Benefit Primping with the Stars

From Left to Right: Stay Don't Stray, The Porefessional, Some Kind of Gorgeous Foundation in Medium, Benetint, and Girl Meets Pearl

Benefit Cosmetics is known for the adorable kits they release, they generally include a good amount of mini versions of their popular products. I’ve been wanting to try several Benefit products, but with mixed reviews (I always do my homework before high-end purchases) it hasn’t been worth the splurge. I am one who would rather try out samples before investing in a high end product! Primping with the Stars ($32) is well-rounded and includes the all-time greatest “fake-its” kit for face, cheeks, eyes, and lips that'll make them all starstruck.  Here’s what this kit includes:

Stay Don’t Stray (0.08oz)

  A dual-action eye and concealer primer-- keeps your eyeshadows in place all day long and under-eye concealer from moving around. The sample comes with an easy to use wand that makes dotting around the eye for application very easy, however the full size does come in a pump dispenser. I love the wand but like the fact that the pump will keep the product more hygienic. The consistency is thin and liquidy, and the color is a light natural beige. A little goes a long way because the thin consistency. 


The Porefessional (0.25oz) 

Primer and pore-minimizer-- this translucent balm can be applied under or over makeup to minimize the appearance of pores. The silky product applies a soft focus like effect to skin for a smoother pore-less effect.  I wouldn't say that my pores vanish, but they definitely minimized. I'm not a big fan of primers, but I did enjoy the soft silky texture if left on my skin. I also liked that it was lightweight!

Some Kind-A-Gorgeous Foundation in Medium (0.12oz)

Cream to powder foundation--a really light, easy to use foundation! After applying my moisturizer I dip my Sigma F80 directly into it the foundation and apply it to my skin (*Note-I wouldn't recommend this, but since its a samples size I'm okay with it for short-term). It blends in effortlessly to my skin, and applies a light coverage. If you had any blemishes you would need to use a concealer to cover. Its great for complementing your natural skin and not covering it up. On my dry skin I get about 6 hours of wear before I need to touch-up. I've really been enjoying this foundation for everyday use, and would recommend it to anyone with mostly clear skin for a very natural look!

Benetint Rose (0.13oz)

 Cheek and Lip Stain--resembling the look of a nail polish! The stain has a light, watery texture. When blended into skin it revels a subtle flush. I like to apply about three strokes to my cheeks and then blend quickly with clean fingertips. You have to work quickly before the stain sets into cheeks. For lips, I lightly dab the product on for a tinted pout. My lips get dry quickly with this product so I usually apply a clear lip balm over the top for more moisturized lips. 

Girl Meets Pearl (0.25oz)

 Liquid Highlighter--contains light-reflective pigments to give skin a pearly shimmer. This liquid highlighter gives a beautiful warm golden-pink glow to my complexion. I reach for this product when I want my skin to look extra luminous and dewy.  The smooth, light-weight formula blends easily into the skin and does not feel heavy or sticky. I like to apply this with my beauty blender for an even application. 


They’re Real! Mascara (0.1oz)

 Benefit’s popular mascara--a highly raved about mascara from beauty-lovers! This mascara offers it all- length, volume, curl and separation! The formula is creamy without being to wet, and does not smudge or clump throughout the day. One coat if fab, two coats is enough drama for a night out. Great mascara! The only con would be the spider effect it slightly gives lashes, but way more moisturizing then other spidery-like formulas (MAC Zoom and L'Oreal Telescopic). 

Another nice aspect of this kit is it includes instructions on how to use each product to get the best results. I would completely recommend picking up this set or a similar set from Benefit! I love the fact that these samples last a few weeks-and some longer (Benetint may last forever) to get a good idea if I really want to purchase the full-size!  I absolutely love everything in this set, if I repurchase any of the product I will follow up with a more in-depth review :)

Mascara: Reviews, Comparisons, Ect.

Choosing a mascara can be tough! Their are a lot of things to consider---volume? curl? natural? lengthen? define? And no beauty routine is complete without it! Mascara's are not all created equal, or a one size fits all. Mascara that may work for someone else's lashes great may not do the same thing for you. Thin lashes work well with mascaras with volume because they usually include ingredients like waxes that help build up the lashes. Thick lashes can use wetter textured mascara without the wax ingredients to add length and intensity. I believe the formula only does half of the work, and the other half is the wand shape. Larger wands with longer fine evenly spaced bristles are great for even, separates, clump-free lashes. Smaller wands allows you to easily paint right down to the root. Tightly spaced bristles to help in curling and building mascara.
Over the last few months I have been testing out many different formulas in hope's of finding a holy grail mascara, this post is a short summary of my thoughts!  Please feel free to leave any questions in the comment box :)

My lashes: long thick straight lashes! I prefer wands that help separate my lashes and add curl.

Sephora Outrageous Volume Mascara ($15)
Unique triple load brush intensily coats and volumizes lashes. The bristles lift, separates, adds volume, length, and lasts all day without smudging. A little goes a very long way, one coat is usually enough for daytime wear. Great for on the go, because you wont spend ten minutes layering the product. The only con is the very wet consistency, so you have to be cautious to prevent messing up you're makeup. No flacking, great mascara I will  most likely repurchase!

