June Skincare Favourites | KMC Beauty

by Kelly, June 29, 2014
Throughout the month of June I haven't really tried any new make-up, so instead of doing a make-up favourites I thought I would do a skincare one this month instead, as I have some new and some old skincare products that I am loving.



The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Toner
When my skin is being troublesome this toner is my saviour. If you have sensitive skin this toner may not be for you, it's pretty intense when I first apply it to my skin, i'm not gonna lie, it stings, but only briefly, it's a good kind of stinging when I know my spots will be gone the next morning. I use it by giving it a good shake and then pouring some of the toner onto a cotton pad, I then wipe the cotton pad around my face avoiding my eyes, it always seems to pick up some left over make-up as well even when I think I have taken every last bit of my make-up off, when I use this toner I still manage to find some on the cotton pad when i'm done.
The bottle say's "Leaves the skin looking mattified" which is great for my oily prone skin. If you have spot prone skin this might be good for you as an everyday toner, I only use this when I have a break out which isn't too often but it clears my skin up nicely, i've had this bottle since before Christmas and it's lasted me a long time too.
Find online at The Body Shop for £5.00!


The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Lotion
Alongside my Tea Tree Toner I like to use the Skin Clearing Lotion as a spot treatment on my skin. Together the Toner and the Lotion seem to work really well together at obliterating any of my spots. You can apply this to your entire face if you have spot prone skin, but like I said I only get the odd spot every now and then so I just like to dab some of this on the spot(s) and leave it on over night, that's just my preference on how I like to use this lotion and I find it works effectively.
I love this range from The Body Shop I really want to try out more of their products, possibly the face wash next!
As well as being effective it's also super affordable, find this lotion online at The Body Shop for £3.00 for the 15ml and £8.00 for the 50ml.


Spa Facial Cleansing Wipes
Hands down the best make-up wipes i've ever used, I literally only use wipes to get the majority of my make-up off before I go in with a cleanser and any other skincare products. I can't see that you can buy these online anywhere but I get mine from Home Bargains in store and the best part is they are two for £1.00! They do make a Deep Cleansing version of these wipes which I don't mind but I definitely prefer the original Facial Cleansing ones.
These wipes say they are for normal/dry skin which is not my skin type but that's fine, they don't do anything that affects my skin, only remove my make-up. They don't sting when I use them, they are soft and most importantly they are wet when you get one out of the packet. These wipes are also good at removing mascara, however I am not sure about waterproof mascara as I don't use it.


Elemis freshskin skin clear Purifying Face Wash
I got this Elemis product in a set along with another of their products and i'm really enjoying it so far!  I think I will most likely be picking up the bigger size, not only does it effectively remove my make-up but it leaves my skin baby soft after I use it. I also think it's made a slight improvement to my skin as I don't seem to be producing as much oil as of recent, I don't know if it's down to this product or something else in my skincare routine but I have only been using this the past four weeks and have definitely noticed a slight change in my skin since then.
Find the set online at Debenhams which includes a deep clean purifying face mask which I did not get in my set! And it's also £11.00 online and I paid £15.00, I think my beautician ripped me off.
Or find this Face Wash on it's own at Feel Unique.


Elemis fresh skin skin clear Mattifying Moisturiser
On days when I am not in work and have longer to get ready I like to use this moisturiser as a primer before I go in with my make-up, it gives me a nice matte canvas to work with. I say I use this on days when I have longer to get ready because the mattifying effect is not instant, I like to leave the moisturiser to sit alone on my skin for at least twenty minutes before I go in with my foundation. It claims to keep skin shine free for up to eight hours, which is a fair claim to make, mine lasts five at the most, which is pretty good for my skin really. 
Find online at timetospa.

Hope you enjoyed reading my monthly skincare favourites, sorry it wasn't any make-up favourites I just didn't think I had tried enough new make-up products this month to put one together.



