Benefit: Hits & Misses!

Hi!

 

 

I thought I'd start this maybe as a little mini series doing the hits and misses of various brands! Stay tuned for more of these in the future!

I thought I'd start with Benefit as I think that Benefit is maybe fairly well known for having hits and misses more than perhaps other brands.

 

I've got hits, misses and then some...er..."in between" products..ones that I feel are nice but not necessary.

 

Let's start with the misses and work our way up!

 

MISSES

 

 

I actually have 3 products from Benefit that I feel aren't worth the money.

Unfortunately one of these products I don't even have anymore so lets start with that one.

 

1) Ooh La Lift

 

This did nothing. I got this as a mini version in a Benefit kit (I get lots of those because I like seeing which products I like enough to get a full sized version of) and I'm so glad I didn't spend money on a full size.

Ooh La Lift was a white creamy substance that supposedly reduced under eye bags and "de-puffed" the eyes. Unfortunately it did nothing of the sort so I ended up binning it.

 

2) Boi-ing Industrial Strength Concealer

 

I still have this knocking around on occasion when I need something to mute out the natural colour of my lips.

But this does nothing as an actual concealer. This is greasy, looks shiny as hell and the worst thing: it doesn't even cover up. It doesn't have very good coverage and this just isn't a good product for me.

I wrote more about this HERE in a comparison of this and the Erase Paste concealer.

 

3) Lip Plump

 

Um...I'm not really sure why this is called Lip Plump as it didn't plump my lips at all and after looking online it's not just me who was confused by the name.

Why call something Lip Plump when it doesn't plump? Confusing.

Anyway. The only use I found for this was putting it on before a lipstick to mute out the natural colour of my lips...but as I previously demonstrated with Boi-ing ....I can just use a concealer to do that as long as I put it on lightly.

So I really don't see why you'd spend so much money on this when you could use anything else that you already have to mute out your lip colour.

 

 

IN BETWEEN

 

 

These are products that while they are nice, they're not totally necessary or essential.

 

1) Girl Meets Pearl

 

This is a nice highlighter, although the golden tones of this doesn't works so well with my fair skin. On darker skin tones this may look incredible.

This is in the "in between" section simply because it doesn't show up a whole load and it just isn't very noticeable on my skin. It looks nice occasionally when the light hits it, but this isn't a must-have for me.

 

2) Posie Tint

 

This is a pretty colour and makes a nice pink blush but you have to blend this in really fast so that it doesn't leave dots or streaks behind.

Again, this isn't super noticeable on my skin and while you can build it up, it takes time and this just isn't something I reach for often.

It's nice to have and I use it now and then but it isn't something I use every day.

 

HITS

 

 

1) Erase Paste

 

Originally when I got a small size of this I didn't like it. I now know that this was partly due to the fact that it was in the wrong shade and partly because I just wasn't using it too well.

I went out and bought a full sized version in the right colour and tried using it a little differently.

I have really bad under eye veins and so after applying a thin concealer to even out the skin tone (I tend to look a little red round there) I then use my finger to warm this up and dot it where I need to cover the veins.

This is very creamy and so blends in well and covers up the veins and brightens at the same time.

I've been using this every day since!

 

2) High Beam

 

I much prefer this highlighter to Girl Meets Peal because it's a pearly pink colour and just suits my skin tone so much better!

This shows up better on my pale skin and just generally looks a lot better and more noticeable. I love the glow this gives the tops of my cheeks.

 

So there you go!

There are my hits & misses for Benefit...are there any other brands you'd like me to do a post on? Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks so much for reading :)

Libby x

Expensive Products Worth The Money!

Hi!

 

My post today is all about the high end or expensive products that I think are worth the price...

There are of course expensive products that don't deserve the high price tag but every now and then something comes along which is a must-have product!

 

 

Here's a run down of my favourites!

 

 

1) MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NW20

 

I've mentioned this before a few times...amazing pigmentation & coverage, covers any blemishes I have within seconds and lasts well too because you get a lot of product for your money!

This is around £15 but I think it's worth it.,

 

2) MAC Select Cover Up Concealer

 

I've rediscovered this recently and remembered how much I love it!

