Review | Benefit They're Real Mascara |

I love Mascara. It is the one item that gives me confidence and makes me feel my age, rather than a wide eyed 12 year old child. I have been testing the Benefit They're Real Mascara out for a good few months now and the first time I applied it even my boyfriend pointed out how good my eyelashes looked (that must be a good sign.) I really like the packaging, it has a metal like finish and resembles a mini cocktail shaker so feels sturdy and expensive (which it should do for £18.50 pop!)  The picture below shows the wand way better than any of the pictures I took and I really like it as it has different length plastic bristles with a bristle ball at the end to get into the little nooks and crannies of the eye.

The formulation is not dry at all but it's not super wet which I like. If it is too wet I find it drags my lashes down once I have curled them. Once dry, this mascara does not flake off but on my long eyelashes, it does transfer on to my brow bone. Below are a couple of before and after shots of just the mascara and no other makeup on.

My eyelashes are looking a bit more sparse than usual  however hopefully you can see hoe much length an volume it gives with only one coat. I have so many mascaras on the go at the moment so expect to see more reviews and an empties post coming soon :)

Hayley xxx

Cream Eyeshadow Convert

Recently there has been an influx of cream eyeshadows in both the high street shops and in higher end products. Lots of people are put off by creams as they stereotypically crease and slide all over the place. I personally love them, they are super quick to apply as brushes aren't necessary and they last all day on my eyelids even though they can get quite greasy. If I know I will be wearing the eyeshadow for more than around eight hours I  will however use the e.l.f. eyelid primer which is surprisingly good, especially as it is so cheap. Cream shadows can be either used by themselves or layered under a powder eyeshadow to increase its vibrancy or longevity.

Popular creams include the MAC paintpots (which I have yet to try) as well as the Laura Mercier Creme Eye Colours. If you want a cheaper option you could go with the MeMeMe Dew Pots or my personal favourites, the Maybelline Colour Tattoos. E.l.f. even do their own versions which are part of their studio line and priced at only £3.50.

The first product in the swatch above is the e.l.f. Cream Eyeshadow in the colour Dawn. I love the shimmer that it gives to the lids because it is so effortless but looks really put together once the rest of the make up is done. The middle shade is the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in the colour  40 Permanent Taupe. It's a matte taupe shade which looks great under other eyeshadows. My favourite of the three is the last shade, another Colour Tattoo but in number 35 On and On Bronze. I wear this all over the lid with just a brown eyeliner and lashings of mascara to add some colour and definition. The Maybelline creams are smoother in texure than the e.l.f product which makes the application that little bit easier. They are all however great shades that I  switch between often. The only downfall of the Colour Tattoos are the shade range. The two colours I have are the only ones that to me, are wearable on a day to day basis and I wish we had some of the other neutral shades that came out in the States. I would have loved to see a champagne shade or even a peachy nude shade! Hopefully they will bring out new shades to the UK in the future.

Have you tired any of the products above? I would love any suggestions for any more neutral cream eyeshadows that are available in the UK.

Hayley xxx

Glossybox: July 2012

This is just going to be a quick post to give you a sneak peak of what I received in my July Glossybox. The theme of this one is surrounded by festivals and includes five samples plus a bonus product. Also, as a quick side note, my camera has gone to repairs so I am borrowing a snazzy DSLR which will greatly improve picture quality for the next few weeks.

Probably the most disappointing thing I received in my box was yet another perfume. I don't mind getting the odd sample here and there however I have for every single box I have got so far whereas other peoples boxes haven't. This may have been something to do with my profile as you can select sample preferences and I had selected 'all'. I have since narrowed it down to only skincare, makeup and haircare. Anyway, this is the Bex London  Londoner Urban Fragrance which actually smells ok however the full size bottle is a whopping £8.

This is the Paul Mitchell Moisture Mist which I was quite excited about as moisture/cooling/refreshing sprays are something I have wanted to try ever since the infamous Caudalie Beauty Elixer came onto the scene. This one has a bit of a twist however as it can be used on  both the skin and hair which is great for the summer. The full size is a reasonable £9.25 for 250ml and the sample I have is a very generous 100ml. The smell isn't in your face at all and I look forward to giving this a go.

Above is the Jelly Pong Pong Lip Frosting which is a multifunctional cream gloss which can be used on the lips and cheeks. I have used it on the lips and it gives a nice sheer colour however seems too greasy to be used as a blush however I have yet to test it on my cheeks. Mine is the Irish cream pavlova scent which smells delicious. This is priced at £10 for 15ml which I think is quite a lot for a mediocre gloss.

I was very excited to receive an eye gel in my box as I don't yet use eye creams because I deem myself too young. However prevention is the best cure and I planned to start using an eye cream/gel casually once I found one that was light, decent and not overpriced. This Monu eye cool gel claims to revive and tone tired eyes as well as reduce puffiness (which I don't especially need) and dark circles (which I really do need.) The sample is  20ml which is actually more than the full sized version which is just £15 ml and priced at £16.95. This is one of the reason why I love Glossybox as I get to try great products that I usually would not spend my money on.

