Review: Benefit's New Eyebrow Products

If you're a bit of a makeup addict, like myself, I'm sure you will be aware that last month Benefit launched a load of new eyebrow products into the market. Some of which are old favourites, but some are a complete new edition. Of course I had to get my hands on a few of them as soon as possible so now I've tried them out I would like to let you know what I recommend. Hope this helps!

KA-BROW

This was the product that I was most excited about when I heard about it because it is very similar to the Anastasia Beverly Hills DipBrow Pomade (which is my all time favourite eyebrow product). The actual product is held in a little glass pot which can be unscrewed. However, my favourite thing about the packaging is the fact that it comes with a little angled brush. This makes it so much more convenient for on the go and you also don't have to go out and spend more money on a separate brush to use the product with. The actual product itself is so long wearing and lasts all day long without smudging or anything. I love how easy this product is to work with because you can use as little or as much as you like and it still looks really natural. Personally I like to have fuller brows so I tend to need to use more product on my eyebrows to draw them on but they still look pretty natural and not too intense. Unfortunately I picked up shade 2 when I should have gone for shade 3; but its the perfect shade for my Mum so she now uses it and loves it too. If you were to only get one product from the new range, this would definitely be the one that I recommend. It is so easy to work with and you can use it for whatever look you are going for, be that to just slightly define your eyebrows or for a full brow.

Precisely, My Brow Pencil

This was another product that I was excited about because it reminded me of the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz Pencil which I used to love. This pencil would be ideal if you have very sparse eyebrows and you only want to fill them in slightly. Although, I wouldn't recommend it if you like to fill your eyebrows in a lot because you would need to use quite a bit of the pencil and it would probably run out pretty quickly if you are using a lot of it every day. It does have a very natural finish so if you like a very natural brow look, this could be ideal for you because it allows you to draw on short little strokes to mimic the appearance of brow hairs. Although for myself, I have to draw on pretty much the whole arch so I would use this product up way to quickly and I much prefer my Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow over this.

Gimme Brow

This was my favourite product from Benefit's old eyebrow range but there were originally only two shades, one which was too light for me and the other which was too dark. I was so pleased when I heard they were bringing out a shade which was in the middle because I knew it would be the perfect shade for me, and it is! Once I have filled my eyebrows in using my Dip Brow I will then set them with gimme brow to keep them in place throughout the day. It helps to make my brows look that bit more fuller and more natural looking. I know I love this because it's become part of my everyday eyebrow routine and I will 100% be repurchasing another when i run out. I would really recommend trying this if you've tried the old gimme brow shades and they didn't have a good colour match for you.

Brow Zings

Brow Zings was also in the previous collection and I used to love it when I had really dark hair because I used the shade 'dark' and it was a pretty good match. However, since going blonde none of the shades were a very good match for my hair colour and they were all too warm toned. In the new range they now have shade 3 which is a good match for my eyebrows so I can now use it again. I love this if I'm only going out for a few hours because it lasts pretty well for a short while and its so easy to work with. However, I couldn't wear this for the whole day because after a few hours it starts to wear off and doesn't look good anymore. This would probably be the one product that I wouldn't actually repurchase because its £24.50 and there are much cheaper products available that do a better job in my opinion!

Hopefully this post helped those of you who were thinking about trying out any of the new brow products from Benefit. Let me know if you have tried out any of the others and if they're worth investing in!

Thanks for reading,

ffy x

Drugstore Dupes for High End Products

Today I would like to share with you a few dupes for some of my favourite high end makeup products. There are so many cheaper alternatives that you can pick up from the drugstore nowadays but it can be hard to know which ones will be any good. However, I have found 3 pretty good dupes so keep reading if you would like to find out what they are.

Anastasia Beverly Hills DipBrow Pomade vs. Freedom Pro Brow Pomade 

The Anastasia Beverly Hills DipBrow pomade is the one product I use every single day. It's such a staple in my makeup collection and I am yet to find anything that is better than it. However, I have found a product that is very similar, but much cheaper.  Whilst in Superdrug I came across the brand Freedom and saw that they do a similar type of brow pomade, so of course I had to try it. I picked up the shade 'taupe' because thats the shade that I am in the ABH DipBrow and it was the closest match to my eyebrow colour. So having tried and tested both of the products I would say they are pretty similar. The Anastasia Beverly Hills pomade retails for £15, whereas the Freedom pomade retails for £5. The only difference I notice is that the Freedom pomade is slightly more grey toned and feels slightly more oily in consistency. However, considering the Freedom pomade is only 1/3 of the price it is still pretty damn good and I would defiantly repurchase it if I needed to.

