Review: Real Techniques Miracle Complextion Sponge

 As my close friends know, i am a huge fan of the pixiwoo sisters and the real techniques brushes. So when the Miracle Complexion Sponge was launched i knew i had to give it a go (although it has taken me until now to actually buy one). This sponge is not like the old fashioned sponges your nan once used, but instead it is a brilliant little tool that allows you to create a full coverage and flawless base in a matter of minutes. 

The beauty blender took the world by storm and a lot of people had mixed reviews. I personally love using beauty blenders, although i feel that by wetting it with fix+ doesnt help my oily skin in the slightest. All that aside if you liked the beauty blender and found it worked for you, this is just as good, or dare i say, better and more importantly it is a quarter of the price. 

This is similar to the beauty blender but the reason we prefer it is because it has three different sides which can be used for all different areas of the face aswell as to create different finishes.

- The rounded side can be used to cover larger areas of the face. If you apply your foundation to the back of your hand, pick up some of the product with the sponge and rub it on to your face then it creates a light coverage. If you are a fan of cream blush the rounded side is great for applying this.
- For a fuller coverage i like to use the flat side and dab it onto my skin. You can do this only in the areas where you need a more fuller coverage and use the rounded side on the areas which need less. On the real techniques website it suggests using the round side in a stippling motion to achieve fuller coverage but i have found that the flat side does a much better job and Samantha Chapman uses it this way too! The flat edge is great for getting in around the hard to reach areas such as the sides of the nose and the under eyes.
- The pointed end is amazing for applying concealer around the eyes, the nose area and concealing smaller areas which need precise and dense coverage. You can use the rounded side to blend the product in after applying it to the desired area.
- The pointed side is also super for contouring the face. It can be used to add cream bronzer under the cheek bones and on the temples and highlighter under the eye, on the forehead and down the center of the nose.
There honestly is nothing bad to say about this product. The material it's made from is super high quality. It does exactly what it is meant to do and it gives you amazing looking skin (if the makeup lasts on you throughout the day is a matter of try and see as it really depends on your skin type) . I have tried this out with all different types of foundation formulas and it works well although avoid using it with powder products if you want my honest opinion because it can cause makeup to cake.
Once you are done with this you can use some baby shampoo to rinse it off and start fresh again. As this dries it goes back to the original size. When i just use this for my under eye concealer, instead of washing it fully i just spray some brush cleaner on it and rub it on some tissue to remove as much product as possible. (lazy, i know.) The cleaner i use is from Superdrugs exclusive brand 'B'.

Best of all this beauty will only set you back £4.99  from boots and at the moment this is on special at buy one get one half price so there is no reason why you shouldn't give this a go. It would also be a lovely little stocking filler for a special girl in your life.

For anyone new to makeup or for someone that doesn't have time to be using several brushes to create an even base then this is just the tool for you. Its super quick and easy to use and it's incredibly affordable! Everyone should try one of these at least once and this is a great option rather than forking out on the, what we now feel is overpriced, beauty blender.

Have you used this sponge? How did it work for you? Let me know what you though!

xx

Kiko Haul & First Impressions

Kiko FINALLY has a store at my local shopping centre, I was so excited when it opened today and went to pay a visit. I wasn’t hugely impressed with the store-a little garish, weird smell and odd layout of products but I was impressed by the price tags of the products.

I have been on the hunt for some different coloured eyeliners recently so I picked up all sixteen of the colours that they have to offer. All of them have a shimmer that runs through the colour so I knew that they may not have the best colour payoff when worn on the waterline. However, the website does say that this can be used on the inner and outer eye so I would expect it to live up to these claims!
Unfortunately this is where the good points end. I have tried these in every way that you can try an eyeliner... waterline, tight lined, lash line-upper and lower, and it sucks at all of them. It does not show up at all on the waterline at all and the hard nib drags across the lash line so much that it becomes sore and just looks like a mess. Whilst the colours are pretty I have found these to be completely unwearable. Luckily the products were "buy 3 get 3 free" so i dont feel like i have wasted a stupid amount of money. Although they arent wearable for everyday im sure i will be able to find a use for them!

