Sample Saturday - Benefit They're Real Double The Lip - Nude Scandal

I may have already mentioned it a few times, both on here and on Instagram, but if you haven't already heard I'm having a bit of a clear out at the moment. I'm not big on new years resolutions but I do usually set myself a few goals, a few targets and a few things that I want to achieve, and this year one of my big aims was to get myself more organised and clear out some of the junk both in my house and in my mind!

Like most things I got waylaid, but now in the last month or so of the year, I'm actually getting down to it and clearing out some of that clutter. Whilst methodically going through each room and sorting out some of my stuff I realised that something was missing? What was missing? well magazines of course. I used to be a prolific magazine buyer, I used to buy at least 4 a month and I couldn't pop into the supermarket without picking up a coffee break read but now I can go for months without buying a glossy mag.

To be honest I'm not big on celebrity gossip and I'm not big on skimming though 100 pages of adverts in every £4 or so, issue. Don't get me wrong, print magazines still have their place but my love affair with the glossy definitely seems to be over. Looking back over the last 12 months or so, the only time I seem to have bought a magazine, is either when I've been stuck in somewhere boring like a hospital, or when there is a decent free gift.

I'm a sucker for a magazine freebie but now though I seem to be a little bit more selective over which ones that I pick up. I don't need and more hand cream, or eye liners, or mascaras so I'm starting to actually think about what I buy, after all it's only a decent offer if you actually want both the magazine and the product!

Recently though the UK addition of ELLE magazine, featured a free gift that I really wanted and that I'd been debating whether or not to buy for sometime.

I've talked about my love for Benefit Cosmetics on many occasions and the freebie in question was a  Benefit They're Real Double The Lip Beyond Sexy Lipstick & Liner In One in the shade Nude Scandal.

Way back in March I posted a review of four of the shades in the collection, and I have to say I really rate them. You can have a little read here to see why but I love the colours, the texture, the wear time, and the whole lipstick and liner in one concept. My favourite shades were both of the pink colours, Pink Thrills and Lusty Rose, but I really wanted to try the shade Nude Scandal, and this magazine freebie give me the perfect opportunity to try it out.

Alas it wasn't a full size lippy, but it was a decent 0.75g, half size, which gave me plenty opportunity to try it out and to include in an all be it, very rare, Sample Saturday post x 

Obviously I've already talked about what makes these lipsticks so special, but just to recap it's all down to the shape and the shades. The entire Benefit They're Real range is basically about making the best of yourself with just a tiny hint of fakery or should I say self improvement.

In a slim, metallic look tube these lipsticks have a unique teardrop shaped tip, the lipstick at the pointed tip of the teardrop is in a slightly darker shade, compared to the rest of the teardrop. This pointed tip gives you your liner look, so when you apply the lipstick with the point at the outer edge of your lips, your lining them and filling them in with the one product.It takes a little bit of getting used to, twisting the bullet around but once you get the hang of it, it's a lot quicker than using a separate lipstick and liner.

In some of the shades there looks to be quite a drastic difference between the lipstick and liner and shades but once you get them on the lips there is no harsh line and you certainly don't get that horrible dark liner, pale lips look, instead you just get slightly fuller, plumper looking lips.

Nude Scandal is a really wearable nude, it isn't too brown, and it certainly isn't one of those pale, deathly looking nudes. It's a very pink, nude which I think will suit a lot of different skin tones. I've worn it an awful lot since I got and it's definitely one of those go to colours that literally goes with any outfit or make up look.

These lipsticks aren't the most moisturising lipsticks that I've ever used but they certainly aren't drying, and the fab demi matte formula wears incredibly well.

My only issue with these lipsticks, when I first reviewed them was the slightly odd, TCP type taste and scent, but thankfully Nude Scandal doesn't taste like something I should be applying to a cut! Whether I got a bad batch or whether they've added some fragrance and flavouring I don't know, but this tube of Nude Scandal has a very subtle vanilla taste and scent.

