Brush it Off

Hi Girls,

Today I wanted to cover the latest make up brush trend which has make up lovers by storm;  toothbrush style make up brushes. If you are an avid social media and blog reader you will have seen these brushes appear in almost every blogger or make up artists posts, they literally look like a tooth brush (or the larger ones a dishwashing brush as seen in many parody videos). My question is are they a fad or are they worth investing in?

The most well known company to sell these brushes is Artis, a high end brand which retails the tools from £28- £60 per brush , or £284-£410 for a full set. For the average person that's a lot of money to spend on brushes, but more recently a range of affordable options have been available.

The range I went for are from a brand called Iconic London, I got the face brush set which is for contouring and highlighting and creating a flawless base. The set at the time cost me £30 (plus £5 for delivery) and included 3 different sized brushes. I bought the brushes on pre order, however they did arrive earlier than expected.

First impressions of these brushes were good as the rose gold finish was eye catching, and the bristles were soft to touch. The brushes don't feel 'expensive' and this can be seen from the material of the brushes as they are made from plastic and not metal, however for the price this was expected.

When I first used the brushes I used them to apply both liquid and powder products, although the tools are meant for both personally I feel they work better for liquid and cream products and found applying powder to be cakey and difficult to blend.

The bristles are all the same density for the different sizes, as a make up artist I find the smaller a brush the less dense and packed bristles should be to get better control of blending. For this reason I feel the largest brush in the set works best, and the smallest is quite challenging to use as a blending tool. I did however find the smaller brushes handy for cream highlighting and contouring although I still needed to go over the concealer with my beauty blender or buffing brush as the Iconic brushes didn't blend the product in as much as I would have liked.

A month of using the brushes on both myself and clients my verdict is that although they can be handy they are not an essential brush, I have found myself reverting back to my handy Real Techniques and Laura Mercier brushes. I would recommend the larger brushes for seamlessly blending and creating a great base, other than this I am slightly disappointed as I have seen so many high profile bloggers use similar brushes.

I did see the Artis brushes in Space NK last week and the bristles seemed a lot softer and less dense
which is clearly the biggest difference between the real deal and an affordable alternative, my next expiriment will be to try one out and do a comparison to conclude whether the extra money is worth the spend.

One point I did want to mention in this post is the customer service experience I received from Iconic, I noted shortly after I purchased these brushes the price jumped to £40. Personally I find that a big change in price over a short period of time, and would be unhappy to be paying £10 more than others for the same product. I also found it was quite difficult to contact the company or get any sort of response until I tweeted them. I got in touch with their PR team and had a similar issue. For me this was the biggest downfall of the experience, which has put me off repurchasing from the brand for the time being.

I pride myself in giving honest reviews to all my readers to help them in any way I can by sharing both good and bad experiences. I hope for this reason other customers do not have a similar experience and this was just a one off  as the brand does have a lot of good products including an amazing strobe stick.

Have you ever tried a beauty product which did not live up to the hype?

Glossy Girl

Hey girls, 

As mentioned in my last post I did a massive Anastasia Beverly Hills haul on Black Friday so I am doing a series of posts to cover the products I bought. 

Today I am going to cover what I felt was the ultimate bargain buy from the lot, that is the Lustrous Lipgloss Set.

The set includes 8 of the ABH most popular gloss shades including (listed in order from left to right) : 

-Glided, a subtle metallic gold

-Danity, a pretty baby pink

-Sunset Strip, a coral/pink with added sparkle

-Socialette, a cherry red

-Weekend Barbie, fuscia with a hint of glitter

-Date Night, a sparkly pinky red

-Metallic Rose, a metallic purple/pink

-Black Cherry, a deep purple 

Swatches of the set, L-R:Glided, Danity, Sunset Strip, Socialette, Weekend Barbie, Date Night, Metallic Rose, Black Cherry

I personally found the lighter metallic and glittery shades, particularly Glided and Sunset Strip, were not as pigmented as the rest of the colours. I have been using these two colours on top of other lipsticks to make the most of the colour, but wouldn't really wear them alone. All of the other colours have great colour pay off. 

My favourite shades in the set are Danity and Black Cherry, however I also like the Metallic Rose as its such a different shade to any I have come across. 

I did not find the glosses super sticky, as I have found some glosses can be, however the glittery shades had a slight stick compared to the muted colours. Overall these glosses feel pleasant to wear and smell AMAZING, literally like sweets, an added bonus when wearing them. 

