I think would be a lovely gift is a nice bottle of perfume, two really nice one's are YSL's Manifesto and Valentino's Valentina. They're both really gorgeous scents, I own YSL Manifesto and it's a very elegant, sexy scent but it is more on the pricy side. Valentina is a more girly, floral scent that's very cute and flirtatious, both are a really good way to go for Valentines Day! Or for the boys a nice bottle of aftershave, I loove Ralph Lauren's Red and Spicebomb by Viktor & Rolf. Red is a sweeter smell but it's honestly the nicest thing and Spicebomb as you would expect is spicier but I love them both very much and I think they'd make a really nice present.








Teddy bears are a gift that everyone will always appreciate, they're really cute and a nice way of giving your other half something to cuddle when you're not with them. A cute big fluffy bear would make anyone smile and if it's got personalised paws or a cute message on it then even better! The best thing about this gift is it can be relatively inexpensive depending on what one you chose but it's a classic Valentines Day gift that will always be welcomed. Every girl needs flowers and a teddy on Valentines Day!









 Lush have an amazing Valentines Day collection out this year and a really nice thing to do for your girlfriend or even your boyfriend would be to buy a massage bar and again the rose petals from Amazon and give each other a relaxing massage. Who doesn't enjoy a nice massage?! I'm verging on awkward territory once again so moving swiftly on..... Lush is really slow with their delivery (like I'm talking weeks) so make sure you order well in advance or pop into store to pick up the stuff.








A super duper cute one I found for the girls is this amazing pillow which says on it 'Every love story is beautiful but ours is my favourite'. I would love to receive this and I can't think of any girl who wouldn't however because it's purple I would say it's definitely more of a girls gift as I'm pretty sure my boyfriend wouldn't want this in his bedroom, don't know about yours..!

 Another really nice Valentines Day idea for those of you who are not on a budget would be to take your partner away either for a holiday or a weekend away. Not necessarily somewhere amazingly hot and expensive but just somewhere that will allow you to spend quality time with each other. A spa hotel or even a spa day would be a really nice choice as you can spend all day together whilst relaxing at the same time. Plus then you're buying yourself a present aswell as buying them one! Theatre tickets to their favourite show would be another thoughtful gift.

 Obviously a cute card or a cute letter is a must have, in the rush of life we often don't take the time to tell the people we love the most just how much we appreciate them. So writing it down somewhere where they can always keep it and read it is a lovely idea. I really liked the idea of sending it through the post aswell for your Valentine to read because it's unusual to get a letter these days, unless it's from the bank or somewhere boring. So it would be a nice traditional way of letting someone know you love them.

 Joma jewellery is also a lovely present for your girlfriend (or any jewellery really). I love their 'little' range and my boyfriend got me this one for my Christmas which I adore and it's really cute and I think it would be equally as good a Valentines Day present. They also have love heart one's which say 'wear this silver heart everyday to bring a little love your way'. There's a gold heart one as well 'this heart of gold I give to you because your heart is good and true'. They're not too expensive and they last really well, mines hasn't tarnished from perfume or from water etc so they really are good quality and they're nice and simple so go with most outfits. 

 I came across this gift at Christmas time and I noticed they did a Valentines version too and I think this would make an adorable gift. I know my boyfriend thought it was really sweet when I gave him it for Christmas so basically it's a survival kit and it just has really cute things in it to represent something (rubbish explanation I know!) For example the Valentines Day one has a matchstick 'because we are the perfect match', a rock 'because you are my rock', love heart sweets 'to show how much I love you', a paperclip 'to hold us close together' and lots of sweet things like that. They're really inexpensive and you can get them for just about every occasion you can think of so I think that's a lovely one to get!

 I also found this 'hello gorgeous' and 'hello handsome' mug set on Amazon which is really cute and would make a lovely gift! Amazon is surprisingly really good for unique and cute Valentines Day gifts.

