makeup brushes

Beauty Shopping At Coliseum Shopping Park*

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I was recently invited to go and explore Coliseum Shopping Park to go and shop for some beauty items and do some more retail therapy. The park is based around 35 minutes away from me, in South Liverpool, and it's easy to find just off the M53. There is plenty of parking available within the retail park so it won't be far to pop your purchases into the boot before moving onto the next store. Coliseum Shopping Park is open from 9am until 8pm during the week, 8am to 8pm on Saturdays and 11am to 5pm on Sundays so there should be a convenient time for you to visit. It features quite a few major stores, and I headed over to Boots to pick up some beauty bits.


The first item I picked up was the Spectrum Mean Girls 7 Piece Lip Brush Set and Bag (£40.00) which is something I've been looking at for ages. I've always loved Spectrum but have never owned a set of their brushes before, so when they brought out this Mean Girls Burn Book themed set, it just seemed the perfect one to choose. Along with the 7 brushes, the set includes a silicone blending sponge, a hot pink bag and the burn book compact mirror. I love the look of these brushes, so it didn't take me long to put them in my makeup brush storage that you can see in the background of the picture.


The second product I went for was the Spa in a Jar from Sanctuary Spa (£10.00). Having something to help you have a relaxing wind-down and give yourself a spa treatment in your own home will be welcomed. The gift jar contains a body wash, body lotion, foaming bath soak, hand cream and a body puff. I love how this is all packaged up in one jar which could fit nicely in the bathroom so that you have all of your products in one place, and then it gives you a reusable jar for your other items. The last item I got from Boots was the Jack Wills Cosmetic Brush Gift Set (£15.00). There are 4 brushes included along with a brush pouch. I often struggle with taking my makeup brushes away with me, so having a bag for them would be useful. Due to its handy size, it could be the perfect set to pop in your suitcase when you are going away on a short trip.


I had a great day shopping at Coliseum Shopping Park and it was lovely to see it all festive, with the Christmas tree looking particular nice once the sun had gone down and the lights were shining brightly. There are a number of big name stores in the park which makes it easier to find yourself some items, whether this is for yourself or ones you are picking up for friends and family.


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L'Oréal's Latest Beauty Releases


During this time of year, there are so many beauty releases launching that it can be overwhelming to see what products are worth buying. It could be for Christmas presents or to glam up your festive party look, but in stores and online you can't see swatches of the products themselves. To make it easier for us, L'Oréal Paris has sent over some of their new products for me to try out and swatch for you, and for me to see what's the most worth it.


Right in time for Christmas, there is the Merry Metals collection which is full of shimmery products with luxury-looking packaging. The Merry Metals Glow Drops (£9.99) is a highly pigmented illuminator that is buildable for a bold shimmer and daylong glow. You can use the tiniest amount of a subtle shimmer or pack it on for an intense glow which makes it a very versatile product. The concentrated glow drops can be mixed with a primer or foundation for an all-over glow or added on top of lipstick and it's just beautiful. This is definitely a firm favourite of mine. There are three Infallible Metallic Lip Paints (£6.99) with similar packaging, and I have the shades Internet and Pixie. I'm not really sure about the name 'Internet' as it seems a bit random but it's a gorgeous shade nonetheless. The name 'Cute Psych' is another name I'm definitely not sure of but since I've not received this one I'm just going to leave that there. The lip paints have a shimmering metallic finish and they're not completely opaque but again this means you could apply them on top of another lip product. They're a long-wearing formula with high shine and shimmer so you can celebrate the festive season with a glossy pout. I'm not head over heels with the shade 'Pixie' as I'm fair with blonde hair but if you're daring enough to pull it off, I can imagine it would look amazing.


My photos just don't do this palette justice. It's the Merry Metals Highlighting Palette (£12.99) with 5 high-shimmer shades inside, from icy tones through to golden shimmers. I was originally a bit wary of the shade 'Make Me Flush' as it seems quite peachy but I'd use this and 'Pearlista' as blush shades instead. Make sure to head over to my Instagram to see the video I've uploaded of the swatches with flash on as they are far more shimmery with a light shone on them. I'm in love with the shade 'Metallicious' as it's basically a rose gold and I've been using it as an eyeshadow which you could do with the rest of the shades in this palette.

