How I Clean My Make-up Brushes

Cleaning make-up brushes is boring as hell. No one wants to spend their evenings scrubbing countless fluffy eyeshadow brushes, but unfortunately it's something that must be done if you love wearing a full face of make-up every day - so I thought i'd share how I clean mine!

There are two different combinations of products I use to clean my make-up brushes, each being really simple and using products that are cheap to buy. Instead of forking out the cash for a branded 'brush cleanser', I pay no more than a couple of pounds and the products really do last for ages! To be honest, I do have lots of make-up brushes with different bristles and i'm not entirely sure what sort of cleaner is recommended, but these seem to work just fine with my brushes :)

Option One: Johnson's Baby Shampoo

If it's good enough for a baby, it's good enough for me! I love this stuff because it's really inexpensive, comes in a squeezy tube and leaves my brushes feeling super soft and smelling amazing.

1. Wet brush with warm water and squeeze on a small amount of baby shampoo.

2. Massage the shampoo into the bristles - don't be scared of losing the shape or getting a bit rough with it!

3. Rinse with warm water until the water runs clear (You may have to repeat the second step for foundation brushes or any dense brush that picks up a lot of product.)

4. Dry off the excess on a clean towel, reshape if needed and place on another towel on a flat surface. I like to have my brushes hanging off the edge of something or facing slightly downward so that the water runs off and doesn't loosen the glue that secures the bristles.

Option Two: Washing Up Liquid and Olive Oil

I love this combination as it contains everyday things you'd find in the kitchen. The olive oil helps break down the make-up and softens the bristles whilst the washing up liquid gives them a good old clean!

1. Combine two parts washing up liquid and one part olive oil into a small bowl.

2. Swirl each brush into the mixture until it's completely covered.

3. Massage into the bristles and rinse with warm water until clear.

4. Exactly the same as option one - dry off the excess on a clean towel, reshape and place on a another towel.

Leave to dry for 24 hours and there you have it! Lovely, clean brushes. If you can, (as I know we're all busy!) try to do this once a week to keep your brushes bacteria-free and in the best possible condition.

What do you guys use to clean your make-up brushes? :)

My Most Used Make-up Brushes

Contrary to what you might think, I actually don't have a lot of make-up brushes. I use very few on a daily basis, so I thought i'd share with you my all-time favourites:

Foundation Brush

I use a Real Technique's Expert Face Brush as I love the way it works the foundation into my skin. It buffs product into the skin instead of painting it on and allowing it to sit on top. The brush itself is quite dense so it does distributes a lot of product but without losing control. I also use this brush to gently tap concealer under my eyes and on blemishes, blending in seamlessly with the rest of my base.

Contour Brush

I know loads of people use huge brushes, whack bronzer all over their face and end up effortlessly sun-kissed, but I need something a bit more precise so I don't end up looking like i've rolled in mud. Real Technique's Contour Brush (Taken from their Core Collection) distributes enough product to create a soft, chiselled finish. It does take a lot longer if you want to bronze all over the face, but great if you want something subtle or have a paler complexion and want to ease yourself into contouring.

Powder Brush

I've been using the Real Technique's Buffing Brush (Also from their Core Collection) for about three years now and it's still going strong today. It's great for setting my make-up with powder and I also use it to ensure everything's nicely blended together once I add my contour, blush and highlight. It doesn't pick up too much product and I just find it really easy to use!

Angled Brow Brush

If you're a fan of strong brows, an angled brush is essential. I use the MAC 266 Small Angle brush - it's really precise and the bristles retain their shape really well, even after loads of washes. It picks up just the right amount of product and distributes really evenly. It's quite a stiff brush so it's great when you want to achieve a statement brow, but soft enough to keep it natural if you keep your hand light. It can also be used to apply gel eyeliner - I find it's the only brush that gets the wing just right!

