My April Favourites

First off, a massive congratulations to Kate and William on the birth of their daughter (she was born at the exact same minute as me, 8:34am) :)  So, April! It was a good month for me, I had my birthday and some lovely days out with the hubby and baby, and wore makeup a little more often.  I am looking forward to my next 'shop the stash' as there's a couple of products I've been hankering to use, and a couple that I shopped last month from my stash that I'm truly bored of!  I hope you don't mind me sharing the video on here, I know a lot of you don't follow me on YouTube, so I like to share the odd video with you in case you would like to see it <3

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March 2015 Favourites

It's that time of the year again for my monthly favourites! I've started these back up as YouTube videos instead of blog posts, I hope that doesn't put you off and I hope you enjoy watching :)

5 things from the last month:

• Squidge has rolled over, LOTS and is learning to sit up by himself
• I've started wearing dresses again as the weather has warmed up
• I've been busy Spring cleaning - if I didn't have a baby, my house would be spotless right now!
• I'm nearly caught up with PLL, only 4 episodes until I'm completely caught up!
• I'm excited for April as on the 17th it's my birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Best products of 2014

It's a little overdue, I was hoping to have this post wrapped up by early Jan, but better late than never! So without further ado, here's my top products of 2014 (not necessarily products released in 2014, just my most used and favourite products).

FOUNDATION

Makeup Forever HD foundation

When I was rounding up images and posts for this, I realised I'd never actually written a full review of this, so there will be one in coming weeks, but for now we'll just have a quick summary - MUF HD foundation has a fantastic coverage (akin to Estee Lauder Double Wear) but without being too heavy.  It has a lovely matte finish and is very long wearing - a new discovery for me in 2014.

Bourjois Radiance Reveal Healthy Mix foundation

This really is a stunning foundation - it makes skin look flawless and slightly dewey, such a great dupe for the NARS sheer glow - a foundation I will definitely re-purchase - I tend to alternate between this one and the MUF HD foundation (when I'm not trying a new one). [review here]

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet foundation

This was probably overall my favourite foundation of the year, it was a birthday treat to myself back in April and I just loved it - perfect for oily skin, it sits beautifully and gives a really velvety finish, just as the name suggests, it really is a luxury foundation. [review here]

EYE LINER

Collection Fast Stroke Liner

I have a bit of a love hate relationship with this, it has the most beautiful finish, it's jet black and very matte - it doesn't budge, transfer or flake, but the applicator leaves a lot to be desired - it's rigid and tends to get all over your lashes, if the applicator was different, this would probably be my all time favourite as the formula is so good - but it's cheap as chips which helps. [review here]

Dolly Wink eyeliner

This is a really lovely liner, it's in the form of a pen, with fine bristles meaning you can create a really fine point when creating your flick, again it doesn't budge either - something that's a must when you have oily lids that are very hooded. [review here]

Bourjois Liner Pinceau

This was a recommendation from Sandara who blogs over at The Black Pearl Blog - it's her all time favourite so I thought I'd give it a go.  In fairness, she's right, it's fab, it stays put, easy to use and has a lovely finish.  Looking at the list above, it's nice to see that this year, all my favourites are from the high street, all affordable :) [review here]

BLUSHERS

New CID i-glow blusher

A recent favourite of mine as I only discovered it in the last quarter of the year, but this blusher really is gorgeous.  It's almost like a pink highlighter too, really beautiful.  You get a lot of product for your money too as it's a very generous size - this really does look stunning on the cheeks, especially if you have a very matte foundation on. [review here]

NARS blusher in Dolce Vita

I really am a sucker when it comes to berry toned blushers, especially if they're matte.  Sadly, sometime earlier in the year I lost my NARS Orgasm blusher, I would have thought it would have turned up by now, it must be lost with my MAC creme cup lipstick... anyway, I digress! This blusher is beautifully pigmented and in the usual lovely NARS packaging. [review here]

Sephora blusher in Healthy Rose

Another great matte blusher, and such a pretty colour.  I picked this up when I was in France at the beginning of 2014 for my brother's funeral and it was probably my most used blusher of 2014, it's perfect for really pale skin too as it's not too over the top. [review here]

