Real Techniques Brushes Part 1

In this blog post I'll discuss the brushes in the Core Collection (buffing brush, detailler brush, pointed foundation brush and contouring brush) as well as the expert face brush. 

Expert Face Brush

This was the first Real Techniques brush that I owned along with the blush brush which will be mentioned in my next post. This was the brush that tempted me to purchase more Real Techniques products. This brush is ideal for liquid or cream foundation as it's dense and soft. The brush itself is round and ever so slightly tapered, this is good for building coverage and getting a flawless finish. The only thing I dislike about the brush is that since it is so dense it's quite difficult to clean. 

Buffing Brush

This brush is similar to the Expert Face Brush however it is more suitable for foundations of powder to cream constincy. The size of the brush is good for the application of powder, however I would prefer a slightly smaller brush when using cream. I use this for powder mainly to set my liquid foundation. 

Contouring Brush 

This brush enables a soft contoured look. The brush is a dome shape and fairly fluffy. This would have to be my least favourite brush as I prefer sharp contour lines in the hollows of my cheeks rather than the usual gradual defined contour line. 

Pointed Foundation Brush

This brush is surprisingly small. It does the job but I wish the brush were most soft. 

Detailer brush

I like this for concealer. It's meh. You could use your fingers and get the same result. 

Everyday Skincare Routine aka A Whole Lot of Kiehl's Products

I recently started getting into skincare a year or so ago.

All I used to use was water and a drugstore pimple cream for spots. My acne got so bad I had to see a dermatologist for several years when I was a pre-teen, he prescribed me a pill which I had to take daily. Whether I actually took it or not is a secret.. After taking the pill, my acne got better however, my skin became dry and flaky as a result of the pill. It was then I started moisturizing and understanding the importance of sunscreen and whatnot. My skin has developed a lot since then, instead of dry skin which I had back then I now have oily-combination sensitive skin.

Without further ado here's my current skincare.

Morning Skincare:

From left to right: Avene Skin Recovery Cream
and Avene Creme Riche Anti-redness moisturizing
cream.

I'm rather lazy in the mornings and I love to sleep in so I cut everything to the bare minimum to save time.

1. First I wash my face with cold water

2. Then, I apply the Avene Skin Recovery Cream, it's designed for sensitive and irritated skin. Sometimes I switch it up with Avene Antirougeurs Creme Riche Anti-redness Rich moisturizing cream.

3. Lastly, I apply sunblock. The one I'm currently using is the Sport Block one by and the only reason why I'm using it os because it's "oil free."

Evening Skincare:

I do use a large amount of Kiehl's products in my skincare routine. There's no particular reason for this other than I went to a Kiehl's stand one day and met a nice lady there and she talked me through products that I would need or want and gave me about 20 samples which she was not supposed to do (shh.) I went home and made it a goal of mine to sort through the samples and ended up repurchasing a few of my favourites.

1. If I happen to be wearing makeup, I use Bioderma to remove my makeup.

2. Wash my face with Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleaner. I love the texture of this and the gentleness of this. Once lathered properly, it forms soapy bubbles which gently cleanses the skin of oil and dirt.

3. Once or twice a week, I'll use a facial scrub to eliminate the amount of flakey dry skin on my face. The one I'm using right now is the Kiehl's Pineapple Papaya Facial Scrub.

4. Also once or twice a week, I'll use my Origins Clear Improvement mask. I love this mask, it visibly decreases my pores and makes my face feel oil free whilst soft. It also dries really quickly but it's a bitch to take off.

From left to right, Bioderma cleanser, Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser, Kiehl's Pineapple
Papaya Facial Scrub and Origins Clear Improvement mask.

5. Toner, the one I'm using now is the Kiehl's Calendula Herbal Extract Alcohol Free Toner. Before switching toners, I used the Kiehl's Ultra Facial Toner, I didn't really like this as it didn't do much for my skin.

6. Eye cream, I've noticed that since using mascara daily, my eye area has been more prone to dryness and redness. To improve this I use the Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado, I got 6 sample packets of this and so far I've only used up 1.

7. If I have any active pimples I'll dab a bit of the Kiehl's Blemish Control Daily Skin-Clearing Treatment. It's almost if I've become immune to this as it used to work really well on me but now, not so much. I'll find a different one once I've finished.

8. Moisturizer, Kiehl's Skin Rescuer. Try it for yourself and you'll see what the hype is about.

9. Kiehl's Centella Recovery Skin Slave for when I need it.

10. Johnson's Baby lotion on my legs and arms. It's natural, affordable, smells great and is super moisturizing, I do get a few odd looks when I buy it though.

