eBay Haul - What I Bought in September


eBay haul time again! 

Before writing this post I didn't think I'd had a very active month on eBay, however this haul tells a different story. However I may be feeling like that because it was one of my lowest spending months with most items costing me only £1-3! 


As always the items are from a mix of UK and China sellers, so if you want anything in a hurry make sure you check the delivery times. I also get asked if eBay items from China come with custom charges and they 100% do not. You do have to be careful when purchasing anything from the U.S however.


Gel Nail Polishes


Gold Bottle UV Gel Nail Polish - Shade 59 
£2.49 (LINK HERE)
So this may just be the prettiest nail polish I've ever purchased - actually it is! The bottle is strangely similar to Dior J'Adore fragrance, but I'm not complaining as it just looks amazing and feels quite special. The listing contains so many different shades (including glitters!), but as I'm feeling very autumnal right now I picked up a nude/burnt orange shade, which turned out to be more of a warm nude shade. I don't mind this at all as I don't have anything similar to it in my collection but it's worth noting that the swatches aren't that accurate. I've yet to use the gel polish but if for any reason it doesn't last on the nails I will update this post, but if it's fine I will be 100% snapping up more shades. Side note - The eBay listing states a 'Rose Fragrant'.... no gel polish smells of anything but that weirdly burnt nail polish scent, so I haven't a clue what they are on about! 

Elite99 Starry Gel Series Gel Polishes - 6605 & 6609
£2.99 (LINK HERE
As I'm still fairly new to gel nails I haven't tried many gel brands, but a brand I knew I definitely wanted to try out was Elite99, as I constantly see them on eBay, there are hundreds of shades to pick from and they're so low in cost! I decided to try out two glitter top coats as it coming that time of year when glitter doesn't leave my nails! I love both shades I picked up and I'm so glad the listing contains 25+ glitter shades as I will be picked up more. So far I've tried #6609 as an accent/statement nail and it covered quite opaque and looked amazing once the gel top coat sealed it in - really impressed. The only down side is you can't see what the shade looks like without opening up the bottle, so I think a night of painting small piece of scotch tape, curing them under my UV lamp and then sticking them onto the bottles is in order. 

Elite99 Wine Red Series Gel Polish - 006
£2.59 (LINK HERE)
Another range I was drawn to from Elite99 was the Wine Red collection, which consists of 12 stunning deep red shades, perfect for A/W. I went with 006 as it seemed like a good mid-toned berry red and although it is a litte darker than I imagined it really is a gorgeous gel colour. I can't wait to apply this to my nails when the weather gets a little colder. I will be picked up more shade from Elite99, especially from the Nude Colour series which contains some amazing mauve nude shades.


Eye Shadows 

 

Love Alpha Eye Color Frozen Cream/Gel Eyeshadow - 1 & 8 
£1.58 (LINK HERE)
Onto a product that was actually a recommendation from a friend - we enable each other with our eBay purchases! After showing me a swatch of the #1 shade of these beautifully packaged gel eyeshadows I was sold and decided to pick up an extra one as well in shade #8. 

Now I don't have much clue about Love Alpha as I hadn't heard of them until last month but I do know that their packaging is amazing and the product itself is quite unique. You see the cream/gel is quite wobbly and jelly like in texture with an interesting cooling effect when dabbed onto the eyelids. Unfortunately it's only shade 1 that's the gem here as shade 8 is much more sheer in comparison and can't be worn alone on the lids, unlike shade 1. If you are looking for an interesting very highlighted and shimmery eyeshadow and like liquid/gel formulas then this is a product for you!


Makeup Brush Sets 


5-Piece Tom Ford Style Makeup Brush Set 
£3.05 (LINK HERE)
Ahhh, more inexpensive makeup brush sets from eBay! 
I picked up this set because 1. It looked similar to the Tom Ford Set with the flat ended brush handles (the TF brushes cost £50-80 EACH?!) 2. The amazing price! Now I will admit I'm on the fence about the set as 3 of the brushes although soft and do the job as a strange wool fibre that's quite cream in shade and do shed quite a bit. However the other 2 brushes are synthetic fibres and are just lovely - flexible, ultra soft and apply cream products a dream. For £3.00 I'm happy with the set but it doesn't compare to other budget makeup brush sets I've picked up from eBay recently. 

