Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponges

Morning all!

Even though this week has been a 4 day week it has been so long! I can't wait for the weekend to come, I'm planning on going shopping with my mum and catching up with some friends. I still have some vouchers to spend from my birthday so I'm planning on getting some new foundation to try out.

For the last few months I've been obsessed with my Beauty Blender, but after seeing the horror pictures where people have cut theirs open and found loads of black mould I decided it was time to try some new ones. The obvious alternative choice was the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponges, so I bought a pack of two to give them a go. 

Real Techniques Sculpting Set

Hey All

When me and the OH were in Falmouth a few weeks ago I popped into superdrug and saw this set which I hadn't noticed before. This is the Sculpting set, I'd wanted the sculpting brush since the bold metals collection was released and I loved the look of the flat contour brush but didn't want to pay for the bold metals brushes without being able to feel them. Apologies for the photos in this post I was taking photos in the pod we were staying in as I couldn't wait to use them.

The set retails for £20.99 and contains the three brushes you can see below. I used to own the setting brush but somewhere along the line it got lost. You can see my original review on it here.

I'm a firm believer of you can never have too many brushes so when this set was on offer for a third off I had to snap it up. For a long time I didn't really know what you would use a fan brush for so had never wanted one but after seeing a few you tube videos where it was used for highlighter It was in my mind that I needed it. 

As with all real techniques brushes they quality of these are great. They are super soft densly packed where they need to be and wash up great. This set does have the shiny handles which to be honest I don't like as much as the matte ones. They show up finger prints and scratches easily but it's nothing that actually effects the brush so I can't complain too much.

The sculpting brush is amazing. I love it. It's so dense and picks up product well but not too much. It makes applying contour so easy, and leaves it looking natural. I've been favouring this over the contour brush.

The fan brush is so light. I use this for highlighter. Up until getting this set I was using another contour brush. The fan brush picks up a small amount of product and is easy to dust over the cheekbone. I'm glad I've picked this set up and I've now got this brush.

The setting brush is a great little brush to use to set concealer and I have missed having it. 

Have you grabbed any of the new brushes or this set?

I need some new eye brushes. Any recommendations?

Love M

xxx

What I Couldn't Live Without

Hey!

I was thinking the other day about my rather large stash and how well I'm going through it. I've been doing good but could do better. Then it got me thinking about which products I really couldn't live without now that I've found them and as I've mentioned before, I'm a bit of a list lover. So basically, without any more babble, here's my list of the products I couldn't live without at the moment!

1) Coconut Oil

I love cooking with coconut oil but it is fast becoming a staple in my beauty regime too. Not only is it a great moisturiser for your skin, but its also useful as a cuticle oil, hair mask, for hands and feet and as a lip balm. I tend to smother it all over before bed as a treat but this can take some time to get the oil to warm up. Still worth it tho!

Real Techniques Sam's Picks

Hello lovelies!

Hope your week is going well! 

I'm sure everyone knows about Real Techniques brushes, collections and sets and we are definitely huge fans of everything we have ever tried, and not to mention their customer service is phenomenal.

This set is called Sam's Picks:

It contains three different types of brushes, who's colours match the general colour coded scheme of Real Techniques brushes
Pink - Finish
Orange - Base
Purple - Eyes

This set is a combination of the three different types of brushes. I already own three of these brushes and absolutely love 2 of them (buffing brush and setting brush). The third (pointed foundation brush) I don't find as useful for me as the buffing brush covers everything I need during my 6am morning rush!

I'm always excited to try new face brushes and set with a bit of everything is a bonus.

I've separated the brushes into colour groups to make it easier.
But firstly....how much do you love the packaging?? The foam casing was so lovely and sturdy let alone beautifully coloured with a gradient it was hard to throw it out (seriously). 

First up are the Finish brushes; the multi task brush and the setting brush.
The setting brush is great for me in the morning when I've applied my base and concealer and need some powder to set it. I find my under eye area creases easily so it needs some extra attention. The setting brush is perfect for this! It's so soft and fluffy that its perfect for the eye area.