What I love about this set is that there is a gloss for every occasion, and the price is unbelievable for the value for money ($40 in the US, or £33 in the UK which works out as £4.13 per gloss- A-M-A-Z-E). I am not usually much of a gloss girl and tend to wear lipsticks more often however I give these glosses a massive thumbs up, they have won me over as preferred choice against the Mac lipglass, its just a shame we can't buy the individual ABH lip gloss shades in the UK. 

I also bought my first ABH matte liquid lipstick, which will be covered in a seperate post so stay tuned! 

Are you a lipstick or a gloss girl? 

Brows on Fleek

Hey Guys, 

Many of you may have heard of the brand Anastasia Beverly Hills (ABH) through various social media means. The brand was not well known a few years ago but has now become a best selling sensation for both the ordinary girl and make up gurus. 

As the name suggest ABH was founded in the US, but has become a worldwide sensation. The only problem is there are very few places in the UK where you can buy it. I often find myself asking (or begging- which ever suits) family and friends who are travelling to America to bring me back a few ABH bits. Last year I went to New York and couldn’t believe how difficult it was to track down some of the best selling items! 

This year however I took full advantage of the ABH Black Friday sale, even though I had to pay the hefty delivery charge, and import fees it still worked out way cheaper than in the UK, so was it worth it? 

Today I want to cover my thoughts on some of the products. This is especially for the UK folk who may not be able to readily find the brand, and want to know whether it is worth adding to your make up and brow routines. 

Below are the products I ordered, over the next few weeks I will post reviews and swatches on each, so keep a look out!

• Lustrous lipgloss set
• Liquid lipstick in 'Catnip'
• Brow wiz in 'Ebony'
• Dipbrow in 'Ebony'
• Brow definer in 'Ebony'
• Brow powder pro palette
• Illuminator in 'So Hollywood '
• Number 7 duo brow brush 
• Number 23 highlighter brush

 Today I will give a low down on all of the brow products. 

The brow products are what ABH have been known for, Anastasia is the brow queen and after trying most of the ABH brow products I fully understand how she has gained such a glowing reputation in the cosmetics industry. A good brow products are truly at the heart of getting the celebrity look. 

Dipbrow Pomade

The dipbrow is a gel texture and comes in a small pot, similar to gel liners. This is one product that I must caution all readers with - less is more!

I have found the best way to apply the dip brow is using an angled brush, I have also invested in the ABH number 4 duo ended brush, but any angled brush will work well.  You only need the smallest amount on the brush and then wipe it back off into the pot. 

Yes ...I have basically told you to put the product back into the pot, once you use this you

will understand why! The product is so strong that just the excess which remains on the brush is the perfect amount to use.

I use the flat part of the angled brush to outline my desired shape and create a stencil onto my brow line, and lightly using stroking motions fill in the rest of my brows. I then brush through using the other side of the number 7 brush. 

Dipbrow is is quite a heavy, long wearing product so I tend to only use it if I am going out or doing a heavy make up look. 

Brow Wiz

Brow wiz has to be one of my absolute favourite products, before the launch of the brow definer this was my daily go to brow product, which I did not live a day without for over a year. 

The pencil is retractable and looks of a waxy texture, rather than a true pencil texture.It really mimics the shading of hair for a natural look, it can be used alone on a day to day basis or in conjunction with the dip brow for a more defined look. 

Brow Definer


This is the newest in the range of brow products, and I bought it straight away to test. This has be the best brow “pencil’ I have used. It has a slanted, thicker nib than the brow wiz and a softer formula in the led which allows the most natural definition to be added to brows. 

The shape of the pencil allows you to create an effortless shape in your brows, and just like the brow wiz it can be built up by applying a different amount of pressure whilst using it. 

Personally for me, this product is the one which gives the most natural finish. 

Brow Powder

I invested in the brow powder palette to use on my clients, it has every shade and is a god send for any make up artist. The powders can also be purchased individually, so I would recommend going for your shade match if you are purchasing for yourself. 

The brow powders give a really soft and natural look and work amazingly well with an angled brush, they can be built up for most intensity which is what I love most about them. The shades don’t look flaky or harsh and blend well unlike other brow powders I have tested in the past. 

All of the products are very different dependent on what kind of look you are going for so I have done an overview below so you can decide which may be best for you. 

