Beauty: W7 Absolute Lashes Mascara

Hey All

Since going cruelty free I've been needing to find alternatives for some of my favourite non cruelty free products. I've always been a big fan of Benefit They're Real (and many of they're other products) and not being able to repurchase is a shame but I've actually started to find some good alternatives.

FOTD: Neutrals and Coral

Morning lovelies!

I've got a Face of the Day post today as I've had a bit of time to fuss around and take pictures in the morning recently. i always think it's nice to know what people REALLY use on their face despite reviews they've produced.

Here's my FOTD before I had my hair dyed back to its natural colour:

It's quite a simple every day look, there was minimal fuss and I kept with my neutral eye colours and used a few summery coral colours to keep in the with sun that had actually arrived in the sky!

The Benefit Groovy Kind of Love set was bought last Christmas in their seasonal collection. It had a bit of everything that I couldn't resist and contained a few neutral eyeshadows that I needed to test out! Plus it's a great travel kit as it has almost everything you need.

Everything else used is shown below; Beauty blender, Vichy Dermablend in Opal, Lasting Perfection concealer in 1, Bourjois Chocolate bronzer, Inika Mineral Blush in 04 Peachy Keen, MAC Studio Fix powder, UD 24/7 Liner in Smoke, They're Real mascara and Gimme Brow styling gel.

I've been using my beauty blender a lot recently, it's a new addition to my stash and it took some getting used to but now I'm hooked!
It gives such a perfect finish (after a bit of work) and I love how natural and even the coverage is from it. You can see below in the super close picture of my forehead how even and flawless this is.

After using the blender to apply Dermablend and the concealer i dusted on the Studio Fix. It's quite a heavy powder but I've been using it recently to use it up; it's looking a bit tired and I want to get my next Back to Mac lipstick asap!

Next I applied the bronzer and blush to my cheeks to attempt some mild sculpting of my face and then ran Gimme Brow through my unruly brows. I've found mine have got a lot more temperamental recently!

Then I used all 4 of the colours in the Benefit palette building up from the lightest all over the lid, the middle two colours blended into the crease with the gold shimmer in the centre of the lid. Then I used the darkest colour to line underneath the eye and the outer corner of the upper lid.

I love using the 24/7 liner in Smoke on my lower waterline as it is a perfect alternative to black for every day wear; I find it can be too heavy sometimes and I like to change it up. I bought Smoke as part of a set but I can honestly say I use it a lot more than I thought I would and I really love it.

Here I also applied two coats of They're Real mascara, I think it's one of the best out there but i do begrudge paying the £19.50 for it as I'm a mascara germ phobe and throw them out after 6-10 weeks. However you can often get them in deals or minis in magazines which I always pick up!

One thing that i seem to have completely forgotten to take a photo of is Cha Cha tint from Benefit. I used this on my lips for a natural looking stain which lasts a few hours. I never use these as much as I should and need to get into using the minis i have of them as the colours are lovely and can be built up from a wash to a strong coloured stain.

What do you think of my FOTD? 

It's a general every day look for me and I love switching between neutral palettes to mix things up. Which is your favourite palette of the moment? Do you use the stains from Benefit?

L xxx

Beauty Rehab

Hello there!

I'm back with another beauty rehab post today, I've been churning my way through my stash and although there is seemingly no avail to the end of my products I am somewhat working my way through as I haven't bought any more products so it must be decreasing right???

I have to say that i really enjoy writing these posts, it's a great way to show progress through your stash, revisit products you may have forgotten about and remember if you wanted to repurchase them or not.

I also think it's great to have a nosy at what other people have been using up too!

Simple Soothing Shower Gel - this was bought for me at Christmas and it took me a while to get round to it but it's a lovely 'simple' product. I'd repurchase if I ever run out of shower gel!

Aussie 3 Min Miracle Conditioner Luscious Long Hair - I don't think the variations in the 3 Min Miracle range make any difference but the different conditioner types do vary in smell and consistency so I think it's just a matter of working out which one you prefer. I will always repurchase these especially as they're always on offer somewhere!

