BENEFIT AIR PATROL BB CREAM EYELID PRIMER

Benefit are known for their quirky packaging and individual products. Air Patrol is their newest product to the range which is an eye primer. I normally use the Urban Decay Primer Potion to prime my eyes or currently I'm using the Soap & Glory It's About Prime, but the Benefit version is a little different. It contains an SPF 20 which helps guard your delicate eyelids against the sun, smoke and pollutants. I normally like to apply a concealer and an eyeshadow primer before applying eyeshadow on top, but this is like two products in one and means I can miss a step in my routine. The BB Cream hides any blue veins or redness around your eyes and you could even use it under your eyes to hide dark circles. It also helps to extend the wear of eyeshadow and doesn’t crease or fade throughout the day. The product actually makes my eyeshadow appear more pigmented and this colour stays around all day.

You use the product by clicking the bottom of the pen and the formula appears on the silicone tip at the top. The cushion tip is pressure free which means it’s softer than your finger so you protect the thin skin around your eye to prevent wrinkles and fine lines. You then massage the formulation onto the eyelid and evenly blend. If you’re not using eyeshadow you can still use Air Patrol alone as the shade gives a natural-looking colour correction on all skintones. This actually works with my pale natural tone but I’m not sure if it will work on darker skin tones as well. I don't feel like I have to touch up my eyeshadow when using Air Patrol and I don't have to smooth out any creasing during the day like I normally do. The formula is quite light on the eyes and gives your skin a satin finish.

I have found with continual use that my eye area is hydrated, I have dry eyes but this product doesn’t seem to irritate them at all. I haven't really come across a product like this, which protects your eyes from sun damage, normally it's lip products which get more care. I guess it's not a necessity, but it's a nice product to use especially in the Summer months.

I actually purchased this product from Birchbox for £1.50 as I had £20.00 worth of Birchbox points to spend. I thought it was the ideal opportunity to try a new product from Benefit. I’m not sure how long this product will last but you do only need a tiny amount per eye. I'm not sure I would run out and repurchase it if I ran out, but it's a nice little extra product to add to my make-up bag. I think this product is probably more suited to women older than Benefit's normal target market because of the smoothing benefits, but we've all got to take care of our eyes!

Have you tried Benefit's new innovation?

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MAKE A SPLASH - JULY BIRCHBOX 2015

This month’s Birchbox was a complete surprise as it didn’t arrive in the normal box form, for the first time ever they have replaced the classic box with a super cute, splash-proof clutch. Birchbox has worked with editors from some of the most elite magazines in the UK, which has inspired the colours of the bags. I received the yellow Birchbag, which was chosen by Rose Beer from Grazia and her favourite holiday place of Somerset, which is her hometown and is now where she spends most of her summers. I will definitely be taken this zipped bag away on holiday with me as it’s perfect for all my poolside essentials.

Cowshed Cow Pat Hand Cream 50ml, £8.00 – When I normally see a hand cream in a beauty box I'm not really that bothered as I have so many, but this Cowshed one really interested me. This nourishing lotion is packed full of rejuvenating essential oils including grapefruit to uplift and coriander to soothe. It's full of shea and cocoa butters so it leaves the hands feeling really moisturised and toned, it’s even nice to massage into cuticles when you need a little hydration. I love the scent and it doesn't feel greasy at all on the skin.

Balance Me Congested Skin Serum 7ml sample, full-size £16.00 – This is exactly what I needed this month! This little skin saviour helps restore balance to the skin, as well as soothing breakouts. The formula contains chamomile, lavender and aloe vera so it’s really gentle but works wonders. I'm most likely to apply this before my evening moisturiser so my skin can rest over night.

Unani Aloe Vera Gel 30ml sample, full-size £15.00 – This is the perfect product to use after a day in the sun, as it can calm down any sore, red areas. It’s packed full of aloe vera which is cooling on the skin and helps to nourish and help with peeling too. It also works on blemishes, eczema and bites, it feels lovely on the skin and absorbs really quickly.

Pop Beauty Eyeshadow Trio in Peach Parfait, full-size £15.50 - I was really surprised how pretty these peachy shadows are. I have received Pop Beauty make-up before and know they are an affordable brand and I didn't really expect much from this palette. The shadows are very wearable colours and feel really silky and creamy when applied to the skin. I can see myself getting a lot of use out of this trio and it’s the perfect size to fit into my make-up bag.

Benefit Cosmetics Dream Screen 6ml sample, full-size £25.00 – I have really been enjoying Benefit skincare recently, but haven't tried Dream Screen before. This is an ultra-lightweight, matte-finish sunscreen, which absorbs quickly and protects against the sun with an SPF 45. It's oil free and perfect for layering underneath makeup. Another product I will definitely be taking on holiday with me and it’s the ideal size to put in your hand luggage for on the go.

Barely Prep, Blot & Blend Sponge, £5.99 - This is a bonus beauty extra this month, I've used a makeup sponge before, but this blending sponge is to smooth on your skincare and primers to prep your skin for makeup. You squeeze with warm water like you normally would with a beauty blender, then apply product and blend onto skin using a stippling motion. It's great for those hard to reach places or I like to use it with my eye cream.

July's edition has to be one of my favourite Birchboxes to date, my favourite product in the box is the Benefit Dream Screen! What was your favourite product from this month's box?

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BENEFIT BOLD IS BEAUTIFUL - RAISING BROWS FOR CHARITY

Benefit Cosmetics have launched the Bold is Beautiful project. I had never been to Benefit before to get my eyebrows done, but when I heard they were offering such a great deal, I had try out the service out for myself. During the month of May, Benefit Cosmetics are donating 100% of Benefit's profits of the Brow Wax to Look Good Feel Better who support women with cancer & Refuge who support women and children against domestic violence! I decided to go for the Arch and Tint priced at £19.50 for both, which a really good deal just on it's own. But I think just a brow wax is £11.50. You can get this done at any of the Benefit brow bars across the country in shops such as Boots, Debenhams and Harvey Nichols. As well as that in May, Benefit are giving away a free full-size Gimme Brow brow-volumizing fiber gel worth £18.50 with each transaction while stocks last. My current Gimme Brow was running very low so this was the ideal opportunity to get myself a back up. It's such great value as really you are only paying £1.00 for the Arch and Tint service. My friend also visited the Brow bar during her Birthday week and also got her wax free too! which is a great deal ontop of the free brow product. I love the results of my brow wax and tint and will definitely be going back again as the experience made me feel so much better about myself. I got my brows tinted a shade darker than my original colour so the shade light/medium Gimme Brow is a perfect match. I really like this product it's so easy to work into the brows and makes them stay in place. It makes my brows look fuller but still keeps them looking natural at the same time. I think it's a really great cause, and I'm sure it has created a lot of awareness as well as money. It would be great if Benefit donated a small amount of the service every month as I'm sure more and more women would like to support other women than just getting their brows done every so often as a treat. If you don't want to book in for a brow wax you can also donate to both charities by texting REFU43 (for Refuge) or BOLD15 (for Look Good Feel Better) followed by the amount you want to donate to 70070. You can also share your photos/experiences on social media with the hashtag #boldisbeautiful. Also, If you pre-book your brow arch for June you will receive a free mirror and deluxe eye cream, which is one of my favourites! As of this moment while I'm writing this post an amazing 23,744 brows have been waxed in the month of May! Us girls really know how to stick together!

Have you visited your Benefit counter for a brow wax?

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