4-Piece Rose Gold Eyeshadow Blending Brush Set 
£1.78 (LINK HERE) 
Can we take a moment to amaze at how cheap these brushes are - 44p per brush?!  These may just be my favourite purchase of September because they actually do the job of blending eyeshadow and look really lovely. In the set you receive 2 blending brushes, a flatter blending brush and a lid brush. Yes, the handles do feel lightweight and cheap-ish, however that's to be expected... although they aren't flawed in any way and haven't chipped so far for me. As for the bristles they are perfectly soft and feel like some of my more expensive eye brushes! I'm so pleased I picked up this set and have already bought another set as a back-up and to use as travel brushes.

 Accessories 


Hamsa Hand Wrap Rope Choker 
99p (LINK HERE) 
I'm still feeling with 90's choker trend, so I picked up yet another 99p find. eBay are amazing for little items like this that are cheap yet on trend. This is a pretty long soft rope choker that you wrap around your neck twice and either leave to hang down or tie in a knot or bow. I've been liking it both hanging down and in bow and feel it looks very Boohoo/Missguided-esque and no one would imagine it cost only 99p! I was also thinking once the choker trend is totally gone I can re-purpose one of the Hamsa hands on to either a material or fine chain necklace - very thrifty! 

5 Knot Tied Elastic Hair Ties - #4 
99p (LINK HERE)
This is my 2nd set of these cute elastic hair ties. So inexpensive and comfortable to wear in the hair. I picked these up as they have quite a Halloween vibe about them. Lots of other styles to the listing.

Refillable Travel Perfume Atomizer 
99p (LINK HERE)
A bit of a boring but practical item here but something I picked up as I'm going on holiday next month! Totally inexpensive and so worth it if you are a travelling or even want to carry your favourite fragrance with you but in a small handbag. You simply spray your perfume of choice into the small vial and pop the spray nozzle back on and you're done! Travalos do the exact same job but cost around £10, so I much prefer to get mine for 99p from eBay.


IKEA Skurar Style Plastic Lace Plant Pot 
£1.14 (LINK HERE) 
Last but not least I came across a plant pot that looked so similar to the Ikea Skurar plant pots that are plastic instead of metal - which I actually prefer as they can be used outdoors and don't dent or rust! Perfect if you love the look of Skurar plant pots but don't have an Ikea nearby or just if you fancy a pretty pot to keep makeup brushes in (I use dry rice to keep my brushes upright!). It is quite large so it holds quite a lot of makeup brushes or a nice sized house plant. Already ordered another so I can use it as intended, as a plant pot, as you can see above. Love this eBay find! 

So many bargain eBay finds this month! 
Let me know what you love the look of most. 

Fee xo.

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10 Clever & Slightly Crazy Beauty Hacks You Won't Have Heard Of



1. Want a thicker ponytail? Place a mini butterfly clip to the base
Simply section your ponytail in two and place a small butterfly hair clip at the base near to the hair band. Place hair back, over the clip and voila, a fuller looking ponytail without the need to backcomb.

2. Use scotch tape on spots overnight 
So this may seem a little crazy because we all know that skin needs to breath however with spot patches becoming more popular and actually being an effective way to treat pesky spots you might at well make your own. Before bed, making sure the skin is clean, apply a dab of spot treatment and then a small strip of scotch tape. In the morning the spot will either have died down or will be ready to squeeze.... you know we all do it!

3. Bake your under eye concealer with powder and a damp beauty sponge
This is a trick from Kylie Jenner's makeup artist of apply translucent powder with a damp beauty sponge and leaving for a few minutes before sweeping off. This works so much better than dabbing loose powder on dry or with a brush. Brightening effects are intensified and the skin looks and feels amazing!

4. Want perfect winged liner? Clench your toes! 
So this is a trick from makeup artist, Erik Soto, however it's apparently common knowledge in the business (who knows!). When you're next applying liquid liner clench your toes and instantly you will notice how any hand shakes disappear. Maybe it's a placebo effect or maybe it's actual science, either way it works and wonky winged liner is so more!

