Look Fantastic July Beauty Box Review #LFSummerLovin

My 2015 Beauty Favourites

My First Introduction to QVC

Quick and Easy Everyday Makeup Routine

The Best and Worst Mascaras

My Current Brow Routine: For Neat & Natural-Looking Eyebrows

Are Benefit's Roller Lash Mascara and Gimme Brow Gel Worth the Hype?

Not so long ago I went along to Benefit's store on Carnaby Street to have my eyebrows done. I'd never had my eyebrows waxed before so I was a little bit sceptical, but not only did I love the result but I also had the opportunity to try out Benefit's Gimme Brow Brow Gel for the first time. I've been using brow gels for years - namely one from Catrice, which has been my favourite for ages - but Benefit's Gimme Brow was just so easy to use and the colour match was so good, it got me hankering to give it a proper try! Benefit were kind enough to gift me two of their new "hero" products (the ones that everyone has been raving out) to try out at home. That's exactly what I've been doing and today I thought that I'd talk about Gimme Brow and Roller Lash - sharing my thoughts about whether or not I think they're worth the hype they get, and if they're worth the money.

Benefit Gimme Brow in Light/Medium* | rrp £18.50

First of all, if you've ever seen Gimme Brow in a YouTube video then you'll already know that the tube is teeny tiny and it has a dinky brush to match. But even after seeing it in countless videos I still had a bit of an "awwww" moment when I saw it in person for the first time. It's really small and I find this adorable. The brush is so much better than L'Oreal's Brow Gel Brush (which I'd always imagined to be a comparable dupe - it isn't) and the colour of the Light/Medium shade is between most other brand's blonde and brown shades. This is great for me as I fall in between these two shades, L'Oreal's Eyebrow Gel leaves my brows looking so dark and MUA's Blonde Eyebrow Gel leaves me looking downright weird. Benefit's Gimme Brow in Light/Medium is the perfect middle ground, with a wonderful applicator. I do think that it's a little bit on the pricier side, and maybe £14-15.00 would feel just that bit better price-wise, but I do think that Benefit's Gimme Brow is worth investing in. I do not fill in my eyebrows everyday, and for years I've been relying on eyebrow gels. Not only does Benefit's Gimme Brow offer a better colour match and easier application but it also contains fibres which help to thicken the appearance of my eyebrows. It feels like cheating, it really does - Gimme Brow just makes the eyebrow portion of my makeup routine super easy. I would recommend it and I can definitely see myself repurchasing it over all the other eyebrow gels that I've previously tried, it's worth the hype!

Benefit Roller Lash Mascara* | rrp £19.50

I was so sceptical of the hype surrounding this mascara after it first came out but I'm going to finally come out and say it - it's a lovely mascara! From the very first application I could see a massive difference between Benefit's Roller Lash and the mascaras I was previously using. I don't think that Roller Lash lives up to all of its claims but it definitely leaves my eyes looking wider and my lashes looking longer and more curled. The biggest change that it's made to my beauty routine is that it's made me fall back in love with mascara on my lower lashes. No mascara has ever left my lower lashes looking so long and beautiful - it transforms the appearance of my eye area, leaving my eyes lookinglarger and more awake. I can apply Roller Lash at 9am and at 7pm it's hasn't moved or smudged and looks just as good as when I first applied it - and at midnight it's still looking almost completely perfect. Although £19.50 might seem pricey for a mascara, I think that Roller Lash's eye-opening effect and reliability makes it well worth the price. The magic element is the brush, it might look plastic and stubby but reassured that it will lengthen and volumise all at once - plus it will catch all those tiny eyelashes that are so easily missed. I'm super impressed, and Roller Lash has made it's way into my everyday beauty routine.

So this has been a Benefit success story and it took me by surprise! I really did expect both of these items to have just been massively over hyped, but actually they're both really good. I love how they leave my makeup looking and they're both incredibly reliable. I think it's the reliability that's worth paying for as it takes the hassle and wasted time out of your day. It's been a while since I really tried new Benefit products (I usually just repurchase old favourites) but I'm keen to try more from the brand, if you have any product recommendations then I'd love to read them in the comments.

Summer Makeup Primers for All Skin Types

June Beauty Favourites

Big International Beauty Giveaway: Liz Earle, Ren, Origins, Benefit etc.

