The Tools To Achieve Flawless Foundation

Who remembers those days when applying foundation was just usually a mixture of using hands
(which was me basically) and the odd flat foundation brush - probably the only type of foundation brush I had heard of at the time. Nowadays things in the beauty industry have changed a lot! There are so many way to apply your foundation and each time the brushes and tools are getting better and better (whilst my bank account is getting smaller and smaller)... giving a more flawless coverage to the face. We can now use different brushes to achieve high coverage or some for a more medium coverage, the choice is yours but with the right choice of tools you can get the look you're after. Here is the brief on two foolproof tools that I use to achieve a flaw
less foundation routine...

Starting off with the brush, the real techniques buffing brush has been a real life changer when it comes to applying foundation. For me personally I think it gives me the perfect amount of coverage I need and if I'm after a very high coverage look I usually just press the foundation into my skin rather than buff it in. The bristles aren't rough or too dense either so its comfortable to use aswell. I find with these buffing brushes my foundation doesn't appear to have streaks (which is usually the case with flat foundation brushes) but instead it is blended in seamlessly with the skin.

Moving onto the sponges...now I would never thought I would end up loving the thought of using sponges for applying my makeup as they always just never really appealed to me and looked like an extra hassle to apply your foundation...yet I couldn't be more wrong. I'm pretty sure you've all heard of the beauty blender, I mean who hasn't...but that thing can be pretty pricey for a sponge especially those who are just starting out with sponges so one which I would highly recommend is the real techniques miracle complexion sponge, which not only is it less than half the price of the original beauty blender, but also works just as well.

I've gotten into sponges fairly recently and I noticed how much of a difference blending your foundation in with a sponge makes. I like to first apply my foundation with the buffing brush then go over with the sponge to blend it all out making sure it all looks blended and seamless. My favourite combo so far and obviously the foundation you use itself does play a part in how flawless your foundation looks but the tools also play the key role when applying it.

Buy the products mentioned here:

 real techniques buffing brush

 real techniques miracle complexion sponge,

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My Skin Saviour This Month....

The past few weeks my skin has been going crazy! Like seriously out of control. Ive been getting so much bumps under my skin, and my skin has been so dry, that its resulted in flaky skin and all sorts - not a nice sight I know. I've been using different moisturisers to try and calm my skin down but it just left my skin with a burning sensation due to it being so sensitive at the time. It was an on-going battle with my skin as it seemed like nothing would work.... Thankfully coconut oil came into my life, I'm so glad I picked it up from my local boots store because it has really helped my skin recover and somewhat get over the chaotic skin phase!

I picked up the Vita coco coconut oil because as soon as I saw the words organic and raw I knew it was coming home with me.  Its a  cold pressed coconut oil which is 100% raw so no added ingredients or chemicals. I've been using this as my moisturiser for about a month now and I've really noticed a difference in my skin. The bumps under my skin have noticeably reduced and my skin was no longer feeling dry and tight. Also coconut oil gives a rather nice healthy glow to the skin (added bonus!) without looking or feeling too greasy as pure coconut oil absorbs easily into the skin compared to other oils -so this is great for those of you with oily skin too. 

Apart from face I've also been using it all over my body as a body moisturiser and not only is it so moisturising on the body, the smell is just heavenly! (wouldn't recommend for non-coconut lovers )...And whats even better is that I've hit pan! or should I say in this case I've hit jar! For such a large 500ml jar I'm surprised I've gotten through it so fast but it just goes to show how much I've been loving this coconut oil recently.

What are your skin saviours? Let us know!

Buy the products mentioned here:

Vita coco coconut oil

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August Favourites

This August favourites is a little over due I know but hey, better late than never right...and this month there have been some great beauty bits that I've fallen in love with and can't wait to share with you guys and most of these being from the drugstore so very affordable too.

So lets get right into it starting off with mascara, theres a new favourite - the L'oreal flash lash flutter has been all I've been wearing this month and the results of this mascara are ah-mazing! The fact that I never get clumpy lashes is one of my favourite things about this product and the butterfly wing-style wand separates and opens up the lashes so nicely it almost resembles the wing of a butterfly! (bit dramatic I know) Paired with this mascara I've been really loving brown eyeliner this month for the waterline, as theres something special about the way it gives a more softer look to the eye in comparison to black which does tend to be a little more harsh. The Elizabeth Arden eye pencil in expresso has been one which I've been picking up lately and is just a great one to use which doesn't smudge throughout the day.

When it comes to lips you know that theres got to be more than one favourite because I can never seem to just stick to just one! The first being the Max factor colour intensifying lip balm which has been a real life saver for me. Its abit like the maybelline baby lips but much better. These lip balms have much more pigmentation and are more moisturising on the lips so they're great for those days when you want to go without a full on lipstick but still want a hint of colour.
The second lip favourite is the Clarins rouge éclat lipstick in the shade wood rose. This shade is probably one of my all time favourites - crazy I know but you gotta try it to believe it. Its a soft pink which gives the your-lips-but-better look and has been my absolute fav this month.

Powdering my face is often a step I skip as I prefer a more dewy look to my skin however when it comes to desperate measures aka oily under eyes and t-zone due to those hot humid days the powder is coming out! A lot of powders can make my skin look flat and be too mattifying however the Bourjois healthy balance powder is so beautiful on the skin, its almost as if its not there, just quietly doing its job at keeping the oiliness at bay.

