Real Techniques Miracle Cleansing Sponge Reviewed

Hey beaut's!

I'm a huge Real Techniques fan, I use their makeup brushes and makeup sponges every single day so when I saw that they had released LOADS of new makeup sponges a little while ago I couldn't wait to check them all out. One sponge in particular caught my eye because it wasn't a regular makeup sponge, oh no no no it was a sponge for skincare,  yup Real Techniques have now delved into the world of cleansing and exfoliating! 

The Miracle Cleansing Sponge* has been designed too to prep the skin ready for makeup application by gently exfoliating away dirt, oil, and makeup leaving us with a smooth, soft complexion. The sponge itself is the same shape as the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion sponge but with a slightly gritty texture when dry, it's in no way hard but theres definitely some texture there when dry. You do have to use the sponge wet alongside your favourite facial cleanser, I use my Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish and just for reference the sponge and this cleanser do go hand in hand with each other and work so well. When the sponge is wet it does expand slightly and has a softer, sponge-y texture, it is coarse enough to exfoliate and remove dead, flaky skin yet gentle enough to use around the eyes without any harshness or irritation. The shape of the sponge is fab too, it reaches all the contours of the face with ease so no nook or cranny is missed or forgotten.

Overall I do really like this sponge, it certainly does a fab job at exfoliating and cleansing my skin when used in conjunction with my cleanser, my skin always feels great after using the sponge and I always use it over my eyes to remove mascara and it tackles that with ease and never feels rough. I also love how it gently sweeps away flakes of dry skin without irritation and it rinses out brilliantly too, I was expecting so much black staining from my mascara and liquid liner but it literally rinses straight out, it quite impressive actually he he. I'd totally recommend the sponge if your looking for something to achieve gentle yet effective facial cleansing, it gets the job done but in a gentle, sensitive way, I love it!

You can You can find the Real Techniques Miracle Cleansing Sponge on the face.co.uk website for £5.50 HERE. Face.co.uk also offer FREE 1st class delivery too, don't you just love that!

Have you tried the Miracle Cleansing Sponge by Real Techniques beaut's? What did you think? I'd love to know?

NEW Real Techniques Miracle Sculpting Sponge Review

Hey beaut's!

Not that long ago Real Techniques launched three brand new face sponges and being the Real Techniques lover that I am I couldn't wait to buy them and give them a whirl. So far I have two out of the three new sponges, I have already reviewed the Miracle Mini Eraser Sponges which you can read HERE, and today I thought I would share my thoughts on the Miracle Sculpting Sponge!

The hot pink Miracle Sculpting Sponge (£5.99) was designed to sculpt the face and make contouring and highlighting an absolute breeze. I must admit when I bought this sponge I didn't have contouring in mind, I loved the fact it has 6 surfaces and thought it would be ideal for foundation application, and after playing around with it a lot over the last couple of months I've come to realise this is one versatile sponge! As I said before the Miracle Sculpting Sponge has 6 surfaces, theres 2 flat edges to apply, 2 rounded sides to blend and 2 tapered ends for precise application. For foundation application I like to use the sponge damp, on its large flat edge and I use a stippling motion all across my face, just like the original Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge, this creates a flawless, dewy base in seconds. The smaller pointed tip is great for pinpoint concealing any blemishes and blending in concealer underneath the eyes, again this is achieved quickly and flawlessly. 

In terms of using this sponge to contour and highlight with (which is it's main point of use) I like it a lot now but I didn't when I first started using it, I think it's because I was so used to using my makeup brushes for contouring and highlighting that suddenly using a sponge felt weird, but actually after experimenting I've come to love this sponge for contouring and highlighting and would totally recommend it if your someone who struggles with the blending part of contouring. The way this sponge is cut makes it so easy to stripe on your contour and highlight and the rounded edges blend everything so well, I was always someone who struggled with blending my contour but not anymore he he.

I always use my sponge damp and it does expand well and is bouncy enough to feel soft against my skin but dense enough to get the job done, you can also use the sponge with dry powder products and creams too! 

Have you tried any of the new Real Techniques Sponges? Which is your favourite beaut's? I'd love to know!

NEW Real Techniques Miracle Mini Eraser Sponges Review

Hey beaut's!

