New | Real Techniques Miracle Sponges

Being a huge Real Techniques fan, I could not wait to try their latest Miracle sponges. The Real Techniques Miracle Sculpting Sponge (£5.99) in particular is unlike any other sponge I've ever encountered. Designed to Contour with 'a large side for control' and highlight 'with a small side for precision', I expected to love this. I adore the way its shaped and thought it would be a wonderful idea.  

Initially I tried this sponge wet with my bronzer, although I found it tricky to pick up any product from my contour kit, This didn't improve when I tried it the next day wet. In theory I could simply use my fingers to put the product in place but for me that kills the idea of using a makeup tool. Quite frankly, I don't think its worth the extra effort anyway as the sponge didn't blend my contour that well anyway - I'd rather just use a brush!

However, in a surprising twist the smaller side does a rather fab job at picking up and applying my highlighter! I'm not sure that alone was enough to justify £6, and I'm tempted to attempt use for foundation in the future.

After the disappointment of the sculpting sponge, I hoped these 2 Miracle Mini Eraser Sponges  (£5.99) could restore my hope in real techniques. I've been wanting to try some smaller sponges for my under eye area for a while now so was hoping these would get the job done. I have tried these both wet and dry and have found that unlike the sculpting sponge, they do I wonderful job at blending my concealer and clean up well. I also love that you get two for your money! However I will note that I have recently discovered the Primark Mini sponges which essentially do the same job (and are £2.50 for 4!)

So there you have it my thoughts on the Miracle sponges collection from Real techniques, I have to say after loving the original sponge I'm disappointed with this collection!
Have you tried either of these products?

Essence | Soo Glow Cream to Powder Highlighter in 'Bright up your life'

Anyone who has been reading Summers Beauty for a while may know that I'm a huge Essence fan, I was lucky enough to attend the UK launch a couple of years back and have been completely hooked ever since. I was checking out the cream to powder highlighters the other day and loved the look of 'Bright up your life', at just £2.80 I couldn't leave Wilko without it.

Enclosed in clear sturdy packaging, this baby really does offer value for money. I simply swirl my fingers around in the pot then apply directly to my face which leaves a wonderful subtle glow. It blends out nicely and has one of the best cream to powder formula's I have come across. Not only does this last well on the face, I can see this highlighter lasting a long long time.  Especially when I consider how much I've been using this, and how small the current dent in the product is.

I honestly cant fault this product! What's your favourite highlighter?

GOSH | Giant Blush in 'Shy'

As soon as I saw these 'Giant blush' sticks on Gosh's social media pages I knew 'Shy' had to be mine. It's just the perfect subtle shade ready for everyday use, made super easy for on-the-go by the practical packaging. While I love that the packaging makes this easy to apply, I also adore the style of it and love that the twisty bit (very technical term here) corresponds with the shade inside meaning that this blush stick is easy to find in anyone's makeup collection. 

With one quick swipe, this Gosh giant blush stick gives me enough product for my desired look. I simply then take my fingers or my oval blending brush and let the super bendable formula work its magic. The look lasts all day, even in the heat with been experence lately!

As far as cream blushes go this is a fantastic product, and is definitely becoming a fast favourite! You can pick this up for £6.99 from Superdrug here. (although its currently on buy 1 get 2nd half price)

Lush | Shiny Happy People

I received this Shiny Happy People gift set (£16.50) a few months back as a gift from a friend and really wanted to share my thoughts with you guys. The set contains 3 products, which are all shower friendly (and great for those who don't have a bath like myself).

 Layer Cake Soap (£3.50/100g) - In its bar form this is probably one of my favourite scents from Lush as it isn't too overpowering. While it's meant to be quite a fruity scent this actually reminds me of wine gums and because of this expected to fall head over heels for this product. So, its  a shame that this scent doesn't remain while in use. While it does a good job and leaving me squeaky clean, the soap is little drying and with a lack of scent it leaves behind, it essentially does the same job as a supermarket soap.. albeit a lot prettier.

Refresher Shower Jelly (£4.25/100g) - This product is just so much fun! I love the idea of a shower jelly and think it has a great price point when you consider how unique it is! I love how it wiggles, which you can see for yourself if you click the link to the lush website (although personally I'd recommend checking these out in store as they're always on display and fun to play with!). Unlike Layer Cake this has a really strong zesty scent and is perfect for waking you up in the morning. It lathers up nicely and truly is a joy to use! So much so that I cant wait to try another scent!

