Benefit Cosmetics Magic Ink Liquid Eyeliner Review

Hello guys!
So today will be another review on an item I purchased a while back - Benefits liquid eyeliner. Now I am a huge fan of the whole Amy Winehouse inspired eye flick and rarely go without it. Hence, having a good quality, long lasting eyeliner is crucial.
I bought this along with other Benefit cosmetic items off the website and got 10% off (student discount). Normal price is £15.50 so yes it is kind of expensive, especially if your a student like me and the eyeliner you used previously was £4!

As you can see from the above photos the packaging is nice and minimal (I hate when small things have large packaging it's very wasteful and unnecessary) although I was surprised at just how small this was. It's a little smaller that normal eyeliners and I assumed for the price it would be larger. But the size is deceiving! I bought this at the end of April this year and it's still completely full. I wear it at least 4/5 days of the week and it looks untouched!

Another thing to note is that the bit where you put the brush in has not dried up at all which is a problem I had previously and it just puts you off. The quality has stayed the same despite me having this for 4 months already which I am very impressed with.

Finally wearing-wise it's the best one I have used so far. It is very easy to use and is true to it's name - jet black. I can go 24 hours with this on and the colour will not fade, smudge onto my eyelid or crack at all (I've tested it for this long). Now considering these benefits you can not complain about the price because it really is worth it!

My only issue is that it isn't waterproof however you know this when buying so I choose to not have that luxury!

Below is a photo of me wearing the eyeliner (it wouldn't let me crop it for some silly reason) and other photos on here as well as my instagram show the product on!

Thanks for reading, I appreciate it!

xox

Review - Benefit Total Moisture Facial Cream

Hello guys, so I am about to start a hectic week as I leave for America on Friday and have so much to do before I go! 

This post is review of a product I got free after buying some Benefit products and there is a full size available to purchase but this is my take on the moisturiser.

As with all Benefit items it had lovely packaging and was a great tester, specifically because its not just a sachet where you can use once. The moisturiser is in a glass container and has a good amount in it, I've barely used any and have used it 3/4 times to cover my face!

Firstly the positives of this product, the moisturiser itself has a lovely clean smell that seems natural as opposed to perfumed. This makes it perfect for sensitive skin because if your like me, I can't use moisturiser with added scent because it just flares up my acne. 

The consistency is also good, its quite thick but spreads easily so a little goes a long way but you still feel a good layer is covering your skin. This again is perfect for me because I use facial cream everyday regardless of what I am doing and so cannot afford to be buying it every other week!

Although the majority of things about this cream are positive, I do have one problem - it leaves me feeling greasy. This of course is not a great feeling especially when my aim is to put make up on top of it. So I tend to use this on no make up days as the greasy-ness does go away after it's fully dried in but I wouldn't like to add make up, its like putting foundation on a sweaty face - a big no no! However because I have really dry areas on my face its great for adding moisture meaning when I do wear make up it's easier to apply and looks better.

So for the greasy-ness, I wouldn't purchase this product at its full sized price (£28.50). I use Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream on dry areas and sleep with it on and it's the best product I've ever used so have no need for this particular moisturiser when I don't feel I can put make up on top!

Thanks for reading my review, I will have another post up soon!

xox 

What I've Purchased This Week - Boots and ASOS

Hey guys! So exam's have officially started and I had my first one today - Knowledge and Reality. It went a lot better than I had expected so I am pretty damn pleased!
I have purchased a good few new items this week which I will run through but more in depth reviews will be made in the next wee while!

My first lot of purchases was from Boots online. I normally shop in store but needed some new things and simply didn't have the time to go in. Plus if you spend over £40 you get free delivery so I wasn't paying extra for that. It came 3 days after I had ordered which I didn't expect with it being free so was just in time for the weekend.

 As you can see I got the Boots parcel and my Graze box at the same time which is always nice, love having things delivered as I often forget what I've purchased plus it's something to look forward too.

I bought two sets of Eyelure lashes 070 which were £5.49 each however I got one for free due to the 3 for two promotion they had on. The third item I bought in this deal was the Sleek make-up face contour kit which I cannot wait to review! I've been dying to give contouring a go but wasn't sure what products to use and didn't want to spend a fortune. After hearing a ton of good reviews on the product, seeing its in the 3 for 2 and that it was only £6.49 I had to buy. 

I then bought two items from the Benefit cosmetics range - They're Real mascara and Magic Ink jet black liquid eyeliner. I always use this mascara and cannot recommend it enough, yes there's a rather large price tag (£19.50) but it is justified by how brilliant the product is. It never smudges, I never have large bits of mascara on my lashes because if looked after it doesn't go dry and goes on super smooth. It's the first mascara I've purchased that also separates every single bottom lash! 

The eyeliner (£15.50) is again not cheap but I'm expecting big things as Benefit have never let me down!

As mentioned I will be doing more in depth reviews on these items with pictures of me wearing them so you can have a better look.

