Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman - Dual Fibre Stippling Brush REVIEW

So... I've heard great things about this range of make up brushes, and especially the Dual Fibre Stippling brush! I'm not a person who will spend tonnes of money on make up brushes, as to be quite frank I just won't use them. However, the stippling brush is something I've been wanting to try for a while. I've tried regular 'foundation' brushes (the ones that look like a paint brush....) and I find they just cake on the make up and are pretty rubbish at blending. My flatmate decided to take the plunge and buy this brush, and I managed to get the very last one in Boots (lucky!). Here's the brush:

Real Techniques Dual Fibre Stippling Brush.

First of all, the price is really very reasonable, £11.99 for a multi-purpose make up brush is pretty good going. (the main reason I don't buy make up brushes is because brands lure you in with all of their different brushes which you have to buy individually for extortionate prices) but I really think that this is worth it, you can use it however you like! Obviously the Real Techniques range do a whole host of different brushes, but one like this is great for someone like me, who doesn't necessarily want lots of different brushes. The brush is really easy to hold, and the end has a black bit which is easy to grip! The brush itself is a nice size, and you could use it for wet or dry products, I choose to use mine with foundation! 

How I use my Real Techniques Dual Fibre Stippling Brush:

I love this brush for my foundation (I've been using it for a few days now). I'm not actually using a 'proper' foundation at the moment, as I've been loving my Clinique Moisture Surge Tinted Moisturiser SPF 15 (shade 02). This brush is absolutely brilliant to apply this tinted moisturiser, and you wouldn't know that I didn't have a 'full' foundation on. I use about a 20p sized amount on the back of my hand and dab the brush in to it. I then apply to the apples of my cheeks and forehead, nose & chin. Then I can start stippling and blending. It does an excellent job of getting in to all the nooks and crannies to ensure that it's a flawless finish! This is great, because even though I'm not using a heavy foundation, it still creates the coverage that I'm after!

 I use a few other products to finish my make up, and recently I've been loving my Maybelline 24hr Superstay Concealer in Light Beige 02. To set I've been using Bourjois Mineral Radiance powder in 02 Vanilla!

The brush here is actually really good too, it's an ecotools one and I picked it up from Fragrance Direct (.co.uk) and it was really cheap too! Not sure if they still do them, but I know you can get Ecotools brushes in Boots! 

Overall I'm really impressed with this Stippling Brush & would recommend it to anyone! I'll also try using it with different foundations and let you guys know the verdict! So far though I'm loving it with my Clinique Tinted Moisturiser (which to be fair is more like a foundation than a moisturiser...) :) With regards to washing my brush.... I have to say I'm quite lazy when it comes to washing make up brushes, but for now I've been wiping it with a baby wipe and leaving it to air dry by the window each time I use it (so far so good!) I'm reluctant to buy in to the 'brush cleansers' that some brands do.. as they're quite expensive for what they are. I've also seen people washing their brushes with baby shampoo etc, so baby wipes and baby shampoo are cheap alternatives! 

You can follow Real Techniques on Twitter:  @realtechniques 

Thanks for reading! Any questions then just leave me a comment, thanks! Lucy xxx

Today's Purchases :) mini haul post!

Did a bit of shopping today... and got a few pieces that I needed, and some that I've just heard lots of great things about!

Got these two bra's from New Look, they were on sale for £6 (pack of two) and they feel like they're going to be super comfy! Also under all the products I bought a simple navy top from Primark, to go with my Jubilee outfit for the weekend!

Got some false nails from Primark, they're red as it's Jubilee weekend coming up, and I have to dress up for work and also a night out that's planned for Sunday! And for only £1 it's a pretty good deal!

I was so impressed with my lip tint that I got from Primark that I got a different colour, this is more of a baby pink and looks perfect for the summer! £1.50. 

I've been loving MUA Make up (available at Superdrug) as it's so cheap but quality! The bronzer is perfect for me, and teamed with my Primark blush brush, it goes on quite light so I can build it up without looking too orange! I have it in shade 1 and it was £1 (everything is on three for two at the moment in Superdrug too).

