Benefit's Fine One One

When it starts getting hot, the last thing we want to do is pile on the products knowing that they will simply melt off within the next hour or so. In order to prevent that from happening, you need products that are lightweight and made to last.

Benefit's Fine One One is a stick containing three cream colours, designed for both your cheeks and lips (Did I mention it makes a great multi-use travel product too?). Cream products are better for your skin in the heat as they are much lighter than adding anything powdered that will block your pores. They can also work in your favour by acting as a cooling agent if you pop them in the fridge beforehand!

 

 

 The product is pushed up the tube by a wheel, revealing a beautiful coral, sheer watermelon pink and a light pink highlighter. With the combination of the pink and coral it is a product that can be used universally. However, if you have a darker skintone and are opting for a more coral-based look, you can apply over Benefit's Cha Cha Tint or another coral tint for a more dominant shade.

This is such a great multi-use product. It eliminates the need for adding an extra highlighter, and the packaging makes it a great fuss-free travel product. I found that for me, it was a perfect combination of coral and pink, sheer enough to blend nicely with my skin tone but with enough colour to add a pop to my otherwise bare face. In summer I don't like to wear a lot of make-up, especially not cheek colour as my cheeks are naturally rosy in the heat, however this product is complimentary but remains looking natural.

I found that the product was more effective on my cheeks than my lips, as although the colour stayed on well I personally preferred using just one of the shades making the stick uneven when wanting to apply to cheeks. However, overall its a tough product, resisting the summer heat and keeping my cheeks bright with a gorgeous yet subtle glow. At £23.50 its definitely steep, but when it eliminates the need for a highlighter and lip colour, it takes the sting off a little!
 
To apply, glide the product from the apples of your cheeks to your temple, coral shade at the bottom, adding more highlighter if neccessary. Blend with the fingers in a circular motion outwards and upwards. 

You can purchase Fine One One from your local Benefit counter/shop or online here for £23.50.

Collection 2000 Fast Stroke Liquid Eyeliner

I'm usually one to wear liquid eyeliner, purely because I have the shakiest hands imaginable. I've tried many different techniques and products that ease the application process, and i've only found one eyeliner that seems to do the job for me - Benefit's Magic Ink. But at a whopping £15.50 for a tiny 2.5ml, I had to start looking for lower end alternatives.

The Fast Stroke Eyeliner from Collection 2000 has been named one of this years Beauty Insiders Choice finalists and received positive reviews from bloggers and general beauty enthusiasts alike.
 With a super-stiff brush and a long lasting formula, it boasts all day colour in a single stroke.

Oh, how I hate this picture! The unruly brows have returned and not enough shadow in the world can sort them out. However, as you can see the liner does the job quite nicely. I've never really been one for winged liner (Although I wish I was!), so this is as about as advanced as it goes for me.

All I can say is that I definitely agree with this product's current credentials. For the bargain price of £2.99 I now have an industrial strength eyeliner that I can apply before a night out with the assurance it will not budge however many times I rub my eyes or cry because i've dropped my drink! The brush is stiff - almost pen like - making it easy to control the line, as i've found with thinner brushes the bristles are a lot softer making it easier for product to flick onto the lid or brow bone. Using my arm as an anchor, I simply gripped the brush like a colouring pen and lined my eyes in seconds.

I'm simply shocked at the value of this product, and it's most definitely replaced Magic Ink as my go-to liner. It's long lasting, easy to apply and the colour is bold making a single line all you need to intensify the eye.

You can purchase Collection 2000's Fast Sroke Liquid Eyeliner for £2.99 at your local Superdrug or online here.

Maxfactor Colour Elixir Giant Pen Stick in 'Subtle Coral'

Let's get serious - we're all partial to taking shortcuts, especially when it comes to make up. With that in mind, the new Colour Elixir Giant Pen Sticks from Maxfactor were naturally on the top of my 'to try' list. Claiming to eliminate the need for a lip liner due to its sculpted lip and strong pigmentation, the chunky pencil has a smooth 'glide on' effect which enables quick application without having to go over the lip repeatedly.

 

'Subtle Coral' is a gorgeous creamy coral, potentially the most effortless out of the six shades. When I try out new products and formulas, I tend to gravitate to safer shades (A habit I need to break, I know!) making this a perfect shade for me. This product is a little strange at first glance because the product has the same texture as lipstick, but it must be sharpened like an eyeliner pencil .. odd. 

 

 First of all, i'm sorry for the bad quality of the photo, my camera doesn't take close-up's very well so i'm relying on zooming in which hinders the overall quality. However, you can clearly see that the end result is a lot stronger than first anticipated. It was certainly a lot easier to apply due to its sculpted lip, however I would still prefer to use a lip liner for an even stronger pigmentation (But that's just a personal thing!).

I'm not too big of a fan of the idea of having to sharpen it, I much prefer the mechanical pens that distribute product with a twist or a click, as when I went to sharpen it after first application the nib completely snapped off because of it's soft lipstick-like texture. 

Overall I love the end result, its understated yet perfect for pulling together a natural, every day makeup look. I found my lips needed minimal touch-ups and being able to refine them easily gave the illusion that my lips were a lot bigger than they are - added bonus! I will certainly use this again but with the idea of practicality in mind when creating something that could double as a liner, you would think Maxfactor would also introduce a function that's slightly more advanced and convenient than having to physically sharpen. I'm looking forward to trying stronger, more daring colours - I just need to invest in a decent sharpener and be a bit more careful! 

You can purchase Maxfactor Colour Elixir Giant Pen Stick's for £6.99 at your local Maxfactor counter.