My Thoughts on Simple | Cookie Bow

Hey everyone, welcome back to my blog!

If you can remember a while ago I did a My Thoughts on Real Techniques blog post and I said that I would be doing more My Thoughts on... posts in the future. Today I will be sharing my thoughts on the skincare brand Simple which I am sure a lot of you have heard of. Let's get started...

What is Simple?

Simple is a skincare brand that started in the UK in 1960 with the first perfume and colour free soap. In 1978 they launched the UK's first cleanse, tone and moisturise skincare regime. Since then they have gone on to launch many more skincare products like facial washes, eye gels, teen skin products and scrubs. They also sell body, hair and baby products.

Pros

• It is very cheap if you are looking for budget skincare. Most products are around £3 and are often on offer in Boots for about £1.50.
• There is a large range of products to choose from.
• No artificial perfumes and colours are added to their products.
• A lot of the products contain vitamins.

Cons

• I do not think in any way that the products are suitable for 'sensitive' skin. I have sensitive skin and as soon as I put any of their products on my face it stings really badly and can be left red and sore.
• Their products contain parabens which they claimed on their website in the FAQs section. This probably leads to the reason why Simple products are harsh on my skin. If the company has 'sensitive skin experts' then how have they not realised that the parabens are not good for sensitive skin types?
• Some of the products dry out my skin after I've used them.

Reviews

I have tried out a few Simple products so far and I would have to say I only really liked one of them. Here are some reviews on the products I have tried:

Simple Kind to Skin Protecting Light Moisturiser spf 15

- It protects your face from the sun because it has spf 15 so this prevents aging and burning.
- It lasts a long time as you get a lot in the bottle.
- It is £4.35 which is a good price however it is slightly more pricey than the other products.
- It didn't moisturise my face very well and left it quite dry.
- The bottle says it is light but when I put it on it was very greasy and left my skin feeling plastic like.
- It stung my face when I used it.
- The only 'kind to skin' element of this is the sun protection.

5/10

Simple Kind to Skin Replenishing Rich Moisturiser

- This is the only Simple product I've ever liked as it did the job well and didn't sting my face.
- It is a shame it doesn't have spf as that would make it a really great moisturiser.
- It keeps your face moisturised for 12 hours.
- It was good when I had dry skin because it is rich therefore it left my skin really smooth.
- It has vitamin goodness added on as well!

8/10



Simple Kind to Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes

- These are a great bargain at only £1.25.
- Maybe the price shows this but they are not the best quality face wipes as they left my skin a bit dry and although they removed make up quite well, my face didn't feel cleansed.
- Again I had the issue that they stung my face quite badly.
- I think they have improved the formula and material of the wipes since I used them a while ago so maybe give them a try and they might be ok.

6/10

Simple Kind to Eyes Eye Make-Up Remover

- It doesn't last long and you do pay £3.39 for it.
- Definitely not 'kind to eyes' as I can remember the first time I used it I actually had to rush to get a cold flannel to wash it off. It stung my eyes really badly.
- It did remove my make up well but as the cost of the sore eyes afterwards!

5/10





Overall, I personally do not like Simple as it irritates my skin quite badly. Maybe if I didn't have sensitive skin it would be ok and it might work for other people brilliantly. But for now I think I'll stick to the more natural brands like Nivea, Good Things and Garnier.

I hope you liked this blog post and look out for more 'My Thoughts on..' in the future:)

See you in my next blog post,

Cookie Bow (Jess) x

-

Photo credits:

First photo: http://thoushaltnotcovet.net/
Second photo: http://www.ourlocalpharmacy.com/
Review photos: http://www.simple.co.uk/

Back to School Q&A | Cookie Bow

 

Hey everyone, welcome back to my blog!

Is it just me or is getting ready for back to school exciting in some way? Obviously I always regret saying this when it comes to maths first period on a Monday - cruel I know. This is my second back to school blog post and I thought I would do a Q&A because I have never done one before and it looked fun as I am always seeing them across the internet (YouTube especially)!

I asked some of my friends on Instagram to ask me some questions and I got loadsss, so I think I have answered most of them and if I didn't then please ask me in the comments below, I'd love to reply to some of your questions:) All the various bags, pencil cases, stationery etc mentioned are linked to the website where you can buy them so you can all have the best supplies for September! I hope this post will help you out a bit and help you prepare for back to school...

