benefit they're real!

Sunday, June 30, 2013
Benefit's They're Real! mascara has been one of the most hyped-up mascaras I think I've ever heard about.
The original price for the full size bottle is £19.50, I bought the travel size to test it out.
I actually think £19.50 is a bit steep, so the travel size bottle for £9.50 is a good way to test if it's for you or not.




As for packaging, I was impressed.
The plastic bottle has the Benefit logo, and the writing with an illuminous coral colour which makes sure that it stands out when searching through makeup bags!


The brush is one of the best things about this mascara.
It's spikey and rubbery, and the handle is really easy to hold.
Because of the spikey brushes, I find that you can get almost every lash and thoroughly coat them, making your eyelashes fuller and more dramatic.


I would say that my lashes are naturally long, but this lengthens, curls, volumises and lifts, just like Benefit say.
I would say that this mascara is the perfect consistency - not too clumpy and not too runny.
If you want to add more than one coat, I would still add more whilst the first coat is drying, because it's quite difficult to add more once it has dried.

Another thing about this product is that it's a pain to get off!
I suppose this can be a good thing because it doesn't budge or run throughout the day, but no matter how hard you scrub, you'll probably still wake up with the dreaded panda eyes!

Have you tried this? Do you think it's worth the hype?



currently wishing for...

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Yes. I'm a beauty blogger and I still don't have the Naked Palette.
How shocking is that?
It seems I have almost every Real Techniques brush except some of the ones in the Starter Kit. This is one of my favourite brush brands because I actually think they're really inexpensive for good quality brushes. Also, they're made by a fellow beauty blogger. :)

The Soliel Tan De Chanel is the product I've been eyeing up for so long. I've read so many reviews on it because I think it's important to before splurging over £30 on one single product!
Yes, I am a beauty blogger and I don't own any Benefit blushes. Hopefully I will not be deprived of one for much longer.

What is one product that's loved but you still haven't got?


sleek contour kit

Friday, June 21, 2013
Yes, I know what you're thinking.
'Another post about Sleek?'
Yes. Another. And it's the best one to date.




After attempting to correctly contour and have it be acceptable to wear out for what seems like years, this beautiful palette has make me a decent contour-er. If that's even a real word.
As with all Sleek products, they have amazing pigmentation and last for absolutely ages!

In the palette you get a bronzer, highlighter and a blush for £10 which I think is an amazing price, considering one blush is usually £4.99.



Above is a quick swatch of each product. Contouring has taken me months to get right so if you'd like a quick step-by-step contour and highlight post, I'll be glad to share!

The bronzer is very pigmented but you can blend it out so that it doesn't look like a mud stain on the side of your cheek! They actually come in light, medium and dark shades and I actually think this depends on the bronzer. I have very light skin (I'm talking lightest MAC shade), and this still works and looks fine on my skin.
The highlighter is very sheer and light, but the only problem I have with this is that you can't see it much on your cheeks. You can build it up, though.
The blush, I think, is similar to their Rose Gold blush which I did a post on a few weeks back (link here).

Can you contour? What are your contouring tips and tricks?



sigma f88 brush

Wednesday, June 12, 2013
It's official.
I'm addicted to makeup brushes.
The newest little gem to my ever-growing collection is the Sigma F88 Angled Kabuki Brush.





Sigma F88 Angled Kabuki Brush - $18 *
I've found this brush to be perfect for applying cream foundations in those awkward places on your face where it's difficult to get a matching coverage. 

The bristles are so tightly packed and the brush is so dense that it gives a really full coverage. The brush has synthetic hair and is super soft! I usually use the Real Techniques buffing brush to apply my liquid foundations, but I found this to work and achieve a much more flawless effect than the buffing brush.

The design is sleek, simple and the brush itself is not too big to hold or have all over your face. 

Although it's my first brush from Sigma, I'm definitely looking to buy some more to build up my kit. Considering they have 10% off with the code SUM2013 until 30th June 2013, it'd be rude not to... 

Have you tried any Sigma brushes? What are your favourite foundation brushes?



how i clean makeup brushes

Monday, June 10, 2013
To me, cleaning makeup brushes is one of the most important things about makeup.
I honestly think, what's the point in using makeup which can sometimes be extremely expensive with brushes contaminated and encouraging bacteria to grow?

Before we get started, I'd just like to say that this is by no means the professional way to clean brushes, but it's worked for me over the past few months and has caused no harm whatsoever to my brushes.



Above I have a selection of brushes from my set to show you how to clean different brushes.
I generally go with the rule; a large blob for face brushes, and a smaller blob for detailing, eye and lip brushes.

I'd recommend washing your brushes once a week, but I only ever get around to doing them myself every 2 weeks. I always notice such a huge difference in how my makeup looks and every time it always looks so much better.
In terms of the meaning 'blob', I mean blobs of baby shampoo. I use this due to it being sensitive and it is not as harsh as regular shampoo.




So, take the recommended blob size of shampoo onto the palm of your hand and work the shampoo into the brush. This is when you realize how unclean your brushes actually are!

Once you've done this, rinse with warm (but not hot) water 2-3 times to ensure all of the baby shampoo has been rinsed. You really should not use hot water as this can damage and distort the brush as it can tamper with the glue which holds the bristles, meaning you'll have a large hole in the brush.


