Benefit Coralista Blush - Review & Swatch

Hi Everyone!

 

I have been a big fan of Benefit's boxed powders for a long time now! I own most of them and use them a lot! I love the packaging and the scent as well as the colours and finishes. I know that Coralista is a bit of a cult product and have read so many positive reviews about it, so I finally bit the bullet and purchased it!

Benefit Flatter Me Cream Eyeshadow - Review & Swatch

Hi Everyone!

I recently purchased one of Benefit's Creaseless Cream Eyeshadows in the colour Flatter Me which is described as a 'Toasted mauve' shade. These cream products can be used as an eyeshadow or an eye liner which is great. Benefit recommend that you apply a layer of the product on to your eye, wait 30 seconds and then apply another layer if you want to intensify the colour.

 

I am a big fan of MAC's Paint Pot's and own quite a few of them so I was keen to see how these compare. Firstly the Benefit Cream Eyeshadow's are 50p cheaper than the MAC alternatives here in the UK but are slightly smaller so cost-wise they are around the same price. I tend to use my Paint Pot's as eyeshadow bases rather than on their own too and they always perform well at this. Flatter me has a nice smooth consistency which made it easy to apply similar to the consistency of Painterly Paint Pot (I have found Painterly to be one of the smoothest of MAC's Paint Pots). I have found it easy to apply with both my fingers and with a synthetic brush.

The colour is beautiful and applies to the skin exactly how it looks in the pot. I have worn it alone with no powder over the top and it held up well with minimal creasing after a long day. I have also used it under an eyeshadow as a base and it also did well. Flatter Me looks beautiful paired up with browns, greys and Plums. I have worn it with 'Toasted' from the original Urban Decay Naked Palette and it looks beautiful as it is a similar colour.

SWATCH SHOWN ON NW20 SKIN:

Overall I don't really have anything bad to say about this product! It is quite expensive but it is a quality product so, therefore, worth the money in my opinion. As I mentioned above, I own several MAC Paint Pot's so was eager to compare the 2 products. I would say that the Benefit shadows are slightly more pigmented than the MAC ones so if you want to wear the cream shadow alone then go for the Benefit option.

You can purchase this eyeshadow from Benefit for £14
Maz x

Benefit They're Real! Mascara Review

Hi Everyone!

So I have to begin this post by saying that I have never been a fan of spending a lot of money on high-end mascara's as I always feel that drugstore brands, in particular L'Oreal and Max Factor produce some really good ones, however, I had read so many positive reviews out Benefit's new 'They're Real!' mascara that I gave in and got it!

I really like the size of the brush, it's not too big and not too small. The end of the brush is rounded off. almost into a small ball shape which makes it great at reaching your inner lashes. The colour is a nice rich black shade which leaves a lovely effect on the eye. The mascara works well at separating and volumising your lashes.

I really don't have a bad thing to say about this mascara! I like the packaging, the brush and the effect on the lashes. The big question is: Is it worth the pretty large price tag? Well £18.50 is a lot of money to spend on a mascara but it is really good and definitely better than the ones that I usually use! Would I repurchase? Yes I probably would!

You can purchase this mascara from Benefit for £18.50
Maz x

My Top 5 Contouring Powders

CLICK here to read my updated contouring post from July 2016!

Hi Everyone!

More and more of us like to contour out faces nowadays and this technique can be done using a variety of products, I would recommend trying out a few and finding out which one is best for you. Here are few of my favourite products that I use to contour my face:

(Colour guide: I have MAC NW20 skin)

MAC Harmony Blush:
This is my favourite product to use when contouring my face. MAC describe Harmony as a 'Muted rose-beige brown'. I really like to use a blush product when contouring my face as my skin has pinkie undertones and the pinkie undertones in the blush help me to blend the product in and avoid that over-done look! Harmony contains no shimmer or glitter which is great as it can look a little obvious if you have a lot of shimmer on one section of your face!

You can purchase this from MAC for £17.50

Sleek Contour Kit in Light:
This is a great product and very popular (it's always out of stock!) The kit comes with both a highlighter and contouring powder. The colour of the contouring powder is great for my skin and blends well, I slightly prefer Harmony over this one even though they are very similar in colour as the MAC powder is a little easier to blend and work with in my opinion.

