How Lipstick is Made

I am the kind of person who really likes to know how things are made and where they have come from.  In fact I actually did my whole university dissertation on it because I am just that keen.  But for anyone who is like me and thinks about how things are made here is a video from YouTube that I found on the manufacturing processes involved in making lipstick! It does not show the entire process which would include sourcing the materials or transporting them to a store but it is still pretty interesting.  If you are an impatient person it might be worth loading this video up and fast forwarding parts as some sections are a bit repetitive.  It is only 6 mins though.

Nails Inc Nail Varnish in Colville Mews

1st Coat

2nd coat

3rd Coat and Bottle

Price I Paid

This is a mini version of the bottle that came in a set.  I have no idea how I actually got this colour as I didn't buy it myself which makes me think it is probably my mum's and somehow ended up in my room at uni? The full size bottle retails for £11.  There are frequently offers on with nails inc products so have a shop around.

Design

The bottle is really sleek, I really like this mini polish because the lid is quite small which makes the brush much easier to control than the full size versions.  Kits containing a few mini colours are great as i get bored of colours very quickly.

Colour

This is definitely my favorite nude polish out of the ones that I have tried.  In the photographs my hands were a bit cold and had gone kind of red.  Although you can still see that the polish is more of a brown hue, I would probably compare it to the colour of those fair skin coloured tights.  What i particularly like is that this polish does not contain any grey tones. I have a bit of an obsession with this because colours that are very light and slightly grey toned, along with my pale skin, remind me of those zombie's hands that burst out of the ground as they come back to 'life' in films.  Probably something a bit weird but I don't like to have dead looking hands!

Texture

Annoyingly this colour is very sheer and therefore required three coats to create an opaque colour.  Each coat dried in about five minutes so this was not particularly a problem as I was busy watching Waterloo Road on catch up.  That program is a bit rubbish but i'm absolutely hooked as I started watching from the beginning and have got to know the stories of all the characters.

In the past I have been very disappointed with Nails Inc and the lasting power of their nail varnishes.  I did not use a base or top coat  with these so that I could see how long the colour itself truly lasts.  It lasted okay, on the third day there was a slight chip which was a bit annoying but it lasted much better than the previous colour I tried which was Warwick Way.  I would probably use this polish again if my mum doesn't ask for it back!

Smell

As with all nail polishes it is best to open a window or paint your nails outside as it has a strong smell.

Ingredients

Nails inc do not make any effort to eliminate the dangerous chemicals in their nail varnishes in the way that Nubar and others strive to.

Overall Reaction 

I really like the colour of this polish and the lasting power is alright.  As with the previous polish it might do better with a base and top coat.

I would score this product 7/10

A great way to repair smudged or dented nail varnish!

So you made a dent or you smudged your newly painted nails?

Take a little bit of any greasy product, I have used a little conditioner but it could be hairspray/moisturiser/makeup remover etcetc.  Lightly use a finger to rub (in a circular motion) the product over the dent to smooth it back out!

And there you go - dent/smudge free nails!  Although this will obviously only work if the nail varnish is still slightly wet so make sure you do this as soon as you spot the dent!

What to do with a brown avocado?

The Mixture

Price I Paid

I would guess the actual cost of the mask would be about 25p but the avocados came in a pack of 4 that cost about £1.50.  

How to Make

This is really simple to make.  You just need to thoroughly mash up half an avocado with the back of a spoon/a fork, I think it is best to use one that is slightly over-ripe so that it is soft enough to mash.  Make sure you really mash it up though so that it becomes a smooth paste because otherwise it will be very hard to spread over your face.  I used an avocado that had unfortunately gone brown on one side and didn't look very appealing to eat at all and I would otherwise have binned.  

Don't leave the mask out as avocados go brown very quickly once they have been opened it is best to make this mask just before you use it.

You could add a teaspoonful of honey as that has great antibacterial properties or a teaspoon of natural yoghurt as the probiotics in that are good for your skin.  Another option is to add a teaspoon full of oats or any small seeds to make it into a slightly exfoliating facemask.

Application

I just used the palm of my had to rub it round my face in circular motions.  Keep in mind that if you have not mashed it smoothly enough it will not go down a bathroom sink when you wash it off so you might have to use the kitchen one.  Just be careful not to get it too close to your eyes and I would recommend tying your hair back.  I couldn't find a hair tie so I kept it back with my glasses as you can see.

Colour

An impressive looking bright green as you can see from the picture!  At any rate if you don't use it all up as a face mask you could always wear the rest to a costume/halloween party and go as Shrek (with the added bonus that it would turn brown after a few hours and you would get an interesting costume change too)!

Smell

Smelt like an avocado, surprisingly.

Overall Reaction 

After washing this mask off I noticed that my skin did feel very slightly oily but very thoroughly moisturised.  Avocados contain alot of natural oil which is great for moisturising skin and also contains omega-3 which is supposed to protect skin from some of the sun's harmful UV rays throughout the day aswell.  It also contains a large amount of vitamin E which is known for it's antioxidant properties and absorbing free radicals which cause damage to the skin.  My skin felt incredibly smooth after using it and it would be great for people with dry or combination skin.  Although I think this is a mask that anyone with very oily or blemish prone skin should steer clear of.  While making this mask I got alot on my hands and they now also feel very soft so you could consider using it as a hand mask for dry skin aswell!

