Bobbi Brown Brush Cleaning Spray

I don't know about anyone else, but I really hate the tedious task of cleaning my makeup brushes. I don't know what it is but I just hate it, to the point that I will pretty much leave my brushes till they can no longer hold anymore shadow. I know that is probably very unhygienic but I am the worlds biggest procrastinator and taking two hours out of my day, to wash brushes, tends to go to the bottom of my priority list.

Last week I gave in and forced myself into cleaning my brushes, however, this time, I ditched my usual baby shampoo routine and tried out my mum's Bobbi Brown Cleaning Spray and I LOVED it. I hate to say it...but I enjoyed cleaning my brushes! It was just so quick and easy, and actually made my brushes look the cleanest they have been since I bought them! My MAC brushes were left their original colour and there was no real sign they had ever been used. Even the brushes that I use for cream shadows were completely makeup-free!

I often find the shape of my brushes can be altered after washing my brushes, but because of the spray formulation of this product, that wasn't a problem. I have tried other spray cleaners before, like the Sephora original cleaner, but I have never got as good a clean as the one from Bobbi Brown. To get the best results I recommend spraying the whole brush, then rubbing the head of the brush in circular motions on a clean towel...and voila! To do all my eye and face brushes, it took me no longer than twenty minutes and I'm actually quite excited to clean my brushes again! I will definitely be cleaning my brushes more frequently now that I have found a product that actually works and works quickly.

If anyone has tried the cleaner before, or has any other brush cleaning tips, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the topic.

Frankie x

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January Favourites

Between birthday gifts, January Sales and Christmas treats, I have had a lot of new products to try out this month. Some of the products I have included this month are actually just things I have had for a while, but happened to dig out when doing my makeup, over the past few weeks. 

 

1. MAC's Zoom Fast Black Lash - because I have been far too lazy to go out and buy a new mascara, I went back to one of my old favourites this month. I originally wasn't such a fan of this mascara, but since I have moved away from black eyeliner, recently, I have been loving how dramatic and black this product is. I'm not a big fan of fake lashes but I love mascaras that give a similar effect, especially with dark eye shadow, and I've found this one is perfect for that purpose.

2. Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in 'Damned' - I mentioned this lip product a while back, in another post, but I haven't stopped using it since I bought it, so I thought it deserved a mention! I think it is a beautiful colour for the colder months and is very easy to apply because of its pencil form, therefore making it great for on the go.

3. Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette - I couldn't have a favourites without mentioning this palette, since I've used it every time I've applied my makeup in these last few months! I was lucky enough to receive this from my friends and I've found it great for both everyday and sultry, smokey looks. I still can't bring myself to store it without the box, as the packaging is so gorgeous and I cannot thank my friends enough for getting it for me!

4. Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Sticks in 'Golden Bronze' and 'Golden Pink' - these were another birthday gift, but this time from my mum. She'd been raving about them for a while and thought I would also love them...she was right! They are great products for a fast makeup look and I usually apply them all over the lid, with a darker shadow in the crease - finish with some mascara and you're good to go!

5. MAC's 275 Angled Shading Brush - I've had this brush for a while, but because I usually stick to about three eye shadow brushes, I've never really tested it out before now. I found it great for creating a soft cat-eye with dark, brown shadow, which is something I like to do a lot to widen my, naturally small, eyes. By just bringing the darkest shadow in my crease out a little further, using this brush, it creates the illusion of much bigger, more open eyes.

6. Real Techniques Expert Face Brush - I mentioned this product in my January sales haul and since I got it, I have used it every time I apply my makeup. I primarily focus my foundation underneath my eyes and this brush is great for blending out any product, in even the very inner corner of my eye. 

7. Moroccan Oil Original Treatment - I have actually used this product before, and love it, but I never seemed to get round to repurchasing it, so I stocked up when I did eventually buy another bottle. I would 100% recommend this to anyone with curly hair, like myself, as it's brilliant for adding shine to otherwise coarse hair. I would definitely advise incorporating this into your normal hair routine and combined with a frizz serum, I get much smoother, bouncy curls. 

8. Clarasonic Mia Sonic Cleansing System - I've had my Clarisonic for about two months now and I absolutely adore it. I can get quite lazy with my skincare but I have found that because this is so easy, I am much more inclined to do it and I have definitely noticed my skin getting brighter and fresher. I only like to use this once per day, any more and it would be too harsh on the skin, with my normal face wash. I tend to use it before bed to clean off any makeup that I have had on throughout the day. I am definitely going to be doing a full review and tips post in the next few weeks, so definitely look out for that, too.

I'd love to hear some of your January favourites and I hope you've all had a great month! 

Frankie x 

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All Saints Picks

Anyone who knows me, knows my undying love for All Saints. I love anything black so the shop is made for my style. I love the edginess of all the pieces whilst still being so feminine. I was looking through their website and I thought I'd share some of my favourite pieces.

This satin dress is so simple yet so cool, it would be so flattering on any figure because it covers any problem areas whilst still showing some skin. I'd style this with ankle boots and a leather jacket if it was colder. Styled with a red lip and edgy liner, this would make a perfect outfit for a party or dinner out. I also think, dressed down, it would be great for an everyday look.

