BENEFIT COSMETICS: THEY'RE REAL BIG SEXY LIP KIT.

The Benefit They're Real Big Sexy Lip Kit is a recent addition to my make up collection and I'm absolutely loving it - it contains four all in one lipstick and lip liners! For any avid Benefit fans, we all know that colour is exciting - and nothing comes more exciting than this lip kit!

This double the lip set creates visibly fuller looking lips in one easy step and that is down to the custom teardrop shape of the lipstick. The teardrop grabs and defines your lip line and fills in with beautiful colour! The top third is a darker colour - that part acts as the lip liner! Use the tear drop upwards on the top lip, and upside down on the bottom lip - it really is that easy!

The lipsticks come in four colours; Flame Game which is a gorgeous coral, Pink Thrills which is a beautiful bright pink, Revved-Up Red which is a bright red, and Lusty Rose which is my favourite, and is a natural rose toned pink.

They are super easy to apply and super long lasting for up to eight hours! For £24.50 that works out as £6.13 per lipstick - bargain!

These guys have only been out for a couple of weeks and are only available to buy as a set - get out there and get them, or regret it!

Have you tried any of Benefit's lip colours before? What's your favourite?

WORK & GYM MORNING ROUTINE

My work morning routine can vary, depending on what time I start that day.  I set my alarm for around 5:45 and hit snooze a couple of times before I decide that it's time to drag myself from my bed - I do love my bed, and my sleep.  I pull on some gym clothes, head to the bathroom to lightly wash my face with some water, and then brush my teeth using my electric toothbrush. Sometimes I have breakfast before we leave, sometimes I don't - depends on my mood.

I head to the gym at about 6:30 and work out for 30-40 minutes - it's usually cardio, but if I'm feeling more awake sometimes I'll do some squats or jumps, or head to a couple of my favourite machines - seated row, and leg press. I shower and get ready at the gym - the showers there are very powerful and really hot too which I love! At the minute I've got the Zoella Foaming Shower Gel in my gym bag, and when it comes to washing my hair - I like to do that at home. I've been using a light spray of the La Roche Posay Serozinc after rinsing my face again in the shower, and finishing off with a light coating of Benefit's Total Moisture which smells incredible.

I tend to give my hair a quick brush - I use an Invisibobble to put my hair up to avoid any bumps in case I want to wear it down, and then brush with a detangling brush as my hair is very thick and prone to knots. If I do decide to straighten it, I'll do it at home before bed to save time in the mornings.

The most time consuming part of getting ready for work in the morning is doing my make up - sometimes I'll do my base and brows at the gym and finish my eyes at work.  I've been priming using the Freedom Makeup Priming Water - I love to use a lightweight primer, and with high levels of Glycerin this works amazingly. I then use a Beauty Blender to apply Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Foundation in the shade I'm So Money Honey, I then use a little amount of Boiing Concealer in the shade 1 - I never usually set with a powder as I prefer a dewy finish to my base. I always always bronze with Hoola, and apply Rockateur to my cheeks - this is my favourite blusher, I prefer a more subtle blusher but sometimes I'll use Coralista for a brighter pop of colour.

I've been using the new Benefit Brow Collection - I love the Browvo Conditioning Primer, it really helps to nourish the eyebrows and help them appear thicker, healthier and fuller but also primes them and allows your brow makeup to sit for longer. I've then been using the Ka-Brow! This is hands down my favourite product from the new collection - its a cream gel pomade with a built in brush and it's so easy to apply - it also lasts for 24 hours which is amazing! I then set them in place with the trusty Gimme Brow which gives a natural volume to the brow. 

I then use the Hoola Bronzer with a fluffy brush through my crease and then apply the They're Real Push Up Liner along my upper lashline - sometimes with a wing, sometimes without - a girls got to change it up - and then generous coatings of the They're Real Mascara in Black - I don't often wear lip colour to work - but I've recently fallen in love with Posie Balm and Cha Cha Balm for a light colour and hydration for the day. 

Sort out my bag - lunch and a book for the bus journey, and I'm on my way!

