Sue Devitt Haul

I was delighted yet sad to see Sue Devitt in Tk maxx today. I've been lusting after her brushes for a few years now and finally i've gotten my hands on three of them. If your hardcore into your makeup and brushes you'll know why i'm sad Sue Devitt folded in Feb this year which is a shame. I also couldn't resist getting a few makeup items and i'll be back stalking the shelves in Tk maxx for more.

 From Top ~ Powder Brush, Blusher Brush, Eyebase Brush.

SENNA FACE SCULPTING KIT ~ SHADE 1

Excuse my brush mark i was a bit impatient and had to try it before i'd took pictures.

My first Senna purchase ~ I'm really excited to add this to my kit i've been looking a contour cream or powder for the longest time. This is the best of both worlds a cream to powder formula which provides a semi matte finish. When it comes to my kit i really do over think and find it hard to commit to purchasing makeup items, as i need to be smart in how much i spend and what i spend it on.

So what convinced me to part with my cash??  After seeing this advertised on SENNA FB page i went on hunt for reviews and seen fantastic makeup artists and customers raving about how much they love it. The packaging is very sleek and light, and i love i repeat LOVE the brush which comes with the kit (Foundation 20) it's firm yet soft and green/turquoise is my favorite colour.

The kit cost £32 with a delivery charge of £3.99 so a total of £35.99, and i purchased it from Oonagh Boman ~ Link Here ~ Senna Makeup distributor for UK and Ireland.

I'll come back and give you all an update and proper review in a few weeks. I can already tell it'll get lots of use with great results :)

Just to clarify this isn't a sponsored post xx

November Favorites

 Hi lovely folk,
another month has passed and Christmas is sneaking up on me! I really need to start my shopping.
I always leave it too late then stress about what to get everyone.

I'll start with my favorite lipstick of the month

Loreal Paris Color Riche Collection Privee, Julianne Moore £8.19 ~ When it comes to lips i love a natural my lips but better look, and that is why i purchased this. They come in 6 shades all tailored to different skin tones. Mine is for the palest skintone and is called Barely Peach.

Barry M Fine Glitter Dust £4.59 ~ Everyone needs a bit of glitter around this time of the year, i've just been placing this on the ball of my eye with some black eyeliner and it looks great or another way to use it is sprinkle it on freshly painted nails before they dry for a cool glitter effect :) Then seal with a clear top coat.

MAC Soft & Gentle Mineralize Skin finish £22 ~ I've had this in my kit for about a year and it really is beautiful on most skin tones. Recently i've been using it on myself as it just perks up my skin and makes me look awake.

 e.l.f Makeup Mist & Set ~ I have been using this so much this month! I've been using it to tone my skin after cleansing. I've been spraying it on my beauty blender to dampen it and i've been spraying it over my makeup which leaves the makeup looking so natural. I really do love this stuff it's a definite dupe for MAC Fix Plus.

My brush of the month, is this e.l.f Blush Brush £3.75 ~ It's not too big as alot of brushes are for my small face and it's really soft and sleek looking. I'm having a bit of a love affair with e.l.f brushes at the moment to be honest lol I just think the quality is amazing for the prices plus they are synthetic and animal friendly, which makes me love them more.


Make sure you link your blog down below. I love reading your current loves and finds :) and thank you for reading mine, it means alot to me.

 ♡

Sonya Ethel x

Katniss Everdeen (Catching Fire) Inspired Makeup

Hi all, 

Today i watched the beautiful Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss Everdeen) on tv promoting the latest Hunger Games movie Catching Fire. I'm loving her new cropped hair! They showed a clip of the new movie and i noticed her makeup and felt inspired to have some fun with the color red. What?!! Yup i know this could be a disaster :P haha anyway here's my inspired look.

I don't have the best face for makeup, i prefare putting it on others :) Hope you like anyway x

Recent Purchases ~ Frosted Morning ❄

BarryM Holographic Glitter Nail Paint ~ £2.99
Seventeen Rock Hard Nail Effects ~ 3.99

BarryM Matte Nail Paint, Vanilla ~ 3.99

I woke up to a frost covered morning and thought this would be beautiful to take some photos of my recent purchases. I've been going a bit mad for nail polishes lately and around this time every year i always gravitate towards glitter and matt shades. I picked these three up on Fri & Sat and i love them.

Rimmel London 010 Santa Rose ~ £3.99. This natural colour really suits my pale skin and makes me look awake without looking overdone.

Seventeen Mirror Shine, BELLE ~ £4.79. This shade is the colour of my lips only better. It has a very hydrating formula and feels great on the lips, very sheer coverage but that's why i love it. Again a very natural look.

A pretty frosted flower in our garden.

My first 2013 Christmas candle!!! We went into TKMAXX yesterday and this smells sooo good i can't wait to burn it. Smells like Christmas only it's not over powering like alot of them can be. Saying that i haven't lit it yet, but so far so good. I can't find my receipt but i believe this was around £4.

