theBalm What's Your Type Black Mascara

There is one item of makeup that I never leave the house without, it would mascara and I am always on the hunt for the next best thing.  Over the last year, I have really enjoyed getting to know theBalm as a brand has featured the Mad Lash Black Mascara which I am a huge fan of.  Today I am sharing 'What's Your Type' which is another black mascara. 

I am quite picky when it comes to the formula of a mascara which is possibly why I have only found so few that I actually like to use. 

Give lashes the ultimate lift! Formulated with vitamin E, Panthenol and bamboo, our volumizing mascara strengthens and conditions. Layer an extra coat (or two) and push lashes to the max!

I have fairly long eyelashes, so any mascara which has an overly wet formula is not going to work for me as I always feel as though my lashes are being dragged down, so that is always my first issue with mascara. I also don't want a wand that is too thick, I just cannot work with them and find they aid clumping.  The one mascara wand I have always loved is by Benefit from Rollerlash, but I wasn't too big a fan of the formula towards the end of the tube, so I kept the wand.

With theBalm this mascara is a really dark black shade, one of the deepest black mascaras I have ever tried and oddly, I really like it.  The formula is a little on the watery side, to begin with, but after a few uses, it does change and it does get a whole lot better to use. On the lashes, because it is slightly on the watery side, it makes it really easy to use and with no clumping.

The wand, as you can see is long but quite thin and it has fairly short bristles, though not the shortest I have ever used. The bristles are packed quite close together and what you find is that the brush holds just enough product without the need to add more or remove any excess.  

The best part of this mascara is its staying power, once I have applied the mascara in a morning, usually, about 8am before leaving for work, I find that come mid-afternoon it is still in place, it hasn't budged, smudged or flaked off my lashes and considering it isn't a waterproof mascara, I find it is impressive.  Also, because it isn't a waterproof mascara, it is really easy to remove with Micellar water or your usual eye makeup remover.  

As you can probably tell, this mascara has been a huge hit with me and it is one I would definitely purchase. Priced around £15 you can get it from Amazon* and the rest of theBalm products can be found on Lookfantastic.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Brushworks Precision Eye & Brow Brush Set

I featured several products from the Brushworks brand here on my blog a few times in recent years with the HD Oval Brush Set and HD Miracle Silicone Shaped Sponge and today I have the Brushworks Precision Eye & Brow Brush Set, a special Unicorn version with this amazing pink and turquoise design, which you can't help but love.

Brushworks, if you have never come across them before are an award-winning beauty brand who has an extensive range of makeup brushes, beauty tools and accessories, all of which are available from Tesco with prices starting around £5.49. The Brushworks Precision Eye & Brow Brush Set and pink case which retails for £19 and it has five brushes which are you definitely need within your stash.

“Our HD eye & brow set contains a selection of 5 essential brushes. Created to blend, highlight, contour & define your eyes and brows.”

What I love about these brushes, aside from their colour, is how easy they are to hold and use owing to the indents on the ferrules, the five brushes within this set are:

• Eye Shading Brush – Designed for the entire eyelid, the wide semi-circle brush head complements the shape of your eyelid. Perfect for applying your base shadow powder or cream.
• Eyeshadow Blending Brush – A fluffy dome-shaped brush head that offers precision and control. Disperse and blend harsh lines for a smooth transition of colour.
• Angled Liner Brush – Create sharp lines with powder gel liners or shadows. Achieve defined lines with the hand-cut short firm bristles, use the angled flat edge to pack colour close to the lash line.
• Pencil Brush – Densely packed bristles target small hard to reach areas, placing shadow exactly where you need it. The perfect brush for brightening the inner corners of the eye, adding finishing touches or precise blending.
• Smudge Brush – Short tapered bristles densely packed to hold plenty of shadow. Designed to fit alongside the lash line, the tapered end simply smudges shadow and liner to achieve a smokey eye look.

The accompanying pink metallic brush case is a nice addition to this brush collection, I found it hidden at the back of the box and it is really handy for keeping the brushes together and for protecting them as you travel.

For just £19, these brushes are a bargain especially if you like pretty brushes, but ones which are easy to use.  Do you have a favourite brand of makeup brush?

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

O'Keeffe's Overnight Lip Repair Balm

Sleep is said to be food for your brain, body, and skin. If you don't get enough of it then you deprive each of its nourishment - something as a beauty blogger I hear a lot of and it is something that we should all take more seriously because there is absolutely no point in having the most amazing skincare routine if your body is not getting the rest it needs to use it effectively.  I was kindly sent a Sleep Tight kit from O'Keeffe's which features their Lip Repair Overnight Balm to try and because I was so impressed with the foot care products, which I featured here, I had high hopes for this product.

Everything you need to aid that good nights sleep - A Pillow Spray from Feather and Down, A Black Amber and Lavender Candle, a Sleep Mask and of course the Lip Repair Overnight Balm.

The balm is described as being an intense, restorative lip balm that works while you sleep. I am sure we have all suffered or are suffering from dry, cracked and chapped lips with this ever-changing weather. I do everything I can to ensure my lips are as protected as I possibly can and I am a huge user of lip balms, gels and serums. As part of my nighttime routine, the last part of my skincare is always a lip balm and in recent months, I switched from using my usual balm to this one, to see just how good it is.  

Packaged inside a bright orange and blue coloured pot, this balm is very much a solid, but it melts at the touch of your finger and it applies to the lips as more of an oil than anything else, but without being greasy.  It contains Shea Butter, Coconut Oil, Sweet Almond Oil and Jojoba Oil as just a few of the ingredients and they work absolute wonders on the lips. I noticed a huge change in how the skin on and around my lips felt after using this balm for a few weeks and I have since bought a further pot, ready for when this one runs out.

I really like the texture of this balm and I also love that there is no fragrance or scent to it at all. If that isn't enough, it costs less than £4 and can be found in Boots*.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.