As you may have guessed - my make up for work consists of all Benefit - I haven't been able to fully explore all of the products on my skin yet but I'm sure I can start to slowly review a lot of their products as I build my collection! All I can definitely say is that I'm loving the new Brow Collection.. watch this space!

SUNDAY NIGHT TIME ROUTINE.

My nights are usually pretty chilled, but none more than a Sunday night. I really value my down time, which mostly consists of chilling in my room watching TV but there's something about a Sunday night - the night before a new week, that I just find much more chilled than any other night of the week.

I like to start off the night with a shower and facial wash - I like my showers hot so I really crank up the temperature. I've been using Soap and Glory Clean on Me Shower Gel and Soap and Glory Orangeasm Body Scrub in the shower, and a L'Oreal Elvive Shampoo to wash my hair - all out of conditioner, and I won't lie most of the time I just can't be bothered so I tend to leave conditioner altogether (naughty!)

When I get out of the shower I start a skincare routine - I use Benefit's Foamingly Clean Facial Wash to wash my face and remove any make up. I've been switching this out for the Nip + Fab Glycolic Scrub as it's a facial exfoliant and it's good to exfoliate a couple of times a week. I then use the La Roche Posay Serozinc which is a spray on toner which is good for oily or blemish prone skin. I quite like what this has been doing to my skin - it's become lots clearer after a short amount of time. I then go in with a Nip + Fab Dragons Blood Serum and the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Oil - the serum is a very old favourite of mine, at one point my entire skincare range was Nip + Fab as I absolutely love their products - I'm actually yet to find one that I don't like! The Estee Lauder Night Repair is a recent addition to my skincare routine, so I'm eager to see how that pans out and hopefully using an oil will begin to make such a difference to my skin. I tend to finish off with a night cream, which varies between Benefit Total Moisture which is a lovely, rich moisturiser - or the Nip + Fab Viper Venom Night Cream which I love the texture and the smell of.

I try my hardest to get a brush through my hair after adding a few drops of Garnier Hair Oil, and then just leave it to dry naturally - so many people berate me for this but it's something I've always done and find really comfortable. My hair is so thick, I hate sitting there for years with a hairdryer blasting my hair and making me boil on the spot - so I tend to let it air dry or sleep with wet hair.

I rarely fake tan - but I've been using a St Tropez Gradual Tanning Moisturiser - I can't really tell a difference but I don't really apply a lot as I hate that sticky feeling when you get into bed. I throw on some pyjamas, check my bag is packed for the morning and either get in my bed, or sit on top of my bed on my laptop, or watching TV.

I do the usual - checking social media, and checking my alarm is set and then it's bedtime for me! I really value my sleep so making sure I'm comfortable is really important to me. Fluff up the pillows, lights out - night night!

BENEFIT BROW COLLECTION: KA-BROW!

instagram: @sophietumber

On 24th June, Benefit Cosmetics launched a brand new brow collection featuring some old favourites, and some very new friends. Benefit Cosmetics have been rocking brows since 1976 so the girls there definitely know a thing or two about brows. Since Cara stepped onto the scene, brows have been such a big trend and who better to launch brow products than the local brow authority.

Amongst the nine piece collection is a product called Ka-Brow!. Ka-Brow! is a cream gel formula, comparable to the infamous Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade, and just like the rest of the collection, comes in nine shades - 1-6. I've been using shade 4 which is a medium brown and it matches my hair colour perfectly. It also comes with a built in brush in the cap, which you are able to clip into the lid and extend to make it easier to use.

Ka-Brow! is a rich, wearable colour that easily sculpts and defines your eyebrows. It's also very easy to use - I've been teaching my customers to pull out the brush from the cap, line underneath and on top of the brow and fill in the middle. It really is that easy - it builds a natural or dramatic brow in seconds and lasts 24 hours!

I've been using mine almost every day since I received the product, I've been using it alongside Gimme Brow, 3D Browtones and High Brow which are also products from the new collection.

Have you tried any of the Benefit Brow Collection? What are your favourites?

