Benefit ~ They're Real

 

A couple of months ago, I had a mini Benefit They're Real mascara freebie with a magazine (was it Elle?  I can't remember!!)  I've been wanting to try out this blogger favourite for a long time so was eager to try it the next day and......... hmmm, this really didn't live up to the hype for me I'm afraid.

 

 

*Please excuse the cruddy bare-faced photos, I really should've redone them!!*

 

 

Now, to be fair, this mascara offers exactly what it promises & it made my usually short lashes realllly long & separated & for that, I was seriously impressed.  However, it offered no more or better effect than my beloved L'Oréal False Lash Telescopic does but it costs nearly double!  But I had a huge problem with the brush....

 

I'm now more a fan of plastic brushes than before but I found this particular one to be really sharp & spiky.  I like to apply my mascara by getting the bristles right in at the root & wiggling the brush right through the lashes as I find it gives great uplift this way but I'll just say it, this brush bloody hurt!!!  And the bit on the end did nothing except for get in the way & smudge all over the skin at the outer corners of my eyes.

I found the formula overly wet & it seemed to take forever to dry which meant tiny black specks under my eyes & on my eyelids unless I sat for 30 seconds with my eyes shut to let it dry!

However, I could've forgiven these two bugbears as like I said, the result was great but the one thing I couldn't forgive was the complete nightmare in removing it!  This stuff just didn't want to come off & I had to scrub at my lashes to remove - not the best thing for either your lashes or your skin!

I tried 3 different types of eye makeup remover, all of which struggled to remove it (when they are normally excellent at removal) & no matter how clean I eventually though I'd got my lashes, I ALWAYS woke with panda eyes the next day.  Meh!

So sadly, Benefit They're Real has been relegated to the 'disappointing products' drawer & I won't be using it again.  I'm so glad it was a freebie though & I hadn't forked out for a full sized version or I'd have been gutted!!

What are your favourite mascaras?  Have you tried They're Real & loved it?

 

Mr & Mrs

 

So last week saw the first of my younger brothers getting married.  Mr F & I travelled down to Doncaster on the Friday & we'd booked to stay at the Best Western Premier Mount Pleasant Hotel, where the wedding reception was being held.

 

The hotel was fabulous & the room was gorgeous.  There was a fabulous looking spa & I'm gutted that I didn't have time to indulge in any treatments, especially as a few were on offer that weekend!  But it was lovely being holed up with all the family, eating, drinking & generally being silly.  We all enjoyed a gorgeous meal together on the Friday evening before the big day.

 

We got up early on Saturday & enjoyed breakfast before myself & my sister made our way over to our new sister-in-law-to-be as I was on makeup duty & my sis was doing her hair.  It's been years since I did a bridal makeup & we hadn't done any trials so I was a tad nervous but even if I do say so myself, it turned out beautifully & she was really pleased with it......phew!!  Unfortunately though, because it was so manic at the end, I didn't get a close-up of her finished face but I'm sure the wedding photographer took some so I'll have to try & get some off him. 

 

Her makeup stayed on all day & night with only her lips needing a wee touch-up during the day.  Here's what I used:

 

Primer - Smashbox Photo-finish

Eyelid primer - Smashbox Photo-finish Lid Primer

Base - Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum

Powder - MUA Matte Perfect loose translucent powder

Blush - Dior Diorblush in Rose Libertine

Eyebrows - Sleek Brow Kit in Light

Eyes - Sleek iDivine in Au Naturel

Lashes - L'Oréal False Lash Telescopic in Black

Lips - Dior Addict Gloss in Nuit de Juin 

 

It really was a fabulous weekend, here's a few photos.....

 

 

 



Summer randoms!

 

Me & my boy!!

 

My very first g&t....shocking eh?!

 

Much excitement when this was delivered.  Just need the flue pipe connecting & some chillier weather & it'll be roaring away!!

 

 

Hair cut at last!

 

First day at school *sniff*!!

 

A new stack from the library book sale.

 

 

 



Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream

 

 

As I've previously mentioned, I am very new to the Smashbox brand.  I've always read great things about it but because nowhere near to me sells it, I've never bought any to try as I like to sample new products first.  However, when I was away at my dad's the other week, we found a larger Boots branch with a Smashbox counter so I had a little play!  After being colour-matched by the lovely sales assistant, I came away with the 'It's Your Prime' primer tester kit (post to follow shortly!) & a sample pot of their BB cream in light/medium shade.