I also picked up three of their eyeshadows. At £2.90 each i wasnt expecting much, but the colour payoff is actually pretty impressive. They are nicely pigmented and give intense color payoff over primer aswell. What i love the most about these shadows is that they're very buildable and lovely to blend. Great value for money!
I hope you enjoyed this post!
XX

Makeup Transformations

How To: Contour & Highlight For Beginners

If you've ever wished you could change your face shape or camouflage problem areas, the answer is as simple as learning how to highlight and contour with makeup. By using bronzer, blush, concealer and highlighter, you can subtly alter how your face looks. It may take a few tries to get the exact look you want, but the process itself is fairly simple and fun!

Before you start to contour and highlight, you'll need the right makeup. Gather the following products. Contour makeup – Use a product labeled for contouring or use a cream, liquid or powder foundation or concealer that's one shade darker than your usual shade. Powders are easier to blend, but creams and liquids give more dramatic results.

Bronzer – Bronzer can add more dimension to your face and even work as a combination contour and highlighting product. Some experts suggest using a darker bronzer versus a concealer or foundation for contouring.

Highlighter – Use a cream or powder based highlighter. If you do not have a highlighter handy, you can use a concealer or foundation that's a shade lighter than your usual shade.

Concealer and foundation brushes – You can always use your fingers, but i recommend a flat top brush for better application and blending.

Lets get started:

- Apply your usual foundation.

- Outline the hairline with contouring makeup using a makeup brush.

- Follow the line to just under the cheekbones. Suck in your cheeks and trace the underside of the cheekbones. Remember the E shape.

- Complete the E shape by going back to the edge of the jaw line near your ear and tracing the jaw line to the outer edge of your chin.

- Apply highlighter in a C shape just inside the contouring line from hairline to just above the cheekbone.

- Blend both carefully using a foundation brush.

- Trace both and the cheek area (for better blending) with powder bronzer.

As the saying goes, "Practice makes perfect." Spend some time experimenting with different products, shades and brushes until you get the look you want. Soon you’ll be contouring and highlighting like a makeup pro! Its easy once you know how!

xx

Graphic Eyeshadow

This graphic eyeshadow look is inspired by a girl that i follow on instagram. her account name is 'dausell'  (check her out) and she is by far the most creative makeup artist that i follow. Her work is so edgy, bright and always looks perfect. i know for a fact that my attempt looks nowhere near as good as hers does, but i thoroughly enjoyed trying out something completely different. To get a blunt clean edge i used tape on my face with a matte black eyeshadow on a brush with fix+ to intensify the colour. I used a clean fluffy brush to keep the edges blended nicely. clean up and fallout with concealer. its easy!
Its safe to say that this look is no way 'wearable' but its always fun to play around with your makeup and test your abilities. I have seen similar work in the past from Dior when they did A/W2015. Makeup artist Peter Philips created an intense graphic eye, which was shown in blue, green, prune and burgundy red versions during the runway show. (below)

xx

The Power Of Makeup

Hello everybody, today I am very excited about this post. I have seen so many Youtube videos about this topic. So today I am going to be doing a blog edition. The Power of Makeup is the topic I selected. Its safe to say that I have absolutely zero confidence when it comes to wearing no makeup. Makeup is my mask, which i use to hide behind, to hide from my spots, redness and scarring. Hopefully having this makeup less picture of me on the internet will help me learn to love my imperfections!! (maybe... probably not)
The Foundation that i am currently using, (MAC mineralize foundation in NW25)  is a medium to light coverage. I like coverage for my redness, but I don’t want to look plastic.
Concealer! To hide those under eye bags and scarring i have on my cheeks, And to cover up that i may or may not have stayed up until 2:30 in the morning watching Youtube videos.

The concealer i have used for years and absolutely love is the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. I have shade 2 to cover my blemishes, and shade 1 to highlight under my eyes to brighten those dark circles.

For powder I am currently using Mac Studio Sculpt Defining powder in Medium Plus, which matches my foundation shade perfectly. To set my under eye concealer i use Collection Translucent Powder on a small fluffy brush.

Contouring and Blush. To define my face and bring out my natural blushed cheeks. I use a Sleek contour and highlight palette, and mac 'Style' blush, which is a peach/coral colour. When you’re really pale (yours truly) you need a little help bringing out your natural colour, so i find this mac blush perfect for that.

For my brows i mix and match a few different light brown eyeshadows. Because my hair is such a mix of  different colours its hard to decide what colour my eyebrows should actually be! (my hair is currently lilac) I ALWAYS use a brow gel to set them in place, cus' aint nobody got time for eyebrows sliding off your face?!