1. Have you been back to school shopping yet?

Yes and I went today funnily enough! I did spend a long time choosing the sharpener I wanted though...

2. What is in your school bag?

To be honest, I take about everything I can carry in my backpack (it is VERY heavy) so I would be sitting here at my laptop for years writing down all the stuff I take to school so I have decided to write a separate post called 'School Bag Essentials'. I will hopefully be writing that up when my school bag comes (eventually).

3. School make-up?

Nobody has to wear make up to school and most schools in the UK don't allow it but this is what I wear most days if I have enough time: primer, concealer, powder, a little bit of blush, mascara, I slightly fill in my eyebrows and apply a tinted lip balm or a lip gloss to finish off! Obviously it depends on your skin and if you can get away with make up or not.

4. What pens are your favourite?

I like to write in biros generally so I always use Zebra Z-Grip black biros.

5. Cute pencil cases you recommend?

The pencil case I bought this year is an Accessorize Aztec/neon pencil case which I found in Ryman's. I could only find the link to the barrel style one but the one I got had two sections. Whilst looking on the Ryman's and WH Smith's websites I also found some other cute pencil cases:

Pastel feather pencil case
Yellow and chevron pencil case
Metallic pencil case

6. Favourite hand sanitizer for school?

I have tried 3 different hand sanitizers in my life as they are a holy grail school essential and I only really liked two of them. I recommend any of the Body Shop hand sanitizers, there are 5 different amazing scents and the one I had was pink grapefruit so the link will send you to that. Or you can try the Soap & Glory Hand Maid which is what I just purchased for my school bag and it smells delicious!

7. Hairstyles for school?

Let's face it nobody has time for a fishtail braid so I recommend half up half down, a messy bun, two plaits either side, a ponytail or left down (straightened or curled if you'd like). I was thinking of doing a 3 easy hairstyles for school post so that may be up soon, I will see.

8. School bag recommendations?

First of all, please get a backpack if you can as they are so much easier to carry! The school bag I have chosen this year is a dark blue white polka dots backpack by Museya. It comes in different colours as well. For other cool backpacks look at Hype's website (my friend is getting a really nice one from there). Also, here are some random cute bags I found on amazon:

Pink backpack with cute pattern
Vans little mermaid backpack
Light blue and floral backpack
Dark blue backpack with daisy print

9. How to keep organised?

So to start with so you are not rushing in the morning pack your bag the night before and set a realistic alarm which you will wake up to and definitely get up. If you always turn your alarm clock off put it on the other side of the room so you have to get up to turn it off. Get your uniform ready the night before and anything else like PE kit etc.

Write down all your homework and keep up to date with it (when it's due and what night you should do it). To avoid losing worksheets carry a glue around with you so as soon as you get a sheet you can stick it in. They are my top organisation tips!

10. What setting do you keep your phone on during school?

We are 'supposed' to have to have our phone switched off completely but I don't do this (REBEL) because if there's an emergency then you need to have your phone on and also sometimes the teachers let us get our phones out on special occasions so that means I can just take it out and it will be on, let's face it a phone takes about a million years just to turn on. However, I do keep it on silent to avoid the awkward moment when someone's phone goes off and everyone is like "Oh my god whose phone was that!" (comment if you relate)

11. Skincare tips for perfect skin during school?

Obviously nobody's skin is perfect but to keep it in a healthy glowing condition cleanse twice a day, exfoliate once a week, use a face mask at least once a month, keep it moisturised and protected from the sun and at night use a night cream to make it feel soft and smooth in the morning. If you get shiny areas carry around oil absorbing sheets to wipe it away (it doesn't remove your make up). If you get the occasional spots then purchase a spot gel to keep them clean and make them shrink.

12. Skincare tips for dry skin?

Maybe use a thicker day moisturiser that really makes your skin feel nice and smooth, definitely keep your face exfoliated and apply night cream every night. Don't use harsh products such as face wipes as they dry out your skin and stay away from matifying skincare products/make up.

13. How to manage homework?

Write it all down. Write down due dates and all the key info you need because it really helps if you forgot what the teacher was telling you to do. If you find homework really boring and always procrastinate then organise a study session with your friends once every week. Make it your aim to do your homework the day you get it and turn off distractions like your phone and laptop. If the homework is too much talk to your teachers and parents. Also an extra tip to get you motivated is to give your self a reward for afterwards, for example a youtube video or TV episode!

