Review | Sleek Brow Stylist

I've always been a 'Mac Omega and a 266 brush' kinda gal but after seeing the love everyone has for the Hourglass brow sculpting pencil I went on the hunt for a more budget friendly option. Obviously I can't compare this Sleek Brow Stylist to the Hourglass offering as I haven't tried it but as far as I'm concerned the Sleek one is fab. Here's why...

I had never used a spoolie until buying this product and it has seriously changed the look to my brows. It allows me to comb the hairs through before applying any product and then during application in order to sheer out the product and leave no harsh lines. This means that I can still get full brows but ones that look far more natural.

Most brow products in the drugstore are extremely orangey and red tones which doesn't work for most people. You may as well use bronzer on your brows, amiright?! Although the colour range isn't great, I found that the medium shade is actually a pretty good match for me, and is quite ashy toned but also has hints of red tones which works with my hair colour. 

I've always been scared of pencils because they have the potential to be extremely harsh (I found out the hard way - see my previous blog post on my brow history) but this pencil is very different to the one's I've tried before. It's quite waxy but also sets like a powder so you can sheer this out and also build up the colour to your desire. It's got a triangle sort of shape which is good because you can get precision on the tail of your brows but can cover a lot in one go on the full part of your brows, the shape works very well. 

Overall, I am a total convert to this way of doing my brows, it's so easy and carrying one product for travelling is so much easier than carting around brushes and eyeshadows. This is a definite repurchase and if you're in the market for a budget brow option (it's only's £5.99!) then I suggest heading to your nearest Sleek counter because you won't be disappointed. 

Comparison | Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Oil and Butter

If you have been reading my blog for a while you'll know my love for The Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Oil so when it was running low again I thought I'd give its butter counterpart a try. Overall they are both amazing products which do a great job but they both have their pros and cons.

First of all the formula, both of which melt away makeup so easily and both leave my skin completely cleansed and makeup free but also surprisingly soft too. I have to say, the butter is far easier to work with as the pump sometimes squirts oil everywhere which is a bit of a mess to clean up. Also with both products, a little goes a long way which is great cause you really get your money's worth and they last a long time. 

I simply rub a bit of either product in my hands, just to warm up the product and then massage onto my dry face and neck, whether I have my makeup on or not. I then soak a flannel or muslin cloth in warm water and then buff and wipe away the product to leave my face squeaky clean! 

As far as packaging goes, the butter is definitely easier to travel with as it's compact and slim so fits into a small crevice in your luggage. I've also found that the oil can easily leak, I don't know if it was a fault with an individual bottle of mine but it made a big mess all over my packed clothes. Not fun.  

Overall, I love both products, they both do an equally good job but for the packaging differences I think I'll keep repurchasing the butter rather than the oil as it's much easier for me when I stay at my boyfriend's house. 

x

Wishlist | My 20th Birthday

It's almost a month until I turn the big 2-0 so I've been trying to recount all the things I've been saying "ooooooh" and "aaaahh" over for months. These guys made the cut so this is my little reminder of what I could spend any money on or ask for if I'm lucky enough! Plus I just like lusting after all these things again and I also enjoy wishlist posts and hope you do too!

First up if the thing which I have been lusting after ever since I set eyes on them. The Zoeva Rose Gold Collection. Oh. My. How stunning are these?! I loooove Zoeva brushes so I know they are insane quality, pretty cheap for the price (all of these are only around £50!) and they are rose gold which is simply beautiful. What's not to love?

Topshop Joni Jeans are one of the styles of Topshop jeans I am yet to own but I recently found love in a pair of H&M high waisted jeans and now would like to try Topshop's more expensive offering. Ripped knees are bang on trend so I want a part of the action cause I think they would bring a bit of casual to any outfit.

I've been wanting to hit the gym for a long while and since I've been drowning my sorrows in a serious amount of McDonalds nuggs I really need to but don't have a pair of trainers with sufficient support for my poor ex-dancers ankles (curse you pointe shoes!). Plus these Nike Roshe's are gorgeous and I love the pop of atomic red.

As always my wishlist of MAC lipsticks and eyeshadows is as long as my arm so I'd hope to contribute a little more to my collections. I think Amorous and Creme in your Coffee lipsticks and Patina and Espresso eyeshadows are high up there.

I'm after a new bag cause I'm definitely a 'new academic year, new handbag' kinda gal (don't know if that's a thing but I'll certainly make it one). I love the look of this Topshop Tote bag with Arrow Detailing cause it's big enough to fit in all my stuff and is a little less structured than my satchel style that I usually go for. I love the shape of this and fancy a bag that can go on my shoulder rather than with a huge long strap leaving my bag bashing against my thighs all day.

Finally some Muji storage for my ever-growing makeup collection. I did infact buy some draws from eBay quite a while ago but they are in no way big enough to fit my makeup anymore so I think it's about time I invested in some larger which will look beauts on my dresser.

