Christmas Presents

Peppermint Treats
Whilst chatting to my mum on the phone I briefly mentioned that I was planning on making some peppermint bark for Christmas. I was just gonna look for recipes on Pinterest but she got me this awesome cookbook filled with all sorts of recipes for making bark & ways to use it in other desserts. The peppermint bark brownies are currently top of my to-do list! She also got me some gourmet treats from Williams Sonoma. The hot chocolate is utterly divine and the pretzels are that perfect combination of salty & sweet, yum!



Tom Ford Black Orchid
I've been wanting a Tom Ford perfume for ages but they're just so expensive! I could never decide whether I preferred Black Orchid or Velvet Orchid either. Luckily my mum made that decision for me & I was delighted to receive this bottle of Black Orchid for Christmas. Black Orchid smells unlike anything else in my collection. I normally go for girly floral fragrances but this is more of a spicy oriental scent. It's luxurious, sophisticated, sensual & I love it! I think I'll probably save this one for special occasions as it's just too good for everyday wear.



Real Techniques Filtered Face Set
You can never have too many makeup brushes & this set from Real Techniques has it all. You get loads of brushes, three sponges & a cute pot to store them all in. When this set went down to £35 in Boots I decided to treat myself & wrapped it up as a present from Chloe haha. Real Techniques brushes are some of my favourites so I think it's always good to have a few backups. I've never tried the pink & purple sponges so I'm looking forward to giving those a go.



Elemis Pro-Collagen Hydra-Gel Eye Masks
My sister got me these eye masks. I love sheet masks & the hydrogel ones are often the most effective. These ones are just for the eye area & sound really good. My eyes often look puffy & tired so I'm sure they'll be of use to me. I love Elemis products & have heard such great things about their Pro-Collagen range so hopefully they'll work well!



Makeup Geek In The Nude Eyeshadow Palette
She also got me this Makeup Geek eyeshadow palette that I've lusting after for quite a while. Makeup Geek do such brilliant eyeshadows but no one really talks about them anymore. I have a custom palette that I made using their single shadows that I absolutely love & use all the time. The In The Nude palette features a gorgeous array of neutral colours. MUG's matte formula blends like a dream & their foiled shadows are simply stunning. It took me longer than most people to get into the warm brown trend but now I'm fully on board & I can already tell that this is gonna become my new everyday go-to eyeshadow palette.



Kylo Ren Funko Pop
I've had a huge crush on Adam Driver ever since the very first episode of Girls so I was super excited when he joined the cast of the new Star Wars films. Kylo Ren's relationship with Rey was my favourite part of The Last Jedi & I'm a shameless Reylo shipper. The store that Andy manages sells Funko Pops so he got me a little Kylo Ren! I love it so much & he has already earned a permanent place on my desk.



Topshop Goodies
Andy also bought me loads of things from Topshop. I was really surprised because I wasn't expecting him to spoil me at all & I love everything he bought! The only thing I asked for was some gold jewellery & he got me three long layered necklaces. The one with the stars & moons is my fave. He also got me this lovely pink scarf & polka dot wrap dress. I hate to be one of those people but the boy did good!



Rifle Paper Co. Stationery
I always treat myself to a new diary & some stationery at the end of the year. For 2018 I decided not to go with my usual Frankie Diary & ordered some items from Rifle Paper Co. instead. I'm a huge fan of Anna Bond's design style & having pretty stationery to use always makes me feel more productive. I never normally spend so much on calendars but this one is beautiful, absolutely massive & features some great inspirational quotes.



Modalu Pippa Bag
My mum is one of those weird old people who are obsessed with the Royal Family. Even though Pippa Middleton isn't technically a Royal my mum still likes to follow her fashion trends. This bag from Modalu was designed & named in honour of Pippa so my mum went out & bought one for all of us. Personally I couldn't care less about Pippa but I do really like this bag. Anything black patent & gold is right up my street. I like that it has both a shoulder strap & a grab handle. There's tons of space inside but it isn't too big & heavy to carry about every day.



Canon 70D
I've been using my Canon 650D quite happily for the last five years but I'm finally upgrading to something more professional! My mum actually bought this camera for herself as she wanted to get into photography but she was completely overwhelmed by all the controls & couldn't figure out how to use it. She knows that I love photography so she asked me if I wanted to trade my 650D for her 70D & of course I said yes! There isn't a huge difference between the two cameras but it's still an upgrade & a chance to further improve my photographic skills. It's been sitting here for the past month all wrapped up for Christmas & now I'm beyond excited to start using it!

