Eyebrows

I don't really know where this post is heading, but I just wanted to talk about eyebrow products because I love them so much. Sad, but true. 

When I first started filling my brows in, I used a NYX Brow Powder Duo in Taupe/Ash. I think I won it in a giveaway, and then proceeded to buy my next one from eBay because NYX was extremely difficult to get hold of back then. Then, for years, I used ELF's Studio Eyebrow Kit (now £4.50). I went through a few in Medium, then found that Light was a better match for me. As you can see from the photo above, it's still very much loved, and I even have a back up in my drawer.

My favourite eyebrow product formulation now, though, has to be the pomade. I bought the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in Soft Brown a couple years ago for £15 because there was nothing else like it on the market. By the time it started to dry out, other, more affordable, brands had released their own versions. Freedom Makeup's Eyebrow Pomades are just £5 (and their Duo Eyebrow Powders are only £3), and I have them in Soft Brown and Medium Brown. I also have the Illamasqua Precision Brow Gel in Strike, which was in a set I bought for a bargainous price. I haven't used this as much because it's quite dark, but it'd probably suit my eyebrows now that I've dyed them a darker colour.

My second favourite eyebrow formulation at the moment is gel. Not a solid gel, and not the gel which comes with a wand, but the almost liquid gel that comes in a squeeze tube. I have the Makeup Revolution Ultra Aqua Brow Tint in Light (£3) and NYX Eyebrow Gel in Brunette (£5.50). The NYX one is more intense than the Makeup Revolution one, and you have to work quicker, but with a small amount and the right brush, it's easy to use. I tend to just put a little on the back of my hand or the wipe I'm using to spot clean my brushes.

I'm still getting used to pencils. I'm used to using a brush for a softer finish, so find that pencils can look a little harsh sometimes. I have the Makeup Revolution Arch & Shape in Medium (£3.50) and the NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Brunette (£7). The NYX one has high ratings and so many positive reviews, so if you're looking for a pencil, I'd recommend checking this one out.

I've recently bought two eyebrow mascaras. One is the new Soap & Glory Archery Volu-Boost Brow Fibre Gel in Talk of The Brown (£8), and then I dyed my brows darker a few days later, so bought L'Oreal's Brow Artist Plumper in Medium/Dark (£5.99). Both do a similar job, but you receive more than twice the amount of product in the L'Oreal one, which happens to be cheaper. Brow mascaras are probably my least favourite brow product, just because I prefer ones which do more, but they're good for layering on top to keep the hairs in place. You really need to have hair there in the first place, though.

In the photo above, I'm wearing Freedom's Eyebrow Pomade in Soft Brown, which is my go to product at the moment. Excuse the lack of makeup on the rest of my face!

I'm wearing the same product in the bottom photo of these two, but because they were taken on my phone, the colour is coming up cooler. I just wanted to show you some before and after shots of filling my eyebrows in.

I would love to know what your favourite eyebrow product category is, and if you prefer a natural or defined brow.

New Favourites

Left to right: Rimmel The Only One Lipstick in Oh So Wicked, Barry M Loud Mouth Extreme Lip Colour in Diva, Freedom Makeup Brow Pomade in Soft Brown, Makeup Revolution Ultra Aqua Brow Tint in Medium, Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Zygomatic. Above the Freedom Makeup Brow Pomade in Soft Brown: Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in Soft Brown. Below the Freedom Makeup Brow Pomade in Soft Brown: Freedom Makeup Brow Pomade in Medium.

Aside from the foundation, this lot of favourites comes in pairs. Two nude pinks, two vampy lip colours, and two brow products. I'll start with the nudes.

Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Zygomatic | Usually £22, I bought this in the sale for £6 something a few weeks ago, so it was an absolute bargain. I think it's my new favourite blush, and I may like it more than my beloved Nyx Cream Blush in Natural. Now that's saying something! It's just so natural, and not too brown like I thought it'd be. The formula is creamy and easy to blend, and leaves a slight sheen on your cheeks. I can't recommend it enough.

Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint in Pink Lemonade | I hadn't painted my nails in two years, after painting them religiously every week for the longest time. This was mostly due to my job, of which I still have. However, I fell in love with this colour. It's a slightly pinker version of Models Own Utopia and OPI's Steady As She Rose, which are two old favourites. It only takes two coats to become opaque as well, which I was surprised about because of its light colour.

