Benefit "How To Look The Best At Everything"

Last month I decided actually you know what, I'm sick of using cheap makeup. I've heard a lot of good things about Benefit products so I decided as my first buy to snap up this little complexion makeup kit.

"How To Look The Best At Everything"

£24.50 from Debenhams

These complexion sets come in 3 shades - Light, Medium and Deep. The Benefit lady at the counter was really helpful and tried the shades on my jawline to see which set would best suit my skin.

The shades of the individual makeup products in the set are named on the side of the outside box and on the tray that the makeup sits in. So if you decide to buy them in the normal sized versions, you know which shades to get :)

What's in the Box you ask??

• POREfessional Primer

•  Boi-ing Industrial Strength Concealer 

• Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow brightening makeup

• Hello Flawless Custom Powder Cover-Up

It comes in a box and inside the box is a cute little book with the makeup inside

The products sit in a litle tray that can be removed, so after you have used all the products you can remove the tray and use the little box book as a keepsafe.

It also has a little leafet attached at the top of the book that gives you tips & tricks on how to apply the makeup for a perfect complextion. This includes written steps aswell as pictures.

You flink the book open, it also reveales a mirror!

Now for the products....

POREfessional Primer - This promises to minimise pores, I don't really suffer with overly noticable/big pores anyway but I do feel like it gave me a really nice, even and smooth complexion to apply my makeup to. It's also really light weight compared to the Loreal Professionnel Studio Secrets primer I'm used to using which is very heavy. However, it's probably because POREfessional is a liquid primer. It has a colour to it like foundation but this actually doesn't show up once applied. I am very impressed with this primer and will defo be purchasing it in the larger version.

Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Brightening Foundation - Firstly, I wasn't very impressed with the pump on the bottle because it seemed to leak slightly. Other than that I absolutely LOVE this foundation. It is so light on the skin so it doesn't even feel like your wearing makeup and it blends really well. Also, I found it was really good at giving me a flawless complexion. I have a scar on my forehead and I found that after using this it was invisable...usually with other makeup it takes me some concealer aswell and even then it's still visable. I would defo recommend this!

Boi-ing Industrial Strength Concealer - In my kit I had shades 02 and 03. The idea of having two shades is that you can blend them to get the perfect matching colour. I LOVE this concealer....along with the primer it doesn't set into the fine lines under my eyes and is really good at covering any imperfections such as nasty spots!!! I am defo buying this again!

Hello Flawless Custom Powder Cover Up-  This is a foundation powder and it comes with a brush as you can see in the photo! I really LOVE this foundation powder! it doesn't make my skin look chalky like cheap powder foundation does and finishes off my makeup really well to add the the flawless look! I am buying this again also :))

As much as I loved this little set, it's worth noting that the makeup that comes in the kit are all minitures of the full size versions which you see in store. As i said I've been using this kit for a month now and still have a lot of uses left, although I will run out of liquid foundation soon :( 

On the other hand, as someone who has not used benefit makeup before and wanted to try it out for a while to see whether it would stand the test of time, this little kit was perfect for that

I am going to buy everything that was in this kit in the full sized versions, each of the products here range from £16-20 pounds each approx so quite expensive but luckily it's xmas soon :)

I think this set would also make a lovely gift for someone!

I came home the other day to find this little beaut on my bed, a present from my mum, awwww. I must admit I do have a little obsession with sponge bob, not as much as Holly does though (Electric Shake).

It's getting nearer and nearer to christmas and I can already feel my bank balance going down. Firstly, I've had to invest in some winter clothes because I am not prepared to freeze to death this winter. 

It's been 3 for 2 in Boots for a few weeks now and I needed to get some more primer anyway so I decided to pick up a couple other goodies as well.

 This beau is called Chinchilly by Essie. It was £8.99 from Boots. A bit more than I would normally pay for a nail varnish but I have wanted to try Essie for a while, especially because they have such as wide range of colours. I absolutely adore this colour, It's what I'd describe as a mushroom/concrete colour. I definitely want to try some of their other colours! 
It occured to me that whilst at uni it would be rare to see me without my nails painted, when I qualify and work full time I won't be able to paint them as nail varnish isn't allowed at work :( boo!

 My other purchase was this Soap and Glory fragrant body spray which was £6.50 for 200mls, but as it was 3 for 2 this was my 3 :) I really wanted to pick up something by soap and glory but was a bit overwhelmed by all their products! they all have simular packaging which is a bit chaotic to say the least! After ummmming and argghing and smelling and testing, I decided to go for one of their body sprays. This is Glam-A-Lot. I'm not really one for body sprays, more perfumes, but it smelled so nice I had to buy it! The smell is rather sweet so if you don't like sweet smelling fragrance this wouldn't be one for you. It's divine though and I have not missed an opportunity to drench myself in it! you'd smell me coming a mile away! and £6.50 for 200mls is very reasonable. The tester bottles are a lot smaller and so you don't realise how much product you are getting because this product comes in a box (see pictures).

Sam-less nights

 I should be in bed really but nope...thought I would share a quick blog post.

