Products I've Used Up / Empties

 

Products Mentioned:

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish  

Mentioned in this Old Skincare Video

Blog Review

Johnsons Baby Light Oil Spray 

Re-Gen Cream

Mentioned in this Old Skincare Video

Blog Review

Ayuuri Rose Shower Gel 

Blog Post

Pantene Pro V Aqua Light Shampoo & Conditioner

(available from Boots & Superdrug)

Sally Hansen Nail Polish Remover for Artificial Nails (load of poop)

Palmolive Soft and Gentle Deodorant (LOL)

Rituals Yogi Flow Foaming Shower Gel

Blog Post

Taaj Micellaire Makeup Remover

Featured briefly on my blog HERE

Aromatherapy Associates Miniature Bath Oil Set 

No7 Exquisite Curl Mascara

Featured in THIS favourites video

Maybelline Mineral Cover Concealer

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer

Also mentioned in THIS video

M&S Rhubarb & Custard Sparkling Drink (DELISH - going to go and stock up)

I have actually found it extremely satisfying to use something up completely, as I have so many half full products cluttering up my bedroom and bathroom.  I have also tried to only buy products I know I don't already have something very similar of that I need to use up (i.e. I haven't bought any moisturisers or shower gels as I already have so many I need to get through). So it's sort of like a shopping ban on items that although I may see on my shopping trip and want to try as it looks interesting, I won't buy as I know I already have too many similar items at home that I NEED to use up first. So far it's working! 

Have you been collecting empties for reviews? Or just tried to stop yourself buying too many of one thing?

♥

Topshop Makeup | Lipstick Crayons/Pencils

                  Top to bottom: Powder Room, Clueless, Hedonist

Topshop Lipstick Crayons £7*

Next up in the Topshop Makeup "series", is the Lipstick Crayons/Pencils or however else you'd like to name them. I don't see these talked about as much as the actual lipsticks, and I guess that could be because lipsticks are more likely to be favoured over them. Unlike the lipsticks in the Topshop makeup range, these offer a matte finish. I enjoy applying these, as the longer, slimmer packaging allows you to get more precision, almost like you are colouring in your lips with a chubby pencil. They are long lasting and have great pigmentation. If you prefer to wear matte colours on your lips as opposed to something a little more moisturising or frosty, these will be perfect for you. I don't often opt for a matte lip as I much prefer something a little more moisturising on my lips as they are quite dry but sometimes matte lips can look much more effective, and tend to last a lot longer. Although they are matte, they are still very creamy and go on like a dream. Let's also not forget the cute packaging! I absolutely love Topshop packaging, and these are so nifty just to throw in your handbag/clutch and be on your way. 

The only thing about these that I don't like, is that you have to sharpen them in order to get more product once it's worn down. Although i'm sure it's not a major fault for most of you, it's just one less thing you really want to do when you could just grab a lipstick and twist it up, no hassle. It certainly won't stop me using them, as I love to pop a little bit of lipgloss on top to give them a much shinier finish, and be on my way. I'm a particular fan of the orange one (Hedonist) but then does that really surprise you? ;)

Do you own any of these? What do you think of lip crayons in general?

♥

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Stila Convertible Colour | Lillium and Gladiola

Stila Convertible Colour "Lillium" (pink) and "Gladiola" (orange) £16

After using and loving the Topshop Blushes, I wanted to dip my finger a little further into the world of cream blush. When buying my beloved Stila Palette earlier this month, I also picked up these convertible colours from the Stila stand in Boots. I'd heard some great things about these on various other blogs but had never really had access to a Stila to see them up close before now. In a nutshell, they are GORGEOUS and now I want more.