The multi task brush is one of my new favourites. I tend to use it as a powder brush to set my make up in the morning, but its smaller than the RT powder brush and could be used for many things including blusher, bronzer and highlighter. It's the ultimate brush for a powder product and if you couldn't afford blusher and powder brushes, this is the one you should choose!


The buffing brush has been raved about by almost everyone and both me and M ar eno exception. It is both a massive inconvenience yet a brilliant business plan that it can only be found in collections and not to buy individually. In short, they must be raking it in and I am unsurprisingly the owner of  a great 'set' of brushes that i didn't know I needed!

I won't waffle on about it too much as we've previously posted about the Core Collection here, but basically if a collection has got this in, it's a winner! Snap it up and bathe in its glory, your face will thank you for it.

The pointed foundation brush is definitely for someone who is a little more skilled and patient in the face department. I cannot be bothered in the morning to do more than apply my foundation with the buffing brush as it just works so easily at getting every bit of product evenly on my face. But if you are patient this brush is ideal for applying product around your nose and eye area as it is tapered especially.

The essential crease brush (shown below) was a welcome addition to my eyeshadow brush collection. Truth is, seeing as I've got the eye brush set from RT I wasn't sure I needed more (apart from another set out of laziness with washing) but I can assure I did and was proved wrong again.
I went looking for this brush specifically the other day and couldnt find it due to it blending in so seamlessly with the rest of the eyeshadow set that I had to look up the names to be sure!

It definitely suits its name and I use it to apply a darker shade to my eye every morning and I;m not sure how i managed to cope before owning it! So soft, fluffy and gentle on the eyes as well.

The fine liner brush has come in handy many a time I've attempted to line my eyes at 6am. It's not an easy task whilst you're still half asleep, trying to drink your tea, eat your porridge and put your socks on all at once. This beauty does help very much and fine lines is what you will get with it.
The only downside to this one is that it needs washing ASAP after using it as any product seems to dry out and make it hard which isn't nice to use on the eye area one little bit.

So there we have a quick run down of Sam's Picks, and i have to agree she made some pretty good choices! The only one that I wouldn't use is probably the pointed foundation brush and that's probably because I'm utterly clueless how to use it and not very patient either.

You can pick up this set for £29.99. I was lucky enough to get mine whilst it was on sale over the festive period and it was down to £20. A quick google search tells me it's still available on Escentual for £24.50 so pop on over, I didn't realise but it seems this set is limited edition too and is sold out everywhere else!

What do you think of the set as a whole? Do you have a particular favourite? What do you hope they bring out next??

L xxx

Best of 2013

Hi all :)

I hope you all had a great Christmas. I was unfortunately working, struck down by the flu and had a million things to do so my blogging got left by the way side for the week so apologies for my lack of posts last week.

Today's post is a summary of my favourite product discoveries of 2013. I've trawled through all of my posts from the past year and picked out my favourite products for one reason or another. I tried to pick an even number to satisfy my OCD but I came out at 17 so I hope you enjoy!


1) China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy

Love this pastel neon colour, it was one I'd seen many times on Pinterest so had to snap it up in the end. It was a good buy and I can see myself having to buy it again if its going to decrease at this rate!

2) Vichy Dermablend

Many bloggers have bought this and in the end I had to try it....and obviously fell in love just the same! Perfect for good and bad skin days this covers all types of blemishes, scars and uneven skin tone.

3) OPI Liquid Sand Bond Girls in Jinx

This was one of my first Liquid Sand polishes and the coral and gold glittery combination made it a perfect one for me. Look at it glimmer! I wore this all summer and upgraded to a full size after initially buying the miniature set.

4) MAC All That Glitters Eyeshadow

I picked up a palette from MAc so that I could depot all of my previously owned eye shadows into one easy to carry palette. All That Glitters is a beautiful shimmery nude, described as a beige with a gold pearl. It's nude enough to be worn every day without being too glittery yet shimmery enough for a night out also, a very versatile shadow.

