My Skincare Routine: No7 Radiance Boosting Hot Cloth Cleanser.

Hey guys!
I thought I'd do a quick post to tell you I popped into Boots with my next £5 off voucher and picked up a couple of things - the most important being this No7 Radiance Boosting Hot Cloth Cleanser (£9.00, here).
It's obviously a copy of the more famous and widely used Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser, but it's a lot cheaper (£9 for 200ml vs. £23 for 200ml) and probably less good? I've only been using it for 2 days but already my skin feels a lot cleaner and brighter, not too mention smoother thanks to the (slightly scratchy) muslin cloth provided.

I like the packaging anyway - it's sleek and minimal. The formula is smooth and not too creamy which is great - it's really light and doesn't sit heavily on my skin. I have such sensitive skin that I'm pleased to report this cleanser didn't cause any adverse reactions.
The idea is that you apply this cleanser to your skin, then heat up the muslin cloth using warm water. You then apply the cloth to your face, leave on in order to open your pores and then scrub gently away any dirt. I found that this lifted so much more of my makeup than I'm used to with other cleansers and really made my skin feel soft and smooth. I wouldn't use the muslin cloth around the eyes because it is so scratchy, but I also got a makeup remover so that should take care of that.
Obviously I haven't been using the product long enough to give a verdict on whether or not it has improved my skin, but so far so good!

I also picked up this:

It's just a basic eye make up remover. The formula feels a little oily when applied, but I use it right before my cleanser so that soon disappears. It takes its time to dislodge hardcore products like waterproof mascara but it works just fine. (£7.75, here)
 

What are your thoughts on this Liz Earle alternative? Have you tried it yet?

S x

Fun Things: Rae Morris MakeUp/Express MakeUp Reviewed

A little while ago, after my 21st, I used my Waterstones vouchers to pick up two books by makeup artist Rae Morris. I'd been researching which makeup books were the best to get, and came across this review which swung me in the direction of her books. I know there are probably already lots of reviews out there for these books, but I thought I'd share my opinions of them anyway. I've included the Waterstones links and prices because that's where I bought them.

Makeup: The Ultimate Guide (2008) - £13.45, here.
I'll just say right off the bat that I love this book! Morris writes in such a clear, relatable style - it doesn't feel at all like she is talking down to you, more like she is a friend giving you tips. It really is quite encyclopaedic without being overwhelming. There are loads of useful chapters: one on tools, one on the best kind of skincare routine (Rae Morris seems to be my kind of woman - of the less is more variety, although my routine is more down to laziness than knowledge), and of course a gigantic section containing tutorials on makeup looks. These are great - nothing is tacky or too 'fashionable' - meaning that these looks will stand the test of time pretty well. I'll be using parts or whole looks in the future for sure. Morris also includes a chapter on Asian and Over 40s eye looks which is handy, and, I gather, not all that common. She also provides super practical advice on how to contour, apply blush, highlight and apply false eyelashes (it turns out I'd been doing it wrong and now I see why they didn't suit me!). She also stresses the importance of darkening your body if you are going to darken your face. The pictures are gorgeous - and one of the best things is that the fallout from eye shadows is not edited out - so you can see that even makeup artists don't get it perfect first time round! All in all, if you're going to buy one makeup guide, make it this one. I find it indispensable now.

Express Makeup (2011), £14.99 here.
This book contains some of the same information as the previous, but in a much shorter style - the emphasis is on makeup for those of us who haven't all the time in the world. There are still sections on the best way to apply foundation, shape eyebrows and so on - and there is an extended colour chart indicating eyeshadows that both compliment and intensify your eye colour. However, the looks (and they are all different from the looks in the first book) are designed to be easy to pull off in a shorter space of time. Again the photography is stunning and simple, the looks are brilliant and timeless and I love this book. I wish I could recreate all the looks on its pages as well as the looks from the previous books but know that not all of them will suit me. I think this is a great addition to the first book and could be bought separately given that some of the same basics are in this one too. However I bought both because then I'd have a greater compendium of tips, looks and tutorials to draw inspiration and guidance from.
I highly recommend both but depending on what your looking for - something more in depth or something lighter, you could choose either or.

