Benefit They're Real Push-Up Liner

Benefit's 'They're Real' mascara is very popular and probably my all time favourite mascara- If you haven't tried it then I recommend you do. So I was very excited to see that they have also recently released a push up liner. The interesting thing about this is that it's a gel liner in the form of a pen. I've used a gel liner once before and love the texture and look, but didn't get on well applying it with a brush. 

I've been using this liner for about month now in order to give an honest review because, I wasn't a big fan to start with. I think this is because of it's dry consistency. The key to getting along with this liner is practice, practice, practice. Once you overcome the strange push up technique, it actually becomes a pretty easy and effective liner to use. It drys very quickly, but once it's dry it does not budge or transfer onto your eyelids and has such amazing lasting power. The gel liner is activated when the base is twisted and I learnt pretty quickly that you only need one click to release a small amount of liner which goes a long way. When I was in the States in September I bought the 'Real Steal' set which contains a smaller version of the liner, full sized mascara and a sample of the remover for $24. Such a bargain...especially as it's a great way to try the liner for the first time. Although the liner is a miniature version, it is still substantial and easy to hold (see photo above for size comparison to the mascara).

I can understand why Benefit have made a remover to go with this push up liner as it does take a lot of scrubbing to get rid of. However, a full sized bottle is £14.50 which is very pricey considering a good (cheaper) make up remover can do the same job. 

If you enjoy using gel liner then I would recommend this product. I do feel that $18.50 is over priced, but if you already love the mascara then I would suggest getting it as part of this set.  It's available in Boots in the UK and is only £19.50, meaning that you are in fact getting the eyeliner for free. 

Have you tried this liner before? Did you find it easy or difficult to use?

Tried & Tested | Summer Samples

I've seen a few people write posts like this and thought that it would be a great way of using up samples from magazines and subscription boxes etc that I have sitting at home. I even had a couple of sachets for each product so I was able to test out everything (apart from the Viper Venom) more than once.  

Murad Time Release Acne Cleanser

This product came in a Glossybox a while ago and I am so impressed with it. A 200ml bottle is £29 which is pretty pricey but this stuff works miracles so I would spend that much on it any day. I don't have acne but I use this whenever I break out and it clears any spots up so quickly. 

Benefit Total Moisture Facial Cream 
This moisturiser came in a six piece skincare set. I thought this would be a great way to try out each product from the range and this is the one which stood out the most. I love the smell, it's really clean and fresh. The consistency of this moisturiser is quite thick which is great because it absorbs quickly without being greasy at all. It's incredibly hydrating...in fact I don't have a bad word to say about this moisturiser and I would definitely purchase the full sized product. The glass packaging is also beautiful and this can be said for the whole range.

Mary Kay Nourishine Lip Gloss  
I don't think Mary Kay products are available in the UK, so when my cousin came to visit from America she brought a sample of their latest lip gloss for me to try. I absolutely love it and the bright shade is so pretty for summer. I don't usually wear lip glosses but like this one because it's more of a tint and is very pigmented. The staying power is pretty good but not amazing as it doesn't cope too well with drinks and food but that's not too much of a problem because it does seem to last longer than a standard lip gloss. It is sticky to begin with but the stickiness seems to disappear after a couple of minutes and it becomes smooth and moisturising. I wish that Mary Kay was available in the UK because i'd love to try this product in more shades. After using this product I read that Mary Kay claim that it adds shine to your lips and softens them, making them look younger. I can see what they mean because this is the most moisturising lip gloss i've come across!

Nivea Express Hydration Primer

This product smells lovely, but that's the only thing I liked about it. I appiled it underneath foundation but instead of acting like a primer and creating a nice base it seemed to almost repel the foundation. I really didn't like using this primer so will not ever be purchasing it, which is such a shame because I really like Nivea's facial moisturisers and liked the idea of a 2 in 1 product.

Nip & Fab Viper Venom Wrinkle Fix

I don't use products for wrinkles but decided to give this a try anyway to see if it 'blurs imperfections' and what the product is like to apply. The things I didn't like about it were the smell and the fact that it has an odd texture which is very sticky when you take it out of the packet. However, it did apply onto my skin nicely and absorbed straight away, which meant it lost the horrible sticky texture. It also made my skin feel smooth when I had applied it so i'm sure that after using in morning and night (which is what it says to do on the product) you will be left with lovely soft skin.  I'm not entirely sure that it would 'fix wrinkles' though, but it probably does help to even out your skin in some way. 

Max Factor Face Finity Foundation

This product claims to be a primer concealer and foundation in one. This may be the reason that I found it horrible and awkward to apply. I really disliked this foundation as it is way too thick and just seemed to sit on my skin. I guess if you like using a foundation with a lot of coverage then you might enjoy this product.

Rimmel 9 in 1 BB Cream 
I've seen mixed reviews about this BB cream and apart from Bourjois bronzing one it was the first BB cream that I have tried. I'm really skeptical about these types of products. But after trying this one I am really tempted to get a full sized bottle. I don't really understand how a BB cream can be 'skin perfecting' when it doesn't give any coverage! But, after I applied this, my face did look different and I couldn't really explain why. I think it would be a great product to use over the summer though instead of foundation and I really like the fact that the consistency of it is like a moisturiser and I love the natural glow that it gives to your skin. I'm still undecided, but it's definitely made me want to give BB creams a chance.

Quite a mix of products there with a mix of opinions. But, that's the beauty of samples and being able to try something before you splash out on it, especially if it's higher end product.
Let me know if you have tried any good beauty products recently, or if there are any you think I should steer clear of. 

Disclosure: The views expressed are based on my own experience.