You can purchase this kit from Sleek for £6.50

NARS Laguna Bronzer:
I am a huge fan of the NARS Laguna bronzer which is described as a 'brown with golden shimmer'. This powder does contain some shimmer but it is quite subtle. I tend to use Laguna as a bronzer for an all-over colour but it does double up really well as a contouring powder too. As with all NARS products, this is great quality and is really easy to work with. NARS also offer the Laguna shade in the cream, multiple stick form which would also be great for facial contouring.

You can purchase the Laguna powder from NARS for £25

Benefit Hoola Bronzing Powder:
This is my most recent purchase from this post and I admit that I have only used it a handful of times so far. I have used this is a similar way to Laguna in that I use it more as a bronzing powder than a contouring powder but it makes a great contour powder due to it's lack of shimmer.

You can purchase Hoola from Benefit for £23.50

NYX Powder Blush in Raisin:
This Product is a lovely brown shade with a slightly red undertone. It does a great job at shaping your face and is really reasonably priced. The texture is silky smooth and applies brilliantly as all NYX blushes do!

You can purchase Raisin from NYX for £5.50

Swatches shown on NW20 skin:

So the big question, I am sure, is which of these products would I recommend if you are only going to buy one! I would probably go with the Sleek kit, it is very nearly as good as MAC's Harmony blush and is also great value for money especially if you are just starting to contour and highlight your face. Despite all of this, MAC's Harmony will always be my favourite, go-to contour powder!
In case anyone is wondering - my favourite brush to use when contouring my face is the Sigma F25!

I hope that you have enjoyed this post and found it useful. Please feel free to share your favourite contouring products in the comments section below.
Maz x

 

Benefit Hervana Face Powder - Review & Swatch

Hi Everyone!

I am such a sucker for cute packaging and new beauty products so I was really drawn into Benefit's new beauty powder, Hervana! This product is supposedly 'heavenly' hence the packaging design! The powder comes in Benefit's usual box design that snaps shut, there is a mirror on the inside of the lid which is really handy.

The blush itself is made up of 4 different shades that Benefit describe as 'lucky shell, divine peach, heavenly rose and berry delight' which are designed to be swirled together to create an 'orchard blossom blush'. The 4 colours are really pretty and complement each other well. They are too small to use alone so have to be used together. The result is a really flattering, classic pink shade which would be great on most skin tones. The colour pay-off is pretty good but not too overly pigmented which makes application easier.

Swatch shown on NW20 skin:

I have never really liked the brushes that come with Benefit's powder but I have to say that they are definitely getting better, as you can see from the picture below the brush is angled which makes application much easier. It's also a lot softer than I remember their previous brushes being!

Overall I really like this product, the packaging and design in general is really nice and the product is great quality, in my opinion this is a great 'every day' blush! It reminds me a little of MAC's Well Dressed Blush which is one of my favourites but it's slightly rosier than that. The blush is expensive but great as a gift or treat for yourself!

You can purchase Hervana from Benefit for £23.50
Maz x

Benefit Watt's Up! Review & Swatch

Hi Everyone!

I was lucky enough to be given one of Benefit's new products, Watt's Up! for Christmas! Watt's up is a face highlighter that gives you a soft glow and is suitable for all skin tones. The highlighter itself is at one end of the product and twists up, similar to a NARS Multiple. The highlighter is a sheer champagne colour that has a cream to powder finish.

To apply the product you simply glide it along the areas of your face that you wish to highlight such as the tops of your cheekbones, down the centre of your nose and your Cupid's bow. The bottom of the product has a small, round blending sponge which is ideal for the perfect finish.

Swatch of the product shown on NW20 skin:

I really like this product, the highlighter applies really evenly and smoothly and the sponge blends it into your skin brilliantly. I sometimes find cream products can drag a little onto the skin but this doesn't. The champagne colour is really flattering and gives you a lovely glow.

Watt's up is priced at £24.50 and you can purchased it from Benefit Cosmetics.

