Dr Bronner's Magic Soap

I've seen it in American Apparel, I've seen it in & Other Stories, but I finally caved when I saw the infamous Dr Bronner's Magic Soap in my local HomeSense store for a few pounds off it's RRP. After contemplating which 'flavour' to choose I decided to go with Peppermint, because you just can't beat the freshness of a mint scent. My intention was to use it for all sorts, but mainly for cleaning my makeup brushes as it had been recommended to me.

The first thing I must say is that this is such a thorough cleaner. It makes things squeaky clean, and I mean squeaky, in little to no time at all. I tested it in three ways: My makeup brushes, as a bathroom cleaner, and as a shower gel. It does state it's multipurpose, after all.

On my makeup brushes it didn't lather up much, but cleans them very well. Unfortunately I can't detect a peppermint smell once they have dried, but that would have just been an added bonus. I've noticed no difference to the quality of my brushes, nor has it left any residue behind or was hard to rinse out.
A few squirts of this around my bath, shower and sink and lathered up with a cleaning sponge, this worked fantastically. I love that it isn't pumping any nasty or dangerous chemicals back into the environment, and a little really does go a long way. My bathroom was dazzling within minutes, as it works grime and smudges off immediately.
This really foamed up when I used it as a shower gel, and it was a very luxurious clean. However, I didn't like that it made my body squeak after I had washed it off!! Loved the peppermint scent lingering on my skin for the rest of the day though.

Magic Soap is a fantastic product because it is multipurpose and also cruelty free. None of the ingredients nor the final product are tested on animals (which for me always makes a product way more enjoyable to use) plus they are vegan as they don't use any tallow in the soap making process. Magic Soap is completely free of harmful and/or nasty ingredients such as SLS or parabens. Not only this, but it is a 100% organic product AND fair trade! If there was ever a completely ethical product to buy, this is it. Next time I see it locally I'll be stocking up, I've really enjoyed using this and have been so impressed by it too. I would be intrigued to try more products from Dr Bronner too, especially the hand sanitizer and the the body soaps. What a fantastic brand, definitely one I will be looking into more and would completely recommend this.

Thanks for reading,

E.

Midweek Post: My favourite eye makeup brushes.

There are a few brushes that I cannot imagine being without now, so I thought I had better share them with you so that you don't miss out too!

Real Techniques eyeshadow brush; This is a great eyeshadow brush for packing on the product. It's not too big which I find so many others to be, it is just the perfect size for my eyelids! This is made of synthetic hair so can be used with creams or powders, but I especially love it with powders because I think it picks up product so well.

MAC 217; This is often sold out on the website so you may have already gathered that it is a popular brush. This is a great brush for blending and adding product into the crease of the eye.It's tapered head means that it accesses the crease well without spreading the product over the lid. It also blends powders really well.

Illamasqua Blending Brush 1; This is great for blending eye makeup seamlessly. I always keep it clean and do not use it to apply product with, just swirl it over a smokey eye to blend the colours and fade. Like all the brushes at Illamasqua, it is synthetic hairs which I generally prefer to use.

Laura Mercier Smudge Brush; This is an absolute must have for smudging any under eye colour to create a more smokey or blended finish. It's a great size- it is small enough to be precise but wide enough to remain firm which is an important quality in any smudger brush. Works great with powder and pencil/gel eyeliners.

MAC 210; I have already spoken about this a couple of times before, for me it is a must have for applying gel eyeliner, whether it be for a winged flick or onto the water line. The only downside is that it has frayed slightly and I haven't had it a year yet.

Illamasqua Angled Brush; This is the best angled brush I have ever used for several reasons. Firslty, the brush is made of synthetic hair which makes it both cruelty free and multipurpose in terms of being able to use it with liquids, creams and powders. The length is perfect- it's as if Illamasqua have taken a standard angled brush and cut it in half, making it short and wide, therefore a lot firmer (perfect for creating straight lines or sculpted brows with ease) and alllowing more control as it isn't as flimsy. My brows have improved ten fold since I have been using this brush, the size is just perfect. Worth every penny.

Building my Makeup Artist Kit.

I thought I'd write a post to show you some bits I have picked up for my makeup kit. Some of you may know that I have been working on makeup counters in department stores for a while but I have decided to branch out into freelance artistry on the side because it's the creative aspect of makeup that interests me, not so much the retail/sales. I have always been fairly creative, I used to paint a lot and I studied a degree in Art History. I kind of fell into makeup but it's something I have a huge passion and inherent interest in (hence this blog, too!) so it makes sense to persue it and hopefully forge a career out of it.

I am booked into a makeup artistry course run by Louise Constad in April, the course includes a basic makeup kit so there are only a few bits I need to get to 'complete' it!

I recently left my job working for the Estee Lauder companies and thought I had better take advantage of my discount and place one last order to supplement any gaps in my future kit. I think the generous staff discount is the only part of the job I will miss! I decided to just order MAC items this time as they are reasonably priced, of good quality and are a brand I am very familiar with.

I ordered two brushes- the 210 eyeliner brush which is a staple in my personal makeup routine. It's very fine and works great with gel eyeliner or for precise detailing but to be honest you could buy fine paintbrushes from your local arts store for cheaper! I ordered the 188 Duo Fibre brush but I expected the head to be a bit larger. I noticed that there isn't a duo fibre included in Louise's kit and as I am so used to using brushes like this I thought it would add to the brush collection well.

I bought a Fluidline in 'Dipdown'. Louise provides us with the Fluidline in 'Blacktrack' so I thought it would be useful to get a dark brown gel liner as I use both shades regularly.

I bought 6 eyeshadows ready to pop into a pro palette, so I got some extras in shades I know and love and think will be useful. I bought 'Coppering' and 'Cranberry'- two of my favourites. They're so warm and unique. I got 'All The Glitters' as it would be a useful frost colour. 'Cork' and 'Omega'- two matte, natural earthy browns. 'Omega' is also great for filling in blonde brows. Then I got 'Sumptuous Olive' thrown in for good measure- a wearable, moss green.

So that's it so far! I bought a pill box from Muji to decant some lipsticks in. Would you be interested to see a post on that once I have done it? 

Please let me know if you like me including makeup artist related posts. 

What would be your kit essentials?

Going back to the F80....

I've recently returned to the Sigma F80 buffing brush after neglecting it over the Real Techniques buffing brush which I bought in March.

While the Real Techniques brush is softer with a rounder head, I always feel it absorbs a bit too much of the product I'm trying to apply. At times it disappointed me because I felt it could make foundation streaky on my skin, no matter how much I buffed and circulated the brush. Don't get me wrong, I'd totally recommend this brush; it's cruelty free, it's readily available in Boots stores in the UK and does have that quality you'd expect from an expensive brush at an affordable price... I just don't think it beats my...

Sigma F80! I've owned this for well over a year and while ordering from Sigma is a pain in the a (they're based in America so expect to wait a few weeks for shipping), it was totally worth it for the quality of the brush. The heavy, chunky handle helps application and the fibres don't seem to soak up product like the R.T. buffing brush does. It applies evenly, and personally I think it gives better results with the foundation I use and on my skin. The F80 fibres are both denser and firmer which are two contributing factors as to why I think it is a better brush.

Both of these brushes are well known, and 'hyped', if you like. Both are good brushes, but I do prefer my F80. For now.

What's your favourite brush for foundation application?