What have you purchased recently? Leave your blog links below so i can have a nosey :)

♡
 Bye for now x

Blogging Tip - How To Add A Link To Your Comment

Hi everyone, 

I thought i'd write a quick post on what i learnt a few days ago. I noticed on some comments, bloggers had left a link to their blog that anyone interested could just click and it would direct you straight there. Anytime i had left my link it was never active <----Hopefully that makes sense! 

So i had a wee look around Google and found the reason why. 

Next time your commenting on someone's awesome blog insert this

<a href="URL">Title</a> 

and replace the title with your blog link. 

 Here's mine :)

 <a href="URL">http://sonyaethelmua.blogspot.co.uk/</a>

I've saved my link into wordpad and copy and paste whenever needed.

This makes finding your blog so much easier for everyone. Really hope this is clear and has helped. If you've any blog tips please leave them in the comments i'd love to hear them. I'm always learning :)

Thanks for reading.

♡
Sonya xo

October Favorites

 Apologies for my lateness everyone i'm gobsmacked at how fast this month has gone in. Lets start with my brush of the month :)

e.l.f Flawless Concealer Brush  £3.75 ~ I've used this non stop since getting it. Oh my!! I went to the e.l.f website to copy that link an hour ago i'm only back lol 50% off yippie!! 
Back to the brush lol beautiful size really dense yet soft and fluffy i've been using this for concealer, contouring and eyeshadow.

Soap & Glory Show Good Face  £11.00 ~ Thanks to my friend Sam i found out about this beautiful foundation. I have the lightest shade The Fairest Of Them All. It has a very smooth silky texture and gives a satin look to the skin the coverage is light so i've been using it as a primer or on it's own when i'm having a good skin day which has been rare lately :(

Bourjois Happy Light Foundation £11.99 ~ I'm a massive fan of the Bourjois Healthy Mix and when i seen this i knew i had to try it. Basically it's a dewy version of the healthy mix i got no51 and it's a little orange so if your fair beware! I'll be purchasing these for my kit.

Garnier Anti Dark Circles Roll On I purchased mine for £6.99 in Gordons Chemist, i noticed it's £10.49 on the boots website. I got the lightest one Very Fair and i've been really enjoying using it. It brightens up the eye area i roll it on then blend it in with my fingers.

MUA Undress Me Too Palette £4.00 ~ It's taken me so long to get this palette and i'm so glad i did. The colours are just gorgeous and very pigmented. Some of these colours are great dupes for MAC eye shadows. (Brule dupe Naked) (Shroom dupe Shy) (Wood Winked dupe Devotion and Dreamy mixed) (Satin Taupe dupe Obsessed)

e.l.f Studio Eyebrow Kit  £3.75 i have Ash and the colour is just perfect for blonde's and for me this is all i've been using in my brows this month i use the powder for natural looks and if i need a more dramatic eyebrow that i know will last i use the wax then the eyeshadow over it.

Burt's Bees Pomegranate Lip Balm £3.50 ~ I love Burt's Bees they are 100% natural, recycle, environmentally friendly and don't test on animals what more could a person want. I love the smell of this one plus it really does keeps the lips moisturised.

Essie Nail Polish £ 9.85 ~ This lilac colour is called Nice is Nice i noticed it wasn't on the feelunique website but they have very similar colours to this one. I've been wearing this non stop throughout October i've also seen Barry M do a similar colour Link here

Really looking forward to my e.l.f order coming now :D i really can't stop buying things from that company lol i'll give you a nosy when it comes :P

Until next time & look after yourselves xx

Products I Use To Treat My Acne

Hi everyone, 

Unfortunately good skin is something i've never been blessed with and i've suffered with spots and acne from i was a teenager. In my 20's i developed cystic acne which covered my face, neck, chest and back and my confidence was at an all time low. At that time in my life i was very desperate to find a cure and i started purchasing different skincare targeted for spots and acne. Also this is where my obsession for foundation started.
 In the end i went to the doctors which is what i should of done first. I was given Dianette and after taking it for 3 months my skin really cleared up so if anyone now asked me for advice about acne, i would tell you "Go to your doctor" Skincare helps treat and prevent cystic acne but it's not a solution or miracle worker to/for your problem.

I now take Yasmin which helps balance my hormones and keep acne at bay. At this moment i'm off the pill to see how my skin reacts plus it's nice to give the body a break and let things get back to normal.

 When my acne was at it's worst i used PanOxyl AcneGel 10% Benzoyl Peroxide that was prescribed to me by the doctors. I purchased this one off Amazon as it's only 2.5% and doesn't dry out the skin the same. This treats spots and cysts on the surface of the skin by killing the bacteria that cause the spots in the first place, using this really dries the skin out and it does bleach clothes if you get it on it. But overall it works and that's what we want.

⇡⇡⇡

 Out of everything i tried these two were what made the biggest difference to the clearing of my skin.