Although I've managed a little clear out and I've recently giving Mummy Lou a huge bagful of lip products, I still have way too many for one set of lips, despite that though Nude Scandal is a recent addition that I'm happy to have. I really like these lipsticks and Nude Scandal is an excellent everyday colour, that's really easy to apply and wear. As I say this is the half, 0.75g size but the full 1.5g size, of Benefit They're Real Double The Lip Beyond Sexy Lipstick & Liner In One in Nude Scandal retails at around £16.50 from various retailers including Boots, John Lewis, Debenhams, and of course the Benefit website. Have you tried these lipsticks yet? Let me know your thoughts in the comments and if you're a Benefit fan I've got a couple more reviews coming up for you in the next few days.

Benefit They're Real Big Sexy Lip Kit And On Being A Quirky Girl

I was fortunate enough to spend yesterday aka Mother's Day with two of my favourite people, my mam and my Godmother. Over the last 12 months or so I've realised just how important family time actually is, and unfortunately, in this day and age, I think it's something that we all take for granted. We spent a lot of yesterday reminiscing and talking about people and times gone by, and we spent a lot of time talking, strangely enough, about ourselves and how other people see us.

Over the years I've been described as a lot of things, someone once described me as the most scarily intelligent person that they'd ever met, whilst some else described me as funny, in a weird way, we came to the conclusion, that probably the best way to describe both myself and my mum was quirky, and to be honest I'm okay with that. I've never wanted to be a sheep, and I'm never going to be one of those people that everybody loves, or that fits in anywhere like a jigsaw, I'm an individual and I'm proud of that.

It goes with saying therefore, that my outlook on life is also pretty quirky, I love anything just that little bit out of the ordinary, and anything that's just that little bit different. I'm obsessed with David Lynch, one of my favourite TV programmes at the moment is Finding Bigfoot, I love daisies, and psychedelic prints, and eventually getting back on point, I love make up brands that stand out from the rest of the crowd

Although they've been widely copied, and imitated, with their quirky, vintage style, and their often tongue and cheek humour, if you want something just that little bit different make up wise then Benefit is a good place to start.

I'm a Bene Babe and I'm proud of that, take away the fun exterior, and your usually left with a quality product that does exactly what it promises. I've tried so many of their products over the years, and so many of them have become permanent additions in my make up bag. It's hard to believe that they've been around since the 1970's, and whilst so many products in their line have become real classics, they aren't one of those brands that rests on their laurels, and their constantly developing new products and trying to please a new generation of fans.

So far in 2017, we've seen several new additions to their popular boxed blusher range, with an entirely new shade Galifornia, and with some new incarnations of some old favourites, Hoola Lite and Dandelion Twinkle. All of these on now on my wishlist, but today I'm going to talk about another relatively new Benefit addition, their new They're Real lipsticks.

Late last year, Benefit released two new kits just in time for the Christmas rush, both under their ever popular They're Real banner.  These kits, an eye and a lip kit, were just taster of what was to come, when at the beginning of this year they released a whole new range of eyeshadows and lipsticks.
The whole point of every product in the They're Real line is to take the stress and the hassle out of make up, every product is an innovation and is designed to make us all into make up artists without the years of practise and training. Since I have the enthusiasm but not always the skill, this line is right up my street, so as a little Autumn and Winter treat I picked up both of the kits, the They're Real Big Sexy Eye Kit, which I'm going to talk about in a future post, and the They're Real Big Sexy Lip Kit.

This beautiful metal tin which make the perfect gift contains, 4 half size, 0.75g lipsticks from the new They're Real Double The Lip Beyond Sexy Lipstick & Liner In One range.

Packaged in metallic, plastic tubes, that resemble Benefit's famous They're Real Mascara, these products are probably one of most unique lip products that I've seen in a long time.