Too Faced - Chocolate Bar Palette vs. I Heart Makeup - I Heart Chocolate Palette

The Too Faced chocolate bar palette is one of my all time favourite eyeshadow palletes. The eyeshadows are all so highly pigmented and easy to blend, they truly are amazing. So when I saw this palette that was supposed to be a dupe for the chocolate bar palette I knew I had to try it out. Considering the fact that the Too Faced palette is £39 and the I Heart Makeup palette is only £7.99 I wasn't expecting much but it is actually a pretty good dupe. To my surprise, the shadows are really easy to blend and don't come out chalky in the slightest. If you can't justify £39 for the Too Faced palette then this palette is the one for you. The only downside in my opinion is that the packaging isn't as cute as the Too Faced palette. However, if that doesn't bother you then I'm sure you will love this palette just as much!

Too Faced - Sweethearts Blush vs. I Heart Makeup - Blushing Hearts Blush

I have the Too Faced Blush in the shade 'Peach Beach' and it is such a pretty shade. It isn't too in your face and comes out as a very natural and pretty colour to wear everyday. I tend to swirl all three shades together to get a shimmery colour but you can just focus your brush on one area if you want a particular shade. I Heart Makeup do a very similar product with very similar shades to the Too Faced Blushes. The products are not that similar in consistency however when you apply them they look very similar. The I Heart Makeup blush is is slightly more chalky, however you can't tell once you are wearing it. The Too Faced blushes retail for £24 but the I Heart Makeup blushes are only £4.99, so considering the price difference they have done a pretty good job of making them similar. The packaging is also very similar because they both come in a heart shaped cardboard bow (which is very cute in my opinion). I have the shade 'Iced Hearts' in the I Heart Makeup Blush; however the shade 'Peachy Keen' would be a better dupe shade wise for the Too Faced 'Peach Beach' blush.

Let me know if you have any good drugstore dupes for some of your favourite high end products!

Thanks for reading,

ffy x

Disappointing High End Makeup Products (2)

A few months ago I did a similar post to this and it went down pretty well so I thought I would do another including different products that I have tried that didn't work out well for me. As always, I'm not slating the brand in any way at all, but unfortunately these products just didn't live up to my expectations. Hope you enjoy.

Benefit - Big Beautiful Eyes Kit - RRP £25.50

Before I picked up this product I hadn't taken the time to look at any reviews and I really should have. This palette is marketed as an 'eye contour kit' and its designed for you to be able to 'conceal, contour and line your eyes like a pro'. I definitely don't think it does this. In this kit you get some of the boi-ing concealer in the shade '02 - medium' and 3 shadow colours. First of all, the concealer will not be the right colour for everyone, for me it is slightly too dark which is not what I want when trying to brighten my under eye circles. I also found that the shadows weren't that easy to blend and there was quite a bit of fallout when applying them. Overall, I don't think this product is worth the money in the slightest. There are much better palettes available and this one doesn't even come close!

YSL - Touche Éclat Concealer & Highlighter - RRP £25

I almost feel guilty for including this product because I know so many people love it, but personally I just really didn't like it at all. It's supposed to be a concealer and highlighter but I don't think it does either of those jobs very well. I really didn't find it to have much coverage at all because it didn't really conceal anything. It's more of a brightening product, but even so I still didn't find that it made that much difference. For £25 I would expect this product to be pretty damn good, but unfortunately it really didn't live up to my expectations. It also comes in a tube where you have to click the end in order to get more product out. I didn't like the design of this at all because you never know when it's going to run out and if you really rely on this you may run out all of a sudden.

Mac - Lipstick in 'Pure Vanity' - RRP £17

I first came across this product online and initially I was drawn to this lipstick by the packaging. I loved the aztec print and thought it looked really unique and eye-catching. I decided to buy 'pure vanity' because the picture made it look like a nude/peach shade and i thought it would be a nice shade that you could wear most days. However, when it arrived the colour was so much brighter than I expected. It's a very orange/coral toned colour and I really don't like it very much at all. It's also a very creamy finish on the lips so it's not very pigmented and just looks more like an orange lip gloss which is not the look I like to go for.

