Makeup Tip Tuesday | Ghost Face? |

Have you ever had a picture taken and been shocked at how pale and ghostly you look? I always used put it down to camera quality and over exposure however most of the time is was actually my foundation.

If your foundation contains any SPF then it will contain Titanium Dioxide. These particles scatter the light that hit them once your camera flash goes off, which causes flash back on your face, making you look much paler. On an every day basis I always use moisturisers, foundations and powders that contain an SPF over 15. This helps to protect your skin from UV rays which prevents premature ageing. However, if I am going on a night out then there's no need for sun protection so I avoid SPF completely  helping to avoid the 'ghost face' in pictures. Simples!

I hope this post has shed some light on SPF in foundations and been useful for you all :)

Makeup Tip Tuesday | Easier Blending |

I thought I would start a series of posts called Makeup Tip Tuesday which funnily enough will be posted on Tuesdays. There are lots of tips and tricks to be shared around the make up world so I thought I could share a few with you all. I welcome any other suggestions that you may have and they will only be short and sweet posts to maybe give you some ideas and inspiration.

My first Makeup tip is to apply powder to your face before adding contour, blush or bronzer. By doing this after your foundation it enables the rest of your makeup to blend into your skin easier as it has a smooth surface of powder to run over rather than a sticker foundation base. Blending is the key to a good contour as you don't want any harsh lines to give the game away that you aren't as chiseled as you may appear ;)

I hope you like this first quick Tip Tuesday and let me know if you like it and would like to see more.

Hayley xxx

Review: Real Techniques Brushes

Recently I purchased both of the Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman makeup brush sets. These brushes used to be exclusive to online websites so were pretty hard to get but now they are stocked in most Boots stores so it couldn't be easier to get your hands on them. The first brushes I knew I wanted were the Core Collection (orange handle) which I had seen used so many times by Sam and Nic from Pixiwoo and the second was the Starter Set (purple handle).

Firstly, I love the design of the brushes. They are lovely to hold because they are so lightweight and they feel really sleek. They all have flat bottoms to them which allows you to stand them on your desk. This is great if you just use a couple daily so they are there for you in the morning however if, like me, you have a vaster collection of brushes it can be quite awkward to get them all to fit into a holder. They also come with a brush stand (as pictured above) which is useful if you like to have your brushes on display. It can also be doubled up as a travel case that folds in half so that your brushes aren't damaged while on the go which I think is a brilliant addition.

~ Buffing Brush ~

This brush by far is my favourite out of all the real techniques brushes. I solely use this brush for foundation whether it's liquid, compact or mineral and it looks great being used with all three. First, I stipple it onto my face then use buffing motions to create a really flawless finish to my skin. I have heard others use this brush for bronzer and setting powder too.

~ Contour Brush ~
Funnily enough I use this brush for contour. I love the way it is small enough to fit into the hollows of your cheeks. You would imagine that with such a small brush it would leave a harsh line however the really soft taklon (synthetic) bristles allows your makeup to be beautifully blended. This too is one of my favourites.

~ Pointed Foundation Brush ~
I have to admit out of all of these brushes, this is the only one in which I have yet to use. I have never used the 'paint it on' style foundation brushes and would be interested in giving it a go however this brush just seems too small. I would be scared that my foundation would start to set before I have fully blended everything. In saying this I will try it out at some point which may force me to eat my words but at the moment I don't want to use anything other than the buffing brush, that's how much I love it! I have heard that some like to use it for concealer so keep that in mind too :)

~ Detailer Brush ~
This teeny tiny brush is for the little details that finish off your makeup such as concealing small areas or using it as a lip brush. I tend to use it with a light eye shadow for highlighting the inner corner of my eye because it is the perfect size. It also works as a perfect lip brush however I only tend to use a brush for applying lipstick when it is a darker shade so that it lasts longer on the lips.

~ Deluxe Crease Brush ~

I think after the buffing brush this would be my favourite. I always used to use my ring finger to apply concealer however I have been loving this recently. It is just like a mini version of the buffing brush which just seamlessly applies your concealer. It is marketed as an eye shadow brush which I have yet to use it for because after seeing the Pixiwoo tutorials with them using this brush for concealer, I haven't used it for anything else. 

~ Base Shadow Brush ~

As the name suggests, this brush is used for eye shadow. I really like to use it for just a sheer wash of colour as well as putting a darker colour through the crease of my eye to add subtle definition. Many have compared it to the MAC 217 however I haven't got that brush to confirm the similarity.

