My favourite / most used make up brushes

Make up brushes are an essential to get the best results when doing your make up. Generally, people find make up brushes quite expensive but I promise if you invest in a few good quality expensive brushes you will not regret it. Make up brushes can last years if they are washed often and taken care of. The make up brushes included in this post are the ones I use everyday for my make up, I will include links below for all of the brushes in this post :).

Face Brushes.
Blank Canvas Cosmetics F20.
I have featured this brush in almost every one of my tutorial posts, I use this brush for my foundation, it is extremely dense which means your foundation will apply flawlessly if you use a light hand. The finish that I get from this brush is beautiful and flawless. It retails at €13.99 which is not the cheapest but it is completely worth it and I know I will have this brush for years.



Real Techniques Contour Brush.
I use this brush daily to set my concealer with powder, I know that this is not the intended use of this brush but I feel that this brush does a way better job than any other brush to set my concealer. This brush comes as part of the Core Collection by Real Techniques which comes with 3 other brushes (the buffing brush, the pointed foundation brush and the detailer brush) but this is the one I use most often, the tapered ends make up perfect for getting under the eyes. This brush cannot be bought individually unfortunately but the collection retails at about €13.00 which is brilliant for 4 brushes.



Real Techniques Multi Task Brush.
This brush is another one by real techniques the intended use of this brush is powder blush and bronzer. I use this for blush and it gives a beautiful flawless finish. I feel that it distributes the perfect amount of product onto my face every time. This brush comes as part of the Travel Essentials collection with 2 other brushes (the domed shadow brush and the essential foundation brush) but once again this is my favourite from the collection. unfortunately this brush cannot be bought separately but the collection retails at about €13.00 which again is brilliant for a set of brushes.



Mac 168 Large Angled Contour brush.
This brush is the must have brush for the perfect contoured face. The angled design of the brush makes it easier to get right into your cheekbones and blend out. This brush leaves me with the perfect contoured face. This brush retails at around €25.00 which is not the cheapest at all but you will not regret purchasing this brush, it will last you years I will have mine for 3 years this November.



Eye Brushes.
Mac 239 Eye Shader Brush.
This brush is one of the two brushes you will need to create any make up look you can think of. this flat brush is perfect for patting eye shadow onto the lid, brow bone and inner corner. This brush retails at around €18.00 which again is not the cheapest at all but you will not regret purchasing this one either.



Mac 217 Blending Brush.
This is the last of the expensive Mac brushes, This blending brush is the other brush you will need to create any look. This brush blends any eye shadow flawlessly into the crease and under they eyes ,It retails at around €17.00 but it is possibly one of the best brushes you will ever buy.



Blank Canvas Cosmetics F10 Small Socket Blender.
This brush is perfect for getting a defined crease. The small design of the brush allows you to get right into the socket and blend out for a beautiful defined look. This brush retails at €6.99 which is a decent price when the quality of this brush is taken into account.



These brushes are the ones I use daily, they are the key to any flawless make up look.Feel free to let me know if you have tried any of these brushes or want to try them. I hope you all enjoyed this post and as always thanks for reading :).

Product list
Blank Canvas Cosmetics F20 - http://www.blankcanvascosmetics.com/products/f20-flat-buffer-brush-hd-face-collection-black-handle.html
Real techniques Core Collection - http://realtechniques.com/shop-collection/your-base-flawless/core-collection
Real techniques Travel Essentials -http://realtechniques.com/shop-collection/on-location/travel-essentials
Mac 168 Large Angled Contour brush -http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/146/324/168-Large-Angled-Contour-Brush/index.tmpl
Mac 239 Eye Shader Brush - http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/145/383/239-Eye-Shader-Brush/index.tmpl
Mac 217 Blending Brush - http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/145/380/217-Blending-Brush/index.tmpl
Blank Canvas Cosmetics F10 Small Socket Blender - http://www.blankcanvascosmetics.com/products/e10-small-socket-blender-new-synthetic-version.html

Small skin care haul.

Today I was on a mission to buy some new skin care products because lately I have let my skin care slip. All of the products featured in this post were purchased from Cara Pharmacy.

1. Garnier Softening Toner.
I have not used a toner in a very long time so my skin care is basically removing my make up then moisturising. This toner claims to "Soothe normal to dry skin" and "leave your skin perfectly cleaned". This product was reduced from €5.99 to €2.99 which is half price , there was also a further 60c off this product.



2. Garnier Express 2 in 1 make up remover.
Eye make up remover is an essential for every girl. It is the best method for your skin , make up remover wipes tend to strip your skin of all its natural oils and leave the skin very dull and dry. This eye make up remover claims to remove all eye make up even water proof it also claims there is a "non greasy feel" which is a massive pro because the last Garnier product I used I hated for so many reasons, it made my skin feel greasy and horrible so I hope this one is a lot better. This product was reduced from €4.99 to €2.65, there was also a further 53c off.



