Sunday 29 December 2013

Real Techniques Stippling Brush VS Expert Face Brush


So today, I'm going to do a post on the Real Techniques Stippling and Expert Face Brush, which are well raved about brushes here on blogger and youtube! 
These are both amazing brushes, and here are my opinions on both!

Stippling Brush

I bought this brush before the expert face brush in boots for 15.99 euros
It is a duo-fibred brush, and the brush bristles itself are very soft on the face! It is a flat topped brush.
This is supposed to give an airbrush look to your face, and I apply this in a 'stippling' and circular motion.

Expert  Face Brush


For Christmas I finally got this brush, which I've been meaning to buy for ages! Santa knew me too well..
This cost 13.99 euros, which is that bit cheaper than the stippling brush
The head to this brush is more round, and again is duo-fibred !
I apply my foundation with this brush in a patted way all over the skin, rather than circular.

Differences
  • Price
The stippling brush is 2 euros dearer than the face brush

  • Finish
I honestly think that the face brush gives a way more airbrush look for foundation, rather than the stippling!
I think the Stippling is a small bit streaky on the skin, and you have to blend the foundation in more.
I'm using the stippling brush more now for cream blush or bronzer!

  • Coverage
I need to put more product on for the expert face brush as I think it slightly eats up the product, which is a pain really, but leaves a better result
Whereas for the stippling, it gives very good coverage even for the smallest amount of foundation.

  • Colour
An obvious one , not that it affects the quality of the brush but, the expert face brush has a gold handle , and the stippling has a pink handle!

Here is a picture of me, wearing the Rimmel 25 hour foundation, applied by on the right ,by the stippling brush and on the left by the expert face brush!
I think the left is definitely more airbrushed looking rather than the right!


All in all , I think for me, the expert face brush wins! Its so easy to apply foundation and leaves a gorgeous finish to the skin, and plus its cheaper haha! 
But the stippling brush is equally a good brush for foundation too but it doesn't leave as good a finish. I think the stippling brush is more suited for cream blush and bronzer!

Hope this post was helpful in some way!
Thanks for reading  :)






Friday 27 December 2013

Happy Christmas!


Hello Everyone! Happy Christmas to ye all, hope ye had a good one. This month has been so busy and crazy for me between exams, being in hospital ,visiting over the holidays and my birthday being yesterday , so I'm really sorry I haven't been posting too much. But now that I'm finally having a lazy day today, this couldn't be a better time to do a post ! :)

Santa was very generous to me this year, and I got a Canon 1100d!! I am so excited, I've wanted one of the 'black cameras' for ages.
As this is my first DSLR camera, this is the perfect beginners DSLR camera!
Although there is still some bits and pieces I'm unsure of, I'm learning something new everyday. The camera came with a 18-55 mm lens. But this also means that the photos on my blog will be much better quality, compared to my phone photos...haha
I'm being way too careful with it though, I'm so paranoid it'll fall or break! It's amazing how much you can actually do with this camera though.
Here are some shots I took the past few days, probably not the best of photos in some peoples view, but I was just messing around! Also the header to this post was also taken with my camera, love the bokeh effect!






I'm so grateful for getting this camera, and I cant wait to use it for the blog! Hope everyones had a great Christmas, and has a good New Year
Thank you so much for following my blog so far! 
Denise :) x

What did you get for Christmas? 
Comment below


Friday 13 December 2013

Essence Justin Beiber 'Beauty Beats' Collection Review


Two weeks ago, I received a package from essence, with the essence Beauty Beats Makeup!
I was so delighted ! I've tried them out and now I wanted to review them for ye. 


1.'Eenie Meenie' Lipgloss












I'm not the biggest wearers of lip glosses as I always associate them with being so sticky and gross, but I was really surprised with this! It's a pale pink colour, and I love the applier with it! My lips honestly didn't feel sticky at all !

