Benefit Cosmetics

BRONZER FOR ULTRA FAIR SKIN! | BENEFIT COSMETICS HOOLA LIGHT YAY OR NAY?

April 26, 2017 & 1 Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday! And most importantly, HAPPY 6TH BIRTHDAY to my daughter, Hailey Madison! Be sure to follow me on Snapchat (@LeahTackles) for birthday cuteness!

As someone with fair skin I know that bronzer can be tricky because a lot of them tend to be way too dark or can appear orange on my skin…translation? NOT cute! So, when I saw that Benefit released a “lite” version of their cult favorite Hoola, I was very excited to try it.

Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Lite:

Price:

$29

Packaging:

Just like the original Hoola Bronzer and the Benefit boxed blushes this comes in a study cardboard box with adorable details, a nice mirror, and a brush. I personally do not use the brush unless I am in a pinch, but it could be used if that is your preference.

First Impression:

This is not too warm and reminds me of a darker shade of a powder foundation instead of a very bronzy shade that you typically see with bronzers. I love that this looks very natural on the skin and blended out very easily. This product is not shimmery or sparkly, and I think it will be beautiful for a very natural look or with a blush with a bit of shimmer like the Benefit Galifornia Blush I blogged about a couple of weeks ago (read that post here).

Overall:

This product could be used for people with fair to light skin for bronzing and to do a very light, subtle contour is you have very fair skin like me. I love that this is an easy way to bronze my skin without having the fear of appearing too dark, fake, or orange. I do use other bronzers with a more subtle hand and that works, but this is a no nonsense way for a fair gal like me to lightly add some bronze to the skin. I think this is also a very natural looking color for someone with fair skin like mine as opposed to a warmer bronze.

Have you tried this? What is your FAVORITE bronzer? Let me know in the comments! xx

BENEFIT GALIFORNIA BOXED BLUSH | YAY OR NAY?

April 5, 2017 & 3 Comments

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

I hope that you are having a fantastic week so far! With summer right around the corner (at least this Michigan gal hopes it is right around the corner!) I thought it would be fun to try the *new* boxed blush from Benefit Cosmetics and share my thoughts with you.

Benefit Galifornia

First Impression:

How gorgeous is this brush? It is definitely a super cute name and adorable packaging as I’ve come to expect from Benefit. The cardboard box is sturdy, has a nice sized mirror, and does come with a brush but I do not use the brush it comes with unless I’m in a pinch without my other blush brushes. This blush smells amazing, and reminds me of fresh peaches and summer picnic! The gorgeous blush with the gold glimmering sun is absolutely Instagram worthy. The glittery sun is stunning, but unfortunately is just an overspray on top so once you’ve swatched it that does go away, however the gold hints are in the actual blush.

Why I Love It:

This is a super pigmented shade that would work well on even very deep skin tones, is absolutely perfect for spring and summer, and even my very fair skin can wear it but do use a light hand if you’re very fair. I think this gives a healthy glow and just the right bit of shimmer.

Shop:

Will you be picking up this beauty? Let me know in the comments! Don’t forget to enter my beauty giveaway on my YouTube channel, too ; )

HOW TO PRIME AND TREAT OILY SKIN BEFORE MAKEUP | FEATURING BENEFIT COSMETICS

March 29, 2017 & 3 Comments

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

I have combo/oily skin, and my t-zone, my nose especially, tends to get very oily. One product that I’ve spoken about before is Milk of Magnesia which I do still like for special, all-day occasions, but as detailed in this post, the magnesium carbonate effectively break down wax esters which helps to degrease your skin but it has a high PH level. Because I do not use Milk of Magnesia daily, I am always on the hunt for ways to safely combat the oil.

Benefit Cosmetics POREfessional Line

Benefit Cosmetics the POREfessional Matte Rescue

This product intrigued me right away when it came out, but it took me a little bit of time to determine if I thought it made a significant different in helping me stay matte. This claims to keep your skin matte and to help minimize your pores. This should be used after cleansing and moisturizing. I have been using this product daily for several months now, and as an experiment skipped a day and definitely noticed that my skin was not only shiny faster, but my makeup didn’t stay as fresh looking for as long.