I also, due to feeling confident after my exam, purchased two items of ASOS. I got a lovely 25% off student discount voucher (go onto unidays) and it is advertised on their website and couldn't help myself! 

I am addicted to jumpsuits so the item below was something I've been wanting for a while, I love the back detail, with it being black I can do so much with shoes, accessories and make-up so for £25 and taking away the discount it was a steal!

ASOS Unitard with Back Strap Detail - £25

The second item I bought is the dress below, a beautiful plunge neck midi dress which I think oozes sophistication as your legs are nearly all covered and so gives way to have some cleavage showing! I feel items like this really flatter a small chest which makes it perfect for me and again being black means i have so many options for accessories and make-up!

Oh My Love Plunge-neck Bodycon Dress - £38

Outfit posts will definitely be needed for both my ASOS items so look out for them in the next month (no nights out until after exams)!

Thanks for reading

xox

How the products I've talked about look when used!

So today I took a photo in natural light with my Samsung digital camera with no flash just to show you all what my face look's like with the products mentioned in the previous two posts. First of all though I have a picture which I took for the 'no make up selfie' sensation which was used to raise awareness for cancer research.

Granted my skin is not awful here however you can see especially round my nose and chin, areas which are red caused from acne I used to have. I also have the following pictures with are closer up images of things I feel are imperfections.

The above two photos show a small breakout I had one my chin and around my mouth and the genral unevenness of my skin tone. You can also see how little eyebrow hair I have after my mum cut them off BY ACCIDENT and they have since never grown back properly so I shave round them and draw them on. I will post a step by step on how I draw them on and the products I use to do so, soon. 

However, in terms of face make up after using all my products from my facial care in the shower to my powder, my skin is visibly different - 

It is very difficult to tell I have a breakout in this picture or that I have a not so perfect complexion merely because of the products I use. Using them correctly and with good brushes is also crucial, I always spent extra time ensuring everything is blended. You can also see how these products match my pale skin tone perfectly and I do not look caked in make up whatsoever, or I wouldn't say so anyway!

I hope this helps give a better idea of how using the products from the previous two posts truly give the best results in my opinion. Again I will be creating a post on my eyebrow routine! Thanks for reading guys, means a lot!

xox

My concealer and foundation routine!

Being a redhead with pale skin means it is incredibly difficult to colour match my foundation and concealer. I have been turned away by The Body Shop, Max Factor, Clinque and a few other brands simply for being too pale! So here are the products I use on my face in order of how I use them! Prior to applying my make-up I go through my daily face routine which I explain in my previous post.

After applying my primer (last post) I apply my concealer straight away. I use Mac studio finish concealer in the shade NC15 - the lightest. Now, don't be fooled by the small tub, this product has lasted me about 5 months and has another one left in it. I use this under my eyes, the side and underneath areas of my nostrils, the area between my eyebrows, my chin and any spots I have. Yes I realise it sounds like a lot however I have such uneven skin from ache scars that I need it. A little goes a long way with this product through and I do not cake it on at all, i use enough to cover what I see as my imperfections. Also, for the price, this is brilliant value!

Mac Cosmetics Studio Finish SPF 15 Concealer (NC15) - £15

Next I apply my foundation. I do this using the same brush I use to apply my primer - Mac 187 Duo fibre face brush which I spoke about in the previous post.

Mac Cosmetics 187 Duo Fibre Face Brush - £33.50

The foundation I use is Mac's studio sculpt foundation in NC15 - the lightest shade. The foundation I was told was matte however I find otherwise. It leaves me looking shiny enough that I need to apple a powder on top. It does give good coverage however is thick which is great for nights out but bad in the long run as I feel it encourages spots when used daily. I am continuing to use it however until I go to America where I aim to purchase different foundations. I wouldn't recommend this for anyone with similar skin to my own as it simply isn't worth the price and unfortunately this is the only reason I'm still using it, I hate wasting money. If you don't take good care of your skin, this foundation would do you no favours.

Mac Cosmetics Studio Sculpt SPF 15 Foundation - £25.00

As my foundation makes me look all over shiny - in my opinion anyway - I more often that not put powder on top. Now looking for a good powder has literally been my life struggle, everything seems to make me look orange, it goes on patchy or dries out my skin. After googling top products and watching reviews on YouTube I decided to give Benefit powder a go. I purchased Ivory (gee I'm swell) and it's the best investment I have ever made! I was shocked when I received the product to find what appears as a really small amount of powder however after using it everyday for two months it still looks untouched. It is so light and doesn't block up my skin or dry it out which keeps me looking flawless all day. I always spray a touch of hairspray on my face but even then the make up literally does not budge, the hairspray is mainly for my eye make up and brows! Everyone should be using it because I've never found better! Also student's if you order from Benefit online you can get 10% off from unidays.com.

Benefit Cosmetic's Hello Flawless Powder - £25.50

So that's all the products I use on my actual face however I shall be creating a post on my eye make up routine as well as my eyebrow routine separately as those are what I'm mostly asked about so look out for them, thanks for reading!
xox