Real Techniques Bold Metals Collection | 301 Flat Contour Brush | RRP £22 

I've had this brush in my possession for a few weeks now and after using it practically everyday I feel I can share my thoughts on whether one of the most expensive brushes from Real Techniques is worth parting with your hard earned cash for.

Lets start with the aesthetics of this brush. Two words, rose gold. Need I say more? Not only does this brush look beautiful with it's rose gold finish and super soft white bristles designed to allow you to see how much product you're loading on to it but it's also weighted for optimal control and comfort, specifically engineered for perfect weight distribution when tipped towards the face.

The bristles are super soft and densely packed making it perfect for not only applying cream/powder formulas for contouring but also the application and seamless blending of cream/powder blushers. The width of the brush head is perfect for fitting into the hollows of your cheekbones and either using the technique of blending with a circular motion or gently brushing upward if you are concerned about disturbing your foundation you are left with perfect cheekbones.

I'm no pro at contouring and had given it a few futile attempts before but this brush has really made me excited about contouring and really is a foolproof tool for any leaner like myself. So is this brush worth it's £22 price? In my opinion, worth every penny. 

No7 Blush & Glow Collection

I'm a little bit late with this post and I apologise if this set is no longer available as I purchased it just after Christmas but today's post is on Boots No7 Blush and Glow Collection rrp £15. Each of the products are available for individual purchase but at only £15 and with the products collectively costing £39 it's a real steal!

I already own the Instant Radiance Highlighter which is absolutely gorgeous and I own another of their Pop and Glow Cream Blush Stick's in the shade Mango Sorbet which I also love so the shade in this set Rose Blossom is a very welcome edition to my collection. What attracted me most to this set was the Instant Radiance Bronzing Highlighter and let me tell you paired with bronzer it really is something special!

You can apply each of the products straight to your face from the stick however I find I get a more natural and even finish when swiping my buffing brush over the stick and then buffing into the skin. When I swatched the Bronzing Highlighter I initially thought it was way too golden and dark for my pale skin, however it looks gorgeous just above your cheekbones when wearing bronzer. Rose Blossom is a gorgeous healthy pink shade for your cheeks. I find all of the products to last all day and give an all round healthy look to my skin.

Again I apologise if the set is no longer available however individually they are part of No7's permanent makeup range and even without the offer price of the set they are so worth the money!

Topshop Metallic Cream Blush in Aorta

One of the newest additions to my cream blusher arsenal is the beautiful Aorta rrp £7 from Topshop. Topshop have given us an impressive AW14 collection of beauty products and their new cream blushers have been amongst my favourites. 

In the pan the colour looks like an intense berry colour but on the skin it offers a luminous wash of colour to cheeks. As with all of Topshop's beauty products the packaging is extremely cute and the compact comes with a handy little mirror.

The formula is a little on the waxy side so I found it best to warm the product between my fingers before applying to my cheeks and then blending with a buffing brush. This blush gives a lovely rosy glow to your cheeks with no need for a highlighter over the top.

Stila Convertible Colour - Gerbera

If you happen to stop by my blog regularly then you'll already know I have real soft spot for blushers, especially the cream variety. Stila's Convertible Colour's are some of the finest cream blushers I own and the gorgeous shade Gerbera is a beautiful rosy peach colour that looks great on all skin tones. 

I've done a couple of posts on these versatile little beauties and I have to say Gerbera is my new favourite shade, it's the perfect amount of peach and pink leaving cheeks with a healthy flush of colour.

L Stila Convertible Colour Gerbera
R Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge Fresh Melon

Upon playing with my new favourite shade I discovered it's quite similar to Bobbi Brown's Pot Rouge in Fresh Melon, Gerbera being a little brighter and less peach in tone but very similar none the less. I love the finish of Stila's Convertible Colour's, they leave a gorgeous sheen that enhances the healthy glow the colour gives.

This shade looks lovely on cheeks, I did find it a little more difficult to work with on lips as it's a lighter shade, I found a little lip balm on first and then working into lips with your fingers works best. As with all my cream blushers I like to apply with my fingers first and then buff with my Real Techniques buffing brush for a flawless finish. 

