Wunderbrow Brow Gel

Wunderbrow Brow Gel £19.95

 I saw this advertised on facebook and decided I had to try it out. It claims to last for "days" and be able to be applied within two minutes. I thought this sounded interesting and while I wasn't looking for a product to last for days, I tend to prefer to be able to remove all makeup at night, I definitely wanted to give it a try. It comes in four shades, I chose Blonde which is actually still pretty dark so I'm not sure how great a shade it would be for lighter blondes. It comes in a plastic tube which has a brush applicator, it does say you can use it straight from this brush, however I decided against this as there is a lot of product on this brush. I tend to apply this on the back of my hand and then use the Anastasia Beverly Hills Number 12 brush to apply it. The consistency is very liquidy which I find quite difficult to apply as I prefer more waxy and thicker consistency eye brow products, therefore I find it takes a lot longer than two minutes to apply.

Now this product does last REALLY well, it lasts better than Anastasia Dip Brow Pomade. On their facebook page there are videos of girls rubbing their eyebrows and the product doesn't budge, however when I do this (albeit very roughly) it did come off slightly and look slightly messy. I personally wouldn't wear this for more than a day so I can't comment on how well it lasted for a longer period of time. I tend to apply Benefit Gimme Brow over the top just to set them in place.

Overall I do really like this product, if I am in need of a product that lasts all day, I will definitely reach for this over the Dip Brow Pomade. But for an everyday product, I will stick with the Dip Brow.

You can buy it from Boots here.

February Birchbox

Birchbox £12.95*  

Spectrum Collections Tapered Powder Brush £7.99

LOC Shadow Stick in Perfect Cents £8

Ole Henriksen Truth Serum £47

Ayres Body Butter £19.50

The Balm Frat Boy Blush/Shadow £15.50

L. Erickson Grab and Go Ponytail Holder £11.50

The theme of this month's Birchbox is 'shine bright like a diamond.' In one of the boxes is a treat, a diamond necklace worth £200 for one of their lucky subscribers, fancy! The product I was most excited about when I opened the box was the Spectrum makeup brush, a full sized item which is perfect for applying blusher, setting powder or highlighter to the face. It's super soft and lovely to use, I adore receving full sized items in the box! Another (strangely) exciting item was the hairband, I get a bit obsessed with hairbands, especially ones that promise to not tear or pull at your hair. When I get home, I straight away put my hair up, out of my face and I'm also desperately trying to keep my hair in good condition so these hairbands are essentials! The Loc Cream Eyeshadows stick in the shade is beautiful, a stunning gold shimmery shade which works perfectly to accentuate blue eyes (like mine) therefore, I love! Taking care of my acne prone skin has become a necessity, I've tried Ole Henriksen before so was super excited to receive a serum to try out in this month's box. Their products have very fruity scents which I personally love!

Which products are your favourite from the box?

Guest Post: 5 Apps Every Beauty Enthusiast Needs In 2016

It was only a matter of time when we would be able to beautify ourselves with only a few clicks. Do you need a quick makeup tutorial? Or perhaps you wish to see how a certain product would look on you? Well, what if we told you that you can do all of this and much more simply by downloading a few apps on your phone! It is like having a complete archive of beauty knowledge contained in one small device. The future never seemed so bright! These are 5 must-have beauty apps of 2016:    Pretty in my Pocket 

Image Credit   Has it ever happened to walk into a store, find a product you like and are not quite sure whether it is worth purchasing? Well, with this app you have the ability to scan the desired product and in a matter of seconds you will have on display a full user review of the said product. PRIMP offers access to nearly 85% of beauty products on the market today. It does not hurt to mention that this app was named Best Beauty App by InStyle Magazine. 
Loreal Makeup Genius

 Image Credit   One thing is certain – it is called a makeup genius for a reason. If you are a beauty enthusiast, this app should surely find a place in your phone. It allows you to search for countless of already-to-wear looks and try them on yourself! It also has another great feature which enables you to find products you like and see how they look on your face. This virtual makeup artist is accurate and realistic and it actually moves with you in real time!    Beautiful Me

Image Credit   This app is a true innovation in the world of technology. It is designed to make a detailed skin analyses based only on your personal photos. It detects the user’s skin profile from facebook of from a photo you uploaded from your phone and it instantly measures all your skin characteristics including changes in the facial features, skin tone and other useful info. According to the information it gathers, it actually suggests the best products that would be suitable for your skin type.  
EyeEm