My most recent purchase....Rimmel London, I <3 Lasting Finish 500 Disco Ball - £2.99 Boots
Now don't be fooled, as glittery and divine as this polish looks, it's very sheer and best used as a top coat to add sparkle to a colour. I was disapointed I must admit, I really wanted a glittery polish. However, I did try it on top of a colour and It looked lush. I love the brushes on rimmel nail polish, they are slightly wider but not too thick. Also, it's a bit random but the student shop has just had a Rimmel makeup self put in! it's not been stocked yet but it will be all too tempting to add a nail varnish to my purchases when I'm getting a coffee! I'm also excited about buying a lipstick from the new Kate Moss Lasting Finish Collection. I'm not really a fan of Kate Moss to be honest, but I've heard the lipsticks are good! I'll let you know!

  I found this little treasure whilst rummarging around in the nail varnish cupboard downstairs, yes a whole cupboard devoted to nail polish! it's my mums fault, she's obsessed! I usually go for dark colours, such as black, red and blues but I fancied a change...which is strange because it's AW, not the weather for summery colours. It has a rather excessive two cap lid but from what I understand this is typical of Chanel. It's number 210 Lilac Sky. I'm not even sure if they do this exact polish anymore but I'm sure they do a simular colour. I applied this a few days ago and it still hasn't chipped, which for me is quite good considering I have a nasty habit of picking at my nails. The only downside is that Chanel nail varnishes are usually about £18 and for a poor old student such as myself I prefer to leave buying expensive polishes like this to the mother. At least I can pinch them eh!

Forgot to warn you I bite my nails! :\

October, why so cold?

Recent Purchases Ahoyyy!

I've been really busy with uni work so haven't had a chance to post anything and when I have I haven't had enough time to write anything decent. I've recently started my 3rd year and it's getting all so very scary thinking I will be a registered nurse next year ahhh! I don't feel ready but then have to remind myself that everyone probably feels exactly the same. The people in my class and I are all in the same boat!

*Argan Oil Hair treatment £12.99 Boots
*Loreal Paris Sublime Mousse 400 Pure Dark Brown £6.99 Boots
*Batiste Floral & Flirty Blush Dry Shampoo 400ml £4.99 Boots
*Cosmopolitan Blush Brush £3.99 Superdrug
*Rimmel Lasting Finish Blush Live Pink £3.99 Superdrug

So I decided I was sick of my roots coming through and decided to dye my hair a darker brown that was closer to my natural hair colour. I was deciding between the "pure dark brown" and" pure darkest brown", they do say if you are trying to chose between two colours always go for the lighest so that is what I did. I've dyed my hair a lot and I can honestly say Loreal Sublime Mousse has to be by fair the best i've ever used. It's mousse obviously as in it's name and comes with a pump bottle so it's easier to use and apply yourself. As it's mousse it's a lot easier to spread and ensure that no spaces have been missed! At first my hair was verging on black but since a few washes it's tonned down to a nice dark brown which is just what I wanted.

I have a fringe and with it laying on a forehead of makeup all day it tends to get greasy quicker than the rest of my hair does between washes. Some might suggest giving the fringe a quick wash but instead I prefer to use Batiste Dry Shampoo. It's brilliant to use in between washes and makes my hair feel refreshed. The trick is to not spray too close to your head or you might find you have white patches even after you have brushed it out.

I needed a new blush brush and after umming and arrrghing I decided to go for this cosmopolitan one, it's not expensive and when I first used it I realised the hairs are slightly angled so it makes applying blush in the right places even easier as opposed to using a massive blush brush and ending up getting it all over your cheeks instead of the cheek bone area.

By far by FAVOURITE purchase in a long time! now listen, due to dying my hair etc my hair has always been dry and generally not happy with me. I used to use VO5 hot oil, which comes in these little plastic tubes and you put them in hot water to heat them up before putting it on your barnet. However, as much as I wished they worked they didn't really do anything to my hair. I brought this because my friend uses it and I tried some of hers. Mine cost £12.99 for 100mls from boots but it's actually avaliable for £9.99 at Superdrug! I should of shopped around. 
Argan Oil is is extracted from Argan Fruit and is used to treat hair and skin problems.

It says on the box that it: Norishes dry damaged hair, repairs and rejuvenates, smoothes and eliminates frizz and gives protection and shine.

I can honestly say it isn't lying! since using it my hair has been so shiny, feels soft, not frizzy and generally in better condition than it's ever been. I've been using it after washing my hair every other day for the past week and half. I apply 2 pumps in my hand and then run it through my mop, instantly it has an effect on my hair and my comb just runs straight through it! Despite using this oil of regularly it hasn't made my hair greasy. Then again I do have very thick hair so perhaps for those with very thin hair it might do, but then on the back of the box it does say use less for short hair...and obviously more for longer hair. I will defs be buying this again! Like i said, my friend has been using it and a lot longer than me, her 100ml bottle has lasted a few months and she's used 1/3 of the bottle.                                                     

Oh study day, study day

Yesterday & Monday my class and I had the delight of being told about all the work that was expected of us this year. I literally just do not know where to start. I know I chose to do a degree but really? So as usual instead of doing something useful with my time I'm procrastinating. Nevermind.

