Benefit Air Patrol Eyelid Primer Review

Hey guys! Today's post is all about Benefit's new Air Patrol BB Cream Eyelid Primer!

I was lucky enough to receive this product, and I'm here to share my thoughts on this baby! I've had this for about a week now and I've been using it every day. Long story short - you need it in your life!

Firstly, lets talk about the amazing packaging. Benefit always has gorgeous and striking packaging, and this one is no different! The Air Patrol Primer packaging is cute, girly and adorable! The cap of the primer is also made to look like airplane wings, which suits the aviation theme perfectly.

Now let's talk about the product. The Air Control Primer doubles as a BB Cream, and contains SPF 20 which protects your eyelids from the sun! It's yellow in tone, making it colour-correcting, so you can wear it alone on those 'no-makep days', and not have to feel self conscious of those scary veins on your eyelids! (Maybe thats just me.. whoops!)

The product is dispensed using a click/twist method, which is perfect because you can control how much you're using, and it won't dry out! The bottom of the packaging claims one click is needed per eye, but I find one click is more than enough for both of them! The tip of the Primer is very soft and jelly-like, so it's very gentle on the eyelid area. It acts just like a finger to apply and blend it out!

The Air Control Primer not only hydrates and protects against sun damage, but it's also amazing as a base under eye shadows! It doesn't crease, fade, and really increases the colour payoff. I've worn this primer on 12 hour days at work, and by the end of it, my eyeshadow still looks the same!

I want to show you guys how amazing this primer really is. In the top swatch, I have one layer of the Air Patrol Primer, with Makeup Geek's Cocoa Bear applied over it using a flat shader brush. The bottom swatch is of the same eye shadow, but no primer. See how crazy the difference is?! I applied the same amount of shadow on both swatches, and well, you can see the difference for yourself. It really locks in the colour, and lasts all day!

The Benefit Air Patrol BB Cream Primer has become a 'holy grail' for me. I reach for it every morning now when doing my makeup! It has all the features I could want in a primer. Hydrating, colour correcting, has SPF, and locks in shadow.

This Primer retails for $50 and can be purchased online or at any Benefit counter in Myer stores :)

Hope you guys enjoyed this review!
Steph xx

Benefit U.S Haul

Hey guys!

I recently made an order through the US Benefit website, and today I'll be reviewing the goodies that I purchased!

I never intended to make a Benefit order until I received an email notifying me of free international shipping if you spent over $90. I'm a sucker for free shipping so of course I had to take advantage of the deal ;)

For us Aussies, buying makeup from the US is a lot cheaper than buying them here. It still works out being cheaper, despite how low the Australian dollar is at the moment. For example, the Roller Lash mascara on the US website is $24USD (approximately $33AUD) while it's $37AUD here if you were to buy it in store. I know it's not much of a difference, but if you're buying quite a few things, you do end up saying a lot of money!

Shipping did take a while though, which I expected, seeing as it was coming from America. I placed my order on the 18th of  November and it shipped out on the 19th. I recieved my package on the 9th of December, so it took a little under 3 weeks! 

My goodies arrived in a secure box, with my items wrapped up tightly inside! Benefit also included a few samples, which is awesome! Who doesn't love samples?!

The items I purchased were: Real Cheeky Blush Palette ($42USD), Roller Lash Mascara ($24USD) and the Fake Up Undereye Concealer ($24USD).

As soon as I saw the Real Cheeky Blush Palette on the website, I knew it had to be mine! The only Benefit blush that I had tried previously was Coralista, so this was a great way for me to try out the rest for a great price! Hoola had been on my wishlist for ages, and let me tell you, it did not disappoint! Hoola is a perfect bronzer. It's not too cool toned and not too warm toned. It lies right in the middle of perfection! It's insanely pigmented and just a beautiful bronzer overall. Definitely a must have if you haven't tried it yet!

The other blushes in this palette include Dandelion, Rockateur, Sugarbomb and Coralista. They've very beautiful, but not as pigmented as Hoola. Coralista is the definite stand out of the bunch, it's a beautiful peachy coral shade with gold shimmer running through it! I find with the other blushes I have to use a heavy hand while applying them. These shades definitely suit lighter skin tones, as I don't think they'd show up very well on darker toned girls! Lucky for me, I can be quite pale at times so these blushes are perfect. Just keep that in mind if you're deciding whether or not to purchase this palette!

