I jumped in at the deep end with the new Benefit The Porefessional Pore Minimizing Makeup.
This very cute package arrived the other day from Benefit with all four products from the range.
I thought I would do a complete first impressions video using everything including the new Benefit The Porefessional Pore Minimizing Makeup.
I’ve used the Benefit The Porefessional Primer many times before over the years and do really like it. So, my first impressions are of the other three products that are newer in the range. The Matte Rescue, Agent Zero Shine and the Pore Minimizing Makeup that was the whole point of the press release 🙂
Obviously you don’t have to buy all four products, they are pretty pricey! But if you do, I go through and use all four step by step. And also, I don’t read the instructions on the makeup and do a really bad blogger job of showing it in action 🙂 I think I make a pretty decent comeback in the end though so don’t judge me on that, k?
Here’s a before and after of the first three products minus powder and obviously eyes and brows done aswell.
Then here is my skin with all four products applied with the added makeup accoutrements 🙂
If you click on the video either above or directly on my YouTube channel here, you can see them all in action one by one, my first impressions and how my makeup fared throughout the day. I do a check in after wearing them for about six hours.
The whole Benefit The Porefessional range is available from Benefit retailers nationwide with the Pore Minimizing Makeup coming this month. You can have a closer look at the products on the Boots website here. Anything take your fancy?
I’ve been talking alot about Kat Von D of late, Since they’ve parked their bums in Debenhams, I want to try everything! I did a post on the Shade & Light Eye Contour Palette here too if you are interested. This post is all about the under eyes though. I am giving my thoughts on the Kat Von D Lock It Concealer and the Brightening Powder.
I picked up both products together a few weeks ago and have been using the pretty much consistently since.
There is a whole array of products in the Kat Von D Lock it line, ranging from face primer, to setting spray.
I’ll start out talking about the Lock It Concealer.
Off the bat, I love the packaging, specifically the doe foot applicator. It has a tear drop shape, so it works really nicely around the eye contours. I also love that it comes in an abundance of shade ranges, and they differentiate by tone too! So, you can get warm, neutral and cool.
I went with L5 Neutral, which is a really good match for me:
It has quite a thick consistency on the skin, but blends like a dream. It covers really nicely and brightens up the under eye area too. On me, it has yet to crease, flake or settle in any fine lines once I set it. I usually go in with a light (ish) layer, blend it in and then apply another dot to the darkest area of my under eyes.
Overall, I am a big fan of the Kat Von D Lock It Concealer. It gives me very similar vibes to the Clarins Instant Light which I am a huge fan of too! It costs €26 from Debenhams in store or online here.
Next up we have the Kat Von D Lock It Brightening Powder.
I bought this specifically to use over the concealer. I am sure if you wanted just a little brightens under the eyes without using a concealer, this could work too.
It comes in three shades, I picked up the lightest one ‘Petal’. It is a really finely milled loose powder with a peachy undertone.
With it being a loose powder and in a smaller container, it can get messy to use, I won’t lie. Saying that, it does a really lovely job at setting my concealer and really does help smooth out under the eyes, as well as adding extra brightness.
It feels like velvet on the skin and a little goes a really long way. It doesn’t leave your under eyes feeling tight or dry when you apply it. Again, this is another Kat Von D purchase I am glad I made. The Brightening Powder costs €24.50. You can buy from Debenhams in store or online here.
Now, I just need to get my hands on the Kat Von D Lock It primer, foundation and setting spray and I’ll be good to go :). Have you tried anything from the range?
https://i0.wp.com/beautynook.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Kat-Von-D-Lock-It-Concealer-and-Brightening-Powder_8869.jpg?fit=1600%2C1067&ssl=110671600Gemhttps://beautynook.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Logo.pngGem2017-04-26 19:09:362017-04-26 19:09:36Kat Von D Lock It Concealer & Brightening Powder
I said I would make these lists every so often when affordable brands make things that really float my boat. This post is going to run through five budget brown eyeliners that I have been reaching for of late for different reason.
I am going through a bit of a brown liner phase. Black has eluded me. I will go back to it I am sure, but for now I am enjoying the less intense look that brown eyeliner gives to the eyes.
I chose five budget brown eyeliners that I have been legit reaching for daily for different reasons.
Number one is the Maybelline Color Show Kohl in 410.
I talk more about these here. I like using this to smoke out the lash line. It’s really soft and doesn’t really set very quickly, so you get alot of play time with it. I think a dark brown kohl liner is always handy to have in your makeup stash.
My next two budget brown eyeliner picks are both from Essence.
Their Extreme Lasting Eye Pencil in 05 ‘Rockin’ Taupe’ is a newer favourite. This is part of the Essence Autumn Winter Collection. I did a whole blog post about the collection not too long ago here.
This is more grey toned shimmery taupe colour. Again, this works well in the waterline if you want to darken things up a little more , but still want the look to remain soft. I love using it all over the lid too as an eyeshadow base. It blends really nicely but sets too. So it helps your shadows last longer and adds a little something more to the look.
The is the Essence Longlasting Eye Pencil in 19 ‘Hot Scorch’. I love these retractable liners. I talk more about them here.
