Review - Nanshy Makeup Brushes

A while back the lovely people at Nanshy sent me 4 Makeup Brushes to review and finally after a million and one hospital appointments and tests the review is going live for you all.

Anyone that knows me knows that I am a brush fiend, they are the most important and treasured part of my professional kit so, when Nanshy offered to send me some of their brushes of course I jumped at the chance.

I had heard of the brand before by seeing but, I have never tried their products. I was drawn to the brand because they pride themselves on being cruelty free with all of their brushes being synthetic and I love cruelty free brands.

I was sent 4 of their staple brushes, the F01 Flawless Foundation, the P01 Conceal Perfector, the stippling brush and finally the ultra fine Precise Bent Liner brush. I also received The Marvel 4 in 1 blending sponge which will feature in a future post.

First up is the F01 Flawless Foundation £9.95

This is a dense flat top foundation brush which leaves foundation looking airbrushed. The brush is packed with Nanshy's signature soft bristles. These types of foundation brushes are my absolute favourite as they buff foundation into the skin and leave application looking natural and this brush does not disappoint. I honestly would fill my kit with these foundation brushes which are also perfect for blending cream blushers and liquid highlighters. I love having a brush that can multitask which this brush does effortlessly.

Second up is the P01 Conceal Perfector £9.95

This beautifully soft brush with pointed tip is perfect for getting into those hard to reach areas such as around the nose and under the eyes. I found this brush worked fabulously used after the F01 brush for buffing out my concealer. This brush has just the right amount of density which you would expect from a blending brush.

Next is the Stippling Brush £9.95

Stippling brushes are predominately used for lighter applications of foundation, blending and setting. I use mine following a setting spray and blend all the makeup together in a circular motion for a long lasting finish alternatively, I will pick up a small amount of HD setting powder and dust this over the skin. This brush is particularly handy when using setting powders because of the delicate multi length bristles which, ensures that the application is properly blended with no streaks. Even if you have a heavy hand when applying makeup this brush will ensure that you don't over apply which, I absolutely love when using it with foundation and want a more natural look.

Finally we have the Precise Bent Eyeliner brush £5.95

This brush I would say is my absolute favourite out of the 4 brushes I have received as I always struggle to find a decent liner brush that is thin and dense enough for a flawless application. A lot of liner brushes are perfect until you wash them and then the bristles go in all different directions but, this brush dries into the same shape it was when removed from the packaging. If you haven't tried a bent liner grab yourself one of these especially if you struggle with liner application as the bend in the ferrules makes applying liner that little bit easier.

Overall, I absolutely love these brushes my only con with larger brushes is that they are a little too light to handle, however, this is a personal preference and the only con I could find. 

The brushes are very reasonably priced with the most expensive single brush being only £10.95 and sets ranging from £29.95 - £49.95 with free delivery on orders over £20 and a free gift over £30 . All of the brushes are cruelty free as mentioned before with some being completely Vegan friendly.

I will certainly invest in more of these brushes in the future for myself and for my kit.

Have you tried Nanshy? if so what did you think?

Review: Sk:n Cleanse and Anti Ageing Cream

A few weeks ago the  lovely people over at Sk:n sent me their popular Cleanser and Anti Ageing cream to review.

I had previously heard of the brand as there is a local Sk:n clinic in Brighton, However, I have never used their products or services prior to being sent the two products mentioned.

The brand have over 20 years experience in dealing with dermatological issues and work alongside the NHS and the British Skin Foundation. All of their clinic staff are medically trained so, when it comes to skin they really do know what they are talking about which made these products even more interesting.

As many of you know from previous skincare posts I suffer with eczema on my face predominantly around my nose and the corners of my lips so, I picked products specifically for dry skin.

From the Cleanse line I have the Vitamin-Rich Cleanser for dry or sensitive skin 200ml £14.75

Sk:n describes the cleanser as follows: "sk:n Vitamin-Rich Cleanser for dry or sensitive skin is fortified with age fighting vitamins and antioxidants to gently remove make-up and impurities. The skin is left feeling cleansed and purified and in perfect condition for further skincare products"

The cleanser is a luxurious lightly scented cream which is advised to be used on cotton wool. The scent is in no way over powering if anything its quite a relaxing scent.

I found when using the product that it removed the deepest set pore dirt and as its cream based its actually fairly moisturizing too. I have used this product as a hot cloth cleanser too applying evenly all over my skin and removing with a hot muslin cloth. The cleanser was perfect for my eczema prone skin and didn't cause a flare up like some products do.