Despite not feeling too festive this year, I actually had a really lovely Christmas. Normally I end up feeling a bit deflated by the end of it but for the first time in a little while I just felt perfectly content all day. I'm sure that has absolutely nothing to do with all the Snowballs I drank! I got such a wonderful collection of presents & I'm so grateful for everything I received. I'm especially fond of my little Kylo Ren! We watched loads of films on Christmas Day & played with some of Chloe's new toys. We always get a couple of new board games and this year we chose Monopoly Gamer & Cluedo. I put together a cracking Christmas dinner as usual but I'm definitely ready to get back to eating healthily now. I hope you all had a brilliant Christmas & got everything you wished for!

twitter / tumblr / youtube / instagram / bloglovin'

Christmas Presents

Charlotte Tilbury Makeup
What can I say? I've gone a bit Charlotte Tilbury crazy lately! I guess it's because it took so long for a counter to open up North and as soon as I visited one I was instantly hooked. Everything is just too pretty! I've wanted the Filmstar Bronze & Glow for ages so I got that with the Powder & Sculpt brush. I've really gotten into contouring lately & that sculpt shade looks gorgeous. I also purchased the limited edition Fallen Angel eyeshadow palette which is absolutely stunning. The buttery soft texture makes these a dream to apply & blend. They are super pigmented and have a wet to dry formula so you can amp up the colour even further. I'm a blush fiend so I got the Cheek To Chic Love Glow blusher. It's a soft peachy pink with a beautiful golden shimmer running through it. I also got the Rock 'N' Kohl eye pencil in Bedroom Black. The texture of this is fantastic, it glides on and stays put all day. I've heard so many good things about her lip products so I bought the Pillow Talk lip pencil & Bitch Perfect lipstick. Nude pink perfection! I love everything I got & I've already started planning my next Charlotte Tilbury purchases. I'm even considering replacing most of my makeup with her products. This is gonna be an expensive addiction!





Makeup Brushes
Illamasqua make some amazing makeup brushes. I bought their Highlighter Brush a few months ago & now I use it every day to apply my foundation. It makes my base look flawless. I saw this cute mini brush set on their website which comes with a little makeup bag & thought it be great to travel with. The brushes feel so soft & I'm so happy I finally got my hands on one of their Angled Brushes as I've been on the waiting list for it for months! I still love my Real Techniques brushes & really liked the look of the Nic's Picks set. Plus it was only £20 in Superdrug so I thought I'd treat myself! I especially like the two face brushes as they'll be great for bronzer & blusher.



Caudalie Products
My friend got me this cute set of miniature Caudalie products including a shower gel, body lotion, hand cream & Divine Oil. Caudalie remain one of my favourite skincare brands so I'm always excited to try some more of their products. You can never have too many bottles of Divine Oil! The pattern inside the bag is really cute too.




Sarah Chapman Facialift Massager
I didn't show anyone in my family my Sarah Chapman wishlist nor did I even mention any of her products to anyone & yet my mum got me this facial massager! Is she psychic or what? I'm really pleased with this as I have the worst double chin ever. Even at my thinnest it still didn't look great. I'm sure I'll have gained a few more after Christmas too! This scary looking contraption is supposed to help tone your face, reducing puffiness & sagging. I'm gonna roll it over my jaw every night & hopefully it'll get rid of my many chins. I gave it a quick go earlier & it definitely packs a punch. Despite it's appearance it actually feels really relaxing to use.




GlamGlow Masks
Although I wasn't a huge fan of GlamGlow Youthmud, earlier this year I fell completely in love with their Supermud. For Christmas I got a cute mask sample set as well as Brightmud Eye Treatment & Powermud Dualcleanse Treatment. I love trying out new face masks & I can't wait to give these a go!



