RealTechniques Retractable Lip Brush + Silicone Liner!

Swatches of Chanel Rouge Coco in 31 Cambon + 

Maybelline EyeStudio Lasting Drama Gel Liner in 01 Black

Hey Beauty Lovers! These are the two new additions to my realTechniques brush collection. The Retractable Lip Brush is super convenient for when on-the-go as the bristles are protected by the cap. Before putting the cap on you need to pull up the protective sleeve to hide the bristles inside and then put the cap on. It's a super neat lip brush to have in your handbag! The Silicone Liner Brush is mimicking one of those felt-tip eyeliner applicators. As it doesn't have bristles the silicone tip doesn't take in much of the gel/cream eyeliner so you can only do tiny strokes. It takes a bit of practice to get used to, but it's great for creating that sharp flick tip for detailed precision.

LOVE

RealTechniques Miracle Complexion Sponge Review!

Hey Beauty Lovers! I have featured the RealTechniques Miracle Complexion Sponge in my Gift Guide last year. And now after having fallen in love with it I decided to write an actual review and share the love. This is my first experience when it comes to any make-up application sponges and beauty blenders. Previously I have only used either my fingers or brushes when applying liquid foundation. For some reason I always though a sponge would apply a liquid foundation quiet thickly, but it's exactly the opposite! I have now gone back to using MAC Matchmaster foundation, there is a big difference in application. Make-up brushes seemed to have made MAC Matchmaster look almost cakey on me.

I also love how the Miracle Complexion Sponge is shaped, the rounded sides are great for applying foundation all over the face and neck, btw I have never been able to achieve such a flawless application on my neck in seconds, even the kabuki brushes were not able to seamlessly blend even the lightest foundation on the neck. The flat side is great for under the eye area, and the pointed bit is perfect for around the nose or for pinpoint concealing. This sponge can also be used with concealers, cream blushes, and even powders! So yeh, I'm pretty hooked on this sponge right now, it creates a super flawless beautifully airbrushed finish! For more coverage use the sponge by tapping foundation onto the skin with the rounded side, and for a sheer coverage use the wiping strokes.

LOVE

Stocking Filler: realTechniques Miracle Complexion Sponge!

Hey Beauty Lovers! This is what I call the perfect stocking filler: cute, tiny and very-much needed! realTechniques Miracle Complexion Sponge is great for applying and blending foundation and concealer. The shape is designed to make it easy to get everywhere where it's usually tricky to get, places such as the under eye area and around the nose. Depending on how you turn the sponge you either get a round edge, a flat edge or a pointy edge. Miracle Complexion Sponge is a great foundation blending tool, which helps to create a flawless skin finish.

LOVE

Top Five Eye Makeup Brushes: MAC, RealTechniques, Sonia Kashuk...

 Top to Bottom:

RealTechniques Detailer Brush

N7 Eye Colour Brush

MAC 239 Eye Shader Brush 

Sonia Kashuk Large Crease Brush 

Bare Escentuals Heavenly Eyeshadow Buffing Brush

Hey Beauts! Having recently written about top five face makeup brushes that I use in my daily makeup routine I decided to also share my top five essential eye makeup brushes! RealTechniques Detailer Brush I use as an under eye concealer brush with Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage, this concealer is thick and has a waxy texture which I find is best picked up by and applied with this brush as the bristles aren't too soft and keep a good shape.  N7 Eye Colour Brush is great for eyeshadows that have cream or mousse textures, the bristles are synthetic and very hard so they are great for layering and building up the product.

MAC 239 Eye Shader Brush is a new addition to my makeup brush collection. I have no idea how I could've possible managed without it before. It lays eyeshadow onto the lid in such a beautiful way, also great for taking it underneath the lower lash line for a smudged look. My Sonia Kashuk Large Crease Brush is pretty old, the packaging has been updated since - the handle looks a little different now but the brush is still the same. It's a great brush for taking the eyeshadow into the socket, perfect density and rounded shape. Bare Escentuals Heavenly Eyeshadow Buffing Brush is amazing for blending the edges, it has a straight cut of the bristles which makes it act as an eraser in a way.

