I'm back!

Hi all! I just realised I haven't written a post since March... how time flies! If you read a lot of blogs (like me!) you will have seen this a lot recently, I  finished my A-level exams on Monday and from Easter to now I've been working so hard to get into my top university. Hopefully I've done enough, no thanks to AQA changing the question style/layout of half my exams (cheers!).
My laptop also keeps crashing, for some reason it absolutely hates loading bloglovin' and at the moment is just down right refusing! That's why you don't buy a cheap laptop folks!
Basically the last few months have been very stressful, but I have got my blogging mojo back and I will have my blog up and running shortly with a new post hopefully later today. Yay to three months off for summer!
Anyone else been in this situation recently? Please leave a comment, I would love to hear how you coped haha!
Hazel x

Benefit Vs. Seventeen

I love Benefit products, the packaging is always so cute and I have never had anything disappointing from them. Sadly, my purse does not share my love and I really can't afford to constantly buy Benefit make-up on a student budget! I also love Seventeen, it was one of the first brands I ever bought make up from and it is such good value, but up until a few months ago I had been neglecting it. Recently, I have noticed Seventeen have bought out a lot of products that appear rivals to some of  Benefit's top products so here are my comparisons:

Highlighters: Benefit high beam vs. Seventeen skin wow! 3 way highlighter

Price: Benefit £19.50 Seventeen £5.99

Packaging: Benefit's high beam is in a much better package in my opinion, the little brush is good for targeting specific areas and the product looks generally cuter. Seventeen's offering is in a more standard tube, however as you can see after a few uses the product is already smeared round the top and using the pump I often get too much out. 

Product: Colour wise these are very similar, with seventeen's only a smidgen pinker. Both have a shimmery look that transfers well onto the face as a highlighter, and both are simple to apply and give a lovely natural glow. I don't really agree with the '3 way' claim of the Seventeen highlighter (primer, highlighter or mixed in with foundation to give an all over glow) - it was way too much when I tried it as a primer, plus it didn't really help my make-up application, and I prefer targeted highlighting rather than all over mixed into foundation so I would only use this the one way, but nonetheless it is a very good product for the fraction of the price. Both last a decent amount of time; as long as my foundation lasts so a good 6+ hours.

Overall: As both products are very similar I have to say the Seventeen one wins purely due to price.

Primers: Benefit's the Porefessional vs. Seventeen flawless poreless primer

Price: Benefit £24.50 Seventeen £5.99

Packaging: Once again the Benefit product has much better packaging, a simple no-fuss tube so you can squeeze out a small amount. The Seventeen product (besides being blimmin' hard to photograph - hello reflection!) is a nice shape and pretty but much harder to get out and takes quite a while to get enough as it kind of melts onto the fingers. Plus I never understand packaging like this where there is no mirror!

Product: I don't know why I have either of these to be honest, I have no particularly visible pores and have never really worried about the appearance of my pores so beats me why I have two products for that! As just a normal primer the Porefessional is fab, it helps with make-up application and makes my skin feel so soft! The Flawless Poreless primer appeared to mix into my foundation or rub off when I applied foundation over it, and make those lovely little sort of rolls where everything rubs off and becomes a mess (please tell me I'm not the only one! Do they have a technical name?). Not impressed! 

Overall: Benefit is definitely the winner of this one, it may be expensive but the tiny tube has lasted me ages so a full size one would last months and after all it is a cult product!

Concealers: Seventeen Phwoarr Paint  vs. Benefit boi-ing industrial-strength concealer

Price: Benefit £17.50 Seventeen £5.49

Packaging: Firstly, this may seem a little unfair as my boi-ing is a trial size, and not the prettiest. Going on the full size version which comes in a cute little pot with a screw off lid the packaging for this is nice as is expected with Benefit products. The Seventeen product has a similar circular pot but with a hinge lid which I prefer as I am always losing things and not putting lids on properly, so I won't be likely to put this in my bag open and get it covered in fluff and wrappers (never happened before of course...). Also the dinky little mirror is useful on the go.

Product: Both of these concealers are to banish under-eye dark circles but I also use them on blemishes when I'm feeling lazy. The paler shade of boi-ing almost completely removes my under-eye dark circles, however I use a concealer brush to apply this and always get a thick layer as it is so thick I find it almost impossible to blend. And a thick layer equals creasing - not good! It is however very good on blemishes and will cover pretty much everything. The Phwoarr paint is much creamier in texture and easier to blend, but still only lasts a few hours under the eye without creasing. It is good on blemishes too but doesn't camouflage quite so well.

Overall: I like both of these but Seventeen just wins this one due to it's lighter texture and price.

So as you can see, in my opinion some Seventeen products are better than much their much pricier counterparts, and though Benefit have some seemingly unbeatable holy grail worthy items (They're Real, The Porefessional) I am definitely going to try more Seventeen products in future!

