Benefit The Porefessional

This will actually be my last Pore post for a week or so (phew) as I'm currently testing and scrutinising other pore products at the moment. Anyway on with today's post which is Benefit's The Porefessional.

Benefit The Porefessional 22ml for £23.50, is a lightly tinted balm that claims to minimise and conceal the appearance of enlarged pores. The product itself is a light beige in shade, completely scent free and has a similar constancy to a normal face primer.

You can use this product in a range of ways, on top of your make-up base, underneath your make-up base or own it's own. Like I said the product is light beige in tone but once applied there is no trace of colour so it is suitable for all skin tones. I found this product very easy to apply, it blended well using all suggested methods and lasted through out the day.

Now pore wise this actually works, it softens the appearance of enlarged pores by some what filling them in, think of cement/pollyfiller for your face and you have the right idea. I found it to work best on top of my foundation and can honestly say I have had no allergic reaction to the silicon in this product perhaps the foundation acts as a barrier? Another worry some have is that due to the silicon being present it may make existing enlarged pores worse over time, again I have not experienced this but I have been very careful cleansing wise and I do make sure every trace is gone before bed.

Out of all the pore reducing products I have tried recently I have to say this ranks as the best and does a great job of smoothing and reducing my enlarged pores. It is a little pricey but a little goes a long way, I'm happy to pay the price for a product that works so well and makes me that little bit happier with my pores.

The Porefession costs £23.50 for 22ml and is available from all Benefit counters/stockists and their independent website.

No.7 Essential Moisture Night Cream

When is the appropriate age to begin using a night cream? I don't mean slicking on a coat of light daily moisturiser before you doze off at night but a lotion specifically targeted for night time use? I was lead to believe that it is for the 25+ age group and as I'm not quite there age wise yet I often ponder if using one prematurely will do more damage than good? By this I mean that when my skin does need that little help no cream will work as it has become accustom to it all? Argh what a dilemma!

I'll level with you I haven't actually been using the No.7 Essential Moisture Night Cream on my face but on my décolletage and neck as I have been warned many a time that along with your hands these are the key areas that often tell a woman's age so best start early ladies, oh and invest in a good hand cream too!

No.7 Essential Moisture Night Cream is a thick, luxurious feeling cream that is scent free and easily absorbs into the skin leaving behind no residue nor sticky feeling. The official information is as follows :

Give your skin a little beauty sleep with No7 Essential Moisture Night Cream.  No7's night moisturiser is a rich cream that replenishes lost moisture to leave your skin irresistibly soft and silky when you wake.

No7 Essential Moisture Night Cream contains soothing Elderflower and caring Vitamins E and F.

• Hypo-allergenic 
• Dermatologically tested
• Fragrance free

Like I said it is a thick cream and that contributes to the reason why I have not applied it to my face due to my enlarged pores etc I thought it might just be too heavy and lead to further skin problems.

However I have tested it on my neck and décolletage and found it to be very moisturising and did indeed leave my skin on such areas feeling soothed, I occurred no irrational nor nasty side effects and have continued to use it for the last two weeks.

Now if I could only figure out when I should actually start using night cream and an eye cream, answers on a postcard please.

No.7 Essential Moisture Night Cream costs £10 for 50ml and is available from all Boots No.7 counters and www.boots.com

New Cid I-Gel Liner Trio

I'm not one for heavy black eye liner especially for day to day wear, I just don't have the eyes for it nor the desire. I am very much someone who likes to keep my make-up fairly neutral and dare I say it safe for everyday wear. I like to look polished but that's not to say I don't like to funk it up every now and then. Enter New Cid I-Gel Trio.

Being a fan of neutrals I went for the bronze based trio but there is also a black/greys and bright option. Each trio costs £21.50 for three shades and a complimentary eye liner brush. The brush is fairly good I just  find it a lot easier to apply liner with an angled brush but in terms of free applicators it ranks pretty highly.

Like all New Cid cosmetics it is beautifully packaged in their trademark white and simplistic packaging. I like the simple approach to packaging always have done but man does the white casing collect dirt and fingerprints like no other, well Nars might have that crown but you understand what I mean.

In my little palette the three complimenting shades are Bronze which is unsurprisingly a bronze shade that has yellow undertones and a slight shimmer to it. Copper which is not really all that brown based, when I imagine copper I instantly think of two pence pieces? Copper is more of a blackened brown which is quite heavy on the shimmer. I liken it to Mac's Avenue Fluid Line in terms of shade. The finial shade is Steel and yep you guessed it is a deep grey almost gunmetal shade, it's actually a really nice change to black and would look great on fair skin who can often find black liner a tad harsh. All three shades are intensely pigmented and a little goes a long, long, long way.

