The No-Mascara Mascara

Ahh Benefit, you never fail to impress. The latest edition in the They’re Real! range is the They’re Real Mascara Primer which boasts to give a natural look to eyelashes, increase length, volume, separation and curl. You can get the sample size for free with Elle magazine at the moment, which is worth picking up for £4.10!

This is a product that, as you will see from my pictures below, you can wear on its own, or as a base to then add your mascara. The primer is a brown colour which gives the natural look, and the brush is the same as the original They're Real mascara brush, which if you have used before, you will know is fantastic.

The primer itself is brilliant, I have been wearing this to work all week just on its own, and then topping up with mascara afterwards if I'm going out for the evening. This works as it doesn't feel dry and crunchy on your eyelashes once you've had it on for a while, it manages to stay quite soft on your eyes for quite a long time, ready to be topped up. It says on the box that 91% of people said that it is soft enough to layer on mascara 6 hours later, which is a pretty good indication to go on.

I ran out of my beloved They're Real mascara, so the mascara that I have used in the above picture is the Seventeen Dolled Up mascara, which is actually quite a good budget dupe. I have to say that the primer works wonders with mascara for plumping up the lashes. I can definitely see a difference with the volume and separation.

Overall, I would definitely pick this up. I'm not 100% sure how much this product will be when it hits the shops, but as all Benefit products are, I would guess it will be fairly expensive. However, for the versatility of the product, I would say it is definitely worth trying out. If you're unsure, it's at least worth grabbing the sample size in Elle magazine to try it out before you buy. As I said before, this can be used every day, for a natural look, or to prime a bolder look, I am really impressed with this, as I am with all Benefit products

What do you think of this latest offering by Benefit? Are you a fan of Benefit products? Let me know your favourites

Make your own PSL

I turn into your basic white girl when Autumn comes around. I love me my PSL's. I practically squealed when i saw the sign in the Starbucks window. I decided that I would try and make own seeing as the closest Starbucks to me is a 30 minute drive away!

First off, you need pumpkin pie spice, now this is very hard to get hold of in the UK. You can buy this online, or you can make some yourself which I chose to do. Basically all you have to do is throw a load of spices together, easy as pie (lol).

Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 3 tablespoons of cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons of ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons of ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground allspice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cloves

You can get all of the above ingredients from Tesco or other supermarkets.

Once you have made your pumpkin pie spice, you need to heat up your milk either in a little pan or in the microwave. As you heat up your milk, add as much pumpkin pie spice as you like, I go for half a teaspoon as it is quite strong! then I like to add some vanilla essence (or vanilla coffee syrup, either will work) to make it a bit sweeter.

Then add half brewed coffee to your cup, and half  of your milk, also as much sugar as you like to sweeten it up. I like to have it in my big Starbucks mug for added affect ;)

There you have it! How to make your own PSL. Let me know how you like this easy recipe :)

Soap & Glory - One Heck of a Blot Range

You may have seen this little collection sneak up on the Soap and Glory stands at Boots. I did originally want to re-purchase the One Heck of a Blot powder, which is a staple for us shiny gals,  but when I saw the range and a 3 for 2 label, I could not resist.

I thought I would review the primer and foundation individually with the use of other products, and then altogether using them all. I use the powder daily, as I think it is the best blotting powder out there. This product on its own is fantastic and will reduce oiliness as well as giving you a perfect finish over make up. If you go for one thing in this range I would recommend this.

Obviously everyone has different skin types and different routines when it comes to touching up their make up. I personally have combination skin, but throughout the day I do get very oily and shiny around my T zone and on my cheeks.

Primer

The primer is thick in consistency and quite tacky. It is still quite smooth on the skin giving a nice even base for make up application. I have used this with my Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Foundation, and have found that I stay shiny free for about 4 hours.  This for me is pretty good, as it normally only takes me a couple of hours to be reaching for my powder! I have to say also when I do feel my face becoming oily, it's not as bad as it usually is with a normal primer/foundation. It manages to reduce the oiliness of my skin throughout the day very well.

Foundation
The foundation is unlike any that I have used before. It is a liquid to powder foundation with a very bizarre consistency. There are only four shades which isn't great, but as this is a new range I'm assuming they want to test the waters before they bring out any more. I obviously went for the lightest shade which is fair enough, the shade is actually called fair enough! you can't beat Soap and Glory for their clever play on words. A word of warning! If you have dry skin/patches, I imagine that this would cling to them quite badly. This managed to keep me oily free for about 5 hours which is pretty good! It does however tend to look a bit patchy though as the day goes on. Overall it is a good foundation that gives a good flawless base, and does a great job at reducing oiliness.

Primer/Foundation Combo
Together, these products are a fierce attack on shine, keeping me oil free for around 5/6 hours. The thing i do find though is that this does get quite patchy and if you're not careful, it can look very cakey if you put a generous amount of foundation on in the first instance and then topping up with powder.

Overall i would say that this is a very unique range that is definitely worth trying. I love the primer and the powder, the foundation is definitely worth trying but its not the best I've ever used. If you've tried Soap and Glory products before, you'll know that they're a fantastic brand and always bring out worthwhile products. Also as a side note, the packaging is beautiful!

What do you think of Soap and Glory products? Have you tried anything in this range? What's your favourite?

Maybelline Creamy Mattes

Who doesn't go crazy over a matte lipstick? I very rarely go for anything other than matte to be honest with you, i think that they just look classic and gorgeous. When i saw the new creamy matte range from Maybelline, i had to grab some. I've been a big fan of their lipsticks in the past, and thought these would be no exception.

