Pixi Lip Glow Kit in Tan Topper: Review & Swatches

Don't you just hate it when you have a gorgeous little clutch to match your amazing outfit, but you can hardly fit ANYTHING in it?! The practical thing would be to obviously carry a bigger bag, but at the expense of ruining your whole glammed-up look- you get what I mean? A clutch adds style to your look; it can bling out a simple outfit, and add a touch of elegance to your overall look. I mean, that IS the only reason why most of us spend so much on clutches- they're simply an impractical necessity! Of course, it is nothing short of a miracle when we ladies, who carry around so many items in our handags that we forget what we have in there, manage to fit everything we need into one teeny little clutch! Ok, so perhaps we won't be needing to carry our notebook, current novel and some granola bars in our clutches, but what about lipsticks, eye shadows, blusher, concealer, make up brushes and eyeliners?! We need them for those touch-ups after eating, drinking and perhaps even sweating!


This is why I love palettes! I was at a wedding on Sunday, and I managed to fit in everything I needed, simply because most of what I needed came in one dinky palette! Now that's what I call practical! I love my Lancome Tendre Voyage palette which I bought over a year ago from duty-free. It contains two lip colours with a lip brush, four eye shadows with  a double-end brush, a blush with a brush and a mirror. Perfect!


However, I am reviewing a different palette today, which I purchased not long ago: Pixi Lip Glow Kit in #Tan Topper

This is my first Pixi product, and I must say, although the plastic packaging feels a tad bit cheap, I am impressed! It contains eight different lip colour shades, including a mirror and a lip brush.

 Lips shades from first row of palette- IN NATURAL LIGHT

Lip shades from first row of palette- WITH FLASH

 Lip shades from second row of palette- IN NATURAL LIGHT

Lip shades from second row of palette- WITH FLASH

The colours range from sheer to medium sheer, and are rather moisturising on the lips. I find that if you apply a couple of layers, the colours can be made to look less sheer. They have good lasting power, lasting a couple of hours before fading, and the colour fades evenly. Although the lip colours are slightly glossy, they do not feel sticky on the lips thankfully, as I am not a big user of lip glosses. 

There is not much else to say about this palette, except that it is convenient to carry around, will fit into your clutch easily and great for changing your lip colour from a daytime look to an evening look. The mirror adds to the practicality of this product, and although the lip brush is a bonus, I prefer just to use my fingers. I would recommend this product as I like that the texture of these lip colours are somewhat a cross between a lipstick and lip gloss. I bought this palette on offer for £7, which I think is a great price for what you get, so would definitely repurchase if it is continued to be sold at this price!

RATING: 8/10

Montagne Jeunesse Pulped Pomegranate Passion Peel Off Face Mask: Review

Wasn't playing with PVA glue at school so fun?! I used to deliberately paint my hands all over with PVA glue just so that it can dry and I can peel it off! It was the only part of doing art in primary school that I actually enjoyed. I hated art back then. The painting and colouring was fun but it was the cleaning up part which I hated with a passion. 


Talking of peel-offs and passion, I recently tried a Montagne Jeunesse face mask: Pulped Pomegranate Passion Peel Off. I love peel-off masks! It's that weird feeling you get when you're peeling the mask off- just like peeling off PVA glue! My poor little brother got freaked out when he saw me with a shiny, plastic-y looking face, and even more so when he saw me peeling it off- he thought it was my skin! He kept staring at me half-scared, half-curious and utterly confused!

Anway, more onto the mask...I've never tried a Montagne Jeunesse mask before. I always see them in Boots and Superdrugs, but I never cared to take a good look at them as I always assumed these are one of those cheap products that will be of less benefit and the cause of more blemishes. But after reading some great reviews of these masks online, I thought to myself that I must give these a go! 


The Pulped Pomegranate Passion Peel Off mask has a sticky, gel-like texture but is easy to apply all over the skin. Unlike what it shows in the picture, the colour is red and not purple, but there could be variations in colour due to the natural ingredients used: pomegranate, passion flower, grape, rasberry, cranberry and vitamin E. As you can probably imagine, this smells absolutely divine! I had to resist the temptation to lick it off around my mouth! 

