• benefit Cheeky Sweet Spot Palette // review •

benefit's latest offering comes in the form of their first 

ever box blush palette, complete with 6 blushes 

and their stunning cream highlighter.

benefit own the show when it comes to Christmas palettes and I find myself glued to the Boots website every single year, drawn to the pretty packaging and amazing deals that the brand has to offer. Everyone goes mad for the box blushes so I think that benefit have taken that on board and come up with a very clever idea. For £29.50 you get 6 of the best-selling box blushes and a little opal cream highlighter, which is really beautiful and one I wear all year round. The tin is sweet, I intend to keep it when I've finished the blushes and it definitely makes a stand on your dressing table! As always, the Christmas gift set range from benefit is very beautiful and great value for money, so I definitely recommend popping this on your Christmas list if you're a blush lover - I'd be a very happy girl if I found Cheeky Sweet Spot Gift Set in my stocking!

As for the product itself, I already own Hoola and Sugarbomb and absolutely love them, but I've never tried the others and it's very handy to have them all in one palette. I used to be a bronzer kinda gal but recently I've been leaning more towards blush, so this palette is perfect for me and I can't wait to have a real play with them all. I love that there are a mixture of pink, peach and mauve shades, so I can imagine it'd suit all skin tones and make up looks, and also different times of the year - I think I'd get more wear out of Coralista and Bella Bamba in the Summer months, and Rockateur and Sugarbomb in the colder months - although who's to say you have to categorise blush for different times of the year?! (I just prefer peach colours with a tan!) I have already used Rockateur and Dandelion so I can vouch for the fact that they are extremely pigmented and last a very long time on the cheeks. I also love the little brush you get with the palette - very similar to the NARS contour brush (which will cost you the Earth). So, to conclude, I'm a very happy bunny and will be rocking a different cheek for nearly every day of the week - I have to give my skin a break on a Sunday which is face mask day!

Have you tried any of the box blushes?

Do you have your eye on any of the other benefit gift sets?

Daniela xo

• Summer Date Night Get Ready With Me // Face of the Day •

A quick, simple look, perfect for an evening of
 sushi eating and green tea drinking.

I went on an impromptu date night the other night and had a bit of time to do my make up. I went for a little winged liner and pink lips, and tried out a few bits that I've picked up recently; the L'Oreal Eau de Teint which is amazing (I reviewed it here) and the L'Oreal L'Extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick in 201 'Rose Symphony' which survived an evening of talking, drinking and eating, and did not smudge once! Cue the naked face -

I always start with my base and I dotted the foundation onto my skin, then blended it in using a buffing brush. I bronzed my face up, skipping the contour, by placing it on my cheekbones, around my hairline and over the bridge of my nose. Then I highlighted using a cream highlighter and my ring finger, blending it on top of my cheekbones, the tip bridge and tip of my nose, and cupids bow. A girl's gotta have her brows! So I filled them in lightly using a dark eyebrow pencil - I always start by filling in the gaps then shaping the front of them. I went for a champagne cream eyeshadow as a base to lighten up the eyes and give a little sheen, then use a champagne colour on top to intensify it. I also popped this into the inner corners of my eyes to brighten them up, too. To further brighten up my eyes, concealing under my eyes was next, using a liquid and medium/full coverage concealer. I then used a realllllly thin eyeliner to create a teeny tiny wing on my eyes and applied one layer of mascara (with a funky wand) after curling my eyelashes with an eyelash curler. Lip scrub was then used to scrub away any dead skin and create a smooth canvas for my lipstick, which was a really pigmented pink liquid lipstick.

I used:

L'Oreal Eau de Teint Foundation in 'Warm Ivory' // review here

Real Techniques Buffing Brush

Benefit Hoola Bronzer

Real Techniques Contour Brush

Benefit Watts Up Highlighter

Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil in 'Black Brown'

Benefit Cream Eyeshadow in 'Bikini-tini'

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in 'Sin'

Ecotools Eyeshadow Brush

Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer in 51 'Eclat Clair'

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush

Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner

L'Oreal Superliner

Accessorize Paradise Eye Mascara

LUSH Lip Scrub in 'Bubblegum'

L'Oreal L'Extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick in 201 'Rose Symphony'

Have you picked up any of these products lately?

What do you think of the format of this post?

It's quite new to me, I would so love some feedback :)

Daniela xo

• July Birchbox #4 // review •

Not the best Birchbox I've received; it could be better, but then it could be worse. The thing is, it was always going to 

be pretty hard to beat a Beauty Blender, wasn't it?

