Showing posts with label Liner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Liner. Show all posts

Tuesday, 19 May 2015

MOTD ft. 5 Years of Topshop Beauty

Face
Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Mont Blanc
Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair
Nars Matte Multiple in Altai
Anastasia Beverly Hills Cream Contour Palette:
Banana under the eyes
Cream and Cinnamon blended together on the outer-corners of my forehead
Cool Pink buffed into the centre of my forehead and on my chin
Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush in Cherub 
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Perfect Topping
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Global Glow

Eyes
Benefit Browzings in Deep
MAC Paint Pot in Let Me Pop
Topshop Chameleon Glow Eyeshadow in Shuffle the Cards 
Topshop Magic Liner in Engraved
Benefit Roller Lash Mascara
Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeliner in Black

Lips
Topshop Lipstick in Nevada

Let me know what you think in the comments!

Tuesday, 17 February 2015

Barmy about theBalm

So we're back with another cringey title so please excuse my latest excessive use of puns. TheBalm Cosmetics, for me, is a new brand in my collection and one that has a lot of 'talked about' products (*ahem* Mary-Lou Manizer) that are completely deserving of the hype. I have tried a selection of their products be it lip glosses, eyeshadows, blushers and highlighters - all of which have had great results. Yet, the Schwing Black Liquid Eyeliner has easily been the most outstanding. I'm a liquid liner fanatic so I rarely go a day without lining my upper lash line to the point that I actually look 'incomplete' if I go without. So, because of this, I am always on the hunt for an easy breezy liquid liner that doesn't take my upmost concentration to apply. I recently wrote a raving review of the Benefit Push Up Liner (here) and have in the past confessed my love for the Lancôme Artliner (here) - both times claiming that these are the best eyeliners I have ever used. So clearly, I am not very faithful, but I am going to throw it out there and say now that THIS eyeliner is the best I have used! I picked this up on a whim, partly because I was overwhelmed to find a stockist for theBalm products in an actual shop and not online (easily pleased I know!) and partly because I never experiment too much with my liner likes so I felt like pushing the boat out slightly. I am now very glad that I did. TheBalm Schwing liner is blacker then black with incredibly staying power and an ultra fine nib that allows to you do a flick with no major casualties. The liquid formula allows for smudging time if this is the look you are wishing to achieve but also sets quick enough to avoid that black-on-upper-lid look that sometimes occurs with other products and is the bane of my life! With a bit of pressure the flexible nib caters for all your liner needs so if you like a thin line purely to accentuate the lashes or something a little thicker - this liner is the one for you! Priced out only £13.49, the quality is an equal match to its higher end predecessors or even slightly exceeds them in some cases. I strongly recommend you check this out and find out for yourselves! If you would like to this in action check out my Instagram (here)!

Let me know what you think.
What's your favourite fool-proof liner?

Friday, 18 July 2014

Benefit's They're Real Eyeliner

This is without a doubt a revolutionary product on the Beauty Scene. Slightly over dramatic, I know but Benefit really have pulled out all the stops when it comes to their new Ultra-Black eyeliner, one of the three components to the They're Real collection. I knew right from when I saw the product spoilers that this had to be mine. I'd previously been loving Lancôme's Artliner (review here) and I was convinced that my 'perfect liner' search was over but how wrong was I. I've been lining my top lashes for a good five years now and I'm willing to say that after years of practice, I'm not too bad at it. So I don't deem it necessary to find an eyeliner that's simple and foolproof but that's not to say that the Benefit They're Real eyeliner isn't an easy invention that everyone will be able to master after a small amount of practice. Yes, it really is 'criminally easy'. I personally love the look of gel liner more then any other formula but HATE the transfer it creates when it sweats onto the underneath of my brow bone after just a few hours. Not cool! Then there's liquid, I love the easy application and the no transfer guarantee but ultra-black liquid liners that stay black all day come far and few between and that's just something I couldn't deal with. Then the Benefit heavens opened and dropped down the perfect little partner for my eyes, wrapped up in all black, sleek, quilted-patterned packaging and my 'eyeliner life' changed forever. 