14. What do you have for lunch?

Usually a sandwich, wrap or pitta bread, some fruit or yoghurt and a treat like a flapjack, a packet of crisps or a biscuit. Also, my mum sometimes make me pasta salad and if I've baked anything I will have that.

15. Favourite lesson?

I don't really have one but I like art, technology, IT, PE and geography!

That's it for my back to school Q&A, if you'd like any more Q&As please comment below because I really enjoyed writing this one! When do you go back to school? My school goes back on September the 3rd.

See you in my next blog post,

Cookie Bow (Jess) x

40 Beauty Questions Tag | Cookie Bow

Hey everyone, welcome back to my blog!

Today I am combining two of my favourite things in life and those things are beauty and tags. So, you can tell already but I am going to be doing the 40 Beauty Questions Tag (there are 41 questions for some reason though?) and this is just a bunch of different questions to do with make-up and skincare and I will be answering all of them! I have also done another tag and that was my first blog post (20 facts about me) so go and check that out as well if you love tags as much as I do. Are you sitting comfortably? Let us begin!

If you are interested in any of the products I mention, if you click on the product it will take you to a website where you can buy it!

SKINCARE

1. How many times do you wash your face daily?

I wash my face the typical amount of times a day which is twice and I wash it morning and night before I go to bed.

2. What skin type do you have?

I wouldn't say I really have one skin type as my skin varies a lot at the moment but it is always sensitive and most of the time it is combination.

3. What is your current facial wash?

Now by 'facial wash' I am guessing this means cleanser so I use two different cleansers one for morning and one more night. In the morning I use Clinique foaming cleanser and at night I use Boots essentials cleansing lotion.

4. Do you exfoliate?

Yes I do. I do a full face exfoliation once a week and everyday, depending how lazy I am, I exfoliate any spotty areas on my skin.

5. What brand do you use?

I never stick to one skincare brand as I have very sensitive skin so I am always trying out new things. I have recently found that products with zero parabens do not sting my face so from now I will probably be sticking to Nivea, Yes to and Good Things.

6. What moisturizer do you use?

Like the cleansers I use two different moisturizers for morning and night. In the morning I use the Simple protecting light moisturizer spf 15 and at night I use the Nivea dry to combination regenerating night cream.

7. Do you have freckles?

Yes but not many and they aren't very obvious. They are mainly on my nose and around that area.

8. Do you use eye cream?

Not at the moment but I would really like to because my eyes get very dry, flaky and red so it would probably help a lot.

9. Do you or did you have acne prone skin?

Very short answer - no. I do get spots though!

10. Did you ever have to use Pro-active?

I didn't know what this was until I just googled it now so for any of you wondering it is a subscription only acne treatment company. So, as I don't and haven't had acne the answer to this is no.

MAKE UP

11. What foundation do you use?

I don't wear foundation so I can't answer the question!?

12. How about concealer?

Collection lasting perfection concealer all the way!

13. Do you know your undertone colour?

Ummm... I probably should but I don't so no.

14. What do you think of fake eyelashes?

I don't wear them myself but I think for everyday you shouldn't really wear really big dramatic ones and keep them for parties or special occasions but natural eyelashes look nice. I tried applying some ones I got in a magazine (obviously they were not the best quality) and they were quite fiddly and just fell off!

15. Did you know that you are supposed to change your mascara every 3 months?

Yes I do! And I stick my the rule because there is nothing worse than a clumpy, dry, out of date mascara.

16. What brand of mascara do you use?

Maybelline because they are so so so good!

17. Sephora or Mac?

I don't own anything from either brands and we don't have a Sephora in the UK so I am not going to answer this question.

18. Do you have a Mac Pro-card?

No I don't whatever it is!

19. What make-up tools do you use in make-up application?

I use a brush for basically every part of make up! These are the brushes/tools I use: Eco Tools flat foundation brush, Real Techniques powder brush, Real Techniques blush brush, Real Techniques base shadow brush, Real Techniques deluxe crease brush, Real Techniques accent brush, Real Techniques brow brush, Superdrug brow and lash comb and Superdrug eyelash curlers.

20. Do you use make-up base/primer for the eyes?

Yes because it stops my eye shadow and concealer from looking cakey or creased.

21. For the face?

Yes, I do prime my face before I put my make up on and I use the Maybelline baby skin instant pore eraser. It is a really smooth gel texture and when I applied it to my hand in Boots I was amazed at how smooth it really was! This is what I use on my eyes as well in case you were wondering.