When I heard Real Techniques where launching not one but three new makeup sponges I couldn't wait to get my hands on them to try, so far I have two out of the three new sponges - the Miracle Sculpting Sponge and the 2 Miracle Mini Eraser Sponges which I'll be sharing with you all today!

The 2 Miracle Mini Eraser Sponges are literally the cutest makeup sponges I've ever seen, I always looked at the mini original beauty blenders but the price put me off so seeing as these where so reasonable at just £5.99 it seemed the perfect time to finally try some mini makeup sponges! The two mini sponges where both created to erase makeup mishaps such as sweeping away any under eye shadow fallout, wiping away liner gone wrong, to pick up brow product fallout, wiping away mascara smudges or flakes, picking up over applied shadow and blending away too much blush or highlighter, and I have to say they do an amazing job at all of the above however.... What I wanted these babies for was for blending in concealer around the eyes and nose and wowza the difference is incredible, because of their small size and rounded point its so much easier to blend concealer right into my dark inner corners and all around my delicate eye area and the finish is so flawless too. These are also super handy for applying cream highlighter, blush and contour too which again I've been loving them for!

I always use my sponges damp and they do expand slightly and are bouncy enough to feel soft against my skin but dense enough to get the job done, you can also use these little sponges with powder products too, I think they would apply powder under the eyes flawlessly and would be so handy with the current 'baking' trend. If you haven't tried these little beauties yet then your missing out, I find them so handy and I wouldn't blend my concealer in with anything else now, I also love that they are purple too, their just so cute! 

Have you tried any of the new Real Techniques Sponges? Which is your favourite beaut's? I'd love to know!

Real Techniques 'Collectors Edition' Sculpting Set Review ♥

Hey beaut's

You may have seen that back in May I reviewed the Real Techniques Sculpting Brush which you can read all about here, and because I was so impressed with the brush and the fact Superdrug had a cracking offer on I ended up treating myself to the Collectors Edition Sculpting Set, it was Superdrugs Star Buy for just £13.99 so I couldn't resist a cheeky Real Techniques bargain could I he he. 

The Sculpting Set has been put together to help us achieve that perfect contoured look, whether you want to accentuate your bone structure, enhance facial features or highlight those cheek bones this little trio will have you covered. As I just mentioned the Sculpting Set contains three Real Technique brushes in total, one of which is exclusive to the set and cant be found anywhere else or be bought separately. The sets lightweight handles also have a new and exclusive finish to them in the form of bright pink shiny chrome, arhhh they are so pretty aren't they! Like with all Real Techniques Brushes the Sculpting Set follows suit with the super soft, hand cut. duo fibre synthetic taklon bristles which can be used with cream, liquid and powder products and are all 100% cruelty free which is a major plus.

Anywhooo lets see what I think of each brush individually.....

♥ Sculpting Brush ♥

 I've been completely obsessed with this brush so I'm super happy I now have two to play with he he. The bristles of the Sculpting Brush are quite dense and are shaped into a narrow oval shape, this makes it so effective for contouring as it fits right into the hollows of the cheek, around the jaw line and down the sides of the nose perfectly. Like most Real Techniques brushes the Sculpting Brush can be used in multiple ways, I've personally been using it mostly for foundation application and have been obsessed with the results. It leaves the same finish on the skin as the Real Techniques Buffing Brush does when used with liquid foundation and is so easy to blend with and really gets in those harder to reach areas because of it's shape. Contouring is something I'm only just getting really into and I find the Sculpting brush really does make this easier for me, I'd highly recommend this brush to any beginners in the contouring world like myself or to anyone that's looking for a gorgeous foundation buffing brush.

♥ Fan Brush ♥

The Fan Brush is the sets exclusive brush and believe it or not its the very first fan brush that I own, so as you can imagine I was eager to try this little beauty. The Fan Brush is designed to softly sweep on powders and whisk away any excess makeup for an even finish, personally I've been using it to highlight with everyday because it just creates such a soft, diffused finish.

♥ Setting Brush ♥

I do already own one of the Setting Brushes but I'm happy to have another in my collection because I use if for so many things, it really is a very versatile brush. It's small, somewhat tapered shape allows you to either highlight with it, use it with a dusting of setting powder under the eye area or you can use it as a blush/contour brush, I've used it for all of the above and it works amazingly. 

