Studio Make Up Brush Set

My Goddaughter turns 16 in a months time and she is at that age where make-up is a big part of her life. She is discovering what she likes, what she doesn't like, what works for her and what doesn't and like most 16 year olds money is not something she has a lot of.  So when I asked her what she wanted, she mentioned she would like a few bits of make-up and some brushes.

So I've decided to make her up my own version of a beauty box full of products I think she would like and shades that will suit her, please feel free to make some suggestions for brands and things I should definitely include, but when it comes to brushes, Superdrug have some amazing products this today is one I am going to rave about.

Available now for just £5 and yes I did say five pounds, this complete set of brushes from Studio could be yours and they are ideal for my goddaughter, though it will admit I am toying with keeping them for myself! In this set there are five brushes, so that is a whole £1 per brush and they comprises of:

• Eyeliner Brush
• Angled lip brush
• precision eye brush shadow brush
• Blending eye shadow brush
• Powder brush

These brushes were created in collaboration with a professional make up artist and they make an absolute wonderful starter kit.

What do you think to these brushes?

My Real Techniques Brushes Collection

I am a huge fan of the Real Techniques brushes, I have quite a few and am always looking to add to my collection. My fascination began with the powder brush which I was given for my birthday a few years ago, but then consequently lost on holiday and was truly gutted because it was one of my staple items. Anyway, for the purpose of this post, I have washed all of my brushed (except the Kabuki one oops) and put them back in their original packaging - note to self, I need somewhere or something to store my brushes in.

Today my collection has grown quite a bit and it includes the following:

Real Techniques Retractable Kabuki Brush - This is the best Kabuki brush that I have ever owned and I absolutely love the fact that it is retractable because it means it is easy to fit into your handbag, make-up bag, overnight bag or whatever and the bristles remain protected because the lid, which is very secure. protects them.

The Real Techniques Core Collection - I bought this after realising I had lost my powder brush because there was a discount offer online which was too good to miss. The collection includes 4 brushes which are detailer brush, pointed foundation brush, buffing brush and contour brush and out of the 4, the buffing brush is the one I use the most.

Sam's Picks - This is a set I got for Christmas from a good friend of mine and again it is a fantastic kit which includes:

- Multi-Task Brush: for effortless application of powder, blush and bronzer
- Buffing Brush: ideal for full coverage application of powder and mineral foundation
- Essential Crease Brush: soft, tapered design for effortless contouring
- Setting Brush: complete any look with a controlled dusting of powder or highlighter
- Pointed Foundation brush: use with liquid foundation to build custom coverage
- Fine Liner Brush: ultimate tool for precision application of liquid or cream eyeliner

The final kit that I own is one I bought for my holiday because I didn't want to carry more than I needed (famous last words) and it is this Little Mini Trio of brushes set, which I also have in my work make-up bag. Inside this handy little carrying pouch there is:

- Mini Foundation Brush: use with liquid foundation or concealer to touch up throughout the day.
- Mini Shading Brush: transform your eye shadow on-the-go from day natural to night glam.
- Mini Face Brush: effortlessly apply powder, blush and bronzer as needed during the day.

As you might have noticed, I never did replace my beloved Powder Brush, it is always something I had planned on doing but never did and I actually don't know why that is. This mini foundation brush is actually really good, not as good as the properly sized version, but it does a good job and is especially useful for carrying around, taking on holiday and so on. From this kit, it is possibly the most used brush.  

I now have my eyes on Nic's picks because I love the look of the Duo Fibre Powder brush and the Cheek Brush.

Do you have any Real Techniques Brushes? Do you have a favourite?

Bellapierre cosmetics

Bellapierre cosmetics is a mineral brand of make-up and I don’t know about everyone else but it seems Mineral based cosmetics are the upcoming thing to try and to use.  I was recently sent a lovely gift package of products to try and I have no previous experience with any of them nor the brand itself, so it was something I was really looking forward to and something I have really enjoyed.

