Benefit Minis | Hit Or Miss?

Benefit cosmetics is one of my favourite make-up brands, ever! I also am LOVIN' their gorgeous new packaging for the brow products. Recently Glamour and Elle magazines came with mini samples from Benefit and I made sure to get my paws on all of them.

I just love mini Benefit samples, they're cute, easy to travel with and you get to try it out before committing to buying a full-sized product. I wanted to share with you my verdict on all three samples so read on to see if I would buy the full size for myself...

Gimme Brow Volumizing Eyebrow Gel

This is an old favourite of mine and what could be better than a mini version of the product you love?! I love using this on my brows on days when I don't have time to fill em in with a brush and pigment, which I find to be very satisfying. I can achieve fuller looking brows in moments with this product and I know that they will stay in place and look neat all day. Without a doubt, I would repurchase another full sized product
Verdict: Hit

Dew The Hoola Liquid Bronzer
I have never tried a bronzer from Benefit before so this one was a lovely lil sample to try. There was quite an amount that came in the cute lil pump so I could really test it out over a few days/weeks. As much as I liked the formulation, scent and longevity. I would give this a miss, simply because I don't wear bronzer and I was using it to contour my cheeks instead which actually looked quite good. I think I would prefer a liquid highlighter since I wear that daily.
Verdict: Miss

Goofproof Eyebrow Pencil
Another cute new release from Benefit, the Goof Proof eyebrow pencil (cleverly named) I loved this small version, the packaging is so on point and it was quite a decent size too. I have used a fair amount of eyebrow products and I remember using pencils too. This was truly easy to use. I could achieve neater and fuller looking brows within seconds and the colour matched well. I think this is a great release from Benefit, if you are looking for a product that can easily help you achieve defined brows then look no further. Personally though I would give this a miss simply because I prefer other ways of filling in my brows.
Verdict: Miss

Did you manage to pick up all of the Benefit freebies? and what are your thoughts on mini product samples?

Sleek i-Divine Eyeshadow Palette in Sunset | Swatches and Review

My first ever Sleek purchase was a blusher and I remember collecting a few as well as the infamous contour kit. Sleek have grown so much since then and now I can safely say that their eyeshadow palettes are something worth talking about! I was sent this to try out and I couldn't help but swatch this to share with you all.

Product description:

Sleek MakeUP’s legendary i-Divine palettes are 12 shades of super-pigmented, longlasting, mineral based eyeshadow, designed to suit all. Each i-Divine contains pearlescent shades, which contain mica particles that highlight and illuminate giving an overal radiant effect.Available in a variety of colour ways, your i-Divine is waiting for you.

Sunset shades represent the sun, sea and sand. With a blend of shimmering golds, reds and blues, this palette is perfect for that sun-kissed look.

Meet this beautiful palette! The i-Divine named Sunset. This palette boasts of a collection of warm hues coupled with smooth and metallic finishes.
The palette is so travel friendly! A sturdy black case that houses all 12 eyeshadows. There's a huge clear mirror inside too! The palette also includes a dual ended sponge applicator but I never use those anymore, I prefer using an actual brush to apply and blend eyeshadows.
The eyeshadow colours are insanely PRETTY! When you open this up, you can definitely see that the colours of a sunset are captured well and match the theme perfectly. Each eyeshadow does not have a name or number so I'll try my best to describe the colours.
There is one matte shade (black) and the rest of the colours have a shimmery/pearlescent finish. I think it's great that Sleek have added a black shade into the product since it's great for intense smokey eyes and you can really play around with all of the colours. There's warm berry tones to beautiful rose toned pinks. All of the shimmery shades have fantastic colour pay off that are not only intense but long lasting too! The rose gold and cool blue colours are my favourites from this palette. 
The formulation is so buttery and so easy to blend and work with. It adheres to the skin well without much fall out.
I have swatched them without a primer so that you can see the intensity of the colour. I would still recommend that you do use a primer so that the colour is enhanced and that it stays put. 

I couldn't recommend this palette enough, if you are into warm, fiery shades then this is perfect for you! I can't wait to wear this more often and play around with more of the colours. From the beautiful glittery pigment to the long-lasting wear, this palette truly has it all!

Check it out here - link / £8.99* Available to buy at Boots, Superdrug and online on the Sleek website!

NEW I Heart Makeup Lipbalms

When blogger packages are done right... Recently this beautiful pink package landed on my doorstep and I was so so excited to see what was inside. I could smell the lovely sweet like scents from the outside and just like pick n mix sweets, I was delighted to find these inside...

Product description:

Replenish, hydrate, soften and protect your lips with these luscious lip balms. Great lip care in 5 fab flavours. The unique capsule design are perfect for your handbag.