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Fresh Melon

I seem to have been indulging my blusher addiction a little too much lately, but with a product that doubles as a lipstick as well as a blusher what's to feel guilty about?! One of the latest additions to my Bobbi Brown collection is Pot Rouge in Fresh Melon rrp £19

Fresh Melon is a gorgeous pink/peach shade which is perfect for that barely-there daytime look. I love this shade, it gives a healthy flush of colour to cheeks and is an equally gorgeous nude shade on lips. As with all of the other Bobbi Brown Pot Rouges that I own the formula is easy to warm and applies beautifully to skin, leaving a subtle sheen.

If you don't own one of these versatile blushers you should really think of investing in one!

Topshop Metallic Cream Blush in Pulse

I picked up Topshop's metallic cream blush in the shade Pulse rrp £7 a few weeks ago and it has become a new favourite for my cheeks. Although described as 'Blossom Pink' on Topshop's website  I thought it was going to be more of a nude shade from the photo and was pleasantly surprised with the finish.

Pulse has a gorgeous iridescent finish with pink, berry and gold tones. I was concerned when looking at it in the pan thatI would end up looking like a disco ball but it gives just enough colour and a gorgeous glow to my pale skin. Out of all of the Topshop blushers I own I found this one to be the hardest to apply, now I don't know if it's the fact it's cold in the morning thus making the product hard, but I find the product quite hard to warm and have to use my stippling brush to apply to my cheeks rather than using my fingers as I usually do with a cream blusher.

I would definitely recommend this blusher to anyone that wants a little flush of colour but a totally luminous finish. Topshop really does offer a surprisingly great quality cosmetic collection and I can't say I have been disappointed with any of their products I have tried to date. 

Rimmel Stay Blushed! Liquid Cheek Tint in Sunkissed Cherry

I've been meaning to write a little post up on Rimmel's Stay Blushed ever since I bought it a few month's ago...but you know how it is! I bought this blusher after seeing Lisa Eldridge's make-up tutorial video with Alexa Chung, it looked gorgeous on her and being an Alexa fan I just had to make it mine!

Sunkissed Cherry creates a natural, slightly reddened apricot glow on the cheeks. Although they are described as a liquid blusher the formula is more cream which is great as it makes it a little easier to work with than a liquid. Be wary if you are a fan of heavy coverage foundation as you may find you'll move your base around whilst trying to blend, I favor this blush over a lighter foundation or a tinted moisturizer. You need to use such a small amount of product that the rrp of £4.49 makes it an absolute bargain!

Benefit Majorette Blusher

Last week I indulged my blusher addiction with the gorgeousness that is Majorette from Benefit. I'm a sucker for anything peach or coral toned and was convinced I could live without it when it launched but now I have it I'm left wondering why I left it so long to purchase it!

Don't be intimidated by the colour...once it's on it's the perfect pop of colour! When it arrived I was pleasantly surprised at the size, it's a very generous 7g's and although the packaging is a tad bulky, it has a handily little mirror inside so all can be forgiven.

Majorette is a cream to powder blush which you can either wear alone or under your favourite blusher. The colour in my opinion is far to pretty to go applying another colour over the top!

This blusher applies like a dream! I find some cream to powder blushers can be a little hard to blend or can move your foundation around in the process of blending, not this one! Although it's formula is a powder finish it still left my cheeks with a healthy sheen. I've seen some posts where it's been applied to lips also, I've not tried it yet (due to some flaky lips thanks to a grim cold!) but what a great multi-tasker! Lastly, this blusher smells gorgeous! Its smells like strawberries or berries or something...it's divine!

August's Beauty Favourites

With August coming and going in a flash and September now upon us, reviewing my favourite beauty products from last month makes me kind of feel like I'm mourning the summer! I discovered some fantastic products throughout August and I'm going to be clinging to those summery buys until those early nights start drawing in. So here's my best buys of August, the products I've been reaching for everyday...

Body Shop Honey Bronzer

This amazing bronzer was also in my July beauty favourites, I did a post a few weeks ago with some swatches if you fancy checking it out for yourself. I've literally worn this bronzer everyday since I bought it, the shade (shade 2) is perfect for my fair (NC15) complexion and just gives you a totally natural, sun kissed look. 