In the picture above, for my eyes i used Blue Brown pigment from Mac, which is a new purchase (i am obsessed with it!) and Kid eyeshadow, also from mac to blend it into my crease. Vanilla Pigment on the inner corner and brow bone with Tanya Burr lashes in Date Night to finish the look.

Lips, i always overline them. without fail! My top lip is basically none existent, so i need all the help i can get! I used Stripdown lipliner from mac

and Doubleshot lipstick, mac also. which provides a luscious pout!

I hope you enjoyed this post, and that my makeup free face didnt terrify you too much

XX

No7 Airbrush Away Foundation Review

Airbrush away foundation which retails at £16.50, claims to give you a "flawless, smooth appearance from every angle."   The Airbrush Away foundation is said to be suitable for all skin types and has a medium coverage. It is meant to blur lines and imperfections for a flawless, airbrushed finish whilst still looking natural and skin like.The texture of this foundation is super smooth and silky. It blends over the skin beautifully. I used a flat top buffing brush from ebay to blend it out which i feel works better that using my beauty blender. With just one layer my skin already looked great. It had evened out my complexion, covering redness and adding a smooth finish, whilst still allowing my skin to show through. I added a second layer for some more coverage and it builds so well. A little goes a long way and you can really buff and blend for a super natural finish but also build up easily for a fuller coverage.
Two layers provides a light/medium coverage that still looks so natural, as the foundation really blends with the skin. It covered everything I wanted, so any redness and uneven tone on my skin, it helped to cover any blemishes and over all, just gave a really flawless look.
The Airbrush Away foundation also wears really well throughout the day, it stays smooth and even. The finish is quite dewy, so I did find that right at the end of the day it did make me look a little bit oily but nothing a touch of powder can't fix.

Have you tried this foundation yet? What do you think of it? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

xx

My Evening Skincare Routine

Today I thought I would talk about my evening skincare routine, one i’m particularly happy with and has had massive changes on the overall look of my skin. Everyone’s skin is different, but personally, these items work really well for me as I’m actively trying to reduce the amount of blemishes I get as well as clearing up my spots and redness.If I’ve been wearing makeup throughout the day, the first step in my evening skincare is to remove the masses using micellar water of some kind. I’m working my way through the different options that the UK ‘Drug Stores’ offer, so far I’ve tried L’oreal’s, Garnier’s & Simple’s offerings. My favourite has been Garnier's, but personally i feel that they all do the same thing.




Once the mask has been removed i use my Ultrabland cleanser from lush. Ultrabland is a lot like a cream; you simply apply it to your face in the evenings, massaging gently, and then remove it with either a cotton pad and micellar water, or a dry flannel. I will admit, the smell isn't necessarily the most appealing. It also feels very lightly exfoliating as it's applied, which was a pleasant surprise. I will admit, I was a little concerned about Ultrabland when I first started using it. it leaves a fairly heavy residue on your skin, even when wiped off (although I will do use a different cleanser to afterwards to remove the oily feeling), but it hasn't caused a breakout on my relatively sensitive and acne-prone skin, so far, so I think it really would be fine for all skin types. My skin also feels much softer in the morning after I've used Ultrabland, and I've actually had quite a few compliments on my skin since having incorporated it into my routine!

To remove the oily residue left over from the Ultrabland i like to use this NAOBAY calming face toner on a cotton pad. This toner helps remove any make up from the face that I may have missed, I particularly like using this product around my hair line because i ALWAYS manage to miss bits of makeup there. I feel comfortable applying this toner all over my face because it isnt scented, which wont irritate the eye area and is generally a very gentle product. it doesn't leave the skin looking greasy either, which is a bonus for me. Instead you just get a very clean and refreshed feeling.

I know this product is meant to be used as a base, but i like to use it before applying my repair serum. (APPARENTLY this product is meant to repair damage done by toxins around us or inside us) I just apply it all over my face and wait for it to soak into my skin. I havent been using this product long enough to really explain much about it, so if it really makes a difference to my skin i will do a more in depth review!




Lastly i use Clinique's custom-repair serum all over my face and neck, and once again allow to soak into the skin completely before jumping into bed!

I hope you enjoyed this post!
xx