Showing posts with label benefit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label benefit. Show all posts

Thursday, 4 February 2016

January Favourites



BECCA Backlight Priming Filter
Strobing is probably the biggest makeup trend at the minute & I couldn't be any happier about it. I am obsessed with glowing skin & practically bathe in highlighter. It makes my face come alive & balances out a matte base. BECCA have truly mastered the highlighter with liquid, cream & powder versions of their incredible Shimmering Skin Perfectors but I've recently been loving their new Backlight Priming Filter. It's a radiance-boosting primer that really gives you that look of being 'lit from within'. It is fairly similar to their original liquid SSP in Moonstone but slightly thicker in texture which makes it a better base for makeup. The sheen this gives the skin is beautifully pearlescent, never glittery & neutral in tone. Used alone it actually balances it out my complexion & gives me that perfect healthy looking glow that only catwalk models seem to have. Often radiance primers can disappear once you apply foundation but this stuff is still clearly visible under light, medium & full coverage base products. It instantly perks up dull skin & provides the ultimate dewy canvas for the rest of your makeup.

Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel
My skin has been awfully dry lately thanks to a combination of cold weather & central heating. It was clear that I needed to make some minor adjustments to my skincare routine so I bought a couple of things to better nourish my skin. I normally use a cleansing oil followed by a gel cleanser twice a day but that's not really necessary in the morning. I decided to go back to using a balm cleanser & after avoiding the hype that follows this Oskia cleanser for so long I finally cracked. The Renaissance Cleansing Gel is enriched with pumpkin enzymes, vitamins A, C & E, starflower oil & MSM. This wonderful blend of ingredients gently exfoliates, restores & soothes providing all of the things that my skin was crying out for. The texture of this cleanser is unlike any other. It is dispensed as a pink gel, feels like balm, melts into the skin like an oil & then goes full circle, washing off with the ease of a gel cleanser. My skin is left feeling smooth, soft & hydrated without any residue. It also has a gorgeous rose scent that reminds me of Turkish Delight! I only wish I'd given in to the hype sooner.

Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate
The other item I bought to sort out my dry/dehydrated skin was the Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate. I was in need of a new facial oil & considered repurchasing either Balance Me's Radiance Oil or Trilogy's Rosehip Oil. I also considered trying something new like Sarah Chapman's Morning Facial or Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate. In the end I had a look in my skincare stash & found a tiny vial of this stuff. It's been a long time since I've used any Liz Earle products but when I first started getting into skincare I ordered from them all the time & they always sent out little samples of this oil. My skin absolutely lapped it up so I splashed out on a big bottle because I preferred the pump packaging to the rollerball. The Superskin Concentrate features plenty of skin-friendly oils including avocado, rosehip, argan, lavender, hazelnut, neroli & chamomile plus vitamin E. Massaging this into the skin feels like such a treat. The natural scent is divine & helps send me off to sleep quicker. The oil is really nourishing & whenever I use it I wake up with bright, fresh & dewy looking skin. It's more of a night oil but I do sometimes mix it in with my moisturiser during the day if my skin really needs it. I just love how it feels on my skin & it's a great solution for a dull, dry complexion.

Benefit Gimme Brow in Medium/Deep
I put a lot of effort into maintaining & filling in my eyebrows. I'm definitely one of those annoying 'brows on fleek' people & want them to look as good as possible. I adore all of my Anastasia Beverly Hills products but I was drawn to this brow gel from Benefit because the tiny brush seemed ideal for defining the hairs at the front of my brows. It's easy to control & the formula is fairly dry so you don't end up splodging excess product all over the skin which does sometimes happen with the Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel. Just a few strokes deliver fuller, darker brows that still look natural. The water-resistant fibre gel adheres to the tiniest of hairs filling in gaps & keeping everything in place. It really beefs up the hairs so it'd be great for anyone with sparse brows. The Medium/Deep shade is a good match for me. It's cool-toned & not too dark so it doesn't make my brows look fake. It works well on it's own & also looks fab applied alongside my Anastasia products.

