Boots Points Haul!

I love it when you’ve got enough Boots points on your card to treat yourself to a little something, which is exactly what I did this week after an earlier-than-usual finish at University! A quick pop into the store turned out to be better than I could have imagined and I came away with a bag full of goodies and a happy smile on my face… so without further ado let’s cue the haul!

First up was a replacement of the Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer in Soft Beige. If you haven’t tried this yet I’d recommend that you do as it’s a seriously good concealer… I think this is my third tube of the stuff! The creamy, smooth and light reflective formula glides under eyes to perfect peepers in a matter of minutes. It comes with a doe foot applicator which just makes the application a breeze and the high pigmented coverage means you can wear this both on top and underneath foundation. It’s also £5.49 which is a bargain as I think it’s rivals some of the premium concealers out there!

The second thing I selected was the Rimmel Scandal Eyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in 005 Nude. Now, I’ve been coveting this eyeliner for ages but every time I’ve tried to get it’s been out of stock which must be a credit to the product. It’s a very soft kohl in a natural, nude shade that you can use on the waterline or in the inner corner of the eyes to neutralise redness or just make your eye area look a bit brighter in general. Very excited to try this!

It was at this point I took myself to the till only to be delightfully informed that Rimmel were on ‘three-for-two’ and there was also a free red nail varnish with three purchases. I don’t know how I managed to miss all those big red signs shouting at me but there you go!

So off I went back to counter in a bit of product daze about what I could get as my third product. As it happened there was a sweet elderly lady asking a store assistant about the location of the ‘Rimmel Match Perfection Silky Loose Face Powder’ in ‘Translucent’ as it was a product that her grand-daughter loved. That was a good a recommendation as any for me and having never tried a loose powder before I popped it in my basket. I’ve tried the ‘Rimmel Stay Matte Powder’ before but always thought it was a little bit scratchy for my liking, so I’m hoping this powder will be a good substitute!

Finally I got to pick up the Rimmel I Love Lasting Finish Nail Varnish in 030 Double Decker Red, which funnily enough is a similar colour to those iconic buses. How very British!

So Boots points spent and free products worth nearly £10 later mean I now have to tools to give my skin a nuder than nude base with glossy red nails. Let the festivities commence!

Have you treated yourselves to anything nice with your Boots points?

Essential Beauty Study Kit

So it’s been a while since I last uploaded and in my absence I’ve been working on a super important university report that I am pleased to announce is finally over! The monster project that I’ve been pouring all my time and effort into over the last fortnight has been signed, sealed and delivered to its marking destination. Good bye Harvard referencing, hello blogging!

On the day I handed it over I promised myself I would return home and give my skin a good pamper session to relax after countless hours of research and writing. But do you know what? My skin actually felt great and looked clear which is something I was surprised about. I turned my attention to my beauty HQ and realised in the midst of the tight deadline, I’d managed to carve out a good little skin care and makeup routine that’s kept my skin hydrated and my face looking like it’s been well rested. Which it definitely hasn’t!

So without further ado, I’d like to introduce you to my essential beauty study kit.

The Makeup : Brighten

First up for makeup is this little sample of the Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow foundation in the shade Honey. This light lotion product glides effortlessly onto skin with fingertips and is pigmented enough to give you flawless coverage whilst still allowing pores to breathe. The radiant undertone means it’s perfect for brightening the complexion whilst the shades in this range leave skin looking natural and fresh.

The Makeup : Correct and Cover

Next up we have a duo of concealers. Firstly, the ever so iconic Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer. The smooth, brightening formula can be dotted under eyes with the doe foot applicator to blend away dark circles in seconds. It’s lightweight, doesn’t drag or pull the delicate skin around the eyes and leaves a very pretty, radiant glow where those pesky dark circles should be! It can be applied on top of foundation in the morning but then stashed in the handbag for pick-me-ups throughout the day.

Secondly we have the Bourjois Healthy Mix concealer. This is a thicker, more pigmented concealer that I find to be amazing applied under foundation if you have any blemishes or redness on the skin. Squeeze a pea sized amount out of the tube then dot and pat away anything you want to hide before gliding your foundation on top to give your skin an undetectable, extra coverage.

The Skin Care : Cleanse and Nourish

The Dr Weil for Origins Mega Bright Skin Illuminating Cleanser was a life saver after the end of a long day. The creamy formula foams up to create a very frothy, soft cleanser that I used to rub and wash away the dregs of the day. A little goes a long way with this product and I found it washed away foundation and mascara impeccably to leave a smooth, clean canvas for the rest of my skin care routine. Used in the mornings to refresh my skin too, this little sample of cleanser really did brighten my complexion whilst still providing a deep cleanse to keep any blemishes at bay.