N4 Super Comb Prep & protect

I discovered this gorgeous smelling leave-in conditioner in August's Birchbox. I did a post a few weeks ago about that box and the contents and this was my star product. Not only does it smell amazing but it leaves your hair so soft and more manageable. I loved this sample so much I went on to buy the full-size product and I must admit I now couldn't be without it in my routine.

Bourjois Cream Blush (R) Pink Sunwear

When Bourjois released their Summer 2014 products including these gorgeous cream blushers the blogisphere went nuts! Pink Sunwear was another product that featured in my July beauty picks. This subtle shade gives you a gorgeous glow and completely compliments my bronzer. I'll be sad to see this go in a drawer until next summer!

Essie Sand Tropez

One polish I've been taking off and reapplying straight away is Essie's Sand Tropez. This shade is the perfect greige that I will be wearing well into the Autumn/Winter. As with all of Essie's polishes that I've tried its fantastic coverage and I get around 3 days of wear before any chips appear.

Clarins Radiance-Plus Glow Booster

I did a post on this gradual tan a couple of weeks ago and I still feel now how I did then. This amazing gradual tan allows you do totally tailor your tan by controlling how many drops of serum you use a day mixed in with your regular daytime/nighttime moisturiser. This is one skincare product I will be rocking all year round.

Bobbi Brown Blush In Pastel Peach

I let out a little shriek inside when I saw Bobbi Brown had released new shades of their cult blusher. I hastily purchased two of the shades (post coming soon on those) one of them being Pastel Peach. This gorgeous shade looks great on cheeks for a little pop of colour. This is another shade I will be sporting for as long as the sun stays.

Lush Cosmetic Warrior Face Mask

This face mask is the best spot fighting mask I have tried in a long while. Anyone that reads my blog regularly will know that I suffer from horrible hormonal break-outs from time to time and this mask calms angry skin down and clears up break-outs. This is one mask I will be repurchasing now I've run out.

As much as I will miss the summer and will relish in those last few sunny days we have left, I am really looking forward to Autumn/Winter as there are some great products lined up for release and I can't wait to be sporting my favourite vampy lip and nail colours.

July Beauty Favourites

With July going by in an absolute flash I bring a round up of my favourite beauty buys and there were some fantastic ones! The great thing about summer is lighter make-up, halving the time we take in the morning to get ready by using just a few products to enhance that tan we've gained. Let's take a look at the products I've been reaching for most frequently in July...

Cosmetic Warrior 

Lush Cosmetic Warrior has been my favourite face mask of July. Anyone that reads my blog knows I suffer from bad skin (thanks to PCOS) so I have to keep on top of my skincare routine and Cosmetic Warrior has made a vast improvement to my skin over the few weeks I have been using it. This cooling mask is designed to deep-cleanse spot-prone skin, soothing redness and help banish break-outs. Best kept in the fridge, you can get around 6 uses from one 75g tub, it must be used within 3 weeks so this gives you a generous amount for a mask twice weekly.

Peach Club

One of my favourite lip colours of last month was from the Rouge Edition Velvet line by Bourjois in the shade Peach Club. This is the best matte lip product I've tried. Peach Club is a very wearable peachy-coral colour that looks gorgeous applied with your finger for a softer finish or applied with the wand for a bolder colour pay-off. This feathery-light matte lipstick doesn't dry lips at all and is completely transfer resistant giving you at least 8 hours without the need for re-application. With the hot weather we were having last month I found myself reaching more and more for this gorgeous lip colour and it just lasts and lasts and as I was confident I wouldn't need to reapply it saved space in my bag by not carrying a million lip products!

Miss Manga Mascara

I received Loreal's Miss Manga Mascara  in July's You Beauty box and I've been using it pretty much every day. Not only does this mascara actually give lashes volume it also has incredible staying power and I find very little transference in this hot and humid weather. Initially when I pulled the wand from the tube I thought it would leave my lashes quite clumpy as the brush holds a lot of the product but the end result is quite the opposite, lashes are longer and thicker and there is no brittleness of the formula.

Barry M Gelly Coconut

I absolutely love Barry M's Gelly range and I'm already on my second bottle of the shade Coconut. Coconut is the perfect creamy off-white shade that I have been pretty much wearing throughout the whole of July. The opacity isn't that great, I find I need 3 coats for a perfect finish but this hasn't deterred me from wearing as like the other shades from their range it is long wearing and has a perfect gel like finish.