Beautiful Shower Gel (£4.95/100g) - I really like Lush Shower Gels although personally find them a little too expensive for everyday use. However I really enjoyed this one! The scent just made it feel so much more 'grown up' than the other products, as there's definitely more of a musk to it. Out of the three products from the box this is the one that lathers up he most, and like the shower jelly it leaves a lovely scent behind.

Overall, I was really happy that I was given this gift box, While the soap was an utter let down I truly loved the other products and have found a firm favourite with the shower jelly!

What are your Lush favourites?

Primark PS..Pro Haul

Recently Primark's new PS..PRO beauty range has been causing a bit of a stir online.When I had the chance to check the range out for myself I was mainly interested in the tools, starting with these PS..Pro blending brushes in Large (£4.00), Medium (£3.00) and small (£2.50). I think like me, many beauty bloggers have had their eyes on these Primark Oval brushes. They are supposedly a dupe for the famous Artis range. I personally cannot wait to put these to the test and will be reviewing as soon as I've had a chance to try them out! 

Next I noticed Primark's impressive range of sponges although I settled for these PS..Pro mini blenders (£2.50 for 4). The market is full of these mini sponges at the moment but as always Primark offers amazing value giving customers double the amount most brands do at a fraction of the price. I cant wait to compare these to the more expensive sponges in my collection! I was also super impressed with the idea of this PS..Pro Eyeliner Corrector Pen (£3.00), I'm a huge eyeliner fan, although I'm still terrible with application and feel like this will be a massive help! Finally I'm what you could call a lip crayon addict so had to add this  PS..Pro Sheer Shine Lip Crayon in Marvellous Mauve (£3.00) to my basket - the shade really caught my eye!

Have you tried anything from the PS..Pro range yet?

Primark Micellar Cleansing water

While stalking the Primark beauty section for Artis dupes, I came across this £2.00 cleansing water which I had to pop into my basket. I love a good micellar water and have tried a wide range of them with varied price points, although  this is the cheapest I have come across for its big 430ml size.

The packing advertises 'Rose & vitamin E',while personally I hate the smell of rose I found the scent of this to be quite pleasant. So does it actually work? yes, really well actually at removing both face and eye make up with ease. I did however suffer some stinging after using this on my eyes (I'm not overly sensitive, but I have this problem with a few cleansers). Despite this, I really like this cleansing water and along side a more sensitive eye make up remover its made my daily cleansing routine.

Have you tried anything from PS Beauty?

Five years of favourites..

So today marks five years of blogging for me, which is bizarre to say the least. I've owned this blog since I had just left school at 16 and now I'm 21 and a fully fledged grown up (kinda of!).

I've reviewed and loved so many products over the years, so I thought it would be nice to share with you ten I thought were the best of the best and truly worth a try! So here are ten of my favourite products from other the years (I tried to do five for five but that was way too hard). If you want to learn more about a product just click the link to take you to the full review.

 1. Rimmel Stay matte Powder - If it wasnt for blogging I'd have no idea about the cult classic. This just gets the job done and makes my makeup last without that caked on look. I hate the packaging though, my lid is currently in around three pieces! 

2.Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation - Whenever I get asked for foundation recommendations I find myself coming back to this. I just love it on my skin and find that it looks so natural on. Although again on a side note I hate the packaging.. I need a pump in the morning!

3. Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer - Another product I discovered thanks to blogger. Why waste money on expensive brands when this beauty covers everything!

4. Soap and Glory Solar Powder - This is without doubt my favourite ever bronzer! Prior to this I found bronzer so scary, I have extremely pale skin so thought they'd make me look terrible, but this beauty just works for me. I would use this daily if it wasnt for the terrible packaging.. Serouisly the lid is no longer attached to the product! Although, I will point out that S&G have since changed the packaging, if only rimmel and Revelon could follow suit!

5. Topshop Cream Blush -  This was the first cream blush I ever tried, and the only one I'm always still reaching for, despite the scary looking shade this looks so so natural on!

6. Younique 3D Fiber Lashes - I feel like this is one of those products everyone rolls there eyes at because its so promoted on social media but it honestly works better than anything I've ever tried (just click the link and look at my results!)

