Benefit They’re Real Mascara| Review

 

During the Christmas sales I bought a Benefit Box that included a travel size Benefit They’re Real! Mascara. I have only recently started to use it and have only recently finished it, so it’s time for a review! Now I understand that this is the UK’s number one selling mascara and has a cult like following from beauty bloggers, so I obviously had big expectations for this little mascara.

Benefit Say;

This jet-black mascara lengthens, curls, volumises, lifts and separates lashes for a spectacular “out-to-here” look. The exclusive brush is specially designed to maximize the performance of the long-wearing, glossy formula revealing lashes you never knew you had! Staggered bristles grab close to the root, boosting length and volume beyond belief. The precision bristles on the custom-domed tip lift, define and curl even your tiniest lashes. The end result… luxurious, silky lashes that won’t smudge, clump or dry out.

I Say;

You can’t argue with what the picture shows, this mascara definitely makes your eyelashes look amazing! I have even had a few people ask me if I was wearing lash inserts when I have been wearing this mascara. The above picture was taken after curling and applying three coats of the mascara. I found that the bristles were great at separating my lashes and getting to even the tiniest eyelashes. This mascara is also long lasting; I didn’t end up with black smudges under my eyes at 3 o’ clock in the afternoon like I do with some others.

However I found that this mascara ran out quite quickly, I do wear quite a lot of mascara but this seems to run out a lot quicker than others that I have bought and it may be down to the fact that the formula is a little wet. Obviously this was just a travel size but it does put me off investing in the full size at nearly £20 if it is not going to last that long! I am impressed with the results it gives so think I am going to buy the full size tube and see how long that is going to last me.

Have you tried They’re Real Mascara before? Do you agree with the rest of the population that it’s the best mascara on the market? Which others would you recommend for me to try next?

Fluttery Eyelashes for a Fortnight| Eyelash Extensions Review

Dependent upon whether you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you may or may not know that I recently had Eyelash Extensions applied for my mums wedding last month. If you don’t follow me…why not? You know you want to! If you do follow me you may be one of the lovely people who have asked to to blog about this experience, so this is for you.

I had wondered and slightly panicked about what to do with my eyelashes for the wedding day, as like many of you, I am obsessed with having big fluttery lashes and normally achieve such a look either through multiple layers of mascara of with fake eyelashes. I had originally toyed with the idea of wearing fake eyelashes, but as the wedding was a two day affair, both days being very long, I worried that fake eyelashes would not stay put for the duration and I didn't want to have to keep applying glue and reattaching them. When my mum said she was getting Eyelash Extensions for the wedding and her honeymoon my mind was made up… I would have them too.

I went to Bellissimo Beauty Studio in Kendal and booked myself in for an Express Eyelash Extension Treatment. I would have preferred the Deluxe Eyelash Extension Treatment but there was no available appointments that fitted into my schedule. The difference between the two treatments is that the Express Treatment attaches the false eyelashes in clutters of around 6 as opposed to attaching a single fake eyelash to each of your own eyelashes. The Express Treatment is one hour shorter than the Deluxe Treatment, so only takes half an hour; preferable for those of you with busy schedules, that need to fit appointments in after work like I do. Finally the Express Eyelash Treatment is designed to last for 2-3 weeks, compared to the 4+ weeks that the Deluxe Treatment does. The Deluxe Treatment also allows for the eyelashes to be topped up and maintained, so you don’t have to wait for them to fall out.

The treatment itself was at first a little strange, the beautician firstly removed all my eye makeup (nothing strange about that) but then she stuck my bottom lashes down with a large white sticker. This was quite uncomfortable at first as it is placed very near to your eyeball, and even for a girl who wears contact lenses, it was strange having the sticker touching my eye in such a way, after a while it become more tolerable. The beautician then got to work on my eyelashes; she attached a cluster of around 6 fake eyelashes one at a time to my own eyelashes with a black glue. As the treatment only lasted half an hour the discomfort from the sticker was tolerable and it was nice to just lie back and relax, especially after a busy day at work. I was advised to not wear mascara on the eyelash extensions, and to remove my eye makeup with a none oil based remover; this would help prolong the life of the lashes.