You leave this mask on until it completely dries and is ready to be peeled off- it took 30 minutes for it to completely dry on my skin but this was probably because I had applied it thick to use the whole sachet up. It feels refreshing whilst on my skin, and as with all peel-off masks, has a tightening effect as it starts to dry. I had to avoid looking at my brother, because the look on his face kept making me want to laugh, and you cannot laugh with a peel-off mask on!! You cannot even a move a muscle on your face whilst it's on, else the mask starts to crack and peel! 


It was easy to peel off- this is the fun part! I challenged myself to peel the mask off as a whole ('How old are you?' you ask...23), rather than in bits and bobs, and I did succeed to an extent, except a small patch still left on my cheek! After splashing my face with cold water, my skin felt soft, cleansed and...well, that's it really. It hadn't seemed to have done any wonders on my skin, but it didn't break me out either. My skin just felt...nice. However, the next morning, my skin did look much clearer and the few spots I had on my face from before seemed to have shrunk in size. 

I do recommend this product for a fun, pampering treat! I think this would be a great mask to use the night before an event or a party, as it seems to really clear up your complexion overnight. It's also great for a girly night in with some friends! I would definitely repurchase, and would love to try the other masks in the Montagne Jeunesse range.



RATING: 7/10

Make Up Haul! Korres Natural Look Antioxidant Color Collection, Pixi Lip Glow Kit & CK Delicious Luxury Creme Lipstick

Don't you just hate being woken up by the postman in the early morning? ('Early morning' definition= 9:50am.) So the doorbell rings on Monday morning, and I drag myself, half-asleep, up the stairs with a scorn on my face and muttering profanities under my breath. I open the door, grab the package off the postman and sign on the stupid piece of paper, or rather I just scribbled some randomness, to say I've received the parcel, and slam the door shut.

I'm not usually this rude. I'm actually very polite, bubbly and generally very friendly (unless you get on the wrong side of me, of course). I'm just not a morning person! Surely that justifies my attitude?! Anyway, I stare at the parcel in my hand, still frowning, and notice the label on it: StrawberryNET. Suddenly, I'm wide awake, excited and grinning! (See, I'm not always moody...) This was my first order from StrawberryNET, and I had only placed the order a few days before, so I'm very impressed with their service.

What I ordered:

Korres Natural Look Antioxidant Color Collection

• 2 Sunflower and Evening Primrose Eye Shadows in #31 Bronze Brown and #36 Brun
• 1 Soft Eyeliner Pencil in #1S Black
• 1 Provitamin and B5 and Rice Bran Mascara #01 Black
• 1 Cherry Oil Lipgloss #30 Naked Beige

Pixi Lip Glow Kit - #Tan Topper

• Contains 8 lip colours in one case

Calvin Klein Delicious Luxury Creme Lipstick- #122 Betrayal

• Received this free as it was my first order!

All of this cost me only £18.31, with free shipping! Bargain! (There was a sale on at the time of purchasing). I'm really excited to use these products as I've never used anything from Korres or Pixi before! Will post reviews once I have tried and tested them all!! 

Have you used anything from them before? Any recommendations?

Banishing Spots with Baking Soda!

Source: Google Images

Being women, we have to constantly multitask- and we're so good at it too! How many men can gossip away on the phone, do their shopping and eat a red velvet cupcake simultaneously?!

Source: Google Images

And don't you just love it when you have things around the house that are also multitasking?! I love multitasking products! They make life so much more simple and easier. Here are some of the things I use for many different things:

SELLOTAPE- I use sellotape to get rid of fluff and hair off my clothes. You can also apply a small strip of sellotape below the outer corner of your eye, before applying eye shadow, to blend the colour into a perfectly straight angle- you won't even need an angled brush!

VASELINE- A great moisturiser for dry, flaky skin whether its on the face or body; can be used as a gloss or under/over lipstick for a glossier pout. It's great for cracked heels, and can be mixed with sea-salt to use as a body scrub! Vaseline is also great for removing eye-makeup and for preventing blisters when you buy yourselves a new pair of shoes- simply apply inside the heel of the shoe and on your feet!

ASPIRIN- Have acne-prone skin? Grab yourself a packet of over-the-counter aspirin (non-coated), dissolve in a few drops of water, and apply the paste onto problem areas and leave for 5-10 minutes. Aspirin contains salicylic acid which works wonders for acne. Mix the paste with a little honey and it will also moisturise your skin. DO NOT USE IF YOU ARE ALLERGIC TO ASPIRIN.

