Lottie London Soap Star Solid Brush Cleanser

Something I've not done in a VERY long time is clean my make-up brushes. I know I should be ashamed of myself. I don't actually wear foundation or any skin make-up on a daily basis so I'm not constantly using dirty brushes on my skin, just on my eyelids, so when the new Lottie London Soap Star Solid Brush Cleanser popped up I thought I would give it a try.

In the past I've only really used warm water to clean my brushes and lots of scrubbing them on my hand so the brush cleanser is definitely a bit of a step up for me. The Lottie London cleanser comes in a small round pot and it's like a bar of soap for your brushes basically. You simply wet your brushes then rub them thoroughly on the soap so it creates a lather, then rinse and repeat until clean. It's really easy but it can get a bit messy!

Because I generally wear brown eyeshadows the soap got dirty very quickly so I had to run it under the tap a few times, just because I was cleaning the brushes then putting them back into the dirty brown residue on the soap. The soap contains coconut oil and shea butter so it smells really lovely but most importantly, it really does get the brushes nice and clean and smelling super afterwards! It didn't take long at all to clean all my brushes and there were 30 in total (who needs 30 brushes?!).

I just wish the pot/soap was a bit bigger. The soap moves around inside the pot so you only really rub the brushes in the middle, which I can envision will create a big dip in the soap. It would be good to rub the brushes on the side to even it out a bit but it's tricky when it moves. That's really my only criticism, that and the fact you need to clean the soap up afterwards, but overall the soap really did work wonders on my brushes. It's a really handy little product that I can keep near the sink and after each use of my brushes I can give them a little scrub and keep them clean on a more regular basis!

Have you tried the new Lottie London Soap Star Solid Brush Cleanser? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Makeup Revolution I Heart Makeup Mini Brush Sets and Giveaway

I do love receiving a package from Makeup Revolution and when these three mini brush kits dropped through the letterbox, or to be more accurate, were pushed through the cat flap, I thought they were super fun, bright and cheerful, just what we need what with all this rubbish weather at the moment.

There are three kits to choose from, the green/turquoise Mermaid Forever, the purple Unicorns Unite and the Pink Diamonds set. Each one comes with three miniature brushes for eyes, lips and cheeks, all with diamond-esque handles.

Not only are these super pretty but the brushes themselves are super soft and perfect for taking with you on any journeys or travelling you might be doing. The slanted lip brush could also be used as an eyeliner brush so the kit really does have everything you need.

For £5 these are really reasonable and would make great stocking fillers or Secret Santa gifts this Christmas. My favourite has got to be the green/turquoise shade kit so I'll be keeping that one in my collection but I've decided to give away the purple Unicorns Unite brush kit, just follow the rules below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
I'm also giving away the Pink Diamonds brush kit over on the Cherry Pie Blog Facebook page.

Have you tried the mini brush kits yet? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

*This post contains PR samples.

Freedom Makeup Pro Studio Priming Water

Another day, another priming product! I've heard of general primers that go on under your make-up but I've never really been a big fan. They're always very greasy and sillicone-y and I have never found them much use in keeping my make-up in place. It's all so much effort.

Thank the lord for Freedom Makeup's new Pro Studio Priming Water. Yes I said water...it comes in a cute little bottle, which you simply spritz all over your face before applying your make-up. The ultimate lazy primer application.

It creates a lovely, smooth base and leaves your skin feeling lightly refreshed without being too greasy or wet. It doesn't need any rubbing in either, you simply spray and go.

The first time I tried this was underneath some Halloween make-up so I feel like I gave it quite a thorough test. It took a good few hours to get all my photos taken and the primer helped the make-up stay well in place and looking great. It also helped keep my skin feel super hydrated.

It does everything you need a primer to do and more. It can even be spritzed on the face after make-up application through out the day to keep yourself feeling extra refreshed.

Have you tried the Freedom Makeup Pro Studio Priming Water? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

*This post contains a PR sample.

First impressions: Lottie London

I love discovering new brands so thought this would make a nice little regular feature for products that don't take too much time to test.

I'm pretty sure Lottie London is relatively new, at least it's new to my local Superdrug store here in Weston-super-Mare and I have to say, we are a bit behind the times here. I noticed the stand on a recent visit and it immediately grabbed by eye as it was packed full of colourful products. There was so much to choose from and in the end I decided on a nail polish and two brushes.

