REVIEW: Benefit's Fake Up

 

A couple of weeks ago (yeah, this post is long overdue) I somehow got invited along to Benefit's launch of Fake Up and was gifted with all 3 shades to take for a test run!

And, it is with my great pleasure to tell you... I love it! I've been wearing it daily ever since I got it and it's become my new go-to concealer (sorry Collection!). I have an awful sleeping pattern and this brightens my skin and under my eyes and makes me look like I got a good 8 hours, and then it lasts all day without creasing or going cakey! What else could I ask for? (Well, slightly heavier coverage but that's just me being super picky!)

Here comes the Science-y bit: Fake Up consists of a concealing core which Benefit claims 'hides dark circles, smooths skin & diffuses light' (yep, it does!) and a hydrating ring made of vitamin E and apple seed extract for immediate moisturisation (it does feel super silky).

I use 01 (of course, I'm the Queen of being pasty) and I've given 02 to of my besties because I can't work with it, and I apply it then blend with my finger and not  brush as it works better for me that way.

* There's also a little hint going around to use 03 for contouring, but contouring is not my thing at all (okay, I have tried it but I ended up with an orange area on my cheek and it did nothing for me) but if you head over here you can see Kelly's (contouring Queen) review & quick how to.

Go and buy Fake Up, it will become a staple product in your daily makeup. It hits the stores on March 30th and is £18.50 but is available now on Benefit's website!

do you have a spare ten minutes?

do you fancy being cheered up?

watch these (or watch just one of these):













All videos courtesy of SoulPancake.
I think sometimes we forget how amazing the world is, how amazing the people we know are and how amazing the people we don't know yet are. I was in a really strange & awful mood and then I watched all these videos and I'm super happy so I had to share them!

Have a lovely day!

INSTAGRAM #4

Valentines with Megan / drowning our lonely sorrows / too many layers on a warm day / Propaganda with Emma finally / The Enemy @ Propaganda / extra chai helping me through the day / home comforts / Don Broco & Mallory Knox @ Cockpit / basically lived in the library for a week / saw Wreck It Ralph / incredible song / care package / box of tricks @ #fakeup event / favourite Paramore shoot / having to Skype on Mother's Day made me sad / face / my course is the best / all 3 for £6! / been craving golden nuggets for about a week / cocktails for Megan's birthday. 

Benefit's Leeds #fakeup event!

On a complete whim, I replied to Benefit's tweet asking for bloggers in Leeds... I live in Leeds most of the time and I have a blog, surely I qualified? But, I never expected anything to come of it but here I am trotting to the Malmaison in Leeds City Centre to their new product launch!

After sharing a lift with Lisa (and not noticing due to panicking about my fringe being drenched and going all curly, face palm!), we were greeted with Prosecco and left to talk amongst ourself before we had a quick quiz about Fake Up with the chance to win their new Famous Neutrals palettes of which I am absolutely lusting after (if only I'd swotted up!).

Fake Up is Benefit's new 'hydrating crease-control concealer' consisting of the concealer in the middle which comes in 3 shades (01 - Light, 02 - Medium, 03 - Deep) which Benefit claims to hide dark circles, smooths skin and diffuses light surrounded by a hydrating ring of vitamin E & apple seed extract! (I've yet to give this a proper test so my review will be up in around a week!)

We were treated to a talk from Lisa Potter-Dixon (head make up artist @ Benefit) about their 3 most recent product launches... Fine One One, World Famous Neutrals and of course Fake Up and were given some little tricks.

• Use a highlighter in your cupids bow (this is probably common knowledge but completely new to me) 
• Use Shade 3 (Deep) of Fake Up for contouring
• When a mascara starts to dry up, pop the tube in a cup of hot water for a short while

I had the best night, it was so lovely meeting so many bloggers including Daniella from beautyinjapan, Phee from pheesmakeuptips, Charlotte from charlottescollection, Em from emtalks, Kel from kelloves, Claire from swidigs, Jade from beautybutterflyblog and Joanna from mintyessence. (if anyone else was there drop me your links because I need to make sure I'm following every #bbleeds!)

Also, Benefit absolutely spoilt us - I came away with Fake Up, Porefessional, & Hello Flawless powder due to it being HF's 1 year anniversary, aw :) Such a lucky "blogger".

See below for a few pictures:

#MACHayleyWilliams

Everyone and their kitten knows that I'm an absolute Paramore and Hayley Williams fan girl. So, as I was browsing my blogger dashboard and came across Kelly at kellyhopemurphy.blogspot.co.uk's post named MAC vs Hayley Williams, I literally couldn't breathe. I was (and still am) SO excited!