From the Anti Ageing line I have Age-Delaying Cream for Younger Skin 30ml £33.75

Sk:n describes the cream as follows: "sk:n Age-Delaying Cream for younger skin hydrates the skin and helps delay the initial signs of ageing. Clinically proven peptides target fine lines and loss of firmness, Vitamin A helps regulate cell turnover and anti-oxidants fight free radicals"

The product focuses on addressing lines and wrinkles, brown marks, broken veins and loss of firmness according to their website.

The cream is of a medium consistency with an orangey scent which I find very refreshing. The cream does not leave the skin feeling or looking oily.

I have used this product every morning after cleansing for around 3 weeks and have noticed a significant change to the appearance of my skin. My skin appears brighter, smoother and the little fine lines around my eyes seem to have lessened. For my skin the only con with this cream is that initially my eczema does itch very slightly but, that said its not something that causes a massive outbreak of scales and dies down within around 10 minutes.


Sk:n have clinics nationwide offering a full range of treatments for specific skin issues, you can find out more information here.

Have you tried any of Sk:n's products or treatments? let me know in the comments what you thought.

Bleach London Super Cool Colours Violet Skies

Hey Lovelies,

I got a little bored with the red hair so, I decided to go back blonde but as I was doing it myself and had long roots with only a light wash of bleach on them I decided to temporarily go purple while my hair relaxes from the bleach. Last time I lightened my hair i did it all so quickly and ended up with broken hair so, I wasn't going to repeat that mistake.

Anyway back to the dye, I had always wanted to try Parma Violets when I was blonde before but, it was always sold out and then it was recalled :( I have no idea why it was recalled as it was a beautiful colour with lots of different colour shades in it.

I opted for Violet Skies which I am assuming is the replacement of Parma Violets the shade in the bottle looks like a very dark purple but, don't be scared off this is not how it comes out.

When you put the colour into a mixing bowl it appears to be a pink toned purple and this is apparent in the finished look but very subtle. 

The only issue I had with this product is that it didn't take to some of the light areas of my hair and obviously  my roots, however, I think this may be partly my fault with not lightening it enough but, I have a very sensitive scalp and bleach can burn me quite quickly so, I had to take it off quite quick this time.

I really like the final colour, I think it really suits my skin tone and actually brings some colour to my face where as the red made me look quite pale. The price of £5.00 is perfect for all of us and I could have got away with using half the bottle but, I always use a bit more to ensure i get the product everywhere. 

The brand on a whole is very affordable and I have had no bad experiences with any of their products which for lighter shades is now my go to brand. I would like to try Blullini, Awkward Peach and Sea Punk but, after stumbling across that's so yesterday's blog I want to try her mermaid hair which is linked, her hair is super amazing! 

What have your experiences with Bleach London been? Would you try Violet Skies? Let me know in the comments.

Review Part 1: It's All About Moxie!

If you haven't already heard Bare Minerals have brought out a new Lip collection called Marvelous Moxie Lips. Moxie is a collection of Lipsticks, Lip Liners and Glosses. Over the next few days I will be bringing you pictures, swatches and my views of this collection

First of all lets talk about the Lipsticks!

I have a two of the Lipsticks in shades Never Say Never* which is a bright Fuchsia Pink and Be Free* which is a creamy pink nude. These lipsticks are beautiful they are creamy, opaque and don't feel heavy on the lips at all.

What is so great about these lipsticks is that they are extremely long lasting I managed to get away with 4 hours without needing to have a touch up. The other plus for me is that they don't dry out the lips because of the conditioning ingredients which are as follows: The formula includes Abyssinian Oil, Omega Fatty Acids and Vitamins A, C and E.

The packaging is very luxurious and with its unique design there is no chance of the lid coming off in your handbag which I think is great.

Would I purchase other colours? Yes I would, I would actually like to get some of the reds and some more of the nudes from this collection.

Would I use them on a model for a shoot? Yes I would due to the Opacity of the product and the longevity they would be amazing.

The Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie Lip Collection is in stores nationwide and on their website and comes in 18 different shades including some amazing Red shades and a super amazing Tangerine shade for all you darker skin tones, plus Tangerine is bang on trend. The Lipsticks from this collection are retailing at £16.00.

Have you tried this collection? Let me know what you thought in the comments.

Review: Revlon Nearly Naked

Hey My Beautifuls,

Prior to my short break dealing with family stuff I started using Revlon's new Nearly Naked Foundation and Powder*. I have been using it for around 2 months as my everyday foundation and I Love it.

