Michael Van Clarke Large Paddle Brush

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to do this post - I will be on track now to do regular posts again! I never ever thought I would be doing a review on a hair brush, but I just can't resist because I love it so much. In the past I have never thought too much about the hairbrushes I've owned - I focused more on the type of hairbrush (paddle, comb, barrel) rather than the quality of the brush and what good it can do for my hair. However, for present ideas for my birthday I was browsing through the SpaceNK website (my absolute favourite!) when I stumbled across this paddle brush by Michael Van Clarke and so I ordered it. What originally drew me to the brush is that it is wooden so will last a long time, plus I had never owned a wooden brush before and really wanted one! Then when reading the description I saw that the brush is ideal for longer hair styles (perfect for me!)

After using this for over a month now I can honestly say it is the best brush I have ever had. It has a combination of bristles (short black ones and the longer ballpoint pin bristles) which works amazingly on my hair - it smooths through my hair without pulling or hurting, and leaves my hair with a really smooth finish which is something I have never experienced from brushing before. 

With normal paddle brushes, if I brush through my hair at the end of the day it tugs painfully at any tangles and leaves my hair looking damaged and frizzy. I really didn't think a brush could make so much difference to my hair but now I can't live without it! Even in a hot climate where my hair is subject to humidity it managed give me a smooth finish. After using this I will definitely be trying Michael Van Clarke's '3 more inches' range to help grow my hair! Like I said previously I never ever thought I would be writing a post on a hair brush but I had to express how glad I am that I bought it - I seriously recommend people try this!

Have you used any Michael Van Clarke products before?

Beauty Uncovered x

Erborian Sleeping BB Mask

I have been so excited to write the review on this lovely BB mask! Erborian is a brand that describes itself as combining 'French luxury' with 'traditional South Korean beauty remedies', and I have in fact never tried any of their products before but have heard many good things about Korean skincare so when I saw this online here whilst browsing I just couldn't resist! The idea of this product is that it will 'cocoon' your skin whilst you sleep (a similar idea to having a body wrap at a spa) and when you wake up you will have 'baby skin'. 

It has a similar look and texture to a moisturiser but when you blend it into your skin it rests transparently on the surface (similar look to a serum) but it then dries within a few seconds and looks no different to your normal skin. However, your face instantly feels refreshed. Then you go to sleep and simply wash it off when you wake up with warm water. I have used this 2-3 times per week over the last 3 weeks and each time I use it my skin feels velvet-smooth the next day and it looks brightened as if it has had a revival. I have even tested this product after a rather heavy night out when on holiday - however, when I awoke my skin didn't have the hungover, dull, drowsiness to it that it usually would and instead felt completely refreshed! Although hangovers (obviously!) don't just affect your skin, I personally think that your skin looking and feeling 'groggy' is half of the battle! Of course this isn't just for when you suffer a hangover, it is for any time that you feel like your skin needs revitalising, and is superb especially when tackling tired and stressed skin. I purchased this from Space.NK at £32 and it is fully worth that price. I love how this BB mask is slightly different to other products - I have never before tried/seen a mask that is specifically for while you are sleeping. What is also great is that you can use this in conjunction with your usual skincare routine so you do not have to alter that! 

Have you tried this product before or something similar? Have you used Erborian before? Please reply in comments below! 

Thanks for reading,

Beauty Uncovered x

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Mark Hill Holiday Hair Cover Up! Protection Spray

I'm currently on holiday and have been using this protective hair spray every day when I have been in the sun in order to give you an accurate review on it! This is a product I saw whilst shopping in Boots and picked it up as I was looking for sea salt spray and it was placed next to it - I wasn't looking for it and I certainly didn't realise it was a product that I even needed (I wasn't even aware of its existence). However, it is now a necessity that I will use every time I go abroad or will be exposing my hair to sun rays. It does exactly what it says - it protects your hair from the harmful sun rays and returns moisture to sun-damaged hair. The idea is that you apply this whenever you would apply suncream. It is SPF 6 so does not only protect/condition your hair, but it also protects your scalp from the sun. This is a problem I have experienced for years - whenever I sunbathe I'm unwilling to put suncream or oil onto my scalp as it makes my hair greasy/is just not the 'done' thing, and I always end up burning my head especially in the space where my parting is! But this has resolved that problem completely and not once has the top of my head been burnt since using this! This is sold in a 50ml bottle (as pictured below), but I think it will run out by the end of my holiday - so my only complaint about this product is that I can't buy a bigger bottle because I need more! I honestly do really urge you all to buy this Mark Hill spray - even if it's something you have never realised you needed before (like me!) I promise it will soon become a definite holiday necessity! 