Product	Best used for	Pros	Cons
Dip brow Pomade	Sparse brows, looking to intensify  A more defined look Use with brow powder to add more of a natural look	A little goes a long way  Great value for money Long wearing Waterproof Smudge proof Creates a professional finish	Can dry out, as the pot lasts so long (however can be mixed with a drop of oil or water and mixed to recreate the consistency) Can be difficult to get the consistency right on first few uses
Brow Wiz	Full or sparse brows, creates a natural look	Long wearing Natural results Great for a daily look Can easily be built up Built in brow brush on other side	Doesn’t last as long as the dip brow or powder  Difficult to tell when running out until you get to the end turning of the rotating pencil
Brow Definer	Full or sparse brows, creates a natural look	Long wearing Natural results Great for a daily look Can be intensified as preferred  Built in brow brush on other side User friendly for even first time users Shape of the definer makes using this quick and easy	Doesn’t last as long as the dip brow or powder  Not at the end of the definer yet to comment on how long the product will last
Brow Powder	Sparse brows (in conjunction with Dip brow) Readily full brows to add a defined shape	Very natural Can be built up for definition Good base in conjunction with other products Good value for money as a lot of product in the pan	Not as long wearing as the rest of the brow products

My overall conclusion is that any of these products are totally worth investing in. All of the products are within the same price range of £14-£17, which for the quality is significantly lower than a lot of other brow products on the market.

If you are a brow girl |(who isn’t) then I highly recommend using any of the ABH range, you will not regret your decision. Ever since I have tried them, I have been hooked and I now can’t even think of using  anything else on myself or my clients. I use the following websites to order in the UK:

Beauty Bay

Cult Beauty 

Do you have a cult brow product? 

Nail Envy

Before: Although my nails look cosmetically fine,
they often chipped and did not grow very well

Hey guys, 

Today I wanted to tell you all about the new strenghtener I have been using to help maintain my nail growth. I always try to have presentable nails, however my nails are quite weak and start to split and chip as they grow. I use gloves when washing up, and try to stay avoid using my nails to open things but through day to day tasks always find my nails begin to break.

Nails done by Nilpa Keshwala using
Artistic Color Gloss colours
Bride and Rosegold

Very recently I started to have a gel polish (brand was Artistic Color gloss) done by the talented Nilpa Keshwala (based in Luton) to help maintain the shape and length of my nails. I decided to give gels a go so I could grow them out longer and shape them a little differently. I got them done every 2-3 weeks for a few months, and I could not believe how much they were protecting my nails and maintaing the shape and length. 

I realise it doesn’t appeal to everyone to get nails professionally done often simply because of the time and cost factor, for me doing my own nails gives me downtime on a Sunday evening. I missed doing them myself so once they had grown out to how I wanted them from the gel treatments I opted to try a strengthener. 

I have used strengtheners in the past, but never found one that lives up to expectations. Many reccommended the OPI Nail Envy,  I did some research and decided to give it a go with the hope I would be able to maintain the shape and length I gained from Nilpa doing my nails. 

As instructed on the box I used two coats of the Nail Envy, then applied my desired nail varnish and topcoat. Every other day I added a coat of Nail Envy on top of the nail varnish, on day 7 I remove all of my nail varnish and start again. I started using the OPI Nail Envy in the first week of December, now I am going into my 6th week of use and my nails are still in great shape and of a good length. I have had a few minor mishaps, but on a usual basis my nails would have all broken within the space of two weeks at a maximum. 

I have grown my nails into more of an almond shape
and managed to maintain a longer length without
any major breaks

The pros are that my nail varnish lasts a lot longer, as obviously applying the nail envy on top of it continues to protect it from chipping, so usually I am chip free for the whole week. Win-Win. The product is also very inexpensive to buy for the quality. 

The con for me is that if you are using a topcoat with a matte of gel shine finish upon reapplying the Nail Envy on top they are dulled. I have ended up then reapplying another topcoat on top of the Nail Envy every other day. This can be a bit of a chore, and I have ended up using double the topcoat so can be costly in the long run. This might not be as big of a deal if you aren’t too bothered about having a DIY salon mani finish (but I am a bit OCD about it). 

My nails have really have become envious. I have always had people ask about my nails, but now I finally have them at the desired length and shape I have longed for. I bought Nail Envy from Amazon (£9.49) , but as its an OPI product it is available almost anywhere. 

How do you maintain your nails? 

Blag Friday

Hi guys, 

As many of you will know when it come's to make up I will give up my entire bank's savings if it came to it. This Black Friday I went out to scout out the deals from the fails and this post will cover what I found. Now I won't lie, I did spend (a lot) this Friday, however most of the items were things I will stock up on in the next 6 months anyway as part of my beauty regime, or my professional kit. I tempted myself from falling in to some of the Blag Friday traps. 

Black Friday "sales" originate from the U.S as a follow on from Thanksgiving celebrations, kind of how boxing day works out for us. The past few years however it has become a bigger thing here in the UK, but are all of these deals really worth us staying up, sitting in front of our computers and giving in for? 

