Real Techniques Brush Haul

Hey ladies!

Sorry for the absence, I'm been completely buried in assignments and tests lately but summer is fast approaching and then I'll have way more time to blog. Anyway, my kind boyfriend took me away for 2 nights last week to a lovely hotel in Dublin and I got to do some shopping. I got a few bits in Lush but I haven't got a chance to review them yet, but that will come soon enough.

On top of that my brilliant boyfriend also bought me these which are of course the famous Real Techniques brushes made famous by Samantha Chapman that I have been wanting for absolutely ages. I got the stippling brush, the core collection and the starter set which I am completely chuffed about. I'll start with the starter kit (No pun intended)

This set consists of 5 eye brush brushes. A base shadow brush, a deluxe crease brush, an accent brush, an eyeliner brush and a brow brush. Btw I would like to apologize in advance for the state of these brushes, I had just used them and hadn't got a chance to clean them yet so bare with me! These brushes come with purple handles which may not be for everyone but I personally find them very cute. Let me just say these brushes are amazing quality! The taklon bristles are so soft and plush and I haven't encountering any shedding yet so far so I'm very impressed. The shadow and crease brushes are definitely my favourite and so far I've got the most use out of them. That isn't to say the other three aren't just as good quality though. Next I'm going to talk about the stippling brush.

This brush is one of the more talked about brushes in the collection and I would definitely say it deserves the hype. It is one of the softest brushes of all of them and it gives really good coverage and an almost airbrushed effect. I've used it to do my foundation a few times since I've got it ( hence the dirty-ness) and I honestly love it, I usually switch between this and real techniques buffing brush for foundation so between the two of them I'm well covered. I can honestly say since I've started using this I've seen a huge difference in the way my foundation looks and I really think it helps with covering up problems areas and blemishes when your having a bad skin day. This is one of the brushes I'd recommend the most out of all of them. This is once again synthetic taklon bristles and comes with a bright pink handle which I do quite enjoy.

Next the core collection.

This particular set contains four brushes that come with orange-gold handles. The detailer brush, the pointed foundation brush, the contour brush and the famous buffing brush. I really loved this set a lot, and not just because of the amazing buffing brush! I enjoy the detailer brush for applying concealer on the small problem areas, spots etc. but I also find it makes a very good lip brush which is what I've mainly used it for. As for the pointed foundation brush, well I don't actually like using these kind of brushes for foundation but I did find another use for it. I find this really good patting concealer on, especially under the eyes and I'd recommend anyone who has it and isn't sure what to do with it to try that out! I find the contour brush isn't that good for using bronzer as it's too thin and pointed but it is a very good highlighter brush so I just stick to using it for that purpose. Now the buffing brush, arguably the most famous of them all. I loved this brush so much it gets it's own section.

This brush is amazing. Its a flat top brush that is quite similar to a kabuki in design and it is the softest brush in the world! When I first got it I used it solely for powder application but then after hearing the hype regarding applying foundation with it I just had to try it out. It is amazing. I find it applies foundation so easily, and it leaves a very flawless look. I also found that using this brush makes applying foundation a much faster job and it is usually done in a mere minute or two. When using this brush I vary between stippling and buffing in a circular motion to make sure I get all those little problems areas covered and this is very good at helping hide a bad patch of skin. All and all it is my favourite of all the brushes and I won't be searching for a new face brush for a long time!

These brushes all come in sturdy plastic containers that were relatively easy to open...although in the end I did have to get the mister to open them for me. I picked these up in Boots and I pretty much got a good deal on them as they were 3 for 2. The core collection cost about €30 and I think the starter kit was basically the same. And I also managed to get the stippling brush free which is good because on its own this cost nearly €17! So it worked out well in the end. I am now obsessed with the brushes and hope to get the blush and powder brushes next time I'm there.

What about my lovely readers, have any of you purchased these brushes and what did you think of them? Please let me know as I'd love to hear how you found them! I'm now of to edit pictures of my amazing hotel room! Thank you for reading and I hope to blog again soon.