The theme for this month's beauty box was Sun, Sea and Sand. I'm not going to lie, when I first saw reviews of this box, I assumed I would get a Vita Coco coconut water in my box and was ridiculously excited because it's my favourite ever drink, but unfortunately it was not to be! Aside from that, the beauty products are pretty average in my eyes and not super impressive, unlike previous Birchbox's I've received. But let's not bash without discussing the positives first.

benefit Porefessional primer // £24.50 (full size)

Obviously, popping in a benefit product will always bring the rating of the box up, particularly when it's a cult favourite. I've used Porefessional many times and can honestly say it's a good product, but I have to be honest and say that I can never really be bothered with primers, especially in the summer months when I wear such a light coverage foundation that I don't mind subtly slipping off. Nonetheless, it is a great product which I know I will get lots of use out of - and the sample size is pretty generous too, as you only need a teeny tiny amount of it for your t-zone.

 Laqa & Co Sheer Lip Lube in 'Menatour' // £14.43 (full size)

When I first saw this product in my box I was a little gutted as I was unsure as to whether I could pull off a purple lip in summer, but the colour is more of a pinky/fuchsia rather than a deep purple so the packaging is deceiving. It's sheer but has a nice amount of pigment, so you could slap it on without a mirror and not be worried about application, and it has a lovely minty scent, similar to the Revlon balms. I really like this product and the name of it - Lip Lube (??) - makes me giggle a little bit...anyway, enough of that.

Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream // £20 (full size)

I'm in an abundance of eye creams at the minute and I'm thinking to myself, when will this stop?! I don't need more samples of eye creams as I pretty much have a box full, but I guess I can save this for when I run out of my others (in about 10 years time). I've received a few Balance Me products before and they are a bit 'meh', so we'll have to see how this one goes. I do have to say, though, that I've not tried an eye cream that is as moisturising, creamy and luxurious as plain old Vaseline. I've used it since I was 16 before bed and no other eye cream has lived up to it. It sounds weird, but give it a go - it conditions your eye lashes too, so you're killing to birds with one stone.

Models Own Fireworks in 'Sparkler' // £5

Again, I have about a billion glitter nail polishes - but then I guess, how were Birchbox to know that. This is cute for summer over the top of a pink polish and it's the only Models Own nail polish I own, so I'm not sure how good the formula is, but I may do a review of it along with the other glitters that I own.

Whish Three Whishes Lavender Body Butter // £14.50 (full size)

People keep saying that this doesn't smell strongly of lavender, but I'm not a lavender lover at all and think this smells so strong. I'll be passing this onto my mum and I'm afraid I can't even give you an idea of the formula or texture of it as I disliked the smell so much that it went straight back into the box. Sorry! I'm sure that if you like lavender you'll be pleased with this product but I'm so not a fan unfortunately. On the bright side, my mum will be happy!

Filosofille - price unknown (can't find this anywhere?!)

This is probably genuinely the best product I received in this month's box. I've been needing a new one of these for a while so it's just saved me a trip to the shops. I love the way it has 4 sides so you can just carry this around and it'll do you for a full manicure - no using 4 different nail files, just this one. It's really quick and easy and is a real staple for nail lovers, such as I. And it's such a wonderful lifestyle extra, something I'd actually use - I mean, a flip flop key ring is cute, but...really?

So this month's Birchbox was okay, not great, not abysmal, but I really would've liked a 'wow' product which the other boxes have given me. I still really recommend the service and can't see myself giving up the subscription any time soon, although I know that a few people have been really turned off by this month's box. Each to their own I guess - but I'm just hoping next month's box will be amazing.

PS. sorry for the poor photo quality - my iPad is naff and the lighting wasn't great at the time. My Canon 600D is on it's way (I keep tabs on the tracking service every half an hour!) so the quality can only get better :)

Did you receive the same products as me?

Are you happy with your July Birchbox?

Daniela xo

• June lusting // July wish list •

I've had one of the best months of my life; it's been one of the least stressful months and everything seems to be falling into place. I've had loads more time in the mornings to get ready and have had more 'good make up days' than not! This month's products are ones that I'm interested in trying because I haven't owned anything like them and I have the time (and energy) to experiment with them. If you missed last month's lustings, you can check it out here.

1. Benefit They're Real! Push Up Liner

Currently £18.50 from lookfantastic.com, click here to be directed to the site.