Base Shadow Brush

I don't like to fuss when it comes to eye make-up, usually two colours will do it. Therefore, a brush that applies a quick wash of colour is great for when you've got no time. I use one by EcoTools - however, as it's so old I can't seem to find it, but there's a similar one here. It's simple and nothing special if i'm completely honest. It's just massive and makes applying a base colour really quick and easy. If i'm precise enough I do use it in the crease, but it's not really designed for detailed make-up.

Fluffy Blending Brush

If it's one brush that I regret not buying when I started getting into make-up, it was this one. I cannot emphasise enough how much it transforms an eye look. It makes creating a smokey eye really easy to achieve and makes it a lot to easier to rectify mistakes. The Zoeva Luxe Soft Definer Brush has become my favourite brush out of all of these, as it makes blending out eyeshadow an absolute dream. There are bigger blending brushes out there, but i've found this suits my eye shape perfectly. I'm thinking of buying a few more of these so I don't have to be constantly washing it, and at only £6.50, it won't break the bank to treat myself to a few more! 

What are your most-used make-up brushes? Are there some that I should be using? Let me know! :)

My Everyday Make-up #1

You know you love make-up when you actually look forward to putting on your face every morning. There was a time when I used to do half my face at a time just so I could see the difference the products made (I was late to everything at that time!). I like to experiment with lots of different products, especially foundation, but lately i've been sort of sticking to the same natural-ish look and just switching up my lipstick depending on what i'm wearing. 

So here is my everyday make-up. I usually put it all in a little basket with a small mirror and do my make-up in bed whilst watching an episode or two of Friends (US Netflix is possibly the best thing that's ever happened to me). I love a natural smoky eye, with a little bit smudged underneath. Strong eyebrows, purely because I love them, and cheeks with a natural looking flush. 

There are some products that i'd like to do more in-depth review on, but they'll come later on. I just feel that i've got myself a bit of a routine and found a lovely combination of products that really work with my skin, so thought i'd share it with you. 

Here are the products I use below:

Products

Maybelline Dream Smooth Primer

Benefit Erase Paste in 'No.1 Fair'

Rimmel London Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation in '010 Light Porcelain'

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in 'Fair'

Bobbi Brown Sheer Finish Pressed Powder in 'White'

Max Factor Creme Puff Pressed Powder in 'Translucent'

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in 'Medium Brown'

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in 'Chocolate'

Benefit Stay Don't Stray Stay-Put Primer in 'Light Medium'

Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadow in '65 - Pink Gold' and '35 - On and on bronze'

Benefit They're Real Mascara

The Body Shop Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder in '02 Fair Matte'

MAC Archie's Girls Pearlmatte Face Powder in 'Veronica's Blush'

MAC Lustre Drops in 'Pink Rebel' 

YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick in '01 Nude Beige'

What do you use for your everyday make-up? Is there anything I should be trying? Let me know below.

Happy Sunday! x 

Urban Decay Electric Palette

Hi everyone!
I hope you're all having a lovely Sunday and not having to rush around buying last minute Christmas presents, which I have to do! I've just had a birthday (I'm now 23.. ahhh!) and I thought i'd write a post about an amazing present I got from Rob - the Urban Decay Electric Palette.

It's so amazing!!! I've wanted this palette for so long, and I think Rob finally got the hint after I dragged him to the UD counter in our local department store for the millionth time to swatch the colours on my hand. I've watched a lot of Youtube tutorials around it, read all the blog posts, so you can understand my excitement. The Electric Palette is a palette of 10 brighter-than-bright eyeshadows in a variety of finishes - matte, satin and shimmer. There are exclusive colours like Freak (neon green) and Chaos (cobalt blue), although each colour is equally incredible (My favourite being Fringe, which I didn't actually use in this look!). Each shade is made with their Pigment Infusion System, resulting in shadows with incredible colour payoff with serious staying power. The palette also comes with an amazing double-ended brush and a huge mirror on the inside of the lid, making application really easy. 

