My Handbag Beauty Essentials

I've had a few requests to do a 'What's In My Handbag?' style post, but not much has changed since I did this old post which mostly consists of the mundane usuals; phone, purse, keys, diary, book, Ipod etc.  What has changed however, is that I now carry around a lot more beauty products than I used to, so hopefully this post will be much more interesting!

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Review: Japonesque Safari Chic Brush Set

 Japonesque Safari Chic Brush Set (£28, link)*

I'm sure by now you'll have already seen these ultra cute animal print make-up brushes from Japonesque on the blogosphere, so as always, I'm going to throw my own two cents into the mix anyway!

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Review: Japonesque Brush Set Touch Up Tube in Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

 Japonesque Brush Set Touch Up Tube in Pink (£16.95, link)*

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the time of the year when lots of brands release special 'pink' products to show their support for this good cause.  Japonesque have released several pink products, one of which is a pink version of their Touch Up Tube.

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Beauty Debate: Natural vs Synthetic Make-up Brushes - Which do you use and why?

If you're a make-up junkie, chances are you'll also have some kind of make-up brush collection, whether it's small, large, or somewhere in between.  I never used to have many make-up brushes, but as my cosmetics collection grew, I found myself becoming a lot more interested in brushes and discovering which ones I liked using and which ones I didn't for a variety of reasons. 

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December Favourites

I hope everyone had a great New Years! I'm a bit late doing this post due to the festivities, so here are my beauty favourites from last month:-



Barry M Translucent Powder in Medium - One of the best budget friendly (I think this was under £6) powders I've tried so far. It's finely milled and absorbs excess oil from the face to leave your make-up set and matte. Plus it's packaged in a generous size compact with a huge mirror. Elf Studio Line Cream Eyeliner in Black (swatch) - My new go-to eyeliner! Easy to use, with good pigmentation and staying power. Unbelievable that this is just £3.50! Japonesque Travel Size Smudger Brush - The perfect shape and size for doing a quick smokey eye with soft bristles. Barry M Lipgloss Wand in Toffee (swatch) - My new favourite nude lipgloss, so pretty for wearing everyday and non-sticky. Cargo Cosmetics Classic Lip Gloss in Tokyo - Another non-sticky, everyday colour that I've been wearing a lot since receiving in last month's Glossybox.



Zoya Nail Polish in Zeeka (NOTD) and Deborah Lippmann Nail Polish in Razzle Dazzle (NOTD) have been my recent favs for my nails. Elf Studio Line Complexion Brush - Another budget favourite, this brush really is perfect for applying any kind of loose powder and has the absolute bargain price tag of £3.50! Lush Cupcake Fresh Face Mask - I've been raving recently about this face mask and would recommend it to anyone with troublesome oily/combination skin. KMS California Freeshape Quick Blow Dry Spray - I wasn't all that excited to try this when I first saw it in my Carmine box, but I popped it into my travel bag and tested it out over the holidays. WOW! It really does cut your blowdrying time in half and left my hair wonderfully frizz free and soft without any product residue. Amazing stuff!

What were your beauty favs for December?

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Carmine Box - December

Beauty boxes seem to be like buses this week, you wait ages for one and then they all arrive at the same time! Here's December's Carmine box:-





(1) Japonesque Smudger Brush, travel size - I was surprised that none of the beauty boxes I've received before now have had make-up brushes in them so this was a much welcomed addition that will be going straight into my make-up bag. The dinky Japonesque smudger brush is very similar in design and shape to Ruby & Millie brushes, and the bristles on this are incredibly soft.



(2) Weleda Pomegranate Creamy Body Wash, full size 200ml - SO happy to receive this! I love, love, love Weleda's pomegranate body oil already and have no doubts that this will be equally luxurious to use.



(3) KMS California Freeshape Quick Blow Dry Spray, travel size 30ml - this little spray apparently reduces blowdrying time by up to 50%. I don't blow dry my hair that often but can imagine this coming in handy when travelling.



(4) Institut Esthederm Time Technology Cream, 10ml sample - I did inwardly groan a little when I saw this because I feel that there are constantly anti-aging creams in these boxes, but the description does say it can be used for skin of all ages so I will give it a go. Plus I like the sound of its 'light-reflecting' properties.





(5) MyFace Cosmetics Blingtone in Silver Screen - A majorly sparkly/glittery silver eyeshadow. I have a lot of silver eyeshadows in palettes that I never use so my sister has nabbed this one. Before she did, I swatched a little on my hand (above) and it seems quite difficult to work with because it has some serious fallout. Might be something that is better when used wet perhaps?

There was also a voucher for eyebrow threading from Benito Brow Bar that I promptly spilt camomile tea all over (oops!) but I don't think there's one of those near me anyway. Still a nice little extra though if you can get to one.

Summary: All in all, a good box. Certainly not as 'Wow!' as the other December beauty boxes seem to have been, but a generally good box nonetheless with a great variety of products to try out.

P.S Have a great Christmas everyone! I will be back after the bank holiday, have fun! :)

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