Benefit Stay Don't Stray

Hey All

L and I have realised we've got a lot of products we both love to share with you so expect some double posts coming up! Today's post is about Benefit's Stay Don't Stray, a concealer type primer to help eyeshadow stay on your eyelid for longer.

Stay don't stray is Benefit's eyeshadow primer. It comes in two shades light/medium and medium/deep as we are both really pale we went for light/medium. It can be used on the eyelid and under the eyes to help eyeshadows last longer, be more vibrant and not crease. Under the eyes it helps concealer to stay put and is brightening enough it can be worn just under the eyes for day's you don't want to wear make up, it'll neutralise discolouration and even skin tone without looking life you are wearing make up.  It also contains vitamins to help with aging and sodium hyaluronate to hydrate.





As for packaging it comes in a screw top lid with a doe foot applicator which makes applying it too the eyes easy. The packaging does feel a bit bulky so it makes me think it's one of those that is fat to make you think you are getting loads of product, though saying that I have used it a lot and it shows no signs of running out.

The idea is that you add 3 dots on your undereye and blend, and 3 dots on your eyelid and blend. Give it a minute or so to dry completely and then apply your concealer and eyeshadow as normal.





You can see how it easily blends into the skin and barely leaves a covering at all, your skin isn't left with a layer of visible make up like with foundation and concealer. You can see where M has used eyeshadows on her hand with and without the primer:

Here you can really see how it improves eyeshadow intensity. It's still easy to blend eyeshadows out when this on on the lid.

Stray don't stray has a soft, light texture so easily blends onto the eyes without them feeling heavy with product. I find it does intensify colour but not as much as Urban Decay primer potion in Eden, I do think Stay Don't Stray blends out easier though.

I've been leaning towards using this for everyday wear and so far I really love it. It lasts all day, eyeshadows don't crease and it's easy to apply to the eyes. For £20.50 you do get a great product.

Love L and M

xxx

Urban Decay Smoked Palette

So as palettes go....I think most would agree that Urban Decay take the crown with them.

Having bought my fair share (is it 8 now? eek!) I can't believe that I didn't own this one; the Smoked palette.

These colours are the colours I have been using for years all from random brands and not in a cohesive palette like this; it's amazing. There's the greys, the blue, the green, the purple, the browns and the super matte black. Not to mention the awesome primer potion and Perversion eye pencil that I might be a bit of a fan of.

The blurb on the back of the box pretty much says it all, and it comes with a booklet to help you get the most out of the palette including tips for blending and looks to try.

The packaging for this is different to other palettes, it has a zip all around it to contain the products inside and the material packaging looks really good. The only downside is that it may not be as robust as plastic palettes as it is only material over a cardboard exterior.

This where you can tell it was produced in 2012, they seem to have come a long way in their designs and packaging in the last few years.

So how about the inside of the palette? The ten eyeshadows are arranged in square shapes with the eye pencil in between the rows. It also comes with a mirror which is very handy for on the go or just generally really! I've been using it loads when doing my make up in my room even though I have multiple mirrors to use.

I have previously written a post on the Perversion 24/7 Eye Pencil which you can read here, so I won't ramble on about it too much but it is the PERFECT pencil for this palette and if you ever buy any eye liner pencil you most definitely need this one.

So what do the colours come out like? The photos show swatches of the eye shadows in the same order as the rows in the palette, without and then with flash.

How beautiful are the colours?! I couldn't resist but have a play around with them!

Both of the nudes barely show up on my skin but they are both good bases for a make up application. In fact I think I like them more for blending in so perfectly as they're so easy to use.

Below I've applied Mushroom to the outer corners of my eyes and blended it through. I really like this look and have worn it to work. I've also worn the same look with Backdoor also blended in to darken and mattify the outer corner shown in the second picture:






One of the main reasons I wanted this palette so badly was the ability to produce a variety of smoky eye looks which didn't revolve around the obvious black and grey. Green is one of my favourite colours for eyeshadow so Loaded was a colour I was keen to use:

I absolutely LOVE it and have been having so much fun with different looks.

