Sample Sunday: Benefit They're Real Push up Liner

Hello!

It's the last Sunday of November which means this is the last Sample Sunday of the month! I've really enjoyed this series and I may do more in future. Let me know if you would like that. 

Next month I'll be doing a new series called "12 Posts before Christmas" and I'll be posting every other day! I've never done this before so wish me luck in getting all the posts up! 

But you'll see a post on that soon (the next couple of days) so let's get on with today's review! Today I'm reviewing this sample of the Benefit's They're Real! push-up liner. I got this a while back and actually did use it when I first got it (that's when I took the pictures) and I actually wrote out the review, I just never shared it. 

The colour I got was black and as you can see from the swatches, they are black. The formula is quite a smooth one, though I did find it dragged a little on the lid. You also have to be careful not to disperse too much of the liner at once because that could cause the liner to smudge everywhere. Since I was using a sample, I had to physically push the gel up, which meant that I could control it very easily, I have seen the actual packaging for the full size, and the fact that it's less controlled is a worry for me.

I wear black eyeliner almost every day that I wear makeup, so I have had a lot of practice with eyeliner.

Sorry for the slightly blurry pictures of my eye, it's really hard to do! I like the way the applicator applied the liner. It is slightly thicker than I would usually do it, but I found it was easy enough to use. Again, I wear liner a lot, so that may have been a factor as I have seen reviews where people found it more difficult. I would say that if you tend to go over the line quite a lot this isn't that great. Also, if you like a really thin line, I would not recommend as the applicator tip isn't that fine. 

As I have double eyelids (the fold that you can see in the pictures), the liner does not smudge into the fold, which is great. The eyeliner does last for a long time which makes it a little hard to remove. 

Personally, I would not purchase this product at full price. I think it's a bit expensive and I find it a bit fiddly to use. Again, I have the worry about getting it to disperse the amount of product I find works for me in the full size. However, if I saw it on sale for half price, or if it was in a set, I would use it on weekends when I don't mind thicker liner. Also, I've tried dipping the applicator into a normal gel liner and it works to give the same shape, though it is less easy to use. So if you just really like the way the applicator works, you may want to try that.

Let me know if you like this product and what your favourite liners are in the comments below!

Signing off now,

Dusty Foxes

Sample Sunday: Garnier Oil Infused Moisturising Lotion

Hello!

Sorry for the lousy pictures. I took these in a hurry and didn't realise they weren't that great.

Today is going to be a short review as I don't really have a lot to say about this product (for once), so let's get into it!

The texture of this lotion is quite light. I tend to use body butters on a day to day basis so I found it quite liquid compared to what I am used to. 

The scent is pleasant. I don't know what exactly it smells like, but it's not a strong scent and it's quite a warm scent, if that makes sense.

I found the lotion to sink into the skin really quickly and nicely and it left my skin feeling moisturised, but maybe not as smooth as I am used to. However, it didn't leave a film on my skin, which I really liked. 

Personally, I think that this is a good product from Garnier and if I wasn't so into body butters, I would probably have purchased it. I may keep this in mind for summer months when I want something lighter as it is moisturising and absorbs quickly.

Let me know if you've tried this and what your favourite lotions are in the comments below!

Signing off now

Dusty Foxes

Sample Sunday: MAC Pro Longwear Concealer

Hello, hope you're having a lovely Sunday. Today for Sample Sunday, I'll be reviewing the MAC Pro Longwear Concealer.

I got this sample from a MAC store recently and they gave me this little pot of concealer to test out before deciding to buy. I did ask for it as I had previously had  MAC Face and Body applied on me and it had made my skin itch. I was matched to NC20 for a highlighting under eye colour, but I don't know my actual colour in the MAC system.

The makeup artist was quite generous and gave me 3-4 pumps of the concealer. As you may be able to tell from the swatch, it is quite light on my skin and is quite heavy coverage.

The texture is suprisingly creamy. It looks quite liquid in the pot, but has a thicker feeling, while still feeling quite smooth.

I cannot use this particular shade on blemishes, but I have been trying it out under my eyes. I found that this particular shade on me does give the hightlighted effect, which I quite like sometimes. I also like that it has good coverage as I have quite bad under eye bags. I dab a bit on with my fingers then blend it out with a damp beauty blender (because I've been loving this lately) and it gives a really smooth look to my under eye area. 

I do find that this product does sink into the little creases I have throughout the day, which is a bit annoying, but I really like the coverage it gives. I think I may purchase the full size of this, but I have other concealers to work through first and I'm still skeptical about it. 