FOTD: Playing With New Makeup

What Made The Shortlist (AKA another travel beauty bag)

This week (since Monday) I've been in Shropshire visiting one of my best friends. Usually when I visit him we tend to do a lot of outdoorsy stuff so I'm don't spend a lot of time worrying about what I look like or what make-up I'm wearing. That being said, we did also make plans to visit some of the local towns on more gentile excursions so at least some make-up was going to be needed and today I'm going to share with you what I decided to take with me. In case you're interested in trying any of these products for yourself, and want to know more about them, I've included links to any reviews I've done on the products I'm mentioning.

I always seem to have a mini Benefit the PoreFessional Primer in my collection and it is my travel primer of choice. Nowadays, when I'm not travelling I very rarely use it - I much prefer mixing The Body Shop's Instablur All in One Primer with Revlon's PhotoReady Skin Illuminator in in Bare Light. I find that it's a more affordable option that not only adds radiance to my skin but really helps with the longevity of my make-up. However, when it comes to travelling I do prefer the dinky Benefit primer because it takes up so little space.

For my base I've generally been mixing my foundations because I am in between shades. When I was in Amsterdam I got a bit of a tan and now all of my foundations are too light for me, including Rimmel Wake Me Up in Ivory but being the darkest foundation I own it is the best of the bunch. For concealing, I've been reaching for Lavera's Natural Concealer in Ivory which offers very light coverage but is dreamily blendable. It doesn't cover as much as I'd like but it is very good for everyday wear and I'm going to be doing a full blog post on it in the near future.

For my cheeks I thought I'd take my Stila Convertible Colour Trio in Cool which gives me three shades to play with and I absolutely love these blushes. They last incredibly well on my skin and the colours are really flattering, I'd highly recommend them! For highlighting my cheekbones I'm taking my Catrice Made to Stay Highlighting Pen because I'm sort of between highlighters at the moment. Although I don't mind this highlighter from Catrice I am looking for something new, preferably a natural and cruelty free product, that I could swap into my routine. If you know of something I could try recommendations would be welcomed!

I've only planned on taking one lipstick (which is very unlike me) because I don't think I'll want to wear anything else. I've really been loving Living Nature's Lipstick in Summer Rain* and if you want to see what it looks like you can see me wearing it in yesterday's post. It's the most easy to wear raspberry shade and the formula is really moisturising. It's all I've worn on my lips this week, which is quite something because I love trying out new lipsticks. For eye makeup, I've opted for a couple of my old favourites. For mascara, I chose to take MaxFactor's Masterpiece Mascara in Black/Brown, I like this because it adds loads of length, doesn't flake or smudge but is still easy enough to remove (which is good because I'm not taking my full skincare routine away with me). I also decided to take Essence's Stays No Matter What Waterproof Eyeliner because it has become a bit of a daily staple. I find it lasts very well for such an incredibly affordable product and I primarily use it on my upper lash line to enhance the look of my eyelashes. 

Lastly, for my eyebrows I've been opting for a heavier brow look using Cosmetics A La Carte's Brow Ink in Taupe and Catrice's Eyebrow Filler. I use the brow ink to fill in my brows and then go over them with the tinted eyebrow gel (if you want to know what this looks like I was using this combo in the FOTD in yesterday's lipstick post). I really like using these two products together and I think the brow ink is particularly good, it lasts incredibly well and is very easy to build up the exact look that you want.

That's all I'm taking with me, apart from a couple of Real Techniques' brushes - the Buffing Brush, Stipling Brush and Expert Face Brush. I hope that you've enjoyed having a peep into this week's make-up bag - if you like this sort of make-up overview post (I don't know if it is interesting or a bit too rambly) I could write them more often as regular weekly beauty feature. 

What make-up have you been wearing a lot this week? Would you recommend any of it?

