Cleaning my makeup brushes has always been torture to me. So much time is spent, it is a dull task that not even the feeling of a squeaky clean brush on your face is able to numb the pain.
Add to that the fact I am a bit lazy busy and it is really the thing nightmares are made of. Did I mention I am a bit dramatic? No? Ok.
When I first saw videos of the StylPro Makeup Brush Cleaner and Dryer, I knew that at some point I would get one, it was just a matter of time.
Fast forward to Olympia Beauty, the fabulous yearly beauty trade show and there it was, staring me in the face and asking to come home with me.
Although there was no discount on the £49.99 retail price, I got a bottle of their fab brush cleaner thrown in as a gift, which is a saving of £14.99.
The device, another brainchild of the amazing (and lovely) inventor Tom Pellereau (from The Apprentice/Stylfile fame) is quite small and sleek.
The different sizes brush holders will cater for most brands (I have many and there was one for every single brush I cleaned). Attaching is easy and quick, just what you want when changing between brushes.
After swirling the brush around, rise it up a bit and let spin for a bit longer. This will fan the brush (which is what happens when it’s being cleaned anyway) and air it to dry, so not only your brush comes out clean, it’s also dry, pretty much ready to use again.
Sometimes, as the brush fans out in the cleaning motion, which thoroughly cleans the inside bristles, it is difficult to clean the bottom of outside ones, which forms the outside of the brush; a bit of swirling around proves useful to get those parts clean.
The only thing for me is that is only seems to work perfectly and quickly with the StylPro Makeup Brush Cleanser Solution, which is rather fabulous but at £15 a pop, quite steep.
Overall, a lovely gadget for those looking to make their lives easier (me!) and make such a dull task a little bit of fun.
You can buy the StylPro Makeup Brush Cleaner and Dryer from the Stylfile website, and it costs £49.99. And it will be available at 180 bigger Boots stores from the end of November!
Mind you, the device is so popular that at the moment, you can pre-order for delivery which will start shipping in a few days time – that’s a common occurrence as this always sells out!
The art of illumination – how to say no to an event titled like that?
Cushion makeup is all the rage at the moment and MUA has had its say on it, in the shape of gorgeous MUA LUXE Glow Beam Liquid Highlight Cushion.
I apply this after powdering my face, let it dry while I do my eye makeup and apply highlight powder on top for that extra pow!
Finally, the MUA LUXE Radiant Illumination kit, a more everyday product that doubles up quite nicely as eyeshadow.
Now, we must talk about the price. Nice packaging? Check. Quality product? Check. Great finish? Check. Tiny price tag? Check. What? Yes, that’s right.
Pretty much everything Urban Decay does is quite amazing. Proof is that not a days goes by without at least one UD item on my everyday makeup.
And let’s talk about the packaging? I freaking love it. The steel-look cracked effect is NOT how your skin will look – or your mirror in terror of your reflection, for that matter.
When I left my dark ages of makeup and stopped using my fingers to apply makeup and finally started using brushes, there weren’t many options in the market.
Fast forward a few years (ok, maybe more than a few) and there are so many fantastically affordable options that it’s really hard to pick.
The On a Powder Trip Brush (£11.99) has a good weight to it, bristles are soft to touch and on the skin and it has a good amount of bristles that are not too floppy. The soft rubber handle is non slip and it has a little reminder of what kind of brush it is. It picks up, applies and blends powder very well.
The L.A.B.2 Just Face It Kabuki Brush (£11.99) is also great; it is well packed with bristles in a firm-ish dome and has great weight.
The Beyond a Shadow of a Doubt Brush (£4.99) eye shadow applicator is one of this bigger ones, which is great. It covers the lid efficiently with one sweep. Soft bristles are packed tightly for some firmness and feels very comfortable on the sensitive lid skin.
The Just Blending In Brush (£4.99), an eye shadow blender, is probably my least favourite, but that doesn’t mean it does I do not like and it does not serve a purpose.
My first Chanel lipstick. Yes, you heard it right.
This is an orange red, which personally is the best red for me (although true and blue also suit my complexion) and it has a beautiful matte finish.
Also, I find this quite special as it was purchased at the brand new Fabled by Marie Claire shop in Tottenham Court Road, London, where you can find the best names in beauty – skincare, makeup, nails, fragrance, hair – it’s all there!
I have to say that Marie Claire nailed it with Fabled. Bringing all those brands together, making beauty shopping easy.
Stop press. I have succumbed to something liquid on my lips.
I was at The Apartment over LFW and Collection had a fab area. Amongst other goodies to pick up, were they yet to be launched (and now on the shelves) Velvet Kiss lipsticks.
Obviously it’s no surprise I am a huge fan of luminous and colour products for the face. I have a huge selection I actually use regularly, on rotation and I am glad to add those two to it.
As I mentioned before, I thought I was a bit out of the Seventeen range, but discovering it was a joy. And that doesn’t stop.
This little gem got me all excited: the Seventeen Cheek Stamp Blush is cute and handy.
Within this tiny little round box, there is a mirror and a cushion that picks up colour (which is on the lid) when its closed.
It is available in five colours, mine is Stare Struck, a shimmery old rose colour.
Yet another product on my new favourite skincare/makeup hybrid category, anything that promises me exceptional coverage, as well as care for problem skin deserves at least a good go, given my skin history.
It’s oil free, suitable for sensitive skin and has salicylic acid and eperulin to help combat acne, fight irritation and pigmentation scars.
And what’s more, there’s a whole 
Mentioned many times before, but always worth reiterating: every season, GOSH launches something that stays it me until the next season. Fact.
I’ll start with my favourite product in the collection, the Overnight Primer Oil Essence. It won my heart just for being an oil. However, it is an addition to the massive selection of primers that GOSH offers.
Still on the makeup/skincare territory, comes the Foundation Plus+. With a dewy coverage, this foundation and concealer in one also provide nourishment from liquid sea minerals, hyaluronic acid and bladderwrack seaweed.
Also for the face, there is the super practical Contour’n Strobe Kit. A massive disc with a pretty highlighter, a soft blusher, a pretty bronzer and a great contour shade, for only 12.99.
Moving on from skin, I have to talk about the Giant Pro Liner. This chubby eyeliner might seem impractical, but it’s a blessing for thicker lines – the way I like mine. The tip is just thin enough o produce a decent flick.
More on eyes, the Lash Sculpting Fibre Mascara contains fibres in its formula that attach to the lashes, offering super volume and length.
What about brows? Covered! Also with fibres, the Brow sculpting Fibre Gel is a all-in-one brow product, offering colour, filling, setting and boosting.
Of course, their superb Velvet Touch lipstick range gets some autumnal matt additions: Cinnamon, Cranberry, Grape and Purple.
You know when you are veeeeeery tired and your eyes barely open? I am guilty as charged of now having enough sleep, staying late on school nights and maybe having the odd cocktail when I should really be in bed.
Usually, I just line my lower waterline, but you can do the upper too for extra openness. And it works a treat.
Eyeshadow base, highlighter, waterliner, concealer…. the soft formula, enriched with natural extracts will ave you covered.
In all honesty, I just don’t use them only when I need to hide the night before, but every time I am focussing on eyes, especially if I have a dark smokey on.
So Many Lovely Things 