2. 'I'm backstage' Lipgloss

Although this lip gloss looks like a light blue colour on camera, It's really a clear lipgloss.
Again, it's not sticky at all! But I think it's a bit too glittery for everyday wear, it would be nice though for a performance on stage or a special occasion!

3.'Groupie at Heart' Blush


This blush is a dark pinky berry colour (worst description ever haha) It's a very pigmented blush, so I applied it very lightly, it doesn't suit my pale skin that well, but it would look stunning on tanned skin!

4. 'I'm Backstage' Eyeshadow



This is a lovely frosted off blue colour. Great for these winter months.
It is very well pigmented, and does last for ages , even without an eye primer, it would also do well as a highlighter for your brow bone. 











5.'SWAAAG' Shimmer Powder

















I had been meaning to get a shimmer powder for ages, so essence just sent this on time ;)
Ok I wouldn't be mad about the name to be honest but hey ho that's got nothing to do with the actual powder. This is a well pigmented powder, nicely shimmery, and I apply this to the top's of my cheeks and . Really like this!

6. Purple Hair Bobble
Sorry I have no picture of this, but it is up in the cover photo :)
This bobble is really good for your hair, as is doesn't have a metal band on it like most bobbles do! So damage free! Really wish they sold more of these around the place


Th essence trend edition “beauty beats – girls on tour with Justin Bieber”  is for Justin Bieber’s “believe” Tour this year! It is in stores now! The retail price varies from 1-6 euros.
Thank you so much Essence for sending this package to me, I'm so grateful :)
Hope ye enjoyed this post

Thursday 12 December 2013

November Favourites


Hello everyone :) Long time no blog.. exam time has started again and I've been fairly sick the past few weeks ,so sorry for no posts ! :( Anyways I'm back with my November Favourites ! 
Enjoy!

1.Natural Collection Blush 'Pink Cloud'

I'm not much of a blush person, but I recently rediscovered this and I love it! You might not of noticed (silly picture quality) but it's actually a very baby pink colour! If you put this on very lightly, it will give a lovely flushed cheek! 

2.Nivea Dry Confidence Deodorant


This is a bit of a random of favourite, but it just smells so amazing! It's a lovely fresh smell, that lasts for ages, as it says on the tin

3.Essence Colour&Go Nail Varnish 'trendsetter'

Because of the winter months, darker colours are in, so this is my perfect winter colour. It looks a bit drab in picture but it's a really wearable brown! 

4.Kerastase Elixir Ultime- For all Hair Types

At the start I was a bit wary of using this as my hair gets greasy very easily, but I was proved wrong. This hair oil has been raved about so much, and I would so agree with them! After a shower I pump this through my ends twice, and brush it through. There's a lovely coconut smell of it, and the shine off my hair is crazy! I can see after using this several times that my ends are in good condition.

5.Simple Light Moisturiser

Everyone's skin has become dryer during winter, but no, mine has become more oilier?? Trust my skin.. anyways, this moisturiser is perfect for my t-zone and manages the oil balance very well


Friday 15 November 2013

The This or That Tag


Happy Friday everyone! :) Tonight I decided to do a tag , just to change things up a bit! I've seen this tag been done on so many other blogs so I said I would give it a go!
Enjoy reading :)