So, do you have a favourite make up book or guide? Or do you just go with what turns up in your head? I should also mention that Rae Morris has her own website where she currently sells a range of brushes that look great but are unfortunately above my pay grade. Check it out for more info on the artist herself.

I'd also like to reiterate (although it states it at the bottom of my page) that I was not compensated, encouraged or even asked to do this post. I just thought I'd share with you my honest opinion of something I really enjoyed.

S x

This Week in Pictures.

A fairly hideous photo of me just awake, but dressed in my onesie! I bought it in Primark for £10 and it is so cosy and comfy. It will also be perfect for Christmas.

Image source

I've been watching Godard films for class - I already love A Bout de Souffle, but Vivre Sa Vie is amazing too. Anna Karina is stunning, a real inspirational beauty. 

Image source

In my rare moments of downtime, I've been reading books borrowed from my local library (my own personal library probably couldn't withstand anymore purchases). I have been loving this book - it's beautiful and vivid and I simultaneously can't wait to finish it, and don't want it to end. 

Sorry today's post is a little scant, and so heavily borrowed image - but have some nice things lined up for the following week!

S x

Collective Haul: E.L.F, MUA, Sleek, Collection 2000, Primark & New Look.

Hey guys!
So I promised to show you the results of the shopping trip I went on with my friend Sam and here they are. All my purchases were somewhat bargain - included is an ELF order from the last 50% sale, some stuff from Superdrug which I had a 25% off voucher for, and New Look things as they were running a 20% sale for students. So I tried to be cost effective.
Anyway I really enjoyed what I got. I've kept one thing behind for my 'This Week' post on Sunday but I'm sure you'll love it!

Also - one thing from this haul, I picked up an extra of to include in my giveaway coming soon (!!) which already includes some Models Own products. Which of them would you most like it to be, if you could choose? Also, don't forget to subscribe (in the sidebar) to keep up to date with the details!

Clothes & Accessories

Bracelet, Primark, £2

I think this bracelet is so so cool. A lovely shade of orange with all these little gold studs - it looks like a belt for your wrist! To be honest i've never been into these sort of 'leather bracelets' before, but this one changed my mind.

Ring, Primark, £2.50

I love this ring! It's huge. Almost the size of my fingers. But it's such a beautiful shade of blue and I've always been a fan of jewellery that's a bit costumey. I just fell in love with this when I saw it. The only thing I don't like about it is it's a stretch band. But other than that, it's awesome.

Earrings, Primark, £2

I'm undecided about these. I look at them once and love them, then I look at them again and hate them. I think they walk a fine line between old-lady and gorgeous. I think maybe with the right outfit these would be pretty cool. Plus I don't own any red jewellery so this makes a nice start.

Earrings, Primark, £1.50

These are so cool! They are very long, and very Dynasty, and maybe a little tacky but I love them. They kind of look like armour to me. I like that you can sort of hide them in your hair but because they are so big and reflective they kind of peek through. Definitely a statement though.

Bracelets, New Look, £5.99 (but I had 20% off)

I wanted to pick up a few basic bracelets as well, just everyday things. And since my autumn wardrobe features a lot of sienna, and mustard yellows and burnt orange, as well as my staples of grey/navy/black, I thought these were perfect. I quite like the big resin bracelet at the bag actually. It reminds me of bracelets I had as a kid.

Bag, Primark, £9

I like this bag - I needed a new one as you should know. I have one small hard-case vintage bag and one small Topshop handbag so I felt I needed something larger and more basic to keep my Uni stuff in and just for day to day. To be honest at £9 it doesn't matter if it gets knocked around a bit which is why I like it. I really like the clasp on it too. It also has a quite cute leopard print lining.

Brogues, Primark, £8

I have been looking for a pair of mustard brogues for AGES but the Office ones are so expensive for shoes that will probably fall apart pretty quick. The Primark ones are quite cheap, relatively disposable and it means you can have a pair in each colour! I really love the colour of these and I'm thinking of going back for some brown ones. Maybe even a red pair? Anyway, loving brogues as is everyone else at the moment! A great Autumn shoe.

