Beauty Blender All About Face Set (Review)

If you follow me on Instagram, you'd have seen me share a mini un-boxing of the Beauty Blender All About Face Set as well as photos. If you are not following me on there, you totally should as I tend to post a bit more frequently on my Instagram. Last month, this lovely package arrived and I must have let out a squeal (I mean, who doesn't love beauty blenders?). I am sure everyone who loves beauty has definitely heard about the original Beauty Blender at some point and may have even tried it (or maybe a dupe). Beauty Blenders have made such a massive difference to the way makeup is applied. I have actually purchased about three Original Beauty Blenders and I absolutely enjoy using them. I have a post here comparing the Original Beauty Blender vs the Real Techniques Miracle Sponge if you want to check it out.

Beauty Blender All About Face Set* //Link //£35
The All About Face Set is a limited edition set and it is designed to simplify any makeup routine because it has all the beauty blenders you'd ever need. You can get to do all over coverage to camouflaging imperfections and making the cheeks glow with the beauty blenders in this set. Inside the set, you get the following products: the Original Beauty Blender, the Beauty Blusher, the Micro Mini and a mini Blender Cleanser Solid. It truly is the perfect set and I can't think of any other set that contains this combination of useful beauty blenders.
P.S. I decided to do a side by side comparison of the size of each beauty blender damp and dry so anyone who is curious can see how well they expand.



Original Beauty Blender
I already mentioned that I've used the Original Beauty Blender for the past 3 years and I always come back to it. They come in different colours but I think the most popular colour is the pink one which is my favourite. I definitely want to try the black one at some point. The unique thing about the Original Beauty Blender is that it is very bouncy and springs right back into shape once you give it a little squeeze. It is designed to flawlessly apply foundation, powder, BB creams, CC creams, etc. Before I got to try the other beauty blenders in this set, I used mine for everything including concealer. However, I now mainly use it to blend my foundation since I have the other beauty blenders that came with this set. I simply run it under water and gently squeeze out excess water (the aim is to get it damp and not dripping wet).



I apply my foundation in dots around my face and use the bottom part of the Beauty Blender to blend/buff it in to my skin, It does such an incredible job and my foundations always looks great with it. I can always tell the difference from when I use my best buffing brush and when I use my Beauty Blender. It takes a little more time compared to using my regular foundation/buffing brush however the results are absolutely worth it. I find that with constant use it takes less time. Right now, it takes about the same time as my normal foundation brushes but it gives way better results. I do find that if the Beauty Blender is too damp/wet, it may absorb quite a bit of foundation so I ensure it is the right balance of dampness. It is best used for make medium to full coverage foundations as it sheers them out to a realistic finish. I tend to clean my Beauty Blenders immediately after use as it takes very little time and stubborn stains don't stick on it. I find that it is harder to clean you leave it dirty for more than a few days although the Blender Cleanser Solid makes it really easy to clean.  I can't praise the Original Beauty Blender enough and I know many people feel the same way as I do.



Beauty Blender - Beautyv Blusher 
I was so excited to try out the Beauty Blusher because I have quite a few cream blushers that I had to previously use with my original Beauty Blender. It did a great job but it was slightly too big to fit into the my cream blusher pots .Thankfully, I don't have to bother with that any more because I now own the Beauty Blusher. From the name, you can already deduce that it is designed for blushes including cream and powder blushes. It is the perfect size for all my blushes and it just hugs my cheeks when it comes to applying my blushes.



I dampen it in the same way as the Beauty Blender and just dab it into my cream blush pot and onto my face. The amazing thing about it is that it helps you customise how much coverage you want from your blushes. When I am using powder blushes, I prefer to use the Beauty Blusher dry and it sheers out my really pigmented blushes, giving me a natural look. Before this set arrived, my cream blushes were used sparingly because I did not have the right tools for all of them. Now, I have been reaching more for them and loving them so much especially this Spring.



Beauty Blender- Micro Mini
I thought these were the cutest things ever and I just love playing with them (don't judge me; they are so squishy and cute!). Don't be deceived by the tiny size as it is designed for quite a few makeup techniques such as focused contouring, highlighting, concealing and colour correcting. The Micro Mini beauty blenders are perfect for those hard to reach areas you were hoping the Beauty Blender will get to.  It is the perfect seize for my under eye and I am able to do precise concealing and highlighting. If you love a sharp contour, especially with a cream contour, the Micro Mini will deliver that. If you have specific areas you like to colour correct, you can pin point with the Micro Mini.




I personally prefer to use it for concealing and highlighting. I use the pointed tip to apply my concealer under my eye and blend it in. For highlighting, I flip it to the bottom part and dab my chosen powder right on. My under eye concealing game is on fire because of the Micro Mini. I love to use this with my Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder and they are just made for each other. I don't get any creasing at all and my concealer lasts really well. I am just in love with the Micro Mini!!