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March Beauty Empties

Elle Magazine's December Freebie: Benefit's Dandelion Lip Gloss

I know the world and their mother have been talking about this month's Elle Magazine and its dreamy Benefit freebies but I wanted to chime in. I have a subscription to Elle so I didn't get a choice in shade but this month there are three different lip glosses up for grabs when you purchase Elle for £4 - Dandelion, Hoola and Coralista. Dandelion is a milky pink shade with just a hint of shimmer - the lip gloss isn't even remotely sticky and considering how glossy and light it feels it lasts very well on the lips. I like it so much that I'm seriously considering going out to pick up the other two shades. For £4 I think this is a really great way to try out some of Benefit's products. Even though the size of these lip glosses (6.5ml) only gives them an approximate £6 value (so you're not really getting an uber deal, per se) you can't usually buy mini versions of these lip glosses. Normally you'd have to shell out £14.50 per lip gloss to even give one a try. This means that even if you were to buy all three for £12 you'd still be paying less money than if you were to buy one full size shade, and you'd be getting three very wearable options. I can only make maths work in my favour when it comes to beauty buying decisions...

Let me know if you've picked up one (or more) of these Benefit lip glosses, I'd love to know what you think of them!

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Don't forget to enter my Christmas Giveaway - you could win two Origins face masks!

My Perfect Powder Blush: Benefit's Dallas Boxed Blush

Benefit's Dallas Boxed Blush RRP £23.50 (available in Boots)

Back at the beginning of July I posted a "no spend" haul - where I picked up some items without spending any money. That haul included Benefit's Dallas boxed blush which I bought with my Boots points. I have a real soft spot for cream blushes but sometimes you just can't beat the longevity and reliability of a powder blush. Since I got Dallas, whenever I've felt like reaching for a powder blush it has been Dallas that I've chosen - it has definitely taken centre stage in the powder blush department.

Dallas is quite possible the most perfect blush for my skin tone. It has a bronzing feel to it but it lacks any orange tone that might make my face look dirty or overly "made up". I like to use it both as a blush and as a contouring product. When I use it as a blush I lightly apply it to my cheeks as I would any other blusher, but I do make sure that the edges are really blended out so that it looks really natural. I do this using the brush that I used to apply my foundation (usually my Real Techniques Buffing Brush or Expert Face Brush), I just gently bounce the brush over the tops and bottoms of the blush and this helps  created a completely seamless finish. When I apply Dallas as a contouring product I like to use my Real Techniques Contour Brush and I bounce this down the hollows of my cheeks and then blend it out a little bit more with a larger, fluffier brush (either my Real Techniques Blusher Brush or whichever other brush I haven't used to apply my foundation). I would then do the same down the sides of my nose and under my chin, wherever I wanted to contour. This way you get a concentrated, precise application but the larger brush then helps makes the colour less intense and more natural looking.

I honestly don't think that there is anything bad about this blush. The colour is wonderful, the lasting power is very, very good (it lasts me a full day at university- morning to evening) and I've even dropped it before without the powder smashing. If you're pale and you like adding a bit of colour to your face but you don't want anything orange or muddy-looking, then Dallas is something seriously worth considering. I don't know how it looks on other skin tones but the colour is very pretty and if you're ever near a Benefit counter I'd definitely recommend giving it a swatch. If you like the sound of it then ask for it for Christmas! All the other Benefit products I own I have received as gifts because they are really expensive. But the quality is definitely there and these boxed blushes will last you years. My last '10' boxed blush (I've used two up in the past) lasted me two years with near everyday use, so I can say from experience that they make really great gifts. 

Have you tried any of Benefit's boxed blushes before? Do you like the look of Dallas?

Please check out my wonderful October advertisers Everything's Rosie and Cynical Suzy.

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Benefit Products Worth Trying

Often when people say something is worth trying they often mean that trying the product in question won't hurt you or seriously disappoint and therefore why not. Well, money is why not. I know it's not always "cool" to talk about money and to consider affordability when recommending products but as a student (and especially as a postgraduate student) my budget kind of rules my life. Budgeting can be considered as boring and somewhat of a fun-suck but for me it is essential to living an organised life in which I can look forward to my great pleasures - namely, travelling the world. So, today's post is not just about Benefit products that are worth trying, it's about the products that are genuinely worth their cost. The Benefit products I'm going to be mentioning today are all worthwhile investment pieces that make great presents (to give as well as receive) as they'll last a really long time. You'll also notice that a lot of the Benefit products I'm going to mention are sample sized or miniatures and there's a good reason for this - I purchase magazines with Benefit samples whenever I can because this makes not only affordable but practically cheap. And then they go and last forever and a day meaning that I haven't had to repurchase many of them yet. 

