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The Benefit Boi-ing Erase Case

I think we can all agree that when it comes to packaging, Benefit never fail to impress, and every time they release new products, I just want to snap as many photos of it as I can because it’ll just be so damn Instagrammable. The problem with that, however, is that it can get very expensive buying full sized products, and when a whole new range is released, you do always run the risk of there being some products that just don’t do it for you.

Well that was me with the new Boi-ing concealer range. I’ve never seemed to have any luck with concealers in the past, so when I was in Sephora a few weeks back and saw this adorable case of minis for only a little bit more than one full sized product, this felt like the ideal way to try and test each one properly!

The Erase Case was $26 (about £19), and contains each of Benefit’s newest concealers: Industrial Strength, Brightening, Hydrating and Airbrush in baby form, as well as this cute pencil case – which I’ve found is perfect for carrying brushes in when you travel! So what did I think of the products?

Hydrating Concealer

So this is the only sheer coverage concealer in the case, but personally I’m not sure it did anything for me and my dark circles other than a bit of moisturising.. I also like to keep things fairly matte when it comes to my skin, so the sheer finish just doesn’t really suit my look, but if you prefer a dewy finish and don’t have that much to conceal, this may be the one for you!

Industrial Strength Concealer

This was definitely more my cup of tea. High coverage, matte finish and super soft formula meant this was easy to work with and actually did a decent job of covering my dark circles but not looking too cakey and blending into the rest of my makeup nicely.

Airbrush Concealer

I found Airbrush very similar to Industrial Strength in terms of formula and shade, and despite being sold as a medium coverage concealer, I thought it covered just as well as its full coverage counterpart. I think this one is my favourite out of the bunch, smoothing over uneven patches with ease and its light formula means it doesn’t sink into creases like so many other concealers I’ve tried can.

Brightening Concealer

This was an odd one for me. On first opening the pot, I was adamant that I was not going to like this one. For starters, it was a much darker shade than the other concealers in the case, but also the formula was a lot stickier and I feared it would be too heavy for me. However, when I did actually give the product a proper try, I was pleasantly surprised. This is also a full coverage, but also has colour-correcting properties to help hide dark circles and blemishes, but it has a slightly sheer finish to it.

I bought the kit in shade 01 light, but as I mentioned earlier there are some differences between each of the products, which I thought was slightly odd, but they did all still work for me so I can’t complain too much about that!

Given that each product retails for about £17.50 at full size, and this kit is little more than that for all four, albeit minis, I think this is great value for money, and at least now I know which ones I’d buy again!

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November 26, 2017Lottie 1 Comment

My Sephora Haul!

I’m gonna be honest, I was more excited about visiting Sephora in Disney Springs than any other store. Sarah and I basically regressed to kids in a candy store, and not only did we spend more (and money!) in there than I’d care to admit, I stayed sparkly for days afterwards as a result of all the highlighter swatches that ended up on my hands and arms..

Brace yourselves.

This was my first time shopping in Sephora for myself, having only browsed or picked up items for friends who begged me, and as well as being super chuffed with everything I put into my basket, I was also thrilled to bits when I signed up for a loyalty card at the checkout, only to be rewarded with freebie products too!

I know that I can get Benefit products in the UK, but I’ve never seen Dandelion Dew back home, and its a gorgeous shade of pink cream pigment that acts as both a blush and highlighter (two of my beauty weaknesses in one!). I’ve also been eyeing up the powder for a while now, but couldn’t justify the cost of it, so to discover it in a mini version meant I just had to treat myself! I also picked up a mini NARS combo of the iconic Orgasm blush and Laguna bronzer, and a blush from Sephora’s own brand range, in a gorgeous light pink shade: So Shy. The first of my freebie products was this matte lip crayon from Bite. The shade is dusty mauve called Pastille, and I know I have too many lipsticks but this was free so its acceptable, right?

A few more of Sephora’s own brand products also fell into my basket, courtesy of a load of good things that I’ve heard from several people, and also a little from necessity as I’d ran out of the makeup wipes I brought with me! I chose a face mask and an eye mask which I’m looking forward to trying, and pomegranate face wipes which smell amazing, and the little pouch bag was another freebie!

A bit of an impulse buy at $12, I bought the Tarte Wide Awake set, which contains their Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara, a little pot of the Maracuja C-Brightner eye treatment and a pair of undereye patches. As a glasses wearer, I’m a little self conscious of the dark patches that have become a permanent feature under my eyes, so I’m hoping that I might see some improvement with these goodies!

I’m all about highlighter – its my single biggest weakness when it comes to makeup. I also have a big weakness for anything that is peach flavoured or scented. Cue Too Faced and their Sweet Peach collection.. I’d read and watched a bunch of reviews of the highlight palette, and had ummed and ahhed, but seeing it in person convinced me, plus peachy shades do really suit my skin tone and the smell was AMAZING. Another freebie – seriously, I’m already so impressed with this loyalty card – was the Clinique chubby stick highligher, and the last and prettiest purchase was this STUNNING glow kit from Anastasia Beverly Hills. ABH glow kits were high on my look-out-for list, and the Nicole Guerriero kit was the only one they had in stock, which was fine by me because LOOK AT IT. Its perfect, and I’m almost too nervous to start using it but as I swatched every shade from the tester in store, I know they’re all beautiful!

Now excuse me while I go play with my new beauties..