Benefit – The Porefessional

I love primers. They can make all the difference between a bad skin day and a great skin day. I picked this up in my last (and I really do mean LAST) trip to a Benefit counter. For £23.50 you get 22ml of product. According to the website:

Why we love it:Quickly minimize the appearance of pores! Apply this silky, lightweight balm for translucent pore coverage and smoother-than-smooth skin. Pores... now you see 'em, now you don't!What else you need to know:- Lesson included!
- Oil-free for a silky smooth finish.

The tube seems teeny tiny at first but a little goes a very long way. It’s a slightly beige silicone feeling cream which is very, very thick. It feels very silky to the touch and doesn’t pill up if you accidentally apply too much. Does it make your pores magically disappear? Well it’s no substitute for a good session with photoshop but yes I do think my skin looks a fair bit smoother and pore free when I use this. Not totally poreless mind you but it does the job better than any other primer I have at the moment.

Whilst it creates a nice , smooth base for your foundation it don’t find that it keeps my makeup in place longer than any other primer, for example GOSH Velvet Touch (Which is almost £10 cheaper...). Though the box does day that you can pat it on top of any shine that appears throughout the day I personally would rather just blot the excess oil away than add more product on top of it. I still get oily by midday.

In terms of oil control and staying power this is average. Where it does excel for me is in minimising pores. It does do a fab job at this. I’m going to wait and see how long this little tube lasts me before I consider whether it’s actually worth the rather steep price. As of yet I’m not sure I’d repurchase and if I were to I’d definitely do it online so I wouldn’t have to face the Benebabes again.

*I bought this myself*

Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin

When it comes to eyeshadow I’m a shimmer kinda gal. Therefore I already biased towards the shimmery loveliness that is UDPP Sin. Like the original it comes in the totally impractical genie bottle and will set you back £11.50 for 10ml of product which will last for a very long time (especially if you depot it!). I haven’t heard yet whether this will be released in the big squeeze tube like the original is.

The difference between this and the original is the colour. Whereas the original dries down to a colourless finish this is a warm, almost pinkish gold shimmer. The finish will add some shimmer to any powder eyeshadow you place one top. You to get the little doe foot applicator which frankly does nothing to get into the corners of that awkward little bottle.

The formula does feel slightly thicker and more slippery than the original. You must use a really thin layer otherwise you may find a little creasing going on. Used sparingly and I find it gives me the same staying power at the original does. You can even use this as wash of colour on its own in a pinch.

I like this. I use it frequently under shimmery colours. I do find that the soft gold can slightly mute down bright shades so you need to take that into account. Sometimes it’s useful, sometimes it’s annoying. Of course if you don’t like shimmer you’ll hate this in which case I suggest getting it’s matte sister Eden. Squeeze tube now? Xx

*I bought this with the magical Boots points that I seem to accumulate despite spending very little money in Boots... honest!*

August Go To Products

This is kind of a favourites post (my first actually)only not really. These are the products that have taken a beating in the last month. Not necessarily my favourites but the ones that I’ve been reaching for over everything else. This was kinda tough as I’m still doing my project ‘use everything you’ve got at least once’ so I’ve been wearing totally different looks every day. Nonetheless I’ve found a few products have been plucked from the drawers by default when I wasn’t sure what else to wear.

Max Factor False Lash Effect mascara in waterproof: I love this and will be doing a full review soon. I’ve been picking this up as it is actually the only waterproof mascara I currently own. With the remnants of my hay fever lingering and a pretty stressful month causing a few mini breakdowns the waterproof er... ness has been invaluable.

MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in By Candlelight: glowy but never glittery, this is just more suited to day time than many of my other highlighters so it gets used more!

No7 Blush in Honey: It’s a neutral dirty peach that when used lightly looks incredibly natural on me. I tap the flat side of a blush brush on it then bounce it off my cheeks for a barely there flush. Love it!

MAC Eyeshadow in Blanc Type: It doesn’t matter what eye look I’m wearing I use this every day. It’s a matte cream shade that despite being well pigmented does not show up on my pale skin. I use it daily to blend out the edges of my eyeshadow and to correct mistakes. I have a really small lid space so it’s easy for me to over apply shadow making this little eraser invaluable.

