Forgotten Finds 2

So Last week my very first 'Forgotten Finds' went up on my blog. The idea for this post is to make more use of your make up. Like many others I tend to forget about make up when I buy new 'shiny' products. Good products I loved in the past get forgotten about. By 'Shopping the Stash' you can give products a new life. It is a great way to feel like you have bought something without actually spending any money. I actually found it quite easy to stick to the products I picked for last week. It was great to use products I had forgotten about and to rediscover how good they actually were.

This week I have picked.....

M&S Bohemia Perfume- I'm awful at describing perfume so here is how M&S describe it 'An eclectic fragrant blend of lemon, blueberry and bergamot with floral heart notes of lily of the valley, mimosa and gardenia drying down to warm aromas of cedarwood, amber and vanilla.' M&S is a great place to pick up cheap perfume. I got this one half price when I bought another perfume. I find they are dupes for much more expensive perfume. 

Benefit Moon Beam - As a great lover of high beam (Or at least my cheap dupes of it!) I often forget I have Moon Beam. Compared to High Beam it is very subtle. I think this is why I always pick High Beam over it.

Barry M 272 Shocking Pink - I love just how pink this nail polish is. It's a very hot Barbie pink that looks amazing on.

Barry M Touch of Magic - I picked this up when I was in London at Easter. I adore this lipstick. It's a bit crazy looking as it is green when you open it, but when you put it on your lips it turns a colour unique to your lips. On me it is a dark pink colour. For a closer look and swatches click here!

Laura x

How many Benefit samples fit into full sized products?

Every year in June Glamour magazine give away the most amazing free Benefit products! For £2 or just over €3 you can get your paws on amazing products. The products look small but in fact they are actually half a full sized product! Look closely at the packaging on the full sized products next time your at a Benefit counter and you will see they are actually not far off a full product!

The pore professional to buy is £23. 50/€34.00 and is 22 ml. So three 7.5ml bottles from Glamour will give you 22.5ml, which is more than a full product! Save £17.50! 

BADgal lash Mascara retails at £16.50 / €23.00 ad is 8.5g.  Two 4g mascaras from Glamour will only leave you 0.5g off a full sized 8.5g shop mascara! Save £12.50!

'That Girl' retails at £21.50 / €30.00 for an 11ml product. So two glamour 7.5ml products will get you 15ml nearly one and a half times more product! Save over £17.50!

This is a great opportunity to stock up as it will save you a lot of money! Have you picked up any of these products?

Larry x

Soap and Glory Moon Beam Dupe?

My sister recently gave me a bag full of cosmetics she didn't want. (It was amazing!) One of the items that jumped out at me was Soap and Glory 'Glow Lotion'. I had never heard of this product so was straight away very intrigued. This is a 'drop dead gorgeous highlighting and hydrating fragranced shimmer lotion which can be applied to highlight your best assets. An all over body moisturiser that doubles as a perfume.' 

Benefit High Beam Dupe

I fell in love with Benefit's High Beam when it came free with an issue of Glamour Magazine. It's the most beautiful highlighter I have ever tried. It makes such a difference to my face. I have even been told I look like I'm glowing when I'm wearing it. I'm nearly finished this little bottle and had been dreading spending €26.50 on a new bottle!  Luckily I don't think I have to do that. I have found a dupe! 

While in Superdrug in Omni Park I noticed a make up brand called 'Me Me Me'. This amazing brand has so many Benefit Dupes you won't believe it. It has dupes for many of Benefit's blushers, Moon Beam, High Beam, Posietint and Benetint. (I will definitely be returning to buy more!) 

The light is not great in this photo but in real life it is pearly pink

This fantastic dupe is called 'Beat the Blues Moon Beam'. This lovely little bottle was only €6.25 (So your saving yourself over TWENTY euro compared to Benefit's version!) 

Me Me Me on the left, Benefit on the right

When swatched Benefit's High Beam looks more pearly pink however, once they are blended there is NO difference at all!! Amazing! :) Like High Beam, the Me Me Me version also comes in a bottle with a brush (a bit like a nail polish) 

I only wish Superdrug had a shop in the city centre. I'm lucky enough that my boyfriend lives near Omni Park so I can go to that store the odd time. I would love a store in the city centre though! 

What do you think of this dupe? Will you be buying it? 