I would rate this mask 8/10

Boots Natural Collection cover up stick (concealer) - Review and Swatch

Natural Collection Cover Up Stick

Swatch and coverage

Price I Paid

£1.99 a very reasonable price!

Design

This is a twist up stick, annoyingly if you don't twist it all the way down after application and put the lid on it gets stuck to the lid and then when you open it the next time the whole product ends up stuck inside the lid instead of the twist up holder in the bottom!  I have had to use a cotton bud a few times to un-stick it but I think for the price the product is still definitely worth it despite this design fault.  After looking at the reviews online I think most people agree that the product is good but the twist up design is faulty so keep that in mind.

Colour

I chose the colour fair because my skin is very pale but it also comes in medium.  This is great because it is quite a neutral colour once blended so goes well under any foundation.  It is always better to use a concealer slightly lighter than your foundation because it brightens your general skin tone rather than having dark patches where you have any blemishes. What I would say is that this cover-up is much better for lighter skin, the medium shade seemed to be a bit orange and the fair shade is very pale.  

Texture

This is a very creamy concealer with fantastic coverage! As you can see in the second photo when I drew a dark line on my hand using a brown pen and covered it with this product it almost totally disappeared which is great!   I often use this on its own to replace foundation just on my nose and cheeks to counteract redness in hot countries/winter because it stays put and doesn't become oily and run down my face or dry out plus it blends pretty easily too.  It might not be suitable for extremely dry flaky skin as it is very slightly drying but I think there is a liquid version of it that may be worth trying.

Application

I find it best to apply this straight from the stick in a circular motion to cover all of the blemish and then blend it in very lightly with my fingers just at the edges.  I leave it for a minute or two just to settle and then I apply my foundation.  When I apply my foundation I use my fingers to lightly pat it over the areas where I have used concealer as I find foundation brushes are a bit harsh and remove a bit of the concealer underneath revealing the blemish again.

Smell

This product is unfragranced and has no smell at all.

Ingredients

There is no ingredients list that I can find although it claims to be dermatologically tested, fragrance free and is from the natural collection range created by Boots so i doubt this would cause anyone any reactions. 

Overall Reaction 

I really like this product except for the very poor design of the packaging.

I would rate it 9/10.

An entire makeup bag using good quality products all for under £40!

Task: To create an entire make-up bag for under £40 using products found in Boots!

I will do a proper review on each product but these are staple products I think you would make up the basics of any great makeup bag.  Although it would be possible to find some of these products for much less, through years of experimenting I have found that if you buy the cheapest products ususally you are getting the cheapest quality as well and it is not worth it.  I have also added a couple of options to do a makeup bag for just under £47 if you like to use waterproof eye products.

Foundation

Bourjois 10 hour sleep effect foundation £9.99

A great light foundation I use shade 71 on a daily basis it is long lasting and great for most skin types apart from oily skin.  I have found this to be the best of the cheaper foundations.

OR

Bourjois Flower perfect £10.99

I use colour 71 and this is great for oily skin, I use this in hot countries as it leaves a nice matt effect that doesn’t look shiny throughout the day.  There is also a handy sponge on the lid for easy application.

I really like Bourjois foundations as in the past i have found other cheaper makes such as Rimmel and Maybelline foundations to be too orange toned for my pale skin.

Concealer

Boots Natural Collection cover up stick £1.99

This is a very cheap concealer but easily my favorite since I discovered it when I was about 15! It has very high coverage so easily conceals any blemish.  I always use this stick instead of foundation in very hot countries as it has great staying power and doesn’t melt off like most foundations.  Plus it is easy to fit in a small handbag for touch-ups where ever you are!

Blusher

Bourjois Little Round Pot Blusher £7.99

This blusher comes with a little brush which is great for applying I have used a few of the colours in the past and all look quite natural and blend easily.  They last absolutely ages and leave a really nice warm glow so it is well worth the price.

Brows

Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil £2.99

I have this pencil in one of the lighter brown colours, it is great for filling in brows and has a little brush on the top which is useful!

Eyeshadow

Natural Collection Eyeshadow in Soft Pink £1.79

This is a really nice light pink colour that is very subtle and just brightens the eyes a bit to make you look refreshed during the day.   The dark colours from this collection are not as good as the light ones.

Eyeliner

Barry M Bold Waterproof Eyeliner £3.99

I no longer use this eyeliner because I have fallen in love with the Chanel/MAC waterproof ones so I don’t currently have one to do a review on.  I buy more expensive noes because I frequently wear contact lenses and my eyes water a lot and I find all of the cheap eyeliners run.  But I used to use this proudct a lot and it does do a good job and last all day if your eyes aren’t constantly watering so I do think this is one of the best!