BLUSHER- Oh how I love blush! I also use my blushers as eye shadow, and even to add colour to my lips by applying it on top of vaseline, using my finger. I love the effect of this as my eyes, cheeks and lips all match- all with one product!

So, why splash out on many different items, when one item on its own has several uses?! Especially when it literally costs nothing! However, my most favorite multitasking product has to be baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)! Baking Soda is a brilliant multitasking cleanser. I completely swear by this product! 

Source: Google Images

Here are the many ways it can be used for skincare:

FACIAL SCRUB: Use baking soda as a gentle scrub by mixing 3 parts of it to one part water. Gently massage the paste in circular motions on your face and rinse off for perfectly exfoliated, clean skin! Do this 2-3 times a week and mositurise afterwards! You can also mix a little baking soda with your daily cleanser for everyday, gentle exfoliation. It helps to lighten dark spots, reduces blemishes and scrubs away dead skin cells!

FACE MASK: Mix some baking soda with honey and/or olive oil and apply as a mask for 20 minutes. Results are soft, glowing skin!


BODY SCRUB: Use any of the above mixtures and use as a scrub all over your body in the shower- a great, cheap alternative to the usual shower scrubs which are loaded with chemicals and fragrances. Baking soda also helps in reducing body odour.

Source: Google Images

SCALP CLEANSER: Using baking soda is a fantastic way to achieve squeaky clean hair, and to remove any build up. It can be used instead of shampoo which contain harsh chemicals that cause shedding and drying of the scalp. There are many people who follow the 'no-poo' method- ie no shampoo, and use baking soda as a shampoo replacement as they want to stay away from chemicals and sulphates present in shampoos and conditioners. It is also great for dandruff, as dandruff is fungus and baking soda gets rid of fungus easily. Apply baking soda to wet hair, (or mix it with your regular shampoo) in the shower, and massgage into your scalp before washing off. Finish off with a conditioner or rinse off with a watery mixture of honey and water.

TEETH WHITENING: Baking soda is a mild bleaching agent. Pinch some baking soda onto your toothbrush and brush your teeth as normal. You can also mix it into your usual toothpaste before brushing. 


Well, these are only some of the uses for baking soda! It's also great for stomach pain, for cleaning gold and silver jewellery, and for cleaning your sink and tub! I definitely recommend baking soda, and it is so cheap it will hardly cause a dent to your pocket! If you have sensitive skin, I suggest you use a small amount of baking soda at first and see how it reacts with your skin. It may cause a little redness, if used on the face, at first so I suggest you use this in the evening so that your skin may calm down overnight. 


Do let me know how it works for you!






RATING: 10/10

DISCLAIMER: These images have been taken from Google Images. I DO NOT claim ownership of any of the above images. Images that belong to me will be always watermarked with 'Blushing Orgasm'.

Snoozing Slacking Sundays! What I get up to...

Sundays are all about me Me ME! I usually get the house to myself so I love to spend the day at home. So what do I get up to on my own?!

BE LAZY- I wake up around 10am, and don't get out of bed until 11-11.30am. I lay in bed, talk to and/or message friends (or try and wind up Siri- yes, I'm sad like that. And no, I'm not 10 years old). I'll have BBC Asian Network radio station playing in the background whilst I check my facebook and instagram on my iPhone, and read the latest blog entries on my favorite beauty blogs.

BREAKFAST- Usually breakfast would be something luxurious: baked beans on toast, scrambled eggs, potato waffles and some cucumber slices, along with a glass of orange juice followed by a mug of steaming vanilla latte. Mmmmm... But since I've been on a mission to lose a stone, breakfast lately has been not so indulging: a small bowl of Kellog's Fruit 'n Fibre cereal with semi-skimmed milk, and a cup of white tea. *Sigh*. 

OIL MY HAIR- I oil my hair every Sunday. My hair deserves some pampering. I mix 2/3 castor oil with 1/3 coconut oil, warm it up in the microwave and massage into my hair and scalp. I wrap one of those turban towels around my head and leave it on for the rest of the day. Castor oil is soooo amazing for the hair! It reduces shedding, increases shine and makes my hair feel so much more healthier and stronger. It even makes your eyelashes grow longer if applied on them every night! However, castor oil is rather sticky on its own, so you need to mix it with another oil to make it easier to massage into the hair and scalp.