Lets face it, a lipstick in most cases is just that a lipstick, they can be short and chubby, or they can be long and slim, but however they're shaped, take away the packaging be it classy or simple, and in most cases, unless you're a real beauty junkie, you probably couldn't distinguish one pink lipstick from another one. Occasionally now you'll see the odd one that looks different say with a gel core or a coating but the majority of lipsticks on the market today look pretty similar. These ones though are just that little bit different and they're different for a very good reason.

Open these beauties up and your probably expecting to see just a thin, boring ish lipstick but these lipstick or should I say lipsticks and liners in one, have two things that make them unique. As you can see from the photograph above these lipsticks not only have a distinctive teardrop shaped tip, but each lipstick also contains two colours in one. The dual colour thing isn't that new really but the shape is, because what this product enables you to do is to both line and fill in your lips, in one swipe. All you do is apply the lipstick like you normally would only making sure that the pointed tip is positioned along your upper lip line, and that you turn the lipstick upside down to fill in your lower lip.

There are 8 shades to choose from in the full 1.5g size, but this kit gives you the opportunity to try 4 of the most popular shades in a handbag friendly, half size.

The shades are from left to right, Flame Game, a fiery orange, red, Pink Thrills, a classic, bright pink, Revved-Up Red, a cherry, pink red shade, and Lusty Rose, a lovely neutral rose pink.

Apologies that the swatches aren't that neat but what I was trying to show you, was the slight colour variations between the lipstick and the liner shades. In the bullet I think the differences look a lot more pronounced, and in some cases quite scary. I wish the obsession with darker or different coloured lip liners to lipsticks would crawl under a rock and die - I'm not a fan at all, and despite looking in some cases like they could give you that sort of look, the difference on the lips with these ones is actually quite subtle.

In every single one that I tried, the lip liner shade didn't look obvious, the colours just complimented each other perfectly and in my experience the slight colour variation actually gives the lips a slightly plumper, and fuller appearance. I think that's really the whole point of these lipsticks to actually make your lips look fuller, and as though you've spent ages applying lipstick and liner, and by and large Benefit's consumer testing appears to say exactly that, with 91% of participants saying that there lips looked visibly fuller and sexier. I definitely like how they look on my lips and since I personally received several compliments when I wore them, I think I have to agree with them - what do you think?

Flame Game 

Pink Thrills

Revved-Up Red

Lusty Rose

I've really enjoyed wearing these lipsticks, and this kit has even taken me out of my comfort zone with shades like Flame Game. As you can see the pigmentation is superb, and whilst the semi matte formula, isn't the most hydrating, it doesn't leave your lips dry and parched. I guess the formulation also helps with the illusion of fullness, and it also aids the wear time, I didn't quite get the 8 hours that Benefit claim but I easily managed a few hours out of each one which considering the amount of water I drink, is pretty amazing in my book.

Although 95% of testers that Benefit surveyed claim that these lipsticks are super easy to apply, I personally think that you need a little bit of practise just to get your technique on point. I found them pretty easy to apply on my top lip, but I struggled at first when I had to flip the bullet to do my bottom lip - I was all fingers and thumbs for some reason. The bullet itself is ergonomically designed so it's pretty easy to hold and practise as they say makes perfect.

So do I like these? In it's simplest terms yes I do, I have to say when I first swatched them I wasn't sure but once I started using them, I got it, I love the coverage, and the wear time, and my pout definitely looks a little bit fuller when I wear them. Any drawbacks? well if you love really moisturising, and really creamy lipsticks then these probably aren't for you, and they do have a slightly weird, almost TCP like smell, and taste, but that soon disappears, and the positives for me firmly outweigh any negatives. 