EYE SHADOW/PALETTES

Makeup Revolution Romantic Smoked palette

Holy moly did I have a hard time picking just 3 palettes!  I ended up deciding on these 3 based on their swatches.  The romantic smoked palette was so gorgeous, you should see the swatches (linked at the end of this paragraph) - the formulation is fantastic and the colours, just stunning, one of many Makeup Revolution palettes I've loved over the last year. [review here]

Makeup Revolution Disappear til dawn palette

This was the first palette from Makeup Revolution that I used and I fell in love with it so quickly. I love how it's so good for travelling as it's very petite and compact - and as always, pigmentation and formula are fantastic.  You have to love the price point of Makeup Revolution, each palette just a few ££s. [review here]

Urban Decay Vice 2 palette

Now I couldn't have Makeup Revolution stealing all the spotlight.  I had this for Christmas in 2013 and absolutely loved it - it's the quality you've come to love and expect from Urban Decay with a great variety of colour, textures and finishes, all wrapped in a gorgeous purple case. [review here]

MASCARA

Bourjois 1 Seconde mascara

This really is a fantastic mascara, I have both the waterproof and non-waterproof versions - it gives fantastic long, volume-filled lashes making them look amazing, please have a look at my review to see the pics of my lashes and you'll see for yourself [review here]

Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill mascara

This was the first piece of makeup from Giorgio Armani that I'd used and I absolutely loved it, my lashes looked amazing with it, I'm just sad that it's run out as it's probably my favourite high end mascara, definitely worth the money. [review here]

Makeup Revolution Viper mascara

I know I technically reviewed this in 2015, but I was using it for the last couple of months of 2104. It's a fab high street value mascara - yeah it's not necessarily going to 'wow' you, I think for £3 you'll be hard pressed to find a mascara that will wow you, but this is really good value for money, giving lovely lashes as a result. [review here]

BRAND: MAKEUP REVOLUTION

I couldn't complete this review without giving special mention to Makeup Revolution - for me, they really have been the brand of the year.  They started up and really hit the ground running with a fabulous collection of high quality and very affordable makeup.  They really do have a lot to shout about - I've yet to try one of their products that I don't like.  I can't wait to see what they do in 2015!

So there you have it, my favourite products from 2014 - I haven't delved into powders, primers, and brow products as I didn't use much of a variety over the year, I pretty much stuck with Japonesque for powder, Benefit for brows and haven't been using a primer.

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October 2014 Favourites

It's fair to say, during October I haven't worn much in the way of makeup thanks to having a newborn baby to look after, and being in labour for the first part of the month.  I have however established some firm favourites of recent, and here's a better look at what they are.

Glo & Ray blusher in Halo pink*

This is a perfect dupe for the NARS Orgasm blusher (which I own, but have lost, sadface).  It's from a new high end makeup brand called Glo & Ray - I know I've said it's a dupe and high end, but the price point is significantly cheaper than NARS (£11*), but equals it in quality.  There'll be a full review coming soon :)

MUF HD Foundation

I can't help but love this foundation.  I have a couple of firm favourites, like the Chanel velvet foundation and Bourjois radiance renewal, but this is up there with them.  It has great coverage, a great finish and lasts really well and barely needs a touch up.

NARS blusher in Dolce Vita*

Such a beautiful autumn blusher, it's a gorgeous deep berry shade, again, this will be reviewed very soon on the blog :)  

Dior BB eye cream

I've had this a while and have recently re-discovered it.  It corrects the darkness under my eyes and helps to conceal my epic bags, all while being very lightweight and with minimal creasing.  I don't know if they still make it, it's not cheap, I think it was just over £20 but in my opinion, it's worth it :)

Bourjois liner pinceau

Such an amazing liquid eyeliner, I love that it's jet black, that it doesn't transfer or melt and that it stays put until I'm ready to remove it at the end of the night, and what's more, it's a hell of a lot more affordable than my old favourite (Chanel ecriture - £25) and realistically, equally as good.

Benefit Browzings in light*

I'm a recent convert to the way of Browzings!  I think I've been wearing brow powder that's too dark for me for a while now and this is much lighter and looks much more natural, but still while giving fullness and definition.