Blush or Bronzer?  I'm definitely a bronzer girl, I just way prefer that glowy sun kissed look to the face even in winter ! But I will wear blusher too
Lipgloss or Lipstick?  Lipstick! I only wear it when I'm going out, but I just imagine all lip glosses to be gooey and yock! Sorry all lipgloss lovers!!
Eyeliner or Mascara? hmm.. this is a tough one. Probably mascara as even if you don't have makeup on with just mascara I love how it just opens your eyes and makes you look awake. I love my eyeliner too but sometimes mascara is just much faster!!
Foundation or Concealer? Well this answer really depends on how well my skin is, so I'm just going to give an answer at present and say concealer because I love putting it under my eyes and the odd few spots! And you it kind of doubles as a foundation if its a thick formula 
Neutral or Colour Eyeshadow? Always neutrals for me! I never have the courage to wear coloured eyeshadow
Pressed or loose eyeshadow? Pressed! I bought a loose eyeshadow ages ago and spilt it, and it literally destroyed my carpet so I am never going back to loose!
Nails
OPI or China Glaze? I have never tried the china glaze polishes so I cant say anything, but the OPI polish I have is a gorgeous colour, easy to apply and lasts for ages!
Long or Short Nails? My nails are a bit of both, but when they get too long , they'll start to piss me off (don't ask me??!) and I'll just clip them!
Acrylic or Natural? I prefer natural , as I really don't like the feeling of the acrylic on my nails!
Bright or Dark? Oh god hmmm it depends on the season I guess??.
Body
Perfume or Body Spray? Perfume! It lasts way longer !
Lotion or Body Butter? As my skin is dry, I love me some Body Shop Coconut Body Butter ! Keeps my body so smooth especially during the winter
Body Wash or Soap? Body Wash, Soap is too slippery haha!
LUSH or Other bath companies?  I used to buy a lot of Lush products but I've kinda been converted to Soap and Glory! The smell just made it for me!
Fashion
Jeans or Sweat Pants? Because I'm still in school, its so nice to come home and just throw on a tracksuit pants and be comfy! I love my comfort!
Long or short sleeves? A bit of both! I like short sleeves for going out and long for the day!
Dresses or skirts? Another hard question! I have gotten more into wearing skirts, especially skater skirts!
Stripes or Plaid? Stripes! Only own a plaid scarf and I love it don't get me wrong but I would prefer stripes over plaid!
Flip Flops or Sandals?  Gladiator sandals , they are my summer staple! You can literally wear them with anything
Scarves or hats? I am the ultimate hoarder of scarves! Theres just so many nice ones out there! I would like to get into wearing hats though, especially beanies.
Studs or dangly earrings? I do have my ears pierced but I rarely wear earrings! I would say studs
Necklaces or Bracelets? Necklaces. Love the statement ones
Jackets or Hoodies?  As I said above I love my comfort, so hoodies! 

Hair

Curly or Straight? Curly hair hands down. My hair is naturally wavy, and I hate my hair straight ( it doesn't help that my straightener's broken) but I don't think straight hair suits me!
Bun or ponytail? Bun, my hair looks silly in a pony tail and I just find buns way faster!
Bobby Pins or Butterfly Clips? Bobby pins! Even though I lose like all of them
Hair Spray or Hair Gel? Hair spray, I don't use it that much but its grand when I do!
Long or Short hair? Long without a doubt , I've learnt my lesson through out the years how much I miss my long hair when I cut it short
 Light or dark?  Light. My natural hair colour is a mousey brown and I hated it, so I love my blonde!
Side sweep or Full on fringe? Always side sweep
Up or Down? As I said I have long hair, so if it gets annoying I will always put it up, but the majority of the time down!
Random
Rain or Shine? A bit of both, I love rain during the winter months because your inside and cosy but I love the sun during summer (whenever we get it here in Ireland!)
Summer or Winter? A mixture, winter because its my birthday and nice clothes and summer for the holidays and sun
Autumn or Spring? Spring. I don't like autumn at all because I know its the month of going back to school!
Chocolate or Vanilla? I'm presuming this is the food? Chocaholic right here!!
I know its a very long post, and ye probably will get tired of reading half way , but it was fun to do I guess, leave ye're tag posts down in the comments :)
Thank you :)




Sunday 10 November 2013

Winter Haul


Yesterday I went to town and bought some clothes for a change (I'm always buying cosmetics!!)  I love town at this time of the year, there's such a christmassy feel to it. So I just wanted to show you what I bought

1 and 2. I love cosy jumpers for winter as you can layer underneath and wear them with almost everything especially with these colours. I got the grey one in penneys for 14 euros and the burgundy in h&m for 14 aswell! 