 Finally anything engraved or personalised will always be amazing because it shows that you have thought about it and it hasn't just been a last minute hash-dash buy! Photo frames, books or just a collage of memories you've spent together, all of these will never fail! So if you're stuck for ideas I hope this has helped and I hope you all have a lovely Valentines Day whatever you're doing!

SHOP THIS POST:-
Pandora Rings £35.00 :- http://www.pandora.net/en-gb/explore/collections/valentines14#!190896SGR
Rose Petals £1.10 :- http://www.amazon.co.uk/LIGHTLY-SCENTED-QUALITY-CONFETTI-VALENTINE/dp/B006IQ5MO4/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1390648721&sr=8-4&keywords=rose+petals
Boyfriend Survival Kit £6.95:- http://www.amazon.co.uk/Boyfriend-Valentines-Survival-novelty-present/dp/6041510424/ref=sr_1_2?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1390648926&sr=1-2&keywords=valentines+day
Mugs £6.99:- http://www.amazon.co.uk/Morning-Gorgeous-Handsome-Tea-Coffee/dp/B00FJ295TQ/ref=sr_1_72?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1390649229&sr=1-72&keywords=valentines+day
Love Story Pillow £16.99:- http://www.amazon.co.uk/ROMANTIC-CUSHION-VALENTINES-ANNIVERSARY-YORKSHIRE/dp/B00AW8DX6I/ref=sr_1_4?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1390649819&sr=1-4&keywords=L%26S+PRINTS+FOAM+DESIGNS
Lush Valentines Day Collection £4.25 upwards :- https://www.lush.co.uk/product/6474/Love-Locket
Fragrance Direct (great place for picking up cheap fragrances):- http://www.fragrancedirect.co.uk/


What are your plans for Valentines Day this year? Which of these gifts would you like to receive?

Lots of love,

A x x x 

Products I Use In My Shower!

Hellooo my lovelies,

I thought I would show you the products I use in the shower because they're all really good products that I love and recommend and I thought that would be nice to share with you all. I've also added in a few products I like to use after my shower to make me feel good!

 The first two obvious things I have in my shower are my shampoo and conditioner. The two main ones I use at the moment are my Mane N Tail shampoo and conditioner which I have done a review on that I'll link below. They're basically an effective shampoo and conditioner that can be used for both humans and animals that helps encourage hair growth.

 The second product that I use in the shower is a shower gel and the one I'm using at the moment is the Soap and Glory Sugar Crush body wash. It's a creamy coloured gel that has the most gorgeous citrus smell which is really great for waking you up on those mornings where you really need an extra kick up the backside! Soap and Glory is a great brand and it's actually not too expensive! Their products range from around £6-10 and they're usually on 3 for 2 in Boots!

 Another product I love to use in the shower is the Soap and Glory Sugar Crush body scrub. This body scrub is the best one I have found ever, especially for those stubborn bits of fake tan that will not come off your skin. It's a really invigorating scrub that will remove all the dead skin cells and you can use it as often as you need to depending on how flakey your skin is. I don't really suffer from dry/scaly skin so I tend to use mine once a week just to remove the top layer of any dead skin cells. It smells so sugary and citrusey and I just love this a lot! The texture is really thick and gritty which is good as you can actually feel this product working on your skin and that's what we love girls, products that actually bring about results! Another thing I love about this is how moisturising it is, even just with opening the lid you can see the moisturising oils oozing out of this. It contains brown sugar, lime, almond oil and macadamia grains, a recipe for smooth skin!