Overall I'm in absolute love with the Real Techniques Sculpting Set and it's quickly become one of my favourite sets that Real Techniques have released, the sculpting brush is just amazing, the fan brush has changed my highlighting life and the setting brush is a great all rounder for me. You really cant beat Real Techniques brushes for price and quality can you, they are such reliable brushes that always perform brilliantly and wash up as good as new.

Have you tried the Collectors Edition Sculpting Set beaut's?? What's your favourite brush out of the set?? I'd love to know.

Real Techniques Sculpting Brush Review ♥

Hey beaut's!

Being the massive Real Techniques fan that I am I've taken it upon myself to try and collect every brush that Pixiwoo's Sam and Nic Chapman release. I've been lusting after their new Sculpting Brush for a while now and have featured it in numerous wish list post's over the last couple of months or so, so I'm super happy that I finally have it my life to review for you all today.

The Real Techniques Sculpting Brush* (£9.99) is going to be a contour lovers dream, it's been made especially to help accentuate bone structure and enhance facial features for that contoured, defined look. The bristles of the Sculpting Brush are quite dense and are shaped into a narrow oval shape, this makes it so effective for contouring as it fits right into the hollows of the cheek, around the jaw line and down the sides of the nose perfectly. Like most Real Techniques brushes the Sculpting Brush can be used in multiple ways, I've personally been using it mostly for foundation application and have been obsessed with the results. It leaves the same finish on the skin as the Real Techniques Buffing Brush does when used with liquid foundation and is so easy to blend with and really gets in those harder to reach areas because of it's shape. Contouring is something I'm only just getting really into and I find the Sculpting brush really does make this easier for me, I'd highly recommend this brush to any beginners in the contouring world like myself.

The Sculpting Brush is actually from the ‘Your Finish’ collection of Real Techniques brushes which all sport the pink the light weight aluminium handles, and also has a nice sturdy rubberised part at the bottom of the brush for easy grip and allows the brush to stand up by itself for easy storage. Like all Real Techniques Brushes the Sculpting Brush has super soft, hand cut. ultra plush synthetic taklon bristles which can be used with cream, liquid and powder products and are all 100% cruelty free which is a major plus. 

Overall I'm in absolute love with the Sculpting Brush and it's quickly become one of my all time favourites from Real Techniques, I've even just bought the Limited Edition Sculpting Set from Superdrug because I love this brush so much and not only wanted another one but wanted the other brushes in the sculpting collection too. You really cant beat Real Techniques brushes for price and quality can you, they are such reliable brushes that always perform brilliantly and wash up as good as new.

Have you bought the Sculpting Brush yet beaut's?? What did you think?? I'd love to know!!

Real Techniques 'Limited Edition' Nic's Picks Makeup Brush Set | Review

 Hey beaut's!

Today I'm back with an exciting review featuring one of my favourite makeup brush brands Real Techniques. Real Techniques brushes are designed by the lovely Sam and Nic Chapman from Pixiwoo. We saw Sam release her 'Picks' gift set around this time last year and now Nic has joined in to bring us her limited edition 'Nic's Picks' gift set, and of course being the Real Techniques addict that I am I just had to treat myself to this gorgeous set.

The limited edition set features five full-size, essential brushes to help us create that perfect base, glowing cheeks, and high definition eyes. What makes this set extra special is that three of the five brushes are exclusives and have never been sold before, either individually or in any other set, also we have never seen the Silver brush handles before which I have to say look amazing and so much more expensive. As always whether your a beginner or not these makeup brushes are so easy to use, versatile, ultra soft and will have you applying and blending like an expert.

The set contains...

Duo-Fibre Face Brush 

I already own one of these brushes from the Limited Edition Duo Fibre brush Set but I'm happy to have another back up brush in my life for when the other one is grubby. It's a beautifully cut large, fluffy duo-fibre brush that is perfect for the lightweight application and blending of powder, it's just sets my makeup in place without that heavy look and powder is almost invisible when you use this brush to apply it.