Benefit Cosmetics the POREfessional

This has been a long time favorite product of mine and I always repurchase this primer. This product claims to minimize the appearance of pores, smooth fine lines, and help your makeup stay put, and for me this is absolutely true!

My Routine

After I cleanse and moisturize my skin I give my moisturizer a couple of minutes to skin in and then I apply Benefit the POREfessional Matte Rescue as the last step in my morning skincare routine. After the POREfessional Matte Rescue has a few minutes to sink into my skin I apply the POREfessional, concentrating on areas where I have large pores, which for me is my nose and the sides of my nose.

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What is your favorite primer? Let me know in the comments! Don’t forget to follow my Snapchat @LeahTackles to see my makeup, skincare, fashion, food, and family life every day ; ) xx

What Is A Matte Highlighter?

January 11, 2017 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday! And, much more importantly to me, HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY to my littlest love, Logan. I am so proud of you, and you’ll always be my baby!

Today I want to talk about a highlighting product that I had to try because the name itself was so contradictory to what I think of when I think of a highlighter, but it has become a go-to for me the past several months.

Benefit Shy Beam

Highlighting has been a huge trend for the past several years, and I love highlighting with powders, creams, sticks, and liquid highlighting products ranging from $2 drugstore steals to much more expensive high end brands. I love using highlighter on my cheekbones, and also my cupids bow, but because I tend to get oily on my nose/T-Zone area I often skip a highlight there. A few months ago Benefit Cosmetics launched and re-vamped a lot of their products, including their Dandelion blush, and they came out with Dandelion Shy Beam which they describe as a nude pink “matte radiance” highlighter. I was very intrigued by this “matte” highlighter claim since this is the opposite of what you think of when you think of highlighter, and honestly sounds a bit like an oxymoron.

How I Use It

I absolutely LOVE this for highlighting down the center of my nose, and for highlighting around the outer corner or my eye and cheekbone. This is fantastic for any place you want to highlight or any place the sun would naturally hit your face because it is so subtle that you can get away with using it in lots of places at once without looking like a disco ball. As someone with combo/oily skin, having a matte highlighter gives you a beautiful lit from within look that is fresh and youthful without risk of feeling like your skin looks greasy or needs blotting immediately. I like to dot this on with the brush applicator and then use a small stippling brush, like the E.L.F Small Stipple Brush, to tap it into the skin. You can also use a lightly damp Beauty Blender or your fingers to tap this into the skin. However you choose to apply this, be sure not to rub or you will risk rubbing off other makeup and won’t get the desired effect.

What are your thoughts? What is your favorite highlighter? Do you think the highlighting trend has become too much or are you still into it? Let me know in the comments! xx

HOLIDAY BEAUTY RELEASES! BEAUTY ADVENT CALENDARS!

October 5, 2016 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

I have been excited about the holiday makeup releases since mid summer which seems crazy, but that is when some of the sneak peeks come out! I absolutely love the holiday season and I, obviously, love makeup so putting the two together makes me giddy. Today I wanted to share three beauty and makeup related advent countdown calendars incase you’d like to treat yourself or a friend to a little beauty cheer this holiday season ; ) Speaking of advent calendars, our Elf On the Shelf will be delivering fun ones to each of the kids this year and I am *so* excited about them! Stay tuned to our Daily Vlogs to see those later this season!

L’Occtiane Advent Calendar:

Price: $55

I was excited to see this as an option for those who would like to try a higher end skincare brand. I do wonder if the sizes will be large enough to get a good feel for if you like some of the products, but others like the hand cream and soaps I would think you could definitely get enough of an idea of whether or not you’d like to purchase the full size items. These would also be awesome for traveling if you have an upcoming trip!

Ciaté London Mini Mani Month Nail Polish Set:

Price: $59

I am SWOONING over this one! If you know me then you know that I do not need any more nail polish, but this set is gorgeous! I am swooning over the packaging as well as the colors! I love that you get a great variety of polish colors.