5. Apply eye cream to your lips 
This makes quite a lot of sense as eye cream is designed to be sensitive yet plumping and anti-ageing so why not use it around the lips. Of course don't apply any eye cream as lip balm... that will not taste nice, but dabbing it lightly around the lip line will help fine lines, skin dehydration and lips will look around perkier.

6. Have the worst red angry spot, apply eye drops 
I've used this hack for many years now and it works a treat. Simple apply a small amount of eye drops to any red spot with a cotton bud and within minutes notice how the redness is reduced. This is because whitening eye drops aim to help bloodshot eyes! This hack doesn't help the spot go away however it's a great trick to do before applying makeup.

7. No dry shampoo? Use translucent powder instead
Before dry shampoo was invented using talcum powder on greasy roots was the norm, but why not used transient powder instead. The powder soaks up excess oil and can be blended into the hair by massaging it in or thoroughly brushing the hair. 

8. Contouring with sunscreen?
Now this may be the strangest hack of them all, but it actually makes quite a bit of sense. When tanning on your annual holiday take two different strengths of SPF applying the highest SPF (possibly 50) to where you would highlightthe face and the lower SPF to where you would normally contour. This will leave you with a naturally contoured face sans makeup. Who knew!

9. Tame whispies/baby hair with clear brow gel 
Ahh, sometimes the most simplest of tricks are the best ones. To tame those annoying fine hairs around the hair line simply brush through with a clear brow gel and smooth into place. So simple!

10. Trying to find a new fragrance? Take coffee beans with you
Ever been at a fragrance counter and realised that after a few sniffs of various scents you become what I like to describe as 'nose blind'? All scents seem to smell the same and in the end you can't decide what you like. To cleanse the nose palette take a quick sniff of a few coffee beans (yes, that does mean keeping a few in your bag - not at all strange!) and be amazed at how you can differentiate different scents once again. A must if you want to try out lot of different fragrances. 

Let me know if you have any strange but useful beauty hacks! I'd love to know them.

Fee xo.

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eBay Bargains #62 - Christmas Come Early


*Cue Home Alone soundtrack* 

In less than 100 days it will be Christmas Day and at the rate of how fast this year seems to be going (how it is nearly October?) I'm getting in there early and not taking any chances. I mean there's an actual chance I will blink and it will be mid December! 


Also I kind of wanted a good excuse to re-use these wonderful Christmas illustrations again, AND I'm also factoring in that eBay listings from China can take there time... though the items are from a mix of UK and International sellers - don't worry no custom charges though! 

P.S I'm currently patting myself on the back for this non-tacky Christmas selection - I think I did pretty good! 

Rose Gold Snowflake Necklace 
£1.35 HERE
Now I can't say I'd be tempted to wear a snowflake necklace in fear of it looking like it's some kind of Frozen merchandise however this is a stunning rose gold shade and it looks much more grown up and kind of just a subtle nod to Christmas/Winter. An inexpensive novelty necklace that doesn't look tacky! It would also make a lovely little gift I think.

Gold Foil Festive Cushion Covers 
£2.45 each HERE
Just yes to these! I don't know how I came across these amazing Christmas cushions but I'm so glad I did! Perfect for slipping over your current cushions and instantly transforming your living room or bed into something much more festive. The listing contains a few more gold foil designs plus lots of other styles - I want them all... but I will be picked up 2 or 3 for my sofa! 

Christmas Countdown Chalkboard 
£2.49 HERE
For children and adults alike, this is the perfect thing to hang in your home to get you extra excited for Christmas. I love anything like this because it's more than just a plaque and something you have to do each da, plus you can bring it out each year come December 1st!

Retro Christmas Wrapping Paper 
Print Phone Cases 
99p each HERE
Another find I'm oh so pleased with and have snapped up already! The listing contains some absolutely lovely no-tacky Christmas phone cases. I ordered cases no. 6 & 11 because they are just adorable and as I've alreadt received them I can tell you that they are amazing quality for being only 99p!

