Review: Real Techniques Limited Edition Duo Fiber Brush Set

I recently went on iHerb and spotted these gorgeous looking brushes from Real Techniques, i have shown this brand before and their regular brushes certainly make up the majority of my favorite brushes. These are apparently limited edition and will only be available this year and then poof they are gone. Having said that i have not seen these available in Australia at all. So maybe they will come out here later or Australia will be missing out entirely. 

This particular set includes the following brushes;

* duo-fiber face brush: for lightweight application

* duo-fiber contour brush: for controlled contouring and sculpting
* duo-fiber eye brush: for finishing touches to the eye

Duo-fiber brushes are best for light application, so if you have a tendency to go a bit heavy handed with your applications these (or other duo fiber brushes)  might be the way to go. Duo-fiber means that these brushes have two different types of brush fibers, in this case both are synthetic but different from one another. This makes them great for applying something like blush or highlighter where it might be easy to go overboard. They can also be used for cream or powder products.

They feel very soft, i was initially a bit concerned about that but i need not have worried. If you have other types of RT brushes these are just as soft if not maybe more so. They also do not shed and wash very easily.

The only real downside of these is that unlike the regular RT brushes, these cannot stand on their bottoms which is a bit of a downer but i love their clean white look and soft texture.

If you can't find it (and i haven't been able to you can find it here) They are $20.00 but yo can get some off that price if you use a discount code. (Like mine KRN216)

June 2013 Lust Have It

Hey, busy with new job at the moment, plus I've been sorting out a few potential health issues, luckily it turned out to be nothing major (vitamin d and iron deficiency ha ha). I have not show a LHI box in a while, mostly because mum and i share our subscription and i don't like showing only partial boxes. So let's just right ahead and see what was in this month's box:

The theme of the box was supposedly "Great Gatsby" or classic type skincare/makeup. I don't really see this in the box except for maybe the classic red lipstick and nail stickers.

So the items in this box were:

Savi Organic Smoothing Cream  (sample)

Bastise Dry Shampoo in Cherry  (sample)

Pure Fiji Hydrating Body Lotion in Coconut (sample) (The card reads Ocean Mist but I received Coconut)

OPI Pure Laquer Nail Apps (full size)

Klara Black Eyeliner pencil (full size)

Real Purity Regal Red Lipstick (sample)

Disposable Lip Brush from Crown Brush. (threw this away immediately)

I've seen some people get quite mad about this box, but i have never really had any issues with my LHI boxes, i'm just happy to be receiving some new stuff to try, and i have never really gotten anything i hate or outright would not use, plus as i mentioned i share my box with mum so if there is something she doesn't like i can usually get use out of it or vice versa. I;m always happy to get another eyeliner plus this is a brand i have never tried, the shampoo is awesome as cherry is my favorite fruit/smell/flavor and my tropical scented version just ran out. I left the two creams with mum this time around as i still have a one of the pure fiji samples and I'm really loving my  MooGoo  moisturizer so i don't want to interrupt my use of it with the smoothing cream although it smelt very nice.

I'm happy with this box and will continue to get it.

Best Makeup Tips (that I have received)

Today I wanted to concentrate a little less in a specific product or type of product and discuss how and why we use certain things or how and why other ways might be better, since getting into makeup I have done a lot of research both personally and for this blog. In that time i find i have picked up some information that i was completely or mostly ignorant to. So wanted to share the less obvious tips that I've learned. stuff more useful then just sleep and drink lots of water. Maybe this should be a tag?

So here are the 10 best makeup/beauty tips I have learned/received/or discovered to share with you;

1. Like with Like; if your primer is water based don't use it with oil based makeup. Oil and water don't go well together, trying to make them cooperate will mean your makeup is going to slide around and your going to thing "this foundation/primer/blush/whatever is crap, it slides right off!" When actually it's just one element is not getting along with another.

2. If you have dry or sensitive skin, avoid using a stippling brush for foundation or blush; the circular motion you use to cover up pores means that you create microbresions on your skin which will cause it  to get aggravated and will cause your makeup to look cakes as your skin tries to produce more oil to compensate.