In short, if you live off a tight budget, if you're trying to save or if you rely on your pocket money to fund your beauty addiction then listen up because these are the Benefit products that are worth buying with your hard earned, or hard saved, money.

Benefit Primers: That Gal and The POREfessional

 Benefit's That Gal Primer (£22.50) and Benefit's The POREfessional Primer (£24.50)

I mentioned Benefit's the POREfessional in my TAG post last week (which I'd love it if you checked out) and it is a relatively recent discovery of mine, which seems crazy considering the coverage it has had on blogs! Both of these Benefit primers are sample sizes (about one third of the size of the full size product) but they still last ages and ages. I've been using both of these primers together for the last three weeks and I've barely made a dent in them. 

Benefit's That Gal is a very pink primer that works really well at brightening up your face and I like to use it alongside the POREfessional (which is a completely neutral, uncoloured primer).  That Gal has a very liquid formulation whilst the POREfessional is thicker and definitely lives up to its description as a 'balm'. I use the POREfessional all over my face (blending it in with my fingers) and then dot That Gal on my cheekbones, a little bit down the middle of my nose and under my eyebrows - basically on any areas that I want to lighten and brighten to help shape my face. I find that That Gal doesn't do the best job when I use it all over my face (and it makes me look a little bit too dewy for my liking) but it is great for adding a little bit of brightness to the face. The POREfessional, however, is everything a combination skinned gal could hope for. It helps keep my make-up in place even when my t-zone is on the oily side but it doesn't dry out my cheeks! It definitely helps minimize my pores too but it hasn't broken me out which I find is often a problem caused by pore minimizing primers.

As a duo I love them together but when they run out I will only be repurchasing Benefit's the POREfessional because I think it does a better job overall and is actually well worth the money! In place of That Gal I plan on using my L'Oreal Paris Lumi Magique Primer, it's white rather than pink but has a very similar feel to it and does the same job as That Gal but for less than half the price!

What primer(s) do you use? Have you tried either of these?

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The Comparison: Benefit Moon Beam and High Beam Dupes

Like a lot of people, I'm a big fan of Benefit's make-up. However, more often than not I'm put off by the price of it. It isn't that I don't think it's worth it, I just don't always have £15-£25 to dish out on one item, no matter how much I like it. I've had Benefit's Highbeam and Benefit's Moonbeam for years now, probably far longer than you're supposed to hang onto a make-up item. They still seem good to use and have't gone funky but I am nearing the end of their use as I'm almost out of both of them (which seemed impossible to me for so long as there is so much product in a bottle given how little you need to use). So, with the thought of repurchasing them in mind I set out looking for dupes and I stumbled across a very similar looking pair of products from MeMeMe. This is my first foray into MeMeMe products, I've never tried anything of theirs before so I can't make any broad statements about the brand. I do, however, think that at £5.50 they're a lot more affordable than Benefit. I wanted to see just how similar the product (it's colour, consistency and longevity) was to Benefit's offerings so I've done swatches below and I will be comparing MeMeMe's Sunbeam with Benefit's Moonbeam and MeMeMe's Moonbeam with Benefit's Highbeam.

Benefit Moonbeam vs. MeMeMe Sunbeam

Colour

Despite looking almost identical in the bottle, Benefit's Moonbeam is a lot more apricot in colour than MeMeMe's Sunbeam which is a yellow-toned gold colour- this is most apparent when you blend each product out. The iridescence of Benefit's Moonbeam is a lot more subtle than MeMeMe's Sunbeam, namely because Benefit's Moonbeam is sheerer due to it's more liquid formula.

Consistency 

Benefit's Moonbeam is thinner, more watery and easier to blend than MeMeMe Sunbeam. However, because MeMeMe's Sunbeam is more like a gel than a liquid it gives you longer before it dries making it easier to use overall (especially if you aren't used to using this sort of product).

Longevity

It was honestly comparable, almost the same. Although I think Benefit's Moonbeam wore a bit better than MeMeMe's Sunbeam.

Overall

 I prefer the look of Benefit's Moonbeam because it looks more subtle (better for daytime) and the colour is incredibly flattering on my pale skin. However, MeMeMe's Sunbeam is still very wearable and pretty although I think it is more obvious that I'm 'made up' when I wear it and I think it better compliments a bronzed face than a more natural, daytime, make-up look. These two products are not exact dupes specifically because of the colour difference.

