FAVOURITE BRUSHES.

MY FAVOURITE FACE & EYE BRUSHES. 

Hi! Today I'm showing you my favourite brushes that I like to use when doing my makeup. I'm a firm believer that brushes don't need to be expensive to do a great job, so most of these are pretty affordable.

POWDER: XO BEAUTY POWDER BRUSH + LUXIE SMALL CONTOURING BRUSH.

These brushes are good for powder because they're dense. The brush on the left is the best for all over face powder because its big and can pack a lot of product on. The brush on the right I use for smaller areas and also to clean up areas e.g. under my contour. 

BRONZER: MORPHE E3 BRUSH.

I like this bronzer brush because it's big but it's also slightly tapered. I don't have a very large face so using brushes that are too big can make the product go everywhere and look a little sloppy.  This brush is also fluffy so blends the product out while you're applying it.

BLUSHER: REAL TECHNIQUES BLUSH BRUSH.

I don't use blush too often but when I do I like to use brushes which are fluffy but also tapered. You don't want blush to end up in too general an area (like you do with bronzer) so getting a brush which will place the product nicely is important. 

CONTOURING: MORPHE MB35 BRUSH.

With contouring brushes I look for something a lot smaller, usually slanted so you have more control over the placement of the product. Additionally, this brush is quite dense so you can pack product on, precisely but also blend it out at the same time. 

HIGHLIGHTING: MORPHE M510 BRUSH.

This is just the perfect highlighter brush. A lot of people like fan brushes to apply highlighter but I prefer brushes like this, for me they're more precise. They also put enough product on so that it shows up but doesn't pack it on so that it looks like a shiny stripe on your face. 

CONCEALER: MORPHE.

 A lot of flat concealer brushes are similar to this one but this is just the one I prefer. I use this for concealer, priming my eyelids, cleaning up around my lips and my eyebrows.

PRECISE DETAIL: MORPHE R43 BRUSH.

This brush is great for detail work such as cut creases or packing colour onto the eyelid. It's very dense and the bristles don't move around too much meaning that the colour/ product stays where it's put. 

BLENDING: ZOEVA 220 LUXE CREASE BRUSH + MORPHE R37 BRUSH.

Blending brushes are so important for doing eye looks so finding blending brushes that work for you is very important. These two are my favourite. They're fluffy and soft but also tapered so that the product stays where it's placed. They also blend the product out perfectly. My absolute favourite out of the two is the Zoeva brush but its slightly more expensive than the Morphe one. 

what are your favourite brushes?

thanks for reading,

CATRIONA

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CURRENT BEAUTY FAVOURITES.

PRODUCTS I'VE BEEN LOVING OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS.

Hi everyone. Firstly I need to apologise for my lack of posts, I've finally finished my second year of uni but as you can imagine the last month or so has been intense! Because of my lack of posts I've decided to put my favourites from the past few months together into my current favourites! Also if anyone has any good ideas for posts let me know what you'd like to see.

UTAN & TONE: DARK WEEKLY SELF TAN LOTION [+ SKINNY TAN MITT]

I know previously I've sang the praises of the Bondi Sands fake tan and the Loving Tan mitt but these two products have blown those out the water. I'm not usually a fan of fake tan lotions, I prefer foams but this is the best fake tan I've ever used. I usually fake tan at night and sleep in it as it's just what I find easiest but this one makes it so easy to do it during the day too as the colour guard (the darker colour it initially leaves you before you wash it off) is a nice colour and you don't look like a piece of mahogany furniture. It also applies flawlessly, the smell is pleasant, although I don't mind the smell of fake tans, and it actually dries completely instead of staying wet and tacky. The tan develops into a lovely dark colour, it fades so naturally and lasts a long time. Additionally, I need to mention this mitt from Skinny Tan which disperses the product evenly and stops it from looking streaky or patchy. This is now my new favourite fake tan and the only one I'll be using. I got mine from Superdrug, it's usually £20 put I got two on a buy one get one half price offer. The mitt was also from superdrug. 

[UTAN & TONE DARK WEEKLY SELF TAN LOTION- £20, SKINNY TAN APPLICATOR MITT- £4.99]

TARTE: TARTELETTE IN BLOOM PALETTE.