~Brow Brush ~

I don't do my eyebrows on an every day basis however when I feel like they need a bit of filling in I do use this brush. I find its a bit wide for the ends of your brows where you may want a stronger line but for filling in random sparse patches it is perfect. I also use this sometimes for applying colour underneath my eyes with eye shadow as well as above the  top lashes.

~ Pixel Point Eyeliner Brush ~  

When I first saw this brush I was a bit disappointed as it looked to chunky for gel eyeliner which is what I intended to use it for. I gave it a shot expecting a really thick messy line however the bristles all clump together with the product which actually allows a really thin line if you use a light hand. I also really like it for applying gel liner onto the top and bottom water lines as it tickles much less than a thinner brush. 

~Accent Brush ~

Lastly is the accent brush which I didn't really know what to use for at the start. After playing around a bit I have found you can use it for a load of different things which include highlighting the inner corner of the eye, applying eye shadow to the lash line as a liner and smudging out kohl eyeliner. It's a really great multipurpose brush which comes in useful when doing your eye makeup. 

Overall I really like these brushes and I think they are amazing quality for the price. As an added extra everything about them is cruelty free which is never a bad thing in my eyes. Also, some brushes tend to eat up product as so much gets lost into the hairs however these don't seem to do that. I have washed both sets once so far and they wash well and have kept their shape without loosing any hairs. The only negative point I can find is that you can't buy the brushes separately. I love that they come in sets initially however if I was to loose one brush or if I wanted a back up, it would mean I would have to purchase the whole set again.

I hope you enjoyed this rather long post. I hope it makes up for the lack of posts lately as I have been ill. I blame it on all of my looming exams :( Have you tried any of the Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman brushes, if so, which are your favourite? 

Hayley xxx

My Every Day Make-up Bag

So, what is in my everyday make-up bag? I thought I would do this post to give you a little insight into me and what I put on my face every morning all bleary eyed and half asleep :) This is one of those if-you-buy-many-no7-products-then-you-get-a-free-make-up-bag-filled-with-make-up bags and as you can see it is fit to burst. I switch up the content from time to time but this happens to be what is in there now.

First of all I start by giving my face a good moisturise which the Olay day cream with SPF 15. I have incredibly dry skin, especially in the winter months, and i find it really helps my foundation to glide on as well as giving me a little bit of sun protection. The foundation I am using at the moment is Bourjois healthy mix serum in the colour Vanilla and it describes itself as a semi-matte finish. I find it is perfect for a nice light coverage used with my elf powder brush. In conjunction with this I use the healthy mix correcting concealer which really helps to cancel out the blue tones under my eyes. I seem to always neglect powder which I probably shouldn't do. I haven't found one that copes well with dryer skins to help set my base. Any suggestions?

To the right are the tools I use. The elf powder brush for foundation, the elf stipple brush for a light dusting of bronzer (as I am so pale I find this brush really helps to deposit a small amount of product) and the elf complexion brush for blusher. The one item I could not live without are my eyelash curlers (RED at Boots) which just help to give me that wide eyed, fresh faced look.

You've all seem this bronzer before. It's the Bourjois powder bronzer aka the chocolate bronzer. I have been using this for years and some days I love it but some days I hate it as it can look a bit orangey on my skin tone. As i said this before, I use it will a stippling brush to apply minimal product. I often skip blusher as I get very very rosy cheeks and I don't like to emphasise it. However on that odd occasion when I do reach for it, I usually go for more peachy/coral colours such as the elf mineral blush in coral.

Up to now my daily make-up routine is very similar, however when I get to the application of eyeliner, it changes daily as I never seem to be satisfied. One day it is no eyeliner, then its just eyeliner on the top water line, then its Kohl smudged into both top and bottom lashes. For the water line and winged liner I love the elf cream eyeliner as it glides on effortlessly and hasn't dried up in the four or five months I have owned it. For pencil, I regularly use the Bourjois eyeliner- black with purple reflections. I find the hint of purple really brings out my brown eyes.

Lastly is mascara. If there was only one product I owned it would be this. Maxfactor masterpiece max is the best mascara I have found to date. It really volumises whilst holding curl which I really look for. For my bottom lashes I need something more waterproof so at the moment I am using Loreal waterproof telescopic. I really don't rate this mascara for top lashes because I find they go spidery however it doesn't budge, even when I use make-up remover which can be quite frustrating. To finish my face off I use the MUA clear mascara just to brush through my eyebrows as they don't really need any filling in.








I love to read blogs about a persons daily make-up as it gives me inspiration to use different things. Comment if you have any views on any of the products I use or if you have any recommendations :)