Review: Benefit Cosmetics Brow Zings

I've loved almost every Benefit Cosmetics product I've tried. The price point is a little more than I typically like to spend, but the product you get is definitely worth it. I have dark thick eyebrows and I love filling them in to make them pop even more. I've tired different products over the years including the Benefit Instant Brow Pencil and have been happy with the results. I was almost out of the brow pencil and decided to give the Brow Zings a try. I knew I could always return it for the pencil if I didn't like it as much. 

My thoughts? I love the Brow Zings! The kit comes with a tinted wax that defines and shapes brows and a setting powder to fill in the gaps. It also comes with small tweezers for stray hairs, a hard angle brush, and a blending brush. You can decide how much product to apply so it can be as natural or dramatic as you want. The wax really helped to keep my brows in place and the setting powder filled them in perfectly. I purchased the medium shade which works perfectly with my brow color.

The price point of $30 is a little steep just for brows but a little product really goes a long way so it will last me a long time. As much as I loved the Instant Brow Pencil, the product was really soft and I would sometimes use a tad too much on my brows - making them much more dramatic and I was wasting a lot of product. I think the Brow Zings is the perfect solution to that problem!

Do you fill in your brows? What are your favorite brow products?

Beauty: My Current Favorite Makeup Products

It's no secret, I love to try out new makeup products. Once I find some that I love, I keep them in my daily makeup rotation. These are products that I currently use everyday during the week. You'll see that it's a mix of drugstore finds and more expensive brands. Not every makeup product has to be expensive to work great! I like to play up my eyes a little more on the weekend but I typically stick to these products below. 

Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Rose Petal 

I figured I'd try this out since it was on sale and I'm SO happy I did. I love the pop of color it gives my cheeks and the texture is smooth and creamy. I love how it blends in my skin and it lasts all day. One of my favorite drug store finds! 

Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 35

I love BB creams ever since Adrianne introduced me to how amazing they are. Super light, moisturizing and I don't feel like I have anything on my face. I love it. Perfect for the spring, summer, fall and whenever you don't need as much coverage. 

Smashbox High Definition Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15 

I love this foundation when I need more coverage. In the winter I tend to wear more foundation and this is still light but has the perfect amount of coverage. It matches my skin tone perfectly too! 

Benefit Cosmetics They're Real

Adrianne got me this mascara for Christmas and I completely understand the hype now. I never have clumpy lashes anymore and they transform my straight sad lashes into curled beautiful ones. I love this stuff!

Tarte Mineral Powder Bronzer

I got this with a Tarte blush in a travel pack and fell in love. It's not orange at all and gives me a perfect sun kissed glow. I'm running low and am not happy about that! Time for a Sephora or Ulta run! 

Lancome Le Crayon Khol in Black Coffee 

My mom bought me this after we saw a woman who worked at the Lancome counter wearing it. Her makeup looked phenomenal and she raved about the product. It's pricey, but lasts FOREVER. I haven't had to sharpen it yet! 

Urban Decay Cosmetics Naked Palette w/ Brush

My future mother in law got me this for Christmas and I've been obsessed with it. It's so fun to play around with all of the different colors and I love how neutral they all are. You can use this for day and night. Worth every penny! 

e.l.f. Studio Duo Concealer/Highlighter

I've recently blogged about my obsession for this cheap drugstore find. It's an amazing product that I can't rave enough about.

Have you used any of my favorite beauty products I listed above? What are some of your favorites?

Amanda's September Birchbox

 

I really enjoyed my Birchbox this month. Sometimes it's a hit or a miss but overall I really enjoy receiving these samples each month. I have found some great products I wouldn't have tried otherwise and am so happy that I did!

1. Benefit foamingly clean facial wash and Benefit refined finish facial polish

2. Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse Beauty Balm SPF 25+

3. Birchbox and Color Club® Custom Collection

4. Caudalie Vinexpert Firming Serum

5. twistband™ Hair Tie

6. tili Bags Small Collection 1

1. According to the Birchbox Breakdown: Benefit’s daily cleanser comes in a chic blue tube that will make your other products look humdrum in comparison. Appearances aside, the gentle formula works into a creamy, meringue-like lather that softly removes dirt and impurities. And unlike some cleansers, it gets the job done without drying out your skin.

and

 

We seldom go a day without makeup, which means it’s important to take extra good care of our skin. The beauty experts from Benefit devised this pore-purging facial polish to clear away all traces of product residue and breathe new life into dull skin. Use it to leave skin feeling refreshed and clarified, never dry. It’s formulated for all skin types, making it a no-brainer addition to your cleansing regimen.