3. If you can sleep on your back rather then another position then do so, sleeping on your sides means one side of your face is going to have more pressure put on it meaning it will get more sensitive, harder to work with and more prone to breakout and aggregation. On the other hand the side not squished into the pillow is going to be feeling the effects of gravity much more potently and will over tips droop. Same thing for your breasts actually, so if you can do it try sleeping on your back.

4. Wash your brushes, especially if your using your brushes everyday and even more so if your using them on someone else. Dirty brushes will spread not just germs and bacteria around but will make your powders/foundation/shadows dirty. Cleaning your brushes is a very simple and super effective way of making sure your skin isn't being overloaded with nasty things all the time. Even better if you wash them in something alcohol/ethanol based as it will mean they dry very quickly as ethanol evaporated unlike shampoo washing which can mean hours of drying time.

5. If your getting older or simple have different shaped face from the "norm" then reconsider putting your blush on the "apples of your cheeks". To see why, smile like you would if you we're trying to find the apples of your cheeks and put your finger right in the middle of it. Now stop smiling. Now, unless your skin is super youthful you might notice your finger is no longer up ne'er your cheeks but have dropped down significantly, because gravity. Instead try using blush along your cheekbone. You can find this by putting your finger to the top of you ear and just feeling along.

6. Similar thing for brows, the time tested method of putting a pencil up against your nose to see where your eyebrows should start doesn't work if you have a large nose or particularly flared nostrils. How far apart your eyebrows should start is however small you want your nose to look, you can still use a pencil to determine this just put the pencil on top of your nose where the nostrils begin rather then next to your nose or you might end up with tiny eyebrows that start above your pupil.

7. A Kleenex is just as good as blotting paper in a pinch. Sometimes it's better. A single ply tissue is very proficient at absorbing excess oil and you can press the whole thing to your face rather then dabbing for hours on with your tiny blotting paper.

8. Before doing your nails, especially before painting your nails go to the bathroom. Even if you don't feel like it because I guarantee the moment you finish painting that last nail it's going to come up.

9. It doesn't matter how a brush or eyeshadow is supposed to be used, if it works for you then your doing it right. In the end brushes are just tools too help you look good, however that happens is fine. I like using kabuki brushes for pressed and loose powders but rarely do I "swirl" them onto my face, instead I pat it on, I use a concealer brush because the size I find is better for some of my eye shadows. Probably my favourite use for an angled liner brush is using it to shape and fill my brows.

10. Be gentle, however gentle you think you are half it again. The bristles on your brush should never bend during application and your skin should not be moving around either. You makeup doesn't need a hard hand, and your face will appreciate more gentle products too. Exfoliating scrubs with huge chunks or rock/sugar/apricot seed/ whatever literally scratch you face clean which feels smooth and awesome for a while but your actually damaging the layers underneath. On that same not you probably only need about half the foundation your wearing now, I know I was.

So share your best tips/tricks. Consider yourselves all tagged and I link back so I can see your posts/comments/videos.

My first FOTD! uh-oh

Hmm i kind of really didn't want to do this, all in all i don't like posting pictures of my face on here as much as i can help it. But i wanted to be a little braver and i was quite happy with how this look came out and I've been trying a few different things over the past few days so why not be a bit brave and share. 

My idea behind this looks was an autumn/winter but still natural kind of feel. 

Hmm not sure what my hair is do up there, weird sort of whirly thing.

Products used:

MooGoo Full Cream Moisturizer (base)

Korres Ginger & Vitamins Foundation (LF1) spf 10

Korres Concealer (WRC3)

Korres Eyeshadow (White 02) as a brow highlighter

Face of Australia budge proof gel liner in brown

Essence - All about Matt compact setting powder 

Essence brow kit (dark brown shade) to fill in my brows

Urban Decay - Naked 2 eyeshadow (Snakebite) (YDK)

Illamasqua Cream Blush (Rude)

Australis Lipstick (Foxtrot)

hmm i just realized i forgot to use mascara....my bad

Anyhow i think it turned out well, next time i will probably spend a little more time on my brows and blend the eyeshadow more on the right (stage right) eye. In that respect taking these photos is actually quite useful in that i see things i didn;t notice or didn;t pay attention to on my face/mirror. Live and Learn.