3. L'Oreal skin perfection cleansing and perfecting milk.
I have already used the Micellar Water from the Skin Perfection range by L'Oreal and loved it so instead of re-purchasing it I decided I would try another product from the same range. This cleanser claims to "remove make up and impurities" it also "Reveals hydrated and silky smooth skin" .This product was reduced from €6.80 to €3.35 and again there was a further 67c off this.



4. OZ Botanic's Deep Conditioning Hair Treatment.
This is not a skin care product but I thought I would include it anyway. I am always looking for cheap yet good quality hair treatments. This hair treatment claims to "manage dry and damaged hair by smoothing split ends and roughened cuticles". This product was €1.20.



5. Tea Tree Facial Cleansing Scrub
I have already included this product in my weekly favourites in February so I wont go into too much detail. If you have not tried this product you need to pick one up , it smells amazing and leaves my skin baby smooth , it is also €1 which is an amazing price for a skin care product.



I hope you liked this post , I will include links where possible below. If you have tried any of the products let me know what you thought of them and also let me know if you would recommend any skin care products I should try. Thank you for reading :).

Products:
Garnier Express 2 in 1 make up remover - https://www.carapharmacy.com/p/garnier_express_2_in_1_eye_makeup_remover_125ml
L'Oreal skin perfection cleansing and perfecting milk - https://www.carapharmacy.com/p/loreal_skin_perfection_cleansing_milk_200ml
Tea Tree Facial Cleansing Scrub - https://www.carapharmacy.com/p/tea_tree_facial_scrub_250ml

Mini haul and review (all under 1.50 Euro)

I took a trip into Cara Pharmacy this week because I hadn't been in there in a while and I heard they had lots of new reductions on make up and beauty products.I picked up 5 of the Maybelline Colour sensational Popsticks and 2 products by the brand called PrettySmooth. Please let me know if you've have tried any of these products and also what you thought of them, also all of these products were under 1.50 Euro.

Maybelline Colour Sensational Popsticks
These "Popsticks" are very like a balm. They are not highly pigmented but if you are the type of person who doesn't like bright lipstciks then these are the ones for you. They are moisturising but not overly shiny or glossy. These were all 1 Euro each which is an amazing bargain. Here are some swatches of all the shades I picked up.

020 Tropical Pink


030 Pink Lollipop


040 Crystal Pink


060 Citrus Slice


070 Orange Crush


Pretty Smooth nose pore strips
These nose strips claim to remove blackheads and unclog pores. Before you use them you have to wash your nose area with warm water because the strip will not stick, then you have to place the strip on your nose and leave for 10 mins, once the 10 mins is up you peel the strip off I have only one problem with this product, it does not stick very well even on wet skin but regardless it did unclog all my pores and remove my blackheads so for 1.25 Euro I can't really complain. I would recommend these but the only advise I would give is to wet your nose a lot in order for these to stick.


Pretty Smooth Eyebrow shapers
These eyebrow shapers are basically clear wax strips for your eyebrows. I usually pay 10 Euro to get my eyebrows waxed so when I saw that these were 1.25 Euro I had to try them. I removed all make up from my eyebrows an face before using these and I then combed my eyebrows into shape. These are very good wax strips and they are extremely easy to work with but you will need to tweeze afterwards. I would highly recommend these they are 100% worth it even to try them out. Here is a picture of my eyebrow before and after use. (I have my full eyebrow routine done in both pictures)


I hope you liked this post and as always thank you for reading :).

How to clean your brushes

Cleaning your brushes can be a daunting task most people are not sure how to. When I cleaned my first ever brushes I left them sitting in shampoo and water and completely ruined them, but after experimenting and watching a ton on YouTube videos I have found my own way to clean my brushes. The basic up keep of your brushes is very important because if you don't clean them your skin is prone to a lot more breakouts than usual due to the build up of different products all layered on your brushes.
To clean your brushes you will need some baby shampoo for best results and warm water preferably under a tap. I am using johnsons baby shampoo.




First I take all of my dirty brushes together I like to start with all of my face brushes just because they take longer to clean than the rest. I take a small bit of baby shampoo on the palm of my hand (about a €2 coin size) I run the tip of the brush under the tap to moisten it, I then dip the brush into the shampoo and use circular motions on my hand working the shampoo into the bristles of the brush.




I then run the brush under the water making sure I am only wetting the bristles of the brush because if you get the handle of the brush wet the glue will ware away and the brushes would start to fall apart. I repeat this step for all my face brushes. Here is a before and after picture of some of the face brushes.




With the smaller brushes like eye/lip brushes you won't need as much shampoo maybe half as much as you used for the face brushes. It is important that you do not get the handles wet because it is a lot easier with the smaller brushes. Once the brushes are clean you will want to leave them to dry overnight. I like to leave mine out on a towel lying flat just so none if the excess water travels down into the handle and damages the brushes.