Too Faced - Romantic Eye Palette - RRP £29

Now don't get me wrong, Too Faced eyeshadows are amazing. The shadows are always so highly pigmented and super easy to blend which is part of the reason I love them. However, this palette really isn't my favourite. The colours are not what I would usually go for. So for this reason alone, I haven't really used the palette much at all. I feel like the colours in this palette are suited more for people with green eyes because the shades are all very pink or purple toned. Whereas I have blue eyes and tend to wear more orange/brown shades. However, if you have green eyes or these colours are what you would normally go for, i'm pretty sure you would love this palette.

Thanks for reading,

ffy x

June Favourites

Hello everyone! Today I would love to share with you the products that I have been obsessing over throughout the month of June. I'm so sorry that I haven't posed for the past couple of weeks but I was pretty busy and didn't have much time to spare. Anyway I'm back to normal now and I'm aiming to be posting every Wednesday and possibly some Sunday's again. Let me know through either Instagram or in the comments if there is anything specific that you would like me to blog about. On with my favourites!

Too Faced - Primed and Poreless Face Primer

I have been using this primer in conjunction with Benefit's POREfessional matte rescue gel and I find that they work really well together. I first apply the POREFEssional gel to help keep my skin staying matte and then I apply the Too Faced primer on top to smooth out my skin and reduce the appearance of any pores. I find the Too Faced primer to be very similar in texture to Benefit's POREfessional primer. They both reduce the appearance of pores and help to keep my foundation on for the duration of the day.

Maybelline - Master Precise Liquid Eyeliner

Usually I switch between my L'Oreal Superliner or my Illamasque gel eyeliner; however this month I decided to try out another eyeliner I hadn't heard much about and I am loving  it! It was only £5.99 and for the price you pay its amazing. The eyeliner is super black and doesn't turn a horrible grey/washed out colour throughout the day. It's so easy to apply aswell because the felt tip is so thin and pointed that it makes it much easier to make your eyeliner precise. I would 100% recommend this eyeliner if you're looking for something inexpensive that does a fab job!

Chanel - Corrector Perfection Long Lasting Concealer

Before I tried out this concealer I hadn't heard any reviews on it so it was a bit of a gamble as to whether I would like it or not. This surprises me because its such a good product. Mine is in the shade '10 - Beige Clair' which is the lightest. It's a really full coverage concealer which is ideal for covering any spots or blemishes on my skin. I also love how it doesn't cling to any dry patches on my skin. I apply a primer and also set it with powder and it does a great job of staying in place all day and doesn't end up sliding off my face towards the end of the day. The only downside is the price, but I don't find that I need to use a lot of it, so for me I think you get what you pay for with this product.

Chanel - Rouge Coco Lipstick - 'Adrienne'

I'm not really one of those people that likes to rock a bold lip; I usually go for a really natural lip colour that isn't too out there That's probably why I love this lipstick so much. The colour is almost identical to my natural lip colour but with a slight sheen to it. It matches with pretty much any eyeshadow look I decide to go for as it is so subtle. On days where I don't feel like wearing much on my lips I will opt for this because it helps to finish off a makeup look and it looks better than leaving your lips bare.

Green & Gorgeous Organics - Dry Shampoo

Recently I was sent some samples of some organic dry shampoo from the generous Green & Gorgeous Organics (@gandgorganics over on Instagram). At first the idea sounded strange to me that dry shampoo was organic and not a aerosol but I was also pretty intrigued at the same time. However, after having tried them out I have grown to love them. It's not a typical dry shampoo that comes in an spray can. It's a cardboard container in which you sprinkle the product onto your scalp and then massage the product into your hair. This has been such a lifesaver for me because it blends into your hair so well and doesn't leave a white cast or anything in your hair. I also love the smell of them. The sample sizes are great for on the go too incase I feel that I need something to control the oils in my hair throughout the day. Overall I would really recommend you try this dry shampoo and I will definately be investing in the full size after I have used these ones up! Thank you so much to Green & Gorgeous Organics for sending me these. I love them!

Thanks for reading,

ffy x

Review: NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams & NYX Liquid Suede Creme Lipsticks

After seeing these lip products being raved about online, I decided to order some of them and see what all the hype was about. I currently have 4 of the soft matte lip creams and 2 of the Liquid Suede lipsticks and I can't wait to get some more because I love them! I have included some swatches of the products along with some high end and drugstore dupes.