NutriBullet
My family bought me this at the beginning of December & said it was my Christmas gift. I think they're paranoid things won't arrive in time for some reason! I've been using it a lot & it's such a cool blender. I've always loved making smoothies but I hate washing everything up afterwards. The NutriBullet makes the whole process a lot easier as you blend & drink everything in the same cup so there's only one thing to wash up when you're done. It came with some of their Superboost powder & a huge book of recipes. I normally go for kale, banana, pineapple, coconut water & chia seeds. I think I might start drinking two NutriBlasts a day to kickstart my fitness regime in 2015. I highly recommend getting one of these, they're simply amazing!



iPhone 6
This is another present that I got at the start of December but that's just because my phone contract had expired. I was desperate to upgrade from my iPhone 5 because of the 128GB capacity of the iPhone 6. I have a huge iTunes library of about 9000 songs and there just wasn't room for even half of them on my old phone along with all my photos, videos, apps etc. Now I can fit everything on with ease & I love how thin the phone is. I wish it was slightly smaller though as it no longer fits in my bag zip pocket! There aren't many nice cases out for the iPhone 6 yet so I just got this pink gel case from eBay. It was only £3 but it seems to do a decent job of protecting it from scratches. Anyway I think the iPhone 6 is an incredible phone & it's definitely worth upgrading to.

I had a really great Christmas this year. I got such lovely presents & we all had lots of fun on the day. Andy didn't get me a material gift but he's booked a little trip for us next month so I'm really looking forward to that! Christmas dinner was totally delicious, if I do say so myself haha. We got Chloe so many presents this year and pretty much all of them were My Little Pony related. She was really happy to get some more of the Equestria Girls dolls & we all played My Little Pony Monopoly Junior. I'm glad she's at that age where we can play games that are enjoyable for adults too. The day didn't drag on like usual as we were just so busy having fun. I hope you all had a brilliant Christmas & got everything you wished for! If you've done a Christmas presents post then please feel free to link it in the comments below as I would love to see it!

twitter / tumblr / youtube / instagram / bloglovin'

February Favourites

Illamasqua Hydra Veil
My current primer of choice is Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer & normally that is the perfect primer for me. My skincare routine normally ensures that I have no weird dry or flaky patches on my face but sometimes it can be unavoidable. I recently had a bad cold and that always results in bad skin for me. My nose gets really dry, red & sore when I'm poorly so I needed something extra to calm that down. Illamasqua Hydra Veil is a temporary quick fix for any dry or dehydrated areas. This clear gel will instantly cool & soothe your skin leaving it feeling plump & incredibly hydrated. You only need a tiny bit to sort out your entire face. After applying it you'll be able to get a completely smooth & flawless base whatever the condition of your skin. No dry flaky patches in sight!

Bumble & Bumble Thickening Creme Contour
I got my hair did a few weeks ago & I decided to go for a centre parting again. I had my hairdresser cut in some long fringey bits so I could flick them out to the sides. I wasn't too sure what kind of product to use to keep them in place. I'm generally not a fan of crispy hairspray & didn't want anything that would dry hard like a gel. Instead I've been using this Bumble & Bumble Thickening Creme Contour. This styling cream adds shape, texture & definition to my hair without weighing it down. It's lightweight yet offers a good enough hold to keep my style in place. It also makes my hair feel thicker & more voluminous. If you like really biiiig hair, combine it with their Dryspun Finish spray. You'll get some full, volumised locks with plenty of style.

Barry M Lip Gloss in Toffee
I always think of Barry M as a nail polish brand but there are a few gems to be found in the rest of their product range. I'm especially fond of their lip glosses. Toffee (#2) is my favourite shade. It adds a beautiful nude sheen to your lips when used alone & looks lovely on top of any pink lipstick. It smells delicious too! These glosses don't last too long on the lips but they feel really comfortable to wear without any horrible stickiness. It's a must-have for fuss-free nude lips.

Anastasia Brow Wiz in Medium Ash
I absolutely love Anastasia products. If you need a new eyebrow product then Anastasia should be your first port of call. This pencil is really great because it provides the convenience of pencil application with the natural finish of a powder. The nib is retractable & very fine so you can actually draw on individual hairs with it. It's just makes it so easy to get the exact brow shape you want without looking harsh at all. It even has a spoolie on the other end to groom your brow hairs & blend the product. The colour range is one of the best I've come across. I highly recommend buying this product!