Here we have a gel formula liner in a pen contraption - Brilliant, I know. The easy to hold stick along with the accu-flex nib enables one to apply eyeliner with great definition as well as the nib allows you to really get right in to that lash line. Therefore meaning thin lines or fat lines, flick or no flick, whatever you want this pen can do it! Benefit claim you need one twist from the bottom of the applicator and thats enough to get you going. Here I have to disagree. I find two to three twists brings enough product to the surface to perfect one eye and begin the other. It glides on effortlessly, ultra-black (perfect!) and then stays put ALL DAY. It's almost laughable how good the wear time is, to the point where Benefit have actually brought out a They're Real eye make up remover to help get this bad boy off. As well as its fab neighbour the They're Real mascara, another gem that doesn't budge once applied. Put it this way, I went swimming with this liner on and by the time I got out the pool the liner was still perfectly in place. There really has only been one negative I have found with this product so far and that's how quickly the nib gets clustered with dry product after most applications. Yet, one quick swipe with a wet wipe and the ultra-flexible nib is back to normal again. Not a massive issue but I felt it needed to be said!

All in all, the Benefit They're Real eyeliner is a product I have really been enjoying using right from the first application. I honestly feel like everyone needs to give this a go. I would love to know about your personal experiences with it in the comments! Now I'm going to go through and count how many times I wrote the word 'liner'. 

Let me know what you think.
What's your favourite fool-proof liner?

Monday, 23 June 2014

Cosmetic Collections: Benefit

This is the first of a new series I've been eager to begin over the past month or so on my little blog. The Cosmetic Collection series will basically be a weekly upload of each and every product I own from a certain brand with brief comments outlining wether I like, love or loathe each product. I am in no way trying to brag about the products I own and I completely understand if some of you think this is nothing and others think that my collection is slightly excessive but as I have mentioned in previous posts, make up is a passion for me and I will continue to collect it for along as it still makes me happy. The reason I wanted to begin this mini-series is because I quite often found myself wanting to try out an unfamiliar brands products but never know which item(s) to opt for first, I felt if I make individual posts on each and every brand I own, showcasing the products I found to really work for myself, it may help some of you select products that you will be pleased with too. So without further ado, here's post number one..my Benefit collection! 

1. Whole Lotta Lovin' Limited Edition
A Christmas Beauty Kit, made up of the perfect products that will come in handy on a day-to-day basis. With both Benefit's award-winning mascara, They're Real and their perfect bronzer Hoola, you really cannot go wrong with this little beauty. Not to mention a decent sample size of their industrial strength concealer, Boi-ing, the perfect trio of eyeshadows eg. Kiss Me, I'm Tipsy, It's Complicated and one of their creaseless, cream shadow in No Pressure! This really is worth each and every penny. I know it's limited edition but I'm just pre-warning you just incase it's re-released this Christmas and you want to get your hands on it! 

2. The POREfessional (£24.50) (full review here)
Probably one of the most talked about primers out there. Benefit's Porefessional has taken the beauty world by storm which is really no surprise with its smooth to touch, pore-minimising attributes and long lasting formula that keeps that foundation in place all day. There is really little to disagree with when it comes to Benefit's Porefessional being one of the best primers on the scene and believe me when I say if you haven't tried it yet, you really need to. 

3. Rockateur Blush (£23.50) (full review here)
A rose gold blush laced with shimmer to not only add some colour and definition to those cheeks but highlight them too. The flush this blush gives is pretty and practical and I often find myself reaching for this little boxed blusher more so then anything else. 

4. Sun Beam (£19.50 full sized)
A golden highlighter that works perfectly in the Summer upon sun-kissed skin. The liquid consistency emphasises the subtle glow that really takes on the effect of sunshine in a minature gold bottle. If you are interested in this product definitely get your hands on it now to sport over this Summery months. You honestly won't regret it. 

Really an average product when it comes to Benefit. I have mine in the shade Charcoal, a smokey grey that looks fine on but the application process isn't as seamless as it could be. I find the formula almost too soft and the staying power nothing to get excited about. It's certainly not a bad product but one I wouldn't hurriedly opt to buy again. 

