For my 21st birthday last month, one of the things that my parents knew was at the top of my wishlist was something from NARS! It was one of the high-end brands that I really wanted to have as part of my ever-growing make-up collection and so in turn, they kindly treated me to a few items that they thought I would enjoy using!
The main item that they bought for me was a brand new NARS gift set called the 'Basic Face Set.' The kit contains three key items; their oil-free primer, a translucent setting powder and a duo compact featuring their 'Orgasm' blusher and 'Laguna' bronzer - two of the most popular and coveted NARS products out there! As you can imagine, I was super excited when I unwrapped my presents that morning and I couldn't wait to try everything out. Of course, my favourite item out of three is the blusher and bronzer duo as the colours are just to die for!
Both of the powders are super pigmented but they are very buildable, which means you can definitely control how sheer or built up you want them to be! They are also very easy to blend - which is especially great if you plan to contour with the bronzer.
'Orgasm' is the most gorgeous pinky coral colour with gold glitter running through it and that is one of my favourite shades to wear on my cheeks. It is the most perfect blush for spring and summer in my opinion! In regards to 'Laguna,' it is quite a warm-toned bronzer and so I personally would only use it to add some more colour to my face, rather than contour my cheekbones with it. However, it all depends on your skin tone and as I am quite fair, warmer shades of bronzer do tend to look a little muddy on me sometimes.
The only downside to this duo is the size as I find it very hard to swirl my brush around in the product as each pan is rather small (it looks much smaller than in the photograph!) Although, apart from that, this product is pretty much perfect! I can tell that it's going to become a staple in my make-up bag from here on out!
Have you tried Orgasm or Laguna before? What is your favourite NARS product? Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment down below!
Hi guys. As my main birthday present from my brother at the end of last month, I received this amazing beauty kit from Benefit called 'Do The Bright Thing.' This kit in particular has been put together for those of us who want to achieve a brighter complexion or a dewy finish to their make-up. I think that beauty kits like this one are such a great idea because they enable you to try out a bunch of different products from a brand instead of just taking the plunge and buying the full-size products straight away. 'Do The Bright Thing' contains the following five mini products; the That Gal Brightening Face Primer, High Beam, Dandelion Blush, Bad Gal Waterproof eyeliner and They're Real mascara. The kit retails at £26.50 and it can be purchased from either a Benefit counter or on their website. It is also available on ASOS, where you can order it with free postage & packaging too.
The kit itself comes in a super cute, yet sturdy pink box with floral detailing. As you can see, the kit also comes with a good sized mirror which means that this kit would also be very handy for travelling to save space or even when you're on the move. As well as this, when you unfold the flaps covering the mirror, you are presented with a 'tips & tricks' section which gives suggestions and methods on how to use each product effectively. Another handy feature that Benefit have clearly put a lot of thought into are little yellow ribbon tabs that you can see poking out of each product section. These tabs make lifting out a specific item from the kit really easy, instead of you having to tip the entire box upside down.
The That Gal Brightening Face Primer is probably my favourite product from the kit. This pink-based primer really gives a luminous glow to the skin. Whenever I have been wearing this product underneath my foundation, somebody has commented on how good my skin looks! The product not only glides on smoothly but it has this really amazing smell too which I can't quite put my finger on, I just love it. I think it's safe to say that I will definitely be buying the full-size version of this when I run out!
High Beam is another great product within the kit. This illuminating highlighter is great for adding a glow to your cheekbones, brow bone and so on. Due to the fact that it is a liquid formulation, it is incredibly easy to blend with either your fingers or a brush. This particular highlighter is quite noticeable on the skin, however, so I think I will stick to using it at night time or for special occasions. A little goes a long with with this product too, so hopefully even this mini size will last me a long time!
The Dandelion Blush is one of Benefit's most popular boxed blushers. Dandelion is a lovely soft pink shade which has a lot of shimmer running though it. This blusher is perfect for days where you skin is looking a little bit on the dull side and applied to the apples of your cheeks, it instantly perks up your complexion! Due to it being such a light and subtle shade, sometimes the colour pay-off isn't amazing but it can easily be built-up to something a little more noticeable if you desire.
The fourth item in 'Do The Bright Thing' is the Bad Gal Waterproof Eyeliner. Personally, I am more of a liquid eyeliner fan myself but as far as pencils go, this one is pretty great. Bad Gal glides on smoothly and does not scratch or drag the eye like other eyeliners sometimes do. I wouldn't go as far to say that the product is waterproof, although it did last a lot longer than other brands that I have tried. I applied this product onto my bottom waterline to test it out and I still does wear off a little after it has been on for a few hours.
The last item in the kit is the ever-so-popular They're Real Mascara, which is the number one best selling mascara in the UK and I have loved this product every since I tried it early last year. I often do not have much luck with mascaras as they tend to nothing for my short and fine eyelashes but this one certainly does! They're Real adds so much length and volume to my lashes, as well as giving them an intense black colour. The brush is super handy too as it has a little ball on the end of it to get to all of those pesky little lashes too.
Overall, I have been absolutely loving this kit and I am very grateful that I got it for my birthday. My two favourite products out of the five are the That Gal primer and the They're Real Mascara. These beauty kits from Benefit are certainly a great buy and it gives you the opportunity to try out lots of products from the brand for an extremely reasonable price.
Have you tried this kit or any of the above products before? What is your favourite Benefit product? Please let me know by leaving a comment below. Thank you!
