{NEW IN} | Benefit Dandelion Wishes

Hi lovelies! I’ve been quite scarce lately because I was travelling but I am back now and I have loads of content for you. Today I’m going to be sharing one of my beauty purchases from my trip to the UK. When shopping for beauty products I wanted to limit myself to stuff that I can’t buy here in South Africa. I only made an exception if it was an item I really wanted and it was way cheaper than it would be back home.

I had being eyeing the Benefit Dandelion Wishes kit online for a while. If you’ve visited your nearest Benefit counter you’d know that it isn’t available here. It is described as “A Baby-Pink Wish Come True” and contains 5 mini products for the complexion, lips and eyes. I love the minis because I usually take them out the kit and pop them into my handbag.

The packaging (Benefit always hits the mark with packaging) is really sweet. It takes me right to a lovely tea party in a green, flower filled garden or park. Even though Benefit has San Francisco origins I think this particular set is the perfect homage to my England summer trip. The box is green and covered with charming baby-pink dandelions and the kit has light pink and green striped detailing on the sides. Once opened, the actual products sit on a delightful soft pink background.

So what’s inside? I’ll give you some details in a bit; I just want to point out that if you want to get your hands on them you can find the full-sized versions of all the products except the Dandelion Plush Gloss at your favourite Benefit counter.

Dandelion Ultra Plush (Not available in SA)

This is soft and pearly pink lip gloss. The formula is really comfortable and luxurious and the colour is very neutral. It just adds a pleasant, subtle glow to the lips.

Roller Lash (ZAR335 for full-sized)

This one is a holy-grail mascara for me. It has something called the Hook ‘n’ Roll™ brush grabs which separates, lifts and curls the lashes. Those scary lash curlers can take a seat! Believe me when I say that Roller Lash really does give the lashes a gorgeous curl. It’s also water resistant, long lasting and the blackest of blacks.

Dandelion (ZAR385 for full-sized)

Benefit describes this as a “sheer, ballerina-pink face powder”. It’s a delicate powder with tiny, almost undetectable gold flecks. Dandelion brightens the cheeks and offers a very gentle hint of colour. It’s also really buildable. I love this product so much that I’m probably going to invest in a full-sized one. Dandelion truly is the hero of the kit.

High Beam (ZAR365 for full-sized)

High Beam is a satiny pink liquid highlighter. The formula is really soft and comfortable and it blends well into the skin, leaving a visible but understated gleam. It’s perfect for cheekbones and brow bones but you can also use it under your makeup for that “supermodel glow”. I love using it on my cupid’s bow and brown bones.

Posie Balm (ZAR255 for full-sized)

This is simply a lip balm with a little bit of peachy pink colour. It moisturises the lips with mango butter and sodium hyaluronate and smells incredibly lovely. I’d describe the smell as a rose garden; a refreshing change from all the fruity and candy scented balms on the market. The hint of colour is almost unnoticeable and enhances the natural lip colour.

Overall I’m really glad that I invested in Dandelion Wishes. It’s the perfect combination of products for that no-makeup-makeup look. I love how the products merely enhance the natural features. Everything is buildable too so you can work it into something more dramatic.

The kit also contains some handy Tips & Tricks and How-Tos. 

So there you have it! Is Dandelion Wishes your “Baby-Pink Wish Come True”? Which are your favourite products in the kit?

Until next time

Love and Dandelion sparkles

Zaakira xox

{NEW IN} | Benefit Brows

Ever since Benefit Cosmetics flew a bunch of beauty bloggers and editors to Las Vegas to announce their new brow collection I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. In a sweet slumber party-esque soiree that I was lucky enough to attend, the highly anticipated products were launched to the South African market and today I’m going to unbox my gift and give you some of my first impressions.

The new Benefit Brow Collection contains a monstrous 45 products. These are either brand new ones or repackaged/reformulated classic favourites. What’s novel and innovative this time is that the products come in 6 different colours. The packaging is 100% new and 100% gorgeous. Think delicate and cute silver bottles and pens with soft pink branding and accents. Benefit is known for its delightful packaging and this collection does not disappoint. It looks very sweet and royal which perfectly matches my mood (and life… I wish!).   