This is my first proper product from Tarte Cosmetics. They're a difficult brand to get here in the UK and even though places like Sephora do carry them, they don't carry the full range of products. I decided to bite the bullet and to get some products from the Tarte website, I took advantage of their free international shipping offer so all I had to pay was customs (still annoying). This palette is beautiful, it's got 3 shimmer shades and 9 matte shades. Unfortunately one of my shades (top right- the darkest shade in the palette) arrived smashed but I think I've managed to press it slightly back into shape. These shadows are so lovely, they smell amazing, they're pigmented, buttery and blend amazingly. Also the shimmers are so pigmented and beautiful. I'm so impressed with this palette I've been using it non-stop since I got it. 

[TARTE COSMETICS TARTELETTE IN BLOOM PALETTE- £36]

TARTE: SHAPE TAPE CONTOUR CONCEALER.

If you have access to the internet and you have a pair of eyes you've probably heard of the Tarte Shape Tape concealer. I bought it at the same time as a I bought the previous palette. This product definitely lives up to the hype of being the most full coverage concealer I've ever used and it's so brightening. I got the shade fair because I'm very pale and I like a fairly bright undereye too. I'd definitely pick this up if you're ordering from Tarte, it's so full coverage a little goes a long way so this lasts a long time. 

[TARTE COSMETICS SHAPE TAPE CONCEALER- £19]

THE LASH KULT: EYELASHES.

This is my new favourite brand of dramatic lashes. For a softer day time look I like not as dramatic lashes such as the Ardell Wispies/Demi Wispies but these are perfect if you're looking for something more dramatic. They're not ridiculously big so if you have smaller eyes like me you won't need to trim them down too much, they're easy to put on and they have so many uses out of them. My favourite type of glue to use is the duo- I use the clear ones and the dark one when I've got liner on. They're also a lot cheaper than similar, comparable lashes and they have tonnes of styles, my favourite being Alexa. I can't recommend them enough. They're available through depot and eBay, go check them out!

[THE LASH KULT EYELASHES- £7.99]

KAT VON D BEAUTY: RUST EYESHADOW QUAD. 

This is a lovely little eyeshadow quad from Kat Von D beauty. These are the first eyeshadows I own from this brand and I really like them. This is really good for travelling and producing a cohesive look from just a few shadows. My favourite tones are warm and smoky so these are right up my street. Kat Von D beauty has recently become available in the UK in Debenhams stores so if you're looking to get these I'd definitely go there. This is really good for £17 for the quality of the shadows and the packaging is really great. 

[KAT VON D BEAUTY RUST EYESHADOW QUAD- £17]

MORPHE BRUSHES: FLAWLESS BEAUTY SPONGE. 

As much as I love my Beauty Blender I have been looking for other beauty sponges that aren't as expensive. I've seen these Morphe sponges being raved about left, right and centre so I thought I'd try it. It's half the price of the Beauty Blender so I thought I may as well. This is really good, it's a slightly different texture to the other beauty sponges I'd tried but I really like the fact that its got a bigger, flatter side and also a tapered side. I like to bake parts of my face and under my eyes so I like having a tapered edge. I know they now stock these on Beauty Bay which is great and I'll definitely repurchase these. 

[MORPHE BEAUTY SPONGE- £7.50]

MAUI & SONS: COCONUT OIL.

I am so late to this Coconut Oil bandwagon but I think I finally understand why it's so highly acclaimed. I've replaced my nightly face and body moisturiser with this and I've seen such a difference in my skin, especially my facial skin. My breakouts cleared up so much quicker, it's helped subdue my redness and especially because I fake tan it's played a major part in making it last longer and come off more gradually and naturally. The only negative about this product is that it takes a bit longer to absorb into the skin which is why I use it at night and I wouldn't use it before makeup but it has been one of the only things (skincare wise) that's made me see an actual difference in my skin. I got this one from Primark for around £9, usually tubs like this are a similar price and last a while as a small amount of product goes a long way. I can't recommend this enough. 

[MAUI & SONS COCONUT OIL- £9]

what products have you been liking recently? 

thanks for reading,

CATRIONA 

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MARCH FAVOURITES.

MY FAVOURITE PRODUCTS OVER THE PAST MONTH.

