Benefit They're Real Mascara Review

I might be one of the last people in the beauty blogging world to try this out, but I finally did it! I tried out the not-so-new Benefit They're Real Mascara:

I can talk on and on about the claims that Benefit makes, but basically this mascara is supposed to give you such glam lashes that they are supposed to look as good as false lashes. 

Bare Lashes

Lashes with 1 coat of They're Real on top and bottom lashes

So, while this might not look exactly like false lashes, I think this mascara still looks pretty good! My lashes look longer and more voluminous. Benefit They're Real also does a great job of holding the curl in my lashes when I do use a curler, but it also adds a bit of curl on its own. There is no flaking or smudging either. The only thing I didn't get with this mascara is thickening. The mascara wand coats each lash to make it darker and look longer, but it didn't make my lashes thicker. Overall, this is a great formula with a unique want, but I am not sure if it is $22 great. 

Have you tried Benefit They're Real? What are your thoughts?

Will This Eye Cream Benefit Your Dark Circles? Benefit It's Potent Eye Cream Review

I was perusing the cosmetic counters a few weeks ago when the Benefit sales associate started telling me about the Benefit skincare line that was released last year. I had heard good things but hadn't tried anything. Until that day. So how did she manage to impress me? By telling me that Benefit is owned by Louis Vuitton, and you know LV is gonna spend the money to do research and put out a great product. 

I've never owned anything by LV, but it sounded pretty good to me. I played around with the eye cream in-store, and then decided to try it out.

Aside from the cute packaging, the cream itself is creamy and light. It feels nice on the skin and is a good base for concealer...I didn't experience any creasing when I wore this under my eyes with concealer on top. In terms of the effects, this did start to decrease the darkness of my under-eye circles, but (yes there is a but) it was not moisturizing enough for me. My skin is dry, and since the under-eye skin is naturally thin and dry that area needs extra moisture. My opinion is that this eye cream would be most effective for someone in their late teens and early 20s....those who don't need the extra moisture that is required with age, but just want to start taking care of their under-eye area and perhaps need help with dark circles.

Since this didn't work out for me I am on the search for a different moisturizing eye cream. Any suggestions?

Sue Devitt Eye Intensifier Pencil in Action

Hello! How are ya? I know it has been awhile since I last posted. I was traveling and spending time with my family for Thanksgiving. How was your Thanksgiving? Did you go Black Friday shopping?

In a recent post I reviewed Sue Devitt's Eye Intensifier Pencil in the shade Kenya. A few readers requested that I show a full face shot so here it is:

In this photo I am wearing Kenya all over the lid and smudged in the crease. I also smudged the pencil in to my lower lash line to add a bit of definition. I am not wearing any other eye product except for mascara. Here is a full face breakdown:

Sampling Mania! Do you like to Sample?

What did we do without internet? I can't even remember what I did before the phenomenon of online shopping! It's not just the goodies I that I look forward to, but I also love getting samples. However, I admit that most of the time, the little packets get thrown into the depths of a makeup container and never see the light of day. 

Every now and then I will get a sample of something I really want to try, and it's almost as exciting as the shopping process. Take for instance the Laura Mercier Foundation Primer that I recently got to try out:

This is one of the most popular primers in the market and I was so excited to finally try it out. It is a white gel-like primer that goes on clear once you blend it out. It looks a bit glossy, but once it is completely blended out and dries, it is completely natural looking and transparent:

Benefit Velvet Eyeshadow Swatches and Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner Swatches - New Colors for Spring

I was feeling very springy and wanted to check out the new spring colors of the Benefit Velvet Eyeshadows.

Colors:

Mermaid                      Shamrocker

Bo Peep                       Buns

Fancy Pansy                Nice Melons

These shadows are true to the name "velvet." They are so incredibly smooth and buttery! The new spring colors epitomize spring time and remind me of pink bunnies and hunting for Easter eggs. My fave is Fancy Pansy, because it is such a unique shade of lavender, and has a bit of duochrome in it, though the duochrome doesn't show up in pics. The greens are also very gorgeous and very wearable. The neutrals Buns and Nice Melons are also great shades for work or a everyday neutral eye.

