Benefits Roller Lash | The verdict

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The Roller Lash mascara is the latest release from Benefit. With a patent-pending brush technology it promises to bring lift and curl to your lashes leaving you with a wide-eyed look. You can currently get a sample size of the new release in the March edition of Elle magazine if you want to try it before you fork out the £19.50 for the full size version, Keira Knightly is also the cover star this month so what’s not to like? 

I wasn’t a fan of Benefits They’re Real mascara and thought it was a bit blegh so I was excited to try out the Roller Lash to see how it compared. Firstly I really like the brush, it reminds me a lot of the Covergirl Clump Crusher mascara - Max Factors Clump Defy here in the UK - which is my favourite mascara I’ve ever tried. It’s the perfect shape to coat all of your lashes without clumping and the plastic bristles separate the lashes beautifully, it doesn’t add a lot in the way of volume however its not marketed to do so. The formula doesn’t smudge or flake throughout the day which is a plus as I normally look like a panda after a few hours. 

The downfall of this mascara though is it doesn’t hold a curl. The selling point of this mascara is that it offers perfectly curled lashes and when first applied it does deliver this, however after a while the curl drops and your lashes are left straight. I don’t normally struggle with keeping a curl in my lashes either so I was very disappointed.

Have you tried benefits new release?

~ Jade xx

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation | Review

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Recently I’ve been trying out a couple of new foundations from the high street. One new release and one that’s been around for a while. My thoughts on the new release will be coming soon but for now I have my thoughts on the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum to share with you all. 

“Fresh and instant blending gel texture blends and glides onto the skin for an even, natural finish with no mask effect. Imperfections are erased, signs of fatigue are smoothed and the skin’s radiance is boosted for up to 16 hours”

I have tried the original Healthy Mix in the past - although it has since been re-formulated - but have never tried the serum version. When I picked this up I was looking for something with a bit more of a ‘glow’ but without being too dewy. Although I have oily skin I often find that more matte foundations can make my skin look very dull and flat, however too dewy of a foundation makes me look like a grease ball within five minutes.

The Step Which Makes A Big Difference

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Today I'm here to tell you about something I'm sure you're aware of however something you may skip in your everyday makeup routine. Curling your lashes. It's a step that takes seconds but one that many women out there skip on a daily basis despite the fact that it can really make a difference. Curling your eyelashes instantly opens up your eyes, in turn making you look more awake. Perfect if you haven't had much sleep or just to make yourself look more peppy in general. If you have stubborn lashes that don't hold a curl throughout the day so you don't bother, try a waterproof formula of mascara, I don't know what the magic is but a waterproof mascara will always hold a curl longer than a non-waterproof mascara will. 

Are you lazy at curling your lashes?


~ Jade xx

The Fringe | SS15 Trends

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             Jane Birkin source                                                             Topshop Unique SS15 source

Having a fringe - or bangs if you’re from across the pond - is the easiest way to update your hair in a simple way that will make a big impact, this has been known for decades. That being said with 70s fashion being back ‘in’ this upcoming season the fringe is back in a big way, and is the easiest way to perfect the Jane Birkin look that will be everywhere this Spring/Summer. However, there is more benefits to having a fringe than just being on trend.

They hide big foreheads | Not saying that if you have a big forehead that you have to hide it  or would want to however if like me you have quite a bit of space between your eyebrows and hair line you may think you look like an alien at times, I do anyway. A fringe instantly hides said forehead in turn making your face look shorter.

They make an impact | As much as side swept bangs look pretty, or framed pieces with a middle parting look very boho, nothing makes more of an impact than a full fringe wether it’s a block fringe or a feathered one. 

They transform your face | Forget about Botox or a face lift, all you need is a fringe. If you have a long face try to avoid a blunt cut and instead opt for a softer cut or side sweep, this will balance your angular jaw line. If you have more of a rounded face, opt for the blunt cut with longer sides. This will create the illusion of contour giving you chiseled cheekbones.

