Kit Stars Makeup Brushes

I absolutely love makeup brushes and have quite a few within my stash from a variety of brands. The newest additions to my collection are from the Kit Stars Makeup Brush range which is priced between £6 rising up to £60 for a full brush kit here on Beauty Chamber. I have featured the Kit Stars brush bag on my blog in the past and it is something I still use a lot.

Kit Stars is on a mission to give people luxurious, high-end makeup brushes, without the jaw-dropping price tag. Hand-made by master crafters, the Kit Stars brushes are driven by shape, movement and makeup texture to ensure the best finish. The ferrules are made from solid copper, then layered with gold plate, giving extremely strong brushes which last. It also provides a satisfying weight to the brush. The wooden handles are coated with glossy black lacquer, meaning the brushes look stunning as well as delivering stunning makeup looks.

With a total of 17 Kit Star brushes to choose from, I was kindly sent both the Face and Eye brush sets before Christmas and I have been using them ever since. Packaged in a set of luxurious matte black cardboard boxes which feature gold metallic detailing, each brush comes with a netted guard to ensure the bristles are protected and kept in shape.  The bristles of each brush, depending on your preference come with either synthetic bristles or natural bristles.

With the Eye Brush Kit, there is a selection of 5 brushes and there is every brush you need for the task in hand.

Those brushes are:

• S30 Small Tapered Blender - This brush has been designed with the perfect shape for adding definition and contour shades through the crease line. The slim design allows for greater detailed blending out.
• S31 Tapered Blender - This Tapered Blender Brush has been designed with the perfect shape for adding definition and blending transition shades through the crease line. Buff and blend your colour out to perfection.
• S32 Shader- This brush provides for the control of colour placement and will evenly distribute your eye shadow. This paddle shaped brush will help pack on the pigment where needed.
• S33 Micro Pencil - Use for precision application of tear duct highlight, softening gel liner and pencil. It also doubles up as a precision spot concealer.
• S41 Short Angle - Described as being a firm but flexible short angle brush that will shape a defined brow. Use the flat edge of the brush to sketch a shape & the tip of the brush for realistic hair strokes.

Each one of these brushes comes with its role to play and for the price you pay for each brush individually or the kit as a whole, it is incredible value for money.

The essential 5 piece Vegan Face Brush Set from Kit Stars includes all the brushes that you need for applying foundation, blusher, contouring, highlighting, powder application and lip products.  

Those brushes are:

• S1 Powder Brush - The powder Brush is a large super soft powder brush which will disperse pressed or loose powder products evenly. Ideal for applying setting powder and whisking away excess powder after beauty sponge or puff powder product application.
• S2 Shaping Veil - This is my favourite brush and it has been crafted into a softly tapered tip for contouring and sculpting your features. Shaping Veil is a multi-tasking brush which can be used for applying powder contour and highlighting products.
• S3 Blush - This Blush Brush has been designed with the perfect shape to hug your cheekbones providing a flattering wash of colour to your complexion. The rounded soft tip will give you effortless control to blend your blush.
• S4 Base Polisher - This Polisher brush is designed to polish your base products into your skin. The soft vegan fibres will effortlessly buff in cream, liquid and powder foundation.
• S40 Easy Lip - This brush has been created to allow for precision and control around the contours of the lip. Constructed with firm but flexible vegan bristles.

Again, with this collection of brushes, I am really impressed with their quality, the lack off bristle fall-out and having had my brushes for some months now, everytime I wash them, they clean as though I have just taken them out of the box for the very first time.

You can find all of these brushes priced between £6 per brush and then rising up to £60 for a full brush kit here on Beauty Chamber.

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

Restore your Glow with Roccabox

I was first introduced to Roccabox back in 2017 and since then, I have featured the boxes on my blog quite a few times. Roccabox, if you didn't know is a beauty subscription box which was founded by Tia Roqqa, who has worked in PR for many brands over the years.

To kickstart 2020, Roccabox has put together a beauty box which has been put together to help you to restore your glow after the festive season. Curated with five products which are there to help bring back that glow.

The first product out of the box is the Beauty Pro Brightening Collagen Mask with Vitamin C - This sheet mask is described as being an intelligent mask which sits closely on the contours of the face, delivering a cocktail of anti-ageing ingredients directly to the skin. 

Soaked in Marine Collagen, Vitamin C and an array of herbs and botanicals, the role of this face mask is to help combat fine lines, wrinkles and pigmentation. To use, this mask should be applied to the skin and left to work its magic for 15-20minutes.

The second product is the Roccabox Hero Product and it is the Dirty Little Secrets Jelly Blush in Apricot.  I have never come across this brand before.  

The brand state that their Jelly formulated blush works to deliver sheer silky colour that glides on easily creating a natural glow. I am not a blusher wearer as I prefer bronzer, but this formula is quite pigmented and it does blend really easily onto the skin whether you use a brush or your fingers.

If fake tan is for you, Roccabox has included the St Tropez Self Tan Purity Bronzing Water Face Mist.  This is a product I have seen in many beauty boxes over the last few months and it is a product friends of mine absolutely love.

