W7 Absolute lashes V's Benefit They're Real

When I first saw W7 Absolute Lashes I thought well this looks familiar, but will it actually be the dupe that I have been searching for. Benefit They're Real has been my holy grail mascara for the last few years I have short, straight, blonde lashes and nothing else really creates a look like it until now that is.......

So on first glance the brushes of both mascaras are really similar the W7 is just slightly smaller than The Benefit.
So I wore the W7 mascara for a few days and was really impressed with it, It is a great mascara and at only €3.50 you really couldnt go wrong but I wanted to test it directly against the Benefit They're Real so I figured the only way I could achieve this was to wear each mascara at the same time and It was with this thought that I ended up wearing W7 Absolute lashes on one eye and Benefit Theyre real on the other eye for a number of days. This really allowed me to compare them in every way.

This side (left) is the W7 Absolute lashes and right is Benefit Theyre Real. Do you see a difference?
This pic is each mascara applied onto my lashes with no curlers used etc.

The W7 is slightly more effort to apply as It does need a few brushes through to get the desired look but definitely nothing that would put you off. They both look exactly the same on which you can see from the pic. Whats even better is they both lasted the same amount of time with the plus that the W7 was easier to remove!
I have never found a duplicate that is this close to the higher end product. I mean there really isnt any difference well except if you count the huge €22.50 price difference.
This W7 Absolute Lashes will definitely be the one that will be in my makeup bag in the future I cant believe that I can get all of this quality that really delivers for only €3.50!!
Get yourself one of these ASAP and let me know in the comments what you think x
* I was sent the w7 absolute lashes as a PR sample 

Makeup facts about me!

I've seen this post on a few blogs recently and thought it was a really fun way to let my blog readers know a little more about me.

What foundation do you use? 

Estée Lauder Double Wear is my go to foundation. 

What concealer? 

Right now I'm using and loving make up revolutions concealer palette. 

What do you think of fake lashes? 

Love them! I always wear them for special occasions. 

What brand of mascara do you use? 

Benefit They're Real! 

Sephora or Mac? 

No sephora here so I'll go mac. 

What makeup tools do you use? 

Brushes ( is that the right way to answer that?) 

Do you use primer for eyes? 

Sometimes. 

Primer for face? 

Sometimes. 

Favourite eyeshadow? 

Urban Decay Naked 1. 

Pencil or liquid eyeliner? 

Liquid. 

Favourite Lipstick? 

Mac creme sheen in speed dial.

Favourite Lipgloss? 

Clinique long last gloss in kissy fit. A lovely shiny girly pink! 

Favourite Blush? 

Hands down NARS Orgasm perfect blush for me! Strong colour with shimmer. 

Do you like drugstore make up? 

Yes! 

Consider taking makeup classes? 

Yes, I'd love to! 

Are you clumsy applying makeup? 

I'm not clumsy but I stick to what I know I'd love to be more adventurous. 

Colourful or Neutral? 

Both it depends on my mood I could be wearing brown one day and neon orange the next! 

Choose one makeup item? 

Mascara!!!!!

Best makeup line? 

For me this has been the toughest I love so many products from so many different lines that I'm cheating because I actually couldn't choose just one! 

I hope you guys enjoyed getting to know my makeup choices a little better! 

Why don't you take the quiz and share your answers it's all very fun! 

Face in Products Part 4.........

Today is day 4 of my series of face of the day in products, today is a weekday so I'm keeping things natural(ish) in the make up dept.
As is customary with these posts I will include my before and after selfie at the end!

First up is cover up, today I'm using Benefit Erase Paste, I've never actually used this before but it was just lying around in my parents house so i'll give that a go.
I used this pretty sparingly first of all because it was my first time I wasn't sure what It could do and second because I was following it with Double wear which dosn't require much covering up beforehand. I used it on my eyes, liked the product and did what it was meant to. I will definitely be testing this in more detail when I can get my hands on it again ;)

For my base I used Estee Lauder Double Wear the shade I wear is tawny and I'm about a mac nc20-25 (for comparison). This is my go to foundation right now for a night out/ special occasion or a really bad cover everything up face day! I love this most of the time but find it slightly heavy in the summer, there is a double wear light and the reviews are good I just haven't trialed it yet. I use a stipple brush to apply and as my skin is slightly dry I don't need a powder to set it.

Next I'll go to my cheeks I've used Soap & Glory peach party blush in shade Apricot Jam.
This is a shimmer brick type blush and gives a lovely healthy glow on cheeks, perfect for a natural look.

For my eyebrows I used a Collection eyebrow pencil/crayon in Blonde and just did a simple fill in on my brows. This has been covered in some of my previous face in products posts so I wont go into It again here.

Next up my eye shadow, isn't it beautiful! you are looking at  Urban Decay The Feminine Palette. The palette has six colors and a lip gloss all in a cute case that zips up with a little mirror inside :) For this look I used shades Skimp and Bordello.

To complete my eye look I used Mac Plush Lash now anyone who has read any of my posts will know I'm a they're Real fan and I'm not saying that this will replace It but this mascara gives a lovely long full lash while keeping the look much softer and natural looking than the other mascara can manage.

My final addition was Clinique Chubby Stick in shade Oversized Orange.
Orange is everywhere now and I'm really liking It, this gives you the look without committing as much as you would with a lipstick so again keeps it all on the natural theme I'm going along!

