Benefit Cosmetics Brow Contour Pro

I think most of us will accept that Benefit Cosmetics know their Brows.  If it hadn't been for Benefit and the lovely Benebabes at Brow Time, I would have given up all hope of ever having brows I could do something with, I am the result of over-tweezed teen brows that never grew back.  Now, I can whip out my brow products and attempt a half-decent looking brow rather than a barely there one and feel much more confident.

My absolute favourite brow product is Gimme Brow, it is the one I have re-purchased time and time again, it is the one product I find the easiest to use, closely followed by Goof Proof.  Then in comes the Brow Contour Pro, a four-in-one brow product that looks remarkably like those multicoloured Biros we used in school driving teachers mad by constantly clicking them to switch colours between red and green.

I was presented with this beautiful package quite some time ago and although it featured on my Instastories, I wanted to make sure I had used the product enough to be able to share my thoughts about it because admittedly, I was happy enough with Gimme Brow and this is a whole new ball game.

For anyone who is obsessed with their brows, I have no doubt that your arsenal of products is not limited to just one, I am sure you have 3-4 maybe even 5 products that you use at any one time. A makeup artist friend of mine uses no less than 5 different products on her own brows every single morning and thinks this offering from Benefit is simply the best thing she has ever seen. 

The multi-tasking brow pencil features a lighter brown shade, deeper brow shade, an edge definer and an arch highlighter which together create clean, shaped brows which have depth and dimension.  

It comes in five different shade options.  The lightest is 01 which is Blonde/ Light, 02 is Brown/Light, 03 is Brown/Medium, 04 is Brown-Black/Light and 05 is Brown-Black Deep.  I have Shade 02 and it works really well with my brow colouring and I could at a push use 03 when I have a brow tint.

What surprised me the most about this product is just how easy it was to use and it does helpfully come with some instructions too:

Press down lighter shade tab and twist until you see product.

• Fill in brow with Lighter shade from start to the arch.
• To switch shades, just press down tab of selected shade until it clicks in place & twist for product.
• Next, fill in brow with Deeper Shade from arch to the end,
• Then, stroke Definer below brow from start to end and above brow from arch to end.
• Blend gently.
• The last step is to apply the Highlighter beneath your arch and then blend outward.

The nib on each of the shades is really soft and even if you apply pressure it doesn't break, it just glides across the skin.

What I like about the shades is that they are not similar or even the same, they are all different.  There is a clear difference between the lighter and darker brown shades and then a stark difference between the definer and the highlighter.  

On sale for £28.50 you can find it at any Benefit store or stand.  Are you a fan of Benefit Brow products?

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page here

Mavala’s Ultimate Christmas Gift Guide

Mavala is the world leader in nail care with a heritage spanning over 50 years and for me, if you ask me what Mavala does, the first thing I say is Nail Care, but did you know they do a whole lot more than that? As well as nails, they have products for the hand, feet, face and makeup and they are all created from rigorous research and manufactured in the Geneva factories to impeccable quality demands.

For Christmas, Mavala have some really cute and purse friendly gift sets featuring Tree Baubles, Duo Products, Hand care products and more.  Today I have a selection from the Christmas collection.

The first product is the Mavala Nail Colour Duo. Featuring a duo of 5ml nail polishes which compliment each other for the festive season. My box contains Riga which is a beautiful natural pink shade and to top it off comes Pink Diamond which is full of glitter and incredibly sparkly. 

They come packaged inside a box with an accompanying red bow to give it that special touch. Priced at £9.95.

Next comes something we all need at some point and that is the Mavala Mava+ Extreme Care for Hands. The sun, cold, wind, use of solvents and cleaning detergents can all have damaging effects on the hands which can result in hands becoming very dry and stressed.

With all of that in mind, Mavala designed a cream for very dry and stressed hands, this cream is an intense repairing and moisturising treatment containing Chamomile and Vitamin E to reduce redness and soothe, Shea Butter to nourish, smooth and repair, and a botanical complex which acts as a protective shield to reinforce the skin's barrier defences.  Again, an addition of a red bow makes a lovely stocking filler gift and the cream is priced at £15.70.