Vita Liberata Tinted Self Tan Gel - Love this, worth every penny though I try to buy during the 1/3 off promotions (£15 then!) really lovely even tan in a believable colour. Already repurchased!

Batiste - I do not need to say anything about this product! Already have 3 more cans in the sidelines!

Benefit It's Potent Eye Cream - Love how thick this product is and was a lovely surprise how good the skincare range from Benefit was. I have a mini of this to keep me going for now!

Origins Ginzing Face Cream - WONDERFUL smell and amazing results, just cannot go wrong with Origins for my skin, it drinks it up! Will repurchase when I've worked through some more.

Revlon PhotoReady Perfecting Primer - love this product and is my favourite primer for the price. Will surely repurchase though there are a few i want to try in the mean time

Clarins HydraQuench Cream Mask - given to me and I loved it, wouldn't repurchase as I'm an Origins lover and have lots of Drink Up mask to use but it is a lovely product that has made me want to try a lot more from Clarins in the future.

Barefoot Orgasmic Body Lotion - this was really nice but seems to have gone a funny smell! Wouldn't repurchase.

Balance Me Cleans and Smooth Face Balm - this came in a beauty box so it was great to try it out. I've always enjoyed every Balance Me products that I've tried and am definitely interested in trying out more in future.

St Tropez Tan Optimiser - love this really fine scrub but I don't think the price is reflected in the effects from the product and I'd personally prefer a Soap and Glory one for a better smell!

Garnier Ambre Solaire spray tan - Great tan that's super easy to use, dries quickly and doesn't produce an orange or streaky colour. Always my back up tan!

S&G Greatest Scrub of All - lovely small grained face scrub that would be a great alternative to more expensive scrubs especially when they're in the 3 for 2 deal. You cannot lose with Soap and Glory!

L'Oreal Micellar Water - a lot of these micellar waters are very similar but I did like this one and I would repurchase.

S&G Peaches and Clean Face Wash - used to love this and still do like it but I'm not sure that my skin still does as it did break out a little towards the end of the bottle. I will be sticking to my Origins one for now.

Boots Extracts Cocoa Butter Sugar Scrub - I don't think an expensive scrub is worth the pennies and any kind of scrub is fine by me! This one had the typical cocoa butter smell but it wasn't too overpowering. Wouldn't repurchase as I'd prefer a different scent.

Macadamia Deep Repair Masque - there is NOTHING better than this hair mask and I really need to save up for the pot and save my hair from its dry and nasty existence it's currently living! NEED.

Coral blush - if I could find where this blush came from I'd be over the moon, it's a perfect dupe for Coralista (my all time fave) but unfortunately it's so old I have no idea where it came from!

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder - always the best, always repurchased.

Skin Life Serum - another beauty box product, very nice thin moisturiser that my skin constantly drank up. Was lovely but i believe it was expensive!

Rimmel Scandaleyes Flex Mascara - I always think Rimmel mascaras are great value for money but this one unfortunately seemed to go very thick very quickly and my lashes looked quite clumpy so I wouldn't repurchase this one.

Benefit They're Real mascara - love this mascara as the brush is really good at getting every lash. I was lucky enough to win some minis in various make up events so have a few to keep me going but I'm not sure if I'd spend over £20 on it as I'm a germ phobe and throw my mascaras out after a max of 3 months! So I can't really justify it at the moment.

Bioderma SPF 50 sample - Bioderma are one of the best at what they do and having tried this product I can't disagree. Easily absorbed and hasn't irritated my skin at all. Would repurchase if i was going abroad.


So what do you think of the products I've used? Are any of them your favourites?

Hopefully I can work my way through even more next time. I've just had a super clear out in my room of books, uni work and other crap that I've accumulated. It would be great to have some additional space in my room rather than fighting for it all the time!

Are you any good at keeping control of what you're using?


