Last Minute Beauty Gift Ideas

The Balm Nude'tude Palette
If you have a huge beauty fan in your life that doesn't already own this, I think it would make such a lovely gift. Its a little more on the pricey side costing around £30 , but if you have someone in mind that loves a nude smokey eye I think this really would make a special gift.

Superdrug Fruity Trio Strawberry & Raspberry Set
A fail safe Christmas gift is a bundle of bath and body products, especially when they are already boxed up it makes a great little gift. This fab little set* comes complete with a bath puff, shower gel and body cream, and costs just £2.50 from Superdrug and comes in a variety of different scents.

Shadow Switch
Being a beauty blogger, I am always eager to see new products on the market, especially when it comes to make-up removal and makeup brush cleansing - two tasks which I do not enjoy! I was contacted recently by a brand called Beauty Essentials who specialize in lots of different beauty products. They sent me Shadow Switch*, which is a product designed to quickly clean your eyeshadow brushes so you can use them multiple times when applying your makeup. I haven't really seen anything else on the market like this and think its a pretty nifty idea, and think it would make a pretty cool gift for a beauty fan, especially if they love a smokey eye as we all know how annoying it is when you use the same eyeshadow brush while creating a smokey eye - it can get messy!
This product is currently available to buy online from Amazon here, but will soon be available on their UK website too.

Seventeen Sparkle and Shine Lip Gloss Collection
One of my go-to budget beauty brands has always been Seventeen at Boots. In fact, I remember writing about their Dazzle Dusts in one of my first blog posts back in 2012. They always do gorgeous and really inexpensive gifts at Christmas time that could be perfect for your sister, bestie, cousin, secret santa, or anyone that loves their make-up really! This Sparkle and Shine Lip Gloss Collection* includes six pretty lip lustres; there is a selection bright pinks, nudes and corals so something to suit all and a great way for someone that perhaps wants to get into make-up can try out different colours. The lip glosses are really good quality considering the teeny tiny price ticket too.

*Includes some PR samples*

New In: Benecos Makeup Brushes

I am always on the hunt for new makeup brushes. They are probably one of my favourite beauty items to buy! I just think that if you have great tools to apply your makeup with, it can make a whole difference to the way your makeup appears. I recently picked out a few makeup brushes from Benecos; a natural beauty brand, to put to the test.

The Benecos Powder Brush (RRP £9.95) is perfect for applying setting powder, as well as doubling - up as a fairly good blush brush. The bristles on the brush are super soft and fluffy, and as the brush is large, it is great for distributing powder across the face. When I use this to apply my setting powder, I feel it gives an even and flawless finish. Overall I cant really fault this brush, I think it does a great job and is worth the price tag. I have tried other powder brushes which cost much more than this one, that don't achieve the results this brush does.

The Benecos Rouge Brush (RRP £8.95) is much smaller than the powder brush in regards to the handle size. The Rouge Brush is great to use to apply highlight, bronzer and even blusher. The brush has a slanted cut of the head, which helps to give a more accurate application of bronzer or highlighter. I love this brush to apply highlighter, as it is super soft and gives a very defined application. I would definitely recommend this brush to anyone looking for a slanted powder brush, it is brilliant for the price.

My first impressions of Benecos makeup brushes are that they are very soft; they don't shed, wash well and apply my makeup really evenly and well. I am definitely going to be trying more from the range!
Both brushes are available to buy online at Mypure.

Have you ever tried natural makeup brushes before?

Mypure Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter

*PR samples*

ECOTOOLS Bamboo Eye Enhancing Duo Brush Set

Ecotools are a well-known make-up brush brand that are environmentally friendly. As I really like the brand, I do tend to look into them first when shopping for new make-up brushes. I came across the Bamboo Eye Enhancing Duo Brush Set whilst browsing online and realized I had never seen this set before. As the brushes are double - sided, I thought this set would be a perfect go - to kit for doing my eye make-up in a rush, travelling, perfect for my make-up bag and generally some good beauty tools to add to my collection.