REORGANIZE  MY BEDROOM- I enjoy reorganizing bits and bobs around my bedroom. Either my clothes, my ever-growing shoe collection, jewellery, bookshelf or my makeup collection- I love to rearrange and find things I'd forgotten I had! It gets me excited, as though it's a new purchase all over again!

This is a pic of one corner of my bedroom. Yes, I'm pink obsessed!

ROMANCE MOVIES- I'm a complete sucker for romance. I love romantic movies- especially Bollywood  films: girl loves guy, guy loves girl, they sing some songs together (including a dream sequence), enter villain/s (typically girl's father/step-uncle/the village thug), lots of dishum-dishums with hero jumping of a 100-foot building and landing on his both feet, baddie dies, heroine runs towards hero in slow-motion, they embrace and love prevails! Oh, how I love drama! Anyhow, I spend the day watching romance movies, reclined on my sofa, with some low-fat snacks, curtains drawn, in front of my 50inch flat screen. I'm still in my PJ's. Total serenity.

AT-HOME FACIAL- My skin also deserves some pampering by the end of the week. I scrub my face with baking soda (it does wonders for my skin! It's like an at-home microdermabrasion!), and then apply a homemade face mask. This is usually a paste made of turmeric powder, honey and lemon juice. I leave this on for 20-30 mins, wipe of with a muslin cloth and then wash my face with cool water. This leaves my skin radiant, soft and... wait for it... GLOWING! I then enjoy a long, relaxing shower with a shower gel by Soap & Glory, as their bath and shower products smell absolutely delicious!

SWEET DREAMS- Feeling cleansed, pampered and relaxed, I get into bed, put some drops of lavender oil onto the side of my pillow (it has a calming effect and helps me sleep), and shut my eyes from the world (if I'm not on the phone that is).

Well, that's what my typical Sundays are about. And it's exactly how I like it. I enjoy my own company; I enjoy having the house to myself and I enjoy pampering myself. What are your Sundays like?!

Lancome Photogenic Lumessence Foundation: Review

I dislike carrying excess weight. I hate being weighed down. Who doesn't? The main culprit is my handbag- I don't know why it's always so heavy- and believe me, it's not the money in my purse weighing me down.

Similarly, I don't really like wearing foundation. I feel like it weighs my face down. I've only started using a concealer recently, and it does a good enough job of covering any marks or blemishes so foundation is not really necessary for me. However, I do opt to wear foundation on special festivals and occasions- weddings, birthdays, parties etc, to achieve a more flawless look. And for me, nothing beats Lancome's Photogenic Lumessence foundation.

This foundation is described as a ''light-mastering and line-smoothing makeup'' providing ''14 hour comfort and SPF 15''. Thus it is one of those 'illuminating' foundations which contains light diffusing particles to hide lines and other imperfections, leaving a smooth and dewy finish. It is very moisturising on the skin, and as with most illuminating foundations, may not be suitable for oily skin.

When I first applied this foundation, I couldn't stop gaping into the mirror, in awe of my own reflection! And I say this as humbly as possible! My skin was flawless, smooth and even, and so SO GLOWING! It was as if I was staring at an airbrushed version of myself! Seriously! I bought this bottle in December, and I've only used it five or six times since then, but each time it has given me the same flawless, airbrushed effect, even in photos.

I purchased this in shade 03 which is perfect for my skin tone. It blends easily, and applies smoothly onto the skin. It provides light to medium coverage, which is perfect for my skin as it isn't heavy nor does it give the feeling of weighing down my skin; also, I don't have fine lines or dark marks so a heavier coverage is not needed. As for the claim that it provides 14 hour coverage- well, I can say that it lives up to this claim! Remember, when I said I fell asleep during my aunts wedding in this post? I was wearing this foundation. I had it on from 10am until way after midnight (and slept with it on half-way through the day!), WITHOUT touch-ups! However, I did use Benefit's That Gal primer prior to applying my foundation, which would have contributed to the staying power. Nevertheless, it works wonders on my skin! And it has SPF 15, which is a bonus. Need I say any more?!