In terms of wear all three shades are equal and equally as hard to remove! The gel liner dries to a soft satin finish, not completely matte but it in no way looks wet. It does not dry to a crusty finish that cracks after an hour...yuck I know. 

I mentioned these are hard to remove which is annoying when you are tired and all you want is to go to sleep not struggle with a greasy eye make-up remover but needs must and all but boy oh boy do these gel liners stay in place. I applied each shade over three consecutive days and got the same amount of wear out of each shade. Basically these gel liners don't budge unless you want them to. I applied each shade at 7am and come 7pm there was no sign of wear at all, this was without primer and on oily eye lids. Pretty impressive huh?

I know £21.50 may seem a little steep for eye liners and I normally would agree had they not been so pigmented, long wearing and easy to apply. I also think for three shades that isn't too bad I mean it works out just a little over £7 per shade which is roughly the same as high street gel liner. 

If you are in the market for some neutral yet not boring gel liners may I point you towards this little kit.

Available from selected House of Fraser's and www.newcidcosmetics.com for £21.50

The above product/s was sent for reviewing purposes, I was in no way compensated for my review. Just because the item/s were not purchased by me does not mean my opinion of said item/s was in any way swayed. 100% honest opinion and review as always!

Clinique Pore Minimizer

I'm back with another pore product that yet again promises to minimise the look of pores, I'm ruthless when it comes to getting what I want and right now that is less visible pores and goddamit I won't rest until I find something that actually works!

Clinique Pore Minimizer is a balm not at all like liquid but a thick cream constancy and is completely scentless not to mention allergy tested. The Pore Minimizer is thick but applies easily and even, I had no problems applying the product and found it to absord into the skin quickly too leaving no hint of product behind but a matte finish.This product comes in three shades Light, Bright and Deep which in my opinion aren't great but more on that later.

You can use this product on top of your make-up, underneath it or on it's own. I tested all three methods and found the best one for me was underneath my base, the version I have is too pale to go on top of my base without looking odd and requiring a lot of blending. I can't say any of the three shades that Clinique offer are all that suited to light- medium skin tones, the Light shade which I have would be a great match for the NC/NW15-25 skin tones, the brighting version I guess would suit all skin tone's I just wasn't blown away with it and the Deep version is aimed at NC/NW 40+ skins I would guess.

Clinique claim- "Look smooth and virtually flawless with pores that appear more than 50% smaller-instantly. Natural-looking matte finish lasts up to 8 hours. Resists sweat, humidity. In two skin tone shades or Invisible Bright for subtle brightening."

Did it work I bet you are all wondering. Yes and no, the skin I applied the balm to appeared a whole lot smoother and had a matte finish, it easily lasted the whole 8 hours. Pore wise it wasn't so great they were in no way 50% smaller I would guess at the very most 10% smaller if that. Shade wise the choices are not great, the brighting shade 'Bright' in my opinion actually made my pores look worse when I tested it, the light shade is a little too pale for my skin tone and the deep shade is obviously aimed at the darker skinned ladies.

Overall I'm not totally blown away by this product it failed to deliver its key benefit to make pores appear smaller. That being said it is great at mattifying the skin and staying in place but I am sure you can purchase a more affordable mattifier that is actually suited to the purpose if matte skin is what you desire, reliable sources tell me that the Body Shop do a great sea weed mattifying moisturiser.

Clinique Pore Minimizer costs £18 for 15mls and is available from all Clinique Counters and Stockists.

Wet 'n' Wild - I Got Good Jeans

Admittedly I hate all things denim/jean themed, why does everything with a blue colour scheme in cosmetics have to be associated with denim? I mean look about people there is plenty more blue items in the world than bloody jeans. That aside I bring to you Wet 'n' Wild - I Got Good Jeans (cringe) eyeshadow trio.

Wet 'n' Wild eyeshadow palettes are very user friendly from the labelled shades that indicate where you should apply them, the little guide on the back to the coordinating colour scheme, it makes applying eyeshadow a breeze. You can of course throw caution to the wind and apply the shadows in any order or way you desire!

