15% OFF BENEFIT AND BARE MINERALS - 48 HOURS ONLY

Sale alert! The brands Benefit and Bare Minerals are currently 15% off on feelunique.com when you use the code BEAUTY15. Just a quick notice if you didn't get the email. I'm already tempted by a couple of Bare Minerals products (I've been loving their stuff lately!). Don't forget this includes all the Benefit Christmas stuff including the palette I posted about the other day (shown below). It's only on for 48 hours finishing tomorrow! Go on, treat yourself ;)

Tina xx

BENEFIT CHEEKY SWEET SPOT CHRISTMAS KIT

Over the past few days, my social media feeds have been jam packed with all things Benefit. The new Christmas gift sets have been released and they are incredible. If anyone knows how to do Christmas, it's Benefit. There's so many amazing Christmas gift sets to choose from including the infamous Advent Calendar. As soon as I spotted the Cheeky Sweet Spot (£29.50) gift set, I knew it was the one for me and I didn't waste any time.

The Cheeky Sweet Spot set has everything I've been wanting to try from Benefit, and a couple which I already love. It is beautifully encased in a Christmas-themed tin which will last me way past Christmas, and hopefully onto the next one! It features six of their boxed powders - Dandelion, Bella Bamba, Sugarbomb, Hoola, Coralista and Rockateur as well as their cream highlighter, Watts Up.

I was impressed by the size of the powders - they're slightly bigger than the pans from the permanent sets (like this) but not quite as big as the full size boxed powders (that's Dallas in the pic). The set has an amazing value at only £29.50 - I still can't get over how affordable this in comparison to buying each shade separately! I've only ever tried Coralista and Hoola from this palette so I'm over the moon to have five new products to play with.

L-R: Dandelion, Bella Bamba, Sugarbomb, Hoola, Coralista, Rockateur

None of these shades are new, but I thought I'd round out the post with some swatches anyway. I've found that Benefit powders are quite sheer but build up to gorgeous colour so these swatches are pretty heavy.

As well as the powders, there's a little sample of the Watts Up highlighter in a little removable plastic pan. It has a lid as well so you don't have to worry about the powders mixing in with the cream - what wonderful attention to detail. This is another product from Benefit I've been itching to try so I'm thrilled they included it too.

I cannot wait to get playing with these. There's tons more to choose from in the Christmas 2014 collection if this isn't for you, and I believe it's already hitting counters so get in quick! I have no idea how long stock will last but I can imagine it'll be flying off the shelves. It's stocked now on feelunique with free shipping over £10 as always, so get ordering!

Happy Christmas shopping!

Tina xx

FOTD: BROW POWDER FOR EYESHADOW?

Today's look is a pretty simple one. I started off by priming with Dr Brandt Pores No More Pore Refiner and Maybelline Dream Smooth Primer. These two are going to get a lot of love in the next month if I'm going to complete my Over by October challenge. I'm still holding on to the last few drops of my Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum in 53 Light Beige. I am amazed that there is any product left. I have run this bottle dry. My concealers of choice were Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in 2 just in the places where I needed some extra coverage and then Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 15 to brighten under the eyes.

To set everything I used my Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Silky Beige. A new favourite of mine; the Bourjois Délice de Poudre Bronzing and Highlighter Duo was used to warm up the face and add a subtle highlight to the high points. I then added a little natural flush with Essence Silky Touch Blush in 4 Natural Beauty. 

For the eyes I did something a little different using my Sigma brow powders sample I received as a free gift. I previously have only been using one powder in my brows but thought I would give the others a try as an eyeshadow. The warmer powder in the Auburn duo is a gorgeous warm brown that is perfect for the crease when blended out. Another free gift was put to use, as I took a shadow from my Estee Lauder quad in Tempting Mocha which is a gorgeous bronze shade perfect for sweeping across the lid. The usual liners and mascaras were used: Rimmel Scandaleyes in Black, Urban Decay in Demolition, Maybelline The Rocket Waterproof Mascara and No7 Stay Perfect Mascara.

Finally for my lips I went with my new MakeUp Revolution The One Lipstick topped with Maybelline Colorsensational Gloss in Cashmere Rose.

FOTD: UNDER-EYE HIGHLIGHT

The Kim Kardashian look is one that is difficult to transition onto an average person. The average person in question today is none other than myself. I've watched probably hundreds of videos and read umpteen blog posts on highlighting and contouring. There's always a huge emphasis on getting the right shade of bronzer/contour but not so much on the highlighting part.

Today's face of the day is one I'm quite fond of because of that bright under-eye highlight. It's taken me a while to practise getting the under-eye area highlighted enough to be noticeable but not too much that it's stark white and painfully obvious. A little mixing and matching and it's all gone a bit right today.

Base: Benefit Stay Flawless 15-Hour Primer; I have a small sample of this and I've really been loving it. I've never found a primer that I've loved before but I think this may be my favourite I've tried. Works best if your skin is on the oilier side of the spectrum.
Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum in 53 Light Beige; It's on its last legs but I haven't given up on the bottle yet. Love this stuff.

Concealer: MAC Prolongwear in NC20; you can't go wrong with this stuff. It's my favourite concealer for the lasting power alone; not even mentioning the coverage.
NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly; I mixed in a dab of this and I mean a dab. This is the lightest shade and it is light. I bought this when the shade I wanted was out of stock and it is a bit much alone but mixed in with the prolongwear it proved to be a winning combination. Really good for those of us with pale skin.