NYX Powder Blush in Taupe
I've been getting back into contouring this year & one contour product that I'd always wanted to try is NYX's Taupe blush. Often hailed as the quintessential contour colour for us pale girls, I'm not quite sure why it's taken me so long to purchase it. Although NYX is now stocked on FeelUnique & Boots I had to order it off eBay as NYX actually changed their powder blush formula. Apparently the HD version of this blush isn't quite as good as the original so I wanted to make sure I got the right one. Taupe is a matte cool-toned brown that mimics the appearance of a natural shadow. The pigment isn't too strong but that works to your advantage when contouring. It blends easily & you can build up the colour where you need to. It's a very flattering, natural shade that never looks muddy on the skin. The price is really affordable so I would recommend this product to contouring beginners & experts alike.


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Sunday, 1 March 2015

February Favourites



Benefit Roller Lash
Like probably everyone else in the UK, last month I picked up Elle magazine for the exclusive sample tube of Benefit's latest mascara offering. While I do think that a lot of Benefit's products are quite gimmicky & don't really live up to their reputation online, I am completely loving this mascara! Roller Lash is extremely uplifting & holds a curl like nothing else. It manages to coat every single tiny lash & dramatically lengthens my lashes. The formula is super black & stays put all day long. It kinda reminds of the Kevyn Aucoin Essential Mascara but without the fibres. My one issue with Roller Lash is that it can be hard to apply more than one coat so my lashes don't look quite as voluminous as I would like. I tried using Roller Lash as a second mascara last week & I much prefer it that way. I can get the thickness I want from another product & then this mascara on top really amps up the length & curl of my lashes.

Lancome Artliner
Artliner is basically my holy grail liquid eyeliner. I religiously used this stuff for years & after my recent clear out I realised I still had an unopened tube! I swiftly cracked it open & it was a complete revelation. Perfect liner every time. It is quite expensive for an eyeliner but in my opinion it's totally worth the money. I love the pointed nib applicator on this & it applies really smoothly. The pigmentation of the liner is fantastic & it doesn't transfer onto my upper eyelids at all. If you've always struggled with liquid liner then this is the product I would recommend because it is utterly foolproof. It also comes in some really interesting but wholly wearable colours. Black is obvs my fave but I also have it in brown which I think looks lovely with a neutral smokey eye.

Palmer's Skin Smoothing Lotion With AHA/BHA
From a young age we are taught that in order to exfoliate your face & body you need some kind of grainy scrub. I'm glad to see that a lot of people have come round to ways of chemical exfoliation as it's just so much better for your face. However most people still use a salt/sugar scrub on their body, myself included. Well I recently discovered that there are loads of body lotions out there featuring BHA/AHAs and much like acids for your face, these lotions are a whole lot more effective at removing dead skin. I really like this Palmer's Skin Smoothing Lotion. I hate the smell of their regular cocoa butter products but this one is a lot more bearable. It blends together cocoa butter, shea butter, vitamin E, salicylic acid & lactic acid for super smooth skin. It's not very moisturising but the main point of this product is exfoliation rather than hydration. It works wonders on keratosis pilaris & ingrown hairs. It can also help with things like bacne & scarring. Body lotions aren't the most exciting thing in the world but this one is pretty fab.

Swell Advanced Root Nutrient Complex*
I've been using this every time I blow dry my hair & it is such an amazing product. The entire Swell range is designed to provide volume & thickness to fine, flat hair. The Root Nutrient Complex features a unique blend of eighteen active botanical extracts which help to nourish & protect hair at the root. You simply spray it onto your scalp & massage it in. It has made my hair feel so much thicker & stronger whilst giving it some mega volume. My hair was in desperate need of something like this. I'm dreading this bottle running out though because the full size version is so expensive!

Organic Surge Extra Care Hydrating Eye Cream*
Organic Surge make some amazing skincare products and I'm especially fond of their Extra Care range. These products are slightly higher in price than the rest of their skincare but they feature some really high quality ingredients so they're worth the extra expense. This eye cream contains jojoba oil which smooths & moisturises the skin without leaving any oily residue behind. It feels extremely light but incredibly hydrating at the same time. It's suitable for all skin types even sensitive skin. Some eye creams make my eyes water if I apply them a bit close but this feels very gentle. It helps to nourish & rejuvenate the eye area leaving it looking smoother & brighter.


