Magnitone BareFaced Cleansing Brush

I know, I'm reallyyyy late on the cleansing brush bandwagon, and let me be the first to admit that I just wasn't sure about parting with my pennies for one. So when I met the lovely people at Magnitone and they kindly gifted me the latest brush, I was over the moon and couldn't wait to tell you about it. Is it as good as people say? Is it genuinely worth the money? How often are you likely to use it? Read on to find out!


Magnitone Barefaced Vibra-Sonic Daily Face Brush - £70.00*

What is your skin like before using the brush?
I have very dry, eczema-prone, sensitive skin. I have an allergy to some perfumes. I use less than a handful of skincare products and like to stick with fragrance free where I can. I rarely get breakouts or spots and generally, although I have to be careful due to my sensitivity, my skin is quite good. 

Which products do you use?
I've always used the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish to wash my face, along with a muslin cloth. More recently, I've been trying similar product from Bee Good & Sephora too but I lean towards my Liz Earle to use with my brush.

Which Magnitone do you have?
I've got the Green Magnitone BareFaced Vibra-Sonic Daily Face Brush. It retails at £70 and is available directly from their website, or Boots currently have £10 off online.

What does it do?
It contains a Vibra-Sonic technology which is basically a combination of sonic oscillations and pulsed vibrations to work deep in the skin, remove dirt out of pores, tone and boost micro-circulation. It also has a second mode called PulseLift Toning, to supercharge vibrations and provide a toning skin massage.

How does it feel whilst using?
Extremely soft! The vibratations aren't harsh at all. In fact, you can barely feel them. The brush has a 20 second timer and 1 minute stop, which beeps to prompt you when to move for your t-zone, cheek and neck. It's 100% waterproof to use in the shower too.

How did your skin feel after?

After my first use, I was actually a little disappointed. It must have lifted all the dirt to the surface and I came up in little red rash-type bumps. They weren't extremely visable but I could feel them around my chin and nose. I double checked with Magnitone and they suggested I get myself a pack of the Silk Bliss Brush Heads (currently on order!). They reassured me that it's perfectly normal, it's just my skin's way of adjusting to a new and deeper method of cleaning. Therefore, whilst I wait for my new brush head, I've been using it 2/3 times a week instead of daily, focusing on the t-zone where I need it most, and ignoring the 'beeps' it recommends when you should switch. Instead, I don't press as hard, even though it's tempting to want to scrub, you must let the vibrations do the work! These changes have worked MUCH better for me and just goes to show how everyone is so different.  After one month of adapting and testing the product, I can honestly say that it leaves my skin feeling really clean and I don't feel the need to use a harsh face scrub anymore. Welcome to my skincare routine, Magnitone!

Do you take your makeup off with it?
I actually prefer to use a micellar water or wipe first to take off the majority of product, before going in with my Magnitone.

What's the battery like?

I've been using mine for 1 month, around 8/9 times, and I haven't needed to charge it yet! If you're using it daily, I'd say it would probably last around two weeks. It has a little light that flashes when charging and solid when full, with an easy USB charger which I use with my iPhone plug. Therefore, I would have liked to have seen a plug included too but it's not a big deal.

Is it portable? 

Absolutely. I wouldn't hesitate to pack this on holiday or a weekend away with me. It isn't heavy at all and comes with a little clear bag to travel with too.

Does it come with warranty?
Like all expensive gadgets, I always take the time to check it has warranty, just in case it stops working. Luckily, this comes with 12 months and the option to opt-in to their free MyMagnitone Membership, which gives you £5 off as a welcome gift. I've already used mine to get my extra brush heads! 

Would you recommend it?

If you're looking to take your skincare to the next level and deep clean the skin and pores then yes, I would recommend. It is expensive but in comparison to many others on the market (Clarisonic starts at £99), it's actually very reasonable and despite being gifted for this review, I would purchase it. Plus, Magnitone they just won 'Best New Electrical Product' in the Pure Beauty Awards 2015!

