HOW I CLEAN MY REAL TECHNIQUES BRUSHES

I always used to find cleaning brushes a chore until I found this really easy method to clean and dry my brushes. Here I have five of my favourite Real Techniques brushes to show you with, they are the Expert Face Brush, Concealer Brush, Pointed Foundation Brush, Contour Brush and the Buffing Brush.

STEP 1- RINSE THE BRUSH HEAD

This first step is very important because it helps you lather whatever soap you are going to be using to clean your brushes. Simply just wet the head (and try to get as little of the handle wet as possible because it will loosen the glue resulting in brush hairs falling out.

STEP 2- CHOOSE A SHAMPOO AND LATHER

For this step you can use any shampoo that you like as long as it is moisturising. If it is not moisturising it will dry out the brush hairs. Once you have squirted a little bit out on your hand, swirl the brush head in the shampoo until it has lathered nicely.

STEP 3- DRYING

Once you have rinsed your brushes you will have completely clean and soft brushes. It is important to dry your brushes upside down so that no water will drip back into the handle. This will make it easy for brush hairs to fall out. I have actually found a way to dry your brushes upside down. Here, I am using the brush case that you get with many Real Techniques brush collections and putting my brushes in upside down. Once you have done this you can put it on your window sill and they will dry naturally in about 3 hours.

I hope you have found this useful!

~Anna

A BENEFIT DANDELION DUPE?

I've finally found a dupe for my favourite blush, Dandelion by Benefit. I love this blush because it is such a nice natural shade of pink which can be used as a blush or highlight. The only downside is the price, £23.50. This isn't the most expensive blush but I go through so many of them it can get quite expensive! I have been searching for a dupe for ages and I have finally found one: ELF Tickled Pink.

Left, Benefit. Right, ELF.

This blush is literally the same shade as the Benefit one and the finish is the same. The only big difference is the smell. The Benefit box-o-powders have a certain scent which is hard to describe. I personally don't like this smell but I know some people do. The ELF one is pretty much scent-less so it is absolutely perfect for me. Also it only costs £3- £5 (depending on where you look) which is over £20 cheaper than the Benefit one. I think that overall I actually prefer the ELF one because it doesn't have the strong scent that the Benefit one has.

~Anna

NARS CHRISTOPHER KANE | STARSCAPE

This beautiful blush is from the new NARS summer collaboration with Christopher Kane. This is now my new favourite blush because it is so pigmented but easy to work with. This is actually my first NARS product and I haven't been disappointed!

The shade 'Starscape' is a beautiful bright pink with peach undertones which makes it more wearable. The pigmentation is so strong that you could build it up to a really bright colour (but I'm not too into that look!) or you can sheer it out to make a nice light pink.

http://www.narscosmetics.com/USA/christopher-kane-2015.html

I love the whole collection and I have linked it above so check it out. But remember to grab it while you can because it's limited edition! 

~Anna 

PARIS BEAUTY HAUL

I've just got back from Paris and I thought I would go through all the beauty bits that I picked up in a collective haul. I went mainly to shops that aren't available in England. The first place I went to was Sephora, this is honestly my favourite shop and we can't get it in the UK. Normally I spend way more than I can afford but this time I limited myself quite a lot. The first thing that caught my eye was the Pomegranate Face Mask. I was so glad this was in stock because I've heard so many good reviews about this mask. I've tried the Rose one before and loved it so hopefully this will be the same.

I also had to stock up on my favourite travel sized perfume. This is a Sephora own scent in Lagoon which is a very fresh scent that isn't overwhelming. I also love the Peony scent which is pretty similar to this one but slightly more floral. 

Afterwards I went to Kiko, Kiko is an Italian brand that is available in the UK but the only store that I know is in London which is quite far away for me. When I went inside I wanted to get some more of the Colour Shock lasting cream eyeshadows that I love but I found out they were discontinued. Luckily they had been replaced by the Cream Crush eyeshadows. I picked out 01 which is the lightest of all the shades, a pretty champagne gold shade.

I also picked out another Kiss Balm. These are great dupes for the Maybelline Baby Lips and they are slightly cheaper. Also I think the shades and the packaging are nicer. I already had the shade Pink Grapefruit which is a bright pink shade but I wanted a more natural shade. This one in Apricot is much more natural and also smells like apricot! 