I want to try this more because of the novelty factor than anything else. It's had mixed reviews so I'm not sure what to expect from it, but I feel like I'm good enough at winged liner now to give this a go (I'm sure I've jinxed it now and will probably resemble a panda tomorrow morning, knowing liner-karma). I'm a sucker for anything Benefit and I think that their lashes and brow products are the stars of the show, and the hype around this has really made me want to try it. £18.50 is a bit steep but since I've very nearly ran out of my L'oreal Super Liner (which is flipping amazing, by the way) I believe this is more of a necessity than anything else...or so I shall tell myself.

2. L'oreal L'Extroadinaire Liquid Lipstick in 101 'Rose Melody'

Currently £8.99 from Boots, click here to be directed to the site.

For some reason unknown to me, I'm gravitating more towards gloss these days. I never used to be a gloss person, much preferring either satin or matte finishes, but since digging out my Clarins Instant Light Lip Perfector recently, I'm rekindling my love for the plump and pretty effect that gloss gives. I purchased the L'oreal L'Extroadinaire Liquid Lipstick (deep breath) in 201 'Rose Symphony' last week and was ridiculously impressed; it's a pigmented, bright, beautiful pink shade which isn't sticky and lightly stains the lips when the gloss has rubbed off. I quickly knew I needed more shades from the range!

3. Calvin Klein One Water Fresh Face Makeup SPF 15 in 500 'Tan'

Currently £23 from Debenhams, click here to be directed to the site.

This lusting is completely enabled by the beautiful Youtuber Ruby Golani. She uses the cream compact foundation for her contour and it looks so natural and light on her skin. I really love the idea of a cream contour as at the moment I'm using Benefit's Hoola, which is great, but in summer I like to use as many cream products as possible so my skin looks fresh and dewy. I've never owned anything from Calvin Klein before but since Ruby makes the foundation looks so stunning, I really want to give it a go. 

4. Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (OCC) Lip Tar

Currently £11.50 each from Selfridges, click here to be directed to the site.

I've literally wanted these for so long but was always sort of afraid of how pigmented they are. Since braving bolds and brights over the past year or so, these definitely aren't as out of my comfort zone as they previously were. I love the idea of being able to mix liquid lipsticks to create a custom lip colour and I think I'd buy a few of the brights and one nude/white (if there is one) to mix and tone down bolder colours. I must pick some of these up as I already know how I'd rock them - with a fresh, flawless base, bold brows and lots of lashes.

5. Topshop Floppy Wool Fedora Hat

Currently £35 from Topshop, click here to be directed to the site.

I've never been a hat person but I tried this beauty on when I was last in Topshop. It sits perfectly and flops down to just under my eyebrows. I think it looks so vintage and reminds me of the shot in Titanic when Rose looks up at the boat from under her floppy hat (I hope you know which shot I mean, otherwise that's a complete waste of a sentence there!) Since I'm going on holiday at the end of August I thought I should probably protect my face and neck from the sun as I usually just tend to wear SPF and sunglasses, but recently I've realised that hats are a necessity too. And it's not really like I need any excuses - look how pretty it is!

6. L'oreal Paris Lumi Magique Primer

Currently £9.99 from Boots, click here to be directed to the site.

Another L'oreal product, and another product enabled by a beauty Youtuber - this time Shannon from Shaaanxo. I always overlooked the L'oreal counter in Boots but since picking up the True Match foundation, I've come to recognise the brand as high-end quality disguised in drugstore prices. The Lumi Magique Primer just looks amazing on Shannon and she uses it in most of her tutorials; it gives her a really dewy base and is quite visible even under the heaviest coverage foundation. Since I have combination skin, my cheeks are normally dry so it's hard to highlight them using powder products, therefore liquid and cream products are the way to go for me. If the product can keep my make up looking fresh all day, then that's a bonus.

I can't wait to go shopping now! Pay day is right around the corner...

Have you tried any of these products?

Could you recommend anything else to me?

Daniela xo

• May Birchbox #2 // review •

I was so impressed with the last Birchbox that I just couldn't wait for the next one - and it did not disappoint.

With a mix of high-end and middle-end products (the majority being higher) I was so excited to see my favourite mascara and a well-known cleanser as soon as I opened the box. The products are based around 'outdoor adventures' - spending longer outside in the warmer weather - and this stunning box is a collaboration with Harper's Bazaar. If you wanted to see what I received in last month's Birchbox, you can click here to read that post.