On the whole I find Wet 'n' Wild eyeshadows to be extremely pigmented and smooth to touch. The above swatches were one swipe of colour so you can see just how pigmented they really are which is a huge bonus for the tiny price these palettes retail for in the US. The price is still relatively low for us U.K gals but you do have to pay for the shipping etc which increases the price tag. For reference these retail for $2.99 in the states and I buy all of my Wet 'n' Wild palettes through eBay.

I Got Good Jeans consists of two blue shades and one gold shadow. The top shade is a pale cool icy blue that can look silver in certain lights that is frost finish. The middle shade is a deep blue almost navy and again is frosty but not as much as the other shades. The gold shade is a mid gold almost bronze with yellow undertones and again is frost finish.

The shades work well together and like I said they are very well pigmented with next to no fall out. The great thing about Wet 'n' Wild shadows is the often dupe Mac very well indeed. The deep shade is a ringer for Mac's Deep Truth.

Vivo Cosmetics

Are you on a tight budget or simply like a bargain? Do you like your make-up bright and bold? Well say hello to your new cosmetic best fried Vivo Cosmetics! I have three products to show you and I have a feeling you may just enjoy them.

                               Vivo Baked Bronzer in Healthy Glow Shade 3 - £5 for 12g

The packaging is simple yet sleek and due to the clear casing you can easily view the shade inside which I always find helpful. The actual bronzer is very well made normally baked products are fairly fragile but this one seems to be able to take a knock and stay on one piece.

The baked bronzers are very similar to Mac's MSF's but obviously a lot more affordable. I received the shade Healthy Glow which is described as "A stunning bronzer with gold undertones..".I agree it certainly does run gold and for a gold shade it is oddly cool in tone. On my skin tone it isn't a bronzer but a highlighter and a very subtle one at that but this is due to my skin tone not the product.

The powder is soft to touch and is well pigmented, if it was a touch deeper in tone this would be more evident in my swatches, colour is the issue here not the pigment. Healthy Glow is a frost finish but thankfully it has no glitter particles in sight. I actually like how subtle it is and recommend it for those with medium skin who like their highlight to be subtle.

I know everyone like a dupe and in my opinion it is most similar to Mac's L.E New Vegas MSF but minus the glitter.
                               Vivo Lipstick Shade 8 Barley There - £1.99 for 3.5g

Again the packaging is simple but does the trick. This time the product is housed in a metallic gunmetal casing that looks more expensive than it actually is.

Barley There is defientley a shade for the nude lipstick lovers out there (doesn't that sound rude haha). I would describe Barley There as a warm nude shade that looks like a toffee hue in bullet form. In bullet form it is quite a hard lipstick to touch but once slicked on the lips it is soft and has a glossy finish almost in the same vain as a tinted lip balm and it transforms to a light brown based pink, very pretty!

Scent wise it has a sweet vanilla scent not like Mac but more of the scent you associate with cupcake scented products. I found it to wear very like a tinted balm too, I got 1-2 hours of wear out of each application.

I found the lipstick to be fairly moisturising and easy to wear. It is fairly sheer and not the most pigmented lipstick out there but all in all it is a really pretty shade. Sadly I have no dupes for this shade in my collection.

                               Vivo Trio Eyeshadow Palette - Be Dazzled- £2.50 for 4g 

Lastly I have for your viewing the Be Dazzled eyeshadow trio which has a very glamorous colour scheme. This palette is clearly aimed at all the smokey eye fans out there and would be perfect for a night out.

The packaging is similar to the NYX trios, basic, sturdy and black but very practical with a mirror inside. It also comes with a typical foam applicator.

In the palette there is a mid toned grey shade that has strong blue undertones especially when swatched and is satin in finish and very close dupe for Mac's Scene. Then there is a Barbie pink that is frosty and if I'm honest a little out of place in this palette, I have no dupes as I don't buy pink eyeshadow. Lastly is a super sparkly black, this shade is jet black laced with tiny flecks of multi coloured micro glitter which photographs do no justice for. I don't even like glitter but I love this shade and think it is worth buying this palette just for this shade alone. Dupe wise think Mac Black Tied and Top Knot but both are significantly less glittery.

All three of the eyeshadows are well pigmented with the black shade being the strongest, the grey the weakest. The shades work well together and I say that as a non pink eyeshadow wearer haha! Trust me you need to see the black glitter shade in real life, words fail me!

If you have a Tesco near you I highly suggest you trot along and have a good old play with The Vivo Cosmetics range as it really is a great affordable line (all products are between £1.50-£6) with something for everyone!

The above product/s was sent for reviewing purposes, I was in no way compensated for my review. Just because the item/s were not purchased by me does not mean my opinion of said item/s was in any way swayed. 100% honest opinion and review as always!

