Benefit Instant Brow Pencil Review And Swatches

I purchased Benefit's Instant Brow Pencil rrp £15.50 earlier this week as I really wanted something quick and easy to use for those days when I'm in a bit of a rush or I'm not looking to wear a lot of make-up. On a normal day when I allow myself a little more time to do my make-up I use my HD Brows Eye & Brow Palette which is fab as I have everything I need in one place, anyways back to my new timesaving product...I wasn't expecting anything 'wow' from an eyebrow pencil as well, they are just that aren't they? I will say that the handy little brush on the end of it is very good, it's firm enough to brush brows and blend in the pencil but not hard enough to remove the pencil completely. I decided to go for medium brown which I think is a really good colour match for me, it has an ever so slight red undertone to it which compliments my chocolate brown hair perfectly. 

The formula wasn't at all what I was expecting, I was expecting it to be more like a waxy pencil consistency but this pencil is more like a gel formula. It applies very easily so I think you may have to be a little cautious of over-doing it but it soon dries into a naturally ever so slightly powdery finish. 

Above without Instant Brow
Below with Instant Brow

Now I'm not the kinda gal to be found sweating profusely or rubbing my hands on my face on a normal day so I can't really comment on the durability to those extremes but I can say that I applied first thing, went about my normal day (got caught in the rain a couple of times!) and when I checked my face in the evening it handn't faded or budged. 

I think Benefit's Instant Brow will be a great part of my lazy day make-up and although a little apprehensive of the colour match due to ordering online I think I picked the perfect colour for me.

Jodie

xoxo

Fabulous Foot-Care Find

My feet are one part of me that I like to take extra care of so I'm always a little excited to see whats new in the foot-care aisle when I'm stocking up on essentials in Boots or Superdrug. There's nothing better after a long day at work than coming home, kicking those shoes off and giving your tootsies some attention.
My usual foot cream had nearly come to an end, at this time of the year I like to go for foot creams with Mint or Tea-tree in them as they are refreshing yet soothing, queue this lovely little cream...
I picked up Freeman's Bare Foot Lavender & Mint for £4.49 from Superdrug, although I found a few items from this brand instore strangely I can't actually find this product available on their website. 
This aroma-therapeutic foot cream smells of gorgeous Lavender and cooling Mint with an ever so subtle hint of Tea-Tree, rub into feet and smooth over legs for a relaxing massage to relieve aching muscles. I found it moisturizing but not overly oily and it absorbs into the skin like a dream. I'm enjoying using this in place of my normal foot-cream and I'm hoping it becomes available on a UK based website soon.
Jodiexoxo 

Bad Skin Saviours

Unfortunately the majority of us mere mortals suffer from zit's every once in a while. It doesn't matter how well you cleanse, how well you eat, how much water you drink...you're going to get the occasional (or frequent if you're anything like me!) bad skin day. I thought I'd share with you some of the products I use to help me clear up those yucky little blighters...

Premae's Harmony Serum is one of my favourite spot-fighting weapons in my skincare arsenal. This amazing lightweight shine controlling serum preps skin for moisturiser and is great as either a mattifying primer or mixed with your foundation for a natural BB cream. The grape seed blended formula helps soothe redness and creates a defensive barrier against free-radicals, chemicalised make-up and the environment. If there was one skincare product I couldn't live without it would be this! My skin has cleared up no end since I started using it last year.

To nip spots at the bud I like to apply Clinique's  Anti-Blemish Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel just to the spot itself. This gel is in my opinion incredible, as soon as I feel a spot coming I apply and the majority of the time the spot doesn't actually come to a head, it just dies back down! Although powerful I don't find it drying on my skin, instead it forms a barrier over the spot and the active ingredients fight the swelling.

If I've had a particularly nasty spot or even if I've just had to give a little white-head a squeeze, I like to apply Sudocrem Antiseptic Healing Cream. I've been using this stuff for years for a multitude of purposes. I find it's excellent for quickly healing skin problems like spots or dry patches, there's always at least one tub of this stuff lying around the house!

Jodie

xoxo

Sunday Night Skincare Saviours

Keeping my skin clear from time-to-time can seem like a real battle. Now I have established a skincare routine that works for me I really only have to deal with the occasional hormonal flare-up. On a Sunday night I like to have a deep cleanse, really clear out those pores and buff away those dead skin-cells dulling my complexion. I thought I'd share some of the products I'm really enjoying using at the moment...

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish rrp from £3.25

I did a post briefly touching on Liz Earle's iconic Cleanse & Polish yesterday. I've been using it for around a week now and whilst I have suffered a break-out along my jawline I am persevering with this product as I love the texture and the way it leaves my skin feeling. I mainly use this product as a make-up remover, really working it in to the skin, buffing with a muslin cloth and following up with my Premae Balance Rescue cleanser. I suffer from hormonal break-outs so I'm hoping it's just a coincidence that I've broken out and not the cleanser itself that's caused it.

 Twice a week for extra exfoliation I like to follow up with Premae's Mild Dermabrasion Pro. It's a mild exfoliator thats quite milky in texture with Olive granules in it, it gently buffs impurities from skin without stripping it of moisture.