Apologies for the volume of stock photos on this post, obviously it's hard not to when it's wishlist but I did include my own photos of the lisptick and eyeshadow (for reference they are 'patisserie' lipstick and 'sable' eyeshadow). Hopefully I am a lucky egg this year but I stress that I'm grateful for any gifts I receive and buy all my makeup and clothes with my own money. Do I even need to say this? I don't know, got to cover all bases on the internet, right?!

Any ideas of how I can celebrate my 20th? Let me know!

x

Review | L'Oreal Fibrology Range

When the first tv ads for this range popped up I was sold by all the swishy hair and the promise of long-lasting thickness, and after using both the shampoo and conditioner for around 6 months I feel I can now tell you my thoughts. 

First of all, does it make my hair feel fuller and thicker? Yes. It is noticeably full of volume and has given it a new lease of life. My mum has also been using this and her hair is visibly a lot thicker, she's received lot of compliments! It smells lovely and as the consistency is thick, a little goes a long way and the bottles last aaaages. 

But, on the downside, it really does weigh my hair down. I feel like it leaves a lot of product in my hair and if I've used a lot of hair spray for an evening look I feel like my hair isn't quite clean after using this. So it serves the purpose of thickening my hair a treat, and I'll keep repurchasing for that but I do think I'll be adding a clarifying shampoo into my routine to use every other wash. Any recommendations for a good clarifying shampoo would be greatly appreciated cause I'm a novice when it comes to hair! 

On the whole, I'll keep repurchasing it, cause I love it and it's given my hair lots of bounce and volume but I need to add in another something to give my hair a bit of a break every other wash. I'd recommend this to anyone who feels thier hair is a bit limp or thin, you'll notice a difference after the first wash! 

Review | B Makeup Brush Cleaner

I've never been one to spot clean my makeup brushes after every use, I tend to just deep clean them once a week and occasionally use a miceller water on my Mac 217's when I've done a heavy eye look. But I spotted this makeup brush cleaner in Superdrug for only £4.99 and thought I'd give it a whirl.

First of all, I love that it dispenses via a pump/spray rather than having to pour this directly onto the flannel because I just give each brush a few spritzes depending on the size and no product is wasted! So much better and means you get more use for your money. 

Considering the price tag I wasn't expecting wonders, I thought it would take a lot of work to get the product out of my brushes and thus using lots of the cleaner. But this works so quickly at just melting away the makeup and leaving my brushes squeaky clean. It smells a bit chemically, but it claims to be antibacterial so this is to be expected and to be honest, I quite like it! (Lets face it, we don't clean our brushes for them to smell of shampoo) It also dries super quickly meaning if you don't have loads of blending brushes (for example) you can give them a quick clean before blending a new colour, so handy!

Overall, this is fab for the money and I'm definitely converted to spot cleaning my makeup brushes and I can already say I'll be repurchasing this when it eventually runs out! 

x

Easter Drugstore Haul and First Impressions

Hi everyone! So after seeing that Boots not only had a triple points offer on but their incredible 3 for 2 on all makeup brands, I managed to convince my mum to let me have my easter money a little bit early so I could splurge on the items I've been lusting after for a while!

So first up is the L'oreal True Match Foundation (Rose Ivory) which I've seen quite a few people mention as a dupe for the Georgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation which I can no way in a million years afford on my student budget so any sign of a drugstore dupe and I jumped right on the bandwagon! Overall I really like this foundation, it's medium but buildable coverage and matches my skin colour perfectly which is rare in a drugstore foundation for me. I usually go for a very heavy duty matte finish so this velvet/satin finish is new to me but I really like it and think it will transition into spring very well. It lasts pretty well on my very oily skin once I've given it a little powder and only really needs a slight touch up once throughout the day. I can already tell that once this has run out I'll be repurchasing as for £10 this is a steal!

Next is the Seventeen Wow! 3 Way Highlighter described as the 'ultimate skin pick me up' and I totally agree! It can be used underneath foundation, mixed with foundation or just buffed on top of the skin on the high points of the face. I've tried using all three methods and I love each one! I was worried about applying it mixed with or underneath my foundation incase I looked like a glitter ball (I get a bit scared of highlighter) but it's simply gorgeous. It gives you a lovely healthy glow and leaves your skin with a bit of a dewy look when applied with the L'oreal Foundation. 

The Max Factor Excess Shimmer Eyeshadow (Copper) was seen when I was binge watching Poppy (MeMyMouse1)'s videos and I knew as soon as I saw it (as I am a massive lover of eyeshadow bases) I needed it. It has a mousse-like formula which is different to the waxier texture of the Maybelline colour tattoo's but this is almost better as it blends so easily to just a slight wash of colour or you can build it up in layers to really give depth and definition. It is seriously amazing stuff and I can't wait to see what looks I can create using this.