Boudoir Prive September Issue and Links to Bargain Boxes!

So my first ever Boudoir Prive Box graced me with its presence today. Scotland seems to take a little longer to receive such items i'm guessing it's down to the distance and lazy postmen haha! If you have yet to receive your box maybe skip this post.

Like I said this is my first ever box and to be truely honest i'm not blown away but this could be down to reading spoiler posts and already knowing what was in the box before actually receiving mine? This months box is in no way a dud, I just felt it was missing that one outstanding product that blows the majority of people away.

I really do love Boudoir Prive's attention to detail, the packaging is just beautiful from the cute little mirror sticker to the pretty pink bow and box Boudoir Prive really have nailed packaging. It's the little touches that make us as consumers feel special and along with the gorgeous packaging each box comes with a handwritten note to say thank you, now that is going above and beyond the call of duty and I for one appreciate it!

Enough of my yapping about pretty bows and on to what is actually inside, which is split into six categories : Body Care, Fragrance, Haircare, Skincare, Lifestyle and Make-Up each with a corresponding sample.

Tropic Skincare Body Smooth (Body Care) - This is a body scrub bursting full of natural oils and smells very much like lemon and honey, well to my nose anyway. It is quite an oily scrub and you only have enough product in the sample to scrub your hands ( I estimate there is around 10ml in the sample) so it's hard to gauge how well it would work overall. It costs £19.95 for the full size version (200ml).

Agent Provocateur L'Agent (Fragrance) - A 1.5ml sample of the ever sexy Agent Provocateur's newest scent. It's rather strong and has a spicy/woody/oriental scent. Top notes are Davana Oil, Baies Rose and Ylang Ylang.  I can see this being a scent that you either love or hate, I'm the latter! Never mind Agent Provocateur I still love you and your undies! Full size £50 (50ml)/ £70 (£100).

Macadamia Hair Repair (Haircare) - This is the one product I am actually excited to use and one of the full size products in the box. This oil is suitable for all hair types and promises to make hair shiny and frizz free. It also promises to repair the damage that the summer may have inflicted upon your hair. To me it smells like Marizapan/Almonds. Full size £5.75 (10ml the size in the box!) and £29.95 (125ml).

Colbert MD Nourish: Eye Cream (Skincare) - Apparently both Sienna Miller and Kate Middleton are fans of this eye cream, this alone will sell masses of this product. The consistency of the eye cream is quite thin and it has a scent that does take a little while to get accustomed to. I haven't really got an opinion of this product other than I wouldn't pay £90 for the full size version. Full size £90 (for a tiny 15ml).

Zoya Nail Polish and Nail Collection Swatches (Lifestyle) - The other full size product in the box was a Zoya Polish from the 2011 collection "Smoke and Mirrors", I received the Dusky Lilac shade Neeka which is very pretty.*CORRECTION the polish is actually a sample size* My experience with Zoya in the past has been positive so I'm sure this polish will be long lasting and easy to apply. We also received a set of swatches of the entire collection which has so many pretty shades especially for Autumn I have my eye on Tao. Full Size £9.95 for 14mls

Cargo Cosmetics Boogie Nights Eye Pencil (Make-Up) - A mini glitter eye liner that will probably go down with the majority of subscribers. I received shade 01 Silver which is nice enough, I just have no use for it. I don't do glitter especially not on my eyes and I suggest you don't put this on your waterline due to the glitter! Full size £13 for five.

Free Gift!! We also recived two sheets of Mai couture Blot and Bronze blotting paper. Basically its a blotting sheet that adds bronzer. Not sure how I feel about that to be honest!


Final thoughts- This months box was pretty decent and for me didn't really have any dud products just none that screamed try me now! I feel this is the slightly older and more sophisticated version of Glossy Box which might appeal to the 30+ market. At the moment I feel Glossy Box is more suited to my tastes but my mum (40) really perfers Boudior Prive, that says it all really.

Boudoir Prive costs £10 per month and unlike Glossy Box each box is the exact same with perhaps variation of shades contained within i.e we all got various shades of nail polish and eye liners.

Sample boxes (UK/IRE) :
http://www.boudoirprive.co.uk/ £10 per month
http://www.amarya.co.uk £10 per month
http://www.glossybox.co.uk £12.95 per month
http://www.feelunique.com/beautybox/ £9.95 per month
http://www.latestinbeauty.com/sub/ £1/£4.95 various plans