 

I have to admit, these are my first lip kits. Ever. I was never taken by the Kylie trend, nor the subsequent products that followed suit, but I can see why some were obsessed with them. Cheryl has collaborated with L'Oréal to bring out her own lip kits that include a lip liner with matching lip paint, and I have the shades 'Paint It Peach' and 'Paint It Greige' and there is a Burgandy shade too(£9.99). The Lip Kits are a match made in heaven to create a flawless pout that's matte, with a lasting time of up to 8 hours. You outline your entire lip with the lip liner then apply the lip paint all over and it's just such a pretty look and would compliment every skintone.


I know that Halloween is over, but the Autumn/Winter season is not. These are the Infallible Vampies Lip Paints (£6.99) in the shades 'Bye Felicia' and 'Purple Panic'. Unlike other lip products I've tried out before, these have a lacquer finish so they're opaque and high-shine, with shades suitable for your inner vamp. There's even a black shade in the collection so fear not, you can wear whatever shade you like right now with ease. I love that they've brought out more unique colours but since they're not incredibly wearable for me, I've not had too much wear out of them yet.


Unique to Superdrug, we now have brushes! These are the Infallible Makeup Brushes (£5.99-9.99) which are made for applying foundation and concealer, stippling, contouring and applying blushes and powders. I don't tend to use brushes for exactly what they're meant for, and I am a bit sad that the contouring brush is dual-ended as I stand my brushes up in a pot (when I say a pot I mean three...) and this means one side has to get squashed, but nevermind. I love that these brushes are affordable with soft bristles and I would definitely check out the concealer and blusher brushes if you come across them.


The products I'm most excited about have to be the Glow Drops and the Highlighting Palette from the Merry Metals Collection. You can't go wrong with a bit of shimmer and you can use them in so many ways that they're so worth picking up. Boots quite often have 3 for 2 on too so grab yourself a bargain if you can!


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Glossybox July | Hello Summer


I'm really enjoying Glossybox as a brand lately, and they keep knocking it out of the bag. The July Edit boasts Hello Summer on the box which sums up the contents pretty damn well. It includes travel-friendly sized products, makeup that can stand the heat and summer problem solvers. The box is the first of the summer collector's edition boxes with a sneaky hint towards next month's Girls Just Wanna Have Sun box. Inside this box are 5 summery products ranging from £4.99 to £25, all for £10.


I'll talk about the most expensive item in the box first, and that is the BellaPierre Cosmetics Banana Setting Powder (£25). I love using yellow-toned items under the eyes and hit pan on my ABH Contour Kit and I'm quickly making my way through the Nip + Fab Contour Palette, so this has come at such perfect timing. The baking makeup trend to set different areas of makeup helped products like this rise up in the beauty world, and this banana setting powder has a yellow hue to counteract discolouration, dark circles and to highlight the area. I'm in love with this product and is more travel-friendly than taking a whole palette on a trip. I'm just glad it doesn't smell like bananas too.



The second most expensive item in the box is the MONUspa Soothing After Sun Lotion (£19.95) which is obviously a great item for summer holidays. It has the most active form of soothing aloe vera along with Vitamin E and shea butter to hydrate, cool and help calm 'sunned-out' skin. You can use it on both your body and face after sun exposure and will even be useful on the short amount of days that the UK has sun. Another hydrating product is the CuteBalms Macaroon Tint Balm in Crushed Berry (£5.99). Firstly, it's adorable and definitely justifies the brand name 'cutebalms'. The colour is stunning and I don't mind having this out on my makeup desk compared to boring lip balms. It is a multi-use product and can be used on the cheeks for a little tint or on the lips for a rosy glow.



The accessories in this box really stud out to me! The Papanga Spiral Hairbands (£4.99) come in a pack of two and I have pink and blue ones which are both my favourite colours. Hair can fray and become damaged when you use a traditional elastic hair bobble so with these they hold the hair in place whilst preventing split ends and breakage. They're also fun but I would enjoy clear versions too. The last product in the box is the Spectrum Collections Small Fan A10 Brush (£4.99). Aside from the fact it instantly draws you in by the bright bristles, it's a great brush for applying highlighter. I've used a few differently highlighting brushes, from Indy Luxe to Real Techniques and this brush is a great balance of being packed together well with them not being too thick at the ends.