Powders: NYX HD Studio Finishing Powder; A touch of this powder and you have a flawless finish. It's a staple of mine.
NARS Laguna; another favourite; perfect for bronzing up the skin in no time.
Sleek Face Form Palette in Fair; used the contour shade in this to, well, contour. Just a little.
Milani Blush in Luminoso; adds a little peachy-pink sheen to the cheeks.

Eyes: NARS Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base; an eyeshadow primer is essential for my oily lids.
Rimmel Eyeshadow Paint in Rich Russet; I kept things simple with this long lasting liquid eyeshadow all over the lid.
Make-Up Revolution Iconic 1 Palette; I added a touch of the darker matte brown in this palette through the crease just for some added definition.
L'Oreal Super Liner Perfect Slim; this is my favourite liquid liner in pen form that I've tried. It's very easy to use as it's flexible enough, but not too flexible that it's uncontrollable. I only took this about halfway onto my lid for a subtle wing.
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Pencil in Zero & Demolition; Zero to tightline and Demoltion for the waterline. They do not budge.
Maybelline The Rocket Waterproof Mascara + Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Mascara; one layer of The Rocket makes sure my curl holds all day and then the Estee Lauder mascara adds some extra volume.

Lips: MAC Viva Glam V Lipstick; I picked up a couple of new MAC lipsticks recently and this is the perfect everyday shade.

THE MAKEUP TIMER TEST TAG

As soon as I saw this over on Lily Pebbles' blog, I knew I had to do it. The tag involves timing yourself putting on your make-up and I took Lily's advice to not feel rushed and took my time (ha). My time ended up being quite a bit longer than hers. I did however include the time it took to choose a product, and then the time added on when I changed my mind.

I'm a bit of a professional when it comes to fairly natural looks using about a gazillon products. Just the average day in my world of make-up. Here's what I used:

Primer/Foundation: No7 Beautifully Matte Make Up Base / Benefit the Porefessional / Rimmel Match Perfection in Ivory & Soft Beige
Concealer: Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in 2 / MAC Prolongwear in NC20
Bronzer/Blush: Bourjois Chocolate Bronzer / Sleek Face and Contour Kit in Fair / Rimmel Powder Blush in Santa Rose
Brows/Eyes: Rimmel Brow Pencil in Black/Brown / Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette / Cargo Vintage Escape Palette / Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara / Maybelline The Rocket Waterproof Mascara / Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Kajal in Black & Brown / No7 Stay Perfect Mascara
Lips: Modelco Lipstick in Get Naked / NARS Pirée Lipgloss

Just a few bits then. Part of me wants to see how quickly I could do a full face of make-up if I tried. Maybe another day. Clearly, I take my eyeshadow blending oh so very seriously. I feel like I should throw in a few disclaimers for certain times but I'll just leave that to your imagination (aren't you lucky?).

Have you tried this tag? I tag you if you haven't done it yet!

A SIMPLIFIED TRAVEL SKINCARE ROUTINE

When it comes to travelling, it's pretty much inevitable that they'll have to be at least some downsizing in the way of skincare. On a recent weekend away, I narrowed things down from the more extensive routine I apply when in the comfort of my own bathroom. These easy to use products that don't require any extra bits such as cloths or cotton pads made my trip that much more enjoyable keeping my skin feeling clean and fresh. Oh and just a tip; going away is the perfect time to crack out that stash of samples, put them to good use, and save on some space.

As a make-up remover, I opted for The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil which removes even stubborn waterproof make-up and can just be done over the sink sans a cloth. You simply take some oil in your hands and then rub it straight onto your dry face and across the eyes and lips and rinse off with water. This stuff is a staple in my usual routine and makes removing make-up a breeze. I squirted a few pumps into this travel-size container which is also perfect to take on any flights. I picked mine up in a pack from Poundland and I'm sure you can pick them up easily online too.

Next up to cleanse the face, it's my holy grail Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser. This is especially good for travelling as you can purchase small travel size tubes easily on their website. Using this as an extra cleanse is an essential step for me. Even though 'cloth' is included in the name you can again just use water and your hands to remove the cream easily, especially when you're only using the product to remove make-up residue and cleanse.

Instead of the usual toner and cotton pad, I swapped this step out for the L'Occitane Divine Lotion which is nothing short of divine. Doing a similar job to the Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair, this product sinks effortlessly into the skin keeping it hydrated and feeling super luxurious. This is one of my all time favourite skincare products. I received this sample size in a beauty box back in March and have barely scratched the surface. A little goes a long way.

Finally, we come to the last two steps in this travel skincare routine. On a previous trip away, I forgot my eye cream and realised how essential of a step it really is. Eye creams are usually pretty small anyway, but I have chosen my sample of Benefit It's Potent which is even smaller. I've had a few samples of this particular cream and have always enjoyed it, but you can just use whatever you have.

For my face moisturiser I have used another container from the same £1 set and found it easier to just take one do-it-all cream which works for daytime and night-time instead of the usual two. The set does come with two of these tiny pots though so the option is there. My choice is the Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser, which can also be easily purchased in a small sample size and comes in two formluas; one for normal/combination skin and another for more dry/sensitive complexions. I used this moisturiser religiously for a few years so it's an old favourite. It's a great all rounder so perfect if you're just sticking to one cream.

So, that's my scaled down skincare routine which is perfect for travelling. There are still quite a few steps but skincare is important, even when you're on holiday!