Makeup Revolution Flawless palette

For me this is more of an autumn palette, but realistically it'd look fab at any time of year.  It's become my go-to palette since I bought it.  The pigmentation is great, they blend well and last well, to be fair though, this is the quality I've come to expect from Makeup Revolution, so I'm not surprised that I love it :)

Not a whole lot of favs, but I've been saving the best one for last.  If you haven't seen, in October (6th) I gave birth to my first baby, a little boy :)  So it's fair to say, he's definitely my October favourite :)

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*Post contains PR samples

September 2014 favourites

Last month my favourites were quite late, so I'm getting them in early this time :)  Since I've been on maternity leave (well, technically annual leave as my maternity leave starts today) I haven't worn much makeup as I've just been sat at home every day.  However, on the times I have ventured out or just felt like putting on makeup - these have been some of my most reached for pieces.

Liz Earle hot cloth cleanser

This is probably my 4th time of buying this, but this time instead of opting for the pump bottle which is smaller, I went for the bigger squeeze bottle.  I'm not sure if anyone else has found this, but I've found the formula in the squeezy bottle to be a bit wetter, meaning I need to use a bit more than before - but that aside, it's fab for removing makeup and leaves my skin feeling lovely, soft and well cleansed.

Kiehl's midnight recovery oil*

I haven't been using this long enough to form a proper review of it - however the times I have been using it I'm absolutely loving it.  I use 3 drops at night, warm it in my hands, and then rub it into my face.  By the morning my skin feels like velvet.  It hasn't broken me out or anything negative, it's only made my skin feel lovely.

Benefit Browzings* & Gimmie Brow*

As you might know from previous updates, for my brows I've always been a fan of the HD Brow kit, and up until a couple weeks ago, I'd never tried Browzings.  I bought a Gimmie Brow in dark months ago and loved it - it's MUCH better than the Maybelline equivalent (which I'd tried first).  When I went to a Benefit blogger event, the lovely Lisa gave me a full brow treatment and these products, which are both in light - not a shade I would have picked out for myself.  However, the look is so much more natural and gives me fuller looking brows than my old HD Brow kit - I'm really impressed with these.

Makeup Revolution Super wow matte lip pencil*

While not all of these shades were ones I'd regularly wear, this one in particular I adore - the shade is Maria.  Each of the shades in the collection are 'Blondie' themed :)  These are perfectly matte and stay put for a long time.  My biggest tip is to apply it with a lip brush first so you can get a nice defined line.

Mavala nail polish in Iridescence*

This lovely purple shade has been living on my toes for the past couple of weeks.  Today I'm taking off my gel nail polish (apparently, if I need a c-section, they'll take it off anyway) and replacing it with this to match my toes, all ready for hospital.  I'm going to take nail polish remover with me just in case, but at least this will be easier to remove than gel!  The first coat of this goes on quite thin, but the 2nd coat fixed it and gives a lovely opaque colour.  Top it off with a clear top coat and it'll last for days too.

Makeup Forever HD Foundation

I picked this up earlier in the year and forgot I had it - but oh boy am I glad I rediscovered it!  I've just realised I haven't reviewed this yet either!  It gives a lovely near-flawless finish, it stays matte and stays in place for a long time.  It's medium-buildable coverage and evens out the skin-tone beautifully. This is one of the best foundations I've used, it's got a sterling reputation for a reason.

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August 2014 favourites

I know we're half way through September so this is a little late, but I figured it's better late than never. August has seen me start to wear foundation a little more than in the previous few months, but still not crazy amounts, and I've been wearing some slightly different products, these are the ones that have really stood out to me (tip of the cap to Bourjois for having 3 in my top 6).

Bourjois radiance reveal healthy mix foundation

A beauty that I reviewed earlier this month, my current favourite foundation (don't worry, I'm so fickle this changes all the time).  This is my NARS sheer glow dupe, it gives a beautiful finish that's both quite matte and glowing at the same time.  It lasts well and sits beautifully on the skin.

Bourjois 1 seconde mascara

I love how this defines the lashes and makes them look amazing.  I love that it doesn't crumble and flake out onto my cheeks, it stays put, even this version the non-waterproof one.  It has a thick rubbery wand that grips the lashes really well.

