Forgive me credit card for I have sinned....

Until the end of October Boots have the fantastic '3 For 2 Mix and Match' across their beauty range.  Now I'm not one to let a deal like this pass me by and being in need of some new make up brushes I decided to take boots up on their fantastic offer!

Being an avid follower of Pixi Woo and having watched many beauty tutorials featuring their make up brush range, my mind was set on the Real Techniques range by Samantha Chapman.  There are a fair few brushes to choose from, so after much umming and ahhing this is what I went for.....

Real Techniques- Stippling Brush

Having watched this brush in action on YouTube this was my first brush of choice.  Up to now I have been using a fake Mac stippling brush (purchased from eBay), which I always thought did a rather good job........ohhhh boy was I wrong!!!  The Real Techniques brush is a joy to use compared to my manky old fake Mac brush.  It's supa soft while being firm enough to apply your foundation properly without the brush just pushing your makeup from one area of your face to another.  I'm finding I use less foundation then before and with this brush I'm able to build coverage where I need it most.  It is also light weight which means I don't have to push so hard I almost bruise my face to work the product in.

The blurb on the back says: 'My dual-fiber stippling brush is the trade secret for creating airbrushed, high definition results with all types of makeup:

*Look pixel perfect even in harsh light

*Ultra plush taklon bristles.'

Real Techniques- Blush Brush

I dont really wear blusher, I don't know why? I suppose I've never really found a colour that I like or a way of applying it so I don't look like I've been slapped around the face a couple of times (maybe I should make it my next mission to find a blusher I like and will use?!?!) 

So why buy a blusher brush I hear you cry??? Because I do wear bronzer, if I didn't I'm sure I would look like one of the walking dead!! I don't use it to contour like most people seem too, I use it simply to make me look alive and give me just a touch of colour.  At present I use Benefits Hoola, however it is very near the end of its life and I'm thinking of trying some of the new liz Earle makeup products- mainly the bronzer, so my choice of bronzer may well change very soon!  This brush is perfect for the light dusting that I apply.  Again it is supa soft (like a little rabbits tail...or what I would imagine a rabbits tail to feel like?) and light weight making it great for my supa fine dusting of bronzer, however I can also see how it would be an ideal brush for your blusher with its tapered bristles making it for perfect contouring. 

The blurb on the back says: 'My blush brush is hand-sut to contour and define cheeks for flawlessly blended, high definition results:

*Look pixel perfect even in harsh light

*Ultra plush taklon bristles'

Real Techniques - Core Collection

I chose a brush set for my final choice in the '3 for 2' offer.....a girl can never have too many brushes, surly?? I still needed a brush to apply concealer and another to apply translucent powder to set my make up, so this was the perfect set to choose, while giving me a couple of extra brushes AND a case to keep the brushes in. This means no more keeping them in plastic coverings or having them floating around my makeup bag collecting all kinds of crud.

The Core Collection comes with four brushes: Detailer Brush: Precision cut to effortlessly conceal problem areas; or, use with lipstick for long lasting shape and definition. So thats my concealer brush sorted.  Again a dream to use and really gets product into whatever your trying to cover.  Its tiny head means you can get it right into places and being light weight it helps you to not be heavy handed with the concealer. Pointed foundation Brush: Use with liquid foundation to build custom coverage.  As you know from above I use the stippling brush to apply my foundation, so this is one of spare brushes that I'm still trying to find a use for.  I have used it a couple of times to apply some under eye illuminating cream and its worked like a dream. Buffing Brush:  Ideal for full coverage application of powder and mineral foundation.  This is the brush I've chosen to apply my powder with.....and I love it!  As the name would suggest its great for buffing in my powder and leaving a perfect non caky finish.  Contour Brush:  Delicately applies highlighter to contour or create sheer, soft focus finish.  Another brush for me still to find an every day use for, however on a couple of occasions I have used it to apply highlighter and like all the other brushes its done the job perfectly.  