Maz x

November Favourites

Hi Everyone!

It's the end of the month so that means it's time for my favourites post where I share my most used and loved products from the last month. It's less than a month until Christmas now so you'll see some rather festive items creeping in! So let's get started!

Benefit Bella Bamba Blush:

I have quite a few blushes in my collection and this is the only one from Benefit. It is a lovely pink watermelon colour with a slight gold shimmer. It is similar to NARS Orgasm but is pinkier in my opinion. It has a lovely brightening effect on your face and looks great all year round.

ELF High Definition Powder:

I have been using this powder for a couple of months now and I really like it. It is is a very fine powder that is designed to create a 'soft focus' to the skin and masks fine lines and imperfections. I find that it is also great for reducing the amount of shine on my face. I use the applicator that came with it and apply it to my forehead, nose and chin in a patting motion.

MAC Technikohl Liner in Smooth Manoeuvre:

I was talked in to buying this liner from a MAC artist on a recent shopping trip, it is one of the new, limited edition liners from their Glitter and Ice Christmas Collection. Smooth Manoeuvre is described as 'a black with pearl'. I mainly purchased this to use on my waterlines in place of my usual Feline or Smoulder pencils and I love it! It's glides on much easier and seems to set into place and lasts much longer.

MAC Lipstick in Pink Plaid:

I am a big fan of pink lipsticks and purchased this after seeing one of my favourite YouTube beauty guru's Grace aka Cosmetic Couturier used it in a recent video (click here to visit her channel). MAC describe this as 'Dirty Blue- Pink' and it is fast becoming one of my favourite lipsticks, it looks great paired with a smokey purple eye and is really wearable.

Stila Lip Glaze in Kitten:

I recently purchased the Stila Lip Glaze Christmas gift set (click here to read my review and to see swatches) and Kitten is my favourite so far. It's a beautiful shimmery champagne colour and looks great when worn alone or layered over a lipstick.

(L to R) Inglot 352, Make up Forever 9, Make up Forever 92

Make-up Forever Eyeshadows in numbers 9 and 92:

I do not own many Make-up Forever eyeshadows but I really love the ones that I do! Purple is my favourite colour so I had to pick up the famous 92 shadow which is a very bright, matte purple shade. I like to wear it all over the lid with a dark purple in the crease such as MAC's Sketch or Shadowy Lady and Make-up Forever's number 9 which is a matte lavender colour. I wore this combination on a recent shopping trip in Manchester and got so many comments! So many people asked me where I got my eyeshadows from!

Inglot Eyeshadow in number 352 Matte:

I am big into Inglot products at the moment and especially their eyeshadows! 352 is a pale pinky- cream colour and might look like quite a boring choice for this post when compared to some of their more, eye catching, brighter colours but this shade is amazing, it is such a great highlight colour and is so smooth and creamy to apply. It also does a great job at blending out any harsh lines and is a most have for any Inglot eyeshadow palette!

Emporio Armani Diamonds Perfume:

Diamonds has been a favourite perfume of mine for quite a while now and I have been wearing it quite a lot recently. It is a great fresh, feminine, floral scent and works well during the day and at night. I would definitely recommend checking this fragrance out if you are looking for a perfume to buy for someone over Christmas as I haven't come across anyone who doesn't like it!

Glitter Nail Polishes:

I had to end with glittery nail polishes! I really love them and we have been spoilt for choice with this years Christmas collections from OPI, China Glaze and Zoya in particular. My picks so far have to be China Glaze's Snow Globe from their Let it Snow Collection and Lorelei's Tiara from their Eye Candy Collection. OPI's The Muppet's Collection is also fantastic, especially Rainbow Connection, Divine Swine and Excuse Moi. I really like the look of Zoya's Gem's and Jewels Collection too! So many fab glitter polishes, so little time!

Here some swatches of a few of the items mentioned above:

(L to R) Inglot 352, Make up Forever 9, Make up Forever 92

 

(L to R) Benefit Bella Bamba, MAC Pink Plaid, Stila Kitten, MAC Smooth Manoeuvre

Thanks for reading my post and I hope that you have enjoyed it. Please feel free to share your favourite products with me in the comments section below.