Tada! Here's me, looking seriously creepy. It's hard to know how to pose when you're wearing this sort of make-up! This was my first attempt at some crazy colour combinations from this palette, and I have to say that I am totally in love with it. I used this tutorial by Emma Pickles (my all-time favourite beauty blogger!) although it looks a lot different with my tiny eyelids. I chose to not wing it out because basically I thought it would look really rubbish on me, but i'm amazed with the results.  In hindsight I can see areas for improvement, but overall I am impressed. The colours blended well and you need hardly any product at all to create this vibrant look. I used Jilted, Urban, Freak, Thrash and Revolt, alongside Blackheart and Strange from the UD Naked 2 palette. I mainly used the double-ended brush, although I did use a fluffy brush from Eco Tools for blending. I finished off the look with some Magenta Lip Pencil from MAC, followed by MAC's Heroine lipstick. I don't know how often i'm going to use this palette, although I really want to as the colours are just insane. I'm definitely going to experiment with more YouTube tutorials and try to come up with combinations on my own to try out. So if you loved experimenting with colour or just want a make-up look that's bound to turn heads, the UD Electric Palette is most definitely for you.

Get your hands on the Electric Palette here for £38 or at your local Urban Decay counter. 

Too Faced Cat Eyes Palette

Winged liner has always been an enemy of mine. I know most girls say that, but I am at times genuinely afraid of it. I think i'm always hesitant to blog about looks that require winged liner because when it comes to being a beauty blogger, you're judged a lot on your ability to apply make-up instead of how you review the products. That's totally fine, but I started this blog because I enjoyed writing about beauty, not to show off my make-up artistry skills. Long story short, i'm a bit crap at applying make-up. I'm getting better, but don't expect any mind-blowing too soon, but i'm certainly working on it!

That aside, this Too Faced Cat Eyes palette has been the perfect practice palette for winged liner. It contains nine different colours that can be used to achieve three key looks, all finished off with a feline flick. 

Three of the shadows (Leopard, Jungle Love and Panther) are designed to be wet/dry liners, so they can either be used as a shadow or a soft liner with a dry brush or something a bit more intense and gel-like when the liner brush is wet. I love this idea, as you can control the intensity of the flick this way. Here is my review of the three example looks you can achieve with this palette:

Day

This is my favourite look out of the three, as I believe its the most natural. It's really soft, natural and I love the shimmer of Purr on the brow bone. When I applied Tigers Eye as the liner it didn't really seem to show up, but it seems to look really intense here? Weird. I love how this understated look is achieved with just three colours. Really simple yet equally beautiful.

To achieve this day look, you apply Purr all over the lid, blend Tigers Eye into the crease and using Leopard as a liner.

Classic

I'm not too sure about this one. I can see where I needed to blend a bit more, but i'm just not a bit fan of the recommended crease colour. I really love the double liner though, the intensity of Pussy Cat is just gorgeous, and although Jungle Love looks black in the photo, the pink above it really brings it out. I'd prefer this to be paired with some silver for a twist on a classic smokey eye instead of trying to incorporate a bronzy tone.

I used Meow all the way up to the brow bone, Tigers Eye in the crease, followed by a line of Jungle Love with Pussy Cat lined above it.

Fashion

I only have one picture of this one, as after I took this picture I itched my eye and smudged the entire thing!! I would say this is more of a classic cat eye than a fashion one, with the purple and pink liners used in the Classic look to be a bit more high-fashion.

I achieved this by bringing Kitten all the way up to the lash line, then blending some Panther in the outer V and then using it as a wet liner to create the flick. I finished it off with some Kitty Glitter in the inner corner. The Kitty Glitter used in the tear duct is absolutely gorgeous but so powdery, so I really had to pack it on in order to get a substantial amount of shimmer to show up. However, this is definitely what I would wear for a night out :)

Overall I think this is a really versatile palette. Although these are the looks they recommend, there's a great range of shades so you can really play around. They are also very pigmented, meaning that I can practice my flicks for as long as I want without even making a dent in the shadows. It's quite pricey at £35, but these are good quality shadows that are built to last. Now excuse me while I attempt to perfect my flicks!