Rimmel The Only One Lipstick in Oh So Wicked | Despite reaching for Naughty Nude almost daily, I was still apprehensive about putting it in my 2015 favourites. I don't know why my feelings were luke warm when I couldn't fault the formula. Since then, though, I can't get enough of it, so decided to try another shade from the line. I went for the darkest, vampiest shade there is, and I've been loving it. Just like Naughty Nude, it's incredibly long lasting. I mean, it survived pizza! Next on my list: Peachy Beachy.

Barry M Loud Mouth Extreme Lip Colour in Diva | I already owned, and loved, four shades from this range (review and swatches here and here) when I bought Diva, months and months ago, but it's taken me this long to get around to using it. Like the others, you need the smallest amount. They're not glosses, but highly pigmented colours. I find that they last well on my lips, and wear down beautifully. The swatch makes it look like it'd bleed and smudge, but it honestly doesn't. I've just used more than necessary for the photo. I would probably wear a lip liner if I was going to really pack it on, though. It's not as foolproof as the Rimmel one.

Makeup Revolution Ultra Aqua Brow Tint in Medium | I bought this early last year when I placed a large order, and I'd used it a couple times, but it's only this month that I've started appreciating it. Like pomades, it's very pigmented, so you only need the tiniest amount, but I've found it to give an incredibly natural finish. At £3, it's a steal.

Freedom Makeup Brow Pomade in Soft Brown | Like many people, I'm a fan of the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade, but mine's beginning to dry out, so I thought I'd try a cheaper £5 alternative. I bought Freedom's offering in Soft Brown, which is the shade I use of the Anastasia one. At first, I thought it was a little too warm, so bought the ashier, darker Medium, but I've since decided that Soft Brown is the shade for me. I can't tell much of a difference between this and the Anastasia one. Both are pigmented creams that have some serious staying power. The powder duo, £4, is also a product I'm a fan of.

Collection Illuminating Touch Foundation in Porcelain | On other people, this foundation looks light, but I still find it a little dark for my liking. Fear not, though, as my Body Shop Shade Adjusting Lightening Drops sort this out. It's the actual formula which has impressed me. I'm used to natural or matte finishes, so wasn't sure what to expect with this dewy one. It looks and feels great on the skin, though. Foundation sometimes settles into places it shouldn't, and goes slightly dry and crusty, but this one doesn't. It has a tendency to crease a little more if I put it on my eyelids, but it's not a big issue. I also like that it's not glittery, unlike Rimmel's Wake Me Up! It has medium-full coverage, and the cherry on the cake is that it's only £5.99 full price. You can often find it on offer for £3.99, though. I'd heard bad things about the Lasting Perfection foundation, so was apprehensive about this one, but it's surpassed my expectations. It'd be even better if there was more of a shade variety.

Do you own any of these products? What do you think of them?

Brands I Discovered Last Year

I realise 'discovered' sounds a little pompous, but stick with me. Other vocabulary didn't have the same ring to it.

When I was thinking of brands and products to include in this post, I initially skipped over both Nip & Fab and Origins because it feels like I've been using them for so much longer. It was definitely 2015 that saw these enter my life, though, both beginning with a mask.

Nip & Fab | I was first introduced to Nip & Fab through being sent the Glycolic mask to review. It was the first mask to make a substantial difference to my skin, so I then began to look into more of the range. I now have four of the Glycolic products and like them all, but the pads are probably my favourite because of how quick and easy they are to use. I also own a couple products from the Dragon's Blood range, and while they don't make as big a difference to the surface of my skin, I still like them. Like they say on the packaging, they leave my skin feeling plump and softly moisturised.

Origins | I bought the Mask Marvels set early last year simply because it was an incredibly bargain, and each mask in the set was highly rated. The Out of Trouble and Clear Improvement masks were nice, but it's the Drink Up Intensive one which really impressed me. I then bought the Cleansing Oil, which although good, I still prefer The Body Shop's Camomile version because it's incredibly similar, but half the price. 

Just before Christmas, the gift sets were on offer and my discount, for some reason, doubled up, making them a very good price indeed. It would have been slightly cheaper to get them in the half price sale, but when that rolled around, they were no where to be seen from the beginning, so I'm glad I bought them early! I've been liking the GinZing moisturiser from one of these sets. It smells deliciously orange-y, and is refreshingly light. Having combination oily skin means I don't need something heavy duty. Is it any better than cheaper light moisturisers I've come across? I'm not sure. I just know that I like it.

