Real Techniques Bold Metals 300 Tapered Blush // Beauty

I had been lusting over the beautiful Bold Metals brushes since they were released by Real Techniques a few years ago.  I finally got my hands on 3 of them last year when my boyfriend treated me for our anniversary (after some major hinting...).

One of the 3 he bought for me was the 300 Tapered Blush which has since become a firm favourite.

BLOG SALE - HIGH END MAKE UP BRANDS

It's blog sale time again!  I have all of these things on my Depop but I thought I would put them on here as well as I know some people don't like using that app.  All prices include postage but if you are buying a few things then of course I would be happy to give a discount, also feel free to make me an offer!  Everything is 100% genuine branded products.  Any questions just get in touch either in a comment, twitter or email.

All payments through Paypal, I will send an invoice so please give me your email address along with items you want and it will be posted once payment has come through.

Limited edition Nars palette Barely used, a couple of colours swatches and the lipbalm used once. Includes Orgasm blush - all products listed in 2nd photo. 

£25 SOLD

Benefit Finding Mr Bright Brand new, never used. 

£20

Bobbi Brown Bronzer/Blush Duo with Bahama Brown and Pink Peony. Brand new, never used. 

(RRP £30) £23

Illamasqua Powdered Metal in Ether Highlighting face and body powder with a golden sheen. Only swatched a couple of times. I think this is discontinued? 

£14

No7 Radiance Boosting Hot Cloth Cleanser brand new (without cloth). 

£6.50

Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation in Golden 6 Brand new, never used. 

(RRP £30) £23 

Bobbi Brown Moisture Rich Foundation in Warm Sand 2.5 used once. 

(RRP £30) £19

Bobbi Brown High Shimmer Lipgloss in Black Ruby used once with brush
(RRP £17) £12 

Clarins Kabuki Brush in case with mirror. Like new. 

£20

Bobbi Brown Foundation Brush £27

Bobbi Brown Lip Brush (extendable with cover) £17.50

Bobbi Brown Angle Eye Shadow Brush £19

Bobbi Brown Concealer Brush £17.50

MAC 109 Small Contour Brush £21

MAC 227 Large Fluff Brush £18

I have got some clothes and other bits on my Depop which I've not added on here yet but feel free to have a look at my page here and get in touch if you're interested in anything.

<3

Sigma Kabuki Kit

I got this set as well when I bought the Mrs Bunny Travel Kit in 2012 when Sigma did free international shipping for Black Friday.  I can't seem to find this set on the Sigma website anymore so I'm not sure if they've discontinued it, but the Kabuki Kit with 5 brushes is still available for $84.

The brushes in this set are all available individually for $21 so in the 5 brush set you're technically getting one brush for free.  The four brushes I have are as follows:

F80 Flat Kabuki - As I've mentioned before I don't like flat foundation brushes, I much prefer to buff it into my skin, so this is one of the brushes I use for foundation.

F82 Round Kabuki - I also really like this one for foundation, more so than the flat one as the round shape is better at getting in around the nose area.

F84 Angled Kabuki - This one is perfect for bronzer and contouring, but I also like to use the tip for highlighter.

F86 Tapered Kabuki - I particularly like this one for highlighter but the shape of it is also good for contouring.

I really like these brushes, they're so soft and densely packed.  The downside of this is that that can take forever to dry after washing them!  Also because I use Brush Guards to help them keep their shape, this probably makes it a bit longer too.  I usually leave them out drying for a couple of days just to make sure!

<3

Bdellium Tools

I first saw Bdellium Tools (the B is silent) on Cutecosmetics website, then when I was at IMATS in London they had a big stall there which was great to see them all up close rather than online.  Bdellium Tools come in a few different ranges, the synthetic ones are Green Bambu, Pink Bambu and Yellow Bambu.  They are also eco-friendly with their sustainable bamboo handles.

The brushes in my collection so far are, from top to bottom:

975 Mixed Powder Brush (£13.50) - I wanted a big powder brush and this pretty much fits the bill!  It is a large paddle shaped round dome, so it's good for applying a light layer of powder over the whole face. 

777  Shadow Brush (£7.50) - This is a good size for applying colour onto the eyelid and works well.

776 Blending Brush (£7.50) - This is one of the closest dupes I have to the Mac 217 brush.  It's good for applying and blending colour into the crease.

785 Tapered Blending Brush (£7.50) - Quite a cute, stumpy little brush!  This one is good for blending colour around the eyes but also for applying powder to precise areas.

You can order Bdellium Tools from Cutecosmetics who have a great selection, but their full range is on their own website here but it's American so the shipping charges will be much higher.

<3

Sigma Mrs Bunny Travel Kit

I've decided to do a series of posts on my synthetic make up brushes organised by brand.  The first in this series is the Sigma Mrs Bunny Travel Kit.  I got this for part of my Christmas in 2012 but I'd bought it in the Black Friday at the end of November as they did free worldwide shipping which makes all the difference.

