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. :) 

For The Khaki Lovers

My love for Khaki doesn't stop at clothing. I had been on the look out for the perfect army green eyeliner for a while and the hunt came to an end when I walked into MAC the other day and discovered Forever Green. I'm a brown-eyed girl, therefore technically I should be reaching for the purples to flatter my eye colour (Permaplum, a gorgeous purple Powerpoint Eye Pencil is on my wish-list.), but i'm counting on this gem to spice up my make-up throughout the winter.

Coloured eye pencils can be quite frightening, but this is such a wearable shade and not at all offensive so i've been wearing it daily. On Nights out, to lectures, out shopping and even to the gym. (Come on girls, I know at least some of you wear make-up to the gym!) The description claims this product to have a metallic shimmer with a matte finish, which it 100% does but it looks flattering.

I'm a big fan of the formula when it comes to the MAC Powerpoint Eye Pencil's. They have a buttery and easy to blend texture, meaning minimal tugging of the eye. So far I have been wearing this sultry green on my waterline to dare I say it, add a 'pop' of colour to my make-up. However, my next experiment is to apply it all over the lid, which I can imagine to look rather beautiful.

Colour doesn't just have to be for the warmer months of the year.

Have you been Forever Green-ed? 

New In For The Lips

I won a giveaway, I never win anything! 

The lovely beauty blogger Stacey from Expat Make-up Addict held a giveaway a few weeks ago and I won six MAC lipsticks of my choice. Yes, of my choice! Of course I was jumping for joy and ridiculously excited. But when it came down to choosing, I found it quite overwhelming. There is so much choice at MAC and I found myself wanting to indulge in way more than six. However, after much deliberation I finally came to my decision, and I couldn't be more pleased.

Just as my boyfriend said 'Ella, you don't need anymore lipsticks', these babies came in the mail. 

L-R: Stone Matte, Blankety Amplified , Ruby Woo Retro Matte , Morange Amplified, Coral Bliss Cremesheen and Mehr Matte.

Here goes the breakdown:

Stone is a medium-dark taupe brown with greyish undertones. When I first applied this I was quite shocked, but it grew on me. The shade is unusual and quirky which I quite like. It has a matte finish but doesn't cling to any dryness which is always admirable. Although as with all MAC Matte lipsticks, I wouldn't brand the finish moisturising. I can't wait to wear this one throughout the fall back in the UK. 

Blankety, a beautifully creamy slap and dash pinky nude lip colour that will go with any make-up look. I have a thing for lip products that don't need much effort to apply and that you can wear everyday. Plus, it looks good with my tanned skin tone. Winning.

Ruby Woo is a best seller from MAC and a product that has been on my wish list for yonks. I think that this has to be the most talked about red that I have ever come across. Spread across the celebrity and social media world, this is hands down a red for everyone. Ruby Woo is extremely matte and highly pigmented. I honestly feel as though I have many lipsticks more or less the same shade. But who cares, this is definitely a new favourite of mine.

Morange is such a feel good lipstick. Vibrant, striking and oozes confidence. The colour is immensley opaque and I love it so much that I will be inappropriately wearing it throughout the winter. 

Like Blankety, Coral Bliss is a slap and dash shade. I found it to be quite moisturising on the lips and is one for my 'no make-up, make-up' days. I also have a thing for corals these days and I find the sheen of this product to be very flattering.

Mehr has yet another matte finish. (If you haven't already noticed, i'm a matte kind of gal). Lily Pebbles wears this all of the time in her vlogs paired with MAC lip liner in Soar. I was drawn to the dusky pink shade and it looked very easy wearing. 

To say that i'm happy with my choices would be an understatement. I have adopted a few new favourites as well as pushed the boundaries and started wearing a colour that I wouldn't usually go for.

Which lipsticks are you loving at the moment?

In The Nude This Spring/Summer

I never realise how much I have of something until I either have a gander into my make up collection or go to photograph things for a blog post. So when I was choosing which products to include and photograph it was then that I realised how many nude lipsticks or glosses I actually have. I like to think of myself as a bit of a nude hoarder. They're a safe buy and worth the money as nude shades are more often than not my go to lip colour, especially in the day time. There's something about wearing a bold block colour in the day time that makes me feel a little uneasy. I always think, 'is the colour bleeding' or 'has the colour rubbed off'. But don't get me wrong, on a night out I love wearing a statement lip.

The nudes i'm loving:

1. Marc Jacobs New Nudes Sheer Gel in Moody Margot - I've spoken about this two or three posts ago. It's a new addition to my lip collection and i'm really enjoying wearing it. I love the sheer simplicity of it.

2. Sephora Cream Lip Stain in 02 - It's no secret that i'm a huge fan of the formula when it comes to these Cream Lip Stains. They leave you with a matte finish that is extremely long lasting, but not at all drying. The shade 02 is a muted peachy brown nude.