At first the eyelashes felt very bizarre as they were attached to my eyelashes as opposed to my lash line like fake eyelashes are. My eyelids felt quite heavy, and I was really conscious of how long they were. The strangest feeling is when you shower after having them done, as the water is heavy on them and they feel like they will fall out; thankfully they don’t!

The pictures above show me with no mascara on the fake eyelashes at all, there really is no need to as they looked long and dramatic without. My mum got the Deluxe Eyelash Treatment and in comparison to hers mine were more dramatic. I actually preferred my dramatic look compared her her more natural style. 

I lost a couple of the clusters of eyelashes within the first week, but it was not obvious. It was the second week when a clutter on the inner corner of my eye became loose and stuck up continously that it became obvious; you can see said eyelash in the picture above. They have only just all fallen out, some I encouraged others fell out in my sleep, and I only started wearing mascara again today. So overall the eyelash extensions lasted for 3 weeks.

I feel completely naked without my eyelash extensions now; I miss my big flirty eyelashes, I miss not having to put mascara on, thus giving myself an extra 10 minute in bed, I miss having the confidence to go out of the house without a scrap of makeup on! Overall I’m sure you have guessed that I would definitely get eyelash extensions again. I paid £25 for the Express Treatment, so I think they are fantastic value and perfect if you have an event, special occasion or holiday. Next time I plan on having the Deluxe Eyelash Extension Treatment so I can have them topped up, however I’m going to give it a couple of weeks, as I want to let my eyelashes have a rest, I’m sure they are quite tired of carrying the extra weight of the extensions.

Have you ever had eyelash extensions? What was your experience, did you enjoy them? Would you have them done in future if you haven’t already?

Love the lashes| False Eyelash Review

After reading a few blog posts by other lovely ladies I decided to give DIY lash inserts a try. I have wanted to have professional ones for a long time, but I cannot justify the expense, not so much the initial expense, but having to pay at least £20 every two to three weeks, to have them touched up; after a few months that’s going to take a big dip out of my income. I have also been weary as I am a chronic eye rubber! I’m really bad, especially when I’m tired, I shouldn’t do it anyways as I wear contacts, but it’s habit I haven’t yet managed to kick… hello prematurely wrinkly eyes!

However given that these eyelashes cost me only £4.99 from Amazon, and the glue was only a couple of pounds I thought, for £7, why not! Now I am an expert applying false eyelashes for nights out, I would never go out without them. However these individual lashes were a different story, mainly because you apply them to your lashes not the skin above them, so fiddling around with my tweezers, getting the right amount of glue, and lining them up, proved at first to be difficult. The biggest difficulty was applying them in a line close enough to each other, so there wasn’t any obvious gaps. After doing one eye, the second was a lot easier, so its clear that practice make perfect, but it took me a good half an hour to get them right.

The second, third and fourth pictures show the lashes with no added mascara. I would be happy to leave the house with them just like this if I was off to university or work, as the look long, lush and natural. The only downside is that I had applied too much glue which resulted in residue that dried in white lumps on my lashes, so when closing my eyes this was evidential, as seen in the pictures The last two pictures are with two layers of mascara over the top of them, which is how I wore them for my birthday meal.

The main draw for lash inserts for myself was the time saved applying mascara. If I had inserts I wouldn’t have to put layers of mascara on in the morning, so the big test for me was whether they would last the night!

When taking the mascara off, I used a Simple Gentle Eye-Makeup Remover, resulting in only two inserts coming loose. However after switching off my bedroom light and getting a good eight hours sleep, the morning was a different story. I awoke to what looked like a few dead spiders on my pillow, and the rest of the inserts were crooked and loose. Over the night the inserts nearer the outer corners of my eyes came loose and fell out onto my pillow, and I would say about 60% of the rest become crooked or loose. I was highly disappointed as I ended up taking the rest off as they were irreparable.

I can’t decide whether the lack of staying power over night was a result to my eye rubbing, which I never did consciously, maybe in my sleep… but I would never know, or the cheap glue. So, I am going to try again! If anyone can recommend an excellent glue with great staying power let me know, as I want lash inserts that stay the night, not wither on my pillow in the morning! So keep your eyes peeled for attempt number two, as I am determined to have luscious lashes 24/7!