Evidence is also a gorgeous blue colour with so much pigmentation, I applied it under my eyes for a colour contrast using silvery greys Mushroom and Asphalt on my eye lid for a separate look:

Do you love creating smoky eyes? Have you used the Smoked palette before? What's your favourite colour to smoke out?

I'm looking forward to using this over the party season!

L xxx

My Thoughts on Naked 3

Hey lovelies!

I'm sure we've all seen plenty on Naked 3 since it was released around Christmas time. I was lucky enough to be bought it for my birthday a few weeks ago and I couldn't resist but photograph it (it's SO pretty) and I thought I'd give my views on it too.

You can see M's post here so I will try not to repeat everything that she has already said!

So the outer packaging; a rosy gold theme is probably onto a winner without even trying. Rose gold really has been the metallic of choice over the last few years particularly thanks to Michael Kors watches and Zara handbags. The main reason for this? It suits almost everyone. Some people can't wear golder tones or silvery tones and rose gold seems to cover all bases whilst still being versatile enough to create a soft look or a darker smokey look for night.

The box contains the palette and also a booklet with testers of all four primers on offer from UD.

I'd bought the original primer a few years ago in a Buyapowa deal but in all honesty never really used it. I have seriously been missing out and from now on that primer is surgically attached to my eyelids on day trips and nights out (work doesn't deserve that kind of commitment!). I'm super excited to try the others particularly after being shown them at the UD showcase event we went to; Eden looks like it will be a superstar for nights out.

The packages look like they will contain a tiny amount of product but actually there's a generous sample size inside them so I will look forward to testing them out.

So the palette itself....is it worth the hype?

Here are some close ups of the shades:

Pink has always been an eyeshadow I've avoided if I'm honest. so this end of the palette is a little scary and if I'm honest, offputting. Strange is a colour I love already as I love using a matte light colour for over my lid to give it a good base and lighten the inner corners. Dust and Burnout are shimmery pink and apricot kind of shades which i can see me using to add shimmer in the centre of my eye lids to make them pop. Limit and Nooner which you can just see at the end are matte shades that will be good for day to day base colours. Buzz is one that scares me the most....dusky pink shimmer!
Trick is a lovely coppery glitter shade that I'm looking forward to using on nights out; it will be great with a bit of a tan in the summer months.

Again you can see Trick and Nooner in this photo and the colours here are MUCH more my thing. I'm a bit of a magpie and shimmery colours are what I love. Liar, Factory, Mugshot and Darkside are very welcome additions to my collection and I can see me slowly becoming obsessed with them
Blackheart is one of my absolute faves; a dark black with red glitter in and its perfect for a Saturday night; I needed this colour more than the others and I love how easily it blends for a smokey eye with a difference.

Another bonus with these palettes is the brush that comes with it. This brush is a double ended one specific for Naked 3. It has a larger fluffier brush on one side and then a thinner flat brush for more detailed applications. I really like it, a brush is always a welcome addition to my collection and this one slots in nicely. Lots of use will be had from this!

So....is it worth the £37 price tag?

The shadows work out at around £3.08 each which I'm sure we'll agree is a pretty good price for super pigmentation, a wide variety of shades that compliment most skin tones and long lasting crease free finishes.

The brushes from UD normally cost at least £10 so you're getting a bargain, plus the addition of the primer samples which are probably worth an additional £10 and overall you've got yourself a bargain.

The shades are complimentary for many skin tones and although I've said some aren't my cup of tea and 'scare' me I do think i'll use them as glitter will always be a good look!

I'd say this was a welcome addition to a make up wardrobe; what do you think?

Are you fan of rose gold shades and super pigmentation? What do you think of UD's brushes?

L xxx

Review: Avon Eyelid Primer

Eyelid primer is something I use most days. I find eye shadows crease on my lid if I don't use one. I was using Urban Decay Primer Potion but wanted a cheaper alternative to it.

