Friday 3 April 2015

Review: Real Techniques Bold Metals


As soon as I saw the Real Techniques Bold Metals collection I knew I had to get my hands on them and it took me a while as I only wanted to buy the two I really wanted the most and sadly everytime I went to get it it was sold out but alas I did manage to get my hands on two finally and have been using them for a good month or so now and I am totally in love!

Being a huge fan already of the Real Techniques brushes I had real high hopes for these not only are they beautiful to look they are super soft and just scream luxury to me, They are a lot more pricey than the usual Real Techniques brushes and i'm not usually one to spend on high end luxury brushes but as I do love my real techniques I could justify spending that sort of money as I was pretty sure that I would not be dissapointed.

The two brushes I wanted to try first were the tapered blush brush 300 and the oval shadow brush 200, The one thing I was unsure about was whether they would feel heavy but they are actually quite light and have a weighted end for in hand balance and better control, The actual design and shape of the handle is to stop it rolling of surfaces which I loved as I find my other brushes always roll off my dressing table. The bristles are individually tapered and synthetic and are so soft they just glide on your skin and feel so gentle when your applying makeup.

My brushes in the pictures do need washing but usually the ends are white so you can see how much product you have on them which I think is perfect for me especially with eyeshadow as I do tend to get a little heavy handed and it lets me see how much I have actually picked up before I apply it to my face. The synthetic tips make them great at picking up product and to gradually build up a flawless finish.

I don't think I can even express how much I love these brushes they really are fantastic and make what ever product I apply to my face look flawless and are definitely worth paying that bit extra not only for the results they give but for how they look too and I will definitely invest in the rest of the collection and can't wait to try more of them!

The different brush types in the collection are colour coded, The base brushes are gold, the finsh brushes are rose gold and the Eye brushes are paltinum.


The Tapered Blush brush 300



The oval shadow brush 200





Buy yours here

Thanks for reading
Hannah
XX



Friday 27 March 2015

My favourite brow products: Maybelline Brow Products


When it comes to brow products i find it really hard to find a brow pencil that is similar to my hair shade as most blonde shades I've tried have an orange tone to them that looks awful on me so i need an ash toned colour, So i was very pleased when i tried the Maybelline brow satin duo pencil. The shade i got was Dark Blonde and it was a perfect shade for me as It matches my hair colour perfectly!


The Brow pencil duo has a retractable pencil one end and a sponge type applicator the other with a cream powder in the lid, I always use the pencil end to define the shape and the cream powder end to fill in any gaps or fine areas.

The texture of the pencil is waxy but just the right amount to not stick all the hairs together but to control and neaten the brows up, when using short strokes to make natural hair strokes it gives just the right amount of colour and it really gives a natural look to the brows which is what i like my brows to look like instead of a that dark harsh penciled in look.


After I've defined and filled in i use the Maybelline Brow Drama sculpting brow mascara in transparent to control any stray hairs and give a neat finished look.

The mascara is just a transparent gel thats very light and doesn't dry hard or crispy so it still leaves your brows looking natural.

If I'm having a no make up make up day then i just use the brow mascara and not the pencil to just neaten the brows up.


My routine is pretty simple i only like to keep my brows looking natural and not too bold so these two products really do work wonders for me, I'm not one for experimenting with brow products too much so now I've found the perfect colour pencil it will take a lot to get me to use something different. 

Thanks for reading
Hannah 
XX

Wednesday 25 March 2015

Poundland Makeup : Make Up Gallery Feeling blush Blusher Review


As you may see from previous posts i am a fan of budget beauty product! And these Makeup Gallery blushers from poundland did not disappoint, I grabbed one on my usual little trip to poundland a few weeks ago and then after using it i had to go back and get them all. 


There are four different shades and they are all very different so there's definitely something for every skin tone and personal taste. The packaging is very impressive for the price they look more expensive than they are with the black minimal writing and i also love the clear lid so you can see the colour without having to look inside or on the back at the name. 

The colour pay off once on is great, They are very pigmented and last all day which you can't really ask for a lot more in a blusher. They apply really well and you can easily build them up for a bolder look or use a simple stroke for a more subtle flushed look, I  have tried previous budget powder blushes and they have been chalky and crumbly and don't look very natural on the skin so i was expecting  the same with these but they were completely the opposite they look very natural and blended fantastically on the skin. 

I use these nearly every day and would definitely say they are one of my new favourite budget beauty products!



The different shades


Spice 3.


Coral Rose 4.


Candy Floss 2.


Soft Blush 1.


If you love a budget beauty product like me i would definitely recommend if you can get your hands on them!


Thanks for reading
Hannah
XX

Saturday 17 May 2014

Service that made me smile: Lookfantastic.com

On Monday i ordered the Real techniques miracle complexion sponge, I have wanted this for some time and when i saw a post on missbudgetbeauty.co.uk of an offer with topcashback and lookfantastic.com that if you are a new member at Top cash back you can get the Real techniques miracle complexion sponge free I couldn't pass on the chance to get it. How it works is you buy it and then you get your money back 7 days later I'm not sure on all the exact details but check out Miss budget beauty's blog post if you are interested.
Anyway i was only going to do a review once i had used it but i was so impressed with the service i had to do a blog post about it!