L xxx

FOTD

Hey there!

I'm not big on FOTD, mainly as my photos never turn out quite right or generally something goes wrong. But I enjoy reading/seeing other peoples FOTD's so I've persevered to show one of my favourite looks for the upcoming spring and summer months.......if they arrive!

I've started off with my new fave face base....Urban Decay's Naked skin. It's a gorgeous, light foundation which feels weightless on my skin allowing you to still see my actual skin underneath. I'm a big fan of it especially for the warmer months.

The concealer I've applied in this FOTD is the UD 24/7 concealer pencil. I find this creamy and blends really well, though my colour, although its perfect for me, is very light and lightens my undereyes like a charm!

Next up is the brows. My latest venture has been using Gimme Brow from Benefit. After having an awful eyebrow wax from them they kindly sent us out a few products as an apology so I've been testing this out. There will be a full review but for now I'm quite impressed with how easy it is to use and the effects of it.

I think it looks really natural and i like having my brows brushed through.

One of my favourite eyeshadow palettes is the Theodora one from UD. I'm a bit of a UD fan really aren't I?? What a saddo haha.
I wear this palette most days and am a bit gutted that it was limited edition, I'd be distraught if it ran out which it inevitably will. I will be searching high and low for alternatives in the future!

After this I used the infamous UD 24/7 pencil in Perversion which is just unbelievable. I've tried many black liners before but this pencil is out of this world!
I've also applied Benefit's They're Real mascara to complete my eye look, lashes always look better with a few coats!

On my cheeks I've used a MAC beauty powder from the Emanuel Ungaro collection a few years ago and I've also applied MAC's MSF in Soft and Gentle to my cheek bones.

The lipstick I've used is MAC's Viva Glam Nicki Minaj which I absolutely LOVE. It can be drying but as long as you've moisturised your lips enough beforehand you will be fine. It's such a gorgeous colour it's hard to resist it!


What do you think of my FOTD? Do you prefer the eyes or the lips?

I think I need to wear pinks more often, I've been obsessed with coral for ages but I should get back into pinks too, don't you think?

L xxx

They're Real Dupe

Morning All

I'm sure most of us have tried or at least heard of the legendary They're Real. L and I are both fans of the mascara and Benefit in general. I'm so skint at the moment but so always after an alternative to my high end items work as well. As I was applying my Bourjois Fan-tastic Volume mascara the other day I realised it gave similar results. On the photos below TR is the eye with They're Real on and FV is the eye with Fan-tastic Volume on.

Here is one coat of each.

After one coat Fan-Tastic Volume hasn't added much volume but has really lengthened my lashes. They're Real has added more volume and darker the lash line more.

After two coats Fan-Tastic volume starts to add volume and really thicken the lashes. They're really has added more volume at the lash line.

This shows how messy the eyes get. I find I always get mascara along my lash line.

After three coat Fan-Tastic volume really looks great. It completely separates the lashes and adds volume without clumping. With They're Real I think three coats is too much for my taste persoanlly and looks clumpy.

This picture really shows the difference in the length they add to the lashes. It's not the best quality as it's from my front facing camera. Sorry

I will say I think my They're Real has only been open a few weeks so is still a little wet but I can say I now definitely prefer the Bourjois version. It adds so much length and volume to my lashes and doesn't clump. I do prefer it when it's been open a few weeks but for me this is the way with all mascaras. At £9.99 it's cheaper and it's a lot easier to remove!

Here is the original review of Fan-Tastic Volume. L has reviewed They're Real here. You can see They're Real on my lashes here and here.

Are you a They're Real fan? Would you consider this dupe?

Love M

xxx

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Benefit: Groovy Kind-a Love Make Up Kit

Hello!

I'm sure you've all seen the fantastic Christmas sets from Benefit this year, if not here's a link for you to browse at your leisure!

I have already purchased one of the tins (Love me B.right) which I will be reviewing very soon, but I couldn't resist but snap up this palette as well...

