Electric Make Up Brush Cleaner | Amazon Best Buy

So, as everyone in lockdown, I'm finding things to do when I am not working or doing housework. I purchased this back before we moved house (blog post to come on that). 

When sorting out my dressing room I came across the package again and decided to give it a go. 

Now I don't know about you, I am horrendous at washing my brushes regularly. Generally choosing to buy new ones instead... bad I know - I am determined to get better at it, especially now I have this little gadget! 

I found this one back in April and there are loads to choose from, so I don't think it necessarily needs to be this one specifically as I'm pretty sure they all do a similar job.

It didn't come with makeup brush cleaner but I generally use Johnson's baby shampoo which works a treat and it super cheap, although if you have any suggestions, I'm all ears. 

                      

The product came with 7 adaptors, one of which with 8 sizes in and as yet I haven't come across a brush that hasn't fit one of them. What I will say is, I have been trying to ensure I use one slightly smaller so it holds it tight and doesn't fly out, covering me in dirty soapy water... which definitely didn't happen... 

Below are some before and after pictures that I remembered to take and I have to say, I didn't think there would be an issue with the cleaning aspect, but the drying I was extremely impressed with. 

The wand has two speeds, the first for cleaning and the second for drying. One thing I have been doing is taking it out of the bowl to use the drying option. (It doesn't say to do this - I just found it helped the drying process) 

                        

I am having to clean my flat brushes manually, but with it only being a couple of my massive stash, I don't mind!

I would love to know how you clean your brushes and what you use.

Much Love as always,

Wedding Series | Engagement Party Planning

Engagement party planning is the fun bit before all the stress comes. Its the perfect excuse to get your nearest and dearest together and celebrate your up coming nuptials.

I also know many people who have decided against having them as they haven't wanted one, or they are getting married quicker. As we had decided to wait two years in order to save for the wedding and a house, we wanted to celebrate!

The venue is the big decider for this, as it will be what costs the money if anything.
We decided to have ours where we first met, given that we got engaged abroad, we couldn't really have it where he popped the question!

Luckily for us, the place we first met is just up the road from where we live, and is one of our local pubs.

They have a lovely function room out the back of the pub that also has access to the garden (of which a section was also reserved for us)

The function room was also free, which was a massive bonus, especially when you are saving for the wedding and in our case a house too. I would definitely recommend trying to find somewhere cheap or free if you can. If you don't have any pubs nearby that offer this, try village halls or even church halls.

We also decided against food, to keep the costs down, which I slightly regret as I was starving as I couldn't eat before hand as was too nervous!
However, the pub serves really nice bar food, (the cajun fries are to die for!) so people had the option to either eat before they came, or to order something once they arrived so I didn't feel bad on them - you have to think of money unfortunately. If you are lucky enough to have budget for food too, then obviously crack on, but we didn't, and no one minded.

If you are local to Tunbridge Wells, you will probably have heard of St John's Yard. If not, and you live close by I would definitely recommend it for functions (I also had my 30th birthday party there) but also if you just want a drink with friends. On Sunday's they also do a burger deal where they have a selection of burgers half price and they are a-m-a-z-i-n-g!
They have also recently opened another restaurant next door to them, The Shuffle House, which serves pizza and tapas, with a bar upstairs that has shuffle boards that you can hire to play on. I believe they can also do functions here.

I love St John's Yard as the atmosphere is always great, the decor is quirky, the staff are friendly, and the garden is lovely especially in the summer, but also has heaters in the colder months.

The room is decorated really well with cute bunting and fairy lights hanging up as well as the quirky pub decor already, so we only added some balloons and a board of pictures with fairy lights that I made up the week before. This meant minimal effort from us, meaning we could enjoy the day without rushing around to decorate and didn't have to worry about clearing the decorations before we left that night or go back the next day.

Everyone commented on how lovely the function room was, even if we were a bit squished in. This was mainly due to the fact we presumed a lot of people wouldn't be able to make it and then were blown away with the turn out!

We were so surprised with the turn out and it gave us an insight of what the wedding day would be like as we spent the whole night saying hello to people and thanking for them for coming before we'd have to move on to the next person.
It was very overwhelming, as well as a lot of fun, but we barely saw each other. So we have made the decision to ensure that on our wedding day, we schedule time out of the day for just us. It's our wedding day, and yes, we want to spend the day celebrating with our family and friends, but we also want to be able to celebrate together.

Much Love as always,

237 days and counting... 🧡💒💜

Winter Ball | OUAW Events

My niece's birthday falls in between Christmas and New Year, so it's nice to spend time with her and actually do something, rather than buy another present for her.