I would definitely recommend this product to anyone with normal-dry skin. Do you want smooth, flawless skin? Do you want a foundation with light-medium coverage, covering skin imperfections and fine lines? Do you want a dewy finish? Then this is the foundation for you!

The downside is that it is quite pricey- £28.50 from Boots, but seeing as one pump provides a full coverage of my face, it will last me a long time. I still prefer to have no foundation on, but it's a must for me on special occasions, as it gives me the perfect dewy look and makes my skin look amazing in pictures! I would definitely repurchase this foundation. 

RATING: 9.5/10

The Body Shop Honey & Oat 3-in-1 Scrub Mask: Review

I wish I had a passion for cooking. I am a creative person; I love scrapbooking, writing, decorating and even doodling (does that count?), but when it comes to cooking...well, I just find it soooo boring! You place your ingredients in a pan, waiting for it to boil or whatever, and then you have nothing to do but to stare mindlessly into space...tedious. Absolutely tedious. Don't get me wrong- my cooking skills DO extend beyond baked beans and scrambled eggs, and I DO look real cute in an apron and over-sized oven gloves. I DO know the ABC of cooking (a certain somebody I know once tried washing rice with washing up liquid- seriously), and people DO enjoy eating whatever I make- I just didn't inherit the cooking gene from my mother, who was able to cook scrumptious meals, delicious snacks and mouth-watering desserts...and actually enjoyed it! I think I inherited my dad's lack of patience gene instead. And cooking requires bundles of patience.

However, I do enjoy creating fresh, home made face masks with whatever ingredients I have lying around in my kitchen, pampering myself once a week. Common household food items such as honey, turmeric powder, milk, yoghurt, lemon and even tea can be combined and converted into nourishing face masks. Cheap and cheerful. But for the lazy days when I can't be bothered to make anything, I bought a tub of 'Honey & Oat 3-in-1 Scrub Mask' from The Body Shop.

The main ingredients in this product are: 
Organic honey- this soothes and moisturises the skin
Oatmeal- gently exfoliates
Kaolin clay- draws out impurities

This 3-in-1 scrub mask is described as a cleanser, polisher and moisturiser in one, however I don't find this product coarse enough to be a scrub and although it is very moisturising, I do still need to use a moisturiser after washing. Nevertheless, it is a BRILLIANT face mask! I find this mask gives the same results as a home made face mask, and works best on normal/combination/dry skin. If you have oily skin, this product is probably not for you.

The texture of this mask is thick and creamy, with grains of oatmeal which are soft and gentle on the skin. It instructs you to leave the mask on for 10 minutes, however I prefer to leave it on for longer as it feels so good on my face! On first application, my skin stung a little, but this turned into a tingling sensation and did not become uncomfortable or aggravate my skin. What I like about this mask is that it does not dry and become stiff on your face, making it easier to wash off. I suggest using a cloth to wipe off the mask before washing the face, as it can be a little messy to clean off. I love how my skin looks and feels after this mask- it's as though I've had a facial done at a spa. The end results are glowing and radiant skin! My face feels refreshed, deeply-cleansed and baby-soft!

The only concern I initially had with this product was that I found its smell extremely overpowering. It has a strong smell off porridge and honey, but I've become used to it now and I'm actually starting to like the smell! I also wished the packaging was a little different, for hygiene purposes- a squeezy tube would have been more ideal.

I recommend this face mask to anybody with normal-dry skin, as it is very moisturising on the skin. If you are sensitive to smell, then you may have to give this product a miss, however if you can overcome this, it is most definitely worth it! I do not recommend this to anyone with sensitive skin, as the tingling and slight stinging sensation may aggravate the skin. This product costs £9 from The Body Shop, but a little does go a long away and this tub will last a while- I get greedy with this and apply a thick layer all over my face; I've used this mask several times and still have lots left of it. I will be repurchasing this product once I have run out of it.

All this oats and honey talk has made me hungry now. I think I'll go and cook some porridge...



RATING: 8/10

Benefit The POREfessional Pro Balm: Review & Swatch

Do you ever walk into a shop and find something that is too cute to resist, so you buy it but have no idea what you will do with it? You may not even use it at all! I do this allllll the time! Mostly, it's in gift and card shops like Cards Galore, Clintons or my favorite- PaperChase. I'm always picking up random bits and bobs that look alluring, even though I don't need it.