I picked up Lillium which is a pretty muted pink and Gladiola which is a vibrant orange. These can be used on both the cheeks and as lipsticks and I have used them both ways. As a blush, they are beautiful. They blend well, they are easy to apply, they don't leave you looking patchy after an hour and they are just really pretty colours. I also love that they give a lot more of a sheen than the Topshop blushes, as these don't dry to a matte powder, which gives a much more dewy, healthy look. Perfect for the summer! They don't come off too pigmented with a light application, but can easily be built up for more impact (if that's the look you are going for). They are marketed as a sheer, translucent colour, so don't let the bright colour in the compact put you off. I apply these as a blush with my fingers mostly, or I have found a stippling brush to be quite effective also. As a lipstick, I wasn't bowled over. They apply quite sheer over the pigment of my lips, and sat in any dry areas, leaving me looking slightly messy. Some areas seemed to be more opaque than others. Having said this, they are such lovely colours, I just think they work better on the cheeks than on the lips. If you have perfectly hydrated lips, these will probably look great on you, as they feel more of a balm than a lipstick when applying and leave a pretty glaze.

Another thing I love about these, is the packaging. I am quite the sucker for a pretty compact, and this IS a pretty compact. Easy to sling in your makeup bag and a mirror for on the go. I think i'm going to reach for these a lot during the sunnier months as they instantly make you appear glowy, healthy and more radiant than a powder would. They'd look so pretty on those of you who prefer a much more natural look too. I can imagine on days where you just throw on some tinted moisturiser, and apply a few coats of mascara, these would also be the perfect makeup item. Just pop a few dabs on your cheeks and on your lips and you're good to go.

Do you own any Stila Covertible Colours? Is there anything else from the Stila makeup range you think i'd love as much as these and the palette?

♥

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JolieBox Birthday Box | June 2012

JolieBox £10 + £2.95 P&P*

It's been a whole year since JolieBox (formerly known as Boudoir Prive) came onto the beauty box scene, so this month they are celebrating their one year birthday. The boxes are limited edition and were designed by Mlle Fraize and creative duo Och Studio. I received the Och Studio box, which as you can see, is orange, so it floats my boat massively. I have seen the other design, but I wasn't too enthused by it, and much prefer the sleek orange box instead, so i'm chuffed I received this one (yes, I am chuffed to have received an orange box...clearly I need to get out more).

The theme behind this months box was a handful of JolieBox's favourite french brands. With names like 'Nuxe" and "Caudalie" coming onto the beauty scene recently, It has definitely sparked my interest in French skincare and other potential french brands which may be producing some absolute gems, that we have yet to discover. This was one box, I was very excited to open. 

In the box:

Yon-Ka Pamplemousse Protective and Vitalizing Cream - This cream is the first customised product I have seen in a beauty box. I was informed that if you had filled in your online skincare specifications, you were to receive this product tailored to you. Yon Ka is a brand I've heard of before, but never tried skincare wise. This moisturiser claims to brighten dull skin, protect from environmental factors and refresh your complexion. Sounds good to me! I've not tried it yet, but looking forward to giving it a whirl.

Instutit Esthederm Bronz Repair Body Lotion - If you read a recent blog post of mine where I had a little online splurge, you will have seen that one of the things I bought was a face tanner by the brand Institut Esthederm, as I had heard many great things about the skincare they produce. I have also been using a moisturiser by them more recently which was a sample in an older beauty box, and I've been loving it, so I have high hopes for this product if it's anything like the other things I've tried from this brand. It's a body lotion designed to help fight the signs of aging and sun damage (I'm now imagining an eldery lady sat by the pool with skin like a leather handbag). It also helps to achieve a healthy glow on the skin (something we all aim for and something leather handbag lady should think about). It says to apply this before sun exposure and then every 2 hours, it doesn't say it has an SPF though, so I think it's just a little extra to pop on after your suncream.

Elysambre Care Oil - A hand and nail oil is something I am always using as I have terrible dry cuticles and it's one of those things I am lazy with (slaps wrist). This contains sweet almond oil, smells delicious and has a handy little brush for application. I know I will get a lot of use out of this so I'm thankful it was in the box!

L'Occitane Angelica Hydration Cream - L'Occitane is another brand I've heard lot's about but not ever tried anything from their range. They provided a small 15ml pot of their hydration cream moisturiser. The moisturiser has organic angelica water and essential oil in it to plump, smooth and add radiance to the skin. Angelica water isn't something i'd ever heard of before, so that intregued me. It's an "astonishing plant with a unique ability for self-hydration", sounds interesting! It smells lovely and applies really nicely to the skin leaving quite a refreshed and healthy appearance to my skin. I'll report back if it works wonder for me.