My brother had the same idea and booked us in to a Winter Ball held by a local events company (Once Upon A Wish) that we had previously used for a Princess Knock for my niece's birthday a few years ago.

It was held at David Salomons in Southborough; a Victorian mansion with a vast estate, used for functions, events and weddings and it is a stunning venue.

Parking was easy to find, with plenty of spaces and there were OUAW staff on site to direct us to the event itself. There were also staff at the door greeting us, letting us know which table we were on, as well as giving out pre-paid goodie bags if you had pre-ordered one (which we had)

 

On our table was myself, my brother, our mum and my niece as well as another group of 2 adults and 3 children. The table was laid out beautifully, with our table number in the middle, colouring for the kids as well as water and glasses.

We took time when everyone was settling in to have a look at what the goodie bag included. Inside was a 'glass slipper', a pair of fairy wings, a wand, a tiara and a voucher for a glitter tattoo - well worth the money.

The event started with the owner of the company, Jess Nelson, taking to the stage to welcome everyone to the event and let us adults know that the bar was open!

The stage was then filled with prince and princesses singing and dancing - all the kids were in awe - and most adults were too.

The day continued with songs and dancing from the characters and they made sure to get the kids involved.

There was also photo opportunities, glitter tattoos, even a treasure hunt! As well as some quiet time with arts and crafts when the kids were all given a cupcake.

             

To finish up, there was a disco and every single child was given a book to take away - all individually wrapped up - which must have taken hours.

Every detail was thought of, including the amazing Cinderellas carriage for photo ops (Wasn't able to get a picture as there were too many children around it!) but it was simply stunning.

The costumes were honestly amazing, such good quality.

All characters stayed in character the whole day and were great entertainers.

The day was family friendly and good value. I would highly recommend the company to anyone with children.

They don't just do these big events, so if your child is better one on one - they also offer other options such as Home Visits and Princess Knocks where the character/s of your choosing will come to your house, as well as kids parties and more.

Princess Knocks from 2017 - Belle

I would highly recommend them for kids of all ages and you can find them online here or on Facebook here.

Have you ever used OUAW? Or are you planning to? - Let me know.

The next event is A Royal Tea Party in February - Book now so you don't miss out!

Much Love as Always,

*Please note; I am not affiliated with the company in any way, all opinions and pictures are my own and are from my own experience*

You're engaged! Now What? | Wedding Series

Firstly, Congratulations!

Getting engaged is, for most people, the best day/night of their lives. It is exciting, new and amazing...

Then you realise you have a wedding to plan.

What do you do first? Where do you start?

This is completely normal! I don't think that any bride could honestly say they didn't have any of these thoughts.

I definitely got excited and we sorted out who we wanted for our wedding party before we had even come home from Turkey!

We knew we wanted to give ourselves two years, to save for the wedding as well as to save to buy a house... crazy I know.
We also wanted it to be as close to our engagement date as possible.

Firstly, I would definitely advise to get a notebook to write down all of your ideas to keep them somewhere altogether.
(some lovely ones here)

I also have spreadsheets helping me plan, because I am that way inclined, and I like that I can work on multiple tabs easily.

I also downloaded an app called Hitched early on, which has been great to give me an idea of what needs to be done and when. (This is super useful and something I would definitely recommend!)

A word of advice is to go at your own speed.

Don't rush ahead with planning to please other people. If you don't want to get married for 5 years, then don't!

Plan what you want, when you want, with who you want!

I have a whole series coming up of how I have planned my wedding. All of them will feature my opinions and have no bearing on how exactly any of you should do it yourselves, just to try and help if I can!

Much Love,

Things I Have Been Loving/Catch up

Hello one and all,

This was going to be a post about everything I'm loving at the moment... which I guess it still kind of is... but not in the traditional sense.

• I am currently loving being super busy at work. Crazy I know, but after taking 29 years to find a job I love, to be super busy and still happy means a lot. Although it has meant me being extremely absent from all things blogging, which does make me sad. 

• I am loving spending what little time I do have with my friends and family. I have been busy at work meaning that when I get home I generally want to eat and sleep, but on the rare occasion that I don't I try and find time to see people I love. 

• I have enjoyed taking in the moments rather than grabbing my phone at every given opportunity. Although I do have some pictures of the last couple of months I have been absent that I do quite like. 

• Unfortunately, my anxiety has not been great recently. I have had some super down days which is not fun, but I still managed to get up and out of bed and in to work of which I am super proud of myself for. I think this is why I knew I had to come back today as it really helps my anxiety to get all my thoughts down in one place whether that be a catch up like this, an FOTD,  or a review etc. 