Which is your favourite brand? Thank you for reading, please leave a comment,

Hazel x

My favourite pink lipsticks

I love a pink lipstick for spring/summer, they brighten up any outfit and make my complexion look much healthier. They also look great with a tan! These are the ones I have been loving lately;

Stila Lip Glaze in 03 Joy - here

This is from last years 'all is bright' lip glaze set which I bought on sale, this colour is unfortunately not sold separately anymore but by looking at the website I would guess it is very much like raspberry or fruit punch, the perfect cool toned bubblegum pink. These are in no way cheap but this tube has lasted loads of applications already and it is still over half full. The built in brush means it is really easy to put on when out, and I love the vanilla-y taste!

Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in 075 Lollipop -here

Yes, I am obsessed with Revlon, especially the lip butters. They feel so nice and moisturising on and the colour range is great. This is such a lovely hot pink which looks great on anyone, and it just screams summer!

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in 028 Cherry Blossom - here

This looks red in the tube but translates into a slightly deeper hot pink which is again a lovely spring/summer colour. This is less moisturising than the lip butter but lasts longer on the lips, so I go for this one if I have less chance to reapply.

Mua Lipstick in Shade 3 - here
This is amazing value, just £1 for almost the exact same colour as the previous two. I hardly wear these anymore due to the non existent staying power so unless I'm just popping out for an hour or so I need something that lasts longer. They are great to see if you suit a certain shade before buying a more expensive lipstick though.

Stila after glow lip colour in Festive Fuscia - here

Firstly I have no idea why this is not in the top picture, absolute mystery where it went! I got this at christmas on sale but now they are back to full price. £12. I love the giant crayon style lip products, they are really good to apply quickly and look more inconspicuous on the go than a normal lipstick somehow. These are meant to glow in UV light I think and why you would want that is honestly a mystery to me but anyway in daytime I love this. It feels light and silky on the lips. If I had more money I would just buy everything on the Stila website!

L-R: Stila lip glaze in Joy, Revlon Lip Butter in Lollipop, Revlon Lipstick in Cherry Blossom, Mua Lipstick in Shade 3, Stila lip colour in Festive Fuscia

What lip products are you loving lately? Please leave a comment! Thank you for reading,

Hazel x

The Body Shop Hair Chalks review

Hi all! Last week I just happened to pop into my local Body Shop to have a look at the make-up and as soon as I stepped through the door my eyes were on these, I had seen these swatched by bloggers online and waited very impatiently for them to be launched! I love to colour my hair and experiment, but it can be hard to find dye that works on brown/dark hair, especially dyed dark like mine (I am naturally blonde). They look great on my mum's blonde hair and work fantastically on my hair, better than any semi permanent bright coloured dye I have tried.

Yes I got overexcited and swatched these on my hair a good few times before photographing!

 The colours are called 'Tickle me Pink' and 'Falling for Blue'. They are really easy to use, the packet (below) suggests that with a towel around your shoulders you put the pot on top of your hair with your thumb underneath and pull it down, then brush and seal with hairspray.

 I tend to only colour the tips so I simply put the ends of my hair on my palm and rub the chalk on, then scrunch a little rather than brushing to make sure it is distributed and there is no excess, then simply wash my hands as the chalks can be a little messy. I think with products like this it is good to just play around a bit and find a good method for you. Sealed with hairspray these stay vibrant for 2-3 hours then fade a little by the 6 hour mark but a dull colour lasts a whole day/until the next wash which I think is very impressive for a non permanent product, let alone a chalk! (How technology has moved on; these sure last better than the spray on aerosol ones (remember those?!) and the gel ones I used to use sometimes as a kid when I wanted to attempt to recreate an Avril Lavigne style pink streak!)

So anyway here are the pink and blue swatches on my hair (please ignore how frizzy it looks!). You can see how vibrant they look, I think like the packet suggests the blue works best on darker hair but they are both lovely colours, especially for spring/summer:

And here they are mixed together to make purple, here I did pink layered over blue to get a cool toned purple (but if you do blue over pink the purple actually is marginally different and looks actually warmer toned):

 And altogether:

Overall I think these are a really nice, fun product that allow people to easily experiment with their hair and I would definitely going to your nearest store to try them out. The three colours you can get look really nice alone or together so there are loads of looks you can create with these too. I kinda hope they bring out an autumn range with reds, oranges or maybe deep purples which is very wishful thinking I know!

Have you tried these? Thank you for reading, please leave a comment below,

Hazel x

My favourite berry lipsticks

Topshop lip bullet - here

I will admit, I have no idea what this colour was called, it is no longer sold on the website though. I bought this on a whim in Topshop because I liked the colour, with no real thoughts on whether or not it would suit me. In short, not. I am waaaaay too pale and no where near daring enough for this! However I do love this blended with a paler colour such as a bright pink to make a lovely pink berry colour, or with a nude to lighten it up. The formula is good - soft and easy to apply and the bullet is like a crayon - lipstick hybrid as it has a fairly precise application and a twist up tube. I definitely want to invest in a few more of these in different colours.

Max Factor Colour Elixir lipstick in 755 Firefly - here

I only began wearing lipstick around 18 months ago, before that I was a tinted moisturiser/gloss kinda girl. I got this around a year ago and at the time thought it a really scary bright colour haha, really it is a berry toned dark pink which can be put on quite sheer or layered for a more opaque look with a satin finish. I love this for an everyday autumn/winter/spring look (basically all the time).