Meet the new five lipbalms from I Heart Makeup. The younger sister brand of Make Up Revolution. These lip balms really remind me of the EOS balms but alot more affordable. Packaging-wise these are very travel friendly. The rubber casing houses the actual lip balm. When you twist and pull the lid, the lip balm appears in a bullet form. All lipbalms are clear and are very easy to apply. 
They're more hygienic too since you do not have to dip your finger into the balm and apply.
The scents are incredible. Each one smells so realistic which is lovely! My personal favourite is the Raspberry Fizz, partially due to the fact that it's PINK! It's also the one that is the most strongest out of all of the scents. I definitely recommend givin' these a good ol' smell because they all have been scented beautifully.

The formulation is good. After a few applications my lips felt more softer and moisturised. In the ingredients, Shea Butter is included along with Paraffin which is derived from Petroleum (think Vaseline lip balm). I think I would prefer it more if the lipbalm just contained Shea Butter rather than having paraffin mixed in.

A cute release but I've loved previous releases alot more, nevertheless it's still worth checking out these balms if you're after a fun lip product!

Check them all out here - link/£2.99* each

Mini Hema Haul

What I bought:

A6 Colourful Bottle Print Notebook - £1.50

Pastel Sticky Book Markers - 75p!!

Cute Heart Stickers - 75p

Pastel Pretty Ballpoint Pen with an Attached Keychain - 75p

Mint Green Ballpoint Pen - 75p
Soft Nougat not pictured, all eaten. Oops... - £1

So last week, me and my other half were walking around Birmingham central and we was just randomly going through some stores but this particular place caught my eye and it was the pastel pretty stationery that I could see from afar and well, I am so glad I ended up discovering this gem of a store because it's a stationery's lover heaven.

I have heard of Hema before but I wasn't sure of it's exact location in the UK but luckily the new store in Birmingham is just perfect for those accidental trips.

I needed a new little notebook. A smaller sized one so it's easier to carry around for on the go note taking or list writing. I just love the cute colourful bottle print and the pink paper makes this the girliest book ever!
I was eyeing up the sticky notes section but I didn't want the standard pink, orange, yellow and green block that you practically see everywhere! I was amazed at the price of the sticky book markers. I instantly added this to my basket. The cute pastel sticky notes are perfect for any important dates/times and planning towards my lil blog.
The heart stickers and pens are an essential for me since I love collecting both. I can use the stickers to decorate anything I want and the pens are cute to just throw into my bag or keep on my bedside table.

Have you been to Hema before?

Berry Pickin'

I have found that when you randomly plan to go somewhere, you end up having the time of your life and you achieve the best memories from that day! I can honestly say that this was truly one of those days.

On the 1st of August, myself and my faves headed over to Malt Kiln farm in Rugby. A short drive from Birmingham, I honestly could not wait to start pickin' those berries!

On arrival, we picked up those cute little green baskets and headed over to the long green fields to start picking. 

It was lovely to see that we could pick more than just strawberries, there were raspberries, vegetables and even sunflowers!

I would definitely recommend going to a farm to pick your own because it honestly was so much fun, especially with the kids. It's a learning experience too because kids get to see how beautiful our world really is and by showing them how fruit grows and how fun it can be to collect and pick your own fruit, can really be a delightful thing!

We ended up picking quite an amount of berries, both raspberries and strawberries. So much that we ended up making strawberry milkshakes for three days straight and I added some into my breakfast porridge. Nothin' beats the taste of fresh picked berries, it was actually better than the fruit you buy in supermarkets.

One of my highlights of 2016 was definitely this day, family, fun  and fresh fruit!

Have you been berry picking?

What's In My Purse?

One of the most intriguing posts/videos that I love to read or watch is the 'What's in my bag/purse and there's just something so interesting about it, because who doesn't want to have a nose around the contents of a cute purse? I am forever watching this on Youtube and now it's time to share the bits and bobs that I carry around with me most of the time.

The beauty bits
I LOVE lip products alot, so you will definitely find a lip balm or three. I carry around some lipsticks too because you just never know where you might end up going so atleast if you have a pretty pink lippie or a muted nude lip colour, you'll atleast be prepared for any social occasion and since I can never decide which product to stick with, I'd rather have many then just have one. A hand cream is a must, I always moisturise on the go and the Soap and Glory minis are worth buying to keep in your purse and on your bedside table. Lastly a compact with a mirror is an absolute essential for on the go touch ups and well, who wouldn't want to hold out a Chanel compact to check if your eyeliner flick is intact.

Lifestyle picks
When I'm out and about I always make sure to carry a snack for those hungry moments, lately I have been loving Pick Up biscuits which are deliciously moreish and banishes sweet cravings. A cute pen for any last minute note taking or list writing. A lil perfume for on the go spritzin' my current favourite is Poison Girl by Dior which is so sweet and feminine! Lastly on the go teeth essentials by Dentek. The clever Floss Pick Cases*(link) are so ideal for throwing into your bag for quick flossing and cleaning, these are minty fresh and you won't have to worry about any food being stuck in your teeth too! The Interdental Cleaners* (link) are also so handy since they're good at removing food and plaque. It also reduces tooth decay and fights bad breath.

What essentials do you like to carry around with you?