My Top 10 Makeup Brushes

Along with eyeshadow palettes, makeup brushes are an obsession of mine. In my opinion you can never really have enough and they are just so great to collect. Having said that, unlike eyeshadow palettes, makeup brushes are not something I spend a lot of money on because I think there are definitely cheaper ones out there which do the same job as more expensive ones.

Sorry my brushes are so dirty they are definitely in need of a good deep clean!!

Zoeva 142 Concealer Buffer (£7.95)

Zoeva makeup brushes are probably the most raved about brushes in the blogosphere and on YouTube along with RealTechniques and rightly so. This brush does exactly as its name suggests - buffs and blends all types of concealer seamlessly to give a flawless finish. It's very dense so washes really well and is synthetic so great for blending cream products. It's the perfect size for under the eye or for more precise areas like on spots or around the nose.

MUA F3 Concealer Brush (£2.95)

This is one of the first makeup brushes I ever owned and I've loved it ever since. This brush is designed for concealer and does work ok for that but personally I prefer a denser, thicker blending brush for that so the best way to use this is gel eyeliner. I use this with my Maybelline one and it works amazingly. The top of it is quite wider so you can cover a bigger part of your eye than with most eyeliner brushes and it's so thin so great for a more precise line which I normally go for. It's an amazing price and definitely worth picking up if you struggle with eyeliner - it makes it so much easier!

Real Techniques Sculpting Brush (£9.99)

This is one of several Real Techniques brushes featured in this post because they really are as amazing as everyone says. This is designed for contouring, particularly with cream products, which I'm not really into but it blends my foundation and concealer like no other! I had previously been switching between the Buffing and Expert Face brushes which did do a great job but something about this one is just better. I think the shape definitely helps because it's large enough to do your whole face with but because of the angle on it, it's also great for blending out concealer more precisely. It really makes my foundation look like skin and I would 110% recommend it if you are looking for a new multi-purpose brush or even just a foundation brush.

Real Techniques Duo Fibre Face Brush (part of duo fibre set - approx. £20 discontinued :()

Let me just start by saying unfortunately this particular RT set has been discontinued but I believe you can still get hold of it in some places like Amazon and there are similar brushes in the RT Nic's Picks set too. I've recently been trying to steer away from the dead matte look I'd been going for for a while and going for slightly more glowy, natural-looking skin and this brush is perfect for helping me to achieve that. Because the bristles are duo fibre, they don't pick up too much product so are perfect for a light dusting of powder just where you need it. I would say this brush is great for those of you who don't really suffer from oily skin but still like to set their makeup in place with a little powder. I still do like to pack on the powder on the end of my nose because I hate my nose and I feel a glow can draw attention to it but as for the rest of my face, this is perfect. I also like it for a really subtle application of bronzer.


Real Techniques Multi Task Brush (part of Travel Essentials Set - £20.99)
The name really is perfect for this brush because I can use it for so many different things. My favourite ways to use it are for blusher because it's quite fluffy so blends out very well. Also it's great for bronzer because although it is quite rounded it also tapers down to quite a thin tip so it's good for contouring too. YouTuber Lauren Curtis loves this one for foundation, I'm yet to try this but it does seem to give her a great flawless base. Obviously it's also great for powder. Overall just an amazing all-rounder and a must for me particularly when travelling.

Anself Pointed Crease Brush (part of 9Pcs Makeup Brush Kit (Amazon) - £5.49!!!!!!!)

Just so you know these brushes don't actually have names but I do tend to use it for more precise crease work so I named it that :). It's quite a stiff brush so I didn't think it would be too great for blending but actually it does that job very well particularly if you're using a darker colour which you only want in a specific area like the outer v for example. The whole set is amazing with both eye and face brushes so I would highly recommend picking it up as it's such a steal but still really good quality.

Real Techniques Contour Brush (part of Core Collection - £20.99)

This is a very recent addition to my makeup collection but has quickly become one of my favourite brushes. Contouring is something I am so rubbish at but this brush makes it so easy. I was a bit worried because it seems quite small so I thought it would make my contour a little too precise but actually it blends it out so well it just looks really natural. It's also great to use with concealer. This brush really for me makes contouring fool-proof!