L - R Toying Around, Red Balloon & Sweet Experience

The Playland collection by MAC was released in the UK last month (May 2014) and was quick to sell out. I didn't manage to get my hands on any of the collection when it was first released but then at the beginning of this week House of Fraser re-released the lipsticks from the collection giving people a second chance to get their hands on these limited edition products.
I only picked up three out of the six shades from the collection because 1. I am not made of money and 2. Not all of the lipsticks appealed to me, especially not the frosted yellow! Yikes.
Here are the three shades I did pick up, Sweet Experience, Toying Around and Red Balloon.

Playland Collection
Photo taken in natural daylight.
Sweet Experience
Normally this colour is not up my alley, at first glance it looks like a Barbie doll pink which is certainly not my style, however it is actually a light to medium pink shade with ever so slight yellow undertones, it has an amplified finish and is extremely opaque, one stroke gave me the swatch in the above photo. I think this would look beautiful layered with a nude gloss on top!

Red Balloon
MAC describe this lipstick as a hot fuchsia, again with an amplified finish and high pigmentation this darkened pink shade is not too light or too dark and wearable for all seasons.

Toying Around
This is my favourite out of the three, Toying Around is a medium coral shade with an amplified finish and I can't get enough of corals at the moment, so on trend and really complimentary to most skin tones.

These lipsticks are still in stock! They are all limited edition so if any take your fancy you should pick them up before they're gone.
Find them online at House of Fraser retailing at £15.
Updated 02/07/2014 - Sweet Experience and Toying Around are now sold out.


This task is pretty much my most dreaded job of the month but it has to be done, bacteria loves to sit inside your make-up brushes and that is why it is good to clean them on a regular basis, spreading bacteria on the face can lead to clogged pores which then leads to spots or people with more acne prone skin can have bad break outs. You can clean them more regularly than every month if you wish, I tend to find myself doing it around about every four weeks, however I would say I do my foundation brush alone probably every two to three weeks as this clogs up the most.

Before their deep clean.
What do I use?
I use the Blendercleanser by Beautyblender, it's so user friendly and super easily for travelling with too, which means less unnecessary liquids in your bag.


So it's super easy all I like to do is soak my brush in warm water and then swirl round the Blendercleanser which I remove from its casing, then my brush lathers up, I then massage the brush with my fingertips carefully squeezing all the make-up product out of the brush into the water, I then wash the brush in the warm water, squeeze the product out again and then repeat these steps till I am satisfied that I have got all of the unwanted make-up out of my brush.
After you have washed each brush don't forget to shape them back to their original shape while they are still damp so they can dry and stay that way, losing their shape will effectively lose their purpose and that's no good.

Clean brushes.
As you may have noticed I did not wash all of my brushes as not all of them needed doing, these were the ones that needed cleaning this time round.

Hope this little post helped, super straight forward but I thought something so simple was worth sharing.


Lush Mini Haul & Review | KMC Beauty

by Kelly, June 12, 2014
I have known about Lush products for a while but it wasn't until late last year when I first purchased one of their products the 'Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter' which I soon used up, after taking a brief pause for a few months I went back on to their website earlier last month and bought a few more things to try out. I gave myself a good month to try out all of these items and let you all know what I think of them.


Mask Of Magnaminty
Ok so maybe I wasn't paying much attention when I purchased this mask because I really don't like peppermint. If you do like peppermint you will like this product because it honks of the stuff! However I still persevered, this is a thick green paste almost and used it on my face for the full 10 minutes as directed, I quite enjoy the cooling sensation minty products give my skin like this did and when I washed it off my skin felt baby soft afterwards, so I will try and use the whole tub up! No use in wasting a good product if it works, even if it doesn't smell too great in my opinion. This mask is said to fight breakouts, I had no spots to begin with but I do occasionally get the odd break out every now and then but I am still a spot free zone as it stands, I do try to use this mask maybe once a week to really rejuvenate my skin.
Find online here.


Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter
This is a repurchase, I love everything about this product from it's clever name, to the smell, to it's incredible ability to put moisture back into my dried out cuticles, it smells like straight up lemons, so fresh and fruity I sit there smelling the tub for ages before i've even put the stuff on! I tend to use this after I have removed my nail polish, nail polish remover dries out my cuticles and this helps return them to their natural state.
Find online here.


Breath Of Fresh Air Toner Water
I have quite a lot of toners and this isn't anything spectacular as toners go.. I use it after I have showered and cleansed my face, it's just a bit of a skin revitaliser really, it's not going to do anything drastic to your skin, one ingredient it contains is rose absolute which Lush state can help to reduce redness so if you suffer with redness on the skin regularly maybe this stuff is worth a try? I don't have any redness on my skin so this doesn't benefit me. I do have one problem with this product though and it's the way it sprays on to my skin, I prefer a gentle mist when i'm spraying products on my face and this is very direct when I spray it, almost like being squirted with a water gun and I don't like that, so I spray into my palms and rub into my skin as a revitaliser.
Find online here.


Bubblegum Lip Scrub
This little pot goes a long way, I love scrubbing my lips with this stuff and then licking it off! It's mainly made with caster sugar and flavouring so it's totally safe to do so. If you are after soft and supple lips then look no further. It also smells delicious but if bubblegum isn't your kind of thing then they do have a couple of other flavoured scrubs.
Find online here.


Ocean Salt Face and Body Scrub
Clearly my most used product in the past month, i'm nearly out of it. I keep this in my shower and use it to exfoliate my legs before I fake tan on occasion, it's really effective at removing any dead skin. The picture almost makes it look like porridge and it's probably looking that way because water has gotten into the tub from time to time, but when I first got this it was a lot less watery and looked super rough on the surface. If you have sensitive skin this probably isn't for you, the formula is very abrasive and there is full on chunks of salt in this scrub to thoroughly remove any dead skin. I really enjoy this scrub though, I like highly abrasive scrubs that really feel like they are making a difference to my skin. Who doesn't want super soft legs anyway?
Find online here.

Are there any other Lush products I should get my hands on? I'd love to hear your Lush favourites leave a comment down below letting me know.



What's In My Make-Up Bag? | KMC Beauty

by Kelly, June 08, 2014
It's fair to say that I am a bit of a nosy parker, I always like to see posts on what is in other bloggers make-up bags, so I thought I would share what is in mine. All of these items are pretty much my everyday essentials, some I like to swap and change depending on the day I am preparing for and some days when I am going for a 'no make-up' make-up look I won't use all of these products just the bare minimum. Non the less these products get the most use from me and are always in my make-up bag.


So i've put together a break down of all the products I use with a some what 'mini review' on each item.


Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation - Classic Beige
A familiar product on my blog, mentioned this in my May Favourites and it is now a staple item in my make-up bag at the moment, I use the colour classic beige which is a great match for me, the coverage is great, it's definitely full coverage in my book which is what I look for in a foundation. Thinking of doing a full in depth review on this foundation so keep a look out for that!


Maybelline 'The Eraser Eye' Concealer - Light
Love this concealer, it's a really affordable option and it gives good results, as you can see i'm half way through my tube I will be no doubt going out to pick up a new one soon! I use the colour light because as well as providing under eye coverage to hide those pesky bags, I like to have a slightly highlighted under eye, then even when I am super tired I can look more awake than I actually am.
My only issue with this concealer is the sponge applicator, it's so messy! And probably quite unsanitary if i'm honest, that sponge is probably bacteria heaven right now, but i'm the only one using it so it's not major, I can live with it.
Even though I got this concealer from Boots I can't find it on their website at the moment and it is out of stock on the Superdrug website, so I hope this isn't permanent!

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer - NC15
You are probably not that surprised that this concealer is in my make-up bag, I don't use this concealer on a daily basis only when I need the extra coverage that the Maybelline concealer doesn't give me. Holy grail product though, don't think I will ever go without this one.
Find it here.