I ordered it on the Monday and was expecting to pay postage as usually with these types of deals you still have to pay postage but i was pleasantly surprised  that the postage was free. I was also Expecting my delivery to take at least a week to arrive but again i was pleasantly surprised when it turned up 3 days later.

When i received it i couldn't work out what i had ordered as the box wasn't labelled with a company that i knew i had ordered anything from recently and it was way to heavy to be a light makeup sponge, but once i opened it i discovered it was and what was making it extra heavy was a bottle of Liptons lemon ice tea. I was so excited (yes i know i need to get out more) but i don't think it was the fact it was the ice tea that made be happy but the fact i had ordered something which i was getting the money back for and i got an extra little something too! I think especially these days when you don't get something for nothing, I was really impressed with the service and will 100% be using Lookfantastic.com again for any online beauty buys.




Have you had any experience with Lookfantastic.com if so i would love to know how you felt about the service let me know in the comments, Also my review for the Real techniques miracle complexion sponge will be up next week.

Thanks for reading 
Hannah
XX

Friday 16 May 2014

My Spring Fashion&Beauty picks


Hello, As its my favourite season i thought i would share some of my beauty and fashion favourites that i have been loving this spring!

Beauty

First is this Sally Hansen nail polish in 409 Good to Grape.



I love bright colours for spring and this purple is beautiful and looks stunning on. I picked it up from my local Poundland for of course £1! an absolute steal!
You can get yours Here

Second on my list is the Maybeline color sensational popstick in the shade 020 Tropical pink



I'm a a bit late on the band wagon about these lipsticks and after trying this i cant believe i was, I got this from fragrance direct and i am in love with it, It's the only lipstick I've been wearing its subtle yet bright and is a gorgeous neon pink colour perfect for a pop of colour in your spring time look.

You can get yours here 

Another nail polish i have been loving this season is OPI Liquid sand in make him mine.



I bought this not realising that it is textured but it hasn't made me love it any less It's so glittery and pink and what girl doesn't want glittery pink nails to shimmer in the spring time sun.

You can get yours here

A face product I'm using alot of this spring is this Rimmel wake me up radiance shimmer touch in 002 radiant rose.



I use this as a cream blush and its beautiful it gives me a flushed dewy look which is natural and light i always want something more natural looking this time of year for a fresh skin look, And this does exactly that.

You can get yours here

Fashion

The first Fashion favourite is this mint top from Florence&Fred at Tesco.


 I think it was £8 and is perfect to dress up or down I've just been wearing it with a pastel pink jacket and jeans and then adding a statement necklace, but as its such a simple classic top it will go with pretty much anything.

Next are a pair of nude strappy shoes I got from new look.


 I love them because again they go with anything dressed up or down i especially like pairing them with some Statement trousers for a casual sophisticated look.

Last of my spring favourites are these bracelets from primark.


They were only a couple of pound and are perfect for the finishing touches of any spring outfit.

I hope you enjoyed reading what my spring picks were leave me a comment  and let me know what you are loving this season.

Thanks for reading
Hannah
XX

Tuesday 13 May 2014

Thumbs down: 5 beauty products i wasn't impressed with.


Its not very often i am disappointed with something that I've bought usually if i don't like it to begin with after a couple of uses my opinion changes and I'm happy but sadly these 5 products have really not impressed me at all. I have given every single one them the benefit of the doubt and persevered with it for a while but i still cant say I'm a fan! 
And here's why.

1. MAC matte ruby woo.


I really wanted to love this lipstick i wanted it so badly and when i finally convince myself to buy it (because you know its not like any other red i have.. its matte!) i couldn't wait to wear it as my favourite go to red. But i was very disappointed with it the first time i even wore it The colour for me is perfect it is a blue toned red and looks great on my skin tone and also makes my teeth look whiter but sadly that is as far as my love for it goes, It is the matte version of ruby woo and i think these are clay based lipsticks to give it that real matte look but for me it is just makes it terrible to apply even when applying it with a lip brush it still just dragged on my lips and didn't glide on smoothly. I also found that it bleeds so easily and at first i thought it was because i needed to line my lips with a lip liner first but applying a lip liner didn't change it one bit it still looked smudged around the edges of my lips and not that clean sharp edge that you want from a bright red lipstick, I did expect the feel of it on my lips to be dry but this is even worse than i expected it just feels tight and when i pressed my lips together it almost felt like...well the only way to describe it is like my lips were peeling. I really tried and wanted to love it but sadly its just sat in my draw left for a time when i want that "just snogged my boyfriends face off wearing red lipstick" look.


2. Nivea Daily essentials extra gentle eye make up remover.


I don't really have a lot to say about this eye makeup remover because it didn't really do a lot , It is a very watery eye makeup remover which for me i don't like because its hard to use especially near your eyes i found it just ran all over my face and i would always get it in my eyes as it would seep though when my eyes were shut. As for removing eye makeup it didn't do anything i was still left with lashes full of mascara and it would just smear any eyeshadow or liner i had on around and not actually remove it, I always had to go over my eyes with my cleanser to remove what ever i had on them. 