Soigne Nail Lacquer in Cerise // £11 (full size)

This stunning nail polish is so opaque, so easy to apply and has such a lovely thin wand to work with. It's such a beautiful colour and I'm really pleased I received this in my box - I checked out the other colours that other's received and I already have those sorts of colours in my collection, but this one I feel is quite unique. It's grown up, but still a pretty, fun pink. And look a that packaging! How cute?!

Benefit They're Real! Mascara // £19.50 (full size)

I can't profess my love enough for this product. I've written a full review of it here, where you can see how the product works to transform my eyelashes into fluttery, volumised beauties. The plastic bristles really grip every single lash and the formula is so budge proof that it lasts all day and into the night. It volumises, lengthens and is the blackest black, making lashes stand out and appear much fuller. 10 out of 10 for this product and I will always repurchase, so it's handy to have a mini travel-size tube of it!

Philip Kingsley One More Day Dry Shampoo // £13.50 (full size)

I am loyal to my Batiste but I have heard that there are dry shampoos which don't leave your hair white, so I'm always up for giving new things a go. This product therefore was very much welcomed into my haircare collection. It works perfectly and doesn't leave any residue in my hair, it turns my hair from a greasy mess into a voluminous mane and it smells delightful, too. I've used it to death and there's still product in it which makes me think that the £13.50 price tag is worth it. I'm going to look into buying myself a bottle of this when I run out as I think it does a fantastic job (and makes me a lot more lazy when it comes to hair washing!)

Aromatherapy Associates Revive Morning Bath & Shower Oil // £39 (full size)

This smells divine! It doesn't get more luxurious than Aromatherapy Associates and I'm so happy to have received this in my box. I've used it once but I used it sparingly (so I could get another use out of it - cheapskate!) and it created the most uplifting, invigorating scent in my bathroom. My skin felt so soft after use and I'll be popping this on my Christmas list as I don't think I could justify spending this much money on myself for a bath product, however I'd very happily receive this as a gift! *secretly hopes Mum/Dad/brother/boyfriend is reading this...*

Liz Earle Beauty Co Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser // £13.50 (for 100ml)

I don't want to say too much about this product as I'm planning a post where I compare it to one of my favourite lower end hot cloth cleansers, but I have to say that this product really is lovely. My skin is going through a bit of a rough patch at the moment due to a certain product (read this post here) so I'm treating it with a little more TLC as I usually would, and the Cleanse and Polish is so gentle that it's helping to calm my skin down a little. I love that it comes with a little muslin cloth, and honestly, how generous is this sample size? You literally need a pea-sized amount so I can see this lasting me a rather long time!

There are the five gorgeous products I received in this months Birchbox - not one of them a dud, a mix of make up, skincare and haircare - which is exactly what I'm looking for in a beauty box. If you haven't subscribed yet, I really urge you to give it a go. It's opened my eyes to some products which I ordinarily wouldn't have the opportunity to try out (Aromatherapy Associates...)

What did you think of this months Birchbox? Which was your favourite product?

Daniela

• April lusting // May wish list •

I've been experimenting with lots of different types of make up this month and it's made me realise that I need to step out of my comfort zone with eyeshadows, liquid liner and BB creams (that are more like foundations that BB creams...but more on that later). My go-to look around this time of year is a light coverage with a sweep of shimmer on the eyes and a nude lipstick, so this wish list pretty much sums me up! If you missed last month's lustings, you can read that post here.

1. Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette
Currently £37 from feelunique.com, click here to be directed to the site.
Who doesn't want this palette? I won't go on about this too much as it's already been raved and reviewed about, but I just think the colours are stunning. Originally I thought that the rose gold shades wouldn't suit me but I've since swatched them and they look really lovely with my pale skin tone. I was lucky enough to win the MAC Warm Neutrals Palette (review on this here) and it made me more adventurous with my eyeshadow looks so I feel like I have to pick this up - when you keep thinking about something you just have to get it? You know?!

2. Crown Brush Pro Blending Crease Brush - C441

Currently £3.99 from Crown Brush UK, click here to be directed to the site.

I've never tried anything from Crown Brush before but I've heard so many amazing things about the quality and value for money of their brushes. I do love a good crease brush and I have far too many but I think I'll use this one as the clean brush that doesn't add any colour, but just blends the eyeshadows out that little bit more. Ooh I could use this with the Naked 3 Palette! *brb while I go and order these items...*

3. MAC Cremesheen Lipstick - Creme Cup

Currently £15 from MAC Cosmetics UK, click here to be directed to the site.