Swatches on my NC20-25 skin

The other goodies that were included in this palette were minis of a few of their top-sellers; They're Real Mascara, They're Real Push Up Liner and Watt's Up Highlighter.

They're Real Push Up Liner

Liner applicator

They're Real Mascara

Watt's Up Highlighter

These minis are a great way for me to test out the products to see if I like them before I buy the full sizes! So far I'm in love with all of them.

They're Real Push Up Liner is a gel formula, in a super easy click up dispenser. The tip of the liner is super rubbery and flexible which means it can get right up to your lashline, and the click up dispenser means it won't dry out and won't waste any product! They're Real Push Up Liner is super black, doesn't smudge and wears for hours and hours. I'll definintely be purchasing a full size when I run out!

 They're Real Mascara has become a cult item of Benefit, as it claims to lengthen, curl, volumise, lift and seperate. I've used this mascara a couple of times now and I love it. The shape of the wand is quite fat, with a lot of bristles even on the end, which means you can use it verticaslly to coat the underside of your lashes, right on the lashline! This makes your lashes appear longer, fuller and ah-mazing! This mascara gives me so much volume it's crazy! 

The Watt's Up Highlighter is a cream highlighter, which drys to a powder finish! This champagne highlighter is super gorgeous on the cheekbones, alone or layered with another highlighter! It gives my skin such a luminous sheen and doesn't fade throughout the day.

Overall the Real Cheeky palette is such a great buy. It's the perfect Christmas present for any makeup junkie in your life, or for someone looking to start out! Then there's me who bought this for myself, whoops! I just think it's such a great deal. Not only does it come with all their current boxed blushes, but it also includes their top sellers in adorable miniature form!

The first full sized goodie I picked up was the Roller Lash Macara. I love trying out new mascaras, and I'd heard such great things about this one! The style of the wand really curls and seperates my lashes, and is super duper lengthening. I reach for this mascara when I want to look wide awake. It really helps to lift my lashes, making my eyes appear bigger, hell yeah! I don't even need to curl my lashes before I use this mascara, but I like to anyway, so I can have extra curly lashes!

Finally I picked up the Fake Up Undereye Concealer, and so far I am obsessed with it!! It is SO hydrating under my eye, it literally feels like I'm applying eye cream to my eyes instead of concealer! This peachy toned concealer covers my dark circles, doesn't settle into any lines, feels extremely lightweight and lasts all day on my skin! I have dry skin so this concealer is a saving grace for me. It feels so moisturising, but doesn't slide off during the day! 

Swatches of the Fake Up concealer and Watts Up highlighter!

That's it for my haul guys! I hope you enjoyed it :)

Steph xxx

November Favourites!

Hey guys, today I thought I'd share with you my favourite products for the month of November!

Can we just take a moment to freak out about the fact that it's almost Christmas?! This year has gone by so fast it's crazy! Anyway, onto the favourites!

My first favourite of the month is the Designer Brands Longwear 24 Hour Foundation! I am completely obsessed with this foundation. It gives my skin such a full coverage without looking too cakey, it doesn't feel heavy on my skin and really gives me a flawless finish! I actually think this has become my favourite foundations of all time!! I always reach for it now when I want an amazing skin day ;)

The best part about this foundation is the price. It's only $12.99AUD! So crazy. Who knew affordable foundations could be such great quality. I highly recommend checking out this foundation! I have it in the shade Nude Beige and it's perfect for my light yellow skin!

Next up sn the Australis Oh Hai Brow Kit. Lately this has been the only thing that I've been reaching for in the mornings to do my brows. I regret that I stopped using it ever since I started using my Anastasia Dipbrow. Dipbrow is amazing, but sometimes I'm after a less defined brow look! This kit is perfect for that. It comes with two brow powders (which is great for mixing to create a shade that works for you), a highlighting shade, and a tinted wax! As you can tell by the picture, I use the darker brow powder and the wax A LOT. I first use the wax to outline my eyebrow shape, then I go in with the powder to fill them in! I love this method, because the powder creates a more natural brow, while using the wax to outline makes them look a bit more defined! Definitely pick up this brow kit if you're looking for something new to try!

