Sleek Face Form - Contour, Highlight and Blush

'With multi-tasking elements such as contour powder, highlighter and/or blusher or bronzer, Face Form is the ultimate face definition kit in one neat compact designed to suit all skin tones.Please note: Face Form in Fair and Light come with contour powder, highlighter and blush. Face Form in Medium and Dark come available with contour powder, highlighter and a bronzer.'

It's no secret, I love contouring more than any other part of my makeup routine.  It's mainly because I have a massive moon face once I put on foundation, and nobody wants a moon face.  Anyone with skin like my own will know how daunting it is to contour your face - you constantly buy bronzer after bronzer and usually end up looking like you have some sort of skin condition - It's either orange, patchy or dirty looking.    Then there's the shimmer - even the matte bronzers I've used just love to put that little bit of shimmer in there.  The light hits it and bam, moon face again. 

Until I got this bad boy.  The Sleek Face Form - I am in love. 

The Sleek Face Form kit is a palette with a bronzer, highlight and blush, and comes in four different shades to suit your skin tone (Fair, Light, Medium, Dark).  I, of course, have the Fair one - being that I am 99% sure I'm in some way related to Caspar the friendly ghost.

I apply the contour powder first (you can see where I apply it in my How to Contour and Highlight blog - here), then highlight, and then blush.  I always do the highlighter before blush so that it doesn't give a solid stripe, because the blush blends over it a bit and softens it for a more natural look.

The bronzer in this kit is perfect for pale skin - it isn't orange toned, blends really well and gives a shadow effect to the face rather than an orange stripe.  I apply mine using an ecotools tapered blush brush, or a real techniques contour brush - depending on how strong I want my contouring.

The highlight has a slight pinky tone and gives a nice sheen to the top of the cheekbones, tip of the nose and cupids bow, without making you look like you just high-5'd a disco ball with your face.

The blush is a lovely pink with gold tones, it's really subtle and gives a nice healthy glow, and can be built up to give more of a dramatic look.  Again, I apply this with my ecotools tapered blush brush (because it is THE softest brush in all the land). 

I've had this kit for almost 6 months, used it every single day and have only just hit pan on the bronzer - the highlight and blush are still going strong!  It hasn't broken me out at all, and stays on all day.

I will definitely be repurchasing this when I run out - at £9.99 for 20g of high quality product, it's a bargain.  And the packaging is extremely convenient when you're getting ready in a rush.

The Sleek Face Form kit is available to purchase from Sleek, Boots and Superdrug.

As always, thanks for reading and if you've tried this product, or found my review helpful, leave a comment below! You can also like my Facebook page to be updated with new posts, or follow my blog on BlogLovin' 

Rach xo

Review: biOrganics Salon Secret Range

The kind people at biOrganics recently sent me their new Salon Secret Replenishing Shampoo, Replenishing Treatment and Hair Perfecting Oil Elixr to try out and review, and I'd like to add a *disclaimer* here just to say that although I did receive these products for free, this will not influence my review and all feelings expressed are my own.

biOrganics is a company that creates ethically sourced, cruelty-free, natural and organic hair products which provide salon quality results.

My hair has been dying a slow and painful death over the past few months, and trips to the hairdressers have been few and far between for a long time now (I last went for a trim at the beginning of March and it is now coming to the end of June...) and so it's safe to say my hair is not in the best condition.  I've been using restorative shampoos and conditioners, hair masks, treatments, avoiding heat, everything I could think of to try and sort out the birds nest on top of my head.  

I have been using these products for around 3 weeks now.

The website says that biOrganics Salon Secret Replenishing Shampoo is 

'The all-in-one secret to salon beautiful hair.

Our Salon Secrets range of luxury hair care is designed to combat dry, damaged and frizzy hair caused by heat styling, colouring and environmental exposure. Our natural, replenishing ingredients revitalize and hydrate, for lustrous healthy hair.

luxurious Replenishing Shampoo contains a blend of natural active ingredients that revive, repair and moisturise hair while protecting against breakage. Experience the benefits of nutritional ARGAN OIL, strengthening WHEAT PROTEIN and smoothing LAVENDER OIL & YLANG YLANG.'

