Benefit High Beam and Cha Cha Tint

High Beam - £19.50 and Cha Cha Tint - £24.50

In my TropiCORAL set (review here) there were 2 minis- 1 of High Beam, a luminescent highlighter and the other of Cha Cha Tint, a coral tinted stain for lips and cheeks. Benefit's tints are products which I've heard a lot about but haven't had much experience with so I was really excited to try them out. Although these look comparatively small, they have lasted me for months, and I'm sure they will continue to last me for even longer.

150 Follower Giveaway - Benefit & Clinique!

Initially I had planned to schedule this giveaway but by the time I got everything organised, I had reached well over 150 and so I made it a little extra special! I want to thank each and every one of you for following Beauty for the Beauty, my special little corner of the internet. I made this blog because everyone else was sick and tired of hearing me blabber on about the latest Chanel launch or that new Benefit primer - this is a place where I can do all of that, as well as meeting lots of new people! 
I didn't really get into the swing of blogging until a few months ago, when I realised that I needed to connect myself to Bloglovin' and speak to other bloggers, not just expecting people to find my blog.

On to the actual giveaway, I have to admit that I'm quite jealous of whoever get this prize, I've had my eye on these for a while now! The lucky winner will get:
-Benefit's Gettin' Cheeky set
-Clinique Party Tips set
-Benefit It's Potent deluxe sample size
and I'll throw in some of my favourites too!

Terms and Conditions:
-The competition will run from 10/02/14 to 24/03/14
-All entrants must be 16 & over/have permission from a parent
-All entrants must be UK residents (shipping restrictions don't allow me to send nail polish internationally, sorry!)
-You must be following me on either Bloglovin'/GFC (I will check!)
-If the chosen winner does not reply to my email informing them of their prize within 48 hours I reserve the right to choose another


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Best of 2013: Skincare, Bodycare and Haircare

Welcome back to the second instalment of my Best of 2013 series, where I tell you all of my favourite products of the year. The first post was about makeup (here) and this is about everything else- skincare, bodycare and haircare!

Best Perfume: Chanel Chance Eau Tendre Eau de Toilette, this is a beautiful fragrance that works well both during the day and the night, with great lasting power

Best Shampoo: Organix Moroccan Argan Oil shampoo, this shampoo makes my hair feel so soft and helps to tame my unruly hair
Best Conditioner: Elvive Nutri-Gloss Light Shine conditioner, prevents greasiness and prolongs shine, what more could you wish for?
Best Hair Treatment: Herbal Essences Beautiful Ends Intensive Mask, it's a great product to restore my hair and make it feel healthier and repaired
Best Styling Product: John Frieda 3 Day Straight spray, I spray this on wet hair and my hair stays straight until my next wash!

Best Body Wash: Palmolive Olive body wash, it's seriously moisturising and smells great, it's a really no-nonsense, no-frills product
Best Body Scrub: Sabon Tropic body scrub, it smells amazing, literally the smell lasts all day, and it sloughs off all the dead skin cells
Best Body Lotion: Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter, this smells lovely and provides instant hydration without feeling uncomfortable, sinking it quite quickly
Best Hand Cream: Elizabeth Arden Intensive Moisturising Hand Treatment, a really intensive moisturiser that does the job without a feeling of greasiness

Best Makeup Remover: Bioderma Sebium H20 Solution, it does a great job as removing waterproof makeup and preventing greasiness
Best Cleanser: Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser, this smells amazing and feels so luxurious on my face, a definite pick me up
Best Toner: Caudalie Beauty Elixir, again, this smells amazing and feels really refreshing 
Best Serum: Josie Maran 100% Argan Oil, really intensive for overnight moisturisation
Best Day Moisturiser: Benefit Triple Performing Facial Emulsion, it's a lightweight moisturiser that makes a great base for makeup
Best Evening Moisturiser: Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel, it's not a thick and weighty moisturiser, but it still does the job without any discomfort
Best Eye Cream: Esteé Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Cream, this is a very thick and intensive eye cream providing some serious moisture
Best Face Mask: Origins Clear Improvement mask, this is great for sorting out any pesky blemishes and generally for clearing up a bad breakout
Best Spot Treatment: Freederm Gel, this can literally do miracles overnight, making an angry inflamed spot much less noticeable

That wraps up my favourites of 2013, what a long way I've come since my 2012 days of black eyeliner, mascara and power, with the only skincare routine being makeup remover wipes and an occasional face scrub!

