Real Techniques Expert Face Brush Review

A little bit late to the party, I finally bought a Real Techniques brush last month. Famous for it's excellent pricing that doesn't skimp on quality, I've been road testing this for the past few weeks before I wrote a review.

I admit it: I hated it the first few times I used it. I just really didn't get along with it and I was instantly disappointed that this brand - that everyone seems to love - had let me down. But I persevered, used it every day, and slowly began to fall in love with it. The bristles are super soft but packed tight so they don't just annoyingly splay out everywhere when you're trying to buff in foundation. The head is small enough that you can use it to blend under eye concealer. And without sounding weird - the handle is a bit thicker than brushes by MAC per say - which makes it very comfortable to hold.

I've been using this so far for concealer and foundation but I know some people really enjoy using this as a powder brush which I'll definitely try out! One of the best things about Real Technique brushes is supposedly that you can really use them for all sorts of things - I know a lot of brush brands such as MAC or Sigma tend to have a brush for literally everything you can think of! Real Techniques having a smaller range means that you don't have to spend as much money but still get the good quality you're after. You can buy this brush here for £8.99 - though I do recommend keeping an eye out in Boots and Superdrug as they run 3 for 2 offers on these literally all the time.

Have you tried any of these brushes? Are there any you can recommend?

Holiday Hair Products

Seeing as I jet off on holiday in 16 days (!!!) I've begun thinking about what I need to be taking with me. I did all of my clothes shopping last month so that I couldn't be tempted to pick up bits here and there in the weeks leading up to going away (we know we all do it, come on). I already have a tonne of beauty products as well so now I'm just selecting the best bits to go with me!

Bumble and Bumble Thickening Dryspun Finish Spray, £21.50

A bit expensive, yes, but fully worth it (read my full review here). It doubles up as a dry shampoo as well as a thickening spray but doesn't leave any kind of white residue or sticky feeling. Generally lovely and I think it will be great for when my hair needs a bit of oomph after being in the sun all day! 

Moroccanoil Moisture Repair Conditioner 250ml, £17.50

I have dip dyed hair which obvious means my hair has been bleached - bleach, sun and chlorine don't mix too well! So I'm taking this intensive conditioner with me (obviously going to decant into a smaller bottle!) and I'll be conditioning the ends of my hair every day. I love this conditioner because even though it's quite intense it doesn't leave my hair feeling greasy or limp.

Aussie Luscious Long Leave In Conditioner, £4.69

Aaand just a bit more conditioner! I use this every time I wash my hair without fail as I get horrendously knotty hair when it's wet and this is the only thing that gets them out. Therefore I thought this will probably be perfect for getting sea water tangly hair back to normal! 

Do you have any particular holiday routines like this? I always have to put together little packages of things I'll need! 

P.S don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin', I'll be posting more holiday prep now that it's summer time and then I'll be updating my holiday outfits! 

My Best Sale Buy: Kurt Geiger Carvela 'Kloud' Sandals

Seeing as I'm going on holiday next month I haven't been able to go shopping with my usual vigour - which as you can imagine has been horrible. I've only been picking up things that I really need (which sadly doesn't include MAC products) but then when I saw these and the price - I had to break the rules a bit.

Enter the 'Kloud' sandal. The £15 Kurt Geiger Carvela sandal. £15! I literally could not believe my eyes and there was literally one pair left in my size - I knew if I didn't take them then I would regret it forever. They're a fairly simple sandal with a thong toe, ankle strap and support. However as you can see on the back of the (contrast, cobalt blue) heel there are the most amazing spiked studs! And take it from me - these are sharp studs - definitely have to be careful with them! 

They aren't real leather, it's all synthetic, which in all honesty is one of the reasons I never would have paid full price (£70) but for £15 plus staff discount at Topshop I could definitely deal with. I know these will be perfect for holiday and for wearing here when the weather picks itself back up again. I love them so much and they're so much more me than the studded/bejewelled offerings you see everywhere on the high street. You can still get the orange and nude version of these shoes here (full price sadly) but this colour way has sold out online. 

Have you managed to pick up any great sale buys? I think this one will be hard to beat!

Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser Review

I've actually had this for well over a month now but held off reviewing because I literally could not make my mind up on it! Although lots of people have apparently been wowed by this, I think I can finally say that I am not. For starters, you need a lot of this to cover your face. It's quite a thick consistency that doesn't spread out very well so when you try to use less you end up with patches of your face uncovered that obviously then becomes patchy foundation! So a tube that should normally last you quite a while will no doubt only last me another few weeks.

