Showing posts with label Brushes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brushes. Show all posts

Thursday, 24 October 2013

TOOLS | KIKO Brushes


For me, brushes are an essential tool for the make up obsessed, the make up artists and the make up newbies. Whether you're someone who wears make up once a week or someone who applies it daily for fun, a good make up brush is a necessity. Back when I was a little ol' girl (well, five years ago) who started wearing make up, my mother invested in the Body Shop foundation brush for me. I absolutely adored it and needless to say, it got used and abused. Although I still have it, I no longer use it as since then, I've "upgraded" and invested in further brushes.

After what was, quite frankly a rubbish week, I received a picture from dad showing me the most incredible parcel that had been delivered to me back home. I quickly got on the phone to my sister asking her to pick it up and bring it to me at university to cheer me up. Inside the parcel were lots of make up goodies (that will be featuring very soon, I'm sure) and pretty much an entire new brush collection from my favourite brand, KIKO. As I'm someone who's tried out a lot of products from KIKO before, I have delved into their brushes a little bit. The KIKO Dark Heroine Face Brush (reviewed here) is my all-time favourite contour brush and something that I use on a regular basis. So needless to say, I couldn't wait to start applying my slap with my new brushes.

The brushes I received:

The sleek design of the brushes mean that they look and feel professional and elegant. Each individual brush comes with a clear protective case that slides over the top of the brush head to ensure the bristles stay protected during transit. The brush quality is outstanding and despite not being the cheapest brushes on the market, they're by no means expensive and as far as quality goes, I'd say they're worth a lot more. Each brush ensures make up application is flawless and professional and I've found myself experimenting with different looks since receiving the brushes.

My favourites have to be Eyes 213 (the big fluffy brush is perfect for buffing concealer into the skin and blending out crease colours), Eyes 211 (the tiny detailer brush means applying shadow underneath the lash line is perfect), Lips 300 (compact and perfect for on the go. This little gadget means that I've started wearing bolder lip colours more often) and Face 106 (I've always adored duo-fibre brushes and this one creates an airbrushed foundation base).

Next time I'm in need of a new make up brush, I will turn to KIKO first. They have an extensive range of brushes that are high quality yet affordable. It's great to see "lower-end" brands branching out further and bringing out their own brush ranges. You can view the entire brush collection here.

What are your favourite make up brushes? Have you tried any from KIKO? Will you be doing so?
*All brushes mentioned are PR Sample
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Written By Unknown at 12:31 pm
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Thursday, 12 September 2013

KIKO Dark Heroine Face Brush





Finding the right brush can be a bit of a pain. I don't know about you guys but whenever I take to the shops brush hunting, I can be left feeling a little bit overwhelmed and sometimes dissatisfied. Real Techniques have been my "go-to" brushes for quite a while now and knowing that they work for me means I haven't strayed far from the brand. However, the latest instalment to the KIKO brush collection is a good 'un.

The Dark Heroine Face Brush* was born into the Limited Edition Fall Collection and I can't tell you how grateful I am to have been introduced to such a wonderful brush. As the brush is double sided, it's perfect for travelling and taking out and about with you. It's compact, sturdy and you can tell it's well made. The smaller "kabuki-esque" side is perfect for stippling, buffing and blending cream formulations into the skin - think foundation, concealer and cream blusher. It gives the skin a flawless finish as the bristles are incredibly dense. I love using this to stipple concealer over my scarring as it gives the concealer full, industrial coverage that looks natural. The bigger slanted side is absolutely divine when it comes to applying powder products, in particular bronzer. As you can tell from the images, the brush is quite thin which means that it fits into the hollows of the cheeks so perfectly that contouring the skin becomes faultless. The combination of the brush and the Loud Night Bronzer in Supple Satin Honey* (review here) ensures that when bronzing up the complexion or contouring it, you end up with a professional finish. 

The bristles themselves are synthetic and incredibly soft. They wash nicely, dry pretty quickly and so far, I've experienced no shedding from them. This face brush is now the one that I reach for most often as it's one that I can do all of my base make up with. Foundation, concealer, powder, blush, bronzer and highlighter? Check. This face brush can be purchased in KIKO stores (which the UK desperately needs more of) and online here where it retails for £15.90.

What are your thoughts on this face brush?
*PR Sample
Written By Unknown at 9:53 am
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Thursday, 20 June 2013

Which Real Techniques face brush do I need?

























First of all, I'd like to apologise for the state of my brushes in this post. I promise that I do wash them weekly - I'm pretty religious when it comes to that - but unfortunately, I always forget to photograph them after they'd been washed. So after months of forgetting, I decided to photograph them in their dirty state while I remembered. 

I personally don't know how I lived my life before the Real Techniques brushes hit the scene. The line - by YouTuber Samantha Chapman - is very extensive, pretty and highly doted on in the blogosphere. Before the Real Techniques invention, I used to rely on my trusty Body Shop Foundation Brush. It was one of those bog standard, flat brushes and don't get me wrong, it was good and it did the job but I'm definitely a stippling and buffing girl these days. There are three main foundation brushes in the Real Techniques line and one question I always get asked at work is; "which one is the best?" So I thought I'd compile a mini guide to help you all in your decision making.