Mini Blender Cleanser Solid
I think this is my third Blender Cleanser Solid (mini) and I have to say it truly is the best for keeping the beauty blenders clean. I have tried other cleanser solids and even regular soaps but it is not the same thing at all. I run the cleanser solid under water, swipe my beauty blenders across, give them a gentle rub/squeeze and it's as clean as brand new. No fuss, no stress!! I don't have to constantly squeeze the beauty blenders to get them clean as this can sometimes cause rips and damage to them. If you use a good cleanser such as the Blender Cleanser Solid, the dirt/makeup comes off so easily and there's no risk of damaging your beauty blenders. I have to say the Blender Cleanser Solid is quite expensive but if you keep it dry (leaving it wet can lead to waste and it may get messy), it will last a good while. I also want to try the liquid  version of the Blender Cleanser as I feel that it may be more cost effective compared to the Blender Cleanser Solid. The good thing is that the All About Face already comes with a mini Blender Cleanser Solid which lasts a considerable while. If you do wash your beauty blenders everyday after use, you can get away with using a regular liquid soap. I love to use my Molton Brown Hand Washes as they work well and smell gorgeous. You can then save the Blender Cleanse Solid for any stubborn stains.



Where to Buy //Link //£35
I think this set is such good value for money because you get three Beauty Blenders along with a Blender Cleanser Solid (mini). The Original Beauty Blender alone retails for £16 so this set is excellent value for money. You can purchase the All About Face Set from Selfridges, BeautyBay and Cult Beauty.  If there are any discount codes, you'd even get a really good deal. I know Cult Beauty and Beauty Bay usually have regular discount codes so it is worth signing up to their newsletter so you'd know when there are on.




Overall Thoughts
I am really so pleased that I got to try the All About Face Set from Beauty Blender. I rarely say things are a must have but if you love beauty blenders, you totally need this in your life!! It is good value, excellent quality and the results always speak for themselves. I hope you enjoyed this post. See you in my next post!! Have you tried the Beauty Blender All About Face Set?
*PR Sample + Affiliate Links, read my full disclaimer here

Tropika Coconut Cleansing Oil Review

I love using cleansing oils and balms to take off my makeup because they are most effective at removing makeup even waterproof ones (especially as a first cleanse). I remember when I was terrified of the idea of using oils on my face to remove my makeup as I felt it will be greasy and messy. However, I have been using oils so much now that I no longer think of the process as being greasy and messy because the results are so worthwhile. I was recently introduced to Tropika Beauty a few weeks ago and was kindly sent their Coconut Cleansing Oil*. Of course, I was excited to try it out and I wanted to share my thoughts on it on here.

Brief Overview of Tropika

Tropika Beauty is a family founded business led by a lovely busy mother of 5 who is passionate about natural health and wellbeing. All their ingredients are sourced from natural Malaysia resources such as Virgin Coconut Oil, Olive Oil and other amazing plant based extracts. Tropika Skincare Beauty products are are made in Malaysia and they support local communities with sustainable virgin coconut oil production, taking care of the people and the land. The special thing about their virgin coconut oil is that they have a unique way of fermenting the coconut milk which means they require less coconuts to produce the same amount of oil thereby supporting the environment. You can read more about their story here and ingredients here.

Packaging

After reading about the Coconut Cleansing Oil on their website, I was looking forward to testing it out to see what makes it different to other cleansing oils I have tried. I have to say I love the packaging the Coconut Cleansing Oil came in. Granted it came in a press sample packaging but I loved the extra details. It came in the Tropika Beauty Gift bag with a tag labelled "Liv" in heart shaped buttons and I thought it was the cutest thing ever! In addition, the lovely Tropika Beauty PR kindly included a palm tree shaped key ring which I love so much and it is currently attached to my keys. It reminds me of when I was away on holiday in Barcelona surrounded by the beautiful palm trees. Now onto the actual packaging of the Coconut Cleansing Oil-it has an outer packaging with a tropical theme going on. This design is both on the outer packaging and the actual bottle. 

The outer and inner packaging have the full list of ingredients, instructions to use and details of the manufacturers which I find really useful as I sometimes throw away the outer packaging of some products. The bottle contains 100 ml of the Coconut Cleansing Oil and considering you need a little for each cleanse, I see this bottle lasting a considerable time. Initially I thought I would have a problem with the bottle not having a pump but I found that the lid, which has a tiny opening,  actually works well in managing the amount that comes out. Of course, there is a danger of accidentally pouring out more than you need but I am quite careful so that has not happened. I also think the lid makes it quite secure especially for travelling.

