Tuesday 14 July 2015

REVIEW: Sigma MakeUp Brush Set Lookalikes - eBay

So, after lusting over some Sigma makeup brushes for AGES, I turned to eBay to see what knock-off brushes they had. I quickly found a set of 10 brushes styled after the SIGMAX® ESSENTIAL KIT 10 BRUSHES which retails on the Sigma website for $159 (pictured below).





The set that I bought from eBay was from a UK stockist and I paid £7.29 and the P+P was free. There are multiple listings for the imitation Sigma Kabuki style brush set, some cheaper listings are stocked in China and therefore take longer to arrive in the UK. I decided I couldn't wait a month for the brushes to be delivered, and picked a UK seller and paid the extra few quid. The brushes arrived within 2 working days, on the expected delivery date I had been given by eBay. 






On arrival, I found the brushes to have a slight plastic scent to them, but after washing the brushes with my trusted baby shampoo, the smell had gone. I recommend always washing new makeup brushes before using them on your face, whether you buy them online or in store, I think a quick wash to remove any smell of packaging is always a good idea! 

The brushes held up better than expected during washing, with only a few hairs shedding from the brushes. I was pleasantly surprised with the softness of the synthetic bristles. 

In total there are 10 brushes; 5 for use on the face and 5 that are ideal to use on the eyes. The brushes that come in the kit are:

(Left to Right)
- Tapered Kabuki Face Brush
- Round Angled Kabuki Face Brush
- Flat Angled Kabuki Face Brush
- Flat Kabuki Face Brush
- Round Kabuki Face Brush


(Left to Right)
- Precision Tapered Kabuki Eye Brush
- Precision Round Angled Kabuki Eye Brush
- Precision Flat Angled Kabuki Eye Brush
- Precision Flat Kabuki Eye Brush
- Precision Round Kabuki Eye Brush

I really like all of the kabuki face brushes for the application of liquid foundation. I like to use the angled kabuki brushes for cream contour and bronzer. I don't think these brushes would be good for the application of powder products as they will pick up too much product and won't blend well, but I didn't buy them for that purpose so I'm really happy with the face brushes! The eye brushes are just as impressive, they have been great for the application and blending of eyeshadow, as well as for blending concealer. 

I'm really happy with the quality of the brushes for the price I paid, and would definitely recommend checking these brushes out if your budget won't stretch to the real thing! 

There are many different eBay listings for this brush set from many different sellers. The user I bought from was safe2buy2000.

Have you tried any brushes similar to these? Or do you own the real Sigma version? Leave your thoughts and comments below!

Amy Rose Beauty xo

Tuesday 19 May 2015

High Street Homeware

Today's post is something a little different - a home decor post. Soon I'll be moving out of my Mum's house and my boyfriend and I will be moving into our first home together. He is being relocated for his job, and I will be moving with him and finding work in the new area we will be moving to. As we will be renting, we aren't too sure on how much we will be able to personalise the apartment with regards to painting or hanging pictures etc, so I've been focussing on trying to find items that will add a homely touch whilst remaining off the walls! The furniture we are looking to buy will more than likely be from IKEA, as I'm pretty much in love with their products! But I've been turning to the high street when looking for home furnishings. I thought I'd list my picks from the high street's current offerings...




ASDA


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Asda has quite a good range of homeware. They offer furniture if you shop on their website and a few pieces have caught my eye. I know where to look if IKEA fails me! Here are a few pieces from their current online selection of home furnishings, if you're lucky you may be able to find these items in your local store. To avoid disappointment and wasting petrol (it's so expensive!), I'd suggest shopping online and taking advantage of Asda's free click and collect delivery service if it's available in your area!





TESCO

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 
Tesco provides a great range of homeware that you can browse whilst avoiding the tedious task of grocery shopping! My local Tesco has quite a good selection, however again, to avoid disappointment I'd suggest using the click and collect service if it's available in your area. Again, Tesco offer larger pieces of furniture online that can be delivered to your door. The Tesco Direct website also offer other brands, you're not limited to tesco's own productswhich can be handy if you're looking for something specific as it provides more choice.