I also just wanted to take the time to say how impressed I was with the customer service. After my little break out, I used their online chat/messenger (emails to brands can sometimes take ages and I'm very impatient!) and explained my situation. I got some great advice and had an advisor called Jenny refund my order for Sensitive Brush heads, change the stock levels, provide me with a new welcome code and then this allowed me to re-order the Silk Bliss ones instead, as she felt these would suit me better. I was so impressed, she had no idea I was writing this review and was super efficient and helpful. It reassured my faith in the product and I'm now excited to try the new Silk Bliss heads, whcih I will report back on soon!

What do you think? Do you own a cleansing brush?
You can purchase a Magnitone online here.

*PR Sample

Lush Salted Coconut Hand Scrub

I spent the summer working outside in the forest and my poor hands were really put to the test. I pushed and pulled on ropes, carabiners, harnesses and rakes, so as I'm sure you can imagine, they needed a little TLC, especially now winter is coming. I've normally got quite clammy hands that never need moisturising, but they've been so dry recently that even the skin around the cuticles has been tearing and bleeding (ouch!) and causing me all sorts of troubles. 

The first time I tried Lush's new Salted Coconut Hand Scrub, I ran out to the post office to collect my parcels and on the way, spent the whole 20 minute car journey smelling my hands and rubbing them against my cheeks! I literally couldn't believe they felt SO good and the whole time I was thinking "I need to blog about this!!".

It says to use a generous amount but honestly, I think a little goes a long way. You take a dollop and rub between wet hands, before rinsing off. I've tried with dry hands too but it doesn't quite have the same affect.

It's packed full of fine sea salt which Lush claims is a wonderful natural exfoliant to help cleanse and treat the skin. I've used their Big Shampoo before too, which does the same sort of thing to the scalp. The coconut oil leaves hands feeling so soft, with the best scent ever!

Despite the £7.95 price tag, I can safely say I'll be repurchasing this. I know it'll last and leaves my hands smelling amazing. Highly recommend.

Accessorize Beauty Bits ♡

Accessorize Beauty have really upped their game recently. I was kindly gifted these gorgeous make up bits to congratulate me on being shortlisted in the Cosmo Blog Awards (please vote for me in 1 & 10 here!) which was very generous of them. I've never tried their products before because to be honest, I've always associated them with gorgeous jewellery and bags and never ventured into their cosmetics! I can hand on heart say I definitely won't be passing by them next time, everything is amazing!

The products you see here are all priced between £5 - £9 and the quality is genuinely brilliant. I was particularly impressed with the light up lip gloss, smokey eye palette and metallic shadows. They've even got a primer which is great too! It's a solid 9/10 on first impressions from me, I love it them!

Fornasetti Limited Editon Huawei Smart Watch

At the end of September, Huawei took me to Milan to celebrate Vogue China's 10th Anniversary (read here) and to launch their first special edition watch, styled by renowned Italian designer Barnaba Fornasetti. It was gifted to all guests of the anniversary celebrations, and represents a collaboration between Huawei, Vogue China and Fornasetti that showcases art, design and modern technology.

It was an opportunity I couldn't miss and I was extremely excited and grateful to be gifted my very first smart watch. It allows me to stay connected when I'm not using my phone, and notifies me of calls, messages and even my social media notifications. Unlike similar watches on the market, what appealed to me the most is the gorgeous circular face, so it actually looks like a watch. It's a 1.4-inch touch-sensitive screen, coated in scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass, and a stainless steel frame.

Some of the features include sensors which measure your heart rate, and track activities including walking, running and stair climbing. I've set how many steps I want to achieve each day and it notifies me when I have! I can even play my Spotify and music through it. The only thing I can't do is reply to messages, which I've been told might come with a feature update. Otherwise, it's a great middle ground piece of technology when I'm not using my phone.

This is not a commercial product and is one of 1000 gifted to guests to celebrate 10 years of Vogue China however, I would highly recommend keeping your eyes peeled for future releases from Huawei because I absolutely adore my new smart watch!

Thank you Huawei, I can't wait to see what you have in store for the future.