To accompany your brushes you also get a Panoramic Case: Dual carrier and stand keeps your brushes organised on your counter or on the go.  I LOVE this case, firstly because there are two designed spaces to fit my other two brushes and secondly because there is a little toggle that you can pull to turn the whole thing into a stand.....Genius!

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If you can't tell by now, I'm supa supa happy with my little brush haul, I can't believe I've been using the brushes I have for years!  These brushes are all sooo soft and light weight and an absolute dream to use.  The range is great for those that don't know what type of brush to use for the 'job' that they need doing, with each brush having names on the handles for easy reference, giving you helpful hints on the back of the packaging, a link to watch tutorials and a range that is colour coded to correspond to key steps of makeup application, Pink being Perfect Finish and Yellow being Flawless Base in my case.  Being made with Taklon bristles means that it is a 100% cruelty free range and each brush head is hand cut to the perfect shape to give precise application.

I couldn't recommend the Real Techniques range more and will defiantly be purchasing more brushes in the future.

The Boots '3 for 2' offer is on until Wednesday 31st October, so get ya skates on people if you want to be part of this fantastic deal.

What are your favourite make up brushes??

JolieBox October 2012

Today I came home to the nice surprise of my JolieBox waiting for me.....surprise cos I never know when these babies are being sent out?!?

 

This month JolieBox is a Pure and Natural Beauty survival kit.

 

The contents:

Balance Me
Balancing face moisturise

Sooooooooo over balance me! It's been given away with every magazine and sent with every beauty box! If you've subscribed to enough boxes you've probably got the whole line by now! I already own this and it's sitting in a draw somewhere, which is exactly where this one will be going!

Løv Organic
Løv is Beautiful

TEA????? TEA????? What on earth??? Its not a beauty product, it's a hot beverage!
I'm sorry but this has totally confused me? The little card says that it's packed with antioxidants and zinc that have proven skin care benefits......okay, I'll take your word on that one, cos I don't think I would be finding this out with a few tea bags?
The tea bags are actually quite cute in a natural organic bag. They don't smell too bad either with the ingredients listed as: white tea, green tea, green rooibos, pieces of mango, pineapple, and apricot, natural peach flavour, natural flavours.

Jãsön  (Full Size)
Bee Heather Lip Balm Stick

So two months in a row we get a lip balm! Bored now!  According to JolieBox this is a naturally nourishing hand-bag ready lip balm to help maintain a plump and perfect pout. It is minty and smells ALOT like After Eights.  It's an okay product, it's a lip balm, what more can I say??

Móa
The Green Balm

An intense, multi-purpose balm that gives moisture to chapped, dehydrated skin -suitable for sensitive skin.  This is probably the only product I will use out of the whole box, especially with the dry winter months coming.  Looking forward to finding out how it works.

Ritessens (Full Size)
Cleanser

Ritessens uses a powerful blend of natural plant extract and Moroccan Argan oil. I don't really have a lot to say about this product, I don't really use cleaners, so doubt I'll be using this.  It is full size though.....oooooooh!

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Overall I'm not very impressed with this box, there's not much in here that I can see myself using.  I'm thinking about cancelling my subscription, this is my third JolieBox and I've not been very impressed with any of them!

One thing I will say I LOVE about JolieBox is the JolieMag, this months features Fleur from Fleur de Force, whose blogs and YouTube videos I check out every day. 

Are you subscribed to JolieBox? What are your impressions?



Ciate Mini Mani Month Advent Calendar

This brighten up my dull wet Cornish morning this morning….

After Ciate saying it would be released on the 8^th October, then being told it wouldn’t be available till later in the week, then the week after and back to later this week (confused yet?!?!) we finally have it……The Ciate Mini Mani Month Advent calendar….YIPEEEEE

I cannot tell you how excited I am to be getting one of these beauties; I think I will have to tape my fingers together to stop me opening it until December!!

Selfridges have beaten Ciate to it and have it available on their site HERE

Ojon at Boots Deal Alert!!

Boots are currently running a Buy 1 Get 2 Free offer on Ojon hair products.

You get a Free FULL SIZE set of Volume Advance Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner (worth £37.50) when you spend £20 or more on Ojon.

