The Glueless Scr4pbook.

I had just finished cleaning my brushes the other night and I thought, why not do a post about them and all the other tools that I couldn't live without, so here they are.

Brushes- an obvious one, but there are definitely a few in my collection that I couldn't go a day without; the Elf Stipple Brush for bronzer and highlighter, the Mac 217 for applying and blending eyeshadow, the Zoeva Luxe Highlight Brush for setting powder, the Real Techniques Setting Brush for concealer and  mini Benefit Kabuki Brush for contour.

Cotton pads- for quick and easy make up and nail polish removal.

Cotton buds- for touching up eye make up, lipstick, nail polish and for applying blemish treatments.

Muslin cloth- for a gentle way to exfoliate while I cleanse when there's no time for both.

The sponge- I use two, the Dior Backstage Blender which is egg shaped and does not expand in water, and the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge which has flat edges as well as Roy d to make sure every surface is catered for. These are without a doubt the best tool for a natural looking base.

Nail file- both a glass one and a metal one, the glass because they are best for filing and so long lasting, and the metal for cleaning underneath the nail.

Tweezers- for everything. Plucking stray hairs, applying false lashes, peeling that dry flake ( you know you do it too). 

Eyelash curlers- for me, these are not a necessity as I actually have pretty naturally curly lashes, but I do find that they help to make my eyes look more open when wearing a smokey eye so I always keep them handy.

Magnifying mirror- the eyes and the brows.

Wipes- even though these are naughty, I always have to have a pack lying around, even if only to wipe the foundation from the back of my hand.

Baby wash- to keep brushes clean and soft.

Lush Full Of Grace Solid Serum (£8.25/ 20g).

"Solid serum to calm sensitive skin with fresh rose petals, portobello mushrooms and soothing rainforest butters." 

"... Portobello mushrooms are a natural anti oxidant, while Amazonian butters smooth and soften."

This serum contains organic almond oil, cupaucu butter, camomile blue oil, muru muru butter, calamine powder, targeted oil and rose oil.

So, onto my thoughts. First thing I noticed is that it does not come in its own tin, as Lush are an environmentally friendly company they are very minimalist on packaging, but I did find a little plastic tub from Muji which fits it perfectly. Second thing was the scent, it's very heavily scented, a sort of herbal floral. To use this you simply rub it between your hands and it starts to melt into your finger tips, you then rub the melted oils into your face and neck. This feels immediately moisturising but it's quite heavy and greasy so I would say unless you have extra time on your hands in the mornings or your skin is ultra dehydrated this is best only for night time as it does not sink in quickly by any means. It feels really luxurious on the skin and when I wake up in the morning my skin has a sort of velvet feel to it which I really like. I think I would repurchase this, I kind of got used to the scent after a while and it lasted me ages so it worked out quite good value for money.

& Other Stories Nail Polish (£5/ 9ml)

Recently I have developed a new love- the & Other Stories Nail Polishes. I have three at the moment and at least another three on my wishlist. The shade choice is incredible and I think the formula is actually pretty good too. Two coats is all it takes for a completely opaque finish, it dries quickly too which is always a plus for me but not too quickly that it ends up gloopy and streaky. It last on the nails for around 3-4 days in a non hands-on environment.

The packaging is basic but sleek and clean, a clear glass bottle with a white plastic lid and the brush is my favourite type- flat and wide (like the YSL ones) so it's just two swipes and everything is covered.

The colours is have so far are Boucle Greige- a light grey beige with a hint of lilac, Blunt Grey- a cloudy blue grey and Faison Dust- a dusky mauve pink. All the colours are gorgeous and they are constantly bringing out more and more, I really think these are great for the money and I really recommend them.

I was always put off buying this kit despite hearing such good things, purely because I had spent such a lot on my Kevyn Aucoin powder, but recently Boots had a Buy One Get One Half Price off which enticed me in, so I picked it up and I'm so happy I did.

Sleek Face Contour Kit (£6.49/14 g) Shade Light.

The compact itself is very tiny and chic, reminding me of the Nars packaging. It has a good sized mirror inside and clicks shut very securely so is great for on the go.

The contour shade, which takes up 2/3 of the compact is a very pigmented soft matte brown, a little too dark for a bronzer but a perfect contour shade for my pale skin, I find it really easy to work with, with very minimal effort, I use a small angled brush to apply it and blend it out with a stipple brush and I am yet to over apply withy this. I think this would be great for someone just starting out in the contour game because its pretty fool proof.

As for the highlight shade, it looks quite golden in the pan but the look on the skin is much more champagne, not a bit of glitter in sight, it is just a nice healthy sheen which looks great on cheek bones and below the brow and can even be used as an inner corner highlight.

This palette was such great value for money, now I see what the hype was all about. 