22. What is your favourite eye shadow (colour or shade)?

I really like shimmery eye shadows so my favourites would probably be Maybelline colour tattoo in On and on Bronze and two colours from my L'Oreal la palette nude. One is a very light gold and the other is a super shimmery rose gold.

23. Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner?

Both!:)

24. How often do you poke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil?

I don't think I've ever done this as I close my eyes for most of eye liner application and to neaten it up I open them.

25. What do you think of pigment eye shadows?

Again I had to Google this (you can tell how much I use Google by now!) and it said that a pigment eye shadow is a loose powder which you can use for other purposes as well. I've never tried this out before because it apparently is a 'MAC thing' but if I do in the future I may review it! So basically, I don't have an opinion on pigment eye shadows.

26. Do you use mineral make-up?

No I've never tried it but it sounds interesting so I may do in the future.

27. What is your favourite lipstick?

Probably the Barry M lipstick in the shade 53 Coral.

28. How about lip gloss?

I don't really have a particular favourite but I like my Burt's Bees lip gloss in Sunny Day and all of my mini Seventeen lip lustres (I could only find a link to the full size).

29. What is your favourite blush to use?

Probably my MUA powder blush in the shade Lolly, however I have to be very careful because it is really really pigmented!

30. Do you buy your make up on eBay?

Umm... no. And I don't think I ever will because it could be used, out of date or a fake.

31. Do you like drugstore make-up?

Yes, yes, yes I do! I have never bought high end make up so the drugstore is always my first choice.

32. Do you go to CCO's (cosmetic company outlets)

I don't think so? I don't really know what that it to be completely honest!

33. Did you ever consider make-up classes?

I haven't, no. But that isn't saying I won't in the future. Just remember, I am still only 12 years old! I have a lot of time ahead of me.

34. Are you clumsy in putting on make-up?

Not really. But I'm not a complete make-up artist!

35. Name a make-up crime that you hate?

When people use the wrong foundation or concealer shade for their skin!!

36. Do you like colourful shades of make-up (lipstick, eye shadow) or neutral ones?

I like to stick to the more neutral side because as I am only young and have quite light skin, bright make up can look a bit over the top on me.

37. Which celebrity always has great make-up?

I couldn't pick one so: Kendall and Kylie Jenner, Cara Delavigne and Taylor Swift!

38. If you could leave the house using just ONE make up item, what would you use?

Concealer. Because I NEVER look awake in the morning.

39. Do you think you look good even without make up on?

No not really.

40. In your opinion, what is the BEST make up line?

I'd probably have to go with Maybelline or Rimmel as Rimmel has better base products but Maybelline does amazing products for eyes.

41. What do you think of make-up?

Make up is not fake or hiding your face from the world unless that's how you see it. It is just like drawing but on your face and it is amazing like how an artist starts with a blank canvas and ends up with a masterpiece. It's exactly the same concept. I would say some people start make up a bit too young though (like 7 year olds) when they are naturally beautiful and some make up is a bit overpriced for what it is.

So that is it for my 40 Beauty Questions Tag (or forty-one!), I hope you liked it and if you are going to be doing this tag please let me know in the comment section:)

See you in my next post,

Cookie Bow (Jess) x

Intergalactic! | Cookie Bow

Hey everyone, welcome back to my blog!

The other night I was looking through my bag of Lush goodies and found my intergalactic bath bomb which my best friend got me for my birthday from Lush Oxford Street. I was so excited to try it out as, first off, the bath bomb looks incredible and second of all, I had seen various lush demos of it and they all looked amazing!

As soon as I dropped Intergalactic into the bath there was a massive explosion of bright blue that literally spread over the whole bath within a few seconds. Inside the bath bomb there are neon rainbow colours and these all swirled out pretty quickly along with white foam as well! It looked so incredible I couldn't wait to get in.

Once the bath bomb had fizzed away the water was left the super bright blue colour with loads of silver and gold sparkling glitter floating around the bath (you can see this in the last picture). I got in and I actually felt like I was in space inside a galaxy full of millions of stars!

When I got out of the bath my body had a slight shimmer from all the glitter but it wasn't too much. When I drained the bath there was a lot of gold glitter stuck at the bottom so if you use this bath bomb make sure to rinse the bath thoroughly afterwards.

