Benefit Bella Bamba Blush Review

Hey Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

Not too long ago I decided to delve into the world of Benefit again. I only own a handful of their products and that is sorely down to the price. As a student with little disposable income I find it very hard to justify for example, spending €30+ on a blusher. If you have been reading my blog for a long time or even from the name of the blog, you will know I post about bargain buys. Sometimes I do purchase products from high end brands but for the most part I stick to the drugstore. I think we now have fantastic quality products in the supermarkets and pharmacies that are just as good as the high end brands but at a fraction of the price!

 But anyway thats just me I guess. A product has to be really special for me to fork out an arm and a leg. Back in August I attended Leeds Festival, there were a couple of makeup items that caught my eye in the inflight magazine on the way over so I decided if I had money left on the way home I would pick something up. To my surprise I didn't actually spend as much as I thought I would…well minus the fact I had to buy a new tent and blankets which I didn't foresee hahaha. If anything after some disasters I decided regardless I deserved some new makeup'y goodness :)

I cannot for the life of me remember the name of the Benefit set that was on offer, and even when I did know the name I wasn't able to find it online.

The Benefit pouch consisted of a range of different products from the company. Off the top of my head I remember it included the full size Bella Bamba you see here, a sample version of High Beam, a full size version of the Eye Bright pencil and a full sized Stay Don't Stray primer for around €30.

SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY. 

Considering one of these full sized products alone is around that price I couldn't let this go. I tried to flag down the flight attendant as quickly as I could. While placing my order the lady next to me wanted a set too, and then my worst nightmare happened. 

"I'm afraid we only have one left." uttered the flight attendant. 

Holy Jesus my nerves, I thought it was going to be a fight to the death but the lady was going to be back on a flight next week for business so she let me have the set instead (God bless you)

Now that you know the background of how this product came into my possession….lets get on with the review! :)

 It comes as no surprise that the packaging is extremely cute, colourful and very pretty…very Benefit! The lid of this blush folds open opposed to coming clean off like other Benefit products before? Correct me if I'm wrong.

This 'new' packaging has its pro's and con's. The pro's are that its great for travel, for one it has a mirror and two you don't have to worry about the lid falling off and making a mess in your handbag. The con is that the lid is quite awkward and doesn't stay open without you having to hold it. When I was taking the product shot I had to take it upside down because the lid was casting a shadow over the blush…. #bloggerproblems

A brush is contained inside the little box too, again making it useful for on the go. I prefer this style of brush for applying my contour into the hollows of my cheeks. I'm not even joking it has become my holy grail brush for doing just that! However for my blush I want a brush that is rounded or slightly angled.

Bella Bamba is a beautiful peachy pink shade of blush with shimmery gold undertones. Its a perfect shade for daily wear and I can imagine will be universally flattering across all skin tones. The quality of this blush is outstanding, it is so highly pigmented. The first time I applied the blush I went a little over board not realising just how pigmented it was. Even though I had applied quite a lot of product by accident the problem was easily fixed with a little extra blending. After some blending I had a nice flush of colour to my cheeks, its definitely a blush you can build on! 

As I mentioned, this watermelon blush is very pigmented. In the above picture the product was only swatched once, which was then transferred onto the back of my hand. So you can see for yourself the colour pay off is excellent. I couldn't see myself running out of this product any time soon, not matter how often I used it!

This is by no means a new blush on the market, I'm just late to hop on the band wagon as always! Classic Eimear.

When I had a little look online I couldn't find an exact price…

I would say its around €30-34 mark. Is it worth that much you ask? I'm torn. It is such a beautiful shade, beautifully packaged and applies like a dream. But unfortunately I just don't think its worth forking over that much money for. Especially for someone like myself who isn't an avid blush fan. Once I run out I more than likely won't repurchase, i'll just end up finding a drugstore alternative but thats just the bargain hunter in me!

What are your thoughts? Is it worth €€€

Eimear x

Blank Canvas Cosmetics "My Face and Eye" 13 Piece Professional Brush Set

Hey Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

Today I have my very first makeup brush review for you all. Over the past few years I have tried out many different types of brushes from various companies. Smashbox, Sedona Lace and Sigma to name but a few!

A little over a year ago I was introduced to a company called Blank Canvas Cosmetics based here in Ireland. Myself and my Mam spent ages pottering around the website looking at all the beautiful products. We couldn't get over how affordable the products were! After much deliberation we finally each decided on picking up the 6 Contour Powder Blush Palette (reviewed here) and also the 28 Neutral Palette (reviewed here).