I then furiously googled (how had I not heard about this before) all about it and found out it was a complete orange theme, or 'orange crush vibes' as Hayley tweeted.

MAC X Hayley Williams April 15 (Online Only)

Lipstick:  'Sounds Like Noise' - Bright true orange (Matte)

Eye Shadow: 'Daydreaming' - Frosted mid-tone coral (Veluxe Pearl)

Mineralize Skinfinish: 'Lightscapade' - Soft candlelit beige with multi dimensional shimmer

Nail Lacquer: 'Riot Gear' - Bright true orange (Cream)

 This disappointed me a little and scared me even more. Until...

(http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-hook/1551185/paramores-hayley-williams-teams-with-mac)

LOOK AT THE LIPSTICK.

TAKE MY MONEY.

that is all I have to say.

WAKE UP

I know I came back for the briefest amount of time, then left again (I'm sorry!) but Uni/work is so manic at the minute :( I have so many hand in dates in the next few weeks (for work that I haven't even started) before I go on a 4 week block placement, ahhh so stressed!

I don't sleep well, at all. I end up falling asleep around 3am and then put off getting up for my 9am until 8:50 (it's okay, all my lectures/seminars are a 2 minute walk away as I live on campus) so I feel like a pro at getting ready in 5 minutes.

So... today I'm just going to share my 'make up essentials', basically the essentials I wear when I have no time to do my face properly...
(n/b that I moisturise then run around to find clothes, shoes, and brush my teeth so by the time I come back to do my face it's all soaked in!)

1. Benefit's POREfessional 

2. M.A.C Studio Fix Fluid (NC15)

3. Natural Collection's Peach Melba blush

4. MUA Pro Brow kit

5. Soap & Glory Supercat fine liner

6. Benefit's They're Real mascara

7. Topshop highlighter in sunbeam

8. Rimmel's Stay Matte powder 

(*pictures to be added later)

I WILL see you soon, I promise!

(Today's post is named after Wake Up - Mallory Knox, not only because I felt it to be fitting to the post theme but the whole album (Signals) is incred and after seeing them on Tuesday I think I might be a fan (and a fangirl for Mikey))

who even is ENLGH?

1. My name is Erin and my middle name is Leigh.
2. I was born at 6am on the 6th of June 1994 (6/6/6 - devil child ha) which makes me eighteen.
3. I study Primary Education at University, which means I'm going to be a teacher in 3 years!
4. I'm in love with elephants, it's my absolute dream to go to an elephant sanctuary.
5. My Mum is ginger and I've always wanted to be ginger but decided to dye my hair red when I was 14 and can't imagine it being any other colour.
6. I studied Maths, Chemistry and Psychology at A-Level.
7. I'm 5"8 and I hate it.
8. I work at a cinema.
9. My favourite colours are burgundy and forest green.
10. Paramore are my favourite band.
11. I'm probably the most untidy person you've ever met.
12. I can't stop buying Lush and Soap and Glory products, typical.
13. Nothing is better than Disney.
14. I'm not religious, but really interested in religion especially Buddhism and Hinduism.
15. My favourite drink is Malibu and lemonade.
16. I re-watch and re-read Eat. Pray. Love all the time, ultimate life inspiration.
17. I want a ginger kitten named Charlie.
18. The perfume I wear is 'Purr' by Katy Perry. Yes, I'm a Katy Cat! (cringe)
19. I save all tickets that I accumulate - gigs, bus, train etc.
20. I want to live by the sea side when I'm older.
21. I don't want to teach up north.
22. I have my first tattooed booked in for April 9th, eek!
23. I love all things 'superhero'
24. I actually really like Rugby, although nobody expects it.
25. I can't drive, I've never had any lessons.
26. I'm a fussy eater, I hate raw tomatoes, mushrooms in general, fish, I don't eat red meat, I rarely eat any meat.
27. Going on a plane is one of my favourite things.
28. I've currently got a weird craving for peanut butter on crumpets.
29. I can't wear heels. They hurt after like 5 minutes and they'd make me over 6 foot so I'd rather not, so I'm the idiot in Vans in clubs.
30. My best friends live all over the place i.e. Manchester, Leicester and Colchester
31. I've never been in any form of 'proper' relationship.
32. I get hooked on TV shows really quicky, but at the moment my favourites are The Vampire Diaries, Pretty Little Liars, Catfish and Hart of Dixie.
33. My sleeping pattern is completely messed up, last night I went to sleep at 5am and woke up at 2pm.
34. I really have a 'type' with guys, maybe this is why I'm getting nowhere?
35. My Mum has 7 Mulberry bags, and I have none... unfair much?
36. I still love McFLY.
37. I want to go everywhere in the world at least once, especially Rome, Mexico, Thailand & Australia.
38. Barcelona is my favourite city in the world.
39. I've been growing my hair for 5 years, and I'm going to keep going until it hits the bottom of my ribs.
40. I'm definitely classed as 'plus size' but it doesn't bother me and I don't want to lose weight, sorry!
41. I meditate.
42. I'm an absolute film geek and I've seen almost every film that people always suggest for me to watch.
43. My favourite types of film are films such as Inception, Avatar, Source Code, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.
44. I drink a ridiculous amount of fruit tea. (blueberry and apple is my favourite)
45. One Tree is my favourite ever programme. Brooke is my favourite. (Sex and the City is a close second)
46. I've had my bear 'Betty' since I was 3. She was a present from my Dad to my Mum and I stole her.
47. I'm a Daddy's girl and I find it really difficult living away from home as I'm so close to my 'rents as I'm an only child.
48. I cry at nearly everything.
49. I don't mind doing things alone i.e. having dinner/seeing a film/seeing a band, I'm used to it.
50. I have to ween myself off fake eyelashes, I'd wear them everyday.