I picked up two shades, a gorgeous rosy red (siren in scarlett) and a deep plum (divine in wine). The darker shade is definitely my favourite. It's a great bold colour that gives me a 90's vibe. The red colour is also amazing, it gives a nice red lip without being too in your face. 

As for the lipstick itself, they are just as creamy as they claim to be. Amazingly soft on the lips and feel very moisturising. The only thing i would say is that they don't last on the lips for that long a time, but the colour payoff is excellent and they are lovely and pigmented.  

Have you tried these lipsticks? What do you think to them? Do you have a favourite? 

Skincare Shelf

I thought that i'd share my current skincare routine, as this payday i bought a few different products to try, and they've been absolutely brilliant.

I tend to buy a bunch of new skincare bits every couple of months so i might make this a regular post that i update every once in a while.

In the mornings, my skincare routine is quite boring. I like to wash off all of the products that i've used the night before first off, to do this i normally go for a gel cleanser. I picked up the Garnier PureActive Anti-Perfection Cleansing Gel because i've been really impressed by their skincare bits recently, and also let's be honest, it was really cheap! I genuinely think i have this to thank for my sudden change in skin. My face feels incredibly clear, i haven't had any blemishes or breakouts since i've been using it. The product is suited for 'oily skin prone to imperfections' and boasts to 'eliminate impurities and shine, and tighten pores'. I definitely agree with everything that this gel claims to do, if you do have problem skin then i think that this could work wonders for you. It also gives a nice (but not painful!) tingle to the skin when you use it, which really wakes you up in the morning!

In addition to picking up the cleansing gel, i also picked up the Garnier PureActive Micellar Cleansing Water. I've already sampled and been a fan of the normal Micellar Cleansing Water that Garnier do, but this one purifies your skin a bit more i would say. It gives you more of a deeper cleanse than the normal version.

Lastly, i have been using the Olay Essentials Beauty Fluid as a moisturiser in the morning and evenings. First off, this smells beautiful! I think it's like a rosey scent, that's what it reminds me of anyway! It's lightweight, non-greasy, and can be used on normal, dry or combination skin. This has been leaving my skin feeling so incredibly soft and has sorted out my annoying dry patch under my eye! (which i thought only Clinque moisturiser could do, thank god i found a cheaper alternative!)

That's it for my skincare shelf this month, i prefer to use high street stuff when it comes to every day skin products. I do splash out now and again on a really great treat product, but all of my reviews will mainly be high street, as that's what i can generally afford!

I hope you enjoyed a peek at my skincare shelf and thank you so much for reading!

High Street Fragrance

Having recently run out of my Victor and Rolf Flowerbomb perfume *cries*, i was looking for something new to wear every day without spending a small fortune. I stumbled across this little beauty in the body shop which was perfect.

The Body Shop have a new range of fragrances, including the Japanese Blossom which i picked up. The main one that they are advertising is the Italian Summer Fig, which was nice but not quite right for me.

I decided on the Japanese Blossom as it's light and sweet. It's quite a fruity/floral scent which reminds me a lot of the Harajuku Lovers perfume in Love, which i was obsessed with when i was younger!

The Body Shop Eau De Toilette's in this range are £18 which is really good for perfume, but if you're looking for something a bit cheaper to spritz on every day, the fragrance mist is only £8.50! This is what i picked up because i thought it was a great bargin for one, it smells gorgeous, and i won't feel guilty for using it too much at the price.

What do you think of this range from the body shop? Let me know if you've tried any!

Visiting Berlin

So i recently spent the weekend in Berlin with my friend who is living in Germany. Berlin is an amazing city with lots to see and lots to do. We stayed in an Ibis budget hotel which was located in Potsdamer Platz. If you are planning to go to Berlin i would definitely recommend staying in Kreuzberg. There's a lot of amazing places to visit and lots to experience!

The city of Berlin itself is beautiful. For a city it is surprisingly green, with lots of gorgeous parks to visit and trees on every street. It is quite a relaxed place in that respect. On the first day we went to Großer Tiergarten and had a relaxing couple of hours in the sun.


There was some spectacular graffiti to see all across the city. I even found myself taking pictures of park benches because they had amazing graffiti all over them! There were also remains of the Berlin wall across in Potsdamer Platz which were covered in gorgeous graffiti, these were also amazing to see.

Like i said, there is so much to see and do in Berlin. We obviously saw all of the sights like the Holocaust memorial and buildings like the Radio Tower but we also took lots of time to walk around the city to do some exploring.

The Holocaust memorial was amazing to see. As you walk towards it, it looks like a load of blocks that aren't very high, but as you walk through it, the floor gets steeper and the blocks get taller. You start to feel very closed in and trapped. Hats off to whoever designed it, it's a great piece of the city to visit.

We also visited the Buchstabenmuseum which is a musuem dedicated to typography and letters. I had researched this before i came as it sounded so interesting! It sounds really lame when you say it's just a museum with a load of different letters in it, but it was actually really good to look around! They had a guestbook where you could give a sample of your handwriting and then say where you were from. Unfortunately the picture i got of it was blurry! but it was really nice to see all the people that had come from all over the world and written in it.

As for the food in Berlin, we didn't really go to many restaurants as there were lots of food markets and places dotted around to grab something quick. The German sausage was absolutely gorgeous!

We did spend a lot of time sitting in cafes, having coffee and cake. There were so many quaint little places to go to which we couldn't resist!

Overall i had an amazing time and felt very lucky to have visited such a cultural place! Berlin is a great city with so many quirks to it. One minute you can be surrounded by tourists looking at a gorgeous building, the next minute you could be in a quiet little side street looking at a colourful bear statue!