LIBBY'S NATURAL PROM MAKEUP.

I recently had the pleasure of working with Libby to create a prom makeup look; she wanted something natural as she doesn't really wear much makeup. We had a trial a couple of weeks before, and unfortunately on the day a few things had to change as Libby wasn't feeling too well. She had chosen a fitted, navy lace gown for her prom and she looked absolutely stunning! I thought I'd write a post about the application and the products that I used - be warned, there are quite a few Benefit products! 

I started by getting Libby to remove any traces of makeup with a makeup wipe - she doesn't usually wear a lot so there wasn't much there to remove. I then went in with Liz Earle's Instant Boost Skin Tonic and the Freedom Makeup Moisture Cream to tone and moisturise the skin. I also spritzed a little of the Freedom Makeup Priming Water across the skin and allowed that to sink in. I used Benefit's It's Potent! Eye Cream as a treatment underneath the eye whilst I started applying the eye makeup. 

I primed the eyelids using Benefit's Lemon Aid - I usually use Benefit's Air Patrol but silly me had forgotten to pack it in my kit! I decided to use the Benefit Big Beautiful Eyes Palette - we had used it at the trial and Libby really liked it - it's honestly one of my go to palettes for any natural, feminine look. I used the pink shade all over the lid, the lighter brown over half of the lid and the darker, matte brown through the crease and on the outer corner of the eye. I then lined the upper lashline with Benefit's They're Real Push Up Liner - again this is an absolute go to for me. It's so easy to use and is completely waterproof. We had discussed winged liner beforehand, but as Libby was heading to prom and there were bound to be tears we decided against it - as much as it's a highly waterproof gel formula, I didn't want any chances of it smudging. We then used Benefit Roller Lash (I told you, lots of Benefit products) on her lashes - this is brilliant at curling the eyelashes without an eyelash curler as it has small hooks in the mascara wand that really help to create a brilliant curl. I used the Benefit Browvo Conditioning Primer to prime the eyebrows and the Freedom Makeup Brow Pomade to fill. I then applied a little bit of Benefit's Gimme Brow to finish the brows and give them some texutre. I patted a small amount of Illamasqua's Loose Pigment in Furore in the centre of the eyelid and as a browbone highlight - this brow highlight really pulled together the entire eye look.

I went back to face, wiping away any fallout, and priming with Benefit's Porefessional - this smoothed Libbys already flawless skin to create the perfect base for foundation. The foundation I used was the Rimmel Match Perfection - again, as Libby was feeling unwell I decided not to use a heavy base. I used Benefit's Boiing in Shade 1 as a concealer underneath the eyes and on any blemishes. I then used the Chanel Soleil Tan De Chanel to bronze and contour slightly - this is a cream product so it's lovely and natural to use. I then used Benefit's Rockateur as a blusher which I love as it has that beautiful rose gold colouring and is extremely subtle, and The Balm's Mary Lou Manizer to highlight the face on the tops of the cheekbones, and cupids bow.  

I used Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream to prep the lips for any colour - lined and slightly filled the lips with Revlon Colour Stay Lipliner in Natural, and filled in the lips with MAC Velvet Teddy. Finishing off with gloss and I used the L'Oreal Infallible Mega Gloss in Protest Queen.

I loved working on Libby's face - she's such a natural makeup she didn't need that much makeup but I still wanted to make her feel beautiful for her prom night.

HOW TO LOOK THE BEST AT EVERYTHING: BENEFIT.

*Published in order to celebrate my new job at Benefit Cosmetics*

Benefit is one of the worlds best make up brands; founded in San Francisco by two sisters - I think the brands been developed with the right brains - two women! How to Look the Best at Everything is one of their multiple kits with miniatures of a few products, and this kit is all about perfecting that base. It comes in three shades - light, medium and deep. I have the medium shade kit.

The kit contains a miniature Porefessional, which is an award winning primer. It's a pro balm which helps to reduce the appearance of pores on the skin - it can be used alone, underneath or on top of your make up. It's a skin colour product which means it blends seamlessly into the skin going completely unnoticed.

