Home made muslin cloths

I use non foaming cream cleansers on my face like Una Brennan and Cetaphil; I work the cleanser onto dry skin and wipe off with a warm muslin cloth. I love how refreshing this cleansing method is and I think it's perfect for all skin types, as the method doesn't aggravate the skin. Despite being incredibly soft, they also provide a little bit of gentle exfoliation - perfect for an everyday routine. My only gripe is that they are so expensive for a tiny piece of cotton! Muslin cloths depending on what brand you buy can range from £2 to £4.. that's definitely what I would consider drugstore robbery!

So, a few months ago, I decided to research where I could buy muslin from to make my own. I found that in haberdashery's the quality I encountered were always poor - extremely scratchy. It was only a day later when I realised.. duh! babies use muslin squares! And with the growing market for designer babies and of course babies needing the quality of the softness itself - there were tons of brands that sold 100% organic cotton. I can't remember what brand I chose but it was little French one, that sold organic muslin squares in a pack of three for around £7.00. 

The giant squares of muslin were already sewn into two layers and I cut eight individual facial cloths from each (that equaltes to about 30 pence each for a cloth). Then I just wizzed with an easy straight stitch on the sewing machine and voila!

I now have an abundance of muslin cloths and can easily find and fetch a new one when the used ones are in the laundry basket. The cute little patterns on them, also bring a smile to my face :)

Real Technique Brushes Dupe

Now I'm not sure if they are or if they are not a suitable dupe for Sam Chapman's brushes but I purchased these after seeing a blogger link these Ebay brushes as a suitable copy cat. I do not own any Real Technique brushes, there are a few reasons, one being, I hardly use make up brushes and two, I was never able to touch the brushes because they were in the packaging. After seeing some reviews of these brushes on blogs, I decided to purchase them, there was no risk of disappointment seeing as they are being sold for £2.29 each with free p&p.

Shipment is from China, so it took a long time for them to arrive (approx 3 weeks). However the wait was well worth it. They are SOOO SOFT! I can only liken it to stroking bunnies and kittens but fear not, they do state they are cruelty free and have artificial fibres. The brush is slightly weighted which apparently gives MUA better control. They are also so densely packed which when used the right way can give the skin an airbrushed finish. (Tip: Youtube, Wayne Goss on how to git rid of pores with makeup).

There is nothing bad to say about these brushes, whether or not they are dupe, stand alone this unknown brand 'Joursna' brushes offer great quality for little money.

Essie Fifth Avenue Dupe

I always get a healthy amount of hits for my Essie fifth avenue swatch. Click here to see. 

Last week I went browsing for anything cheap and cheerful for a little high and picked up a nail varnish. Now, I always do this, I end up with a spectrum of similar shades because I am instantly drawn to certain colours... And what do you know, I found an instant 'snap' to my long time favourite!!!

Essie 'Fifth Avenue' £7.99, NYC 'Times square' £1.79

Essie on the right, is just a little bit darker in the picture but I think this is due to the formula being heavier. NYC is definitely a thin polish, one coat doesn't quite suffice like Essie but this is expected as it is about nearly a quarter of the price.