Obviously there are downsides to having a fringe as well. Yes, you need to take more time to style your hair in the morning because let’s be honest, nobody’s fringe looks good when you first wake up. Okay, you will constantly spend time getting a trim to avoid blinding yourself with the wispy strands in your eyes. But, if your bored of your style the fringe is the easiest way to make a big change in a small way.

Will you work the fringe this spring/summer?


~ Jade xx

Worth the hype? | Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer

age rewind
The Maybelline Instant Age Rewind concealer has been getting a lot of buzz recently. Its been out a fair while however it seems to have just caught on, a little late some might say. I decided to pick it up after hearing so many things about it wondering, is it really worth the hype? 

Quite simply, no. I don't think it is worth the hype and I'll explain why. Firstly the packaging really irks me. Although this product is meant to be used under the eyes rather than on blemishes the sponge applicator on the end still screams bacteria collector to me which isn't a good thing. There's not a lot you can do about it either, unless you remove the sponge but I'm not sure how well that would work. 

Then there's the amount of wasted product you get. I've only used mine maybe five times and it's already nearly half way gone. The sponge collects a lot of the product which you can't get out so you end up using a lot more than you need to. 

Besides the packaging though I also don't like the main event, the actual product inside. It's marketed as an 'anti-age' under eye concealer which is supposed to banish dark circles and fine lines. That to me means it would be light in texture and also reflective to bring light to the area but this product is neither of those things. I find the product to be quite heavy for an under eye concealer which seems to bring down my under eye area rather than lift it and because of the heavy nature I find it creases easily - not so good if you have fine lines. It's also not a lightening product so for me it doesn't do anything in the way of rewinding my age - not that I really need to as I'm still under twenty but that's besides the point. I'm also really disappointed with the shade range. Generally you want your under eye concealer to be a couple of shades lighter than your skin tone to highlight the area and rid any dark circles. I have the lightest shade of this concealer and it's far too dark for under the eye, it's even to dark too use on the rest of my face and I'm not a fair skinned girl. 

All in all despite hearing so many good things about this product it really didn't do it for me at all, maybe it's overhyped to the point my expectations were so high it could never perform that well. I don't know but what I do know is I shan't be picking this up again.

Have you tried the Maybelline Age Rewind concealer? 

~ Jade xx

The perfect jean

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I despise jeans. I find them uncomfortable, they always lose their shape throughout the day and they’re incredibly average to look at. Instead, I’m a great lover of dresses, skirts and shorts, I think they’re a lot more comfortable to wear and are far easier to style in an interesting way. That was however until I discovered the Joni jean from Topshop. I had tried on Joni jeans a few times before I actually purchased them, always putting them back on the shelf knowing I wouldn’t wear them because of my hatred of jeans however on a recent shopping trip with a gift card in hand I decided to take the plunge after deciding that I needed to introduce more trousers/jeans to my wardrobe.

The Joni jean is a super skinny, super high-waisted cut of jean which are surprisingly comfortable. As they’re super skinny they contain elastane to give them a lot of stretch - and also means they hold their shape all day, no baggy knees here. The fact that they're high-waisted means they hold everything in and don’t dig in to your hips like a low-rise would. These jeans also fit me perfectly. I’m oddly proportioned with a slim waist, relatively wide hips and long legs but I have no issues with the leg being too short - even in the longer leg which has happened to me before - or fitting perfectly around the hips but being too wide around the waist. I picked up my pair in black denim as there’s something about blue denim that I really don’t like on me. They aren't the cheapest jeans on the highstreet but for a decent pair of jeans that also wash nicely, I don't think they're overpriced either. My favourite way to wear these has been with a checked shirt and my Brogues from Russell & Bromley*. 

What’s your current wardrobe favourite?


~ Jade xx

Photography information

Canon 600D with 18-55mm lens, Canon 24mm lens or Sigma 70-300mm lens. Canon EOS M with 18-55mm lens or Canon 24mm lens. Any edited photos are edited using Photoshop CS6. Picture source is given for any photo used that is not directly ours.