MATALAN

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 
I absolutely love Matalan! I think they are seriously underrated in the UK as their clothing is such good quality for such a good price! Their homeware section has rarely left me disappointed and I'd recommend checking their products out either online or in your local store! I particularly love their bedding sets and their range of cushions as well as their kitchenware. Again, Matalan offer a click and collect service that I'm pretty sure is free of charge!



These are just a few of the shops I've been browsing for homeware goodies! Do you have any recommendations for good quality home items? As always, I'd love to hear your comments, so please leave them in the comments section below!

Amy Rose Beauty xo 

Monday 27 April 2015

Get To Know Me - The Beauty Blogger Tag

Hello to anyone reading!

Today's post is something a little different, a get to know me kind of post. I've been googling beauty blogger tags and have come across what is described as "The Beauty Blogger Tag". After reading a few of these tags on different beauty bless, I thought I'd do it for my own blog as a fun way for me to   tell you a bit about myself without getting all serious or too personal! Let's jump into the tag!

1. Is your hair naturally curly or straight?
My hair is a bit in the middle. If it's left to air-dry completely then I end up with some really loose waves with a lack of volume! Most days when I've washed my hair I'll use my hairdryer to dry the roots and mid-lengths of my hair and then leave the ends to finish drying by themselves. 

2. Do you dye it yourself or go to a salon?
I haven't changed the colour of my hair for AGES, so at the moment I don't do either. In the past when I've wanted highlights/lowlights I've gone to a salon, and I've also used at home box dyes when I just wanted to change the all over colour of my hair. I don't really like playing around with the colour of my hair anymore, I'm pretty happy being brunette and think I'll be sticking to having dark hair for the foreseeable future!

3. Do you wear the same style everyday, or do you change it?
Most days, my hair is tied up on the top of my head in something that resembles a miniature birds nest! My go to style if I'm going out of an evening is having my hair down in loose curls, which I achieve with a large barrelled curling wand. If I'm going out during the day I'll do a kind of half-hearted version of styling my hair using some straighteners to give a bit of a wave to my hair and then finish with some sea salt spray or hairspray to give the ends some texture.

4. Do you do your own mani/pedi or go to a salon?
Being a qualified beauty therapist I ALWAYS do my own mani/pedi. I have visited salons in the past when I had acrylic extensions, but now I have quite an extensive collection of nail polish as well as manicure and pedicure tools and products, I always do my own nails. Plus I'm extremely ticklish, so couldn't handle someone else touching my feet!

5. How often do you change your nail polish?
It depends if I'm using regular nail polish or if I'm using gel. Normal polish I'll change roughly every 3 days or so, unless it has chipped then I'll change it sooner. If I'm doing a gel manicure, I'll leave that on for about a week and a half, two weeks tops before I change the colour. I get bored of my nail colour easily so that's why I change it so often!

6. Do you polish your toes in the winter or just the summer?
YES! I can't stand naked toes!! I don't change the colour as regularly in the winter as I do in the summer, but I still have to have something on my toes, even if they won't be leaving the comfort of some warm fluffy socks for months!!

7. How long does it take for you to put on makeup?
That depends on where I'm going. 15 minutes if I'm popping to the shops and feel like I'd scare too many people without makeup. An hour and a half if I'm going out somewhere, I HATE rushing, plus I enjoy putting on my makeup, so the getting ready part is just as fun for me as actually going out!

8. What do you do first? Face or eyes?
If I'm doing dark eyeshadows, then I'll do my eyeshadow first, then my face and then finish the eyes after I've done the base of my makeup. If I'm just doing a natural look then I'll start with my face, then do eyebrows and mascara, then finish with a lip product.

9. Do you collect makeup to just buy what you need when you need it?
I'd love to collect makeup, but i'm not in the financial position to collect the products I want, so at the moment I just buy things as and when I need them.

10. How often do you wear false eyelashes?
Very rarely! I have such short eyelashes that I need to wear falsies, but I find most fake lashes are too long for my eye shape as I have very hooded eyes, I don't like the look of most lashes on me :(

11. Do you do a full face of makeup everyday?
No. If I'm not leaving the house then I generally don't bother, why waste good makeup if you're only going to be cleaning and cooking?!