It is currently on offer at Boots here for only £3.99 (normally £5.99)

Please share and comment to let me know your opinions on the spray!

Thanks for reading,

Beauty Uncovered x

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Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream

Finding the right BB cream is something I have been trying to do for the past few years but I think I have finally found the right one for me (which you can buy for just £27 here)!

 I'm aware that some people may use BB cream as part of their daily makeup all year round, but for me it is something I only use on holiday (and the few days after I return home) simply due to my skin being in a different condition and also the change in climate. I find it difficult to wear foundation on holiday after the first day as the climate is totally different (as horrible as this sounds - foundation will just sweat down my face as it is too heavy) and  my skin colour gradually changes throughout the duration of the holiday so the foundation becomes the complete wrong colour. This is why the BB cream from Smashbox is perfect. I have used a few of the Smashbox primers before and absolutely loved them so thought I would give their BB cream a try and I was not disappointed. Compared to BB creams that I have used on previous holidays, it provides better coverage - enough to smooth out small blemishes (I still use my Estée Lauder Double Wear concealer to cover any major blemishes) but it is very light which allows your skin to breathe and also means that your tan can be seen. It find it is also moisturising (again, great for holiday skin after it has been dehydrated by the sun during the day) yet it controls shine even with oily skin - I have applied it after using greasy aftersun and it has still controlled the oil levels on my face. It is also SPF 35 which is obviously a bonus - keeping your skin protected from the sun is so important! Smashbox have also branded this as a primer for when you need more coverage - I cannot wait to try this out when I return to the UK and can start to use foundation again! Whilst purchasing this I also picked up the BB cream for eyes - great for covering dark circles and keeping the delicate under eye area hydrated too. 

I bought a slightly lighter colour to keep the area under my eyes looking illuminated but this means I can use it as a general face concealer over main BB cream! The BB cream for eyes is dispensed through a brush so it can be applied very easily. I have tried a few different BB creams in the past, so I can say from some experience that this is one of the best and at such a reasonable price too so I really do recommend this.

Please share any of your thoughts on BB cream in the comments below!

Beauty Uncovered x

Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup

This has to be one of my all time favourite products so I decided it should definitely be the first review I do on my blog. I have used this foundation for about 3 years and I have no intention of changing. Over the past year I have tried a few other brands of foundation such as Dior (which I will write a review on at a later date) but they simply cannot compare to Double Wear. It claims to 'stay-in-place' for 15 hours and from my experience this is 100% true. With foundations I have previously used, by the end of the day my skin looks dull and is practically bare of any foundation as it has somehow worn off throughout the day, but I can put Double Wear on at 7 in the morning before I go to work, and I could then go to a restaurant after I finish work and at 11pm my skin still has full coverage - I don't have to quickly re-do my whole face of makeup in between the two places. Many foundations which offer full coverage are quite often so thick they automatically cake your face even if you attempt to only use a small amount. However, Double Wear manages to provide full coverage whilst also looking completely natural and making your skin look flawless. A bonus is that you can apply a very light layer onto the skin and it still gives excellent coverage - you honestly don't have to cake it onto your face. I have combination-oily skin and it is perfect for me, yet in my opinion it would also be perfect for dryer skin-types as it is a liquid foundation so doesn't dry the skin. The shade I wear is called Ivory Nude and can be seen in the pictures I have posted alongside this review. The only problem I have with this foundation is the packaging! It would be much easier to use if the bottle also had a pump, or if it was in a squeezy tube (not as appealing to look at but it would be much more practical!) - but overall I would completely recommend this product to anyone no matter their skin type!

This can be bought directly from Estée Lauder here.

Thanks for reading,

Beauty Uncovered x 

Welcome!

This is going to be my blog for all things make-up and beauty, attempting to uncover the real quality of beauty products. I'll post reviews and recommendations for products based on my personal experience with them, to share with readers before you go out and buy a product that isn't as good as adverts would have you believe! For the time being, I'm choosing to remain anonymous. I am completely new to the blogging world but hopefully I'll soon get used to it and be able to start posting my reviews - starting with my favourite products and brands including Estée Lauder and Shu Uemura. So keep checking back to see when I've made any uploads and I hope you enjoy!

Lots of Love,

Beauty Uncovered x