It claims to 

- Hydrate and Replenish
- Repair and Revitalise
- Enhance Shine and Lustre
- Have a colour safe formula
- Be free from SLS and Parabens

It sounded like exactly what I've been looking for to tame my dry, dull, brittle hair - and with the added bonus of being colour safe. 

And I cannot express how happy it makes me that it is free from SLS and Parabens.  I've tried a SLS free shampoo before and my hair had never felt as good, and as for Parabens, well you can read my opinion of those here.

The first thing I noticed about the product was the packaging, it looks very high end with it's black white and gold bottle - minimalist and professional.  Next was the smell - it smells SO GOOD.  You can really smell the Lavender, which would usually put me off, but it's balanced out with the Ylang Ylang and just smells really natural and calming.

Without the SLS it doesn't foam up as much, but you really don't need to use any more than you usually would - it still goes a long way.  My hair is to my bra strap at the back, and I use just a bit more than a 50p sized blob.  

I have used this alone, without conditioner, and it leaves me with really nice, thick hair that isn't too dry or frizzy - which could be down to the Argan Oil in the mix.

The shampoo retails at £11.50 for 250ml / 17.50 for 500m (Click here).  I would suggest getting the larger bottle with the pump if you are going to spend the money, as you get twice as much for £6 more.  It is on the higher end of the haircare price scale, around the same as Paul Mitchell, Wella and Tigi.  The difference is that this is natural, paraben free and, in my opinion, actually does what it claims to do.

It is also available as part of a bundle with the Replenishing Treatment (Click here) Replenishing Treatment and Hair Perfecting Oil Elixr, for £35 - (Click here).

The next product biOrganics sent me was the Salon Secret Replenishing Treatment - a deep conditioning treatment which the website says will 

'Restore smoothness, shine and moisture with our Replenishing Treatment for unmanageable, dry and lacklustre hair. VEGETABLE PROTEINS repair and restore damaged hair, while ARGAN OIL smoothes and hydrates and SUNFLOWER SEED EXTRACT provides UV protection, reducing hair colour fade.'

The directions say to smooth through clean, wet hair and leave for 5-10 minutes.  I have used this twice a week since I received it, following the biOrganics shampoo, and left it for approximately 10 minutes each time.

It doesn't really smell very strong, it's kind of like a softened down version of the shampoo smell, but is still soothing and calming.  It has a pump action bottle and my hair needs around 5-8 pumps to cover the ends and most of the top - but I have fairly long hair.

As for the results, I have found that my hair looks in better condition each time I use it, and it is definitely shinier and sleeker - even when I let it air dry. I haven't been experiencing quite as much breakage, I still have split ends, only a trip to the hairdressers can fix that for me, but I haven't noticed the ends getting any worse.  

One of the biggest differences I've noticed is how easily I can brush my hair - I haven't had to deal with knots and tangles after using it, and as a result I'm not snapping off even more hair.

I've also noticed that my hair colour has stopped fading quite as fast as it was - I was heading towards blonde from my ginger, and nobody wants to see me as a blonde - trust me.

I definitely love that it is free from parabens, and feel comfortable leaving it on my hair for longer than my usual conditioner or deep treatments.

It's available for £15.50 for a 250ml bottle, or £23.50 for a 500ml bottle (Click here) 

as part of a bundle with the shampoo for £25 (Click here)

or as part of the bundle with the shampoo and elixr for £35 (Click here).

The final product sent to me was the Salon Secret Elixr Hair Perfecting Oil, which the website says 

'transforms your hair in just one application. Hair feels healthier with improved softness and shine. Used regularly, hair is noticeably stronger, whilst retaining colour vitality. The weightless formula is instantly absorbed, detangles and eliminates frizz. Offering protection against heat styling, it also reduces drying time.

Created to give you a salon-professional finish with every use, Salon Secret Elixir, Hair Perfecting Oil leaves hair smooth and frizz free for up to 48 hours.'