 Another product that I love using in the shower that I sometimes swap my shower gel for is the Lush Shower Jelly in 'Sweetie Pie'. It's basically like a jelly that you would eat but it's for the shower instead and can be used as both a shampoo or as a shower gel. This one is purple and glittery so very girly which suits me perfectly! It has a gorgeous smell aswell, it smells like a mixture of cherries, coconut and blackcurrant all rolled into one. It's actually really fun to use in the shower or bath aswell and it does leave a lovely feeling as it slides over your skin. The only thing is, is that it's super slippery and needs a firm hand to keep a hold of it or you literally will spend your whole shower chasing it round in circles (which is fun for the first minute, then just frustrating..) They last for ages too as I've had mine since September and it's barely gone, once you've used it you just slide it back in the pot and it's ready for another day. Apparently if you mix this shower jelly with the Whoosh Lush shower jelly, it makes a really nice refreshing mixture so that might be worth giving a bash aswell! They're really durable and withstand a lot of pressure, you can poke your finger into it and it won't break, it just simply bounces straight back to the way it was before! I have the 100g one but I'm pretty sure you can get bigger pots of these aswell! You can keep these jellies at room temperature, freeze them or chill them in the fridge to make them more refreshing in the shower. They really are a versatile product and quite a fun one to use in the shower!

Lush 'Sweetie Pie' shower jelly

Soap and Glory 5 Fruits Body Butter

The products I loveee to use when I come out a nice bath or shower is a body butter. Body butters are brilliant for your skin to keep it smooth and supple and additionally it just leaves you feeling more sexy and luscious if your skin feels and smells nice! (look good, feel good!). My two favourites are the Soap and Glory body butter in five fruits which smells AMAZING, very fruity and sweet all at the same time and to me it just reminds me of my summer holiday because I would always apply this after a long day in the sun! So maybe that contributes alot to the reason why I love it so much! The second body butter that I love is Cocoa butter ones, this one is from Boots extracts range. Cocoa butter is amazingly good for your skin, not to mention how lovely it smells! It has extremely moisturising properties which are great for preventing stretch marks and also treating them, treating dry/chapped skin and for use as a daily moisturiser.

Cocoa Body Butter

Left:- 'Solana Beach', Right:- 'Silver Strand Beach'

Another thing I love to do when I come out the bath is spritz a nice smelling body spray all over me
so I feel fresh and sexy! Two of my favourite scents to spray on after a bath or a shower are Hollister body sprays. They cost around £13 and they're usually on 3 for 2 and they're the closest I've found to Victoria Secret body sprays which is great if you're not American or don't live close to London! They have a really sexy, beachy scent and there are a wide variety of scents to chose from. Most Hollister body sprays have a similar beachy, ocean, sun cream kind of scent that just instantly relax's you and makes you think of sunny days by a beach on holiday! My favourite is the white one which I actually have two of because I love it that much and it smells more so of holidays and coconut and mango. The blue one I don't love as much as it has more of sharper, more musky scent like raspberries but it still has that sort of holiday smell mixed into it!

 A relaxing addition to this routine that I love to do is put on a nice face mask, my two favourites being self-heating masks and peel off one's and you can pick up some really good one's cheaply in Boots and Superdrug! My all-time favourite is the chocolate self-heating one from Superdrug's own range, there's just something lovely about your face being heated up and it really relaxes you and gives you more of a spa like experience than the peel off/wash off one's. I also really like the peel off one's as they're quite fun and i find these get in my hair and in the nooks and crannies of my face a lot less than the wash off one's! For bonus relaxation, slice two pieces of cucumber and place them over your eyes, this can also be done whilst in the bath for ULTIMATE relaxation!

What products do you like to use in the bath/shower? Have you tried any of these one's? What did you think of them?

SHOP THE POST :- Mane N Tail Shampoo and conditioner (£5.36) http://www.amazon.co.uk/MANE-n-TAIL-SHAMPOO-CONDITIONER/dp/B005CI1JEG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389281391&sr=8-1&keywords=mane+n+tail

Soap and Glory body wash in Sugar Crush (£6.50) http://www.boots.com/en/Soap-Glory-Sugar-Crush-Body-Wash-500ml_1286669/

Soap and Glory Body Scrub in Sugar Crush (£8.00) http://www.boots.com/en/Soap-Glory%C2%99-Sugar-Crush%C2%99-Body-Scrub-300ml_1222485/

Lush Shower Jelly in 'Sweetie Pie' (£3.25) https://www.lush.co.uk/product/392/100g-SMALL-Sweetie-Pie-Shower-Jelly