 

There was enough product in the sample pot to test it for a week & I can honestly say, I don't think I've ever used a better BB cream.  The coverage is seriously amazing, something that I don't usually get with BB creams, it doesn't exacerbate my oily T-zone, is semi-matte & has fantastic longevity, bearing in mind I was testing it out on one of the hottest weeks of the year.  I would happily wear this in place of a foundation all year round & I love that it offers a broad spectrum  SPF 35 too.

 

  The blurb on the box states that it is a '5-in-1 complexion miracle-worker proven to prime, perfect, protect, hydrate & control oil' but I will admit, I was a wee bit sceptical after such a huge claim.......however, this little beauty offers all of those......and then some!!  I was so impressed with it, I ordered the 15ml trial size (£12.50) straight away from the Smashbox website as I still wanted to test it for a while longer before buying a large tube.  It was delivered in 2 days & can I just say kudos to Smashbox for offering free delivery & a free sample with every order, I like this very much!!

 

 

 

For the photo here, I applied it at 8.45am & removed it around 7.30pm & it still looked as fresh as it did when first applied!  This is just before I removed it & the only thing I'd reapplied was my lippy!

 

 

 

 

I really do love this stuff & look forward to trying more products but purleasssssse, if you're reading this Smashbox, open a counter in Dundee!!

 

 



e.l.f. haul

 

 

 

 

e.l.f. is a brand I've never tried before because it's an online brand & I do like to try before I buy.  However, they recently had an offer where they offered a 50% saving when you spent £25 & above so I though it'd be a good opportunity to test them out!  All prices stated are the regular full price.

 

1.  Shine Eraser blotting papers  £1.50

2.  Contouring Blush & Bronzing Cream palette £3.75

3.  Makeup brush storage pouch  £5.00

4.  Blending Eye Brush  £3.75

5.  Eyeshadow 'C' Brush  £3.75

6.  Flawless Concealer Brush  £3.75

 

I also bought bits for my daughter but seeing as I haven't used them, I won't comment on them although she's very impressed with all she had!

 

The blotting papers are ok for the money but by no means the best I've ever used.  Best suited to very light shine but not an oilier complexion.

 

I've yet to try out the contouring palette as I keep forgetting I have it!  I'll get on to that this week....

 

I love all of the brushes.  They are so soft & blend eyeshadow so easily with no caking & as of yet, they haven't shed any hairs.  They're also really comfortable to hold.

 

The makeup brush case I bought because I'm doing the makeup for my sister-in-law-to-be when she gets married next week & because we have to travel down to Yorkshire for the wedding, I wanted some decent storage.  It's a great size, opens flat out & is a handy wipe-clean fabric - always handy!  A great buy at £5, even better at £2.50!!

 

I'm still not keen on buying cosmetics, especially face bases colours, from the website as I find it too unpredictable to guess the shades but there are many more brushes & tools that I want to try out as they offer such great value.

 

If you haven't yet tried e.l.f., have a look today because they're again offering a huge 50% off purchases over £10 with the discount code 500813!!

 

 



July Book Club review

I'm a bit late in posting this one due to being away but our Book Club choice for July was The Shipping News by E Annie Proulx.

 

 

 

 

After his cruel wife's death, Quoyle & his 2 young daughters Sunshine & Bunny, up sticks & move from New York to Newfoundland to live in the ancient family home with his aunt.  It tells the tale of living through the bleak winters & settling into his new job reporting for the local paper, the Gammy Bird.

 

Hmmm, it's quite a strange book in that I neither liked nor disliked it....I found it quite meh.  I didn't feel that the story really went anywhere & found myself thinking "is that it?" at the end.  I just didn't 'bond' with any of the characters apart from the aunt & found them all a bit strange!  Also, it took me ages to work out what year the book was set in due to language spoken.  It's set in much more modern times than I initially thought. 

 

 

 

 

The blurb states "The Shipping News is an irresistible comedy of human life & possibility".  I'm afraid the comedy aspect of this book must've passed me by...maybe that's because it just wasn't my cup of tea!!

 

Our read for August is A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, this one I am looking forward to!

 

 



Beauty haul #2

It's not often I go out & buy lots of things in one go, I usually replace things as & when I need them but occasionally I  try the odd new product *ahem*!!

 

However, when I was away at my dad's a couple of weeks back, I decided to try quite a few new things.

 

 

 

 

From left to right we have.....