I recently tried a sample of the Ojon Damage Reverse Restoritive Hair Treatment and aside from the smell (which kept my boyfriend at bay for a few hours) it was lush and left my hair all silky smooth and feeling soft.

Head on over to Boots to take advantage of this great deal......I'll see you there ;)
http://www.boots.com/en/Ojon#1

Recent Purchases....

Here are a few things I have pur-chased recently…..

Origins Super Spot Remover

(£12.00 (10ml) boots.com)

 

I think the whole beauty universe has heard of this one by now, but it really is a wonder product (small but wonderful!!).  I suffer with breakouts on my chin and always have that one spot that is threatening to appear right on the end of my nose…..like a little red flashing beacon screaming “look at me”!!!!  However with this bad boy my little red flashing beacon is being kept at bay (Yayyyy), along with some of those other pesky spots.  I will admit however I am a picker (shock horror), so once a spot starts to appear my fingers cant but help themselves to have a little wonder, so therefore some of the little blighters do make a bigger appearance then they would if I hadn’t of had a little go at them, however I have noticed that when I apply this they don’t stick around for as long and heal up quicker than they do when I don’t use this little miracle.

Freeze 24.7 IceCrystals™ Anti-Aging Prep and Polish

($65.00 70g Freeze247.com or cheaper on Ebay!)

I first tried this as a little sample in a She Said Beauty box.  I had had a particularly bad reaction to a sun cream I had used for the day and it had bought my skin up in a bobbly rash which then left it all hard a crusty.  Me being me I didn’t go to something faithful that I had tried before so as not to irritate my skin more when it came to choosing an exfoliate, no…..I tried something new!!  And I’m glad I did!!!  This may be expensive but I think it’s worth it.  The exfoliating crystals are tiny tiny and the minty zing that you get when using it makes you skin feel really fresh.  It didn’t irritate my skin any further and it did actually help to get the grotty skin shifted.  On the IceCrystals™ website it proclaims to “Instantly resurface and retexture your skin in a matter of minutes”. And “Work to eliminate blotchy, discoloured skin to reveal a natural, radiant glow”.  I believe it does exactly what it says on the tin and also helps to reduce spot scaring and any redness on my face….which is always a big bonus.

Pixi Straight on Till Morning Eyeliner

(£12.00 (1.2g) asos.com)

I purchased this after reading about it on many many blogs.  I was after a khaki/Green coloured eyeliner and after looking at many swatches this really stood out for me, so after much deliberation (£12.00 is a lot to pay for eyeliner I think) I bought it…….and I kinda wish I hadn’t!!!  Whilst it is a lovely colour, I was really looking for an eyeliner I could wear on the waterline but due to the glittery pigments in it that’s not possible!  I have also tried wearing it on my lower lash line and spent most of the day picking at sparkly dots that were in my vision clinging to my lover lashes. 



The good things I will say about this products are:  it is really long lasting.  When I swatched it on the back of my hand it took fooooooorever to come off, even after washing up!!  The texture really is lovely, it doesn’t pull when applying, glides on a treat and doesn’t irritate the delicate eye area.  And lastly it really is a beautiful colour, just for the purposes which I used it for, it didn’t really work for me.

What are your recent splurges????

My Little Loves

To help you to get to know me more I thought I would tell you about a few of the products I couldn't live without.  The following are products which I use on a daily basis and basically LOVE!!

Models Prefer Mint Green Concealer

(£7.00 (2.5g) approx. from Ebay)

This little wonder product is something I’ve repurchased time after time, so much so that I don’t think it’s made anymore L I first purchased this years ago from QVC with a Models Prefer set, Models Prefer has since changed to YBF but this little wonder doesn’t seem to be sold through them.  Luckily though the little saviour that is Ebay comes to the rescue and these can still be found in some dark corners of the Ebay-verse.

So why is this so good??? Because it’s green duh!!! The combinations of mint green and soft blue hues tone down redness and dark blotches whilst giving a brightening effect to the skin.  Obviously you still need to use foundation/concealer over the top (otherwise people might think you have some alien disease with green patches on your face!?!?) but I truly believe it helps with the coverage of red spots and marks making them less obvious imperfections.  