Hardback Christmas Planner 
£13.94 HERE
If you're a serious Christmas lover than a planner is a must. This keeps everything organised and it just down right Christmas-y! I find Christmas planner generally a bit tacky and cheap looking but this is simple yet pretty and in the listing you can see some of the pages to the planner which look really good. A bit of a treat to yourself but something that will add to your Christmas spirit and can be used throughout the festive period to keep all your ideas and plans in one place. 

Set of 6 Snowflake Style Stamps 
£1.75 HERE
You can use these in so many ways for craft projects and all things Christmas related. In fact I used these stamps last year and created my own wrapping paper by buying brown parcel paper and using a white ink pad (this is a good one for only £1.89 - lots of colours) and it looked amazing!  

Mercury Glass Bauble Fair
Lights (batter operated) 
£8.99 HERE
Aren't these the prettiest fairy lights you ever did see? I purchased some very similar lights from Homesense last Christmas for £19.99, so these are a total bargain. I used my lights at Christmas time however I now keep them around the base of my TV and they look fab. Made from strong glass and with the mercury finish these look lovely both on and off. 

Essie Winter Collection Mini Set 
£4.00 HERE
This is a lovely Essie set from last year which I actually have. These 3 minis normally costing £12.99 really are lovely and can be used alone or together. Also I find the mini sized Essie polishes just the right size because I don't know anyone that's ever used up a nail polish before! Jiggle Hi Jiggle Low I think it my favourite shade as it's a super metallic light gold/silver, but I also love Jump In My Jumpsuit because it's such a pretty berry raspberry red shade that's ideal for both autumn and winter. Such a bargain! 

Large Wooden Light-up Christmas Village Scene 
£18.71 HERE
Onto the most special item of my festive round-up  and again something I own a similar version of. In fact I have a few of these now that I bring out each Christmas - can you tell I love Christmas? As you can see this is quite a large one at 45cm long so ideal for displaying on a sideboard or window sill. The little village illuminates with a little switch and is battery operated so no wires are on show. Such a lovely decoration for your home that everyone will be impressed by and something that can be brought out year upon year. I may be treating myself to this one! 

I won't say I hope this has put you in the festive spirit as it's a little too early. But I do hope you've found some Christmas treats! 


Fee xo. 

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The Ordinary - The Cheap Sister Company To Niod & Fountain You Need To Know About

Today I want to talk about the latest skincare brand on the block - you may have heard of them.

The new skincare line is called The Ordinary, but they couldn't be further than that, offering high quality ingredients at some very affordable prices and possibly changing the way we think about high end skincare... well what we spend on it, anyway. 


The new brand from Deciem - founders of Niod, Fountain and Hylamide, have so far released 11 products, mainly consisting of serums, priced between £5.00 and £12.70 (plus free p&p!) but have many more exciting products in the pipeline! The key element of this new line is that each product only contains a few active ingredients and though with quite a scientific approach in both the names and packaging, if you can suss out which serum will work best with your skin it will most likely do wonders! 

After lots of looking at all the individual serums The Ordinary offer I decided to treat myself (if spending £5 can be classed as that) to Niacinamide 10% + Zine 1% which is a blemish formula aimed at reducing the appearance of blemishes and congestion as well as balancing out sebum in the skin. From having a quick look at other products on the market that also contain 10% or less of Niacinamide (by Paula's Choice and Alpha-H) you would be looking to pay around £30-50... so you can see you get quite the saving with The Ordinary! 


The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zine 1%

High-Strength Vitamin and Mineral Blemish Formula 

£5.00 (shop link


Onto the serum itself now, which comes in a glass bottle with a pipette in quite a silky rubberised feeling box. Again this doesn't feel like a £5 product at all.

With The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zine 1% serum expect a light quite gel-like fragrance-free formula that leaves the skin tacky for around 10 minutes before it fully soaks in. I've been applying this both morning and evening for 3 weeks now and even though I saw good results in the first few days of use I wanted to hold off until now to give a more in depth and full review. 

From constant use I have noticed my skin to look and feel less oily, especially on and around my T-zone area, pores are also less noticeable... but that is probably due to them not being filled with oil, and no small blemishes cropping up!
In the entire 3 weeks I've had only one blemish on my chin, however that appeared after spending the day in a shopping centre... so I'm going to blame the lack of fresh air! And with the use of the serum I noticed it disappeared after 2 days! 