The set includes a shade and define brush, which is perfect for applying eyeshadow, and to add a little more detail with the define end of the brush. I have used the Ecotools shadow brush before and I really like it as it packs a lot of product on and distributes it well. The define end of the brush is good but I don't really get a lot of us out of it; it is good to know I have it if I need it though.
It also includes a blend and smudge brush, that is perfect for blending out the eyeshadow, and the smudge end of the brush is good to smudge eyeliner. The smudge end of the brush is really good and works really well. The blend end of the brush leaves your eye makeup looking blended out and soft, I am so impressed with this brush overall, as I feel it is such a reasonable price for how good this brush is alone.


The set is so inexpensive at just £5.99 , I think that is really good value for money considering that the brushes are good quality. I feel that this kit would be good maybe for someone just starting out in make-up as well as long time beauty lovers, as the price is so reasonable and you get two brushes which double up as four, and you have pretty much everything you need to apply your eye shadow products with just those two. I find make-up brushes can be quite expensive if I am honest; but I feel Ecotools are definitely a really good quality beauty brush brand which are easily accessible and are low in price too.
The Ecotools Bamboo Eye Enhancing Duo Brush Set is available to buy online from Mypure here.

*Post includes PR sample*

Inika Angle Brush - The Perfect Angled Eye Brush!

Firstly, apologies for the photography in todays post - it is actually quite difficult to photograph a single make - up brush with the camera I am currently using, so my photo's aren't of such a good quality as I would like them to be, but please bear with me until I soon upgrade to a better camera. I am sure you can still see the fantastic quality of the Inika Angle Brush from the photographs! You can also check out their stock photos at My Pure here.

About the Inika Angle Brush

Inika is a brand I am quite familiar with, being a natural and organic brand which doesn't cause any irritation to the skin, I really wanted to try out one of their products as I often get irritated skin. I had been hearing a lot about them through beauty reviews, so I knew when browsing My Pure's website I really wanted to try one of their make up brushes. This brush certainly does not disappoint. I opted for the Angle Brush - a multi-use brush perfect for applying eye-shadow, eye-liner and of-course, a perfect tool for filling in brows.

I have used the brush for filling in my eyebrows. It is a great tool for this, especially if you like a bold brow as it is quite a large brush which helps to create great shape. I have also used it to apply eyeliner to my lash line, by wetting the brush and using different coloured eye-shadows to create new eye liner shades. The brush is easy to use and I find it easy to apply product onto the brush. I would definitely recommend this brush for eye shadow or eye liner.

The brush feels really soft and hasn't shed which is a plus from me! As Inika is quite a well - known and slightly more expensive brand, I expected good things from this make up brush and it really does show in this case that it is well worth the money as the quality of the brush is fantastic.

More Information

The Inika Angle Brush is made from 100% man made materials and wood from sustainable forestry. You can purchase the Inika Angle brush at My Pure here. My Pure is a fantastic website if you are looking for natural and organic brands like Inika, they give greast customer service and their delivery is really quick. Their products arrive well packaged and I can't fault the service with My Pure!

*This post contains PR samples/items which were sent to me for consideration to review. All opinions are 100 %  honest and my own. You can view my full disclaimer policy on the contact tab above*

Eco Tools Bamboo 5 Piece Fresh and Flawless Complexion Set

Make Up Brushes from Eco Tools: The 5 Piece Fresh and Flawless Complexion Set

I absolutely love the brand Ecotools. I have quite a selection of their brushes now, and love that they are economically friendly and 100% cruelty free. EcoTools brushes are well - known for their bamboo handles, and don't even get me started on how incredibly soft the bristles are on the brushes. Today I  am reviewing their 5 Piece Fresh and Flawless Complexion Set.



The Fresh and Flawless Complexion Set* includes five fantastic make up brushes that will help to achieve a flawless make up base or complexion. Included in the set is the Flat Concealer Brush, the Buffing Concealer Brush, the Precision Foundation Brush, the Complexion Blending Brush and the Full Powder Brush. All five brushes work well with mineral, powder or liquid make - up, so it it really is ideal for anyone.
The flat concealer brush is one I already own, and really enjoy using. It is a great tool to help hide any blemishes, and also doubles up as a great eye shadow brush. The buffing concealer brush is probably my favourite brush out of the set, as it buffs in both foundation and concealer flawlessly. The precision foundation brush is a great brush also to apply foundation on to the face.  I was unsure if I would like using such a small brush to apply liquid foundation but in fact it is a brilliant tool for this. The complexion blending brush is the brush I was mostly unsure of, but have soon found through a little bit of research is great to use to buff liquid or mineral products, particularly concealer onto the skin.
The powder brush is quite a small brush to apply powder, I personally think it would make a good blush brush if applied with a very light hand.