MAC Studio Fix Powder - NC20
Since I have started using the Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation I don't use this powder as much, however when I know I have a long day ahead of me I always use powder to set my foundation and keep my oil under control throughout the day. This powder has lasted me a really long time, i'm sure I have had it almost a year and still not hit pan.
Online at MAC Cosmetics.


Nars 'Laguna' Bronzer
Another familiar product on my blog, use this bronzer pretty much every single day and I can't get enough of it at the moment, perfect for giving your skin that sun kissed glow.
Find online here.


Mary-Lou Manizer by theBalm
I'm sure you have heard of this product before it's often talked about in the blogging/youtubing beauty world, it really is a beautiful highlight and it is also extremely pigmented so I always use a light hand when applying to prevent my face from looking like a disco ball, but a nice wash of this on the top of the cheek bones leaves your face with that healthy glow.
Find it at feelunique.com.

MAC Extra Dimension Skinfinish - Superb
I think I am probably the only person in the world that doesn't own the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in 'Soft and Gentle' but I did pick up the Extra Dimension Skinfinish in 'Superb' up from Debenhams a little while ago now, I believe the collection was the 'Magnetic Nude' collection and unfortunately this product is now sold out, however I really enjoy using this highlighter when I have a nice bronzed face.


MAC Blush - Springsheen
I enjoy using this blush when I want that nice flushed look, although this is a shimmer blush there is hardly any shimmer payoff, which I enjoy because I don't particularly like shimmery blushes on my cheeks!
Find it here.

Benefit Blush - Rockateur
Love this blush, slightly lighter than the Springsheen and has that nice rose gold colour running through it, all the benefit boxed blushes are great this is just the one that happens to be in my make-up bag as of recent. 
Get it here!


Too Faced lashGASM Mascara
My absolute pet hate is wasting mascara, I hate leaving them in my drawer to dry up, so whether they are bad or good I am determined to use them no matter what! I got this mascara in a set along with the Joy To The Girls palette from ASOS in the sale at the beginning of the year and don't get me wrong this mascara is nice, the firm bristles separate my lashes and coat them all nicely without any clumps, it's relatively lengthening too, however this mascara does nothing for my lashes in the volume department! Never the less I will use this mascara up until the very end.
Find online at BeautyBay.


Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz - Brunette
All time favourite brow pencil without the hassle of sharpening, the thin pencil allows for precise application and the spoolie on the other end is amazing for combing through my brows and blending out the product.
I am thinking of trying the DipBrow Pomade by Anastasia Beverly Hills next time though, anybody tried this? What do you think?
Find the Brow Wiz here.


Rimmel GlamEyes Professional Liquid Liner - 001 Black
When it comes to achieving the perfect winged eyeliner this product delivers the goods. the thin flexible brush allows for sharp and precise lines and the long handle makes it easy to manoeuvre your hand into position to apply the liner.
Find it online at Boots.

Hope you enjoyed taking a peek into my make-up bag, if you have done a similar post i'd love to see it, leave a comment down below!




Beauty Wish List | KMC Beauty

by Kelly, June 04, 2014
So as of the beginning of June I have put myself on a no spend month, which is very difficult for someone like me, if I see something that I want online particularly beauty items I will just buy them and not think about the money aspect until after the damage has been done! But basically I need to start saving! So to give my bank account a break there will be no spending for me this month but I thought I would create a wish list of beauty items that I can hopefully get my hands on some time after June.


1. Tangle Teezer 'The Original'
I have wanted one of these for a long time and just never got round to buying one, my hair is quite long and gets knotted very easily, it wasn't until I had one of these used on me at the hairdressers that I realised I needed to invest in one.
The Original Tangle Teezer's are currently on offer at Beauty Bay (see link here) for £7.80!

