Brand Review: bareMinerals

I love doing brand reviews, I think it's good to see a collection as a whole rather than individual products. Today I'm going to be guiding you through one of my favourite brands, which is bareMinerals. I found that I own a lot of their items, and it's no wonder I gravitate to them as they are a brand which really aim to enhance your look rather than making you look like a different person all together. It's also the brand I recommend to people who are starting out with make-up, as you get quality for your money.

So to start this all off, I have to mention the cult favourite bareMinerals Matte SPF15 Mineral Foundation (£26.50/6g). I've tried both this foundation and also the Original SPF foundation, and I love both. I tend to use this as a powder, after my foundation for extra coverage because it gives a poreless matte finish. You can use this alone as a foundation, and it works well to even out the complexion.  I use this in the shade Golden Tan, which is a great match for my skin-tone.

The bareMinerals Warmth All Over Face Colour  (£20.00/1.5g) was actually my second product from the brand. This is a product I don't tend to talk about as much, although I use it so often! This is a mix between a bronzer and a blush, it's red toned and so matches well with most undertones and just acts to really warm up the face, adding both colour and definition. Another thing I like is that it leaves a satin finish, it's not shimmery or overly powdery and works so well with a variety of looks, it's my go-to blush when I am stuck on how to finish off my look.

I have two brushes from bareMinerals, the Flawless Face Brush (£19.00) and the Brighten and Hydrate Brush . bareMinerals have a great selection of brushes, and I don't normally believe you have to buy certain brushes for specific products, but bareMinerals brushes are created to work really well with their products that actually maximises application and coverage, especially with the foundations. The flawless face brush is a good example of a brush that was formulated to work with the foundation, I actually don't use that brush for anything else apart from bareMinerals products! However the Brighten and Hydrate brush is the softest brush I own and I reserve it for my Chanel Natural Finish Loose Powder, because this brush just feels so luxurious that I have to use it with my most expensive powder!

bareMinerals Pop of Passion Lip-Oil Balms (£17.00/3.1g) - I feel like I've raved on and on about these lip products - full review here. They are just the most comfortable and practical thing to wear on your lips. They are a sheer lip oil, which delivers a nice amount of pigment without you having to use a mirror to apply it, also since it's an oil, it's so moisturising to wear, especially for this time of year. Also the wear time is good, and most importantly when it does wear off, it does so gracefully. I feel like sometimes the maintenance of lip products is just too much hassle, which is why it took me such a long time to delve into them, but upon discovering these, I'm so happy with my mini collection of these, I have the shades: Nude Passion, Pink Passion and Plumberry Pop.

bareMinerals The Neutral Attraction Palette (£35.00) - So as a makeup addict, I have accumulated so many eyeshadow palettes. Don't blame this one on me, it was a gift for my birthday last year. So what makes this palette any different from the rest? Simple. The colours. The selection of colours in this palette is so different from anything else I've seen on the market, having matte greys and yellows, shimmery pinks and silver. It's totally unique, and not just another palette. Also there is the addition of  two blushes, a bronzer and a highlighter, all of which can double up as eyeshadow too. So it's a diverse palette that super compact and light, and can create a variety of different looks.

I know bareMinerals has a bunch of other amazing products that I haven't tried, so I would love to know what you would recommend and if you've tried any of the products I have mentioned. All in all, bareMinerals is a brand that knows what it's doing, aiming to enhance your features and making you feel like the best version of yourself. Be sure to follow me on Bloglovin for more beauty posts!

Sephora Blotting Sheets

I am a recent convert to blotting sheets. I was blotting my face with tissue and realised that there was a specific product for what I was doing that was probably a lot more hygienic and also more effective. So after a trip to Italy, I managed to get my hands on the Sephora Blotting Sheets (€6.00/50 sheets) and if you guys aren't already in on the action, I think I need to get you hooked.

If you don't already know, blotting sheets are designed to remove the excess surface oil that your face produces, so if you are a greasy mess like me, you really need to blot and remove the layer of oil before reapplying make-up over the top. Grease and powder mixed together can lead to a cakey finish on your face, and also harden your pressed powder. I didn't realise the reason why my powder became hard was due to the transfer of the oils on my face being repeatedly patted into the powder with my applicator.

The actual product is a blotting sheet on one side and has a slight powder on the other side, I tend to blot my face first, just pressing the sheet on to all the shiny areas of my face and then use the other side if I didn't bring any powder with me. So this product actually saves you from having to lug around a powder and an applicator, so if you are low on space, then this is the product you need.

Blotting sheets are designed to blot on the go, and so they are super travel friendly, having packaging that dispenses sheets like a tissue box, which is super convenient. It's also super thin in design and also very compact so it's easy to add in your daily handbag and even in a tiny clutch. For the price, I think this is a great product which helps eliminate residual oil on your face and also ensures non-cakey makeup for when you are reapplying! I highly recommend investing in one if you are one to carry products around with you!

I would love to know if you've tried blotting sheets. If you have, be sure to leave me a comment telling me what your favourite one is! Be sure to follow me on Bloglovin for more beauty posts!

How To: Curl Eyelashes So They Last All Day

So today I am going to share one of my biggest beauty secrets, it's something I do everyday when I get ready, and it honestly works. If you are like me and have the straightest lashes the world has ever seen, or if after curling your lashes they drop miserably, then I really want you to try this. I'll show you my top tip and my current routine to get the best out of your eyelashes!

Okay, so before we start I want to explain the benefits of having a good eyelash curler. For maximum results, your eyelash curler should be metal, and needs to fit the shape of your eye nicely. My eyelash curlers are from Shu Uemera, they were a gift from my friend Sakura in 2014 and I still use them. They retail for £20 and it are worth the investment as they get used every day because it performs so well. 

So here is the secret: I heat up my eyelash curlers with my hairdryer for a few seconds. I actually get my eyelash curlers piping hot and wait for them to cool down enough so they won't burn my eyes. So I will place them either on wrist or lightly on my lips to test if it's safe to place on my eyes, as those two areas are super sensitive to heat. Once I've safely tested them I will proceed to curl my eyelashes, angling the curlers toward the crease of my eyes, instead of parallel to my face. I find that this gives them a little more lasting time and I usually hold my eyelashes for a good 20 seconds. Once that is done, I will get a mascara that has a thin and waterproof formula, so this is where my L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes Waterproof Mascara(£9.99/9ml) comes into play. This mascara has a great separating wand so I can capture all the lashes that I have curled and just puts enough product on my lashes to hold the curl in place while not weighing them down. You can really see how battered this mascara is, I've had it for almost a year and the drier the formula, the better as it has less chance of being weighed down!

So at this point, your eyelashes are nicely curled, and mascaraed up, however it's only just a light layer that has dried down. You can leave it here if you are short on time, and just prefer this look, which is what I do most days. This is the point where I will add in another mascara, if I want really thick, black lashes. For this I have been using the L'Oreal Mega Volume Collagene Mascara (£9.99/10ml), as it really works to add volume the lashes, adding thickness and length, which gives my eyes extra depth and intensity. I love using this duo, as I get lashes that are my own, but the much better version that lasts all day!

I would love to know if you have tried this, or are going to try this, because it's just my ride or die when it comes to eyelashes! What's your favourite eyelash product? Be sure to follow me on Bloglovin for more beauty posts!