It's no secret that I'm a highlighter junkie, and these two products are perfection!

The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Palette has become one all of my all time favourite products ever! The fact that it comes with two face powders, two blushers, one bronzer and one highlighter makes this the most convenient palette ever! There has been a lot of negativity surrounding this palette because of how small it is, but I personally think it's the perfect size. If they made it any bigger, I think it would look too bulky considering how many powders are inside!

The other amazing thing about this palette is that it's perfect if you're new to the brand, like I was! It's such a great way to try out these powders to see which ones work better for you. Personally I use and love them all, so I will definitely be purchasing full sizes when I run out of this palette!

Indiscretion swatched. It's so gorgeous!

My next favourite is the Laura Mercier Indiscretion highlighter! This highlighter is so incredibly beautiful it's insane. When I first saw this product, I purely wanted it because of how gorgeous it looked. It's just a bonus that I love the highlighter too ;) It's such a beautiful golden shimmery copper shade, and I'm so glad I was able to get my hands on it - I am obsessed. It gives my skin the prettiest glow ever! I definitely should've bought a back up though, because I am going to be very sad once it runs out :(

I'm a bit of a concealer junkie, and these two concealers have been my favourites this month! The Urban Decay Naked Skin and the Designer Brands Mineral Concealer. I've been alternating between the both of these and I'm in love!

I'd heard so much hype surrounding the Urban Decay Naked Skin that I just had to try it out for myself. It was always sold out on the Mecca website, but thankfully I managed to grab one in the shade Light Warm. I use this concealer under my eyes and anywhere else I want a highlighted effect, like my forehead, nose and chin. It blends so easy into my skin, doesn't crease under my eyes, and feels like nothing on the skin - it's so lightweight!

The Designer Brands concealer is quite a new favourite. I wasn't sure how it was going to perform, but I've been so obsessed with it! This concealer is so creamy, provides amazing coverage, and also doesn't crease under my eyes! I like the fact that I can use this under my eyes, or on any skin blemishes. It covers beautifully, and stays in place all day.

Another thing I love about these concealers is that they have doe foot applicators! It makes it so much easier to control how much product you're using.

The Nudestix Magnetic Eye Pencil, and Lip/Cheek pencils have of course been favourites for me this month! I've already written a review on these here, telling you guys how much I love them! These pencils are just so easy to use, and really have excellent colour payoff. My favourite thing to use when I'm in a hurry!

Two more products that I've loved this month have been the Models Prefer Cream Contour stick, and the Designer Brands Beyond Amplifying mascara.

I've been using the cream contour stick everyday and I'm in love! I never intended to purchase this, but I picked it up at the recent Priceline sale and I'm so glad I did. It's been the perfect way for me to test out cream contouring. The size of this makes it so easy to outline and define your face, perfect to get right under those cheekbones! I then use a beauty blender to blend it out, which gives me a natural looking contour! The cream contour stick is great as a base under powder contour, or great on its own.

Im not usually one to rave about mascaras all that much, but this Designer Brands one is an exception! This mascara doesnt flake, holds my curl all day, and really lengthens my lashes! Since this mascara is a tubing formula, it makes removal so much better! The tubes literally glide off my lashes so easily! No more panda eyes, hooray!

Lastly I have some lip products to share! Can you tell I like neutral pink colours ;)

First I have Stila's Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in the shade Patina. This colour has become such a staple for me. It's the perfect everyday colour, and it stays on all day on my lips! I'm so impressed with the formula of the Stila liquid lipsticks too. They apply so smoothly and never dry out my lips at all!

Next I have another new favourite, Designer Brands Matte Lipgloss in the shade '509'. This is another matte pink shade, and I'm in love. It applies like a lip gloss, then dries down to a matte finish. It lasts for hours and hours, even after eating and drinking!

Here's what they look like swatched next to each other! Stila Patina is on the top, and the Designer Brands shade is on the bottom. I was surprised at how similar these look next to each other! In the tubes they look almost identical, but swatched, Patina is a tad darker and cooler toned.

Overall I love both of these shades!

That's it for my November favourites! I've really enjoyed discovering so many new products, which have become staples in my makeup routine!

 Hope you guys enjoyed reading, and I hope you have a great day <3
Steph xx