Top, Primark, £10. Shorts are New Look but from years ago.

I cannot keep my hands off anything yellow, it would seem! The minute I saw this I wanted it so badly. It's quite short, but the colour blocking makes it look collegiate almost, and I love both the blue and mustard (the blue matches my ring) and it's just a cool casual staple for autumn.

Makeup


I think I'll do this by product rather than place since I got quite a few lipsticks and I'd like to group them together.Keep in mind I got all E.L.F products half-price.

First up, the E.L.F Mineral Foundation in Light (£3.50 here). This is my first foray into the world of powder mineral foundations and I have to say, having applied it today, that I'm impressed. It's a bit more matte than I would usually go for but unless you have super dry skin I wouldn't avoid it. The finish is velvety, it blends well. It's not full coverage but it's not sheer either - probably medium for me although everyone's interpretation is different. I loved it, and it made blending powder products like blush and shadow really easy later.

I also picked up the E.L.F Mineral Blush in Plum (£3.50 here) which I love. I'm wearing it in my last FOTD (as well as a bunch of other stuff in this post) and I think it's such a flattering, mauvey colour that would suit most skin tones. It's very youthful and pretty blended on.

This is E.L.F Tone Correcting Concealer in Light Beige (£1.50 here). When this arrived and I swatched it on my hand I was worried it was going to be to dark and orange. But honestly under my eyes it counteracted a lot of the bluish purple and brightened my eyes up. It's very blendable as well.

You know how I was kind of ambiguous about mascaras before? Because they weren't my most exciting thing? Well, right now anyway, I love this mascara. It's Collection 2000 Skyscraper Mascara in Ultra Black (£4.99 here) and I'll admit what first drew me in was the packaging (I really miss New York). I picked it up because I'm trying to find that one mascara that will convert me, and this may not be the best in the world but I'm really loving it. Even thought it's a plastic  brush. I will do a full review on this later.

These E.L.F Studio Cream Eyeliners in Black and Copper (£3.50 each, here) are also my first foray into cream eyeliners. I don't use the free brushes (too pliable) - I use my BK11 angled liner brush and from experimenting the past few days I can say they are well pigmented and easy to apply. I like the formula a lot - it's definitely preferable to liquid liner, at least for me. Much easier to apply - although it's not all-day long wearing, it lasts long enough in my opinion.

This MUA Pearl Eyeshadow in Shade 12 (£1.00, here) is awesome. Hyper pigmented from all that mica, it feels velvety and soft, and the colour is this oily, gunmetal grey with some bronze in there - it changes colour in the light which I really love. I'll definitely be using this soon.

These E.L.F Studio Eyeliner and Shadow Sticks (£3.50 each, here) were the only purchase I was actually disappointed with. I got them in Green/Moss and Plum/Purple and I definitely prefer the purple shade for pigmentation alone. I haven't tried these on the eyes yet so I can't really pass judgement but the formula of the eyeliner feels oily and those short-wearing, whilst if the shadesticks aren't that pigmented I'm afraid of dragging on my eyelid. We'll see!

This E.L.F Studio Matte Lipstick in Praline (£3.50, here) is a browny bronze shade that I feel might come across a little nineties. It's very dry so I'd recommend a good lip exfoliation and primer prior to wearing, or maybe a slick of gloss on top. It's a nice enough colour but not one of my favourites. Here it is on the lips:

It is maybe a little too dark for me? I don't know. It just feels like I'm veering dangerously into ring-of-brown-lipliner territory. Thoughts?

The rest of my lipsticks were vivid reds and pinks, and two glossy shades from E.L.F. I am trying to strike out away from nudes for now and test out some red on my lips despite my fears. Let me know what you think!

