Benefit vs maybelline gel liners

(Benefit on top, maybelline on the bottom)
I'm a big benefit fan and when the new they're real push-up liner was released I knew I was going to buy it. I like the concept behind it, a gel liner in a tube with no brushes required.  It has an accuflex? tip, which is just a rubbery and slightly flexible nib. You twist the product up from the bottom of the packaging and the product slowly emerges.

I read a few reviews before buying it and what a lot of people said is that it was really difficult to remove. Hence why benefit created a remover to go with it.  But basically any oil based remover does the job.

I found that the liner was easy to use,  I did have a little trouble trying to create a flick because the consistency is a little drying.  It is however much quicker to use than a gel liner that you need to use a brush to apply.  I believe I paid £18.50 for this.

I tried to put myself off of buying the benefit liner because I knew it wouldn't be long until another brand created one of their own. And whilst on my lunch break browsing through boots I saw maybelline lasting drama black shock gel liner for £8.99.

The first time using it I decided I much preferred it to benefits. It applies really smoothly and strong and I achieved a nice flick easily. 

As for lasting power, both wear pretty well, I have swatched both on my hand and rubbed them both,  benefit stayed better but it's not a problem for me because I just don't touch my face when I'm wearing make up! :) Which is better? You tell me!

Salicylic acid

I just want to clarify that I am not a professional facialist or anything but I wanted to talk about some products I've been enjoying due to the effectiveness of the wonderful ingredient of salicylic acid.

I've done a little bit of research about salicylic acid and it has many uses, medicinal and cosmetic.  You can find it in aspirin and of course skincare items. Salicylic acid is kind of an exfoliant and is the key ingredient in clearing acne as well as helping to make the surface layer of skin to shed quicker.

I personally think it makes a huge difference to my skin. I especially love exfoliants for my combination skin because it helps products to sink in quicker and to reach a deeper layer of your skin.

The products in my photo are clearasil superfruits refreshing pads with raspberry and cranberry extracts and vitamin b3. You use them morning and evening and don't rinse off! I bought these because of Caroline Hirons (facialist and award winning blogger, also on YouTube). She actually showed a different type of these pads in a budget beauty video and the ones I have were cheaper as they're new. They're amazing for acid toning (see carolines videos).

The next product is the body shops nutriganics smoothing serum. Again,  this is mentioned in the budget beauty buys. I do currently work for the body shop so just a disclaimer that this is my personal opinion and i am not being asked to promote the products. This organic serum contains salicylic acid and is for the first signs of ageing. It's really light in texture and soaks into the skin easily.

And the last product is super facialist by una brennan.. wait for it.... salicylic acid anti blemish purify and refresh face scrub. So it's an exfoliator aimed predominantly for acne prone skin and for me it's left my skin much clearer and with a smoother texture.

So why did I do a post about salicylic acid?  Using products with this amazing ingredient has kicked my skins butt into better shape, left it clearer, smoother and brighter.  Plus it's not just for acne, you can even go to dermatologists and various surgeries to have a salicylic acid facial peel to help remove damage such as brown spots. Or make your own face mask using aspirin!

Four concealers

Wheeeeeeey. Here are my four current favourite concealers. Saying that, I think three of these will continue to be favourites for a while. From top to bottom we have Collection lasting perfection, Seventeen 18 hour stay time, L'oreal true match and L'oreal lumi magique.

These are in the lightest shades I could find and you can see how they vary from each other from the swatches. Starting with Collection, this has had a lot of hype and for good reason. It has a nice coverage, texture and lasting power. I also really like that it's a dough foot applicator. The only criticism with this is that the words on the packaging completely disappears over time.

Seventeen is slightly lighter in texture and looks and feels as though it is water based, which isn't a bad thing. It's not quite the coverage I like in a concealer but I love it anyway. And it looks a little beige in the swatch but I like that it's creamy and dewy.

L'oreal true match is fairly new purchase for me which took a little getting used to as I thought it was a little oily at first. I do find with this one that it takes a bit of drying time but it has good coverage and is very yellow based.