UDPP in Sin: I’m a shimmer kind of girl when it comes to shadows. An eye primer that adds more shimmer? Yes please!

MAC Lipstick in Viva Glam Cyndi: I need a backup of this and I can’t wait for the matching lip glass to come out either. It’s my favourite wearable red. I wear this every weekend with a really simple eye and winged liner. In fact this and UDPP Sin with winged liner is about as quick and easy as makeup gets.

Collection 2000 Concealer: I have way too many concealers and they need using up sooner rather than. This is first on my list. It’s actually pretty effective though it doesn’t cover quite as well as I would like. If you try and layer it it does gets cakey but a thin layer will last you all day. The tube seems never ending though... I thought it would be done my now but it just keeps on going! I wish the packaging was see through so I knew how much was left.

Would you like to see more of these kinds of posts? What have you been reaching for throughout August? Let me know in the Comments! Xx

*Everything up there was bought by me with actual money apart from the UDPP Sin which was bought with Boots points*

ELF Studio Lip Primer & Plumper

I’m generally a fan of ELF products, they represent fantastic value for the most part, but for me this is a pretty epic case of the fails. It’s a double ended lipstick type affair. One side is a clear plumper and the other is a concealer coloured primer. It costs £3.50 which isn’t a lot but the amount of product you get is pretty meagre (Primer 1.6g, Plumper 1.7g). 

The plumper side is the worst offender so we will get it out of the way. It has a very strong scent of cinnamon. So strong that I can still smell it a good 20 minutes after application. Now I never thought that I had overly sensitive lips but this thing BURNS. It’s actually quite sore although I’ve heard others say they didn’t feel it at all so I suppose it depends on your lips. Needless to say this end won’t be getting used at all even if it did plump my lips, which it doesn’t. Not even a little. 

The primer side holds a little more promise. You can see in the swatch below that it is extremely pale and flesh toned. It is so unforgiving on the lips. Any dry patches will be magnified and it has a tendency to settle into any lines. This means your lips have to be in tip top shape to use it and I find that smoothing it out with a clean finger gives a smoother finish. I have found a use for it. I use it to change the colour of certain lipsticks, for example Sleek Mystic turns into a slightly milky hot pink over this which is actually quite pretty. It’s supposed to help hold your colour on all day though and it certainly doesn’t do that. If anything my lipstick fades more quickly with this on. 

So I have a use to the primer which means it wasn’t a complete waste of money but I can’t help thinking that I could have achieved exactly the same thing with some concealer or foundation on the lips. I had been hoping for a dupe of the Urban Decay Lip Primer Potion which really does grab my lipstick and keep it in place. Unfortunately this doesn’t manage that at all. It’s not often I do a completely damning review but I really do loathe this x

*Bought by me*

L’Oréal Smoothing Resurfacing Primer

I’ve been eyeing up this baby for a while now so when L’Oréal was on buy 2 get 1 free recently at Superdrug I made a beeline for it. The unassuming little glass jar (15ml of product) costs £12.99 at full price which may seem a lot for such a small jar of drugstore product. I’ve been using this for a couple of weeks now though and have barely made a dent. You do get your monies worth as you require very little of it. L’Oréal don’t claim that this primer will make your makeup last all day or that you will be oil free for all eternity. In fact they make only one claim on their website:

“Inspired by professional make-up, this primer masks wrinkles and uneven textures in the skin, making the complexion incredibly smooth with a velvety touch. Skin feels soft as if resurfaced.”

Pores be gone! It certainly does a better job of disguising my many enlarged pores than my GOSH primer does (though I still love that). Used under my eyes I find my concealer creases less too when I’m squinting at things (I’m long sighted). It provides a soft, smooth base for your foundation to glide over. I’d even go so far as to say that I do find it mattifying too. My foundation just looks so much better with this than it does without.

The product looks and feels exactly like marshmallow in the jar. It’s all soft and fluffy and a little bit pink. You just dab your finger in it and then spread it over you face concentrating in problem areas. As I’ve said a little goes a long way so I don’t see myself using this up anytime soon. When I do though I’d seriously consider repurchasing as long as they don’t put the price up anymore. Love it! Xxx

*I bought the above product with my own money. I always give my honest opinion of a product. For further info see my disclaimer in the menu on the left*

My Haul From The Makeup Show-L'Oreal Gift Bag

L'Oreal had a both at the Makeup Show allowing their HiP line of products to be played with, but had nothing for sale. Instead, attendees left with extremely generous gift bags of full size products.