This is E.L.F Mineral Lipstick in Cheerful Cherry (£3.50, here). It is a very cherry red with hints of pink in it, which I love. The formula is good - not great - but good. It applies well and quite smoothly although I found it mildly drying after a point. But the colour is cute - it reminds me of Christmas. And here it is lip-swatched:

Here's E.L.F Luscious Liquid Lipstick in Brownie Points (£1.50, here). After how much I loved the same lipstick in Strawberry I held high hopes for these but it's not as pigmented on the lips as it is on the hand. It would maybe look good swatched over a colour like Praline but the formula is quite sticky! And on the lips:

I also got an E.L.F Luscious Liquid Lipstick in Ruby Slipper (£1.50, here). I was expecting a sparkly red, but got a more muted sheeny pink instead. It's alright, but not better than Strawberry, in my opinion.

I also got two Sleek Lipsticks (£4.00 each, here)!

First picture: L-R is Vixen and Candy Cane; Second picture: L-R is Candy Cane then Vixen; last picture: Top to bottom is Candy Cane then Vixen. I have spoken before about the formula of Sleek lipsticks, and it's not different this time - I love them. So super smooth and creamy. And I find the formula lasts quite a while as well. I love the colours swatched here: Vixen a true, pillar-box red, and Candy Cane a proper Barbie pink. Here are my lips in Vixen:

And Candy Cane:

The light is slightly off in the above picture, but it is that bright sugary pink. You can also see it in my most recent FOTD. I love this colour! Such a bold pink. I've heard other people blog about enjoying it too so I suppose I'm not alone.

And finally onto my favourite!

The MUA Lipstick in Shade 1 (£1.00, here). First of all, for a £1 Lipstick I love the packaging, the cute addition of a lip tint in the colour-coded cap (see middle picture). I love the colour (the swatch on my hand has come out more raspberry toned than it is in real life) and the formula is amazing. Seriously this lipstick applies so creamily and smoothly than I thought I was wearing high-end. It does, if worn all day, eventually get a little bit dry but that's to be expected. This has converted me to red lips. For sure! Here is my lipswatch (sorry for the pinkening around the mouth, I did try on 7 lipsticks after all!)

SO - Sorry for the lengthy post. Congratulations if you made it to the end. Let me know what your favourite piece  is and feel free to be honest if you think any of the colours are hideous on me! I'd rather know. Also let me know what you would have chosen to be in the upcoming giveaway if you could. I'd be interested to know.
Lastly, don't forget to subscribe!

S x

FOTD: Retro Winged Eyes

Today I decided to go a little more simple yet impactful with my makeup by doing a black winged eye. I paired it with two different lips to show you both - the nude lip above for a more sixties, classic vibe, and a bright pink lip for a more poppy, eighties look.

On my face I'm also using Mineral Foundation and Blush for the first time, and a new Liquid Concealer under my eyes. I'm enjoying the finish of all three.

Here's the look with a bolder pink lip.

So, here is what I used to create this look:

Face:
E.L.F Mineral Foundation in Light
E.L.F Tone Correcting Concealer in Light Beige
E.L.F Warm Bronzer
E.L.F Mineral Blush in Plum
Eyes
Sleek Eyeshadow in Nougat (light wash on lid)
Sleek Eyeshadow in Taupe (inner corner and browbone)
Sleek Eyeshadow in Bark (eyebrow)
All eyeshadow in Au Naturel palette
E.L.F Cream Eyeliner in Black
Collection 2000 Skyscraper Mascara in Ultra Black (full review of this coming soon, I have fallen in love!)
Lips
Nude: MAC Lipstick in Blankety
Pink: Sleek Lipstick in Candy Cane


What do you think? A lot of these will be in my future haul and favourite products posts coming soon!

S x

My Makeup Brush Collection: Sephora, Clinique and Crown.

I promised a while ago, when I did my 21st birthday haul, that I would talk about the set of brushes I got.    I have been using them, and the couple of other brushes I have, for almost a month now so I feel qualified to give my honest opinion.
My mum got me a kit of fifteen brushes from Crown Brushes - the Luna Series 517 Set (£49.99). She had thought that most of them were made from taklon (a synthetic fibre of extremely high quality), since she feels icky about brushes made from animal hair, but on further research only six of the fifteen are synthetic. They are all awesome, though, and for those who are interested I've included the material the brush is made out of in the description, since you can buy the brushes separately on the website.
My other brushes are my Clinique Concealer Brush (£13.00) and my Sephora Slim Essential Brush Set ($39.99). The Clinique was a present, again from my mum, and the Sephora kit I picked up in the states.
I store them in a Slom jar from IKEA (£0.90) of which I have about 5 for storing various things. I think it's cute.
In this post, with the lengthy introduction, I'll talk through each of my brushes, what I use them for, and how good I think they are. Just look to each of the photo captions for brush name and material. Hope you're ready for a looooong post! And I hope this is helpful to anyway looking to start or build upon their brush collection.