Bourjois liner pinceau (liquid eye liner)

This was a recommendation from Sandra from The Black Pearl Blog - it's the one she's always raved about.  In fairness, I've grown to really love it too.  It sets pretty matte, and jet black.  The brush is flat so you can turn it on its side to get more precision.  It dries quickly and stays put until you're ready to take it off with no transference to the lid, that's my kinda liner :)

Clarins ombre matte eyeshadow in Sparkle Grey*

I was very lucky and received 3 of these from Clarins from their Autumn collection and this one has to be my favourite, I adore the colour, the finish and everything about it.  I've worn it a LOT over the last month and just by itself, with liquid eyeliner and mascara.  I'm not one of these people that think it's lame to wear just one colour, in fact I think wearing just one colour is often more elegant :)

Sephora blusher in healthy rose

I just can't get enough of this blusher.  It's pretty much been a staple favourite of mine since I bought it in Jan/Feb this year.  If you have pale skin it looks absolutely gorgeous, like a fresh flush of colour on your cheeks, perfect for any of the seasons.

Maybelline quad in Smokey Cinnamon

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of wearing green eyeshadow, especially dark greens.  Ages ago I saw Emily Noel (Beauty Broadcast) create a gorgeous look using this quad, and I've been pretty much recreating it ever since (give or take the lime colour in there).  It's a gorgeous look for Autumn and I'm just in love with the deep green with the subtle cinnamon on the outer edge.  Et voila!

So they were my August favourites, what were you loving in August?

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July 2014 favourites

So I've been a bit of a boring one the past couple of months, and I've been using the same products nearly every day, I know... yawn!  But there's a good reason for it.  We've been decorating our bedroom so that we can start to work on the nursery, but in the process we've filled up the room that will be the nursery, thus blocking off my extensive makeup collection!  So I've been using whatever was in my makeup bag - don't get me wrong, there's a selection in there, but it's limited :)

So, my favourites this past month have been....

Origins GinZing refreshing scrub cleanser & moisturiser

These really have become a staple in my daily skincare routine and when I'm not using them and I'm using something else, I can tell the difference.  The scrub is usable daily, I tend to use it 5 days a week and the Claudia Louch cleanser on the other 2 days (review of that coming soon).  The moisturiser smells amazing too, sinks into the skin really quickly and doesn't leave an oily residue, but leaves my skin feeling lovely and soft.

Smashbox 24hr eye shadow primer*

I've said it before and I'll say it again - if you have oily eyelids you're going to want to give this a go. It's quite a dry formula and you only need the smallest amount of product for it to work well and keep your eye shadow in place all day :)

GOSH forever eye shadow stick

Again, I've harped on about this quite a bit, but this in combination with the Smashbox primer is a pretty amazing combo - when I use these, and put eye shadow on top, I'll get a good 12+ hrs of wear out of it, which considering how oily my lids are is pretty amazing.

Bourjois 1 seconde mascara

After trying out the waterproof* version of this, I couldn't help but invest in the normal version (as it's easier to remove), and it's every bit as great as it's sister version.  I've pretty much worn it every day the past month :)

Benefit Gimmie brow

You know how every product has a time when you find it best to use?  For me, I prefer using powder on my brows when they're long and need to be done, and a pencil when they're nice and short. Well, I like using this when my brows as long as it helps to tame them and keep them in place all day, as well as adding a bit of colour to them (my brows are scarily pale!).

Bourjois pinceau liquid liner

This isn't the normal sort of liner I'd usually go for (brush with an ink-well) and as much as it can be a bit fussy to apply, it does give a lovely deep black line that's really quite precise and easy to wing.

Makeup Revolution Disapear til tomorrow palette*

Apart from great pigmentation and quality, these shadows really do last a long time, which is great for me and my oily lids.  I'm probably most comfortable wearing neutrals, even if I wear them quite dramatically and this palette is perfect for that.

