REAL TECHNIQUES MIRACLE COMPLEXION SPONGE REVIEW!

Hi lovelies!
I was long overdue buying a new makeup sponge after using my Nicka K one for so long so I thought I may as well choose one of the most popular sponges to try out - the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge (which I purchased for £5.99 at BOOTS but I'm sure it's cheaper at super drug at the moment). 

It comes nicely packaged with tips on the back and the suggestion of watching the online tutorial which I think is really helpful for first-timers - Real Techniques tend to always provide these tutorials which is brilliant. They call it a 3-in-1 sponge as it has a flat edge for applying liquid products such as foundation all over the face and even in harder-to-reach areas, a pointy end to target small blemishes and a rounded end to blend all over or to use with powders.
The shape of this sponge is quite different to my last which has a ridge in the middle for easy-holding but this doesn't bother me at all and its no different to use/hold. 

DAMP.

DRY.

You can either use the sponge dry to give you more of a full-coverage look when applying your
foundation/powders/concealer etc or you can use it damp by rinsing it under water and squeezing out the excess to give a more dewey, softer look to your skin (the sponge expands quite a bit when damp).
I find that with first use, your foundation will tend to soak up into the sponge but once that has happened, it soaks up barely any foundation on second use which I had expected anyway. It definitely gives me a really beautiful finish with my foundation and I find it to work better at giving an even, flawless finish than my previous sponge.

One thing that I was disappointed with when taking the sponge out the packaging was that I ripped a tiny chunk out of it with barely any force so I do worry it will rip quite easily which never happened with my last sponge. However, this sponge is incredibly soft and bouncy which is good for application of products but may be why it ripped so easily.
My only other criticism is the colour and this is obviously just personal preference but it is such a bright orange and looks so dirty after just one use but this isn't a massive issue at the end of the day.

Overall I think it's a good, all-round sponge for a brilliant price that will be easy for anyone to use whether its your first time using a makeup sponge or you're a sponge enthusiast. Make sure to clean your sponge after every few uses to prevent product/bacteria build up and you'll be good to go!
Thanks for reading!

Holly Amber X

MY FAVOURITE 5 MAKE-UP BRUSHES!

A couple of years ago the only make-up brushes I'd ever used were a normal powder brush and a small eyeshadow applicator - little did I know about the wonders of all the other make-up brushes there were out there!

My absolute favourite make-up brush which I use daily is the Expert Face Brush by Real Techniques, sold for £9.99 in BOOTS (although I would check in some supermarkets which sell these, like ASDA, as they're sometimes discounted). Before purchasing this brush I really didn't know what I was missing. I used to use their Stippling Brush to apply and blend my foundation but it never really worked for me so after a long time debating, I purchased this. 

And what a brilliant decision it was! It blends my foundation beautifully and it is the softest brush I own, I apply the foundation either to the back of my hand or onto the brush directly and apply it to my face evenly in circular motions. The most important thing is creating a good base to put your make-up onto so starting with a brilliant foundation brush is a good idea - if you don't own any make-up brushes I'd definitely suggest purchasing this to start your collection!

The next of my favourite brushes in the Bold Metals Angled Powder Brush (103). I received this in a set of three Bold Metals brushes at Christmas which is currently on offer at £25.00 instead of £64.00! I can't find the brush on it's own on the BOOTS website, I think its only being sold exclusively in the set for now.

Its such a fluffy brush which I specifically wanted for soft contouring - as its so big its doesn't give you a harsh line but the angle of it makes it wonderful to contour your cheeks with. I absolutely love the design of the Bold Metals collection - it makes them look so expensive and luxurious.

Also from this set, I received the Bold Metals Tapered Blush (300) which is sold separately for £24.00. Again, the design is beautiful - this one is more a rose-gold colour rather than the  Angled Powder Brush which is a more true-gold colour. Although this is stated to be a blush brush, I prefer to use it for my highlighting as it has a tapered end - this means you can use it on smaller and broader areas. Both of these two brushes are so soft and fluffy and blend out any product amazingly - they don't hold onto much of the product either.

The next brush in my top 5 is a very affordable brush which I think I purchased for £4.00 at BOOTS - the Cheeks Brush from SEVENTEEN. I can't seem to find this on the BOOTS website but I'm sure they still sell them as single brushes in store - on the BOOTS website there is the SEVENTEEN Make-up brush Explosion set which has this brush in and is currently half price at £6.00 (and it includes 4 other make-up brushes). I purchased this as a quick decision as I wanted a more precise contouring brush than the one I had which wouldn't give too harsh a line. It's slightly tapered and I was pleasantly surprised at how soft it was and how easily it blended out my contour. I can't say I had high hopes for this brush but I was so impressed and I use it daily now for the smaller areas I want to contour - a brilliant affordable brush!

And finally, my fifth favourite brush is the simple but brilliant Real Techniques Powder Brush which is sold at BOOTS for £12.99. It may not be the most exciting brush to some people but I was so happy to get this, it's by far the softest and best powder brush I've ever used and it's relatively affordable compared to other high-end powder brushes. I think the most important brushes to get right are your base brushes - foundation, powder and concealer (which I am yet to find a brilliant brush for). If you haven't purchased a make-up brush before, I'd definitely start with the Powder brush and Expert Face Brush from Real techniques - they are very good investments and apply your make-up so well! 

As always, thank you for reading and I wish you all a very happy new year full of wonderful, happy things!

"Do good and good will come to you"

Holly Amber X