My Top 10 Beauty Tools

I remember the days when I used to attempt to use my finger to accomplish a smokey eye. Or use those little plastic sponge contraptions that you get in quads to blend my eyeshadows together. Even if those contraptions come in a Dior palette, they're still dreadful! At the time I probably thought that I was winning at life but that all changed when I purchased my first ever make-up brush - the MAC 217. 

I'm a little obsessed with make-up tools. Anyone that comes into my bedroom and notices the IKEA pots full of brushes never fail to ask - 'Do you really need that many brushes? What do you use them all for?'. To answer your question - Yes, yes I do!

Brushes can be expensive things but if you don't want to spend a fortune on beauty tools then there are also some amazing and cheaper alternatives on the market that won't break the bank. Additionally, brushes don't always have to be used for what they are specifically designed for.

L - R - Louise Young LY34, MAC Small Contour, Real Techniques Pointed Foundation Brush, Real Techniques Setting Brush, Beauty Blender

L-R - RT Deluxe Crease Brush, MAC 210, MAC 239, Sigma E40 and MAC 217

Here are my top 10 favourite make-up tools:

Face

1. Louise Young Super Foundation Brush LY34 - £24.00

The most accurate description I can think of for this brush is - the big fluffy blending brush of every busy woman's dreams. It blends your foundation out in a matter of seconds. I like to use it when I'm in a rush and when I have all the time in the world to put my slap on. But for when I am pushed for time, it beats applying my base with my hands!

It can be a pain in the bum to clean but the advantages definitely weigh out the latter.

If you look on the low to high end brush price spectrum, £24.00 really isn't that bad. Especially when you take into consideration the size of this tool.

2. Beauty Blender - £16.00

Yes, I know. This little cute sponge is pricey for a sponge. But it's the most highly impressive and versatile sponge that you will ever come across. If you want to use a powder, cream or liquid the Beauty Blender can work with it. It needs cleaning after every use but that isn't massively time consuming.

Please note - used best when damp.

3. MAC 109 Small Contour Brush - £28.00

In all honesty, this is the first 'contour' brush that I have ever used. And as far as MAC face brushes go, this can mault slightly when you wash it. But the brush itself is a great size for getting into the contours of the face and does a great job of blending powders. 

4. Real Techniques Pointed Foundation Brush

You can only buy this in the Real Techniques Core Collection. It will cost you £20.99 for four base brushes. I have a slight problem with the name of this tool. I would never apply and 'buff' my foundation in with it because it's so small and fairly stiff. On the contrary, I love it for applying my concealer. Preferably my MAC Pro Longwear concealer. Great size for nooks and crannies but I wouldn't recommend it as a foundation brush.

5. Real Techniques Setting Brush - £6.99

The RT Setting Brush is a fantastic and versatile brush. You can use it to blend in concealer, set your concealer with powder, apply highlighters, contour with powders or blend in cream contour products. I strongly believe that every beauty lover would benefit from having this brush in their collection. And it's so very cheap!

Eyes

6. MAC 239 Eye Shader - £21.00

I'm having a thing for MAC pigments and Make-Up Geek foiled eyeshadows at the moment. And yes, it's not Christmas anymore but I think that it is still acceptable to throw on a little shimmer/glitter once in a while, (I hope).

A flat eyeshadow brush is always your best friend when you want to get as much pigment out of a product as possible.

7. MAC 217 Blending Brush - £20.00

There's no point in rambling on about this brush. I think anyone reading this probably already owns it, or has heard about it or knows somebody that already owns one or five of them.

It is a smokey eyes bestfriend. And works way better than one of those plastic contraptions!

A very similar dupe for this brush is the Zoeva 227 Luxe Soft Definer that retails for £6.95. You can buy three for the price of one 217.

8. Sigma E40 Tapered Blending Brush - £10.55

Ah! A new addition to my brush family and I'm already getting myself geared up to order another 2, 3 or 4. I'm so thankful that the likes of Feel Unique, Cult Beauty and Beauty Bay are supplying some of the most sought after and unaccessible beauty brands to the UK. My bank account says otherwise but it sparks tons of joy for me.

The Sigma E40 is fabulous. This brush is fantastic for blending out any harsh edges and applying a soft and well blended transition shade to the crease.

9. MAC 210 Eye Liner Brush - £16.50

I'm terrible at eye liner. So much so that I have given up on attempting any kind of wing at all as it always ends in tears. Well, close to tears.

Adding definition when I'm doing a smokey eye is essential though. And this brush is perfect for doing just that. The fine tip gives way for great precision. Even if your hand tends to get the shakes.

10. Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush

The RT Deluxe Crease Brush can only been found in the eye brush set for £20.99.

It is another great versatile brush. I personally never use it in the crease because I find it too big for that. However, this brush is brilliant for buffing in concealer or eyeshadow primer, packing shadow onto the lid and even adding a highlight into the inner corners of the eye.

My most recent brush purchase was yesterday when I picked up the MAC 188 Small Duo Fibre Face Brush. So far I absolutely love it.