So they're my July favourites, let me know in the comments below what your favourites have been :)

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June 2014 Favourites

(1)  HD brow kit in Foxy (2) GOSH forever eye shadow stick (3) Bourjois 1 seconde mascara (4) Bourjois Liner Pinceau in black (5) Smashbox 24 hr eyeshadow primer (6) Dior BB eye cream (7) Makeup Revolution eyeshadow palette in Disapear til tomorrow

June was a bit of a funny month, I didn't wear that much makeup!  I think I only wore foundation for about 3 days, it was mostly eye makeup and I didn't wear that every day.  I had a week off sick with labrynthitis (last week) and a couple of random days off to chill - when I'm at home I tend to keep my skin makeup free and only put it on if we're heading out or if I'm working.  That aside, this is what I've been wearing most this month :)

HD Brow kit in foxy*

Yep this makes an appearance most months, and that's for a good reason, it's awesome.  Even the little brow brush that comes with it is great, better than any I own!

GOSH forever eye shadow stick

Equally as awesome and equally repeatedly makes an appearance in my favourites.  It really helps keep my eye shadow in place for a long time, and adds a sparkly dimension to it.  I apply this every single time I wear eye shadow :)

Bourjois 1 seconde mascara

After using and loving the waterproof* version of this I couldn't help but splurge and buy this.  It's every bit as good as the waterproof one but it's easier to remove.  It does crumble a little but only after about 12 hours of wear, which in my book, is fair enough.  It's my go-to mascara which I've been wearing every day since I bought it :)

Bourjois liner pinceau

After seeing Sandra from The Black Pearl blog rave about this liquid eyeliner, it's been on my radar, but every time I went to buy it, it was sold out in the black shade (the only colour I wear).  Since I bought it, I haven't worn any of my other favs, so that's gotta say something :)  It's taken me a little while to get to grips with using it so that the product doesn't get on my lashes, but I think I've mastered it now!  In short, I love that it's jet black, it doesn't transfer and stays put all day - winning if you ask me!

Smashbox 24 hr eyeshadow primer*

Another month-on-month favourite, and for a good reason - it's an amazing primer for oily eyelids. Every time I use it, I team it up with the GOSH forever waterproof shadow stick, apply my eye shadow and I'll pretty much get at least 12 hours of wear out of it (depending on the eye shadow) - that's pretty amazing for someone with very oily lids, one of which is very hooded too.

Dior BB eye cream

I bought this quite a while ago, loved it and then stopped using it, god knows why.  Then, when I was taking some recent blog pics I could really see redness in the inner corner of my eye (corner of my bags) so thought I should start using this again, what a difference it makes! I love it! Gets rid of the redness and discoloration, and doesn't crease in my fine lines, love it.

Makeup Revolution Disapear til Tomorrow palette*

I blogged about this recently, it's probably my favourite palette of the moment!  Combined with the Smashbox primer and GOSH forever eye shadow stick, my shadow stays put for a crazy amount of time.  The colours look amazing and despite the colours that I use tending to be a bit flaky, there's very little fallout too.  Have a look here for my full review, swatches and a look - keep your eyes peeled, there'll be lots more MUR reviews coming!

So not too many favs this month, but they're month-on-month staples :D  What's been your favourites this month?  Feel free to link your favourite posts or videos in the comments :)

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May 2014 favourites

Once again it's that time of the month, no not THAT time of the month, but time for monthly favourites!  I used to do these on my YouTube channel, but I just don't have the time at the moment, even though I miss it.  So in lieu of that, I brought it to you here :)  Lets get started!

Macadamia Flawless

So, I have a full review of this planned, I just need to have good lighting (not chucking it down with rain) after I've used it so I can take a nice photo of how lovely my hair looks when I use it.  It's like an all-in-one product (other than shampoo), so it's conditioner, a treatment, a cleanser... all sorts!  It's expensive too, but I picked it up on Beauty Bay when they were selling off Macadamia products really cheaply (BOOM).  Anyway, I'm not going into great details here, saving it for the review, but ultimately I freakin' love it!

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet

I blogged about it last month, it's a very beautiful foundation that's great for oily skin.  Only drawback is that you need to make sure you've moisturised very well first as it does highlight dry patches.

Wet n Wild - Petal Pusher palette

Specifically the 2nd shade down on the right, it's seriously stunning!  Like a cranberry with a slightly gold shimmer.  I love wearing it with the GOSH forever eye shadow pencil underneath in beige, so so pretty!