Best of 2013: Makeup

Since the beginning of December, I've been working on a mega list of all my favourite products of the year. This is the first of 2 posts, being all about Makeup Products/Tools and the other Skincare/Haircare/Bodycare. 

Without further ado, my 2013 favourites (and some very quick reviews!)

Best Primer: Smashbox Photo Finish Camera Ready primer, long lasting and oil-free, a great all-rounder product

Best Foundation: Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow foundation, lightweight and long lasting, as well as buildable coverage

Best Concealer: Benefit Boi-ing concealer, very heavy coverage that covers all scars and blemishes pretty well

Best Powder: Rimmel Stay Matte powder in 'Translucent', this doesn't make my face look all cake-y yet keeps shine at bay

Best Bronzer: NARS Laguna, my only bronzer but still a great product for adding a healthy glow to my face

Best Blusher: MAC Gingerly, this was a tough choice but I've been using this blusher throughout the whole year, it just works at any time of year

Best Eye Primer: Urban Decay Primer Potion, put this on and my eyeshadow doesn't budge at all (can also be doubled as a lip primer!)

Best Eyeshadow: Urban Decay Half Baked, without a doubt the best eyeshadow I've used all year, a lovely golden colour that adds a beautiful glow to the lids

Best Eye Pencil: Bobbi Brown Long Wear Eye Pencil in Smoke, great for the waterline to make an eye look more smokey

Best Mascara: Benefit They're Real and Maybelline The Rocket, I couldn't possibly pick between them, as they're both so volumising and lengthening

Best Brow Product: Anastasia Brow Gel, great for keeping my unruly brows in place!

Best Lipstick: NARS Dolce Vita, a colour that I think would suit all skin types with a moisturising formula

Best Lipgloss: Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in 'Candy Shimmer' moisturising and a beautiful colour

Best Nail Polish: OPI Dulce de Leche and Nails inc. Holland Park Avenue, both so sophisticated and wearable all year round 

Best Nail Care Product: Sally Hansen Maximum Strength Instant Cuticle Remover, it makes cuticle care 10 times easier!

Best Tool: Real Technique Stippling Brush, great for blending in foundation seamlessly

Stay tuned for part 2, coming your way soon!

Benefit Hydra-Smooth

ASOS is a dangerous place. I was just browsing the website, looking for some inspiration, and before I knew it I was entering my card details for this little bad boy, the Benefit Hydra-Smooth Lip Colour. 

I've been wanting to try these lipsticks out since they came out but I just didn't feel like I should spend £15 on a lipstick when I don't really wear them that much, but I had a 20% off code and the rest is history!

Now, it was a bit risky as I hadn't swatched this particular shade before but after a bit of scouring through some blogs, I came to the conclusion that 'Lip Service' was the shade for me. It is described as a pink-peach and as being one of their Sheer Coverage lipsticks, which is perfect for me as somebody who isn't very bold in my lip colour choices!

The lasting power isn't great, but that's the sacrifice for a formula which doesn't dry out the lips. I love this as an everyday lip colour, but it can be made a bit more bold with the help of Cha Cha Tint or Benefit.

The slight disappointment is practicality of the packaging, although absolutely gorgeous! I do love the style of the container and it looks lovely on my shelf, but the lid can fall off very easily if not clipped on properly. Also, upon application the top of it can get a little messy so it has to be wiped with a tissue or a cotton bud.