Real Techniques Silicone Liner Brush
This brush is nothing new because Japonesque have made a silicone liner brush for quite some time. Real Techniques win though because theirs is cheaper, more readily available & works in exactly the same way. The easy to clean silicone tip allows me to get the perfect cat flick every time. It doesn't drag along the eyelid like some brushes or liquid liners can do. You can get such a smooth line with it & it's so easy to vary the shape of your flick or thickness of line. Obviously as it's not an actual brush, the tip won't hold much product. You do have to keep dipping it into your gel liner pot but I don't think that affects the application process at all. It's much more hygienic than a brush & should last for years to come.

twitter / tumblr / youtube / instagram / bloglovin'

Real Techniques Retractable Brushes & Silicone Liner Brush

Real Techniques have completely taken over my brush collection. I still feel that MAC's eye brushes are far superior & I'll never give up my Sigma Tapered Highlighter Brush but for makeup brushes on any budget you can't beat Real Techniques. They are well made, soft, easy to clean & have never shed a single hair on my face. Real Techniques started off as Sam from Pixiwoo's brush line but now Nic is also a part of the team & these are the first brushes that they have designed together. Three of the new brushes are retractable & have a lid. If you're fed up of your makeup brushes getting squished at the bottom of your bag or just want to keep them clean then these are the perfect solution. The Silicone Liner Brush is another new addition & it's probably my favourite out of the four.


Real Techniques Retractable Kabuki Brush
Kabuki brushes should be a staple in everyone's brush collection. They're the ultimate multi-tasking brush. This brush can be used for liquid foundation, mineral foundation, setting powder, contouring or blush application. Personally I like to use this for precision powder application. It's my new favourite partner for my Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders. It feels incredibly soft on the skin so it blends like a dream. The angled shape means that you can really get into the hollows of your cheeks & it works just as well on the apples of your cheeks. The longer handle makes this easier to use than the original Real Techniques Kabuki Brush. The bristles are softer, more densely packed & have a better shape so I'd definitely recommend buying this retractable one over the old one.


Real Techniques Retractable Bronzer Brush
I wasn't too sure about buying this brush because I've never used a bronzer in my entire life. I embrace the pale at all times. The shape & duo-fibre bristles reminded me of the MAC 187 brush so I decided to buy it anyway. Duo-fibres are great because the white bristles pick up the powder & the black bristles help to blend the product into the skin, giving you a beautifully blended, flawless finish. I used to use my 187 to stipple my liquid foundations & the Retractable Bronzer Brush works just as well for doing this. It does seem to suck up a bit more foundation though so you'll end up using more product. This chunky brush works really well with contouring powders to add some definition to your face. The bristles are not as densely packed as the other Real Techniques brushes. This helps you to get a light & natural finish but it lacks precision. I also tried using this with cream blushes & highlighters and I loved the result. It works brilliantly with the NARS Illuminators to add a gorgeous glow to your face. This brush is pretty huge though so I personally wouldn't take it out with me.


Real Techniques Retractable Lip Brush
Real Techniques carry a couple of small brushes that can be used as lip brushes. I normally go for the Detailer or Accent Brush. However this one is much better than either of those due to the inclusion of a lid. I think that lip brushes should always have some kind of lid or retractable feature. Otherwise you can easily end up with red lipstick smeared over everything else in your makeup bag. This keeps everything neat & hygienic. The shape is quite similar to the Detailer Brush found in the Core Collection but the tip is slightly more rounded. It's a great size & does it's job very well. I always need to top up my lippie throughout the day so this is such a brilliant brush for travelling with.


Real Techniques Silicone Liner Brush
First there came the Pixel Point Eyeliner Brush in the Starter Set - it was rubbish. Things were much improved with the launch of the Fine Liner Brush. Finally we have the new Silicone Liner Brush which is easily the best Real Techniques eyeliner brush currently available. Instead of being an actual brush, this has a soft pointed silicone nib. The tip is very fine so you can get right up to your lashes with it. It doesn't drag along the eyelid at all resulting in super smooth liner application. I can vary the thickness of line or shape of my flick with the greatest of ease. The silicone material makes it so easy to clean. If you don't own a gel liner you can just mix an eyeshadow with water or Illamasqua Sealing Gel & this brush will do the rest. It is a truly fantastic addition to the Real Techniques range.