Do you have any tips or tricks to achieve perfect winged liner? Let me know below.

You can purchase the Too Faced Cat Eyes Palette for £35 here!

Benefit's Lollibalm

I've been desperate to review some of Benefit's new products ever since I started working there in October. However, due to the risk of sounding bias I decided i'd stay away until I didn't work there anymore. That time has now come (I'm not going to explain why, but let's just say their techniques weren't for me!), so here is a review of one of their new products I couldn't wait to get my hands on.

I've always been a massive fan of their iconic lip and cheek stains - there isn't a day that goes by that I don't layer one underneath a lipstick or gloss - so I was really excited to see that they brought out the entire lip and cheek stain range in the form of a tinted lip balm. Packed with mango butter and sodium hyaluronate (Yeah, I have no idea what that is either!), it promises to be super moisturising and provide a subtle hint of colour which can be intensified with the matching tint underneath. Lollitint is my go-to tint at the moment as I like having a hint of purple/plum to my lips, so I thought i'd start off trying out Lollibalm.

First off, the packaging is gorgeous. Benefit is known for its unique packaging and this product doesn't disappoint. I love the shape of the bullet as it makes it so much easier to slick on at an angle like a lipstick. What can I say? It does what it says on the tin. It's a lip balm with a little bit of colour in it! The staying power isn't great, although with lip balms they never are. I was originally told (By Benefit employees!) that the balms weren't great as the colour is barely noticeable, which I disagree with. Yes, they would not replace your lipstick or gloss, but there is a slight hint which is ideal for those days when you don't want anything attention grabbing but you don't want to face the day bare-faced. 

Here is the Lollibalm worn alone without a tint underneath:

As you can see there is a hint of colour there, and my lips look really hydrated and moisturised. 

And here it is with Lollintint underneath:

To be quite honest with you, this look could have been achieved with one more very thin coat of tint, followed by a clear lipgloss. I get the feeling these are sort-of fluff/filler products thought up to squeeze a bit more catch out of the lip and cheek stains. They are really hydrating, but essentially you are paying £14.50 for a lip balm which you can purchase for £5 in your local drugstore. 

I am curious to see how the other balms measure up in comparison, however I don't think i'll be breaking the bank anytime soon purchasing the remaining three colours. 

You can purchase Lollibalm, alongside the other tinted lip balms, online or at your local Benefit counter for £14.50.

My Little MAC Lipstick Collection

Hey all! 

It's been a while since i've posted (again!) and the excuse remains the same. University work has got the better of me, so posts will be done when I can grab some free time. I thought i'd ease myself back in slowly by posting a little collection post. MAC lipsticks have been crowd favourites for years, with their endless finishes, shades and collections. I've only have a few, but they are something I really want to invest in this year as I really do believe they are the best lip products out there! So here is my little MAC lipstick collection so far:

(Top to bottom) Innocence, Beware!, Pervette & Plink!

Shy Girl, Creme Cup & Chatterbox

Japanese Maple & Peach Blossom

I've linked full reviews to them all underneath, apart from Peach Blossom and Shy Girl which I didn't seem to review upon purchase (I have no idea why!). As you can see I tend to gravitate towards the same colours when it comes to these lipsticks, which probably has something to do with their £15 price tag and I want to make sure I get something that I know suits me. I also tend to go for their Cremesheen collection, as I find the finish really long-lasting and there's also something really luxurious about the creamy texture. 

My favourite? It has to be Creme Cup .. It's the perfect neutral shade that seems to go with everything. It's one of the first ones I ever bought and has been used the most! 

My least favourite? Pervette. It's literally been worn once as I don't like the finish. I don't quite know what possessed me to buy a Glaze lipstick as it just looks weird and cold on my lips. There isn't much colour and I prefer something with a stronger pigment that makes my lips look more moisturised than lifeless! 