It claims to:

- Soften and smooth frizz- Add incredible shine- Replenish dry and brittle hair
- Strengthen and repair
- Protect against heat styling
- Reduce blow-drying time

It can be used on damp or dry hair, and for damp hair you should use 1-3 pumps (depending on the length of your hair) in the palms of your hands and apply first to the ends and then smooth the rest down the lengths of your hair - not the top.  For dry hair, use less and apply before using straighteners/curlers or, if you don't use heat, use alone to finish your hair style to leave it looking sleek and shiny with no frizz.

I've used this a few times since getting it, before drying, before straightening and on air dried hair to tame the frizz, and I've found that it works really well.  It smells good (Ylang Ylang) and the smell isn't too strong that you'll be overpowered all day.

I've found it really good with all methods of using it, and especially on the ends of my hair, which take a lot of smoothing to look good - I can have nice sleek hair without straightening it poker straight.

Again, it is paraben free, cruelty free, natural and organic, with Argan Oil doing most of the work.  It's something I can definitely see becoming a part of my regular hair routine, and at £3.50 for 12ml or £13 for 50ml (Click here) it's not ridiculously expensive.  It's around the same price as Toni and Guy Classic Gloss Serum, but without all the nasty chemicals. 

It's also available as part of the bundle with the Replenishing Shampoo and Replenishing Treatment for £35 (Click here).

Overall I'm really enjoying using these products, and whilst they are slightly above my current price range, they would make an excellent pay day treat or a great birthday gift for someone else.

If you have tried biOrganics products before, or have any questions please leave a comment below and I'll get back to you!

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My Miracle Product: Tamanu Oil

Tamanu Oil is a product I've been using for over a year now, but I kind of lost my bottle when we moved house, and I've just rediscovered it's amazing-ness when I found my bottle last week.

It's a soft, smooth oil with so many amazing properties - wound healing, anti-inflammatory, scar healing, pain relief and my personal favourite - skin clearing.

I can't remember exactly where I heard about it (probably a YouTube video) but I researched it before I bought some, and learnt that it was used in the late 1920's by a nun to treat the pain of conditions such as rheumatism, sciatica, shingles and later she used it to treat leprosy - with positive results.

It comes from the nut of the Tamanu tree, which is native to South-East Asia, and islanders have used it for years as skincare.

The oil contains:
Up to 17% Palmitic Acid
Upto 17% Stearic Acid
Upto 50% Oleic Acid (Omega 9)
And upto 50% Linoleic Acid (Omega 6)

These together possess a capability to promote the growth of new tissue, along with anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant properties, it's perfect for a skin clearing remedy.

So I figured it was worth a go - it's not expensive and I only bought a small bottle so even if I hated it it wouldn't be too much of a waste.

I apply mine twice a day - morning and night, just a small amount straight onto my problem areas - redness, spots, dry skin, acne scars etc - and I can feel an improvement almost straight away, but after about a week of use you can see the improvement. It only takes a few days to fully heal spots and dry skin.

It doesn't clog up my skin or leave it feeling greasy and dirty - it absorbs really quickly and makes my skin feel fuller and brighter straight away.

I've used it for other problems, too - cold sores, damaged hair, burns, razor burn, cuts - it speeds up the healing process for all of them, and I can see now why my skin got so crappy when I lost my bottle!

I also turned my step-mum onto Tamanu Oil, for her arthritis pains, and she definitely felt an improvement (until she tried to take the bottle in her hand-luggage on a flight and it was confiscated at customs).

Different brands of the oil have different smells - my first bottle smelled very nutty, whereas my second bottle had a distinct smell of curry, but it all does the same thing, and the smell fades off as the oil absorbs into your skin.

There are a few different 'recipes' for the different uses of Tamanu Oil, for scar healing, massage blends for pain relief, dry skin, but my favourite way to apply has always been straight from the bottle, just 100% Tamanu Oil straight onto the skin.

I use it either before or in place of my moisturiser (if using before, make sure it has mostly absorbed into your skin first) and just put my finger over the top of the bottle, tip it up and use whatever I get out - you don't need much, it's really moisturising.

