Real Techniques- Your base/flawless Core collection ♥

I've always been a massive fan of the Chapman sisters, and absolutely love their you tube channel. I've heard  so many amazing things about Samantha Chapman's Real Techniques brushes, and I thought it was about time that I got my hands on them!

 I was really after a foundation and powder brush, which separately retail at around £9.99. I then saw this brush set retailing at £21.99. This seemed much better value, as you get four brushes and a case/stand. The Core Collection contains Detailer Brush, perfect for covering perfection and applying lipstick; a Pointed Foundation Brush to build coverage; a Buffing Brush for full coverage of powder and mineral foundation; and a Contour Brush to apply highlighter to contour.

 The brushes are so soft and light. I also find that you don't get any stray brush hairs, which sometimes happens with other make up brushes. I've used every brush, and so far I'm really impressed. I have to say that the pointed foundation brush is a real winner for me. I have quite large pores,and I think my skin looks so dewy when applying foundation with this brush. 

 I think this a great brush collection for those wanting to get more experienced in applying make up, but also for those who are already experienced but want to expand their collection. You can also visit www.realtechniques.com to watch step-by-step tutorials of how to use the brushes.  

You can purchase the Core Collection, retailing at £21.99 from Boots.

Have you tried the Real Techniques brushes?

soap and glory fab Pore hot cloth cleanser review ♥

I love Soap and Glory products, and I was really impressed by their Fab Pore Hot Cloth Cleanser. Made to "melt" away your make up, the cleanser smells lovely, and leaves my face feeling lovely and soft. With sweet almond, orange and lavender oils, I thought it smelt amazing.

Soap and Glory advise to massage your face using the cleanser for sixty seconds, and then use the muslin cloth provided to press it off. I found that not only did the cleanser remove all of my make up, it left my face feeling really moisturised and soft. 

The cleanser managed to remove every trace of make up, including my mascara. I use Benefit They're Real, so if you use this too then you'll know how difficult this is to remove. I was a bit apprehensive about using the muslin cloth, because I find it a bit annoying that you have to go to the effort of washing it every time you use it. I think the product is really good though, so I guess it's worth it!

You can purchase this cleanser for £10.00 (100ml) from Boots, who are also running a 3 for 2 on Soap and Glory products at the moment. 

What's your favourite cleanser?

Swirly Whirlys Tea Shop ♥

I love tea shops, and where I live, they have quite a few. I recently visited one in Nantwich, Cheshire. What made this tea shop so unique, was that it was owned by St Luke's Hospice. Everything you buy in the tea shop is made and served by volunteers, and every penny goes to the charity....so no feeling guilty about ordering that chocolate brownie!

(sorry about photo quality! Photos were taken on my phone!)

I think it has a real Cath Kidston/vintage vibe. I loved the brightly coloured chairs, and the cartoon table tops. It was a lovely place to relax. Drinks and food aren't overly expensive, and I enjoyed a luxury, white hot chocolate for £2.10. I think it's really important to support local businesses and charities, so I'm trying not to spend my money in coffee chains...although this is sometimes hard when in the city!

Have you visited anywhere nice for coffee?

january glossybox review 2013 ♥

I always have a little rant about Glossybox and how disappointed I can be with their boxes. After last months impressive box, I decided to stick with Glossybox and hope that their next box would be just as good! I'm actually quite pleased with this months box. Although I was hoping for more make up (last months box had an amazing Sleek palette!), I was still really impressed with the products. 

 The box included an:

Elemis Fresh Skin Facial Exfoliator: I'm so happy with this product! I think Elemis is considered a blog/youtube sensation! I haven't tried Elemis but I've always been eager to. It smells lovely and fruity and left my skin feeling soft and refreshed. Elemis say this product is aimed to "nurture skin and help prevent premature ageing". I hope this is true!

Glossy box sample: 30ml

Jason Lips Bee Healthier: This was a full sized sample, and a nice, little product. The product is so soft and almost buttery, and my lips feels moisturised all day...perfect for all of this cold weather that we're getting lately! The product contains beeswax, vitamin E, green tea extract and aloe vera gel. All of these ingredients are key to having healthy and smooth skin, so I had high hopes for this product.

Glossy box sample: Full size 4.6g

Duck Island Limited Body Lotion: The shape of the product is what caught my eye first, and the large picture of a duck! I'm not sure how I feel about this product. I actually was apprehensive about putting it on my skin because the smell is so overpowering. I think it smells like bleach! The smell has been described by the company as "zesty", which is definitely one word for it. I couldn't buy this product no matter how good it was, as I feel like I smell like a toilet after using it!

Glossy box sample: 30ml

Monu Aromatic Mask: My favourite product of the whole box! Glossybox has been introducing Monu products into most of their boxes, and although this should annoy me (Glossybox aim to introduce you to new, luxury products in each box) it doesn't, because their products are that good. My skin has been so dry recently, and after cleansing I put this mask on for 15 minutes as required. My skin looked literally glowing...even my mum commented on how soft and dewy my skin looked. It also doesn't dry and flake off on your skin which is a bonus.