2. Anastasia Beverly Hills Eyebrow Stencil Kit
This is such a good idea, my eyebrows are my facial nemesis, they change shape on a daily basis and I rarely get them 100% even, to have a kit with five different stencils in to give you the shape that you want is a god send! Out of all six items on my wish list this is the one I will be grabbing first at the beginning of July (providing they are still in stock).
Find them at Cult Beauty for £16.00.

3. Kelly Osbourne for MAC
I know that this collection from MAC isn't out in the UK yet, and from what I read on Karen's blog the collection won't be with us until August 2014! However after looking at both Kelly's and Sharon's collections this lipstick is the one I am most excited for, it's called 'Kelly Yum Yum' and it is a blue based pink with a satin finish. Oh and that packaging, it's just so pretty! I can't wait to pick this up when it's released.

4. Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in 'Audacious'
I already own four different shades from the Revlon Matte Balm collection and I adore them but I really want this shade for summer, it's a bright orange toned red and it's called 'audacious', I think this is just such a summer appropriate shade and these balms are super affordable.
Find them at Superdrug for £5.99.

5. Sleek Face Contour Kit in 'Light'
Don't get me wrong, I love my Nar's Laguna Bronzer to death but at £27.00 it's not the most affordable option if I can get the same results from another product. I've heard Sleek products are relatively good quality products for really affordable prices and I have never tried any of their makeup before so I am hoping to try this contour kit next month and hopefully it will become a new favourite of mine, going off the swatches online I think my skin tone matches up with the 'Light' shade.
£6.49 at Sleek Makeup.

6. Maybelline Color Elixir in 'Petal Plush'
Yet another product that's not yet available in the UK, I really am torturing myself here aren't I, BUT I am hoping that this will be available here someday soon as they are really hyped up over in the US, described as a 'creamy lip lacquer' these things look seriously pigmented and have twenty different shades!

Do you have any beauty products on your wish list?



May Favourites | KMC Beauty

by Kelly, June 01, 2014
It's the 1st of June so that only means one thing, May Favourites! I feel like May has been full of an abundance of new products for me some good, some not so good and some I haven't got round to trying yet. I have thrown together a mixture of make up and skincare favourites for this month and to prevent it from being too overwhelming I narrowed it down to 8 products in total.


Rimmel Stay Matte - Classic Beige

Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation
I bought this foundation at the beginning of May to try out in the hope that it would help my oil control throughout the day, this product is now a staple item in my make up bag, I use it pretty much everyday when I am in work and it keeps my skin looking relatively matte all day and that is without touching up with powder. The claim of a lightweight formula could not be any more true, this foundation does not leave my skin feeling cakey at all and from what I can tell it also isn't fragranced, I know some foundations can tend to smell heavily fragranced and I don't particularly like that. If you like the look of dewey skin this product probably isn't for you, I definitely struggle to keep my oil at bay so I tend to lean towards products that will make my skin look more matte as opposed to dewey, however if like me you have oily skin or just prefer the matte look, then I would definitely give this foundation a try, it is also super affordable! Find it online at Boots for £5.99!


Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm - Unapologetic
I know the Revlon balms are nothing to new to most people however I have had this colour in particular in my drawer for a while but never found the right time to wear it, then last weekend I had a night out where I was wearing mostly black clothing and I picked this colour out of the drawer thinking it would be the perfect pop of colour my outfit needed! The perfect bold statement lip for nights out and occasions, this isn't your everyday wearable colour but with Summer right around the corner I couldn't think of a better lip colour to amp up any look. The pigmentation is amazing, they are very opaque and application is a doddle! Don't be fooled into thinking that the matte finish will make for dry lips, these balms are super moisturising on the lips I just can't get enough. This bright pink balm is verging on neon, with a coral undertone.
I have found that these balms are quite long wearing, but if you are eating/drinking then you will probably require a touch up. I bought mine online at Boots for £7.99.