I got my hands on a Revlon Colour Burst Lip Butter - in 090 Sweet Tart. I've heard lots of good reviews, and my flatmate Jess has been using hers and can't recommend it enough. I tried all the colours and thought this was a really nice pretty pink for the summer, it's a little brighter than I'd normally go for, but I thought I'd have a change :) I've been trying it this afternoon and I'll do a review on that for you guys! £7.99 from Boots and Superdrug (and anywhere that sells Revlon products). 

Bit of an impulse buy at the end of the shopping trip, Jess has been going on about getting one of these Real Techniques Dual Fibre Stippling Brushes for a while now, and she finally bought one today after hearing such good reviews. I too have been seeing various Beauty Bloggers and Youtube Guru's talking about them, and thought I'd give it a try! Excited to see if this one works out! I'll review it once I've tried it (which will be later today or tomorrow I think!) It was £11.99, which is quite a lot to pay on a student budget for a brush.... so I'm hoping it will deliver!!

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed my little haul, please leave a comment about any of the products featured below, and if you'd like me to review anything then I'd be happy to! :) Lucy xxxx

Piz Buin sun care range! A review.

About two years ago I was on the lookout for a sunscreen which wouldn't break the bank... But which actually worked! I can across a good offer on Piz Buin in Sainsbury's where they were half price at around £5 per bottle! I got the 1 Day Long factor 30 and the Tan Intensifier factor 15.




After I bought them I read some reviews and found that a lot of people with sensitive skin (like me) simply couldn't use Piz Buin as it irritated. This got me worried... However I can say that it is by far my favourite sunscreen, I love it!

For pale skin like mine, factor 30 is perfect to put on in the morning, and then the 15 tan intensifier is great to apply throughout the day. I went to Spain that year and it was scorching, I didn't get burnt once!!

It has a great summery scent, unlike any I've smelt before with a sun cream! I re purchased this year before going to America and it did the job, even in heat of around 90degrees farenheight it worked really well. The factor 15 is perfect for this heat wave we're having in the UK at the moment and I really do recommend trying it! It's permanently on offer in Bodycare (there's one in Manchester... Not sure about anywhere else) and are around £5 :) I've also seen it in Boots, Superdrug & other supermarkets like Tesco! I'll update if I see any deals!!

Just a quick review on a sun care brand I'm really loving, hopefully this has been helpful! Thanks for reading, Lucy xxx



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Rimmel, Max Factor & Primark.... how do these lip tints compare?

I have a pale complexion, and over the past year or so I've been looking for a lip tint or 'stain' which will give me the desired colour that will LAST. I will usually wear these tints with some balm over the top, or as a base for lipstick, so that even when the lipstick eventually wears off, the lip stain should still be there to provide me with colour to perk up my lips :) Loads of brands have been coming out with these, and I've tried four of them. Here's a picture of three of them, these ones are in a 'felt tip' style and can be worn alone or with a lip balm or lipstick!

1. Max Factor 'Lipfinity Lasting Lip Tint' in shade 08

This one I had high hopes for, it was the first time trying a felt tip style one, and I had been drawn in by their advertising and didn't expect the product to be so poor! I don't know if it was just mine, but the colour is quite bad, a sort of dark brown colour with maybe a hint of red. Obviously I could have picked a different colour, but it seemed like it would be a good choice for the day time. The other thing I don't like is that the tip felt very dry, and it was often hard to get any colour to actually go on to my lips, again I don't know if this is just me, and that I had a 'dud' one.... my flat mate had one in a different shade and she seemed to like hers and didn't think it was dry at all, so who knows! I'm not going to buy this one again though because it's quite expensive and didn't work for me.
£7.99 at Boots & Superdrug. 


2. Rimmel Lasting Finish 1000 Kisses Transfer Proof Lip Tint + Balm


This product is definitely a step up from the Max Factor one!! The colour pay-off was much better on this product, and it didn't feel as drying. With a good colour base all set, there is also a balm on the end, with its own cap, so you can use it after the lip tint to prevent drying! This lip balm is AMAZING. I wish they did it in a balm on its own, it really is the best stick balm I've ever used. I usually stay away from this design as they can be drying and exaggerate the dryness, but this one glides over the lips and leaves it looking slightly glossy and 'kissable?' hehe. Really love this stuff! Overall for this product, the lip balm is better than the tint I feel. 
£5.99 approximately and can be found at Boots, Superdrug & Ebay etc :)