Smashbox 24hr eye shadow primer*

Finally now available in the UK for £18, whoop!  I've been using this for like... 6 weeks now I'd say, and I haven't used another primer in that time, I love it, it's the best one I've ever used, and I've tried most!  Review here!

GOSH Forever eye shadow pencil in 02 Beige

I seriously can't stop raving about these!  They're uh-mazing!  They make my shadow last so much longer (thanks to them being waterproof), they add a dimension of prettiness under your shadow too, and are just all round awesome!  Blog review here.

Dolly Wink liquid eyeliner in black*

You all know how I have raved again and again and again about my Chanel Ecriture liner right? Good, well... there's a new cat in town and I can't get enough of it!  This liquid eyeliner IS better than the Chanel one, it's just as black, dries as well, lasts as long and has a finer tip for a better cat-eye.  AND the kicker is, buying this you save over half what you'd have paid for the Chanel one!  Bargain!  I reviewed it here.

So there you have it, not a massive bunch of favs this much, but the ones I did pick are MUCH loved and I've pretty much used every day (apart from the Macadamia Flawless coz that'd get expensive!).

What's been your favourites this month?

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April 2014 Favourites

I usually do my monthly favourites on my YouTube channel, but seeing as I haven't uploaded to there for 2 months, I thought I'd do it on here :) 

I haven't been wearing 'that' much makeup this month, mostly just eye makeup.  If you saw my 'Yes to Cucumbers' review, then you'll know why I haven't been able to wear foundation until the last few days.  Thankfully, even though I still have some dry patches on my cheeks, I'm able to get away with wearing it again.

So, here's whats been on my face :)

Chanel perfection lumiere velvet

A full review will be coming of this in the next couple of weeks, so do not fear!  Either way, I love it! Perfect for oily skin, but be careful if you have lots of dryness as it does highlight dry skin.

Giorgio Armani eyes to kill mascara in 01*

This is a pretty mega-awesome mascara, another one where a full review is imminent.  It thickens, lengthens and helps curl, gives great volume and just generally makes your lashes look pretty sweet.

Yves Rocher volume vertige mascara*

Another awesome mascara, I've already done a full review of it here.  One coat is not so impressive, but 2-3 coats and your lashes will look spectacular!  

Smashbox 24 hr photofinish shadow primer*

This little beauty I reviewed on the blog earlier in the week, I really do prefer it to the Urban Decay primer potions I've been using for the past few years and will 100% replace it when it runs out, it's great if you have really oily lids :)  Review here.

GOSH forever eye shadow pencil

This little beauty (combined with the Smashbox primer) is amazing - put this on top of the primer, then your chosen eye shadow on top and you'll have some serious staying-power.  I get about 12+ hours out of it before any creasing starts to appear, which is unheard of for me :)  Review here.

Dolly Wink liquid eyeliner*

I never thought I'd find a liquid eyeliner that I'd prefer to my Chanel one, but here I am and Dolly Wink has stolen me away!  It has a really fine point on it so you can create a beautiful wing, it lasts all day, doesn't transfer onto my lid and is a great black (not a grey-black), here's my review.

Giorgio Armani eyes to kill silk eye shadow

When I went to the Giorio Armani event, I fell in love with this and just couldn't leave without it.  It was the first piece of makeup I'd bought in ages too, so I didn't feel too guilty about the price :)  It's a beautiful combination of purple with flecks of gold - it's very similar to the L'Oreal infallible shadows in that they're pressed, and come presented in a similar way.  It's long wearing and just beautiful :) Review here :)

On writing this up I'm aware lots of these favourites are items that were PR Samples (as noted by the *) but these are products I genuinely love and recommend.  I'd never review a product stating I liked it, if I didn't, and I certainly haven't been asked to include any of these in my favourites, these are just what I've been reaching for above everything else this month :)

What's been your favourites this past month?

This months Biggest-Pixi3 advertiser is the lovely Jaina from Which Beauty Box UK

 

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My favourite makeup brushes

I was thinking at the weekend of different posts to write that aren't just a simple review, and I thought I'd write one about my most used/favourite makeup brushes.  I'm not going to go into massive detail about each brush, just a little summary, but these are the ones that have cemented their way into my everyday makeup routine, ones that I've been using for months, not just currently.

