I would like to state to begin with; I never really use flat foundation brushes. The only time that I've ever really used them is back when I just wanted something to dab a bit of foundation on my face before I buffed it in with something else. It's not that I don't like them, it's more that I just prefer using something that has a wider surface area as it feels like it's doing more at a quicker rate.

Last week, however, I was sent the B. Foundation Brush by Product Testing UK as a sample so I could do a review of the product. Despite the fact that I don't particularly like using these brushes, I was more than happy to try it out and give it a fair test.
 For starters, I quite like the packaging that it is sold in, more for the information on the back of the product. Being a more low end make-up brush, only costing about £8, I feel like a portion of the people that it will attract will be people who are maybe just starting out using brushes in make-up. Thus, I thought it was quite useful to have a little guide on how to use it on the back. Also, it tells you how to best look after your make-up brushes, which I wish I had known more about when I first started applying my make-up as a teenager.

In terms of the build of brush, the 100% synthetic bristles feel fairly soft and quite firm, which I definitely feel you need with a foundation brush. I wouldn't say it's as comfortable to use as what I would normally use, mainly because the bristles are perhaps that little bit harsher and for reasons that I will explain below. I do like the actual handle on the brush as I feel that it is the perfect thickness to hold in my hand, making it comfortable to move and generate the circular motions you need to buff the foundation in. It has a smooth paint over the handle, which doesn't irritate your fingers and generally just makes it easy to hold.
 Now getting down to the actual use of the product. I'll be totally honest, I wasn't particularly impressed. I found that it took a lot longer than it usually does to apply my foundation and buff it into my skin to give a nice, flawless finish. Despite the fact that I used the same amount of foundation that I normally would, I actually found myself feeling like I needed to apply more to my face because it just didn't seem to give the same coverage. Whether this is because the brush was picking up more of the foundation than what I'm used to, or because it just wasn't buffing it the same way, it just didn't give the finish that I wanted. And, because of the fact I had to keep buffing for quite a while to get the finish I wanted, I found my skin getting irritated by the bristles on the brush, making my face redder and more difficult to judge whether or not I had the right finish I wanted. One good quality that I found with this brush is, because of the flattened tip, it was a lot easier to get into the nooks and crannies in my face; around my nose, the corner of my eye, etc.

Overall, I'm not the biggest fan. This may be because I have been ruined by my current foundation brush, but overall I don't think I'll be using it again. I may consider using it to apply concealer or liquid contours but, otherwise, I'm really just not that impressed with the finish it gives or the time it takes to buff my foundation in.

If you're interested in beauty product testing, click here!

Have you tried any of the B. beauty brushes? What are your thoughts on flat foundation brushes? Let me know in the comments below!

 Over the past week, I have had a major issue with my skin. I tried out using a product that caused my skin to temporarily turn from being oily/combination skin to being ridiculously dry, to the point where I had to purchase several different skin care products that were more focused on treating dry, flaky skin rather than my usual favourites.This is the product that I think really managed to sort my problems out!

Yves Saint Laurent describes their Rouge Volupté lipsticks as a 'long lasting, comforting formula' that is 'intensely pigmented and imparts an irresistible glossy shine'. I've wanted to test this theory for some time now, partially because I couldn't resist that premium looking packaging, but also because I was getting bored of my usual go-to lipsticks.

Though I can be horrifically stingy when it comes to buying make-up (and it did take a lot of mental brawling to finally take the plunge), I found myself finally taking a little gold package of my own back home.

Now, the first thing that I have to mention is the packaging. I love the gold, metallic look, and it definitely feels like you're holding a premium product in your hand. The way the colour is displayed behind the branding also makes a nice change, as I'm used to having to look at the bottom of the tube to get any idea of what colour I've picked up. One thing that I don't like, though, is it is difficult to determine the actual name of the colour of lipstick that you've chosen. On the bottom of the packaging, the only description you get is a number, like 8 or 29. However, on YSL's website, the colours have actual names; like number 29 is Rose Opera. This might be just a weird thing on my part, but I like being able to give a colour name if someone asks me what I'm wearing. 'Oh, I'm wearing Peach Passion' sounds better than 'Oh, I'm wearing number 7'. Or is that just me?

Enough about the aesthetics, you don't just buy a lipstick because the packaging looks pretty. Unless you're a bit of an impulse buyer, like I can be. Like I said, this is a first impressions, and I have by no means tried every single colour that this range comes in. The first one that I bought is simply Number 8 (I wasn't able to get the actual name off of the website). It's a pale, peachy tone that is probably one of the lighter colours that I own. It actually matches my lips quite well, and gives them more of a glossy, shimmery finish whilst not diverting too far away from my natural tone. I will say, though, that I found the colour displayed on the packaging of the colour that I bought doesn't entirely match the colour of the actual applied lipstick. I was expecting a much paler, lighter tone than what I actually got, but that was just a small disappointment.

The first time that I wore it, I was going out for afternoon tea with my other half and some family. So, this tested the lipstick quite thoroughly as it had to survive a variety of food and drink; from dainty sandwiches to chocolatey desserts, from mango flavoured tea to ice cold water. I found that it still remained quite firmly on my lips, and I didn't feel like I had to keep reapplying it every few minutes. Despite the fact that I don't have the most hydrated lips in the world, I did find that this lipstick managed to keep them fairly nourished throughout the day, though there was some peeling as evening approached. I wouldn't use this as a firm judgement of how moisturising Rouge Volupté Shine is, however, as I have yet to find a lipstick that doesn't cause my lips to at least lightly peel after extended use.

This is from my first FOTD, where I am wearing YSL Number 8.

Because I loved the feel of this lipstick, I actually managed to persuade myself to purchase another one, number 29 Rose Opera, the next day after I wore it for the first time. I'm not as keen on this colour, as I find that it seems to collect in the creases of my lips and makes the colour seem more uneven. But, despite this, I had the same experience in terms of feel, moisture and pigmentation.

I will definitely be wearing these more often, especially my Number 8, and I might even treat myself to another one in the future. We'll have to wait and see on that one. Have you tried any of the YSL Rouge Volupté Shine lipsticks? What do you think about them? Let me know in the comments below!

So. I normally like to come up with something incredibly witty at times like these. You know, when you start something new that will sit there for months, even years, eventually tucked so far away that only someone truly dedicated will actually even bother to try and read it. You feel you need to make a statement, or show something that defines who you are and what you're about.

I'll be honest, I'm rubbish at beginnings. I'm not too good at middles or, even, ends. So, I'm going to cheap out and leave the wit and hilarity for the comedians of the world. Instead, I've decided that I'm just going to do a cheeky little face of the day.

In the photograph above, please ignore the state of my eyebrows. They have been left unloved and untamed for many months now due to the laziness of their owner, but this will be rectified soon. Maybe. But as for the rest of my face, I decided to go for a simple look today. I'm not going anywhere special, so there wasn't really a huge amount of point going all out. See the list below for all products used:

Trying to make myself have cheekbones. And failing.

• Primer - Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer Colour Correcting Adjust
• Foundation - Nars Sheer Glow in Mont Blanc Light 2
• Concealer - Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla Light 2
• Fixing Powder - Mac Studio Fix in NC15
• Contour & Blush - Sleek Face Form Contouring & Blush Palette in Light 373
• Mascara - Maybelline Lash Sensational in Black
• Lipstick - YSL Rouge Volupté Shine in Number 8

 And that is my Face of the Day. I hope you like it and it wasn't too boring of a first post, I'll try and make them a bit more interesting in the future! Hope you all have a fantastic day and I will talk to you all soon!

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