Once or twice a week I like to use Premae's Plush Therapy Masque. I like to leave this masque on for about half an hour, the masque almost melts into the skin leaving it rejuvenated and pores feel less congested. This masque has fast become one of my favourites as it helps remove excess oil from my skin but doesn't strip my skin of vital moisture.

Jodie

xox

Liz Earle's Cleanse & Polish Review

After hearing so many people absolutely rave about Liz Earle's Cleanse & Polish I decided to purchase a bottle to see what all of the fuss was about. Funnily enough my Liz Earle order came on the same day as my Birchbox did and there was a 30ml sample in there, luckily I'm really enjoying using it so that will keep me stocked for a while.

I'm more than happy with my current cleanser but I wanted to see why this product had such a cult status and had won more than 100 awards...now I see. I've been using C&P as a make-up remover/cleanser, I remove the majority of my make-up with make-up remover and then rub one pump of C&P over my face and then polish it off with a hot muslin cloth. The texture is very creamy and leaves skin feeling very moisturised yet squeaky clean.

Now it may just be a coincidence but I broke out quite badly the day after first using C&P, it's all cleared up now and my skin is looking pretty darn good! Like I said I am more than happy with my current cleanser so this is perfect for me for removing the last traces of make-up before having a deep clean.

I love everything about this product. The expensive feeling yet practical packaging, the texture and the scent. Suitable for all skin-types and ages I can see why this product has such a huge fan base. The formula includes ingredients such as cocoa and eucalyptus and has the gorgeous aroma of rosemary. Everything about this product screams luxury and is a real skin treat.

May Premae Donna Box Selection

Making my Premae Donna box selection is something I really look forward to. Not only I am kept stocked up with my favourite regular products but it gives me the opportunity to try new products at a fraction if the retail price. I made my selection at the beginning of the month but I wanted to give it a couples of weeks before giving my opinion on the products...although if you know me and you know Premae you know I'll love everything of theirs I try!

Balance Rescue Cleansing Face Wash rrp £22.50

If you've read any of my posts on my skincare routine and products you'll know that Premae's Balance Rescue face wash is a staple product for me. I use this cleanser morning and night, a gentle yet very thorough foaming cleanser that unclogs pores and removes all traces of make-up and other impurities. This cleanser is ideal for blemish prone skin and gives illuminating results.

Pharma 100 Conditioning Creme rrp £19.50  

Pharma 100 was a completely new product for me this month. I've really been looking forward to trying it and after using it for two weeks I feel I can give it a fair enough review. Although I have oily/combination skin on my face I seem to suffer from the complete opposite on my body. Don't get me wrong I'm not covered in dry, flaky patches but I do suffer from quite dry, tight skin on the tops of my arms and shoulders, or should I say did? This creme has been an absolute dream to use, it's very rich, I apply straight out of the shower and my skin drinks it up and I'm left feeling moisturised well into the day. This award-winning creme is great for eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis sufferers alike, leaving skin nourished and fortified.

Lab Definitive Eye Creme rrp £17.50

I briefly touched on Premae's Lab Definitive Eye Creme in my April's favourite's blog post. I've been using it for around a month now and can confidently say that it's fabulous! This eye creme is nourishing yet light and makes for a great eye make-up base. Enriched with Vitamin C and K it refreshes and comfortably tightens delicate skin around the eye area. Although moisturising it's not at all greasy so it keeps eye make-up in place, keeping eye's looking fresh and bright.

I'm looking forward to my June selection, if you're yet to try Premae's products don't hesitate...you won't be disappointed!

Benefit Fine One One Review

This week to feed my blusher addiction I purchased Fine One One by Benefit. I have been eyeing up this cream blusher for a while as it has a gorgeous coral colour in it and the added benefit of a highlighter.

For some reason I thought the product would be bigger, photo's of it on the website kind of gave me that impression. Anyway the product itself comes in Benefit's usual quirky and standout packaging and the twist stick form makes it really easy to use and great to pop in your handbag for touch-up's.

When blended in the coral orange isn't so prominent, it really just gives you a fresh flush of colour. The only thing I will say is that when swiped straight across the cheeks if you wear a good layer of foundation it can take some of it off. Most days I wear a quite heavy layer of MAC Studio Fix Fluid and when I applied Fine One One for the first time it swiped most of the foundation from my cheeks. I have found a better method is to apply strategically to my fingers first, transfer that onto my cheeks and then blend with my RT Buffing brush.

The colour is quite sheer, its more of a wash of colour, I found I had to apply a couple of layers to get any colour pay-off. I have tried it on my lips, it's quite tricky to get just the shade you want to wear applied so I found it a lot easier to apply with a lip brush.

I must admit I expected a little more from this product. There were a couple of things that really cheapened the product in my opinion, the label wasn't applied properly and the leaflet inside the box was folded over as if the blusher itself had been shoved into the box. Luckily my Birchbox points paid for the majority of the cost of Fine One One so I don't feel too aggrieved that it wasn't as great as I pictured it to be. If it was just a bit bigger and the colour a bit more pigmented it would be perfect!