The other set included the KissZing Lip Crayon in Rosemance, which was my main reason for buying it. It has quite a satin finish, which surprised me, and it's not as balmy as I expected, but it wears well and looks beautiful on. I also have a couple of GinZing Brightening Mascara samples, and while I'd never pay £17.50 when I love my £7.99 ones, it's still a good mascara. It doesn't clump or flake, and just makes your lashes look natural. I'd recommend this to someone over the Benefit ones, and they're more expensive.

Zoeva | Zoeva brushes now dominate my collection. The quality of them is so much higher than their price point. My favourite has to be the 322 Brow Line because it's thinner than any other eyebrow brush I've tried, so doesn't pick up too much product, which is great when using pomades. The 102 Silk Finish is also my favourite for foundation. Even after all the battering it's gone through, it still looks great. The 127 Luxe Sheer Cheek is the only one I've been slightly disappointed in, and I think this is because the hairs aren't synthetic. If you'd like to read reviews of every Zoeva brush I own, click here.

Makeup Revolution | I know it's the brand which rips off other brands, but I really like some of the products, and they're cheap as. The Iconic Pro Blush, Bronze, and Brighten Palette in Rave is a little powdery, but apart from that, it's a good all rounder. The bronzer is matte and subtle, the highlighter's of a nice candlelight shade, and the blush has the warmth I tend to gravitate towards. For £4, it's worth giving it a go. The Ultra Brow Arch & Shape is a dupe for Anastasia Beverly Hills and Soap & Glory's offerings, and I'm a fan. The pen end has all but dried up now, but that's because I've had it a while, and it's down to this type of product, but the pencil end is still soft. It really is worth the £3.50. The Ultra Aqua Brow Tint is just £3. I didn't use it a lot in 2015 actually, but I think it's going to be in my next favourites post. A claimed dupe for the Makeup Forever Aqua Brow and NYX Eyebrow Gel, it's pigmented, easy to use, and stays put.

I've only tried the brow products from both Anastasia Beverly Hills and Freedom, so I can't say I 'discovered' the brands, but still wanted to mention them. The Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in Soft Brown is as good as everyone says, but mine's starting to dry up, and instead of spending another £15, I'd rather buy Freedom's £5 version, also in Soft Brown. It's slightly warmer, so I've also bought Medium Brown since, but in terms of formula, I don't think it's massively different. The Duo Eyebrow Powder in Soft Brown (£4) is also nice. It's not massively pigmented, so you do have to dip your brush a few times, but it's one to use when you want a natural look, or to set your eyebrows after using another product.

I hope I discover just as many great brands in 2016. What do you think of the ones I've talked about?

New Favourites

Since my last favourites, I've bought and tried a whole lot of products. I'm fond of most of them, but to keep things short and sweet, I've only picked a handful to write about today.

I'm still not big on body scrubs, preferring to use exfoliating gloves, but one I really like is The Body Shop's Vineyard Peach Body Scrub. I like intense scrubs, and used to think ones with large scrubby bits were better for that, but actually, the finer ones are. I think this is because the bits don't fall off your skin, meaning you can really work them in. This is what the Vineyard Peach one is like, and it's creamy, so leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth. It also smells incredible, but that goes without saying.

I feel like I've spoken about the face masks above a lot recently, so I'm going to just give you the links to my reviews. Click here to read my thoughts on the Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask, and click here for the Nip + Fab Glycolic Instant Fix Mask. They do more than other masks I've tried, and for that, I applaud them.

The Topshop Glow Cream Highlighter in Polish (review here) is amazing, and probably the best highlighter I've used. It's iridescent and glowy and beautiful. Plus, the pot is going to last a long, long time.

Another Topshop cheek product I've been loving is the Cheek Jelly in Reign. I'd describe it as a water based cream blush, and it's very natural. Sheer, slightly dewy, blends well; an all around winner.

I've bought so many blushes this year, and have ended up loving them all. One of my favourites is the MUA Whipped Velvet Blush in Ritzy. I love every shade I have (review and swatches here), but I've been leaning towards these natural, flushed colours recently. The Whipped Velvet blushes are like mousses, and are very light in texture. They're only £3, too, so I'd definitely recommend checking them out.

