January Favourites | 2015

Everyone always says they hate January as the weather is crap, Christmas is gone etc... but I actually love January! Not only is it my birthday month but I love winter and the prospect of what a new year can bring. On that positive vibe, I have been loving so many products this month - some new which I got for Christmas and others that I rediscovered after shopping my stash.

Makeup

001. Eco Tools Angled Eyeliner Brush: Last year I did a review on the set this brush came in but this was one of my least used in the collection. However, I've been favouring lining my eyes with black eyeshadow rather than liquid liner or pencil as it is less harsh and this brush makes it super easy to get a thin even line close to your lashes.

002. The Body Shop Clementine Lip Balm: Years ago back in school I was obsessed with the Body Shop lip balms and butters. I forgot about them but then received the lollipop gift set from my secret santa at work and fell in love with them again. The formula is so nourishing and glossy, the scents divine and they are great for popping in your hand bag. The Clementine scent brings back school memories and has glitter running through it to add a bit of your shimmer to your lips.

003. Benefit Hervana Blush: Again, Benefit blushes bring back memories of my youth and were one of the first make up products I bought. I love the packaging (although its not great for travel) and the recent addition of a tapered brush and mirror in the box is a great bonus. This blush is so pretty both in the pan and on the cheeks and I've been using it every day this month - you can see it in action here.

004. Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette: The original Naked will always have a special place in my heart but I have been itching to add to my UD collection and was delighted to get this for Christmas. It is the more cool toned sister of the original and I adore every single shade in there. The formulation is buttery, super pigmented and easy to blend - just what you would expect from the brand. It's perfect for all kinds of looks and again I've been using this practically every day this month.

005. Anastasia Beverley Hills Brow Wiz in 'Taupe/Ash Brown': This product deserves every accolade it has as it is seriously the best brow product I have ever used! It is the perfect texture and colour -  I will be doing a full review of this but basically you need this in your life.

006. The Body Shop BB Cream in 01: Full review can be seen here so I don't want to go into too much detail! This is my favourite BB Cream it gives medium coverage without feeling heavy, covers pores and imperfections and lasts for a very long time.

007. Bobbi Brown Long Wear Foundation in 'Sand 2' : My favourite base for the latter half of January, this gives medium coverage without being cakey, lasts a long time and gives a 'my skin but better' appearance.

008. No 7 Instant Radiance Cream Highlighter: Cream products don't normally tend to be my thing but I adore this highlighter. It gives a beautiful natural sheen that is not glittery in the slightest and blends in wonderfully.

Hair

009. Paul Mitchell Full Circle Leave-In Treatment*: I got this ages ago (at my first event actually) but for some reason reached for other products in the range instead of this thinking it might be too heavy for my hair. This is actually very nourishing without weighing down my hair and I love to use it on occasions when I haven't used a hair mask or deep conditioner. It leaves hair soft and manageable and I've seen my natural waves/loose curls become more defined.

010. Schwarzkopf Hair Therapy Oil Miracle Spray: This product is a surprise gem. I received it in my stocking at Christmas which was good timing as I was looking for a new spray conditioner to help detangle my hair after washing. This is so light with a fine spray and makes it easy to brush out knots, leaves your hair silky soft and smelling beautiful.

Skincare

011. The Body Shop Eye Camomile Waterproof Eye and Lip Makeup Remover: My favourites always seem to include multiple Body Shop products at the moment, so apologies for that but clearly I am a big fan! I enjoyed the cleansing butter from this range and have just used up the oil so naturally when looking for a make up remover I picked this up. It has two parts so you need to shake it properly and it is oil based so makes removal a breeze, although it doesn't leave the eye area feeling heavy or greasy which is a big plus for me.

012. Super Facialist by Una Brennan Anti Blemish Pore Purifying Clay Mask: Una Brennan are definitely a brand that don't get enough recognition. The quality of the products are so good for the price and this mask in particular is amazing. I loved the teaflower version which I think has been replaced with the salycic acid version. It draws out impurities really well, leaves your skin feeling soft, nourished and more even toned and the inclusion of acid helps to clear up any blemishes that have been hanging around.