So let’s get straight into what I received.

BROWVO! Conditioning Primer

ZAR395

Benefit describes this as a “nutrient-rich primer for fuller looking brows.”  The BROWVO! 

Conditioning Primer contains keratin and soy protein to nourish the brows.  It is a clear, gel based product that doesn’t feel sticky and doesn’t dry heavy.

The product is housed in a click-pen with a ‘custom soft-touch applicator” that deposits the product evenly on the brow hair and skin underneath.

I definitely felt that the products I used after this primer went on much easier.

Gimme Brow

ZAR335

This is a repackage. It is described as a “brow volumizing fibre gel.” It is a tinted gel formula that is buildable.

Gimme Brow comes with a tiny, tapered spoolie applicator that makes application more precise.

KA BROW!

ZAR335

This one is my favourite from the collection. KA BROW! is a “cream-gel brow colour.” It is a buildable, tinted pomade. It also claims to be waterproof with a 24 hour wear.

This product is housed in a delightful little clear bottle with a brush sneakily hidden in the lid.

I love how natural this product looks and feels once applied. It is easy to apply and you can build up the colour from something soft to something a bit more dramatic.

Goof Proof Brow Pencil

ZAR335

This “super easy brow-filling and shaping pencil” is also on my favourites list. It is tinted, angled pencil with a glide on formula. The texture and colour pay-off is very soft so you can definitely build it up without looking or feeling too heavy. It claims to be waterproof with 12 hour wear.

It comes in non-sharpening, twist-up pencil form and also has a handy spoolie on the other end.

The Goof Proof Brow Pencil is perfect if you’re on the go. It is literally fool proof! The soft colour pay-off and shape of the pencil both ensure that there’s no room for mistakes.

As you can tell, I really love Benefit’s new Brow Collection. I’m also keen to get my hands on the rest of the products, especially the High Brow Glow and stunning repackaged Brow Zings.

The Brow Collection is currently available online at redsqaure.co.za until the 15^th of July. There are also some nifty kits that contain a few of the products. The products will officially hit Edgars and Red Square stores on the 15^th of August, for a list of stockists click here.

Are you excited Benebabes?! What are you most keen to get your hands on?

Until next time

Love, sparkles and perfect brows ;)

Zaakira xox

{BEAUTY REVIEW} | Benefit - The POREfessional Matte Rescue

Anyone who is a lover of makeup knows that The POREfessional from Benefit is a holy-grail primer. Now there is a new member of the POREfessional family, the Matte Rescue.

Matte Rescue promises to subdue shine, absorb excess oil on the skin and leave a natural, matte finish. To do this, it uses diamond powder (!!!) which is known for its soft-focus blurring effect on pores. The formula is water-based which makes it lightweight. It can be worn alone or under makeup as a primer (although Benefit suggests using it with the POREfessional face primer).

The tube is silver with cute imagery (can we expect any less from Benefit?!) and really simple to use. The product squeezes out the tube in a lovely light-blue gel. It is lightweight and smells really pleasant (a very subtle fresh, fruity floral scent). It has less of a silicone feel than its older sibling. Once applied (to cleansed, dry skin) it went clear and dried very quickly into a matte finish.

I don’t suffer from skin that is too oily but I definitely felt a difference when wearing The POREfessional Matte Rescue. My BB Cream and foundation went on effortlessly and didn’t slip through the day. I also felt that it did help with the little oil control that I need. I asked my husband to try it (he has oilier skin and more noticeable pores) and he definitely felt and saw a difference.

I often find that when using “mattifying” products, they tend to suck out all the moisture from my skin and make me feel dry (and make look like a corpse!). That is absolutely not the case with The POREfessional Matte Rescue. I feel that it only eliminates excess oil while still keeping the skin moisturized.

If you have pore issues or oily skin, I definitely recommend The POREfessional Matte Rescue. I’m not promising that it will totally take care of your problems, but it will most definitely help in minimizing those pores and taking away that oil. I must also add that a small dollop goes a long way.

Find The POREfessional Matte Rescue at your nearest Benefit counter for ZAR395.

Until next time

Love and sparkles

Zaakira xox