5) Clarins HydraQuench

The Hydra Quench range was something I'd never tried before but having tried the cream and masque this year I can safely say I'm a fan. I'd like to repurchase this in future but I think the price will put me off. There are others that I have used that are just as good for less so I will probably stick to those whilst I'm saving!

6) Dr Organic Eye Serum

This was an unexpected love for me; I love Dr Organic products but had never tried an eye serum before. I have really sensitive and dry eyes so try to moisturise them as much as possible to help. This product has been a nice little saviour for me and I can see me buying it again and again; great product, great price and its organic.

7) Lacura AQUA Complete Serum

The Lacura Aqua Complete Skin Serum was an absolute bargain from Aldi. I was looking for a cheaper one to save my from spending cash I don't have, and this was less than £4 and contains hyaluronic acid, glacier water and aloe vera. Its an amazing bargain buy and I will be getting it as soon as I get to Aldi next!

8) Benefit It's Potent Eye Cream

This eye cream was in one of their Christmas sets this year called Love Me B.right and after treating myself to it, it was great to find that the eye cream really worked even on my sensitive eyes. It's so hydrating and the pot is actually pretty big for an eye cream so it's worth the pennies.

9) Benefit Erase Paste Concealer

Another Benefit love! As a general fan of Benefit it can be hard to pick out specific products but the Erase Paste concealer is perfect for undereyes, blemishes, scars and just about anything you can think of. I would not be without it!

10) MAC Desert Camouflage Full Face Kit

This was a buy from Cosmetics Company Outlet, the Desert Camouflage Full Face kit has 4 eyeshadows and a compartment underneath containing a creme blush which is more like a creme bronzer due to the colour. I wear these colours every day as my go to palette for work as its so easy to blend and isn't too over the top. If I ever go somewhere straight from work its just a case of reapplication and a heavier hand with the darker colours!

11) Real Techniques Brushes

Having finally cottoned onto the hype, I snapped up every set in the range over the year in different deals from different shops. My make up wouldn't be the perfectly applied masterpiece it is today without them. They're pretty, easy to use, fairly priced and can be washed back to whiteness....winner.

12) Label M Protein Spray*

We may have mentioned this a few times over the past few months...this Protein Spray from Label.M is unbelievably lightweight, conditions hair without leaving it greasy and lasts a very long time. My long hair wouldn't be without it!

13) MAC's Insanely It

One of my best all time buys from CCO; this Sheen Supreme lipstick is a beautiful pink that makes my teeth look whiter, my complexion brighter and it can be worn for any occasion. 

14) Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation

I was extremely excited to try out Silk Creme after hearing lots of hype about it. Initially i was disappointed, my skin was really bad at that point and nothing seemed to cover it enough. As my skin has slowly improved (thanks to the skincare products in this post I hope) this has been amazing. It covers without looking like its caked on, matches my skin very closely and definitely makes me look a whole lot better whilst giving me that 'is she wearing make up?' look. Love. The only downside is the price at £33. but I'm almost certain I'd pick it up again during a weak moment on pay day.

15) Antipodes Divine Oil

This has been a revolutionary product for me. I had never used an oil before this and it completely changed my perception of them and my skin has thanked me for it. At £18.50 for an organic product I'd recommend everyone try this! It hasn't overloaded my oily skin at all but has rehydrated my dry skin and helped scars fade dramatically.

16) Murad Cleanser

This cleanser is one I use 2/3 times a week to polish off the dull bits of skin. It's not abrasive at all yet leaves my skin with a glow. It's comparable in results to Origin's Modern Friction which is another favourite of mine and although the tube costs £34 it has lasted me such a long time that it's worth every penny.

17) Origins Make A Difference Rejuvenating Treatment

The smell, the texture, the results = LOVE

I picked up the Origins skincare set for Christmas just so I could own this lovely product again (and the others obviously!) 

Totally changed my skin and I wouldn't be without it now. Plus it smells like heaven in a pot.

So there we have it, my favourites of 2013. A hell of a lot of skincare, what a junkie I am!

However as at the beginning of the year I had acne and was stressed to the max I think it have played a massive part in getting my skin to what it is today. I still get spots (obviously!) especially those annoying under the skin bumps which just don't seem to go (RAGE) but it's still 10 times better than it was.