Overall, I'm really impressed with Benefit's lipstick offering! A beautiful handbag companion that can just as equally be used for nights out, I'd love to pick up more shades. 

#BritishBloggerSelection Favourite Makeup Brand

I've run a bit behind in my #BritishBloggerSelection posts but I hope everyone can agree to think by the 'better late than never' way of mind! This week's theme (or last week's, I'm not sure) is/was is 'Favourite Makeup Brand', especially fitting since my blog is beauty oriented. In case it wasn't obvious from the rest of my posts my favourite makeup brand is Benefit!

They have just got it all going on- face products, eye products and lip products, skincare and even perfume! The only niggle I have with them is they are pretty expensive, but then again the quality is just great so it doesn't work out too badly.

I would do reviews on all of my Benefit products but, boy, would that be a long post, so instead I've made a little wish list of some of the products I'm lusting after from Benefit.

Stay Flawless 15 Hour Primer - Although I have many primers at the moment, I've really been wanting to try this out. The packaging looks really interesting and I've heard good reviews about it.

Hoola - I've wanted this bronzer for such a long time but, not being a huge bronzer person, I didn't want to invest in the full-size. I've seen a few little sets around with minis of it so I may have to grab one of those!

World Famous Neutrals Most Glamourous Nudes Ever - This a beautiful palette, with cream and power eyeshadows. It's so small and compact, which would make it easy for travelling. 

Watts Up! - I've swatched this countless times and it's a beautiful shimmer, which would be perfect for highlighting. I really want to get this soon, and I hope I do!

That's just a little overview of my favourite makeup brand, Benefit, and I'm sure you'll be hearing more about them in the future, as I try out more and more of their products (if my bank account will let me...).

The Lust List #2

It seems odd that my last 'The Lust List' was in May when all I do is browse online, looking for my next purchases! If I'm honest, generally my 'The Lust List' is a list of products which I want to get, and I would like to try but around half of them are products that will probably have to stay as an image on the list, rather than as an actual item I own!

These are my 5 most-wanted items as of this minute (I say minute because I am prone to changing/adding more items to the list as time goes on!). 

1- Revlon Colourburst Lip Butter- I've heard so much about these but I've never tried them. Every time I go to Boots the testers are broken/melted and so I've never had the chance to find a colour I really like, however they seem like my cup of tea- moisturising but with a hint of colour.

2- Moroccanoil Frizz Control- I'm always on the hunt for that perfect frizz controlling product, so far I've found things that work really well, but they don't go all the way. Morocccanoil, famed for their original treatment, seems like a brand which could possibly offer that kind of product for me.

3- Benefit Whole Lotta Lovin'!- I know, I know, do I really need any more Benefit? My head (and bank account!) say no but my heart cries 'YES!'. It has a mini They're Real, three eyeshadows, a mini Hoola, a mini cream eyeshadow and a mini Boi-ing. This is just £25- yes, you read that right!- and there's many-a 10% off sale, which is made even more tempting by the fact that I have a 10% off voucher too. Somebody keep me away from Debenhams.

4- REN Clearcalm3 Clay Cleanser- My Origins Clear Improvement Mask is dangerously close to finishing and I wanted to try a new clay-based product. From reviews I've read this REN offering seems to be great so I'll have to go and have a look in Space.NK.

5- Soap & Glory The Breakfast Scrub- I bought a body scrub this summer from Sabon, in Italy, but it seems to have migrated to my parent's bathroom. Mum, Dad- I see you. I really want to try this, smelling amazing and supposedly doing amazing too! Side note: You can always count on Soap & Glory for their punny names- The Breakfast Club fans, anyone?

Battle of the Bases

 

 For someone with a beauty blog, I would say that I have a relatively small amount of foundations, but for any normal person I have more than is needed. However, for me, I think that I have the right number to suit me!