This is the Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse  which is basically a dry oil which you can apply to your face, hair and body. I plan to save this to use in the Autumn/Winter months as my skin gets dry (and when I say dry I mean extremely dry!) If you were to purchase this product yourself it would set you back £17.50 for  50ml.

The last product I received was the bonus product which was a trio of Elizabeth Arden products. I got the Gentle hydrating Cleanser, the Optimizing Skin Serum and the Gentle Hydrating Cream SPF 15 which are all part of the Visible Difference skincare range. I look forward to using these and if you present the card at any Debenhams Elizabeth Arden counter you receive a free deluxe sample which I will definitely try and get my hands on.

That's it for the Glossybox round up. I have seen some other boxes which included the HD bows kit which I was so jealous of because I wasn't a subscriber last year when it got put in the boxes and really wanted it then. Ohhh well my brows will have to endure the MUA clear mascara for a little while longer. What was in your Glossybox that wasn't in mine?

Hayley xxx

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains

Revlon are quickly becoming my favourite high street make-up brand. I love the colourstay foundation as well as their eyeliners, eyeshadows and lipsticks. I never really used to gravitate towards lip products because frankly, I am far to lazy to re apply and check for smudging or lipstick on teeth situations... Since the release of the Lip Butters which are a more moisturising lip balm/ lipstick hybrid, I have really been getting into a bit of colour on my lips. As soon as I heard about these balm stains I knew I was in for a winner. Moisture + long lasting colour = lip perfection.

I ventured into superdrug only to find they were all sold out minus the colour Crush (a browny mauve) which didn't really float my boat. I decided to take a look in Boots and there were only a few of each so I quickly grabbed the colour Honey. The boots website and the actual store seem to sell slightly different colours as Honey isn't on the website however six other lovely shades are (lovesick I am looking at you). The name Honey to me suggests a browny toned maybe peacher shade but in reality it is more of a dusky, rose pink. It is one of the most subtle and mature shades out of the collection however as I am just venturing into the world of lip products I thought I would go with the safe option and I am in no way disappointed.

From the picture above you can probably see why these stains have been compared to the Clinique Chubby Sticks. In looks they are nearly identical however in consistency they are different. I haven't tried the Chubby Sticks however from what I have read they are unscented and a little bland compared to the minty and vibrant Revlon balm stains. 

The formulation is slightly waxy and very smooth which gives a moisturised sheen to the lips. You can either apply the product very sheerly or pack the product on to create a rather opaque colour. I would say the colour lasts a good five to six hours (being optimistic) before you need to reapply which is brilliant for such a moisurising lip balm. I guess this is thanks to the built in stain (why is this property not put into every lip product?!)

Above is the colour Honey applied to the lips as well as swatches. I love these so much that I will definitely be picking up more. They are priced at £7.99 which is great however in both Superdrug and Boots they are on offer for £2 off which is even better!

Have you tried these yet? Which colours would you recommend me to try next?

Hayley xxx

How to tell if your MAC Blush is a fake

I thought I would write this post after my bad experience with fake MAC products which you can read more about here. After I suspected my purchase was fake I went and googled it to find comparisons however I found it very difficult to find posts that included pictures. As you will see I bought Harmony Blush from cheapsmells.com which when compared with a shop bought blush, was completely different in packaging, shade and texture. Now, I am no MAC expert however this post is just from what I have experienced and seen.

Left: Real,  Right: Fake

The main thing that gave the fake blush away was the packaging and especially the use of slightly yellow tinted writing compared to the more grey toned genuine product. Also, another big giveaway was the code on the fake one (A59) shows that the blush was manufactured in 2009 which seems very old whereas as you can see from the picture, the real blush was made in 2012 (A12). Apart from these two main differences the packaging was very similar.

Left: Real,  Right: Fake 

The MAC logo on the fake was pretty good if only a little larger and thinner than the real. The camera shows up the colour difference quite well as when I got the fake, it was more orange toned compared to swatches I had seen online. The real product is cooler in tone and more rose based which is what makes it such a great contour for pale skinned girls like myself.

Left: Real,  Right: Fake

Another massive giveaway was that the ingredients on the fake didn't correspond with the real product. This shows that you shouldn't be ok with buying fake products for their name just because they are cheap due to all the nasty chemicals that may have been added to them to make it look like the real thing.

Left: Real,  Right: Fake

Last of all, another killer giveaway was the fact that the product name and  barcode on the fake were stuck on whilst on the real thing, they were printed. The stickers just seem like a lazy and cheaper option compared to the real MAC packaging.

I really hope this post was helpful to anyone who suspects a fake product or anyone who wants to get wised  up on what fake MAC blushes look like for the future. Anyone had any other experiences with any fake products?