Does Size Matter?

The brushes in this set are smaller in size to the other Ecotools brushes that I own, but that is just a plus for me as it makes it easy to fit inside my make up bag when I am out and about. As the handles are quite a lot shorter than most make up brushes in my collection, I wasn't sure I would find it difficult to use them as well as the other brushes in my collection - but fear not,  hey still work brilliantly like any other. The different colours on thes top of these brushes are a great addition, as they help to find your brush in a hurry and I think the pattern is so pretty.
The brushes are of a great quality and I haven't found them to shed in my time using them. I also find that they apply products onto the face easily and don't leave any harsh lines on the skin.

Where Can I Buy?

This Ecotools 5 piece brush set is available online at Mypure for just £11.99*. I think the price for this set is very reasonable for five make up brushes that are of a fantastic quality. I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a great base or face brush set. Apart from a Blush brush (although the powder brush could be used as a blush brush) it has everything you need for a flawless finish.


*This post contains PR samples/items which were sent to me for consideration to review. All opinions are 100 %  honest and my own. You can view my full disclaimer policy on the contact tab above*

Eyeko Lash Curler

Eyeko Lash Curler

Limited Edition Blue Velvet £12, Available here

Hi everyone. The one thing I struggle with the most is achieving long and thick lashes. I use a few different mascaras, but am a true believer that by using an eye lash curler does the world of good and really makes a difference. I received this Eyeko Eyelash Curler in a Latest in Beauty box back in 2013, which I was thrilled about as I had heard so much about the brand and have since read many rave reviews about how fantastic quality the eye lash curlers are.

The lash curlers are really easy to use, with the velvet handles helping to grip easily onto the tool. I feel that after using these lash curlers, that they make a difference in how my eyelashes look. The silicone rubber pads are really soft and are comfortable on the lashes.

Just to give you a heads up; these curlers are currently free with May's issue of Instyle Magazine. The Magazine retails at less than £4, so it is definitely worth picking up if just for the lash curlers.

Do you use eye lash curlers in your make up routine?

The Vintage Cosmetic Company Eyelash Curler

The Vintage Cosmetic Company Eyelash Curler

First of, how adorable is the packaging? The Vintage Cosmetic Company are well known and well loved for their beautiful packaging and their inexpensive beauty tools, I am fairly new to the brand, but having hearing a lot of good things about them, I was eager to try out these eye lash curlers, plus I haven't used eye lash curlers in years!

I must say I was really impressed when using these eyelash curlers. They made my lashes look curly and I looked more wide awake! I noticed a good difference by using these alone before my normal two mascara application. They are sturdy and easy to use, I would recommend them as they do a really great job.

Check out more of their products over on the website!

http://www.thevintagecosmeticcompany.co.uk/ 

XxX

Real Techniques Blush Brush

Real Techniques Blush Brush

By Samantha Chapman

I am pretty sure you have all heard of Samantha Chapman's (part of Youtube Beauty Girl duo pixiwoo) amazing line of Make Up Brushes. I have only recently made a purchase for one though, and that being the Blush Brush.

All Real Techniques brushes have synthetic bristles so they are super soft on the skin. I don't know about you, but I cannot stand a blush or powder brush where the bristles are hard and harsh on the face, so it feels like it drags on your skin. This brush makes applying blusher really easy as the bristles are hand - cut which ensures the perfect finish. 

As you can see the brush is quite a large brush, which I like as I can use it to add cheek colour quickly and easily in just one go. I find it applies blusher very evenly, and would even use it for bronzing if used very lightly. I am sure it could be used for highlighting, contouring, and powder too - so an all rounder multi - tasker!

I have washed the brush twice now and it has dried quite quickly, with no bristle - loss and still feels really soft.

The brush stands alone with a flat bottom, which is great for storage or travelling!

You can purchase this Blush Brush from Boots.

Have you tried any Real Techniques Brushes?

xx