LOVE

Top Five Face Make-Up Brushes: MAC, Sigma, RealTechniques!

From Top to Bottom: 

real Techniques Stippling Brush; Sigma Large Angled Contour F40

MAC 116, MAC 109, Sigma Tapered Blending E40

Hey Beauts! If I could only pick the most vital five face make-up brushes they would be these. The make-up look and style that I wear on a daily basis is perfectly accompanied with just these five brushes. Currently the foundation that I'm wearing I apply with fingers because I find it works best that way. So the next step would be under eye concealing, the concealer I use is Rimmel Wake Me Up and the brush that works best with it is a fluffy soft medium brush - Sigma Tapered Blending E40. It's a dupe of the MAC 224 and I find it's way too big and too soft for my smokey eye make-up.

I always set my liquid foundation with mineral foundation, I use Laura Mercier Mineral Powder SPF15 and the best brush I like applying it with is RealTechniques Stippling Brush. This brush is also great for cream blushes and liquid foundation. For contouring, right now I'm obsessed with Kevyn Aucoin The Celestial Bronzing Veil, and the brush to apply it with is Sigma Large Angled Contour F40. It's a dupe for MAC 168 brush and it's best for pretty much just contouring, applying it in a soft natural way.

Blushes, I always use a few at a time depending on the make-up look I'm going for, but my favourite blush brush is the MAC 116. It lays the product flat and gives more control over blush application, it's hard to over-do blush with this brush [rhyme not intended]. And finally because I have oily/combination skin type I sometimes like to touch up my t-zone with MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural, and the best brush I like with this product is MAC 109. It's a small contour brush but I find it's a little to dense and applies contour a touch too heavy. Size-wise MAC 109 is perfect for the t-zone and also fits beautifully under the eye area and around the nose.

LOVE

Cosmetics a la Carte Bare Blush in Moonbeam and Lipstick in Ballerina!

 Cosmetics a la Carte Bare Blush Cream Blush in Moonbeam

 Cosmetics a la Carte Plump & Prime [lip base] and Lustre Lipstick in Ballerina

There is something about this base, it makes all lipsticks look even better and I find it prevents them from running, quite often I like to wear it on its own just as a nude lip!

Cosmetics a la Carte Lustre Lipstick in Ballerina

Hey Beauties! As featured before here is a look I created wearing the beautiful Cosmetics a la Carte Moonbeam highlighter and the pretty Lustre Lipstick in Ballerina. It's a really natural and fresh looking beauty look, which is emphasised by the glowing complexion and a pretty light pink lip with a sheen. If you haven't seen my previous blogpost with in depth review on these products, all the shades info and swatches click here! 

Although it's called a Cream Blush it really is a highlighter, but you can use it all over your face including cheeks and eyes just avoiding the centre of the face except for the bridge of the nose. The way I like to use it for that super glowing complexion is by applying it on top of my foundation and using it just like I would a highlighter but I also apply it where I'd apply blusher. Then on the cheeks on top of Moonbeam I layer my powder blush of choice, what that creates is a beautiful subtle sheen from underneath which means it doesn't look greasy, it just lifts the blush. Moonbeam  is a warm peach/rose gold shade, very beautiful. You can apply it with fingers, but I prefer to use the realTechniques Contour Brush with it, it applies it like a dream creating that airbrushed finish!

I have become a huge Cosmetics a la Carte lover this year, there are just so many great products I keep discovering! I particularly love their lipsticks, the textures are beautiful, the different finishes, they wear nicely, and somehow every lipstick I have tried looks effortlessly beautiful! Ballerina is such a pretty casual pink with a sheen. Although it's a Lustre finish it doesn't have a frosty shimmer, it just has a flattering sheen, which I find adds freshness to the face just like a glowing complexion does!

LOVE