Saturday 21 July 2012

Benefit 'They're Real!' Mascara Review

Benefit often has a lot of products I'd like to give a go, but are just out of my budget at the moment. Luckily for me, my mum recently bought the They're Real! mascara and didn't get along with it (she's quite sensitive to different products and brands), so gave it to me. I hadn't previously looked into the product or heard anything about it really so I was excited to give it a go.


They're Real! claims to lengthen, curl, volumize, lift and separate lashes, and I'd have to agree for the most part. I didn't know anything about the look this mascara was meant to achieve when I tried it for the first few days (the outer packaging had been thrown away before I had a chance to look), but I was impressed with the effect.

I was dubious about the wand when I looked at it, as I'm not a big fan of plastic wands generally, but I actually liked it. It meant that you were able to apply one coat and have defined but more understated lashes, or build up more volume with more coats, which is sometimes hard to do with bristles when you have less control over how much product is on the wand. Also, an aim of this mascara is to separate, which I always find plastic wands to be better at. However, I did find the more coats were applied, the less separated the lashes looked, and they became a bit more clumped together.


I did feel my lashes were lifted and slightly curled with this mascara. I don't tend to use an eyelash curler for everyday makeup, and am yet to try this mascara with a curler, but I find it works by itself to add a nice effect. I'm not sure I'd call it a curled effect, but it definitely lifted the lashes and I felt like it really made my eyes pop. It also worked great with one coat on my lower lashes as it defined them without making them look spidery.

As for it's lengthening effect, I was really impressed. My eyelashes definitely appeared longer to me. I think this product has the tiny hairs or fibres in it that a lot of lengthening mascaras have these days, and I find work a treat. I also find that the formula makes my lashes feel less dry and hard than some volumizing mascaras.


I know this formula is not waterproof, and I don't believe a waterproof version is available at the moment. I tend to get smudge marks on my lids with most mascaras I wear within a couple of hours, particularly non-waterproof ones, but They're Real! left no marks whatsoever, even after a day of wear, which was fantastic. However, if you live in the UK you'll know that we haven't really had any hot weather to test how it would last in those circumstances.

A downside of this product is that it is currently only available in black, so if you're fairer haired or are just not a fan of black mascaras, then this isn't for you.

Although I did really like this mascara, I wouldn't buy it myself at £18.50. I have found mascaras I prefer or that are nearly as good on the high street for under £10, so realistically I'm not sure it's worth it's price tag.

xxx

Benefit They're Real! Mascara - £18.50 - http://www.boots.com/en/benefit-theyre-real-mascara_1231677/


Tuesday 10 July 2012

17 Wild Metallic Cream Eyeshadow!

I love cream eyeshadows, especially for this time of year, but know a good one can be hard to come by. I've bought many that look great in the shops, and when I actually go to use them their promises of being 'crease free' or 'longwear' seem to fade pretty rapidly. Nevertheless, I was browsing some of the 17 range in Boots recently and was really drawn to the Wild Metallic Cream Eyeshadows.
I really liked the colour range, although not being the most extensive with 6 shades to choose from. However, the colours that were available all looked gorgeous, and I'd probably have bought them all to try if I could have afforded to. They have the metal shades (silver and bronze), bolder colours (purple, navy blue and green), and a more muted taupe colour (Wild Nude), so there's something for everyone.
I chose Wild Nude. I really liked this taupe shade and thought it would be adaptable and buildable for a wash of colour for quick daytime looks and more dramatic evening looks. It's also a good middle ground between the silver and bronze, as it has warmth but isn't as bold as the bronze. 

The product looked really metallic and pigmented in the pot, and I was really excited to try it. The formula was slightly more like a mousse than I would normally go for. I used to love the Rimmel Colour Mousse 8 Hour Eyeshadows, which despite their name, were less like a mousse, and would apply like a cream then almost set on the eye. A thin mousse is unlikely to stay put and crease-free without some powder shadow on top, I find. 
I really liked the application of this product. It gave a beautiful metallic wash of colour to the lid and stayed looking good for a couple of hours. However, if the weather was warmer I'm not sure they'd have this staying power. I liked that it could be built up nicely for an evening look without going too cakey or lumpy as some cream shadows can do when you build them up, but if I was going to wear this for a night out I would definitely set it with a similar colour eyeshadow (the shade is so pretty, it would be a shame to cover that completely). 

I really liked this product, so am hoping that I can give it a try when (hopefully!) the weather gets better, as I think it would be a really good eyeshadow for summer, providing it lasts, as it gives a gorgeous wash of colour which would be really good for quick makeup, or a natural, tanned look.

I'm tempted to buy another one of the 17 Wild Metallic Cream Eyeshadows, particularly the Wild Purple, however I am going to try and resist and test out the Wild Nude in a few more makeup looks or situations!

Let me know if you've tried this product and your thoughts! Also let me know if you know any good cream/mousse eyeshadows.... I love them!

xxx

17 Wild Metallic Cream Eyeshadow - £3.99 from Boots - http://www.boots.com/en/17-Wild-Metallic-Cream-Eyeshadow_1228312/