It makes my skin feel like it's had a really good drink.  That's the best way I can describe it, I think.  It's super hydrating and moisturising, makes my skin softer and fuller and I've fallen in love with it all over again.

I found that the best place to buy it was from Ebay, from sellers with a high rating.  It generally costs between £4-10 for 10-60ml, depending on the seller.  I found a cold-pressed 30ml bottle for £4.19 from AkomaTradeUK on Ebay.



I definitely suggest trying Tamanu Oil for skincare, leave comments below if you've tried it and let me know what you thought!



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Review: Elegant Touch Nail Polish Remover

So today, my new nail polish arrived (NYC Park Ave) and I was dying to try it, but I only had a tiny bit of a crappy (Cutex Acetone Free) nail polish remover left, so I had to make a Tesco run.  I'll give Tesco credit in the fact that they had a pretty good selection - Own brand, Cutex, Remover pads or Elegant Touch.

I picked up the Elegant Touch Super Strength because I've got their Rapid Dry Spray and I liked that, so I figured this would probably be pretty good quality too.

The one thing I absolutely HATE about doing my nails is taking my polish off.  I love putting it on, I love wearing it, but taking it off is a ball ache of epic proportions.  It usually involves 2-3 soaked cotton wool pads, a ton of nail polish remover, stinging, sore fingers and a room stinking of the stuff.

But this, this is the Holy Grail of removers.  This would come to a desert island with me (in a bag full of everlasting nail polish with an unlimited supply of cotton wool).  I won't use another nail polish, ever.  Never ever.

Why?  Because it removed my nail polish in one wipe.  Not a scrub, not a hold on your nail for a minute and wipe, INSTANTLY.  It must have some sort of dark magic behind it, because I've never seen anything like this.  The bottle says it contains Panthenol - maybe that's code for Voodoo, I'm not sure - all I know is that it works, my nails didn't go dry afterwards and my house doesn't stink.

Another thing I absolutely love about it is the bottle - the opening isn't just your normal open top, it has a teeny little hole in the middle of what would usually be the circle of spillage.  You can tip it onto your cotton wool pad and give it a gentle squeeze, and you get a tiny bit out.  One 2cm circle of remover did all my nails and touched them up after I'd re-painted them.

All the awards go to this nail polish remover.

So it must be super expensive, right? Wrong.  £2.10/200ml in Tesco.  Very affordable, will last a long time, works really well and is easy to apply.

I love it.

Available to buy from Tesco Stores or from NailPolishDirect.co.uk (£2.99/200ml)



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Review: Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

I've recently changed my foundation routine, replacing a couple of products, and my previous foundation (ELF Studio Flawless Finish Foundation) was one that didn't make the cut.

After looking into a few different foundations, I initially decided to go and buy Bourjois HealthyMix Serum Foundation, but when I got to Superdrug and tested it, it did NOT live up to my expectations, and so I tested a few others and bought Rimmel's Wake Me Up Foundation.

The bottle states that it has an anti-fatigue effect, radiant glow and SPF 15.  And for once, I can say that I have a foundation that lives up to it's claims!

This foundation works miracles on my skin - no uneven skin tone, no dry, flaky patches, no slipping off the oily bits of my face, it's amazing.  It gives my skin a soft, dewy finish (which still shows through my mattifying powder a bit, as just a glow) and it just makes my face feel more 'pumped up' and healthy, thanks to the peptides, which increase elasticity and help skin to recover more quickly.

I have it in the lightest shade, 100 Ivory, and it fits my skin really well.  It blends super easily., meaning no dirty marks around my neck, and doesn't crease or cake up.  It provides a light-medium coverage, but builds well for heavier coverage.

Wearing Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

I love the packaging, The glass bottle looks a lot less cheap than the usual plastic ones, and it has RIMMEL embossed on the side, which is a nice touch.  The orange cap gives it a bit of a twist and it does stand out against the others on the shelf, and was part of the reason I was drawn to try it.

The best bit about this foundation is that you hardly need to use any to get great coverage - I find that a small pump (about 1/3 pump) does my whole face, and lasts all day.  With 30ml in a bottle, it'll last a good few months, and I will definitely be repurchasing it, as I haven't broken out once in the week I've been using it.  Result!