NYX - Liquid Suede Creme Lipstick in 'Soft Spoken'

The Liquid Suede formula is my favourite compared to the soft matte lip cremes. They are much more pigmented and don't come out patchy at all on the lips. They also dry to a matte finish but don't make my lips feel dry in the slightest. This shade is called 'Soft Spoken' and is my favourite out of the two I have tried. Below I have included some swatches of similar shades of lip products that I have in my makeup collection.

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From Left to Right:
NYX Liquid Suede Creme Lipstick in 'Soft Spoken'
Nars - Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in 'Bahama' (Click here to see a full review on this product)
Mac - Lip Pencil in 'Soar'
Mac - Lipstick in 'Twig'

NYX - Liquid Suede Creme Lipstick in 'Sandstorm'

This is a much more browny nude and no way near as berry toned as the other lipstick. Below I have included some swatches of a couple of similar shades of lipsticks that are from Mac.



From Left to Right:
NYX Liquid Suede Creme Lipstick in 'Sandstorm'
Mac - Lipstick in 'Honeylove'
Mac - Lipstick in 'Half N Half'

NYX - Soft Matte Lip Creme in 'Cannes'

'Cannes' is a much brighter colour than the others I have. It's very similar to the shade 'Mehr' from Mac. However, I don't have many other lip products to compare it to because I don't tend to wear this colour lip very much.



From Left to Right:
NYX Soft Matte Lip Creme in 'Cannes'
Mac - Lipstick in 'Mehr'

NYX - Soft Matte Lip Creme in 'Rome'

This shade is a much darker and deeper colour than the others I have. Unfortunately I do not have any lipsticks that are similar to this colour because it is definately not a lip colour I would normally wear. However, saying that I actually really like this colour, I think I will get more wear out of it in the Autumn/Winter months.



NYX Soft Matte Lip Creme in 'Rome'

NYX - Soft Matte Lip Creme in 'Abu Dhabi' and 'London'

The first soft matte lip creme that I ever got was in the shade 'London' which is a really pretty nude. However, I wasn't the biggest fan when I wore it because it is slightly orange toned and made my teeth look more yellow. I then picked up the shade 'Abu Dhabi' and they are very similar. However, Abu Dhabi is slightly darker and had fewer orange tones in it. Therefore I prefer it much more. Abu Dhabi is definately my favourite shade out of all of the Soft Matte Lip Cremes that I have. I have included some swatches of similar lipstick shades that I have in my collection.



From Left to Right:
NYX Soft Matte Lip Creme in 'Abu Dhabi'
NYX Soft Matte Lip Creme in 'London'
Mac - Lipstick in 'Honeylove'
Mac - Retro Matte Lipcolour in 'Lady Be Good'
Estée Lauder - Pure Colour Envy Sculpting Lipstick in 'Insatiable Ivory'
Primark - Velvet Matte Lipstick Crayon
Maybelline Colour Drama Lipstick in 'Nude Perfection'

Let me know if you have tried any different shades and if you think I would like them!

Thanks for reading,

ffy x

Chocolate Brownie Recipe

The other day I fancied baking something and as usual I decided to bake my favourite sweet treat - chocolate brownies. Today I have a post on what recipe I use so you can bake them too if you wish!

The recipe that I like to use is from the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook. This book is super cute and contains so many lovely cake recipes and I can't wait to try baking some more!

Ingredients:

200g - Dark Chocolate

175g - Unsalted Butter

325g - Caster Sugar

130g - Plain Flour

3 Eggs

Icing Sugar to decorate
a 33 x 23 x 5cm baking tray lined with greaseproof paper

Makes about 12 Portions

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 170ºC (325ºF) Gas 3.
2. Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl on top of a saucepan of simmering water (make sure the base of the bowl doesn't touch the water). Leave them until they have melted together and are smooth in consistency.
3. Remove the bowl from the heat. Add the sugar and stir it in until it is fully incorporated.
4. Add the flour and stir it in until it is fully mixed together.
5. Stir in the eggs and mix until thick and smooth.
6. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes, or until flaky on top but still soft in the centre. (I only baked it for about 25 minutes and it was just right). Be careful not to overcook otherwise the edges will become hard and crunchy.
7. Leave it to cool completely before dusting with icing sugar to decorate.

I absolutely loved this recipe, the brownies were so tasty. I would seriously recommend getting this book if you love baking, its so good!

Thanks for reading,

ffy x

May Favourites

Hello lovelies, today I would love to share with you the products I have been obsessing over throughout the month of May. If you would like to know what my favourites are and why I am loving them, please keep reading!