What are your favourite beauty tools? I would love to know. :) 

The All-Rounder Oil Of Your Dreams

The Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream range has been a hit with people of all ages for years. The first item I purchased from the line was the Nourishing Lip Balm (Intensive Lip Repair). I felt squeamish as I bought it because I have never paid anywhere near £20.00 for a lip balm before. Nevertheless I can safely say that I would pay the price over and over again. It's the only lip care product that works for me and it has swiftly become one of my cult beauty favourites.

Last week I was mailed a big red metallic envelope that contained a white box with a big red ribbon around it and a tag that read 'Elizabeth Arden'. I was majorly excited to say the least. Inside of the box was this new All-Over Miracle Oil for Face, Body and Hair. I read the information in the box and a few bits online and was instantly intrigued by the product. I think that one of the main reasons for the success of the Eight-Hour range isn't only down to the sheer awesomeness of the products but also their impressive versatility. 

After a week of trialling and testing, I wanted to get a post up ASAP. Let's begin...

The product comes in the Elizabeth Arden staple box outer packaging. The frosted bottle itself is extremely light, making it the perfect travel companion and an in-flight must. I also really like the spray applicator because it makes it so easy to distribute the product.

Along with the Eight-Hour theme, Elizabeth Arden say that there are 8 different ways of using this oil:

1. All over moisturiser 

2. Conquers any patches of dry skin

3. Adds shine to dry and dull hair

4. Massage oil to relieve stress

5. It has a 'feel good' scent

6. Cuticle oil

7. Results in a silky finish post shaving

8. Creates a natural radiance to the skin

I am yet to try the oil on my hair but I've given it a good go on my face, body and cuticles. 

The All-Over Miracle Oil is the perfect product to rejuvenate the skin and prep it in time for Spring. It contains Tsubaki Oil which is extracted from the Camellia flower. If you have read my recent post on The Body Shop's Japanese Camellia body cream then you should know that any skincare/bodycare that contains this has me sold! I suffer from dry patches on my skin so I spray this directly onto my limbs but concentrate the product mostly on my elbows and knees which are the areas that need the most care. So far it has done a lovely job of soothing and moisturising. It also adds a slight glow to the skin which is always needed during the Winter months. 

As a severe nail biter (I know, it's bad), this oil works wonders on my cuticles. I find that when I have moisturised cuticles it helps to stop the biting and the pain of having sore fingertips. Here's to long and healthy nails for Spring! Fingers and toes are tightly crossed.

I have also been using this as a night time facial oil. I put a maximum of 1-2 sprays into my hands before I warm the product up with my palms and firmly press it into the skin. Because it has a slightly heavier texture than most facial oils I think that it works best in my night time skincare routine as it gives the product more time to fully soak into the skin. The oil also has a super soothing scent to it that can be quite calming before you jump into bed. My face feels like a peach in the mornings and who doesn't want that?

I think that this is a great all-rounder oil. You can use it just about everywhere on the body (refrain from spraying in the eyes) and it does what it says on the tin. My next step is to try this on my hair but I might wait until I fly off on my holidays. I can imagine that this is the perfect product to throw into your beach bag.

How much and where can I buy it from? - You can buy this from the Elizabeth Arden website, your local Boots store or from online beauty retailers such as FeelUnique.com for £29.00. The versatile nature of this oil adds value. For a mid range oil I think that it is very reasonably priced and is in sync with the other products that are in the range.

Have you tried the new Elizabeth Arden All-Over Miracle Oil yet? Find it here

Happy Weekend :) x

Soap & Glory The Ultimelt Deep Purifying Hot Cloth Cleanser - A Quick Review

I have never been entirely drawn to Soap & Glory skincare. I think it might be because although the body care smells delightful, it can sometimes come across as overly commercial and artificial. Don't get me wrong, Soap & Glory as a brand are amazing and I love an overpowering scent of vanilla and  citrus for my legs and arms - but not for the face.

Before I purchased this I did some online dishing and found it on Caroline Hirons' blog. A skincare guru/blogger whom I don't know personally but trust dearly with all the skincare recommendations! So I bought it, finished it and thought that it was about time I did a quick review. I'm impressed! Like Caroline described, the packaging is quite relatable to toothpaste but who doesn't like a tube? You also get a large muslin cloth with every purchase of this which is always a bonus!

The Ultimelt has a very similar concept to my favourite cleanser of all time - the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser. You squeeze out a grape sized amount onto your finger tips and throughly massage onto dry skin and down to the neck. The Ultimelt is suitable for all skin types unless you have sensitive skin and react to essential oils. The core ingredients are as follows:
Provitamin B5, Sweet Almond, Orange, Lavender, Clary Sage, Rose and Geranium Oils.

The product initially comes out as a thick cream but begins to dissolve and melt into a less dense and softer formula as you distribute and massage it over the skin. I usually prefer to use an oil based cleanser to take my make-up off but this product works really well as both a first and second cleanse. After use, your skin is left feeling soft, refreshed, cleansed and make-up free. Basically everything you want from a cleanser.

If you're on a budget or want to experiment with hot cloth cleansers then I would highly recommend this one. As I find myself researching more and more into skincare, the price of products that I really want are way out of my budget. This cleanser is really accessible and retails for £10.00. You can buy it from your local Boots store both in-store and online. Soap & Glory usually have an offer on so you may be able to grab yourself an extra treat or two.

Have you tried the Ultimelt? I would love to know your thoughts. Find it here :)