So I'm jumping on the bandwagon here but for good reason - all you need to do is type 'MAC Creme Cup' into Google and you'll see why. It's a stunning pinky nude which is exactly what I'm looking for at the moment, and the cremesheen formulas are probably my favourite lipstick finishes. Lately I've been all about MAC lipsticks as I've rediscovered old loves and gained new shades so I've been having fun with playing with new colours. I really recommend these lipsticks and I think that every girl should own at least one in her collection - they're wonderful.

4. Collection Fast Stroke Liquid Eye Liner

Currently £2.99 from Collection, click here to be directed to the site.

I really never thought I'd be an eyeliner fan and have always much preferred a softer, smudgy look but lately I've found myself experimenting with a crisp, clean, winged-out line. I'm loving a cat eye with a soft champagne shimmer all over the lid - it's really simple, yet feline-like and subtly sexy, if you catch my drift. I've swatched this liner in store so many times but I've always opted for a gel liner or a felt-tip pen liner. Next time I'm in Boots, I'm nabbing this, as I really love how thin and tiny the applicator is, making it so easy to work with. I haven't found anything like this in other liquid liners but I've heard the L'oreal Superliner liquid liner is similar.

5. Benefit Big Easy Multi Balancing Complexion Perfector

Currently £27.50 from Boots, click here to be directed to the site.

This product is a funny one as it's not quite a BB cream but not quite a foundation, it's almost an inbetweeny product. I picked up a tester of this a few weeks ago and will admit I was cynical, as I haven't been crazy over some of the other benefit bases. I unexpectedly fell in love with this product, though - it makes mornings so easy. I can skip moisturiser (which probably isn't advised, but I have no time in the morning for faffing) and the coverage is pretty impressive. I used the shade light/medium and it left a semi-matte finish on my skin, didn't slip off my face and didn't go patchy. I do definitely recommend this and will be getting my hands on it ASAP - I think I need to calm down when it comes to bases though as I picked up 3 new ones in this haul and I have an Estee Lauder Double Wear on the way. Oops!

6. Breville Blend-Active Personal Blender

Currently £27.96 from Amazon, click here to be directed to the site.

At first glance this item doesn't seem beauty related, however in a roundabout way it kind of is. We all need our skin to behave and this sorts it from the inside out. I've been obsessed with smoothies lately (and have put one or two recipes up on my instagram - ddiraimo92) so a new blender is on the cards. This Breville blender is pretty special; you get two gym-style bottles with the blender and you screw off the bottom of them and attach the blade. You then attach this to the blender and blend your goodies, screw the cap on the bottle, ready to take away and drink. I'm not sure that makes much sense as I read over it, but there are so many tutorials of how to use it online on YouTube. I'm a bit of a technology geek so I love things like this, and anything that makes being healthy 'easy' is a winner in my eyes. Also - minimal washing up required! You don't have a separate blender to wash up as well as the glass/bottle. Genius.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post. Whenever it gets near to the end of the month I always get excited about writing my lusting/wish list post - it makes me really aware of all of the goodies I may treat myself to!

What have you been lusting over this month?

Daniela

• Gracing my face today // Spring MOTD •

Mineral make up, baby pink blush, barely there eye shadow...

I love Spring.

I started off by applying the Seventeen PHWOARR paint in 'fair' under my eyes to brighten them up a bit, then followed up with the Sheer Cover UK Mineral Foundation (review on this here), swirled all over my face in circular motions. I then moved onto brows, using the Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil in Black/Brown (which isn't raved about enough, in my opinion), and use both the pencil and the brush to tame them and thicken them up. Using benefit creaseless cream shadow in birthday suit from the benefit world famous neutrals most glamorous nudes ever (review on this here), I primed my eyes for the colour. I swiped benefit long wear powder shadow in call my buff all over the lid as a base colour and applied kiss me i'm tipsy lightly into my crease to create a shadow. I then applied the Soap and Glory Super Volume Thick and Fast Mascara in Superjet Black to the top and bottom eyelashes to open my eyes some more and give them a doll-like effect. Moving back to my face, I used the Stila Breast Cancer Awareness Palette in 'Positively Pink' as a blush and highlight as it has pearly pink flecks in the bows. Lastly, I applied the Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Native (review on this here) to my lips for a girly, pink pop of colour.

Quite a neutral look with a subtle hint of colour here and there; I tend to prefer a natural, fresh-faced look around this time of year. Lots of pinks and soft browns!

I hope you liked this post, it's a little different from my usuals but it was really fun to write!