Cheek Brush (set exclusive) 

I couldn't wait to try this brush, it's densely packed and beautifully soft and makes applying blusher (cream or powder) easy for an even, more dramatic finish. It also works amazingly with bronzers and is great for contouring, I've even used this for foundation application and it worked really well, it really reminded me of the Expert Face Brush when I used it that way. (P.S. Sorry about the blurred pictured at the top)

Angled Shadow Brush (set exclusive) 

Arrhhh my favourite out of the bunch... The Angled Shadow Brush is perfectly cut for applying shadow to the crease, it works so well at adding depth and blends crease work out beautifully, I'd even go as far as saying this brush is in my top 3 when it comes to makeup brushes, I actually wish they sold these individually so I could stock up on them because I love it sooo much!

Base Shadow Brush 

Another favourite of mine is the Base Shadow Brush... We very first saw this brush in the Starter Set and was quickly said to be an essential brush for creating an even, smooth and flawless eyeshadow base which I totally agree with. I'm so happy to have another one of these little beauties in my life.

Eyeliner Brush (set exclusive)

 I was so excited to try this brush, it's firm, thin and angled making it perfect for applying  powder, gel and cream eyeliner, it makes creating those cat eye flicks so simple and easy. I also enjoy using this brush for filling in my brows and bringing eye shadows down onto the lower lash line, it's such a versatile little brush.


All of the Real Techniques brushes in the Nic's Picks set have the usual light weight aluminium (Silver coloured) handle's making them really easy to use and are made up of  hand cut ultra plush synthetic taklon bristles which can be used with cream, liquid and powder products and are all 100% cruelty free which is a major plus. 

Overall I think this 5 piece set is genius, you are literally getting 5 brushes that can complete a whole make-up look and more, as most of the brushes can be used in a multitude of ways, you really cant go wrong with Real Techniques can you.

I picked up my set from Superdrug for £29.99, that's just £5.99 per brush which is so reasonable, but at the moment Superdrug have this set on offer for just £20.00 which is amazing and brings the price down to just £4.00 per brush, so get treating yourselves beaut's he he.  

Have you bought Nic's Picks yet beaut's?? What brush is your favourite?? I'd love to know??

Real Techniques Modern Natural Makeup Kit | Review ♥

Hey beaut's!

Recently the gorgeous Pixiwoo sisters Sam and Nic Chapman joined forces again to bring us something extremely exciting... Yup... they've only gone and bought out 2 stunning 'Limited Edition' makeup kits haven't they he he. The two makeup kits available are  the Night Owl Makeup Kit which as the name would suggest contains dark, purple toned smokey colours to achieve that perfect 'night out' look and the Modern Natural Makeup Kit which contains more neutral, everyday shades. Out of the two kits, I opted for the Modern Natural Makeup Kit as it's right up my street and I know I'll get so much use out it.

Firstly onto the packaging... The Modern Natural Makeup Kit comes in a black and white cardboard box which has a handy QR barcode on the back for us to scan with our smart phones, I've actually done this myself and it brings up Sam's makeup tutorial using the Modern Natural Makeup Kit, personally I think it's a great idea and something you never really see on other makeup kits or palettes. The Modern Natural Makeup Kit itself has sturdy cardboard packaging which is embossed with the Real Techniques logo all over it. Inside, the products are contained in a plastic tray which you can easily be pulled out if you'd like, I don't why you would but hey, the options there ha ha. The lid of the kit has a very thin, clear plastic window which again boasts the Real Techniques logo and has a magnetic closure. I must admit when I first saw the packaging I was slightly disappointed and on the inside especially it looks very cheap because the tray the product pans are sat in is again very thin plastic, but it does do the job so I shouldn't really grumble he he.

As I said before the Modern Natural Makeup Kit is all about neutrals, and we all love a good natural smokey eye don't we beaut's he he. The kit is made up by four powder eye shadows, a gel eye liner, a powder blush, a cream highlighter along with a choice of two different lip glosses, so basically it contains everything you will need for an everyday look that can easily be transformed to something more smokey for an evening look. Also as a little bonus treat, the lovelies over at Real Techniques kindly adding a Pointed Liner Brush into my packaging which is perfect to use with the gel liner that's  within the kit, I'm pretty sure Real Techniques are giving away a Pointed Liner Brush with each palette purchased, but I'm not 100% sure on it so don't quote me on that ha ha.

Onto the shade rundown for the eye shadows and the gel liner...