12. Do you wear makeup when you're home alone or with family?
Yeah, I'll put makeup on if we are going out somewhere, or if there's a chance of photos being taken. Some days I do wear makeup if I'm home alone, I'll play around with makeup if I've done all the housework and have time.

13. Will you leave the house without makeup?
Yes, I'm lucky in the fact that I don't really get many spots as my skin is so dry. Sometimes I'll just put a light coverage base on, use some coloured brow gel to keep my brows in place, and give my lashes a curl an apply some waterproof mascara, if I feel like a zombie and think my face needs to look a bit more awake.

14. How many high-end products do you have?
Not many! I have a few MAC foundations and powders, but the main stash of my makeup is drugstore. We are lucky in the UK that we have such good brands available in the drugstore/highstreet.

15. Do you plan your OOTD every night or decide when you're getting dressed?
It's more of a whatever is clean and ironed process at the moment! I'm in the process of moving out from home for the first time so a lot of time is being spent clearing my room out so my fashion choices aren't plentiful! But living in England it's easier to decide what to wear in the morning as you can never rely on the weather forecast to be accurate!!

16. How often do you change your handbag?
Not very often! I tend to fall in love with a bag and use it daily until I fall in love with something else. Ive had the same Zara City bag for about the last 3 years and haven't found anything that I love to move on to, so I'm sticking with what I've got for now!

17. What time do you wake up and go to sleep?
I usually wake up about 9am, and don't go to bed until around midnight! I'm trying to change my sleeping pattern so that I sleep a bit earlier and wake up earlier.

18. How often or when do you work out?
Eeeekk....I HATE exercise...does walking around the shops count?? I'm hoping that when I move I'll get into home workouts as I'll have so much more space! Fingers crossed!

19. Left handed or right handed?
Right handed for writing, using scissors etc, but I eat left handed!

20. How tall are you?
I'm about 5 foot 7 inches.

21. Do you speak any foreign languages?
No, apart from a very very basic French that I learnt in school. I'd love to learn different languages, but I'm so impatient I know I'd give up way too easy!

22. How many pets do you have?
At home we have 1 cat called Muppet, and some tropical fish, but I don't technically own them, they're my Mum's and Brother's pets. I'd love a dog, but I'll have to wait a few years as it's uncommon to find property to rent that will accept pets!

23. How often are you on blogger?
A few times a week to write posts or check my stats, I'm still waiting for my first follower! I spend a lot of time on Bloglovin' reading other blogs and finding new ones to follow!

24. Do you read comments posted on blogs?
Sometimes, it depends if I've found the actual blog post interesting, then I'll read comments. I'd love to read comments on my own blog, hopefully they will come in time :)

25. Do you keep a list of products not try as you see other posts?
If I think the products will be suited to me, or if they are really good value for money then I'll keep a note of them, otherwise I'll usually us blogs to read reviews on a product I've already got my eye on to see what other people think of it before I spend my own money on it.

26. How did you come up with your blog name?
My name is Amy, I've always loved roses, and my Mum was going to give my middle name as Rose (but she didn't in the end), and I love beauty. The rest was history, as they say!

27. What kind of camera do you use for your photographs?
I use my iPhone 6 to take pictures. I find the quality to be okay, and once I have retouched the photos, they are more than good enough to post on my blog for now.

28. How often do you clean your house?
A few times a week. I'll spend a few hours one day doing my bedroom; changing sheets, dusting, hoovering and just general tidying. I'll then spend a day doing cleaning and tidying in the lounge and kitchen, and then spend another day doing washing and ironing!

29. What's your favourite colour?
I have a few; blue, grey, black and white. For my nails I think pinks are a firm favourite, which is strange as I don't really like anything else coloured pink!!

30. Do you swear?
Yes. It's a bad habit, and I'm trying to swear less, but sometimes in life you need swearwords. Especially if you happen to stand on a Lego!

31. What are you doing with the rest of your day?
The rest of my day will probably consist of food shopping with my Mum, cooking some sweet potato chips from scratch, and watching some YouTube videos and reading some blogs. As well as the obligatory Twitter, Facebook and Instagram sessions!