Daniela

• Shop my stash // rediscovered products - Spring edition •

I've been lacking colour in my make up recently and I'm really starting to miss it. The 23rd March feels like the right time to inject some fun into my looks and use some of the products that I used to know and love. I've spent the past week rummaging through my make up bag and finding the products that I always reach for during the Spring months that I just seem to forget about throughout the rest of the year. One reason for this post is that I'm trying to force myself into using up some of the make up which I already own instead of buying more and more and more...if you're an avid reader of my blog, you'll know that I do love my hauls and I've been on one too many recently, encouraging me to use what I already have lying around. And since I'm on a spending ban, it's nice to get excited about things you haven't used in a while - it's as if I've just been shopping and I'm using lots of new things!

This post is a collab with Molly from mollyox, a gorgeous little blog that I always turn to for reviews. Molly and I purchase quite different items and products so it's really interesting to find out what I'm missing out on! I really recommend checking out her blog - her layout is gorgeous and she takes the clearest, most beautiful photos...if you head over there, tell her I said hi!

Ah, my trust old MUA Undress Your Skin Primer. I used this in the days where I had more time in the mornings and when my skin was more oily. As we're approaching the warmer months, I can already feel that my t-zone is starting to look a little less matte, so I'll be reaching for this a lot more. At £4, it does the job really well and I can't fault it - I need a minuscule amount, which is usually half a pump/a pump, to cover my t-zone and my make-up stays put all day, without slipping and sliding off half way down my neck. The Garnier BB Cream in Light/Clair isn't something I got on with to begin with, but I soon realised that this product works best when used with fingers. Applying it with a brush just doesn't work for me as I feel like any brush I use just swipes it across my face without it actually sinking into my skin. It provides a very light coverage which is perfect for me as I tend to go a lot lighter with my bases as it progresses towards Summer. It is fragranced which doesn't bother me as I actually quite like the scent and it's a thick BB cream which can be sheered out or built up.

Out with the Benefit Hoola, in with the Benefit Sugarbomb! I miss this product so much and I'm now asking myself why I ever stopped using it. I like to switch up my blushes and bronzers quite regularly and I think this one just got lost at the bottom of the pile. It's a stunning rosy/bright pinky colour with tiny little shimmers, it's really gorgeous for this time of year. I tend to go for matte blushes in Winter and this little guy always makes an appearance in my Spring make up bag. As I mentioned previously, my t-zone can always do with a little mattifying so I'm going to start using my L'oreal Paris True Match Powder to balance things out again. It's a very finely milled powder which doesn't provide a lot of coverage, but sets everything in place. As a highlighter, my MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Lightscapade is so so stunning and always completes any look I go for. It is quite subtle when applied with a brush but I tend to use two fingers to dab it onto my cheek bones. It catches the light beautifully and I like that it's a unique product in my collection, as many of my highlighters are a goldy/champagne colour. Silver/pearl makes a change and I'll definitely be using this for a subtle Spring glow.

The No7 Stay Perfect Eyeshadow Palette in Rainforest was one of the first beauty products I owned. I used to wear it all the time, especially the copper colour, just swiped over the lids with a little mascara. The quality of the eye shadow is great and the colours are really lovely together; I'm definitely going to try and incorporate this palette into some Spring eye looks. I also enjoy a light wash of champagne across my lids to keep things fresh and simple in Spring, and the Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Sin used to be my most-worn eyeshadow from about the age of 16 until I was around 19 (this is my third pot!). At that time, I didn't experiment with makeup a whole lot, so this colour was a really easy one to wear. It's a gorgeous shimmery champagne which catches the light beautifully and I can't wait to start using this again. In terms of eyeliner, I really like the look of applying a thin line of colour to my upper lash line and applying mascara to only my top lashes. I think it really brightens up the eyes and adds a pop of colour in a subtle way. Because I have dark brown eyes, I feel like purple and teal compliment them really well, so I'm going to start wearing more of my Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil in Lust and my Bourjois Khol & Contour Eye Pencil in Blue Virtuose.

