Cleaning brushes

Well hello

 

Hope you are all well and looking forward to Easter :) I'm dreading having all that chocolate around the house! I'm cutting down the amount I buy the kids as they get loads from grandparents, aunts and uncles and their mum.

 

So today I just wanted to talk about cleaning make up brushes....

 

I have previously blogged about my purchase of the Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman brushes, and I have started using them more regularly now, so I felt like I needed to give them a good clean. I researched for a few days online and especially YouTube to find the best way to clean my brushes. I came across a few videos who used the same method and ingredients to make the brush cleaner, so I got all the bits and went for it :)

 

Firstly, you need a bowl, some extra virgin olive oil, antibacterial washing up liquid and cold water (ideally you do this at the sink). Mix together equal parts of the oil and soap in the bowl. Then, taking one brush at a time, dip it into the oil/soap mix and then add a little water. Then, using the palm of your hand, and in a circular motion, rub the mix into the brush. At this point, your should start seeing the product come out of the brush and create a foam. You just need to keep going until the foam is white and you have got all the product out.

 

I did my brushes all at once, so, once I had cleaned them all in the mix, I then went back through them and rinsed them all out under the cold water. You want to make sure you keep the brushes with the bristles down, just so the water doesn't go up into the handles. And the last step was to rub a little conditioner onto the bristles and then rinsed them off, which left them so shiny and smooth.

 

Lastly, I got rid of as much liquid from the brushes, laid hem on a towel, then folded the towel onto the top just to stop any dirt from getting onto them as they dried.

 

And I have to say, it has worked to well. They are so soft and clean now! I only did this yesterday and, as today is Sunday and we have stayed at home all day, I haven't used them! But I sure am looking forward to trying them out :)

 

How often do you clean your brushes?

 

toodle pip!

 

Beka x

Madness

Well hello

I know it's been a while since my last post, but my life went into overdrive a few weeks ago and I'm just getting bacm to normal!

My husband had to go into hospital for an operation and I was spending 12 hours a day travelling to and from the hospital and trying to be with him as much as I could. I have such an amazing network of family and friends and they really helped with the kids whilst I was with Mike. Anyway, he came home last week and is resting. He is getting better each day, but srill needs to take it easy, no matter how bored he gets!

So my life the last 2 weeks have been looking aftet him, on top of the normal kids, school and housework, so I had to put the blog on the back burner im afraid. But now I'm raring to go :-) I'll be spending tomorrow blogging and catching up with emails, and I'll have a new blog for you on Saturday, then normal service will resume on Monday :-)

Hope you are all well

toodle pip!

Beka x

Poundland blusher

Well hello

Today I am reviewing a powder blusher from Poundland.

 

 

I enjoy using make up, but can't afford to spend money 'trying' higher end products. I like to spend less money and find something reliable for my budget. As you may have seen in one of my previous posts, I like to shop in Poundland for my make up and their range Chit Chat. I am still using, and loving, their Lash Building Mascara!

So, on one shopping trip to Poundland, I picked up their Chit Chat blusher in Desert Flower....

 

 

I have to admit, I love this. I use it as part of my everyday makeup, and it just add that bit of colour to my cheeks at 8am! It does have a hint of sparkle, not much, but I like the effect it gives my cheeks. I have tried other cheaper branded blushers, NYX and Collection (previously Collection 2000) but I never seemed to get much colour from the powders, whereas this Poundland one does the job.

 

 

 

I love using this blush and would definitely purchase again once I have used this one up.

Have you or would you try Poundland make up?

toodle pip!

Beka x

Coloured jeans

Well hello

 

Today I just wanted to share with you my bargain buy from New Look on Wednesday.

As I have said before, I am large framed, big boned, overweight, plus size or however you want to say it, AND just over 6ft tall, so, surprisingly, can sometimes find clothes shopping annoying. I have been drawn over the past few years to New Look and their 'Inspire' range of clothes, as they go up to 32 waist and now do 32" leg on their trousers.

 

They are my go-to shop for jeans, which I live in, as I can usually pick up a pair for between£10 and£18, which is pretty good compared to Evans where you can easily pay at least £25 for a pair. And then there are the sales in New Look where I have picked up jeans for £6.99!!

 

So I needed some new jeans as my current ones are starting to get holey, and I picked up a couple of pairs in my trusty bootcut blue jeans in 32" leg.

 

 

 

Then I was walking over to the tills when I noticed a sale section...... uh oh! And one of the first things I noticed a single pair of redish/burgundy skinny jeans....not only in my size, but in 32" leg!!! I was having them! And I hadn't even looked at the label to see how much they were, I just wanted to have them. I had been looking at jeans like this in the normal (full price) section, but wasn't overly keen on the electric blue ones they had.