JolieBox Nail File - A cute little extra, great for my handbag and on the go nail fixes!

They also threw in some more extras! A voucher courtesy of French skincare brand Codage, a special French addition JolieMag (LOVE the JolieMags) and a JolieTicket where many different prizes can be won (how exciting). I really loved this months JolieBox, I think it's one of my favourites so far. I love trying out new skincare and I felt that it offered a good selection. I was also familiar with most of the brand names so it excited me to try something from them which I hadn't before.

What did you think of this months JolieBox?

♥

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Origins Super Spot Remover | Review

Origins Super Spot Remover £12*

I don't often review individual products on my blog, although it's definitely something I am now going to start doing because I always find myself searching for specific products reviewed on blogs before I consider buying them (I value bloggers honesty when it comes to reviews). So, without further a do, I shall get cracking with this one!

I was sent this product a long time ago, and had completely forgotten it existed beneath the mountains of skincare products I seem to be hoarding. It's a tiny little blue bottle, only containing 10ml. You may think this is a measly amount, but I have been using this constantly for around 2 months and it just doesn't seem to disappear. This spot gel is essentially for those pesky breakouts you may experience. I personally get a few around my chin and my nose just before that time of the month (oh mother nature, how I love thee). Origins claim that this spot remover heals, fights and fades spots and I have to agree 100%. I have used many spot gels and creams in the past, but nothing that really worked in the same way as this. It contains salicylic acid which instantly helps heal, while "anti spot technology" (who knows what that is) helps to correct post blemish marks. It also contains caffeine and red algae to help relieve redness. To help keep skin looking spotless it also has super exfoliants to keep dead skin cells at bay and to ensure the skin is clear of clogged pores. 

I usually pop a tiny amount of this on any little spots that start to creep up on me and I notice that the spot either disappears completely after around 2 days or is somewhat dulled. I recently had an awful breakout on my chin, so used this at every opportunity I got throughout the day, and it helped dramatically. It is a gel, so feels very cooling on the skin and dries almost instantly. It doesn't feel too tight once dry, but does feel a little tighter than if you were to use a cream. I like the slight tightness, as I feel it's drying out/killing off my spot. I also found that applying makeup over the gel once dried was absolutely no problem. I also use it after the spot has vanished, just to speed up the post blemish healing process (as my spots always leave nasty red marks for weeks on end) and I've noticed that it helps with that too. 

If you are looking for a product just to target spots once they've invaded, I would definitely suggest this! Of course we all spend money on skincare to try and prevent them from attacking but sometimes you have to come up with a plan b once they've pushed their way through!

Have you used any specific spot treatments? Have you found any to be effective?

♥

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GlossyBox | June 2012

    GlossyBox £10 per month + P&P*

This month, GlossyBox wanted you to channel your sexy summer style. They included products which could cover your every summer need, to ensure that you are beach beautiful. I'm not overly sure I can really tell that this is where GlossyBox was going with the theme this month, as it is quite a broad spectrum of products which could fall into any category. It could just be that the sun is not out but I'm not really feeling the summery vibe! If the sun could just hop on over to the UK for a few weeks, I'd like that a lot. ;)

Included in the box:

GlossyBox Serie Exclusive Pro Beauty Brush - Although I love that this is a customised brush, this was probably the most disappointing item in the whole box. I love the sleek black design, but the quality is not so great. It feels very coarse and shed all over my face. I think it will ideal for popping in your makeup bag for on the go touch ups but as far as everyday makeup application, I don't think I'll be reaching for this too much. I also don't really feel it's worth the £15 rrp price tag. Sorry GB! 

Clean Start By Dermalogica Day/Night 3-step Kit - On a slightly more positive note, this I was highly impressed by. Clean Start is a brand I have been sent samples of before, but at the time, didn't need, as I was happy with my skincare regime, so I gave it to my brother of which he thoroughly enjoyed using and noticed dramatic results in terms of clearer skin. Although I won't be using this myself (as i'm happy with what i'm currently using) I think my brother will grab this from me and be super happy with it. It's fool proof for a guy or even if you are after a simple new skincare regime and have quite troublesome skin, I'd definitely advise you look into this! 