Ingredients/Texture /Formula

I imagined that it would contain only the Virgin Coconut Oil and Olive Oil but I was surprised that it had other ingredients including Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil (Sunflower Seed Oil) and Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract (Licorice Seed Extract). As already mentioned, these ingredients are responsibly sourced from Malaysia. Due to the unique way they produce their oils, there are no chemicals in their oils and no pesticides are used on their farms. The cleansing oil smells so gorgeous and very tropical. It reminds me of a tropical juice I had when I was away on holiday so it is such a pleasure for me to use every night. It does not smell entirely of coconut at all but you can definitely smell it in this oil. I'd definitely say it is more of a tropical scented oil than a coconut one. The texture is a really lovely one as it does not feel greasy at all; it actually feels like a nice dry oil. If you are scared of using greasy cleansing oils, be rest assured you'd totally adore the texture of this cleansing oil. I think the beautiful texture (and the gorgeous holiday scent) is part of the reason why I have been reaching for it a lot lately.

How I Use the Tropika Coconut Cleansing Oil

Tropika describe the Coconut Cleansing Oil as an uplifting fusion of oils perfect for everyday use. According to their website, it is a luxurious daily cleansing oil designed to effortlessly melt away makeup and lift impurities revealing a brighter and healthier looking complexion. The directions for use on the bottle recommend applying 3-4 drops to the face and adding some water to create a silky milk consistency which can be massaged to remove dirt/makeup and rinsing with water. I tried the above method and I liked it but I didn't love it. Instead I prefer to apply 3-4 drops on my face and massage it with mt hands thoroughly to lift off my makeup/dirt and then use a hot cloth (run under hand-hot water) and towel it off. 

My Experience

I cannot even describe how amazing this cleansing oil works at removing my makeup. There really isn't any makeup residue left at all on my face but I still go back with my second cleanse. You can use it to remove eye makeup including waterproof eye makeup but I prefer using a bi-phase eye makeup remover on my eyes. I still use the Tropika Coconut Cleansing Oil around my eye area to start off the eye makeup removing process but I only do this when I wear heavy eye makeup. My face does not have a greasy film or residue after I use it and I am so pleased about that. I have used some cleansing oils which leave a greasy film/residue on my face which I find uncomfortable but thankfully I always do a double cleanse. The Tropika Coconut Cleansing Oil has not irritated my skin or broken me out and for reference I have combination oily skin which is easily prone to breakouts.

Where to Buy //Link //£17.99

I already mentioned that the bottle contains 100ml of product which does not sound like a lot considering that it retails for £17.99.  However, I have used it for almost three weeks straight and I have a lot left in the bottle. I only need a small amount because it is enough for my entire face and a little goes a long way (the kind of products I love).  As far as I know, the Tropika Coconut Cleansing Oil can only be purchased from the Tropika website. They also have other lovely products which are worth checking out.

Overall Thoughts

I am just really pleased to discover another great brand that makes products with sustainable and responsibly sourced ingredients. I have really enjoyed using this cleansing oil and I am looking to compare all the cleansing oils I have tried in one post. Hope you had a great weekend and see you in my next post. Have you heard about Tropika Beauty?

*PR Sample, read my full disclaimer here.

Aveda Earth Month 2017

I am always very excited whenever I get an Aveda delivery because I have tried, tested and loved their products over the past year. Towards the end of last month, I got a lovely package containing their newly launched Aveda Shampure Thermal Dry Conditioner* and their 2017 Limited Edition Light the Way Candle* just in time for Earth Month (a charity initiative that raises money to upport access to clean water projects for communities in need across the globe). I am a big fan of charities and I do donate to some charities which are close to my heart so I was very happy to support this Aveda on this initiative. I thought I'd give a brief review of the products I was sent and also tell you more about the Earth Month initiative so you can show your support.


Aveda Earth Month 2017: The #Aveda5Mile Challenge //Link
Aveda usually launches their Aveda Earth Month every April and they show their support via various means. If you are wondering what Earth Month is all about; I totally have you covered. Earth Month is essentially a charity initiative that raises money to support access to clean water projects for communities in need across the globe. Aveda usually shows their support via donations to Water Aid and they have done this for several years. Over these years, they have successfully raised £745K which has funded projects in Ethiopia, Nepal and most recently, India. For 2017, the focus is on women and girls in Andhra Pradesh, India. Aveda is joining forces to raise awareness by asking people to take on the #Aveda5mile Challenge. Why 5 Miles, you may ask? 5 miles represents the distance some women have to walk to for a daily supply of clean water for drinking, hygiene and sanitation needs. It is so sad to even think about it and that's why I think this is such an important cause to support. Aveda is asking for our support by taking on a 5 mile challenge (be it in walking, rowing, climbing, cycling, anything you fancy) and on completion sharing an inspirational image and message on Instagram using the #Aveda5Mile and including the WaterAid text to donate details (text "Aveda" to 70123). By doing this, an automatic donation of £3 will be sent to WaterAid and the Aveda Earth Month Campaign 2017. You can also choose to tag a friend to pass on the Earth Month baton and nominate them to take on the Aveda 5 Mile challenge. I think it is pretty straightforward and I will also be posting the same details on my Instagram. I have been practising my 5 Mile challenge by walking to work and I am hoping to complete 5 miles before the end of the month. The challenge is on from 1st-30th April 2017. I hope we can all come together and support such a worthy cause!!