Hayley xxx

Losing My MAC Virginity

As the title of this post suggests, I have only recently just purchased my very first MAC items. Now, I had put these off for a long time for a few reasons. The first being that I am only in my first year or so in really getting into make up so wanted to experiment with cheaper makeup first and not just waste my money on lots of expensive pieces that I may have not liked. The second is that I will soon be a poor uni student and lastly because I knew once I got one thing, I would want everything. And boy is the last reason true! I debated long and hard for what items I wanted to get first. I wanted something that could be multi-functional as well as something that hadn't got many other really good cheaper alternatives. I ended up entering the MAC store in my nearest Debenhams with two make up pieces that I had in mind. One being Harmony blush and the other being Soft and Gentle MSF.

I have heard from numerous people that the MAC staff aren't always very helpful but my lady was lovely and took the time out to help me. Harmony powder blush was £17.50 whilst the MSF was £21.50 and when you spend over £40 in Debenhams you get a Beauty Club Reward Card with a £5 voucher on it. Because I had only spent £39 I decided to get a pencil sharpener for my eyeliners which the lady said was a really good quality one which keeps the pencils in good shape.

 When I said I wanted Harmony for a contour she MAC lady said it would be perfect because I am fairly pale but it would also work for me in the summer for when my skin gets a bit darker which I thought would be good as I can use it all year around and not just seasonal. So far I have really loved it because it's not too orange toned and warms up my complexion without looking unnatural. I have also experimented with this in the crease of my eyes to contour and it really works to give some dimension and warmth when you have cooler shades across the lid.

I have heard so many good things about this highlighter and thought it was a great item that I could use for many different things. So far I have used it to highlight my cheekbones, inner corner of my eyes as well as my brow bone and I really love it. I can imagine it would be a good colour to just have swept across the eyelid to make me feel a bit more put together if I am in a rush. I also knew I wanted a highlighter as I was yet to find a good high street version.

Above are a few quick swatches and as you may have already figured out the one on the left is Harmony blush and the one on the right is Soft and Gentle. The camera is showing Harmony to be a bit more orangey than it is in real life however you can probably still tell that it is a great contour colour as it's completely matte. Soft and Gentle has a little bit of pink running through it which is great as it doesn't look so stark white on the skin so it makes it more natural. In saying this it isn't as natural as other highlighters as there are a few chunky bits of shimmer here and there which makes your face look very healthy and radiant.

I am really happy with my first few bits from MAC and now I think it's a bit of a slippery slope as I am already eyeing up other pieces. Any recommendations? 

Hayley xxx    

Nails of the Day #1

                                    

As I change my nail polish up fairly regularly I thought 'Nail of the Day' pics would be a nice and quick post that I could put up on weekends. Here I have on an e.l.f. nail polish in Mango Madness. By the swatches on the website I thought it would be more of a muted, coral colour but it is in fact a bright orange. This scared me for a while as I bought it a good 6 months ago and I felt it was more of a spring/summer colour. However, the other day I saw it in my collection and thought I would give it a go. The polish is really opaque and you could definitely get away with only one coat  but I always apply two just for good measure. All e.l.f. polishes are only £1.50 which is great value however as expected, they do not come without flaws. Personally I prefer thin, flat applicator brushes and these come with thin, circular ones (similar to Barry M) which is a bit of a downside. Also, they take fooooreveer to dry. I am not sure if it just this one because the two others that I own do not take as long which is a bit strange. If you can find a bit of time or a brilliant topcoat to seal the polish then I don't think you can beat the value for money.

My next post will be 'My Favourite Spring Nail Polishes' so keep your eyes peeled for that. Do you own any e.l.f. nail polishes? If so, which would you recommend?

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butters

So, with the newest Revlon lip product release being such a hit across the beauty community worldwide I thought I better have a go. I went out, cash in hand, on the release day a few weeks ago but my local Boots didn't have any of them stocked. However, a couple of days ago I was in another town and picked up the Revlon Lip Butter in the colour Strawberry Shortcake. I went for this colour as I thought that by picking a more everyday colour, I would have more chance to wear and test it out. Here are a few quick snaps.

Firstly I love the packaging. The see through quilted design is fun and you can clearly see which colour you have picked up as the colour of the packaging is coordinated with the lip butter colour. There are 14 shades to choose from which I think is pretty good and I love the formulations and the way it doesn't cling to dry patches (I have dry lips). The pigmentation is not the best but that's what the whole idea is about; a buttery, sheer, moisturising lip product. As you can see from my swatches below you can apply is very sheerly for just a tint on your lips or apply it more heavily for a bit more colour.

One downside which I have found is that the become a little 'squished' when you twist  the stick back down as the formulation is so soft so I wouldn't recommend taking them out into the sun or into a club :P

Overall I love these lip butters and I have my eye on a few of the other colours. Especially lollipop which is said to be a sheerer dupe of MAC's Girl About Town. They currently retail for £7.99 and are stocked in most Boots stores. Do you own any of the colours?