Larry xx

Favourite Cosmetics of 2011!

2011 is a year where I think I went even crazier about beauty products than I ever have before. My makeup collection seems to have grown considerably over the last year. In this post I will show you my favourite cosmetics of the last year. I picked the products I use the most and love. Here is what made my list J

Urban Decay’s Book of Shadows IV - As a lover of Urban Decay palettes, I was trilled when I received this as a gift for my Birthday. The colours are amazing and as usual are really pigmented. It also comes with speakers and QR codes for those who love their gadgets. For a full review click Here! 

MUA Professional Heaven and Earth Palette - I had been lusting after this palette for ages so I picked one up while visiting my parents in London. This Palette is AMAZING for the price! It's only £4 and is so pigmented and is full of amazing neutral colours. I wear this a lot to work and love it. I would definitely recommend everyone to snatch up this little bargain!

MUA Professional Extreme Curl Mascara - This is not only my favourite mascara of the year but my favourite mascara I have ever used! I LOVE  it! It makes my tiny eyelashes look really long. I even got asked was I wearing false eyelashes and that has never happened before at all! It is also a bargain at £2.50. Unfortunately you can't get the MUA range in Ireland but I think there website is starting international delivery so check it out!

Accessorize Merged Baked Blusher 'Sensation' - I picked up this beauty in London in Superdrug I think it was about £5? I had never tried Accessorize make-up before as again it's not available in Ireland :( (come on Superdrug Irish girls are missing out!!) This is a gorgeous pink blusher (It looks more orange in the photo. The first photo is a better indicator of it's true colour.) What I love about this blush is that it gives the face a lovely glow and has bits of shimmer which give a lovely highlight. I will definitely be picking up more from this range during my next visit to my parents.

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer - 

This is truly a fantastic concealer. It's not too expensive at about €6.50. I have it in the lightest shade and it suits my Irish skin perfectly. I usually find this really difficult! It very creamy and blends so well. It covers everything from redness, blemishes to dark circles. Amazing product! Well done Collection 2000!

Benefit - High Beam - I got this product free with Glamour magazine and fell in love with it! It is the most beautiful highlighter I have ever tried. It really brightens my face and is so easy to blend! I will be devastated when this runs out as it is quite expensive to purchase. I have seen however what might be a dupe which I am going to buy.... Look out for a review soon! :)

Kate Moss Rimmel - The shade that I love is the colour 08. This is a fantastic neutral lipstick that I wear to work. It's really wearable and moisturising. For a full review and swatches click Here!

17 Lasting Fix Lipstick - This lipstick has to be my favourite lipstick of the year! I Have two shades 'Pink Power' (I think it's power pink... the label is no longer on the lipstick) and 'Showbiz'. Pink Power is a stunning pink that looks beautiful on the lips. Showbiz is a gorgeous red I wear on nights out. (also sometimes during the day when I feel brave!) I have received loads of compliments while wearing both shades. Both feel moisturising, creamy and don't dry out my lips. They also last a long time and don't wear off in patches which I hate! Fantastic Lipsticks :) !

What is your favourite cosmetic from 2011??

Larry xx

2True Benefit dupes??

 Ever since Glamour magazine gave away free mini Benefit cheek and lip tints I have kept my eye out for similar products. While in Superdrug in the Omni I came across a brand called 2true which attempts to recreate Benefit's best selling Bene Tint and Posie Tint. The Benefit versions cost €33.50 each!! So how does 2true for €2.00 a bottle hold up?

The first Cheek 'n' Lip Tint is a copy of Bene Tint. It's a rose tinted colour exactly like Bene Tint. The scents are different but the colour is very similar. The 2true tint dries faster than the Benefit version so you have to blend faster. 

2true on the left, Benefit on right

Formula very similar 

At first glance the 2true 'Blush Pink' looks quite different from Pose Tint. The pink is a lot brighter very very pink. It also appears to be a lot thicker than Pose Tint.

          

         2true VERY pink on Left , Pose Tint on Right

However, when the two are swatched beside each other and blended they begin to look quite similar.

2True on Left, Benefit on Right

Overall I do think Benefit is the better product but at more than €30 more expensive than 2true I think I will stick with my lovely 2True bargain. For €2.00 this product is amazing! 

Larry xx