Real Techniques Core Collection

I finally got my hands on the Real Techniques Core Collection. I mainly wanted this for the Buffing Brush and the Contour Brush, but don't worry I wont neglect the other brushes. At the moment I am using the Expert Face Brush for my Foundation/BB Cream, but I needed a brush with a flatter top.

This is a great starter kit for any newbies entering the make up world.
The Buffing brush can be used for your base - (Foundation, BB Cream, CC Cream)
The Contour can be used for either contouring, highlighting or highlighting under the eyes
The Pointed Foundation Brush can fit perfectly under the eyes to apply concealer
The Detailer brush can be used to conceal spots or can even be used to apply lipstick.

Quick tip, buy the Core Collection or any Real Technique brushes from Amazon. Forget your student discount at Superdrug or the buy 1 get second half price at Boots. Go to Amazon, they sell the same thing but for much cheaper. I got £8.00 off the Core Collection. I have no regrets. Just means I can save my money or buy more brushes ;)

- kristalovesx -

Wash those dirty Makeup Brushes

Time to wash those makeup brushes. If you don't then some problems may happen

- It could be the main problem for break outs on your face.
- The colour pay-off of eyeshadows, blushes and foundation may not come out as nice as it would if the brush was on the cleaner side.
- Bacteria can transfer from makeup to brush to face, it's better to wash away and start afresh.
You don't have to necessary wash your brushes after every single use but you can spot clean, which means you can use your makeup wipes and just swirl your brush onto that. You won't get a thorough clean like with the shampoo but it will eliminate most of the product in the brush.
Let me show you how I wash my brushes. I wash my brushes every two weeks as I find doing it every week it just a bore. I prefer to wash my brushes in the kitchen because there's more room.

I've tried using Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Baby Shampoo but I found it clogged my brushes. I just stick to my trusty Johnson's Baby Shampoo. It's gentle and does the job well, it smells nice too.

First I wet my brushes in lukewarm - warm water just to get the bristles wet and ready for the wash! Make sure you have the brushes face down so no water goes into the base of the brush.

I then put a blob of shampoo on the palm of my hand and swish the brush around until all the product has been taken out. It usually takes me two blobs of shampoo just to ensure that the brushes are clean.

To dry them I hang them upside down on the Real Technique cases or I put them on a flannel over the counter. This ensures all the water is dried up from bristles and doesn't travel down to the base of the brush as this can loosen up the glue.

I find that putting a reminder on my phone helps me know when I should wash my brushes. I always tend to forget. Have you guys used anything else to wash your brushes? Any recommendations?

- kristalovesx -

The Makeup Timer TAG

I loved Lily Pebbles' new Blogger TAG. The Makeup Timer TAG. Just the perfect way to show you my Summer makeup and a TAG all in one. Here's what I usually do and the timings, I'll also include the products I used too.

Foundation - The Body Shop All-In-One BB Cream in the Shade Medium 02 = 1 minute

Concealer - Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in the Shade Deep 35 = 3 minutes 14 seconds

Powder - MAC Studio Fix Powder in Shade NW35 = 34 seconds

Contour - Sleek Contour Kit in Shade Medium = 1 minute 24 seconds

Highlight - Sleek Contour Kit in Shade Medium = 40 seconds

Winged Liner - Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner in Black = 5 minutes 2 seconds

Mascara - L'Oreal Falsh Lash Flutter Mascara in Black = 2 minutes 2 seconds

Eyeliner - Barry M's Bold Waterproof Eyeliner in Black = 1 minute 4 seconds

Brows - A Spooly and a bit of Vo5 Hairspray = 14 seconds

Lips - Tanya Burr's Lipgloss in Champagne Toast and Bourjois Rouge Edition in Shade 05 = 56 seconds

Add them all up and we got ourselves 16 minutes and 10 seconds. This is my everyday look, lots of highlighter and winged liner! Try this yourself and see how long you really take.

- kristalovesx -

Liebster Award

I was nominated by the lovely Lana Petrini, check her blog out it's an amazing read.

The Liebster Award is an award that gives recognition to up coming bloggers that have less than 200 followers.  

The Rules:

Write 11 different facts about yourself.

Answer 11 questions that your nominee(s) have given you.

Write 11 new questions for the people you nominate.

Pass the award onto 11 other bloggers to answer.

You must link back to the person who nominated you.

You must answer the questions given to you.

You must pick 11 nominees to answer your 11 questions you chose for them.

You cannot nominate the person who nominated you.

You must contact the nominees that you have nominated.