P.s I'm new to Instragram so if anyone would be interested in following me I'm "Mormeg" :) And for those who asked the link to my Twitter is on my sidebar!

Jemma Kidd Light As Air Foundation

Sorry for the absence! But someone I knew died recently so I've been busy and haven't had the chance to sit and blog in peace, plus I had tons of assignments! But I'm back to rave about my new foundation which I'm in love with. I'm sure most of you will no stranger to this foundation as it has been doing the rounds in the beauty community as of late.

For starters I'll address the packaging, mainly because you've probably noticed how grubby and messy it looks already! This I can live with though as all black packaging is the same, it's an absolute magnet for dirt! There is no pump or dispenser on this either so you have to be very careful when pouring it out as you can end up using too much! One of my only other problems with this is the lack of product in it, it's only 30 ml and the tube is very small so I'll have to use it sparingly..otherwise I adore it.

I'd describe the coverage as medium to full but it still manages to leave your face looking fresh and dewy as opposed to looking caked on which gets a big thumbs up from me. It has quite a runny consistency as opposed to a thick one so you don't need to use a lot to cover your whole face, please keep this in mind the first time you use it because I didn't! The shade I picked is light/medium which is probably a little bit too yellow for my skin tone but I find if I mix it with a tiny bit of a  paler foundation it creates the perfect colour for me. In terms of longevity, I think this is quite impressive, I've only worn it a few times but I find it remains on my face for a good few hours. This might be different however for oily skinned ladies, I'm lucky to blessed a fairly oil free face as my skin is more on the drier side. If you happen not to be like me,I'd recommend you use a good setting powder.

Here is a before and after swatch for you to compare.

As you can see it is a bit dark for me but mixed with a little bit of lighter foundation it's perfect. I think the colour will be lovely for when I'm wearing fake tan or even better if I hopefully get a real tan this summer!

This isn't available locally where I live so I had to order it on beautybay.com but I also noticed it on feelunique.com as well. I chose the first because they offered free worldwide delivery. At €30-ish it is definitely the most money I've ever spent on a foundation but it is a high end brand so you get what you pay for in the end! I would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants a good fresh faced foundation but I do warn you that there is only 7 shades available so not everyone will be able to find the right colour, hopefully this won't effect any of you.

It might be a few days before I blog again as I'm not quite sure what to do for my next post, I'm still only new to the world of blogging but I am loving it so far :) Thanks for reading ladies!

♥ 

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Kiss Me Coral

Being that Revlon lipsticks are some of my favourite ones I knew it wouldn't be long till I finally reviewed one! Ignore the messy-ness of the package..it's been well used/loved. Revlon lipsticks are well known for being affordable and high quality hence their popularity in the beauty world. They also come in a wide variety of shades and formulas so there is something for everyone. I'd wager that everyone, even some of the big name bloggers on this website, have one or two in their make up collection!

This particular shade has huge appeal to me because of I often find bright blood reds hard to pull off but this is a lovely orange toned red which is my favourite kind of red lippie! It has a creme finish so it is very blendable and applies smoothly, I personally found that kept my lips moisturised and they didn't dry out at all but maybe I just got lucky. The packaging isn't the fanciest I've ever seen but I find it simple and classy and it does the job it's meant to do. 

As you see, it is quite a strong colour and I know some people might find it too intimidating but that's ok, I used to be terrified of wearing bright reds too! I usually only reserve a colour like this for a night out or a party as it would be quite dramatic for a day look, but hey, if you can pull it off with confidence then I salute you! Now onto the swatch, I know its quite small but I was in a hurry when I took the picture and didn't have time to put loads on. Hopefully you can still get a good idea of the pigmentation.

As you can see it is a very beautiful colour and has a good level of pigmentation, it is definitely my absolute favourite red lipstick to date. In terms of lasting power it's pretty much the same as a lot of Revlon lipsticks, you'll get at least 2 to3  hours of wear if your not eating or drinking but at a party or at dinner you would have to reapply a bit more often. I was going to do a lip swatch but my poor pout isn't the best condition with all the cold weather so I thought it might be best to leave it for now. Oh well, there's always next review!

