Battle of the Eyeliners-Essence vs Benefit

About two weeks ago I happened to see that ELLE magazine had a sample of the Benefits "They're Real Push Up Liner". Now while I would rarely spend over €6 for a magazine that's mostly adverts, I did want to try out the eyeliner as I knew I wouldn't be paying full price for one anytime soon.

I thought I would try it out against an Essence one as the differences in price are major, just to see what the outcome was.

The Essence one was €3.09 and a full size Benefit one is €25 so quite a difference.

The "Accuflex" tip on the Benefit eyeliner took me a few attempts to figure it out but once you do it's very simple to apply. The only problem I have with it is that it dries very quickly. With the sample size you have the squeeze it out instead of twisting the bottom like the full size one. I also found that when I would go over my line again it would start to gather together into little clumps and if I made a mistake with this I was screwed as it's so difficult to get off. It does hug the lashes really well though and doesn't leave an empty line.

The Essence one was very easy to apply,but that could be because I'm more used to it, but it also seemed to be more pigmented than the Benefit one.

Wear time was the same with no fading or cracking from either. The Essence one came off easily with eye makeup remover but the Benefit one was tougher. I used coconut and olive oil to dissolve it but still had a bit of panda eyes the next morning.

Benefits "They're Real Push Up Liner" - Essences "Stays No Matter What"

So, if you don't want to shell out €25 on an eyeliner I think the Essence one is just as good, if not better.Benefit's seems to be a real marmite product-you either love it or hate it- but I don't feel that strongly either way about it to be honest. I don't think I'll be buying a full size one though as it's so expensive. 

Have you tried the Benefit one? What did you think?

Are you just as happy with more affordable ones?

What I've Been Loving Lately

Catrice BB Cream

This is so handy in the mornings when I want to look presentable but not spend half an hour trying o fix my face. I can apply it without a mirror if I have to and it looks great every time. It's a staple for the mornings when I have to drag myself out of bed with 15 minutes until I have to catch a bus( this is somewhat of a regular occurrence these days). Full review here

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils

Rust and French Fries

Again another easy and quick option for when I'm running out the door. I just apply ,blend them out with my finger and set them with a translucent powder. Simple but effective. Full review here

Essence Long lasting Lipstick in Natural Beauty

L'Oreal Paris lipstick in 461 Scarlett Creme

Essence Natural Beauty, L'Oreal Scarlett Creme, mixed together

I love both of these on their own but I'm really liking them layered for just a hint of redness on my lips. Both formula's are creamy, they mix really well together and love the finished colour.

Catrice Better than False Lashes Mascara-Ultra Black

Yes I know, another mascara. But ever since my beloved The Giant mascara died a sad death a few weeks ago I've been reaching for this. It is Ultra Black but I'm still not sold on the "Better than False Lashes" yet. However it is a fantastic mascara.

Soap and Glory Archery

Another quick solution to doing my brows in the morning. The pencil helps keep my brows in place a day and the pen helps me fill them in so quickly and easily. Full review here

Essence "Stay No Matter What" eyeliner

It's not lying when it says stay no matter what. This lasts through lashing rain and boiling hot kitchens. It's also easy-peasy to apply and achieve either a super fine line or a thick one. It boasts 16hr wear and it has lasted that and a bit more on me. Thoroughly recommend it. 

La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5

Possibly the most grubby but well loved one you'll see on the internet. This comes everywhere with me now as the weather has started to get colder and my eczema has decided to rear it's ugly head.

It also brought my cuticles back from the dead after an awful experience with a nail strenghener.

It has proved itself to be a Holy Grail Item and is also very affordable.

Penny's mirror

How cute is this thing? I picked it up when I went into Penney's "for a look" but it's come in very handy over the past few weeks. One half of it is normal and the other is magnified. To make it even sweeter, it was only €1.50!

Penney's Change Purse

I love this purse. It makes it a lot easier when you're running for a bus to have all your change in one place (haven't got around to getting a leap card yet). My cards fit inside it easily too so whenever I don't feel like taking my big one it all fits nicely in here.This was less than €3.

Amazon Kindle

Another well loved item. Now that I have an idea of where my stop is I can relax on the bus so this has been getting a lot of love these past few weeks. I love reading and having this means I don't have to carry around a book or spend a small fortune on a magazine. It's a handbag staple for me now.

I picked these up in Lidl about a week ago and they are they nicest sweets I've tried in a long time. I love how they're packaged in a little tub and the strawberry cheesecake ones are just amazing. If you happen to see these on your weekly shop-pick them up!They were only a euro and I'm going back tomorrow to grab another one.

So there you have it. 

What have you been loving lately?

imPress Nails: The Halloween Edition

In the past few years as I've gotten more into makeup, I've enjoyed Halloween more and more as I can do something totally crazy and out of the box with my makeup. This year however I'm not sure what I'm doing yet but I know I want to make a effort in some way leading up to it.

This is where imPress Nails* come in. 

For someone like me who is hopeless at nail art these nails come in so handy. There's no faffing about with glue or anything, just use the prep pad that comes with it, peel off the back and stick them on.