11. I've had hideous heels lately so I dab a bit of Eulactol Heel Balm Gold on whenever I remember. It works wonders.

From left to right: Kiehl's Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner, Kiehl's Blemish
Control Daily Skin-Clearing Treatment, Kiehl's Skin Rescuer, Kiehl's
Centella Recovery Skin Slave and Johnson's Baby Lotion. 

Blog ya later,
Sophie xo


P.S. Sorry for not blogging lately

Rimmel London Products and Review

A couple days ago while I was browsing on Asos I realized there was a sale on Rimmel London products so I picked three things.

1. Rimmel London Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl liner in Nude. It was $9.02 NZD ($7.39 USD)  but on sale it's $5.65 NZD ($4.63 USD). I decided to get this because I have difficulty pulling off black eyeliner on my bottom lash line. Black eyeliner tends to close up my eye making my eyes look non-exsistant. I've tried white eyeliner but I didn't like how it looked on me. I do prefer this a lot more as it's more natural and opens the width of the eye in a subtle yet effective product. This particular product is great because it's the perfect nude shade and does exactly what I wanted it to do.

2. Rimmel London Scandaleyes Shadow Paint, was $11.28 NZD ($9.24 USD) and went down to $6.78 NZD ($5.56 USD). The idea of an eyeshadow paint intrigued me. The colours aren't too unique just the generic shimmery colours but you can't go wrong with a taupe or brown so I picked this up in Rich Russet. So far I really like this product, the application of this is different but the wand makes it easy to apply. One of the things I dislike about this is once you apply it, you have to wait until it dries completely before opening your eyes, if not, the shadow paint creases really badly. The shade Rich Russet (on the left) is identical to Maybelline's Color Tattoo in the shade Bad to the Bronze (on the right). 

3. Rimmel London Kate lipstick in the shade 001. This wasn't one of the shades on sale but the other colours weren't too appealing to me so I decided to get it anyway. This is the perfect red for all skin shades. There is a prominent blue tone in this meaning any skin type between fair and dark skin can pull this off. I personally prefer the berry red (red with blue shades) because of this. I do however love bright brick reds but I don't have the correct skin tone to pull it off. This lipstick isn't particularly moisturizing but a swipe of lip balm underneath the lipstick will fix it. 

Blog ya later, 

Sophie xo 

Bioderma Crealine or Bioderma Sebium?

Bioderma is one of the most talked about items by beauty gurus. It's a make up remover combined with the gentleness of water. The reason why it's so popular is because it's simple, effective and fast. All you need is a bottle of this gem and some cotton pads. No water is needed and no rise afterwards is needed.

I own both the Bioderma Crealine which is more suitable for sensitive skin and Bioderma Sebium which is more suitable for oily skin. I prefer the Crealine solution as I feel it's more suited to my skin type and is a bit more gentle. The Sebium solution leaves my skin feeling a bit dry afterwards however, it's wonderful in the Summer when I have oily skin.

So, what's the difference between Bioderma Crealine H2O Solution and Sebium H2O Solution?

The Crealine range is suitable for everyone however, it's not always the best option for everyone. I recommend this product over the Bioderma Sebium if you have dry to combination skin. Oily and acne prone skinned people should try the Bioderma Sebium before trying the Bioderma Crealine. Also, the Bioderma Crealine can be used on the eye area whereas it's recommended the Bioderma Sebium is not. 

Hope that was helpful for you all.

Blog ya later,

Sophie xo 

Australia Make Up and Skin Care Haul

While I was in Australia I spent did a bit of shopping. I didn't get as much as I'd like to but I do go to Australia quite often. Cosmetics and skin care are relatively more affordable in Australia compared to New Zealand so I usually just buy my products there. My favourite place to buy cosmetics in Aussie is Priceline. For those of you that don't know, Priceline an Australian drugstore best known for quality, bargains and variety. Most of the products were purchases from Priceline unless stated otherwise. 

1. Show Me the Love kit from Benefit which comes with a full size Benetint, They're Real mascara and a small Porefessional. I purchased this at Auckland Airport on the way to Brisbane for approximately $70 NZD.

2. 250 mL Bioderma Crealine H2O Solution.

3. Real Techniques Blush brush $20AUD.

4. Real Techniques Expert Face brush $20AUD or you can purchase this in Unichem in New Zealand for $30NZD. This is my go to liquid foundation brush, it enables a flawless finish without streaks .