Thank you for reading , do you own any Revlon lipsticks?

♥

Sleek Ink Pot in Dominatrix

Now, odds are unless you've been hiding under a rock you'll have heard of famous budget brand Sleek. Famous for providing good quality make up for affordable prices, Sleek have made a huge name for themselves in the beauty world. I was lucky enough to recently get my hands on a few of their products and have been enjoying them ever since. Apart from getting two of their famous eyeshadow palettes and a eyeliner, I also got this little gem.

Being a big fan of winged cat eyes I couldn't resist trying out this particular product. I sometimes find that a lot of people prefer liquid eyeliner and are less inclined to try gel liner. I am guilty of this too as I've always been a liquid eyeliner girl. That being said, I really was pleasantly suprised by this product. Here's a snap of the inside, excuse how messy it is..it's been well tested at this point!

First off, I'd like to start with a little complaint. Although you may not be able to tell from these close ups, the pot the product comes in is absolutely teeny! At only 4g I don't think this will be lasting you a long time, especially if used every day. But I suppose you get what you pay for. The product comes with a tiny little brush, which I lost due to it's little-ness. But at the end of the day I wasn't planning on using it anyway so it was no great loss! The packaging it nothing special or fancy but it does the job and keeps the product safe. Now on to the swatches.

The first half of the picture shows the colour when just after being freshly swatched, the second half shows what it looked like after I tried to rub it off a minute later. As you can see it's pretty sturdy. In terms of pigmentation it does have quite a dark colour pay off which I like as a lot of black gel eyeliners tend to look dull and faded when applied on the skin.  In terms of how long it lasts, the swatch on my hand is still there even though I did it hours ago so I think that's quite impressive. This product cost me €8 and I ordered it off Cloud10beauty.com as it is hard to get Sleek products near me locally.

I think this product was to fantastic value and I'd definitely buy from them again. Have any of you had any experience with Sleek?

♥

My failed attempt at Nail Art...

Hey ladies! I know I've already blogged today but this is just a quick post, I wanted to show you my ba attempt at some nail art! I don't have much to say about it so I'm just gonna show you some pics.. I know it ain't great but I'm no artist and have absolutely no experience at doing nail art so I tried my best!

I used a mixture of Red Herring and Essence nail polishes, I'm not sure what brand the black is as I've had it for so long.

Although I know it may not look the best, it was meant to be messy anyway as leopard print is never neat and for a first attempt I don't think it's atrocious!

♥

Asos Jewellery Haul

You know when your just casually browsing through a website just looking at pretty things and next thing you know you've bought something? Yeah that's what happened here.

After deciding recently to start building up my jewellery collection I've been on the lookout for anything cute or quirky to add to it. Well thanks to Asos I found these little beauties!

First off is this spiked cluster ring. Although some of you may be looking at this strangely and wondering why anyone would want this..I love it! It's so unique and is exactly the quirky little piece I was looking for. It's very unlike anything I've seen before. Below is another picture.

This ring set me back €11.18 which may be a little pricey but I certainly don't regret it in the slightest. And for anyone who's interested this also comes in gold!

The next thing I got from Asos was this.

Excuse the fact that it's a bit scuffed..I wore it while I was drinking on Saturday and it got a bit roughed up! My favourite thing about this little lighting bolt ring is that it's a two finger ring. I look ring that's you can wear on more the one finger, they make more of a statement in my opinion..but maybe that's just me! More pictures underneath.

This ring also set me back around the €11 mark.. I'm pretty sure all three of the items I got were basically the same price..which didn't make my purse too happy in the end.

And on to the last item which is a personal favourite of mine.

My moustache necklace! I don't about any of you lovely ladies but I personally have a love for moustache themed items..although I really don't like real moustaches..Oh well. The chain on this is a little bit long but you can always adjust it if you'd like it a bit longer. This as I said before was around the €11 mark.