Yves Rocher France Mini Mascara Ultra-Volume Sexy Pulp - Phewph! What a mouthful. I was excited to see a little mascara sample in the GlossyBox, as I had previously fallen in love with the mascara provided in the December box and i'm always up for trying and finding new magic eye wands (that's mascara in beauty blogger terms). This mascara retails for £16 so I'd put that in the higher end category. When I first unscrewed the lid, and what was revealed to me was possibly the biggest mascara brush head I ever laid eyes on, a wave of disappointment crept over me. I have quite small eyes, and so anything that is wider than my eye, is always going to be one messy, panda-eyed fail. (I stupidly didn't take a photo of this, but if you search for it online i'm sure you'll find it). Regardless of the size, the mascara is BRILLIANT. My lashes look separated (no 3-lashes-in-a-clumpy-mess business), volumised and longer. It is definitely going to take me a while to master the massive brush and attempt to get no black splodges on my eyelids, but once I do, I think I could really love this mascara. 

BM Beauty Summer Warmth Bronzer - If you have been reading my blog for a while, or if you are a (creepily) massive Zoella fan (haha), then you will know that my love for my Bare Minerals Faux Tan Loose Bronzer runs very deep. You may think that using a loose powder for bronzer spells disaster, but it doesn't, it's actually very easy and leaves a very nice effect on the skin. I've yet to use this bronzer, but if it's anything like Faux Tan by BE then I'm sure to love it. It's also the perfect size for travelling. 

Vichy Dermablend Ultra Corrective Foundation Cream Stick - I am definitely no fan of foundation cream sticks, personally, I think they spell "SUPERDOOPER Coverage with a slight cakey feeling" (yanno, those kind?). However, for concealing little areas of my face, I'm all up for something with more coverage. I once ventured into Boots to buy the Vichy liquid foundation, and they had NO samples for testing out which shade you may be, so really, it was just trial and error. I trial-ed, and I error-ed. Having the wrong shade meant I couldn't wear it, and also, couldn't return it (bless the UK and their non-returns on beauty items policy...). I love this idea of little samples so that people can decide which colour they may be before contemplating spending £19 on the product. This foundation stick offers SPF 30, High coverage, water/sweat resistant, fragrance free and hypoallergenic. I think it would work amazingly on people with irregular pigmentation, dark circles, spot scarring or redness. 

Overall thoughts on this months box? I liked the box, I wouldn't say it's my favourite. I think a lot of the products are just not as suited to me as previous boxes may have been, but that's not to say it's not your perfect box. There are a few gems in here, which I was happy about, and also a few disappointing products too, but that is all part of the element of surprise!

What did you think of this months GlossyBox?

♥

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Instagram Diary | Issue #2

Instagram @ZozeeBo

♥ In Starbucks with Louise ♥ Lovely Milly sent me the Bourjois nail remover pot ♥ American Apparel Neon nail polish ♥ Making notes

♥ My 4 current favourite cd's (Ellie Goulding, Eliza Doolittle, Two Door Cinema Club and Darwin Deez) ♥ Zara Order ♥ What I ordered ♥ Pamper evening with my brother (@Joe_Sugg)

♥ Dinner at Frankie and Bennys with my boyfriend ♥ Marshmallow and Chocolate Pop Tart ♥ Strawberries ♥ McDonalds Breakfast

♥ Louise and I changed our laptop wallpapers (dishy) ♥ Outfit ♥ Photo sesh featuring Louise and her sister Tiyana - who has just started on YouTube, check out her channel HERE ♥ Baby G gets involved

♥

Stila "In The Light" Neutral Eyeshadow Palette

On one of my many recent trips to Boots with Louise (I think we spend far too much of our lives in there), we were walking out after making our purchases at the till and we passed a Stila stand. I've never seen a Stila stand in Boots before, so obviously we had to stop and have a look. The first thing we noticed was this beautiful palette. Never one to pull off bright colours on my eyes, I am very much a neutral eyeshadows girl, so this was right up my street. We swatched a few of the colours and instantly knew we NEEDED to have this. It cost £25, and luckily, I had saved around £27 worth of Boots points (got to love Boots for their points system), so I was able to essentially get this for nothing, just using the points on my card. Bargainous!

