We all have our Holy Grail beauty buys, but every now and then, amazing products enter our lives and shake up our beauty routines for the better. This week, we’ve fallen head over heels with a pore-cleansing wonder, a sexy eyeshadow palette, a must-have brush cleaner, and an exotic fragrance. Check out our verdicts below!
Bioré Deep Cleansing Charcoal Pore Strips
bh’s Rosie says:
“Since I wear make-up pretty much every day and have an oily T-zone, I’m susceptible to blackheads, especially on my nose. Having heard about charcoal’s ability to draw out dirt and oil from deep within pores, I was really keen to give these strips a go.
They aren’t like any old pore strips – thanks to the charcoal content, they’re black! After cleansing, I popped the strip sticky-side down on my wet nose and pressed it into the curves of my nose. I found that it held well to my skin and I liked its cool feel as it dried. After about fifteen minutes, I held the outer edges of the strip and gradually pulled it off. Then came the fun (and gross) part! I inspected the strip and could see loads of little blackheads on it. I rinsed my nose to discover that it looked clearer and less congested, and it felt really smooth and clean. I’d recommend these strips to anyone who has blackheads on their nose, and who loves the satisfaction of seeing them being removed from their skin right before their eyes – no squeezing required!”
M.A.C Eyes on M.A.C Collection – Burgundy Times Nine
bh’s Sam says:
“Picking a palette has never been so hard! All four from this collection contain a great combination of colours, but I settled on the Burgundy Times Nine, because it seemed to have a good mix of winter shades I could wear during the day and night.
As I trialled this palette, I found I used the top row and left row (in my photo) the most for day-to-day work make-up and the other four (grouped in the bottom right corner) for more smouldering nighttime looks. The colours in real life aren’t as dark as you’d first expect, but you can build them up to be quite pigmented, especially if you use a light colour as the base. I liked that the palette was smaller and square-shaped – while it may not look as impressive as a long row of colours, it’s definitely more practical (for me and my exploding make-up bag, anyway). The staying powder of the shadows is great and I loved how versatile the colours are. I don’t think I’ve picked up another palette since!”
Manicare Brush Cleaner
bh’s Carli says:
“I am historically awful with washing my make-up brushes. Not because I don’t want to or think it’s not a useful exercise – I’m just lazy. Especially when I have to factor in the steps of wetting the brush, massaging in shampoo, and rinsing thoroughly. This brush cleaner has made the process so much easier and way less time-consuming, so I’ve started using it in between ‘proper’ washes: all you need to do is spritz some on a tissue and wipe your brush on it until the colour has come off. It also means my brushes are accumulating less product, which makes the bigger washes less of a hassle. I’ll admit that it still takes time massaging and rinsing, but at least the job isn’t as fussy thanks to those in-between cleans. Rather than storing it in the bathroom (where it’s out of sight, out of mind), I keep it next to my make-up brush container so I can give my brushes a quick clean before putting them back.”
Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Eau Fraiche
bh’s Astrid says:
“Firstly, I have to say this is not a fragrance I’d have typically chosen for myself, but I’m glad I put my hand up to give it a go because there’s something alluring about it. There’s a lot of jasmine, pulpy orange and mandarin in it, and that lingers long after it’s been sprayed, but it’s the undertones of tiare flower, magnolia, and lavender that really captured me. It’s a summer fragrance, there’s no doubt about that, but it has more of a ‘sun-drenched summer in the country’ feel, which is odd considering ‘Bronze Goddess’ makes me think of a tanned and leggy supermodel lying on an 80ft yacht. But hey, it works! If you want to add something different to your arsenal, go for this Estee Lauder perfume. It’s a truly surprising beauty find.
Do you like the sound of any of these beauty products?