Bourjois Pink Sunwear

Since getting my hands on the new shades of cream blushers from Bourjois Pink Sunwear has been a blusher I have reached for on a daily basis. This gorgeous shade is a tan cream blusher with pink undertones and the fine gold shimmer it contains leaves you with a healthy glow to your cheeks. Like all other cream blushers from Bourjois this blush blends like a dream thanks to its gel like constituency and is extremely long wearing.

Body Shop Honey Bronzer

I did a post about this absolutely perfect little bronzer a couple of days ago. I've been wearing shade 2 every day since I bought it, it's a completely matte bronzer with yellow undertones which is perfect for my fair (NC15) skin, leaving me with a natural glow and no muddiness or obvious orange tones. Not only is the shade perfect for my fair skin but the formula itself is silky and extremely blend able.

A great month for new beauty discoveries, I have found some fantastic products that will be residing in my daily routine throughout the summer.

Bourjois Summer 2014 Cream Blusher Swatches And Review

I've been dying to get my hands on the Summer 2014 cream blusher's ever since I saw the new line of products launch, so last week I hot-footed it down to Boots to pick up the new shades.

I absolutely adore Bourjois cream blushers, I (now) own all of the shades on offer. The new shades (Tropical Coral and Pink Sunwear) are just as much a pleasure to use as the other shades. They are richly pigmented and the creamy formula ensures they blend like a dream.

L Tropical Coral
R Pink Sunwear

Both shades have a bronze cast, perfect for sculpting or just giving that healthy flush of summer tan. Pink Sunwear is a illuminating tan shade with (as the name indicates) a pink undertone and a very fine gold shimmer. Tropical Coral (again as the name indicates) is a lovely coral shade of tan leaning more on the brown side, it gives you sun kissed flush of colour.

Both of the new shades are a dream to use, they blend so well that they are pretty foolproof to use, although a cream formula it applies almost gel like and doesn't tug at skin or move your base around. Both have a hint of shimmer and a semi-matte finish. At only £7.99 these are a must for your summer make-up stash!

Stila Convertible Blush in Petunia

It's been over a week since my last post, I would apologise but my lack of blogging has mostly been due to this gorgeous weather! So today I'm doing a quick review on a gorgeous lip and cheek product from Stila, Convertible Blush in Petunia rrp £16. I'm a huge fan of multi-purpose products at this time of the year, anything that can save space in your bag when you're off to the beach or off to the pub with friends is a big winner for me.  Stila's Convertible blush is described as a cream blusher, I wouldn't say it's quite a cream blush, it leaves a lovely dewy glow on the skin whether that be on lips or cheeks. I like to apply with my finger and gently buff into skin with a buffing brush. Petunia is a very flattering bright pink, although it looks quite bright in the pan it does blend into a gorgeous flush of colour.

I will say that if you favour a more heavy foundation you may find this will not blend so well and can leave your base looking a little blotchy. I have found it looks best when (I'm having a good skin day!) wearing a lighter foundation or tinted moisturiser.

Stila Convertible blush on cheeks and lips

I've been wearing this blush almost everyday since buying it, I can see it being my favourite this summer. It's just the right amount of colour to perk up your complexion without looking too 'done' in this hot weather.

Jodie

xoxo

Benefit Fine One One Review

This week to feed my blusher addiction I purchased Fine One One by Benefit. I have been eyeing up this cream blusher for a while as it has a gorgeous coral colour in it and the added benefit of a highlighter.

For some reason I thought the product would be bigger, photo's of it on the website kind of gave me that impression. Anyway the product itself comes in Benefit's usual quirky and standout packaging and the twist stick form makes it really easy to use and great to pop in your handbag for touch-up's.

When blended in the coral orange isn't so prominent, it really just gives you a fresh flush of colour. The only thing I will say is that when swiped straight across the cheeks if you wear a good layer of foundation it can take some of it off. Most days I wear a quite heavy layer of MAC Studio Fix Fluid and when I applied Fine One One for the first time it swiped most of the foundation from my cheeks. I have found a better method is to apply strategically to my fingers first, transfer that onto my cheeks and then blend with my RT Buffing brush.