Seventeen Eyeshadow Brush (£1.99)
I hadn't heard anything at all about Seventeen makeup brushes but I decided to pick a few up anyway and I'm so glad I did. This one is a dense, smaller eyeshadow brush which is great for crease work and blending in the outer v. The density means it also applies an all over the lid colour really well and the small size means it is good for applying both the inner corner and brow bone highlight. Such great value for money and easy to get hold of - definitely a worthy addition to your makeup brush collection!

Morphe E23 Deluxe Blender Brush (£5.50)
Unfortunately this brush has been out of stock on Beauty Bay for a while now so might be quite hard to get hold of :( I had been looking for a larger eye blending brush for a while because the ones I already had were smaller and flatter then I came across this one and it instantly became a staple! It's such a good price and really works well at blending out any harsh lines.

Real Techniques Bold Metals 200 Oval Shadow Brush (£15)
This is the most pricey out of all of the brushes I have featured in this post, but I would say it is definitely worth it because it is a great multi tasker for the eyes. Because of it's shape being tapered and fairly dense and rounded, but still quite flat on the sides it is great for both packing on colour and blending out. You can easily turn it on its side and use it in the crease as well. I love the packaging as well because it feels really weighty and premium. I do really like it but I would say there are brushes which do a similar job for around £7 or £8 from brands like Zoeva. Still another great one for travelling though because you can use it for several different things.


I hope you enjoyed reading this post :) I'd love to hear what your favourite brushes are in the comments!

Lily :)x

Seventeen Eyeshadow Mono Review

I would like to firstly say sorry for not having posted in about three months now! I recently started a new job which I have been loving and to be honest, all the free time I have had has really been used for relaxing and chilling out because working is surprisingly tiring!

For today's post I am doing a review of 5 of the Seventeen Eyeshadow Monos (£3.89). I bought the shade Rose Quartz a few months ago now and loved it so much that I decided I must investigate the other colours and now I have 5. I have never come across such amazing pigmentation in drugstore eyeshadows before. These shades easily rival my Urban Decay shadows (and better my MAC ones) across colour payoff, lasting power and blendability. They are soooo buttery soft it's incredible - for the price tag you really can't go wrong. Below I have individually reviewed each shade with swatches (picture heavy!).

This photo is just to show the packaging. They come in little square-ish pots which are very sturdy and have a cool little catch which you push down to open them.

Seventeen Eyeshadow Mono - Funfair

This is my most recent purchase and initially I was a little apprehensive about it because it looks very similar to a shade in my Zoeva Rose Golden Eyeshadow Palette which I find really hard to wear. In actual fact it is a peachy gorgeous shade (and probably my favourite) with an almost duo-chrome appearance with the gold running through it. It's so easy to throw on but is still different enough from your standard champagne-pink shade to be really unique and interesting on the lid. I have heard this is a dupe for MAC Expensive Pink as well although I've never tried it so can't confirm this. Definitely a must-have!

Seventeen Eyeshadow Mono - Statuesque

This may look very similar to Funfair but is actually quite different as it is much more of a champagne colour and leans more pink than peach but is still a really pretty shade. It is almost identical to Urban Decay Sin but is a bit darker but definitely has the same amazing pigmentation and creaminess. Quite similar to a lot of shades I own but still a staple in my collection.

Seventeen Eyeshadow Mono - Rose Quartz

This is the one I first heard talked about on YouTube by FleurdeForce and I always trust her opinion because she's very honest and genuine so I knew I had to get it. I would say in person it is a bit more lilac/purple than it looks in the pan but I still love it a lot. It is a silver/champagne with a taupey/lilac undertone and remarkably similar to By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Misty Rock (which I don't own but have swatched). It's a unique shade in my collection but still subtle enough for day-to-day wear. Probably the most pigmented out of them all but I did have an accident with it the other day which is why there is a chunk missing out of the corner :(.

