Review: Real Techniques Brushes

Me and M had both wanted Real Techniques brushes as soon as they came out....but after M bought a Mac one and I already had a large number it took us a little while to actually go and get them.

But with the wonderful 3 for 2 offer from Boots coming to and end we eventually gave in on the premise that we would have bought them anyway and we may as well get them when they're on offer....right?? :)

So we both bought the stippling brush due to all the raving, and I also got the blush brush as mine is cheap and molts all over my face...lush.

The packaging is simple, black white and a hint of pink with information clearly printed on the back.

What I love is the bit at the bottom, reminding you that you can go onto youtube and find videos that teach you how to use your product for the best effect, brilliant!

Out of the packaging the brushes look gorgeous, and on first touch I noticed that they are unbelievably soft!

The boxes tell me that the hairs are ultra plush synthetic taklon bristles that are HAND CUT and 100% cruelty free....what's not to love!

They have light aluminium handles, with a flat base to stand them up on and help to create that 'pixel perfect' finish that we all crave.

Let's see how they fare!

The stippling brush was the one I was most excited about due to the massive amounts of reviews and the possibility of an actual flawless base, including foundation, blush and powders, which anyone who's anyone wants!

This is a close up of the bristles, click for a bigger picture and you'll feel like you're right on it, it looks so soft!

I was a little afraid this would irritate my skin but the bristles have absolutely no negative effect whatsoever, they buffed my foundation in a treat and I truly had a perfect finish.

I even added in my concealer and highlighter to the mix and buffed them in, trust me I couldn't believe my skin was mine!

The flat bottom can seem gimmicky to some but I love them, no more leaning them on something else and getting make up everywhere, and similarly no letting them lie on a surface and pick up any bacteria before you transfer it to your face.

Such a simple design but they look beautiful, I'm sold!

Shown below is a picture of the blush brush up close, it's gorgeously soft and allows me to apply my blusher with no possibility of it sticking in one place.

It blends the blush really well and doesn't leave any harsh lines that some brushes can do.

Overall I'm sold! I would definitely consider buying more brushes from the range if and when I need them, but sadly I don't have the money (nor a good enough excuse) to buy any more.

Sometimes products don't live up to the hype, but these are certainly worthy of a buy!

The only downside I found to them was that they do molt a tiny bit, my stippling brush did lose a few hairs the first few times I used it, not sure if this is just due to the first use and should be expected? But nevertheless, a fabulous product that I am super pleased with!

Do you have any Real Techniques brushes? Have you used the stippling brush before?

L xxx

When L arrived at the gym with my brush with her I couldn't wait to finish our work out so I could try it when we were getting ready.

When products are really hyped up and everyone loves them I'm always a little sceptical they then won't live up to my hopes. Does anyone else find this?

With everyone loving it I couldn't believe it could be that good!! It's also very reasonably priced in my opinion.

So how did I find it. I absolutely loved it, It's amazing, it does live up to the hype and I love almost everything about it. It makes my foundation appear flawless on my skin, it blends foundations in amazingly and makes layering them up easier and the finish perfect.

The size of the brush is perfect, I know people have said it was small but it's the perfect size for my face. It's easy to get into around my nose and eyes and I think any bigger and this would be awkward. It's sturdy so perfect for stippling onto your skin but doesn't feel at all hard on your face. It feels so soft and gentle on the skin.

I find it does work better with some foundations, I find it better with thinner liquid foundations. It's made me love Rimmel Wake Me up even more, I'm also convinced it makes my foundation last longer. Have any of you guys found this too?

So do I have any negatives with it??? The only negatives I can think of are little ones. It uses more foundation, so I try to hold of using it with my MAC foundation for every day. Otherwise I don't mind it using extra. I have enough (15 if you haven't seen my Make up addict post), it's quite nice knowing I'm getting through them. If you are rushed in the mornings it does take a little longer than slapping it on with your fingers but the finish is worth it. lastly the slighty rubberised (think nars packaging) handle gets dirty looking quickly! Foundation and a rubberised handle don't mix, finger prints all over.

None of the negatives would stop me buying it again.

I'm thinking I need the eye collection of brushes next.

Love M

xxx

Review: Kerastase Bain Satin 1 Shampoo

I had this for Christmas not 2011, but 2010....I feel super guilty about this!

It's not that I didn't want to use it....I just know it's not the cheapest on the planet so wanted to use it for occasions...which of course when it came down to it I never did use them!

So without further ado, on my quest for space and product freedom (as described in the Beauty Rehab series) I have been using this for the past few weeks:

Kerastase Bain Satin 1 shampoo is a Complete Nutrition Shampoo.

They claim: 'Each Bain Satin reference has been formulated with glucose, proteins and lipids to restore the nutritive balance of the hair fibre from root to tip and to protect it against the drying out process. The hair is left with lightness and more body at the same time. Hair feels soften with enhance shine.'

This product also won the In Style Beauty Awards 2010 in the Best Beauty Buy category.