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Wednesday, 1 October 2014

September Favourites



Bioderma Sensibio H2O Reverse Pump Bottle
Bioderma will probably always be my favourite micellar water. I've used this stuff for years & I'm not planning on changing that anytime soon. I won't bore you with another rave about this wonderful makeup remover but there's a reason why I've included it in this post. A couple of months ago Escentual started stocking a reverse pump bottle of Bioderma. How cool is that?! It took me a while to finish off my old bottle but I finally got to buy this one a few weeks ago & I love it! I always used to end up drowning my cotton pads in the stuff which was a little wasteful. This pump allows you to control how much product is being put onto your pad so you won't waste a single drop. You don't even have to pick up the bottle, just lift the lid & press down. The lazy girl's makeup remover just got even lazier.

Eucerin DermoPurifyer Toner
Having previously reviewed Eucerin's DermoPurifyer Active Concentrate I was keen to try some more of their products. I'm currently obsessed with reading /r/SkincareAddiction. Like me, they're huge advocates of chemical exfoliation & one product that lots of people seemed to be having great results with is this Eucerin DermoPurifyer Toner. Most of the DermoPurifyer range features lactic acid which is a gentler AHA than glycolic acid. This toner contains 2% lactic acid & would be a fantastic addition for anyone with blemish prone skin. It smells a lot nicer than the Active Concentrate so I much prefer using this product. I only use it at night, maybe twice a week as it can be quite drying. Alcohol is fairly high up the ingredients list so I'm guessing it's down to that. Even though I've only been using it twice a week the results were pretty instantaneous. Some AHA products take longer to work on my skin than others but I really noticed a big difference to my skin within a couple of weeks. My skin is prone to closed comedones & I developed quite a few recently from testing out a retinol product. This toner has managed to clear up my skin completely. It's totally amazing & so much cheaper than the likes of Alpha-H Liquid Gold, Pixi Glow Tonic, Clarins Brightening Toner or P50.

John Frieda Full Repair Touch-Up Flyaway Tamer
For some reason I've been experiencing quite a bit of hair breakage recently. I guess all the bleach & heat is finally taking it's toll :( When my hair is freshly washed I have a few broken strands around my parting which tend to stick up & make me look like a bloody cockatoo. For a while I had to run a comb full of hairspray over those hairs to make them stay flat but I felt like this was drying out my hair & possibly exacerbating the problem. I normally use the John Frieda Full Repair range in between washes with my silver or pink toned Bleach London products. Boots had a 3 for 2 offer on recently so I decided to give this Flyaway Tamer a go. I'm so happy with product & wish I'd found it sooner! It's kinda like a hair serum with a mascara wand to brush the product through your hair. It doesn't make my hair greasy or flat, it just smooths down those awful sticky up broken strands so that everything looks perfectly healthy again. It features inca inchi oil to help repair the hair & gives it a polished finish. The tube format means that I can easily slip it in my handbag for touch ups on the go. I'd definitely recommend this if you've had any noticeable hair breakage or are just fed up of flyaways.

Rimmel Apocalips Lip Velvet in Orange-ology
I completely skipped over the original Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquers as I was just never that interested in them & I got tired of seeing 50000 reviews of them on Bloglovin'. Boots had a 2 for £10 offer on all Rimmel products a few weeks ago & I was instantly drawn to the new matte Apocalips Lip Velvets. My current favourite is Orange-ology which is a bright tangerine shade. The colour reminds me of MAC Morange which is one of my favourite ever lipsticks. I would also consider this to be a dupe for the Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Riviera. Even though these are supposed to be matte lip creams they still have a slight sheen to them. The formula is very silky & creamy, taking a while to dry down on the lips. Many matte lip products can be drying & start to crack on the lips but this lip velvet is so moisturising and feels very comfortable to wear. Drugstore brands are finally getting matte lip products right!

Benefit They're Real Push-Up Liner
Now this isn't strictly a 'fave' product as generally I do think it's a bit crap. The tremendous hype around the They're Real Liner was almost enough to put me off buying it but the liner lover in me couldn't resist giving it a go. Used to line the lids I just can't get to grips with it. The formula is far too thick & dry to apply smoothly. Despite being assured by a Benefit counter girl that it wouldn't transfer at all, it leaves me with horrid random black lines above my eyes. For me it's just not as good as a regular liquid liner or a gel liner with a brush. However I hate to see a product go to waste, especially an £18 eyeliner, so I decided to keep using it. I've been using this to tightline my eyes only and for that purpose it works brilliantly. I've always struggled to tightline my eyes as most of my eyeliner pencils are quite hard & it can be difficult to get them to show up. The soft texture & high pigmentation combined with the silicone nib means that it's really easy to tightline with. I never used to bother with this step but it makes a huge difference to the appearance of my lashes & ties in well with my cat flick liner to make my eyes look super defined.


