Real Techniques Silicone Liner Brush | Review

 The left two swatches are made with the Real Techniques silicone liner brush, the right two with the Meybelline brush that comes with the Maybelline gel liner.

HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SPRING IN THE UK! Wheee! Exciting stuff :D

Now that that's out of the way, let's get onto the review, shall we ;)? So for Christmas I got a £25 Amazon gift voucher from my Aunt and Uncle. Not that you needed to know who it was from... Buuuuut I digress! Anyway, I saw this brush on Amazon and thought I'd give it a go. I'm absolutely terrible with gel liner and tend to stick to either pencil liner or liquid liner, but I'm not a fan of the "I just sharpied a line across my eyelid" look that liquid liner tends to give. I figured silicone had to be easier to control, and the brush shape is very similar to the brush of my favourite liquid liner (the Rimmel Exaggerate liquid liner), which I love because I feel I have more control over what I'm doing than if I were using a long, thin brush instead.

It finally arrived yesterday and while I haven't had the chance to do a proper look with it, I have had the opportunity to play with it a little bit. So far, I like it. I'm still not at the standard I would like to be, but it's definitely a vast improvement! In the swatch photo above, the two swatches on the left are using the silicone brush, the two on the right with a standard liner brush. You can see that the edges are a lot smoother and less jagged, and the colour more evenly distributed.

The silicone liner brush makes the gel glide over the skin without any effort at all and the shape of it is perfect to retain control over the direction, angle and required width. I'd say that it wasn't as flexible as a traditional brush, but I didn't find that a problem, more of a help. The added benefit of this brush is that it is SO easy to clean. I just gave it a quick swish in water with some Dr Bronner's and bam, clean as a whistle. It's also really reasonably priced for what it is.

Overall I'm really impressed with this brush. The quality is fantastic and it has made applying gel liner so much easier for me. I recommend it wholeheartedly.

Real Techniques Silicone Liner Brush - £5.99

Spring Beauty Wishlist

Spring Beauty Wishlist by kerry-hunter

It's nearly spring, and that means it's time for a new beauty regime! Long gone are the medium/full coverage foundations and out come the tinted moisturisers and BB creams! I haven't really stuck to that. You all know I like to break the rules ;) So I've just chosen some things I'd really like, regardless of the season. I'm not going to include reviews or anything, because I haven't tried any of them... Regardless, let's go!

Top row, left to right:
1. NARS Sheer Glow Foundation - £30.50
2. Anastasia DipBrow Pomade - £15
3. YSL Touche Éclat - £25
4. YSL Forever Youth Liberator Foundation - £36

Botton row, left to right:
1. Dior J'adore Voile de Parfum - £57 for 50ml
2. MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Rubenesque - £15
3. Shu Uemura Ultime8 Sublime Beauty Cleansing Oil - £37.50 for 150ml
4. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush (Any shade really) - £28

So I suppose that's it for now. Give me the links to your wishlist posts! Do we share any beauty lusts? :)

Thanks so much for reading,
Kerry x

Jelly Belly (Wax Lyrical) Bubble Gum Candle | Review

Hello hello hello, and welcome to the second instalment of The Candle Scoop! This time it's a review of the super-sweet Bubble Gum candle from Jelly Belly (although they are actually run by Wax Lyrical). I'm going to start off by saying that I absolutely adore this candle. And I'm about to tell you why.

To start with, how pretty is this packaging? I absolutely adore candles in glass jars, and the lid on this is super cute. Label is also colourful and I just overall love the packaging. My candle lid is a little bit deformed but it makes me love it all the more, for some strange reason. The lid also keeps the scent in the candle longer instead of having it all dry up and disappear, which has happened with candles before.

But what about the throw? Well I have to say, it's fantastic. There's a reason Wax Lyrical are my favourite candle brand; the candle is highly fragranced (well it does say that on the packaging haha) and it fills the whole room quickly. Once put out, the scent lasts a pretty long time, too. I only have one room to fill and the door is always shut, and although the scent is sweet, it's never sickly or overpowering. It hangs in the background with a pleasantly sweet scent. I have absolutely no complaints in regards to the throw. The bubblegum scent is like the blowing bubble gum, synthetic sweet kind. It's very accurate.

The candle is supposed to last around 60 hours, although I can't say for sure whether that's accurate. I've burnt around 10 hours so far and have barely made a dent. The candle burns cleanly with no tunnelling at all. I can't say what the wick is made out of as I can't find it online, but with regular trimmings, the wick is perfect and casts a decent size flame.

Overall I cannot complain whatsoever about this candle. It's absolutely perfect in my eyes, and everyone who loves sweet, bubblegum scents should buy this immediately. Immediately I tell you!

Thank you so much for reading,
Kerry x

Essie Eternal Optimist | Review

Essie, Essie, oh how I love you, Essieeeee! Did you like my little song? Good. I really do love Essie. The range of colours is amazing, there really is something for every occasion and skin tone. The brush is beautifully thick which means you can pretty much coat the entire nail in one swipe. Most of the polishes are opaque and even in two coats, and normally the formula is good (although they are known to be inconsistent sometimes).