Lastly I picked up a Super Gloss in the shade 106. The main reason why I got this is because the shades are great in the range and I wanted to try the formula before I purchase more shades. This is a really lovely mauve pink with bronze and gold undertones (I'm really bad at describing things!)

~Anna 

SPRING HAS SPRUNG

Finally! The spring weather is upon us and it's starting to get warmer. This is my favourite time of year and these are some pictures that I have taken in Spring 2015.

~Anna

THE BLUSH ADDICT TAG

1. What colour blush suits you the most? I think that light pink blushes suit me the most, however I also like to wear more dusty rose/ rose gold shades as well as they seem to look slightly more natural.

2. Pressed/cream/loose blush? I definitely prefer pressed formulas just because they are so much more practical than cream and loose blushes. I've only ever tried one loose blush and it was an absolute disaster to say the least! I just managed to get it everywhere but that's the case with most loose products I guess. I love the lasting power of creams but I find its harder to control the amount of product that goes on the face.

3. Favourite shimmery blush? My favourite shimmery blush is the Bourjois blush in Rose de Jaspe. This is a complete dupe for Benefit's Rocketeur, which was one of my favourites before I found this, I actually prefer this to the Benefit one because it has a slightly better staying power.

4. Favourite matte blush? My favourite matte blush is Benefit's Dandelion, since I have a pale skin tone, this light pink gives my cheeks the most natural glow. Also, when I'm tanned I use this as a highlighter.

5. Favourite cream blush? My favourite cream blush is the Revlon Photoready blush in Pinched. Again, this gives an incredibly natural finish and is easy to blend.

6. Favourite drugstore blush? My favourite drugstore blushes are the Elf ones. My favourite shades are Tickled Pink and Antigua.

7. Favourite high end blush? My favourite high end blush is again Benefit's dandelion just because it is the perfect shade for me.

8. Favourite bright blush? My favourite bright blush is the Elf blush in the duo called Antigua.

9. Biggest blush disappointment/regret? This one isn't really a regret, it just wasn't what I expected it to be. The Be a Bombshell blush in Tanorexic was described to be a matte bronzed toned blush but it is shimmery and very oranges toned. So this is a bit of an in between product, not a contour shade but not really a blush.

10. Best blush packaging? I think that the best packaging goes to the Ted Baker blush. This was limited edition at Christmas time and it is gorgeous. It has rose gold packaging with Ted Baker embossed on the front. The product inside is lovely as well.

11. What's on your blush wish list? The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes are on my wish list, my only hesitation is that they are so expensive!

12. Number 1 holy grail blush? My No.1 holy Grail blush technically isn't actually a blush, it's a highlighter but it is very pink toned. It's the Makeup Revolution Vivid Baked Highlighter in Pink Lights. This is a new favourite of mine, I purchased it last week and I am already loving it. Instead of using this as a cheekbone highlight I use it all over my upper cheekbone area creating a lovely sheen!

 

~Anna

NEW TO THE SHELVES | ESSENCE COLOUR & GO

Left to Right:

Colour & Go polish in 106 Free Hugs

This is a pastel pink, perfect for the summer. I would probably use this as an accent on a nail instead of all over because it's a bit too pink for my liking!

http://www.essence.eu/uk/products/nails/nail-polish/e/product/colour-go-nail-polish-106/

Satin Colour & Go polish in 188 Dare To Kiss

This is my favourite of the lot, it's a satin finish so it has a subtle shimmer and it is a beautiful lace/rose gold shade.

http://www.essence.eu/products/nails/nail-polish/e/product/colour-go-nail-polish-188/

The Gel nail polish in 10 True Love

This is a gel formula so it is extremely shiny and lasts for a long time. It is a beautiful red colour that would probably be better in the winter but I love it anyway.

http://www.wilko.com/essence/ess-the-gel-nail-polish-10/invt/0416069

Colour & Go polish in 179 Rollercoaster

This shade is a little out of my comfort zone, it is a bright green. I thought that this shade will be good as an accent nail in the festival season.

http://www.essence.eu/uk/products/nails/nail-polish/e/product/colour-go-nail-polish-179/

Colour & Go polish in 132 Breakthrough

This last one is really my kind of shade. It is a purple which will be great in the summer, it's quite a light shade so it's not too 'wintery'.

http://www.wilko.com/essence/essence-colour-and-go-nailpolish-132/invt/0400774

~Anna