Such high coverage for a liquid concealer and because it's fairly thin, I can use it on my under eye veins and it doesn't cake up!

Again this is £15.

The prices for MAC have gone up slightly...this used to be £14.50.... Never mind I still love it!

 

 

For some reason no matter what I do I can't seem to get this the right way round....

I hate technology.

 

Anyway.

 

3) Benefit High Beam

 

This is one of those famous classic products that a lot of people seem to have...and I can see why.

I don't actually have a full size of this but honestly when I run out of the many mini versions I have of this I think I might bite the bullet and get the full sized.

This is just the most beautiful pearly, pink highlight colour which adds a lovely glow to the cheekbones.

 

 

4) Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner

 

I've mentioned these a few times now and I have a review HERE if you're interested.

 

I got these for £14 each and they are SO worth it.

I have the colours Peacock and Bluefin and the colours are simply stunning.

And best of all, these have incredible staying power and I trust these to last all day on my lashline.

I must get some more of these at some point.

 

 

 

 

 

5) Urban Decay Palettes. (Naked & Book Of Shadows III)

 

Time for a little UD I think.

I love these palettes. Not only are the shadows great quality and beautiful colours, even though the palettes are expensive you get a lot for your money.

Often UD puts in full sized eye shadows (or nearly full sized) and they sometimes include things like brushes, primers or lip products.

These are just great and well worth paying such a high price for.

 

 

 

And finally...

 

6) Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencils

 

 

I have three of these (Zero, Ransom and Electric) and I've done a review HERE if you're interested.

These cost £14 but are really great.

The formula of these is so creamy and easy to blend and the colours are bright and vibrant...

I think if you're paying that kind of price you deserve a liner that is multifunctional and these are, you can use them on the waterlines, top lashline or as a base for other shadows.

 

 

 

PHEW.
That was a long post.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my post!

Thanks for reading!

Libby x

General Skincare/Haircare/Makeup Haul!

Hi!

 

Today I just have a quick haul of a few products I picked up recently, most of them are skincare or hair care with a few extras :)
This was actually two separate shopping trips so that's why the photos are separate!

 

 

 

 

1) Boots Tea Tree & Witchhazel Cleansing And Toning Lotion

 

I got this because my local boots was out of the Simple toner that I normally use...but I've generally liked the Tea Tree & Witch Hazel products before from Boots so I thought I'd try this out...

Generally liking it so far although it has a strong smell...

This was around £4 which is slightly more expensive than my normal one but I do like it so far.

 

2) Simple Kind To Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes

 

I got these for cleansing in the morning because I'm famous for not having enough time to properly wash with a facial wash and so I end up just not doing it...hopefully at least I'll remember to use these!

I like these wipes, I've used them before and although I only got one pack I plan on getting some more to stock up!

These are about £3.85

 

3) Sure Clear Pure Crystal Deodorant

 

I got the pink one of these as this has one of my favourite scents and I was running out so this was just a boring general basic item that I needed to get! :)

 

4) Clairol Nice n Easy Hair Dye (104)

 

Despite being naturally blonde my shade of blonde is quite dark especially at the roots so I dye my hair a slightly lighter blonde than my natural colour.

I hadn't used this brand before (usually I use the Belle Colour one) but my boots didn't have them so I got this one instead...used it today and really pleased with the finished result!

It looks like a pretty warm coloured blonde but that's ok because generally the slightly "carroty" colour goes when you dry your hair after dying and then it fades even more as you wash it.

This was I think £5.99.

 

5) Boots Double Sided Cotton Pads

 

I get these pads because I love the double sides; there is a smooth side for things like facial toner and then a slightly rough side which is great for removing nail varnish.

These are only around £1.89 and I always get these!

 

 And then today I went out again and got a few things...mainly makeup based!

 

 

6) Real Techniques Stippling Brush

 

I REALLY wanted to try some of the brushes from Real Techniques and I was tempted to get a set but decided it seemed a lot for brushes that I might not use as much so I got a stippling brush that I really needed! :)

This was £10.99 and so far I really like it; it's densely packed and small enough to get into all the nooks and crannies of my face!