Today I am reviewing a gorgeous cleanser I have been loving recently, the REN Rosa Centifolia Express Make Up Remover (£13/ 150ml). This has been really refreshing to use after months of just Micellar water after Micellar water, I really like the feel of cream cleansers, I know it can seem like you are just moving the make up around your face but there's something really soothing about it. Anyway, this particular cleanser leaves the skin feeling fully cleansed and super soft, I, as an oily girl, can even go without a moisturiser if I use this in the mornings. It leaves a really plump healthy look on the skin. It is a thick white cream which is non greasy and yet removes waterproof eye make up perfectly and best of all it has a pump that dispenses the perfect cotton-ball-sized amount so nothing is wasted.

I have been especially enjoying using this at night and I think I will be repurchasing this when its gone.

Today I want to review the "Simply Dip" Nail Colour Remover (£5) by & Other Stories because (spoiler alert) I truly can't believe how good it is. 

I have never tried any of these hassle free nail polish removers (well, maybe once when I was 10 and I used my mums) and to be honest, I really didn't have very high hopes at all. I was wrong. Literally the quickest, simplest form of remover ever, you literally swipe it around on the sponge a few times and all traces are totally gone. The only trouble I had was with my glitter polish, I did have to go in with a separate cotton ball but for all other polish it has been great. The smell is a bit overpowering, a sort of liquorice scent but I can get over it. The packaging is chic black and white and the price is very reasonable, now just to see how long it lasts.

Have you tried one before?

Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick (£25/ 3.8g) SPF 15.

I was lucky enough to be given one of these gorgeous lipsticks to try recently so I wanted to share a few thoughts on it.

This is the shade 58 'Luminous Mauve', a purple-pink which transfers as more pink on the lips. It's really gorgeous, very different from anything I own and I'm really glad I was given this shade as I never would have picked it myself and its perfect for Autumn/ Winter.

These lipsticks are extremely pigmented and hydrating, they have a very luxurious feel and a beautiful creamy texture which lasts. They have a satin finish but I have found they actually look good matted down with some powder and equally good with a high shine gloss on top for a really intense look. The lasting power is around 1-2 hours which isn't great but the pigment leaves a pretty stain behind and since they are a satin finish, they are easy to reapply on the go.

I'm pretty tempted to go for a few more colours, maybe I'll save up some Boots points. Have you tried these lipsticks?

Lush's Luxury Lush Pud (£3.50) Limited edition for the Christmas period.

"Unwind with this soothing bath bomb, perfect before bedtime, drop this in the bath and watch it create pastel coloured islands in the pink water as it fizzes and froths, sharing it's fragrance with the Twighlight bath bomb, the comforting Tonka Absolute, Ylang Ylang and relaxing Lavender Oils will help banish tension."

Tonka Absolute - vanilla like aroma, anti inflammatory.

Ylang Ylang - sweet floral, uplifting properties for combatting stress and depression.

Benzoin Resinoid - deeply cleanses and soothes skin, eases muscles and reduces swelling.

Lavender Oil - to calm the mind, aid sleep and muscular pain. Anti septic, anti bacterial and relaxing.

(All of the above descriptions were taken straight from the Lush website.)

The reaction of this with the water alone was enough for me to say I'd be repurchasing it. This is a huge bath bomb, I have used it once so far but I think I have another 2 baths left in it which is pretty good I'd say. I am assuming that the first time is going to be the best for the visual side of things, I can't get over how pretty it looked, (these photos have not been edited, they were however taken with the flash on). The sweet scent with a hint of lavender filled the whole room up and it really did make for a relaxing setting. I need to stock up on these before they get out away again for another year.

Have you tried this yet?

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer (RRP £26.50/ 5.92g) Shade SC-2.

"Conceal your discolouration, imperfections and redness with Laura's iconic concealer. Oil free and long wearing, this unique two-toned camouflage allows you to customise the colour to meet your needs. Suitable for all skin types, even sensitive."

The technique: "Using the secret camouflage brush, blend the two colours on the back of your hand, using feather light strokes, conceal the areas of concern."

This concealer is designed so that you can custom make your own perfect shade but I find that using the peach shade under my eyes cancels out any dark circles and I use the flesh tone for my blemishes and redness. The coverage of this concealer is incredible with just a small amount, it's very thick in the pan but as soon as it touches the skin it becomes creamy and easy to blend. It doesn't feel cakey or heavy when applied either which is amazing considering the coverage. It has a matte finish which is long lasting and doesn't gather in fine lines or crease. I would say a person with dry skin might like to moisture before using this but for all other skin types it would be fine on its own.

It comes in a chic deep red compact with a mirror so it is perfect for on-the-go. I highly recommend this concealer, it is definitely worth the hype!