Sephora Foundation Brush

My old foundation brush from Stilla was in desperate need of replacing so I picked up this one in Spain from Sephora's Innovative Technology range. I was really tempted to get the stippling brush but after having a little try in the shop I went for this one instead.

The style and look of this brush is almost identical to the Real Techniques brushes. I quite like the pink packaging as it makes it different, I am not too fussy when it comes to my make-up brushes all looking the same! I absolutely love the fact it comes with a protective case which is great for when I want to travel with it in my make-up bag to keep it from getting dirty! The brush itself is really great quality and lightweight and I think it will last well. The only annoying thing is that it is really long and I have trouble squeezing it into my make-up bag when I want to travel!!

My choice to get this one over the Sephora or the Real Techniques stippling brush was a hard one. In the end I went for this one as I thought this would take less foundation to produce the same effect, however I think the stippling brush would produce a more natural looking effect. I used to use a mixture of foundation brush and make-up spounge but got a bit tired of swapping them around and I have found that this gives such a great effect when used alone. It is so easy to blend and buff the make-up into my skin. Compared with my previous experience of foundation brushes, this one doesn't just paint the foundation onto my skin. I think the price of the brush was reasonable, at around €17, it compares well to other brands.

I am definitely contemplating buying a few more of these brushes, or trying out the real techniques range.

I am interested in hearing other peoples views of the difference between this style of brush and the stippling brushes because I definitely found the choice a hard one! What do you prefer for foundation application? Are there any other great brushes I should try?

Recently...

Lovely view from my bedroom window in the sun, Sitting in the park, Beer garden, Sunny face, University football varsity, Yo! Sushi birthday lunch with my boyfriend, View from the plane, Birthday cake, My local park in Madrid, Great card, Recent make up purchases, Lovely new Zara shirt.

This has been my last week in Sheffield before the Easter break, it was beautifully sunny so I spent most of my time outside as you can see, but who can blame me as the sun rarely comes out up here! It has also been my 22nd birthday this week which has been really lovely. After a few celebrations with my friends in Sheffield,  I went to visit my parents at their home in Madrid. Madrid is one of my favourite places, the food is fantastic, the weather is beautiful and the scenery is perfect. It is also a great place for shopping so as you can see in my pictures I got a few things whilst I was there.

I am back off to London tomorrow morning to start my work experience which I am really excited about. It is for a beauty PR company which is perfect for me and I can't wait to start!

What has everyone else been up to this week? I hope everyone has a loveeeely easter weekend :)

xxx

Perfume on a Budget: Zara Rose

The perfect summer perfume - on a budget! This beautiful floral scent is both delicate and feminine and is a fraction of the price of high end perfumes. I find this smell to be extremely similar to Dior J'adore, which I think is a classic, expensive smelling perfume! 

The only problem I have with this product is that it doesn't last too long and I find that I have to re-spray often. On the upside, it is perfectly handbag sized and only costs an astonishing €5.95 (I bought it from a Zara in Madrid, but I am sure you can also find it in the UK for about £5!). I also think that the packaging is quite cute and minimal and perfect to carry around in your bag and to use as an everyday perfume.  

There is a massive range of perfumes in Zara which I find to resemble the scent of a range of other, more expensive perfumes, so there is definitely something for everybody!

Have you ever tried Zara perfumes?

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate

This is not a brand I usually go for or a product I would usually buy, however, I have found my skin to be quite dry recently and wanted to try something different to a normal moisturizer. I also have a few discoloration marks on my skin and I was recommended this to help reduce their appearance.

I found that the morning after I applied this, my skin was left really moisturized, soft and supple. There was no oily residue left and my face didn't look at all greasy. I think that skin 'radiance' is a hard thing to measure but I did find that my complexion looked much less tired and the texture was brilliant. The best thing about the effects of this product, is that I found it to even out my skin tone in such a short amount of time!

To apply this product, you add 2-3 drops into your hand and press it into your face, without rubbing it in, as it is quite easily absorbed to the skin.

I was slightly worried about using this product as I always thought that oily products would make me break out in spots, however, after using this for a while I haven't had any trouble. As a serum, I don't find it to oily and it is quite lightweight on the skin. The scent is quite a soft lavender which I find to be quite soothing and really lovely to apply before bed.

One of the up-sides of this serum is that it is made from 99.8% naturally derived ingredients including Squalane, Evening Primrose, and a blend of essential oils. Squalane is known to help improve the smoothness of the skin and reduce lines, while Evening Primrose helps to reduce eczema, psoriasis, and acne.

I wouldn'y say that this is a 'must-have' product but I would recommend it if you are looking for an overnight serum to improve the radiance and hydration of your skin and even out your skin tone. At £36 for 30ml it is quite expensive, but it does what it says and is a lovely product.

Does anyone have any other product recommendations for the skin - I love hearing about new things!