Hollister Spray Solana Beach £12.50 http://www.hollisterco.com/shop/uk/bettys-body-mist-body-care/solana-beach-mist-670187_01

Hollister Spray Silver Strand Beach http://www.hollisterco.com/shop/uk/bettys-body-mist-body-care/silver-strand-beach-mist-998309_01

Soap and Glory 5 Fruits Butter Yourself (£10.50) http://www.boots.com/en/Soap-Glory%C2%99-Butter-Yourself%C2%99-Body-Cream-300ml_1222479/

Cocoa Body Butter (£10.00) http://www.boots.com/en/Boots-Extracts-Cocoa-Butter-Selection-Box_1251486/

Three of my favourite facemasks, all only 99p!! Chocolate Orange Self Heat - http://www.superdrug.com/superdrug/superdrug-chocolate-orange-self-heating-mask/invt/440352&bklist=

Sugar and Spice Self Heat- http://www.superdrug.com/superdrug/superdrug-sugar+spice-self-heating-mask/invt/440457&bklist=

Tropical Cocktail Peel Off- http://www.superdrug.com/superdrug/superdrug-tropical-cocktail-peel-off-mask/invt/442351&bklist=

Link to Mane N Tail Review - http://whatabbyloves.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/my-haircare-routine.html

What products do you like to use in the bath/shower? Have you tried any of these one's? What did you think of them?

Hope you're all well, 

Lots of love A x x 

Frilly Sock Obsession and Makeup Goodies!

 Hellooo my lovelies,

As I'm sure you are all aware of by now, I have a slight frilly sock obsession. The amount of money Topshop have made from me buying frilly socks alone is a joke never mind all the other Topshop clothes I buy! Why must Topshop have such lovely things that I can't resist buying!! As I mentioned in my last Topshop haul, I had noticed some lovely pastel socks that just screamed out BUY ME!! on Topshop's website that I tried desperately to resist but then a few days later I caved as per ususal! I am now putting myself on a frilly sock ban and better a complete sock ban until further notice and you can all feel free to remind me to not buy anymore frilly socks!!

 The first 3 pairs of socks I was drawn to were the aqua blue one's, mint ones and these sunny pastel yellow one's! Pastels are fabulous for Spring as everything starts to get brighter again and you can never have too many socks right? (unless you're me...I definitely have way too many socks now!! hahaha). I also love the colour Mint especially during Spring/Summer and I'm always drawn to sunny yellow's and bright blue's! As they remind me of the beach and summer and they just generally are happy colours (can you get happy colours?? I think so!) Topshop as always have their socks on 3 for £8 which is brilliant but then I noticed a gorgeous lilac shade and I had to have those! So I was like I may aswell get another two then? I know I am the dream customer because I get sucked into all these 'deals' thinking I'm saving money but really they're persuading me to buy more!! Anywaaay it's not too bad because frilly socks will always make me smile soo for the extra £4.50 why not! So i chose a grey pair because they'll go with everything and of course another pink pair because we all know how much I love the colour pink!!

 You can all feel free to think I'm crazy because I even think that this frilly sock obsession may have got out of hand so I have currently banned myself from going on Topshop's website because I fear there may be no socks left for anybody else if I carry on!

Close up of detail and lace trim.

Frilly socks with Jeggings and Converse, They can look even nicer than this I just didn't have time before I caught my bus! 

 

 Another two cheeky things I added to my order were Topshop's new gloss ink's which I really wanted to try out. The colours looked really beautiful and the packaging really intrigued me so I bought one in 'Sugar Rush' which is a salmon pink nude and 'Cruel' which is a deep vampy, purple colour! I'm more than happy to do a review of those after I've tried and tested them if you would like. Let me know in the comments below/like this on bloglovin or google plus to let me know that you'd be interested in a review of them!

Sugar Rush

Cruel

What are your current beauty and fashion obsessions? Have you tried Topshop's new gloss ink's yet?