Review: MooGoo Full Cream Moisturiser

Over the past few weeks I've absolutely fallen in love with this product after seeing it at Terry White Chemist and then doing some on line research and seeing how people enjoyed it and how gentle it was. Since suffering from Acne in my teenage years and being quite rough in trying to deal with it I have since learned to focus my efforts on "slower" but much more gentle products. My main step to keeping my skin clear and and smooth is my HG cleanser that i have reviewed before and cannot recommend highly enough is Lush's Fresh Farmacy. Since then i have tried various moisturizers and since FF worked so nicely for me i have kept my search in the realm of natural and "healthy" moisturizers. 

For a long time i used a variety of moisturizers from Nivea and then Sukin but non of them really wowed me, they were fine and worked reasonably well, they didn't cause break outs or anything. I didn't repurchase them because i found the Nivea was quite liquid and didn't absorb quickly while the Sukin worked well but i hated the smell of it. 

I love that all MooGoo (website here)  products are completely transparent and do not use any excessive or "filler" ingredients, if you go to their website and look up any product there is a full description of each ingredient and why it is included in the product.

The reason i love this so much is because it's incredibly soft but not too liquid, it's a slightly thicker cream that begins to approach a almost mousse like consistency, it's quite like and reminds me of  whipped products. Despite being to slight and fluffy it is absorbs very fast with no greasy side effects. Doesn't even need blotting. I use this in the morning as a base for my makeup and in the evening before i go to bed.

It has a faint sort of  warm milk and honey scent that i like, however my boyfriend thinks it smells slightly like play-doh so if your sensitive to scents see if you can smell it first. It makes my skin very soft and supple, it absorbs fast and it doesn't leave any residue. What's more is because it was designed for sensitive skin it does a wonderful job and calming down any redness on your skin, and a small amount goes a long way. 

It can be used anywhere, not just your face and as both myself and my boyfriend discovered it does a wonderful job on calming down razor rash on (his) face or (my) legs and got rid of any pain in the area and as i mentioned earlier reduced the redness.

Another fantastic use is to put a tiny amount on the skin near your brows after plucking/waxing/threading as it does a fantastic effort in calming everything down and stopping in grown hair, i have even used a small amount on my cuticles when they sometimes get a bit angry and painful and it cleared it right up as well as making them nicely hydrated and healthy looking. I've found my HG moisturizer and recommend giving this awesome moisturizer a go! 

What's your favorite moisturizer?

Comparison: Illamasqua Cream Blush in Rude vs Revlon Photoready in Pinched

Illamasqua Cream Blush in Rude

I recently purchased both the Illamasqua Cream Blusher (Rude) and a very similar shade from Revlon's Photoready Cream Blusher (Pinched) i thought these would be great to do a comparison post since the colors are so similar and one is obviously much more easily available then the other.  The price difference is not huge, Illamasqua is around $28 (plus shipping in my case) while the Revlon is around $20 but i got mine on sale for $13, so it mostly depends on how available it is for you.

Starting with the Illamasqua, the packaging on it is quite lush, it's on the heavier side which is nice, it's in the classic Illamasqua shaped case. It has no scent but like all cream blushers it has a tendency to catch all sorts of dirt; lint and dust so be careful with it, also because of the kind of products that cream blushers are do not expect the packaging to stay clean for any good length of time. So in that respect, both blushers will get quite dirty.

The Illamasqua is more pigmented then the Revlon but the color itself is very similar, it's a warm peachy color that is very natural on pale skin, and it blends out beautifully. The formula is pigmented and very smooth without any clumping or crumbly bits. It doesn't dry to a powder exactly but is quite a fresh and natural look probably more so then most powders. The cream consistency is great right now that the weather is getting colder however if you have seriously oily skin then probably stick to the powder blushers. It feels very lightweight and personally i don't even feel it on my skin.

