99p Bargain

I recently ordered one of this scary looking contraptions off eBay for just 99p including shipping. It's used to remove blackheads and spots, and I've been rejoicing since I ordered it. I use it in the bath around once a week to really clean out my pores, and I think my skin is thanking me. I've noticed a dramatic decrease in the number of breakouts I'm getting since I started using it, and my skin has been looking a lot smoother .So I recommend you go pick one of these up if you haven't already.

Please remember to check the side bar for updates on what's coming next!

My Eyebrow Routine

Okay, so this is my natural eyebrow shape. They're pretty thin and bare around the edges, with a few bald patches, but they're not too bad. Still, I choose to fill them in most days, and I like to opt for a natural look. In this photo I have already used a spoolie to brush my eyebrows out.

First, I use my M.A.C eyebrow pencil in Lingering (which was featured in my recent haul) to draw a basic outline for my brows. I draw a full line along the bottom, attempting to create a slight arch as my brows are pretty damn straight. I also draw a line along the top of my brow, but I tend to follow my natural shape here, and I leave the front little hairs unlined.

I use a spoolie to Blend out the product into my eyebrow hairs, and then use my Anastasia Dipbrow pomade in medium brown (also featured in my haul) to fill in any remaining bare patches. I then blend again, just to make sure everything looks smooth and natural.

Next, I use the colour 'naked' from my Urban Decay naked palette to set my brows before applying a translucent powder over my whole brow as my natural hair colour is very ashy, and I always feel as though my brows look to warm if I skip this step. 

Finally, to finish everything off, I conceal the area around my brows using benefits boi-ing concealer in shade 1, before highlighting my brow bone. I feel as though this step really helps create the illusion of an arch in my brow. 

Please ignore the silly faces I'm pulling in the photos, this isn't my forte! :)

Please remember to check the side bar for updates on what's coming next!

My Favourite Lush Products

I am a big fan of Lush product, I truly believe that everything they sell is worth the money they charge, so here are my favourites from their store so far.

1. The Charity Pot.

Not only does it serve as a killer moisturiser, but also 100% of the profits go to charity! (Except taxes, they go to the government).

2. Rising Phoenix Bath Bomb.

I've tried nearly every bath bomb lush sells, but this is one of my favourites. The scent is described as cinnamon on the website, which is one of my favourite all time scents. The bath bomb itself is layered full of different colours and golden glitter, which turns the bath an amazing colour!

3. So White Bath Bomb.

This was one of the first bath bombs I ever bought from lush, and I've been re-buying it every time since. The bath bomb itself looks pretty boring, however once dropped into the bath it reveals a pink centre. The scent is clean and fresh, which I love.

4. D'Fluff Strawberry Shaving Soap.

I was very sceptical about this at first, but it was recommended to me so I decided to try it out. I was blessed with almost white, very thin and slow growing leg and arm hair, so rarely have to shave. This means that products like this don't normally do much for me, as I don't shave often enough to develop dry or flaky skin, but this product surprised me- it leaves me with the softest feeling legs you could possibly imagine, and you only need the tiniest bit! Plus, I love strawberries, which is a bonus.

5. Jason and the Argan Oil Shampoo Bar.

I will warn you guys, this thing smells super strong. It's a great scent but you can smell it from miles away. Nonetheless, it gives my super thin hair life and body, which is what I want from a shampoo, and it's super long lasting!

6. Mask of Magnaminty.

I wouldn't usually go for this product, as I absolutely hate the smell of mint. However, it claims to reduce redness and blemishes, and I've found that all lush products so far have done exactly what they say on the tin. My skin has been playing up the last couple months, and I have no idea why- so I needed something to help calm it down. This isn't a miracle fix for blemishes, but it will reduce them and help calm you skin over time, which is what I'm looking for. I use this once a week and I find that it really helps keep my skin in control!

How I Bleach My Hair White

My hair has been bleached white fairly frequently for the last few years:
Photo
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And over this time I have learned a few things about keeping my hair healthy looking whilst still achieving the lightest colour possible. So, I decided to share a few tips and tricks that I have learned along the way. 