If you are looking for an amazing bath bomb that will take you off in a rocket to space, definitely try this. And more good news! Lush have just launched there most popular products from the exclusive range at Lush Oxford Street into all their normal stores. Intergalactic is now sold in normal Lush shops so when you are in there make sure to look out for it!

I hope you liked this blog post, if you did please make sure to follow me on Bloglovin and on here and I'll see you in my next blog post,

Cookie Bow (Jess) x

My Lip Balm Collection 2015 | Cookie Bow

 

Hey everyone, welcome back to my blog!

If you didn't know already I have a slight obsession with lip balms! I can't remember why or how I got this obsession but I have gathered up 34 lip balms in total so far and I am still collecting right now. In this blog post I will be showing you all the lip balms that I own and some of my least favourites to favourites, let's get started...

DISCLAIMER! All photos in this blog post are mine so if you use them please give credit.

EOS

I'd probably say that EOS are one of my favourite lip balms because they are so moisturising and smell amazing! I currently have 8 in total. The eos I have from least favourite to favourite are:

- Blueberry acai
- Summer fruit
- Passion fruit
- Sweet mint
- Strawberry sorbet
- Rachel Roy Orange blossom
- Rachel Roy Strawberry kiwi and Rachel Roy Pink Grapefruit (I couldn't choose a favourite between them!)





The Body Shop Lip Balms

The Body Shop have a variety of different lip balms. I have all of the tub form Born Lippys as I got them in a set for Christmas and also a cranberry lip balm. I have 7 Body Shop lip balms in total. The Born Lippys I have from least favourite to favourite are:

- Satsuma shimmer
- Watermelon
- Passionberry
- Strawberry (I have two, an old style packaging and new packaging)
- Raspberry

(The lip balm in the centre is called cranberry shimmer I think but the packaging rubbed off a bit)




Baby Lips

Most of you probably know baby lips by Maybelline as they are very popular and there are loadsss of flavours to choose especially in the US. I have 9 baby lips in total and the ones I have from least favourite to favourite are:

- Intense care
- Smoothing cherry
- Hydrate
- Dr Rescue Coral crave
- Mirrored mauve Crystal
- Dr Rescue Pink me up
- Cherry me
- Color in Coral flush
- Strike a rose Electro




Nivea

Nivea make really moisturising lip butters and lip balms. I have 4 Nivea lip products in total and those are:

- Hydro care (spf 15)
- Nivea fruity shine Peach (fruity shines have a slight tint)
- Nivea fruity shine Watermelon
- Nivea lip butter Raspberry Rose









Random lip balms

Some lip balms are just random ones I have bought singularly or from a collection which I hope to buy more of and expand. These are the single lip balms I own at the moment:

- Beauticology Strawberry Sundae
- Accesorize lip balm (no name but smells like bubblegum yum!)
- Strawberry lip balm
- Next cherry lip balm
- Burt's Bees Nourishing Mango
- Chuppa Chups lip smacker in Orange

That is the end of my lip balm collection 2015! And yes, if you were wondering I will be doing a make up collection. However, it will not be up for a while because I am getting my room redecorated with a dressing table and I really want to show my make up in all its new storage, pots, drawers and everything like that. I hope you enjoyed this blog post and I will see you in my next one,

Cookie Bow (Jess) x

Bloglovin | Cookie Bow

Hey everyone, welcome back to my blog! As you may of seen from other blogs a lot of people use a site called 'Bloglovin' which is used to discover new blogs and to publish your own blog on too. I just made a profile so click this link here to follow me on Bloglovin: Follow my blog with Bloglovin That's just about it! See you in my next blog post, Cookie Bow (Jess) x

Things To Do When You're Bored | Cookie Bow

Hey everyone, welcome back to my blog!

I was just thinking to myself about all those times in the summer holidays when you are stuck at home and you are bored out of your mind! You are scrolling through Instagram and notice everyone else is on holiday in hot places like Spain or Turkey relaxing by a lovely pool. Then when you want to meet up with a friend and you text them asking if they are free, they are always busy, still asleep or on holiday! It is not fun at all really...

So I thought I would help you all out a bit and give you some ideas on what you can do this summer or even any time when you are bored. I have split it into different sections: what to do when it's bad weather and what to do when it's good weather...