 

7) Rimmel London Match Perfection 2-in-1 Concealer & Highlighter

 

This is a favourite for me, and this is my third tube of it!

I'm running out of my current one so I decided to pick up another, this just highlights my under eye area so beautifully.

My shade is Ivory and I got this for only £5.99.

 

8) Garnier Simply Essentials Facial Cleansing Wipes

 

These were on 3 for £5 so I got loads of these!

Boots was out of my usual Cumber Face Wipes so I got these instead to try out.

I used one a minute ago and while I like it I found it very slightly drying but that's not much of a problem because a spot of moisturiser fixed it straight away.

 

9) Benefit Erase Paste

 

This was kind of a splurge for me...Basically I have this already but in a shade that is too dark so I got this in the lightest shade and I'm looking forward to using it!

I love the formula of the Erase Paste so hopefully this will be better for me than the sample size I originally that is a too dark shade.

 

10) Sleek Ultra Mattes V1 Palette (Brights)

 

I originally wanted the Acid palette (And I still do) but my Superdrug doesn't have it :( I'll have to order it online or something.

But to satisfy my need for some bright matte shades I got this palette instead which looks pretty good!

I'm looking forward to trying this out!

 

 

Well that's it!

Thanks for reading, I'll have reviews of some of these products coming soon!

Libby x

5 Products I Regret Buying!

Hi!

 

I think that even though positive reviews on things are very useful, I find that a negative review on a product can be just as informative.

Hence, I decided to compile a quick little list of the top 5 products that I have really regretted wasting money on.

 

 

These aren't in any order!

Basically I was choosing products that I really dislike using.

There are loads of products in my collection that I'm not 100% in love with, but these are the ones I really regret buying!

 

1) BD Designer Eyes in Lapis

 

 

At the time I got this, I thought it was a good idea to have the places for the shades stamped on and it reminded me of the Wet N Wild eye shadows. I seem to remember picking this up in Tesco for around £3/4.

 

 

Can you even call these swatches?

The "Shade" shade (?) had pretty much no pigmentation, it looked like dust on my eye.

The "Shape" shade had more pigmentation but the strip in the trio was so tiny it was damn near impossible to get any on a brush.

The "Shine" was the least awful of the three and I would actually use this as a brow bone highlight occasionally...if the darker shade next to it didn't keep messing it up.

 

Basically, all three shades had bad pigmentation, the texture was rock solid and I really didn't like this. It's been sat at the back of my eye shadow drawer since.

 

2) Benefit Boi-ing Concealer

 

I'm not keen on this, it was pricey too.

 

 

Of all 5 this is probably the product I dislike the least, but I'm still not happy with it.

This stuff is greasy as hell, it slides around on your face and if you put it under your eyes it just cakes up and creases badly. You need so much powder to cover up the shininess it leaves that you just end up with a cakey mess.

And on top of that, it doesn't even cover that well. Eek.

 

You can see that I've actually hit pan on this, but that's not actually an amazing feat. There's around 3g of this (compared to the 7g in MAC Studio Finish) and because the pan is so big you actually hit the metal pretty quickly.

The only thing I use this for now is for muting out the natural colour of my lips when I use a lip colour and even then I use the tiniest bit.

For £16.50, I expected better.

 

3) Accessorize Primer

 

 

It's such a shame that I don't like this because I've tried other products from Accessorize (eg their nail polishes and eye shadows) and loved them.

 

I've done a full review of this HERE if you want to have a read...its...er....less than favourable.

 

The first problem I have with this is the packaging.

Even when I bought it new, there was a lot of air in the actual packaging, combined with the ridiculously large opening in the tube, this creates ultimately a very messy experience.

Far too much primer leaks out, gets everywhere and then you have to waste it.

 

And on top of that, its pretty greasy feeling and doesn't do anything in the way of helping foundation or concealer lasting longer.

 

Definitely not a product I will be repurchasing, unfortunately. 

It does slightly improve the pigmentation of certain eye shadows, and so sometimes I use it for swatching (where it doesn't matter so much that so much primer leaks out because I need a lot) but basically I'll be pleased when this is finished up.

 

4) Barry M Glitter Liquid Eyeliner (13)

 

 

I don't remember ever liking this.