When I saw Avon had bought out an eyelid primer I knew I had to try it. The Avon eyelid primer currently comes in the shade light beige. It comes in a glass pot with a black lid. It's a similar size to a gel liner. I like the simplicity of the pot but wish it was in something other than a pot. At the moment I use a brush to scoop it out when I'm wearing false nails. 

As you can see it's well loved. I've been using it everyday since I got it. I can't remember exactly when it was but I think it was around March time and I've still got over half left. The eyelid primer is a light texture that softly blends onto the eye. 

The neutral colour works really well on my eye and just evens out my eyelid and really prolongs my eye shadow wear and prevents creasing.

As you can see when it's blended out it just looks perfect on the skin and provides a perfect base.

This photo shows the eye shadow after 14 hours wear. Colour is still on most of my eye and there is only a small amount of creasing. This is using the MUA palette. With my Naked 2 palette it lasts even better.

I'm so impressed with this eyelid primer and it'll definitely be a repurchase for me. My make up lasts so much better and looks brighter with it. It also applies easier.

The primer can be bought for £7 here. As with most Avon products it'll probably be on offer soon.

What's your favourite eyelid primer? I'm glad I found a cheaper alternative.

Love M

xxx

'From the Lab' Beauty Box

Hi all!

Hope you're still enjoying the wonderful sunshine outside.

A few weeks ago we were contacted to see if we wanted to try a brand new kind of beauty box from America, Beverly Hills no less. I know we all think Beauty Boxes have had their day but genuinely, this one is SO different.

From the Lab is a beauty box that brings you products straight from the lab, the clue is in the name! These products have been sufficiently tested for use on the market.....but before any company has had a chance to snap it up, how amazing! You cannot get any more exclusive than that. They have an unprecedented relationship with some of the worlds top beauty labs meaning they ave access to products including skincare, haircare and colour cosmetics giving you the opportunity to try so many different types.

Not only is this a fabulous idea anyway....but with us both being fellow lab workers it was absolutely perfect for us! It's like they made this with us in mind!

We were lucky enough to be sent a box to trial and here is our review of the contents...

I loved the pink box the products were delivered in. Simple and effective, its girly without being too cutesy and the bold print on the sides shows you exactly where it's come from.

Upon opening the box I was faced with this, which was SO exciting, as we both absolutely love trying new primers:

Inside the box were two products arranged in the centre:

A Face Primer No 327 and an Eyelift Primer 328.

Me and M both absolutely love primers and have been on the lifelong quest for the perfect base, could these primers be the answer to our prayers??

The packaging is simple with a frosted glass bottle with silver and white pump head for the Face Primer, and a clear tube with silver twist lid for the Eyelift Primer. Both of these styles are perfectly suited to the products requirements, a wand is always easier to apply concealer with and it's great to use a pump to dispense the correct amount of product.

First up is the Face Primer No 327.
The primer boasts of being Anti Ageing, Colour Correcting, Pore Minimising as well as producing a long lasting luminous base that won't feel heavy or clog pores.
As far as I'm concerned that's quite a promise!

The primer is applied straight after your skincare routines is complete, where it dries invisibly so you can wear it alone or under make up.

The primer contains a whole host of plant based ingredients including Peruvian Rhatany Root Extract for anti ageing via scavenging the free radicals, and also some synthetic ingredients that are still suitable for all skin types and are paraben free.

The primer itself is a white milky sort of lotion shown below:

This initially worried me as I thought it might come out a bit chalky, I know me and M are both pale but we don't need to be washed out any further!
Thankfully though this was not the case and it blended in flawlessly leaving a really light covering on the skin that dried fast and didn't feel tacky at all.

The photo below shows it blended in afterwards (the flash has made it slightly lighter in colour and not the product!)

I have used this primer when applying my make up for a multitude of events; work, gym, pub, night out and shopping and i can safely say that it has stood the test of time.
I am 100% happy to use this again and again and couldn't believe how long my make up stayed on my face without sliding and how light it felt on my skin. It was also really nice and easy to apply, you barely need any to cover your face and I'd be happy to purchase this!

