New CID I-Groom

Hey All

This is a post is one I've been meaning to write for ages. When we went to the Salon Success event a while back this was one that was in our goodie bags. I was so excited to see it as it was a firm favourite a few years back and you can see it on the blog in the early days. The New CID I-groom in neutral is a great one as it works on all skin tones so after raving about it I was excited L would get to try it too!

The first one I had come in a white packaging but the mirror shine silver looks even better. It's simple and all you need for a brow pencil. It's also double ended with a spoolie on one end. 

The neutral shade is a grey colour which initially scared me but it really does work great for all hair colours and somehow blends in. As someone who has multiple hair colours it's perfect for me as it always goes with my current hair colour. The lids are also really secure which means you don't end up losing them as I have on my other brow pencils that have eyeliner esque lids!

The shape of the tip makes it fool proof and easy to apply (it actually reminds me of the new benefit goof proof in shape!) being thinner at one end makes it easy to get a nice crisp edge to the brows. It's also applies smoothly but is hard enough that it will last a while.

You can see the colour on me here. It's easy to make it look natural and the spoolie on the end makes it easy to soften the shape at the front.

This is definitely one I'd recommend. 

Love M

xxx

Benefit's New Brow Range!

Hello everyone!

Apologies for the lack of posts from us, we have both been super busy recently and have been away at Glastonbury followed by seeing Beyoncé on her stadium tour so time and wifi access a been very limited! We are super tired and looking forward to quiet weekends to catch up on everything so expect lots of posts to be uploaded soon.

The first post I needed to write was to tell you all about the new brow products from Benefit.

I'm sure by now you have all seen the new range but i really wanted to give you my thoughts on it too. 

When I heard that Benefit we're bringing out even more products and redoing their packaging I was equally excited and a little confused, surely there couldn't possibly be any more brow products that were necessary?? Aren't benefit the top sellers for brow products anyway, how can we need more??

Well let me tell you I was suitably impressed when I was invited to the Benefit counter in Boots Llantrisant to see the new products in action. 

There are many of them for starters, and also in new much needed shades. There really is something for everyone depending on the brows you have, the colour of your brows and also the look you want to achieve (which if you are anything like me will change regularly!)

First we had a demonstration of the products to give us an idea of the purpose of each of the products and then we were allowed to go crazy and test them all out ourselves which was fun.



So here's the run down of the new range (all 10 products!) in full:

1) Browvo! - this is a conditioning primer to enhance colour and extend wear, it will help to make your brows appear fuller-looking too which is an added bonus! £21.50

2) Goof Proof Brow Pencil - this pencil twists up to dispense the product and the pencil is flat with one side wider than the other, this makes it so so easy to get your brows on in the morning! Cannot go wrong with this style and it's available in 6 shades. £18.50

3) Precisely, My Brow Pencil - a super fine pencil for the ultra-precise brow and creating individual hair like strokes with 12 hour wear. Available in 6 shades, £18.50.

4) Brow zings - the old favourite and best selling kit has new packaging and a new extendable dual ended brush, plus guess what? Available in 6 shades! £24.50

5) Ka Brow! - this is a new cream gel that almost feels a bit like a mousse, it's waterproof and buildable for all brows even the big ones! 24 hour wear, available in 6 shades, £18.50

6) Gimme Brow - another favourite of mine but now the volumising fibre gel now comes in three shades! £18.50

7) 3D-Brow Tones - a totally new idea to me, this gel will give you subtle brow-enhancing highlights to stop your brows from looking flat. As far as I can see this is available in 2 shades, £18.50

8) Ready, Set, Brow! - this newbie is a shaping and setting gel to keep the brows where they need to be. This one is clear and quick setting to stay for 24 hours. £18.50

9) High Brow and High Brow Glow - these pencils blend super easily to give highlights on your brow bone, one is more luminous than the other

There is also a pencil sharpener, angled brow brush with spoolie, and a grooming tweezer with brush too.

