Benefit mini haul!

A few weeks ago a Sephora 35% off sales gave me the opportunity to try a few brand new Benefit items and here they are along with my thoughts on them.

Rockateur blush: everyone is raving about this blush so it was the first item on my wishlist. As soon as I swatched on my hand it went straight into my basket because it is a lovely peachy/pink/bronzy shade with a very pretty sheen and it is ideal for all seasons more so for fall and winter. It is the kind of shade that can be the star of a no makeup look, or can be the best - shy but still there - friend of a smokey eye or red lip, it all depends on application. 

I've also used it as an eyeshadow all over the lid and up to the crease, it defines beautifully the eyes.

Shadewise it does remind me a tiny bit of Sunbasque by Mac but less pigmented and more caramel.  

The only thing I really dislike about it is the packaging, I find it very tacky and cheap looking.

Here is a swatch as well as one next to Sunbasque (on the left)

Stay Flawless 15h primer: face products have a hard time trying (unsuccessfully) not to slide off my face after the first couple of hours.  So I thought I should give it a try and I am very happy I did because it definitely works!

According to Benefit you're supposed to apply it one section of the face, follow up quickly with foundation, then cover another section of the face, follow up with foundation, etc.

Well, I'm a little impatient so I slap it on all over my face and then I quickly put some bb cream on my hands and massage it thoroughly all over my face. Then I go over with a brush so as to blend everything perfectly.

It really feels like putting stick glue all over my face and in essence that's what it does. It acts like a medium to adhere the foundation on the skin and if I overdo it it certainly feels tacky but the feeling goes away as soon as I put on the foundation.

As for color, it is clear although in the stick it looks quite beige.

The only thing I'm concerned about is that it may dry out quickly so I always put on the internal lid and then the large lid.

Gimme Brow in light/medium: this is the only product I am still on the fence about. I've tried it alone on my sparse brows but it took a lot of work to achieve the desired result, it is much easier and faster with a pencil or eyeshadow. Maybe it's the tiny brush or just the fact that it is something new.
On the other hand the tiny brush makes it perfect for detailed work, it's just that I am not that patient.
I love it though after I've done my brows because it really makes them stay in place all day.

That's it for now, I hope you are all well and thriving!

Basics: Eyeshadow tools

I believe that the tools you use to apply makeup are very important and for this reason I choose Mac brushes. That doesn't mean that there are no other good brushes from other brands (I hear that Sigma are equally good and much cheaper but I haven't tried them yet) but since Mac is famous for its brushes and available in stores in my country, it was one way for me.

Now, if I had to choose only two brushes for eyeshadow application, I would choose without a second thought:

• the Mac 217 - Blending Brush, I love this brush for blending the eyeshadows, it can also be used  to apply eyeshadow on the lid, browbone, etc.You can also use it for concealer, excellent for this use as well.

• the Mac 208 - Angled Brow Brush, I love this brush for applying eyeshadow/eyeliner close to my lashes and generally when I'm doing details with the eyeshadow, i.e. for the outer corner, it helps me create a really defined V, then I use the 217 for blending out any harsh lines. It can also be used for the brows.

Both purchased at a 25% off sales, so they were quite affordable.

If you want your eye makeup to last more hours, all the gurus stress the necessity of an eye primer applied on the lids before the eyeshadow,  and I got the Benefit Stay Don't Stray primer because it can be used under the eye as well so as to make the concealer last longer (it also lightens up the under eye area a little and I'm using less concealer now). I find that the pump, although hygienic, is a little difficult to handle regarding the amount of product it pumps, but I press it lightly and this way I usually achieve not to waste product. I purchased it at Sephora, it is quite expensive, I think about €30, but I needed a primer and also wanted to try something from Benefit now that it arrived in Greece (at Sephora stores). I 'm happy with it, but, it's the first primer I got so I don't have any prior experience with eye primers to compare this with.

Of course in order to use brushes, primers, etc,  you must have an eyeshadow or two (lol!), and speaking about basic eyeshadow tools I could not omit my latest find, that is the NYX  Bohemian Rhapsody 10 eyeshadow palette, I purchased it $8 from nonpareilboutique.

It is a basic, neutral, eyeshadow palette, the bottom row are velvety/silky matte with a cream like consistency and the top row are shimmering, so it is quite flexible because you can achieve everyday as well as more dramatic looks. The pigmentation is great, more so of the matte ones. In case you lusted the Urban Decay Naked Palette but find the cost prohibiting, this could be an alternative, of course I don't say that they 're the same.
Overall, the NYX Bohemian Rhapsody eye palette is a very good neutral palette (and darn cheap too!).

That's my view of  basic eyeshadow tools, of course "basic" is different for everyone and the list could be endless. Also bare in mind that I'm a beginner in most aspects of make up, I just post about what I find works for me (possibly for you too!). 

Thanks for visiting!