I've never really been a blush girl, I own a few but they rarely get any use which is sad because now I have this Max Factor Creme Puff Blush (Seductive Pink) I am totally converted! Again, you've probably seen everyone saying that these are close to the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes so I thought it was time I tried a fresh blush for Spring. This is seriously amazing stuff, it gives a gorgeous flush of colour with a slight highlighting effect so I dust this all over my cheeky area so really gives a lovely glow and flush. So dreamy.

I saw the Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara advertised on tv and since my current mascara L'oreal Volume Million Lashes is starting to go dry I thought I might as well pick a replacement up while the offer was on. At first I wasn't impressed with this mascara, the formula is quite wet so although it glides over your lashes smoothly without tugging, it also left those annoying black marks where the tips of my lashes has brushed against my eyelid, thus ruining my shadow. But after leaving it a few days after opening I like this a bit better.It gives definition and length without my lashes looking like spiders and I quite like the wand as it grabs all the lashes, even the tiny little ones which I struggle to get close enough to coat. All in all, it'll do the job although it doesn't give me the 'wow' factor.

Finally, the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick (So Hap'pink) is something which I've been meaning to try for quite a while but never got round to. But seriously, if you don't own one of these I insist you run to your nearest Boots and grab one because they are incredible. They glide on so smoothly and literally can only be described as velvet on my lips. It gives a beautiful colour which a velvety gloss which fades to leave the longest lasting stain I'm yet to try. Literally I wore this on a night out and it did not budge. I like the packaging and the applicator is the perfect size for my lips. I need to pick this up in every colour, well done Bourjois!

So that's it! Hope you've enjoyed reading, I think I'm going to do a Spring/Fresh makeup look and blog it here (which will no doubt feature many of these products since I love them so much!) so you have that to keep your eyes peeled for.

Current Skin Care Routine

Body Shop Silky Cleansing Oil (£10)
La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo [+] (£15.50)
Pixi Glow Tonic (£18)
Nivea Pure and Natural Moisturising Day Cream (£5.35)
Nivea Regenerating Night Cream (£4.07)

I've decided to roll back into blogging with an old school, go-to post... my current skin care routine. It's nothing fancy, a few products I've loved for months and months and a few budget buys which I'm trialing. 

So first up is my Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil from The Body Shop, which I use both to double cleanse at night and for my morning cleanse as it's such a brilliant all rounder. It's amazing at melting away any type of makeup whether it be full coverage foundation or waterproof mascara, but it's also lovely and fresh which is perfect for in the mornings. It leaves my skin feeling so soft and like it's had a big boost of moisture, just lovely. It's quite a 'watery' oil so a little goes a long way and I only use one pump of this stuff per cleanse. On my second nightly cleanse and my morning cleanse I really take the time to massage it into my skin for a good 3/4 minutes - any excuse for a little face massage! As you can see from the amount left, it's a firm favourite after repurchasing several times!

After cleansing in the morning I then sweep my face with my Pixi Glow Tonic which is a liquid exfoliant which remove any left over dirt and helps to 'tone, smooth and refine skins texture'. It's good for the price, this has lasted months and months and won't be empty soon! It does exactly what it says on the tin!

To treat my pesky spots and blemishes (which are apparently deciding to make an appearance recently, boooooo) I use the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo [+] which does a great job at reducing redness and clearing up my spots. Every blogger and their mum has talked about this so I don't think I need to go on!

Finally, my moisturisers. I had run out of my No. 7 creams and as I'm on a bit of a budget I went to Nivea to see if I could find something and I picked up the Pure and Natural Moisturising Day Cream and the Regenerating Night Cream. 

The day cream is nice, it's a gel/cream formula and sinks into my skin fairly quickly leaving it soft and feeling fresh. I won't lie, I absolutely hate the smell! I can't describe it but it isn't a nice fragrance but apart from that it does the job for a small price! The night cream is okay, it smells like most Nivea products and is a really thick cream so you only need a little for your whole face. It takes a while to sink in (like most night creams) but by the morning it leaves my skin so soft, although a tad greasy (but that's nothing a morning cleanse won't fix!). I have to say after reading reviews online I think this may be breaking me out like it has done for so many other people so I may have to trial and error and I'll keep you updated!

So there we are, I like my routine, it does the job but I definitely will be going back to my No.7 Normal/Combination Day and Night Moisturisers when I have a bit more moola as they work much better for me!

I also use two face masks which are the Superfacialist Tea Flower Clay Mask and the Sanctuary Spa 5 Minute Thermal Detox Mask which are both fabulous. 

I hope you've enjoyed this post, I thought I'd ease myself back in gently to the world of blogging as I have recently found myself with lots of time now university is over for the year and extremely inspired by the blogging community!