6. Realness of Concealness (£23.50) 
A cute concealer kit that's armed with some of Benefit's best products. Put together with mini's including Ooh La Lift, High Beam, Lip Plump as well as Lemon-Aid and once again Boi-ing this really is a great starter kit for people who are new to Benefit but wish to try a range of products. 

6. Posie Tint (£24.50 full sized)
A pretty in pink tinted lip and cheek stain. This is great for when you want to achieve a natural 'no make-up' make-up look. I love this product for days when I want to wear as little products as possible. Plus a little bit really goes a long way, so even though the price is high, it is slightly justified. 

7. Bene Tint (£24.50)
A product that I believe to be Benefit's first ever cosmetic item. Similar to its neighbour Posie Tint but instead a rosy red shade that gives a natural flush to the cheeks and a 'your lips but better' hue to the lips. It's sheer but still has good pigmentation and once tried, it's easy to understand why this is one of Benefit's most hyped about products. 

8. Coralista Blush (£23.50 full sized)
A pretty, pigmented blush in a lovely, you guessed it, Coral shade. This blush is perfect for the Summer and is suited for ever skin tone. With a slight subtle shimmer, this product will look perfect for those Summer evenings or au naturel days on the beach. 

9. Dr. Feelgood (£23.50) 
Not one of Benefit's most talked about products but it's lovely all the same. The extra gimmicky packaging, finished off with the name was one of the reason why I was first drawn to the brand as a whole. A mattifying balm that works lovely under make up as a sort-of primer or above to blot away shine. This is a perfect product for oily to combination skinned girls like myself. Plus the extra bonus of it containing Vitamins A, C and E to help reduce the appearance of fine lines makes it a great multipurpose product that can't be argued with. 

10. Erase Paste (£20.50) 
A thick creamy concealer that camouflages blemishes and does a fine job of covering under eye circles too although the extra cream consistency has a tendency to crease after too long. This is a lovely product, not my go-to concealer but does what it says on the 'tin' all the same. The main downside to this product mostly being the limited shade range as unless you match the three melon-undertoned hues, you'd have to look elsewhere. 

Six mini lip glosses that come in an affordable set that showcases every shade from the Ultra Plush Lipgloss collection. This is a great kit as it allows you to try and test each and every shade before  splashing out on the full size product. Not to mention every shade included is ultra glossy and extra wearable. 

12. Lipstick in 'Finders Keepers'
I believe both the packaging and the shade have been discontinued to make way for the new swish lipstick designs from Benefit. Never the less, still a lovely pigmented lipstick in a mid-tone brown colour that saw me through many wintery months. I still have my fingers crossed that brown lips will be back in fashion this coming Winter. 

13. You Rebel (£24.50) 
Probably my least favourite Benefit product I've tried. A tinted moisturiser with SPF 15 with an extremely limited shade range of only two colours - You Rebel and You Rebel lite, both of which are very unusual colours that I cannot imagine suit a wide variety of skin tones. This came to be the first tinted moisturiser I used and for a long while after the only one, as the formula, consistency and application of this product put me off the idea as a whole. With the strong suncream smell, impossible blend-able formula and bright orange shade, this is a product I have struggled to get rid of for a while now. Alas, not all is failed as now Benefit have bought out a brand spanking new BB cream that claims to be bigger and better then anything else. I'll certainly be the judge of that! 

14. Watts Up! (£24.50)
A champagne coloured highlighting stick that works beautifully applied to a buffing brush and blended onto the cheek bones, brow bones and down the bride of one's nose. The cream to powder finish looks beautiful once applied and lasts a long while too, making this one of my favourite products from Benefit. 

Of course, I have used other Benefit products in the past that I have either used up or didn't have on hand during the making of this post but those products include multiple BADgal Lash Mascaras, multiple full sized They're Real Mascaras, Sugar Bomb Boxed Blush, "That Gal" primer, Brow-zings Kit, Hoola Ultra Plush Lip Gloss, the list goes on and on. If you'd like any information on said products, please let me know in the comments below and I'll get right on doing so. 

I hope you enjoyed the first post of this 'mini' series. Come back next Monday to find out the next Cosmetic Collection I'll be focusing on. Thanks for reading!

Let me know what you think in the comments below!
What is your favourite Benefit product?