MAC Blush - Springsheen
I have had this blush from MAC for a long time, I used it a lot last year and have just rediscovered my love for it this year, this is a sheertone shimmer blush, but don't let the shimmer put you off, normally that's not my thing however the shimmer isn't an intense one it just gives more of a glow to your cheeks, I like using this for everyday wear, it's work appropriate giving a nice flushed look keeping things natural. The pigmentation is good, definitely buildable but I find that one dab in the pan with my Sigma F40 gives enough colour pay off for my liking. As it is a MAC product these blushes aren't super affordable for people on a budget but they do last a long time! It's also a permanent colour in their collection, not part of one of these limited edition collections you can never get your hands on! Find it here at MAC cosmetics online for £18.00.


I couldn't go this month without mentioning my trusty little jar of vaseline, not only does it smell heavenly but it has been an absolute life saver for my lips, this stuff is so good at keeping them moisturised throughout the day, if like me you like the smell of cocoa butter then you will like this one from the Vaseline range. there isn't much more to say about this product it's just a handy little item to throw in your bag and use whenever you feel like you need it.


Literally can not get enough of this brush, if I ever use another brush for foundation I will be very surprised, the F80 was so hyped up on YouTube and with good reason, I have tried nothing else that applies foundation like it, so easy to use and applies foundation so evenly on the skin giving a flawless look. The brush head, made from synthetic bristles, is super dense and very soft.
I bought mine from Love Make Up at a reasonable £16.50 with £3.50 shipping fee. However earlier this year I discovered that Sigma ship internationally and quite regularly offer free shipping, the brush on their site is priced at $21.00 which works out cheaper than Love Make Up.
Alternatively for UK buyers you can get this brush from Amazon at £17.95 with free shipping



Beauty Blender - Blender Cleanser Solid
If you find brush cleaning a hassle and you have not tried this stuff before, then I suggest you jump on it! This stuff has made brush cleaning so much easier for me, it's quick, easy and effectively removes ALL makeup from your brushes. I would say I have had this product at least 6-8 months and I like to clean my brushes on a regular basis, but I have yet to make a dent in this stuff. I don't quite know how to describe it other than it looks and feels like a bar of soap, it comes out of it's little jar and what I like to do is dampen my brushes in warm water then i swirl them around in the bar and massage the brushes so that they lather up which then starts to remove all the make up product from the brush, I then rinse my brush off in the warm water and repeat probably about three times giving me beautifully clean brushes.
Find it here at Cult Beauty for £14.00.



Soap & Glory Scrubatomic and Scrub Your Nose In It
These are both a firm part of my daily skin care routine, I like to alternate them both and use them with my Clarisonic. Neither of these scrubs are too abrasive, they are both gentle exfoliators on the skin.
Scrubatomic
This is described as a "daily face polish" for all skin types, I heard about this product on Fleur's YouTube channel, she really liked it so I just had to pick it up. The best way I can describe the scent is that it smells almost like a strawberry yoghurt, which makes my face smell really delicious when it is on! I like to apply this on damp skin using my fingertips to scrub around my face and then I like to go in with the Clarisonic to give an even further deep clean. It also effectively removes any make up I may still have on my face.
Scrub Your Nose In It
Very much like the Scrubatomic however this is described as a "facial scrub", I don't find that this is any more abrasive than the Scrubatomic I find them both the same in terms of exfoliation, however what took my eye upon purchasing this one was that it was specifically for oily/combination skin, so instantly I felt drawn towards it. This scrub has a minty smell and upon application there is a slight cooling sensation on the skin, nothing too extreme but if you are sensitive this might not agree with your skin, however my skin welcomes this scrub and always feels super soft after I have washed it off. I use this scrub the exact same way I use my Scrubatomic.
These products are both currently on offer at Boots for £6.00 - normal retail £9.00
Find them here:
Scrubatomic
Scrub Your Nose In It

Hope you enjoyed reading my May Favourites and if you have wrote your own favourites for this month leave a comment below I would love to check them out!


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