The first thing I absolutely loved about this palette, was the colour range. I actually don't own any of the Urban Decay Naked palettes because there weren't enough matte shades for my liking, and not all the colours floated my boat. This one however, has 4 matte shades and the shimmer shades are colours i'd wear a lot. The second thing I loved, which is an important factor, is the consistency of the shadows.  The shimmer shades are so creamy and easy to blend and the matte colours are velvety and soft. Both are also extremely highly pigmented. The other thing which swayed me to purchase, was the fact that it came with a Stila Smudgestick. These liners are absolutely amazing. They apply so easily, have super pigmentation, and within seconds of you smudging it out or leaving it how you'd like it, it stays puts until you wash it off. The shade is "Damsel" and is a deep matte brown (my favourite colour for eyeliner). 

You can create so many looks with this palette, I feel like it ticks all the boxes for me. There is a gorgeous inner corner colour (Kitten - A Stila staple I believe), various other gorgeous shades to apply to the lid, and a matte brown and black for smoking it out lightly, or more dramatically for night time. The only colour I feel I won't get too much use out of is "Night Sky" which is the shimmer grey/blue. Blue toned greys don't look good on my eyes (I think it might be because I have blue eyes or possibly just doesn't bode well with my skin tone, I don't know). I think it's such good value for money, £25 for 10 good sized eyeshadows of great quality and an eyeliner, which on it's own is priced at £14 anyway! I absolutely love it, and I've been using it every day. 

You can buy this Stila palette in Boots (if your local one is lucky enough to have a stand), or there are many sites that sell it online (ASOS, FeelUnique, LookFantastic).

Do you own this palette? If not, YOU NEED IT!

♥

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Bedside Beauty

I've decided to do a little summary of the things I keep on my bedside table. After all, every girl has a little stash that she keeps to hand pre and post nights sleep, doesn't she? I'm going to do a series of posts like this. My bedside table necessities change all the time as I try and rotate different products so I get to try them out. Here's a little glimpse at what I'm using last thing before bed, and first thing in the morning at the moment. 

Caudalie Beauty Elixir - I'm enjoying using this so far, besides the smell, which definitely needs to grow on me. I like to spritz this on my face in the morning mainly, just as a quick refresh. I often spritz it before bed too, but normally before my night cream. 

Taaj Micellaire Water Makeup Remover* - I will have already cleansed before bed at the sink, but I keep this here for the morning. This is probably the best makeup remover I've ever used. I love everything about it. It was a sample in a JolieBox not too long ago and I am definitely repurchasing a full size when this runs out. I like to sweep this across my face just to remove any missed mascara which might be lurking underneath my eye area after 8 hours of sleep. I also just find it really refreshes my skin, and is the perfect little pick me up (or roll me out of bed). 

Body Shop Wild Rose Targeted Hand Oil* - This nifty little roller ball is perfect for applying oil to specific areas of your hands. As you can imagine, oil slathered all over your hands won't be too comfortable, so it's nice that you can apply a little bit in the places that you really need it. I put this across my cuticles and areas of the skin on my hands which could do with a little more moisture.

Bare Minerals Pure Transformation Night Treatment - I'm currently trying out this powder foundation night treatment. It's definitely a little weird applying this last thing before bed but there is no nasty pillow transferring and it feels very comfortable on my skin. I don't want to report back about this product yet, as I want to give it a fair trial before I let you know my thoughts, but so far I like it.

Lavera Hand Cream* - Again, this was a sample in a beauty box (I find these samples perfect for my bedside and my handbag). This is probably one of my favourite hand creams recently, alongside the Burt's Bees one that I reviewed a while back. I like something that feels moisturising and nourishing but doesn't take an age to sink in, or leave me with greasy mitts, so this ticks all the boxes. 