For brushes the real techniques brushes are the brushes which I've raved about quite a few times on the blog and I pretty much will continue to do so most likely in following posts...some may call it obsession but seriously you can't go wrong with these brushes! One particular brush which I've been pulling out a lot recently is the contour brush which is perfect to fit into the hollows of your cheekbones.

Buy the products mentioned here:

L'oreal flash lash flutter 

Elizabeth Arden eye pencil in expresso 

Max factor colour intensifying lip balm

Clarins rouge éclat lipstick in the shade wood rose.

Bourjois healthy balance powder 

real techniques brushes 

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Back To School/Uni Makeup

Whether you're going back to school or university, you're most likely dreading the fact that holidays are now over and its time to spend the last few precious days of the holiday you have left wisely. I know that I certainly will be as I'm back at uni in just under a months time. Now I know you just don't want the stress free life to end but I think I'm ready to give it my all this year since its my last year for my course.

Putting all the academic stuff to side, you want to look good on the first day or should I say few weeks back, because we know what usually happens after that, you just can't be as bothered to put all that effort into outfit and makeup and towards the end during exam season its practically no makeup and just extra eye bags and under eye darkness from sleepless nights of revision (dreading those times already...) So heres a few ideas for back to school/university makeup...

Base
For those of you who don't want something too heavy on the face, a BB cream or tinted moisturiser would be ideal. My favourite BB cream, which has been for quite a while is the body shop all-in-one BB cream. This provides a lovely reasonable coverage and evens out the skin tone without becoming too oily or greasy throughout the day.

Cheeks
A lot of the times I skip the base but I always like to add a touch of colour to the cheeks just to give a little life to the skin on those early mornings. Somedays its just a bronzer-only day, the Maybelline dream sun bronzer being a great subtle one for everyday which has a natural highlighter included to give some glow. For blush, the Nyx blush in the shade peach is a great one for all skin tones as it is a classic soft peachy-pink shade which gives a natural flush to the skin.

Eyes
When it comes to eyes, mascara is a must have for me to wake-up those tired looking eyes on those 9-oclock starts. A great drugstore mascara which really lifts the lashes and opens up the eyes is the L'oreal false lash flutter mascara. I love the unique wand which is catered to really reach down to those corner lashes.
For eyeliner the L'oreal super liner is a strong favourite which has a super long fine nib which makes creating a flick ten times easier than most other eyeliners out there.
Can't forget the brows as they are a vital step in my makeup routine and apparently fuller, thicker brows make you look more youthful so I'm all up for getting those Cara Delevigne-like brows (just be careful not too go too crazy with the hairy brow idea) A great drugstore brow product is the Maybelline brow satin brow pencil which makes it so quick and easy to fill in the brows. I've been loving using this brow pencil recently and can't get enough of it! (read more about it here). 

Lips 
Whether you're a nude lip or a bold lip lover theres so many options to choose from. A lovely nude perfect for everyday is the revlon lip butter in the shade pink truffle which is a pinky-brown colour which doesn't wash out your complexion and plus it is so buttery and moisturising on the lips.
For a bold lip one of my absolute favourites at the moment is bobbi browns lipstick in the shade desert plum. It isn't too much of an in-your-face colour and really compliments all skin tones very well.

What are your back to school/university makeup essentials?

Buy the products mentioned HERE:

body shop all-in-one BB cream
Maybelline dream sun bronzer
Nyx blush
L'oreal false lash flutter mascara.
L'oreal super liner 
Maybelline brow satin brow pencil 
revlon lip butter in the shade pink truffle
bobbi browns lipstick in the shade desert plum.

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Brows On Fleek!

You most probably have heard of the saying 'eyebrows on fleek' going around recently. Well what does fleek even mean you might ask? Being honest, I couldn't one hundred percent tell you the answer to that one but when it comes to it in terms of brows, it pretty much means your eyebrows are looking goood.... So heres a product I would highly recommend for getting those brows on fleek...

If you don't already know, brows for me are one of the most crucial parts of my makeup routine as I do have pretty sparse brows so its a pretty much of a must-do step for me. A few months back in one of my previous hauls (read about it here), I purchased the Maybelline brow satin eyebrow pencil which has been almost life changing (dramatic I know) as its completely changed the way I fill in my brows. This pencil is double ended with one side containing a twist-up fine nib and the other end consisting of a powder with a sponge applicator which I purchased in the shade, dark brown. 

Now step one first of all for me, you gotta comb the brows through and my favourite brush to use for this is the sedona lace brow spoolie (EB 17) which is great for taming those hairs pointing in the odd direction. Then I like to use the Maybelline brow pencil starting off with the fine nib to slowly fill in the brows. I love the fact that the pencil is so thin and doesn't need sharpening so you're always left with a nice sharp nib to work with. The final step is the powder which is at the other end of the pencil with a sponge applicator. I use this to gently stroke over the brows and especially the edges to blur out any harsh lines, giving a more natural look to the brows. This powder is amazing as it just neatens everything up and makes it look as if you spent a whole lot of time on your brows.

What are your favourite products to use for your eyebrows and which ones would you recommend?

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