0.13 Baby B Browne Tan in 'Medium'*: This featured in a favourites pretty recently at the end of last year but I picked this up again a few weeks ago and was so impressed all over again! It rubs in so easily, the smell is so nice for a fake tan (think vanilla) and the colour develops and lasts so well. It is by far the best tan I own.

What were your favourite items this month? xxx

Review: EcoTools | Bamboo 6 Piece Brush Set |

EcoTools - Bamboo 6 Piece Brush Set - £15.99

It was actually completely random that I picked up this brush set - I was going down to Exeter and had forgot to pack certain brushes so picked up this set at Waterloo station. EcoTools had been on my radar before this purchase but surprisingly I'm really stingy at buying new make up brushes so had put off delving into the brand. 

There are five brushes included in this set, all with a different purpose so it was a really nice place to start when trialing this brand. They are all super soft, feature taklon bristles and are cruelty free. The long bamboo handles make controlling these brushes easy and the matching ferrules are made from recyled aluminium. I also love that they come in a super cute cotton and hemp carry case.

Blush Brush: I find this brush a bit big for blusher (I have a small head haha) but I've really enjoyed using it as a bronzer brush instead. I'm not sure whether it is down to the cut or density of the bristles of this brush but I find that it gives just a wash of colour no matter how pigmented your powder is which is great for those who are more heavy handed. It also makes for really easy blending too. As the size of the brush is not too large its been great for popping in my small make up bag for my hand bag to use for powder touch ups. This is definitely my favourite brush in the set.

Eye Shadow Brush: This has thick close cut bristles which makes it easy to pack on colour over the whole lid. I find it quite similar to the brush you get in the Urban Decay Naked palette in shape but I wish it was a little denser. 

Angled Eyeliner Brush: You can use this for your eyeliner or filling in your brows but my favourite use is the former. This brush is super thin and angled so makes drawing a thin line of gel eyeliner or eyeshadow really easy. It is the best eyeliner brush I've tried so far and am really pleased with it.

Lash & Brow Groomer: This is my least used piece in the set as I find the lash part actually makes my lashes more clumpy and the brow groomer is a bit stiff for me. I want to persevere with this though and get it to work for me.

Concealer Brush: I wasn't expecting it to be but this brush is actually my second favourite from the set. I'm normally faithful to the Real Techniques Crease Brush for that job but this blends in under eye concealer really well without shifting it around your face and also make it easy to layer up concealer on your face. 

I'm pleased to say that this brush set pleasantly surprised me and I get use out of nearly all these brushes on a daily basis, making it very cost effective. It's also nice to know that by using this brand I'm not damaging the environment and they are also pretty on my dressing table.

Have you tried any brushes from EcoTools? xxx

Review: Real Techniques | Expert Face Brush |

Real Techniques - Expert Face Brush - £9.99 - Available at Boots

Real Techniques brushes are one of the most talked about budget brush brands and for good reason. I have the core collection and starter eye kit and both are of fantastic quality and contain multi-functional brushes. For a really long time I have wanted to add to my collection by purchasing some of the stand alone brushes so I was really pleased when I finally caved and picked up the Expert Face Brush.

I never thought I'd say this but I think it has replaced my beloved Buffing Brush as my favourite base applicator. The synthetic taklon bristles are densely packed and stiff, unlike the buffing brush which is quite flexible so I found it a bit difficult to get used to at the beginning. However, this design delivers a flawless base with minimal effort. Normally I take a long time buffing in my choice of base to make sure it is all blended in but this brush cuts that time in half and basically does all the work for you. I've also found I use a lot less product as the Expert Face Brush works it into the skin so flawlessly you don't need as much to even skin tone or cover redness. It works really well with all cream and liquid bases, from light to high coverage, but my favourite at the moment is with Estee Lauder Double Wear, which I mentioned in this post recently.

The light weight and tapered middle design of the handle is another plus point which makes it easy to maneuver and grip, again aiding application. The brush is also really easy to clean which was a surprise as the bristles are so dense I thought product would get easily trapped in between them.

The Expert Face Brush leaves you looking naturally airbrushed and it just a winner all round - a great value product which you won't regret having in your arsenal.

What is your favourite Real Techniques brush? xxx