I'm already a big fan of Gimme Brow and have used Brow Zings in the past and liked that too. Nowadays I like brows to be as quick as possible and take minimal time, but I do particularly love the new Ka Brow, the new colours are really good and the gel is so buildable I spent ages playing with it and getting the look just right.

After this I tried the Precisely, My Brow pencil and this was really good for adding in the extra hairs where you may have some gaps.

After this I also tried the 3D BrowTones and was surprised how this came out, it actually looked like my brows weren't flat but they weren't glittery either. I'm not sure I'd purchase this myself but I can certainly see why some people may need it to stop their brows looking so drawn on.

Lastly i finished off my look with the Ready Set Brow! setting gel which was great and something I would definitely want to get my hands on.

So how did it look? See below for some quick selfies post event:

I really like the overall effect and although I was sceptical that I would need even half of the products I can understand why you could need all of them!

They each have their own job and they do all of them very well. I already have Brow Zings and Gimme Brow, but I now realise I need Ka Brow, Precisely My Brow and the Ready, Set Brow! setting gel. Luckily we were given a sample of the setting gel so that will keep me going until I splash out soon!

Have you seen the new products? Which are your favourite?


They are all available and have been since the 24th of June, see you in store!

Thank you to Benefit Llantrisant for inviting me to their event :)


L xxx

Laura Mercier Brow Definer

Hey All

It's been a while since I've done a post on my own! Massive thanks to L for holding the fort while my life seems to have been getting busier and busier! After the rather excess Space NK haul and quite a few other purchase I've had loads I've wanted to write about but no time to write them.

Brows are something I can't leave the house without and always want to try and find the latest new product to give them great definition without looking scouse brow esque! My previous favourite was either Gimme Brow (review here!) or the Elf brow kit (review here). I've wanted to try a brow gel type product for ages since seeing lots of great things about the Anastasia brow range. The Laura Mercier Brow Definer caught my eye and was quickly added to my basket!

I went for the shade fair. With my ever changing hair colour it's always hard to know what colour to go for but I tend to keep my brows as the latest shade as possible. 

As with most higher end products it comes boxed. Laura Mercier keep classic colours and the range never looks tacky!

The little pot holds a lot of product! I can't imagine this running out any time soon. Having used it for over a month it doesn't even have a little dent in it. I was concerned at first I would need to buy new brushes as I seem to be lacking a good quality brow brush but I've actually found my H and M brush works perfectly. Where the bristles are a bit longer it doesn't take up too much product. The slanted edge makes it easy to apply and the thin bristles mean definition is easy to achieve! The brush is a bargain £1.99 and double ended!!

Pre brows

Post brows

I love how they look! The brows look soft, not powdering and well defined! It also lasts all day as a gel it helps hold the brow down without leaving them stiff like some brow mascaras can. There isn't any faults I can find with this. I also got the other half to admit my brows look better with make up on (he's always saying natural and no make up is better!) I also think for a higher end product it comes in at a reasonable £16.50.

What's your top brow product? 

Love M

xxx

Benefit's BrowZings

Hi ladies!

I've been having an absolutely crazy past few weeks and cannot wait for this weekend to chill out and catch up on some much needed sleep and relaxation.
To top it off work has been hectic with so many people being off on holiday and leaving me to do things which is stressful seeing as I have only been there 2 months.
I cannot wait for my own space and time again!

A staple of my current work make up bag is obviously a brow product, I'm a firm believer in defining brows for your face and not fighting your natural shape. I love big and beautiful brows and I wish mine were a bit Cara Delevigne, but unfortunately I'm out of luck.

Instead I use this very trusty kit from Benefit, which you will of course have heard about. I know i seem a bit behind the times but it took me a while to come around to a brow kit and I have no idea why!

This kit is a perfect compact set of products and tools to shape and define your brows on the go or at home to set yourself up for the day.

It contains a wax for shape, powder for setting, tweezers for shaping and two brushes to help use the powder and wax.