Revlon Photoready Cream Blush

The Revlon is color wise quite similar though it is more sheer and in that is probably more forgiving then the Illamasqua and is a bit more reliable if your going to layer it for more color. In the pot the texture seems similar but the Illamasqua seems much creamier where as the Revlon is a "smoother" vaguely silicon like consistency, at least that's what it reminds me of. This one also gets quite dirty after a few uses so in that respect there is little difference.

The container is not quite as sturdy as the Illamasqua but it should survive the rigors of your handbag since these are unlikely to open and are actually quite easily to apply, so if you have a light touch you don't even need a mirror. The skrew on top is actually probably more secure but the plastic is thinner so its more likely to crack or get dents and chips in it.

Both cream blushers first apply quite bright but if you have a light touch you can control this, i find your finger do a nicer job of blending this and the heat in your skins helps it move around and disperse better. The illamsqua is more pigmented and creamier so it "sticks" better and the color is more prominent where the Revlon is more "slippery" but has an easier time of being built up.

So in summary; Illamasqua is more pigmented, stays on longer, is creamier and easier to apply and has heartier packaging while the Revlon is smoother, not as pigmented but more build able, the packaging is more secure in a handbag because of its screw rather then click top, however it doesn't last as long.

I love the color and both blushers are wonderful for the current cold weather and both are very good bases for powder blushers if you want a little more bang. Overall i prefer the Illamasqua but for a base for powder blush or for a really neutral look i would choose the Revlon.

Have you tried a cream blusher? Do you prefer it over powder? Post a comment below :)

Review: Rimmel & Australis Lipsticks

As i have mentioned i have been taking some efforts to delve into some makeup and hair care that is outside my comfort zone, for lipstick that means darker or brighter colors and for hair care that means more then just shampoo and conditioner. These 3 lipsticks represent my first foray into different types of lip colors. Firstly i'm sorry that the dark purple one is all smushed up, it was like that when i picked it up and i didn't have the heart/energy/time to go back and complain. But seriously who does this?

As you can see i picked up one lipstick from Australis Color Inject line (Foxtrot) and two from Rimmel's Kate line; shade 20 (the one that was on all the advertising) and  and shade 04 both of which are seriously out my and probably most peoples comfort zones. But hell, you only live one. (probably)

See; all the advertising

Foxtrot

I fell in love with this lipstick when i first put it on my lips, i bought it despite the in store hand swatch looking dark and scary, and yeah it is kind of dark but it's good sort of dark. It doesn't actually seem as dark in these photos is in person but it falls somewhere between mauve and plum. Plus, and the reason i love this lipstick so hard is how soft and yet amazingly long lasting it is!? I've not really encountered that before, it's usually either moisturizing and disappears if you look at it wrong or terribly drying but won't come of for love or money. My total favorite of the three, i will seriously be going back for more of these, i have my eye on the shade "Can Can" , i even love how hefty the packaging feels, much more comfortably weighty compared to many lipsticks i own.

20

Shade 20 is um...wow. It's like the Pout Paste from Australia i reviewed recently but it stays around for quite a while. The color pay off is really something and it does stay for quite a while, especially if you use a lip brush ti apply it because if you use the lipstick itself it does have a tendency to "pull" on your lips and feels a bit dry especially compared to Foxtrot. A very fun color and i enjoy wearing it for something different or when i can't be bothered with more eye makeup then say...mascara.

04

Uh wow, can you say Gothic or what. It's a fantastic deep purple that on my lips seems to look more plum/burgundy. Not an everyday color for sure, but it makes a lovely stain and seriously a fun shade for parties or Halloween looks.  Another shade that really needs a lip brush to look halfway decent as it tends to bleed and blur around the lip line. Nowhere near as drying as shade 20 and easier to put on but it does move around a little more.

I'm happy with all three but Australis Color Injects will be the ones go back to, i enjoy the formula too much to let it pass by and although the color pay off on the Rimmels is quite amazing i'm not sure it's for everyone.