Lush Christmas Collection Haul ♡

Christmas is my favourite time at Lush and they never fail to disappoint. I stopped by the Southampton store this week to get my Rose Jam fix, as I've been without a big bottle since February! I didn't go mad as I've already got quite a collection however, here's the bits I couldn't leave without.

Rose Jam Shower Gel
This is my absolute favourite product ever. 250g is a little pricey at £10 a bottle however, it does last AGES and I know I adore it. You know when you put your favourite perfume on and it makes you feel complete and good about yourself? That's how this makes me feel. It's Limited Edition for Christmas but they also have the Rose Jam Bubblebar & Ro's Argan Shower Conditioner all year round if you love the scent as much as me. A little goes a really long way, it honestly smells of fresh roses and I'll repurchase this again and again.

Star Dust Bath Bomb
The trick with Lush is that some of the most underrated bath bombs look the most boring. All year round I love Butterball, Avobath and Fizzbanger and they're the least 'pretty' looking ones. When I picked up Star Dust, I was instantly sold on the scent, fair trade vanilla absolute. It's also got snowflake lust and edible stars inside! I can't wait to use this.

Peeping Santa Bubble Bar
New bubble bars excite me the most, especially when they look as cute as this little guy! Peeping Santa smells of strawberries and contains cocoa and shea butter, which will leave your skin feeling really smooth. If you break bubble bars up, you can easily get two or three baths out of one. 

Also on my bath bomb wishlist...
So White
Lord Of Misrule
Shoot For The Stars
Golden Wonder
Cinders

^ I've tried all of these from last year and I'd HIGHLY recommend them. Thank you Lush, for the gift of the best baths ever. Love, a very loyal lushie.

What are you loving from Lush?

#COSMOBLOGAWARDS - I'M SHORTLISTED! ♡

Remember a few weeks ago I said it'll be the icing on the cake if I was shortlisted for a Cosmo Blog Award? Well guess what? I've been shortlisted in not one, BUT TWO categories! TWO!! THANKS TO YOU!

I'm honestly just chuffed to bits I've been shortlisted. I've seen almost all my friends attend the awards over the years and secretly dreamed about going for ages, so I'm very grateful to be shortlisted for Best Beauty AND Best Vlog. My little corner of the internet is 4 & a half years old and this is the first time I've felt really proud and recognised for the content I create. The awards are also going to be a great opportunity to meet some of my internet friends who I speak to regularly but haven't seen in 'real life', ha! 

I doubt I'll win but even to be highly commended would be amazing. Therefore, I'm going to be super cheeky and ask you to pretty pleeeaaasseeee (with a cherry on top of the cake) to vote for me. Thank you SO much if you do, it means a lot to me.

VOTE FOR 'BROGAN TATE XO' IN 'BEST BEAUTY' & 'BEST VLOG' HERE!

Thanks a mill. I love you all. A lot.

Vogue China 10th Anniversary, Milan

Despite spending the majority of my week being a very normal girl, doing very normal things like going to work in an office, watching Disney on Netflix and walking my dog; sometimes this little blog and my YouTube channel take me places I have never dreamed they would ever take me. Milan was my very first international press trip for two days with Huawei on the 28th & 29th September. Together with Vogue China and Italian designer Barnaba Fornasetti, they've collaborated on a special limited edition watch which I was very kindly gifted and will share on here very soon. In the meanwhile however, they took us along to Vogue China's 10th Anniversary at the Royal Palace Of Milan (Sala Delle Cariatidi, Palazzo Reale Milano) and although I only took a few snaps on my phone, I had to share them with you! 





The event was unbelievable. It felt so elite and beyond anything I've attended before. The Royal Palace had the most incredible high ceilings, bouquets of flowers, canapes, wine and screens celebrating the last 10 years of Vogue China. We met supermodels Karlie Kloss and Sean O'Pry (and partied with him until 2am...), alongside Mario Testino. I even saw THE Giorgio Armani! Starstruck to say the least. Part of me is still so overwhelmed I genuinely can't believe it happened however, I am massively grateful to Huawei for having me and loved every minute. Thanks again guys, until next time!