Ginvera Green Tea Nude Cover BB Cream

(£20.00 (25ml) from Janiro.co.uk)

This little lovely is enriched with green tea, allantoin, ginseng, Chinese angelica and hyaluronic acid, giving you a product that not only hides blemishes but also heals them.  It is also formulated with SPF 30 to protect your skin from those damaging UV rays and helping to prevent premature ageing, wrinkles and fine lines.

This really is one of the best BB Creams I have tried.  It matches my skin tone perfectly (even with a tan) and really does reduce redness, I have even noticed that old red spot scaring is reducing!  It also lasts all day and doesn’t slid off my skin and gives a natural, flawless matte finish.

Avon SuperSHOCK Max Mascara

(£10.00 (10ml) Avonshop.co.uk)

Mascara is my desert island product, I COULD NOT live without it and I love trying new ones.  This baby proclaims to give up to 15x volume and not to clump.  Well I don’t know if it gives me 15x the volume but it does give me volume, time and time again and being able to apply multiple layers without clumping certainly does live up to its non-clumping claim.

L’Occitane Angelica Hydration cream

(£29.99 (50ml) uk.loccitane.com)

Dermatologically tested, non-comedogenic (??), ideal for dry to normal skin, this little lovely gives me perfect motorisation. Made with organic angelica (A tall aromatic plant (genus Angelica) of the parsley family, with large leaves and yellowish-green flowers), this pot of wonder reinforces natural skin hydration, improves skin elasticity and leaves the skin plumped, smoothed and more radiant……and it really does!  I moved on from my Clinque dramatically different moisturising lotion to this and I don’t think I will be going back, and that is something I never thought would happen!!

As you can see from the photo, my pot is a sample 15ml size which I purchased from latesinbeauty.com for £5.00.  If you want to try this product I would totally recommend buying from this site and if you sign up for their newsletter you will be notified when from time to time they do free p&p…..bonus!!

(As a side note, my review is not based on the one 15ml pot, I have got friends and family to sign up for me and purchased the cheeky pot from Ebay…..the full size pot is on my Christmas list!!)

What are the products you couldn't live without??

Selfridges Beauty Box

This box was released mid-August 2012 for the purse friendly price of £15, brilliant when the contents are worth £200!!  Available exclusively through the Selfridges website it sold out in a matter of hours, and it seemed unless you are one of those unlucky people that have to get up at a un godly hour of the morning you were never going to get your mits on one!  Luckily (for me) I’m one of those people, so at 6am my first port of call was the Selfridges website to pick up one of these beauties J

Now I must confess I subscribe to a few beauty boxes, but this one I was supa supa excited about, firstly because I knew what I would be getting (and it wasn’t going to be a load of cr@p and samples that you normally receive in said beauty boxes) and secondly because I knew that never in a million years would I actually fork out the cash to buy these products at full prices, even though I will admit I had never heard of half of the brands, the fact that they were ‘high end’ products got me very excited.

Being that this box was released in August I have a chance to use and love some of the products:

Antipodes Avocado and Rosehip Divine Face Oil

They Say:

A New Zealand based skin care range that uses only bioactive botanical ingredients. Certified organic, blended with nutrient rich avocado oil to powerfully anti age your skin, it actively boosts type 1 collagen in skin cells, targets scars and wrinkles and eases the effects of ageing.

I say:

I LOVE LOVE LOOOOOVE this product!! Ive never liked the thought of putting oil on my skin, but this absorbs into your skin, leaving it feeling hydrated and all lovely.  I use my as a night serum and am finding that it is helping to reducing spot scaring on my face, as well as reducing the time that any newbie spots stick around for.  The best thing of all is that it only takes a few drops, so this bottle is going to last me ages, big smiles!

Stila One Step Correct

They Say:

An innovative, triple-swirled helix serum instantly colour-corrects, brightens and covers skin imperfections for a flawless face with no fuss. Swirl your way to perfect skin in one step!