The final gift in my Gift Guide from Mavala is the Mavala Nourishing kit and this is one clever kit which has everything you need to look after those nails.  Inside there are three products which work together to ensure your nails are protected and nourished.

The first product of the trio is Mavaderma and it is described as being a protein and essential vitamin enriched nutritive oil that penetrates the pores to feed the nail matrix, in order to accelerate blood circulation and stimulate nail growth.  Matched with the Super Base polish which protects the nail from damage and staining and finally 97 Wichita which is a beautiful nude pink.  Priced around £16.95.

If, like me, you have friends and work colleagues who are obsessed with keeping their nails in their absolute best condition, these sets are just brilliant gift ideas and whether you need a secret santa, stocking filler or just a nice gift set, there is something here which will fit that bill.

Are you a fan of Mavala nail products?

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page here

W7 Star Gazing Soothing Eye Mask - Gold

Every Sunday, without fail, I make sure I have one whole hour of time to myself.  That means no Husband asking for a brew, no cats constantly wanting to be let in or out of the house and no phone pinging every few seconds with a message, update or email.  Instead, I zone out, switch off, head to the bathroom, fill it with as much hot water as I can, chuck in something soothing and read my book (Kindle). But it doesn't end there, once I am out of the bath, on goes the face mask and eye mask and I lay down on the bed and enjoy those few extra minutes.

I really like masks that have a multipurpose, are a little bit different and are not always designed to do something for my skin.  By that, I mean masks like this Gold W7 Star Gazing Soothing Eye Mask (£9.95 but on offer with Amazon here). I am not new to products like these, I have quite a few for the eyes and one for my entire face and actually find them really soothing.

These masks can be used hot or cold which makes them really interesting and really the preference of heat is down to your own personal preference.  For me, if I have a stress or a tension headache then I like to use something that is cool to help with the aching, but if I am wanting to relax and chill then I prefer to use the mask warm. You can also use the mask at a cool temperature if you want to reduce eye puffiness too.  I have also used the full face mask (linked below) which is really good for use before applying a skincare face mask.

The W7 Star Gazing eye mask contains a gel filling that can be heated or cooled to your preference for relief around the eye area. So to use cold, you need to place the mask into the fridge for an hour or two before using. Before applying to anywhere near your skin, you will need to check the mask is at a temperature you are comfortable with.  Likewise, to use hot, you place the mask in the microwave for 10-15 seconds and again check that you are comfortable with the temperature.  If you find the mask too cool, then place it back into the microwave and reheat at 5-second intervals until you reach a temperature that you are happy with.  Everyone has different levels of heat or coolness at which they are happy with, but just remember it is not a hot water bottle, it is designed to soothe.

The mask uses an adjustable strap so they are a perfect fit for everyone and are neither too tight or too loose.  I like how snugly the mask fits against my eyes and I do like how soothing and comforting it is and I love that I can use it hot or cold depending on my preference. 

Have you ever tried anything like this before?

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page here

Burt's Bees Limited Edition Chai Tea Lip Balm

I absolutely love Burt’s Bees and their lip balms are just incredible and they have featured on this blog many times (here, here and here) and I always ensure I have one to hand for those little emergencies. Did you know that Burt's Bees launched its iconic Lip Balm over 25 years ago and that one is sold every second somewhere in the world? 

New to the Lip Balm family is the Limited Edition Chai Tea Lip Balm. 

Indulge your lips with a touch of sweet and spice with Burt's Bees new Chai Tea Lip Balm

Designed to not only hydrate your lips but to also moisturise and soothe, this balm is made with a blend of cinnamon, cardamon, clove, nutmeg, pepper and tea extracts, this lip balm is as well as it is spicey and if you have ever tried a Chai Tea, then this is that exact same scent and it is just perfect for the colder months. As with all Burt's lip balms, this one also contains responsibly sources beeswax and is enriched with 100% natural ingredients, this natural lip balm is formulated without parabens, phthalates, petrolatum or SLS.

Packaged inside some delightful looking packaging which is perfect for the scent it represents, it retails for £3.99 and you can find it right here.



*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page here