• I am happy that my office has been on dress down for the last month or so as I am much more comfortable in my own clothes although it does mean I stress every morning wondering what the hell to wear when it is 100 degrees outside and then like a freezer inside!

• Logan also went missing for nearly 3 days a couple of weeks ago which was horrendous. Luckily she came back and is absolutely fine!

We have also booked our summer holiday for September, going back to Turkey surprise surprise! This time myself and Jack are going with my mum and step dad which will be lovely. The countdown is on! (I will try and so some vlogging while we are there too!)

I have so much stuff to review at the moment so really need to find some time to do this for you. That is my mission for August.

I'm sorry I've been a bad blogger, but I am back and ready for the Summer!

Much Love as Always,

Products I Can't Live Without | Highlighters

Here is my list of highlighters that I love, all from the high street and therefore all within everyone's budget.

MUA 

I have loved this highlighter for about 4 years now and this must be my 2nd purchase I would bet as it last a long time!

From MUA, and therefore only £3 this highlighter is in the shade Pink Shimmer and is from the Undress Your Skin range.

It is super pretty and looks amazing. It is my go to, and is always in my make up bag as I know I will reach for this over all my others - as you can see I've already hit pan again!

No.7

This one is in a contour set and contains a matte highlighter. It costs £12.50 for the palette and includes a matte contour colour too and is in the shade medium/dark. 

This is great for when I'm out and about as it comes with a mirror and a contour shade I can use if required. 

I have also used the highlighter for eyeshadow when I've been in a pinch.

Make Up Revolution 

I've only had this since I received it in my Advent Calendar December just gone. I love the colour although I tend to only use this when I have a tan due to the shade. 

I feel like it is too gold for my skin without one as I am basically transparent, but I know that it looks beaut when I have a bit of colour so I intend to pack this for holidays this year. 

Costing only £3 it is super cheap too!

Swatches

What are your favourite high street highlighters?

Much Love, 

Products I Can't Live Without | Bronzers

I think I started using bronzer when I was about 15...ish...

Probably ending up with a look that was not becoming, especially teamed with my favourite blue lipstick (it was the fashion then ok...)

In recent years, as contouring has become more and more popular I use mine for various things.

Contouring, Bronzing and even eyeshadow!

Bourjois Chocolate Bronzer

I'm pretty sure this is a staple in most make up lovers make up bags, not just mine. This is the perfect shade for majority of skin tones and looks like a chocolate bar. 

It's matte and slightly smells of chocolate which is obviously a massive plus point!

It's perfect for bronzing when you don't want shimmer, and just as good for contouring too.

I have taken this with me to use as a triple threat before to save space:

• Bronzer
• Contour
• Eyeshadow

To use as eyeshadow I usually just use my finger and then blend with a fluffy brush into the crease. To be honest, I am guilty of using loads of my bronzers for this when I'm short of time or when I'm away from home. 

It retails for £7.99.

No.7 Match Made Bronzer

This was a present from my Auntie last Christmas and I love it!

Again I use this as a Triple Threat. 

It comes with a handy mirror too, which is great when you are out and about. I generally use this more for contouring than bronzing. 

It is also a matte bronzer and is in the shade Maple.

It retails for £12.50

Younique Beachfront Bronzer

This bronzer is great having a matte side as well as a shimmer side so you are able to mix and match as and when you want. 

This is in the shade Sunset, and as you can see, I need to repurchase rather rapidly, especially with summer approaching.

I love to use the matte side to contour and then the shimmer on top of my cheek bones to give that summer shimmery look. 

It retails for £25.

Products I Can't Live Without | Brows

So I'm a massive fan of using pressed powders to do my brows rather than pencils as I prefer the look they give me, plus I find them a lot easier to use!

I thought I'd do a mini review on the products I use now and that I couldn't live without.

I used to use a MAC eyeshadow with a 216 Brush, but that was in my make up bag when I lost it and I haven't got round to replacing them yet! 

MUA Quad: 

At the moment the High Street brow set I've been using is the MUA quad.

I really like this set, it comes with two brow shades, a highlight and a wax to set them. It also comes with a tiny brush which you definitely have to get used to using!

Although it's handy as it is double sided, so I use one side for the shadow and the other for the wax if I use it... Which I rarely do to be honest.

There were some dinky tweezers in this set when I brought it... Where they are now however is another question entirely! They weren't very easy to use and although the idea is great that you have everything in one palette, I think I may have got frustrated with them falling out and chucked them into the depths of my room... Oops!

This set is great especially for the price of £3.50.

The shades are really pigmented, the highlight is a nice matte and the wax is great to set them if you need to. I generally don't need to, and if I do, use my brow gel instead as I feel that it's a more natural look on the brows.

