Benefit #BeneFaves VoxBox Review

Disclaimer: All product are received complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

This month, I was one of the lucky people who received this generous VoxBox from Influenster and Benefit Cosmetics. It includes a deluxe sample Porefessional Face Primer, deluxe sample Hoola Bronzer, full-sized They're Real Mascara and full-sized Ka-Brow! These are all bestselling products from Benefit!

The Porefessional Face Primer minimizes the appearance of pores and fine lines. It can be applied under or over makeup.

The primer is very smooth and silky. It feels siliconey like other primers but not greasy. It almost feels powder-like. It also has this lovely mild floral scent. I've had this primer before as a sample from Sephora and I really like how it applies and how it mattifies my skin.

I decided to wear the primer by itself so you can see the full effect of it. On the left is before application, and right is after. Because of the mattifying effect, it smooths out the skin which reduces the look of pores, and in my case, my acne scars.

I'm very excited to try Hoola, as I hear so many good things about it. It is meant to use as a bronzer to have a sun-kissed look. But since it is matte, it is very good for contouring, too.

I really like that it comes with a brush. It is perfectly sized to swipe under the cheek bones to create a shadow. I didn't expect that the handle would be made of wood!

It's about a shade darker than my skintone and it's not too warm

 

On the before and after pictures, you can see how it creates enough depth. But not too much, so it still looks natural.

I have tried They're Real mascara before when I got a deluxe sample from Sephora. This was the first mid-range mascara I've tried then, and one that first amazed me.

On the right is just my bare lashes, and on the left is with the mascara. The consistency is smooth, not too thin or thick. Because of that, it lengthens and volumizes the lashes without clumping! The rush is also quite different from the ones I've seen before. The bristles help with separating the lashes so that they all get coated. I've also tried using it with the primer version, and it volumizes even more with it.

Ka-Brow! is the first brow product I've tried from Benefit. I think the packaging was done in a clever way so that you get a full-sized brush!

It was very easy to use. I was able to fill up my brows in under a minute! You only need a little bit of the product so be careful. Just dot the brush on the gel each time. It took me only 3 dots to fill one brow, so you're really saving on product!

So here is all the products I used, and nothing else. Hope this helped you decide if you're interested in buying these products from Benefit, but in my experience, I say go for it!

Revlon Mega Multiplier Review

I got this free from Influenster Canada for reviewing purposes, and I got about a month to try it out. But as a procrastinator such as myself, I've only tested it out 3 times within a week of Influenster's due date 😅. Although I think once should be enough to see how good the product is.

I like the consistency of the product. I'd say it's comparable to Benefit's They're Real Mascara. The brushes bristles are the right size to get the right amount of product on the lashes without it getting clumpy.
The packaging itself is lightweight and easy to hold. I like that they made it matte so it won't slip off your hands.
The only thing however is that it would have been better if it is waterproof. I have oily skin which causes my makeup to slip and slide. This caused the mascara to wear off easily and by around 4 hours, I can see tiny black specs on my under eye.

I hope I have explained the product well enough. I will edit this post soon to include pictures and with more details, so keep updated!

Subcuture Palette Review

Sooo... I guess here it is! Anastasia Beverly Hills' very controversial Subculture Palette! I got this about a month ago but this is the first time I'm opening the box and playing with the colours. I guess I was in a Schrodinger's cat situation and I was kind of scared of how it's going to be. (Not a smart idea because it would have turned out bad, I wouldn't be able to get a refund at Sephora). That being said, you can probably guess that I already have a good experience with this palette!

Firt off the colours are gorgeous. It's unique, edgy, perfect fall colours! The pigmentation is just amazing!

Top row swatches

Bottom row swatches

People are saying that it's too pigmented which makes it hard to blend. But for me if it's too pigmented, that means I'm paying more for the actual pigment than fillers!

But then there is also the argument of it not having enough binding agent so the shadows are too powdery and have a lot of kick-up, which wastes a lot of product.

Roxy and Axis are the shadows that have the most kick-up, but with a light hand, it will minimize the kick-up. With this, I can see why people were saying that Norvina should have advertised this as loose pigment shadow. But for me, the quality is still good and I just can't get enough of the colours!

Considering the powderiness, there's not much fall out. Axis had the most fall out when I played with the colours.

 I used Roxy as the transition, Adorn as a cut-crease liner, Axis on the lids, Rowdy and Cube on the lower lash line, and Cube on the inner corner. I used no primer and the shadows went on really well.

So there you go! Long story short, I'm really loving this palette!

Lancome Grandiose Mascara and CILS Booster Review

LANCÔME GRANDIÔSE Extreme Wide-Angle Extreme Volume Mascara

& CILS BOOSTER XL Super-Enhancing Mascara Base

These two has been my favorite combo for my lashes since receiving it from my boyfriend last Christmas. It may not be a new product in 2017, but I am going to nominate both in Influenster's 2017 Beauty Awards!