And that's exactly what I did when the latest issue of 'Glamour' magazine came out this month. They are giving away free sample sizes of Benefit products: 'That Gal' brightening primer (check out my review of it  here), 'Bad Gal' mascara and 'Porefessional Pro-balm'. These products have been appearing everywhere in beauty blogs for the past week and half. Since I already own the original sizes of the first two products, I bought myself three copies of the same magazine which included the 'Porefessional' samples. The packaging was too cute to resist!

You know the feeling you get when you pick up an adorable baby, and you just want to squeeze its cheeks and give it a tight hug...until it pukes all over you? I had a very similar feeling after using this product, although I guess it wasn't so bad as being puked on. What a waste of £4- I should have just bought one copy (as I enjoy reading this magazine) and used the £4 to treat myself to a frappuccino at Starbucks. Hmmmphh.

Benefit describes Porefessional as a balm which 'Quickly minimises the appearance of pores and fine lines'. It also says that it helps makeup stay put- so it's a primer as well? Now I don't have any fine lines, or large pores on my face so I won't be commenting on that, but I can say one thing for sure- if this is a primer then it's a rubbish one at that. It failed to keep my makeup on for just a couple of hours- I felt like I was a teenager again who didn't know how to keep her makeup from disappearing, unlike Benefit's 'That Gal Brightening Face Primer' which keeps my makeup lasting all day. I really tried to like this product, I really did. (I know what you're thinking- 'Of course you tried to like it, you bought three of the same magazine for the same product thrice!') But it did nothing for me.

The product comes out as a beige, lotion-like texture, but once rubbed in it becomes completely translucent, leaving behind no tint. Once rubbed in, the skin does feel really silky but this effect does not last long. It does not make my skin glow or anything (and you all know how much I love to glow), and neither does it keep my skin feeling smooth. Lately, I have been getting slight dry patches on my cheeks, but once I apply a moisturising cream after cleansing, these patches disappear. To my dismay, Benefit's Porefessional only enhanced my dry patches, which was made to look worse once I applied makeup on top.

Many bloggers have rated this product highly, but I just don't understand the hype. I would not recommend this product to anyone, however, it does seem to work for many others out there and it may work for you. Also, I do not have fine lines or large pores (yet) so perhaps this product was just not for me, but if you do have these problems then Porefessional may benefit you. If you're living in the UK, I would suggest you grab yourself a copy of the latest 'Glamour' magazine and try out a sample before purchasing- and please do not buy tons of copies like I did until you've actually decided whether you like it or not!

I will most definitely NOT be purchasing the full-sized version of this product, and at the cost of £23.50 I'd be crazy to even think about it! Twenty-three-pounds-fifty-pence for a balm claiming to be a primer which does nothing but get rid of my makeup quicker and gives me dry patches...no thanks! I'm happy to stick to That Gal who is a lot more professional and does what she's meant to do.

If I had to say one good thing about this product, it would be that as with all Benefit products, I love the fragrance of Porefessional. It has a fruity scent to it which lingers on the skin for quite a while and smells absolutely delicious! But yeh, that's about all the pros I have for this product. Do let me know of your experiences with this product!




RATING: 1/10

Random Banter: 'Prince Charming'

Do you believe in Prince Charming? Do you believe in 'The One'? I do. Yes, I'm a hopeless romantic. I believe finding love is fate. He may be someone you never expected. He could be rich, poor, tall, short...or even a huntsman.

I was watching 'Snow White and the Huntsman' whilst in Bedford the other day and I must say, I quite enjoyed it...unlike 'Mirror Mirror' which according to me was more of a spoof of the original fairytale. Admittedly, I prefer the generic version of this film where it's all lovey-dovey, pastel colours and lots of singing; however 'Snow White and the Huntsman' was a fresh take on the original story. The imagery in this film was brilliant- the evil queen's dark, decaying kingdom is brilliantly juxtaposed to the dwarves' enchanted forest, which is alive with fairies and curious creatures.