From left to right...
♥ Quicksand- A cream highlight shade with a beautiful pearl sheen to it.
♥ Gold Metal- A highly pigmented golden/bronze shade that reminds me so much of Half Baked from the Naked palette.
♥ Caramel Mocha- A medium matte brown shade, and again great pigmentation for a matte eyeshadow.
♥ Nightshade- A mauve shade with a brown undertone and contains lots of silver micro shimmers, be warned the silver shimmers do have a tendency to fall down when applying.
♥ Dark Chocolate- Just as the name would suggest, the gel eyeliner is a dark yet rich chocolate brown shade.

I have to say each eyeshadow really does pack some amazing pigment, it's incredible, and I must admit I wasn't expecting them to be as pigmented as they are. All of the eye shadows feel super smooth and silky to the touch and apply lovely, and they all blend with complete ease. I don't find any of the shades to be powdery or chalky, the only shade I experience fall out from is Nighshade but that's only the silver shimmers not the colour of the shadow itself. As for lasting power... I have used the shadows with and without a primer and I would say for best results definitely use a primer as I got a full day of wear out of mine however, without a primer I noticed creasing and fading after around 3-4 hours. I also want to add that nowhere on or within the makeup kit are the shade names for the eye shadows displayed, however you can find them on the Real Techniques website. As for the gel liner, well I love it... It has great pigmentation, glides on beautifully and I have no problems with smudging or transferring, it's also great to use as base if your using the palette for an evening look as it will really intensify the look.

Onto the Blush and Highlighter...

♥ Coral Sunset- A super subtle, peachy pink, which is completely matte and blends out beautifully. You can wear this blush more natural or build it up for more colour pay off depending on your skin tone. 
♥ Champagne- Arhh I love this highlighter, as the name suggests it really is a champagne colour. It's very creamy in the pan and feels very lightweight on the skin and again it blends out beautifully. Just be careful if you do leave your makeup kit in a warm room as the highlighter can go slightly melty and gets a watery residue on the surface, this happened to me and was rather annoying. 

Now my thoughts on the (teeny tiny) Lip Glosses...

♥ Copper Head- In the tiny tube Copper Head looks like it's going to be a shimmery golden shade with fine golden glitter running through it, but if I'm being honest the pigmentation is pretty much non existent, however it does feel lovely on the lips, very smooth, non sticky (woohoo) and moisturising.
♥ Nectar- Again in the tube Nectar looks like it's going to be a sheer pink/peach shade, but on the lips its nothing more than a clear gloss really, neither of the glosses have a scent or taste and they both last no longer than around half an hour really. I have to be honest the glosses really are quite disappointing but are OK if you need a quick slick of gloss on your lips. 

And lastly the Pointed Liner Brush... 

As with all Real Techniques brushes the quality is amazing and they are so easy to work with and the Pointed Liner Brush doesn't differ, it applies gel liner beautifully and work well at smudging out eye shadows and liner on the lower and upper lash line.  

Wowza, after all of that my overall thoughts on the makeup kit are... I think the packaging is OK but definitely could be alot better, the eye shadows are absolutely beautiful and the quality and longevity (when used with a primer) is amazing. The gel liner is my new love, it's so pretty and achieves a natural look, and it's so nice to step away from harsh black liners for a change. I really like the blush and the highlighter so there are no grumbles there. The glosses are a real let down for me, despite the gorgeous non sticky formula, they aren't long lasting nore are they pigmented, plus you probably only get less than a sample size of product within each tiny little tube which I feel is slightly pointless. If I had to rate the kit out of 10 I'd give it a 7 , that's with me knocking a point off for each gloss and the packaging, apart from that I love everything else the kit has to offer.    

The Modern Natural Makeup Kit and the Night Owl Makeup Kit are both available to purchase from the Real Techniques website only. I must stress that as both of the makeup kits are Limited Edition it means that there is only a limited amount of stock and once their gone, their gone! So grab one or both quick beaut's. As Real Techniques are based in America the costings on the site are based in dollars, but don't worry is does convert to pounds and they will ship worldwide. Each palette is priced at $25.00 or £14.86 for us in the UK and I payed £1.04 for delivery, so all in all it's very reasonably priced. 

Have you bought yourself one of the Real Techniques Makeup Kits yet beaut's?? Which one did you go for?? I'd love to know!