bit of a catch up...

Hello!

Sorry I've been gone for so long.. I (stupidly!) spilt a can of Strongbow onto my MacBook so had to fork out for that to be replaced (so now I'm scraping the barrell) but I'm back now. Back with my MacBook, back to Uni and back to having a full fringe! yay! 

It's currently 00:46 on Monday morning, I'm in the library essay writing, listening to King Charles and craving peanut butter, yawn! 

Also, I'm behind on my instagram post by a couple weeks so I'll catch up here...

new addition to my Uni room / woke up to snow / hangover dates with Meg / snow days / 2am snow fights on campus / the girls I'm living with next year / PARAMORE ARE BACK / treats ft. my new favourite lipstick - Rimmel's Coral in Gold / homemade pizza / walking to sign for my new house / Meg / Gangster Squad / Travis got me guestlist to see We The Kings for the 6th time / addicted to table top Monopoly / walking to work / productive D.T. lessons

Finally, a few more things...

• who's been watching the 6 nations? aaaaah, how I love rugby/rugby players ;)
• I got a new job at Vue Cinemas!
• how amazing was Beyonce at the Superbowl? Going to desperatly try to get tickets to see her in Manchester!!
•  FALL OUT BOY ARE BACK, I'm pretty sure I've been waiting forever for this... as if I wasn't excited enough AND then they announce they're playing bloody Leeds Fest, my emo heart be still.

I have a few posts lined up, but for one of them I have to have a spring clean of my room and can I be bothered... no! Ugh.

See you soooooooon! :)

INSTAGRAM #3

1. boxing day films / 2. new Disney Couture / 3. New Years in style / 4. watching Marcus Butler / 5. 'casual' cocktails with my best / 6. making tea / 7. Ron Pope @ Manchester Ruby Lounge / 8. Life Of Pi & fussy Starbs orders / 9. essay writing / 10. face / 11. The Hobbit / 12. procrastination / 13. Pizza for Ma & Pa's 20th wedding anniversary / 14. very messy last night in Manchester / 15. driving back to Uni soundtrack

WISH LIST WEDNESDAY

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

1. This Topshop dress is SO cute, I actually have fallen in love with it. I just wish it was made from jersey fabric because it just looks wrong around my arms and chest because it doesn't fit right :( 

2. You are so beautiful and I want to wear you everyday (I'm saving this until after I've handed all my essays in as a treat though) 

3. I got a sample of this when I got my Lush order and I've heard so many nice things about it! I just can't bring myself to spend £12 on a shampoo.

4. I want the diffuser so so much but I can't bring myself to spend £45 on it, does anybody want to buy me a present for no reason?

(I seem like I'm being tight but I'm currently on a serious budget as I'm currently unemployed :( sad times! Job hunting is draining me)

HEADLIGHTS ON THE HIGHWAY

my favourite type of posts to read/look at are OOTD's, so I thought 'why don't I start? why not?' so here goes. I apologise for the poor quality photos took in Manchester Arndale toilets on my iPhone, but the next one will be better!

Purple speckled t-shirt dress - Topshop

Studded collar - New Look

Leather look jacket - New Look

Knock off McQueen - Camden Markets

Tights - Sainsburys

Studded slippers - New Look

Lashes - Katy Perry/Eyelure 'Oh Honey!'

2012

Hello 2013! I'm very sad to see the end of 2012 as I'm pretty sure it was my favourite year (so far, obviously) as so many good things happened. 

Here's a small snippet of my year in picture form..

I hope you enjoy!