As with all Benefit products it contains a booklet with a lesson inside, which are usually pretty good but this one especially was helpful when using a brow kit.
The technique can take a bit of practice to get your brows just right, so they're not taking over your face but are neatly defined. It can be daunting and a bit off putting, but these lesson booklets are great.

The step by step guide as shown above is super helpful and typical of Benefit products.

I'm sure you'll agree with me, the packaging is perfect! Super cute and perfectly compact, it's contains everything you need. The black print on the outside is also pretty cool, I love all of their packaging but this is one of my favourites as it's so simple.

There are 3 colours, light, medium and deep.
I have almost black eyebrows and super pale skin, which has meant that it has been hard to find a brow kit that is the right colour for me.
My brows, although dark, are not the red tone that lots of brow kits seem to have in the darker shade which is quite frustrating, but when M gave me this one to try I was amazing that the light was a perfect shade!

M has informed that apparently Tanya Burr also uses the light colour, which just confirms everything really doesn't it!
I couldn't resist having a quick use before photographing so let's give me a quick slap on the wrist for that....

You can see the wax and powder in the photos and the tools that come with it:

I find this kit so easy to use i am annoyed at myself for not trying it before!
The photos below show my brow before and after using the kit (apologies for different lighting, my camera was having issues!)

You can see that without any product in them my brows are quite long but are patchy at the beginning and a bit straggly at the ends.
The wax allows me to create a more defined shape, and the powder fills in the patchy bits so they look more uniform.

I adore using the Brow Zings kit and I'm so grateful to M for giving me a spare one that she had.

It really has completely changed the way I do my brows and therefore my make up every day of my life!

Do you use Brow Zings? Have you picked a colour different to the one you thought you'd be?

L xxx

Review: Benefit BrowZings

I've been on the quest for perfect brows for a while. I thought I'd found it in Eylure Shape and Shade (reviewed here) I thought I'd found it. While it was perfect for my blonde hair when I died it pink I thought I needed a bit more. 

After a trip to town for some Christmas presents it somehow ended up being purchased. I'd heard so much about BrowZings and only positive things so I thought it was about time I tried it. I asked the lady on the counter to try it on me and I was instantly sold.

I love that Benefit products come with instructions on how to get the best results from their products. I love that it's also boxed. I like the black packaging it's sleek and even though it's slightly rubberised it's remained pretty clean.

It comes with a wax and a powder which was one of the main reasons I wanted this. I really wanted a wax as I felt like it would help give my brows a neater more defined finish. It's handy that it comes with tweezers but personally I don't like the brushes.

This is in the shade light. I do feel like I need quite a light hand with it as even though it's light I do end up with quite dark brows some days. At the moment my hair is dark so it's not a problem but I do worry it may be a bit to dark when I go back to blonde.

If I'm going out I do the lines to create the perfect arch like the Benefit MUA showed me and how the book shows to do it. I find this easiest to get the perfect brows but it's time consuming so I don't do it for everyday. I then use a cotton bud to remove the lines.

This is the product applied rather lightly to give a subtle definition. I find it best to dip the brush in the wax then into the powder and apply onto the brow. If I want them darker or more defined I use the wax first followed by the powder.

I love that I've been using this since December and the powders aren't even dented really. You use so little it really will last a long time.

It's great to be built up and using either more powder or more wax can adjust the colour to suit my ever changing hair.

BrowZings retails for £22.50. Even though it's a little expensive I'd definitely say it's worth it as it will last ages and I love the results it gives. I use this most days now it's so quick and easy to use.

What's your favourite brow product?

Love M

xxx

Review: W7 Eyebrow Kit

If you've seen pictures of me before then you'll know I have long dark hair and super pale skin.
This leaves me with eyebrows that are black and can be hard to fill in due to my paleness and also the fact that many dark shades for brows are very red toned and quite frankly look ridiculous on me.

I've previously posted about Mac's Eyebrow Pencil and I absolutely love it still as it's the perfect shade for me and goes on like a dream.
However it's expensive and I'm poor, so I'm trying to save it for nights out etc and recently came across this W7 version in a Savers store by me.