I received three sets and I love them all.

Total Witch

Supernatural

After Midnight

The detail that they have is something I really like.

They claim to last up to a week and as long as you're careful they will. I applied the Supernatural set on Friday night and they lasted through packing and unpacking over the weekend until Monday night so I think that's very decent.

There are 6 designs in total which include

 Midnight Black- black block colour

Hot Blooded- Black Background with yellow cobwebs and skulls

Rager-A Neon Orange set

These are retailing for €4.99 (half price) as they are limited edition for Halloween.

They can be found in Dunnes Stores and the majority of pharmacies.
Will you be giving these a go for Halloween?

*These were sent for review to me-however that has not affected my judgement or review of them.

Catrice Longlasting Lipliners

In the past, I never used lip liners at all. I never seen the point of them and didn't want to waste my money on things I'd never use.

That changed when a Catrice stand came to my local chemist and I was trying out things I'd never tried as I was able to afford them because of the inexpensiveness of all the products. 

I ended up picking up a lip liner and I've been using them ever since.

I have four of the shades at the minute and two of them are repurchases.

The one I picked up most recently is Hey Macadamia Ahey! as I thought it might be an easy way to try out the 90's lip that seems to be everywhere these days. I don't think this suits me at all though. It's just very..brown. It could be perfect for someone else though, just not me. It was on sale though for €0.99 so I can't complain about the price. It is however the driest formula out of the ones I have, so just be aware of that. It does tug slightly and it's quite hard to get a crisp finish with it.

 Hey Macadamia Ahey!

The second one I Got You Babe! It's the first one I ever picked up and I've very recently repurchased. . It's a nice pinky nude that would suit almost everybody and goes well with any nude lipstick I own.

I Got You Babe!

The third one is probably my favourite out of the bunch

It's That's What Rose Wood Do! I've been using it mostly with MAC's Creme Cup as I don't like wearing the lipstick by itself, but by pairing it with this lip liner I'm able to get a lot more wear out of it. But I also love wearing it by itself with just a little balm over the top as it's such a pretty peachy nude. It's the creamiest one and I love this one the most-I'm on my third. It's also the easiest one to apply.

This one is very close to my natural lip shade so I can pair it with any lipstick really

That's What Rose Wood Do!

The Last shade is Berryson Ford. This is a gorgeous red that has a blue undertone to it so it matches the majority of my red lipsticks-I love how they make my teeth look whiter. It's not the creamiest of them but it's nowhere near as dry as Hey Macadamia Ahey!, it's somewhere in the middle of them if that makes sense? It does last around 7 hours-as do all of them- even through eating(as long as it'd not too greasy) and drinking so I think They are well worth the €2.30 and they can be found in Penney's and the majority of chemists.

Berryson Ford

Catrice say on their website that they are "The ideal preparation for fashion lips: the Long lasting Lip Pencil sets colour limits and prevents lipstick as well as gloss from streaking. Its waterproof texture guarantees ultra long lasting contours. And the creamy tip softly glides over your lips to ensure an accurate application."

And I would agree with this-apart from Hey Macademia Ahey! being quite dry, the rest are all creamy. They do help my lipstick last longer and they don't fade during the day.

L-R Hey Macadamia Ahey!, I Got You Babe!, That's What Rose Wood Do! and Berryson Ford.

If you were to try any of these I would recommend That's what Rose Wood Do! as it's beautifully creamy and ridiculously easy to apply.

Do you wear lip liner? Do you use it with nudes and darker colours?

The Foundation That Converted Me To Matte

If you have read a few of my previous posts, you'll know I'm a sucker for a dewy finish. Having dry skin makes it easier for me to achieve a nicer finish with a dewy foundation than a matte one so obviously it's the one I'm going to go for on a day to day basis. That was until I picked this one up.

Catrice Nude Illusion Foundation

This is quite a thick consistency but it glides on to a light to medium coverage, depending how much you use. It takes two and a half pumps for my face and a little down my neck and I get a medium coverage. I apply it using the Real Techniques blending sponge but using my fingers works just a well.

The thing I love about this is that it's not a flat matte finish as it contains light reflecting pigments in it, which makes my skin look alive and still has a tiny little bit of a glow.

 I do still consider it a matte finish though.

 It doesn't cling to any dry patches that I have on my skin, which was my issue with other matte foundations I've tried

It's almost un-noticable on my skin after I apply it so I think they named it accurately.

The bottle is a glass one with a black plastic pump that gives out a nice amount of product.

There are five shades available so not the best selection unfortunately. I was lucky that the lightest shade 010 Nude Ivory  matches me perfectly so hopefully you'll find a shade that suits you.

This is €8.49 which I'm fairly sure is the most expensive item on Catrice stands at the minute.

This is well worth the money and if your looking for a new foundation I would highly recommend it.

Have you tried this foundation? Do you prefer dewy or matte finishes?

Boots Time Delay Oil Cleanser and Daily Brightening Toner

These two products are something I picked up around a month ago when i was searching for a new skincare routine. It was the fact that the Boots own brand were having a sale on that got my attention first and then I seen the brightening toner and remembered that I was wanting to try it out.