Benefit Highbeam vs. MeMeMe Moonbeam

Colour

Benefit's Highbeam and MeMeMe's Moonbeam are very alike in terms of their colour, however, MeMeMe's Moonbeam is more of a baby pink shade whilst Benefit's Highbeam has an edge of apricot to it that keeps it from being so pink. Benefit's Highbeam is a lot more iridescent than MeMeMe's Moonbeam and is therefore less subtle when worn which, depending on what you're looking for, could be a good or bad thing. (You can always use less of Benefit's Highbeam than MeMeMe's Moonbeam for a similar effect, or you can blend it out more than I have done).

Consistency

Benefit's Highbeam has a thicker consistency than MeMeMe's Moonbeam which is very thin and liquid-y. The thickness of Benefit's Highbeam makes it easier to blend and makes it hard to apply it patchily, which is a critique that I have of MeMeMe's Moonbeam.

Longevity

Benefit's Highbeam wore better throughout the day, however, MeMeMe's Moonbeam was still passable but clearly did not wear as well.

Overall

In this case of these two products, although they definitely dupes as their colour match is pretty close I definitely prefer Benefit's Highbeam. However, the colour and effect of MeMeMe's Moonbeam is good enough, it is just a question of me preferring the texture of Benefit's Highbeam which I found easier to apply.

 I know that when I had been internet shopping I would have found a post like this handy to read so I hope you found my comparisons helpful! Let me know what you think of either product if you've tried it or if you know of any other dupes.

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Another 'daytime' FOTD

Hello to everyone reading today, I hope you're all having a lovely weekend so far. Today's post is another 'day-time' FOTD and this is actually pretty much the way I wore my make-up all last week. [Please do excuse my hair though! I've recently reapplied henna to get rid of those roots, and actually gone for a browner shade.]

You can see the products that I used below.

I tend to not wear mascara on my bottom lashes unless I'm doing a heavier smokey eye but I have been loving a bit of a less subtle lip colour during the day. I've been wearing Revlon's 'Revlon Red' patted onto my lips with a light slick of the Body Shop's Clear Lip Gloss* which I received in the #bbloggersxmas goody bag over the top (I actually forgot to include it in my picture below.) I've also been working on contouring my face (which you can't really see in my photo) but I am slowly getting better at it! My Real Techniques brushes are just fantastic and are a daily staple of mine now. I've also been getting a lot of use out of my blog sale finds, my new Mac blush in the shade Mocha and my A La Carte Cosmetics Brow Ink. 

All of the products I used are firm favourites of mine and if you're keen for any individual reviews or swatches just let me know and I can schedule posts for them!

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REVIEW: Benefit Bad Gal Lash mini

If you bought the magazine InStyle this month, which came with lovely Benefit freebies, you can head to your local Benefit Beauty Bar (in larger Boots'stores for instance, check Benefit's website for your local Beauty bar) and pick up your free Benefit Bad Gal Lash mascara! I picked mine up last Friday whilst I was out shopping and I've been wearing it all week.

I owned a full size version of this a really long time ago but I remember being upset when I had to get rid of it, so I was keen to try this mini out to see if it was as good as I remember it being.

And good news folks, it really is a lovely mascara! I'm surprised at how much I like it given that it isn't waterproof, as I almost exclusively wear waterproof mascara. However, even without being waterproof it lasts incredibly well with no panda eyes or smudging in sight. I was also incredibly pleased with the brush! For me, brushes are what make or break a mascara and this brush is big enough to cover all my lashes but small enough to not get mascara on my eyelids. The colour is also a nice intense black so it is perfect for smokey eye looks as well as day to day wear (if you like very black lashes during the day). 

Given that this was a freebie extra I am extremely pleased! Do make sure you pick up yours if bought InStyle this month, and if you haven't bought it then I would definitely recommend doing so. I've been loving my Benefit minis this week (Sun Beam and Cha Cha tint- you can follow the links to see if you like the look of them) and this mascara is a welcome addition to my make-up collection!

Have you picked up yours yet? If you have, what are your thoughts about the mascara?

Angelica