Overall, Essie polishes are great. And this colour in particular is no exception. It's a nude colour; brown with a hint of pink in it, which makes it suitable for day to day wear or a professional setting such as work. This is two coats and I have to say I'm absolutely in love with it. I think it complements my skin tone perfectly, the formula is fantastic, and there is nothing else like it in my entire (extensive) collection. The dry time is good and it lasted for a week with minimal chipping, although I do use a top coat so keep in mind that that may have affected the wear time. I cannot fault this gorgeous polish.
Count me pleased, please.

Please, sir, can I have some more? Let me know what you think in the comments :)
Thank you so much for reading!
Kerry x

5 Minute Make Up Look | Tutorial

"How do you liiiike your eggs in the morning?" With a large side of another four hour's sleep, please! But, it's a week day, and that means it's time for work or school... yet before you know it, you fall back to sleep, and by the time you open your eyes again you're late (or very close to it at least). In this situation, you are forced to make one of the most difficult choices of your life: do you put your make up on and be even later, or do you go without make up in order to save time (GASP!). What if I tell you you don't have to make that choice? Try this five minute make up look for these days in particular!

For this simple, yet feminine look, I started out with a base of my Missha M Perfect Cover BB cream (in shade 13) after my usual cleanse, tone and moisturise routine. There's no need to blot this with powder for me due to my dry skin and the fact that this BB cream dries matte and will stay matte all day long. I did add a touch of my Maybelline Dream Touch Lumi concealer to hide my dark circles, though. I then added some Benetint for my blush and dabbed it in lightly with my fingers. Under this I swept just a couple of swipes of bronzer for a subtle contour. I don't know what bronzer it is because I've had it since I was about 10 and there's no name on it, but it's decent enough. Next came the eyes. Just a quick dusting of Maybelline's Pink Gold Color Tattoo all over the lid, followed by a slick of liquid liner and a couple of coats of mascara. In order to make the whole look "pop", just choose a bright lip of really any colour. Here I've chosen the Viva Glam Rihanna lipstick from MAC. I loved this look, and will gladly wear it again.

I haven't done my brows because I ran out of brow product a little while ago, but something like Anastasia Dip Brow would be fast and look fabulous! 

Products used, with links where applicable:

Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream - Various shades and prices on eBay, just check :)

Maybelline Dream Touch Lumi concealer - £6.99

Benefit Benetine - £24.50

Unknown bronzer (just choose your favourite bronzer for this look)

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Pink Gold - £4.99

Rimmel Exaggerate Eye Liner - £5.29

Max Factor Masterpiece Mascara - £9.99

MAC Viva Glam Rihanna lipstick - £15

So what do you think? I hope you like this look! Let me know if you recreate it, would love to see :)

Thanks so much for reading,

Kerry

February Favourites

Woah where did February go? I swear it was here just a minute ago... They say that the older you get, the quicker the time goes, and I have to say I definitely agree with that. And I'm only 19!! How quickly is the time going to go when I hit 30? I dread to even think about it. It just seems like I have so many plans for the year and don't have enough time to do them all... Aaaaaaaanyway, onto my February favourites!

Calvin Klein CK One Eau de Toilette - £12.00 for 50ml

Apologies for the dirty bottle - it was in my make up bag when I had a blusher crack and go everywhere. But CK One has been my fragrance of the month. It's definitely more of a summer fragrance, but I like to break rules, what can I say? The top notes that I can identify are lemon and green notes and bergamot, with floral middle notes. The base notes are primarily woody and musky. All of these makes it the perfect unisex fragrance, and one of the most refreshing fragrances I've ever had the pleasure of smelling. I've used it all month long, every day, and the amount of compliments I've received when wearing it have been astounding! Love love love this.

Max Factor Masterpiece Mascara - £9.99
I got this little sample a while ago now in a Max Factor gift from Boots after spending a certain amount on Max Factor products and only opened it a few weeks ago. It's their Masterpiece mascara in black, and it's fabulous. I'm not sure if it's better than my beloved Masterpiece Max, but it's definitely up there, and I haven't used anything else this month. It's not one for a false lash look, but it defines and lengthens nicely, looking more defined than normal but not false. It creates a very "your eyelashes but better" look.

Rimmel Salon Pro Nail Polish in Peppermint - £4.49
Ever since painting this on my nails a couple of weeks ago, I haven't stopped wearing it. I was always under the impression that pastel shades don't suit me, but for some reason this mint green (titled Peppermint) works amazingly with my skin tone and is just such a gorgeous colour. It applies smoothly, opaque in two coats, and lasts a reasonable amount of time. Keep in mind, I always use a base and top coat so this could affect the wear time of the product.

Missha M Perfect Cover B.B Cream in No. 13 - £8.94
The weather has been so up and down at the moment, one day freezing cold, the next absolutely glorious. Because of this, I've had to put away my trusty Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum for something a little lighter. This is amazing stuff. It's pretty much full coverage, but feels like you're just wearing moisturiser or something, and looks completely natural. It's one of the few things I've found that matches me perfectly as well. All around, a huge win!