 The bag is  £19.99 from h&m and I have absolutely fallen in love with it, most likely because it's dalmatian print and I love dalmatians. I'm not usually into bags but I'm obsessed with this one, I'm going to HAVE to get it. 
The makeup is from the long wear range by Bobbi Brown, the foundation is spf 15 and it claims to last up to 12 hours, the price is £30 for 30mls. Likewise, the Long-wear Gel eyeliner is £17. I've heard good things about these products in the long-wear collection from other bloggers. They do other products too, there is a range of cream eye-shadows which look absolutely divine! but I would have no idea which colour to buy first! I will definitely do some reviews when I get some products from this range. The long-wear eyeliner is a definite purchase as I hate nothing more than my liquid eyeliner disappearing half way through the day and as an experienced eye-liner wearer I am very excited about the prospect of an eyeliner that will last ALL day. 

http://www.bobbibrown.co.uk/

week #1

The week

Nail Varnish returns       Argan Oil Hair Treatment      Baby Mousshhh

       What is he wearing?      Hmmmm Costa treats                 New Skirt                                      

            Quite the ape             Cheeky Starbucks           Ankle Swingers

"I hate my hair the day it's washed"

 

 "I hate my hair the day it's washed" - By Lee Stafford

200mls = £6.19

3 Cap Design

 

I went shopping about 5 months ago for a hair product that would sort out the frizzy issue I have with my hair. My hair has a tendancy to grow in volume quicker than it does in length, naturally thick and frizzy, especially just after I've washed it. Before using this product I tended to prefer my hair the day after it's washed when it's got a little bit of grease in it and has settled down, so to speak. So what with the name of this product you can imagine to me it felt as if it was answering my prayers. First of all I was drawn to the "Frizz Ease" collection of hair products. However, none of the products really drew in my attension. What drew me into this brand was the look of the item, mostly the hot pink colour which stood them out from the rest. It was when I was scanning the Lee Stafford products that I came across this particular one. Although the name is a bit long winded, it was this that made me pick up the bottle wanting to know more. So far I haven't looked back. The next thing I look at before purchasing a product that I may potentially buy is the price. I'm not one for spending lots of money on hair care products because using too many on my hair has made it greasy in the past so the minimal the better and being a student the cheaper the better. It's £6.19 for a generous sized bottle (200mls). It's not expensive nor cheap, however, one bottle has so far lasted me about 5 months and it still has a teeny bit in. The product you see in the photos is the replacement bottle I have brought. However, the teeny tiny bit in the previous bottle is enough for a few more uses. 


 More times than not I blow dry my hair after washing. Prior to using this product the frizz was controllable to a small degree  if I blow dried my hair. Prior to using this product letting my hair dry naturally would be out of the question! The instructions on the bottle say to use it on towel dried hair after washing. This I do but have found since using this product it's not a biggy if I decide to either blow dry it or let it dry naturally because the frizz is in control! As a result my hair appears  more straight, more manageable and does not make my hair greasy as it is a very light product. As said previously I use minimal products on my hair, this being the only one other than heat protection spray. It does say on the bottle that you can layer other products on top, however, for some people I'm not sure if this would make their hair greasy? Especially those with thin hair perhaps?

This product has a 3 cap design and includes a spray pump. The 3 cap design is probably designed to prevent leaking however, I have a habit of losing the smallest cap and no leakage has ever occured.


So the anwser is yes, I would definitely recommend this to a friend!

Thick & Fast

Just thought I would do a little blog post about this mascara because it's my favorite at the moment. It's called Thick & Fast by Soap and Glory. I'd never used Soap and Glory before, I knew they did skin care products but it was only recently when a few friends recommended their makeup. I was looking for a new mascara and was so sick of buying ones that did nothing and made my lashes look flat. Another problem is there are so many different mascaras, do you want that create thick lashes? long lashes? big lashes? look like fake lashes? natural lashes? big brush? little brush? curved brush? it's exhausting deciding which one to go for and brands like Rimmel are the main offenders in having as many mascaras as possible. It was the fact that not only was it their one and only mascara, so I didn't have to stand by the counter for 2 years umming and ahhhing about which one to pick, but the little box that it came in that attracted me to it. Promising to be "super volume mascarsa" and the added difference to other mascaras I've used with having a big brush. This mascara is thick but not too thick that it clumps badly and the key is to layer, only a couple of times to get that super volume look. I decided I prefer the big brush to any other I've tried, most people say they have problems avoiding getting mascara on their lids when applying as the brush is so big but that happens to me anyway because i'm so heavy handed haha. Now the only bad point I could think of about this product was that it cost £10. Usually I go for around the £6 mark. However, I've been using this for a few months now and unlike normal bottles of mascara it doesn't seem to have dried out and gone all yuky like most I find do. So overall, I think the £10 is worth paying. I am definitely buying this again.