BORN PRETTY STORE BRUSHES

Recently I had some brushes sent to me from Born Pretty Store, in the form of this 5pc face kit*. I wasn't expecting much as they were extremely budget priced, but I'm actually a huge fan and have been getting a fair amount of use out of the collection. If you use the code EVANH10 you can also get 10% off the store.

My favourite brush is the one pictured in the first demo picture, and the one on the far right on the top picture. It's quite a dense, tall pointed yet round foundation brush, and one I imagine to be quite similar to the currently hyped Louise Young LY34 brush, making it perfect for a quick foundation application. The second demo shows the round buffer brush, which is slightly smaller than the rest. I like to use this for cream/liquid highlighters, especially Benefit High Beam.

The flat top brush is quite a nice one for concealer, and I also like the angled slightly rounded top pne for cream blush, especially the more natural colours as it is the perfect shape for focusing the colour along the cheekbone and up onto the temples for that cold flushed look. I assume the flat top angled brush would be rather good for this purpose too.

All the brushes aren't too dense that they are unworkable, so they aren't stiff when blending, but they are just the right density to get a flawless finish. I've really been enjoying the multi-use aspect of this brush set, not to mention I quite like the sleek monochrome look of them.

MINIMALIST BLUSH

When it comes to the spring, I either go to the bright blushes (which I already posted about here), or the natural looking, barely there shades that I can sweep on in a matter of seconds, and those are what I'll be sharing today, featuring an old favourite and a new addition.

The golden oldie is the Dainty Doll Cream Blush in Paper Roses, a pale pink with a hint of silver shimmer, and whenever I slap this one on my cheeks (read: gently tap on and blend with a brush), I always seem to get compliments and questions on my cheek colour, which makes this one an instant winner.

The new love is the Rimmel Mono Blush in Santa Rose, which is slightly more peachy so is less noticeable on the cheeks. This is a firm blogger favourite, and I can tell why. Its slightly shimmery, natural toned, and adds a light flush to the cheeks, and using the contour brush to just focus is on certain areas of the cheeks is my way to go about using this one.

2 blushes, 2 brushes, and the perfect no frills cheeks...

BRIGHT BLUSHES FOR SPRING

Another Spring-based post today, as will be the majority of my upcoming posts over the next few weeks, but today I am focusing on the cheeks, and in particular - blush. When Spring comes along, I like to crack out the brighter shades and add some colour to my makeup.

One that I'm sure you all hate me for banging on about on almost a weekly basis is the Topshop Cream Blush Duo in Up In The Air - a duo of a bright orange and pink with a cream to powder finish. Another heavily mentioned one is the Revlon Photo Ready Cream Blush in Coral Reef, a red coral which blends out to something a little more muted, with the same powder finish.

For a budget offering, the MUA Cream Blush in Bittersweet comes in at £2 a pop, and has a nice range of neutrals and brights. I particularly love this one as it is so bright in the pan and it really translates that candy pink colour onto the cheeks. Another MUA product is the Powder Blush in Shade 1 (which I'm not sure is still available), is a muted, powder version of the pink in the Topshop Duo. 

Last but not least, not only does the H&M Spring Flowers blush get points for the stunning pink-coral colour, it also gets the award for the prettiest packaging of the bunch. It's mostly matte, but that centre pale pink adds a hint of shimmer, but often I just avoid that if I want a matte cheek.

Blushes are quickly becoming my weakness, so we will have to wait and see which will be my purchased next...

ON WEDNESDAYS WE WEAR PINK

Catch the Mean Girls reference there? 10 points to you. Recently I have been standing at my Muji drawers (soon to be an Ikea Alex - I am very excited) and staring at all things pink; perfumes, lips, nails, and even a brush. Am I going a little cray? I think so. But today I shall be sharing the love for the pretty shade and going through my picks from the categories.

Lips: The newest addition is the Kiko Smart Lipstick in 912. As soon as I set eyes on this I instantly thought that it was a possible dupe of MAC Impassioned and if so, that is another to add to my MAC Lipstick wishlist. For something a little more balmy, I always opt for the Revlon Lip Butter in Sweet Tart which is the colour that really got me into wearing pinks. Another offering is the Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Oxford Street Fuchsia which doesn't suit me all that well but the formula is amazing.

Cheeks: For a powder offering, the Stila Positively Pink Cheek Palette has recently made its way into my collection, at from a first impressions point of view, it is gorgeous, and I can't wait to use this more often. For a cream blush, the MUA Blush Perfection Cream Blusher in Bittersweet is a great one for a budget offering, coming in at only £2 a pop, so I assume more of these will soon enter my collection.