That's the end of the Beauty Blogger Tag. I hope you enjoyed reading through my answers. If you have read this then I tag you to complete the tag and leave a link to your answers in the comments below!  

Amy Rose Beauty xo

Thursday 26 March 2015

Thought on Thursday

Bit of a different post today, but one I think is worth a quick look...

Bloglovin' is one of my favourite ways to discover new blogs. After having a quick browse on the Explore tab, I found this heartwarming post....


In the blog post you can see inside the village that has been created to provide a sensitive form of care enabling dementia and Alzheimer sufferers to lead a seemingly normal life. A safe community is provided that allows residents to visit the supermarket, restaurant, theatre and bar whilst maintaining their independence and dignity. 

Take a moment out of your day to see the special place that provides such a wonderful service.

Faith in humanity restored!

What do you think? Leave your thoughts and comments below!

Amy Rose Beauty xo

Tuesday 24 March 2015

Contouring & Highlighting

Unless you've been hiding under a rock, or living in a cave in some distant land for the last year or so, you will have heard about contouring and highlighting. Now no longer reserved for models on fancy photoshoots or those who have a makeup artist at their beck and call, contouring and highlighting have fast become a major part in many girls' daily makeup routines. 

If you have been living under a rock/in a cave, firstly, I'm amazed that you've managed to stumble across my teeny tiny blog, and secondly, you probably want a quick catch up on what exactly contouring and highlighting is...

Contouring is the technique of shading parts of the face or body to change the appearance of those features. Highlighting involves using brightening products on the face or body to draw attention to certain parts. Most commonly, contouring is used under the cheekbones to give the appearance of a slimmer face and more pronounced cheekbones. Contouring can also be used around the hairline and down the sides of the nose as well as along the jawline and chin. Highlighting is most commonly used under the eyes to brighten this area, as well as in the centre of the forehead, down the bridge of the nose and above the cupids bow of the top lip. 

So let's get on to how you do it…

Firstly you will need to select some products to use when contouring and highlighting. There are numerous products available on the high-street, you don’t need to opt for the most expensive, high end products to try your hand at contouring and highlighting. If it’s your first time trying the technique, I’d suggest starting with a high-street product that you can pick up easily and cheaply, then when you decide if you like the effect contouring and highlighting gives, you could branch out to try high end products. Both cream and powder products are available on the high-street and contour kits can be a great product to get started with. Superdrug offer the Beauty UK Contouring Palette for only £4.99 which is made up of three cream products; a contour shade, a bronzing shade to warm the face and then a highlighting shade. If you’re looking for a cheap powder contour kit, the Barry M Chisel Cheeks Contour Kit is available from both Boots and Superdrug at £6.49 and again offers a contour shade, a bronzing powder and a highlight shade. Also priced at £6.49 is the Sleek Face Contour Kit. It comes in three different shades; Light, Medium and Dark, each offering a contour and highlight shade. 

 




Contour shades should always be matte as they are supposed to mimic shadows. Glittery/shimmery bronzers are not suited to contouring as the shimmer in these products will reflect light, thus pulling the area of the face forward and having the opposite effect you are trying to create with the contouring. 

When it comes to applying the product, your tools are quite important. You can start out by using a fluffy eyeshadow brush to first apply the product. Using an eye brush instead of a larger face brush will help you to get an accurate application of the product. It is important to blend so you don’t have any sharp lines on your face, contouring on a daily basis will need to look natural; unless you choose to rock a full Kim K makeup look on a day to day basis, then you go ahead and do what you do! If it’s your first time at contouring, then I’d suggest starting off with little product on your brush, it’s easier to add more than to take it away. Apply the product in a light sweeping motion in the desired area to be contoured, and then blend, blend, blend! You can switch to a larger face brush once you feel more confident; an angled brush is ideal to get into the hollows of your cheeks to really carve out some cheekbones! Obviously stick to a smaller, fluffy eye blending brush to apply contour down the sides of the nose, and to any smaller areas of the face, a large brush will just apply too much product in an uncontrollable way to such areas. When it comes to applying highlighter, many people apply cream highlighter with their fingers. You can apply a small amount of product in a controlled way and by using a tapping motion you can really help ease the product onto the skin to create a natural finish. You can use a brush for the application of both cream and powder highlighter; again, I would suggest a small eye brush to apply the highlighter to any areas of the face as you will have a controlled application. 