5. Lucas Pa Paw Ointment with a lip applicator. This is my everyday lip balm as it's easy to apply and does the job. 

6. The Colossal Cat eyes mascara in waterproof. 

7. Loreal Infallible Super Slim Liquid Eyeliner in black. I'm quite disappointed with this product. It doesn't work well over my cream eyeshadows.

8. Rimmel Scandal Eyes eyeshadow in Guilty Grey. I like the texture of this and the colour payment. The application is also great for on the go. 

9. Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum in 53. I like the texture of this gel foundation, it ensures a dewy finish. 

10. "Eye Like it" eyeshadow palette. I purchased this at Sportsgirl which is an Austrailan clothing store. The colour payment is good, the only thing I dislike about this is there's only one matte eyeshadow. 

11. Avene Skin Recovery Cream. This is the type of product which would be suitable for all skin types as it's made specifically for sensitive skin and is hypoallergenic. I tend to reach for this often when I'm breaking out and it helps clear my skin.   

12. Not pictured above, a MAC Lustre lipstick in See Sheer.

Blog ya later,

Sophie xo 

Collective Haul

During December and January I went shopping quite a bit. It wasn't because I wanted to, it was simply because I needed to (lie). Here are just a few things that I got. 

1. MAC lip glass which I got given.

2. A Bellabe ($17 USD) which is a facial hair removing tool in the form of a spring. It can be bought on mybellabe.com. This is my third one and I really recommend it as it's affordable compared to saloon waxes and fast compared to tweezing.

3. A Revlon Nail Art French Mix in Miss Perfect. I found this in the bargain bin in Farmers for $5. I've been sporting the white nail polish a lot this summer however my last one has been really clumpy.

4. A set of mini Glasshouse Candles sold exclusively at Peter Alexander in the scents Coney Island, Tahaa and Rio De Janeiro approximately $65 NZD. I absolutely love the scent Rio De Janeiro, it smells like lime and passionfruit. 

5. Maybelline color tattoo in the shade Rich Mahogany bought for $8 from a outlet makeup shop.

6. Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch primer which I was also given.

7. Glassons crochet long sleeve crop top $50NZD. I experienced love at first sight with this top, wish I had looked a little more closely at the price tag before I bought it. You can see it in more detail here.
8. Valley Girl grey cropped top $12NZD. It was the last grey one left in store, it's one or two sizes too big but I decided it looks nice oversized.
9. Ice High Neck dress in Paisley. I bought it off Nzsale for $7, and it looks great on me as it doesn't minimize my bust but does minimize my stomach and butt. Here's an invite code if you're wanting to join Nzsale.
10. H and M white lace dress which was given to me.
11. Pink Sugar perfume also bought off Nzsale for $40. I've done a review on this, find it here.
12. Hey Macarena Le Specs sunglasses with a matte black frame bought from Farmers.
13. Glassons hearts necklace $10.
14. Lush lip tint in It Started With a Kiss. I loved the smell of this when I first bought it but now I can't stand it. The pigment and the colour of this is too good to stop using regardless of the sickening apple smell.

White shoes are the trend of the season. I've never owned white shoes before this season as I'm scared to get them dirty. They're too cute to give up #YOLO (kill me now).

15. Classic white low tops Converse. I got these for $60 in the kids size and managed to save $40. I haven't had a chance to wear them out yet.
16. White wedges from Lippy $80.
17. Sandals from Novo, $20. I love these, they're so comfy and cute. Suitable for the summer time.

I have two other hauls coming up. One with beauty and skincare products which I bought in Australia and the other with items I bought from Nzsale.

Blog ya later,
Sophie xo

Pink Sugar perfume by Aquolina review

I blindly ordered this on Nzsale a month ago for $40NZD. For those of you that don't know it's a New Zealand and Australian based site which offers goods at discount prices here's an invite link if you want to join Nzsale. I had high hopes it would be a dupe for the Prada Candy perfume check out the blog post here. I was mildly disappointed as the top notes smelt nothing like Prada Candy instead, it smells like burnt sugar and something else (I later found out it was black licorice.) I can't say I'm too fond of the immediate scent, it doesn't linger for very long anyway. It later settles into a scent which is similar to Prada Candy, burnt sugar and caramel.


























After using this perfume for a week I would have to say it's one of my new favourites. The scent is a barely there sugar caramel smell which keeps people guessing. One thing I dislike about the perfume is the bottle, it is insanely ugly. Reminds me of strippers tights, however, the packaging is cute so I just store it in the cardboard tube in the back of my dresser.


Blog ya later,
Sophie xo