Wonders of Beauty: November 2012

What's New | Beauty Blender, Gadi21, Anastasia, MAC + Samples..♥

So I've done mini makeup shopping again. This "What's New" post has a couple of repurchases but also products which I've been trying to get my hands on for a while and I've finally succeeded!

I'm lazy so as usual, the majority of these items were purchased online. I think I also just love the excitement of receiving packages!

First stop was MAC (bought from Debenhams)! I repurchased my eye brow pencil in 'Stud' and also my undereye concealer Prolongwear NC42. I'm not sure if it's just me but this Prolongwear concealer NC42 looks slightly off in colour compared to the two bottles I've previously owned. Maybe MAC have altered the shades from this range or maybe they just changed their NC42? I don't know what they've done but the colour definitely looks a bit different and I prefer the old shade. Has anyone else who usually uses Prolongwear concealer noticed this after a recent purchase?

After taking a break from MAC Fix + as it wasn't a necessity, I decided to repurchase it to use with my new Beauty Blender (featured later in the post).

I also managed to get my hands on MAC Whisper of Guilt Extra Dimension Skinfinish. Thank God they decided to re-promote it in the Glamour Daze Collection because I was wasting time contemplating and I missed my chance to get it before when it was a limited edition release.

MAC Prolongwear Concealer: £14.50

MAC Eye Brows: £12.50

MAC Studio Fix+: £13.50

MAC Glamour Daze Whisper of Guilt Extra Dimension Skinfinish: £21.50

I've never been one that's really into body scrubs but my mum purchased this for me from GADI21. Those who pass through Bond Street Station may know of this brand or you may have even been sweet talked into buying their products. I remember being persuaded into buying their Dead Sea Mud Mask for £50 a few years back. As the Dead Sea Body Scrub is an exfoliator, it is said to enhance skin renewal and refine and resurface the texture of the skin.

If I remember clearly, I think she bought this for £20. GADI21 is also stocked by House of Fraser for any one who is interested or you can check out their site www.gadi21.com

Last but not least, I made my first Cult Beauty purchase. Anastasia is said to be a popular brand in Hollywood with the likes of Kim Kardashian using her products. I can't remember which brow product from the Anastasia range that Kim Kardashian uses but I remember seeing Anastasia on her blog. I've also heard PixiWoo talk about the brand. Even though I've recently bought my usual MAC Eye Brows (first picture) as a backup, I decided that I wanted to give Anastasia a try. Cult Beauty are the only UK Stockists that I am aware of but I will say getting hold the 'Brow Wiz' has proven to be very difficult on the site. Every time I checked, the colour 'Brunette' was sold out and obviously out of the four shades, this is the only one I can go for as my hair is dark. Eventually I managed to grab it whilst it was in stock.

Whilst I was at it, I also bought the original Beauty Blender which I have been planning on buying for a long time now but I could never understand the price!

My order came with three samples which you can choose from a range at the checkout: Aesop - Fabulous Face Oil, Embryolisse - Lait-Creme Concentre and Jouer - Luminizing Moisture Tint in Deep Bronze.

If you subscribe to their newsletter, you get free shipping on your first order ;)

Beauty Blender: £16

Anastasia Brow Wiz: £15.50

Has anyone tried any of my new products? Would you like an in-depth review on any of them?

Just thought I'd also let you know that Sigma are doing free worldwide shipping for Black Friday until 11:59PM US CST!

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Makeup - 17:18

What's New | Beauty Blender, Gadi21, Anastasia, MAC + Samples

What's New | Beauty Blender, Gadi21, Anastasia, MAC + Samples.. ♥ So I've done mini makeup shopping again. This "What&#...

Review | Sigma F88 Flat Angled Kabuki..♥

This brush is very similar to my all time favourite Sigma F80 Flat Top Kabuki Brush but instead, the F88 is an angled version. Since I had taken a picture of this brush when it was brand new and I'm able to use the picture for this review, I thought I'd review this first. I've got this thing where I don't really like taking pictures of stuff to upload onto my blog unless it still looks brand new and my F80 has seen better days which is why I haven't taken a picture of it to show and review to you all. I do plan on ordering a new one soon so when I do, I may review it although it is very similar to the F88.