The larger brushes should be in a tulip shape shown below in order for them to dry as best they can.



This is the easiest way I have found that works for me. I would probably advice washing your brushes every week if not every two weeks.
I hope you found this post helpful I also just want to say that I have started a Facebook page for my blog and some of the make up I do on myself and more beauty related things so please like it in the sidebar and share it amongst your friends I would really appreciate it, and as always thanks for reading :).
Here is a picture of all my clean brushes and how I store them if you have any questions comment below :)

The Liebster Award

 

I can't believe that i have been nominated for the Liebster Award tag by two of my followers. I would like to take a minute to say a massive thank you to http://aworkofartifice.wordpress.com/ and http://momerrellsays.wordpress.com/ please check them out and follow them :)

The Purpose of the Liebster Award is to promote blogs that have less than 200 followers and to generate attention towards these blogs, It also gives my followers a chance to get to know me more and i am able to promote some of the blogs I follow :).

There rules you need to follow to Participate are:

1. Acknowledge the blogger who nominated you and display the award.

2. Answer eleven questions that the blogger gives you.

3. Give eleven random facts about yourself–they can be anything!

4. Nominate eleven blogs that you think are deserving of the award (but they must have less than 200 followers)

5. Let the bloggers know you nominated them.

6. Give them eleven questions to answer

And because i was nominated by you both i will answer half of each.

1. Why do you blog? I started The Belle Of Beauty because make up and beauty are probably the only things I am passionate about. I love to talk about it and I decided to share what I can do with all of you :)

2. What’s your favorite thing on this planet? blogging 

3. What’s your favorite song? Waves by Mr.Probs 

4. DO you have any children? Nope haha

5. What celeb would you love to go on a date with? Ryan gosling 

6. How many languages do you speak? Spanish and Irish.

7. Do you have any piercings or tattoos? yes my ears are pierced twice and also the top of my right ear.

8. Favourite TV show? EastEnders :)

9. Girl crush? Beyonce, I am obsessed with her she is too gorgeous. 

10, Marilyn Monroe or Elizabeth Taylor? Marilyn without a doubt.

11. Number one beauty product? Probably Mac Fix+ I use this every time I apply make up, it keeps my make up in place all day.

And now 11 facts about me :

1. I am a Sagittarian.

2. I love the colour purple.

3. New York City is my favourite city in the world.

4. I am a few weeks away from sitting my Leaving Certificate.

5. My favourite movie is The Notebook.

6. I love Baking.

7. I love Calvin Harris.

8. I have a serious woman crush on Beyonce.

9. I am a really shy person at first.

10. I have a fear of spiders and pigeons.

11. The Kardashians are my Guilty pleasure.

I nominate:

http://theblushedbelle.wordpress.com/

http://beasbeautyblog.com/

http://newbeautyaddict.wordpress.com/

http://aishabeautyx.wordpress.com/

http://hannahsbeautifulfantasy.wordpress.com/

http://makeupbybrooks.wordpress.com/

http://anitasmakeup.wordpress.com/

http://bethybeauty.wordpress.com/

http://triciaclarkemakeup.com/

http://letyourbeautyunfoldxo.wordpress.com/

And your questions are :

1. Why did you start blogging ?

2. Do you find it hard to get inspiration for your blog posts ?

3. if you only had one make up product for the rest of your life what would it be ?

4. in your opiion what is the best beauty product out there ?

5, Favourite city in the world ?

6. style icon ?

7. any fears / phobias ?

8. Guilty pleasure ?

9. favourite drug store brand ?

10. favourite food ?

11. scariest movie ever seen ?

Please go and check out and follow all of the blogs I mentioned and once again a massive thank you to http://aworkofartifice.wordpress.com/ and http://momerrellsays.wordpress.com/ for the nomination :).

 

 

 

 

 

Bold lips: Day to night

Bold lips can be a very frightening thing to try out for the first time, we all want our make up to look flawless during the day and to carry on through the night I am going to show you how to wear a bold lip during the day and how to change that to a night lip. Here is how I got this look

1. First I start off with a base I want this make up to last all day and carry on through the night. The base I chose was the L'Oreal Lumi Magique Pure Light Primer . For foundation I chose Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation I love the staying power of this foundation it also gives my skin a healthy glow. I apply this with the F20 by Blank Canvas Cosmetics once applied , I take Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer, I apply this is a triangle shape starting from the inner corner of my eye taking it down to the corner of my nose and out to my hairline.



2. I set my concealer and foundation with the Collection Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Powder I then take my bourjois Bronzing Powder In shade 52 and contour my nose , cheekbones , forehead and jawline, I then highlight everything I haven't contoured with the Sleek Face Contour Kit In Medium




3.For blush I mix 2 shades together from the blush palette that was featured in my top 5 palettes post. These 2 colours give the perfect balance of peach and pink, I apply these to the apples of my cheeks using the Real Techniques Multi Task Brush.