Nails: I rarely sport a pink polish because not many suit me, but these 3 are some of my favourites. Ciaté Candy Floss is a gorgeous bubblegum pink colour, and after I went through a similar Gosh one entirely, this is the next best thing, and I own 2 of them. On the theme of Gosh, we have Flamingo, a bright medium pink colour, which I adore as it reminds me of summer. Finally, we have Rimmel Strawberry Fizz which is another medium pink colour which looks pretty good on toes as well as fingers.

Miscellaneous: So, I couldn't write a post about pink products without including the Real Techniques Stippling Brush which is the perfect blush-buffer, foundation's best friend, and an all round multitasker and my face appreciates it greatly. Then for fragrance I have this mini of the Ted Baker Woman Pink scent, and I love this at the moment, as it smells exactly like the general Soap and Glory scent, and I adore that.

So, I have been thinking pink recently, and it probably won't be stopping for a while.
What colour is on your mind beauty-wise?

BEST 5 OF 2013: FACE

Yep, another set of awards for the top products of 2013. This time, I'm am giving you the low-down on all things face related, so that goes for base, concealer, blush, highlight, etc. etc. And, I will tell you now, base products are my weakness, so are lips, and eyes, and basically makeup in general - oops.

Revlon basically rocks my world when it comes to foundations and bases.The shades match my pale skin perfectly, and the formulas work pretty well where things get quite oily on my face, but don't get cakey on my drier cheeks *claps*. So, for the higher coverage option, Revlon Colorstay in Buff (Oily/Combo) is the bomb dot com, literally. This covers all my blemishes, redness, and scars (with a tiny bit of help from a concealer), but still looks natural, and is pretty flawless. Then, for the lighter offering, Revlon Nearly Naked in Vanilla is perfect. This still covers most things, more so simply blurs the skin, but looks radiant, without being shiny.

Then, onto concealer. Of course, the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair does it for me. Oh, how I wish this was the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer but my purse won't allow it, but for a mere £4.19, this covers everything. Sometimes people complain about it being cakey, and I have had some bad experiences, but on my combination skin, this just does so well at covering, and lasting all day. I have been through a good 3-4 of these in varying colours this year, and after buying the Bourjois offering, I think this one still wins that spot in my heart.

Blush. This was the year that I fell in love with cream blushes, and more so now that I own the Real Techniques Stippling Brush. This Topshop Cream Blush Duo in Up in The Air was purchased in the January sales last year, and I have been loving it all year through. The formula = perfect. The colours = perfect. The lasting power = perfect. What more can I say.

Finally, as you can see by the pan-hitting going on there, the Sleek Face Form in Light was obviously going to gain a spot in this post. The highlight and contour are the best parts of the palette, but the blush is lovey too. The contour is the perfect colour, so I'm getting any orange lines going on all up in my cheekbones, and the highlight adds the nicest pink/champagne glow you ever did see.

What were your favourite products of 2013?

 

MY CREAM BLUSH/CHEEK TRIO

Cream blush...? If you asked me a year ago, cream 'anything for your face'  bar eyeshadows were my 'steer clear' product. I don't really know why, I guess I just had a bad application once and decided they were planning to attack me or something, I don't know. 
The bond has been built and my adoration for cream blush has grown, not that I don't have enough cheek products as it is, I want more. 
 I'll give you a quick tour of my cream products and 'the low down' on what I like... or not.

My collection of cream products, judging by the picture, is looking somewhat feeble, but I plan to change that, no matter how much my purse doesn't feel the same.

One of the favourites from them all is the Revlon PhotoReady Cream Blush in the shade Coral Reef. If you want a blush that is easy to blend, not too noticeable (it goes against what it looks like in the pan), and something for quick, everyday wear, this is one to go for - especially if you are a little bit afraid of cream blush.

The Topshop Cream Blush Duo in Up in the Air - This is one of the first cream blushes I can recall buying, after Christmas in the sale season - about 6 months after I really got into beauty... 6 months it took me to buy a cream blush!? This one is the most pigmented of the bunch, and has a very creamy texture. I wore this one religiously in the summer.

Then we have the Dainty Doll Cream Blush in Paper Roses - this is a perfect blush for those 'no makeup, makeup days'. It is so natural but can also be built up if you want to look a little more pinched. The fine silver shimmer through this compliments the pale pink so well and prevents you looking overly Barbie.

Up next is the ELF  HD Blush in the shade Superstar. This is a weird one, it is very, very dark and hard to control how much you apply. This requires some shaking as well, otherwise you end up with a separated product and an oily mess all over your face/hands. It is a good product when you use it properly, but for me, I find it a bit too much, I will have to look at the other colours instead.