Groovy Kind-a Love is a beautiful palette containing an assortment of products. The back of the box shows the products, colours and names as below:

What excited me most was the dual blusher and the 4 eyeshadow colours, I don't own any eyeshadows from Benefit so I was really looking forward to trying them out.

It also contains the ever amazing Porefessional, Benetint and They're Real which I am a huge fan of.

The tin itself is small and beautifully formed, the pattern and outside images are really pretty and this would be great as a gift.
The inside is also displayed very well and would be a handy weekend kit or gift for someone who has never tried Benefit products before; or even for yourself as a payday treat like mine was. I'm such a bad saver!

Here's a closer look of the palette.

I love the arrangement and that the eyeshadows are in colour order, it would annoy me intensely if they weren't!
I also love that it comes with brushes making it a great kit for on the go or taking away with you.
Plus multi purpose products such as Benetint for lips and cheeks are great value too.

After applying my base as usual I then used the Dandelion and Gimme Fever blushers to give my face some colour and definition:

It's a beautiful colour and the shimmer is just enough to look like my skin has a glow but isn't glittery.
It's a gorgeous colour and I wish you could buy Gimme Fever separately!




I applied the eyeshadows in colour order, with Tickle My Ivory on the inner corner and Gilt-y Pleasure over the rest of the lid:



Shimmer Down was then applied to the crease and Kiss Me I'm Tipsy along the upper lashline:





These are such beautiful colours that can be worn day or night. They're perfect neutral colours for any outfit and occasion and I can see them getting a lot of use from me!

With They're Real applied the look is complete:






I do love how my lashes look with They're Real. They're lengthened, volumised and curled so I really cannot complain! I'd purchase this all the time if I could afford it but for the mean time the miniature versions are keeping me going as I've had a few different sets.



With Benetint applied as well this is a look I can see myself wearing regularly as it's pretty but chic.
I love the eyshadow colours a lot!

Do you like the palette from Benefit? It costs £29.50 and you can get it from Boots and Debenhams.

It's a great present for someone if you're stuck for something to buy and I would have loved to have received it if I hadn't have snapped it up myself already...

I've got my eye on Gimme Some Lovin' with Hoola and They're Real in, and also It's a Love Fest with Porefessional and Sun Beam (both £39.50)

Fingers crossed my mum will listen to my hints! Which would you put on your Christmas list??

L xxx

Review: Benefit Do The Bright Thing

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to win this kit on a twitter competition along with a few books. I love the benefit kits as it is an easy way to try a few different Benefit products. I love the colours on the packaging and the 70s feel to it. I also love that the Golden Gate bridge is in the background signifying where it all began in San Francisco.

As with the other kits benefit sell it comes in the case with the lid. I also love with this that once you've used up the products you can remove the tray and use them to store products. It would be perfect for eye liners. 

Do the bright thing kit contains products to help brighten the complexion. It contains That Gal, High Beam, Dandelion, They're Real and Bad Gal Liner. All of these are products I've used and liked with the exception of the Bad Gal Liner. This would be a perfect holiday kit as for evenings it's great to look glowing and the liner is waterproof.

It contains tip and tricks on the the lid and a mirror. The tips and tricks mean these sets are also perfect for beginners. 

Dandelion is still my favourite blush. I love that the set contains the perfect size brush for the blush. (review here) I also like that high beam is a decent size and larger than what you get in magazines.

This shows the products. High Beam really is a great high lighter and perfect for under the brow bone and on the cheeks. That gal is a light primer. Personally I prefer others to this. The liner is really soft and goes onto the eyes easily without dragging. It also comes out really black on the waterline. I could speak about Dandelion all day. I love this blush. It's perfect on my pale skin and I couldn't be without it. They're Real is a great mascara and I do like it, I do love how it doesn't stray from the lashes either.

I really want the bronze of champions kit as it's got lots of products in I want to try. Have you got any of the benefit kits?

Love M

xxx