Facts about me:

1.My birthday is coming up soon ;) (pssst it's 31st March)

2. I used to have really curly hair and now it's turned all wavy cos I've straightened it too much. Oopsy

3.I'm allergic to most fruits. WHY ME!

4. I have a cat called Skittles.

5. I hate Summer time. Just hate getting tanned.

6. I'm a sucker for reality shows (KUWTK, TOWIE and MIC)

7. I'm a British Mauritian

8. I procrastinate a lot. Like a lot.

9. I have a phobia of Snakes.

10. I'm currently obssessed with Pretty Little Lairs, The Originals, Twisted, Vampire Diaries and New Girl.

11. My OTP is Klaus and Caroline.

Lana's questions for me:

1. What is your favourite makeup brand?

Oooo this is difficult, I think L'Oreal. They always have the best eyeliners, mascaras and foundations.

2. What is your favourite makeup product, and where is it from?

At the moment my favourite makeup would have to be L'Oreal's Volume Million Lashes. It separates and adds volume and length to my lashes. You can put on so many coats and it won't clump. Get it now aha.

3. What is your favourite quote?

"All of time and space; everywhere and anywhere; every star that ever was. Where do you want to start?" - The Doctor

4. Favourite YouTuber

Emma's Rectangle. Her videos are funny and easy to follow, make sure you subscribe to her Rectangle family.

5. What was a great moment in your life?

Greatest moment would have to be going to see The Script in concert in 2013. My friends bought the ticket for my birthday. It was my first ever concert and it was just amazing. The Script are amazing. I don't think I could ever forget it. Amazing moment.

6. What is your passion?

My passion is probably my blog. I know that's typical but I love finding out about new products, writing reviews and finiding other blogs out there that aren't that acknowledged.

7. What is your favourite makeup item that you loved all year?

Sleek Contour Kit in Medium. It creates such a natural contour and it's really good quality, what else could you want.

8. How did you meet your best friend?

At school (typical)

9. How did you get into blogging?

I love reading other people's blogs like Tanya Burr and Clouds and Cuticle Oil and I thought that I could do that. I love giving my opinions out to people especially on beauty products. 

10. What can't you leave your house without?

My phone. It's my life.

11. What is a good advice that you would like to share?

Wear SPF. Always.

My Questions:

1. What's your favourite makeup brand?

2. What's your favourite fashion store?

3.Why did you start blogging?

4.You have 10 minutes to run out the door, what makeup products do you put on your face?

5.Top bun or Messy bun?

6.Favourite film?

7. OTP? (One True Pairing)

8.Tea, Coffee or Latte?

9.Dream Job?

10.Where do you want to travel next?

11. Turn on and turn off?

I nominate: 

Pamli's Blog

One is never under dressed

Lace Marked

Florals and Corals

AbbiieVO

Bambi's Beauty Blogs

Beauty Kisses UK

After 5ve

A Yellow Brick Blog

Aline Ermilova

Amelia Rose

I was so excited to fill out this post, it's nice to do something different. 

Follow me on twitter for updates and other thanggggs.

@kristalovesx

- kristalovesx -

Primark, H&M, River Island and MAC Haul

Here are the lovely products that I bought on my recent trip to the town centre. Let's get started with the Primark things.

Sunglasses - £2

You may think I'm silly for buying sunglasses in this weather, but it is genuinely getting sunnier. I have mostly black framed sunglasses so when I saw this brown tinted sunglasses, I immediately picked them up. These sunglasses also come with a fabric case, which is handy when you don't want to carry those bulky cases around. Thanks Primark for cheap sunglasses, it just means I can buy more. Muhaha.

Felt Tip Eyeliner - £1.50

If you didn't know, Becca Rose (YouTuber and Blogger) works with Primark. She did a recent Beauty Tutorial with just Primark makeup. It was so simple and elegant. but from the makeup look I really liked the Felt tip liner. It was only £1.50! It has a fine tip and if you use it on the side you can acheive a thicker winged look.

9 Packed Earrings - £2

I love it when Primark comes out with new earrings,, especially the 9 packed ones. My favourite ones would have to be the triangular and spiked earrings. So simple and adds an almost effortless look.

Purse - £5

My original purse was getting overloaded with cards, so I needed something that would hold 8 or more cards. I have a lot of food cards like Nandos and Subway. Mmmmm. This reptile skin purse was perfect. It had two separate places to hold coins, one at the back and another when you open the purse to reveal the cards. The gold plates add a bit of elegance to the entire purse.

Now for H&M.

Nail Polish - £2.99

NAIL PPOLISHHHHH, my favourite. This green polish is so lovely, the colour is a deep grey/green colour. You can check my NOTW post for this polish.

