January Mega Haul: The Beauty Issue 100th Post!

Hello! Hope everyone's having a brilliant weekend. Today's haul is officially my 100th post! It's a bit weird for me as it sounds like A LOT of ranting on my behalf but thanks to everyone for reading and all the support for the last 100! Speaking of ranting, here's a beauty review and a half...

 

NOW today's is something I haven't done before but I wanted to share with you guys my most recent haul - made up entirely of beauty pieces. As you can see from the picture above, I've been really spoilt and got quite a host of stuff towards the end of December and this month so far. A mixture of some amazing gifts and some fun purchases I've made myself, prepare yourself for a long one as here is complete breakdown of my giant January Beauty Haul...

First up are these Real Techniques brushes - Core Collection (bronze coloured set) and the Starter Set made by Sam and Nic Chapman. Those of you who haven't heard of Nic and Sam, they have become hugely famous beauty vloggers and a few years ago launched their own brush and beauty range, Real Techniques. Now - as a once aspiring makeup artist, I have literally dozens of professional brushes and I had been curious about these ones for the while. Having heard good reviews, I was really pleased and grateful to receive these from my boyfriend's parents for Christmas. At first glance, I really like the look of the brushes with the lighter tips which make the hairs look like real fur and the metallic tones. Both sets come with a black Panoramic Case which stands up (I'm not sure why this is a good feature) but this is perfect for carrying them on-the-go and gives a professional feel to the product. 

• A Detailer Brush (smallest brush) Precision cut to conceal problem areas and imperfections
• Pointed Foundation Brush (second from the left) To apply liquid foundation and build custom coverage
• Buffing Brush (Largest) For applying powder and mineral foundations
• Contour Brush (Far left) For highlighting and contouring

• Deluxe Crease Brush (far left) Soft and oversized for easy contouring
• Base Shadow Brush - For applying eyeshadow base colour (clue is in the name)
• The Accent Brush - For detailing and spotlighting, highlighting and smudging
• Fine Liner Brush - For liquid or cream eyeliners/small detailing 
• Brow Brush - Defining shape and colouring for eyebrows

Overall, I was really impressed with the feel of the hairs for such an affordable kit. My liquid foundation went on surprisingly smoothly compared to the Bodyshop brushes I usually use (I save my M.A.C brushes for best!) and with no loose hairs or brush strokes left on my face. By using a brush, you save wastage of your makeup as opposed to using your fingers and it leaves a much smoother look. A very kind and thoughtful present! Thank you so much Walden family, I love these as well as all the other lovely bits from you guys!

Brow This Way By Rimmel - I've used many eyebrow pencils and sculpting kits over the years and it never stops me from wanting to try more. My eyebrows are naturally very light and so wearing no eyebrow pencil is out of the question for me. The left side of the kit has a waxy feel to define and sculpt the main shape of the brow. Using the little sculpting brush, this is very easy to apply and requires little product to be seen. The second side is a lighter powder for filling in and blending but I found this very light compared to the waxy side and it can take a while to blend effectively. While the outcome was successful (see below for result), it takes a little practice but I totally swear by this now and I use it everyday.

L'oreal Collection Exclusive Red Lipstick by Eva - We've all seen the adverts for this one and this caught my eye whilst in Superdrug on a lunch break. The casing of the collection screams luxury lipstick and I really loved the variety for all skin tones and style preferences. I went for the Eva red, a brick red designed to warm skin tones and give a smooth, matte finish. The colour is long lasting and bold and ultimately hydrating which is rare for a long lasting shade. I found that it kept my lips moisturised and I didn't need to reapply too much through-out the day.

PORE Fessional by Benefit - An old favourite to many of us, The Pore Fessional is the ultimate primer and closest thing you can get to immediate airbrushing. I originally purchased this particular bottle for various Christmas and New Year parties but this has always featured in my makeup bag since my uni days. Super easy application and minimal product required and it leaves the skin looking and feeling completely smooth and pore-free. The only downside is that, with combination skin myself, I can't use this product daily due to the overly moisturing nature of the product which, if used too often, can leave my skin feeling a little oily.