L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes (8.99)
This brush is designed to separate lashes for a 'fanned-out' effect. TO achieve the volume and intensity I like with mascara I'd have to apply 100 coats.  It makes your lashes both a little bit longer and a little bit fuller, but not near enough intensity or volume for my liking. It may be because the updated tube technology minimizes the amount of excess mascara thats comes the through the opening of the tube for a cleaner application. No flacking or smudging. If you are looking for something very natural to enhance your lashes this may be a good pick for you.

MAC Zoom Lash Mascara ($16)
Short bristles don't separate lashes well, and make it very hard to prevent spidery lash effect and clumping. One coat adds intense drama, but with two coats my lashes clump together. However, Zoom does an incredible job adding volume, length, and intensity to lashes. Slight flacking. Not the Mascara for me.

L'Oreal Telescopic Shocking Extension Mascara ($8.99)
Very compatible to MAC Zoom lash. Adds intense volume and length, but the bristles don't separate lashes well. No flacking unlike MAC Zoom. It does get a little spidery like Zoom, but the doll-like look it gives to lashes is gorgeous! I'm not a big fan of the long small wand, but it does get the job done. I recommend pairing this with a mascara that separates (UD Supercurl) for a fantastic duo. If I want intense lashes for a night out, this is my go-to Mascara. I will repurchase this is definitely a cheaper/better formula alternative for MAC Zoom!

Maybelline Volum' Express Colossal Waterproof Mascara ($6.99)
Hands down the best waterproof mascara ever! Volumizes and seperates lashes well. I can waterski, and watch the notebook and this will not budge. Also has adorable packaging. My favorite thing to do for special occasions is apply 1 coat of this underneath something like Sephora Outrageous Volume Mascara to make sure my lashes stay curled all night.

Urban Decay Supercurl Curling Mascara ($20)
Separates, adds volume, and intensity to lashes! It does curl, but I would not say 'supercurl'. I love this wand, and the medium amount of product on the bristles. It makes it easy to build and separate lashes. Unlike MAC Zoom and L'Oreal Telescopic this does not leave your lashes feeling spidery at all, the lash conditions shea butter and jojoba seed oil leave lashes extra moisturized. Another great mascara!

Orgins GinZing Mascara ($17.50)
Two sets of bristles--longer bristles lengthen, while shorter bristles help to lift and curl lashes. The mascara has a blue undertone to help brighton eyes, and leaves lashes feeling soft and moisturized. No flaking or smudging. This is a great everyday moisturizing mascara. It adds a great amount of volume without clumping, but the formula is very wet. Good mascara, but not great enough for the price in my opinion.

Moroccan Oil

If you've followed my blog for awhile you have heard me rave about MoroccanOil over and over again! In this post (here) you can see the dramatic difference its made in the health, volume, and length of my hair. After such amazing results with the Oil, my collection continued to grow! Moroccan Oil (also know as Argan Oil) is from a tree in Morocco. It helps hydrate, restructure damaged hair, add shine, soften, detangle, UV protect, and reduce drying time! Argan itself contains Omega 6 fatty acids, Vitamin A, Phenols (extremely beneficial antioxidants), as well as Triterpens (aid in cell restructuring, can slow down cell aging, and also act as an anti-inflammatory). It’s commonly referred to as "Liquid Gold" for a very good reason! Lately there has been a lot of talk about the ingredient list in Moroccan Oil, because it does contain silicon’s, and other things people claim to be ‘terrible’ for hair. However, if you look at my ‘before/and after’ in the link above; the picture itself is worth a thousand words! Anyways enough ranting..hers the spill on my Moroccan Collection! 

MoroccanOil Luminous Hairspray (330ml/283g for $22.20) 

Lightweight, non-sticky formula, leaves a flexible hold to hair. I love this hairspray its absolutely perfect to make curls touchable and soft, while providing a medium hold. It does a great job at taming any flyaway's and occasional frizz.  The fine mist is just enough to hold my hair in place without weighing it down. I love not having to worry about it looking or feeling greasy or "crunchy".  Hands down the best hairspray I have ever used.

MoroccanOil Extra Volume Shampoo + Conditioner (8.5FL.OZ/250ml for $24 each)

Packed with antioxidant argan oil and nutrients to cleanse, detangle, add body to hair, shine and movement to hair. Formulated without phosphates, and paraben free. It won't dry, fade, or strip colored hair. After using both products my hair looks and feels soft and in great condition, shiny and sleek! I've also noticed my color treated hair looks brighter and overall more healthy. Although I do love what this does for my hair (repurchased once), I have very long easily tangled hair and it takes forever to comb out. I wont be repurchasing this again in the future, because their are other shampoo and conditioners that make it much easier to comb through my hair. If you don't have a problem with tangles this duo does great things for the health of your hair, and you may want to give it a try! 

MoroccanOil Treatment (0.85FL.OZ for $16.60, or 3.4FL.OZ/100ml for $43)

If you can splurge on just one beauty item this is well worth it! This treatment transforms, repairs, and strengthens hair. Not only is it formulated with argan oils its packed with fatty acids, omega-3, and vitamins! It has the unique quality of instant absorption into hair, creating an instant shine without leaving an oily residue. I apply this to the ends of my damp hair. The travel size (using a nickel size--washing 3-4x week) lasted me over a year! I doesn't make my hair greasy or weighed down at all. The indescribable scent is incredible! I use to have blonde broken hair that wouldn't grow past my shoulders. Since using MoroccanOil for almost 2 years now I've seen such incredible results. The health, amount, and length of my hair has changed drastically!