Maz x

My Top 5 Foundations

Hi Everyone!
One of my friends recently asked me for my advice on which foundation she should try as she wasn't happy with her current one which prompted me to think about writing this post. There are so many foundations on the market, greatly varying in price, which claim to do amazing things for your skin. If, like me, you are willing to pay a slightly higher price if you are guaranteed quality then it's tough to know which ones to spend your money on. I have tried a lot of foundations over the years and had both good and bad experiences, here is my pick of the best.
NB: For a rough guide on the colours options - I am a MAC NW20.

Makeup Forever HD: (My shade: 118)
This foundation, as I am sure that many of you will know, has a massive online following and has a lot of hype surrounding it. As I mentioned on my full review of the foundation, this is such a light-weight foundation and doesn't feel in any way cakey which is great. It applies and blends so well and looks so natural. I am hoping to try out the MUFE Mat Velvet + Foundation soon to see how that performs on my oily skin so stay tuned for that review!
Please click here for my full review of this foundation. I purchased my bottle for £28.95 from Guru Makeup Emporium

L'Oreal True Match: (My shade: C3 Rose Beige)
I am a big fan of L'Oreal products and especially their foundations and mascaras. I have tried most of their foundations and have found this one to be the best. The consistency is a little runny but isn't too bad, I tend to wear this as my every day foundation and apply it quickly just using my fingers. This foundation blends into your skin really well and gives you quite a natural look, my mum really loves it too!
You can purchase it from Boots for £9.99 but look out for special offers!

Revlon Photo Ready: (My shade: 004 Nude)
This is my second favourite drugstore foundation after the L'Oreal True Match. It has a slighter fuller coverage and the consistency is slightly thicker. I do not think that this blends out quite as well as True Match but it is a great alternative to it. I prefer to use a foundation brush to apply this one.
This foundation costs £12.99 and can be purchased from Boots.

Smashbox High Definition: (My shade: Light L3)
I really like Smashbox face products and especially their primer's and Halo powder so I was easily talked into trying out their HD foundation. If I was to compare it to the MUFE foundation above I would say that this has a fuller coverage but takes a little longer to blend into the skin than the MUFE does. If I was asked which of the 2 I would choose for use in photographs I would probably say this one as it covers your skin much better. This is a great foundation for those of you with blemish prone skin in my opinion.
N.B The bottle shown in the picture is  travel sized.
The full price for this foundation is £28.50 and you can get it at Debenhams

Benefit You Rebel Tinted Moisuriser:
This final foundation is a tinted moisturiser which is great for summer days or for when you only want a little bit of coverage, I have a friend with a skin condition who swears by tinted moistusturiser as she can not wear foundations. This product is quite dark in colour but is OK for a fair skin, it also contains SPF 15 to protect your skin. The only thing that I do not like about it is the smell which does die down after a few minutes.

I purchased this for £23.50 from Debenhams

I hope that you have enjoyed this post and have found it useful. Please feel free to comment below with any foundation recommendations that you may have!
Maz x

Benefit You Rebel & The Pore-Fessional

Hi Everyone!

I went to have a look at a new drugstore that has opened near to my house this morning and ended up buying a few things from the Benefit counter. I have never really used many Benefit products before but I've heard many good things about them. The sales assistant informed me that Benefit are the second post popular cosmetics brand in the UK behind Chanel! She showed me lots of products and I would have loved them all, I especially like Sugarbomb and Girl Meets Pearl (I have this on at them moment and it smells amazing, I'll have to go back and get it at some point) but I decided to go for You Rebel and The Pore-Fessional.

You Rebel (£23.50 in the UK): This is a tinted moisturiser with SPF 15. This product claims to give you 'complexion coverage, moisture and SPF protection all in one.' The assistant also told me that it changes slightly as your skin tans during the summer monthes so there is no need to by a lighter one for winter and a darker one for summer which is great. She also informed me that you can mix this with your regular foundation to give you the moisture benefits and SPF protection. She picked out the Medium one for me and I was worried that this would be too dark for me as I usually go for paler foundations but this looks fine on me and blends in really well leaving no lines. She also said that the best way to apply this foundation is with your fingers and not with a brush or sponge. I think that it would give a decent amount of coverage coupled with your setting powder. I'm impressed!

