27 August 2014

The Review | Benefit They're Real Push Up Eyeliner


Over the summer I have been edging more towards a smudged liner, however as the weather start to turn more chilly I've gone back to my safety net of winged liner. I usually use a liquid liner, however since I've started my daily slog to London and back I've had issues with smudging, transfer and longevity so I decided I'd try something more from the gel range. Benefit have recently released new additions to their "They're Real" range, including their Push Up Eyeliner. It's a gel eyeliner pen, the first of its kind (as far as I know) and I was definitely intrigued. Due to the price however I did decide to wait a few weeks to gauge the reviews and see if I really did need it. Well, I ended up getting it anyway.

In terms of application I had heard it took a while to get used to a this gel pen. In a way yes, but overall not really. As long as you keep squeezing the nib at the top to release any left over gel you're fine, then use it like any other liner pen. I feel a little like the line isn't quite as black and and bold as I would like it so it does need a couple of layers to be able to build that up. Touch annoying but doable. It is VERY easy to create a lovely even wing with this and I do find it very easy to match both eyes. Once you're used to it it's no problem at all and I love how it looks. It does look very clean and there's very minimal mistakes.

In terms of wear and tear I put it to the ultimate test of London commuting. I'm having some mixed results I have to be honest. Sometimes there is not problem with it, by the time I get home it's slightly faded but nothing really disastorous. Other time it's flacky and smudged. Not ideal. I have found that using eyeshadow underneath does help it stay in place and not flack, but it does still fade. It's better but still not exactly what I was hoping for. I do love it and I love the look it gives. Maybe some eyeshadow primer will help?

Have you tried this new gel liner?
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24 August 2014

The Comparison | Smoothing and long lasting primers

For a few years I was trying to decide whether primers were worth the hassle and what they actually really did. Then one fell into my life and I now can't live without it. The Kiehl's Micro-Blur Skin Perfector is perfect at prepping my skin for the day and holding onto my make up for as long as possible. Much longer then any other primer I've tested. However, it's nearing the end of it's life so I was wondering if there was a dupe on the high street that I could use to replace - and make my bank account a little happier.

I bought this for my best friend who was looking for a cheap primer and she loved it so much that I thought I should give it a whirl. The Seventeen Stay Time Long Wear Primer is a smoothing primer, much like the Kiehl's version, and is also meant to prolong the wear and tear of your make up. Both attributes I associate heavily with the Kiehl's primer. It's not as silicony as the Kiehl's offering which is good, however not quite as easy to apply. It does smooth the skin nicely and it makes it super easy to apply make up afterwards. 

In terms of long wear, I would say it does last a long time however not as good as Kiehl's. The Seventeen offer is good if you're looking for something that isn't going to last longer than maybe 10 hours. Kiehl's is definitely a long term primer whereas the Seventeen offering is probably a shorter term, just a lazy weekend offering.

My friend loves the Seventeen offering, so I would say that it's not the best for oil however for dry skin it's your best bet. I do like both and I think the Seventeen offering has some great attributes and is definitely worth a try. However, for me I'm going to be repurchasing my Kiehl's.

Which would you choose?
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7 August 2014

The Review | The Body Shop Camomile Collection

So these have been worming their way into a number of bloggers hearts, so when I popped into my local Body Shop and saw there was an offer I snapped both of them up. My skin is going through some weird stages at the moment so it definitely needed it. I've been trialing these for over a month now and I have to say, I'm not sure how people are going to feel about this one... I've tried using these as a double cleanse so let's see how it goes

So instead of my usual micellar water I substituted the Camomile Silky Cleaning Oil, now I tend to stay away from oils and after using this for good reason - but we'll get to that. Basically I massage this into my face and remove all make up. It is an incredible make up remover, I will give the product that. It just cuts through the layers and really cleans the face. However, for me I find that it does irritate my eyes so I can't use it for eye make up. Also, I do have oily skin and this just seems to exacerbate that. Not good and really it's just made my skin worse. So yeah, not great. Anywho, after the oil I've been using the Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter. I was really excited to use this and yeah, it went the way of disappointment. I found this so greasy to apply and it was just really cringy to use. My face did look lovely and clean afterwards, even glowing. But I just can't get past the greasiness.

I think if you have dry skin these products would be amazing for you. However for oilier skinned gals like me it's a good idea to stay away from these... It's such a shame as they are both great at cleaning the skin and brightening as well, unfortunately I just can't get past the oil/grease. Sad times. 

Have you tried the camomile collection?
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3 August 2014

The Comparison | Marc Jacobs Daisy v Daisy Dream


Ever since I saw this was coming out I've been coveting this perfume. Not going to lie, mainly for the insanely pretty bottle. I've never been a huge perfume person, I don't tend to wear it everyday and when I do I just feel like it doesn't last too long. However Daisy was the first one that changed my mind. As you can see from these pictures there is only about half left - I just love it. It's simple, yet pretty scent. Not too overwhelming but also on you do notice. In my head I've not been too bothered about the other Daisy variations as none are going to be as good as the original surely? However, as I said, this bottle made me covet.

My parents were going to Italy so I asked Mum to keep an eye out for this in the duty free as at the time it was only available at world duty free. Luckily she came back with this beaut and I've been wearing it every day since. Not going to lie, I still love my original Daisy but this is definitely coming to a close second. So what's the difference?

Well the original Daisy is a very classic spring pretty scent. If you're not a huge fan of florals it's fine as it isn't too heavy on the floral scent. It is however definitely based around the floral side with a focus on violet (not daisies...). Daisy Dream is still a very classic spring scent, light and fresh but this one focuses more on the fruitier side with top notes of blackberry, grapefruit and pear. For me I'm not sure why Marc Jacobs have stuck this in the Daisy family as I feel like they should all be a variation of the same theme if they're to share the same "family". However Daisy Dream's scent doesn't belong in this family, it would probably work as it's own stand alone fragrance. 

I do love this one and I think it's more of a summery scent then Daisy. Daisy definitely sits on the spring side of scents, light and airy, whereas Daisy Dream is much more summery scented with fruity highlights. I am loving Daisy Dream at the moment and I'm reaching for it everyday. The bottle itself is absolutely divine and probably my favourite every perfume bottle. Marc Jacobs is definitely still my favourite perfume brand and Daisy Dream just reaffirms its position in my heart.

You can now get Daisy Dream in all good perfume retailers as well as Daisy. Daisy Dream 50ml retails at around £50 (varies) and Daisy 50ml retails around £52 (again, varies). 

Which do you prefer out of Daisy and Daisy Dream?
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