7. Rimmel Kate matte Lipstick - Shade 103 will always be my go to shade, I've actually nearly used this up which is unheard of for me and my far too many products!

8. Maybelline Babylips - To clarify I don't think these are the best product ever, but they're so easy to wear and fun! It's because of this I end up wearing these most so I thought they deserved a mention. If you're less confident with lip colours these are well worth a try!

9. Real Techniques Buffing Brush - Real Techniques had to be mentioned in this post! I was new to brushes before my blog and now I have more then I care to count! This is my most reached for brush and does a lovely job!

10. Superdrug Hot Cloth Cleanser - I thought I should mention a skincare favourite and this has been one of my favourites over the years. I love this more than the Liz Earle alternative everyone raves about!

So there you have it, the best of the best products I've featured over these five years! What would your top ten be?!

Free Benefit in Elle magazine!

 I've had my eye on Benefit's Dew the Hoola (£22.50/30ml)  for a while now, so when I found out there was a mini in this months issue of Elle Magazine (£4.10) I went on a mission to try and find a copy! The magazine contains a 5ml mini, which is a lovely way to give this a try without committing to the price tag. 

This is quite possibly my favourite ever magazine freebie - and there have been a fair few other the years! What's been your favourite ever freebie?

Sleek Cream Contour Kit in Light

I've always been a huge fan of a cream contour, so when I saw that this Sleek Cream Contour Kit was on offer it fell straight into my basket!  Like the majority of Sleek products this comes in their classic black plastic casing and is complete with a huge black mirror which is extremely handy for on the go application.

Available in 3 different shades( light, medium and dark) each kit is filled with 6 different pans, all designed to do a different job. The handy guide pictured demonstrates this, to be completely honest I thought this was a lovely addition. As a beauty blogger its so easy to forget not everyone's aware of how to apply makeup trends, and there are people out there who would look at this kit without these instructions and want to run a mile.

Following the directions given using my Real Techniques Contour brush, I loved my overall look. I find that cream kits always make the application process a breeze and everything looks so natural! While I dont have time to do this routine on a daily basis I find that I can quickly contour my cheeks with the darkest shade for a quicker solution.  If unlike me, you are going to be using your fingers for the application process you almost have to warm the cream up to get it out of the pan,although once on the heat of the skin the cream moves and bends effortlessly.

I also find that the results last all day, so there's no need for this to be taking up space in your handbag.

At £10.99 for six shades this is a complete bargain. Although even more amazingly, This is currently in the 2 for £12 deal at Boots.

Loreal Nude Magique Cushion Foundation

If there's one foundation i've been loving lately it's this Loreal offering. I'm a huge fan of glowing skin, so when I saw that this Nude Magique Cushion Foundation promised a 'dewy glow' I knew I had to pop it into my basket. As far as I know, this is one of the only cushion style foundations on the UK market, and I for one am happy it can be found on the high street. Now, If we're being completely honest at £14.99, this isn't the cheapest foundation out there. However Loreal are one of those brands which you can always find on offer - and I bagged mine for under a tenner!

I adore the packaging of this! Having always favoured pump style foundations in the past, I wasn't sure how much I'd like this compact style one, however it's definitely grown on me. Firstly you have everything you need for application on the go in this small compact, including a generously sized mirror and sponge applicator. I also really appreciate the fact that the lid covering the foundation opens to the side, meaning you can still use the mirror as you apply!

With that said, I've never actually used the sponge supplied - I'm a little obsessed with keeping my make up in prime condition. I do however apply this with cheap sponges that you can find in Boots and Superdrug and find that they do a wonderful job. I also do this to keep things as hygienic as I can as you are repeatedly dipping this into the cushion.

I of course own the lightest shade porcelain, and find that it blends into the skin effortlessly. While I find that initially this gives a sheer finish, you can really build the coverage and easily take this from day to night! Regardless of the look you desire, I find the foundation lasts all day without feeling heavy on the skin - And what's more it has a SPF 29 - Perfect for the weather we've been having recently!

So there you have it, my review of one of the best foundations on the highstreet. This is currently £14.99(and on 3 for 2) at Boots and Superdrug or you can find it for £10.49 at ASOS.