The product I was most eager to try in this kit was the Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow foundation. The medium kit comes with the shade 'I'm So Money Honey' which is a perfect match for me. It's a light coverage foundation, but with the right application (a brush or a beauty blender) can become buildable and create a medium coverage. It also contains an SPF 25 which is brilliant for a foundation.

The Boi-ing concealer is an industrial strength concealer which is brilliant for concealing imperfections. This kit comes with shades 02 (the most popular shade of this concealer), and 03. This cream concealer can be applied with your fingertips or a brush and is easy to blend out. I would have also used this underneath the eyes but the shades I have are too dark - eager to try shade 01 for that reason!

The final product in the box is Hello Flawless powder. The medium kit comes with the shade 'I'm Cute as a Bunny Honey'.  This has an SPF 15 and can be worn alone for a satin finish. You can use the brush for a light coverage or apply with a sponger for a heavier coverage.

How to Look the Best at Everything retails at £25.50. It's available at Benefit counters worldwide. Have you tried any Benefit products? What are your favourite?

CLEANING YOUR MAKEUP BRUSHES.

Probably the most tedious part of any make up artist/enthusiasts job is cleaning their make up brushes, but it's also one of the most important. Not only have these brushes been in products of varying colours and textures, they've also been on somebody else's face, taking in dead skin cells and remains of any other products they've been using.

I've tried multiple methods of brush cleaning; using regular shampoo, baby shampoo, a solid antibacterial soap, liquid soap and I've tried various specific brush cleansers, but I've never really found anything I fell in love with  (I refuse to try the Olive Oil technique I've seen everywhere, I don't really agree with putting something you use for cooking on your face). At first, I fell in love with the Dr Bronner Magic Soap but although it was incredible and smelt amazing, it was too thin a consistency and I'd end up using too much all at once, and then I discovered the Beauty Blender Solid Cleanser, (available on Beauty Bay, Cult Beauty, and Net-A-Porter to name a few) almost like a solid brush cleaner in a pot, designed to wet and swirl your brushes around inside in order to fully deep clean them. This cleanser retails for £14 so is pretty pricey for the 28g of product that you get. I've recently found a dupe for this product; the Freedom Makeup Pro Studio Brush Bath which retails for £7, and is probably almost double the size. This is available on the Freedom Makeup website, or in Superdrug, which is where I purchased it.

When I first saw the Real Techniques Deep Cleansing Gel, I had high hopes, being a huge fan of their other products. I was also intrigued because it claimed to be a deep cleansing gel, as opposed to the spot cleaners that many brands release. The Deep Cleansing Gel is designed to be used in a similar way that we would use shampoo on our own hair. I like to squeeze a small amount of gel into the palm of my hand and swirl a damp brush around in the product, lathering up the bristles. I then like to use a running tap (brush head facing downward in order to avoid any water build up in the brush ferrule as it can loosen the brush hair) to cleanse away any of the product, repeating these steps until the brush is clean. At first I tried the cleanser with my smaller, eye, lip and concealer brushes; the gel texture was able to cleanse the brushes with ease, removing a significant amount of product almost straight away. However I found this was not the case for larger, more denser brushes; it only seemed to be removing around half of the product, much of which was remaining deep in the root of the brush hair and meant that I had to use twice the amount of product. Besides this, I love the smell and the feel of the fully cleansed brushes once they are dry so I decided to continue to use this for smaller brushes, and leave my larger brushes to a solid cleanser as I feel that is a much more effective way of cleaning them. I can imagine this works brilliantly with the new Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette, which I'm very eager to try! For only £6.99 this is a really good product for deep cleansing your make up brushes. It's available pretty much everywhere that stocks Real Techniques brushes; I've seen it in Boots, Superdrug and ASDA which is where I got mine!

Both of these brush cleansers are brilliant for the price tag and for their easy availability in drugstores across the UK. They also both keep your brushes feeling softer for longer which is incredible for me as I have quite a few make up brushes that I don't use all of the time. 

Have you tried any of these, or found any products you love for cleaning your make up brushes?