This dress would definitely be something I'd wear in the spring time if I was out for lunch or out shopping with friends. As are many of the dresses from All Saints, I think it'd be extremely flattering and because it looks like a top and skirt, it's an instant outfit and adds shape to the waist, without being tight and uncomfortable. Perfect for a laid back, low maintenance look, which is always what I aim for when I get dressed.

I actually have this dress and I wear it to death. I have a pear shaped figure and I'm always looking for ways to balance out my hips with my upper body. This dress is extremely flattering on my shape and I always feel comfortable in it, which I sometimes find quite hard in other dresses.

This cardigan is fabulous. Because it is sleeveless, it becomes so edgy and cool without being too harsh and masculine. It is definitely on my wishlist for this spring and I love the way it is styled so simply in the picture.

If you've read my other posts, you'll know how much I adore coats and over-sized outerwear. This one is adorable and I love it so much! I think it would be so pretty with the hood up in the snow or rain and would complete any wintry outfit. This coat is also quite long, which I like because it covers the tops of my thighs, which is something I am quite self-conscious about. 

As I've mentioned a few times in this post, I feel extremely comfortable in All Saints clothes. I think they are so easily wearable and so, so flattering. For anyone that is prepared to spend a little more money, I find these clothes are great for someone like myself who often finds clothes quite uncomfortable.

Frankie x

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Happy Birthday Kate Moss

To mark the 40th birthday of my idol and in the words of Alexa Chung "the coolest thing ever" I thought I'd create a gallery of my favourite pictures of the beautiful Kate Moss.

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Mini Boots Haul

With the January sales in full swing, I took full advantage whilst purchasing the products I had lusted after, throughout the month of December. 

I've wanted to try out Philosophy products for a long time, so my first stop was definitely going to be to their counter! I picked up this "Sweet Fluffy Cupcake" shower gel for half price and besides being one of the prettiest shower gels I've ever bought, it smells incredible! As the name suggests, my whole shower was left smelling of cupcakes, as was I! Since this product also doubles as a shampoo my hair was also covered in the scent of fairy cakes and though I was skeptical about using it as a shampoo, it worked brilliantly and its thick consistency left my hair so shiny.

It is no secret that Real Techniques brushes have been raved about by beauty bloggers for the past few months, so I was desperate to get my hands on some. I've started out by getting the Expert Face Brush, as it was the one I needed the most and since they aren't too expensive I'll definitely be going back for more!

Anyone who knows me, knows I'm always on the hunt for products that promise to tame my curly hair. Since I've used (and loved) Bumble and Bumble products before, I decided I try out this Calming Creme on my coarse curls. I'm not 100% that this product has done much more to my hair than any other product, but I want to use it for a little longer to see if it has any real effect.

Let me know what you got in the sales this month! 

Frankie x 

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Review: Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette

After much anticipation for the newest addition to the Urban Decay Naked Collection, I had to get my hands on the Naked 3 palette when it launched in the UK. Since my friends know me so well, I received this gorgeous palette for my birthday a few weeks ago and it was by far one of the best presents I received.

I'd heard a lot about this palette and read quite a few reviews, as I was debating whether or not I really needed another Naked Palette, since I already own the first two. The thing that I first noticed about the shadows in the palette was how much more pink-based they were compared to the other palettes. The original and second palettes were very similar so I think the change in colour was one of the reasons I wanted the palette in the first place. However, the pink undertones also make the palette a little harder to work with than the first two palettes, as you can never go wrong with brown neutrals, but pink-ier shadows can be slightly more difficult. Generally, I think green eyes tend to look the best with pink-y toned shadows but I have actually loved the way these shadows have looked on my brown eyes. I would just advise that when using this palette to pair one of the more pink shadows with one of the more neutral shadows to keep the eyes from looking diseased.

I was very happy to see that Urban Decay had once again included a few matte shadows in the colours 'Limit' and 'Nooner' as I tend to find, as with all my Naked palettes, they make a great base shadow to bring together the other high-shimmer shadows. So far, I've used this palette for casual smokey eyes and everyday looks but, as always, there is a lovely variety of much darker colours toward the right side of the palette. My favourite shadow in the palette is the darkest shade, in the colour 'Blackheart' as it is almost identical to one of my favourite MAC shadows in the colour 'Beauty Marked'. Adding this colour to the outermost part of the eye would vamp up even the most innocent of makeup looks.

The palettes packaging was one of my favourite parts of the product, the beautiful rose gold case ties in perfectly with the pink-toned shadows and the indenting in the metal keeps it looking different and interesting. I definitely think Urban Decay made a good choice by sticking to the metal case from the second Naked palette. Though I loved the original felt packaging, I found the metal far more practical, especially when travelling. Like the second palette, the Naked 3 comes with another dual ended brush with a flat shader brush on one end and a dense, fluffy crease brush on the other. This, along with the huge mirror in the palette, makes it perfect for on the go makeup.

I'm extremely excited to use this palette more and I'm so happy and grateful to have received it. For someone who was just getting into makeup, I would probably recommend starting with the second of the three palettes as the colours are the easiest to work with and since the palettes are quite expensive, I think it's better to start with a safer colour palette, but if you want to try something a bit different without straying too far away from brown neutrals, then this palette would be absolutely perfect.

Frankie x

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