There are so many videos on YouTube that demonstrate the transformation you can create with a bit of highlighting and contouring, and these are great to refer to if you want to see how it’s done or get some inspiration for products and tools to use. I think that with any makeup technique, practice makes perfect, and the only way you’ll become a pro at it is to get trying! So if you’re new to it all, I suggest giving it a go to find out what works best for you as an individual. Personally, I don’t do a full contour or highlight routine on a daily basis as it is time consuming applying and blending the products, however I use a matte bronzer to lightly sculpt my face giving the teeny tiniest hint of a contour, and by using a brightening concealer under my eyes it gives a touch of highlighting to my face.

Lastly I’d like to add that I don’t think anyone should feel pressured to contour or highlight! I think that in today’s society there is so much pressure on young people to look a certain way, to dress a certain way, and with the increasing popularity of celebrity culture, makeup blogs and YouTube videos, I think sometimes young people can potentially be influenced to feel like they have to copy the same makeup their favourite celebrity/blogger/vlogger/youtuber is wearing and use the exact same high end products to get the same results, which just isn’t the case. You should NEVER feel like you have to make yourself look different, everyone is beautiful in their own way.  I think that makeup should always be fun, and that even if you don’t have the “ideal” oval face shape, you should never feel like you have to try and disguise your face shape. Makeup is there to enhance what you’ve already got, so embrace your face and never feel the need to disguise yourself! 

Do you contour on a daily basis? What are your must have contouring & highlighting products? Leave your thoughts and comments below!

Amy Rose Beauty xo

Wednesday 30 April 2014

How To: Waxing At Home


Hair. Everybody has it, and we all get it in places we don't necessarily want it. Warm waxing is a great way to remove hair as it is quick and effective in removing any unwanted hair on the body.

Before I was studying my Beauty Therapy NVQ in 2013, I had only ever attempted to wax my legs a few times with at home wax strips bought from high-street stores such as Boots or Superdrug. I was extremely nervous being waxed for the first time, and was worried that my classmate; who was new to waxing too, would hurt me more than my tutor who had years of waxing experience would. Still, as we were all learning, we had to be each others guinea pigs, and I was surprised how little it hurt. My poor attempts at waxing at home prior to learning how to warm wax had me convinced that waxing was too painful to even consider, and that I would rather shave than wax.

With spring being here already, and summer fast approaching, I thought I would write a post explaining how to wax, as well as mention some important things to consider when waxing to ensure you are doing so in the most effective and hygienic way.

YOU WILL NEED:

  • Wax Heater
  • Warm Wax
  • Wooden Spatulas
  • Wax Strips (these can be material or paper)
  • Cotton Pads
  • Tweezers
  • Pre Wax Lotion
  • Baby Powder
  • After Wax Lotion

SETTING UP:


Before you start waxing, consider a suitable location to do so. Ideally set up a space in a bathroom or other room without carpet, just in case of spillages. If you have to wax in a carpeted room, use old towels to cover the chair and floor area you are going to be sitting over. You could use kitchen roll to place your wax heater on so that wax does not drip onto your surfaces. Plug in your wax heater and insert the wax. Make sure you turn the wax heater on! There has been numerous times I have plugged in my wax heater and forgot to check the heat setting was high enough to heat the wax! It will take about 30 minutes for the wax to heat up, check the wax periodically and stir with a wooden spatula.