I apply the foundation using my Kabuki style foundation brush and I buff it into my skin, leaving a very natural and even looking complexion. I would say that this foundation is a demi-matte with medium coverage but, its most definitely buildable. If you have large pores like myself a primer is needed.

Excuse the brows I am growing them back whilst I have a full fringe

 Onto the powder, this is a very light powder which doesn't make your skin feel cakey at all. I use the powder as a very light contour as the medium shade is too dark for me. This powder would be perfect for those days that your skin is behaving but you just feel you need a very light wash of colour.

I have very dry skin as some of you already know but this foundation does not dry my skin out at all.

I am using Ivory in the liquid foundation and Medium in the powder. Revlon's Nearly Naked Range is available at most leading beauty stores, The foundation is £8.99 and the powder is £7.99.

I would go as far as saying this is a replacement for my Sephora Tinted Moisturiser as its moisturising enough and gives me just the right amount of coverage. I want to see how this foundation deals with the rising temperatures so, I may come back with an update.

Have any of you tried this new range, what did you think?

Review - Tints of Nature Organic Hair Dye

Hey Lovelies,


Back at the beginning of March the lovely ladies at Tints of Nature sent some dye for my Mum to use and review for this blog. Normally I would review all products but seeing as I have bright red hair this product wouldn't have been suitable for me but, it was such an exciting product that I didn't want you to miss out on hearing about it.

Tints of Nature are Organic Hair Dyes suitable for Vegans and Vegetarians better still they are a UK brand and all of their products are made here. As the products are made used natural products you are less likely to get a stained scalp, have an allergic reaction and breath in those horrible peroxide smells.

When you first get the product it looks like any other dye until you start applying it, instead of it smelling like awful peroxide it actually smells a lot like whiskey and orange juice. Mum has used lots of different branded dyes from top brands such as Garnier to Superdrug own branded dyes so she knows what she likes.

We used a mix of  8C Ash Blonde* to mix with 8N Natural Light Blonde* (N shades are always advisable mixed with the fashion colours for grey hair to ensure maximum grey coverage/best colour outcome) and left it on for 30 mins. Once the dye had been washed out it was clear to see there were no stains on the skin and the dye had taken all over even on the stubborn dark grey at the back of mums head.

Mum was so thrilled with her new colour and received so many compliments the following day at work which made her feel great. Mum also said that the product didn't make her head itch like most of the others as she has a very sensitive and dry scalp.

Mum and I agreed on the one downside which was the packaging, we both felt the packaging looked quite dated with some of the models looking as though they were wearing wigs but, the product itself is simply amazing and mum is sold on the colour and will definitely be buying the colours again.

Tints of Nature dyes can be purchased from their website for £8.99 where they also stock Semi-Permanent dyes, Highlighting kits, Shampoo, Conditioner, Treatments and Supplements. I would love to try some of their shampoo at some stage as I am always on the hunt for a great shampoo.

The Duchess of Cambridge Kate is a huge fan of Tints of Nature so, if its good enough for royalty its good enough for us!

Have you tried this brand? Would you try the brand?

Review and Swatches- myface.cosmetics

myface.cosmetics has been getting some amazing press of late with celebrity followings from Gwyneth Paltrow, Salma Hayek and Kate Moss so, when I was offered the opportunity to review some of their products I jumped at the chance.

The great thing about this brand is they put their cosmetics into three categories Fair, Medium and Dark which means you can just shop your complexion. Now of course some of the Lip and Blush shades will suit an array of tones but they tell you which skin tone it was designed for. Arranging their cosmetics in this way means that once you have matched up your foundation you pretty much cant go wrong with anything else you choose, obviously providing you take your hair and eye colouring into account.

mymix Foundation £15.99

I received the mymix foundation in shade Fair 03 this shade was a tad too dark for me but with enough buffing I could just pull it off, I think I am more of a Fair 02. This foundation has a very light liquid texture, a lot like MAC's Face and Body, with a medium coverage. This foundation has a lovely dewy finish and without a primer didn't seem to sit in my pores at all which is a major plus.

R&B Rouge/Blusher £14.99

I received Lady Monaco which is part of the Medium complexion range however it looks lovely on my complexion. This blush is very pigmented so a little goes a very long way, the packaging is pretty nifty featuring a great sized mirror and a blush brush so, its perfect for popping straight in your handbag.