Aveda Shampure Thermal Dry Conditioner*// Link //£26
I currently have braids on and this Aveda Shampure Thermal Dry Conditioner arrived at the best time for me. Whenever I have braids on, I tend to stay clear of any products that will dry out my hair or attract dirt/grime to my braids and scalp. I usually reach for products that will provide adequate moisture to my hair without any residue and maintaining this moisture level through the day. The newly launched Aveda Shampure Thermal Dry Conditioner is designed to condition, detangle and soften hair on non-wash days and it really does what it says on the packaging. Its ingredients are 97% naturally derived and I am always happy to use hair care products that are natural. It contains a blend of certified Organic Jojoba and Sunflower Seed oils, 25 pure Flower and Plant essences including certified Organic Lavender, Petitgrain and Ylang Ylang. As you would imagine, it smells absolutely divine. I could pretty much use this as a pillow spray before I go to bed because it feels so calming- like I am relaxing in an amazing spa awaiting a massage.



I have been reaching for it everyday since it arrived and it is the only product I currently use on my braids. When it comes to sprays, the first thing I check is the way the mist is dispensed and I am so pleased with this one. It sprays an even fine mist that completely covers each section of my hair. It feels refreshing and adds some moisture back to my hair which is all I just really want. My hair feels really soft and smells so great.  I can't wait to try it out on my Afro when I take out my braids to see how well it works on detangling and softening my Afro. I  feel like when summer fully kicks in, I would pop this in my handbag to quickly refresh my hair when the sun makes my hair dry. It contains 100 ml of product so I think it will last a good while. It is an absolute winner for me and I really enjoy using it.



Aveda Light the Way Candle* //Link //£16
I believe Aveda creates a new candle every year to support Earth Month and for 2017, they have created the Light the Way Candle with  tag line "Light the Way and Make a Difference". Aveda is essentially inviting everyone to light the way to clean water by making one small change at a time. For this year (2017), Aveda will be donating 100% of the purchase price of this limited edition candle (which retails for £16) to Global Greengrants Fund- a nonprofit organisation that changes high impact grands to grassroots groups working to solve environmental problems around the world. Since 2007, Aveda has raised $13 million through various limited editions of the Light the Way candles sales. I love when brands do a 100% profit donation and it just goes to show how dedicated they are to the initiative, so a massive well done to Aveda!!



The outer packaging of the candle is so gorgeous. When I found out that the illustrations on it were created by children living in the region of Manakara Madagascar who have benefited Earth Month initiatives, it totally warmed my heart. I love it and I will definitely be keeping it as long as I can to remind me of these kids. The candle in itself smells so beautiful and exactly like a spa. Although it is quite a small candle, the scent fills my entire room,  in fact when my package arrived, I could smell it through the parcel. Its ingredients include Soya Wax, Certified Organic Vanilla, Cinnamon and Ylang Ylang from Madagascar. I definitely don't want it to finish quickly so I have been burning it exclusively on days when I need to relax (believe me I have had so many lately!!). It burns very smoothly and there is no tunnelling in sight.


Recap of Ways to Support Aveda Earth Month
1.  Take on the Aveda 5 Mile challenge (be it in walking, rowing, climbing, cycling, anything you fancy) and on  completion sharing an inspirational image and message on Instagram using the hashtag #Aveda5Mile and including the WaterAid text to donate details (text "Aveda" to 70123).
2. You can also simply (text "Aveda" to 70123). By doing this, an automatic donation of £3 will be sent to WaterAid and the Aveda Earth Month campaign 2017.
3. You can choose to tag a friend to pass on the Earth Month baton and nominate them to take on the Aveda 5 Mile challenge.
4.  Purchase the Light the Way Candle for £16 and 100% of the purchase price will be donated to Global Greengrants Fund- a nonprofit organisation that changes high impact grands to grassroots groups working to solve environmental problems around the world.


Overall Thoughts
I know this was a different kind of post and I really enjoyed writing it and taking the photos as usual.I will be posting an update on my Instagram on how I get on with my 5 Mile Challenge. I will also be donating and I know that the funds will be put into good use so I encourage you to donate to by texting "Aveda" to 70123.  I hope you enjoyed this post and you'd also be supporting Aveda in their Earth Month initiative. See you in my next post...xx
*Gifted PR Sample, read my full disclaimer here.