As you can see I got lucky with these few bits. I'd really recommend for people to check the website out for jewellery. Has anyone else got any nice jewellery off  Asos? :)

♥

The Balm Hot Mama

While I was buying my precious Mary Lou Luminzer in Awear I happened to spot this treasure among the other items. Something about this just stood out to me! After swearing to myself I wouldn't buy anything else I was all set to walk away. But something convinced me to stop and swatch it on the back of my hand. Which turned out to be a dreadful idea as I ended up falling in love with the colour! Here's some pictures I took underneath to fully show you this beauty.

As you can see it's a beautiful peach toned pink with a bit of gold sparkle in it. It is a very striking colour that adds shimmer and a flush of beautiful colour to any look. This is my go to blush at the moment! This is also known as a dupe for Nars Orgasm. As with the other balm products, this has more than one use as you can also use it as a eyeshadow. I personally think it might be a bit too daring for some to use as a shadow but it makes a beautiful blusher. This is the result that one swipe of your finger will yield. As I said on my previous post, one of favourite things about theBalms products is the design. They all have such unique and provocative packaging. This one shows a sexy woman in a bikini which I think suits the name of the product quite well. 

I personally find this colour to be beautifully pigmented although if you prefer matte blushes this may not be for you as it does have quite a bit of shimmer. It came out quite bright and shocking on the back of my hand but once blended out it leaves a warm flattering glow. 

As I said, the first photo does make it look a lot pinker and much more vivid than it actually is. The second picture is a better representation as it shows the true effect of the blush. I have always been a fan or more coral or peach toned blushers so I personally find this to be the perfect colour for me. One thing that might be a problem is it might not be so pigmented on darker skinned girls (I'm a pale Irish girl!). But I do think the colour is very build able so you might be able to work around this detail!

As for price, as I've said before, it isn't a cheap drugstore brand but its not a super expensive high end brand either. You might say it balances between the two of the them. This retailed for roughly €15 where I got it but you might be able to find it cheaper online. 

Does anyone own any theBalm products or plan on getting them?

♥

The Balm Mary Lou Luminizer

I have to admit that up until recently I had never dipped my toes into the world of highlighters. I suppose to me they always seemed like an unnecessary step. When some people think about putting something shiny on their face their first thoughts are that they will end up with, quite simply put, a greasy, oily face. That's how I felt, until I found this little beauty!

It is described on theBalms website as a "seemingly innocent honey-hued luminizer that catches every one's eye". One of my favourite things about theBalms products is their quirky and provocative packaging. Every Balm product has a sleek and sexy exterior along with sometimes racy names. The cover of this one has a pin-up type woman who's "charge" is apparently being too pretty and popular. The front lid says it can also be used as an eyeshadow or shimmer but personally I prefer to dust it along my cheekbones and the bridge of my nose using a fluffy brush. It provides an absolutely beautiful glow to the skin that truly illuminates the face. 

The above is a picture of it swatched on my finger. As you can see it is very warm toned with a golden honey coloured shimmer. Below I will show it swatched on the back of my hand to give you a better idea of its pigmentation. 

As you can see it very pigmented and this is how it applies after one coat of it. It doesn't require a lot of build up and one swipe should be enough to do the trick. As with all highlighters, it must be applied with a light hand to avoid an unflattering shine. As they always say, less is more. It will most likely work on all skin tones as I think it is a very beautiful colour. 

Now onto value for money. All though they are not a completely high end brand like the likes of Nars or Illamasqua they are still a lot more expensive and better quality than most drugstore make up. They are a happy in between you might say. I got this in my local Awear shop, maybe you should pop into yours and see if they stock theBalm products!This retails at around the €17 mark which may seem pricey but it is totally worth and some of the best money I've ever spent, plus at 8.5g, it's going to last you a long time. I can not recommend this enough! I will be reviewing another theBalm product soon so watch this space!

♥