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Tuesday, 1 October 2013

September Favourites



Korres Pomegranate Lip Butter
I posted some swatches of this yesterday so hopefully you can see why I'm so enamoured with this luscious lip butter. It's such a lovely neutral pink shade with total 'my lips but better' potential. These lip balms are so hydrating and feel amazing on the lips. They're just perfect for the Autumn/Winter seasons. Full review here.

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer SPF 15
I love thick silicone-based primers for their ability to smooth over the skin and hide pores. But I started to find that they would drag and pill in combination with certain foundations. So they were making my base look slightly patchy rather than flawless. I decided to bite the bullet and shell out for this much loved but incredibly expensive primer and I'm so glad I did. It really is fantastic and is easily the best primer I've ever tried. It gives your makeup some serious staying power as well as minimising pores, smoothing the skin and adding a nice luminescence to your face. Full review here.

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation
In the height of my SPF-free foundation madness I splashed out £34.50 on Giorgio Armani's Luminous Silk Foundation. I loved the coverage and glow it brings to the skin. It really is a gorgeous foundation and perfect for nights out. But as someone who likes to apply their makeup in the morning and then can't be bothered with touching up throughout the day, it just didn't last long enough on my skin. It always ended up going a bit patchy around my nose and forehead no matter which primer I used. So I kinda gave up on it and it had been sitting untouched on my table for months. Then I purchased the amazing Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer and everything I disliked about the Armani foundation had been completely rectified. Of course, the primer kinda negates the whole no SPF thing but now that I use chemical exfoliants on my skin everyday, I do need constant sun protection. Anyway I think they're a perfect team and it's nice that I can actually use this rather pricey foundation again! (Ancient) full review here.

Benefit They're Real Mascara
I bought this a few months ago when my beloved Lancome Doll Eyes mascara finally dried up. I think it has to be one of the most hyped up mascaras ever so I had really big expectations of it. At first I wasn't too keen on it. This mascara certainly lengthens but it was lacking the volume that I crave. It definitely improves as the product dries up a bit but it still was never my first choice when it came to applying my mascara in the morning. However I think it looks really stunning when wearing false lashes. I always pop on another coat of mascara after applying false eyelashes to blend them in a bit more and this one really delivers some beautiful black voluminous lashes. So the name 'They're Real' might not be entirely true anymore but in combination with some nice falsies, this mascara is a dream.

La Roche-Posay Redermic R
My skincare routine, diet adjustments and supplementing must be working because I've not had a single new spot for almost a month now! Probably jinxed myself now though eh? But that's pretty amazing for someone who was getting at least one cropping up every day. My chin was the last place to clear up but it has been helped tremendously by this retinol cream. It has helped to heal up active breakouts, gotten rid of my cystic acne and has worked really well on my skin's personal nemesis - closed comedones. I prefer this over other spot treatments because it works so fantastically on scarring too. It also leaves my skin soft & smooth so if you have sensitive skin this is a great option for a retinol product. Full review here.


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Wednesday, 10 April 2013

What's In My Makeup Bag?




I store all of my makeup collection in some acrylic drawers from Homebase but I keep the stuff I tend to wear on a daily basis inside my makeup bag. I bought this from MAC a few years ago & it's still going strong. It is the signature medium rectangle bag. It's a good size as it can hold a lot of stuff and has a separate pocket to keep my brushes in. I tend to keep far too many things in here as I like to have a little bit of choice when it comes to what I'm gonna use that day. I would clear some of the products out but I just like too many things! Anyway here's a little peak at some of my most used makeup products.


Dr Jart+ Water Fuse BB Cream / Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation / Laura Mercier Foundation Primer
By Terry Touche Veloutee / Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer / Bobbi Brown Creamy Corrector
Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer

I keep a couple of different base products in my bag to use depending on how my skin is behaving & how much time I have to get ready. If I have time I prefer to use the Laura Mercier Silk Creme applied with a Beautyblender. If I'm running late a blob of the Dr Jart BB cream mixed with a tiny dot of the Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer helps to even out my skin and hide some of my blemishes & scarring. The BB cream alone is far too dark & sheer for me so adding the Sensual Skin Enhancer lightens it up & adds a bit more coverage. I use a few different concealers but tend to just go for some of the Bobbi Brown Creamy Corrector under my eyes most days.


Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch Primer / Illamasqua Naked Rose Blusher / NARS Deep Throat Blusher / theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer / MAC Omega Eyeshadow / Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette

As well as the Laura Mercier Foundation Primer I also keep the Clarins Instant Smooth one in my bag. The Clarins primer is better if I want to hide my pores & smooth over my skin so I use this one more often. I love blushers & have tons in my collection but the ones I've been using most are NARS Deep Throat & Illamasqua Naked Rose. They're both nice peachy pinks that add a much needed burst of colour to my complexion. My go-to highlighter is theBalm's Mary-Lou Manizer, I recommend this product for anyone who wants a highly metallic sheen to their skin. It's one of the most pigmented I've tried & really makes my skin glow. I use the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette every day as it's a great selection of neutral colours that are ideal for day or night. If I fancy using a powder to fill in my eyebrows I opt between the shade Naked2 from this palette and MAC's Omega eyeshadow.


Givenchy Noir Couture Mascara* / MAC Clear Brow Set / NUXE Reve De Miel Lip Balm / Lancome Hypnose Doll Eyes Mascara / Benefit They're Real Mascara / MAC Fling Eye Brow Pencil / Anastasia Granite Tinted Brow Gel / Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara / Beaute Girlina Weightless Lip Creme / L'Oreal Carbon Gloss Superliner / Revlon Strawberry Shortcake Lip Butter / Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion / MAC NC15/NW20 Pencil
LORAC Front Of The Line Pro Eyeliner / SUQQU Eyebrow Liquid Pen

I have four mascaras in here which is probably overkill! At the minute I like to layer the last dregs of my Lancome Doll Eyes mascara with Benefit They're Real mascara and then use the Clinique mascara on my bottom lashes to stop them smudging. I didn't really like They're Real to begin with but it's starting to get better as it dries out a bit. Still clinging on to the Lancome one though! There's some more eye brow products here depending on how I want them to look. I love brushing on some of the Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel when I don't have time to fill them in properly. I have lip products galore but I tend to go for the Beaute Lip Creme or Revlon Lip Butter as I do love a nice pink lip. I use the L'Oreal Superliner to do my regular cat flick but the LORAC one is amazing for really thin lines. I use this to fill in any tiny gaps, neaten the end of the flick & sometimes I draw on bottom lashes with it a la Twiggy. And I can't go a day without using my MAC NC15/NW20 pencil on my lower lash line to brighten up my eyes.


Real Techniques Buffing Brush / Real Techniques Contour Brush x2 / Real Techniques Setting Brush / Sigma Tapered Highlighter Brush / Real Techniques Brow Brush / Laura Mercier Double Ended Eye Brow Brush / MAC 239 Brush / MAC 222 Brush / MAC 219 Brush / MAC 227 Brush / Tweezerman Tweezers / Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

I keep a few essential brushes in here but often dip into my brush pots when I'm getting ready. I typically apply foundation with a Beautyblender (but I keep that in a separate jar) or the Real Techniques Buffing Brush. I always keep two of the Contour Brushes in here - one for blending concealer & one for applying blusher. I use the setting brush with some loose powder to set under my eyes and the Sigma brush to apply highlighter. There's two angled brushes in here but they're quite different, the Real Techniques one is better for lining my eyes with black eyeshadow & the Laura Mercier one is my favourite eye brow brush. The bristles are a lot stiffer so it works a lot better. I also keep several eyeshadow brushes in here but I probably use the MAC 219 the most as I like to apply some brown eyeshadow under my eyes with it. Finally I have my tweezers & eyelash curlers, total essentials for me & you can't get better than Tweezerman & Shu Uemura.


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Monday, 16 January 2012

Five Of The Best Primers & Mini Giveaway

Primers are an often overlooked part of a daily face routine. Some people have never heard of a primer and some people who own them just forget to use them. However most people would probably agree that the state of your skin before you apply makeup is just as important as the foundation you use and the skill with which you apply it. Personally I have found that using a primer after your regular cleanse, tone and moisturise routine is the best way of ensuring that your skin looks flawless and your makeup lasts all day long. A primer is intended to provide a base for your foundation that will improve the lasting power of your makeup as well as smooth your skin and disguise pores & wrinkles. I've tried a few different primers now but I think that I've finally found the one that I'm happiest with. Heres a quick overview of them all.