After such a pleasant experience with the company I knew I wanted to try out some more of their products, I was adamant on trying out their brush range next. Luckily I managed to win quite a number of their brushes last year..and thats where the obsession started.

Recently I spotted some Blank Canvas Cosmetics Brushes over on Pigsback.com, they had to be mine. The offer was simply too brilliant to let go. It was €45 for the 12 Piece Professional "My Face and Eye" Brush Set complete with Brush Roll, with the BCC F23 foundation/concealer brush including delivery

See what I mean? I can justify breaking my spending ban for a purchase like that! I had some piggy points stashed away too so I got it even cheaper again!

The brushes are encased within this leather look brush roll, it is incredibly soft and even though it is not real leather it is quite durable. On opening the brush roll you will find the 12 brushes located within their own compartments, I like how there is a flap that folds down on the brushes providing extra protection. Another aspect that I liked about the brush roll was that it has a zipper compartment, making it even more suited for travel.

The F23 was not included in the brush roll and came absolutely free, it retails at €13.99. Like the majority of Blank Canvas Cosmetics Brush Range, the F23 is extremely versatile. I favour using this for applying my concealer to my under eye area and I also use this to sharpen up my contour shade to give my face that very defined sculpted look. I have also used this brush to apply cream highlighters, foundation and blusher. It works great with cream and powder products I usually tend to go back in with the brush and set my under eye concealer with some powder. The brush is tapered so it really helps you to get into the under eye area.

Moving on to the brushes in the set now, first up we have the 001 Powder Brush. This brush is very dense which I love to see, however due to this the brush can shed a little with washing. Nothing major just something I have noted, this isn't unusual for these kinds of brushes. The brush is very soft and helps to set my foundation with ease. I lightly press the powder all over my face using this brush and it gives such a smooth finish to my skin. You could also use this brush to apply bronzer, I just prefer to use something more defined :)

Next up we have the Double Ended Foundation/Concealer Brush 002. 

In my opinion this brush is simply genious, I'm surprised I haven't come across something like this before. With this painter style foundation brush I apply the foundation to my face using downward strokes I then turn the brush on its side and buff back up the face. This ensures that we have no brush stroke marks on the face. The bristles on these brushes are synthetic and they do a wonderful job at applying foundation and concealer. One tip with regard to washing, wash one end at a time so that if you have washed one end, the water is not running up the ferule and loosening the bristles while you wash the other end.

Ah the duo fibre, this was actually the first decent brush I owned. I remember watching tutorials on YouTube of girls applying their foundation flawlessly with this type of brush so naturally I wanted gorgeous airbrushed skin too..so I went out and picked one up! Like my Inglot duo fibre, the Blank Canvas Cosmetics Medium Duo Fibre Brush 003 gives a flawless finish to the skin. I reach for the smaller Blank Canvas Cosmetics Duo Fibre more so because I like a really precise application but thats just personal preference!

The next brush we have in the set is the Blush Brush 004. This brush is angled so it can be used not only for blusher, but for contouring too. It fits nicely in the hollows of the cheeks and buffs out products beautifully. Do not fret if you wash this brush and you notice staining, white haired brushes can be quite hard to clean. I find washing with a little conditioner or olive oil really helps to remove the product from the hairs leaving them crystal clear and good as new!

With regard to applying concealer I apply a very minimal amount, if any! This is the Large Precision Concealer/ Eyeshadow Brush 005. As I have two brushes already that I can use for concealer I prefer to use this brush for eyeshadow. Although sometimes I do like to use this brush to contour down the sides of my nose, as the brush has a fine tip it I can easily contour this area. With regard to applying eyeshadow, I can cover large areas quite quickly as it is a big brush. Patting motions work best while using this brush with eyeshadow as it helps to minimize if not eliminate eyeshadow fallout altogether.

Everyone needs a decent blending brush in their collection, the Tapered Blending Brush 006 is ideal. The brush is lovely and soft also a perfect size giving you the ability to create detailed crease work. I love this brush for blending eyeshadows, the key to finding a good blending brush is looking at the shape. This brush is dome shaped allowing you to master the blending process.

Up next we have the Flat Eye Shading Brush 007, I use this in exactly the same way as I do with the 005. Personally I could never have enough eyeshadow brushes, washing brushes is such a mundane task I think everyone can agree. These brushes also work exceptionally well with eyeshadow pigments!