I really enjoyed this July Box, with no products that I'm disappointed in. I would prefer the Spiral Headbands to be a bit more neutral but that's just me! If you join Glossybox now, you get your first box for £5 which is an absolute bargain given that the contents are valued at £60.92! By using this offer you're basically only paying for the Spectrum Small Fan brush and a penny towards another item.

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Infinity Makeup Brushes From Crownbrush


I have to admit, I am a huge lover of makeup brushes. It's amazing that these days there really is a brush for everything, with different brush fibres, colours, handles and more. Although I am naturally drawn to pretty pastel brushes, I would rather have good quality brushes first and foremost. Crownbrush sent over some of their brushes from the Infinity range for me to try out, and to see how they apply my makeup. I was sent six brushes that can pretty much do a full face of makeup, and their makeup wipes to see if they'd take off my makeup well at the end of the day. Crownbrush have been making brushes for over 30 years so my expectations have been pretty high!


The first brush I tried out was the C452 Flat Bronzer/Foundation Brush (£14.99) which I used to apply foundation with, and although it's recommended to use on flat areas of the face such as the forehead and cheeks, I think it does get into the grooves of the face well. I've always loved brushes like this for foundation as they don't leave streaky lines once you've applied liquid foundation. The other large brush is the C450 Pointed Foundation Brush (£18.99) which is made for precise application of liquid or cream foundation, using it under the eyes and nose and in the contours of the face. I actually use this to apply my setting powder with under the eyes, down the bridge of my nose and any other areas I need to mattify.



The C456 Pointed Blender Brush (£6.99) is one of my favourites from the Infinity line and is designed for placing concealer in awkward areas of the face, but again I use this for a different purpose. It is perfect for use in the crease of the eyelid and the brush is so soft that it blends beautifully. The second blender brush is the C457 Round Blender Brush (£5.99) which was made for blending out eyeshadows. It is just so soft and makes blending out your eyeshadow a dream in comparison with other brushes I've used before. It's a great size to work with and I'd highly recommend picking it up.


The C460 Blending Fluff Brush (£5.99) has hairs that are arranged in an oval, firm pointed shape to ensure you get a more defined eye look whilst being capable of blending out powder and cream products out. I love using this brush to apply my base shades as the synthetic hairs really hold the product well and doesn't create much fallout. The brush I've not really reached for has been the C464 Oval Lip Brush (£3.99) purely because I tend to use liquid lipsticks more which already come with a wand. It's a dainty brush that can be used to create a range of different lip looks with but is also useful for applying concealer to small areas such as blemishes on the face.


The Makeup Wipes (£3.99) help remove excess oil, makeup and dirt from the skin and contains 30 wipes per pack. They come in a handy small package and don't leave the uncomfortable tingling sensation that comes from using regular makeup wipes.

Overall I'm quite impressed with the Infinity makeup brushes and the makeup wipes. The brushes are quite similar to the XOBeauty original brushes (I've not tried the new ones yet) in both design and finish. They're soft which is one of the main things I look out for when choosing brushes as I hate the feeling of scratchy brushes, especially near the eye area. I will be keeping my eye out for other brushes like this, but also their makeup palettes too.





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Rose Gold Brushes From Indy Luxe


Makeup brushes are an investment; something you need to apply your favourite beauty products and if cleaned properly they can last years. I went from buying beginner's brushes, different brush sets, eventually expanding to try out brushes for more detailed makeup and then comparing brushes to see which work best. Now I'm trying out the Rose Gold Set from Indy Luxe (£28)*. The brushes are cruelty-free and vegan-friendly with synthetic fibres and beautiful rose gold handles.


The brushes are ever so soft, with a domed brush for powder, and angled brush for contouring, a flat brush for bronzer, and four smaller brushes for the eyes and highlighter. The fan brush is densely packed for an intense highlight, the brow brush is amazing for using brow pomades and the other brushes are fabulous for eyeshadow application and blending. I can't get over how fluffy the bristles are on the skin.

They're just as easy as other brushes to wash, and there's another set available, the Pink Pearlescent Unicorn Set which looks absolutely stunning with white unicorn handles and pink-to-white ombré bristles. Both sets look so 'Instagrammable' and I'm sure they'll be more sets released in the future. If you're looking at investing in new makeup brushes that fit in with your aesthetic whilst making makeup application easier, make sure to use my code below for a discount. 

Use the code LAURAHADLEY for 20% off!


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