Necklace - £1.99

Love this necklace. It's so dainty and delicate. I can wear this with anything and it will still look good. The simplicity of it just adds elegance.

River Island time.

Midi Rings - £2

I was looking at the accessories section in River Island and found this little beauty for only £2! This is the price of something in Primark. The chevron ring gives something extra rather than it being a single round band.

MAC timeeee.

Select Moisturecover Concealer - £15

My dark circles are getting on my nerves. The Moisturecover is perfect for dry skin just like me. I got mine in the shade NW30, it matches my skin perfectly so I can use this on blemishes aswell as my dark circles. A bit pricey but worth every penny.

- kristalovesx -

January Favourites '14

How are we already in February?! I still remember getting excited about Christmas. Why does time fly so fast! So let's get started on my monthly favourites.

First on the list is Foundation. L'Oreal's Eau De Teint is amazing. That velvet-y feel on the skin just makes me want to apply layers upon layers. It's lightweight, leaves a powder finish and has a SPF 18. It gives such a flawless finish. I have been wearing this every day to university and I don't think I want to try any other foundations until this one finishes right to the end. 

This lovely potion in a bottle, retails for £9.99 in Superdrug. 

BABY SKIN. YOU JUST DON'T KNOW KNOW. (Know the song?)

So Maybelline's Baby Skin isn't a primer like POREfessional. This is mostly a silicone primer which smudges your pore's away. I haven't found an absolute difference between not using this primer and using it. Although I have noticed that my foundation does glide on better and blends in quicker, which is a plus for me as I don't have time to keep on blending. 

Still worth it as it's only £7.99.

Get rid of them wrinkles. Eye Creams/Gel are a must in any girl's makeup bag. It helps when you're concealing the eyes and leaves a smooth finish. The Body Shop's eye cream is unperfumed, lightweight and de-puffs those eyes from a night out on the town. Retails for £7.00. A little steep for a basic eye gel but does the job well.

Flutter them lashes with Revlon's Lash Potion. I prefer the plastic wand when applying mascara, like the Maybelline's Rocket, but this is amazing for a bristle wand. The non-waterproof holds my lashes in place and there is no fall out whatsoever which is normally a big problem for me. I actually bought this for £5 as it was on offer after Christmas. But it's usually £9.99.

And last but not least, PERFUME! Oh and not any kind, oh no no no, it's the Katy Perry Killer Queen. Ever since buying this, it's been my scent every single day. It's sweet and mature at the same time much more mature than her first ever perfume Purr. The only thing I don't like about it is that I thought there would be some sort of holder for the perfume, just because it just lies on the table and get's in the way. Apart from that it is AMAZINGGG. Usually retails for £29.00 for the 50ml, but it's sometimes on offer in Boots so always be on the lookout.

What's been you're January Favourites and what are you looking forward too?


- kristalovesx -

Review -Sleek Ultra Matte V2 Palette

Look what I got my hands on!

I'm not the one for shimmery colours and glitter. I'm very much into dark colours and they have to be matte. Even when I'm putting my foundation, contour and even blush, I prefer it to be all Matte. It's just what I find to be beautiful.

1. Orbit

2. Ink

3. Highness

4. Noir

5. Dune

6. Pillow Talk

7. Thunder

8. Maple

9. Flesh

10. Paper Bag

11. Villan

12. Fern

Now for the review. 

Pigmentation: Amazing

Variety of colour: Enough dark shades and light shades to create a smokey effect for day or night.

Price: £7.99 (works out to be 0.67p for each eyeshadow. BARGAIN.)
Where can I buy it: http://www.superdrug.com/sleek-makeup/sleek-makeup-ultra-mattes-pallette-dark/invt/452857

Verdict: I love it, even though I'm not a huge eyeshadow person.

I am sure to buy other palettes like the 'Shadow Storm' and the 'Au Naturel'. Perfect shades for day and evening, just be careful on the colour combinations you choose.

- kristalovesx -

Toiletry Haul

Most of my skincare toiletries were running out, so a little trip to Superdrug was in order. I don't know why I choose Superdrug over Boots all the time. But anyways let's see what I bought.

I was only supposed to get skincare things but I did sneakily buy two make up products. I did try very hard to just buy what I needed.

After the amount of times I've changed my skincare routine is unbelievable. I used to get acne only on my forehead which was annoying. Once I changed my product from Simple to Garnier I noticed such a HUGE difference. I only used Simple because it was gentle enough for my sensitive and dry skin. Plus using the the Overnight clearing serum and Witch's skin clearing primer has helped to reduce the redness and soreness of spots. I'm not saying that my spots just disappear completely but there is a significant difference in the size and colour. It makes it easier to conceal too.