My all-time favorite Benefit products are the Creaseless Cream Shadows/Liners. These little pots of color are the creamiest, silkiest cream shadow I have every used, and I have tried a lot of them. Since they are so creamy, they spread easily on the eye, with a brush or a using fingers, which means you don't have to tug on your eye lid to blend the product. I love MAC Paint Pots, but the product doesn't even compare to these Benefit cream shadows in terms of creaminess and blendability (yes that is totally a word...hehe). The Benefit ones are a dream to apply, and the best part is they have the same durability as their competitors, lasting the whole day without fading or creasing. 

Here are a few of my favorite shades:

RSVP, Skinny Jeans, Get Figgy, Strut, Stiletto, Busy Signal

The only negative with this product line is that if you keep if for a long time (a year plus), the color tends to dry out and shrink. The product itself is still creamy and usable, but the moisture starts to evaporate so the product becomes less. Therefore, you have to use them up and not save them forever. My only other issue is that they don't have a large selection of dark colors, so I never use these as liners, only as shadows or bases. I hope the expand the color range soon as these are a definite keeper in my stash. 

What are your favorite Benefit products?

Benefit BOI-ING and Eye Bright Review

I picked up this Benefit To-Go Boi-ing and Eye Bright duo during a Sephora special. I thought it was a good chance to try out two popular Benefit products and I loved the cute little to-go packaging:


According to Sephora, this is what these products are supposed to do:

Boi-ing, the industrial-strength concealer, camouflages dark circles, shadows, and discoloration for a seamless, natural-looking finish, without creasing or fading. And Eye Bright conceals and brightens shadows in the inner corner of eyes while providing a lifting-effect for the outer corner. This dynamic duo works together to make sure your eyes radiantly pop!

It's nice that this compact has a mirror and two products in it, so it would be perfect for traveling (well, the packaging is perfect, the product itself, read below). The Eye Bright is a pinky white cream and the Boi-ing is in shade 02 - medium.

To jump to the chase: this product is going back. I actually did like the concealer, but it is not my favorite, so I would not go out to purchase this alone. It was creamy and blended well into the skin and it covered my dark circles well, but it did not last very long. I felt that this is something I would have to reapply after 4ish hours, and I need a concealer that lasts through the day.

The Eye Bright is the main reason I did not like this compact. It had a horrible consistency! It was so hard and difficult to 1. get onto my finger/brush and 2. to blend into the skin. It was not at all creamy, so it did not go on well, and it actually made me tug at the skin around the eye area, and I absolutely will not hold onto a product that makes me do that. I also did not think it did anything miraculous for me. Once on the skin, it looked a bit cakey and I felt like it highlighted the lines around my eyes instead of brightening my skin. I feel that you can use any non-shimmery highlighter or eyeshadow to get the effect this is supposed to do. I was so displeased with this one, I am going to return it...I can't make it work for me in any way.

So I am thinking about starting to do some sort of rating system when I do reviews. Do you think that would be helpful? I mean, its all subjective right since these are my own personal views, but hey, it would give a little more info on whether or not I think a product is worth trying out. I feel like there are lots of things I like, but I don't want you to feel that I like everything out there, or that I recommend you try everything I like. Ok, now I am just rambling. In any case, my rating of this product would be a D. I don't want to give products an F because that's just so sad, and I know some out there who actually might like this product, but its not for me. Does that help? Should I start this new rating for all reviews?

Benefit Lust Dusters - Amazing Deal for A Set of 3 Pigments!!

Once again I stumbled upon a great deal and just had to tell somebody....YOU!!! =)

Right now Sephora's Weekly Special is a trio of Benefit Lust Dusters that is selling for only $10!! Lust dusters are loose pigments and normally retail for $18 a piece on the Benefit website. All 3 of the pots that come in this trio are full size, so you are getting a $54 deal for only $10!! They have two different color selections:

The first contains: Snow Bunny, Goldilocks, and Nugget:
The second one contains GoGo Girl, Big Daddy, and Moon Doggie.
You can use these as shadows, blush (though probably not the green one), highlighters, mixed with lotion or dry for body shimmer. I warn you though, I have not used these before so I am not sure how good they are, but for $10 they are worth a shot!

Whether or not you love loose pigments, have been wanting to try out loose powder colors, are a Benefit fan, or simply looking for a great, affordable holiday present, I highly recommend checking these out. They will definitely sell out so get yours quick!

Oh, and remember to use Ebates for all your Sephora online shopping needs! They are offering 8% cash back right now for shopping on Sephora.com. I did a run down of how Ebates works here.