1. Coconut oil.

Everybody knows that you shouldn't bleach clean hair, but why? Well, when our hair gets greasy, the oil forms a protective barrier against the bleach, stopping it from drying out or getting damaged. As I don't like to leave my hair get too greasy before bleaching it, I tend to use coconut oil on second day hair instead. Coconut oil is solid, but has a very low melting temperature, so I scoop out a small amount- warm it in my hands and then apply a thick coat all over my hair. I tend to leave this on for around half hour before bleaching, as coconut oil is really good at adding moisture to your hair. 

Don't bother buying special coconut oil branded for use on hair, as organic coconut oil will be cheaper and does the exact same job. You can find this is your local grocery store or organic health food shop. 

2. Generic Bleach.

Rather than use a coloured bleach, such as a cool ash tone or a honey blonde tone- I choose to use a bleach which does not contain a toner and tone my hair myself afterwards. The bleach I use is Jerome Russell's Bblonde bleach in medium lift, as I have a pretty light hair colour naturally.

I choose to use this bleach as you get the bleach sachets and developer separately so there is little to no waste, and I've found that using this bleach allows me to get the lightest colour my hair is capable of achieving.

4. Bleaching Technique.

There's nothing complicated about my bleaching technique, but I thought I should share it with you regardless. Basically, I split my bleaching sessions into two parts. First, I will apply bleach to my roots and the darkest parts of my hair, such as sections which didn't lighten as much last time. I will leave this on for around half an hour (or half the time noted on the bleach box). Then, I will go back and apply more bleach to the rest of my hair, concentrating again on the darkest spots. 

I don't always bleach my whole head, only if a lot of my hair isn't the colour I want it to be yet- as I do frequently change between my natural hair colour and white blonde.

3. Fudge Clean Blonde Toner Shampoo.

Toning is a really important part of achieving the right colour, personally I prefer an icy white colour, and so I use a purple toner. My favourite way of toning my hair day to day is to use a toning shampoo, which is just what it sounds like- a shampoo containing purple dye to counteract the yellow tones in your hair. My favourite one so fair is the Fudge Clean Blonde Violet Toning Shampoo. I apply this like regular shampoo, lathering it all over my hair, and then leave it on for five minutes or so, depending on how yellow my hair is looking at the time. It's a really easy way of keeping your colour up to check.

4. D.I.Y Toner.

If this option doesn't really appeal to you, you can save a lot of money by making your own toner or toning shampoo. All you need to do is buy a dark purple hair dye, my favourite is the directions violet hair dye.

You can either add a small amount of this to your shampoo and use it like above, or alternatively you can mix it with conditioner to achieve a pale purple colour and then apply it to your hair, leaving it on for around half an hour. Though it does take a little bit of trail and error to learn what shampoo to dye ratio works for you, it's a very good way of saving money!

If you have any more questions regarding my bleaching technique, please feel free to comment.

Recent Haul and Review.

Link to the related instagram photo

My birthday was just over a week ago, and so I chose to treat myself to a few products I've been looking at for a while. I've had the chance to put the products to the test, and decided to review them for you all!

1. E.L.F Daily Brush Cleanser. 

£3.95 / $3.00

I bought this product in an attempt to force myself to clean my brushes more often, and I have to say it has worked. I simply spray the cleanser over the brush, then rub the product off on a towel. Although it does do a reasonable job at cleaning brushes, I can still easily see left over pigment, especially from darker coloured shadows. On a basis of price to product ratio, I feel as though this is very expensive in the UK for the small amount you get- at an equivalent of just over $6! It also has a very strong smell, which lingers on the brushes- and I have found slight damage to my brushes since I started using this. 

WARNING: This product is designed to be used on synthetic brushes and not natural brushes.

Personally, I will not be re-buying this product, however it is something worth trying out if you can find it on offer. 

2. NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Siberia.

£31.00 / $45.00

As someone who hasn't worn foundation in 5 years, I was hesitant to spend this much money on one. However, I asked for a sample at the NARS counter out of curiosity and instantly fell in love, less than a week later I bought the full sized version. I gave up wearing foundation when I was younger as I found that my sensitive skin would become irritated and break out from even wearing it for a few hours! However, this foundation has impressed me so much! Not only can I not even feel it on my face, but the foundation itself makes my skin look so clear and radiant. I do find that I break out if I wear this every day for a few days, however it a vast improvement on my previous experiences with foundation. If you have the spare money, I cannot recommend this enough!

3. M.A.C Self-Sharpening Eyebrow Pencil in Lingering.

£13.50 / $16.00

Having only ever filled in my eyebrows with my Urban Decay eyeshadow in Naked, I decided I wanted to step up my eyebrow game and delve into the world of eyebrow pencils. I knew I wanted something very thin, light and precise- and this M.A.C pencil gives me just that. It's so quick and easy to use, and lets my subtly build on the patchy areas of my brows without making them look unnatural. I cannot recommend this enough to someone who (like me) is just entering the world of drawing on eyebrows!

4. Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade in Medium Brown.

£15.00 / $18.00

I stumbled across this on sale, and after all the wonderful things I had heard about it, decided to bite the bullet and pick it up. Choosing the right colour was the main issue for me, as I had no option but to order it online. I ended up choosing medium brown over dark brown as my eyebrows are a light ashy brown, and it matches very well (as long as I apply it with a light hand). It took a couple of tries to get it right, but now I find it easy to use- Plus it will last through absolutely anything!

5. NARS Copacabana Multipule.

£29.00 / $39.00

I honestly cannot put into words how much I love this product. Every time I have gone up to the NARS counter without fail, I would swatch this on my hand and gaze at awe in how pretty it is. So I decided that it was time to finally commit and I couldn't be happier, I want them all! I'm currently using this as my highlighter, though I am debating putting it all over my face under my foundation as an illuminator as it makes my skin look so dewy and radiant. 

6. Sleek Blush in Rose Gold.

£4.49 / $6.99

I am constantly hearing good things about the brand sleek, and decided to put them to the test with one of their famous blushes. The rose gold one is probably the most famous and is often referred to as a dupe for NARS Super Orgasm. I have to say I am very impressed by the quality of this blush- I tend to stray away from drugstore brands, as I don't wear makeup everyday and so enjoy the quality of mid/high end makeup when I do wear it. However I do really love this blush, and am considering buying more of their products in the near future. The rose gold micro glitter almost serves as a highlight, so I like to apply this blush a little higher along my cheek bones that I normally would.

NOTE: I apologise if any of the American pricing is wrong, I used google to search for the American pricing of each product- However there may be some mistakes.

D.I.Y Brush Cleaning

How I Clean My Makeup Brushes

Personally, I spend a lot of money on my makeup brushes- I find them to be one of the most important parts of makeup application. I feel as though you can achieve a flawless look with cheap makeup, as long as you have high quality brushes. So, I like to keep them clean and healthy, not only to protect my skin, but also to lengthen the life of the brushes. 

So, how do I do it?

Well, brush cleaners/cleansers can be very expensive, so I personally choose to use organic soap. The soaps from Lush are always amazing, and don't contain any harmful chemicals that could ruin the shape or texture of the brush. The one I'm personally using at the moment is called Baked Alaska, and looks like this:

Disclaimer: Not my image.

I run the sink full of warm water (Don't use boiling water as you could melt the glue inside the brush), then soak my brush, before swirling it over the soap, and rubbing it in my hand. I keep doing this until the water from the brush runs cleaner, then gently towel dry the brush, and lay it to air dry. You should always allow your brushes to air dry in a way that the bristles of the brush are below the bellow, so that water runs out of the brush as it dries.

I repeat this process once a week, and use E.L.F's spot cleanser each time I use the brush. WARNING: This brush cleanser should only be used on synthetic brushes!