Absence and Olympics

Hello all!

Sorry for my absence the past week or so, my boyfriend was down and I hadn't seen him for 5 weeks prior so I thought it was best to devote my time to him while he was here.

I am still yet to review my e.l.f. items: Studio Flawless Finish Foundation, Cream Eyeliner, Nail Polish, Studio Complete Coverage Concealer and Lengthening and Defining Mascara are some of the products I will be writing about :).

Also, being a British Girl I am over the moon about the current Olympics results. Although I am not an avid sport watcher I have got more involved with it this year for obvious reasons and Team GB is currently THIRD!!!!!! Behind China (1st) and USA (2nd) I think that is pretty darn good considering our small population in relation. GO TEAM GB!!!

Sleep in Rollers Review

So I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon and give you a review on sleep in rollers. Originally I was looking on eBay (as I do with almost everything I ever buy) and prices were looking £14-17. Then I had a eureka moment and had a look at Sally Express and saw that with my professional card I could get two sets for £10 (excluding VAT). So I tootled to my nearest Sally store and purchased them for £12 and got a little bag with it.

Flat hair to start with.

In each set there are 10 so I had a total of 20 to fit my hair around which is more than enough seen as I have quite fine medium length hair. With each roller I secured it with 1-2 bobby pins and then went about my usual evening activities and then off to bed.

Pre-Sleep

State of me when I've just woken up.

After rollers have been taken out.

Ruffled to make look more natural, sorry for looking like I want to kill someone.

After reading several positive reviews and one even saying that they felt 'like an extra pillow' I wasn't even dubious about using these. Although I did manage to get to sleep it was quite a struggle as they were not comfortable to sleep on at all. But none the less they are more comfortable than others so I guess these rollers are the lesser of the evils that are rollers to sleep in. I will use them again but in the day as they are more comfortable than normal rollers and I can rest my head back when watching TV and such.

Results, personally they're not big enough to get the look I usually like but I can't really imagine sleeping in rollers the size I'm used to using in the day. But from the photos (excuse the lack of make up) you can see that it did give my hair volume and a nice soft curl even though they were put into unwashed hair. They are worth a try as it depends on the individual on if you can sleep in them or not, if you find it easy to fall asleep then these could be perfect for you!

7/10

I just received my E.L.F. delivery so shall show you in my next post :)

FOTD!

Since becoming blonde again I have turned somewhat into a narcissist; thus I have taken a photo of my face of the day! You'll see from the products used I use a wide array of drugstore cosmetics and high end cosmetics. Being a student I always try to get the cheapest product of the highest quality, sometimes the more expensive kind is worth the money though.

Base: Vivo Primer
Avon Smooth Minerals - Nude
E.L.F. High Definition Powder - Translucent

Cheeks: eBay Blusher Palette (Amazing buy, originally bought mine from Hong Kong so this is the closest to it but because of Duty Charges I would buy from UK now) Used the top middle colour.

Contour: eBay Blusher Palette - 2nd in from the left on the bottom.

Highlight: E.L.F. Shimmering Facial Whip - Lilac Petal

Lips: Marks and Spencer Lipstick - Tangerine

Eyes: bareMinerals Eyeshadow - Satin Ruffle

Eyeliner (waterline and edges of eyes): MAC Eye Kohl - Smolder

Mascara: Avon 24k gold mascara (has subtle flecks of gold in!)

Eyebrows: MAC Eyeshadow - Copperplate (Definitely need to use less next time!)
FAMOUS Brow Gel

I'm still awaiting an E.L.F. haul from their recent 50% off offer which I ordered on the 14th and STILL haven't received it though. Longest I've ever had to wait but hopefully it'll be worth the wait.

Review on E.L.F. Studio Complexion Brush and Studio Blush Brush Vs. Illamasqua Powder Brush and Blusher Brush

My first review! I haven't set up a structure yet so you'll have to forgive me for my slapdash style for the time being.


I meant to review the E.L.F. Studio Complexion Brush and Studio Blush Brush a long time ago but I guess now I have spent enough time using to give a more accurate opinion on them. I have always been enticed by E.L.F.'s amazing offers in the past of 50% off but at the time of purchasing these brushes the offer was 30% off of the original price. I have rarely been disappointed by their products and this is no exception.