3. I've seen so many people wearing those gold chains from penneys and I decided to venture out and buy one too. I actually got a different kind of one, it's still a chain but a bit more detailed I guess? I can see this chain is going to go with almost everything! Penneys for 5 euros

4. As the tartan trend is in for a/w , I wasn't brave enough yet to actually wear tartan clothes but just a more subtle way by having a good ole tartan scarf! I bought this in  Awear for 8 euros on sale!

5. I had actually bought this ages ago, but I couldn't resist showing ye! I just love it so much!! The colour is gorgeous and bright and the leather is so smooth. Aaand I bought in penneys for, I think 4 euros!

6. So many people rave about how comfy the topshop socks are so I decided to try them out and they are, wow! 77% cotton ! These are the frilly socks, they're navy with white polka dots and a black frill, for 5 euros in topshop

7.And finally ,everyone needs furry socks for winter, so I decided to stock up on them. So cosy and warm, 3 pack for 3 euros in penneys

Hope you enjoyed this post :)


Thursday 7 November 2013

L'oreal True Match Foundation Review


My friend let me borrow this the other day, as I was curious to see what was all the fuss about it ! It was in the colour N1 Ivory. This foundation is water-based in my opinion as it is so runny!!



I have dry-normal skin so I was hoping this would foundation would benefit my dry skin.
My first impressions was it was very runny and that it gave really good coverage! The formula is very easy to blend as it says on the bottle. When the foundation alone was on my face it gave a very dewy look to my face. After I set it with powder ,as I didn't want an overall dewy finish!
The lasting power of this foundation was good, I had it on for 6 hours without retouches and it stayed on well, apart from a few small patches around my nose and chin, but overall I was impressed! Here is a picture of me when I first put it on and then 6 hours later..




The thing I like about this foundation is that it is very lightweight on the skin, which is always something I look for in foundations.
The shade however was a bit too light for me, but when I put on a bit more bronzer it looked good! I wouldn't recommend this foundation at all to oily skin types , as I said it gives a very dewy finish.
Although this is a pricier pharmacy/drugstore foundation, I would definitely consider buying it for the summer!


Tuesday 5 November 2013

Fashion Help!!


Hey guys just a quick post! I've had this skirt for a while, and I don't have a clue what colours that match with it or clothes that go, to make it into a nice outfit, would be grateful if some fashion bloggers could help me out here ? :D

Thanks!


Monday 4 November 2013

October Favourites


Yaay its officially winter :D My favourite season! Here's what I've been loving last month!

1.Barry's Tea 'Very Berry'
I'm always just going for the regular tea, so I said I'd try something different. I've never liked the normal green teas, I find them very boring, so I found this and I am officially addicted!! A nice sweet taste to it and lovely and refreshing in the morning. Will be repurchasing!!

2.Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation
I got this sample in an issue of Kiss Magazine. This is the new formula of the Stay Matte Foundation. Although it was far too dark for me, I was still very impressed! I wore it on an night out and it stayed on all night!! A very smooth feel to it and left me without shine.

3.Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer
Sorry if the concealer looks like milk, but its just the camera!! I had ran out of my collection 2000 concealer, and found this gem in my makeup box. Love it under my eyes, a nice sweet smell and a moisturising formula. I did a separate review on this , check it out! 

4. Bath and Bodyworks Candle 'Lakeside'
My friend went to America during the summer and brought me back this as a present. I was so so excited, when I saw the Bath and Bodyworks Logo, as I've seen so many American youtubers and bloggers rave about them! The scent is 'Lakeside'. A nice citrusy and refreshing smell, love lighting it in the evening, freshens up my room!

