Oval 8.

ARTIS -

Oval 8

•    The Oval 8 is slightly smaller than the Oval 10 and has 100’s of thousands of fibres in an oval shape to provide applications to a large area of the face

•     The company’s trademarked CosmeFibre® is created by using high-tech machines that produce completely consistent, man-made fibres that make-up the fibre bundle. The structure of the engineered fibre, each with a microscopically tapered end, allows for more consistent application than animal hair used in conventional makeup brushes

•    Each patented brush has on average 3 to 10 times as many individual fibres as conventional animal hair brushes, resulting in superior blending and smooth makeup application 

•    Fibre bundles are shaped to make product pickup and delivery easier and more effective

•    Designed with a special grip surface to provide better control, and tilted brush tip and fibre bundles that give the user the ability to apply, distribute and blend like never before

Oval 8 was launched as the perfect “base brush” and believe me when I say it really is. It distributes and blends liquid products flawlessly and the whole process literally takes seconds. It’s also great to use with powder products to either set the face or apply a sweep of blush or bronzer.

This is THE brush that I’ve had my eye on since I discovered the Artis brand. Used in application of everything base related, this brush is magic! I usually use both a Flat Top Kabuki brush and a Beauty Blender to achieve the flawless airbrushed look when it comes to my base products: Flat top kabuki distributes the product, Beauty Blender buffs it out evenly; this has always been my base tag team.

The Oval 8 brush pretty much combines these two tools to give the most flawless finish I have personally experienced on my own face. It has the distribution qualities of a buffing brush and airbrushed blending of a beauty blender all in one. And as I mentioned earlier, the product did not get lost in the bristles so I ended up using much less foundation than I usually do.

So far I’ve used the Oval 8 brush for my liquid foundation, setting powder, bronzer, blush and highlighter and every single product blended like a dream. I found the trick is: do not press the brush into the skin but rather rest it against it and use soft circular motions until the product fully blends, which literally takes seconds.

This style of brush also comes in Oval 10, which is much larger and could probably be used for body products; the new Oval 7, which is on my must-have list, and also Oval 6 which again is on my list. I feel having this style of brush in slightly different sizes would give me more control of where I concentrate certain products.

My New Favourite Foundation Brush.

Bobbi Brown –

Full Coverage Face Brush

This Bobbi Brown Full Coverage Face Brush has sat on my wish list for a number of months now, it wasn't an essential purchase as everyday I use and love my Real Techniques Buffing Brush, therefore this type of brush wasn't missing out of my collection. However, was something about it though which made me need this (a regular feeling when it comes to makeup). Nevertheless, I nipped into my Bobbi Brown counter and asked the make up artist about this brush, and she showed me how to use it with my new favourite foundation the Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick. I was beyond blown away with how it applied my foundation so beautifully.

This is my first Bobbi Brown make-up brush so I had no expectations, I had just heard how soft it was! Lets just address that to start with, this brush is incredibly soft which makes buffing in foundation a joy, I love spending extra time just buffing away as it is so lovely to use. The bristles are densely packed which really helps to work the foundation into the skin, leaving the most flawless finish I have encountered from a foundation brush.

It has a short, chunky handle, making it easy to use and ideal for travel – because I go away a lot for weekends or weeks away, I hate it when my make up brushes don’t fit into my makeup bag. It washes easily, keeping its shape and hasn't shed on at all. The only down side is that it does cost £30, which means it is not the cheapest brush, but I see it as an investment and hopefully due to this being a high quality brush it will last me for years!

Overall, I really love this brush; it applies my foundation beautifully and flawlessly. It’s a lot softer and feels much higher quality then my Real Techniques Buffer Brush; therefore I think it is worth the higher price tag.

Does anyone recommend any other Bobbi Brown brushes?

Sculpting Must-Have.

Real Techniques –

Sculpting Brush 

‘Featuring a wide, angled head, specifically designed to help create defined contours, the sculpting brush is a must-have in your makeup bag to enhance your natural features, or to modify the shape and look of your face. Use with cream or powdered bronzers to define and contour the hollows of the cheeks. Apply a light sweep of blush for a soft rosy finish’ 

– Real Techniques

The Perfect Foundation Brush?