Now, finally to drying the brushes.
I would definitely not recommend bending or reshaping the brush once it is wet. This could leave the brush ending up with huge gaps or a different shape, meaning it's performance is not as good as it should be.

Water should not dry in the area where the brushes are stuck together as it distorts and dismantles the glue.
To avoid this, a little trick that I've learnt is to fold a towel over in half and place the brushes with the head facing downwards. This will make sure that the excess water is running down and into the towel, not the area where they're stuck together.

You should ideally leave these a whole day to dry and if you really wanted, you could turn them over every few hours but it's not really necessary. 

I hope you found this useful! If you'd like to see any more "how to's", comment below and I'll see what I can do for you! :) 



mega plush volume express

Thursday, June 06, 2013
You could say I am a mascara hoarder.
You could say I am a mascara addict.
You could not say that I don't go out without buying one every time I go shopping.


After initially picking up the 'falsies' mascara by Maybelline after it being praised through the roof by the lovely Tanya Burr, I figured I'd have a spontaneous moment and pick a mascara that I'd never heard of and never seen a review of before.
Apparently, it's new out and I bought it for £7.99 at Superdrug.


The brush actually bends slightly which is strange at first and quite difficult to get used to, but it actually is a really good feature for you to be able to get right into the corner and coat the inner lashes.
Unfortunately, the only mascara that looks nice on me is jet black. Due to having dark hair and eyebrows, any other colour than black would just look my face look strange!

This product really makes my eyelashes thicker and longer.
To be honest, it's still not as loved as my Jerome Alexander one, but we'll see!
Although it is amazing for the price.

Have you tried this product?
Can you wear any other mascara colour other than black?



sleek blush

Tuesday, June 04, 2013
As soon as someone asks me to recommend a drug store or high street blush, Sleek is the brand which pops into my head straight away.
They have such a variety of colours and are sold individually at £4.99 or in a palette of 3 which retails at £9.99. 



One of the main factors I love about any Sleek products is the packaging.
They are so simple, effective and elegant looking with the shiny black on black plastic.
The only thing I can fault about Sleek palettes or packets is that I find them so difficult to open and they always tend to chip my nail polish!



As you can tell, it's such a beautiful shimmery rose colour and it's so pigmented. 
It also applies amazingly onto your face. The colour is very buildable but it can also be blended out to give a more natural finish.
It's an amazing price and an amazing dupe for blushes from Nars and MAC, especially Nars' famous Orgasm.
This colour looks very natural and would look perfect in the summer due to it's warm tones and shimmers.

Sleek blushes are the blushes I will recommend to everyone if you're looking for a cheap blush from a drugstore.

Have you tried Sleek blushes? 
What was your favourite shade? 


loreal superliner

Monday, June 03, 2013
After scouring masses upon masses of beauty blogs for the perfect eyeliner to create a winged eye, Loreal's SuperLiner came out as the winner.




The packaging?
Sleek, simple and easy to carry around in a makeup or travel bag.
Super easy to open and close, and is perfect for if you want a good quality liquid liner.


This eyeliner shown in the photo above was applied over a mixture of eyeshadows in the Sleek Storm palette and my favourite mascara, Jerome Alexander. I'd be more than happy to do a tutorial on this if you would like to see it!


As you can see, you can easily make a thin, thick, short and long line with the sponge nib.
The best thing about this liner is the drying time and the precision which you can achieve.
It dries in a matter of seconds and it's perfect for creating an amazing winged shape.

What's your favourite eyeliner?
Have you tried this product?


revlon lip butters

Sunday, June 02, 2013
Hello :)

For being one quite afraid of dark, full lip colours, lip butters are perfect.
The perfect mixture of moisturiser, colour and balm-iness.



How cute is the packaging for these?
Cute, woven printed cases and the classic Revlon signature below.

Left: Berry smoothie / Right: Cotton Candy
Berry Smoothie. 
A classic deep red/pink coral colour. Perfect for girls who are afraid of full, bold lips but want a subtle colour. This is my favourite out of the two. The colour is gorgeous!

Cotton Candy.
The very well loved pinky nude. Looks beautiful on lighter skin tones and for girls who want a moisturising lip balm with a natural colour.

Left: Berry smoothie / Right: Cotton Candy
Left: Berry smoothie / Right: Cotton Candy

Revlon Lip Butters

The best thing about these lip butters is how pigmented they are for how moisturising they are.
On average, I found them to last about 2-3 hours before needing to reapply it but your lips feel super soft afterwards. Revlon Lip Butters retail at £7.99, but if you hurry and get down to your local Superdrug, they're on offer as 3 for 2! There's so many different shades and colours. Next on my list is Pink Truffle.

Have you tried these? 
Which is your favourite shade?


structures, squares and simplicity

Hermès

Fendi

Louis Vuitton

Structure, square and simplicity are three words which fit this trend perfectly. Everyone from Fendi and Louis Vuitton to Chanel and Marc Jacobs are taking turns to spin off their take on this unique and original design. 

The monochrome woven dress is one of my favourites from Hermès' spring/summer '13 collection. I love how they've paired it with minimal jewelry to really show off the features of the dress. The colours contrast in a modern kind of way yet it has an urge of femininity. Fendi have considered the square simplicity structure and applied it to a handbag. The beige colour looks perfect with either orange or navy. Louis Vuitton was the one brand who I knew would get this trend spot on. Bright colours, squares and femininity is their forté.

So, the search for a Hermès dupe has commenced...