This face mist is not only vegan-friendly but it is described as being an ultra-lightweight and clear mist formula which is made using 100% natural tanning agents, as well as Hibiscus extract for its anti-oxidant properties and uplifting Fresh Green Mandarin Water to instantly refresh and revive your skin. To use, the idea is you spritz it over makeup and you don't need to wash it off, instead over 4-8 hours it develops into a natural tan which is streak-free.

From Bang Beauty, we have a full-sized Blush Brush, a brush which works well with the Jelly Brusher also found within this box and I have tried it out using my Benefit Hoola Bronzer too.

Whilst this brush isn't one I would possibly purchase because I have better brushes in my stash, what I like is how tightly packed the bristles are and it is said to have been made this way to help reduce fall-out. The rounded shape also works to give a much better powder application with a more even finish.

The final item in the box is the one to intrigue me the most. From Daily Concepts is a full-size Mother of Pearl Sponge, only it wasn't quite what I was expecting to find.

Even from the look of it, I was still unsure as to what it was, when I was expecting a beauty blender or something similar. So, this sponge is described as being suitable for both face and body, this 2-in-1 soap sponge combines a radiance-boosting cleanser with a gentle exfoliator so you can skip a step in your routine.  To use, you simply wet face and soap sponge and lather, cleansing skin in circular motions. Use on the body and even on the face as well depending on your tolerance of exfoliation.  Over time, as you use it regularly, the sponge becomes much softer, so if you can't work with it to begin with, hopefully, you can at a later stage. 

Whilst this month Roccabox isn't my favourite box that I have had, it definitely features products I have never used or come across before. Priced at just £10 per month if bought separately, Roccabox is a subscription service and there are further subscription offers available to choose from here.

I would love to know what you think of this months Roccabox!

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

Ambiance London Bath Salts

This time of year when the weather is pretty grim and dark, the best place to be is in the bath, even more so when you have a brand new bathroom that you absolutely love being in!  I have said it quite a few times, but bath salts are completely underrated and they are one of my favourite things to have in my bath and if you read this post, you will see I was sent some lovely Luxury Bath Salts and a beautiful candle from Ambiance London.

For me, having a bath is all about relaxing, shutting out the world and focusing on myself, even if it is just for an hour or two a week. I've long since learnt that being in water or near too it is one of the ways I relax best.  I do love oils, milks and bubbles but salts are my go too for muscle aches, period pains, headaches or stress.

The ideal detox bath recipe for relaxation and self care this Autumn Winter… A sublime blend of magnesium rich Epsom salts, Mediterranean sea salt and organic essential oils, Ancienne Ambiance luxury bath salts can be used in the bath, for a softening foot soak and even as a body scrub. The ancient Greeks and Egyptians in particular loved the exfoliating properties of sea salt. 

Ancienne Ambiance Bath Salts have so many wellbeing and beauty benefits from helping refine skin texture to soothing sore muscles, but they are particularly good for gently purifying and detoxifying the body – a wellness and immune system boost that helps treat bloating and reduce inches for a temporary ‘slim-down’.

I was kindly sent two different bath salts from Ambiance London - Arangia Orange scented salts and Jasminium Jasmine scented salts. and they come in two different sizes of a sample size which costs just £5 and a 300ml bottle which is £34 here.

The Arangia Orange luxury salts are described as being ' a deliciously fresh orange zest fragrance, these salts are a great mood lifter' and as soon as you remove the lid, you get an instant hit of orange and ingredients within these salts include a blend of Epsom salt, Mediterranean sea salt and essential oils.  The Jasminium Jasmine luxury salts have a wonderfully sweet Jasmine fragrance with a hint of lemon and their role is to help uplift from low moments and also relax spasms and cramps.   As with Arangia Orange, these salts also include a blend of Epsom Salt, Mediterranean Sea Salt and essential oils.  Epsom salts are used because not only do they help you and your muscles to relax, it is said that Epsom salt bathwater can soften rough, dry skin, and exfoliate dead skin cells. Mediterranean Sea Salt is rich in minerals including the likes of potassium, iodine and magnesium, all of which help alleviate and soothe any skin conditions, while at the same time helping to calm and ease a restless mind or any tension in the body.

Why Use Bath Salts?

As well as using these salts in the bath, they also have other properties which include:

• Exfoliating: As we all know, a routine body scrub will produce visibly softer, brighter skin and help good blood circulation. To use your bath salts in this way, you can apply them directly to damp skin or you can also mix them with olive oil or even your body wash too.
• A Foot Soak: If you suffer from rough or hard skin on your feet, a foot soak with these salts will help to break down and soften that hard skin. The advice is to soak your feet once a week in warm water for around 10-15 minutes and then apply dry salts directly to your skin to exfoliate, rinse off and remove any excess skin with a foot file or pumice.
• An Immune System Boost: As the naturally occurring minerals in these salts are gently detoxing, they will help to ease muscle aches, calm the body and help you get a good night’s rest. Definitely worthy of putting in your bath for that alone!

If you have never tried bath salts or have always assumed they are just something your Gran would use, then hopefully you can see they are not.  Ambiance London very much take bath salts to the next level, creating a luxurious product which not only smell just incredible but are as relaxing to the mind and body as they are kind to your skin!

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