Source: Google Images

What's interesting is there are two love interests for Snow White in this film- the Duke's son William, and the Huntsman. Although Snow White didn't exactly choose any one of them at the end of the film, it is obvious that she had perhaps fallen in love with the Huntsman. And this made me think. Ideally, William would have been the Prince Charming in the original fairytale, however, he wasn't 'the one' in this film. It was the Huntsman. There is no true definition for Prince Charming.Yes, he could be anyone. He doesn't have to be perfect- just perfect for you. For Bella in Twilight, a vampire was her Prince Charming. In Beauty and the Beast, Belle falls in love with a beast, and only then does she learn that he is a handsome prince. So if you haven't found 'the one' yet, let go of the 'ideal man' expectations and you'll never know who turns out to be your prince!

Anyway, enough of my banter...and onto beauty talks. I recently received a free sample of Benefit's Porefessional Pro-balm in the latest issue of 'Glamour' magazine.

Oh how I love freebies! Don't we all?! I will be reviewing this in my next post so watch out for it! 'Till then, go and watch the movie 'Snow White and the Huntsmen' and let me know what you think of it!

Benefit That Gal Brightening Face Primer: Review & Swatch

Firstly, apologies for not posting for a while! I was down in Bedford for the week, spending time with cousins, eating endlessly, and chattering (ok, gossiping) away through the nights with no sleep...

Anyway, do you remember when you were at school or college, and there was always THAT GAL who had the most amazing complexion; with her makeup looking flawless and lasting all day, as though she was the walking-talking personification of glowing skin? And you would stare at her with ever so slight envy (or more than just 'slight'- perhaps you secretly prayed she'd have a sudden eruption of acne all over her face and you'd rejoice at the mere thought of it) and wished your skin looked just as great? Well, I certainly wasn't THAT GAL. I had oily skin, with the constant eruptions of blemishes and mini Mount Everests dotted all over my cheeks and forehead (my brother once tried playing dot-to-dot on my face...hmph). Whenever I attempted to wear makeup, it would melt away under all the oil within an hour or two. Sad times.

If only I had met Benefit's 'That Gal' back then...

Things are different now. My skin is not as oily, in fact I tend to get dry patches on my cheeks sometimes. But I do love using 'That Gal'. This is described by Benefit as a 'brightening primer'- and brightens it does. I don't use this everyday; only when I will be wearing foundation or blusher on my face. It really does make my makeup last all day, without requiring touch-ups! I was amazed when I first tried it. It had been my aunts wedding. We went down to Birmingham, where she lived, a week before the wedding. We partied away the whole week, dancing and playing wedding-style games in the marquee set up in their garden. Absolutely no sleep that week. The night before the wedding, my cousins and I did a complete all-nighter with the bride (I WOULD NOT risk eye bags by staying up all night if I was the bride!). That morning was a struggle getting ready. All I wanted was sleep.

So, we get to the wedding hall at lunch, and I'm feeling extremely sick. How was the bride managing?! 45 minutes into the wedding, I grabbed my cousin's car keys and went to sleep in his car. When I woke up, the wedding was over and the bride was leaving... Sad. Just sad. Why am I telling you this? Because my makeup was as good as fresh when I woke up and frantically checked my face in the mirror, feeling like Frankenstein's monster, (that's right, Frankenstein was NOT the monster, he was the one who created the monster- read the novel!) and then oh so pleasantly surprised at what I saw! I was glowing, makeup had not budged and, well...of course, I looked wide awake! Even though I had missed the wedding...what a waste of a £350 sari that I wore... But there was still lots to do after the wedding and my makeup continuously looked fresh! Thanks to Benefit's 'That Gal' face primer.

   

It comes in a glue-stick type packaging, and a few twists of it is enough product to cover the face. It comes out in pink and has a creamy texture, with a lovely, subtle scent to it. I use this straight after moisturising. Once applied over the face, my skin feels super smooth, and soft; appearing more bright and radiant- and simply glowing. I found that my foundation goes on more smoothly once I have this on.

Overall, this is a great product, and does what it's meant to do. It is slightly on the expensive side, as with most Benefit products, but it will last a long time as only a little is needed, and it does keep your makeup lasting longer so touch ups will not be required as much. However, the downside is that you can't tell once the product has run out, until you keep twisting away and no product releases.

I recommend this product to those who have trouble making their makeup last all day, and are tired of constantly having to touch-up their make up. I also recommend it to ladies who want to even out their skin tone and brighten up their skin, as this product can be used alone without makeup, as well. I would definitely repurchase this primer.


RATING: 9/10