Benefit 'They're Real' | Push-Up Liner and Remover

I might be a beauty blogger but I'll be the first to admit that I'm absolutely bloomin' useless when it comes to eyeliner. Let's face it, it's the devil of the makeup world isn't it? Many a time I've found myself rushing to be somewhere on time simply because I had a bit of a kerfuffle getting my 'flicks' even.  Yes. I hold my hands up.  To all of my dear friends who I know read this blog, it's never the bus that's to blame for my shoddy time-keeping despite what I might tell you - i think it's time to come clean... It's not the number 44. It's the eyeliner.  So when Benefit released their 'Push-Up' Liner as part of the 'They're Real' family, said to help make applying gel-liner a little bit more of a doddle, I was interested to give it a whirl...

Firstly, I love the concept.  As someone who has never dabbled in gel liner before, (I favour the more simple option of a pencil or felt-tip styled product) I thought it was a spiffing idea to combine the long-lasting quality of a gel liner and the convenience of a pen into one - essentially making application quicker, easier and much less of a faff.  You simply twist the bottom of the pen and you're good to go.  However, don't expect this to solve all of your eyeliner woes. It won't.  It has taken me a good few tries in order to nail the application of this stuff - it can be quite tricky at first to know how much to twist the pen, how much pressure to apply and exactly which angle to hold it at in order to get it right.  On the occasions where I have got it right, the effect has been great.  The pigmentation is amazing - the strong, matte black is long-lasting and has that lovely 'vintage' quality to it that compliments the 'cat flick' look. It stays put all day, and I haven't noticed any smudging or transferring onto the lids whatsoever.  You do have to be fairly quick to apply this - I've noticed it dries quite quickly so it's definitely a product for those of you who are already rather nifty with the eyeliner. The 'They're Real' remover is a great product to have in my bathroom cabinet.  As a fan of the 'They're Real' mascara (featured on my blog here and here) , which can be notoriously difficult to remove, it's handy to have and it does do the job very well. It doesn't feel greasy or heavy and removes all traces of makeup without having to scrub away for ages.

Overall, I wouldn't say I'm blown away at the moment.  At £18.50*, the Push-Up Liner isn't cheap and as someone who never really goes beyond a simple flick here and there, I can achieve my desired look with cheaper options on the market and I think I personally favour a liquid liner or 'felt tip' style.  If you love gel liner, are really are big on creating flicks and dramatic eyeliner looks, and want something that's going to stay put and resist fading, it's well worth looking in to - I won't deny it's incredible pigmentation and staying power! I just think, at the moment, it might be a little too hit and miss for me to use on a daily basis.  If you're going to buy anything from the They're Real range, I'd go for the mascara. It's honestly one of the best ones I've ever used (considering I usually hate splashing out on mascaras this is saying something!). 'Push Up' is indeed a fabulous product, and yet again Benefit have hit the nail on the head with the idea and concept, but for the time being, I think I'll stick to my trusty felt-tips! Watch this space though, I'm persevering with it... You can read up more about it and the rest of the range on the website here.

Have you tried anything from the 'They're Real' range?

Brand Introduction | Makeup Atelier Paris

As a blogger, I love discovering new brands and trying out things I might not have tried otherwise.  I'd never heard of 'Makeup Atelier Paris' until recently.  I'd seen it appear on a few blogs and was really intrigued by some of the palettes - so I was really excited to be given the chance to give some of their products a try and see what the brand is all about.  Originating from France, Makeup Atelier Paris is a professional makeup brand which offers a vast array of products - from eye shadows of all colours of the rainbow to brushes and skin products.  I thought I'd give you the rundown on what I thought of each product...

Corrector Concealer Palette | £25* | link

I was really excited about this one.  I've recently ran out of one of my beloved Sephora concealer palettes and this one looked like just the thing to replace it.  The palette contains a mix of shades with a green toned concealer for redness, and comes packaged in a neat little plastic box.  The concealers themselves are fairly creamy, and when applied with a concealer brush blend really easily into the skin.  It's great for concealing small blemishes and redness, although dark circles require an extra layer or two. I like the fact that they don't feel oily and remain fairly matte once on the skin.

Cream Blush in 'Ambering Rose' | £12* | link

Of the lot, this has to be my favourite (no surprise there then! I love a good cream blush, me ;)). The shade is so pretty - a rose pink shade with a slight coral tint to it that adds warmth to the skin and looks dewy and fresh when applied.  I found the pigmentation to be really good and it blends really nicely.  It's not quite what I'd call 'cream to powder' but it doesn't feel greasy or heavy on the skin - it's just a nice little mid-ground cream blush that can be built up or worn subtlely. It adds a bit of moisture without looking 'shiny' - the formulation is definitely the type of thing I lean towards. I apply this using either my fingers or a stippling brush - and both ways provide a lovely finish.  I love this one!

Eyeshadow in 'Blue Marine' | £8* | link

I'm still undecided with this one.  I don't tend to wear a lot of colour and I've never really thought of wearing a navy shadow before.  That being said, I headed over to Pinterest (as you do...) and found heaps of inspiration for creating a gold & navy smokey eye.  I'm promising myself I will try and be brave and create more of a colourful look next time I'm heading out for the night and feel a bit daring with my makeup! I didn't find the eyeshadow to be the most pigmented shade I own, nor is it the softest - it took a bit of working up to build up an intense colour but I found it worked better with a really soft blending brush.  

Eyeliner Cake in Black | £12.50* | link

At first, I'll admit I wasn't keen on this one. I found it quite hard to work into and when applied I had to use a few layers before it looked like an intense black. I also found it a little uneven to apply at times. However, when I decided to give it one last try with a wet brush I found myself eating my words! To get the full potential from the cake eyeliner you have to use it wet - it gives a really, deep intense black colour that smooths on really easily and dries quickly.  You can see the difference of colour from the swatches above (the top photograph shows it applied with a wet eyeliner brush, the bottom one shows the eyeliner applied dry). Once it's on, it's on - although it does smudge a little in places throughout the day if you're not careful.  I've never used an eyeliner like this before, so it's been quite a refreshing change for me.  It's really grown on me!

I think it's safe to say the cream products came up tops for me - the cream blush and the cake eyeliner being the favourites by far! I wasn't so blown away by the eyeshadow, sadly - although this may be partly because it's not a shade I'd normally lean to anyway and i prefer a more creamy feel to my powder shadows.  I really want to try more of their cream products - inparticularly the HD Blush and Iridescent Highlighter. And of course I'm tempted to give the lipsticks a try (typical Beth...)   At the moment, I believe you can only buy them online from the actual website (you can find it here) - but I definitely look forward to hearing more about the brand in future and hope to give some more of the cream products a try!  I'd be interested to know other people's thoughts on the products as they seem to be a bit 'hit and miss' for me - but I cannot deny that I have found a couple of new additions to my makeup collection that I know I will use often.

Have you tried anything by Makeup Atelier Paris? I'd be interested to know your thoughts!