Mini Haul ft. Eucerin ☼

Ayooo~~ How's it going guys? Everyone doing well? ;D I'm back today with a collective mini haul! 

I actually bought these a few weeks ago separately, but thought I would post about them anyway, because 2/3 are for the dry skin I will be anticipating once I get on Roaccutane - it's meant to dry your skin out A LOT so I thought I'd prepare early and buy some of the things other people on Roaccutane had recommended in advance. (^__^)

[L-R]

Simple Kind to Skin Replenishing Rich Moisturiser - This is the heavier version of my usual Simple moisturiser which was for oily skin. I have tried it and because my skin is still a little oily (because I haven't started Roaccutane yet) I need a lot less than I did with the light version. So far so good! Let's hope it works when my skin gets drier. If not I have another moisturiser in mind from Eucerin ^.^

Real Techniques Stippling Brush - I ordered this off of iHerb with a load of other stuff... but the other stuff was for my younger sister and her friends lol. I just bought the one lonely stippling brush because my first one was falling apart. xD Dead cheap, you should should check it out! You do have to pay a customs fee if it costs more than a certain amont though, so be warned! I didn't know until I received it, wish I had known before -.-

Eucerin Aquaphor Lip Repair - Everyone who has been on Roaccutane has bought, used and recommended this over and over again. I couldn't find it in Boots so I ended up having to look for it on Amazon, where it seems everyone seems to get it from!

Do you know what I've noticed.. my mini hauls tend to come in threes.. o_O Why is that?! LOL! I guess since my project pan last year I've gotten good at not overspending ^.^ Hurray for not wasting money! :D

Disclaimer: I bought everything with my own money, and all views stated at my own. (^__^)

My first ever Ebay purchase ft. Ecotools Brushes ☼

A couple of months ago I made my first ever order from Ebay. Being a big fan of the EcoTools brushes, I decided to order their Bamboo Five Piece Brush Set. 

What I love about EcoTools is, apart from the fact that their brushes are amazing, is that they are 100% cruelty free. They use natural & recycled materials; their handles are made of bamboo, their ferrules of recycled aluminium, their makeup/brush pouches of a blend of cotton & hemp, sometimes with recycled PET lining. And their brushes have the most incredibly soft synthetic bristles that have not once irritated my skin in the slightest.

I've had my first set of EcoTools brushes for about 4/5 years now (the 6 Piece Brush Set in case anyone is wondering) and they have not shed one hair, nor has anything broken or become loose.

They really are amazing value, even at full price!

This set contains a mineral powder brush, a concealer brush, an eye shading brush, an adorable baby kabuki, and a cosmetics bag - so really a 4 piece brush set plus a little bag. I get the feeling that this is a fake though, because the bag is different to the one that is shown on the EcoTools website and the Boots website. Although I got a brush roll with my first brush set and it shows a zip bag on the website, even though I bought mine from Tesco.. Maybe the packaging has changed? It was five or so years ago.

Hmm.. anyhoo, moving on!

Now I don't really use mineral makeup, but the mineral powder brush always picks up the right amount when I swirl this in my Rimmel Clear Complexion Powder, and it always deposits it evenly on my face. I've washed this a couple of times, and it is just as soft as when I first got it, and it hasn't shed a hair. I'd say that this is quite dense, but not too much so that it doesn't move.

The concealer brush is also excellent! It helps blend in concealer very well, isn't scratchy at all, and as with the powder brush, it hasn't shed a hair since the day it arrived. The bristles are a perfect length and density for applying and blending concealer; not too floppy but not too stiff either.

I can't really comment on the eye shading brush to be honest. I never wear eye shadow, unless it's a special occasion (and even then I hesitate), but I can say that it is just as soft as the others! It does look a lot like a slightly thinner, Sigma Tapered Blending brush.

The baby kabuki is the cutest thing ever. It's small, soft, travel friendly, and dense enough to pick up enough product to powder my shiny t zone if I'm out and about. Love it ♥

The bag is the perfect size for me, because all I ever really need is the baby kabuki, my Rimmel powder, and a lipbalm. It all fits in snugly and the clickety button thingy (technical term yo~) keeps it safe and secure in my bag. This makes me very happy. Finally found a makeup bag that isn't a waste of space! :D

Like I said earlier, although I was a tad suspicious about the bag being different from that on the Boots website, for £3.78 on Ebay instead of £19.99 at Boots, and what with there not being any difference in quality, you can see why I chose the ebay seller this time around ;D

Disclaimer: All products were bought with my own money unless stated otherwise. All opinions are my own.

Beauty Tip: How to Clean Your Make-up Brushes ☼

Taking care of your brushes is very important. Because they come into contact with your skin on a daily basis, they are bound to take up your excess oil and acne-causing bacteria -and nobody wants that, because even though you will have a clean face in the morning before you put your make-up on, the bacteria on your brush from the day before will be transferred from your dirty brush, and wreak havoc on your skin, no matter how much you wash it!

For my brushes, I tend to take a dollop of my tea tree oil facial cleanser (review here) in my wet palm, wet my brush, and swirl it into my palm. I then hold the brush head under the open tap until it runs clear. If it seem's to be taking too long (this is usually the case when you use a foundation brush), then repeat the process.

Every few washes, I use baby shampoo instead, just to keep the bristles soft so they don't irritate my skin.

So which brushes do I wash how many times?

♦     Powder/blush brushes: Every 2-3 days 

♦     Foundation brushes: Every time you use it!

♦     Eyeshadow/eyeliner/lip brushes: Again, every time you use them, because obviously,
(a) the eye shadow powder will mix, and
(b) eye liner and lip brushes get hard after you've used them.

♦     Synthetic/duo fibre brushes: I recommend using a mix of baby oil and baby shampoo to wash these if you're using a cream product.

Once you've washed them, gently swirl the wet brush onto some tissue paper to get rid of excess water, then reshape so the bristles are in the shape you bought them in - some brushes come with a brush guard which you can slide over to help maintain their shape.

I wash mine before bed, and leave them lying on a couple of layers of tissue, so they will be dry and ready by the morning for me to use ASAP. (^__^)

Hope this helps any newbies out there ☻

Disclaimer: All products were bought with my own money unless stated otherwise. All opinions are my own.