I should have photographed these the opposite way round and saved the best until last but unfortunately, I wasn't clever enough to think about that. So like I said, this is without a doubt my favourite face brush and surprisingly, it's the cheapest out of the lot! You can stipple and buff with this foundation brush and essentially, it does the job of the Stippling and Buffing brush in one. It allows products to be applied to the fullest of coverage and it's great for not only foundation but concealer, blush and bronzer too. If you like this brush then I'd highly recommend getting a few to save you on washing.
Best for: full coverage foundation, buffing, stippling, cream blush, bronzer, concealer

This was the first Real Techniques brush that I purchased and at the time, I was in love with it. After years of using my trusty Body Shop Foundation Brush, I was a complete convert. I loved the stippling motion and to me, it was completely new and covered the majority of my imperfections. Don't get me wrong, this is still a great brush - it's very well made, dries quickly and does the job - but I do prefer my Expert Face Brush for the majority of my face needs. I tend to use this on nights out when I want a flawless finish for my concealer - the stippling motion means that you get the fullest coverage out of your concealer - and for cream brush as it helps to apply a lovely flush of colour.
Best for: low coverage foundation, stippling, concealer, cream blush

This is the brush that I hear an awful lot about and when I managed to get my hands on the Core Collection, I was extremely excited. But for me, I'm not the biggest fan of the Buffing Brush and it's my least favourite out of the three. I'm definitely a full coverage girl and although this does a great job at applying foundation flawlessly and streak-free, the Expert Face Brush gives me the most coverage a product can give. I tend to use this after I've applied my foundation, concealer and powder to blend all of the products together and give me a steak-free finish. Don't get me wrong, it's a great brush and I'd definitely recommend buying the Core Collection purely for the Contour Brush.
Best for: medium coverage foundation, buffing, blending

I don't believe that you need all three and if I was to go for just one it'd have to be the Expert Face Brush - as far as brushes go, it's perfection. I do use all three of them on a daily basis though but if I was going away and was forced to pack light, the Expert Face Brush would be the one to go on my travels with me. Which Real Techniques face brush is your favourite? Do you own all three?
xxx
*PR Sample
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Written By Unknown at 10:29 am
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Wednesday, 13 February 2013

REVIEW: Pur Minerals 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Make Up with comparison pictures

Mineral make up is something that I've never really got on with. I have badly blemished skin so I find that it never gives me enough coverage. However, I was extremely excited to try out the pressed mineral make up from Pur Minerals. Before this, I don't think I'd ever heard of a pressed mineral powder and seeing as mineral foundations tend to be messy, this product is pretty much ground breaking. I'm no good with science and ingredients so I'll let the brand themselves do the talking before I give you my verdict...













"Pur Minerals combine the finest ingredients in nature with the latest in skincare technology, the multi-tasking formulas work with the skin to correct, prevent and interrupt common concerns to radiant results you can see - even after the make up comes off. Pur Minerals contain NO harsh chemical dyes, petroleum-based oils, fragrance or fillers, just pure mineral pigments and nourishing ingredients that ALL skin types can enjoy. With a mix of plant-based and proprietary ingredients - like the breakthrough Ceretin Complex (make up's first proven anti-ageing technology) - Pur offers a full range of clinically proven skincare-enhanced make up and complexion care products to complement any regiment. Made for multi-tasking, the no-stress, no-mess collection, includes the award-winning 4-in-1 products, which are use by professional make up artists and celebrity stylists worldwide."















Like I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I have very blemished skin. Redness, spots, scarring - the lot. So I wasn't expecting miracles from the Pur Minerals 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Make Up Compact* - £24.00 as I know that mineral make up tends to be very sheer. To my surprise, I found that when built up, this mineral make up provides medium coverage and if I use a concealer underneath, it's definitely suitable for me to wear during the day. And I have been wearing it pretty much every day for a week or so now. As always, below I've included a picture of the difference in my skin when wearing the mineral make up.
L-R No mineral make up, mineral make up alone, concealer and mineral make up

I like this powder because it comes with SPF15 and skin care ingredients which help to smooth the look of lines and wrinkles and plump, lift and firm the skin's appearance. So overtime, you should notice an improvement in your skin. Which is fabulous as make up normally doesn't agree with your skin. This feels lightweight on the skin and gives a radiant matte finish. It also leaves the skin smooth to the touch. I buff it in with the Pur Minerals Chisel Make Up Brush* - £13.00 which is one of my most reached for brushes at the moment. It's a flat top brush which means it's dense and easy to work with. It's completely natural and it's made from a cruelty-free, blend of goat, sable and pony hair which means the brush is very soft. I was also shocked by the price - cheap for how good the quality is. So overall, I would recommend to you my first mineral make up foundation. I love the coverage, I love the finish and I love how comfortable it is to wear. It's a great day time foundation.
You can view the entire Pur Minerals range here.
Written By Unknown at 10:11 am
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Monday, 28 May 2012

How I.. Store My Make Up Brushes

For a long time I'd been using a pencil holder from Home Bargains to hold my brushes in but recently, it just hasn't been cutting it. I'm a YouTube lover and I love Blair and Elle so when I saw their brush holders with no postage, I knew I had to get one.
 The girls do a variety of different coloured brush holders which you can view here and they even give you the option to choose your own colours for just a bit more.
 I went with the Hot Pink and Black brush holder and I love it so much. It's really pretty, practical and it holds all my brushes very well. It's sturdy as well and I definitely don't have to worry about it breaking.
The holder cost me just £9.53 (once converted from US Dollars) because like I said, I had a free postage code. It did take a while to receive but seeing as it's from America, I did expect that. I really love it!
How do you house your brushes?
xxx
Written By Unknown at 6:51 am
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