L'oreal lumi magique is a concealer/highlighter. I use concealer and then put this over the top and
I can really see a difference. I refer to this as my secret weapon! I will be re-purchasing all but the L'oreal true match. The Collection concealer sells so well it's hard to grab one because they go out of stock so quickly!

Those that claim to last a while actually do! Allthough not as long as they claim.

L'oreal collection privee lipstick

I love these lipsticks! L'oreal always create great make up and these celeb inspired nudes are another great collection! I have (from left to right) Eva Longoria, Julianne Moore and Cheryl Cole. Eva's my favourite as it is the one that suits me most being warm toned and the most opaque of the three that i have. I have even brought a back up for when i finish the first one (which is likely to be soon). Julianne and Cheryl are a little thinner in coverage but still look amazing. At first I was a little disappointed with Julianne because in the advert it looked much nuder on her and she is also very pale so I thought this would be the best colour for me but it's actually quite pink. Cheryl is the closest match to my natural lip colour, however slightly cool toned. I'm really pleased with these shades and formula's though and I hope they continue to be made for a while! <3

L'oreal colour riche extraordinaire

I've never been much of a gloss person, mainly because they don't last very long and i prefer the longevity and coverage of a lipstick. I first saw these babies on fleurdeforce's youtube channel and she referred to them as a liquid lipstick, and as i do....... i bought some.

I have the shades 600 nude vibrato (left) and 601 nude ballet (right). My camera doesn't do the swatches justice but they are correct in being nude shades. My favourite being 601 nude ballet. They are very smooth on the lips with a dough foot applicator and are very opaque for a gloss. I have found that it lasts much longer than your average gloss and they just look lovely on. I like to apply them over a lipstick but there's no point really as you'll get the same colour as wearing the gloss alone. I've been looking a dupe for my favourite nude gloss and I have now found it! Let's just hope these stay out for a while (or I'll have to get as many as i can now as back ups).

I'll agree that you could refer to them as a liquid lipstick but keep in mind that it still has a glossy look to it :) These are my favourite lip products of the moment <3

Rimmel match perfection foundation

I have found the perfect foundation for me!  Finally!  I bought this product after having many recommendations and I am so pleased with the result. It's affordable,  has a wide range of colours,  sits comfortably on the skin, blends well and makes me look healthy.

  I would say that it offers a medium coverage.  I tend to go for foundations with a 'long lasting' promise which then make me look cakey and get oilier quicker than a foundation that doesn't claim to stick to my skin for a hundred years.

  I don't have anything bad to say about this product.   I should add that it matches my skin tone perfectly :) I bought mine from boots and there was a promotion at the time to get the primer free with any foundation.  BONUS!

Benefit It's Potent Eye Cream

I've found the best eye cream ever! I've tried many eye creams and apart from prevage and this one I have never had an eye cream that has made a difference to my moisture levels or dark circles. I first sampled a mini pot of this after I had auditioned for benefit in 2011 (and that's a whoooole other story). I see a difference immediately in my dark circles and I can say it really does feel moisturising under my eyes. It's also very rich and a little goes a long way. I can't comment on the effect on under eye bags/puffiness and I don't have them (at least yet, fingers crossed).

The leaflet that came with it says: "It's potent! Eye Cream fades dark circles, helps smooth fine lines and hydrates the eye area for brighter, younger looking eyes. This potent yet gentle eye cream contains burnet, an ancient chinese remedy to help soothe the skin, and a blend of hydrating botanical extracts. Contains apple extract, known to help boost collagen, and a loquat extract, known to help protect the skin from free radical damage. Includes a peptide complex known to help restore elasticity and firmness to the skin. Contains sodium hyaluronate, a powerful hydrating agent capable of holding up to 1000 times it's weight in water." 

Damn that's a lot of stuff. I will certainly re-purchase this (when I can afford it) and I recommend it to YOU! I got it for £22.05 with 10% discount at Debenhams. I think you get a lot in it though- 14.2g.