They have updated them since and have made the ferrules silver instead of pink but this seems to be the only change.  The set costs $75 and the brushes included, from left to right, are:

E30 Pencil - This one is good for adding very precise colour to an area, in the outer corner or on the lower lash line.  Similar to the Mac 219 but not as stiff and with longer bristles.

E40 Tapered Blending - I hoped this would be comparable to the Mac 217 but unfortunately it's a a bit too wide at the top.  However it is still good for blending once colour is in place, and also good for powdering undereye concealer.

F60 Foundation - I don't tend to use these shape brushes for foundation, I prefer buffing it into the skin with a densely packed brush, so I can't really comment much on this one.

F30 Large Powder - I use this everyday for my setting powder, no complaints - works well!

F40 Large Angled Contour - I also use this everyday for blusher and I really like the shape of it, it gives a really nice effect.

E55 Eye Shading - I found this a bit short for eyeshadow to be honest but it works fine for packing on colour, could just do with being a bit longer!  I usually go for this one if my other shaders are dirty.

E65 Small Angle - I prefer using a thin pointed eyeliner brush rather than angled but it does do its job and gives a nice thin line.  Also good for using powder to fill in eyebrows.

I love that the set comes with a brush holder, it's so useful!  It is a travel case but then unfastens and turns into two separate containers.  I use one for storing face brushes and the other I use to put dirty brushes which have to be cleaned.  Then of course when travelling, it's so handy, especially for smaller brushes.

I just need to mention that my powder and contour brushes both broke shortly after I started using them - the ferrule and handle came apart!  However I emailed Sigma with photos straight away and they dealt with it quickly and efficiently, sending me out two new brushes.  The other ones are still usable and could be glued back into place but that sort of thing shouldn't happen - especially for the price of them!  Maybe that is part of why they've changed the ferrule in the new version?

Overall I really like this set, even though there are a couple I don't get much use out of they're always handy to have, and love that it comes with the holder.  They also feel really soft, not as soft as other synthetics I've got, but definitely good enough for me.

<3

Paperbacks & Beauty Facts: Favourite Hair Products

Not technically 'products' but I am very lazy with my hair!!

<3

Some Christmas Pressies!!

I do love seeing what people have got for Christmas, it's so exciting!  I've decided to do a sort of abridged version just including my bigger presents rather than going through every sweetie and pair of socks haha!

I wasn't expecting much this year as I'm over 21 now and apparently that's the age when everyone decides you're too old for presents!  However I ended up with a good wee haul anyway, I am very lucky!

So first, one of my main presents from my mum and dad was the Sigma Mrs Bunny Travel Kit, which also comes in black.  I got this on Black Friday when they did free international shipping, and I also treated myself to the Kabuki Kit!  It was then passed onto the parents and put away until Christmas.  I really like it, it comes with synthetic versions of the E40, E30, E55, E65, F30, F40 and F60!

Next is a coat I wanted from work, I brought it home a week before Christmas like, can you buy me this for a present?  They didn't even wrap it :( I've not had it on yet but I love it, and it was a bargain too!

I got loads of books this year!  My Auntie Tricia got me the Enid Blyton Adventure set, and my parents got me the new Jodi Picoult book, Lone Wolf.  I'm looking forward to reading these, Enid Blyton takes me back to my childhood!

My Auntie Tricia also got me Lgns London Roses & Diamonds perfume which I had asked for.  This is a BUAV Approved company so finally I can have some fancy cruelty free perfume!  It is also pretty cheap too, I think it's about £20 for 30ml.  It smells so nice but you don't need to take my word for it because they send out free paper samples - which I had already got.  There is also another perfume called Serenity which I haven't tried, and they are currently doing a deal where you get a free mascara when you buy that perfume.

I got this bag from my Auntie Heather and family.  It's so big and squishy, I love it!!  I'm getting a bit fed up of my tiny little bag so I am going to transfer everything over into this one.  It means I can get a nice big purse to go with it too!  I'm not 100% sure which it's made of which worried me at first but I think it is faux leather - hopefully!

...And my Auntie Tricia gave me this wee charm too (she spoils us!!!) so I attached it onto my new bag!

From my mum's friend and her daughter I got a Soap & Glory set which I was really excited about.  I've never actually tried any of their stuff so I can't wait to try it out and see if they live up to the hype!

And finally from my neighbour, a L'Occitane hand cream set.  The packaging on this is just stunning, I'm definitely keeping the box!  Sadly L'Occitane started selling in China last year so I wouldn't be able to repurchase but I'm sure this will keep me going for a while!

Have you got a favourite present from this Christmas?

<3

The Brush Guard

I have had a set of Brush Guards for years now and they fantastic so I thought I would share them with you!