In general I find that the individual Real Techniques brushes tend to be better quality than the sets & these new additions definitely do not disappoint. The retractable brushes might be seen as gimmicky but it's a genuinely helpful feature that makes them both portable & hygienic. I wasn't too sure about the Bronzer Brush to begin with but I would thoroughly recommend buying all of these brushes. If you ever do your makeup on the go or are staying over at someone else's house then these brushes would be indispensable to you. I ended up ordering mine from Love Makeup because my local Boots were being slow. I have since seen them in many branches of Boots so it should be much easier to get your hands on them by now!

twitter / tumblr / youtube / instagram / bloglovin'

April Favourites

Real Techniques Kabuki Brush
I own pretty much all the Real Techniques brushes now but the Kabuki Brush was missing from my collection. I prefer this to the huge Powder Brush as it is a much better size & shape for powdering the skin. The bristles feel really silky & it works well with both mineral foundation & setting powders. It's a joy to use as it's just so soft and simply glides over my face without disturbing my foundation or blusher. The design of this brush is pretty cool as you can also flip it out so it almost resembles a fan brush. I love using my Louise Young Super Fan Brush for contouring so this is like a more travel friendly version of that one & much cheaper too!

Superfacialist By Una Brennan Rose Miracle Makeover Facial Oil
This is hands down one of the best cleansers I've ever used. I really like all the Superfacialist cleansers I bought but this one stands out as it hydrates, cleans off makeup & clears out blocked pores. I love the rose scent & it isn't overpowering at all. I look forward to cleaning my face with this day and night. It feels so good massaging this into my face before washing it off with a muslin cloth. I think it's really helped clear up my recent breakout. The only problem with this product is that I seem to be going through the bottle rather quickly! I'll definitely have to stock up while it's still on offer in Boots. Read more about some of the brilliant Superfacialist cleansers here.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo
I bought this product quite a few months ago when there was just tons of hype around it. I still get acne at 24 years old so I'm willing to try anything that is heralded as a brilliant spot treatment. It didn't really do anything for me so I just shoved it to the back of my skincare drawer and forgot about it. I recently had an awful reaction to a REN exfoliating product which resulted in a million spots all over my face. I figured I would give it another go as my skin was in such a sorry state & I'm so glad I did. The rest of my skincare routine helped to clear up my face but this product in particular has unclogged a lot of the red spots on my cheeks. My skin feels a lot smoother & I've had less new spots since I started using it again. I think there is some confusion as to how to use this treatment but what I do is apply it only on the congested areas of my face before moisturising at night. This method seems to be working rather well as Effaclar Duo is definitely not moisturising enough for my skin on it's own. I know a lot of people have differing opinions about this product. Some people say it's ruined their skin, others say it's saved it and for some it does nothing at all. So it's definitely one you need to try out for yourself.

Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil
I have well and truly been loving face oils this month! I've spoken about this oil a few times now but I haven't been using it for a few months. It feels so lovely to massage this into your face at night, very soothing & calming. The blend of rosewood, geranium & lotus oils in it smells divine too. This is a great choice for anyone with combination/oily yet dehydrated skin as it balances the natural oils in your skin as well as unclogging pores. I've found it also helps with scarring & redness. Think I need to try the Trilogy Rosehip oil next as treatment oils are definitely my fave thing at the moment.

Maybelline Ceramic Blue Forever Strong Professional Nail Polish
This gorgeous pastel blue has been gracing my fingers a lot lately. It's such a nice colour and has a really subtle yet pretty baby blue shimmer running through it. It has also lasted surprisingly well on my nails! I've never tried any Maybelline polishes before but colour me impressed. If the Forever Strong polishes live up to their name then it's helping to strengthen my nails too so it's win win with this product.

twitter / tumblr / youtube / instagram / bloglovin'

What's In My Makeup Bag?

I store all of my makeup collection in some acrylic drawers from Homebase but I keep the stuff I tend to wear on a daily basis inside my makeup bag. I bought this from MAC a few years ago & it's still going strong. It is the signature medium rectangle bag. It's a good size as it can hold a lot of stuff and has a separate pocket to keep my brushes in. I tend to keep far too many things in here as I like to have a little bit of choice when it comes to what I'm gonna use that day. I would clear some of the products out but I just like too many things! Anyway here's a little peak at some of my most used makeup products.

Dr Jart+ Water Fuse BB Cream / Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation / Laura Mercier Foundation Primer
By Terry Touche Veloutee / Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer / Bobbi Brown Creamy Corrector
Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer

I keep a couple of different base products in my bag to use depending on how my skin is behaving & how much time I have to get ready. If I have time I prefer to use the Laura Mercier Silk Creme applied with a Beautyblender. If I'm running late a blob of the Dr Jart BB cream mixed with a tiny dot of the Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer helps to even out my skin and hide some of my blemishes & scarring. The BB cream alone is far too dark & sheer for me so adding the Sensual Skin Enhancer lightens it up & adds a bit more coverage. I use a few different concealers but tend to just go for some of the Bobbi Brown Creamy Corrector under my eyes most days.

Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch Primer / Illamasqua Naked Rose Blusher / NARS Deep Throat Blusher / theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer / MAC Omega Eyeshadow / Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette

As well as the Laura Mercier Foundation Primer I also keep the Clarins Instant Smooth one in my bag. The Clarins primer is better if I want to hide my pores & smooth over my skin so I use this one more often. I love blushers & have tons in my collection but the ones I've been using most are NARS Deep Throat & Illamasqua Naked Rose. They're both nice peachy pinks that add a much needed burst of colour to my complexion. My go-to highlighter is theBalm's Mary-Lou Manizer, I recommend this product for anyone who wants a highly metallic sheen to their skin. It's one of the most pigmented I've tried & really makes my skin glow. I use the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette every day as it's a great selection of neutral colours that are ideal for day or night. If I fancy using a powder to fill in my eyebrows I opt between the shade Naked2 from this palette and MAC's Omega eyeshadow.

Givenchy Noir Couture Mascara* / MAC Clear Brow Set / NUXE Reve De Miel Lip Balm / Lancome Hypnose Doll Eyes Mascara / Benefit They're Real Mascara / MAC Fling Eye Brow Pencil / Anastasia Granite Tinted Brow Gel / Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara / Beaute Girlina Weightless Lip Creme / L'Oreal Carbon Gloss Superliner / Revlon Strawberry Shortcake Lip Butter / Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion / MAC NC15/NW20 Pencil
LORAC Front Of The Line Pro Eyeliner / SUQQU Eyebrow Liquid Pen

I have four mascaras in here which is probably overkill! At the minute I like to layer the last dregs of my Lancome Doll Eyes mascara with Benefit They're Real mascara and then use the Clinique mascara on my bottom lashes to stop them smudging. I didn't really like They're Real to begin with but it's starting to get better as it dries out a bit. Still clinging on to the Lancome one though! There's some more eye brow products here depending on how I want them to look. I love brushing on some of the Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel when I don't have time to fill them in properly. I have lip products galore but I tend to go for the Beaute Lip Creme or Revlon Lip Butter as I do love a nice pink lip. I use the L'Oreal Superliner to do my regular cat flick but the LORAC one is amazing for really thin lines. I use this to fill in any tiny gaps, neaten the end of the flick & sometimes I draw on bottom lashes with it a la Twiggy. And I can't go a day without using my MAC NC15/NW20 pencil on my lower lash line to brighten up my eyes.

Real Techniques Buffing Brush / Real Techniques Contour Brush x2 / Real Techniques Setting Brush / Sigma Tapered Highlighter Brush / Real Techniques Brow Brush / Laura Mercier Double Ended Eye Brow Brush / MAC 239 Brush / MAC 222 Brush / MAC 219 Brush / MAC 227 Brush / Tweezerman Tweezers / Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

I keep a few essential brushes in here but often dip into my brush pots when I'm getting ready. I typically apply foundation with a Beautyblender (but I keep that in a separate jar) or the Real Techniques Buffing Brush. I always keep two of the Contour Brushes in here - one for blending concealer & one for applying blusher. I use the setting brush with some loose powder to set under my eyes and the Sigma brush to apply highlighter. There's two angled brushes in here but they're quite different, the Real Techniques one is better for lining my eyes with black eyeshadow & the Laura Mercier one is my favourite eye brow brush. The bristles are a lot stiffer so it works a lot better. I also keep several eyeshadow brushes in here but I probably use the MAC 219 the most as I like to apply some brown eyeshadow under my eyes with it. Finally I have my tweezers & eyelash curlers, total essentials for me & you can't get better than Tweezerman & Shu Uemura.

twitter / tumblr / youtube / instagram / bloglovin'

April Favourites

Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover
I saw this product on quite a few blogs so I obviously couldn't resist trying it out for myself. Its basically a little pot that you put your finger into for a couple of seconds and it will take all of your nail polish off for you. I think this concept has existed in other forms before but this is only one that actually works and doesn't smell like death. Its acetone & paraben-free and is enriched with sweet almond oil to make your fingers feel & smell lovely. I was amazed at how quickly it took off my nail polish, it wasn't quite the 1 second it says on the pot but it was near enough. I really love this product and its so nice to be able to change my nail polish several times a week without removing the previous colour being a horrible chore.

