Benefit's Fake Up - Tested

Fake Up in Medium

I have been dying to try this new concealer from Benefit for too long! It is extra hydrating, so the product not only glides on effortlessly without creasing, but it claims not to cake or flake throughout the day. That almost sounds too good to be true...

I have been wearing it for a couple of hours now, and its still not dry or cakey at all, but the biggest thing I have noticed is definitely the way that it hydrates my under-eye skin, to the point that any lines I have are not exaggerated (as with some concealers), but disguised and almost plumped out. 

You have none of that 'product settling in your creases' situation, and I am wearing it on its own (no foundation or tinted moisturiser even), and I am really impressed with the coverage. Purple shadows are neutralised and I look a lot more 'refreshed'. 

I shouldn't be surprised by now, as Benefit constantly hit products straight out of the beauty park, time and time again. There is no exaggeration or false advertising here ladies, Fake Up is in fact, the real McCoy, and my god how I am loving it..

Au Revoir dark circles you pesky things you. Hello fresh, flawless coverage - with hydration to boot. Fake me away.

Before

After

Medium on my skin

Fake Up could be one of my new real favourites. If you have dry skin, i'd say this is a MUST for you. If like me you don't (i'm oily to combo), your under-eye skin is still very delicate and more prone to wrinkles, so it is just fabulous for everyone. 

Good Bye Racoon eyes.... hello flawless finish; Spring skin here I come!

Ceridwen's Cauldron... what a LUSH idea!

Ceridwen's Cauldron

This little bag of tricks makes for a insanely relaxing bath-time treat. You simply run yourself a beautiful warm bath, drop this baby in, and wait for the magic to happen. The gloriously scented oils slowly melt as you lie back and relax, so not only do you have a scented splendour, but the oils moisturise and nourish your whole body.

Once all the oils have been given up, you can use the little pouch, filled with herbs and oats to gently scrub your skin, so you have the benefit of intensely softening oils, as well as a light, natural exfoliation. Perfect.

The ideal way to relax after a hard day; this is a must for bringing down your stress levels, or simply a cheeky bit of pampering. It's your new BBF.

A Little More Apocalips...

Galaxy,  Nova and Apocaliptic

I bought three new Apocalips colours in the Boots 3 for 2 on cosmetics offer, as I am absolutely in love with the longevity, pigmentation and sheer gorgeousness of this lipstick/gloss pen perfections. I chose, Galaxy; a beautiful plum, Nova; a perfect peachy pink and Apocaliptic; a vibrant pinky/re

Galaxy, Nova and Apocaliptic

Nova

Galaxy

Apocaliptic

I am so excited to wear these shades, just one coat gives you maximum cover, shine and lasts a million years. One word of caution; definitely check your teeth after application, and maybe try the old 'sucking your finger' lipstick trick, to avoid any gloss on teeth incidents.

I love apocalips, and at just £5.99 a pop, the whole galactic range is in your grasp. Out of this world perfection!

Tresemme Platinum Strength Leave-in Cream

I am always intrigued when Tresemme release new products, and the 'Platinum Strength' range is no exception. It claims to visibly repair 2 years of damage, within only a few uses and as much as that seems like a pretty hefty idea, I was willing to give it ago.

I have used this post-wash around five times, slicking about 3 pumps through my towel-dried hair, focusing primarily on my rough, damaged areas.

And... it works. Am I totally spilt-end free? No. But my really (quite horrifically) damaged areas are by far more controllable and soft. I really went to town destroying my hair over the years, bleaching, curling, straightening...the list goes on. So, I was almost resigned to the 'crispy', breaking locks I'd created, but since going back to my natural colour, and leaving my hair to dry naturally, the condition has vastly improved.

Although going more 'au natural' with my mane definitely helped, I still needed a helping hand with condition, and this is just the ticket for fighting frizz, and sealing moisture into my parched strands. A real thumbs up. 

I am now tempted to try the intense mask from this range, (my sister loves it)... Bye Bye crazy hair!

Fade to Chocolate - NOTD

Just because it's lent at the moment, doesn't mean you can't indulge your fingers in a chocolately treat of their own. Plus it's fat-free... winner.

This mani is sort of like an ombre carried across your fingers, and you can obviously use any colour palette of your choice, simply go from light to dark or vice versa, for a fading out effect. I chose brown because it's nearly Easter, and it's the healthiest way I could pop a bit of chocolate in my life. *Sob*

The polishes I used were (left to right): Revlon's "Hot to Chocolate", Model's Own "Pray", BarryM "Mushroom", Model's Own "Concrete Mixer" and Revlon's "Elegant".

Hmm I now really fancy some chocolate, but these bad boys will have to do...

Do you think these nails look good enough to eat too?

M.A.C Studio Fix Fluid in C4.5

I popped into the M.A.C counter at the Bullring a few days ago, with the aim to be matched with my perfect summer shade. Ironically it is now colder and more snowy than it was at Christmas here in the UK, but hey, it's never too chilly to tan!

So, after being matched and matched again, my perfect summer shade appeared to be the Studio Fix Fluid in C4.5. There are so many types of foundation available at M.A.C, let alone shades, so getting them properly matched to your skin is a real must.

I have more olive (yellow) based skin, and despite the fact the foundation looks pretty dark in the bottle, it blends seamlessly with my skin, post a good Xen Tan application. For winter, or less tanned days, i'm definitely going to be purchasing the C3.5 too!

The great thing about the Studio Fix, is the lack of oil. It is still creamy and dewy, but it doesn't sit on my skin like a layer of tanning oil, like oil-based liquid foundations. If you have drier skin, there are definitely plenty of much more hydrating options available, but for my oily/combo face - this is the dream.

No Flash

With Flash

Blended

What do you guys think to MAC foundations? Which is your favourite?

FOTD - Chilled Sunday

Today I just went for a simple, fresh complexion, using MAC's studio fix foundation, bronzer and blush.

I popped a violet gel flick on my eye and slid some shiny coral on my lips in the form of my beloved apocalips by Rimmel.

Chilled, natural and relaxed.. With a subtle pop of colour. Perfect for a laid-back Sunday brunch. Yum.

Lauren xx