The Benefit Cosmetics They're Real Big Sexy Lip Kit, retails at around £25.50 and is currently available from various retailers including,  the official Benefit Cosmetics website, as well as Boots, Debenhams, John Lewis, House Of Fraser, and QVC UK. This kit is great for travel or for trying out some new colours, or for anyone who wants to try out this new concept but if you like what you see, you can also buy the individual lipstick in the full size, in these four shades, and in additional four shades, for around £16.50 each. My favourite colours in this kit are definitely the pinks, Pink Thrills and Lusty Rose, so even though I did get another mini in a recent Birchbox, I can definitely see myself picking up the full sizes in the near future, and I'm definitely going to add the shade Nude Scandal to my ever increasing beauty wishlist? What do you think about these lipsticks? Have you tried them yet? Let me know your thoughts below x

My Love / Hate Relationship With Benefit They're Real Beyond Mascara

There are so many mascaras on the market these days, that it's almost impossible to choose which one to buy. There are so many different things to consider - Are your eyes sensitive? What colour do you want? Do you want length, or do you want curl or even volume? It's a tough choice, especially if you're a mascara whore like me, I love trying new mascaras and I very rarely show any brand or product loyalty.  I have a mascara drawer that's full to bursting point with new and unopened mascaras at all different price points and acquiring a new mascara always makes me happy.

Most of the mascaras in the drawer are one offs that have came in goodie bags, magazines, gifts with purchase or in beauty boxes, but suprisingly given my attitude to mascaras, I do have a few mascaras from one brand in particular - Benefit! As you know I love Benefit and in my collection I have a mini Roller Lash and a mini Bad Gal Lash, and I also have several full sized and mini They're Real Beyond Mascaras that I've received in beauty boxes, as pressies, in sets and that I've even bought myself.

Benefit They're Real Beyond Mascara was released in 2011, in a blaze of publicity and it's popularity has grown so much as of 2015 it's now the UK's No. 1 best selling mascara. I can see why and that's probably why it's something that I've repurchased, but I do have a bit of a love, hate relationship with it and today I'm going to tell you why x

Benefit They're Real Beyond Mascara is so named because it pretty much promises to give you that perfect false lash effect look in a tube and it also promises to do everything that you could ever want a mascara to do, It claims to lengthen, curl, volumise, lift and separate your lashes. It also claims to be long wearing and not to clump, smudge or dry out. Can a mascara really do everything for everyone? Well Benefits consumer tests certainly seem to suggest that this one can at least in part, in their research 94% saw dramatic length & volume, 94% saw a visible lift in their lashes and a massive 100% of participants saw long wearing results. Were my results the same? Let's see x

Unlike a lot of Benefit products, packaging wise They're Real seems to have a little less of the quirk factor. This mascara generally comes boxed and it comes in a pretty classy looking, gunmetal, plastic and metal tube.

Most mascaras these days are all about the wand and the spoolie and this one is no different. Long gone are the traditional bristles that you would find in Bad Gal, They're Real embraces the new generation of plastic and rubber spoolies, covered in row upon row of tiny vertical prongs, what makes this one special though is the tip of wand

It;s not easy to see it in this picture but the slightly domed tip is also also covered in tiny rubber bristles or prongs or whatever else you want to call them. This tip is specially designed to separate the lashes but you can also use it to flick out the corners of your lashes for that real fake lash look.

For me the formulation is good, it's not too wet and it's not dry or flaky. I've only tried the Black but it's a true rich matte black, some black mascaras can look ashy but not this one, it's a proper black mascara. which is designed for maximum impact.

At the risk of telling you something you already know, I'm assuming that you all know how to apply mascara, we all have our own ways of doing it, but Benefit provide you with some application instructions anyway, which actually do make the application a little bit easier. Holding the brush horizontally, they advise that you apply the mascara to your bottom lashes first and that you apply your mascara by wiggling the brush from side to side, rather than just brushing it on. Then if you've ever watched the amazing Benefit head make up artist, Lisa Potter Dixon on QVC UK you'll know that you need to twist the brush, and go VERTICAL, using the domed end of the brush to separate, curl and fan out your lashes. Then in theory you can then layer, and repeat till you achieve the look you want. The key words being in theory but more on that later. Here are a couple of before and afters so you can see the difference that just one coat makes.