4. I prep my eyes with a small but of concealer to ensure that my eyeshadow will last all day and night. For my eyes I am going very natural and I will smoke it up for the night look. I take Venus from the Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette I apply this all over my lid and also to my brow bone to highlight. To add some natural contour to my eye I take Espresso by Mac on a fluffy brush and contour my crease.




5. For my eyeliner I take Maybelline Eye studio Lasting Drama 24hr Gel Eyeliner and create a natural winged look nothing too dramatic or heavy. I also line my tight line with Urban Decay Eyeliner in Zero this makes my lashes look a lot longer and fuller I also take Eye Bright by Benefit and line my waterline to open up my eyes.




6. For the lips I chose a semi bright pink , I applied a lip liner first I used Essence Lip Liner in 07 Cute Pink I Then take Rouge Dior Lipstick in 444 Red Muse. I really like this colour it is not too bright and with the lip liner underneath it gives this colour a beautiful undertone. I finished this look off by spraying some Fix Plus by Mac all over my face.




Take this look into the night.
To transform the eye look I took Nanda Devi by Stilla I used a small blending brush and blended this into my crease this colour is a deep matte brown and it adds a beautiful smokey look and also some definition.




For the lips I took Kate Moss Rimmel Matte Lipstick in 107 which is a deep burgandy shade, Over this I applied NYC City Proof Twistable Lip Colour in 031 Gramercy Park Plum . I love these lip colours they have amazing pigmentation and staying power. To finish off I sprayed some Fix Plus by Mac to freshen everything up.



These 2 looks are my go to looks when I know I need make up on during the day and have to get it to last through the night. I hope you liked these looks and as always thanks for reading :)

Weekly Favourites under €5

I have been loving a lot of products the past 2 weeks, all of the products featured in this post are under €5. I have included a mixture of make up, storage and home things in this post I hope you like it :).

1. w7 Chunky Lips Lip Crayons
I have never tried lip crayons before so I decided to pick up a few when I was in town. The first set I purchased are by w7. These retail at €1.99, they have a good variety of colours but only 2 caught my eye, they were Scandal which is a baby pink colour and Glamorous which is a pinky lilac colour this shade is very similar to Mac St.Germain lipstick it is just a few shades darker. These lip crayons have good staying power but For the best results I would recommend using a lipstick over them. I would highly recommend these lip products.




2. NYC City Proof Twistable Intense Lip Colours
The next set of lip crayons are from NYC (New York Colour) , these retail at €2.49 . The colours I purchased were 010 Nolita Neutral which is a beautiful nude colour , 040 South Ferry Berry which is a berry red colour , and 031 Gramercy Park Plum which is a deep plum colour. I really like these lip crayons they have average staying power but for €2.49 they are well worth it.




3.w7 West End Girls Lipsticks
When I purchased the Chunky Lips I really wanted to try out some more w7 lip products so I picked up 2 of these lipsticks one in Shop Till You Drop which is very similar to the chunky lips in scandal and the other in Impulse Buy which again is very similar to the Chunky Lips in Glamorous. These lipsticks retail at €1.99, I really like the packaging of these lipsticks, you can see the colour on the bottom which makes it easier to grab the one you want. They have average staying power but again I would highly recommend them for the price.




4.NYC Skin Matching Luminizer Foundation
Recently I have run out if my Revlon Colour stay Foundation and I am very reluctant to repurchase purely because it is an expensive foundation, I am still using Rimmel Wake Me Up but I find it is a bit too dark for every day use so I decided to try out some new foundations. I picked this one up for €4 in the shade fair to light. I have used this once since I bought it and I love it ! It does exactly what it says on the tin it leaves my skin with a natural glow but it is not shiny. If you have oily skin I would advise you stay away from this foundation purely because it will intensify the shine on your face and nobody wants a shiny face. I applied mine in the morning and went about my day and when i got home later that evening it looked like I had just applied it , I was really surprised and I will 100% repurchase this foundation.




5. Lipstick Organiser
I took a trip to Home Store and More yesterday and I picked up this Lipstick Organiser for €1.99. These things are extremely handy for storage , they are plastic and clear so you can see the lipsticks which makes it easier to find the one you want. This is my 3rd one they are great space savers and very cheap.






6. Skittles Scented Candles
I have a slight obsession with candles lately, I have to have one lit all the time in my room. I picked up these 2 candles in Home Store and More yesterday. They were 2 for €2 and the scents are Melon berry (green) and Raspberry (Blue). I really love the smell of these candles they have a lovely fruity and refreshing smell.



Thanks for reading I hope this helped you out let me know if you have tried any of these products and what you think of them :)