I'm now on the hunt for a really lovely plum colour along with a matte red that's suitable for pale skin tones from MAC.. any ideas? 

Speak soon! x

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Need help matching a foundation? Try Findation!

Ever wanted to buy a foundation online but didn't want to take the plunge without testing first?
Yeah, me too. As addicted I am to online shopping I don't trust the swatch pictures and I certainly don't trust the airbrush faces modelling the products. But when a sale is on and there's only limited stock left, wouldn't like to be assured that the product will match my skin?

Findation is a website that allows you to see what shade of foundation you're matched to by simply inputting your existing foundation shades. By adding all of your current foundations it uses an algorithm (Don't ask me what it is, I have no idea!) to reveal your shade in hundreds of both high-street and designer brands.

You start by searching for the existing brands out of the hundreds listed, followed by selecting the right product and shade - the more products you register the more accurate the search will be.

With the added advantage of thumbnail images it makes the search easier, and even includes some discontinued products if it's been a while since you've updated your foundation.

From there you're presented with a lists of 'recommended matches', which you can filter if there are certain brands you aren't keen on buying. Each product comes with a detailed description of its finish, ingredients and stockist. There's also an option to share your list with friends on Facebook or Twitter, and save your matches to look back on later.

It's incredibly detailed and includes every brand I can possibly think of and more! When testing it with my existing foundations, I found that the majority of the matches were correct - though some made me out to be a darker shade than I know I am (I always need the palest foundation shade in everything!) .. but overall it produced good matches. There are some tips in order to produce the best results - such as not relying on an accurate result for a heavy foundation if you only input BB Cream shades - so be sure to use them to make sure you get the right shade. This is perfect if you want to speed up the process of testing the products in store, or if you just can't be bothered to visit the counter at all!

Findation is an informative catalogue of brands that makes shopping for foundation online so much easier and i'm now definitely more inclined to try out new brands without the added fear of it being too dark on my pastey skin.

Click here to visit Findation and find your matches today!

YSL Touche Eclat Highlighter

If you're at all interested in beauty products, you would have heard of the iconic Touche Eclat highlighter pen from YSL. A staple product in countless makeup artists, celebrities, models and everyday womens make up bags for the past 25 years, the pen has multiple uses - from a under-eye shadow banisher to an eyeshadow primer.

It's only been recently that the highlighter has gone from just three shades to ten, which was the main reason I didn't purchase the product sooner as even the lightest of the three shades was too dark. I decided to try this out alongside the new Touche Eclat foundation - which is basically the foundation version of the complexion highlighter pen. I was instantly matched to the lightest shade - 1- which accourding to the sales assistant is a shade for all skin tones.

Since its released 25 years ago, the packaging hasn't changed - its still a glamorous gold pen which the trademark YSL symbol stamped on the removable lid. The pen has a button on the end of the pen that releases more product onto the brush when clicked. I'm not usually one to purchase something for the brand, but the gorgeous YSL symbol does add an element of glamour to the product - an added bonus!

 

First of all, I just want to apologise for the poor quality of the photos. I've started to finally use my DSLR for my images and even though i've had it for a few years now i've never quite sussed out how to work it, therefore sometimes the pictures aren't the best - but i'm trying to improve, I promise. It's a really great handbag size, and the metallic gold finish allows me to quickly identify it amoungst the other products in my makeup bag. The brush (Which is originally white, but this is a long-overdue post so I've used it quite a lot before actually taking photos!) is extremely soft and distributes the right amount of product with just one pump.

When I first thought about purchasing this product, I thought it was simply a concealer. However, I was astounded by the multiple uses. I've swatched the product quite heavily, as obviously it being a highlighter its quite discreet but with an amazing healthy looking glow. I use it under my eyes as a concealer, down the bridge of my nose, in the little 'dimple part' of my chin and along my jaw line - but really you can use it anywhere you want to hide shadows and catch a little extra light.