Blingtone Eyeshadows £12.99

I received Black Ice and Silver Screen. These shadows are stupidly glittery (stupidly in a good way) with hardly any glitter fall out when applied to the lid. You know what its like you buy a shadow like Blacktied from MAC which is lovely black with loads of glitter but, when you apply it to your lid its just a black shadow and the glitter is gone. These shadows keep the glitter as you will see from the pictures and that is without using a base at all. The silver shadow upon swatching doesn't appear to be as pigmented as the black, it just seems to be silver glitter. The Black shadow I am completely in love with this out of all of the products is my fav, I have not come across a black shadow with so much pigmentation and so much glitter together in one tiny package.


Overall I really, really like this brand and would certainly like to try the rest of the Blingtone shadows and some of their lip products.

The great thing for you guys is at the moment myface.cosmetics are running a promotion which will entitle you to a full size mymix foundation with any order using code free-foundation (whilst stocks last) This is a great offer and certainly gives you the chance to try more than one item on your first order.

If you do end up ordering I would love to hear your thoughts.

Ems xo

Liz Earle Botanical Essence No15 Eau de Parfum

Today marks the release of Liz Earle's second fragrance Botanical Essence No15!

Liz Earle describe this frgarance as "a fresh spicy oriental scent. This clean, sexy, and addictive fine fragrance is synonymous with feeling seductive and elegant."

The lovely girls in the Liz Earle press office surprised me by popping a little sample of this fragrance in the post. I was excited because I wasn't expecting any packages and immediately like a child on Christmas day opened it and spritzed myself.

The fragrance is pretty strong but not in a bad way I just over applied, the great thing about this fragrance is it lasts so well. You know what its like you spray your favourite scent and then you cant smell it an hour later well, this fragrance I could still smell the following morning and even when I applied less the next day I could still smell it today! That is a massive thumbs up for me and means that you will be using less product.

With the oriental feel to the fragrance and the warmness to the scent its the perfect fragrance for the Fall/Winter time.

As I said the fragrance goes on sale today on the Liz Earle website and is priced at £45 for 50mls

Review: Nail Art Nail Tattoos

I absolutely adore doing my nails, It's one of the best things I do to relax. So when I got my fingers on these nail tattoo stickers I was rather happy.

When I opened the packaging I was pleasantly surprised. They're in pretty nifty packaging which just folds back flat, meaning they are easy to put away once you have finished your nails.

 First of all, even if you are rubbish at all the slinky painted nail designs and dont fancy paying loads for decent looking nails, these will be right up your alley, they're not overly expensive but look really pretty.

There are enough stickers in the pack to do a full set (all ten fingers) six times. On the model I only used one finger on each hand, just for a bit of a difference.

For starters I put on Collection 2000 Nail hardener as a base coat as it makes it easier for the colour to look even. The models nails are painted with 3 coats of Collection 2000 hot looks sherbert lemon.

After waiting for them to dry, you simply gently peal the nail stickers from the backing paper, and place them on the nail in which ever funky design  takes your fancy. Very carefully push down to make sure it's secure then coat them in a top coat to seal them in.

Simple as that!

Nail Art's Nail Tattoos are available for £5.99 from skinartuk.com.

Jo xo

*PR sample sent for review. All views are my own

Review: Hi Brow 24 hour Brow Powder Compact by LaLa

Most of us girls, and some guys, love to have perfectly shaped and defined brows because perfect brows frame the face. I personally go days without wearing any makeup but, I always make sure my brows are tamed and shaped because it just seems to bring the face to life.

This clever little kit includes a highly pigmented brow powder which comes in 4 shades, I have the shade Dark Brown, A highlighter, A Double ended brush featuring an angled brush and a standard shadow brush and finally 3 brow stencils.

I really like the powder its highly pigmented and once applied it does last on me for at least 12 hours before fading and when I say fading its the smallest amount. As for the highlighter its just the right shade not too glittery and leaves a lovely sheen to the brow bone.

I did a test with the brow powders running them under cold water using no soap and rubbing for around 5 mins and I think the image below speaks for itself!

I am normally not a fan of brushes that come in any kit but, this brush isn't actually too bad, the angled end is quite compact as you would expect for this type of brush. The hair used on both ends is super soft.

Finally the stencils, I personally don't like stencils anyway but they do come in handy to use as a guide to shaping your brows. Tip: Fill in your brow with product using the stencil of your choice and then pluck any hairs that have not been covered by product for that perfected brow

I do think the thickness of the stencils need to be addressed as the thickest stencil is not thick enough, it is practically the same size as the medium stencil with a slightly thicker arch, This is my only down point on the whole product.

The price of the product may seem a little steep but in my opinion with what you get in the kit, pigmentation of the product and the length of time you can have it on without the need to reapply I think its worth it.