We all need silky soft skin and this helps a lot. My legs are so much softer because of this. Protects my skin during the cold winter days and helps to prepare the skin for the December parties!!

I make my dentist happy by using these two products, morning and night. I do love a pearly white smile. Say cheeeeseeeee.

I have an excuse for the mascara. I was actually running out of my other one. But I just really wanted to get at least one shade of the Apocalips. I just had to. Perfect shade for the upcoming parties.

I'm thinking of doing a skincare post soon, what do you think? Any other posts that you'd want to see from me?

- kristalovesx -

Review -Maybelline 24Hr Colour Tattoo

I know I'm a bit late but I recently got these three amazing eye shadow's from the Maybelline Colour Tattoo range. I got them in the shade 'On and On Bronze', 'Pomegranate' and 'Permanent Taupe'. They were also on a 3 for 2 deal in Boots. Individually they are £4.99. 

 

I actually bought these shades is because they can easily be worn everyday. The On and On Bronze can be used as an inner eye highlight, the Pomegranate as a base shade and the Permanent Taupe as a blending shade. A good autumnal night out look. 

The colour pay off is actually amazing. Very creamy and full of colour. Apparently they are also a good dupe for the MAC Paint Pots. Affordable and amazing. 

As you can see, in photo's the colour is still vibrant and doesn't get lost. I don't know how more highly I can talk about it haa. Let me know what colour you've tried and recommend, I think I need to get the Eternal gold as this can be another alternative highlight for the eyes.

- kristalovesx -

My Everyday Face

I love looking at other bloggers and other Youtubers everyday face. Just seeing all the different product people use and how they apply it. I have taken a few pictures to show you what I used on a daily basis. 

It looks like quite a lot but I use them in moderation of course.

I recommend getting the Sleek Contour Kit!! They have three shades to choose from, so you can get the right shade for you. Just remember to blend, blend and blend :)

So many mascaras have come and go but L'Oreal's Volume Million Lashes will always be the one that I run back to. The consistency stays the same for many months and helps create a fanned out lash look.

I use two separate concealers, I use the Fit Me concealer for the inner part of my eyes and the Revlon for any blemishes as it's a medium coverage.

Heather Shimmer is a perfect shimmery nude, perfect for an Olive skin tone. I have on and off days about this lipstick as I prefer a Matte lipstick and this lipstick has a subtle shimmer and gloss.

If you want to see an actual photo of me wearing these lovely items, I should post one up soon.

- kristalovesx -

Superdrug and Matalan Haul

Hey guys, I know I haven't been the most attentive blogger. But I have been trying to think of possible blog posts that I could posts. I'd rather create well though out post's than pathetic little posts which will bore you. Ok. That's enough rambling on, let's get to it.

I took a trip to the wonderful Superdrug and Matalan and got myself a few bits and bobs. Both things I needed and didn't actually need, but ohh well :)

Here are the lovely things that I bought from Superdrug. 

I got myself two lovely bottles of hairspray. I can never go wrong with Pantene Pro-V hairspray. I've bought the VO5 hairspray before but I weren't impressed. I got the 'Volume & Body' which I can use for when I tease my roots, and the 'Extra Strong' is to hold the curls in. Superdrug is currently doing a deal, 2 for £4 so I grabbed them while they were on this offer.

YAY! I got myself a Baby Lips! From my 'September Wishlist', I told you guys that I really wanted these. I grabbed the 'Intense Care'. Guys, this is the best lipbalm if you have dry lips/cracked lips. It is so moisturising and I could just keep applying it over and over and over again. It doesn't tastes of anything or smell like anything which is a plus point for me. I got this bad boy for £2.99. But there is a deal at the moment, 2 for £5!

Mmmm who doesn't live a bit of lipgloss. I got this little beauty for £4.99. The colour is so beautiful so darker skin tones. This is in the shade Cosmic -730. It has a slight glitter so you can use it both for casual look teamed with a winged liner or a night out with a smokey eye.

I finally found a concealer that matches my skintone, in the shade Deep Foncé - 06. When I try on concealers they are either too orange or too light for my skin. I bought this concealer to conceal the little spots that appear all over my face. This was £6.99, a little pricey but I don't care seeing as it is the perfect shade!

Swatches for the Vinyl Gloss and the Colourstay Concealer.

Now for the Matalan haul. I didn't really need to buy any earrings, but they were so cheap! I got 5 pair of earrings for £2 and another for £1! How could you possibly say no?

- kristalovesx -