Caudalie Beauty Elixir
Is there a beauty blogger around that hasn't featured this in their favourites this month?! As you can see I've nearly finished this 30ml bottle already so I just had to invest in the 100ml one when it was on BuyaPowa. I've been using this as a toner and it really is the most refreshing thing I've tried on my skin. The herbal scent is amazing and its great at perking me up when I'm feeling tired. I find that it has helped to tighten my pores & I've not had as many blemishes this month. You can also use it over your makeup to stop it from looking cakey so its excellent if you use powder foundations. At £30 for the big bottle I can tell that this is going to be an expensive addiction...

MAC Soft And Gentle Mineralize Skinfinish
I really do not understand how I didn't own this product before now! I just couldn't stop myself from buying more highlighters in my never-ending quest for glowing skin but I think I may have finally found what I've been looking for all this time. This highlighting powder has a really high sheen that gives your cheeks the best glow ever. I tend to use Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation most days of the week but the finish can be a bit too matte for my liking. It needs something extra to make my face look alive. As a super pale person I can't really wear bronzer without looking like I've not washed for a month so to perk up my skin I need to use highlighters instead. I find that this product makes my face look healthy and glowing and it looks fantastic when photographed using flash. I can't see myself buying any more highlighters after this one (although I did buy two others on the same day!) and I'm really glad about that because it was becoming stupidly expensive.

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush
I bought all three of the new Real Techniques brushes last month but the expert face brush is definitely my favourite one. Its a smaller version of the buffing brush from the Core Collection set but I think it works even better than that one. Its the perfect size & shape for foundation application and it just makes my skin look flawless. A lot of people want to try buffing brush but don't want to purchase that whole set so I'd recommend getting this one instead. Its only £10 and its the best foundation brush I've ever tried. If you want to know more about the other new brushes have a look at my review.

SUQQU Eyebrow Liquid Pen
Ever since I plucked my eyebrows into oblivion as a teenager I've been obsessed with getting the perfect shape. After years of growing them back I started filling them in to make them look as good as possible. I normally use powder and an angled brush to fill them in but sometimes I find that I can put too much powder on leaving them looking a bit too dark & heavy for my platinum hair. Last month I went to the Selfridges beauty hall in Manchester for a quick browse and one of the counters that caught my eye was the SUQQU one. I'd never really heard of this brand before but I liked the look of their products so I let the sales assistant try out some things on me. Their eyelash curlers are bloody amazing, they're used horizontally and they make your eyelashes look mahoosive, even better than with the Shu Uemura ones. But the only thing I decided to buy was this eyebrow pen. I'd wanted to try some of the GOSH eyebrow pens but none of the colours suited me & I think that colour match is one of the most important things to consider when filling in your brows. The pen cost me £20 and the shade 02 brown is a perfect match. The super fine tip of this brush means you can really control the shape of your eyebrows. It leaves my brows looking full but natural. It can also be layered up depending on how dark your natural hairs are. The pen is water & oil-resistant so it lasts all day long without any smudging. I totally recommend this if you're looking for an excellent eyebrow product.

Fitbit Ultra
I'm a bit of a gadget freak and I'm obsessed with calorie counting via MyFitnessPal. One of the things that always niggled me about that app is that its hard to tell exactly how many calories you're burning every day. I'm someone who walks everywhere so I just had to estimate how many calories I had burned from how long my walk had taken. I saw this little gadget on BuyaPowa and was immediately intrigued by the concept. Its basically a very cool pedometer with a calorie counter built into it. It is shaped like a clip so that it can hook onto your belt, your pocket or the middle of your bra. It wirelessly syncs with your laptop to give you an overview of how much exercise you've done each day. It can link up with MyFitnessPal and will automatically add your exercise entries so you know exactly how many more calories you can eat for the day. One of its most interesting features is that it can be used to track your sleep. Its so cool being able to see exactly how many minutes it took me to fall asleep, how many times I woke up in the night and how much sleep I've gotten over a week. Its really been helping me to keep track of my calorie intake and it has encouraged me to do more walking and exercise. Mine has been practically surgically attached to me since I got it. It almost pained me to take it off for this photo. At £79 they are pretty pricey for what is essentially a glorified pedometer but I really love mine & because I got it off BuyaPowa it was £10 cheaper.