Younique Palette 2:

Although this is not packaged as a brow kit, back when Younique didn't have much in the way of brow products, I used 'Cocky' from Palette 2 and haven't looked back.

It's the perfect colour for my brows, and I use my Real Techniques brow brush. Don't get me wrong, for £38 it's probably rather a lot for a brow shade, however, the rest of the colours in this palette are beautiful so it is well worth it.

The colour is super pigmented and is really easy to use for my brows. I love to take this if I'm staying anywhere overnight or getting ready elsewhere as it means I have something for my brows as well as eyeshadows and highlight.

Benefit Gimme Brow:

I have two colours of this, to get the best colour for my brows.

I prefer using this to go over the top of what I end up creating with my quad or the Younique palette to set them.

I do like using these products, but I think I'm a powder and brush girl when it comes to my brows unfortunately.

For £16.99 it's great for what it is, and It's perfect if you are in a rush and don't have time to take time on your brows with powder as it fills them in and gives them good definition in half the time. 

What are your favourite high street and high end brow products?

Much Love,

T, x

Younique | Powder Lipsticks

Happy Wednesday! We are officially half way through the week, well done!

If you have been reading my blogs or following me for a while, you may know of my friend Emma by now.

She is a Younique presenter and therefore I end up with sneak peaks to new products which is amazing.

Unfortunately, these were a limited product and are no longer available for purchase - but I wanted to show you how amazing they are... sorry!

These are the most bizarre product I am yet to try from any company! They confuse your mind and make you question everything you have every known about lip products and make up in general!

I first tried them with Emma on a Facebook Live that she did for her customers. 

I then purchased my favourite two out of the pack to show you guys how insanely good they are.

The colours I got were Captivating and Curvaceous - and they are a powder consistency... strange I know.

Upon applying, I ensure to take the excess product off the applicator as it is very easy to think you should tap it as you would do with most powder products. I do this to try and keep as much product in the container as possible.

The applicator itself is really easy to use and is a great shape. When the powder goes on your lips, it gives a slightly warming feeling, which takes a little getting used to.

The products are super pigmented and are true to the colours above.

They are great colour and look amazing on, so I'm sorry you are unable to purchase them. Here's hoping they will bring them back!


Much Love,

Tk xxx

Products I Can't Live Without | Concealers

To celebrate my 100th published post on my blog I have decided to start a series on my blog of 'Products I can't live without'

I will be posting these once a week on a Friday and hope you guys get involved too. Comment and let me know your favourites or products you can't live without.

To start, I'm going to do Concealers as that's what I tend to start with when doing my make up routine, however, my posts may not follow this trend going forward, just to warn you!

First Up...

Collection 2000

This is an oldy but a goody... anyone who loves make up will know about this concealer but I couldn't not include it as it's a product I can't live without.

I tend to use this for under eye circles more than anything else, and this is probably the millionth tube I have repurchased.

Retailing for just £3.99 it's super affordable and easy to pick up at most high street stores, such as Boots and Superdrug.

Younique

I have two of the Mineral Touch Skin Perfecting concealers by Younique. One in the shade Scarlet and the other in Organza. 

I tend to use Scarlet for under my eye to brighten and Organza for any blemishes. It is super thick and has insanely good coverage.

Retailing for £23, it may seem expensive, but it is sooo worth it and lasts forever! This can be purchased here. 

Benefit 

I have been using Erase Paste for as long as I have been using concealer. It is a great concealer for pretty much every use you could wish for. 

This isn't as thick as the Younique one but I still like to warm it up a bit on my hand before applying to ensure I get the most from it and don't waste any product.

This retails for £17.50 and can be found online and in stores. 

Favourite Summer Perfume

So as it is now officially spring, or near as damn it...

Naturally I want to talk about all things summer!

I have quite a few perfumes at the moment, but a few years ago my Gran purchased this for me and I loved it.

I found this cure little set in Boots recently for something ridiculous like £11 for both the perfume and the candle.

I had to pick it up as like I say, summer is just around the corner and this is my fave scent to use throughout summer.

It has rose and moroccan orange flower as well as jasmine, violet and patchouli to give it an amazing scent. If you haven't tried it before I would suggest doing so!

The Ghost Eclipse is a 30ml bottle within the set, so I will save this until summer really hits! 

Then you also get this super cute candle in the same colour ways as the perfume and it says 'Day Dreamer' on it which I love. It smells exactly like the fragrance and I can't wait to get it burning. 

Do you have a favourite summer perfume?

Much Love

TK xxx

p.s. If you haven't seen my most recent video, I show you what I got for my Birthday albeit in horrendously bad lighting, please don't judge, click here.