I hope 2014 brings me even more product joy (after a considerable 3 month ban though...its feeling necessary after my Christmas indulgences).

What were your favourite products of 2013?

We're you a skincare junkie? Lipstick lover? Nail addict? Or a Palette Queen?

I'd love to see what your favourites were, maybe they could be mine for next year!

L xxx

Real Techniques Splurge

Morning all!

I'm on day 2 of my conference and my brain is completely BUZZING with all of the info that I've been listening to, I feel like I need a nap already!

I picked these up recently in the usual Boots offer of buy one get one half price which is always a happy sight in my view! 

I've been lusting after both of these sets for a while and the fact one set is limited edition just made me want it more!

The eyeshadow brush collection is designed really well and there's everything you could possibly need, plus I love that they're all colour coded to purple!

Its a brilliant starter set for newbies and also for people like myself who have a few brushes but always feel like there's never enough. Even though I've had eyeshadow brush sets before this one covers all bases and if you're anything like me will use them for additional uses as well...

The case is also a welcome addition as I seem to be travelling quite a lot recently and running out of make up bags to store everything!

They're particularly useful as they keep the brushes flat and so prevent damage to the bristles.

The limited edition set was very exciting to play with and I've been eyeing it up for a little while now.

The duo fibres are supposed to be great and I've heard promising things about this kit from many people.

I didn't want to get them out of the packaging particularly as they're so perfectly white and clean but that feeling didnt last very long!

I've been playing around with both kits and will be doing full reviews on the brushes on a separate occasion.

I was wondering which of these brushes were your favourite? Whilst I'm playing around and getting used to them I thought I'd post and see if anyone had any tips for the duo fibre brushes, washing them so they stay white as possible and any application tips! 

Ill be watching the YouTube videos of course but I'd like to see your opinions on these brushes too.

L xxx

FOTD featuring Illamasqua Pigment in Fervent

It's been a while since I've done a face of the day. I love playing with make up but lately I've been being lazy as being busier later in the evenings mean I just want my bed in the mornings.

When searching through my stash I found my illamasqua pigment that I haven't used much so decided to play around.

I applied my Avon eyelid primer all over my lid and started with a matte base using Foxy from Naked 2.

I then blended Tease (again from Naked 2) into my crease. This is my favourite crease colour. I love it for easy make up and use it most days. It's the perfect neutral matte brown.

I decided to use the pigment as a liner. This can be done in a few ways. You can either wet your brush to dampen the pigment. What I did was use something I got in the front cover sets (the ones in boots at christmas time) which is like a clear liquid that makes any colour eyeshadow a liquid liner.

I decided to pack the pigment on so you could really see all the colours. I love how it's reddy toned with some green tones depending on the light.

This is the first pigment I have got from illamasqua and I love it and want more. I love how they can be used in different ways and look different depending on how you apply them.

Here you can see the difference in colour depending on where you pack the pigment or blend it out. I really love the colour when it's packed on.

As it's a pigment it does get messy so I also do my eyes before foundation if I'm losing a loose pigment as it's much easier.

I used a coat of They're Real as I didn't want to use false lashes as I think they would be hard to blend with a coloured liner.

I used my studio fix fluid foundation. I don't really love this but I think it's more due to a the fact mine seems very yellow even though it's NW15 :(. I've been trying to use up an old mouse blusher. It's ok just not a colour I'd use any more and as always I used my Liz Earle bronzer.

I decided on Mac Plumful on the lips as it's a soft pink. I love this colour, especially now it's getting colder. I think it's a winter pink.

I really like how you can just see the glitter through the lashes and think it makes a change to the normal black liner.

Lately I've been getting back into using my Benefit Erase Paste. It is my favourite under eye concealer. It's so thick and just disguises those dark circles and lasts all day.

I think I need to get back into using different eye shadows for liners and using my make up more. It's so easy to get stuck in a make up rut!

Do you switch up your make up? I love finding that product I forgot about.

Love M

xxx