Last week I went into Superdrug and did a double take on two items in particular. The Makeup Revolution advent calendar, and the Real Techniques 10 piece brush set. As a beauty guru I spend most of my online life reading blogs, youtube videos and surfing beauty websites and Instagram pages (sad I know), therefore only two weeks ago I saw the Makeup Revolution advent calendar launch on the MR website for just £25. When I saw this I thought great; an affordable beauty calendar which fits well with what the brand stands for. A week later in Superdrug, the price went up to £50, which confused me and put me off buying it, only for it to be brought back down to £30 for Black Friday weekend.  Not as great a deal as many would think, working out at £5 more than the launch price. This to me screamed "blag." 

The second was the Real Techniques 10 piece brush set, which is marketed at £99. When I saw this I thought it had to be a mistake, 10 brushes for £100 may seem a good deal particular for Real Techniques which are amazing quality and I don't dispute that. However, the brushes include pics from the core and eye collection (which retail on average at about £20.99 each for 4-5 brushes). I also received the Nics Picks set last year, which included 6 brushes at £32 at the time. For Black Friday weekend the 10 piece set was reduced to a "bargain" price of £48.99. 

Although there are some brands and website who may not be selling items which are quite the deal they seem, there are also a few websites I found with great deals. 

Feel Unique- This isn't a website I usually use, but for this weekend including Cyber Monday they are posting a range of special offers on items including skincare and fragrances, definitely worth a look! There is also 15% off everything not included in the Black Friday discount deals and free delivery over £10, which trumps the 10% off in Boots, John Lewis and Selfridges this weekend. 

Anastasia Beverly Hills (U.S website)- Anastasia is a brand a regularly rave about, and as a luxury brand imported from the US none of the UK stockists have included Anastasia in their Black Friday discounts. However, if you buy from the brand direct on Cyber Monday they are offering 25% off brow products, and there is also talk of a free highliting brush with every highlighter purchase to be launched so keep your eyes peeled. Although a shipping charge applies, the products still work out a lot cheaper than available in the UK. 

Clarisonic - If you own a Clarisonic, now is the time to stock up on your brush heads with 20% off everything. The brush heads can be quite expensive to buy, and you will always need them for your machine so definitely worth the deal. If you haven't read my review ranting about how great this product is read it here and you can also purchase yourself the Clarisonic Aria for £99 this weakend and the Smart Profile (which I use) for £159.20 (I paid £200). 

The Body Shop- The Body Shop is offering 40% off all products, and also flash deals throughout the weekend. I bought a shampoo, moisturiser, facial oil and scrub all for £26 including delivery. If you have always been curious about some of their products, but didn't want to commit, this would be the time to try them. 

Did you have a Black Friday or a Blag Friday? Post any fab or dud deals you found in the comments box!

Make Every Day a Good Hair Day

Hi All,

As I am currently on bed rest for a few days I thought I would use the opportunity to blog on things I have not yet had the chance to. About a year ago you may remember I released a 'Koko's Beauty Giftlist' for Christmas, one of the items on the list was the Deluxe Rose Gold GHD set and today I will finally blogged my thoughts on it.

The set came with the new GHD rose gold styler, and also the GHD Air hairdryer with rose gold accents. I got the kit as a gift from my mum for Christmas as I have had my old straighteners for about 8 years. The kit cost £195 for both.

The look of both are nothing less than what I expect from a GHD product, they are classy, sleek and luxurious. Now in a past post I mentioned I would only purchase from a brand like GHD again if they were to make something new and innovative which is worth spending the money on. From the two products in the set, I have to admit I could live without the straighteners.

GHD are highly reputable for their standard of styling tools, I personally rarely have my hair poker straight and usually any straighteners will do the job. I purchased the first model of GHD which released 10 years ago and I still prefer the older model as I feel it has better heat settings for my styling needs and has a firmer grip on my hair. The new model of straighteners however are very smooth through my hair, and are great for curls and flicks which is what I use them for the most. They also feel less damaging to use, as the heating settings are lower.

The hairdyer is my favourite part of the set, and the one hairstyling tool I am not sure how I would now live without now. Not to sound exaggerated but I never thought a hairdyer would make such a difference to my hair styling routine. The GHD Air gives me a really sleek and quick salon pro finish if I use a round barrel brush. The technique takes a while to get used to, but I tend to blast dry my hair so its 75% dry and then go over it with a round barrel brush and the hairdryer to finish it off into a more sleek look.