So I missed a monthly favourites post (oops) but I'm back with my favourite products from March and a lot of these I used over February anyway. 

• JEFFREE STAR COSMETICS: ICE COLD SKIN FROST.

My first favourite product of the last few months is this highlighter by Jeffree Star cosmetics in 'Ice Cold'. This is amazingly pigmented and buttery, not to mention the sheer amount of product you get in these highlighters. This shade is definitely more for those with very pale skin, as when I've got a darker foundation on it can tend to look a little ashy. There is a very large range of highlighters which are for all different skin tones and all the ones I have are amazing, I highly recommend. 

[Jeffree Star Cosmetics Skin Frost- £25, Beauty Bay UK]

• RIMMEL: STAY MATTE POWDER.

My second favourite product is this setting powder from Rimmel. Even though it's called Stay Matte I don't think it makes me look too matte, although I do need to use a setting spray. It keeps my oils at bay and keeps my makeup on all day. This one I use is the translucent one but I'm going to invest in the ones with pigment in. Additionally I don't use this powder all over my face, usually I bake under my eyes, my chin and my forehead with a loose powder and I feel like this has really helped my makeup stay all day. Best of all this powder is only around £4/5 making it completely affordable. 

[Rimmel Stay Matte Powder- £3.99, Boots UK]

• GERARD COSMETICS: SLAY ALL DAY LAVENDER SETTING SPRAY.

I had been a bit sceptical about setting sprays, most of all because I never felt like they actually made that much of a difference, OR they'd be too wet and make me look oily and greasy after I'd applied them. After trying this one, however, I absolutely love it. It settles my powders and makes my highlight stand out without making me look wet and greasy. Additionally it makes my makeup last all day. 

[Gerard Cosmetics Stay All Day Setting Spray Lavender- £15, Beauty Bay UK] 

• BONDI SANDS: ULTRA DARK TANNING MOUSSE.

I've already mentioned the Bondi Sands Dark Tanning Mousse in a previous post, that is my favourite fake tan. They then brought out an Ultra Dark formula which I love. Its darker than the previous formula, obviously, but lasts just as well, fades well and is a lovely colour- not too orange. 

[Bondi Sands Ultra Dark Tanning Mousse- £17.99, Superdrug UK]

• MAC COSMETICS: GIVE ME SUN BRONZER. 

I don't know why this has taken so long to make it onto my favourites considering how long I've owned it, but I've just gotten into using this Mac bronzer in 'Give Me Sun'. It is quite a warm bronzer but it doesn't come off too orange or muddy. Additionally it's easy to layer and build, as it's pigmented but very buildable. 

[Mac Cosmetics Give Me Sun Bronzer- £24.50, MAC UK]

what have your favourite products of the month been?

thanks for reading,

CATRIONA

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10 FACTS YOU PROBABLY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT ME.

10 FACTS ABOUT YOUR AUTHOR CATRIONA YASMIN BATHAN.

Hi! So today I thought I'd do something a little different than my usual and tell you 10 facts about me. I always make blog posts about my opinions on things but apart from my About Me page there isn't really a lot about the girl behind the posts, so I thought this would be fun anyway!

1.  I currently live in Newcastle in the UK. That's in the North East, and it's where the series 'Geordie Shore' is filmed. 
2. I attend Northumbria University, I am currently in my second year of studying Psychology with Criminology. 
3. Even though I live in the UK my family are from England, Scotland and Burma. 
4. My first name is Scottish and my surname is Burmese. Catriona is pronounced 'Cat-ree-oh-nah' and Bathan is pronounced 'Bah-than'. 
5. I currently have 15 piercings, including my lip, tongue, nose and ear but at one point I had over 20 including the back of my neck. 
6. Cats are my favourite thing in the entire world. I have 4 cats and 1 dog. They're called Paddy, Kitten, Smudge and Louis, and my dog is called Lola. 
7. If I had to say I was addicted to one thing it would definitely be Diet Coke, although my favourite drink in the world is Irn Bru. 
8. My favourite colour is grey, although my favourite colour to wear is black. 
9. My favourite band is Biffy Clyro, but my other favourite bands are Modern Baseball, Catfish & The Bottlemen, Maxïmo Park, The Story So Far & Ben Howard. 
10. My favourite films are the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, my favourite one is the Two Towers. 