Nuxe Reve De Miel Lip Balm - A new obsession of mine. I can't praise this lip balm highly enough. I apply this before bed, and when I wake up it's STILL THERE! It really gets to work on my always-impossibly-dry lips. Since i've been using this, I've found that I can apply lipstick more often without getting scaly lips, or having to rub it off, and re apply it. I think this will be at my bedside for a long time!

What do you have on your bedside table? Anything you think I'm missing or that you think I'd love?

♥

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Foundation Review Video

I recently did a video reviewing 5 High Street/Drugstore foundations, and although most of you may have already watched the video, I thought I'd just post it here in case you missed it! I'm certainly no expert when it comes to describing foundations, but I did my best and I hope this may help some of you. I opted for a few foundations I'd heard great reviews about, and a few which I'd never seen before. 

I can also do an in-depth review of my favourites of the bunch here on my blog if you want me to do that?  Let me know!

Foundations Mentioned in the video:

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum 

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

Bourjois 123 Perfect Foundation

17 Hide and Chic Foundation

MeMeMe Flawless Cream Foundation 

♥

Review | Liz Earle Makeup Range

As many of you may know already, I am a huge fan of Liz Earle. Their hot cloth cleanser is the one skincare product I am always repurchasing, I think i've got through around 8 bottles of the stuff! You can read my review of the Liz Earle skincare HERE but for now, i'm going to talk about a new addition to Liz Earle, a makeup line!

It was only right that after launching their sheer skin tint, they would then follow with even more makeup!  I was super excited to see the collection as I knew that in true Liz style, it would be exceptionally good quality and I was not disappointed.

I'm going to try and sum up my thoughts on the makeup items that I've tried as best I can without boring you or making you want to gauge out your eyeballs (how pleasant). 

Natural Finish Loose Powder   

£19.50*

I am super fussy when it comes to powder. I don't like my skin to look matte, and so I like something to have reflective light properties or that gives a healthy glow. Although this powder didn't give me as much of a glow as i'd have liked (let's face it,  if I want a glow I can use a highlighter) I really love this powder. I actually find that it works really well with the sheer skin tint as that can be very dewy (I'm talking top of the dewy scale here). There is a whopping 12g of product in this plastic jar, so this is sure to last you a long time and in terms of pricing, works out cheaper than my beloved Bare Escentuals. This powder contains vitamin e, borage and avacado oils, so benefits the skin as well as just sitting pretty on it. I've not worn this powder alone, so I can't comment too much on overall coverage, but as far as setting other foundations goes, this works a treat. 

Natural Glow Bronzer

£19.50*

Now, the first thing you will notice, as far as bronzers go, is that this is quite a pricey one! However, the quality of this bronzer is perfect. It has a soft consistency, is easy to blend and leaves a very natural bronzed colour on the face. The powder itself is not overly pigmented, but this is why I like it. They have designed this specifically for a natural look. If you are someone who is a little scared of going OTT on the bronzed front, this will be perfect for you. It comes in one shade so far, so this may not be ideal for you darker skinned ladies but being a pale missy myself, I love it and have been reaching for it quite a lot recently. 

Healthy Glow Powder Blush 

£16.50*

Again, this is quite high up on the pricing scale, although nowhere near the price tag of my beloved Nars blushers (£21 *gulp*). This blush is also very smooth and soft and easy to blend and work with, and again, offers a natural flushed finish. The blush is available in 7 shades, the one I have is Rose 04. Although this isn't hugely pigmented, it gives such a pretty colour, and just like they marketed, very natural. 

Precision Brush

£13*

This was probably the one thing I was least excited about. I own a lot of precision brushes (mostly targeted for use with concealer) but they say that this brush is multi purpose. It can be used for face, lips, eyes and brows. It has a great thin, and rounded tip which would make use for all the above things very easy. They currently have 3 brushes, the one that most appeals to me is the powder brush, which looks really nice. They are all made with 100% man made fibers and all have a clear acrylic handle, which I really liked. It's stylish and different from any other brushes i've seen. 