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Pink Gold - £4.99
What can I say about the Color Tattoos that hasn't already been said? Long lasting, creaseproof, dries quickly, gorgeous colour, used as a base or on its own, blah blah blah. Yep this has barely left my lids all month. The end.

MAC Viva Glam Rihanna Lipstick - £15
Look how beautiful this is. Just look at it. All red and swirly and with a gorgeous frosted red tube. I could look at it all day. In real life, the colour is less orange toned and just a very neutral red. It has a frost finish but it doesn't look frosted at all. It's long lasting, gorgeous, and sure to suit all skin tones. I'm going to buy a backup or two of this one!

Rimmel Exaggerate Eye Liner - £5.29
This is by far my favourite liquid eye liner of all time. It's the blackest of the black, long lasting, reasonably priced, and in my opinion it has the most perfect tip. I love the short, almost chubby tip, because it's easier to control than a brush and you can do both thin and thick lines depending on your preference. I just adore it. Have been using it since my early teens, and don't plan on stopping any time soon!

Dunelm's own Apple Orchard candle - 99p
I can't find a link online, but this is a gorgeous candle. The scent is strong enough to be detected but it's not sickly or overpowering. It's fresh and refreshing, and I've found myself burning it morning until night every day since I first started burning it. My entire room smells delicious.

I believe that's all for this month. Were any your favourites, too? Let me know :)

Thanks so much for reading,
Kerry x

February 2014 Glossybox - Be Mine Review

I know, I know, I'm super late posting this... but I had so many other posts that I was excited about that came first... So here we are, better late than never, right? Anyway, the theme for last month was "be mine", obviously playing on the whole Valentines thing. I don't actually believe in Valentines day, but it's still a nice gesture, and I do like pink. So how did the box compare to last month's disaster? Let's find out. I'd already opened it before I took the pictures this time because there was a certain chocolate goodie inside that was calling to me... Anyway, here we go!

How cute is the box this month? I always keep the boxes that I get for jewellery storage, and this one is just gorgeous. Not quite as pretty as my Pearl Lowe box, but it's cute nonetheless. As well as the usual Glossy magazine and card with your items, there was also a post card where you have to kiss the back and upload it  to the Facebook page for the chance to win a holiday somewhere. I wasn't all that interested, so didn't bother. But what about what was inside?

The first thing I pulled out of my Glossybox last month were these Eldora B110 lashes. They're cute and fluffy and not too dramatic, so I think I'll really like them. My eyelash glue ran out a few weeks ago, so as soon as I get some more glue I'll try these out and write a proper in-depth review of them!
These are full size and retail at £4.50

I then got these three little sachets of hair products, a shampoo, conditioner and hair mask. I've heard good things about Giovanni so am excited to try them out. This is the Giovanni ultra sleek set.
I think these samples, at 7.5mL, are worth 25p per sachet (although maths never was my strong point). The full size 8.5oz products retail at £7.99 each.

Next was the Maybelline New York ColorSensational Stripped Nudes lipstick - could that title GET any longer?! I got mine in the shade Coffee Craze and I actually really like it. I didn't think I was going to, but it flatters my skin tone without washing me out or making me look like I came right out of the 90s. Well I did come out of the 90s, but you understand my point. The formula is creamy and moisturising, and it lasts for an average amount of time before needing touching up. I really like it and am looking at other colours in the range.
This is full size and is worth £6.99

The Nougat London Sparkling Body Shimmer was next. When I first pulled this product out, I was a little dubious. I hadn't used shimmer body lotion since I was 12ish and it just looked cheap. When I opened it, however, it smelled really nice (a bit like roses) and when rubbed in it wasn't really shimmery, more illuminating than anything else. It left my skin feeling silky and soft, and looking great! Will I use it all up? Not sure, but it was fun to try out. The bottom picture is it all rubbed in.
This is a 100ml sample worth £5.60, the full 250ml size is £14

My last (and favourite) item is the Ciate Paint Pot nail polish in the shade Cocktail Dress. It's a gorgeous red/pink that has the wonderful Ciate formula. I was hoping for the red one, but this is a really pretty shade too, so I really can't complain.
This is full size and worth £9

As a little bonus treat this month, Glossybox also threw in this Lindor chocolate bar. You'll have to enjoy this lovely stock photo since mine didn't even make it to photo taking time. 79p and absolutely divine. 

Overall, this wasn't a bad Glossybox. It wasn't exactly a good Glossybox, but it is an improvement on last month. Unfortunately, it wasn't good enough for me to continue my membership, so I have cancelled my subscription. I'll buy something I'm really wanting each month instead! 

Glossybox is £10 + shipping, and this month's box was worth £26.84 (if my sachet calculations are correct). Not bad, but not the best. What did you guys think of this month's box?

Thanks so much for reading,

Kerry x