5.Clarins Water Comfort One Step Cleanser
My skin has been really bad the past month and I wanted to try something different. My aunt gave me this sample a while back and I never bothered with it too much! Well this really got rid of my spots and redness and took my makeup off very fast! There is also a subtle peach scent to it! Loved it 



Saturday 26 October 2013

October Wishlist


Oh how badly I want all these things :o

1. Wine Vans
I already own pair of vans and they are the comfiest things ever, want this pair,just to change things up a bit! The colour would go with a lot, and I love the black lace combination !

2.RT Expert Face Brush
I think I might just be the only beauty blogger that still doesn't have this ! I have heard such good things, need need to buy!!

3.Topshop 'Inhibition' Lipstick
Such a gorgeous colour, I don't own any deep coloured lipsticks,  nice autumn/winter colour

4.Bourjois Bronzing Primer
I know this is more of a summer buy, but I still love that 'glowy tan' face effect! Want to try this out for a change from the usual powder formula!

5.'Girl About Town' Mac Lipstick
I have been loving this lippie for months, its such a nice pink colour, love love love!

6.Topshop 'Joni' Jeans Polka Dot and Dark Wash Grey
I want to really change up my jeans colours, and all the topshop jeans are tdf! But I especially love these ones. Apparently there meant to be really comfy!

Monday 21 October 2013

Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer Review



I have had this concealer for nearly a year at this stage and had used it at most once or twice, but now my collection 2000 concealer has ran out, and I haven't had time to go out and get a new one, I found this again and love it so much!

I have never tried the actual healthy mix foundation but I think I might be converted after using this!
I'm getting really bad breakouts atm (which is extremely annoying) and I have dotted the concealer on the spots and blended with a brush. It covers them really well and is a thick formula.
At first when I saw the consistency was yellow toned I was kinda freaking out, but with good blending, it goes perfect! 
I also put this under my eyes, which is extremely refreshing and gets rid of any dark circles.
As this is a thick formula, it's actually very moisturising, which helps my dry under eye area!
As ye know I'm all about the scent, the smell of this so fruity and sweet! Apparently it is made with fruits??I also love that it is very hygienic, in the way you just squeeze it onto your finger insted of just putting it on straight with a wand (yes I'm a culprit!) But it does the job for me, and I think I may get this concealer instead of the collection 2000! YES its that good!

Monday 7 October 2013

September Favourites



Hello all! Not as many favourites last month, as I was just using my usuals, but here are some newer products I was using! :)

1.Soap and Glory 'The Righteous Butter'
This is my little mini tub of it! So lovely to put on after the shower, really nice and moisturising, although I hate waiting for body moisturisers to dry, the smell makes it better! Its that usual sweet soap and glory smell! My clothes always smell gorgeous after this! Definitely getting the bigger tub !

2.Rimmel's 60 second Nail Varnish 'I Lilac it'
Not much of an autumny colour, but its just so pretty anyways! You may think it will turn out a purple colour, but it actually comes out a light barbie pink colour. It does what it says on the tin.

3.Hollister Hand Cream 'Malibu Beach'
Picked this up a couple of months ago, but used a lot of it in September! To be fair I wouldn't say this is the most moisturising hand cream, but the smell just tops it off! A really nice subtle smell, and good for putting on before bed! 

4.Kate Moss Lasting Finish Matt Lipstick 111
This a true red colour. Nice fruity smell off it (I'm all about the scent ;) ) I have never really dared to wear a bold colour on the lips, but I tried and I loved! Good coverage, doesn't dry out your lips and long wearing!

5.Essence Eyeshadow Base
Because I cant afford the UD primer potion, I decided to look for a cheaper alternative. This so so good! Put this on for a party, and my eyeshadow lasted all night and didn't crease.This also brings out the less pigmented shadows a lot more too. A hidden gem!

6.Maybelline Dream Touch Blush 02 'Peach'
I haven't been the biggest wearer of blush in the past few months, I have had this for ages. It is a cream blush! I have found my love again for it, it applies really smoothly and gives a nice healthy glow to the face. Also goes well with bronzer!