Finally, the products that I switch up alllll the time are lip colours. I'm a massive fan of orange and I go for both sheer and full-on lip products when it comes to Spring. For a subtle sheen of colour, the Revlon Colour Burst Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya is perfect. If you're afraid of wearing bright oranges, I recommend going for something like this, as it adds colour but can be sheered out to suit your preference. Everything about this product makes me happy; the fact that it moisturises my lips, it's so easy to wear, is the perfect shade of peach/orange. I'm really looking forward to wearing this again as it's a lovely colour to wear for work when I wan't to add a little something Springy to my look, but don't want to add too much. One that I wouldn't wear to work, however, is the Topshop Lipstick in Infrared, purely because it is so so pigmented and a very statement colour. It's a vibrant, gorgeous, in-your-face, look-at-me orange and my most-worn colour of Summer 2013. I just didn't leave the house without this lipstick on. It's definitely not for the faint-hearted and probably not suitable for work (especially in a teaching profession!) but the creaminess of it, the pigmentation of it, the pure amazingness of the colour is enough to wow me every single time I put it on. It just brightens up my whole face and is very on trend for Spring/Summer 2014 (not that I follow the trends - I'm usually a year or two late!) If there's one thing I recommend from this whole post, it's this lipstick and I really can't wait til it gets sunny enough for me to wear this one again!

It was fun rummaging through my make up collection and reminding myself why I loved these products once upon a time. Sometimes, when you buy new things constantly, it's easy to forget about amazing items that you already own - and since I'm on a spending ban indefinitely, I'll be picking out my old beauty products more frequently than I have been recently!

What were your most-loved products that you've forgotten about? Do you also get wrapped up in all the new launches, sometimes forgetting about perfectly usable products that you already own? (I'm guilty of this and I'm definitely going to avoid Boots, John Lewis and Debenhams for a while!)

Daniela

• benefit They're Real! // review and demo •

I've been wanting to try the benefit They're Real mascara since it was first released - the hype around it, the amazing reviews and the demos made me so excited to purchase the product, but I decided to play it safe and buy the benefit The Bronze of Champions set which included a mini of the mascara amongst other beauties. Since the mascara alone retails for £19.50, I thought it'd be a good idea to test it out before I commit to buying. Well... I'm committed. And if it was socially acceptable to have a relationship with a make up product, I would start one up with this mascara.

Review

Packaging // Wand

The product pictured above is obviously a mini, so the packaging is different for the full size. As usual, though, the benefit packaging is fun, colourful and cute. Now for the wand...I've never seen a wand like it. It has plastic bristles (and lots of them) of varying sizes in order to coat both the long and short lashes. The 'ball' of bristles on the end is used to get into the hard to reach parts of the eye (the inner and outer corner) to make it easier and less messy for the user.

Colour

The blackest of the black - the colour is strong and rich, and one coat will give you dark lashes.

Finish

Formula - The mascara itself is a wet formula, meaning that it seems quite liquid-y, but it dries pretty quickly so it's not a problem for me. I'm not used to wet formulas so when I first started using it I was slightly apprehensive, but for no reason - it dries to a finish that keeps it's hold.

Effect - after even one coat, the mascara provides masses of length and coats every single lash, even the ones that aren't visible to my sleepy, early-morning eye. The volume that I get is crazy and the mascara seems to make my lashes look lots thicker. It makes it look as if I have falsies on (I guess that's where the name of the product comes in) and I've never experienced length nor volume like it with any other mascara. 

Longevity

The mascara holds a curl and my lashes stay volumised all day. They don't drop at all as the mascara isn't heavy and my lashes look just as good as when first applied when I go to remove it in the evening! Talking of removing, it is a bit of a bugger but I guess that's what you'd expect from a good quality, long wearing mascara. After a few massages with coconut oil, the mascara is fully removed.

Opinion

It's incredible. I'm a massive mascara fan as my lashes are one of the most important parts to my routine so finding this gem is wonderful. I love the effect it gives and as you can see, the mascara really clings to every lash and opens up my eyes. I will definitely be purchasing the full size when I run out of this mini, but if there are any dupes lurking around, I'll also be sure to try those, too. I don't think I've ever spent more than a tenner on a mascara but I'd say this stuff is worth it. I've also had it since December and used it almost every day and it's still going strong.

Demo

(Please excuse the unruly eyebrows!)

Uncurled lashes

Curled lashes

One coat of They're Real!

Two coats of They're Real!

Two coats of They're Real! and tight lined

A direct comparison from not doing anything to my lashes to applying two coats of They're Real! and tightlining my upper waterline.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post :) I've had lots of requests to feature some of the products that I review actually on my face so hopefully you found this useful.

Let me know if you've tried They're Real! and what you've thought of it - I'd love to hear your opinions as I've only heard good things about it as of yet!

PS. Don't forget to enter my MAC Giveaway!