Unlike other blemish treatments I haven't found my skin to become dry or flaky in areas leading me to only use them occasionally, in fact it feels more balanced and like a normal skin type for the first time in years - this really has impressed me. 



Other amazing sounding serums include "Buffet" - an all-in-one anti-ageing wonder formula, Lactic Acid 10% + HA 2% - a good chemical exfoliatant and Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 - ideal for anyone with dehydrated skin. 

Yes, the name of the products are confusing, unless you're a skincare whizz, but don't let that put you off... a little Googling will tell you what ingredient does what. Plus The Ordinary have created a table of when each product should be used here, which does make things a little easier! 

As you may be able to tell I'm very much impressed by my first purchase and I'm 100% looking forward to what The Ordinary have in store, especially as they have 8 new products coming soon. Including a very interesting sounding High-Adherence Silicone Primer which will be priced at only £3.90! 

Due to the nature of the brand and their scientific approach I don't think high-end skincare brands have much to worry about. But for those that can suss out their skin needs and buy accordingly The Ordinary is a brand to get excited by! 

What are your first impressions of  The Ordinary

Fee xo. 


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A No-BS Guide To Making Money As A Blogger

Guide-to-making-money-as-a-beauty-blogger

This post has been in the pipeline for some time, I've had it part wrote for weeks now. But in light of Mode Media declaring bankruptcy and knowing thousands of bloggers will ultimately go unpaid (including myself!) along with losing an income stream, I was motivated to get this post wrote!


Side note - I'm presuming you're a blogger if you are reading and know about the news surrounding Mode Media (Hayley at London Beauty Queen has an in-depth post all about it). This post really is aimed at bloggers already seeking ways of making money from blogging which means there is some more in-depth info here and I won't be explaining the basics such as how affiliate marketing works etc.

__________________________________ 

Recently I've been trying to up my game as a blogger. This has meant endless scouring of Pinterest for informative blog posts and motivation stuffs if you will. But the thing is... I kinda feel "How I make $50,000 per month as a blogger" and "How to Become a Six-Figure Blogger within a Year" type blog posts just aren't that helpful. Motivational? yes, Actual info to help to get there? no. You see unless you want to be an all singing all dancing blogger that branches out into coaching, e-book writing or event talking or you're one of the lucky select few that started back in the day and are now part of the main talent agency in the UK (you know the one!). Then it's actually pretty damn hard to make a full-time wage from blogging, though it is doable!

So I decided to do the opposite of all the blog posts I've been reading recently and give you a no BS, no-nonsense yet fairly simple guide on how to make money as blogger. Whether you're only just starting out or you're looking to increase your income, especially if you've been let down my Mode Media, I hope this post can help.  

Sponsored Content 

Sponsored posts are a great way to boost your yearly income as a blogger. Yes, you need to be careful not to annoy your readers by over doing them or blogging about cheese when you're a beauty blogger (just an example, I hope no one has!) but done correctly you can produce interesting content whilst making a good amount of money. If you are lucky enough to contacted by a company and then work with them on sponsored content make sure to keep that relationship going - offer your stats on that post, let them know if it goes a bit viral 6 months on etc. It's just a good way to say - I'm still here! 

As for how much you can earn from sponsored content it really is based on your reach/page views and the amount of work you will be doing for them. Even if you class yourself as a small time blogger and don't do it full time, never accept anything less than £100 - ever! For the average blogger £200-500 is the norm, however if you can build up your monthly pageviews then you really can earn quite a bit more. 

I've personally found since the change in Google's rules in which paid for content cannot contains follow links (they most be no-follow) there has been a drop is sponsored content and it's not something I can rely on as a monthly income. It's still an income stream for me but it now makes up 25% of my income compared to 50-60% in 2014/15.

Key tips to take away
  • Know your worth
  • Keep your integrity
  • Always request a purchase order (PO) number to secure and track payments more easily. In the rare case of non-payment the purchase order can be used as a legal document.