The Pore-Fessional (£23.50 in the UK): This is described as a professional balm to minimize the appearance of pores. I have large open pores on my cheeks and smaller, visible ones on my nose. This balm can be applied under or over your makeup on your problem areas. The balm is tan coloured when you squeeze it out of the tube but dries translucent so won't show up under or over your foundation and stick out. I pat a small amount onto my cheeks and blend it in using my fingers. The balm dries to a lovely, silky texture and has definitely made my pores less visible.

If, like me, you have not tried many Benefit products I would recommend visiting a counter and taking a look! It is very expensive but is really good quality and has the cutest packaging. I have previously tried one of their lipsticks that I wasn't too impressed with and their Bella Bamba blush that I love. I am really impressed with You Rebel and the Pore-Fessional and I can see a new brand addiction coming!

Maz x

Benefit Silky Finish Lipstick in Good-to-go

Hi all,

I really wanted to write a short post about Benefit's Silky Finish Lipstick in Good-to-go. This is one of the very few non MAC lipsticks in my collection. I have to admit that I purchased it after reading that it was the lipstick used on Kristin Stewart's character Bella in the first Twilight Movie! I am such a big fan of The Twilight Saga so I had to snap it up! Another Silky Finish Lipstick by Benefit called Ms Behavin' was apparently used on the Cullen Family in the movie but I'm pretty sure that it has been discontinued in the UK.

Here is the swatch shown on NW20 skin:

The lipstick is a brownish-plum colour and is lovely. It is kind of a plummy version of MAC's Viva Glam 5 lipstick and is great for day or night. The silky finish lipsticks are a little like MAC's Slimshine lipsticks which I don't think are available any more. They provide you with the application and pigmentation of a lipstick and give you the shine of a lipgloss which is great. I could liken them to MAC's new Sheen Supreme Lipsticks. I own 3 Sheen Supreme lipstick's and I have to say that I slightly prefer them to the Benefit one as I felt that it dried out my lips a little and didn't stay in place as well as the MAC ones do.

As I previously mentioned my reason for buying this product was due to it's use in the first Twilight movie so I will always love it for that! If you are looking for this type of lipstick I would recommend the MAC Sheen Supreme's over the Benefit Silky Finishes!

The lipstick is priced at £14 in the UK.

Maz x

Glamour Magazine - Free Benefit Gift

Hi Guys!

I just wanted to let you all know that the July 2011 UK edition of Glamour magazine (priced at £2) comes with a free gift from Benefit. You can choose between a mini-sized High Beam, Bene Tint or Posie Tint.

High Beam is described as a luminescent complexion enhancer and is priced at £18.50 for the full size (7.0g Net wt. 0.25oz). It is a pink toned highlighter for the cheek and brow bones.

Bene Tint is a rosey pink stain for the lips and cheeks and is usually priced at £24.50 for the the full sized product (12.5ml/ 0.40 US fl. oz).

Posie Tint is described as a poppy pink stain for the cheeks and lips and is priced at £24.50 for the full size product (12.5ml/ 0.42 US fl. oz).

As you can see I went for the bottle of High Beam as I have wanted to try it for quite a while now. The bottle is 4.0ml/ 0.13 US fl.oz. and I presume the other 2 mini-sized products will be a similar size. I think that this is a great way to try such an expensive, cult product for £2 plus you get to read the magazine!

High Beam has quite a thick consistency and a little goes a very long way. The applicator is similar to a nail polish brush but i would suggest applying it to your skin with your finger rather than directly from the brush so as not to use too much and waste the product. The product gives your cheekbones a lovely sheen which isn't too shiny. It doesn't contain too much shimmer and glitter like many other highlighters do which is a nice change that gives you a more subtle look. Would I but the product in full size? After using this sample I would say probably yes!