The F88 is part of Sigma's Sigmax collection which was released a while back. I'm sure many of you who keep up to date with beauty on YouTube and blogs would have heard about this collection.

I use this brush to apply my foundation. Its recommended use is for cream foundations but personally I don't use cream and I find it works very well with my liquid foundations. As the soft synthetic hairs on the brush are so densely packed, it's great for those who require good coverage and definitely creates an airbrushed finish. Because the brush is angled, it allows you to easily reach areas that other brushes may not as comfortably including the contours of your nose. I also find that after my brows have been filled in, the angled brush allows me to apply foundation around them more easily as areas become a lot more reachable due to the angular shape.

I find the best way to use this brush is in a stippling motion initially to apply your foundation. This way gives you the most coverage and an airbrushed finish. Once you've stippled on your foundation, any further blending can be done with the same brush and it does this very well as you are left with absolutely no streaks like some foundation brushes give you. I also find that it makes my application quicker because of the density of the brush. You cover more areas of your face a lot quicker!

You may find that compared to other brushes with less density, the F88 is harder to wash as there are so many hairs. It does need a little more washing time to return to its natural colour but the more regularly you wash your brush, the easier it is to achieve this.

The brush may also feel a bit heavier than some of the other brushes you may own. This is due to the ferule being thicker than most but I wouldn't say it is uncomfortable to use, it just may feel weird at first.

Overall I feel that the F88 or even the F80 are definitely brushes that one should own in their collection. It can even be used for nights out when you want to make the extra effort and have a flawless base because of the coverage and finish the brush gives. I currently alternate between the F88 and F80 when one is dirty but they are definitely my go to brushes.

Price: $18 (Sigma are currently doing 10% until Nov 30th!)

Availability: www.sigmabeauty.com

Sigma are currently doing 10% off their products until NOV 30th using the discount code SBAP12.

For my UK readers, they do ship internationally!

Click HERE to purchase and don't forget to use the discount code for your 10%!

Will you be buying this brush? Or do you own any brushes from the Sigmax Collection?

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Brush - 15:46

Review | Sigma F88 Flat Angled Kabuki

Review | Sigma F88 Flat Angled Kabuki.. ♥ This brush is very similar to my all time favourite Sigma F80 Flat Top Kabuki Brush but inst...

Rimmel London Kate Moss Lasting Finish Matte Lipsticks..♥

Hey beauts!

About two weeks ago, I decided to add some drugstore lipsticks to my collection. I'm sure you've seen numerous blogs about the new Rimmel London Lasting Finish lipstick collection by Kate Moss. Her new line is a range of five matte lipsticks but to try them out, I picked the three shades that I liked most. I've never tried any lipsticks from her previous collections and from what I can remember, I don't think I've ever tried Rimmel lipsticks either! I may take a break from purchasing MAC lipsticks because I find that most of them really dry out my lips and they're left feeling uncomfortable and sometimes sore for days. I don't know if anyone else gets this or maybe I have some sort of allergy to them? I'm going to give lower end brands a chance but if we're talking high end, I do find the YSL Rouge Volupte ones moisturising although they don't have a matte finish.

I did order these online from ASOS (currently on sale for £3.84!!) so I picked my shades based on online swatches and therefore couldn't really tell how the texture was and they didn't appear matte in pictures. After owning them, I can now tell you that they don't have a true matte finish (well, compared to let's say Ruby Woo) and personally I would describe them as semi-matte. They have a slight sheen but less of a sheen than let's say MACs Satin finishes. Even though they are said to be matte, I find them a lot more comfortable to wear at first application in comparison to matte lipsticks from MAC.

For anyone who is interested in purchasing but is not sure of the shade they want to buy, I've swatched the three that I own and hopefully it will aid someone in colour selection. If texture/finish is very important to you, then I guess it's better that you check these out in store for yourself!