Affiliate Marketing 

I often think affiliate marketing is over looked especially by beauty bloggers, which is a shame because it's something that can become a good passive income and not require too much work other than blogging consistantly and recommending products you love! 

My main tip here to maximise monthly income is to join as many related affiliate programs as you can so that all the products you talk about and love, earn you at least something, be it a few pence sometimes! The main affiliate programs that work for me are - Skimlinks, Affiliate Window, Rakuten and Amazon,  but there are so many more and to find them I often visit the product website on the products I want to mention and find the affiliate details/link in the footer. 

Wish list and round-up product posts always do well. However honest in-depth reviews shouldn't be overlooked! Also if you do well with a certain brands you can sometimes negotiate a higher commission rate with the affiliate program or you could consider including a display ad of your highest earning brand in the sidebar of your blog which will bring you extra affiliate revenue.

Key tips to take away
  • Be consistent
  • Join multiple affiliate programs (it all adds up!)
  • Only features products you love/believe in!
  •  Update out of date links and naturally place links in posts that receive the most traffic 

Ad Agencies 

Ahhh, now onto the sticky topic of ad agencies that take a cut of what you earn but take the the effort and negotiation out of the equation. But who can we really trust?! Often ad agencies come with rules (example - no other outside ads above the fold) and make themselves more appealing than they actually are, in terms of how often ads will be served on your page (it's never 100% of the time but more like 30-40%) and how much they pay per CPM. I currently don't feel I can recommend any ad agencies as I haven't trialled any other the Mode Media. However I would suggest to proceed with caution, always opt to trial ads out for a month first and never solely rely on it as your main source of income.

Key tips to take away   
  • Make sure the ads aren't intrusive and Google-friendly (no-mobile pop-ups!)
  •  Don't solely rely on one income, have other revenue streams
  • Backfill ads with another ad agency or Adsense to aim to have ads showing 100% of the time, making the most you can for each ad space.

Goodle Adsense 

If you are looking for a totally reliable way of making money through ads then look no further than Google Adsense. Adsense is often the first thing bloggers put on their page and then with a small amount of pageviews feel it's not for them due to their low revenue. However building on pageviews definitely increases ad revenue and with the correct placement and ad sizes you can really maximise earnings. It always a good idea to place your largest ads above the fold and include individual ads into the html of your most popular posts/posts. I personally know a few people that earn a full time wage just through Adsense ads alone. Get placement right and aim to increase your pageviews and this could become a good portion of your income!

Key tips to take away

  • Include ads above the fold
  • Try different ad sizes monthly to find your most clicked ad size
  • Be aware of the guidelines/rules, Google do ban people! 

These are the 4 key areas in which you can earn money through blogging, however social media sponsorship is becoming much more popular so this may be another area you want consider. There's also the option to seek out private ads with smaller businesses.


I'm definitely no expert in this field and my pretty limited knowledge comes from blogging for over 5 years now. 

If you do have any questions however feel free to ask them in the comments below and I'll try my best to answer them! 


Fee xo.


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eBay Review: Zoeva Style Rose Gold Makeup Brush Set

I think it's fair to say that I love budget makeup brushes from eBay. Yes, I've tried Zoeva, Sigma, MAC and lots of the other high end branded brushes but as long as the brush quality is there, whether cheap or expensive, I think it's down to application technique!


So with that being said, I'm more than happy to pick up inexpensive brushes and brush sets from eBay because they are pretty great on quality, for the most part, and look amazing! Here I have a stunning 8-piece set that consists of both face and eye brushes and looks extremely similar to the much more expensive Zoeva Rose Golden brushes. The best thing about them... they cost only £5.22 here - I know, crazy! Or if you don't mind branding on the handles of the brushes (they say 'Gujhui') then they are only £3.95 here

Psssst! I've been asked by a few U.S readers now to include US links in my eBay posts so here's the link to these brushes - only $6.77

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/322165359280?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&var=511075302177&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

If you read my review of the Zoeva -style rose gold/pink brushes then you will know that I particular loved the foundation buffing brush in the set. This was because it's the loveliest duo-fibre brush. So I was more than pleased that this set contains 4 duo fibre brushes, which are extremely soft I must say! 