 

My review: I LOVE BOTH OF THESE. Sorry for the caps but honestly they smell amazing and left my face so clean and soft. I suffer from dry skin and most of my face washes dry it out even more. Not these products, they left my skin feeling more hydrated then before I washed my face. I couldn't believe how much I liked them and will be purchasing them once my samples run out.

 

2. According to the Birchbox Breakdown: We desperately try to adhere to the less-is-more philosophy, and Dr. Jart’s Water Fuse Beauty Balm helps us minimize our routine. A moisturizer, sunscreen, and treatment serum all-in-one, this tinted BB cream even helps hide imperfections—so there’s no need for foundation or cover-up. Think of it as the Swiss Army Knife of your beauty cabinet.

 

My review: When I opened the tube it looked like the product had already been used. There was BB cream all over the lid and top of the bottle and I wasn't sure if it happened during shipping or if someone had previously used it. After disinfecting the top, I applied what was left to test it. It covered well and matched my skin tone fine (I'm tanner than normal so I'm not sure how it would look in the winter) but it wasn't as moisturizing as my normal BB cream. I would not purchase this.  

 

3. According to the Birchbox Breakdown: If you update your polish nearly as often as you check your Twitter feed, you’re not alone. We designed this share-worthy custom collection with Color Club for all the social media addicts out there. You’ll be inspired to tweet, pin, tag, and post these four gorgeous shades with your followers.

 

My review: I've received another Color Club polish in a past Birchbox and enjoyed the color, but it didn't last long before chipping. Sadly, I experienced the same issue with this one. I got a fall/winter shade this time  called Status Update and it was a darker grey/slate color. I am always looking for more colors to add to my growing nail polish collection so I was not totally disappointed. I just wish it lasted longer before chipping.

 

4. According to the Birchbox Breakdown: It’s a fact of life: as we get older, our once-firm skin begins to lose its elasticity and fine lines start cropping up. Instead of flying into a panic, we’re enlisting Caudalie’s lab-proven anti-aging serum. It’s formulated with grape-based actives and other botanicals that soften the look of wrinkles, plus tightening agents that go to work right away to lift sagging skin.

 

My review: I tried this a few times before bed and in the morning before I started my beauty routine and didn't notice a difference in the firmness of my skin. Perhaps after regular use this product would start working, but it didn't dazzle me.

 

5. According to the Birchbox Breakdown: We never paid much attention to our hair ties before Twistband came into our lives. Now we can’t go anywhere without one (or three) of their snag-free, super soft elastics. They keep hair secure without leaving ugly creases behind, and look as good on our wrists as they do in our ponytails. These colorful collections come with twelve ties, so you’ll always have plenty of spares on hand.

 

My review: I have seen these hair ties everywhere and was curious to see if they worked. I was so excited to get on in my box this month and couldn't wait to try it. It left my hair crease free and didn't pull out any hair like my normal hair ties do. I also like to wear them on my wrist if I might need to put my hair up at some point and was pleased that these did not dig into my wrist like my other ones do. I would definitely purchase these!

 

6. According to the Birchbox Breakdown: Traveling can be a stressful experience—whether we’re going through airport security or catching a subway during rush hour. After spilling the contents of our purse in public one too many times, we turned to tili’s stylish reusable bags. They’re small enough to fit inside your purse or carry-on but large enough to hold all your lip glosses, loose change, or travel-sized toiletries. Each pack comes in three colorful varieties.

My review: I thought these bags were cute. I wouldn't mind throwing one into my purse to keep all of my lip glosses and loose items organized. I don't think I would purchase these, but I'm glad I was able to try one. Perhaps if I traveled more I would be willing to drop down some cash for fancier plastic bags.

 

Want to try Birchbox for yourself? Sign up here.

 

 

Review: Benefit They’re Real! Mascara

I first tried Benefit They’re Real! Mascara via a trial size sample. The product comes in jet black and claims to curl, volumize, lengthen and separate lashes all with one formula and brush. 