Image Credit   EyeEm is an app which enables you to browse through various categories. It is designed as a photo application with camera filters, photo editors, curated albums etc. It allows you to connect with the community of 15 million photographers around the globe, to get discovered and also to create better photographs with various features it offers. It also lets you license your photographs, publish them and sell your best pics. I actually managed to sell some of my 25th birthday photos and made some easy money using this app.  
Youtube

Image Credit  

It certainly would not be fair to exclude YouTube from this list, as it is still the No1 database of all possible makeup tutorial videos, beauty and fashion bloggers and various tips and tricks for beautification. This app is available for iPhone, Android and Windows and it still represents the ultimate archive when it comes to any video category. Whether you are searching for a step-by-step tutorial or an advice of your favorite makeup artist, YouTube is here to help you out.

Gone are the days of waiting in line for your favorite products, trying out different varieties and shades until you find the suitable one and struggling with applying your makeup. Right there in your pocket, you can find all possible beauty solutions from makeup tutorials, to the products chosen especially for you and your skin. Make these apps your new best friends and enjoy this year with flawless makeup.

 

About the Author

Amy Mia Goldsmith is a literature graduate from Melbourne. Her passion is beauty and fashion and she loves to spend her free time travelling and of course – shopping! You can contact Amy on her Facebook page and Twitter.

 
 

The perfect valentine's day scent

Chloé Chloé Eau de Parfum £65*  

Valentine's Day is the perfect time to buy a new fragrance for the one you love, or for yourself, in my case! I've lusted after this perfume from Chloé for so long (along with their handbags..) so I was so excited when Debenhams asked me if I wanted to take part in their Valentine's Day campaign. The perfume I was going to receive was a surpise and I was so excited to open to package and find this Chloé fragrance. The bottle is very simple yet classic and elegant with the addition of the little bow, I love the simplicity yet classy design and I think it is something Chloé are well known and well loved for! The scent is again, very elegant and classy as expected as well as being fresh, feminine and delicate. The fragrance is a combination of floral notes such as Peony, Rose and Freesia along with Amber and Cedar notes. While I have a lot of overly sweet perfumes and slightly darker less feminine ones, it's really nice to have one inbetween. It's not overly sweet and overpowering yet still a lovely feminine and girly fragrance that I've received many compliments on and have been loving wearing lately!

Definitely check out this beautiful fragrance here and make sure to have a browse on the Debenhams website to see which other perfumes will be perfect as a Valentines gift, or just a little treat for yourself!

Things people don't realise about blogging

 

It's not as easy as people make out

I get this assumption all the time from people and often from some PR's. "Oh you can just snap a few photos and write some words and have the post up today, can't you?" No. I generally take one day as my 'blogging day' and snap some blog posts and instagram photos, this takes me hours. Editing the photos takes another hour and then you have to write, publish and promote those posts. It really isn't as easy as some people assume!

You can't start a blog and get sent free stuff immediately

It took me about a year before I was even offered a product, so if you're thinking of starting a blog purely to be sent products, maybe think of a new idea. You have to put effort into your blog for people to think "I'd like this person to promote our product."

We don't just get sent free stuff all the time

While I follow a lot of the 'bigger' bloggers and youtubers on snapchat and it seems they get sent lorries of makeup and products every day, for most it isn't like this. Especially me, I'm quite picky about what I accept as I always think "could I write a good, lengthy, detailed post on this?"

You compare yourself to others so much

Most people do this in real life, especially me. However this is something that I do with my blog as well, "why does *insert brand here* not want to work with me?' "Why isn't my blog as good as *insert fab blogger here*?" "My makeup isn't as good as hers" "her content is better" "why do my photos not look that pretty?" Or is this just what goes on in my head... ;)

Events are scary

While from snapchat/instagram/twitter these look super fun and look like everyone knows everyone, they're actually TERRIFYING. Am I going to get murdered by a serial killer who has lured me to this skincare event? As an introvert I am terrified of events, I've been to two in my whole time blogging. I wish I was more confident to go to more, I'm just very awkward with people I don't know and fear being the odd one out!

 And finally, blogging is the best thing ever

I don't want this post to be me moaning constantly! Blogging is great, there are negative sides to it, yes. However surely there is with anything? On the whole, I love what I do. I used to keep hush, terrified someone would made fun of me and yes, some people have, but on the other hand my family and friends are SO ridiculously supportive and I've met some fabulous people through it. Built up my confidence, improved my writing and photography, got a fun hobby and got something extra to add to my CV!

Anymore to add?