Sheer Lip Gloss

£13.50*

This is the only product where I feel the price isn't quite justified. I'm not the biggest fan of lipgloss, but I do know that some of my favourite glosses, cost me in the region of £7 from the High Street. Had this been more around the £10 mark, I think I would have been slightly more inclined to purchase one myself. The glosses are quite sheer in order to give a very natural finish on the lips, which I know for a lot of people, is something they would choose over something with far more pigmentation. One thing I do like about this gloss, is that it doesn't feel too sticky on the lips. They also include avacado oils and shea butter to nourish the lips, which is a nice added bous. The colour I received is Quince 09, which although looks quite orangey (a colour you know I love) is more of a neutral dark toffee red once on the lips. 

Swatches

Overall, I was really impressed with the quality of the Liz Earle makeup line. I don't think their target market is young teenage girls however, and I can imagine that it will more suited to the more mature women after a very subtle, natural and youthful look. I personally loved the blush, bronzer and loose powder and would recommend them to anyone after something a little more natural. I like the packaging, it's not edgy or overly exciting, but it works and it represents the brand well. I also love that the compacts have mirrors, very handy for on the go touch ups.  I think I would have liked the lipgloss a little more if it was in a more neutral shade and a little less pricey. I do really want to try out a few more shades of the blush though, or even purchase a cream blush as they too look really interesting.

Have you tried anything from the Liz Earle makeup line? Anything that stands out to you?

♥

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How I Deep Clean My Makeup Brushes

Cleaning your makeup brushes is one of those mundane tasks that we must all carry out (unless of course you like to spread bacteria across your face). You'd be surprised at how many people I come across who have used the same foundation brush for months or years and NEVER washed it. Sickening isn't it. For those of you who don't wash your brushes regularly, let me tell you exactly why it's a very good idea. When you apply foundation to your face, you are picking up bacteria from your skin, and it's then left to fester in the brush after use. The next time you go to use it, the same thing happens, except the bacteria that has festered from the time before, it now ALSO on your skin. It's a vicious circle, that I can assure you, will only ever cause you to break out in spots. Obviously eye brushes are a less of a problem, but it's still important to do a deep clean (as opposed to a spot clean - cleaning quickly with a makeup brush solution after each use) every few weeks, just to make sure they are bacteria free. I am lucky in the fact I have quite a lot of brushes, so after using one brush, I can then use a different one another day instead of having to be constantly deep cleaning brushes 24/7. If you have problem skin or acne, I'd definitely advise that you clean your brushes a little more than average person, you may notice an improvement. 

1. Lay out all your dirty brushes ready for cleaning to commence!
2. Dampen the brush slightly with lukewarm water.
3. Pump your cleaning product of choice (I often use a mild shampoo but at the moment I'm using a Dove hand wash because it leaves the brushes exceptionally soft, and I like to think that the anti bacterial properties of a hand wash are beneficial in cleaning away all the nastiness.)
4. Start swirling your brush around on the palm of your hand, occasionally adding a little bit of water to lather up the product and allow the brush to be thoroughly saturated. 
5. Squeeze out excess product and watch all the foundation drip away into the plug hole!
6. Repeat if necessary (stubborn dirt or a very dense brush)
7. Marvel your clean brush (yes, that's very important...)

*Also, try not to use too much water, we don't like to waste now do we! It must be a running tap though, as there is no point washing your brushes in a pool of cloudy, dirty water. Just make sure you are turning it off between steps and between brushes*  

I also just thought I would add a little memo about my favourite brushes as a little extra to this blogpost (I will do a separate in depth blog post). As you can see, the green Bdellium tools brushes feature heavily. These are by far my favourite brushes for applying foundation. In particular, I love to use the 957 from the Green Bamboo Foundation Brush Kit (Shown in the photos & sold on Louise and I's "Louella" shop - get yours HERE) and the 959 which is a rounded top brush. I actually own 3 of the 959 brushes...yes, THREE because I love them so much. (This brush can be found in the Green Bamboo Mineral Kit also available on "Louella" HERE). I can't recommend them highly enough, I absolutely love them. They buff foundation into the skin like a dream. 

Hope you found this blog post helpful! How many of you are now going to run and wash your brushes?

♥