The cleanser paired with a sample the Dr Weil Mega Bright Serum was a dream for my tired skin. The lemon scented, pearlescent serum sunk effortlessly into skin to soften, nourish and brighten. It added an extra oomph of moisture without weighing down the skin and stopped my complexion from getting tight or dry throughout the day and night.

The Skin Care: Hydration

An absolute essential product for keeping skin hydrated, feeling fresh and looking radiant is moisturiser and the Origins GinZing is the most perfect product for doing this. Smothering my tired, hot and irritated skin with this cool, orange scented gel formula at the end of a long day was almost like therapy! My skin practically drank this product on every application whilst hydrating and quenching the skins natural thirst. Apply AM and PM for extra nourishing comfort.

Finally we have a little pot on wonder in the form of Benefit It’s Potent Eye Cream. The lightweight, smooth cream blends under eyes to brighten, soften and depuff those stressed and tired peepers. Used at the end of a long day, the cucumber extracts nourished and calmed tired eyes whilst the hydrating formula kept those looming dark circles at bay!

So there we have my essential study kit to nourish, brighten and hydrate the skin…revision? Optional!

Budget Friendly Makeup Brushes

When it comes to beauty buff, the question on everybody’s lips is ‘what are the best budget friendly brushes?’ Well I’ve collated down my collection to bring you the low down on my budget friendly tools that get the job done perfectly whilst keeping pennies in your purse.

Real Techniques

The online hype for the Real Techniques brushes is intense, and take it from me… they’re just great. I’ve had in-depth experience of using high end makeup brushes and nothing compares to this collection, the quality, the range, the price is just on point. I bought all my brushes in the collection packs (core, travel and eyes) from Amazon, but Boots and Superdrug also sell these bad boy tools on the high-street. Without further ado, here are my favourite brushes from the collections;

The Buffing Brush

My everyday go-to brush of choice. The buffing brush is perfectly puffed out on the top to create a large base that buffs liquid foundation onto your skin so it looks virtually undetectable. It creates a beautiful ‘second skin’ effect but you can also use this to layer up your foundation of choice if you want to go for fuller coverage.

The Expert Face Brush

The expert face brush is amazing for rushed mornings! The densely packed, slightly shorter bristles are rounded off to fit the contours of the face, making rushed navigation a breeze. Just dab your foundation of choice on the end, wiggle it all around your face and you have something that resembles a seamless complexion at 7:00am!

The Pointed Foundation Brush

Billed as the pointed foundation brush this is actually my tool of choice for getting rid of dark circles in the morning. The flat shape fits perfectly under the eyes and the tapered end smooth’s and pats product evenly. Creamy concealer blends away dark circles in minutes with the aid of this peeper perfecter.

The Multi Task Brush

Doing just as the name suggests, this brush works amazingly with bronzer and face powder. The fat fluffy end sweeps on just the right amount of product to give your cheeks that hint of warmth without packing on too much colour.

The Contour Brush

I use this tapered brush to sweep on powder highlighter. The tunnelled end fits the contours of the face perfectly so cheekbones, brow bones, noses and cupids bow get a dusting of shimmer that looks natural and healthy.

The Base Shadow Brush

Flat, yet puffed out then tapered at the end, this diamond shaped brush is amazing at sweeping on cream shadows. Use the flat of the brush to glide over lids then twist onto it’s side and you have an amazing angle for crease work.

The Domed Shadow Brush and The Deluxe Crease Brush

Slightly similar in shape and size, though the deluxe crease brush is slightly fatter, I find this brush duo work best with face base products. Used for emergency blemish coverers, precise highlighting duties and for the occasional crease buff these brushes are back-up essentials.

The Pixel Point Eyeliner Brush

This thin, pointed tool is great for gel eyeliners, just point, flatten and sweep across the lid as close to the lash line as you can for a smooth, precise line. The brush works equally well with lip colours, use the pointed tip as a makeshift lip liner then glide on your colour for a perfect pout.

The Detailer Brush

Dubbed by me as ‘the brush of wonder’ this little, precise pointed brush works amazingly well with concealers, highlighters, eyeliners and lip colours. A makeup brush essential.

The Other Good Stuff

Other notable purse friendly brushes include;

The Body Shop Eye Shadow Brush

The body shop cream shadow brush is my tool of choice to pack pigmented powder and cream shadow bases onto lids. The dense, packed brushes provide the perfect leverage for strong eye colours and applies product smoothly and evenly across the lid. I also find the flat point of this brush is perfect to use as an inner corner highlight.

No 7 Eyeshadow Blend and Contour Brush

My go to brush for crease work is the no. 7 fluffy brush. The long fluffy end fits into sockets, contours and smokes out shadows impeccably. The tapered end is perfect for that crease work detail and also for sweeping shadow under the eyes for an extra soft and smokey effect. It’s a good dupe for a MAC 217 brush.

So there you have my low down on my budget friendly brushes! What would you recommend?