What to do when it's bad weather:(

There is always those few days in the summer when it is chucking it down outside and you are lying on the sofa groaning to yourself like it's the end of the world. It doesn't have to be! Here are some ideas of what you can do with friends, siblings or by yourself:

1. Make an indoor den

Gather up pillows, sofa cushions, blankets and tables, make a cosy den, grab your laptop and snuggle up inside to watch Netflix, YouTube and your favourite films!

2. Bake something

You probably have most of the ingredients in your kitchen cupboards but if you are running low or need something specific (i.e. white chocolate chips!) you can always quickly go to the shops and grab the things you need. Baking is really fun and don't forget you get to lick the bowl and create some really tasty snacks or desserts! I will be posting some of my favourite baking recipes quite soon.

3. Go to an indoor shopping centre

Grab a friend, drive to your nearest shopping centre and go crazy in your favourite shops. It's quite simple and you'll probably end up having a great time and come home with a few too many beauty products and clothes!

4. Go to a trampoline park

Trampoline parks have become really popular this year. If you are not sure what they are, then they are a huge room full of trampolines everywhere! There are a few different companies so look out for Bounce, Gravity Force and Air Hop.

5. Watch a film at the cinema

Quite a few good films come out at the cinema in the summer so make sure to look what's on at your nearest cinema. Make sure you don't forget the Ben & Jerry's and the popcorn!

What to do when it's good weather:)

Sometimes in the summer you do get the really nice warm, sunny day with a perfect blue sky and the sound of the lawn mower in the garden. So here is how to make the most of the sunshine if you're stuck on what to do:

1. Paddling  pool and sprinkler

There's nothing better than on a boiling hot day to splash around in the paddling pool and run in and out of the sprinkler. It really refreshes you and it's even better with donut inflatables!

2. Make refreshing cold drinks

On a hot day when you've been having fun outside in the garden and in need of a refreshment, homemade cold drinks are always the best thing. You could make mocktails, milkshakes, smoothies, lemonade or coke floats.

3. Have a water balloon fight

Water balloon fights are so fun and all you need is a pack of water balloons (they sell them in most corner shops and supermarkets) and some cold water from the tap.

4. Go to the park

This is pretty simple but if you bring some friends a long and some outdoor games (football, netball, rounders etc.) you are bound to have a good time. It is also the perfect opportunity to have some yummy ice cream if there is an ice cream van!

5. Do some DIYs

DIYs are really fun and if they are messy you can make them outside in the garden. For example, you could collect flowers and make your own flower crowns or if you have a spare white top you could tie dye it as this looks really cool!

I hope that this blog post has given you some ideas or inspiration on what you can do this summer to avoid boredom. Try not to waste your whole summer holidays sitting around on the sofa staring at your phone or watching endless episodes of your favourite TV shows as when you go back to school you may regret it!

See you in my next blog post,

Cookie Bow (Jess) x

My Thoughts on Real Techniques | Cookie Bow

 Hey everyone, welcome back to my blog!

I had an idea to start a new collection of blog posts where I focus on a different beauty brand each time. It could be a skincare, hair or make up brand and as you can tell today I will be reviewing and sharing my thoughts on the Real Techniques brushes by Sam and Nic Chapman. Let's get started...

What are Real Techniques?

So, Real Techniques are a very popular brand of make up brushes found in most drugstores in the UK. I am pretty sure they sell them in shops in the US too but I am not sure as I haven't been there. Sam and Nic from the youtube channel 'Pixiwoo' had always loved make up when they were younger and in 2011 launched a range of high quality brushes to allow people to apply their make up a whole lot easier.

Prices

So the Real Techniques range in price quite a lot* but here is a simple price guide:

Bold metals single brush: (Boots) £10 - £25
Single brush: (Superdrug/Boots) £5.99 - £13.99
Set: (Superdrug) £20.99
Mini brushes set: (Superdrug) £7.99
Limited edition set: (Boots) £23.99

*You may find Real Techniques in the reduced section of TK Maxx so you can get them cheaper there;)

Pros

• You get good quality brushes for a good price.
• Most of the brushes are really soft.
• I really like how they have colour coded the metal part of the brush so you know what it's for (orange = base, purple = eyes, pink = finish).
• They are really easy to use.
• They are drugstore so are great for teenagers/beginners.
• If you buy a set you get a brush holder which is good for travel.

Cons

• The writing on the metal part can rub away quite easily.
• Because the ombre section is white it is really obvious when they're dirty.
• They are good prices but I think they range a little too much for each single brush.