To properly show the products' effects, I'll show before and after pictures.

Before application. No product at all.

Before close-ups

To see the effect of the booster base. I'll apply just the mascara on the left eye (my right), and both products on the right eye (my left).

Mascara applicator

After one coat of the mascara

Booster applicator

One coat of booster

Booster and mascara combined

Comparison with and without the booster

As you can see the right eye, which has the CILS Booster, has more volume to it. But compared to the before picture. the left eye's lashes still look voluminous with just one application of the Grandiose mascara.

Here is the before and after side-by-side for better comparison.You can also click on each picture for a larger view!

See the difference it makes, especially with the booster base? This is why I absolutely adore this product! Keep in mind that this is only through one coat to show how much volume it adds. I usually put up to 3 coats of each. Not only that but look at this gorgeous packaging!

Gradiose Mascara sells for $36 CAD, and CILS Booster sells for $32 CAD.

Kat Von D Saint and Sinner Perfumes Review

#SaintandSinner

#TheResurrectionIsReal

Disclaimer: These perfumes are complimentary from Influenster for reviewing purposes.

These two perfumes are relaunch (or resurrected lol) from the same named perfumes from 2009, which was a long time ago! I didn't even know she had perfumes! The packaging, as always, is gorgeous! I wasn't expecting these to be sent as they were no surveys that I took about perfumes. I was walking home from work when my sister sent me pictures of it that got me really excited since I haven't received a Kat Von D product from Influenster before.

Both bottles are 0.17oz/5mL which is a very decent size to sample, if not more than enough. I don't always wear perfume and I wear it minimally, so these will last me a while! The bottles didn't have the intricate design as the full bottles but these are still really beautiful to display.

First, there is Saint which is described on the Sephora website as"soft, alluring, and dreamy, this gourmand fragrance sweetens a bouquet of jasmine and tiaré flower with notes of mandarin, caramel, and sparkling Mirabelle plum. Vanilla, sandalwood, and creamy musk build to the romance of the perfume". It is mainly sweet and floral, especially when I first sniff it from the bottle. But I feel like as the day goes on, it shows this little bit of muskyness, maybe from reacting with my natural body chemistry. It is a very feminine fragrance. My boyfriend said that it's a little bit mature. Maybe it's because of the Vanilla, which I'm not a huge fan of when it's a scent. But good thing it's floral enough for me to like!

Then we have Sinner which is like Saint's emo sister. They smell very similar to each other but Sinner has an edge to it. I think it has more vanilla, spice and musk. On Sephora's website, it's described as "dark, sultry, and empowering, this enticing fragrance sweetens a bouquet of jasmine and orange blossom with notes of vanilla, mandarin, and Mirabelle plum. Spicy cinnamon envelops white florals at the heart of the fragrance, while base notes of vetiver, patchouli, and wood form the deeper, darker nuances". I think this is more a unisex fragrance, so guys can wear it, too! I prefer Saint more, but I'd wear this when I'm feeling fierce!

On Sephora, it is sold as a travel or full sized spray ranging from $30 - to $115 CAD.

imPress Press-On Manicure review

     This press-on nail set was included in the Influesnter Spring Vibes VoxBox for reviewing purposes. The set includes 30 press-on nails including 6 accent nails, prep pad, file, orange stick and instructions. It's $7.99 USD at the imPRESS website. I got the French manicure style with glitter accents.

     These press-on nails are supposed to be a hassle-free way of putting on artificial nails because the nails have an adhesive on the underside. No glue needed!
    It involves several but quick steps, first of which is to wash your hands with soap. Second is to use the prep pad so that there is not oils or dirt on the nails. This is to ensure that the adhesive sticks on the nails fully.

     Before proceeding, I have measured the nails on my real nails and laid them out so everything is organized.

     Initially, I thought that the design looks simple but really pretty. I like the glitter on the accent nails.

     To put on the nails, just remove the plastic backing and line it up to your cuticle. Then press firmly at the centre and both sides for a minute. They also recommend to keep pressing on the nails during the first hour and a half to ensure that it really sticks on your nails.

     I didn't use the file that was included because it's too small, so I used my Crystal Nail File from Sephora which I got for $12.50CAD.

     Here is how it looked like before filing. You could see the air bubbles underneath and on the sides of the nails especially the ones under the accent nail. For some reason, the accent nails have less adhesive under so it has bigger air bubbles. If the nails weren't translucent, it wouldn't be a problem. 

    From afar, it does look good. I'm a little bit of a perfectionist so I'm not completely satisfied with the results. If I had gotten opaque nails, then it wouldn't have any complaints. I liked how it literally took only seconds to put on the nails, so overall, it's a good product.