At £8.99/30ml, it's a pretty standard price high-street foundation, and it's definitely worth the money.  I'd recommend this for any skin type, and there's a good range of shades, too.

Available to buy from Superdrug.com


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Review: ELF Mineral Blush

ELF Mineral Blush in Peachy is by far my favourite blusher of all time.  It's a 100% mineral based shimmery deep pinky-red, which complements my pale skin perfectly.

Its mineral based formula contains no parabens, no preservatives and no chemical dyes.  The colour comes from natural pigments, and Titanium Dioxide provides UVA/UVB protection, so you have that extra SPF where the sun would hit your cheeks.

The Mica in the product creates a kind of soft-focus blurring effect, so any wrinkles or uneven-ness underneath the product will be diffused and disguised very subtly.

The product comes as a loose powder in a plastic pot, and is dispensed through larger-than-usual holes.  It is incredibly pigmented, so a little goes a very very very long way.  My usual blush routine is as follows: 

1. Open pot  

2. Tip excess from lid back into pot, leaving a light dust in the lid  

3. Use blusher brush to pick up small amount from lid  

4. Tap excess into pot  

5. Blow brush 

6. Apply very lightly  

7. Use small fan brush to remove excess from face.

So, obviously, it will last me forever. 

It does stay on my face all day, not budging even a smidge.  Not a bit.  Even just using the tiny amount I do, my cheeks have a slightly flushed look until I go to bed.  The colour is hard to describe - it's more red than pink on the skin, but it's so sheer that it looks like you're... well... blushing a bit.  It has a slight shimmer to it which act like a bit of a highlight, so they're more defined.

I love it.  And for £5/3.4g, it's a bargain too.  I would recommend this to anyone with a face.

Available from EyesLipsFace.co.uk

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Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation - First Impressions

I've been waiting to try this foundation for about two months now, and finally ran out of my Elf Studio Finish Foundation today, so I made a quick trip to Superdrug to pick this up.

I tested a few colours, and oh my holy Jesus this is a bad product.  I tested on my hand, and it CREATED wrinkles.  I'm only 22, I don't have hand wrinkles, I do now.

I'm so disappointed, it caked up into every little crease in my skin and then caked up on itself.  Not only that, but it looked flaky, like I had dry patches all over my skin.  Not a good look! For a smooth gel foundation this is really a let down for me.

Needless to say, I didn't make the purchase.  But I'm just so upset that it was so bad - for one, because of all the claims it makes, and the ingredients are all pretty good, and secondly, because it's on sale at the moment for £7.99 down from over £10.

Sadface.  Bourjois, please make a healthy mix foundation that doesn't make me look like I'm decaying, and I will love you forever.


UPDATE:  I have since tried and reviewed the Bourjois Healthy Mix Radiance Reveal Foundation, and you can read it here

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Review: HD Brows Bombshell Palette

I got the HD Brows Palette (RRP £19.45, available here) from my September Glossybox, and figured I'd give it a bash - I'd been using just eye shadow and an angle brush to fill my eyebrows in before that.

No brow product

 (I'd tried brow mascara and hated it, it made my eyebrows look clumpy)

The palette I received was Bombshell - meant for blonde hair but, to be honest, I think it's perfect for any shade.  It has a carbon and a nude shadow, along with two browns in slightly different shades.

It's packaged in a shiny black palette which clips closed and has a mirror on the inside, which is great for putting the stuff on instead of trying to push your face up to your big mirror to see what you're doing.

It comes with a teeny tiny double ended brush - one side just a regular brush and the other an angle brush.  After about a week, the glue weakened on my brush and I lost the regular side, but the angle side is safe, and that's the side I use.

Light application of eye shadow to brows

You could, of course, use your own angle brush - if you find that holding such a small brush doesn't give you the control you like.  This one does, however, have an excellent firm end, it doesn't drop colour and it puts it down really well.

It's so simple to use - all I do is pick up a bit of the darker brown on the angle brush, tap it off a bit and, starting just above the inside corner, I work up and out, just filling my brows in a bit.  The reason I start just above the inner corner is that it has quite a heavy pay-off, and I don't like that harsh line there, so I'll go over the inner corner at the end when the powder's mostly gone.