Previous Topshop Hauls-
http://whatabbyloves.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/topshop-and-misguided-haul.html
http://whatabbyloves.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/topshop-and-misguided-haul_18.html

Lots of love,

A x x x 

Real Techniques Brushes Collection and Review

Hellooo my lovelies,

I have built up quite the collection of Real Techniques brushes since they were first released so I thought I'd show you my collection and do a mini review on them! I am a massive fan of Pixiwoo's brushes as I think they are some of the best brushes I have ever come across and at an affordable price (always a bonus!) I apologise in advance for the state of my brushes but I thought it would look better to show you that I actually use them than pristine clean one's aaand they were also due for a clean but I had to take advantage of the daylight whilst it existed! (con's of UK Winter!!) I actually store my make-up brushes in an old Yankee candle jar (no surprise it's a Home Sweet Home jar!). One of the best things about these brushes is that Pixiwoo do many tutorials on  their Youtube channel with these brushes so you can recreate some of the tutorials they do with them!

Yankee Candle Makeup Jar

 I have two sets, the core collection and the starter set which are both about £20 each and i also have four individual brushes. The individual brushes that I own are the Expert Face brush, Blush brush, Stippling Brush and the Powder Brush. I actually get a lot more use out of my four separate brushes than I do out of the set's but the sets are ideal if you're just starting out into make up and aren't entirely sure what you need and what you would get the most use out of. All Real Techniques brushes have synthetic bristles and big handles that are easy to use. I have had my brushes for a long time and I have washed every single one of them, multiple times and not once have they shed so they're definitely a winner!

Core Collection (sorry for the very dirty detailer brush! I had just used it that morning)

 The Core Collection set is targeted for the face and it contains four brushes: the well loved buffing brush, the detailer brush, the contour brush and the foundation brush. Firstly the buffing brush is loved by everyone and I actually used it to apply powder with until I got my Powder brush and it was really good for that. I actually still use it for powder when I'm out and about because the powder brush isn't as compact for travelling around with! It's also great for applying foundation with or personally I use it to apply my BB cream. I prefer my Expert Face brush for heavier, more full foundations but for light coverage foundations the buffing brush is ideal! The pointed foundation brush in this set, I used to use for liquid foundation but I wouldn't really recommend it as it clogs up really easily and it just doesn't give the nicest finish. It's okay for applying concealer but there's better brushes for that too (which i shall get to eventually). Overall it's just not the best brush and it remains unused in my brushes jar (which is why it's actually clean!) The detailer brush comes in handy for using as a lip brush, I usually apply my lipstick straight from the bullet but if I'm doing someone else's make-up then I use it or if I want to achieve a neater look. The last brush in this set is the Contour brush which is for as obvious, contouring your cheeks. It is actually an okay brush for this but I've found another favorite that I think does the job better so this brush mainly remains unused too. All Real Techniques brushes come with a portable brush stand aswell which is great for display or for travelling or even for keeping them tidy and together in a drawer! They are reasonable brushes for the price but personally I think you can get better brushes from Real Techniques and avoid buying this set aswell. However, in saying that I would buy the set alone just for the Buffing brush as it really is that good!

Starter Set

 The Real Techniques starter set (eye brushes), I actually only purchased recently as I have a lot of eye brushes from my Naked palettes but I really wanted the deluxe crease brush and another brow brush (disaster strikes when I lose my MAC 266!) The deluxe crease brush, I actually don't use for eyeshadow, I use it for concealer and it's the best brush I have found for applying concealer, it is the perfect sized brush for under the eye and it leaves a really smooth, high coverage finish so i have much love for this one! The brow brush in this set is good but I only really use it when I've misplaced my 266 because that is the perfect brush for filling in your eyebrows with! The accent brush I also really love as it's fabby for applying highlighter under the brow bone and in the inner corner of your eye. It just creates a more precise look than using your fingers or a wider brush that can't get as precise an angle. The base shadow brush is brilliant for applying a base eyeshadow colour onto your eye and lets face it us girls can never have too many eyeshadow brushes! (all the longer till we have to face washing them again). The final brush contained in this set is the fine Liner Brush which I haven't actually had a use for yet because my eye liner actually comes with it's own liner. This would be great for liquid eyeliners that don't come with an applicator and I also think it would be great for using with gel liners to get a perfectly even application!