Benefit Cosmetics Girl O’Clock Rock Mini Set:

Price $45

This isn’t quite an advent calendar this year, but you could do “12 Days of Christmas” or just open it the 12 days before Christmas instead of 24. I think this is a great set if you don’t have a lot of Benefit Cosmetics items or maybe for someone who is just starting out with makeup. And Benefit does such adorable holiday packaging!

Have a wonderful weekend loves! Please comment below what you would like to see for the holiday season! Reviews? Gift Guides? Both? Let me know ; ) xx

HOW TO GET FREE DELUXE SIZE SAMPLES FROM SEPHORA WITH EVERY ORDER!

July 27, 2016 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

On SnapChat (I’m LeahTackles on all social media!) a couple of days ago I mentioned that I used a promo code to get a free deluxe size sample of a Christophe Robin hair mask when I was ordering online from Sephora and several people told me that they had no idea these codes existed, so I thought I would share how I get a free deluxe size sample item with every order from Sephora.com that I make!

When you go to Sephora.com there is a quick link that says “Weekly Specials” and if you click on that you can view all of the freebies that you can get with an order from Sephora.com that week. You can also do a google search for Sephora promo codes or look on a site like RetailMeNot but the codes are the same as the ones shown on Sephora. Sometimes the code will only work if you buy certain items or brands, or if you spend a certain amount, but often times they are free with a purchase. The catch is that you can only use one coupon code for each transaction, so choose wisely ; )

I did not know that you could use these promo codes for a long time! I also didn’t use Ebates until a couple of months ago, but now I always do both when I shop on Sephora.com! I first go to EBates so I can get cash back for my Sephora purchase and then I go to Sephora.com and figure out what promo code I want to use first before doing my actual shopping so that I don’t forget. I also check the point perks incase I want to cash in on any of those.

What is the best freebie you have gotten from Sephora? Let me know in the comments! Or, if you didn’t know about this I hope it was helpful and that you get some fun things to try as a result : )

HOW TO GET INSTAGRAM WORTHY BROWS! NEW PRODUCTS!

July 20, 2016 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

I will skip doing any other makeup before I will skip doing my brows! Having your brows filled in, whether you prefer a dramatic look or a soft fiber gel comb through, just makes you look pulled together and chic. Benefit Cosmetics recently launched a bunch of new brow products, and brought back some old standbys in new futuristic looking packaging. I do not have the entire line, but I have a few that I’d like to share with you today!

Goof Proof Brow Pencil in Shade 1:

I love this pencil for when I want the look of a filled in and perfect brow but am trying to do it quickly. I do always fill my brows in a couple of shades lighter that my brows to avoid looking too harsh.

KABrow! in Shade 1:

I got a deluxe sample size of this from Ulta by using a coupon that came in the catalog mailer and I am definitely going to be buying a full size! It comes with a little pot of a cream-gel brow color on one end and an angled brush on the other! So easy to do a put together look with this! This does remind me of my Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow, but it seems slightly a bit more wet in formula. I always start on the bottom of my arch in the middle of my brow and go to the ends before finishing at the start of my brows because I like to avoid having the most color deposited where my brows begin.

Gimme Brow in Shade 1:

This volumizing fiber gel is one that I’ve used before and I think it’s fantastic for super natural or rushed days but where you don’t want to skip doing your brows altogether. I love the little fibers especially for brushing the start of my brows up for a very natural and feminine look. I also like to use this to set my brows after either a gel or pencil.

Browvo! Conditioning Primer:

I just got a deluxe size sample of this and I am very curious! It claims to give your brows a fuller look instantly and prime the brows so that your other brow products last longer and wear better. I will definitely keep you posted if you guys have interest!

As always, please ask any questions that you have in the comments! I am definitely passionate about filling in my brows and experimenting with new innovations in the brow world, so I am very excited for these Benefit Cosmetic goodies! This post is not sponsored and these items were purchased with my own money or received as samples from Ulta Beauty. And please don’t forget to subscribe and check out my social media! It truly means so much to have your support!! xx