I say:

Another Love product, but it doesn’t exactly do what it says on the tin.  It doesn’t perfect your skin in one step, well not mine anyway, I still need to cover those pesky spots and imperfections but it does help to reduce those darn things.  It also works as a good base, making applying the rest of your makeup a dream.  As an added bonus on my first day of using this I got a lovely compliment at work…..so it must be doing something right??

Estelle & Thild Lip Balm

They Say:

This lip balm is saturated with vitamins that nourish, plump and protect your lips, while enhancing them with moisture rich, barley there lip colour.

I Say:

Again…Love!!  Really moisturises your lips and the subtle raspberry flavour is rather lush too.  As for the ‘barely there lip colour’ it’s non-existent, but it does add a nice sheen to your lips.

Philip B Katira Hair Mask

They Say:

Containing pure Katira Extract it fills in weak, damaged spots in the hair cuticle for added smoothness and strength. Just one application will instantly revitalize your hair colour, speed up blow-drying time, and lock in shine for a sexy, touchable, red-carpet finish

I say:

Meh.  I’m neither here nor there about this one.  I don’t like the fact that you have to wait soo long for it to ‘work’ (you have to wait for it to harden before you can wash it out) and that washing it out isn’t the easiest of things, but it does leave your hair feeling soft and smooth, but I wouldn’t say any different to any other hair mask you may use.  Think I may have to give this one a few more try’s...if I can be bothered with the hassle?!?!

Omorovicza Deep Cleansing Mask

They Say:

Omorovicza Deep Cleansing Mask uses Hungary's famous healing waters and mineral infused muds from the thermal Lake Héviz to create a wonderfully effective skin purifier.  This mask is rich in calcium, magnesium, zinc and copper, and it actively re-energizes and brightens skin, evens tone, matifies shine and draws out impurities

I Say:

I’ve used this mask once, and it is yet again another product which you really have to have time one your hands to use.  It takes around 20 minutes drying time but it does leave your skin looking and feeling lovely.  This is defiantly a product I will be using again, as it did help clear some of my skin impurities, but I will have to plan it into my day.

Bioeffect EGF Serum

They say:

BIOEFFECT EGF Serum is a next-generation anti-ageing serum that improves the appearance and health of your skin by encouraging the skin to repair its own cells. Its key ingredient is Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), a substance which occurs naturally in human skin and which has the ability to speed up the rate of cell turnover within the skin.

I say:

I’ve only used this product a few times, mainly because I’ve been loving my Antipodes so much!  I have occasionally put it on the odd bugger of a spot at night and have noticed by morning it being less red and angry.  From looking at the official website I think I will have to start using this more, as it claims to be ‘The natural alternative to botox’…..big bonus (although not the cheapest)!

Aesop Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Serum

 

The say:

An anti oxidant rich, daily use serum moisturiser for dry, combination and sensitive skin types. One of Aesop's best sellers, this perfected moisturiser contains extracts of Grape and Parsley Seed, high potency anti oxidant ingredients.

I Say:

YUK!! I’ve used this once and once was enough.  It literally clammed my skin up, left my hands sticky and had more of a drying effect than moisturising effect on my skin.  I actually felt like I needed to put moisturiser on after applying this, so will not be revisiting any time soon!

And that’s everything!

I was REALLY REALLY pleased with this box.  Most of the products I loved and will defiantly be using in the future.  All in all I say £15 well spent…..woop!


Was you one of the lucky ones to also get this box?? what are your thoughts?

Hello my lovely people

Hola my lovelies and welcome to my blog: my place of sanctuary.  So you may be thinking ‘Yet another beauty blog’ and yes you would be right, however I have been known to spend a whole day sitting reading other beauty blogs and looking for blogs that interest me, so my aim here is to be a blog that interests you and keeps you updated and informed of all upcoming yummies and lovely treats.  On occasion I will also rant on about other stuff and post un-beauty related thing but being my blog I think I’m allowed to do so……I do hope you don’t mind ;)

So welcome and enjoy…..