The only downside to trialling out products before they hit the market is of course they have no retail price, which means although I think it is a great product, this does not mean they should inflate the price! That's me being selfish though as I'd love to get my hands on it but have a sneaky feeling it's probably going to be out of my price range. Le sigh.

Onto the Eyelift Primer No 328:

This product also boasts a huge list of promises; nourishing the delicate eye area it also minimises appearance of wrinkles, diffuses light to provide an optical smoothing effect whilst being long lasting, crease free and helps keep eye shadow vibrant for up to 12 hours.

Application is super easy, wipe 2 swipes of the product onto a finger, and apply directly from your finger onto the eyelid moving from the inner corner outwards to the brow.
As the product is thicker than the Face Primer, it has no drying time and you can apply your eye make up as quick as you like.



This beauty contains Para Cress Flower Extract to stimulate collagen production and reduces fine line and wrinkles helping to smooth the skins surface. Coffee extract provides antioxidant benefits to fight free radicals and increase the skin's natural defences.

The Eyelift Primer looks like a concealer, with a few shimmery particles in. It's quite thick and this is why the drying time is so low. I prefer to apply this to the back of my hand as i would with foundation, and then buff it into the skin around my eyes.
I've used this under my eyes as well as on top to test it's ability as an undereye concealer due to its luminous benefits and coffee extract (I hoped it would wake me up...!) but sadly this did not work as well as hoped as it did crease under my baggy eyes (how dare they do this to me at 25!)

You can see the Eyelift Primer No 328 blended into the skin on my hand and it blends so easily leaving no residue and has a luminous effect. On the lids it does seem to bind eyeshadow product to it at a greater level than other similar primers I have tried. It feels 'dry' and therefore the powder sticks to it? That's the very technical terms there....obviously!

Anyway this was also a really great product and I can see me and M fighting over who gets to keep which one!

It has been an absolute pleasure to trial and write about these products, not only because they're from a lab background which we obviously both work in but also because they both really work. The primer has worked on my ridiculously temperamental skin with no reaction and the eyelift primer made my eyeshadow last longer and give a more luminous effect.....winners!

What do you think of the Face Primer and Eyelift Primer? Do you like the idea of trialling something not yet on the market?

This really is the future of beauty landing on your doorstep! Now where can i buy the Face Primer?!

You can find their website here, and if you want to sign up for it it costs only $19.95 for the time being as it's on special offer!

L xxx

As L had said we are both always after something to make our make up last longer. Especially in this heat. The Face primer glides on without leaving a heavy feeling on the skin. Which is definitely a bonus in this weather.

Unlike some primers it doesn't leave the skin feeling like it's coated in a layer of silicone but still works effectively at smoothing out the skin and helping make up stay better. I tend to apply my skin care, then the primer then do my eye make up before applying my foundation as I like the primer to sit on my skin for a while first. I do this with all my primers.

An eye primer definitely appealed to me. I'm a huge fan of eyelid primers and use them daily as I find my eyeshadow will crease on my otherwise so to use one under the eye was new to me. Unlike L I had opposite results. I loved using this under my concealer, for the past few weeks this has been the ever popular Collection one. I've found it helps my concealer stay on longer and even though the product is glittery it doesn't show.

On the eyelid I found my eyeshadow still creased so I've just been using it under the eyes.

It's safe to say we both loved the face primer and I can't wait to find out the details on how I can purchase it. It's light texture definitely makes it a winning primer for me. I also like the eye primer but due to the fact it doesn't help my eyeshadow  stay well I probably wouldn't re purchase.

It's great to try an item blind so to say! Have you tried products without knowing the company or price?

Love M

xxx

Hopefully this doesn't need to be said, but although these products were sent to us by 'From the Lab' we have not been sponsored or bribed in any way etc etc and these are our own views and opinions of stated products. So if we said it's good, it really is!