Shiseido –

The Makeup Perfect Foundation Brush

 “Designed to provide the ultimate finish, Shiseido’s New Perfect Foundation Brush helps to create a natural and flawless complexion. The unique shape of the brush allows foundation to glide evenly over the furrows and ridges of the skin while perfectly fitting over all angles and uneven surfaces of the face. A versatile product it can be used with all foundation types including liquid, powder and compact. Made with a blend of artificial hairs the new Perfect Foundation Brush is a must have tool for any make-up collection.”

The F80.

Sigma -

F80 Flat Kabuki Brush

The website states; ‘The F80 is one of the SigmaX High Definition face brushes made with Sigma's synthetic HD filament. The flat top kabuki brush from Sigma has a black handle and tightly packed dense head. The flat surface of the brush allows you buff products to achieve a flawless finish. Perfect for applying and blending liquid and powder products.’

So I've been eyeing Sigma brushes forever! Not only are they cruelty free, but they get rave reviews from most beauty gurus. I was a bit skeptic ordering it online because I know there are a lot of fakes around, therefore I made sure I did a lot of research about reliable sellers.
Although they state that the brush is ideal for flat surfaces (i.e. cheeks, forehead), I have absolutely no problems with the application of the foundation on the rounder and softer areas such as the eyes, so truthfully this brush does a perfect job for a full foundation routine. I use it in a tapping motion then buff it in, so I squeeze a bit of foundation on the top of my hand, and then lightly tap the brush into the foundation. Don't be fooled, you're not going to see loads of foundation on the brush (if any), but trust me; it picks up just the right amount.  I then gently tap and press the foundations into my skin, then buff it in all over just to make sure it helps disguise my pores better. This method also saves you from using too much foundation and giving excellent coverage. 

One of the things I absolutely adore about this brush, apart from it being so gentle on my face, is that the bristles are extremely dense.  So what does that mean you may ask lovely reader?  In simple terms, the brush won't soak up any unnecessary liquid; therefore you won't waste foundation as you would with ordinary brushes or sponges. 

Out of all the foundation brushes I have tried, this is a winner and I give it top marks!  Now I'm onto saving for my next Sigma brush, I have to admit that I'm now quite the addict of their brushes, and although definitely not necessary, would love to invest in the other ones. For the price, I think it’s quite cheap because it’s really a great product! Compared to the MAC brushes in price range, mostly Sigma brushes are more affordable and better in my opinion.

November Wish List.

You might be surprised to see that this months ‘wish list’ is a little different to last months. Unlike last months, which was all beauty. This month is a mix of clothing and beauty. The main reason for this is I haven’t really got that many beauty products that I want, therefore I thought as I have quite a long clothing ‘wish list’ I thought I would mix the key products from beauty and clothing. Plus, as someone who reads blogs, I like to see what clothes bloggers have bought as well as beauty products.

Jack Wills Selsfield Gilet

A couple of years ago I bought the Jack Wills ‘Ingliston Gilet’, which is the classic and most popular gilet from Jack Wills. However, whilst looking on their website I came across the brand new ‘Selsfield Gilet’, and oh my…its fabulous. The main difference between the two…the Selsfield version is actually a wool mix, where as the original is waxed cotton. The website describe it as a city style mixed with county robustness; which sums me up pretty well as even though I like the city, I’m at my happiest in the country. It states the gilet has a wool mix outer layer, luxurious faux fur hood (which is detachable) and duck down and feather filling. Which trust me keeps you unbelievably warm! Even though its more expensive then the original, I think after three years plus of the original, its time to buy a new one! Just to note, it comes in two colours, I want the Navy colour, however it does also come in a brown, slight checked colour, which is also really nice.

Zara Two-Sided Soft Scarf

Everyone needs a new winter scarf. I don’t always do scarves, or if I do I tend to like chunky, knitted, snood like scarves. However recently I’ve really liked tartan, therefore this two-sided scarf is just so pretty. I like how it clashes patterns, and I think it would go with most outfits. There isn’t much I can really say about this scarf because I think the picture of it says everything.