The Body Shop Lip Liner in 04 Mauve Berry - here

(I know this is not technically a lipstick but I thought I'd include it anyway as it is related). I bought this from a Body Shop outlet store, whilst they had a christmas sale/50 percent off offer on and using my 'love your body' card, making it an impressive £3.20ish instead of £8 - bargain! The crayon is fairly hard but not more so than others I have tested. It was perfect as I had never owned a lip liner before and had no idea if I would use it, but I found I do and I really need to get more. It looks very red on the swatches but is actually a pink toned berry which goes very well with firefly if I want to add some extra staying power. 

L-R: Topshop lip bullet, Max Factor Colour Elixir lipstick in Firefly, The Body Shop Lip Liner in Mauve Berry (natural lighting).

Rose&co. Sugared Violet hand cream

Hi all! Today I just have a short post for you about a hand cream I have been loving lately: Rose&co's Patisserie de Bain Sugared Violet hand cream. This smells absolutely gorgeous, like Parma Violets which I used to love when I was a kid. It is a pale lilac colour and thick, and a nice everyday moisturiser without being too greasy or heavy, so it is perfect unless you have very dry hands. 

There are more products in the 'Patisserie de Bain' range, such as lemon bon-bon and strawberry shortcake, I want to try them all! They also sell things like candles and soap, I really want to try the sugared violet lip balm, it would be like constantly eating Parma Violets (mmm...). 

You can find it here priced at £5, but I got mine from an independent gift/card shop for only £3.50, so I unknowingly picked up a bargain!

Have you tried anything from the Patisserie de Bain range? Please let me know in the comments. Thank you for reading,

Hazel x

My favourite red lipsticks

Hi all! I know it's nearly spring but I believe year round nothing makes a statement better than a red lip, especially at night. I love the classic LBD and red lip combination, it is classy yet sexy - perfect! And here are my current favourites;

Max Factor Colour Elixir Lipstick in Chilli (853) - here

As I previously mentioned in my January favourites, I love this lipstick. It is crimson with a subtle golden sparkle in it which makes it much more wearable than a plain red lipstick, and the formula is fantastic. It has to be reapplied every 4 to 6 hours which is fairly standard and decent for the price. Also I think the packaging looks far more luxurious than the price would suggest. 

Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in  Red Velvet (40) - here

These beauties have been all over the blogging world and rightly so, I love them. This was definitely a 'the blogger made me buy it' purchase, I saw so many people raving about these I had to try them out. I love how moisturising they feel and the range of colours is brilliant. I find these tend to last less than 4 hours but I reapply more often than that anyway, I treat them more like a tinted lip balm, though they are packed full of pigmentation. This is a lovely maroon red that would be universally flattering.

Max Factor Colour Elixir Giant Pen Stick in Passionate Red - here

I picked this up on a 3 for 2 offer as I liked the colour and thought I might as well. I didn't really expect great things but I was very wrong. This is such a gorgeous colour (my favourite of the bunch) it is basically a deeper, more intensely pigmented version of the chilli lipstick with the same golden shimmer which for some reason just wouldn't photograph (grrr). The formula is very soft and creamy though I do find this harder to apply than the normal lipsticks as it can go on a bit thickly and has a tendency to look messy if rushed, thought I think this error is on my part not the formulation of the product. 

Max Factor Lipfinity in Passionate (110) - here 

This post is not sponsored by Max Factor I promise, I just love their lipsticks. This is again a gorgeous shimmery red, very much like the others just a tad darker and more crimson. I have a love hate relationship with these lipsticks, I have seen so many people rave about them but I'm not convinced. I think they are very much practice makes perfect, and I am keeping at it for the time being. Firstly, I don't have the most patience and after applying these not being able to move your mouth for a good minute until they dry into a stain is not fun. So many times I have just started talking etc, and had to start over as the colour goes patchy. I find these make my lips feel very dry and tight, though this is mostly eased when the accompanying balm is applied over the top. The first time you apply this it is a very strange feeling. The main positive about these is they do last for a long time, easily doing a whole day without needing to be reapplied, despite how much you eat or drink. My main problem with these however is that on my bottom lip the colour flakes/ disappears off the back part of it, so when I talk you can see both the lipstick and my natural lip colour like a very dodgy ombre effect lip attempt!

So you might ask - why is this included in your favourite red lipsticks? Well I love the colour and I think someone better at applying it would have a much better experience, as after all they are very popular: I love this formula in nude colours. Mainly though I do still wear this just for shorter time periods and I am still trying to improve my technique. I'll get there one day.

L-R: Max Factor Colour Elixir Lipstick in Chilli, Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in  Red Velvet, Max Factor Colour Elixir Giant Pen Stick in Passionate Red, Max Factor Lipfinity in Passionate. Taken with natural lighting.

What are your favourite red lipsticks? Thank you for reading, please leave a comment,
Hazel x