Fave Five: December 2014 & January 2015

Over December, I hadn't been buying a lot of new products to try because I didn't know what gifts I would get for Christmas! Also, I wanted to wait to see what bargains I could find in the New Year. I thought it would be silly to do a December Fave Five so waited until I'd fallen in love with some products over January as well to show you what had made the cut!

I Love... Strawberries and Cream Body Butter

The first of my favourites is one of my Christmas presents from my best friend Hannah. I'm a big fan of the I love... range, even buying some of their products myself to give to others last Christmas! This is the Strawberries and Cream Nourishing Body Butter, the perfect way to end a soothing bath or relaxing shower. Body butters can often be a bit of tricky thing to work with, their thick consistency meaning they take a while to fully absorb into your skin leaving you sat around feeling sticky! When I first applied this body butter after a bath, I was careful about applying too much, given that this may be the case. I was pleasantly surprised by how it absorbed into my skin and by the time I had finished from head to toe, it didn't feel sticky at all! Each time I have used it since, I am still so impressed with how easy and quick it applies and how wonderful my skin feels after. I haven't noticed extreme changes in the hydration of my skin but it definitely feels so much softer compared to when I don't use it and leaves my skin feeling velvety for days after too. Possibly the best thing about this body butter though is the incredible scent! It leaves my skin smelling sweet and delicious, the perfect accompaniment to make this a pampering staple for me from now on, without denting my bank account too!

Sleek MakeUp Face Contour Kit in Light

Next is a product I had been desperate to buy for months! The Sleek MakeUp Face Contour kit in Light had been on my need-to-buy list but I told myself I would wait until the No7 bronzer that I previously used had completely run out so I wouldn't waste anything. It was definitely worth the wait and has been particularly incredible in adding a little colour to my skin over the bleak winter months. In the kit you get both a matte bronzer for contouring and bronzing as well as a shimmery highlighter to balance out each other. On the left, the pressed powder bronzer is incredibly pigmented, it blends really well so the contour lines don't appear harsh. Thanks to it's matte finish, it looks natural and adds a subtle definition to your cheek bones, jawline or anywhere you choose to apply it. For those with pale complexions like me, you just need a little dusting of the bronzer to give you a natural effect, yet it's so easy to blend if you were to make a mistake, making it completely foolproof, perfect for those wanting to step into face contouring. I adore the highlighter, on the right, for the beautiful finish it adds to complete any makeup look I create. Before buying this product, I had been using a matte highlighter just under my brow. I was a little nervous to start using a shimmery finish, mainly due to the fact I always opt for shimmery eye shadows and didn't want to overkill the glitter! I couldn't have been more wrong and this highlighter has brightened and complimented my complexion perfectly! I now use this highlighter on the tops of my cheekbones, down the bridge of my nose, anywhere to add a bit of a glimmer and a new definition, opposed to the contouring. I feel like my skin is glowing and I was scared for nothing! A lot people have raved about this Face Contour Kit and I can see why, from the amazing pigmentation to the beautiful defined finish, this is a makeup must-have! 

Boots Essentials Cucumber Eye Gel

The Boots Essentials Cucumber Eye Gel has been another favourite of mine over the past couple of months. I have horrible dark circles under my eyes which give me a constantly-tired appearance - not exactly the vibe I want to give off! My friend Katie suggested this, just to soothe and hydrate my eye area and hopefully combat the puffiness. I'd never really thought about my under-eye area being particularly 'puffy', so I never thought it was something I wanted to change. Since using this each night before moisturising, I have woken up and progressively seen the puffiness disappear. I'm not going to say it works miracles or is better than any other eye gel on the market but it has definitely made some sort of difference. My eyes seem brighter, more hydrated and although my dark circles are still there, I feel a lot more confident about their appearance since using this and will definitely keep it in my skincare routine for a long time. Even if you don't need this to combat dark circles or puffiness, this little bargain is a really refreshing and soothing treatment, cooling and hydrating the eye area and perfect for after a facial. 