Mac - Lipstick - 'Velvet Teddy'

There has been a lot of hype around this lipstick and for a while now I had convinced myself that this lip colour would be too dark for me and wouldn't suit my skin tone. Oh wow, could I have been more wrong. I have been obsessed with this colour and have worn it pretty much every single day since getting it. It is a matte formula which I find to be great because the product lasts a really long time on the lips, unlike other mac formulas that wear off really quickly. (e.g. cremesheen) Although it is a matte formula I don't find it to be drying at all, unlike other matte lipsticks I have tried. This is such a bonus because it doesn't give that cracked lip effect which no-one wants!

Illamasqua - Precision Gel Liner

This month I have discovered a new eyeliner that I have fallen in love with. I used to swear by my L'Oreal SuperLiner but I found that after a little while it would start to dry up, wouldn't come out as black and was hard to get such a sharp and precise line. However, with a gel eyeliner I have found that my eyeliner game has changed completely. I apply it with a Zoeva 317 'Wing Liner' brush and it makes my eyeliner look so much better and lasts all day long.

YSL - Touche Eclat Foundation

I recently purchased this foundation after hearing a load of people on youtube rave about it and I can see why. It has such a lovely finish and makes your skin look flawless because it has just the right amount of coverage. It is also very long wearing and I don't find it to sink into my pores (which is often a problem I have with foundation). It has a dewy finish to it if you don't set it with powder. However, being an oily skinned gal I always have to set my foundation with powder anyway. I'm not quite sure if I prefer it to my Nars Sheer Glow but it is most certainly up there with my favourite foundations!



Too Faced - Sweet Peach Palette

Too Faced eyeshadow palettes never fail to disappoint. Not only do they come in the cutest packaging ever and have lovely sweet scents, but the quality of the actual eyeshadows is also amazing. They are so highly pigmented and easy to blend that they just work like a dream. My favourite shadows to wear from this palette are White Peach, Luscious, Puree, Summer Yum and Charmed, I'm Sure.

The look I have been wearing most consists of me applying an eyeshadow primer and then adding 'White Peach' all over my eyelid and up to my brow bone. This sets the primer into place and makes it much easier to blend out the other shadows. I then take the shade 'Charmed, I'm sure' and blend this in my crease, focusing more on the outer part of my eye. Then to add a bit of shimmer to the look I apply the shade 'Luscious' to the inner first half of my eye and blend out the edges. If I want to make it more intense I will apply it with a it of mac fix+ to make it have a better colour pay off.

Unfortunately this palette is out of stock at the moment because its a limited edition palette, so if you want to get hold of it I would advice you to follow the Debenhams Beauty Instagram page where they will post an update as to when it is back in stock!





Mac - Extra Dimension Eyeshadow - 'Sweet Heat'

If I haven't been wearing the shade 'Luscious' from the sweet peach palette then chances are I will have been using this eyeshadow. This in an individual shadow from mac, which is slightly more expensive than the regular mac eyeshadows because its a much better formula. I wear this shadow all over my lid with a darker matte brown through the crease of my eye. It is such a long wearing eyeshadow and is super pigmented. I love the colour of this shadow on my eyes because it really makes them stand out. If you have blue eyes too i'm pretty sure you will also love this!


Mac Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation

This has pretty much been the only powder that I have been using this month. My skin is super oily and I find this powder so perfect for keeping my oils under control and not looking a sweaty mess. I used the shade NC15 which is a perfect colour match for me. As long as you apply the right amount, it doesn't look overly heavy on the skin which is a bonus for me because I tend to top up my powder throughout the day. However, you have to be careful not to apply too much powder otherwise you will end up looking a bit cakey.

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick - 'Pink Quartz'

I first saw Lucy and Lydia from youtube (https://www.youtube.com/user/LucyAndLydia) raving about how good this highlighter is and I trust their opinion when it comes to makeup so I knew I would love this. It is such a natural looking shimmery highlight. It's not as intense as Becca's shimmering skin perfecter in 'Moonstone' or The Balm's 'Mary Lou' but it still has a really pretty effect. I like to wear this on days where i'm not wearing too much makeup but I still want a pretty glow on my cheekbones. It doesn't come out overly pink in the slightest (which I'm glad about because I hate pink toned highlighters. However, it still is a really shimmery formula that looks so beautiful when it catches the light.

Thanks for reading,

ffy x