Dresses and Daydreams: Collection

Hi! This is step three in my 'How to get Perfect Skin' series. Make sure you read step one and step two!

Step #3 - Concealer

Collection Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Concealer - Boots - £4.19

This is the one beauty product that every girl needs (yes, this is a need) in her make-up bag. This concealer is called Lasting Perfection by 'Collection' (used to be Collection 2000). It claims to last 16 hours. I have yet to put this to the test (because I need my beauty sleep) but I can say it does last all day long. I've even gone surfing and it's kept my acne scarring from showing through.

First of all, you need the right shade. There has been a few sunny days in Wales recently, so my hands have tanned, but oddly (and unfortunately) my face never does so I go for the lightest shade which is 01 'Fair'. I also find that I like concealers slightly lighter, especially if your using it for your under-eye baggage because it brightens like a real-life Photoshop!

I'd say the texture is quite creamy and velvety. It is thick but that's definitely what I want in a concealer- it has to conceal!

Here it is in action! Definitely faking the 'perfect skin' because I have broken out like crazy over this last week! So there's me and my lovely fiancé, Andrew who's turning twenty this week. This was before going out for an early birthday meal with our friends. This concealer is my life-saver!

Keep checking - the fourth and final step will be up soon!

Real Techniques Core Collection Kit - £15-£18 - Amazon

Hey Everyone! Happy Friday! Look what the delivery man came with today! It's the Real Techniques Core Collection Kit designed by beauty blogger Sam Chapman from Pixiwoo!

I've been wanting to try Real Techniques make-up brushes for a while now. But as they are priced between £6.99 and £12.99 per brush at Boots, they've just been a lustful luxury dream. When I saw this Core Collection Kit on Amazon for a very reasonable price I just caved in. I paid £17 for these 4 brushes, but the prices do go up and down daily. I've heard of people generally paying between £15 and £18 for this set.

Like I said, there are 4 brushes included. Starting from left to right, first up is the Contour Brush. Sam says this, "delicately applies highlighter to contour or create sheer, soft-focus finish." And yes - it does. I used The Body Shop's Brilliance Powder as a highlight which comes with it's own brush attached to the product. So, I unscrewed the brush, dusted some product onto my palm and used the Contour Brush instead. This made a huge difference. Before, I hardly used the product because I found the brush hard and spiky. After using the Contour Brush I appreciated the white highlight with golden undertones one thousand times more.

The second brush is the Pointed Foundation Brush which Sam says to "use with liquid foundation to build custom coverage". I haven't used this yet because I only like to wear liquid foundation in the Winter time. So this brush should stay clean for a while!

The third brush is called the Detailer Brush that Sam has "precision cut to effortlessly conceal problem areas; or, use with lipstick for long-lasting shape and definition." I used this to conceal with Collection's Lasting Perfection Concealer. I will do a review on the concealer soon because it is my all-time favourite, but using the Detailer Brush really enhanced its performance. I have many acne scars that need concealing every day, and this brush felt very delicate on my skin. The last thing I want is to have a spiky brush to irritate my oily skin so this little tool is a delight to use.

The last brush is the Buffing Brush which Sam says is, "ideal for full coverage application of powder and mineral foundation." So, I used Rimmel's Stay Matte Pressed Powder (because I swear by it) with this brush. The brush itself just felt so soft on the skin, and held the powder really well (instead of it poofing everywhere). Overall, I loved using the brushes and there's a huge difference between these and any cheap supermarket brush.

Here's my Fresh Face Friday FOTD, so that you can see these brushes in action.