Seventeen Eyeshadow Mono - Walnut Pearl

This is probably my least used shade out of them all simply because I don't really tend to wear such warm eyeshadows. It is a coppery-rust shade which I think would look great on green eyes and does look quite nice on brown eyes (like mine) as well but I just find it a little hard to wear for some reason. The pigmentation is great though so if you're into warm autumnal colours then I would definitely recommend this one.

Seventeen Eyeshadow Mono - Brown

In contrast to the other, more inventive names we have Brown which is, as you would think, a nice cool-toned brown which is dark enough to be used in the crease or outer corner for definition but still light enough so be a one-shade-wonder all over the lid. A very versatile shade which suits all eye colours and looks and a must in any makeup collection.

Swatches (natural lighting)- L-R: Funfair, Statuesque, Rose Quartz, Walnut Pearl, Brown

Swatches (artificial lighting)- L-R: Funfair, Statuesque, Rose Quartz, Walnut Pearl, Brown

Overall if you can't tell already I am so impressed by these shadows. The quality is incredible and I will definitely be picking up some more. There are 7 or 8 more shades in the collection but I believe most of those are more bold shades and less neutral but I'm sure will be just as pigmented and amazing if those are more your sort of shades. If you only get one I would say get Rose Quartz just because it is so unique and such a universal shade which will flatter most skin types I think.

Thank you for reading!

Lily :)x

Too Faced Natural Eyes Palette review

Too Faced recently gave the packaging of this palette a re-vamp and in Debenhams it was 10% off so I thought this was the perfect excuse to buy it! I've been testing it out for over a month now so I thought a review was probably due.

(Apologies for the messy state of this palette!)

As you can tell from the above photo, the Too Faced Natural Eye Palette comes with 9 shades. There are 4 mattes, 3 shimmers and 2 mattes with glitter. The shades are divided into three rows: Day, Classic and Night, making it easy to create looks.

Day - Heaven, Cashmere Bunny and Espresso

One thing I love about this palette is that there are enough mattes to create a whole look out of. Heaven is a creamy white (matte), Cashmere Bunny is a mid-toned brown (matte) and Espresso is a darker cool-toned brown (matte). These shades are all really pigmented and are great for an everyday look.

Classic - Silk Teddy, Push Up and Erotica

This is probably my favourite row. Silk Teddy is a champagne pink (shimmer), Push Up is a beautiful rose-gold bronze copper (shimmer) and Erotica is a dark cool-toned brown (matte with glitter) usually shades with this finish are quite dry and hard to work with but although Erotica is one of the drier shades in the palette it is still pigmented and easy to work with.

Fashion - Nudie, Honey Pot and Chocolate Martini

Nudie is a light brown (matte), Honey Pot is a neutral gold (shimmer) and Chocolate Martini is a dark warm-toned brown (matte with glitter).

This palette comes in a box with metal packaging and a magnetic closure. It also includes a handy guide as to how each of the shadows in the different rows can be used.

The pigmentation of all the shades is really great and they are all easy to blend and last well on the lids. The compact size of the packaging makes it great for travel and easy to slip in your makeup bag. I think the fact that nearly half of the shadows are mattes is a real plus point and really adds to the versatility of this palette. Mattes are notoriously hard to get right but these are all consistently easy to work with.

My only criticism would be the varying size of the eyeshadows. The smaller ones are 0.9g and the larger ones are 2g. For me personally this isn't an issue because I probably do use the bigger shadows more but this may be a problem if you get less use out of them.

My favourite look to do with this palette is Push Up all over the lid, with Nudie and Cashmere Bunny in the crease, Heaven as a highlight and Sexpresso on the upper lash line.

Overall I think this product is well worth the £32 price tag, the quality of the shadows is excellent and I'm sure I will get lots of use out of it particularly when travelling.

Have you tried this palette?

Thank you for reading!

Lily :) x

The Perfect Palette Tag

Palettes are definitely my favourite makeup item to buy because they are so pretty and I love trying out new looks with them! They also generally work out as really good value for money. I have bought quite a few over the past few months so I thought it would be worth doing this tag. (Sorry this is so picture-heavy!)