No7 Natural Blush Tint Powder in Coral Flush

Next is the No7 Natural Blush Tint Powder in Coral Flush, a product I have used for a while but rediscovered in a new shade. I have always loved wearing blusher as I am naturally quite blushed and think it compliments my fair complexion well. This shade is a deep pink with subtle flecks of a silver shimmer through it. Although it looks like quite a bright and shocking colour, the formula means it is very light when applied and really easy to build to the strength of colour you want. It blends into the skin really well and what I love most is that it almost looks as though you aren't even wearing blusher. Some powders have a problem with sitting on the skin and can appear cakey. This blusher settles perfectly and blends to a matte finish that looks natural - people have asked me if I am in fact wearing blusher as it gives off such a natural effect. This deep colour could flush any skin tone to the perfect blush and, although it isn't as pigmented as others, this plays to it's advantage allowing for a build-able yet natural finish making it very easy to work with and lasts all day long!

Real Techniques Nic's Picks Makeup Brush Set

My final favourite favourite over December and January has already featured in a blog post of its own (Click here to read!) so I won't go into too much detail, but it definitely needed a mention. The Real Techniques Nic's Picks Makeup Brush Set is the perfect collection of brushes that cover every aspect of makeup from blusher to eye shadow to eye liner. This collection gives you 5 essential brushes in one simple purchase. They are all made and decorated beautifully, the bristles are amazingly soft and easy to work with, giving a soft and professional finish. This set also gives access to 3 exclusive brushes from no other collections! Real Techniques as a brand are very consistent with their quality and versatility of brushes. This little collection is worth every penny and the looks you can create with their help are endless! 

That's all from the last couple of months! What have you been loving recently?

- Becca x

I Love... Strawberries and Cream Body Butter - RRP £2.99 (for 200ml)

Sleek MakeUp Face Contour Kit in Light - RRP £6.49 

Boots Essentials Cucumber Eye Gel - RRP £1.50 (for 15ml tube)

No7 Natural Blush Tint Powder in Coral Flush - RRP £8 

Real Techniques Nic's Picks Makeup Brush Set - RRP £29.99 

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Review: Real Techniques 'Nic's Picks' Makeup Brush Set

I first bought the Real Techniques Powder Brush early last year and fell in love at the first stroke. So, as my Mum walked through the door holding this set of brushes, it was far too tempting to not go and buy a set myself! Nic's Picks is a set of 5 brushes, some from the existing Real Techniques collections, others completely exclusive to this range. The set has both face and eye brushes, all decorated beautifully in silver and with details of each of their uses on the packaging. I really admire Real Techniques as a brand, set up by YouTube sisters Sam and Nic Chapman, who have worked hard to produce these amazing brushes and deserve every success in the world! It's even better knowing you can trust their products. As makeup artists, these personally designed products can help even beginners create flawless finishes like the girls themselves. 

Starting from the left, the first brush in this set is from another collection by Real Techniques - the Duo-Fiber Face Brush. I have predominantly been using this brush for applying my blusher and am very impressed so far. Due to my fair complexion, blusher is something I have to get spot on to avoid either looking like a vampire or looking too flushed like I've been on a 4-mile run. The bristles of this brush are very fine and not concentrated like a powder or bronzer brush may be. This means less product is picked up so, when applying the product, it is much more workable, as you can build it up to as deep of a colour as you want it without looking 'cakey' or patchy. This brush is also perfect for a light dusting of highlighter on the top of the cheekbone, again for an even but flawless finish. The bristles are so soft and the brush itself is the perfect size, not too big or small, to work on the cheeks making application far easier than the larger brushes I used in the past. If anyone else struggles with blusher application, this brush is amazing to help you get that perfect flush or glow. 