3. Primark 'Lip Stain Pen' there's no shade, but it's sort of a dark red/pink colour.


I bought this today, and I've tried it out and so far I really like it! The 'wetness' of the actual pen makes it so easy to apply the colour, and it's not too drying. I actually used my rimmel lip balm over the top and it's such a gorgeous deep colour, and with a balm it looks like a super pigmented lip gloss without the stickiness! (you could use any other balm over the top, for example I have Palmer's Cocoa Butter Dark Chocolate and Peppermint which would go really nicely as a glossy top coat).


edit**** completely forgot to mention, this lip stain is only £1.50! and comes in three shades! :)

4. Model's own lip stain.


This one comes in a container much like nail varnish.... and applies... much like nailvarnish! I find this quite tricky.. and although the colour is really nice, it's hard to be accurate and the bottle is a bit of a nightmare. It's prone to leaking, which is a major problem if you're wanting to carry it round in your make up bag or handbag. This one is definitely for the dressing table, don't chance taking it out with you ( or perhaps put it in a small plastic sealed bag?) Just a word of warning :) This one is also a cheek stain (much like Benefit Benetint) but I don't like using it on my cheeks as I find it hard to work with and hard to blend! ;)






I have also tried Benetint by Benefit and I don't actually see much difference (apart from maybe the smell..Benetint smells more floral) but I would definitely prefer to pay £5 for Models Own than extortionate prices for basically the same product! 

Generally, the rule with lip tints is to make sure that your lips are well prepared for the often drying product, and make sure that you have a good balm to seal it in place and give a glossy finish (unless you like the matte look!) I don't know how the Primark one will play out, but I hope it doesn't dry up too soon!

If you have any comments then just leave them below, and do tell me if you've tried any of the tints that are out there, likes and dislikes?

That's all for now :) thanks for reading! Lucy xxx

Stella Rose Gold Fossil Watch :)

I've never really been a 'watch' person, but I now find myself with three watches for various occasions, mostly casual day wear ones. I have two leather strap ones, one a beige pink and one a tan brown colour, which go with every outfit. This post is mostly about my brand new love though, my new Stella Rose Watch by Fossil! (Click the link to see the full product detail on their website)

I think that Fossil watches are underrated, they have loads of really nice designs, and some classic colours such as silver, gold and leather to suit every occasion. I was originally going to get this one...... but decided on the Rose one after all! It's a Rose Gold effect, and the watch is actually stainless steel which is great because it's going to be durable, so perfect for everyday use.

I do like the Stella Tort Resin Watch and may just have to purchase it as well... as they're both so nice!! The great thing about these colours is that they look good on every skin-tone! I have worn my rose watch when I've got fake tan on and it looks great, and also when I'm paler, even though it may seem like it would wash you out, it really doesn't! Anyhow, so much love for Fossil watches at the moment, so just thought I'd share my purchase and possible future purchases with you! Hehe :)

Thanks for reading and do check out their website for prices and more info! Lucy xxx

Heatwave!

My first post in a while..... I've had exams etc and just generally been too busy to blog, but I'm hoping I can get some reviews done in the next few weeks as I have tonnes to share :D may have been spending a bit too much.... oops! Anyhow here's a quick post for you guys! 

So for the past few days it's been really hot in the UK (loving it!) but its hard to stay feeling fresh in the hot sticky weather, so it's good to get yourself a purse spray that you can carry round not only to cool down, but to add a subtle scent too!

I have used the Avon Cherry Blossom spritz and really liked it, but I've misplaced it and I've been looking around their website for an alternative...... I've come across this one which looks really nice. It's called Miami Party and it's a body mist.... with a 'fresh citrus scent'. Here's the best part... it's only £1.50 at the moment! (usually £3.50) so I'm definitely going to order some!

In the Cherry Blossom range, they have the shower gel on offer too at the moment! I love the scent, so I'll probably get that too and it's also only £1.30! Some really good savings on summer essentials! :D

Another essential I find is an Aloe Vera moisturiser after exposure to sun. I got a great one from Walgreens in America, but Avon do similar ones for £2 or £3! Really helps to reduce flaking if you were unlucky enough to get burnt! :)

Thanks for reading, Lucy xxx