Best Packaging - Zoeva Rose Golden (£15.50)

1. Best Packaging

The Zoeva Rose Golden Palette is a fairly recent addition to my makeup collection but it was definitely love at first sight. The design of the packaging is stunning with the tan background and rose gold detailing - it makes it look much more expensive than it actually is! It's also really slimline and sleek so easy to store. The shadows themselves are also lovely.

Best Colour Payoff - Urban Decay Naked 1 and 2 Palettes (£38 each)

Swatches of some of my favourite shades - Naked 2 above and Naked 1 below

2. Best Colour Payoff

The Urban Decay Naked 1 and 2 are the only palettes I own which actually have consistently amazing pigmentation across all the shades. With just one swipe you get opaque swatches, even with the paler shades. They might be expensive but they do come with a double-ended brush and with colour payoff this good I can't see myself having to replace either of them anytime soon!

Best for Travelling - Too Faced Natural Eyes (£32) and Urban Decay Naked Basics 2 (£23)

Inside each of the palettes

3. Best for Travelling

The shade selection inside the Too Faced Natural Eyes is just perfect for travelling in my opinion because there are both mattes and shimmers with enough mattes to create a full look (hard to find in a lot of palettes). The three sections Day, Classic and Night make it easy to decide which shades to put together and make it easy to transition from neutral for the daytime to more intense and smokey for the night time. The packaging is also compact and sturdy. The Urban Decay Naked Basics 2 is perfect for a shorter break because, although there aren't as many shade combinations to come up with, it is still easy to create both day and night looks really easily. The packaging makes it easy to fit in your makeup bag and the large mirror always comes in handy.

Most Versatile - Sleek I-Divine in Storm (£7.99)

4. Most Versatile

The shades in the first row of the Sleek Storm are all really wearable neutral shades but it's the addition of the more interesting greens and blues in this palette which really make it so versatile. I don't tend to reach for these shades but they really help to set the palette apart from other neutral ones. I think the bottom left 4 colours and the cranberry/plum shade make this palette really nice for autumn as well.

Best Colour Names - Stila In The Light (£25)

5. Best Colour Names

This was a difficult category for me as it's not really something I've ever thought about! In the end though I settled for the Stila In The Light because of names like Bubbly, Kitten and Night Sky which I just thought were really cute and suited the colours well.

Biggest Regreat - H&M Smokey Nudes (£9.99)

6. Biggest regret

This was also a tricky one for me because I tend to do quite in-depth research before I buy a palette so I can be fairly sure I will like it but it has to be the H&M Smokey Nudes. For those of you that don't know, H&M have just rebranded and expanded their makeup line to give a much more luxury feel and a greater selection of products. I swatched several of their single eyeshadows in store and was blown away by the quality so assumed that would be the same for this palette. Unfortunately, all but 2 shades are terrible - really dry, rubbish pigmentation so really hard to work with. I was so disappointed with this because the packaging is really nice and the shade selection looked perfect for me. 

Least Used - Soap & Glory The Perfect Ten (£16 - limited edition last Christmas)

7. Least Used

I'd just like to start by saying the Soap & Glory The Perfect Ten is a faultless palette with amazing buttery shades and a great selection of colours. I honestly love every single shade and they're a dream to work with. The reason I barely use this is because it's limited edition which is so stupid but I just hate the idea of this running out and not being able to replace it :(. I'm sure if they were to bring this out in the permanent line it would sell really well because it is a great budget alternative to the Naked palettes. Definitely keep your eye out for the Soap & Glory Christmas collection this year because they regularly bring out little sets like this and if they sell this again this year definitely try and get your hands on it!