OR

Rimmel Exaggerate Eyeliner £5.29

If you have a steady enough hand I would certainly recommend this product because it lasts for ages and glides on really easily.  They have recently brought out a waterproof version of this so I might try that one at some point.

Mascara

Maybelline Great Last Blackest Black Mascara £4.99

This mascara is a great day mascara because it has a convenient small tapered brush and doesn’t get too clumpy.  As with eyeliners I have problems with my eyes watering so although I love the formula of this mascara I no longer use it.

OR

Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara £10.99

This is my favourite mascara as their waterproof version does not budge.  It is quite difficult to get off though and I find I have to use a very oily makeup remover but it does such a good job I really don’t care.

Lipstick

Barry M Lip Gloss wand £4.49

This is a great everyday product in a sheer colour that would suit anyone and is a little bit moisturising without being sticky.

Stippling Brush VS Foundation Brush Review and Swatch

MAC 190 Foundation Brush

Close-up of MAC foundation brush

Real Techniques stippling brush

Real Techniques stippling brush

Left - Swatch of MAC 190......... Right - Swatch of Real Techniques stippling brush

The purpose of this review is to highlight the differences between flat paddle foundation brushes and stippling brushes when applying liquid or cream foundations.

In the photograph above I applied one pump of Bourjois 10 hour sleep effect foundation in shade 71 to two sides of a piece of paper.  I then blended the foundation in the same way I would on my face to show off the blending effects of each brush.

Price I Paid

MAC 190 Foundation Brush - £26

I have had this brush for about three years and it is still in perfect condition, it washes easily and all the bristles are still as new.

Real Techniques Stippling Brush - £10.99 

I have only owned this brush for about three weeks but it is not as good as MAC quality brushes but you get what you pay for.  

Design

MAC 190 - This is a really sturdy, high quality, flat paddle brush and has been my go-to foundation brush for the past three years.  The bristles are flexible and soft so it is very gentle on my skin.  It is best to apply the foundation from the centre of the face outwards and then blend in long line strokes.  It creates great foundation coverage as you can see in the photo above, it applies a thick layer of foundation perfect for covering skin imperfections. The bristles are flatter and more rigid than the stippling brush so it is far more prone to streaking.  I also have found that i struggle to blend foundation properly on the curves of my face e.g jaw area which creates the dreaded line, one of the main faux pas of wearing foundation.   I have found the best way to tackle the streaks that occur as a result of this brush is to lightly blend my makeup by lightly sweeping my fingers/a large face brush over my entire face.  Saying that, it fits very easily into a travel makeup case and has done me well for the past three years. 

Real Techniques Stippling - As you can see from the picture above, when blending foundation this brush creates a far superior, smoother and streak free effect than a normal foundation brush.  For me this is the holy grail of foundation application as it is pretty much foolproof as long as you don't miss a spot! It is difficult to apply liquid foundation from a pump directly to this brush so I find it easiest to squeeze the foundation out onto my face first and then blend it in which is a bit tricky.  If I wasn't so lazy, I would squeeze my foundation out onto my hand or a clean solid surface and pick the colour up onto the brush from there.  For a streak free look it is best to work the foundation in small circular movements from the centre of the face towards the outside.  I really like the Real Techniques version of this brush as it is the perfect size for application as it easily fits into the contours of my face and the bristles are nice and soft.  It creates a very different coverage effect to the foundation brush and gives a much lighter coverage airbrush effect.  I find this is great for concealing the little pores on my nose and any dry skin as it lightly skims over it all without causing a dry and flaky caked effect.

I have only had this brush for a few weeks but I have a feeling it will need replacing more frequently than my MAC foundation brush as one or two bristles have already fallen out.  There is a MAC stippling brush and I did consider buying it but it cost around £30 so I thought that for that price i could have had three of the Real Techniques brushes so as I am a student on a budget it is not worth the investment.  The only real downside to using a stippling brush over a flatter foundation brush is storage, it really needs to be stored upright (the base is flat so it stands on its own!) or in a little case in a makeup bag because the bristles get squashed very easily so this brush is a bit of a pain to travel with.

Colour

The MAC brush is a smart black colour and the bristles are roughly the same colour as my foundation which i find appealing as I don't wash my brush after every application more like just once a week.  The Real Techniques brush is mostly a girly hot pink colour but the bristles are black with a white tip.  I find this a little annoying because they go from white to the colour of my foundation and that makes me constantly paranoid my brush is dirty.. although maybe that is a good thing because it makes me wash it even more!

Ingredients

The MAC brush is a blend of natural and synthetic fibers and the Real Techniques brush is made of purely synthetic fibers.  Although you might think that natural fibers would be best, synthetic fibers are considerably easier to clean than natural fibers!  

Overall Reaction 

MAC 190 Foundation Brush - 8/10

The flat paddle foundation brush suited me well for the past three years but after discovering the effects of a stippling brush i have permanently made the swap!

Real Techniques Brush - 9/10

I love the effect from using this brush although I did not give it 10/10 because I don't think it is of the same quality as my MAC brush but to be fair it was 1/3 of the price so i'm not complaining!