So now, with the jeans in my hand, I checked out the price tag...... £8! That was it, I was straight off to pay for them before my husband noticed I had picked them up...

 

 

I also had painted my toes (using my previous post's Rimmel nail varnish) after I took this picture, and thought they went well, so here is another picture just cos I like it :)

 

 

Have you made any good bargain buys recently? Please share any good finds :)

 

toodle pip!

 

Beka x

 

 

 

 

Rimmel Nail Polishes

Well hello

 

Today I treated myself to some Rimmel nail polishes. I got them in Asda, and got a great deal, 3 for £5, which is pretty good! I normally go for Asda's George range of polishes as they do a good range of colours and are a nice price - normally £1 - £2 each. But the Rimmel display caught my eye, and I was drawn to these three polishes.....

 

I absolutely love having my nails painted, I always have something on them! But I do have to say that my favourite colours are bright and bold ones, and these are no exception! I had been looking for a new red polish for a while, I love blue polishes as they really stand out, and I am currently loving green on my nails :) 

 

 

This red polish is called ' 320 Rapid Ruby' and I love it! It is from their 60 Seconds collection and has their 'Xpress Flat Brush' which I really like. This a quite deep blood red colour.

 

This blue polish is called '840 Blue Eyed Girl' and it's lovely and bright. It is from their 60 Seconds collection and has their 'Xpress Flat Brush' which makes it so much easier to apply.

 

 

This green polish is called '700 Block Your Green' and has a slight sparkle to it. It is from their I love Lasting Finish collection and is a nice emerald green.

 

After sampling all three, I ended up settling on the red one :)

 

 

I'll keep you posted on how I find it. We are off into London tomorrow, so about 2 hours on public transport, plus the normal housework, so we'll see how it lasts.

 

Have you bought any nail polishes recently that you have liked?

 

toodle pip!

 

Beka x



Bourjois Healthy Mix

Well hello

Today's post, as the title says, is about the Healthy Mix Foundation by Bourjois.

I actually bought this foundation around September last year, but it was mainly for me to use for my wedding day, and it's taken me until about now to use it enough times to give my opinion on it!

Now I know that this isn't an expensive foundation, but I did do a lot of research before I purchased it. I scoured YouTube for reviews on it, and went to the shops a few times to test out the colours. So I finally bought it, in shade 53 Beige, along with the Healthy Mix Concealer (separate review to come) and a black kohl pencil, mainly as they had an offer of 3 for 2, and then you got a free pair of Bourjois sunglasses when you did buy three things! Nice one :) The foundation cost me £7.99 from Superdrug - which was £3 off!

I don't really wear foundation that often, but sometimes I feel the need to go the whole hog. My daily make-up consists of using concealer, eyeshadow and mascara. I focus on my eyes, as I think they are my best feature, but also as I am a busy mum of 2, I don't always want to/have the time to apply a full face of make up. So anyway, I loved the smell! It says on the front of the package about the 'Fruit Therapy' in has, which includes apricot, melon, apple and ginger. You get a good mix of these as you apply it, which is much nicer than some of the other foundations I tried. I wasn't looking for a particular heavy foundation, but more light to medium, just to cover any imperfections. But, this foundation you can also build up for better coverage (which I have done for nights out). Another reason I was drawn to this product is that it is supposed to last 16 hours, which is something I wanted on my wedding day. The last thing I wanted to think about was taking time out during the day to re-apply my foundation.

I used my Real Techniques stippling brush to apply this (review of the brushes here) and I can really work it into the skin with this brush. I have dry patches and oil bits on my face, which doesn't help, but it copes with both areas OK. It does seem to emphasise the dry areas more, so I have learnt to fully moisturise those parts before I apply the foundation.

Overall, a good price for a foundation that I use when needed, gives a good coverage, not too much, but is buildable of required, and smells nice, which is definitely nice to have.

Have you tried this foundation out?

toodle pip!

Beka x

Busy times!

Well hello

Sorry it's been a while since my last post, last week as SOOO busy for me and I wasn't actually home for much of it, and I hadn't even had time to prepare any posts to just upload whilst I was out. Anyway, back to normal blogging from today....At the moment I am listening to Pink's new song 'Just Give Me A Reason' with Nate Ruess, and I love it! I love it when the beat kicks in on the first chorus....amazing. I have a feeling I need to get her album and do a review :)

So back to blogging, tomorrow I have a review of a foundation I have been using lately, then some crafty things I have been doing, and maybe a recipe of Friday.

Hope you will stick with me :)

toodle pip!

Beka x