Magic Perfecting Base is a thick, creamy, silicone-based primer designed to smooth lines and hide pores. It blends on easily (I tried it under my undereye concealer) and has that velvety feeling typical of silicone primers. It is fragrance and paraben-free.
I was admittedly shocked by the pigment levels in the HiP Metallic Shadow Duos in Platinum and Gilded. They are very pigmented, very metallic and very cool! I'd have to blend these down quite a bit to wear to the office but they would be very fun for a night out. The lighter shades create a foiled look without needing to be used wet and the darker shades would be nice as a liner. I rarely buy drugstore makeup and had never tried HiP before but these are definitely impressive. If they had duos in more natural/me shades I would pick one up, despite finding the packaging overly and unnecessarily bulky.
HiP Color Presso glosses in Spunky and Chic were also included. The packaging on these is a little odd and takes some getting used to, since the two shades are in 2 separate chambers. You can squeeze just one tube for that color individually, or press both to release both colors which can be mixed on your lips. Both Presso and Chic blend to sheerish berries--the first cooler and the second with some warmth. They have a sweet smell and aren't too sticky on the lips. I don't have many berry shades and Chic looked very nice on! The tubes are cool looking but large and a little awkward to store or fit into a makeup bag.

These was also a Voluminous Mascara in Blackest Black and the 24 Hour Lash Boosting Power System which contains a Double Extend Mascara and Lash Boosting Serum. I used Voluminous way back when and liked it but had never tried the Double Extend or the Serum.
I kind of just tossed these aside when I received them since I use only natural mascaras. With blond lashes I need to really work my mascara into the roots of my lashes and inevitably get mascara right on the underside of my lid. The idea of a multitude of chemicals being absorbed through a membrane line that really concerned me so I jumped on the "natural" mascara bandwagon early on, using Korres primarily but also Tarte. I had been happy with the look of both.
Last night I decided that it couldn't hurt just to try the Double Extend just once. I applied the white primer and then 2 coats of the mascara and had a total OMG moment. My lashes looked AMAZING. Unbelievably long and full, verging on fake, which is an amazing feat for my short, puny, blonde lashes. I've never been this impressed with a mascara. Now I'm torn--do I use the mascara chock full of parabens and other chemicals but makes my lashes unbelievable, or the less potentially harmful one that gives me merely nice ones? Hmmmm...

Here is the ingredient list for the set:

H2O+ Sea Clear T-Zone Mattifier

This was one of my purchases from TK Maxx recently, I paid £4.99 instead of the RRP of £16.50 which I consider to be a bit of a bargain. Mind you if I’d paid full price I’d have been a bit miffed as this product wasn’t all it was cracked up to be (I read a lot of stellar reviews online). 

The tube is relatively small and only contains 15ml. Compared to something like Benefits Porefessional which (in my opinion) is a similar product where you get 22ml and it seems a little small. I only use a little though as I only use it on my nose and if you use too much it tend to ball up into little lumps.  The formula is very thick and almost dry feeling . despite the white colour it disappears on the skin.

This claims to give an instant and long lasting matte finish and can be used under or over makeup. I use this as a primer on my nose with another primer everywhere else. Does it keep me shiner free? Nope. I look reflective in exactly the same time period as I usually would. On the plus side my foundation isn’t sliding off my nose as badly as it normally would. I can blot and powder with less patchiness than before which Is why I’m still glad I bought this. 

I’m not sure anything will stop oil production or stop me becoming oily throughout the day. I’m currently trying out an Origins oil control lotion and a sample of their face wash to see if it helps and I’ll review them shortly. I’m resigned to the daily blot and powder routine for now. Anyone out there found a product which really works? X

*Bought by me*

TK Max & Asda Haul (I’ll go to my room now and think about what I’ve done)

In my defence the last time I ‘hauled’ was November. Apart from the MAC pencil from Cham Pale... Anyhoo nothing else will be bought this month honest! Firstly I stumbled across the cheap jewellery clearance section in Asda. I’m forever losing earrings so I like to stock up on super cheap ones that I won’t be upset about when they inevitably disappear. 