I don't exactly need new brushes but I do like to try different ones to see how they work for me. I picked up the red eyeshadow brush and pastel yellow blend brush as I thought these might work well together. The eyeshadow brush actually has a really big fanned out brush, which is great for applying your eyeshadow in one nice swoop, you can then blend it in with the yellow brush. Both have super soft bristles and for £4.99 each they're very budget friendly. I noticed a brush set also on offer alongside lots of other brushes so they are a great budget alternative to higher end brushes.

I picked up the polish 'As If', which is a gorgeous, bright sky blue colour. For £5.99 it's a little more expensive than I usually like to pay for a nail polish but it's a nice big chunky bottle and the application is brill thanks to the super wide brush. It dries relatively quickly and only needs two coats to get the finish above - it looks lovely and shiny and stays in place for a good few days before chipping. It's pretty much everything I want in a nail polish.

I'd definitely recommend checking out Lottie London if you haven't already. It's a great way to brighten up your makeup bag!

Have you tried Lottie London before? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Makeup Revolution Pro Go Brush Set

I didn't know I needed a mini brush set until the new Pro Go set from Makeup Revolution came through my letter box. This year I'm off to a hen do and also a wedding and I didn't think about the amount of stuff I'm going to have to take. I don't really want to take lots of make-up brushes as they'll no doubt get damaged and dirty so a mini set like this one seems ideal!

The set comes with four brushes, a mini foundation brush, mini face/powder brush, mini eyeshadow brush and a mini angled brush for your eyeliner or brows. So, pretty much every brush you need right? They also come in a cute little pouch, which makes them perfect for popping in your make-up bag and keeps them well protected.

The brushes are super soft too and made from fine synthetic hair. For £4.95 you can't really go wrong. This set is absolutely perfect if you're off on your travels this year.

Have you tried the Pro Go Brush Set? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge - £5.99





Now believe it or not this isn't some weird orange egg, it is in actual fact a make-up applicator sponge. Weird eh? When I first 'got into' make-up I would use those awful sponge triangles to apply foundation and they'd always end up leaving horrible streaky marks across my face. Not a good look.

When I heard about the new complexion sponge from Real Techniques I really wanted to give it a go as I'm such a fan of the Expert Face Brush already. Most people might think £5.99 for a sponge is a little extortionate but this little beauty is a bit of a miracle worker so it's definitely worth splashing out on.

As you can see it resembles an egg but it also has a flat surface too. The flat surface is used for applying the foundation over a large space of the face and smaller edges can be used to apply with a bit more precision. The edge of the flat base can be used for blending under eye concealer and the pointed tip of the egg is great for pressing concealer onto a blemish. It covers it quickly and easily, like magic. The shape of the sponge means you can roll it around the face to really make sure the foundation/blusher spreads evenly and looks natural.

The sponge is really great for getting into the side of the nose, under the eyes and what is most impressive for me is that I can get into the little bits around my nose stud. Something that really bugs me about having a nose stud is the fact that foundation will usually apply around it ok but it won't really get in there properly and usually ends up drying out. With the tip of the sponge I can apply the foundation really well around the stud so that's a big bonus for me.

As the sponge is orange it does tend to look dirty after one use thanks to all that foundation so I would give this a clean regularly. It would be nice to see the sponge in a variety of colours but I guess they went for orange as it's one of the brand colours. Overall I think this is really impressive and I'm so pleased I bought it, it's really helping me on my way to applying the perfect face of make-up.

Have you tried it?

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush - £9.99

So, I don't know why I didn't buy a Real Techniques brush earlier. I'd always put off buying one because I thought they were a little bit expensive but I got so fed up of using foundation brushes and practically painting foundation on that I had to give them a go.

I wasn't really sure which one to go for while I was browsing the selection in Boots but I thought the Expert Face Brush might be a good place to start as it claimed to be great for face bases. I have to admit I'm a real beginner when it comes to makeup brushes. All I own apart from the Expert Face Brush is a Models Own blusher brush and a few eyeshadow brushes.

The brush itself is really lightweight and easy to hold, which makes application easier too. The bristles are super duper soft and I find that blending in a circular motion is really effective.

I've only ever used this with my Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum and as you can see it really gives a smooth finish. I'm very pleased with it and I would definitely recommend investing in this one if you're a beginner like me. I am definitely going to be buying more!