Starting from the left....

E.l.f flat powder brush*

I had this in a goody bag months ago (before Christmas) and ever since that day, I've pretty much used it every single day since.  It's perfect for applying powder evenly over foundation, it picks it up evenly from the pan too, I love it!

Sigma F80 flat kabuki brush

I debated long and hard whether I should purchase this as it was around the £15 mark, but I'm so glad I did, it's now the only brush I use to apply foundation.  It buffs it into the skin beautifully giving a near-flawless finish.  It hasn't shed so much as 1 hair yet, it really is a superior brush and if you wear foundation, I urge you to invest in it :) - previous review here

Models Own blusher brush

This was in a set of 5 brushes for £10 and is the only one I've actually repeatedly used.  If I'm using a super intense blusher, then I do opt for my Real Techniques blusher brush instead as its much bigger so picks up the product much more evenly, but for the blushers I tend to wear most, this is perfect.  It blends really well and is just a great basic brush.

Ulta makeup brush (large shader brush)

This is one for my American friends, this was part of a set with a makeup bag that I had in a makeup swap.  This is fantastic at packing on colour all over the lid.  I tend to use this, then work a 2nd colour into the crease for my daily makeup.  I like it because the bristles are firm and they don't let much shadow fall out, something I battle with!

Bdelium green bambu crease brush* 

This is the crease brush to end all crease brushes!  Not only is it all eco-friendly and swish, it does a bloody good job of blending, picking up product and not letting much fall out :)  It's a great brush and in my opinion, worth every penny :) - previous review here

So there you have it, my top favourite brushes and why I love them :)

Do you use any of these brushes?  Which are your favourites?

This months Biggest-Pixi3 advertiser is the lovely Jaina from Which Beauty Box UK

 

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Current makeup loves

I suppose this is sort of similar to favourites, but I wanted to share with you the products that I'm reaching for the most on a daily basis, whether they're 'favourites' or not.  But just typically what I'm wearing most on my face at the moment and a little summary on what I thought about them and links where I've reviewed them too :)

Maybelline brow drama

I'm still not sure how I feel about this.  If I use the HD Brow kit first to fill in my brows, and then set them with this, I kind of like it, but you need really quite tidy eyebrows first, otherwise this'll colour all the strays in too and emphasis them.  It's good for setting them in place, but I don't like the effect of using it by itself.

HD Brow kit in Foxy

This I really love, and as my hair has changed colour I've changed from using the darkest colour to the 2nd darkest.  You only need a tiny bit of product to fill in each brow, a little really does go a long way. The little brush it comes with is fantastic too (angled brush), it's good enough that I've never felt I need to go and purchase one separately.

Dior BB Cream

Can we just talk about this for one minute?  This stuff is the bees knees!  It doesn't provide amazing coverage, so if you have troubled skin, this may not be for you, but if your issues are some redness and generally blotchy skin, I find this covers it up really well and evens out the skin tone.  It sets on my skin beautifully feeling like I'm not wearing any foundation at all.  I'm just trying to finish this one as it's too dark for me, it's in 002 and I have an 001 on standby.

UD Eyeshadow primer potion

This I've rediscovered after using my NARS one.  I've been using this for years, but strayed away to try something different.  This particular tube was 2/3 finished when I switched, and now I've gone back to it months later I'm finding that it's performing much better.  As it's thickened a little I've found that it's helping keep my shadow in place for much longer.  Yes it's even better if it's teamed up with a creme shadow, and then normal shadow, but still, it's been a little buddy to my lids recently :)

Dior BB Eye cream

Holy freakin' moley do I love this stuff!  Great coverage for under the eyes, covers redness/blueness and DOESN'T crease!!!  That's practically unheard of for me!  Yep it's expensive (I think it was around £20) but it does the job I bought it for, and that makes me very happy :)

Max Factor clump defy mascara

I've been really pleasantly surprised by this.  It defines lashes and holds a curl well whilst adding volume.  There was so much hype around it, it kinda put me off trying it, but I decided to give it a go anyway and have been really pleased with the results.  It's earned it's place as the mascara I'm reaching for the most at the moment.