I was instantly amazed at how vibrant and glowing my skin tooked immediately after application, especially under the eyes. Just a few dots of the pen followed by gently patting into the skin and it instantly iliminated any shadows I had! I can definitely see why this highlighter has been around for so long and adapted into a foundation, it's just a quality product that goes above and beyond simply highlighting cheekbones. It's so versatile and looks incredible paired with the YSL Touche Eclat foundation. It's really light, natural and there's no need for reapplication throughout the day. However, the price tag does put a damper on a perfect product - a lovely £25. Definitely not the cheapest, but for someone who is a frequent buyer of Benefit's High Beam at £18.50, the jump doesn't seem as great for a product that can be used in so many different ways. I can now officially say that the iconic highlighter has found itself another frequent buyer - this is taking up permanent residence in my makeup bag. It may seem a bit steep, but for a product thats been going strong for over 25 years, it's got to be something special.

You can purchase YSL Touche Eclat Highlighter Pen for £25 at your local YSL counter.


*Click here to enter my giveaway to win a MAC lipstick in a shade of your choice!*

Be sure to vote for Sophie Says for the NEXT Newcomer Blog Award at this years Cosmopolitan Blog Awards HERE!

Do It Yourself - Highlighter!

I've been fascinated with DIY beauty products ever since I started browsing the blogesphere - it's fun being directly involved in the making of something you want to use, and usually the finished product is alot less costly than if you were buying a ready-made product from a brand.

After reading up on bloggers that use eyeshadow directly onto their cheekbones for a highlight, I decided to elaborate and give making my own a try:

You Need:

• Facial Lotion
• A small container
• Pearl/sparkly eyeshadow
• A spoon
• A primer (Not pictured)

Just three ingredients make up a super shimmery highlighter, however the primer is used to elongate the highlighter but I did not have a suitable one with me to use in this demonstration (I had attempted to use Benefit's POREfessional but the consistency wasn't compatable with the lotion), so be sure to use a liquid primer, not one with a thicker paste-like texture. I bought the small container in a pack of five for £2 and the lotion was less than £2 also. The most expensive products will be the primer and eyeshadow, but there are inexpensive brands if you need to buy a new shade, or you can use the last few bits of an old one. With the primer, you only need a tiny amount so you if you need to purchase some especially, you can just use it as a great new addition to your makeup kit after adding it into the highlighter!

Squirt some of the lotion into the small container, as you can see i've filled about 1/3 of the pot. However, you can really use however much you'd like, just ensure you have enough shadow to even it out. This would then be followed by a small squirt of your chosen primer and use the spoon (Or the spoon handle depending on the size of your pot!) to mix together thoroughly.

Using the back of the spoon, carefully mash the eyeshadow and tip the desired amount into the pot with the lotion and primer. Then mix. And I mean REALLY mix. I found that the eyeshadow tended to solidify and form small clumps within the mixture if it wasn't mixed quickly and vigorously.

As you can see, because of the chosen eyeshadow colour the finished product doesn't look a lot different than the lotion pictured at the beginning,  but there is a slight shine. I have included the half-used palette to show how much shadow I actually used - but it's really a case of adding more and mixing until you've found the right amount for you.

I applied it quite thick for you to visibly see the finished product, and as you can see it gives a light pearl shimmer that looks gorgeous when it catches the light. I have used it since and i've found it to be a great alternative for expensive products such as Benefit's 'High Beam', which comes with a hefty £18.50 price tag! It's great for people who enjoy experimenting and creating to find cheaper alternatives to high end products. The primer will ensure that the product is long lasting, and the facial lotion ensures that it doesn't dry out your skin.

The compact container means its easy to pop into my bag if I want to top up my glow, and overall i'm so happy with the way it turned out and how it effectively highlights my cheekbones and is a great addition to my everyday make-up routine!


Be sure to vote for Sophie Says for the NEXT Newcomer Blog Award at this years Cosmopolitan Blog Awards HERE!