Then we went to TK Max. For those of you who aren’t in the UK TK Max is a discount shop which has all sorts of random (sometimes designer brands) on sale. It’s hit and miss but sometimes you find some absolute gems! Stila is very hard to come by these days in the UK and I’ve never seen the Balm anywhere in the UK. I picked up two Stila value packs.

The first contains and oil free tinted moisturiser in medium (this will be going to my mum who is much darker than me), a shine lip colour in Anna and an eye shadow pan in Sajama. According to the price tag it should have been £61 and I paid £7!! The second pack contains another shine lip colour in Sonia, a Kajal in Topaz and an eye shadow pan in Batura. This had an RRP of £42.50 and cost £8.99. Now do you see why I bought these? 

I spotted the Balm Hot Mama blush £5.99 instead of the RRP of £19.00 so this came home with me too. When I first opened it I immediately thought of NARS orgasm but I swatched the two and they are very different. 

For £4.99 instead of RRP £16.50 I got a H2O+ Sea Clear t-zone mattifier. It claims you can use it over makeup or alone to control shine. I’m very excited to try this! 

Finally my eyelash curler is on its last legs so when Ed spotted this MsMakeup one (I’m sure i’ve seen this brand in Boots?) for £2.99 instead of £6.99 into the basket it went. 

Ok ok... I’ve been bad and I know it but It’s been a while since I succumbed to my makeup addiction! I’d been doing so well and then all of a sudden became overwhelmed by the urge to by something new. I don’t think it’s too bad as I have never tried these brands before and goodness knows I’d be unlikely to find them this cheap again! Am I forgiven?

*All bought with my own pennies*

Nanoblur Optical Skin Cream

As previously stated I love a good bandwagon, and if a product promises the moon who am I to not fall for its claims?


I had to laugh when I read someone's review on youtube, this person stated that they would not buy the product because of its claims, the implication being that they would not be so daft as to be sucked into purchasing a product with such high claims, but then went on to review the product which was given to her by a friend...how convenient.


I have no such qualms - I hotfooted it to the nearest Boots shoving aside old ladies and children in buggies in order to stand dishevelled in the middle of the store going "where is it? let me at it" In fact I did this in two shops before I found it.

I did not like the feel of this on the back of my hand - but I was undeterred and dear reader I bought this - you see I am 45yrs old, so 10yrs younger would make me 35yrs old, if I was 25 and testing this, well we can all do the maths.

I was a bit confused about the instructions, put it on over the top of a base? that is a bit arse about face to me so post moisturiser/sunscreen, pre base is how I used it.

I am not really a fan of primers, having a oilier skin one could think that they would be a boon for the cheery I-actually-just-wash-my-face-with-soap-and-water-hence-the-shine look that I seem to sport 2 hrs post makeup application but I find that primers either have no effect on my skin whatsoever or worse (to my mind) have the supermatte effect which seems to emphasise my pores making my nose resemble a non shiney strawberry.


I have tried very hard to photograph this on my skin - but no can do, I cannot show the difference that this makes so I will just have to describe it.....The texture is quite wet to my mind, and is not easy to blend into the skin, in fact along the way I have had several panic moments when my skin looks patchily white with the product sitting on the skin and not budging, but with a deep breath and continued gentle coaxing and massaging, suddenly it is all in, and the skin is matte and smooth and even, I then go onto apply my tinted moisturiser of choice (currently Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint) which I think is sufficiently moisturising to work over the top.


My skin looks okay, infact pretty good. As an example I wore this when visiting my son in Leeds - early start, leaving at 8.30am, out all day, windblown and sun frazzled for it was the last super sunny day in October, and my makeup lasted, and lasted until I took it off some 12 hrs later, I was a tad shiney but it was nominal. Subsequent use has been much the same, I can still be shine city but the effect is delayed by several hours.


So did it remove 10yrs in 40 seconds? Do I look 35? Well no and frankly at 35 I was knee deep in a 5, 6 and 8 yr old, my OH was horizontal with a chronic illness and I was recovering from clinical depression so I wouldn't want to be that age again. But I do like the product and I certainly think it is worth a try.
Currently £19.99 from Boots