Girls
My number one TV show of last month is obvs Game Of Thrones but on Sunday nights in America HBO also air this show called Girls. It follows the lives of four twenty-something girls living in Brooklyn. In terms of age group its almost the middle ground between Gossip Girl and Sex & The City. The show focuses on loads of different issues from trying to get your foot on the career ladder after finishing uni to relationships with shitty boyfriends but pretty much all of it is hilarious. I can definitely identify with the character of Hannah which is probably a bad thing haha. I think that one of the main strengths of the show is the fact that these are girls and situations that normal people can empathise with. Their characters are definitely not aspirational but they're enjoyable all the same and I just can't get enough of this show.

More Real Techniques Brushes

Ever since I tried my first sets of Real Techniques brushes I have been completely in love with the range. They are so high quality yet really affordable. Nearly all of my MAC, Sigma & ELF brushes have been replaced by Real Techniques ones. Unlike my high end brushes, not a single hair has been shed from any of them which is something that has always been a source of great annoyance when applying my makeup. After writing my first review I also went out and bought the powder brush & blush brush because I was that impressed with the brushes I had already purchased. I love both of these too. So you can imagine my excitement when it was recently announced that three new brushes were being added to the range - the fine liner brush, the expert face brush & the setting brush.

I remember being really disappointed with the eyeliner brush included in the starter set. It was way too thick & nothing like the eyeliner brushes that Pixiwoo use in their tutorials. I feel like this fine liner brush was brought out almost as a replacement for that other brush. This brush gives you the ability to draw super thin lines & have brilliant control over your eyeliner. I've tried it with MAC Blacktrack as well as using it in conjunction with my new Illamasqua Sealing Gel and it works so well. You can really get into all those tiny gaps between your lashes with the fine liner brush leaving no annoying bits of skin showing. This is everything I wanted the brush in the starter set to be as it is more akin to the Louise Young brush that I often notice the Chapman sisters using.

The buffing brush from the core collection set has fast become one of the most popular brushes in the Real Techniques range. But it seems that one of the gripes that people had about it was that you can only purchase it in that particular set. This meant you would have to shell out another £20 if you just wanted another buffing brush. The expert face brush seems to be the solution to that problem. This one retails at £10 making it a lot more affordable. It is very similar to the buffing brush in that they both flawlessly buff foundation into your skin. The main difference is that the expert face brush has a smaller brush head which is slightly flatter on two sides. The bristles are shorter and a bit more densely packed. This brush is supposed to be better for applying cream foundation. I recently purchased the new Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Compact foundation and this brush is the perfect partner for it. It also works great with all the other liquid foundations that I use on rotation. I really like this brush, I'd dare say that its even better than the buffing brush. I find that the smaller size means that it is easier to buff foundation into all the different contours of your face. It really helps to achieve the flawless streak-free finish that everyone desires.

Finally we have the setting brush. This fluffy brush is used for setting your makeup in precise areas such as underneath your eyes. It can also be used for applying highlighter. I've been after a brush like this for a while because I often don't need to powder my whole face but its essential that I powder under my eyes. I use a ton of mascara on my bottom lashes so if I forget to set my concealer I always end up with loads of black smudges on my face. I normally use a MAC 227 brush with Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder to powder under my eyes but this brush is a bit too dense for the job which can sometimes make my under eye area look a bit cakey. The new Real Techniques setting brush is so much fluffier and perfectly disperses the lightest covering of powder. It sets my makeup really nicely without that cakey effect. I tried using it with highlighter too and it works just as well for this purpose. The fluffiness of the brush helps to really blend in the highlighting powder giving your face a beautiful glow.

I'm really pleased with these new brushes. Real Techniques have added some great pieces of kit to their range and I'm excited to see what kind of brushes they come out with next. Personally I'd love a big fan brush or more styles of eyeshadow ones. I purchased mine from Beauty Chamber where I got 10% off using the code GLAMOURZOMBIE which will basically give you free shipping if you purchase all three. I'm not sure if the code is still valid, but its worth a shot! They came super quickly as I ordered them a couple of weeks ago on a Thursday night and they arrived Saturday morning. I'd definitely recommend that site if like me you can't wait for them to be released in Boots.