Sheet Masks

I finally decided to hop aboard the hype express. Over the past couple of years sheet masks have become incredibly popular. They first started cropping up in magazines and on the Instagrams of celebrities. The sheet mask is the less messy, travel friendly, compact cousin of our regular gloopy face masks. They have handy holes cut out for the eyes, nose and mouth. Supposedly they are good to use on flights as the recycled air in planes has a drying effect on the skin, so sheet masks supply a nice dose of moisture during long haul flights. I'm not a frequent holiday goer and I don't think I have enough confidence to sit on a plane with one of these sitting on my face, they can be a frightening sight to behold.

Sheet masks were an export from South Korea. Korean cosmetics have become very popular and are usually very effective. I've tried a few products from Korea and have found them to be worth the hype. I particularly like the hydrating eye masks from Tony Moly. I saw that the brand also have a range of sheet masks available and that they were available on Amazon, 11 masks for under £10 with free delivery seemed like a pretty good deal to me particularly when they retail on Sephora for $7.50 for 2 masks.

In the bundle you receive one of each of the following: lemon, tea tree, tomato, aloe vera, pomegranate, red wine, seaweed, broccoli, rice, avocado and makegeoli (rice wine). They all deliver a good dose of moisture and natural oils and they have the following beneficial properties:

• lemon = brightening
• tea tree = soothing
• tomato = radiance
• aloe vera = moisturising
• pomegranate = elasticity 
• red wine = pore care
• seaweed = skin purifying
• broccoli = vitality
• rice = clear skin 
• avocado = nutrition
• makegeoli (rice wine) = skin purifying

They are an affordable and express form of pampering for those that have little time to give their skin a treat! You can amp up the benefits of sheet masks by using a rotating face brush on top of the face. I use a Magnitone Lucid which you can find on Boots or Superdrug, there are newer models available but the Lucid has gone down in price on the Boots website! There are also some cheaper ones available from different brands such as Olay or Clinique, but I'd definitely recommend anything by Magnitone. I've got a few more products from the Tony Moly brand to try, let me know if you'd like a first impressions review of them!

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Budget Beauty: Eye Palette

You're all going to think I have an obsession with eyeshadow palettes! Lets face it, this is a beauty blog and most beauty bloggers are make-up addicts. I just love having colour in my life and it just so happens to frequently appear in this form!

This palette was the topic of a lot of talk and dare I say hype last year. I've had this post lined up for a long time but it managed to be bumped off my radar due to writing a lot of drafts for new posts. I'm glad I found it as I really enjoyed photographing this palette. The light bounced off the shimmery tones in a magnificent way. This is one of the many great palettes available from Make Up Revolution, this brand is available in most Superdrug stores and on the brand's own website.

I really love the range of colours in this palette. I think this is their offering to rival Urban Decay's Naked palettes. I own the Naked 2 and Naked 3 palettes and I really like them, but they are on the pricier side. This one offers a lot more shades for a fraction of the price retailing at £6.99. It's made up of some classic neutral tones as well as some "newtral" tones which have more of a pink and brick red base to them. There is a good balance of matte, shimmer and satin shades AND I actually like the brush it comes with. Again the brush appears to be echoing the Naked palettes which also include a dual ended applicator and blending brush. I'd always recommend avoiding the use of shimmery tones in the outer third/crease of the eyelid, instead opting to place it in the area of the lid directly above the iris as it's generally more flattering. Then again, rules are always there to be broken!

I'd just like to say thank you and welcome to any new followers! It's lovely to know that people are stopping by and actually wanting to continue reading! Thank you also to my regular readers, I promise there will be more of a variety of posts soon. I'm currently having a major clear out in my office, picture black bin bags covering all floor space. Once this is done I'll be doing some make-up looks and even start filming. Exciting things to come. If you would like me to use any specific products or come up with a specific look please let me know in the comments. 

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Flawless Face

2015 was the year of the Beauty Blender, or at least the revival of it. This product has been around for a while, and seemed to be under appreciated. I certainly couldn't see the appeal of spending the equivalent amount of a makeup brush for a sponge instead. Oh, but now I know it's so much more than a sponge! For the second half of 2015 I started using a buffing brush to apply my foundation. I'd then use a damp Beauty Blender, bouncing it on the skin to remove any brush marks to create a flawless looking base.

It's SO important that you use this tool damp. Hold the sponge under running water whilst squeezing out any excess. You'll soon see the sponge getting bigger (as shown above L-R dry and damp). Gently squeeze out any remaining water in the sponge and gently blot it on a dry towel. It will feel super smooth and lovely on the skin. There is no need to rub the sponge against the skin in circular motions as you might do with a makeup brush. This year I'm hoping to start doing some Youtube videos so I'm sure you'll see me use this tool in action!

During a recent trip to Primark I saw that they had produced an equivalent 'beauty sponge' in the same shape. It's available at a fraction of the cost, so out of interest I decided to purchase one. I followed the same steps of wetting the sponge and using it damp. Unfortunately it is in no way a dupe of the Beauty Blender. Their offering feels very rough against the skin even when used damp, even whilst using a blotting motion it feels as if the sponge is dragging against the skin.

If you're having any problems with brush marks or an uneven base after applying foundation, I'd definitely recommend giving a Beauty Blender a try. They are available in a variety of colours and sizes. I'm currently trying a smaller version to apply concealer to my under-eye area, I usually use the pointed end of my black or pink Beauty Blender for this area. If you'd like to hear how I get on with the smaller version let me know in the comments section below! These are stocked online on Amazon, Sephora, Beauty Bay, Cult Beauty, Selfridges and even on eBay. For those sceptical of the authenticity of those on eBay, go for sellers with higher ratings and those based in the UK. I've purchased a few off eBay and they have been genuine!

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Comeback

Apologies for the lack of content on the blog. I was taking a working vacation over the holiday period. I was intending to resume posting this week, but due to having a rough time personally I am taking an additional week to get myself back on track. See you next week!

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