This particular one is a nice warm bronze shimmery shade that lasts particularly well in the waterline. I love this when I just want to add a bit of something there without looking too ‘done’ or dark. It looks fab swept on the top or bottom lash line too. And it is super cheap!
My last two picks are of the darker brown variety.
The first one is actually from one of the trio of Shimmer Strips from Physicians Formula. I think this one is from the Warm Nudes Trio. You can buy them from Dolledup.ie here.
At €16.90 these are definitely the priciest of the bunch, but you do get three liners for that. This is like a blackened brown colour, so probably the darkest of the bunch aswell. This is such an easy kajal liner to use. The thick conical shape of it makes it super handy to get into the lash line. I wouldn’t be using this for a thin defined line. This is more of I want to do a brown smoky eye look. I would use this as a shadow base or on top to darken things up and on the waterline too.
My last pick is a gel liner that is another new edition to my makeup collection.
This is the Flormar Gel Eyeliner in ‘Bole Brown’. This comes with a brush in the lid too which isn’t half bad at all.
It’s a nice chocolatey brown that you can build up the opacity with. I find gel liners a bit scary sometimes, so I like that this can be layered and if I do mess it up (which I do…alot). I can fix it before things get too full on in the liner department 🙂 It sets and works really well in the water line too. You can get it on SimplyFoxy here or any Flormar stockists for €7.95.
Here they all are swatched in order left to right, just so you can get an idea of the difference in texture and colour.
And we’re done. Five Budget Brown Eyeliners to hopefully suit every need and taste 🙂
https://i0.wp.com/beautynook.ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Budget-Brown-Eyeliner_4367.jpg?fit=1600%2C1067&ssl=110671600Gemhttps://beautynook.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Logo.pngGem2016-09-16 17:10:052016-09-16 17:10:05Budget Brown Eyeliners
I have begun to do monthly favourites again on Beautynook a while ago now and am really enjoying it. It makes me extra conscious of products I continually pick up.
So, I thought I would start doing just general favourites too. Monthly ones can be for makeup, skincare and anything in between. These posts will be a little more theme driven. Hope that’s ok 🙂
So here’s five budget makeup products that have really been floating my beauty boat at the moment.
The Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer.
Excuse the appearance of mine, unfortunately the writing on the tube doesn’t withstand much…touching really :p
I used this years ago when it was all the rage and then just forgot to ever repurchase it, once I became a full on makeup fiend. Why, I don’t know, because it’s a bloomin’ good!
I have the shade ‘Fair 1’ which brightens up my pale complexion really well.
I do use this on it’s own and it works well. It has good coverage. But, most of the time I like to layer it over my Urban Decay Naked Concealer (I’ve a full review of this here). The Naked Concealer I have is too dark for me, so layering them on top of each other gives me hardcore under eye coverage and some brightness too. The consistency of the Lasting Perfection is really easy to blend so it’s works really well for layering. It’s a gem of a product. You can buy it from Boots here and it’ll set you back €5.79, not bad at all, right?
2. My second budget makeup favourite is what I use to apply the concealer with. It’s the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. Again, mine has seen better days. But it means I do actually use it…alot!
I’ve had a Beauty Blender in my stash since we were first able to get our hands on them here in Ireland and I do really love it. In in my humble opinion though, the Miracle Complexion Sponge is just as good! It melts both cream and powder products into the skin so you’re never left with cake face. And as an oily skinned gal who loves her powders for longevity, this is awesome for me.
I also love that it has a flat end and a more pointed end because it caters to all contours of the face.
I’ve also jumped onto the ‘baking’ bangwagon of late, so this is perfect for applying powder under the eyes too. In fact, other than blush and of course whatever I apply on my eyes, I can pretty much do my whole face with this. My poor brushes don’t know what to do with themselves. I’ve just been having a real moment with my sponges 🙂 The Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge is €7.99 here from Boots. They also come in a double pack here too for €14.99.
3. This is another product I picked up first years ago, loved and then forgot about. This is the Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser Primer.
This is very much the stereotypical silicone primer so it’s definitely a love hate thing. For me and my skin it work really well.
I have large pores, so I need a primer that will glide over them and make them less visible. It has a matte finish too. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a miracle worker or anything like that. But it does the job of holding onto my makeup for longer and gives a smoother base to work on top of. It’s something I’ve repurchased many times over the years and have never regretted it. It’s €11.49 again from Boots here.
4. Number 4 on my budget makeup list is the H&M ‘Sheer Tan’ Solar Flair Bronzing Powder.
When I was in Oslo at the start of the year, I picked up lots of products from the H&M beauty line. Some just didn’t cut the mustard for me at all. This bronzer however, has remained in my everyday makeup stash and I reach for it alot.
As the name would suggest it gives a sheer pop of colour.
It’s has kind of a satin finish to it, but no shimmer or shine. it is really finely milled, so blends really smoothly and naturally onto the skin. Their bronzers come in 6 shades so there’s one to suit all and they cost €7.99. We can actually shop online from H&M now so here’s a link if you fancy a nose too 🙂
5. My last favourite is a new one to me, and the first product I’ve ever used from the Freedom brand. This is their Duo Brow Powder’.