3. Barry M aquarium collection nail paint in Arabian.


When i saw this in the shop i loved it and had to have to have it! It looked beautiful and i am a fan of Barry M nail polishes so i had no reason to doubt why i would love it, I got home put it on my nails and was very very unimpressed. The colour on is nothing like what it looks like in the bottle, When you turn the bottle the colour is a beautiful green and when the light hits it it reflects a gorgeous blue colour. But when its on it just looks like a regular shimmery green and you don't get the blue when you move your fingers like it is in the bottle, If i saw the colour it comes out on your nails in a bottle on the shelf i would not have looked twice at it because its not even a nice green once its on your nails. I don't think I've ever been so disappointed in a nail polish before, I was so excited to get it on my nails but as soon as it was on i could get it off quick enough.


4. Right Guard total Defence 5.


When it comes to deodorant i tend to find one that works and stick with it, For me deodorant is not something you want try out different ones because its a new type or a different smell its there to to a job and if it does it leave it. Unfortunately when doing my shopping last week the trusted one i always buy wasn't available so i went with the closest thing i could find (same brand and similar hour protection). I have never used anything like it i had to re read the can to just double check it was a deodorant and not just a body spray with no-antiperspirant because an hour after getting out of the bath and spraying it i felt like i needed to wash again, my under arms felt sticky and very sweaty. On the can it says it fights perspiration, prevents odour, long-lasting freshness, instant response formula and triple stain protection. But for me the only thing out of those it does is stain protection but personally i would rather have a white mark on my black top than walk around smelling of sweat! this is going straight in the bin.


5. Korres wild rose foundation in WRF2


Like most of the other products I've mentioned i thought this foundation was going to be great for me as on the box it says its everything i look for in a foundation, It claims it is a long-lasting foundation with a flawless, radiant finish, smooth to apply and easy to blend. I found it completely different though it wasn't easy to blend at all i found it dried on the skin very quickly so if i haven't super quickly blended it in i was left with darker patches on my face which meant my skin looked very uneven and unnatural. Coverage wise it was fine it covered any blemishes or imperfections i wanted to hide but that's no good when your skin looks patchy and cakey. I did find if i mixed it with a little moisturiser it was easier to apply and looked less uneven but then the coverage wasn't what i wanted and if i wanted a light coverage tinted moisturiser i would of just bought one instead.





If you have tried any of these product and have had a different experience with them i would love to know as it is always nice to hear that they have worked and were great for someone.

Thanks for reading
Hannah
XX


Monday 12 May 2014

My Hair care routine

As I posted my skin care routine yesterday I though I would also run though my hair care routine too, Its not amazingly special as when it comes to hair I'm not as enthusiastic as I am beauty so I just do the minimum to keep my hair looking healthy.
 

To wash my hair I use Herbal essence beautiful ends shampoo and conditioner it helps protect split ends which is something my hair has plenty of as I blow dry it a and use hot tools on it all the time, If I've used a lot of hair spray in my hair I use the shampoo twice to give it a real deep clean. It leaves my hair feeling soft and smelling so nice, I've used so many shampoos and conditioner that leave my hair feeling sticky and like I've just applied a load of product to my hair instead of washing it! It lathers up so much which again is something I really want from a shampoo because it really feels like it's doing its job. With the conditioner  I use it only on the mid lengths of my hair and comb it though with a detangling comb to just get rid of and knots and it also makes it easier to brush though when I'm blow drying it.

 
           

Twice a month I also use Pantene pro-v nature fusion intensive restoring hair mask, It is a thick conditioner that nourishes and strengthens hair, I shampoo and condition like normal and then spread a good amount of this in my hair mainly focusing on the ends I leave it in for 10 minutes and then rinse in out. I always give my hair an extra rinse with cold water to just make sure all the product is out, as if there is a even a small amount left in your hair once its dry it makes it looks greasy and it also feels slightly sticky and smooth and silky. This mask is great as my hair is very dry and coarse so this leaves it feeling soft and like I've just walked out of a salon.




Once my hair is washed and slightly towel dried I use the Pantene pro-v nature fusion strengthening serum this serum is for fine/weak hair, My hair is not necessarily fine but it is very weak so I use this for extra protection from the heat damage it incurs though the constant curling! It leaves my hair silky soft and ready to style.
Once styled I use Toni&Guy shine gloss serum I got this in a Birch box or a Glossy box I cant remember which exact one but I never used it until recently and I'm so impressed with it. You use 1-2 pumps rub it into your fingers and then work it into the mid lengths of your hair I also use what I have left on my hands to tame any frizz on the roots, It works so well and doesn't leave my hair feeling greasy like many other shine serums I've used. It does it exactly what it says on the tin, controls frizz with lightweight shine and alignment.

         


That's how I keep my locks looking healthy and frizz free!
Thanks for reading
Hannah
XX