Me and M wandered in 'by accident' and ended up picking up a few goodies!
I'd never been in one before so had no idea what to expect really.

However after seeing this palette which came with 2 different brushes and a load of eyebrow stencils I couldn't help but put it in my basket for a mere £3.99

As you can see the palette itself has 4 shades with a mini brush for updates on the go.

You can see that there is a pretty damn good range of colours.

For me though, the bottom 2 were the best.

Number 3 was the absolute perfect shade for my brows as it was dark enough and not red toned, but not the black that my eye brows actually are (which can sometimes look like they've been permanent markered onto my forehead - not a good look!)

For every day use this palette is a savvy shoppers dream, No.3 is perfect eye brow colour, No.4 lines my eyes, No.1 highlights my brow bone and can be used as an overall wash on the eye, and No.2 can be used in the crease.

So simple!

You can see the colours on my fingers below:

Apologies if my nails look dirty....they aren't, I just had a little issue with fake tan oops!

The colour payoff is pretty good for the price and lasts me all day and doesn't move from my brows which was something I was worried about.

This was a perfect bargain buy for me and I'm so pleased with it!

The brushes that came with it are a larger version of the one you can see and a comb which probably won't get much use as I use either Mac or Real Techniques ones but the mini is good for touch ups.

I haven't used the stencils either but there are 3 different lengths/thicknesses which should suit most brow shapes.

Ultimately all you're missing from this is a mirror!

I'm super impressed and as my first W7 product I would definitely be interested in buying more.

What do you think of W7? I've seen a few of their nail polishes I'd love!

What do you have from them???

L xxx

Review: Mac Eye Brows

I am SO excited to show you this purchase!

I have wanted a higher end eye brow product as after having my eyebrows done in Mac for my birthday makeover I absolutely loved the look they gave me and my Sleek brow palette, whilst great for every day use isn't quite the right colour for me.

After browsing the Mac website I decided I was going to get an eye brow product. 

It's odd as it's like a pencil but they don't call it a pen, pencil, crayon or anything like that, it's just known as 'Eye Brows'....but I've decided it's a crayon!

It's boxed as usual in the iconic black and white packaging and is a really streamline small box which I always like as unnecessary packaging is....well unnecessary. 

It's a waste of time, money and materials but Mac are always ahead of the game with this kind of thing, particularly with their Back to Mac scheme

I picked up the crayon in Spiked, which for me is the perfect brown.

My eyebrows are actually black but as my hair is brown, having black eyebrows would look a bit silly (in my opinion) so I needed a dark brown that isn't too reddy in tone as that look silly on me too!

So onto the crayon itself:

It's a sleek pencil shaped product with a plastic nib area that you twist to get the product out.

This is very handy as it will never snap and you never need to sharpen it, genius!

It's got quite a small tip so application is pretty easy and precise

In fact, it may even be a little too precise for my liking, it takes a little while for me to fill in the gaps in my brows and define them to a look I like!

You can see in the picture below how small the end is, which I would much rather prefer than it be too big and end up with me drawing all over my forehead...

So here's one of my eyebrows....I had serious issues trying to take a picture without me squinting, pulling a face and generally not getting my eyebrow in the shot so the photos aren't great, sorry!

All I have on is foundation in this shot:

You can see they're pretty dark but need filling in because I have some gaps in them.

I've never had my eye brows done but always wanted to. Maybe one day I'll get round to getting them done professionally!

So I filled them in using the crayon which is so easy to do and you can easily add more as you go if you don't want to do too much in one go:

In the above picture I have generally filled in the gaps and shaded lightly which I find is all I need for day wear, especially as my skin is so pale!

The crayon is so easy to use and doesn't drag on the skin at all. I also find it lasts all day and doesn't smudge down your face at all during the day.

When I go out however I up the ante in all respects!

More foundation, more bronzer, eyeshadow etc etc and define my brows to match.

I don't have eyeshadow on in the picture below but you get the idea!

Do you have any brow products you love? Have you tried the Mac crayon?

What do you think of the results?

L xxx