The BodyShop Clear Lip Line Fixer, Brown Brow Pencil and 04 Cheek Blush. The standard essentials. I used to work for The BodyShop where you would get your basic makeup as staff uniform (for free) but I continued to use the blush and pencil even after I left. The blush is made of fine minerals which mean you use minimal product but with full colour and it lasts all day. I've found that no other blush has really worked for me since. The Lip Liner is perfect for us lipstick wearers; a clear, waxy coat for the outer lip to prevent your lipstick smudging/bleeding and can be used over the top of the colour to give a matte finish. And better yet, it saves you buying a lip liner in every shade. And finally, the brow pencil which speaks for itself. The shade is spot on for me and super easy to apply with a waxy coat with no smudging.

 Apocalips Lip Stain by Rimmel (Big Bang #400, Nude Eclipse #600 & Apocaliptic #303)  Another thoughtful and pleasing Christmas gift from my Aunty this Christmas! Weirdly, I had been eyeing these up in shops for a while but had held back and so was pretty pleased to find these in my stocking this Christmas. Though they look like a lip gloss (something I would never wear!), these apply more like a full, thick colours and ultra hydrating lip stick. You only need a small amount of product to get a full colour and it stains to lip to keep a longer-lasting look. Really pleased with these! 

Light Plus Mineralize SkinFinish Powder & Pro Longwear Concealer (NW15) - M.A.C Cosmetics. Two of my essentials, being the two major items of my makeup routine, decided to run out all at once. This powder is only something I've tried the last few months (I used to use the Pressed Powder) but, so far, I like the slight highlighting minerals it has which gives a pleasing dimensional finish to my base colour. I started using this as we entered in to the winter months as it offers a natural, healthy glow when your skin is lacking the usual Vitamin C from spring/summer. However, I don't feel this particular powder provides the same impressive coverage as the Pressed Powder foundations. 

The concealer is actually what I use for my foundation as I find it is the only product that gives me my desired coverage. I'd urge anyone to use M.A.C although it can be pricey. Remember - once you go M.A.C, you never go back.

No.141 Exaggerate Eyelashes - Elyure. A little tired of the same lashes I wear day-in-day-out, I thought I'd try out some new eyelashes to wear for work (yes, I really wear these to work!). When it comes to lashes, I'm all about volume but in the work place I have to tone it down a little and opted for length. Eylure, as ever, are super easy to apply, use natural-looking fibres and are very affordable. Often, their lashes can be worn several times if looked-after properly and cleaned after each wear. I loved these as I think they are just the right amount of length to make me feel normal at work without being too over the top for clients. On weekends, I add them to another pair (#202) to give full volume and feel like myself!

Scunci Vintage - Victory Rolls from Claire's Accessories  Finally, I had to feature a haircare item and it's this 'easy' victory roll kit that I originally purchased for a special occasion to feel a little fancy. The rolls themselves have a velcro strip which means they hold well and sturdy in the hair but due to the size of them, tend to stick out of the ends of the hair roll. I found that making a roll myself and using back combing to create the size instead of these were a lot more effective and attractive. These are good if you have the patience but it's harder to get them to look normal on the hair and get the right angle. I found that I got a much better curl without them. Unfortunately for these, I wish I hadn't spent the money and trusted in my own ability!

And so you have it! My complete beauty haul of January. Have you tried any new products this month? Or received any nice surprises for Christmas? Let me know what you thought of my reviews by leaving comments below and if you'd like me to review any particular products in the future!

I've had a few emails/comments asking if I would ever do a vlog recently and the answer is...I'm still on the fence! Whilst it would be alot easier to just whack it all in one post and I love watching vloggers, I'm not sure I'm ready for that just yet. Perhaps soon but thanks so much for the interest and maybe I can make one for you soon. 

Have a great weekend,