Again, I LOVE most of Barry M's products. Their Dazzle Dusts are incredible and I love their Nail Paints.

However this for me was just a dud.

I think you can probably see from the photo, this completely dried out and there is very little actual product in the tube.

It's strange because when I bought it I remember there being liquid glitter actually inside the tube, but this crafty little devil seems to have dried up before I even properly got a chance to use it.

It's vanishing act is better than some magicians I've seen.

 

I'm not sure this counts as a swatch...but this is all I can get out of this little tube and I think all I've ever been able to get out of it. *sigh*

It looked so pretty in the tube when I first bought it too.

 

5) L'Oreal Paris Glam Shine Holographic Liquid Lips (Gold Rose 86)

 

 

 

 

Last but not least(....well...technically all of these products are "least" but you get my drift) is this lipgloss.

 

I'm going to cut straight to it: This stuff smells. And it's not a gone off smell it's an intentional smell.

The scent that they have given this is strong and nauseating. It reminds me of some kind of yogurt that's been given a fake berry scent to it. To me, it's far too strong and just not nice. It also hangs around ages after you've applied it.

 

I just put some of this on to see if it was as bad as I remember (haven't used it in ages) and yes it is.

The smell is too strong but also it's heavy and thick and just generally isn't a nice product.

 

 

So...there you go! I think that's enough ranting about makeup products for one day ;)

 

What are your makeup regrets?

Thanks for reading!

Libby x

Benefit Girl Meets Pearl Vs High Beam

*This is a scheduled post as over the next few weeks I will be busy with exams*

Hi :)
I think personally that every makeup brand is famous for a few types of products and I feel like one of the types of products Benefit is famous for are their highlighters...
I have two to show you today which are Girl Meets Peal and also the famous High Beam.

 

 

I don't have either of these in full sizes as I got them in the Benefit "Finding Mr Bright" kit :)

A full sized Girl Meets Pearl costs £24.50 for 12ml and the High Beam in full size costs £19.50 for 15ml.

Girl Meets Pearl:
"This soft, golden-pink liquid pearl luminizer features light-reflecting pigments to give your complexion an exquisite, dewy glow. It includes raspberry & chamomile, known for their soothing properties…and sweet almond seed extract  known to help improve skin firmness & smoothness. Pat it on over blush to highlight cheekbones with a pop of pearly pleasure!"


High Beam:
"Our satiny pink liquid highlighter accents cheek & brow bones for a dewy, radiant glow. Use as a spot highlighter over makeup or wear under complexion products for subtle luminescence. It's the "supermodel in a bottle!""

Here are some swatches:

 

 

 

As you can see they are different colours...High Beam is more of a very pale, pearly pink/champagne colour with shimmer...it's pretty pigmented and shows up well on the skin.

Girl Meets Pearl however is definitely more of a golden colour...I think it's more of a very sheer base with some golden shimmer. It's not as noticeable on the skin and isn't anywhere near as light as High Beam.

For both of these I just dot it along the top of my cheekbones and blend it in with my fingers.

 

Girl Meets Pearl:

 

Pros:

1) Would be a lot better for darker skin tones as it has golden shimmer

2) Is more subtle so you could blend this more over your face to give a really luminous glow.

3) Has a nice smell to it...(this may be a disadvantage to some people who don't like scented cosmetics...I don't generally but the smell isn't strong and I quite like it. Also highlighter isn't something I need lots of so it's not like I can still smell it once it's on  my face)

 

Cons:

1) It's more expensive than High Beam.

2) There is less in the bottle than High Beam

3) It isn't as noticeable as a highlight

4) For lighter skin tones it doesn't show up as well.

 

High Beam:

 

Pros:

1) Less expensive than Girl Meets Pearl

2) You get more in the bottle

3) There is a brush in the bottle top so it's slightly easier to apply.

4) Is a lot more noticeable as a highlight

5) Better for fair skin (like me)

 

Cons:

1) If you have dark skin it might look a little bit frosty...

2) Even though it is cheaper than Girl Meets Peal it is still expensive for a highlighter.

 

Overall I generally prefer High Beam...it stands out better on my skin and is more noticeable, but that's not to say that I don't use Girl Meets Peal too!