8. Most Used, Most Loved, Desert Island - Urban Decay Naked 1 (£38)

8. Most Used, Most Loved, Desert Island

Oh my gosh every time I use the Urban Decay Naked 1 or even just look at it I fall in love with it a little bit more. It is perfection in a palette. The shades are consistently beautiful quality and it is one of those palettes where you can wear any combination of shades and it will work. If I could only use one palette for the rest of my life this would be it. The shadows are mostly warm-toned but still work on every skin tone it would seem. I love that it also works throughout all the seasons and I'm particularly looking forward to creating looks in the next few months with shades like Hustle, Toasted and Smog which are really lovely and autumnal. The brush that comes with it is excellent and it is regularly the only brush I use for a look because you can do pretty much everything with it. If I had to pick my favourite shades they would be Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Smog, Toasted and Hustle but really I love them all. Some people hate the packaging but I love the feel of it - so luxurious! Probably easily my favourite makeup product of all time ever ever ever. Sorry this has turned into a mini review - I will stop rambling now!

What is your favourite palette? Have you tried any of these?

Thank you for reading!

Lily :) x

5 Products Worthy Of More Hype

Zoeva Naturally Yours Eyeshadow Palette - £15.95
I really cannot stop buying eyeshadow palettes - they're just so pretty and fun to experiment with! I bought this one having heard great things about the Cocoa Blend palette. There are 5 mattes and 5 shimmers which I think is a good split to have. The colours are mostly cool-toned with a beautiful wheaty-gold shade and a really unique lilac-gold-pink duo-chrome shade which is really unique. It's so easy to create a nice everyday look or an intense smokey eye for night time. The packaging is nice and slim and really pretty. My only criticism would be that two of the shades are really similar but apart from that I can't fault it at all.

Seventeen Stay Time Concealer - £4.49
I need to stop going on about this concealer but it truly is my absolute holy grail! I won't say too much because I did a full review a few months ago but it offers medium coverage (easy to build though), a really natural finish, lasts all day and works at concealing both spots and under-eye circles - so an amazing all-rounder concealer. A great alternative to Lasting Perfection.

Barry M Showgirl Mascara - £4.99
I was a bit hesitant to buy this mascara because I'd seen several negative reviews but for me it is one of the best mascaras out there. It has a plastic applicator with loads of tiny bristles ensuring you coat every lash. It does offer more in the way of length and definition than volume however this is what I prefer so it suits me perfectly. The packaging is really weighty which makes it feel like a premium product! Overall a great mascara for a great price.

Clinique Superprimer Universal Face Primer - £20
My skin is really weird in that it is oily but kind of dry and flaky at the same time (when I don't use the below product). This primer definitely helps both of these issues as it is moisturising whilst still controlling oil and making makeup last longer throughout the day. It has a creamy texture and a little goes a long way so although it is a little on the pricey side it should last a long time.

Boots Essentials Moisturising Cream - £1.50
Oh my gosh this is just the best moisturiser in the world ever (ok so it's the one of the only ones I've ever tried but I see no reason to try any other!). I bought this because I wanted a moisturiser that came in a pot because I think this makes it easier to apply. I sometimes get my friends asking me which moisturiser I use because my skin is so soft and they're always shocked when they hear it is from a value range. It really helps to hydrate my skin and makes my makeup go on soso much more smoothly. I love the cucumber scent too - really nice and fresh. This is definitely a product worth way more than it's humble price tag!

Thank you for reading!

Lily :) x

5 Products Not Worth The Hype

I'm not really one for writing blog posts with a negative vibe but I felt that a 'Products Worth The Hype' should really be posted with a 'Products Not Worth The Hype'!

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer - £4.19
This is probably the most controversial inclusion to this post but I had to include it because it has had so much hype which unfortunately it does not live up to for me. Firstly, I am sort of in between the first two shades which doesn't help but the formula I find really hard to work with. It's too think for my under-eye area and is really cakey elsewhere on my face. It seems to oxidise really badly on me and creases terribly. For me the only good thing about this concealer is that is definitely is full coverage, but apart from that it's a big nono. Everyone else seems to love it though so I think it's me that's the problem not the product!

Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil in Hazel - £2.99
This was given to me by a friend who found the shade too light for her but unfortunately it is the complete wrong shade for me too! This is the first eyebrow product I'd ever tried and I'd heard great things about it so I was quite excited to try it out however I find it to be far too warm toned for my hair colour and it seems to look really un-natural (I'm not very good at eyebrows though so it was probably just my rubbish application that caused this!).

Maybelline The Rocket Mascara - £7.99
I was instantly drawn to this product when I saw pictures of the brush - if you read my 'Top 3 Mascaras' post you'll know I'm a big fan of plastic applicators. Even if I only apply a small amount it really clumps my lashes together and doesn't add the slightest bit of curl. If you like voluminous lashes then this maybe for you but for someone who prefers length and definition this mascara definitely isn't the one!

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder - £3.99
I think this is probably the only drugstore powder which is truly raved about but I didn't get on with it at all. Firstly the packaging is awful, it's really delicate and just looks really cheap. I used to use a Seventeen powder which was the same price which came in foldable (if you see what I mean) packaging with a mirror and sponge so it can be done for the money you're paying! Also mine seems to have little shiny particles in it which is not what you would expect when buying a mattifying powder. It makes my foundation/concealer look really cakey and doesn't really perform well in terms of shine control either.

Clean and Clear Dual Action Moisturiser - £3.20
I bought this not to use as a moisturiser but because I heard it performed well at reducing spots overnight. I tried it out several times but it didn't do anything for me except make my skin all flakey.

Thanks for reading!

Lily :) x

5 Products Worth the Hype

Soap & Glory Solar Powder - £11
I had heard many Youtubers rave about this so I thought I should give it a go and I'm so glad I did! One half is a shimmery paler bronzer which would give you more of a glow and the other half is matte so could be used for contouring or a more natural bronzed look. I also love to mix both shades together to make my skin look more naturally sunkissed. I'm not the best at contouring/bronzing but although this product is nicely pigmented, it is still quite hard to overdo it so it's really easy to build it up subtly. My only criticism would be the packaging, however they have just redesigned this so it is now the same as the One Heck Of A Blot with sturdy plastic packaging.

Maybelline Colour Tattoo in On and On Bronze £4.99
When the hype first came about surrounding this product I was a bit apprehensive because it seemed like quite a dark shade which I didn't think would be good for me as I was only just starting out with eyeshadow so was mostly going for barely-there looks. However it's actually really wearable for the daytime and can be easily worn more sheer for a wash of colour or built up to be more intense. It blends really well with other eyeshadows and lasts all day. It's so easy to apply as well - no brushes needed!

Revlon Colorburst Balm Stain in Honey - £7.99
I really struggle to be adventurous with lip colours as I've mentioned in previous posts, so when I heard this was a great MLBB product I was instantly drawn to it! Despite being balm-like in texture it's actually got great pigmentation and lasts really well. I love the mint scent it has and that it is twist up so no need for sharpening. All-in-all my favourite lip product and great for an everyday look.

Urban Decay Naked Palette - £38
I was definitely late on the bandwagon with this one - I only picked it up at the end of last year but I have to say it is probably the best investment I have made beauty-wise. It really is just as good as everyone says. The colour selection is perfect, the shades are beautifully pigmented and sososo easy to blend. Some people aren't fans of the packaging but personally I love it - it feels so luxurious! It may seem expensive but the brush it comes with is worth around £15 meaning each eyeshadow only costs around £2.30 so it's actually pretty good value for money! Having said that there are some great dupes around so if you can't afford to splash out definitely go for one of those instead. If you have the money I would say buy it ASAP because they keep putting the price up by a pound every so often.

Sudocrem £2.99
Ok so this is a bit of a random one but I've heard many bloggers/Youtubers swear by this for getting rid of spots and I definitely do too. I had tried many different spot treatments over the years, including more pricey ones, but none ever worked so I gave this a go and it worked wonders! There's definitely a nack to applying it (rub it in well but so you can still see it on the skin) I like to apply it over night. In the morning I can clearly see that my spots have significantly reduced in redness and size - all thanks to a really affordable product!

Thank you for reading!

Lily :) x