According to usage tests conducted by Benefit, here are the results that testers saw:

• "94% saw dramatic length & volume*
• 90% saw base-to-tip curl*
• 94% saw visible lift*
• 100% saw long-wearing results*

*Results observed in a consumer panel survey" {via}

I’m always a little skeptical of panels like this because of course companies wouldn’t promote disappointing results. I really think the only thing that is going to convince me if a product works or not is for me to try it myself. Once I got my hands on the sample, I knew I would eventually purchase it.

Here’s how the product looks on me. I left the lashes on my left eye untouched so you can compare:

If you compare the way the mascara looks on me to the picture found on the mascara box, you’ll find that they differ quite a bit. It thickened my lashes a bit, but comes nowhere near the lashes featured in that picture. For me, the mascara delivers on several of the claims. It does an excellent job giving my lashes length, volume and lift and is very long-lasting. Unfortunately, I am unable to see the curling effect that’s promised unless I spend time curling my lashes.

One of the best things about the product is the brush. The tip of the brush contains tiny little spikes to help you get your bottom and outermost lashes.

Overall, despite not delivering on all it promises, I’d absolutely recommend picking up a bottle of this mascara. I really do love it. I don't think there's one mascara out there that's going to give you lengthening, curling and thickening all-in-one, but this product comes close. If you’re reluctant to spend the $23, try to get your hands on a sample. My sample came from the points reward program at Sephora.

Have you tried out this mascara? What did you think?

Review: Benefit Instant Brow Pencil

Luckily I've always had think, dark eyebrows (thanks, dad!) and haven’t had to do much to shape them. However, I have noticed that there are areas where hair doesn’t grow in all the way. In the past I have used various shadows to fill them in and clear mascara to set them. I knew there were better products out there to fill in and set my brows but never wanted to invest the money. Until now.

At my most recent Sephora trip (thanks to a birthday gift card from Adrianne) I decided to take some time and look around. The Benefit section caught my eye right away and I wanted to see what other products they had to offer. I noticed the Instant Brow Pencil and was intrigued. I liked how there was a light to medium, medium to dark and deep shade and how it had a brush on the end called a special blending spoolie to keep brows in place. I wasn’t sure if $20 was worth it for such a small item but I decided to bite the bullet and give it a try. I told myself that if I didn’t love it that I would take it back and get something else. 

{via}

I couldn’t be happier that I went for it. My brows FINALLY look more natural and full than they ever have. I noticed such a big difference from the shadows I was using before and the product kept my unruly brows in place all day.

I purchased the medium to dark since my eyebrows are a tad darker than my hair color. I used short quick strokes in the direction that my brows naturally grow to apply the product. I quickly realized a lot goes a long way once you use the brush to smooth everything in place.

I am really happy with the product so far and am sad it took me this long to invest in such a great item. It’s true that great brows can transform your entire face! 

What is your daily eyebrow routine? Are there any products you suggest we try?

 

Makeup Haul

Recently I got my hands on a few beauty products I'm really excited to test and review for you guys.

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette

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This follow-up to the original Naked Palette (which I absolutely love) is AWESOME. The palette contains 12 shades, and they're quite different from the original palette. The Naked 2 contains a few more matte shades, but maintains the combination of both sparkly and matte shades. It also comes with a mini lip gloss and a double-ended eyeshadow brush. There really are a lot of possibilities with this palette.

Jouer Lip Enhancer

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Jouer is a brand I had heard of, but only really discovered via my monthly Birchbox. I'd never tried the lip enhancer before, but I decided to give it a shot when I read the description. The product is creamy and has a subtle hint of pink. The lip enhancer claims to make your lips look fuller and reduce fine lines. It's supposed to hydrate and protect lips. The directions say to apply several times a day for one month to see results.

Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint

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Thank you to Birchbox for introducing me to this product! It's like a tinted moisturizer on steroids. The product is lightweight and provides a nice-looking summer glow to the skin. It has SPF 20 and comes in seven different shades to match all skin tones. The color I purchased was pearl -- made for fair complexions. As you can tell, I already love this product.

Benefit They're Real! Mascara

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This product is one of the more recent additions to the Benefit line. The mascara claims to lengthen, curl and volumize lashes. That's quite a tall order. Having tested this product before, I was pretty happy with the results. One of the first things I noticed about the product is the brush. It's fairly standard, but the tip comes with tiny little bristles to help you coat the harder to reach lashes. I'm looking forward to adding this one to my daily makeup routine.

I'm really excited to use all of these new products. I'll post full reviews and pictures for everything soon. Have you tried out any of these products? Let us know in the comments!