The Review: Tarte Blushes

Let's take a moment to admire the pretties shall we? Ahhhhh...

Tarte is a relatively new brand to me, it's not readily available in the UK (unless you're willing to pay nearly double US prices to get it off QVC, which I am not) so my first forray into the brand came when my lovely Canadian friends Vanessa and Alexandra sent me some products! I've not tried much, but I've fallen head over heels for the 12 Hour Amazonian Clay Blushes. 

The lovely Alexandra sent me Captivating after I won her giveaway (woohoo!), a beautiful matte peach which really sculpts the cheeks and make me look like a better version of myself. I then bought Fearless in the states, a really beautiful bold pink, which gives me a really natural looking flush.

What really impresses me about these blushes is the wear time, when they say 12 hour, that's not an exaggeration. Even if my foundation doesn't hold out, these do! 

Have you tried anything from Tarte?

The Review: Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper

The Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper has received a fair amount of love in the blogging community recently, so naturally, when browsing the aisles of Sephora, I had to have a look. I was skeptical about picking this up, since I was quite happy with my Soap and Glory Supercat Liner, which is slightly cheaper, and much more readily available in the UK. Curiosity, however, got the better of me, and this made the transatlantic trip home with me, to be put to the test at my dressing table.

I should take a moment here to explain that I am something of an eyeliner noob. I can't do gel liner, or liquid liner in a brush and pen form for the life of me, and even pencil liner is iffy. The Supercat Liner works for me because I can basically angle it from the corner of my eye, pointing up the edge of my brow, and press it down, which gives me the perfect base for a winged liner. 

The main difference between Supercat and the Tattoo Liner is that Supercat has a foam tip, not unlike that of a felt tip pen, whereas this one is a very fine bristled brush. Because it's so fine I can basically lay this right in the base of my lashes, and create a really really fine line which I love! Because the bristles aren't as firm as the nib of Supercat, it is a little trickier to create a wing, but after three or four uses I got the hang of it. This has a more precise end, which makes creating a precise wing a lot easier. I've had trouble with the end of the Supercat Liner misshaping before too, which I would assume won't happen with bristles!

As far as formula goes, This is a little wetter than Supercat, which I like, it's more like a true liquid liner, and you never have to build it up. The liner itself is jet black, and once it's down, it's going nowhere, I've got perfect wings til bedtime. 

I was skeptical, but I think I'm a Trooper convert! There will definitely be a sneaky Sephora order when I run out!

What's your favourite liner?

The Review: Illamasqua Blush Duo

I've been on a bit of a blush love train recently (I blame Vanessa), and one of my current loves is the Illamasqua Blush Duo in Lover and Hussy. I picked this up at a bargain price in a blog sale, and it had only been swatched once. I had actually wanted this last summer but never got around to picking it up, so I was so pleased to come across this!

For starters, the packaging is definitely on the bulky side but I have actually found myself reaching for it because of the mirror inside, for everything from plucking my brows to doing my eye makeup. I don't know what's special about it but the mirror is really nice! 

So onto the product itself, I wasn't sure whether I would love the shade Lover, a bright matte apricot shade, just because it is pretty bright, but it looks really lovely on the cheeks. Hussy is a gorgeous bright matte candy pink, just perfect for summer, it really perks up the complexion. The powders are really soft and pigmented, so you only need a tiny bit, I can't see me hitting pan on these any time soon. The wear of these is excellent too, they will still be intact on the cheeks by bedtime, even after a hot sweaty day in London, no mean feat I assure you.

This is my first forray into the world of Illamasqua blushes, but it certainly won't be my last!

Have you tried any products from Illamasqua?

The Review: Nanshy Eye Brush Set

A few months back I was lucky enough to win the Nanshy Eye Brush Set in a giveaway run by the amazing Danniella, an awesome bloggy friend of mine (go follow her). I'd been looking for some new eye brushes for a while, relying on a MAC 217 and a couple of fluffy & Other Stories Brushes, so it couldn't have come at a better time!

This set retails for £29.95 and contains seven brushes, that basically get every eye related job done. They're all brilliant quality, I haven't had any shedding issues with them, and they wash really well. They're all synthetic fibre brushes, and they're vegan, & cruelty free. (P.S. Sorry that they're dirty, I kept forgetting to photograph them after I'd cleaned them!)

First up we've got the Large Shader brush, a big flat brush with a slight dome, perfect for really packing colour onto the lid. The Blending Eyeshadow brush which, you guessed it, is great for blending shadows in. It's got really soft, long bristles, and it's domed, so it fits perfectly in the crease and gently blends out the shadows. The Tapered Crease brush is a double purpose one. It's great for it's intended purpose, pushing shadow right into the crease, but it's also great for blending shadow around the lashline. The Flat Definer is great for using eyeshadow as liner, since it's easy to sit it flush to the lashes. The Eye Crease brush is my favourite for building shadow into the crease, and at a push it can blend too, a good one to chuck in for travel. The Angled Detailer has become my go to for brows, especially with the Anastasia DipBrow Pomade, and the Precise Bent Eyeliner Brush is the perfect brush for gel liner, the fact that it's bent means it's so easy to get it flat against the lash line. 

Overall? There's not one single brush in this set I haven't or wouldn't use. They're all fantastic quality and great shapes and sizes. I'm so impressed, and it works out at under £4.30 per brush, bargain!

Have you tried any Nanshy brushes?

The Review: Max Factor Face Finity Primer

As you guys know, the Max Factor Face Finity Foundation is one of my absolute favourites, so when they released a primer under the same name I couldn't wait to get my makeup maven mitts on it. 

I've been using this primer for around six weeks now, so it's fair to say I've given it a bit of a run for it's money. Also I should point out, I've barely made a dent in it. Impressive.

This primer is housed in the same packaging as the foundation of the same name, which, if I'm being honest, I don't like. It's big and clunky and kinda old lady looking. The glass is unnecessarily thick and the lid is huge, it's definitely not travel appropriate, which is a shame. It does however hold a whopping 30ml of product, which is more than any other primer currently in my stash. I generally find that one pump will do my whole face too, so no wastage issues, even though I generally prefer my primers to be in some kinda squeezy tube. 

The primer itself is white, although it is completely clear on the skin. It blends in well and a little goes a long way. I love that with this you can apply your foundation immediately after, I don't have time to wait around for primers to set. It leaves your skin feeling smooth but almost slightly tacky, so when you apply your foundation it pretty much adheres directly to the primer. This is what makes it such a fantastic primer, it just really holds onto your foundation throughout the day so it doesn't budge at all. I don't find that it effects the look of your foundation either, unlike some others I've tried, you wouldn't know you applied it. 

For me, this primer is up there with the Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer, which I have waxed lyrical on previously, in terms of staying power this is by far the best drugstore option I have tried (and I've tried a lot).

Definitely worth picking this one up! 

What is your favourite budget primer?