Maz x

Top 10 Eyeliners

I, like many of you, have a lot of eyeliners in my make up collection but there are a handful of eyeliners that I go back to time and time again! Here are my top 10 eyeliner's swatched for you on NW20 skin -

(L to R) MAC Macroviolet, Bobbi Brown Black Ink, Benefit Bad Gal, Rimmel Flash Black, Loreal Carbon Gloss

(L to R) Stila Topaz, Urban Decay Ransom, Urban Decay, Covet, MAC Smoulder, Urban Decay Zero

MAC Fluidline in Macroviolet: This is a gorgeous deep purple colour and is great as a change from black eyeliner. It also makes a great base under purple eyeshadows.

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Liner in Black Ink: This is the only black gel liner that I own and I love it. It glides on and is true rick black.

Benefit Bad Gal Eye Pencil: This pencil is really chunky so I use it to darken the outer V area of my lid and also as a base for a dark smokey eye.

Rimmel Flash Eyeliner in Flash Black: This is a really easy 'idiot proof' eyeliner! The felt tip-like nib is brilliant to use and the colour is not heavily pigmented so mistakes can be easily covered!

Loreal Superliner in Carbon Gloss: This liner is similar to the Rimmel liner but is a much richer black.

Stila Kajal Eye Liner in Topaz: This flesh toned liner is great to use on your lower water line as it really opens up your eyes and is much more flattering to use than a white liner.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Eye Pencil in Ransom: I am a big fan of purple and of this eyeliner! It is a similar shade to the UD Ransom eyeshadow so fans of that will love this!

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Eye Pencil in Covet: This is the most amazing peacock green colour that I love to use on my lower lash line when wearing a neutral eye look as it really makes my brown eyes pop!

MAC Smoulder Eye Kohl: This is probably my most used eyeliner. I have read reviews that say that it doesn't stay very well on the waterline but I haven't found this. If you do, set it with a black eyeshadow such as MAC's Carbon.

Urban Decay 27/7 Glide on Eye Pencil in Zero: I use this eyeliner interchangably with Smoulder. It's a classic black eyeliner that glides on and is easy to smudge.

I hope you have found this useful!

Maz x

My Top 10 Blushes

Hi Everyone!
This is the first in my series of top 10 posts. I have seen other bloggers/ YouTube users doing top 10 posts and videos and I thought I would do it for fun! I hope that you enjoy it!

So let's get started!

Here are the swatches of the first five, more pink-toned blushes, shown on NW20 skin:

(L to R) MAC Well Dressed, MAC Dollymix, Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Powder Pink, MAC Plum Foolery, MAC Blushcreme in Posey

OFFICIAL DESCRIPTIONS

MAC Well Dressed - Satin - Pink lady pink
MAC Dollymix - Sheertone shimmer - Pure candy pink
Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Powder Pink - A light pink
MAC Plum Foolery - Sheertone shimmer - Faintly plum
MAC Blushcreme in Posey - Warm peach


Here are the second five, more coral-toned blushes:

And the swatches, also shown on NW 20 skin:

(L to R) MAC Mineralize Blush in Dainty, Nars Deep Throat, Nars Orgasm, Benefit Bella Bamba, MAC Peachykeen

OFFICIAL DESCRIPTIONS 
MAC Mineralized Blush in Dainty - Light yellow pink with gold pearl
Nars Deep Throat - Peach with shimmer
Nars Orgasm - Peachy pink with shimmer
Benefit Bella Bamba - 3D watermelon blush
MAC Peachykeen - Sheertone Shimmer - A very baby peach

So there you have it! My top 10 blushes (in no particular order)! Most are from MAC - no big surprise there! I find the MAC blushes amazing, there is a large collection of colours and finishes so there is something to suit everyone. My particular favourite is Well Dressed as it is your classic pink cheek shade and can be built up to achieve your desired finish. I also love to mix Well Dressed and Dollymix together. The Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge blush is my 'go-to' shade as it gives you a subtle flush of colour and is so easy to apply and blend. I would also highly recommend MAC's Plum Foolery as a great blush to buy if you are just starting out with blush as it suits most skin tones and isn't 'too much!'
I hope that you have enjoyed my Top 10 bushes, you can read about my favourite cream blushes by clicking here.

Maz xx