Crown Brushes

BK01 Jumbo Powder Dome (Sable and Goat)

The BK01 is fairly densely packed and super soft - I don't use pressed powder at the moment so I sometimes use this for light application of bronzer. The slightly tapered tip would work well for powders though, because you'd easily get into the crevices of your nose. However, one thing I have noticed is that when I wash this brush, the first couple times black dye rinsed out - I guess like with a new pair of jeans. So I'd probably give them a couple washes first!

BK04 Angled Blush Brush (Sable and Goat)

I've been using my BK04 for contouring - mostly with bronzer but sometimes with Sleek Blush in Suede. The bristles are soft and packed, but because the brush has such a small surface area, I feel like it creates a 'line' of brush and makes it harder to blend. I usually use a large powder brush like my Sephora Large Powder Brush or my larger Sephora Blush Brush for blusher. This is a good small brush for contouring though, and it's always handy to have an extra angled brush around.

BK06 Flat Bronzer (Sable)

The BK06 is described on the website as being for bronzer, but I've been using it for foundation! It's like a stippling brush, perhaps not as good as a duo-fibre but it blends really well and creates that buffed, airbrushed finish that I prefer. The bristles aren't too pliable with makes it good for buffing liquid foundations out. I would probably use a different brush for a cream or powder foundation though.

BK08 Deluxe Fan (Badger)

This brush is super soft. Seriously. So soft. I use this for gently dusting away fallout under my eyes, and if I am wearing my MakeUp Forever HD Powder, I use this to lightly sweep it all over my face without buildup or caking. I like this brush a lot. It's probably not a necessary purchase, but more of something to add to your collection later.

BK09 Deluxe Oval Foundation (Taklon)

I haven't even used this one yet! I know, I know. But I have bad memories of using flat brushes like this to apply foundation in my early, baby-steps teens, and it leaving streaky paint lines all over my face. Maybe using this brush to apply liquid foundations and then buffing out with my BK06 would work, but I haven't tested it out yet. Do you guys have any preference when it comes to foundation brushes? I do have to say though that from the feel, this brush is so soft - softer maybe even than the animal hair brushes - and has just enough give to apply liquids, but not so much so that it won't pick up any product.

BK10 Oval Concealer (Taklon)

I had been using the BK10 as an eyeshadow brush before I realised it was meant for concealer. It's just small, soft and yet dense enough to either apply a wash of colour to the lid or pack it on more heavily. I think it would be too pliable for cream or stick concealers, but would blend liquids well. I just found this a more appropriate size and shape for eyeshadow.

L-R: BK11 Angle Taklon Liner (Taklon) and BK20 Angle Brow (Boar and Badger)

The BK11 is SO SOFT. Seriously it feels like silk on my eyes. I use this for what it's supposed to do - applying liner. Only shadow so far - I feel like I'd need a stiffer brush for a gel or cream, but we'll see. This is one of my favourite brushes, on feel alone. The BK20 works perfectly too - I prefer my brows when using this with brown shadow to a pencil. It's stiff and bristly which makes applying shadows like tiny hairs on the brow super easy. And the angle means the shape works better for me.

BK14 Deluxe Oval Shadow (Sable)

At first I had no idea what this brush was for. It's supposed to be an eyeshadow brush but it's way too big for my lid, but the brushes are soft to the touch yet dense enough that I use this for applying powder, cream or liquid highlight to my browbone

BK16 Mini Smudger (Sable)

I use this stiff, small brush for super precise eyeshadow application (sometimes for highlighting, sometimes for the outer v) and also for smudging (for example, in a smokey eye, the eyeliner above and below the eye). It works really well for me.