MUA matte palette

This has been another pleasant surprise to me.  I saw so many swatches and felt underwhelmed by it, which seemed to be the general consensus with people viewing the swatches too, but in actual fact the pigmentation is good, they blend well and has a nice range of colours to suit different skin tones.  I've found myself wearing this day in day out over the last couple of weeks, so thought it was worth a mention.

Soap & Glory smokin kohl eyeliner

This is probably one of the creamiest and softest kohl eyeliners I've used.  Typically, I wear it on the outer third under my eye and then blend it in with a brush to smoke it out, and then with that brush add a dark eyeshadow onto it to help it last.  It stays put reasonably well, it does drop a little as the day goes on, but show me a kohl liner that doesn't!

Maybelline fit me powder

Yep, I still have this and I'm still plodding away trying to finish it! Oh what a glorious day that'll be! Not because I don't like it, I actually really like it, it's probably one of my favourites, but you know what it's like when you can see you're close to finishing something, you just want to finish it and move on, well that's me.  It's a seriously good powder, non cakey, helps set my foundation, very decent and certainly worthy of being repurchased.

Chanel Ecriture liquid eyeliner

I know, I know.  I did a comparison with the Collection one and admitted that the Collection one is better, which it is.  However, I do prefer the applicator on this one, it's easier to use and easier to create a nice winged flick.  The problem with the Collection one is that you can't help getting the product all over your lashes too because of the way the applicator is designed, and that makes it harder to apply mascara.  The Chanel one is just so well made it makes it that much easier to apply, especially first thing in the morning which is when I usually apply makeup.

theBalm Cabanaboy

Finally, this lovely blusher.  It's a dusky pink/plum colour, highly pigmented but not over the top crazy. Three tabs with my Real Techniques blusher brush on this and that's enough for one cheek.  The blusher doesn't look like it's been touched yet, even though I've been using it for weeks just because you need so little product.  This is so pretty on the cheeks too, it applies really well and doesn't go all patchy, and it'll last all day until you're back home again.

What have you been wearing on your face this week?

This months Bigest-Pixi3 advertiser is the lovely Jess from Coffee Cosmetics

 

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My favourite lip crayons

When the Clinique chubby sticks first hit the market there was quite a lot of excitement about them, they were different - they were in a pen format, but they were essentially a tinted lip balm, and they didn't need a pencil sharpener.  Jumping on the bandwagon I ran out and picked up two - pudgey peony (more for the name than anything else!) and mighty mimosa.  From there all different brands started launching their versions, most recently Rimmel.  I don't have a big collection of these, but I do have a few, so here are my favourites :)

 ** L-R Clinique chubby stick mighty mimosa, Bourjois colour boost in Orange punch, Revlon Just Bitten Kissable balm stain in Honey **

Everyone's different, but on my lips I prefer to either have no colour at all, or bold colour with a bright or dark lipstick, I seldom go for a tinted lip balm, so when I do, I go for a small amount of colour, if the product is sheer, that's a bonus.  For me, the Clinique Chubby Stick in Mighty mimosa is the most wearable colour of all these, it's a bit of a 'your lips but better' shade, but keeping them hydrated at the same time.  The Bourjois Colour Boost is probably my second favourite, a bit more colour than I'd normally go for, but it's just so pretty!  Despite the orange packaging, on me at least it doesn't really come out like that.  It's probably the glossiest of the three, but arguably the prettiest too.  Then there's the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain (seriously Revlon, think of a longer name next time!), now this one is slightly different to the others, it has a minty scent which doubles up as a slight plumping agent.  I can't say it makes any noticeable difference but it is a pretty colour and does look nice on, it's slightly glossy too.

The chubby stick is probably the driest of the three, if you're looking for hydration more than colour I'd recommend the Bourjois Colour Boost, then the Revlon Just Bitten.  All three are lovely, totally wearable everyday shades and will help keep your lips free of dry skin.  The question is, which is your favourite?

This months Bigest-Pixi3 advertiser is the lovely Hayley from Water Painted Dreams

 

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