I first got my set from Coastal Scents when I was making a purchase (a blush palette I think!) and just decided to add a set of The Brush Guards in out of curiosity, and I'm so glad I did!

The set I have is the blush pack and which includes 8 small guards, and I think it came to just over £5 once it had been converted from dollars.  I decided to get this size as the eyeshadow/liner set looked really small and I'm pleased with my choice.  The blush pack is perfect for all my eyeshadow brushes, the extra small (eyeshadow/liner) would definitely have been far too small.

I use these every time I wash my brushes.  To put the guards on you push them over the brushes from the handle end up until all the bristles are covered - make sure you don't push it back down the way again as you can damage the hairs.  Then I place them all on a towel in the bath, with part of the towel folded under itself so the ends of the brushes are elevated (pictured below).  I do this so that any excess water will run down and out, it helps with drainage and avoids water getting inside the barrel which can loosen over time and you can end with your brush in two pieces!

Another way I used a brush guard once was when I was in a rush and my Mac 217 brush was dirty, so I washed it then put a guard over it and dried it with a hairdryer on low.  However be very careful if you want to do attempt this!  Only use it for natural hair brushes and do not use a hot setting as you could melt the guard and ruin it and your brush!

The Brush Guards are also handy for keeping your brushes neat and tidy while travelling but personally I've never used them for this purpose.

You can buy them in five different packs, xsmall (eyeshadow/liner), small (blush), medium (foundation), large (powder/kabuki) and a mixed set with at least one of each.  The cost and amount you get in each pack varies depending on where you buy them.  You can get them from various sites including Love Make Up (they only have blush pack in stock at the moment), from their own website, Amazon and Coastal Scents.

Overall The Brush Guards are a great investment and I highly recommend them - at only £5 and they will basically last you forever!

<3

Real Techniques Starter Set Review

I've been meaning to do this post for ages but with having exams I've not had the chance to try them all out properly!

Going from left to right:

Deluxe Crease Brush

I started off using this for eyeshadow but then I realised that it's the amazing under-eye concealer brush that they (Nic, Sam and Tanya) all use in their videos!  So I now use it for under-eye concealer.  It works really well for most concealers I've used with it - Mac Studio Finish and Bourjois Healthy Mix.  I also use it to dab any imperfections.

I'm not sure how well it would work as an eyeshadow brush to be honest.  I guess it would be okay for a bit of crease blending but it's really quite thick and dense so it definitely wouldn't be the best brush for the job!

Base Shadow Brush 

This brush is the reason I got the whole set to be perfectly honest!  I am in dire need of a synthetic Mac 217 brush and this is quite close to it!  I am going to do a separate post where I compare the two later on.  It's perfect for applying a base shadow (as the name implies!) all over the lid but the tapered end make it great for applying colour and blending in the crease too which is what I mainly use it for.

Accent Brush

I've not used this brush particularly much but I found it best for applying colour onto the lower lashline as it is so tiny and precise.  I think I just forget I have it because it's so small and I don't see it in my brush stand!

Pixel-Point Eyeliner Brush 

Pixel-point? Hmm... I think not!  Out of all the brushes I'd say this is the most disappointing.  It makes such a thick line that I only use it when I just plan on wearing eyeliner as I'd be too scared to use it after applying my eyeshadow nicely in case I drew a massive line along my whole eyelid and ruined it all!

Brow Brush

I use this brush pretty much every day now!  If I am using my ELF Brow Box which I use most days then I apply it with this brush, the bristles are nice and firm.  At first I thought it was too big as the brush I had been using was really quite small (see below) but after a few days I found myself automatically reaching for the RT one instead.  It means you cover a larger area a lot quicker, however my eyebrows are quite big so if you have smallish ones then you'd just need to be more careful with the application as it might be too big for you.

Comparison of RT Brow Brush and generic angled brush I used previously for eyebrows

The Real Techniques Starter Set costs £21.99 from Boots, and £20.99 from Love Make Up. 

<3

Look What I've Bought!

I was in Boots the yesterday so I thought I would look and see if Models Own had the full Hed Kandi collection available which they did!  It was also 2 for £8 so obviously I had to buy two, duhh!  I didn't really fancy any of the other Hed Kandi ones as I have some similar, so I just bought Ibiza Mix and then Mystic Mauve from their normal range.

I also got the Starter Set from Real Techniques.  I've been saving up my Boots points for ages and I finally had enough to buy this, so pleased that I basically got them for free!  I have the Core Collection and Stippling Brush which I got when they first came out and really liked them, love that they are synthetic!

The main reason for getting this set was that I really want to find a synthetic version of the MAC 217 brush and Sam tweeted me saying that the Base Shadow brush (second on the left) is quite similar so I will need to do a wee comparison and see if it is!

<3