Results Day Treats

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. Urban Decay Lipstick in Manic. Mac Lipstick in Shanghai Spice.

On Thursday in England it was A level results day. (If you received results I hope it went well for you!) My dad congratulated me by giving me some money to buy myself something nice. Ofcourse, I got ready and went straight to MAC. When I got there I realised that every student in my city must have had the same idea, it was hard to even get to close to the counter never mind get some advice from somebody working there!

MAC Lipstick - Shanghai Spice 

After a good thirty minutes of waiting to get near the lipsticks I finally got there. I've been looking for a MAC everyday summery shade for awhile now so when I picked up Shanghai Spice I fell in love with it instantly. This lipstick is a cremesheen, which is my favourite finish so far. This is because its really comfortable on the lips and not at all drying however, this means the lipstick does not last as long as a matt or satin finish. Shanghai Spice is described as a 'frosted natural pink' by MAC but on me it looks like it has a little more orange-y tones than pink ones. This isn't disappointing as it looks like a really soft version of Ravishing, which I'd probably never pull off!

Urban Decay - Manic 

Next I went to Urban Decay as I've been eyeing-up their lipsticks for a while now. I wasn't sure which shade to go for but the woman working there was a great help. She picked me out a nude (Naked 2) a bright (Manic) and a pink (Lovelight) which would go with my skin tone. I absolutely loved them all but I went for Manic, this shade is a red with pink tones and small about of shimmer. This lipstick also has a creamy finish, a lovely shine, is opaque and long lasting. She recommended I bought the matching Manic lipliner but I'm not a high end lip liner fan, sometimes I feel for what it is you can find a decent equivalent from the high street. Finally, how pretty is the tube it comes in? The gun mental appearance with the purple tube is just stunning. Without a doubt I'll be buying another in the next few weeks!

Real Techniques - Expert Face Brush

Thanks to my lovely girlfriend I finally have the Real Techniques - Expert Face Brush. I'm so glad I listened to the hype and went out and got one of these because they really are as good as everybody makes out. The brush is super soft and dense, perfect for buffing in foundation, leaving you looking absolutely flawless all day long. I feel my face colour is more even and smooth looking after using this brush. This makes me really want to invest in some more higher quality make up brushes!

Which make up brushes do you use or would you recommend to me?

Holley Marie

Great products for problematic skin

The Body Shop Vitamin C Facial Polish, The Body
Shop Tea Tree Pore Minimiser  & Dark Angels by Lush

Over the last few years I've  found it impossible to up keep with my skin, one day I'm dry the next I'm dull not to mention them days when I break out due to excess oil. Well, I've finally found a skincare combination that suits my skin even on its bad days.  

Oily skin solution 

DARK ANGELS - LUSH - £.6.40 per 100g

Dark Angels comes in the trademark classic recycled tub by Lush in both 100g and 250g. Inside the tub is a thick black powdery formula, one that might be considered strange as a facial cleanser. When applying  Dark Angels I only use a small amount of product, I usually mix it together with water on the palm of my hand before applying it to my face. This makes the product into a liquid rather than powder, when in this form you can see grains of the ingredient black sugar which works as an excellent natural exfoliant leaving the face smooth and fresh. 

The application can be a little messy due to charcoal being the other main ingredient. (So, be sure not to touch anything with them black fingers when trying to check out your coal face in the mirror) Never the less the charcoal helps dry up and wash away them oily patches. 

Dark Angels is great for acne prone skin because it has an natural antiseptic ingredient which removes any bacteria causing spots.  Rosewood oil in this product leaves your face silky soft by moisturising and cooling the skin, leaving an overall great result.  

Dry & Dull skin solution 
Vitamin C Facial Polish - The Body Shop - £11.00 per 100ml

Unlike Dark Angels, this facial polish by The Body Shop comes in tubes of 100ml only, this is not disappointing as product lasts a really long time. (This one has lasted me around 8 months of using it 2-3 times a week and I've still got a fair bit to go!) The product inside is a transparent liquid with orange micro beads to gently buff them dull and dry skin patches away.  This enhances the skin's natural radiance and making you look fresh. 

Similarly to Dark Angels when applying this facial polish I also only need to use a small amount as it buffs into a lovely lather, which smells fruity and gorgeous. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that slows down the process of any other that elements that could be damaging the skin, such as the sun. This means that vitamin C helps protect collagen and prevents dry skin, fine lines and wrinkles. In my opinion this is a real must have in your skin care routine. 

Open pore & blemished skin solution 
Tea Tree Pore Minimiser - The Body Shop - £7.50 per 30ml

After using either Dark Angels or the Vitamin C Facial polish depending on how my skin is feeling I always use this pore minimiser by The Body Shop. It comes in a thin green tube that holds 30ml of a thick creamy yellow liquid. This tube is quite small and doesn't last too long but at only £7.50 it is very affordable to go out and buy another. 

The application is easy, I tend to rub it into my skin in a circular motion on my cheeks and nose. After time this product really does minimise the pores on the skin, this doesn't happen at first but after a few weeks of using it I saw a significant difference.  Tea tree oil has disinfecting and soothing properties which make it a brilliant acne treatments, tea tree will not strip your skin of its natural oils and cause further damage like chemical spot treatments often do. This product also primes and mattifies making it an ideal base for make up. 

I hope this helps
Holley

Links - 
Dark Angels by Lush - https://www.lush.co.uk/products/cleansers/dark-angelsVitamin C Facial Polish by The body Shop - http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/shop-by-range/vitamin-c/vitamin-c-facial-cleansing-polish.aspxTea 
Tree Pore Minimiser  by The Body Shop - http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/shop-by-range/tea-tree/tea-tree-pore-minimiser.aspx