I like to use the Small Angled Shading Brush 008 solely for applying my brow bone highlight. If I have blended my crease colour up too far towards my brow bone this brush helps to pull down and soften the shadow when I am applying my highlight. If you are opting for an elongated eyeshadow shape like a dramatic cat eye look to your eyeshadow this brush is brilliant for building up the shadows on the outer edge of the eye.

I think the 009 Precision Pencil Brush is my favourite brush out of the entire set. If you have trouble perfecting liquid liner, you won't anymore not with this brush within your reach! The brush allows you to smoothly apply gel eyeliner to your upper lash line, as the brush is rather fine you can easily perfect that cat eye flick..without any hassle! I double up this brush as a lipliner brush also :)

The 010 Small Blending Brush is great for those finicky jobs and hard to reach areas. This brush is fantastic for apply a highlight around the tear duct of the eye and it enables you to blend out eyeshadow thoroughly in the crease area.

The vast majority of people favour these types of brushes for apply gel liner to the eye area however I rather use a finer brush like the 009 Precision Brush, again its simply personal preference. I use the 011 Angled Brow/ Liner Brush for filling in my eyebrows. I like to use a dense brush so I can really pack on and build up the colour in my brows as I need, this brush does the job exceptionally well.

Last but not least we come to the 012 Precision Eyeliner Brush. I use this brush hand in hand with my 009 Precision Pencil Brush, it all depends on what makeup look I am trying to achieve!

All of these brushes are very high quality, there is very little shedding and they make my job as a makeup artist ten times easier! I have been using Blank Canvas Cosmetics Brushes for just over a year now and I haven't noticed any wear and tear to date. I'm very confident that these brushes will hold up equally as well! This brush set is fantastic for beginners due to the fact it has all the staple brushes an aspiring makeup artist or enthusiast would need. The most important aspect for me is price, that is what it all comes down to..whether I will make my purchase or not. Currently this brush set is on offer on the Blank Canvas Cosmetics website for €59.99 with free choice of a Kabuki brush. Not only is the price amazingly cheap, even when it isn't on offer it is still amazing value for money. The full price of the brush set is normally €91 that works out at around €7.50 per brush, with a free brush roll and a free kabuki brush. Its a win-win situation all round!

I would highly recommend these brushes to not only to beginners but makeup artist too, they are a great addition to have in your kit. I couldn't be without mine :)

For more information head over to the Blank Canvas Cosmetics website which you can find here.

Have you tried anything from the BCC range? I would love to know your thoughts! :)

Thanks for tuning in, see you soon!

Eimear x

Sleek iDivine Acid Palette Review

Hey Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

As you all know by now I am a huge fan of colour.

So it may surprise you that I only purchased the acid palette recently....

shame on me!

My first Sleek purchase was the brights palette, I have reviewed that too you can check that out here. Because I bought this I didn't want to pick up the acid palette although I heard lots about it, purely because I found the palettes to be quite similiar colour wise. I only bought the brights palette first because it was a new palette, I always had planned on purchasing the acid palette too :)

Like the other Sleek palettes I own they come in this compact form. The design is plain and simply, very classy. You may notice the Sleek logo on this palette differs to the logo on the brights palette. Personally I prefer this design but hey its whats on the inside that counts so lets take a look!

As you can see from the snap above the colours are extremely vibrant, oh they are just divine! I can safely say that the colours are as pigmented on the eyes as they are in the pan. There is nothing worse than buying an eyeshadow to find it has little to no colour pay off, even with the use of bases and primers!

Thankfully this hasn't been the case with any of the sleek eyeshadows I've used..pheeew!

You can go for a really colourful smokey eye or you can opt for the traditional black smokey eye with this palette, I bet you all know what I went for.

Thats right, colourful!

I tried to squash as many colours on my eyelids as possible and I am really happy with the end result!

I used a white base underneath the shadows so that they would show up as vibrantly as possible and last all day long too.

I like the consistency of the eyeshadows they are a little chalky however with the use of a base they was little to no fall out down my cheeks.

I purchased this palette from Irish Online Beauty Retailer Beauty Emporium.

This palette set me back €9.99 and can be found here.

Sleek palettes are super affordable, extremely high quality, compact and convenient for travel. 

As usual I'm very pleased with my purchase from Sleek, I would highly recommend this palette to anyone who would like to experiment with colour!

If you would like to see how I created the look above you can click on the play button below :)

Thanks for tuning in guys!

I want to know have you tried any Sleek products, if so what are your favs!

Eimear x