Reviews

Powder brush:

- It is soooooo soft!
- It's really big so that makes it easy to buff powder round your face.
- The packaging doesn't rub off this one.
- I think it was £9.99 in TX Maxx because I got it reduced.







Blush brush:

- Fits the apples of your cheeks perfectly.
- Blends super pigmented blusher really well.
- I tried contouring with this but it didn't work too well as this brush is not angled. However, this is great for buffing bronzer round your face.
- All the writing on mine has rubbed off :(
- It is really soft and easy to clean.
- It was £9.99 which is really good for the quality.




Deluxe crease brush:

- I got this in a set with four other eye brushes.
- It has soft bristles.
- It is quite big so it's a bit hard to fit in your crease.
- Gets dirty very easily.
- Good for blending your finished eye shadow look together and eye shadow in the crease.

Base shadow brush:

- Again I got it in the eye set.
- The bristles are sooo soft.
- It fits your eyelid perfectly and blends all the colours together.
- The writing rubbed off a bit.

Accent brush:

- Not particularly soft but it is really firm.
- I use it for eye shadow along the bottom lashes and for blending white shadow in my inner corner
- This brush came in my eye set as well.








Fine liner brush:

- Not soft and quite scratchy
- It goes a bit frayed at the edges so you can't do a really precise eye liner look.
- I like to use it for a more smokey eye look.
- This came with my eye starter set too.







Brow brush:

- I really recommend this for beginners in filling in your eyebrows because it is so easy to brush the eye shadow through your brows hairs and gives a natural look
- It came in the eye set again.
- It doesn't get very dirty.
- It's quite soft and firm.




Overall, I really like Real Techniques and I recommend them to anyone starting out in make up or teenagers looking for good quality good price brushes.

I hope you enjoyed this blog post, make sure to follow for more and share with your friends.

See you in my next post:)

Cookie Bow (Jess) x

Post Requests & Quick Update | Cookie Bow

Hello everyone!

This is just a quick post/update but I would like to know any blog post requests you may have, please comment below. So this could be any diys, recipes, routines, reviews etc. I am struggling for ideas but I am off to look at other blogs to gain some inspiration!

When I move back into my normal house next week when the building work is done I will hopefully be doing a lip balm collection and make up collection because I do not have all my make up with me right now. I forget to put in my 20 facts about me tag that I have a slight lip balm obsession - oops!

I will also hopefully be going shopping on Thursday with my friend so I will probably write a blog post on what I bought.

Make sure to follow my blog and share with your friends if you haven't already,

See you in my next post:)

Cookie Bow (Jess) x

My Nail Art Designs & Tutorials | Cookie Bow



1. Valentine's Day

2. Leopard print

3. Scary spider webs



4. At last it's Autumn

5. Playing with pastel

 Hey everyone, welcome back to my blog!

As you can probably tell from the photos above I am going to be telling you about all my previous nail art designs. I'm also going to do a mini tutorial on how to get the different nail designs. Let's get started...

1. Valentine's Day

I am pretty sure that I did this design in February half term and was a Valentine's themed look. On my other hand I did hearts with a dotting tool but it was a bit messy so I decided to show the other design. The nail polishes I used were Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine in Grapefruit and Barry M  nail paint in Matt White. Here is a mini tutorial:

You will need:

• Bright pink nail polish
• White nail polish
• Nail vinyls or thin tape
• Dotting tool

All you need to do is apply white varnish to all your nails and wait for that to dry. Then stick the small vinyl strips down horizontally across the nail on your thumb, middle finger and little finger. After that take the pink polish and paint over the vinyls and then strip the vinyls off your nail carefully (you should see white stripes). On the remaining two fingers dip your dotting tool in a blob of the pink polish and paint dots in a straight line up your nail until you reach the edge.

2. Leopard print

So this design was pretty tricky but I had seen it on Instagram and I really wanted to give it a go. I used the same nail polishes from the last design and also a random unbranded black nail polish. Here is the tutorial:

You will need:

• Bright nail polish for the base (pink, yellow or blue I recommend)
• White nail polish
• Black nail polish
• Dotting tool with a small end

Paint all your nails a bright base colour then when that's dry get a small amount of white nail polish and dot it around your nails in a fairly regular pattern. Once that's dry take the small end of the dotting tool, dip it in a blob of black polish and go around the sides of the white splodges lightly. And voila, leopard print nails!