I was excited to use this, and I was not disappointed.

They recommend that you wash your hair twice with this product, on the second time you're supposed to leave it on the hair for a few minutes for the goodness to sink in.

Think of this like a conditioning shampoo, it really works at gently cleaning your hair and leaves it thoroughly conditioned and shiny, without being too heavy.

It's a white shampoo, nothing out of the ordinary but does feel quite thick and luxurious when you apply it.

M commented on my hair the other day telling me how shiny it was, which is always a lush compliment to have!

I would definitely recommend this shampoo if you have dry/coloured hair, and would also say that greasy hair would be ok too as I have greasy hair and have not had a problem with it at all, even when I apply conditioner afterwards.

This has definitely been a pleasure to use and gets the thumbs up from me, as this was bought for me as a present I have no idea how much it costs but would buy it when the time comes and I have no shampoo left!

The only downside that I can see is that the product does contain SLS which I would personally choose to avoid, but you can't have everything!

Have you used Kerastase before? What do you think of their products? Any others that you'd recommend?

L xxx

Tag! Seven Deadly Sins

This has been doing the rounds for a little while now...and as we have I have been completing my alcohol free month (due to finish this week woo!) we decided to post this instead. Enjoy!

1. GREED: What is your most inexpensive beauty item? What is your most expensive?

My most inexpensive is probably Vaseline, cannot cope without it. My mum got me the tin with all 4 types in for Christmas and I loved it! Most expensive would probably have to be the Urban Decay Naked Palette which coincidentally I have lost :( took it to a friend's house and it's disappeared. Hopefully it will turn up somewhere tho...

2. WRATH: What beauty products do you have a love/hate relationship with? What product has been the hardest to get?

My love/hate is a common one among the posts I've read....glitter nail varnishes! Look the shiz on your nails, absolute NIGHTMARE to get rid of! It's normally worth the effort but for those times it isn't you really do regret wearing it! They need to come up with a solution for this!

I find skincare is the hardest thing to buy. At first I feel like a new product is making the world of difference....and then my skin breaks out, looks tired, oily, dry etc and I end up changing it again. So, I have recently upgraded to the likes of Vichy and Origins, I'm hoping a brand that uses less chemicals/better chemicals than other brands can work it's magic, but otherwise I'm still on the hunt!

3. GLUTTONY: What are your most delicious beauty products?  

Hmm a delicious product would have to be my Lush lip scrub as you can genuinely eat it as it's only made of sugar and colours. However my Mac lipstick in Creme Cup smells divine, almost like mini eggs?! So that would be a non edible example of something that smells so delicious!

4. SLOTH: What beauty product do you neglect, due to laziness?

It would have to be cleansing my skin...I'm a face wipe girl all the way as it's so convenient but I know they don't remove all of the dirt. I have added in an extra stage at the moment as I use the Taaj Micellar solution from February's JolieBox UK to get rid of any impurities and eye make up but I could do a lot better! (Have just got Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish, we will see if this makes the difference it's supposed to!)

5. PRIDE: What beauty product gives you the most self confidence?

My skin isn't that bad but it would definitely have to be foundation. I just feel that my skin and blemishes, scar, freckles, bags under my eyes etc all look so much better covered up with a dewy foundation. I just wish the effect was permanent ;)

6. LUST: What attributes do you find most attractive in the opposite sex?

If were talking looks alone....tall men with muscle! I'm 5ft 9 and refuse to get with a man shorter than me! Personality wise...I find someone who's passionate about something is quite attractive. Also I tend to like confident men, and sometimes confuse this with arrogance (not a good idea FYI!). Men who want to travel also get my attention! Oh and messy hair and nice teeth are always a good start ;)

7. ENVY: What items would you most like to receive as a gift? 

Currently I am running out of my favourite perfume (Jean Paul Gaultier's MaDame for anyone who's interested!) so that would be marvellous! However anything by Origins would also be amazing, I'm a total convert after they've set up in Boots, the stuff smells amazing and has no nasties, winner!


L xxx

NOTD: No7 Cheeky Chops

This is another No7 Voucher buy. 

I love the consistency of these colours, I was super impressed with the colour 'Crave Me' that I had to go and buy some more...

Next on the list was 'Cheeky Chops':

It's a gorgeous pinky coral that I have absolutely loved wearing.

It reminds me a little of the Brook Street colour I posted about a few weeks ago from Nails Inc (here) but this is a more pink shade.

Without flash the colour almost looks red, and is annoying as I've never seen it look like that in any light!

It definitely looks a lot more like the colour below, which was taken with a flash:

The No7 polishes are so easy to use, the brush makes application quite easy and they're not too runny or thick and dry in a relatively decent time.

What do you think of this colour?

I think it's gorgeous, and looked even better when I applied the No7 Top Coat on it too, super shine!

What have you been buying with your vouchers recently? Do you look forward to them coming around again?

L xxx