BK17 Deluxe Round Angle Stippler (Badger)

I use the BK17 for blending eyeshadow - the slight stiffness and density of it, plus the angle, make blending upward and out a lot easier than using my fingers! Sometimes when it is clean I use it for more precise blending out of my blush or bronzer, especially around the jawbone and hairline.

BK18 Round Crease (Sable and Goat)

I use my BK18 for applying colour in the crease, and sometimes load it lightly with colour and use it to blend up and out from the crease. The tapered point of the brush (I think it looks kind of like a flame shape) It great for super precise crease application, but because the brush is pretty pliable and soft I also use it to blend out too-dark eyeshadow.

BK19 Deluxe Oval Taklon Lip (Taklon)

 I do not use this as a lip brush! I use it for applying concealer in conjunction or instead of my Clinique concealer brush. It's great for really precise application on blemishes or dark spots and for getting into my nose crease or lining around my lips to stop feathering. It's not so great for under eye blending but I'm still working on that - with my massive under eye bags I need to! Anyway, I rarely use a lip brush but when I do I use a Sephora Lip Brush from my kit which I haven't picture because it's somewhere that I can't remember. Which is my roundabout way of saying I've lost it. For now!

L-R: BK23 Spoolie and BK22 Brow and Lash Groomer (Synthetics)

No explanation needed really. I use the BK22 for smoothing my brows and combing clumpy lashes. I use the BK22 for clumpy lashes, and, when clean, for smoothing flyaway hairs. Just spray with hairspray and comb!

Clinique Brush

Clinique Concealer Brush (Hong Kong Website says synthetic)

The slim, tapered point of this brush is what makes it work for me. It means you can pinpoint tiny blemishes, dark spots and scars with total precision and then blend out to conceal things nicely and not bring attention to them. It says on the website that these brushes have 'anti-bacterial technology' but I still use daily brush cleanser!

Sephora Brushes

Large Powder Brush (Microfiber)

This brush is very very soft and pliable. It splays in my hand a little which is apparently the sign of a not-so-great brush but I like this for lightly dusting the apples of my cheeks with blush. I wouldn't demand you buy it, but it works for the job. I think maybe you might want to go up a notch with Sephora brushes and spend a little more money but I was just buying a set for my travels so...I do use this brush almost every day though, and it hasn't shed or failed me yet.

Blush Brush (Microfiber)

This brush has a denser bristle and is more packed, but after a couple of washes some of the bristles are sort of bending out at an angle from the brush as you can see. However, this works really well for applying blush and contouring under the cheekbone. I use this brush almost every day too. It works just fine for me and I would keep using it too. I might have to clip some of those hairs though.

Large Eyeshadow Brush (Microfiber)

This brush is very pliable and soft. I use it for applying a wash of colour all over the lid. I don't use it for anything more precise since it is quite wide and it splays a little, but for washes of colour, neutral looks and so on it works quite well.

Small Eyeshadow Brush (Microfiber)

This brush is exactly the same as the one above only smaller. I'd use it again for washes of colour, but maybe for blending too. It's very soft though and imprecise.


To be honest, my Sephora brushes are good for basics, washes of colour and blush. They could be better but they are not bad in any way and I use at least half of them every day. I also love the Lip Brush in the set and would use that any time I would need a lip brush.
My Clinique brush I love and I love several if not all of the brushes from my Crown kit. I'm not recommending any brands to you at all - it's up to you what you buy! And to be honest, I'd love to own some MAC brushes - I just can't afford them right now but I'm saving! I think it's good to have a mix of high and low end, a couple of brushes you can't live without and some duplicates. You can add to and take away from your brushes as you go along. It's something of an evolving process, as I am learning.

Anyway hope you liked this and that my pictures weren't too shoddy. And maybe it was helpful or just really boring and long. Maybe one day I'll do my favourite 5 brushes in a shorter post for people who hate me rambling like this.

Finally - my haul will be up soon, promise! Just need some good light to show you the clothes I got.

S x