My Make Up Brushes : Beauty

I like things simple when it comes to make up brushes. I have 6 in total in which I only really use 4 on a regular basis so I thought I'd just introduce you to the brushes that I would never let leave my side and the ones I save for certain occasions. 

 5 out of 6 of my brushes are from Real Techniques and anybody that has ever used one will know that once you go RT you don't go back. So I'll just run through each brush and let you know how I use each. 

(top left) - The Real Techniques Sculpting Brush 
 I think this brush is meant to be used for contouring, but I use it for my blush. It's the perfect size for the amount I like to put on and the oval shape with the gradient bristles make it perfect for blending and avoiding that streaky look. 


(top right) - The Real Techniques Bold Metals 101 Triangle Foundation Brush 
 So this has to be my least favourite brush from my collection. I want to love it, its so beautiful with its gold wand but it just doesn't deliver the results I get from my other brushes. It's meant to be a foundation brush but I just don't get a blended finish with this at all. I also find the bristles on this brush to be a lot harder than other RT brushes I have so I find it so hard to work with. 

(middle left) - The Real Techniques Powder Brush 
 Love this brush. I moved on from my usual Kabuki brush to this brush at the start of the year and I'm so glad I did. For one, I really love the feel of the longer handle on this, all of the kabuki brushes I have had all featured really stumpy handles but I feel this RT brush gives you a bit more control over the pressure and coverage you can get with your powder. Also, the bristles are so soft on this brush, which really work for blending and keeping your powder even. I use this brush for both my powder and bronzer as I wear fake tan and they just get blended together anyway. 

(bottom right) - The Real Techniques Bold Metals 301 Flat Contour Brush
 This is the other brush I don't use all of the time and that's mainly because I just don't contour every day. I use this brush when I'm going for a more glam look, so I take my shimmery bronzer and apply it under my cheekbones in a half attempt to contour my face. I'm so lazy with that kind of thing, but it works enough for me. I like this brush because it's quite dense, so it picks up the bronzer really easily and because of the flat design you don't get sneaky amounts of bronzer on the edges that you don't want. 

(bottom left) - The Real Techniques Expert Face Brush 
 By far my favourite make up brush of all time! This is the second one I've had of this brush because I used my old one so much. I use this brush for my foundation everyday because it blends perfectly! I use the Bareminerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream and the soft bristles on this brush move it across my face effortlessly. 

NUXE Dry Oil Review : Beauty

Hey Everyone! 
 It has been a while hasn't it! I haven't looked or really even thought about my blog for a few months now and that's down to a few reasons really; 1 - I moved into my own flat which was exhausting, 2 - I got made redundant from my job (stressed'r'us) and 3 - I kind of lost motivation. I was getting so frustrated with my photos not turning out how I wanted and scheduling in time to get posts up that it just got side tracked majorly. So I'm back and feeling pretty excited to get behind my laptop and lens again! 

 My first post has to be about a product that I only just discovered this summer but I've been obsessed with since!

 The NUXE Dry Oils are not new to the beauty/skin/hair world but they are gurrrrd! I have the Golden Shimmer version in a full sized bottle and also the original that I got in my LF Beauty Box. 

First Thoughts: 'At what stage of getting dressed do I put this on?'

Can anybody tell me this? I have tried both methods, slathering it on a few minutes before getting dressed and also after. I guess it does depend what you're wearing but I've found that putting this on before any clothes are even thought about to be the best method. Also, for the shimmer version, I would only focus on areas that are going to be on show as it just makes the inside of your clothes look as crazy as Miley Cyrus' instagram. 

It's also worth noting that with the Original oil I use this on my hair before blow-drying. I don't use too much as it does tend to make it greasy but a little goes a long way so just go easy and your hair will look great for it. 

Final Thoughts: I LOVE this product! It's not something I use everyday but when I want to make my tan pop a little more than usual I dab a bit on and it just looks so nice! 

Score: 9/10

So tell me!?! What have I missed in the world of blogging? Leave your links below because I have a lot of catching up to do :)


Beka xxx

Organic Matcha Latte

I've really loved getting into my green tea recently and although a cup of the hot stuff does do great things for your body, nothing compares to Green Matcha. 

 Rather than with the brewed water in tea, Green Matcha allows you to get the benefits from the entire leaf. In terms of the benefits, I've read that it's up to 10 times better than just having the tea - so that says a lot!

 Some of the main benefits you gain from Green Matcha are that it calms & relaxes, helps you fight against viruses and bacteria, rich in fibre, lowers your cholesterol, it's rich in antioxidants and also boosts your metabolism. 

 From my experience of using Green Matcha mixed in my Green Smoothies and in the Latte form (see below), I have a lot more energy throughout the day and my hunger pangs are kept at bay too. 

So I thought I'd share with you a quick recipe to make your very own Green Matcha Lattes. I got my Green Matcha from Kiss Me Organics and  it comes in quite a good sized pouch so it lasts for ages.

You'll need:
1 tsp Green Matcha powder
1/4 cup of boiling water
3/4 cup of Almond Milk
Honey or Sweetener to your preference

Mix the Green Matcha with the boiling water until smooth, then add your hot milk and sweetener. How simple! 

We Are Tea

I have always hated tea. 

It's been difficult to explain to the many British tea lovers out there, but for me, tea literally made me gag. I don't know what it was that did it but I just could not stomach the stuff. 

However, that is now a thing of the past. 

 We Are Tea has transformed my view on tea and I can't get enough of the stuff. There's no weird after taste and I actually look forward to having tea time now. 

Daintea is a slimming tea that tastes amazing. I like to have one of these in the morning and then again around half 3. They help to curb my appetite and give me a bit more energy just in time for the gym after work. 

I also got to try the Moroccan Mint Green tea which is lovely for those times you need something to just perk you up. It's very refreshing and I like to have a cup on those nights where I'm resting from the gym. 

And lastly, Serenitea is something I bought to settle myself before bed. I go through stages where getting to sleep is somewhat of a task, I get riddled with nightmares and even have to sleep with the light on just to settle. So I bought this in the hope that it would help and if I'm totally honest it has helped a little bit. I do feel calmer and I think that's a combination of the ingredients and also the time I take out to just sit in bed with a warm cup of tea. 

I'm really enjoying exploring the We Are Tea range and I'm definitely going to be a repeat buyer of this brand, especially the Daintea tea bags. 

Have you tried We Are Tea before?

Buff

Yes - another Illasqua lipstick!

This time in the form of a creamy greige/brown shade called Buff. 

Having just dyed my hair a bit darker, I was really keen to see how this lipstick looked on. It gives you that 90's grunge feel that looks absolutely stunning! 

I can definitely see myself rocking this for a girls night out, giving a different look to my usual nude or red lipstick I always turn to. 

If you love brown lipsticks then this is definitely worth a purchase. 

Test

By now you'll know that Illamasqua is my new lipstick soulmate!

I literally cannot help myself. The sale has been pretty amazing this year and I nabbed this beauty for only £9.80!

Test is an absolutely beautiful nudey/pink lipstick from Illamasqua and It rivals that of Climax in how much I love it. It's creamy with a slight matte finish that I can't get enough of. 

I just don't see lipsticks getting better than these. I know that's a big statement to make, but when you find a brand that really works for you it's difficult to imagine that any will beat it. 

What do you think?