What you receive

Face brushes (left image) 
Powder brush, foundation buffing brush, small buffing brush, angled blush brush
Eye Brushes (right image) 
Large blending brush, angled liner/brow brush, lid brush, fluffy blending brush 

Quality 

Hopefully you can see from the images that these are absolutely stunning brushes without any flaws to them. The rose gold ferrules are just gorgeous and very well made, feeling secure and sturdy, in fact two of the duo fibre buffing brushes seem to have extra strong ferrules and really do feel expensive... I would have been fine to pay £5.00 for these two brushes alone! 

As for shedding of the bristles it's all been very minimal and only with the two cream eyeshadow brushes, but nothing I don't expect from any other brush set. I also feel I need to repeat about how soft these brushes actually are - I think you will be as impressed as I am! I also love how dense the duo fibre brushes are, which makes them ideal for creating a flawless base.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/322165359280?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&var=511075302177&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Favourite Brushes 

I really could have picked them all as my favourite brushes as I'm been using them equally and cannot fault them. However there are a few that really stand out to me as excellent brushes. Okay, I did still pick 5 out of the 8 in the set (bottom left image) but they are amazing and worth talking about in more detail. 

Without sounding like a broken record, the duo fibre buffing brushes in this set are a-mazing. They come in large, medium and smallt, with the larger ones being ideal for liquid foundation and the smaller as a concealer buffing brush or as an eyeshadow blending brush. They neither soak up too much product or just smoosh it around the face, but perfectly blend over the skin to create a flawless finish every time. So these three for me are like gold dust! I've also been enjoying the angled contour/blusher brush, I would say it's not structured enough for full on contour but for a light everyday look or if you aren't into contouring but more bronzing then this will be fab. I've been using it with my favourite Make Up For Ever bronzer and due to the angle of the brush this gives a perfect application - love! I've also been loving the angled brow brush to fill in my brows with a brow powder, it does the job perfectly.

If you love high end brushes but decide to snap this set up I'd love to know you're thoughts and if I've converted you! 

You can also find more eBay finds on my dedicated Pinterest board here

Fee xo. 

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10 Internet Tips & Resources You Need To Know About As A Blogger

Oh, I do enjoy a good internet hack, whether it's a keyboard shortcut that will make my life easier or a program that helps my blogging process. So today I thought I'd rack my brain for all the clever hacks that have helped me along the way as a blogger.

Hopefully you can find something here that will help you as well!


1. Find out what's been pinned to Pinterest from your blog by going to - 
https://uk.pinterest.com/source/yourblognamehere.co.uk/

2. Create a simple blogger-friendly dashboard on Google Analytics in seconds. More details here  

3. Keep handy virtual post-it notes on your desktop with Sticky Notes - my fav!

4. Stuck for what to blog about? Use this clever blog topic generator - trust me, it's fun to try out!

5. Turn any image (possibly for a media kit or invoice) into a PDF in seconds by uploading it to Canva and saving it as a PDF

6. Create a one-word keyboard shortcut for Instagram for all the hashtags you want to use. Full tutorial here (this will save you soooo much time!)

7. Sharing a blog post link from your phone? Remember to remove "?m=1" after .html or it will appear as the mobile version on desktops otherwise

8. Create instant cool-looking quote images for your blog and social media with Recite

9. Want text to stand out in a blog post? Make sure to create a sub-header instead of bold and add key words to help
SEO

10. Don't own Photoshop but want to remove image backgrounds? Try Clipping Magic

Bonus Hack - I had to mention this amazing free website called Peek (not sponsored, don't worry!) that I recently discovered. If you want some honest feedback about how user friendly your blog is then you simple enter your website address and a REAL PERSON will create a video with a voice over, reviewing your site as they navigate it. I suggested this to my blogging friend Andrew over at Beauty and The Boy, so if you want to see exactly what I'm going on about you can view his feedback video here before submitting your own blog - it's pretty cool if you ask me! 

Found anything that you think will be like magic dust to you? Let me know! 

Also if you have any hacks or website suggestions for me I'd love to hear them in the comments. 

Fee xo.   

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