Last but not least - or maybe least - we have the Rimmel Wake Me Up Shimmer Touch in Shimmering Sand. It isn't a blush, I know, I know, but I'm not sure what it is. A highlight/radiance esque product, but far too dark to do any sort of highlight work. I have mixed this in with foundation one or two times, and it works a little better, but otherwise it is a bit naff.

Cream blush... A product I would never go near, and now one of my favourite cheek products to use. I think a trip to Boots is due for me (I went yesterday, but shhh), and I can stock up.

Lauren x

                                              

Revlon PhotoReady Cream Blush in Coral Reef

Hi guys!
First of all, this is my 100th Post! Yaaay! 

So, I never really used to be a fan of cream blush, as sometimes the texture doesn't work on my skin, but throughout the time I have been obsessed with makeup and blogging, I have found a few gems.

This blush from Revlon was on my wishlist for a long time after Alix from ICovetThee mentioned it in a video of hers. I got the one in Coral Reef about 2 months ago, and I think it is time for a review.

I like the packaging, as it is small and compact, but still holds a lot of product. I also like that you can see the product through clear packaging, as if you have the other 2 shades (which I hope to get soon!), you can know what's what.

I love the colour, as it is a vibrant red coral in the pan, but then on the cheek, it becomes a muted version of that, and it is just gorgeous! I love the texture too, as it isn't too creamy, it has a slightly satin feel to it, and doesn't make me look too glowy on the face. This is probably the best cream blush I have tried, and I think a purchase of a different colour is in order! I find them so easy to sweep on a blend, with just my fingertips! I would recommend this for anyone on the go, well, to be honest, it is just a makeup bag essesntial!

Since trying this cream blush, I am really in the mood to buy some more! I am thinking that the Bourjois ones look nice, as my local Superdrug refilled the testers today so they weren't all dried out and they look lovely! Let me know what you think!

Thanks for reading,

Lauren x

Don't forget that you can now grow the publicity of your blog by getting some advertising space on my blog! Visit the Sponsor and Advertisers page in the tabs above.

Topshop Up and Away Cream Blush Duo | Swatches and Review

Hi everyone! As you may have already seen in the blogging world, Topshop Cream Blushes are very much raved about here. I thought I would hop on the bandwagon (a little late) as this was purchased after Christmas in the sale, for £6 instead of £12. The packaging isn't my favourite, as the green is a little unpractical, but I do like the pattern on it.

Ooh Pretty! Sorry, it's a little bit used, but it just shows how much I love it! :)

Wowiie! Once blended, it definitely isn't this bright on the cheeks!

 These cream blushes are flawless to apply, and with a cream to powder finish, they are very easy to blend across the cheek. There is a lovely peachy/coral colour, and then there is a bright fuchsia pink colour, which I also love. I have tried mixing the two before, and it actually looks really pretty on the skin!

How pretty is that!? Once blended, these can be made really subtle!

After buying this, I really want to try some more of these Topshop cream blushes, as they are such great quality products and really worth the money! I think they are worth either £6 or £8 when you buy the ones that are in the permanent and they have 4-5 lovely shades to choose from. I really recommend you pick them up!

Do you own any of these? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading, come again soon! Don't forget that you can follow me on GFC and Bloglovin' (buttons to the right) and also on twitter! ; www.twitter.com/thebeaubow

Bye! Lauren x

ELF HD Blush in Superstar - Swatches and Review

Hi everyone! As you may know about 3 weeks ago ELF cosmetics were doing a BOGOF offer on all studio products. You have seen my haul post when the things arrived with small reviews on each, but now I have chosen to go back and do a full review on each product.

 This is a cream blush in a pump form. This one is a little dark though, as it is the second shade they have. I originally wanted the lightest one, but it was out of stock, as quite a lot of things are when there are offers on like this one was.

 

Grassy Product Shot. Superstar - £3.75

 Although it is dark, I find it is really easy to blend and it is very workable. For £3.75 a pop, you can’t really complain. I did find that when this came in the post it had separated a little, but a shake got rid of that and it was totally fine and useable!

 

Ooh pretty. A little more pink in real life though. :)

Superstar is a bright coral/red based pink, with no shimmer from what I see. It gives the skin a real glow and I absolutely love it! This is going to be great for the summer when you don’t want to be applying tons of matte powder products.

 Do you have any elf products? I absolutely love this one! When there is next an offer on I will be getting some more things I think!

 Thanks for reading, don’t forget to follow me on GFC and Bloglovin’ (buttons to the right) and also twitter: www.twitter.com.thebeaubow J

Bye! Lauren x