E.L.F. Studio Blush Brush

E.L.F. Studio Blusher Brush

Normally selling for £3.75 is is very reasonably priced, with the 30% off I got it for £2.63 which is SUPER CHEAP!

The description on E.L.F.'s website states:

"Blush Brush This new anti bacterial, synthetic haired Taklon brush is softer and more absorbent and can be used with wet or dry products. Be a professional makeup artist and create a flawless look with this e.l.f. studio brush! -Creates a defined and sculpted look -The tailored design allows for easy maneuvering and precise color application -Use to apply blush or bronzer *Vegan Friendly Directions Sweep brush over cheekbones for a flush or color. Use the pointed edge of the brush to sculpt the face and contour around the hairline and jawline. Net weight: 0.635oz (18g)"

If I'm honest I was very apprehensive before trying, I expected it to feel like brushing my face with a wire brush that would leave hairs all over my face. I couldn't have been any wronger! It is super soft and works with wet products as well as dry leaving no trace of hairs on your face. It's shape is slightly squished making it flatter than other blush brushes I've used. Although this is useful I still reach for a rounder blush brush when doing the apples of my cheeks and instead use this more for sculpting my face with bronzer. I also have started using this too apply my foundation as the flat edge means I can get in and around my hairline with ease.

E.L.F. Studio Complexion Brush

 

E.L.F. Studio Complexion Brush

Again this brush is priced at £3.75 so was £2.63 with the 30% off. That is something that I appreciate about E.L.F.; they don't adjust the price for different brushes they are all priced the same. 

The description on their website states:

"Complexion Brush

This new anti bacterial, synthetic haired Taklon brush is softer and more absorbent and can be used with wet or dry products. Be a professional makeup artist and create a flawless look with this e.l.f. studio brush!

-Creates an even and natural finish
-Expertly sweeps all types of powders across the entire face and sculpts features beautifully
-Use with pressed, loose, or translucent powders, blush or bronzer
Directions
Dip brush into powder and tap off excess. Apply all over face or wherever needed for additional coverage or color.

Net weight: 0.99oz (28g)"

Again this brush was excellent value for money, super soft and left no hairs on the face. Similarly it is squished at the top so the brush is flat when turned to the side. I found this quite useful when applying powder as you can cover a wider area of your face when patting the product on.

E.L.F Studio Complexion Brush £3.75 and Blush Brush £3.75

The softness of these brushes reminded me so much of the quality of Illamasqua's brushes that I would suggest the E.L.F. ones as a very good substitute. The price difference is absolutely ridiculous for how similar the hair is.             

Illamasqua Blusher Brush 1

Priced at £25.50 it is rather pricey! Very good though for precise blusher and applying foundation. A little too precise to lightly apply blusher I find. 

Illamasqua Powder Brush

Priced at £36 it will most definitely make a hole in your wallet. Long term though before discovering the E.L.F. complexion brush I would say it was a safe investment but now I don't feel quite the same!                 

Illamasqua Blush Brush £25.50 and Powder Brush £36

E.L.F. Studio Blush Brush alongside Illamasqua Blush Brush

E.L.F. Studio Complexion Brush alongside Illamasqua Powder Brush

The only significant difference is the shape of the brushes and the handles are matt for E.L.F. and are shiny and slightly more slender for the Illamasqua brushes. It could be argued that because of the shape difference that there is no real comparison which I agree to some extent, but because of the price difference the sacrifice in shape (which could actually in turn be beneficial depending on the individual) is one I'd gladly make in the future!


I hope you liked my first review, if you have any questions or comments please feel free to leave them and I'll get back to you :)

Hello world :)

I decided to put my two pennies worth into the blogging world. Originally I was going for a beauty blog but didn't want to be restrained to one subject matter. Hence what seems to be a rather generic blog title to you; to myself however it represents two things in the world I love the most. Ruby is the name of my darling cat whom I obscenely treat almost as my child and rose as it is my favorite flower.

Now I have introduced the blog I'll introduce you a little more to myself. I am currently a Trainee Make Up and Hair Stylist, 22 years old and called Fran. I plan on writing mostly about hair and make up but will have a little dabble in interior design and food etc. now and then!

This is me so that you know who is blabbering on in future posts.

I hope that you enjoy this blog as much as I will do writing it!

Toodles x