Everyone's been raving about the Max Factor Creme Puff Blushes, and for good reason. They're pigmented, not chalky in the slightest, and subtly illuminate without relying on a huge amount of shimmer. I have Nude Mauve and Gorgeous Berries, but have just featured Nude Mauve here because I've already featured two berry toned blushes.

I've been reaching for the MUA Sweet Sheen Lip Balms more than any other lip product recently. You can read my review here, but they're essentially light, moisturising, tinted lip balms. They're quite pigmented for what they are, actually. The only one I haven't featured here is Coral Reef, and that's because it looks like a hot pink on my lips, which isn't my favourite colour.

The ELF Studio Eyebrow Kit in Light is still my go to eyebrow product, but I've been so impressed with Makeup Revolution's Brow Dual Ultra Arch & Shape in Medium. It's the perfect shade for me, is easy to use, and looks natural. The pen side is my favourite, but the pencil's good, too. It's the £3.50 version of Soap & Glory's Archery, but there's four shades instead of two. I don't know how quickly it's going to dry out, but for the price, I'm not going to be too upset when it does.

Makeup Revolution Pro Blush, Bronze, and Brighten Palette in Rave

I've had my eye on palettes similar to this in the past, but never ended up buying one. This was just £4, though, so I thought "why not?". There's four Pro Blush, Bronze, and Brighten Palettes in total, and from online images, they all look pretty light. Rave looks to be the warmest, Smoulder looks to be the coolest, and the other two sit somewhere in between.

I like the compact packaging, the soft, matte shade of the bronzer, the candlelight shade of the highlighter, and the warm, satin shade of the blush. They also have good pigmentation and blend well. They're a little powdery, though, which does lead to product fallout, but they're not too bad. I wasn't sure I'd like the highlighter because the shimmer's not the most finely milled, but was pleasantly surprised when I looked in the mirror half way through the day and saw how glowy I was. 

I've been enjoying using all three of these powders to give my face some warmth and dimension, after my foundation and concealer have created the blank canvas.

If you're considering placing a Makeup Revolution order, I'd recommend adding this to your basket. I've been using it more than I thought I would!

My First Makeup Revolution Order

I've never really shown an interest in Makeup Revolution, but I kept seeing people write about them, and some newer releases were catching my eye, so I decided to go on their website last week (when I was feeling particularly spendy!).

I love cream blushes, so the Blush Palette All About Cream (£6) went in my basket.

I then liked the look of the bronzer in the Pro Blush, Bronze, and Brighten Palette in Rave (£4). It didn't look too dark, orange, or shimmery, which is hard to come across!

I've seen so many posts on the Blushing Hearts (£4.99), which are heavily inspired by the Too Faced ones. I don't wear as many shimmery blushes as I used to, but still have a soft spot for baked ones. The shades above are Candy Queen of Hearts and Peachy Pink Kisses, which is a new shade.

The Lip Lavas (£2.99) are a new release (and also inspired by Too Faced), and have been receiving lots of love. I was unaware of this when ordering, but added them straight to my basket anyway because I've been loving liquid lip products. I chose the shades Unleash and Firestorm because blended out oranges and reds are still my favourite shades to wear. I've only swatched them on my arm so far, but they're SO pigmented and really leave a stain. I'm just hoping they wear well on the lips.

I'm most excited by the brow products. I'd been contemplating buying the Soap & Glory Archery for months, but always ended up putting it back in store. The Brow Dual Ultra Brow Arch & Shape (£3.50) looked very similar, so thought I'd give it a go. I opted for the second lightest shade, Medium, and have already used the pen side. I really like it, I have to say. It's a great colour match, easy to use, and looks natural. Will have to see how fast it dries out, though.

I then added the Ultra Aqua Brow Tint to my basket for just £3. I also got this in the second lightest shade, which is Light. I've been interested in different brow product formulas, and this looks promising.

I bought the Eyebrow Brush for £1.50 because I can never have too many eyebrow/eyeliner brushes. My current favourite is an MUA one, which was also £1.50.

I spent over £30, so received free delivery, and they also threw in a sample of the No Shine Please Primer. I'll be reviewing everything soon, so keep an eye out!

Have you tried anything from Makeup Revolution?