3. Maybelline Color Drama Lipstick in Nude Perfection - Peachy, cheap, cheerful and an overall slap and dash product.

4. MAC Velvet Teddy - It's difficult to find a nude lip colour that suits all skin types. MAC's famous Matte lipstick 'Velvet Teddy' is one for all complexions.

5. MAC Spice Lip Pencil  - This '90's lip pencil looks great paired with Velvet Teddy or all over the lips on its own. Whatever takes your fancy.

My style and go to make up looks are always changing, but my instinctive reach for a nude on a daily basis will always stay the same. Is that boring?

What are your go to lip products this Spring/Summer?

Which eyeliner works for you?

Eyeliner is a tricky old thing. I've never been good at it and after a few years trying, the term 'practice makes perfect' isn't very relatable. However, there are a fair few products out there that make our lives a little bit easier and our eyeliner a little more even.

In the last 2-3 years i've always reached for MAC's Fluidline Gel Liner in Black Track, accompanied by the MAC 210 brush. But like what happens with most gel pot eyeliners, they dry up, go a bit rank and don't function the way you want them to. Up until recently i've started branching out a little bit by experimenting with different products and formulas to either thicken up my lash line or to attempt a kick-ass cat flick. 

The findings

1. Soap & Glory Supercat Carbon Black Extreme Eyeliner Pen 

This product has a very sturdy tip that's just the right size to create a precise flick on the lid. I don't find it at all messy and for a drugstore product it's long lasting and doesn't seem to crumble by the end of the day/night. As much as I love splurging on the designer labels on the beauty market, as a student I sometimes have to be realistic and go on a hunt for products that are affordable and a great value for money. This product is definitely one of them.

2. Matte Black Eyeshadow

Along with the MAC Kohl Eyeliner Pencil in Feline, one of the easiest ways to line the upper lash line (with an added flick if you wanted one) is to use a matte black eyeshadow. The beauty of using these products is that you don't have to me neat. They can be blended out with a fluffy brush to create a smokey effect or even neatened up with a petite angled brush.

I go through stages where I tell myself that i'm 'totally over black liner'. It can sometimes be too harsh, not completely suitable for day time and a pain in the bum to correct if you mess up. And then I kindly introduced myself to the 3. Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Gel Liner in Brown at my local boots. The Rimmel gel pot eyeliners are great to begin with, but the shade Brown is very flattering on the eye. The Marc Jacobs Beauty Highliner Gel Eye Crayon is also an eyeliner favourite and probably forever will be.

What are your preferences when it comes to eyeliner? Powders, pencils, liquids, gels, creams...ahh there are so many! It's funny how most of us girls want the same look but sometimes need to use completely different products and techniques to achieve it.

P.S - I'm sorry for the repetitive photography. My brain's a tad fried from revising for exams so the creative goddess in me is lacking! x

Quick, easy & bronzy

MAC Bronze, Zoeva 227, Sephora Rounded Crease, Marc Jacobs Beauty Highliner Gel Crayon in Ro(Cocoa), Nars Casino Bronzer, Seventeen Falsifeye HD! Mascara, Carmex and Vitamin E BB Cream

My current everyday make up essentials:

MAC Bronze eyeshadow along with Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer, Nars Casino Bronzer, The Body Shop Vitamin E Cool BB Cream and a smidgen of Carmex Lip Balm.

I have come to strongly believe that if you are fortunate to have nice skin, the use of high or even medium coverage foundations should be left for a night out on the town. Therefore in an attempt to reduce the amount of product I lather onto my face on a daily basis, I have recently turned to The Body Shop's Vitamin E Cool BB Cream. I wasn't a huge fan of the All-In-One BB Cream, but as a religious user of the Vitamin E skincare range, I decided to try it and I now love it. The consistency is weightless on the skin and shouts out 'your skin but better'. The product has a moisturiser like texture that evens out the skin tone, adds the coverage you need and like it says on the packaging, is extremely cooling on the skin. Following the application of BB cream, i'll add a tiny bit of concealer under the eyes and i'm done.

I'm a bit of a sucker for bronzy eyeshadows. Scrap that, bronzy everything. And while I was strolling through the overwhelming beauty department of duty free, I came across the MAC counter. The idea of the products being tax free sort of forced me to purchase at least something (that's my excuse anyway), and so I found myself carrying MAC Bronze eyeshadow and Lady Danger onto the flight with me.

I apply the shadow all over the lid with my Zoeva 227 and it adds a gorgeous depth and wash of shimmery bronzy goodness to the eye. To blend it out, I add Nars Casino bronzer to the crease, Marc Jacobs liner in Ro(Cocoa) beneath the water line and a touch of the affordable yet immense Seventeen Falsifeye HD mascara. 

I really admire products that you can use for more than one thing, especially when you are using them on a daily basis. To finish off the face i'll add a touch of the same Nars Casino Bronzer on the cheek to add a wash of colour and a dab of Carmex Lip Balm to my lips. (My lips have a tendency to be extremely dry, the struggle is real). And that's a wrap!

This post feels like a bit of a ramble, but there's nothing more satisfying than finding make up that works so well for you!

Until next time, Ella x