The colour is quite sheer, its more of a wash of colour, I found I had to apply a couple of layers to get any colour pay-off. I have tried it on my lips, it's quite tricky to get just the shade you want to wear applied so I found it a lot easier to apply with a lip brush.

I must admit I expected a little more from this product. There were a couple of things that really cheapened the product in my opinion, the label wasn't applied properly and the leaflet inside the box was folded over as if the blusher itself had been shoved into the box. Luckily my Birchbox points paid for the majority of the cost of Fine One One so I don't feel too aggrieved that it wasn't as great as I pictured it to be. If it was just a bit bigger and the colour a bit more pigmented it would be perfect!

March Favourites..

It was really hard to pick just a handful of products to choose as my favourite beauty products of March as I had purchased and discovered some fabulous products last month...even though I was on a beauty product ban! So here's some products I just can't put down...


Premae Mild Pro Dermabrasion  £17.50

I've made no secret of my love for Premae's products and this has now become a firm favourite in my skincare regime. This is a mild exfoliant with gently ground Olive pumice in it, helping to lift away dead skin cells and leave a more radiant complexion. I like to leave it on my face for 5-10 minutes before gently buffing into my skin, I then rinse off and follow with Premae's cleansing Balance Rescue Face Wash...my skin feels so soft and deeply cleansed afterwards.

Barry M Gelly Nails in Sugar Apple £3.99

I literally can't stop wearing this colour since I bought it! I love the transition of Winter to Spring and all of the fresh colours that come with it. Sugar Apple is a gorgeous pastel mint colour, I find 3 coats give a total opacity, glossy and long wearing this nail polish will get a hell of a lot of wear from me!

Benefit Stay Don't Stray £20.50

I've never really been blown away by Benefit products but I now couldn't live without this primer! I have terrible dark circles so I use a concoction of colour correctors and concealers to disguise them but I find at times creamy concealers can slide about a bit...queue Benefit's Stay Don't Stray! I bought it in Light/Medium and it is perfect for my skin tone, not only does it keep my concealer in place but it's a perfect concealer in itself!

Models Own HyperGel Polish in White Light £5

Nothing more chic than a white mani in the spring...other than all the gorgeous pastel shades that are popping up this is another favourite of mine. I have read blog's where its been claimed you only require one coat, even though this polish is quite thick I personally find I need 3 coats to give full opacity. It wears really well, very glossy and chip resistant for at least 3 days (if I can keep the same colour on for that long!).

No7 Pop and Glow Cream Blush in Mango Sorbet £9.95

Another product that I have worn everyday since I bought it...I have a really addiction to blushers, especially cream versions! This blush is a gorgeous peach shade in a convenient stick, great for when your on the go. The results are a very fresh, healthy pop of colour and it lasts a good 6 hours on me before it needs touching up.

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in In Love With Ginger £6.49

Another product I am addicted to...red and red/orange lipsticks! I haven't bought a lipstick by Rimmel for years but after reading a few good reviews and it's purse-friendly price I thought I'd pick it up to add to my collection...I'm pleased to say it doesn't disappoint. The formula is very nourishing and moisturising and the colour is a gorgeous, bright coral

Bobbi Brown Rouge Pot in Hibiscus  £19

Bobbi Brown's products take up a huge amount of space in my make-up collection...her blushers are divine...when I saw a limited edition Rouge Pot was coming out I knew I had to snap one up! This is an excellent multi-tasking product for your make-up bag. Hibiscus is a gorgeous bright red coral and looks great both on your lips and cheeks. Another firm BB favourite for me!

No7 Instant Radiance Highlighter £9.95

I'm usually quite wary of cream highlighters as I find that they can lift my quite heavy foundation, so I usually just use a powder version such as MAC Mineralize...but this cream highlighter is fab! I've been wearing this most days alongside the Pop and Glow blusher, applied on cheekbones and below the brow it gives just the right amount of glow without looking like a disco ball! I apply straight form the convenient stick and blend using my Real Techniques Expert Face brush and it blends seamlessly with my foundation.

Montagne Jeunesse Dead Sea Mud Mask £5

There's nothing I love more than a nice relaxing face mask on a Sunday night to prepare me for the week ahead. This is a fab, deep cleansing yet non-drying formula in a super convenient squeezey bottle.

I'm super excited about spring and all of the new beauty offerings that come with it!

Jodie

xoxo