Sigma F80 Kabuki Blending Brush

Currently I’m using the Real Techniques Buffing Brush, which is amazing. However, I have been reading a lot about this Sigma F80 blending brush and it just sounds amazing. Everyone who reviews it or owns it seems to have flawless foundation and say nothing but how fantastic it is. Therefore this has lead to me trawling the Internet to find out where I can pick one up from in the UK. I’ve never used any Sigma brushes before because I always thought they were really hard to get in the UK, which in a sense is true…thank god for Amazon. Nevertheless, I’m really excited to try it, and have high hopes form this brush.

Superfacialist Tea Flower Pore Purifying Clay Mask

I have heard a lot about the Superfacialist products recently. Some people really love the range and some people love odd products. The one product that really stood out for me, and that people really seem to love is the Tea Flower Pore Purifying Clay Mask. The description of this mask states: ‘clear your skin of dirt, excessive oils and toxins that lead to breakouts. Containing Salicylic Acid, which helps unclog congested skin and oil observing Dead Sea Mud which is rich in magnesium, calcium, potassium and iron for the perfect detox facial at home.’ Doesn’t it just sound amazing!

Even thought I actually have a clay mask, which is by Origins, I sometimes find it slightly upsets my skin. However the reviews by people with sensitive skin about this mask say that even though you get amazing results, it gentle to the skin.

Dior Nude BB Crème – Shade 2

This is actually a repurchase, but never the less I thought it needed a little spot on my wish list. This stuff is incredible. I use it pretty much every day, and we’re not talking just to go to the shops. Wherever I go this is my base of choice, I even use it on a night out; it’s just that good.  I don’t really like heavy coverage foundation, even medium to heavy coverage makes me itch and tends to aggravate my really sensitive skin, my dermatologist puts it down to the fact medium/heavy coverage foundations don’t allow your skin to breath…something my skin obviously needs to do a lot. Never the less, this is a light to medium coverage BB cream with really good skin loving benefits. Its perfect for covering all those little imperfections, and with a touch of concealer helps give you the prefect naturally lovely complexion. Personally I think I’m going to be buying this for many years to come!

Core-Collection.

Real Techniques -

Core Collection

Ok, so these may look familiar to a lot of you. They’ve pretty much taken over every blog site at some point or another. Even though I own many of the individual ones, I didn’t see many reasons to pay for the collections, because initially I didn’t think I would use many of them. However, everyone keeps raving about the buffing brush included within the set, and the contouring brush also looks pretty good.

The Real Techniques Core Set consists of four base brushes (indicated by the orange handles):

Buffing brush - The world and they mama looooooooove this brush for foundation, and I have to agree that it is fabulously well-balanced in density and flexibility, which makes it perfect for blending liquid foundations. Even if you prefer another brush for liquid foundation, the Buffing brush is your ticket to a natural finish, blending out excess product for a far more natural look. I love this brush as much as the rest of the world.

Contour brush - A beautifully dense, small-headed face brush perfect for contouring with bronzing or highlighting powders. The tapered end makes it brilliantly precise for accurate application of product to define your features. It is arguably too densely packed and short to act as a blending brush for cheek products but it applies colour brilliantly.

Pointed foundation brush - I surprisingly like the smaller size of this brush, as it makes a great concealer tool. However, I would probably be sitting in front of my mirror for an hour if I chose to use this for foundation. It definitely has a place in this collection, though, as it's a great basic brush.

Detailer brush - It's tiny, it's flat, and it’s tapered. You can't really ask for any more in a concealer brush, but I find this brush redundant for my makeup routine. I have yet to find a perfect place for this brush within my routine, however I’m determined to find the perfect way to use it.

Other features that make this brush set standout is the softness of the Taklon hair used in the brushes, and also the little 2 in 1 stand and case. The set as a whole is clearly well thought out. As a collection, Real Techniques combines innovative new brush shapes with basic tools in an affordable set. Overall, these are the best brushes I have ever used. They’re affordable and incredible; they’re just as good as any other high-end make up brush. Another great thing to mention is how easily they are to clean. I give them a really good, deep clean once a week, to keep them in good condition, and they wash amazingly and dry super fast.

EVERYONE WHO DOESN’T OWN THESE BRUSHES REALLY SHOULD DO!

This collection retails for £21.99, even though you can sometimes pick it up cheaper with offers online and 3 for 2’s within Boots. I actually got it for £15 when HQHair.com was having a massive discount moment. Two more brush sets are available along with many separate brushes from various worldwide online retailers and selected, larger Boots stores for those within the UK.