Here is a very brief introduction to Bellapierre cosmetics and you can read more about them and their products HERE:

So In my lovely gift bag, which in itself is stunning, I find myself with:

• HD Makeup Primer
• 5 eye shadow palette
• Compact Mineral Foundation in Ultra and it has a 15 SPF
• Compact Mineral Blush in Desert Rose
• Compact Mineral Blush in Peony
• Three make-up brushes - an angled blusher brush, a foundation brush and an eye-shadow brush

The HD make-up primer comes in a beautiful jar, is paraben free and it has been developed to treat dryness, fine lines, excess oil,enlarged pores and is suitable for all skin types.  When you apply it to your face it simply glides on and makes your skin feel really lovely and smooth to touch and it is really easy to apply.  All you need is a small amount of primer on your fingertips and then you gently rub it into the skin paying particular attention to your T zone, fine lines and wrinkles. Then simply wait for 1 – 3 minutes before applying your foundation.

The Bellapierre 5-in-1 mineral foundation has the same properties as concealer, SPF, finishing powder and setting powder, so you no longer need a different product for each job; this does it all.  It comes in 10 different shades and I have got the lightest shade there is because I am quite pale skinned. It suits my skin perfectly and on the Bellapierre website is that you can look at all of the shades and choose the one that closely fits your own skin tone.

When it comes to using this foundation, the use of the brush is brilliant, you only need the smallest amount of powder  and as you apply to your face using circular movements of the brush you get a really great coverage, so much better than some of the high street brands that I have tried in the past.

The compact mineral blush in Desert Rose is talc free and it comes in this really pretty compact case with a mirror and a puff.  I love the fact it has a push button to open the compact and that the puff has its own little compartment.  The colour itself is simply stunning, it gives such a lovely colour to your face and it doesn’t fade at all through the day, it remains on your face as though you have just applied it.  Application is really simple and straight forward too, using the angled brush, you swirl it into the compact to collect the blusher and apply it to your cheeks and t-zone as you would do with any other blusher you might have and use.  This blusher is available in four different shades.

The body and face bronzer comes in the same compact to the blusher, again with a mirror and a puff.  It also contains Jojoba which in itself helps to soften and soothe the skin.  Again using the angled brush you complete the exact same actions with this product as you did with the blusher and you apply a small amount of the bronzer powder onto your cheeks, forehead, chin and nose. This product is also available in four different shades.

The 5 eye shadow palette is really something special, I love the palette and all of the colours, it is a sleek design which fits so easy into my make-up bag, it combines a mirror and application brush.  As you can see from the photo, there are 5 different shades in this palette and they are:

• 001 Snow Flake, 
• 003 Champagne, 
• 009 Bronze: Go Natural
• 008 Lava, 
• 055 Diligence

All of these shades are stunning as you can see from the swatches and they really pick up the light when you are wearing them.  There are a further five palettes in this range.

The applicator brush is really easy to use, though I only tend to use it to touch up my eye make-up rather than carry the eye brush around with me which came as part of this gift set.  The description given of these brushes is as follows:

Bellapierre Professional makeup brushes are essential for flawless makeup application! Whether you use pressed or loose mineral makeup, we have an extensive collection of professional quality brushes to choose from! We have a variety of different types of makeup brushes for all different types of makeup applications, such as for blush, concealer, powder, eyeliner, eye shadow, and other brush sets with multiple brushes. Quality brushes allow you to apply your makeup easier, faster, and also make the experience more comfortable since they are made in specific shapes and sizes for whatever job is at hand.

Bellapierre have their own make-up brush and accessory range and I absolutely love the three that I have.  The foundation brush which is housed inside a plastic holder is made from 100% Natural hair and is a tapered brush head making it ideal for applying foundation to the nose and eye area.  As you can see the black handle really does add a nice finish to this brush and its rounded shape makes it very easy to grip onto.

The angled Blush Brush which again is a similar style and made from 100% natural hair,is great for contouring and all over cheek application.

The final product is the eye shadow brush which is brilliant, it makes applying eye make-up a simple and easy process.  As with the other two brushes, it is made from natural hair which creates a silky soft tapered brush head.

Finally, if you do go look on the official website, one of the best sections is the Tips and Advice section which you can see HERE the smoky eye part is exceptionally helpful!

Have you ever tried anything from this range? 

What do you think to it?