 Cleansing oil was also something I has been wanting to try out as well but I never came across one that wasn't quite expensive. These two products together came to €9 and change, so I was pretty pleased with that.

The Cleansing oil is a really nice cleanser. Maybe not the most luxurious out there but still not bad. It breaks down and removes all of my makeup nicely and as long as you give your face another go with a warm facecloth after there's no residue left on your face. I have yet to try it with Benefit's "They're Real" mascara to see if it can remove that as not many cleansers I've tried can.

The only problem I have with this is the packaging. It's just a normal bottle that you pour the oil out of and I find I waste a lot of it this way. If it had a pump it would be a lot easier and there would be less oil all over my bathroom floor.

The brightening toner I had heard Caroline Hirons (I think) say it was a good gentle daily exfoliator and with having dry skin I know how much better my skin looks after I've exfoliated. This is so easy to use and it's one of a few toners I've tried that doesn't leave my skin feeling tight and dry. In the month using it I have to say that I have noticed a difference in my skin. I need to use a physical exfoliator a lot less than I used to before I started this. It does state on the bottle that your sensitivity to the sun may be heightened so be sure to wear sunscreen while using this.

These two products together are working out very well on my skin and I'm pretty sure that when  they're normal price they're €15 together. I think it's an accepatable price for good skincare that will last a few months (unless I spill the whole bottle of cleansing oil everywhere, it could happen)

What are your favourite skincare items? Do you always notice a difference when you switch products?

Top Ten Tag

Hey guys,

I was tagged about a fortnight ago by the lovely Nicholle over at Beauty, Lifestyle, Ramblings to do this tag and I'm finally getting around to it now. I like these kind of tags as you can easily see what products people use and love on a regular basis so you know that they really are good.

So lets get started..

Foundation

My favourite foundation that I've found so far is the  No. 7 Instant Radiance Foundation. As you can see it's nearly finished but I'm going to ration it out until I can get a voucher, as it is around the €18 mark, which I think a little expensive.

I have dry skin and this just sits so beautifully on it and gives my face a lovely natural looking glow with the dewy finish that it has. It also matches my skin and undertone perfectly which I also love.

The lasting time is around eight hours before any sign of wear but if I powder it it will stay in place a day for me.

Concealer

Concealer isn't something that I would reach for on a day to day basis actually. Any that I've found just doesn't sit the way I want it to on my dry skin and usually just emphasises it. If you have any recommendations for a good one please do let me know! The concealer that I do use is the NYX HD in Yellow but it's more for brightening my under eyes more than concealing my imperfections.

Powder

Myself and powders have never really got on in the past, any I tried all ended up looking cake-y and dry which was not what I wanted. Then i tried the Bourjois java powder and have been reaching for this every day. A lot of people may not like the fact that it's a little shimmery, but I love it as it illuminates my face in a lovely way. There will be a full review of this up in the future as I feel it deserves it's own post.

Blush

I have been using this every time I apply makeup since I got it way back when Wet 'n' Wild first launched here. I heard that Pearlescent Pink was a dupe for NARS Orgasm which I loved the look of so it was on the top of my list. And it's beautiful. It give such a nice flush of colour that doesn't fade on me throughout the day and the pigmentation of this is amazing. You barely touch it with your brush and your enough for both cheeks.I've had this for about seven months and I've barely made a dent on the design so this will last you for absolute ages and it's only €3.99!

Bronzer and Highlighter

I stuck these two together as they're in the same palette. For for contouring I use the contour side of the sleek contour palette as I love how it doesn't look orange or muddy on my fair skin. It's lovely and pigmented as is the highlighter. the highter is a beautiful champagne tone with really fine shimmer. It catches the light really nicely and it also suits my fair skin tone. Review here.

Mascara

 Catrice The GIANT Extreme Volume mascara. My favourite mascara and now unfortunately discontinued. I have a few mascaras that I do really like but they just don't make my lashes as amazing as this one does.

I have a full review on it Here if you want to know more about it.

Eyeshadow

This was quite a hard one as I do mix and match different brands together but if I'm going away for the weekend or anything I always take the MUA Smokin Palette with me so this is a definite favourite.

 You can create day and night time looks with the colours and the pigmentation is excellent. I have a full review if you'd like to see swatches Here.

Brows

Soap and Glory Archery. It's been on my face everyday since I bought it. It's so easy to use and the colour range is quite goos as well. there's a full review here.

Lip Products

The Essence Longlasting Lipsticks (black tubes). These are amazing. They were in my first few reviews on here (here) and I still wear them a few times every week. I have a stockpile of the colours I love in case i lose them or use one up as I'd hate to be without them.

So there you have it. Those are the products that i love to use and don't know if I could do without.
I tag : sparkleblossombeauty
Ah Sure Tis lovely
Passions and Preening
Blather and Beauty

and anyone else who'd like to do it!
What are your holy grail products and have you any conncealer reccommendations for dry skin? I'd love to know..