Glossy box sample: 30ml

Paul Mitchel Super Strong Daily Conditioner: I received a Paul Mitchel product in a November box which I really enjoyed, so was happy to see this product. I've only used the conditioner once since receiving the box but I really like it. The ends of my hair are a little dry at the moment, and this made them feel lovely and soft. My hair also looked a lot bouncier and thicker. 

Glossy box sample: 100ml

Bonus product:

A Glossy box eye mask! I haven't photographed this as I couldn't find it, due to using it last night. I thought this was a lovely, little bonus and actually was really helpful in helping me sleep last night!

Do you receive Glossybox? What did you think of the box this month?

Benefit Sippin' n Dippin' review ♥

For Christmas I was lucky to receive lots of Benefit products. One of them was the Sippin n' Dippin Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner, which is such a beautiful shade. I'd describe it as a pearly, gold, nude colour...if that makes sense!

 Benefit say the product is smudge and crease proof, and is perfect for buildable colour and shadowing. I have to say I'm really impressed with this product, as it seems to do exactly what it says. The consistency is smooth, yet feels slightly thick. It blends beautifully and is really easy to build up more and more colour. I like to apply two coatings of the cream to my eyes as it has a lovely sheer/nude appearance. 

 The staying power is amazing. Although it's easy to apply and blend, after thirty seconds of leaving it to settle, it dries really well and doesn't seem to smudge at all. I'm usually a little funny with using cream eye shadows as I find they don't stay put, but I don't seem to have that problem with this product. I do find however, after a good six hours of wear, little creases begin to appear on my eye lid- but this has also been after a long day at work, and still don't seem so noticeable. 

It was really difficult to capture the product on camera, as it is such a sheer, golden shade. It really does look beautiful though, especially when caught in the light. The product did retail at £14.00 for 4.5g, however it has now been reduced to £7.00...bargain! You can buy the product from the Benefit website, found HERE. 

Have you tried this product before? Are you a fan of cream eye shadows?

Benefit Fast Train to Fabulous ♥

 I think there have been many blog reviews about the gift sets that Benefit did at Christmas, and I was definitely impressed. I managed to get myself the Benefit Fast Train to Fabulous set in the sale at Boots, reduced from £39.50 to £26.50...bargain!

The gift set includes a full size 22ml The Pore professional, a full size 12.5ml Bene tint, a half size 9ml They're Real mascara and a Benefit perfume sample. I've wanted to try the mascara and primer for ages, but I think £18.50 for a full size They're Real, and £23 for the Porefessional is a little steep in price!

I'm so happy I purchased this gift set- I understand the hype with the They're Real mascara. It separates your lashes, curls them and makes them look much fuller. Although it does all of this, I really do think I can achieve a similar look with drugstore mascaras including L'oreal Telescopic and L'oreal Million Lashes, which both retail around £9.99. I think if £18.50 sounds reasonable or you fancy a little treat, then this mascara really won't disappoint. The perfume sample was a lovely little extra too- perfect for the handbag.

I'm quite impressed with the Pore Fessional, especially as I suffer from large pores. My favourite primer is currently Revlon PhotoReady Perfecting Primer (£11.99). I haven't found another primer that does the job as well, so the Pore fessional did surprise me. It's quite watery in consistency, but makes my skin feel smooth and velvety. I don't think it minimises pores, but it definitely makes my skin look smoother. My make up also applies really well, however I have found that I've had a few break outs since using it. It doesn't really compare to the Revlon primer, and at £23, I feel it's quite overpriced for what it is. 

I've really enjoyed using the Bene tint, which can be applied to cheeks and lips. It looks beautiful applied to either, but I did find it was a little tricky to blend. It retails at £13.50 which although seems expensive for 12.5ml, a little drop of this product goes a long way.

Did you manage to get your hands on this gift set? Have you tried any of these products?

My dressing table ♥

Just a quick post to show you my dressing table at the moment. I have so much jewellery, so I tend to keep most of my jewellery on the table, and my make up in the drawers. I've always wanted a dressing table, but I've created my own with a chest of drawers and a lovely mirror...I still haven't found a dressing table that has enough storage for all of my make up!

 My glassware in vintage from the 1920's, and was purchased for £6.00 from a little place in Lancaster. I think it is meant to be used to store sauces/condiments on the table...but I think jewellery storage is a much better idea! The white stand was picked up from a store in Gran Caneria for 5 euros. It was actually black so I spay painted it white.

The gold bird stand was a Christmas present from Urban Outfitters...I was thinking of spray painting it white, but I actually like the clashing colours. I love the mirror too- I wanted this in white, but I actually thought it looked a little tacky and much more sophisticated in black. It was purchased from Dunelm Mill but over a year ago so I'm not sure it will still be available.

Other items include my Yankee Candle, and candle from Primark in Peaches and Cream. My favourite perfume and body lotion (Jimmy Choo) is also on the table so it's easy so reach as I go out.

 

Do you have a dressing table? How do you store your make up and jewellery?