My other concern is just that really, it doesn't work that well for me. I definitely can't see any drastic improvement in my foundation application as a result from it, in particular it does nothing in terms of creating a smoother base to cover blemishes - they still have to be loaded with concealer to look anything near normal! I just feel like for the price (around £7.99 full price) I would rather spend the extra pounds and get something like the L'orel Studio Secrets primer (which I can vouch for!). 

Overall I think Maybelline have missed the mark a bit with the 'Baby' products - I really didn't take to the BabyLips and I haven't taken to this either! Stick to the more grown up products that work please Maybelline, you're so much better than this!

Luxury Holiday Wishlist

If any of you saw my budget holiday wish list earlier this month, you might be interested in this. The only difference is whilst I quite happily picked up a few things off my list for my upcoming holiday, I doubt I'll ever be managing to pick any of these up. Get ready to sob at the beauty!

Luxury Holiday Wishlist by erinjainex 

1. Valentino Rockstud Double Strap Sandal, £525

I'm sure a lot of you have seen the different versions of these Valentino shoes - the pointed flats and the heels are so beautiful that of course they made a sandal as well. It literally kills me that no high street store has made a version of these as I think they're amazing.

Ray-Ban Aviator Sunglasses, £135

Quick story: I do actually now own a pair of vintage Ray-Bans that belonged to my dad about 20 years ago. However I'm petrified to take them on holiday in case I lose them! So of course if money were no object I'd pick up this pair. So different to what I'd normally wear but I saw them on a Youtuber recently and fell in love with the way they look.

Smythson Coral Mara Leather Passport Cover, £115

This is definitely a rich person treat, no?! We all know and love Smythson for lovely diaries and leather goods, but I never knew they did things like this. It's so pretty but I think also quite a classic design that you could use forever - you'd be getting your moneys worth if you ever did decide to invest in one!

Melissa Odabash 'Torino' Bandeau Swimsuit, £210

If you don't know who Melissa Odabash is for swimwear, then I think you've been living under a rock. She is famed for it and it's all beautiful and classic. I love this modern twist on a simple bandeau with the mesh panel - though I am slightly concerned about what the tan lines would be like?!

Crème De La Mer 'The Body Crème' 300ml, £155

And of course, the classic ultimate beauty treat. Creme De La Mer is world renowned (mainly for being expensive but also supposedly amazing). It's meant to be a super amazing cream that you can kind of use for everything and it will transform your skin. There has been a lot of 'hmmmm' reviews from the press for it as the ingredients are significantly cheaper than what they sell it for - but hey, I have an imaginary £155 to spend! ;)

Sadly I don't think I'll be taking any of these on holiday with me as much as I wish. Have you spotted any summer loves that you can't afford? Wallow in misery with me!

P.S don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin'!

The Chunky Shoe Summer Edition

I literally bought these shoes two hours ago and I'm already writing a post about them. For a while now I've wanted some of the cut out chunky sandals that everyone loves, but I couldn't find the right pair - they either looked too clunky, were too uncomfortable, made my feet look giant.. etc etc. Then when I was in Primark today, I wandered in to the shoe section and saw these. As soon as I tried one on I knew I was buying them! 

I think these are a better balance than other ones I've seen of chunky and girly - I was wearing black skinny jeans when I tried them on which looked nice but they're enough of a sandal to look good with shorts or a skirt too. The platform makes the heel practically non existent so I'm hoping they're going to be comfy enough to wear in the day time. They also (obviously) have no toe so I will have to step up my toe polish game...

They were a bargainous £12 as well so even if I don't get along with them brilliantly it's not too much of a loss. Oh Primark, what you do to me. 

Do you like these types of shoes? Or are you part of the population that thinks they're a bit on the ugly side? Let me know!

P.S don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin'!

Little Happy Things #2 (May)

Can anyone else absolutely not believe that it's June already?! Where has the time gone, I'm sure that Christmas was only the other week :( May has been a lovely but fairly uneventful month for me. I managed to get a week off work and spent it with two of my closest friends (Hi Helen and Eli if you read this!) and just generally had a nice time. It's so strange that we're halfway through the year already -  let's hope that the next few months bring an amazing summer!

1. seeing Ernie the turtle at SeaLife Trafford

2. dip dyed hair + American Apparel

3. my new print from tattoo goddess Hannah Snowden

4. testing the new Five Guys in Manchester

5. meeting Caesar the dwarf hamster

6. cocktails at Walrus in the sun

Did you all have a good month? Or are you happier to step into June and officially pretend it's summer?! Let me know! :)

P.S don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin'!