I hope this wasn't too boring! I thought it would be slightly different from the normal thing and would be quite nice. 

thanks for reading, 

CATRIONA 

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FAVOURITE HIGH END FOUNDATIONS.

MY FAVOURITE FOUNDATIONS FROM HIGH END BRANDS.

Hi! Today I'm doing the second half of my 'favourite foundations' post. Last month I did a post dedicated to my favourite drug store/affordable foundations so check that out if you're interested! I have a lot less favourite high end foundations, but the ones I do like are my holy grails which I'll always repurchase. What I like about high end foundations it that they generally tend to have a better shade selection. More affordable brands don't go light enough to cater to really light skin tones such as mine, and I've found that they often tend to look quite orange/pink, whereas I have yellow undertones so these don't suit me. 

ESTÉE LAUDER: DOUBLE WEAR FOUNDATION.

The first foundation is the infamous Double Wear by Estée Lauder. I really like this foundation, it's one of the most heavy duty foundations out there and if you set it properly it will stay put. The finish of this is definitely matte, especially when set with powders although if I've got a long day I generally tend to go matte anyway because it allows for my natural oils to come through more before I start looking horrifically oily. The things I don't like about this foundation are that the bottle doesn't have a pump- it's really irritating as when you pour out product loads tends to come out and you end up wasting some. Another drawback of this foundation is that it does flashback as it has SPF in, meaning that for flash photography and events involving pictures it might not be ideal. The shade I have is a light yellow undertoned one, called Bone. This foundation is a pretty standard price for a high end foundation (£31) but if you want some heavy duty coverage then try it out. 

NARS: ALL DAY LUMINOUS FOUNDATION.

My second favourite foundation is the All Day Luminous Foundation by Nars. Nars only have two foundations and they're both in this favourites post. One thing I really like about Nars foundations is that they have a lot of yellow shades which is good for people like me. I don't usually like water-based foundations, which is what this is, as I don't feel like they offer very good coverage but this one is really great. It blends out really nicely and gives a full coverage without looking cakey or heavy. This foundation also comes with a pump (yay) whereas the other Nars foundation doesn't. At £34 this is slightly more expensive but it really is a beautiful foundation.

MARC JACOBS: RE(MARC)ABLE FOUNDATION.

So I've talked about this foundation about 10,000 times so I'll try and make this brief. If you're looking for the fullest coverage possible, this is for you. It takes a bit of buffing in because it is so full coverage but the finish is fantastic. One thing I've found is that it can sometimes accentuate dry skin, but on a day to day basis I usually mix this with a thinner, more watery foundation to combat that. This is the most expensive foundation mentioned, £37, but instead of using pumps of foundation to get my desired coverage this only takes a few drops. I have 3 shades, but this one is Ivory. If you like full coverage, check this out. 

NARS: SHEER GLOW FOUNDATION.

This used to be my ultimate holy grail foundation before I discovered the Marc Jacobs one, BUT I still love this. Out of the two Nars foundations this one is definitely my favourite, I find the coverage slightly better and the finish slightly more dewy and long lasting. Despite the name the coverage is not 'sheer' and the finish isn't massively 'glowy', although with everything this depends on how it's set. I love the combination of this foundation and the Kat Von D Lock It Powder foundation, they work amazingly together. This is slightly cheaper than the All Day Luminous, £32, but doesn't come with a pump, although once you've bought a pump you can just transfer it from bottle to bottle. The shades I have in my Nars foundations are Deauville (lighter) and Punjab (darker) and they're perfect. 

COVER FX: CUSTOM COVER DROPS.

Finally, this isn't a foundation but I thought it deserved a mention. This is the Cover FX custom cover drops. These are drops of pigment designed to be added to foundations or tinted moisturisers to add coverage. These are fantastic- there's been a few foundations I've liked but the coverage just wasn't enough for me, this has totally solved that. This is available in loads of different shades so they can also be used to lighten/darken foundations. These are £36 but as you only use 2-3 drops at a time they last a long time, a lot longer than a foundation would!

Which high end foundations are your favourite? 

thanks for reading,

CATRIONA 

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