Hi-Brow by LaLa retails at £29.95 and is available at Lash Perfect Lash Bar and bylala.co.uk
 
*PR sample sent for review. All views are my own

Review: Natural Heaven In A Jar Part 2

A little while ago I told you all about the amazing All Purpose Balm from Natural U, Well Catherine also sent me some of her Daily Body Rub which myself and some of my friends have got great pleasure out of.
  

What the company say about The Daily Body Rub

Our 100% Natural and Organic daily body rub has an uplifting aroma of peppermint. This wonderful balm works incredibly well when used for massaging into the skin to ease tired muscles. An excellent moisturiser, you’ll find that the smell of this skincare balm is divine and mood lifting. 

The wonderful moisturising and muscle soothing ingredients in the Daily Body Rub are:
Butyrospermum parkii(shea butter), Helianthus annus(sunflower) seed oil,cera
alba(beeswax),olea europea(olive oil),calendula officinalis(calendula
oil),prunus dulcis(sweet almond oil) ravensara aromaticum,(ravensara) mentha
piperita(peppermint essential oil), eucalyptus smithii(eucalyptus), melaleuca
alternifolia(Tea tree)

I have been suffering a lot with my knee of late and find that this massaged into the skin on and around the knee area really does soothe the pain. The rub is also great for those sufferers of headaches I massage it into my temples and lay down for a little while and the scent truly does relax you and help ease the tension of the headache.

The true testament to this product was when i used it on my friend Tom following a car accident, He suffered from whiplash and was extremely sore and tight so, I gently massaged this into his neck. Tom said that it really relaxed him and eased the stiffness he was experiencing which is amazing!

What I love about this product apart from being all natural is the fact it doesn't have a nasty overpowering scent like a lot of rubs.

I would most certainly recommend this product especially because its natural and not animal tested.

You can pick up The Daily Body Rub in 3 sizes at their website for: 5g Trial - £2.99, 30g Jar - £10.50 or a 50g Jar - £16.50

Have you tried either of Natural U's products? What did you think?

Ems xo

Review & Swatches: Living Nature Lipsticks

A few weeks ago, the lovely people at Living Nature offered to send me some of their Lipsticks including their current best seller, Summer Rain Lipstick. After reviewing their make up remover a little while ago and being impressed, I jumped at the chance.

I immediately loved the packaging. I always think anything stored in a matte black container gives off more class and elegance. I have no idea why, its just something I like!

Ingredients

The box that the lipsticks come in contain all the standard information you would expect to see, plus a sell by date, as these products are all natural.

Onto the colours. I received Summer Rain, Warm Rocks and Warm Wood. I am not really a fan of brown lip colours although I would wear Warm Wood, as its a fairly light nude brown. My favourite, like everyone else, is Summer Rain, which is a light mauve-pink and suits my skin tone really nicely. (Probably doesn't suit the Red hair, but what the hell).

The Lipsticks have great pigmentation especially the darker shade, Warm Rocks, which has an almost matte finish, where as the other two have more of a sheen to them. What I love about these lipsticks is the fact they don't dry out my lips. I normally suffer with dry, chapped lips, but not with these, they glide on and leave my lips feeling soft and subtle when removed.

I really like the texture of these and I will definitely be wearing a lot more of Summer Rain, its a beautiful colour.

You can purchase these products from Living Nature's website for £15.00 each.

What do you think of the shades? Have you tried this brand before? Let me know what you think of them.

Ems xo

*PR sample sent for review. All views are my own

Review: Stylepilot

I always struggle when it comes to buying gifts for the men in my life especially when it comes to clothing so, I checked out a site called Stylepilot.

Stylepilot is currently only for men's fashion and it works in a similar way to some of the shoe selector sites that are around. You start off by inputting all of yours (if you are male) or your favourite mans stats in and then the site will generate recommendations for you.

You get the option to save your settings by registering with the site so every time you want a new recommendation your stats are already stored.

Another great feature is the Outfit builder section which shortlists everything that you match from your inputted stats meaning you can create your perfect outfit. Within the Outfit Builder you can choose by event type to make life even more easier.

For those that just like to browse for clothes that option is there too!

I think this is a very clever idea and nice that guys have been catered for in this way as usually its us girls that get all the cool fashion gadgets.

Stylepilot stock great branded items including GAP, Paul Smith and even high street favourite Topman.

You can find style pilot by visiting their website http://www.stylepilot.com/ so, go and check it out and tell me what you think, Would you use this? Do you like the idea?

Until next time

Ems xo