I am in love with this Neutrogena 2 in 1 wash and mask it contains salicylic acid which helps prevent future breakouts and also helps exfoliate the skin. I use this as a mask more than i use it as a face wash i massage it into my face and neck and let it sit there whilst i brush my teeth in the morning. I love the thought of it cleaning out me pores :)

It's not really fair showing you this as it's not available to purchase in the UK i ordered mine from France here's the link ~ La Roche Posay Serozinc Toner
This is my second can of serozinc it has anti bacterial properties and it's very soothing my advice for toners would be avoid anything with alcohol in it. Alcohol strips the skin changing the pH balance now bacteria have the perfect place to multiply. Sorry that's gross but very true!

I've been using this mask now for about 5 months, phew time flies!! What i love about this is its very moisturising yet it sets like a clay mask drawing out impurities in the skin whilst soothing and treating blemishes already on the skin. It contains (white willow bark extract) which is what Salicylic acid is derived from.

 Phoebe came to say hi ♡ love of my life that one!

 

Garnier Dark Spot Corrector ~ This moisturiser is very light and perfect for under foundation as it contains silicone's helping the makeup glide on. It brightens and evens the skin and gradually fades marks left by spots, i've only been using this the past two months so the jury is still out on this moisturiser. Salicylic acid is also in the ingredients and that is the reason i purchased this.

 Neutrogena Body Clear Wash ~ I purchased this body wash off Amazon as it's not available to buy in the UK i use this to clear my chest and back and it really does work for me. At £10.99 it's a little pricey but i haven't regretted getting this and a little goes a long way.

Cystic acne had taken my confidence away and this foundation give me some of it back! I've only good things to say about Clinique's Anti Blemish Solutions again it contains salicylic acid which will treat your blemishes until you wash off your makeup after the day is over. Genius!! The coverage is medium to full yet feels and looks very natural. The semi matte finish means it keeps those spots covered all day. Yippie!!

I hope i've helped you in some way. Stay positive and have paitence remember if you haven't visted the doctor yet get yourself an appointment you won't regret it.

I'd love to hear of any products you love using for your acne and also leave your blog link if you have one so i can follow you xx

♡

Lots of love.

(Beauty Tips) Fixing Dried out Mascara.

Hi everyone

When it comes to mascara are you a wet or dry formula fan? Ok that sounds a bit odd haha 

Well i've always went for more wet formulas infact i LOVE it when my mascara starts drying out and it gets to that perfect stage where i don't have to worry about making a mess. It has a good wet/thickness ratio lol 

Well i'm already sure you've heard and know this tip. But i thought i'd remind you all how to hold onto your mascara a bit longer when it's going over to the dark side. 

 

Just pop your dried out mascara into a mug of hot water and leave for a couple of minutes.

And there you have it! Your dried out mascara has been transformed, yippie!!!

If you have any beauty tips i'd love to hear them =) I hope this helped. 

Thanks for reading 

♡

 God Bless you

In My Kit (Bargain eBay Buys)

Hi everyone,

When i first started freelancing eBay was a life saver because i was able to get my hands on things that were essential for my kit yet didn't break the bank. I still order and use some of those things today and i thought i'd share with you those items.

  M.A.C 217 Blending Brush £18.00 ~ Left , Emily Pro 217 Blending Brush £2.48 ~ Right

I've never really bought brushes off eBay but when i first started makeup i knew i'd need blending brushes but i couldn't afford to spend £18 on one brush! I found these dupes and i'm using them in my kit to this day! As you can see by the photo they are very similar. The M.A.C brush is better in design and shape but look at that price difference! You really can't beat that! They both work exactly the same and i've never noticed the Emily Pro shedding enough hairs to worry me.

Handmade Eyelashes £2.77, Brown Natural False Eyelashes £4.34, Blue Eyelashes £2.01, 5 Different Styles Brown & Black £2.01, Ardell Duralash Individual Eyelashes £2.99.

 I love buying false eye lashes off ebay you never really know what your getting till they arrive haha If i do fall in love with a particular box buy in bulk because i've made the mistake where i left it too long before the next order and couldn't find them again. I tend to order handmade lashes as they look more natural, i also keep an eye out for lashes with a clear band as this makes them easier to apply. Normally in a box you get 10 pairs of lashes sometimes 5 for less than a £10 considering 1 pair in Boots costs around the £4 mark that's amazing! I also order individuals off eBay as i can get short and medium in bulk. I've linked some of my favorite lashes above to give you some idea what i like ordering.

 I love these pointed 100% Cotton Makeup Buds £3.95 for 100. They make smudging out eyeliner, eye shadow easy and also cleaning up small mistakes.

Rubbing Alcohol 70% IPA  £2.59

I always carry this in my case so i can disinfect brushes if i need to when working from model to model. I never use this to wash my brushes tho as it's very drying and will cause hair breakage to my brushes that are made of natural fibers eg Goat, Sable. 

50pcs New Disposable Eyelash Brushes £1.43

I've been ordering these off eBay since the beginning. I've yet to find a better deal in the shops or another website. They have a great brush head that isn't too big or small i'm currently waiting for more to be delivered.

 Searching through eBay can be time consuming if your not sure what your looking for so i really hope this helps.

If you have any eBay favourites i'd love to hear about them.

♡

Until next time