THE HOW TO:


  • Wash your hands! Make sure you use soap to get rid of germs and bacteria before starting the waxing treatment.
  • USE YOUR PRE WAX. Apply a small amount of the pre wax product to a clean cotton pad and gently wipe over the area to be waxed. This helps to clean the area prior to waxing, and also assists the wax in gripping the hair. 
  • **TIP** If you have waxed previously and found it to be painful, you can apply a small amount of baby powder to a cotton pad and gently swipe it over the area to be waxed. This helps the wax to grip the hairs and reduces pain.
  • Apply the wax. Dip your wooden spatula into the wax. Wipe clean one flat edge of the spatula and allow excess wax to drip off.
  • **TIP** I usually pick up a wax strip with my other hand to use as a “drip catcher”, basically I hold the wax strip below the spatula as I move the spatula from the wax pot to the client’s skin.
  • ALWAYS apply wax in the direction of hair growth. You should have the spatula at a 45 degree angle from the skin; this helps to get a thin and even application of wax that will allow optimum hair-grabbing. 
  • Apply the paper or material wax strip over the wax and smooth down in the direction of hair growth; use your fingers to rub the wax strip applying pressure and keeping the wax warmed. 
  • STRETCH THE SKIN! Hold the skin taught, this will assist with quick and easy hair removal, as well as reduce the pain. Hold the skin with one hand and grab the base of the wax strip with the other. 
  • PULL FAST! The slower you pull the wax strip, the less effective it will be, and will also increase the pain for the client (or yourself). Pull the wax strip against the hair growth in a quick manner again at about a 45 degree angle from the skin. 
  • Re-apply the wax strip to the area to remove excess wax and hair that was missed. 
  • **TIP** - You can re-use a wax strip a few times before disposing of it. This will keep your costs down and also make the process quicker.
  • **TIP** Don't over wax an area. Ideally you should only wax an area once, any few remaining hairs can be tweezed out. I wouldn't recommend re-applying wax to the same area more than twice as the skin will be very sensitive and you can cause pain. 
  • Once you have waxed the area completely, use your after-wax lotion by applying on a cotton pad and then rubbing over the skin. Not only does the after-wax have soothing properties, it will also help in preventing any infection. 

AFTERCARE:

After waxing, it is essential you take care of your skin over the next few days. If you have slight soreness as well as red and bumpy looking skin do not worry. This is a common temporary reaction to waxing and these symptoms should subside within the next 24-48 hours. However, if you experience persistent redness or irritation you should contact your GP for advice. The basic gist of aftercare is to keep the area clean, avoid heat and do not apply products to the area for at least 24-48 hours. Here are a few more in-depth aftercare instructions you should follow after any waxing treatments regardless if you waxed yourself at home or had any waxing done in a salon.

  • Avoid heat. No hot baths or showers, use cool to lukewarm water only. This includes no saunas, hot tubs or other steam treatments. 
  • Similarly, avoid tanning for a few days. This means no sunbathing, sun beds or fake tans. The UV rays as well as heat of the sun or sun beds can seriously damage your skin especially where it is recently tender due to waxing.
  • Don’t sweat it! Don’t take part in any sport, gym work or other exercise.
  • Don’t touch it! Avoid touching the treated area, especially with unwashed hands. The pores of the area will be open, and unnecessarily touching can spread bacteria and cause infections. 
  • Avoid using deodorants, body sprays, powders, lotions and other products on the area unless they have been recommended by a beauty therapist or are specifically made for use after waxing (e.g., after wax lotions).
  • Re-apply antiseptic creams or after-wax lotions to the area regularly for the following 3 days or as needed. Make sure you wash your hands before applying any products to the area. 
  • No exfoliation for at least 2 days! After a few days, you should exfoliate at least 3 times a week to prevent ingrowing hairs. Ensure you keep the area moisturised as this will keep the skin supple and assist new hair to grow through normally. 
If you notice a small amount of hair regrowth after a week or so, this can be normal. If you are new to waxing, it can take up to 4 treatments for your hair to get into a growth cycle that gives the best result from waxing. You should avoid shaving between waxing as this will hinder the growth cycle of your hair. To maintain your smooth appearance you should wax regularly, every 4-6 weeks depending on hair growth. 


This post turned out a lot longer than I anticipated, but I wanted to give you all as much information as possible to help your at-home waxing techniques. I am relaying the information I was taught when I was learning, and obviously if any fellow beauty therapists are reading this then you may have been taught differently than myself. Please get in touch with any questions you have for me. You can do this by leaving a comment, tweeting me or using my Facebook page Amy Rose Beauty. All the links are in my profile.

Amy Rose Beauty xo