If you are in a rush a bit of serum, a paddle brush and the hairier still do the trick. I have quite long hair which is becoming a pain to maintain, however the best part is the hair dyer makes my hair look presentable, without using too much effort. This tool really is for the lazy glam girl (me!) and I could not recommend it highly enough.

Pros of GHD Rose Gold Deluxe set
- Look is sleek and rose gold (who doesn't love rose gold?)
- Cheaper than buying both products separately (straighteners are usually £130 individually and hair dyer £99, so you save £34 when bought together)
- Great as a gift
- Worth it if your old styling set is in need of an upgrade
- Well known brand with a 2 year guarantee included

Cons of GHD Rose Gold Deluxe set
- Pricey for a straightener and hairdryer set
- Only worth it if in need of an upgrade of styling tools

Left- Natural hair
Top Right- Hair using GHD Air Hairdyer only
Bottom Right- Hair using both GHD Air and Straighteners

My overall conclusion is I could have done without the straighteners, although they are a good luxury item to have however I am happy I received the set as I would have never convinced myself to spend so much on a hair dyer.

If I were to make a recommendation to anyone it would be to invest in the hairdryer and you won't regret it! Unfortunately the rose gold editions were for a limited time and are no longer available, however the GHD Air can be bought solo for £99 here and there is a new white deluxe set also available for £195 here which would make a great Christmas gift.

Do you have a breakthrough hairstyling tool in your routine? 

A Makeup Revolution

Hi Girls, 

Apologies for the gap in my posts its been one crazy wedding season, but now I will get down to business! 

How many of you spend countless amounts of money on products, which you may or may not end up using much? 

(slowly raises own hand) 

I am a massive make up hoarder, but one brand in particular has blown me away for both its quality and price. The brand I have recently become obsessed with is Revolution. I have seen a few reviews about the brand and the products were so cheap I thought, what's the harm in trying?  I have done the same thing for countless other brands, and usually the novelty wears off but this drugstore brand is here to stay in my favourites collection, it really is the queen of dupes for some amazing products.

Revolution is available both online and in Superdrug stores, I was first tempted by it in a Superdrug store, but the online store us just as efficient and easy to buy from (plus my Superdrug is always low on stock which shows how popular it is). I will run down some of my favourite products and when you see the prices you will all be as amazed as I am! 

Revolution Flawless Matte Palette

This was my first, and still my favourite Revolution purchase. The palette has 32 matte shades in earthy-neautral tones and is a must have addition to any girls make up essentials. The pigmentation and blending of these is as good as, if not better than, most luxury brands. The colours are ones you will use on a day to day basis for a basic look or a smokey eye. I have used this palette as much as my Naked 2, so it really is up there as one of my favourite purchases. £8 for 32 shadows… what's not to like?

Revolution Highlighter Palette

I purchased this as an addition for my own kit during my highlighter phase, but I loved it so much it's now a part of my professional kit. Countless times clients have commented on how amazing the highlighter is, and asked me where they can purchase it. Considering I have in the past spent so much money on expensive highlighters these remain my favourite and only costs £6 for all three. 

The palette has three shades; lilac peach and pearl all with a shimmer tone so there is a shade to compliment all skin tones. These are available as individual highlighters too, but as I use them for my pro kit the convenience of having 3 in 1 case was perfect for me.

Revolution Oil Control Make Up Fixing Spray

I live by Urban Decays all nighter fixing spray, but I have to say this is a close second and a much cheaper alternative at just £5. The spray can be applied after applying make up for a long lasting hold, perfect for long days, summer and holidays! This spray doesn't run, fixes make up well and gives a great long lasting finish. I bought it in "matte" but I think there is also one for a dewy finish. 

Revolution Blush Cleanser and Shampoo

These two have been a GOD SEND for me. I wash my brushes after every use ready for my next client so brush cleanser can be an expensive essential. I have used Mac's and although I love it, I get through it so quick I needed to find a cheaper alternative. 

I then came across both of these; the cleanser is great in between a deep clean and the shampoo really does clean my brushed thorougly for an amazingly almost new feel. You can really see the results right away with these, and the next day my brushes feel soft and back to their original tamed condition. 

The cleanser and shampoo are £5 each, and a great investment. If you are unsure which to get I would choose the brush shampoo as it is great for a one off clean. 

So those are my favourites but I can't fault the range as I have also used 'the one' concealer, the blush palette and also the lipsticks… the range keeps getting bigger and bigger and I am sure in future I will post about more of Revolution's products which I love. All products in this post are avilable on the Makeup Revolution website: http://www.makeuprevolutionstore.com

Do you have any Revolution, or other branded dupe favourites?