Before

After

There is absolutely no doubt that just one coast of They're Real has made a significant difference to my lashes, they're thicker, they're definitely longer, they've got a definite curl to them and they're much darker! It also wears well, it doesn't flake, it doesn't feel drying on the lashes, and it doesn't irritate my eyes and it also doesn't come off until you take if off with a decent cleanser or eye make up remover. You could say that it does everything that Benefit says but for me the words, close but no cigar spring to mind.

I like this mascara but I do have a few issues with it, first of all the wand attracts way too much product and as a result you can end applying way too much at once, it just doesn't seem to have as good a wiper system as Roller Lash does.

Although  as you can see above one coat gives a dramatic enough result I do find that if you apply more than one coat in order to get a real full on false lash look, it has a real tendency to get a bit thick and clumpy, I know the whole point of the domed end of the wand it to lift and separate the lashes, but in my experience it's sometimes so clogged with mascara that you need to actually wipe it before you use it, and sometimes even then it just doesn't cut the mustard. It's not ideal and more often then not I still need to comb my lashes thoroughly with a lash comb to get that picture perfect false lash look. Okay it doesn't take any effort to pull out a lash comb but with a mascara and a wand that promised so much it is a bit frustrating

Thankfully for me, most of the time one coat is enough, and all I used to perfect the lashes you can see above was the mascara wand itself. There is no doubt in my experience that this mascara does achieve most of what it promises and I will probably repurchase it in the future but if you fancy giving it a go, take some tips from me - take care and time with your application to avoid blobs and clumps, and either have on hand a wipe to clean your wand or a lash comb to achieve that flawless lash look, oh and make sure you have a decent cleanser or eye make up remover at the ready, because this stuff stays on. Benefit They're Real Beyond Mascara in Black retails at around £19.50 for 8.5g of product and is available for various retailers including Debenhams, Boots, John Lewis, House Of Fraser and of course the Benefit Cosmetics UK website. Thanks for reading and don't forget to let me know if you have any questions about this review x

Achieving A Healthy Glow All Year Round With Benefit The Bronze Of Champions Total Bronze Kit

With the howling winds and rain we've had over the last 24 hours or so, Summer really does seem like a lifetime away now. The clocks go back at the weekend and we know what that means, longer nights, shorter days and less sunshine.

I can honestly say that I don't mind the change in seasons, I hate the rain, the wind and the snow, but I love the freshness and crispness of the air. The fresh air gives the skin a really healthy glow, but in the depths of winter when you spend so much time indoors and out of natural daylight, your skin can start to look pale, and almost peaky looking. In the winter time I probably use more blusher, bronzer and cheek colours than I do at any other time of year, not only to help shape my face but also to give my skin a much needed healthy appearance. I guess that's why I make no apologies for reviewing a perceived "summer" product now. So many of us need a bit of a glow all year round, and this kit will give us that no matter what the season.

Benefit's The Bronze Of Champions Total Bronze Kit For Eyes Lips And Cheeks, to give it, it's full title is one of those boxed collections for which Benefit are so famous. Ideal gifts and travel companions, these kits also give you an opportunity to try some of their most famous products, for a fraction of the price that the full sizes would cost.

The kit comes boxed and is the familiar almost book style, cardboard packaging, which can be reused as a jewellery or trinket box when the products have gone. It features a large mirror in the lid, and a tips and tricks booklet , with suggestions on how to use the products and a step by step guide to create a make up look using all of the products inside.

So, what's in it? As you would expect from the name, this kit is all about the bronze, but don't think in your face bronze, some of the shades are actually quite neutral. First of all you get a 3.2g Creaseless Cream Shadow / Liner in Bikini-Tini, you also get a 1.2g Longwear Powder Shadow in Thanks A Latte and 3g mini They're Real Mascara. Face wise you get a 3g Hoola Bronzer and a mini cheek brush to apply it with. You also get a little 2.5g Watt's Up Cream Highlighter, and you also get 1 lip product, a 6.5ml Ultra Plush Hoola Lip Gloss.