They are both pretty good highlighters so it would have to depend on how dark your skin is and if you are willing to spend the extra money to get slightly less product.

I've used High Beam for some time now and I now have 3 mini versions from various Benefit kits :)

 

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed my post :)

Libby x

 

Benefit Erase Paste vs Boi-ing concealer!

Hello :)
Today I wanted to do a post based on one of the questions that I spent a lot of time researching before buying a Benefit concealer. I'm always on the hunt for new concealers that I love and a while back now I was looking at trying out a Benefit concealer, but I didn't know which one!

By a happy coincidence I now happen to own both the Boi-ing concealer and the Erase Paste, so I feel I can now give them a proper run down of which I prefer!

Here they are side by side...I got the Boi-ing in full size for around £16 and the Erase Paste is a smaller version from the "Finding Mr Bright" kit from Benefit.

 

 

Erase Paste:

Pros:

• Good pigmentation. The coverage is probably medium for this, but the coverage is pretty good as long as you layer it. (Swatches below)
• An orange/salmon colour helps to hide blueness under the eyes which makes it got for eye bags
• Quite creamy in texture and also thick, but does blend quite well.
• Lasts quite well on the eyes.
• The packaging..as with other Benefit products is pretty, but I don't know if you can count that as a pro...I wouldn't buy a product just based on it's packaging! :P
• Has 4.4g which is more than Boi-ing.

Cons:

• For  a full size this costs £19.50 for a full sized version...Very expensive for a concealer.
• Only comes in 3 colours...this one is in medium and is too dark for me. All colours have a salmon undertone to them which could mean colour matching is quite difficult.
• Creases quite badly under the eyes after a while...more than the average concealer.
• You generally have to dip your finger into the pot to get it out, which isn't too hygienic..I don't find this a major problem as it is typical with potted concealers.

Boi-ing:

Pros:

• This has 5 colour choices which makes it easier to find a colour match. It has Light, Light/Medium, Medium, Medium/dark, Dark. This also doesn't have the salmon tone that Erase Paste has which also might help with colour matching.
• Slightly cheaper than Erase Paste, this is only £16.50 as opposed to £19.50.
• Has 3g which is more than some concealers I've tried...yet it is still less than Erase Paste (but bear in mind it is cheaper)

Cons:

• Packaging feels quite cheap/plastic-y. The packaging isn't very sturdy at all.
• Again, like Erase Paste you have to dip your finger in which might be a problem for some people.
• I don't like the texture of this...to me it feels like a lip balm. It feels very greasy and even feels like that when it's on your skin.
• Coverage isn't good. This is expensive, but still has probably less coverage than some concealers I've tried that only cost a couple of pounds.
• Texture is hard to work with, it feels slimy and is hard to blend because when you blend it, you end up just moving the product around.
• Creases like crazy. More than Erase Paste. It creases badly no matter what powder or primer I use with it, by the end of the day it looks like a cakey mess.

I genuinely think the only reason I've managed to hit pan on the Boi-ing Concealer is that I have literally been trying it so many times to get it to work for me.

 

Above: Boi-ing

Below: Erase Paste

 

 

Overall:
Generally, I prefer Erase Paste to Boi-ing, but if I'm being completely honest I'm not that fond of either of them. I don't use either that much anymore as I've found better alternatives like the MAC Select Cover which is cheaper and covers better. My main problem with both is that they both crease quite badly because they are so creamy in texture. I can live with that with Erase Paste, as at least it does actually cover! Boi-ing has a horrible texture to me because it's so greasy, and it doesn't even cover well. Both of them are expensive, and like I mentioned I'm not too fond of either, but occasionally I do use Erase Paste. I don't use Boi-ing anymore, apart from when I want something to mute out the natural colour of my lips before applying lipstick. It does feel like a lip balm! Only not moisturising...
 :/

So overall I prefer Erase Paste and do use it occasionally. I would consider buying Erase Paste again if I find a colour that works better for me, as if the colour was better I could live with the creasing.
I won't buy boi-ing again, but I will carry on using it to mute out the colour of my lips occasionally.

Thank you for reading, I hope this was useful to you!
Libby x