 

1.  ELF Contouring Kit - I've yet to try this but watch this space (part of an ELF haul I bought - post to follow!)

 

2.  Lacura Aqua-Complete Serum - I've been using this lightweight gel-serum from Aldi for months now & this is probably my fifth bottle now -  I just love it!  It contains hyaluronic acid & my skin feels so hydrated, plumped up & refreshed when I use it.  Such a bargain for under £4 a bottle!!

 

3.  No7 Make-up Brush Cleanser -  I bought this using the £3 off No7 makeup voucher so it was £5 & is brilliant at removing everyday makeup from your brushes without drenching them or having to dry overnight.  I put a couple of pumps onto some kitchen roll & lightly swirl my brushes over it to remove light makeup.  It's ideal to use a couple of times week until I do a 'proper' brush clean.

 

4.  Revlon Photoready BB cream - I was desperate to find a BB cream that worked for me & I kept reading about this on blogs so decided to give it a try when it was on offer in Superdrug.  I think I paid around £7 or £8.  I got it in the medium shade & although it offers quite good coverage, it's still a tad too light on my skin at the minute due to a tan but I just mix in some of my Bourjois Bronzing BB & it's great!  I've since found another BB though that is pure perfection....blog post to follow very soon!

 

5.  MUA Matte Perfect powder - generally I'm not a fan of powder so never really use them but in this recent hot weather, I felt my skin needed mattifying a wee bit so tried this one for £2.50.  It really is great, it's shocked me a bit!  It leaves a fabulous matte but not powdery finish, doesn't cake & is totally invisible.....a great buy!

 

6.  Smashbox It's Your Prime - Smashbox is a brand I've never tried, mainly because nowhere near me sells it but I've always wanted to try the ever-popular Photo Finish primer.  My daughter & I went to a large Boots & found a Smashbox counter so it was great to be able to test some of their products & when I spotted this kit with this, the Photo Finish Lid Primer & Hydrating Under Eye Primer in it for £14, well, I just had to!!  All 3 are amazing but I want to say too much about them so will do a follow-up post.  But can I just say that the sales assistant was brilliant!  She really took the time to explain about the products & didn't even baulk when I asked for a sample of their BB to try.  In fact, she even colour matched me & also gave me a sample of the green tinted anti-redness primer to try too.  I was so impressed with the BB, I've subsequently purchased one & it really is an amazing product!!

 

7.  L'Oreal Micellar Water - I'm a bit late to the party where these wonder waters are concerned having only tried my first one last month (by B Pure) but when I saw this on offer & my other was running low, I decided to try it out.  It is equally as amazing at removing my surface makeup as the B Pure one but I don't feel it is quite as hydrating on my skin.  It can be left feeling a bit tight, but in no way unpleasant or uncomfortable but it'll be interesting to see how my skin feels by the end of the bottle.

 

8. Botanics All Bright Refreshing Eye Roll-On - I bought this on a total whim as I had a Boots voucher offering 200 worth of points if I spent over a certain amount.  This was half price at £4.49 & took me up to the amount I needed to spend so I popped it in the basket but I'm so glad I did!  In this weather, it's been so cooling around my eyes & it hasn't irritated them one bit.  It seems to reduce puffiness well although hasn't made any difference - as of yet - to my dark circles but I've only been using it for a couple of weeks. 

 

So that's my recent haul of goodies.  I can't wait to tell you all about my fabulous Smashbox BB & my little haul from ELF - whoops!!

 

 



Summer 2013 #1

Hi folks,  I've been a tad quiet this last couple of weeks due to a much needed break down at my dad's house in the Midlands & then visiting other family who were up in Scotland.  It was great to catch up with friends & we also had a great night out for my sister-in-law-to-be Sarah's hen night!  Much shopping, sunbathing, bbq-ing, reading, eating & drinking was enjoyed (I'll be blogging some of my newest purchases!!)

 

Then when we came home, the following day my dad & step-mum followed us up to Scotland & we met up with my aunt & uncle over from California at the fabulous Kilconquhar Castle in Fife.  Exciting news is to follow regarding this magnificent place!!

 

  We've all had a great time & have enjoyed the sunshine & heat immensely, seeing as we haven't felt like we've enjoyed a summer since we left France!!

 

I thought I'd post a wee mix of photos to show what we've been up to!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry about that last photo, I had a mad 5 minutes trying to take photos of my new Smashbox BB & was losing the will to live at this point, heh heh!!! 

 

Hope you're all enjoying your summers so far!