Have you tried this concealer before? What is your holy grail concealer? Let me know in the comments below!

Signing off now

Dusty Foxes

Sample Sunday: L'Occitane Pivoine Sublime Perfecting Cream

Hello! 

Welcome back to this month's feature: Sample Sunday! Today I'll be reviewing L'Occitane Pivoine Sublime Perfecting Cream. I got this sample after doing a quiz I found on British Beauty Blogger's site, which unfortunately doesn't seem to be running anymore. Basically I just did a quick quiz on my skin and my skin concerns and they recommended the Pivoine Sublime Perfecting Cream. Then I made a quick stop to the L'occitane store and picked up this rather generous 8ml sample. I've been using it for about 3 weeks now so I decided it was time for a review.

Before we get into it, I thought I would mention that I have combination skin. I have normal skin everywhere but my T-zone which gets quite oily, but also sometimes gets dry. Also, my skincare concerns include dullness and pores. So bear that in mind when considering this review as everyone's skin is different and of course will need different products.

 As I mentioned earlier, the sample was a generous 8ml, which they said was a week's worth of product. I've used it for about 2 and a half weeks day and night and I still have a bit left, so it's not too bad.

It came in a tiny plastic pot that looks very similar to the full size product (which is in a glass jar). I personally really like it and I think I will keep the pot even after I am done with it as it would be a good way to decant product when travelling... that and I am a hoarder.

The product is a very light pink colour with quite a floral scent. I assume that it smells of peonies as the line is the peony line but as I am quite bad at identifying scents I cannot confirm that. I have to admit, the smell does linger for quite a while depending on how much of the moisturiser you use so if that is an issue for you, then this product isn't for you.

The texture is very light and cooling and it sinks into the skin quite quickly. As I have a problem with oiliness, this product does not add to the feeling at all, and in fact, since using this, I have seen a slight improvement of the oil. It leaves my skin feeling very hydrated and soft, and my skin has been looking brighter and smoother. It has been the only thing that I have changed in my skincare routine, so I definitely think it's been making a difference.

The full size product is 50 ml and costs £32. However, when I got the sample I was given a £10 off voucher which also had a discount code for £10 off online which is SKINCARE and is valid until the 15th of November 2015.

I must admit, I have already purchased a full size as it has really benefited my skin. I think this product is great and though it is quite pricey, I think it is worth it (especially with the £10 off).

If you're interested in L'Occitane's skincare, I would suggest going into store and talking to some of the workers. The one I spoke to in my local store was so helpful and super nice. She let me test the product even though I was going in for my sample and double checked with me what my skincare concerns were just to make sure I was getting the right sample.

I definitely will be looking more into L'Occitane's skincare range as I wasn't even aware of it until I tried this.

What moisturisers do you think are worth every penny? Let me know in the comments below!

Signing off now,

Dusty Foxes

Sample Sunday: Diorskin Star Foundation Review

Hello!

So I've decided that for the month of November, I will be running a new series called Sample Sunday where I review samples I have! I got a bunch of samples previously and I thought it was time to use them up and while I am at it, why not review them! So for the 5 Sundays in this month, I will be posting a review of different samples,,,,

Today to kick things off is this sample of the Diorskin Star Foundation. I got this sample when it was first released last year and they gave a week of samples. I used it a few times and actually saved one for the purpose of review, then I forgot about it. Luckily, I did type up a few notes on it and that is why I can review it! 

The sample came in 5 sachets and I have to say, the samples were quite generous and I didn't use a sachet per application. More like a third?

I tried it with a brush and hated the finish. I used my usual application method, which is the Real Techniques Expert Face brush, but I found the finish too thick and heavy feeling. 

I then tried it with a damp Beauty Blender as the foundation was pictured with a sponge. I found this applied much better and I definitely think this is a better application method.

The coverage is what I would describe as medium but buildable. With the beauty blender, I find it does sheer out coverage a little, and when I used it with a brush it definitely was more full coverage.

The formula is quite nice. It is quite a liquid formula and sits on the skin well. It dries down to a demi-matte finish and looks quite skin-like. It didn't really highlight pores, however I did find it clung to dry patches a little. It also isn't great for oil control, but the lasting power is quite good.

Overall it is a very nice foundation, but personally I think it is quite expensive at £32.50. Personally I would not purchase.

Let me know if you've tried this foundation and what you think or leave your foundation recommendations in the comments below! I love finding out what other people are loving.

Signing off now,

Dusty Foxes