The second brush from the Nic's Picks collection is the Cheek Brush, the first of the exclusive cuts in this brush set. When I first got these brushes, I began to use this brush as it was best described, for my cheeks. I soon found that the dense bristles weren't suited to my desired blusher look. I'm sure this would be an excellent blusher brush for someone of a different skin tone, not concious of looking over-blushed as I do. However, the uses for this brush don't stop there. For a more dramatic highlight, using this to glide glimmer to the tops of the cheekbones or down the bridge of the nose to aid an accentuated glow. For a more dramatic contour, this brush is small enough to sit right in the contours of your cheeks or under the jawline to give a crisp line of bronzer for a emphasised contoured look. The close, dense bristles of this make it also ideal for blending foundation or even concealer too. I am looking to change it for this exact use but need to give it a good wash before! So although this brush isn't my 'go-to' of the set, it definitely isn't useless and is brilliant for versatility, in adding a little more depth to a look or for just everyday blending! 

The Angled Shadow Brush, another of the exclusive cuts, was probably the brush I was most excited to use of them all. Before buying this collection, I owned just one eyeshadow brush that I used for everything. Yet I had always found the normal rounded brush didn't quite cut it for the 'smokey eye' looks I love to wear. After using this brush for the first time, I was surprised by how much easier applying and blending eyeshadow through the crease and winged-out on the outer corner became. The angled shape helps it slot perfectly into the crease and the soft bristles work just the right amount of colour through. I find it also the perfect shape for angling eyeshdow at the outer corner in the perfect, soft winged shape to flatter my eye shape, especially teamed with winged eyeliner too. What's more, the softness of the bristles means the brush is gentle to work around the delicate eye area. This is the ideal brush for anyone struggling to perfect a smokey eye, or for beginners starting to be a bit more daring with eyeshadow looks and colours. 

The forth brush of the collection is my favourite of all. The Base Shadow Brush is the perfect eyeshadow brush. The shape is slightly pointed to the tip and the soft bristles, again, work carefully around the eye area. It applies the most even colour onto the lid, yet still grants a build-able look, allowing you to easily blend in other colours. The smaller tip means a smokey line can be applied under the bottom lash line too, without dragging it below too much. This is also an amazing brush for simply blending in harsh lines of eyeshadow, to create a soft and flawless finish. After using the Angled Shadow Brush, this brush can blend the edge of the colour, making sure the eyeshadow doesn't appear harsh around of the eye, especially important with darker colours. This brush is available to buy as a single item, so even if you aren't interested in this set, I would really recommend buying this brush on its own! It has added so much ease to applying eyeshadow, not leaving a patchy finish like the previous brush I owned. If you wear eyeshadow on an everyday basis like I do, this is the brush for you, you'll wonder how you coped without it! 

Finally, we come to the Eyeliner Brush, where the name speaks for itself. This brush is absolutely tiny and the bristles are dense and firm to create a controlled finish. Although I don't use gel eyeliner, the precision this brush allows would be perfect for this application. I have been using it for adding a thin line of eyeshadow close to the lash line instead of eye liner. I have really liked wearing this sort of look as it brings a darker edge to the other eyeshadow shades, accentuates my lashes yet doesn't leave my lash line undefined. The size of the brush gives a sharp line opposed to a smokier finish which I have always tended to opt for. However, as I hardly ever wear anything on my lower lash line, the thin and subtle line this brush creates means I can start being a bit more adventurous with this. So, although this isn't a brush that makes an appearance every time I reach for my makeup bag, it is definitely one that has encouraged me to try some new looks I couldn't have created without it. It's ideal for precision and a lovely way to add a line of definition, without eyeliner itself.     

All in all, the Nic's Picks collection gives you everything you could need to produce a range of flawless and almost professional looks with just five simple brushes. The quality, versatility and ease of each brush is amazing and this set is perfect for those just starting out with makeup as well as confessed beauty lovers like myself! 

I'd love to hear what your go-to brush collections and brands are. Or if reading this has made you want to buy each and every brush, say sorry to your bank accounts for me! Thank you for reading! 

- Becca x

Real Techniques Nic's Picks Makeup Brush Set - RRP £29.99

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