Friday 28 August 2015

Summer Survival Guide


Hola!

We've just about finished a pretty hot summer and I know that, unlike me, lots of people hate the hot weather, so here are my tips on surviving next summer, abroad or at home.

The first and main topic I wanted to cover is mosquitoes. Mozzies, gnats, whatever you want to call them, they're a pest. If you are bothered by mozzies just try everything! Smother yourself in mozzie repellent (followed by a ton of perfume because wow that stuff stinks!) and get it everywhere, even the soles of your feet. I would have thought of it either, but that's were I some how managed to bet bitten?! Also, they like to hide under tables and chairs, so spray bug killer/repellent under there and if you see one, try hairspray. Yup, I was sceptical at first, but it works!  It sticks them to their wings so they can't fly. My current weapon of choice is Fudge Urban iced raspberry & vanilla hairspray, purely because it smells so good (and it's cheap)!

Heat, suncream and sun all adds up to horrendously dry skin. For your body, I'd recommend the Vaseline Spray and Go as it smells great, it's not greasy and dries quickly so you can get dressed straight after. My face, however, has been much more of a problem than my body, even my T-zone, which is normally oily, has been really dry. I've been using the Simple Hydrating moisturiser in the mornings and skipping makeup for the day, then putting some more on before I put makeup on if I'm going out in the evening. I then put on a thick of the Superdrug Vitamin E night cream on before I sleep to help my skin recover over night.

My next tip is an idea my friend had and it's so simple but I love it so much in the heat! You can pay endless amounts for facial mists from all sorts of brands that promise all sorts of wonderful things, but it feels just as good when your baking hot to fill a 50p Superdrug spray bottle with tap water! Honestly, it's one of the nicest feelings when you're in the sun all day, I've taken mine everywhere with me all summer, it's so simple but so good!

Other than wear sun cream, I think that's about it for my top summer tips. I hope you found this useful and leave some of your favourite summer tips in the comments below.

Sunday 23 August 2015

My Guide to Washing Brushes


Hola!

It's important to keep your makeup brushes clean because they can carry bacteria just like any other surface, particularly as they come into contact with skin very regularly. I tend to wash my brushes every sunday and deep clean the ones I use every single day (concealer and powder mainly) once a month by leaving them to soak in soapy water overnight.

When I wash my brushes, I start by rising the bristles under running water and squirting a small amount of gentle shampoo into the palm of my hand. I swirl the brush in the shampoo until the brush is clean then rinse it out and leave it to dry on a towel. When you expose a brush to water, it's important not to get the butt of the brush wet as the glue that holds the bristles will wash away if it gets too wet too often and the bristles will fall out.

For any more tips on caring for brushes, check out this video by Sam & Nic Chapman (aka Pixiwoo) as they are pro makeup artists with their own range of incredible brushes so I would highly recommend checking out their YouTube channel! Plus, most of what I know about brushes came from their brush care video, and just their videos in general!

I hope you liked this video and found it useful and let me know any of your favourite brush brands in the come comments below, I'd love to know!