They look really similar to the Anastasia Brow Duos, right?
I bought this on a whim from the Superdrug website. I did a quick google for colour swatches and thank god for fellow bloggers out there because it worked out really well for me. This is in the shade ‘Soft Brown’.
I use the lighter shade to fill in my brows either on it’s own or over pencil, depending on the day. Then, the darker shade it great for adding dimension or filling in any gaps.
The powders aren’t super opaque in colour when you swatch them, which would have put me off buying one in store.
This is weirdly why I am enjoying them so much though. It actually means I don’t go over the top filling in my brows so they end up looking somewhat natural 🙂 You can buy them from Superdrug online here and they cost £3.
There you have it! Five Budget Makeup Favourites from me. These are products that I am using pretty much everyday right now and loving.
Let me know if you have any budget makeup favourites 🙂
I am a huge Inglot fan. The pigment, the colour choices, I could go on and on. I think the choice can be over whelming sometimes. So, I put together my five favourite Freedom System Inglot blush colours to swatch and show in hopes it might help if any of you are in the market. The great thing about the Freedom System is they are magnetic separate pans that you can buy on their own, you can buy an Inglot palette to put them in or you add them to a zpalette too. The blushes come in 18 shades so plenty to choose from and they retail for €9.
My first choice is number 20.
This is a matte pink shade. It’s really lovely on light to medium skin tones.
My second pick is number 29.
This is a matte peachy terracotta shade. I think a colour like this is great to have in your collection. Not all blushes have to be pink 🙂 It can warm up any look and looks great on the eyes too.
My third choice is number 38.
Number 38 is a slightly deeper pink shade than number 20 with a shimmer running through it. I wear this alot during the summer.
My fourth Inglot blush choice is number 27.
Number 27 is a matte mauvey pink shade. A mauve blush is always good to have around. It adds colour to the skin without taking away from a bold eye or lip.
The last colour choice is number 28.
If number 27 above has to much pink in it number 28 is for you, it’s a full on matte mauve. If I can’t decide on a colour I reach for this because it’s just so darn easy! It’s the most ‘natural’ shade of blush.
Any of them take your fancy? Do you have any favourites yourself? Be sure to let me know 🙂
I’ve had an off and on relationship with the nude lip throughout my makeup wearing life. When I first plonked makeup on my face, nude lips were the only thing I would pretty much do because I had bad teeth and didn’t want to draw attention to them. I use to pale my lips out completely which in retrospect brought more attention to my wonky teeth. Then, I got invisalign and bought so many coloured lipsticks it was ridiculous, and just thought nude lips didn’t suit me then. I’ve come full circle with it now and have realised just how many variations there is on the so called nude lip out there. When it comes to nude lip liners, they are so handy to have in your makeup collection. You can add them under similar colour lipsticks for staying power, under darker or lighter lipsticks (or glosses) to change the colour slightly, or of course use them to even out your lip line, and dare I say it…even over draw! 🙂 Here’s probably my 5 most used nude shade lip liners. They are not completely nude and they fall into different colour categories, but they could be all used to create a nude lip 🙂
First up is a I’ve spoken about in detail here before. It’s Rimmel’s ‘Eastend Snob’.
I bloomin’ love this stuff. It’s the perfect nude pink shade. Rimmel do great lip liners and Exaggerate ones are great because they are retractable, no sharpening! I wear this under so many different lip colours, and it’s gorgeous on it’s own too. I will never be without this in my makeup collection. Rimmel if you’re reading this never discontinue it ‘kay? 🙂
The next one says it all really with the name. This is the Urban Decay Glide On lip pencil in the shade ‘1993’.
And it pretty much sums up that era of lip colour perfectly, right? The Urban Decay lip liners are amazing so pigmented and easy to apply. This shade is great for warming up lip colours.
Next up is the cheapest of the bunch, but I love it just as much. The PS Love Lip Liner Pencil from Penneys in 06.
If you want to give a brown lip liner a go to see if you like it this is the place to start. For €1.50 you get to try on the 90’s lip trend and then if you like it, you have a great pigmented lip liner in your collection. It’s win win really 🙂
My fourth choice is NYX lip liner in ‘Mauve’.
Not the nudest of the collection but still kind of a subtle colour, so I think it qualifies? You can see from the size of the pencil, I get a lot of use out of this bad boy. I even have a the Nyx lipstick in the exact same shade. I think mauve is a great way to go if you’re not a huge fan of the nude lip trend, but still want to give something a go.
And lastly but definitely not least, I had to add Mac’s Whirl into the list, it has a life of it’s own at this stage.
Whirl is the full on epitome of the 90’s brown lip like the Urban Decay 1993, but I think it’s a little bit cooler in tone. I wear this so much just on it’s own. Another bonus is this makes your teeth look whiter! This is probably as nude as I get…on my lips :p
So there you have it my top 5 most used nude lip liners. I think it’s safe to say I’m more of a brown lips girl rather than full on nude, but hopefully this might help if you’re in the market. Let me know and thanks for reading as always.
This very cute package arrived the other day from Benefit with all four products from the range.