HD brow palette

I have naturally quite light eyebrows, so filling them in is a must.  I really like the result I get with the HD brows kit, it's not too dramatic, it fits my face well and lets me create a shape I like with no fuss.  The powder doesn't all fall down my face as I'm putting it on, you hardly use any of the powder so it lasts so so long, and it does not come off throughout the day.

The only time my eyebrow colour will come off is when I use a makeup wipe or wash my face.  It's smudge proof to the extreme.  I don't think I could ever go back to using just an eye shadow or, god forbid, eyebrow mascara again.


Related Post: Review: Elf Mineral Lipstick - Cool Coral

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How To Clean Makeup Brushes: Daily Clean

Makeup brushes aren't cheap, and they need looking after in order to keep their condition and to stop your makeup looking like you put it on with a regular paint brush. To keep them at their best, they should be sterilised every day after use and given a deep-clean once a week.

Brushes on a Budget 

Fräulein3°8  31 Pcs Brush Set (RRP. £21.90)

Daily Cleaning:

The daily brush wash I used was the Elf Daily Brush Cleaner honestly, because it wasn't very expensive and it works OK.  It's not the best, and it contains Methylparaben, so I've discontinued use of it.

Also, since I bought it, they've put the price up and the quantity down - I had the 250ml bottle and it cost around £3.75, which is now the price of a 50ml bottle. 

A cheaper alternative to this is to make your own:

200ml bottled water

50ml Isopropl Alcohol 70% (Rubbing Alcohol)

1/2 tbsp baby shampoo or moisturising shampoo

1/2 tbsp washing up liquid

1 tbsp spray on leave-in conditioner

Spray bottle (250ml+ capacity)

Slowly and gently mix the ingredients together, trying not to create too much lather.  

Funnel into spray bottle and label.

To clean the brushes, run some lukewarm water onto the ends of the bristles, and spray with the daily brush cleaner 1-2 times.  

Gently blot the brush on a paper towel until no more colour runs out.

Stand in a tall glass overnight to dry.  Brush guards optional.

Never lie brushes flat/ on their sides to dry.  Always dry with the bristles facing down.

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Everyday Makeup Products: Primers

This is going to be a list of the products I put on my face every day - First up, Primers.

If you're interested in buying any of these products, I'll put links in the descriptions :) *
*I was not asked/paid by any of these companies to mention any of their products.




 
Elf Studio Mineral Infused Primer
RRP £6.00/14g

This is BY FAR the best primer I've ever come into contact with - the feel reminds me of the GOSH gel primer - the one that feels a bit velvety - it's just SO smooth.  Once you start to run out, if you take the pump off, you still have about half the product left, and I think that's a shame for people who didn't realise and bought another unnecessarily.  It's fine if you just use the pump tube to get it out, but it seems like bad design.

The only other thing I'm not keen on is that the ingredients include methylparaben, ethylparaben and propylparaben.  That's a lot of parabens for one face.


This in mind, I've discontinued my use of my favourite primer, and have been alternating between the following two:

Rimmel Match Perfection Fix & Protect Primer
RRP £4.99/30ml

It claims to have a 5-point attack on dull skin, smoothing, resurfacing, brightening, mattifying and protecting!  It's ok.  It doesn't feel great.  It feels more like a watery moisturiser than a primer, but then I'm used to a gel, not a cream.  It doesn't seem to do anything for my makeup, either.  It's a shame really, I wanted to like it.

Witch Anti-Blemish Skin Clearing Primer
RRP £4.49/30ml

So far, so good with this one.  It has a nicer feel to it - somewhere between the two finishes.  It's not as smooth a finish as I'm used to but it has antibacterial properties, is fragrence free and oil free and has absolutely no parabens! so it's probably the one I'll stick with for my regular use.  It doesn't provide a bad base for makeup, and it helps with my pore-guilt - at least I'm clogging them with something helpful, right?




Please leave comments below to let me know anything you'd like to see!

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