3. Scary spider webs

As you can probably tell this design was for Halloween and it may look tricky but once you know how to draw a spider web it's fine! I used a Barry M black nail art pen, Barry M nail paint in Matt White and the Rimmel Rita Ora 60 seconds polish in Orgasm.

You will need:

• Bright orange nail polish for the base
• Black nail art pen (not too thick)

Paint your nails orange and wait for that to dry. Explaining how to draw a spider web would take me foreverrrr so take a look at my design and try to copy or watch a YouTube tutorial. But anyway, try to keep both hands still as possible and draw the spider web design carefully onto each nail.

4. At last it's Autumn

This design is pretty simple and perfect for the Autumn season I think. This kind of nail art is great for beginners. I used the same orange colour as in my last design and the Barry M nail paint in Matt White. Here is a mini tutorial:

You will need:

• Deep orange nail polish
• White nail polish
• Nail vinyls or thin tape
• Dotting tool

First paint each nail in a deep orange shade and wait for that to dry. Then place two nail vinyls horizontally across your ring finger and fill the space between the vinyls with white nail polish. Then do the same with your index finger but place the vinyls vertically. Once you've filled that nail in strip the vinyls off both your nails. Hopefully, you should see two bold stripes. On the remaining nails dip your dotting tool in white polish and do a basic polkadot pattern evenly across each nail.

5. Playing with pastels

This is a super basic design which is really suitable for Spring and Summer. I really like this colour combination of the Barry M nail paint in Mint Green and the Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine in Fondant. Here is a tutorial:

You will need:

• Pastel purple nail polish
• Light mint nail polish

There's not many steps to it really, just paint each nail and alternate between the two colours (purple, mint, purple, mint, purple) - easy!

I hope you liked this blog post and if you try any designs out please let me know in the comments:)
See you in my next blog post...

Cookie Bow (Jess) x

Intro and 20 Facts About Me Tag | Cookie Bow

 

Hello everyone, welcome to my blog!

This is my first blog post ever and to introduce myself I thought I would do the 20 facts about me tag. But first I just wanted to let you know the kind of blog posts I will be uploading on here. It will mostly be beauty related posts, baking recipes, a few diys and some general life related posts as well. If you are interested in any of the topics I just mentioned feel free to click the follow button, I'd really appreciate it:)

Without further ado here are 20 facts about me...

1) My name is Jessica, but I prefer to be called Jess. I know is quite a simple, obvious fact but I just wanted to let you know so if you're ever chatting to me in the comment section you can call me by my normal name.

2) I was born on June 7th, which makes me a Gemini, and I am 12 years old.

3) My favourite thing to do EVER is gymnastics. I especially love doing it on the trampoline because if I fall over I don't hurt myself - really:/

4) My other hobbies are: cooking, drawing, netball, dance, blogging (duh), interneting (if that is a thing), make up, watching youtube and I'm pretty sure that's everything. And breathe. Oh wait I forgot shopping oops!

5) I have a hamster called Waffle. He is my only pet and I love him, he is so so so so so cute!

6) My favourite colours are turquoise, bright pink and purple.

7) I have never had a nose bleed. I know this is quite random I just thought I would throw it in.

8) My favourite thing to bake are chocolate cookies with gooey milky bar and dairy milk chunks inside. Look out for a recipe soon!

9) Chocolate crème frap is my favourite Starbucks drink.

10) If I could meet any film cast it would definitely be the Divergent Cast.

11) Linked to the last fact, my favourite films are Divergent and Mean Girls.

12) I am British (maybe I should've put that in earlier?)

13) My favourite foods are chocolate, pasta, chips, strawberries, ice cream and cookies:)

14) I really like nail art. If you would like to see a post about my previous nail art designs leave a comment below!

15) My favourite clothes shop is New Look.

16) If I could have another pet I would definitely get a golden retriever as they are my favourite dog breed.

17) I have been to Scotland, Spain (3x), France (5x), Germany, Luxemburg (a few times but I was little so I don't know how many times) and Italy.

18) I really really want to go to America!

19) The first Zoella video I watched was one of her 'What's in my bag' videos.

20) My favourite songs right now are: Black Magic, I'd Love to Change the World, Bloom, Borderline and Worth it.

That's it - phew! It was harder than I thought to think of 20 facts about myself but hey, I did it.

That's all for now and I've probably forgotten something but I'll see you in my next blog post, bye!

Cookie Bow (Jess) x