Hope you enjoyed the post, the next one face in products 5, is my last in this series but I have already started on an even more exciting one that I hope you will all love.
You can find me on twitter @clareken86
I'm now on Instagram too: sparkleblossombeauty
If you like the series leave a comment so I can plan more :) 

Face in Products Part 3......

For face of the day part 3 I kept my make-up very simple.
I again went with the ELF mineral foundation and I'm finally confident enough to write its review.
As mentioned in my previous posts I wasn't entirely sure that I was applying this right and so didn't want to do the product an injustice by reviewing too early.
This is my first experience with mineral foundation and I must say that I really like it.
It masks what I want it to but looks very natural and my skin wasn't dried out by it, which can be the case for me with some others. Its definitely a foundation that I would use for daytime or maybe a casual dinner.
I initially applied it using a Kabuki brush but this didn't work for me so I switched to a complexion brush and I way preferred how It looked with this. I will definitely keep using this for my daytime looks.

Underneath my foundation I first used  Benefit IT stick as my concealer. I use this to cover up under my eyes and any blemishes I have which today were on my chin! I love this when I'm in a hurry as It is like a pencil I can draw on very quickly and effectively.

For my eyebrows I used Collection eyebrow definer this is a crayon type pencil easy to glide on to fill in brows quickly. Can you tell I was in a hurry today :)

On my cheeks I used So Susan Blush I don't have It to hand while I'm writing so I cant remember the shade but If you want to ask do :) Its a nice subtle shade perfect for the look I was going for here. went on easy and stayed put all day, very happy with this and will be using It a lot more.

Finally for my lips I used Clinique long last gloss wear. I also haven't got to hand the shade, sorry I'm doing the writing while I'm away from home. I really liked the colour and It was really nice and glossy without being sticky perfect for any type of look.

Hope you enjoyed part 3!!
sorry about the lack of info on shades I will edit to include them when I am home but you can send me a comment or contact on twitter @clareken86 if you want me to get back to you!

I'm also on instagram now........find me at sparkleblossombeauty

Face in Products Part 2......

I have decided to make face of the day into a mini-series! Ill be doing a total of 5 posts ( unlike Garth Brooks!) sorry I'm terrible that was an awful embarrassing Dad joke!
So for today's instalment of face of the day I decided to go slightly more dramatic and these are the products I used to achieve that!

First up I'm sticking with the ELF mineral foundation as I want to give It a proper try before I review it but I do think I'm beginning to get the hang of it!I'm definitely finding it easier to apply and noticing it on me which I didn't yesterday.

For my eyes I used the Urban Decay Naked 2.I used chopper and blackout, and did a version of a smokey eye. I love the naked palettes ( well i have to confess I haven't tried 3 yet!) they're so versatile and great products and I must admit I rarely pick up any other eyeshadow.

I also used the Makeup Revolution Kajal for this look. This glides on really easy and has great colour.

My eye look also included ELF eyebrow kit, this has a wax and a powder and is easy to apply. I like the colour as I find it hard to get exact matches for my blond eyebrows.

Finally to finish my eye look ( wow I use a lot of eye makeup) is Benefit They're real mascara. its the only one I use so its pretty much going to be in every post unless I get tempted into testing something new :)

I used Makeup Revolution Bronzer to do a little contouring on my cheekbones. Its a really nice Bronzer and has 3 different shades so depending on what you want you can use different sections for different looks.

For my cheeks I used Cupids Kiss cheek & Lip tint from mememe cosmetics. 
At first glance the packaging really resembles nail polish so I found that just a little confusing!
The product inside texture, colour and application for me is a very close dupe for Benefit posy tint.
I really liked this cheek tint especially teamed with the mineral foundation as It gave my cheeks a fresh dewy look that I really like.

Finally my lips. I went a little dramatic with the lips but really love this colour. The lipstick is from Makeup Revolution and is the shade Dare. I have already reviewed this is a different post so ill just link it here.

This is my before and after picture for day 2. hope you liked today's post and don't forget to follow me on bloglovin and twitter @clareken86 to keep up to date with the rest of the series!

Xx

Handbag Beauty

I was cleaning out my handbag earlier and I decided to do a quick post about its contents, I always think these kind of posts are the most honest for a blogger as its an insight into the products you actually use day to day.

First up sun cream its a Nivea one that i picked up on a recent trip to Portugal, not much to say it does its job and no nasty qualities.
I have Garnier BB cream in light a lot of people don't like this but i love it, its what i wear everyday to take the naked look off my skin.
I have NARS blush in orgasm love love this, its probably a little bit too shimmery to be in my handbag day to day but hasn't stopped me yet!
benefit they're real mascara I swear by this as i have short straight eyelashes and was never able to find mascara to make them look even vaguely normal before this little gem came along.
ELF studio brow kit has a wax and a powder, i use the powder daily but have only used the wax a handful of times. also have ELF mineral booster powder for when i get a little shiny!
Anatomicals headache relief balm, this is a fab little product you rub a little on your temples to as it says relieve your headache.
MAC cremesheen glass this was the lipgloss that i wore at my wedding in march a gift from my make-up artist who also happens to be my bestie :)
and last but definitely not least the Sanctuary comforting night butter, i have a more detailed post coming up on this so ill just say this is my most favorite body lotion ever and its so much more than that its like a warm cosy blanket in a jar makes me feel so relaxed and safe ( if that makes sense) from the moment i open the jar its a sense of pure luxury.

leave me a comment to let me know whats in your handbag.