Left:- Powder Brush, Right:- Expert Face Brush

 An individual brush that I purchased quite recently was the Powder brush which I use for applying my powder with everyday (duh!). It's really nice, does the job and applies just the right amount of powder and I would recommend this to anyone starting out in makeup/looking for a new powder brush. The powder brush retails for £12.99 which is bargainous for a massive powder brush!

My all time favourite brush from Real Techniques has to be the Expert Face Brush. I don't think I've ever had as good an application of foundation with any other brush, it just buffs it into the skin amazingly and leaves you with flawless looking skin! (what more can you ask for!) I tend to use it more for my heavier foundations like Mac Studio Fix and Rimmel's Wake Me Up but it also works well with lighter foundations like Nars Sheer Glow. I would totally recommend anyone to get this who's experienced with makeup or even someone who's just starting out as it does all the hard work for you and really, really works!

Left:- Stippling Brush, Right:- Blush brush

 My joint all time favourite Real Techniques brush that I use everyday without fail is the Blush brush. I actually use this for both my bronzer, my blusher and my highlighter as it is just the PERFECT shape for contouring! I used to have quite a love/hate relationship with blusher before I got this brush, it would either go on too heavy so I looked like Aunt Bessie or it would barely be visable but when it worked I loved it! With this brush I have never had this problem as it repeatedly gets the exact amount of blush I want on my cheeks and on the odd occasion I am a little heavy handed, it's super easy to blend it in with! For bronzer it's made it super easy for me to contour my cheeks and I now always manage to sculpt myself some cheek bones on top of my non-existent ones! Then for highlighter I abolutely love it with my MAC'S soft and gentle mineral skin finish as it just adds a beautiful shimmer onto my cheeks and I could not rave more about this brush! Just get it and it will change your makeup routine!

 The final individual brush I have from Real Techniques is the Stippling brush which I used to use for applying my foundation with before I got the Expert Face brush but I don't use it as much now. I usually use this one to stipple the foundation onto my skin after I've applied it with my Expert Face brush if I've done it in a hurry and it hasn't quite blended to the standard I desire. I also use it when I've applied my foundation without letting my moisturiser sink into my skin before hand (when I've slept in...which is alot!!) and it seems to help it blend better!

A nice thing I would suggest if your looking to buy someone brushes (or even yourself) that's just starting out in makeup, would be to buy individually the Powder brush, Blusher brush and Expert Face brush and use that as the 'Core Collection'. It does work out more expensive this way but personally I think you can acheive a lot more with these brushes and having had the Core Collection, I don't use the majority of the brushes and I have ended up buying both! So if I had known what I know now, I maybe wouldn't have rushed into buying the Core Collection straight away!

Hope this blog post helped some of you, Have any of you tried out Real Techniques? What do you think of them?

Shop the Post:- Core Collection (£21.99) - http://www.boots.com/en/Real-Techniques-Core-Collection-1403_1252038/
Starter Set (£21.99) - http://www.boots.com/en/Real-Techniques-Starter-Set-1406_1252040/
Powder Brush (£12.99)- http://www.boots.com/en/Real-Techniques-Powder-Brush-1401_1252048/
Blush Brush (£9.99) - http://www.boots.com/en/Real-Techniques-Blush-Brush-1407_1252046/
Expert Face Brush (£9;99) - http://www.boots.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10052&productId=1277695
Stippling Brush (£11.99) -  http://www.boots.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10052&productId=1253416

My review of Real Techniques Sponge Applicator - http://whatabbyloves.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/real-techniques-miracle-complexion.html
Pixiwoo Youtube Channel- http://www.youtube.com/user/pixiwoo

Lots of love,

A x x x