Smashbox Photo Finish Light Primer

This was the first primer I ever bought. I was in New York so felt the need to buy as many cool things in Sephora as possible. Smashbox do several primers but I got the light one because its oil-free and therefore wouldn't clog up my skin. I love how smooth this made my skin feel and foundation definitely went on a bit easier. Unfortunately that was almost all it did. After about four hours of wear my T-zone would start to look a bit oily again and my pores were still visible from the minute I applied my foundation. Smashbox is now available at Debenhams & online in the UK where I think it retails for about £25. I think thats quite a lot of money to spend on something that doesn't really make much of a difference to your face.


GOSH Foundation Primer Cream

This is the primer I've been using for the last year. I bought it after hearing so many good reviews of the gel one. GOSH do a few primers but I went for the cream because it reminded me of the texture of the Smashbox one. I also thought it seemed less clogging than the gel one. I like this one quite a lot because it did keep my makeup looking fresh for the whole day without any oiliness creeping through. It doesn't hide my pores though and doesn't make my skin feel amazing. I did repurchase this product as it is a pretty decent primer for the price, which is about £14.


MeMeMe Seventh Heaven Moisturising Face Base

I got this in last month's Glossybox and I'm not really a big fan of it. Its both a moisturiser & primer in one so the product is like a thick cream. I really dislike the way it feels on my face. It made my skin feel tacky and wet rather than silky and smooth like most primers. It makes my makeup look smooth and last most of the day but does nothing for my pores. Plus the citrus smell is horrible. A fullsize pot of this costs £15 so its in the same price range as the GOSH one but nowhere near as good.




Benefit The Porefessional

I saw this product in pretty much every '2011 Favourites' post out there so I was really excited to try this one out. When I went to buy this from Boots a couple of weeks ago they had this little gift set including a fullsize tube of The Porefessional for the same price as just the regular tube (£23.50). I'd wanted to try Girl Meets Pearl for ages so snapped it up even though the concealer is too dark for me. This product is really fantastic. Its not like any of the other primers I've tried because the balm is actually flesh coloured. The beige colour really helps to cover up any redness. It's definitely not enough to wear on its own but it does help to even out skintone making my complexion look flawless. I find that it covers my pores really well and makes my skin feel lovely. Really brilliant product.


Philosophy The Present

I absolutely love The Porefessional and didn't think I would ever find anything better until I was browsing the Philosophy counter in Manchester last week. Considering I'd only just bought the Benefit one a week before I wasn't looking for another primer but once I get obsessed with something I'll buy more until I find the perfect one. I remembered reading about The Present on Adrienne's blog and she seemed to think that it was better than The Porefessional. So after having a good natter with the sales assistant, who happened to be a MUA and used this primer on all the models at London Fashion Week, she applied it to my face. 'Wow, that's insane' was pretty much all I could say. I felt my face afterwards and it was just so smooth, I couldn't believe it. My pores were invisible and my bare skin actually looked pretty decent. The sales assistant has also pretty much convinced me that I need Philosophy's Microdelivery Peel in my life. I've been using this under my foundation for the past week and it looks like someone has airbrushed my face. My makeup lasts all day long without a single touch up and even with foundation on you can barely see any pores on my face. Another big advantage of this product over The Porefessional is the value. For £1.50 less you get more than double the amount of product. Pretty much the perfect primer. I can't wait to try even more Philosophy products.

Honorary mention goes to the Laura Mercier primer which I used to own many years ago but sadly never repurchased. That product was the perfect partner for the Laura Mercier tinted moisturiser but I never tried it with a regular foundation so can't really comment on it. I still think I prefer the Philosophy one as it makes my skin feel absolutely incredible. Are there any other primers that you like?

Now for the mini giveaway. As you can see in my Porefessionally Pretty set I got a mini pot of Benefit Erase Paste. The only colour included in these sets is Medium 02 which is way too dark for me. Rather than bin it I figured one of you might like to have it instead. I've not opened it so you'll get a brand new pot. Its the perfect size for if you want to just try it out or to put in your bag for quick touchups on the go. If you want to win it just write a comment saying so below and I'll pick one of you at random. I'll announce the winner this Friday. Easy peasy :)