Daniela

• benefit Most Glamorous Nudes palette // review •

Oh Lord, how stunning is the packaging? Let's just take a minute here to appreciate

 the sheer beauty of another benefit product...

(L-R) birthday suit, my two cents, call my buff, kiss me i'm tipsy, it's complicated, gilt-y pleasure

Currently £23.50 from benefit, click here to be directed to the site.

I received the benefit World's Famous Nudes: Most Glamorous Nudes Palette as a Christmas present and had mentioned it many-a-time (tactfully) for a few months before. I'd heard so much about it and, as always, was drawn into the marketing around the product and the gimick of having a palette that looked as though it belonged on my book shelf. I've been excited to review this ever since I got it, but for someone who likes to mix up their make up look everyday, I hadn't had much of a chance to test the product out and give an honest review up until now. After months of on-off use, I can safely say that I'm ready to give you the low-down of what I think.

Packaging

Blown away, as usual, with the packaging. benefit knocks it right out of the park every time, and if I'm ever on the hunt for a pretty-looking product to add to my vanity table, I would always turn to benefit. I love the fact that it looks like a book full of make up secrets, I love the colours of the packaging and how soft and neutral they are, I love the character Eyenessa and how she looks so beautiful on the cover (I want to look like her...) and I just think it looks stunning.

Colour

The set contains two cream shadows;

• birthday suit - described as a champagne, more of a sheer shimmery taupe.

• my two cents - copper-y gold colour.

And four powder shadows;

• call my buff - cream with a slight sheen.

• kiss me, i'm tipsy - rich chocolate brown.

• it's complicated - pink with a sheen.

• gilt-y pleasure - a lighter copper colour than my two cents (very similar colours).

The shadows are mostly shimmery but the flecks of shimmer are teeny tiny so it won't look like you've had fairy dust blown onto your eyelids. I think shimmer is perfect for a neutrals palette as it adds a little something extra to a look that can have the potential to wash you out (which happens to me every single time I go near matte neutral colours!)

Finish

Cream shadows - these are very sheer cream shadows. They seem 'thin' in comparison to MAC paint pots and Maybelline Colour Tattoos and are certainly not as pigmented as either of these other products. Saying that, they are buildable, and would therefore be perfect for either beginners or those who are looking for a very natural colour. They are honestly fantastic as eye shadow primers and do not budge, meaning that I don't have to worry about my powder shadows fading or creasing. I'm more likely to use them as primers than I am cream shadows as they work better that way, and I've found that applying them with fingers does not do them any justice - the best way to apply is with a stiff, densely packed synthetic brush, as it distributes the cream all over the eyelid whilst still giving maximum colour payoff. The swatch above on my arm is me adding more cream shadow about 3 or 4 times using my finger, with drying time in between - for me, this isn't really a problem as I don't mind taking time on my make up when I'm doing it properly.

Powder shadows - I really love these shadows. I find them easily blendable and the colour easily buildable, which is exactly what I'm looking for in a high-end palette.The colour payoff is great, they feel soft to the touch and don't look powdery at all. I would recommend using a primer with them as, like most powder shadows, they have the potential to crease, but they work perfectly with the cream shadows in the palette.

Longevity

I've created numerous looks with this palette that have lasted me all day. On Christmas day, I wore a really fresh neutral look from 8am until 1am and it still looked great when I went to remove my make up before bed. As you would expect with most high quality brands, the shadows tend not to budge when paired with a primer (or cream shadow) so in terms of staying power, I can vouch for that.

Opinion

This palette includes some of the most beautiful colours I've seen in a long time; they all go together perfectly and are the solution for those days when you can't decide which eye look to go for. The range of neutral taupe/beige to warm brown and shimmery pink make this a palette that can cater to many different make up needs and skin-tones which is a difficult thing to achieve when you're creating a palette with only 6 colour options. I think the price is spot on for what you're getting - two mini creaseless cream shadows and 4 mini powder shadows and I'm now really interested in the other palettes in the World Famous Nudes trilogy (I might add that to my wishlist for future splurges). 

I'm highly impressed with the palette and would definitely recommend it to anyone, particularly those who are just starting to dabble in make up and want to add an easy-to-use, pretty-looking, high-end palette to their stash.  I'm going to make a conscious effort to start using this palette more as it's so stunning, but I just find myself grabbing a different product most days. Perhaps if I leave it open on my vanity, I'll remind myself to use it!

What do you think of the benefit World Famous Nudes range? Would you recommend any other products from benefit?

Daniela