I think I've got this balance right- 2 high end and 2 drugstore brands, good enough for me! I don't wear foundation every day, in fact, I only wear it about 1-2 times a week, and that's stretching it! But if I am going to buy a foundation, I usually do my research into it, which I did for the 2 high end foundations but not for the other 2.

 

I'll start with the Bobbi Brown BB Cream, this definitely does not have a matte finish, so I really need a powder on top so it doesn't prove to be too oily during the day. With my skin, it needs a primer underneath for most of the time but if I'm not really doing anything special then it's not essential. It has SPF 35 and is oil-free, really great for those days where you don't want to wear much but you want medium coverage. I don't consider this to be a BB Cream, because I haven't seen any changes in terms of my skin's quality. 

               

Next is my beloved Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow foundation, the kind that is 'your skin but better'! It's lightweight and is very easy to build, it can be used just to look a little fresh-faced or to make yourself up for an event. The longevity is OK, but it works even better when paired with a primer, The POREfessional in particular. 

         

                                    

Now onto the drugstore brands, first is Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse, which I bought a couple of years ago then completely forgot about. It is such an amazing product, with a matte finish to suit all oily skin types. On top of that, the coverage is fantastic and easy to blend as well as build. I use either my Real Technique's Stippling Brush or just my fingers, both work very well to get a flawless finish.

   

And lastly is my least favourite of the bunch, Revlon's Photoready BB Cream. First off (and I know this is my fault rather than Revlon's) I swatched it on my hand, like an idiot, and so I bought a shade that's darker than my face! And secondly, it's so greasy that it would just slip off my face. I can't imagine even somebody with normal skin could find this to work for them, because as soon as I put it on it just looked so shiny and oily. That could be down to the SPF 30 that's in it, but I would personally rather wear my own SPF and avoid the greasiness that is this product. So unfortunately, this is a big thumbs down product from me.

So those are my foundations, overall I think that it's actually a tie between the Benefit one and the Maybelline one! They do different things and I use them for different kinds of events, but I still really love them both. 

October Favourites

 This month has been a busy one, although I usually feel that the month has gone by quickly I feel like it has just dragged on! I've opted for plainer looks, which I think is pretty obvious by my favourites this month and just really taking a simpler approach in terms of beauty.

Benefit Fake Up

 Today I'll be reviewing Benefit's Fake Up, a concealer with moisturising qualities, formulated especially for use in the under eye area. It's supposed to combat under eye bags and dark circles, while moisturising at the same time.

Benefit 'Love me b.right'

 I have loved Benefit's b.right skincare range for a good few months now, and during a dangerous 10% off sale I decided to nab some goodies!

Recent Bene-purchases!

Through Boots offers and ASOS sales I've found some really wonderful excuses for my recent purchases from the one and only Benefit!

July Favourites

This month has been a scorcher, summer has definitely not disappointed in England! 

HOLIDAY PACKING: Makeup

This is the second installment of 'Holiday Shopping' and this one is the best bit- makeup bag!

June Favourites

It's that time again, telling you all about my favourite products of the month!

Money Supermarket's #whatsinyourhandbag

Money Supermarket are hosting a blogger competition (which I'm entering at the last moment, well done to me...) where they are getting people to show what's in their handbag and calculating what it's worth, you can learn more about it here.

May Favourites

While a bit late, May is over so that means...May favourites! The following are all of the products that have been my saviours this month, during the stressful exam period, and even when I've had little breaks..
So, without further ado, here are my favourites!

Benefit TropiCORAL

Benefit is my all-time favourite makeup brand- seriously, nothing compares. I could not recommend a better brand to anybody who asks, no matter their skin type or age. Being a huge fan of their kits, I couldn't stop myself when this amazing kit went on sale.

The Lust List #1

This is a new idea for a set of posts, called 'The Lust List'. It's the list of products that I've been wanting for a while and would really like to purchase soon!

Birthday!

My birthday was on the 30th April so I was lucky enough to receive presents from my friends and family, so I'd love to share it with you (however many of you there are!), since I really love reading/watching this kind of thing!