We'll start off by looking at the eye products. The first product in the kit is the Creaseless Cream Shadow / Liner in Bikini -Tini. I'm a huge, huge fan of these products and Skinny Jeans is easily one of my most used eyeshadows of all time. Bikini-Tini is a gorgeous, shimmery, creamy, champagne colour, it's fab on it own but it works equally well as a base. This one like all of the shades I've tried in this line wears incredibly well.

The next item is the Longwear Shadow in Thanks A Latte. This must be one of Benefit's most popular colours by far, as it appears in at least two other boxed kits, and I can see why. It looks a tad grey in the palette but it's actually a beautiful, shimmery, taupe brown. It's soft and very pigmented, and purely based on this one I honestly don't understand why Benefit powder shadows don't get more love

I'm not going to review They're Real here, I'm still a little bit undecided as up until now I've only used the sample sized ones. Once I've had a chance to try the full sized version I'll put a review post up for you x 

Next up the cheek products and the biggie Hoola Bronzer. I already own the full size of this and I have to say it always scared the hell out of me. It's a matte bronzer with virtually no orange in it but I always thought it was just a bit too dark to work on my pale, pink, skin. I thought about selling but instead I asked Benefit UK's head make up artist Lisa Potter Dixon, via twitter the best way to apply it. Her answer wasn't complicated - in a 3 and E motion, hitting just under your cheek bones to contour, and do you know what? the lady was right. The little brush supplied in this kit is just a scaled down version of the normal box o' powders brush, and it does the job perfectly. The pigmentation is immense and you need a very light hand to avoid overdoing, but I've just been apply it and blending it out with another blush to give me a face a bit of contour and a bit of colour.

The next product in the kit was a new one to me, and something I'd been wanting to try for a while Watt's Up. This is a shimmery, iridescent, champagne highlighter in a stick. It's really creamy, and easy to blend. I've mainly been using it on the top of my cheek bones and on my brown bone to provide a bit of light and a bit of a glow.

The final product in the kit is a mini Hoola Ultra Plush Lip Gloss. Despite the very brown appearance in the tube, this is a proper nude gloss. There is a little bit of colour and sheen to it but it looks quite sheer on the lips. I have a few of these glosses and by and large I'm pretty impressed. Unlike a lot of lip glosses they aren't sticky in the slightest, and they actually feel quite moisturising on the lips. I also love the almost peach and apricot fruity taste and scent.

The tips and tricks leaflet gives you a step by step guide to a really easy and quick make up look using the products in the kit. It's really easy to follow and the result is a really pretty, natural look, that will work equally well in the summer or in the winter. My pictures alas aren't the best, thanks to the autumnal weather but I hope at least they give you some idea. Apart from my foundation, concealer and powder, every thing else is from this kit.

This photo is probably the worst of the bunch which is a shame, but I just want to give you an idea of the eye look that you can create with this kit. You just blend the creaseless cream shadow all over the lid, adding a touch of the powder shadow into the crease and the outer corners, before finishing with a slick of mascara and a bit of the Watt's Up Highlighter on the brow bone. This has been one of my go to eye looks over the last few weeks, it's a nice natural look that's ideal for any occasion. You could of course alter the look by using a little bit of Hoola Bronzer on the lid too.

Despite it's summery theme and imagery, this kit really does prove that being bronzed and glowy isn't just for summer. If I had been abroad this year this kit would definitely have came with me but by the same note I won't be shoving it to the back of the drawer when the snow starts to fall. The shades are very neutral and can easily be worn from season to season, even Hoola bronzer, if you apply it with a more delicate hand. This kit was a gift and to be honest it wouldn't have been something that I would have considered purchasing myself but now I have it, I'm not saying I couldn't live without it but it's been a very useful addition to my make up collection and I can definitely see myself buying Watt's Up in a larger size.

Benefit kits aren't the cheapest and this one is no exception at £26.50 but if you want to try a few products without shelling up for the full sizes kits like this are well worth it and make fab gifts. Are you a Benefit fan? Leave me a comment and let me know your favourite Benefit product x