Benefit Cosmetics has always been one of my favourite brands and it's their innovative products, constant new launches and beautifully packaged products that always keep me coming back. Benefit have just released their new mascara called Roller Lash which hits stores on the 26 February and will be priced at £19.50. On Thursday my local Benefit Boutique counter in Debenhams Plymouth held a little bloggers evening where we got to learn more about roller lash and get a chance to get a benefit brow wax. I had already picked my free sample of roller lash up with Elle on the day that it came out in the shops, so to spend an evening in Benefit learning more about the new launch and being surrounded by some of my favourite products made for the perfect evening. I still can't believe Plymouth have started to host more blogger events which I think is great as it means I don't have to keep travelling down to London on a 8 hour round trip! I have certainly been rolled over by their new mascara...
It was then time to learn some more about Roller Lash.. Firstly I absolutely adore the packaging of it, the lid mimics a roller or curling iron and really helps to distinguish it against They're Real. This mascara is based on helping your lashes to get a curl just like your hair would with rollers, curlers etc. They wanted to design a brush which has a hook design (see more of that later..) to help position, catch, lift and curl lashes meaning that eye lash curlers are hopefully a thing of the past. It seems like its a multi universal product too which is aimed at those with short lashes, straight lashes and for those with small eyes.
Roller lash is a much girlier looking mascara and it's unique selling point is that it's designed to be super-curling and lifting as opposed to the bold They're Real which is aimed more at lengthening your lashes - an all time favourite benefit product of mine! Another main difference between the two is that They're Real has a jet black colour to it whilst Roller Lash is Ink-black. It's interesting that these two are both retailed at the same price as £19.50, which I already pay for They're real and think it is completely worth the money, you definitely do pay for quality when it comes to mascara.
If only university note taking was this enjoyable!
One of the main differences between They're Real and Roller lash is the brushes. They're Real has a much bigger brush whilst Roller lashes is a lot smaller (and Pink!), and if you look really closely it has tiny hooks among the bristles which help to curl, lift and add volume to your lashes. It also has two different sides to the wand, the curled side which is for top lashes and the straight edge for your lower lashes. The way the brushes are designed means that when you pull the wand out of the bottle that no excess product is dragged out like it does on They're Real and means that it has an even amount of product on the bristles and does not clump or smudge when applying to your lashes. I do love They're Real and always will but I do think the few negatives are that the brush is slightly large and does pull on your lashes, especially at the start of a new bottle too it really does take out too much product and can clump on your lashes. Roller lash really does seem like the real deal..
Jasmin testing Roller Lash out on Becca to show us the difference between her naked lashes and the ones with roller lash. I've also tested it out on myself and think that it will be the perfect mascara for summer, its a lot less dramatic than They're Real and the fact that it doesn't pull a lot of product out of the tube and clump on your lashes is a miracle as so many cheaper mascaras do. Although it is less dramatic my lashes still look just as long and I haven't even been using my eyelash curlers with them as it suggests you don't need to do and they still look just as good, if not better! I want to try it out more before reviewing it properly but I think it will be my new day time favourite while They're Real will be a great alternative mascara for evenings, nights out and days when I'm not in work.
I was really intrigued to learn a bit more about another of their latest launches which is Puff Off, a gel eye cream which is part of their skin care rage and you apply before your concealer which is meant to help eye bags and the puffiness of them - something I am in dire need of at the moment! Working full time and having a blog definitely shows.. I don't know whether I would buy the full product without trialling a small amount to start with as I've tried similar products to this before which don't work, I think I need to invest in an industrial concealer instead!
I then got taken on a mini tour of the Benefit beauty rooms at the boutique that I never knew existed.. I definitely thought the spare doors led to a staff room or something!
The first room was where they take people for waxes, it was lovely and clean and it couldn't be more Benefit if they tried, the trademark pink look is always a winner!
Please all be mine...
Benefit They're Real push up liner is still on my list to purchase, I think I really need to learn how to actually use eye liner properly first! I think I will forever be challenged in this department, you can tell I'm definitely more of a fashion lover.
I was then shown yet another room, this time home to their tanning pod, another arm of Benefit that I didn't know existed! They use the tan Vita Liberata which I have heard such good things about and which helps to achieve a really natural healthy golden colour. They do various treatments depending on how much of your body you want tanned but a full body tan is £20 which I think is about average for a decent full body tan!
The Benefit Boutique is like a dream, it's so girly and SO Benefit!
I was most shocked at all the different services Benefit have to offer asides to makeup application, including waxing, lashes and spray tans, the prices are all competitive to most salons too and I would rather pay more knowing I was going to a reputable place.
It was then time get my brows waxed! I used to swear by waxing my brows but after a bad experience in America I hadn't had them done for years! I've been growing mine out a lot recently but I knew it was time to get them shaped up properly again and was excited to see how it would help to transform my face.
Before..
This was the first time I've ever been to a brow waxing where they have carefully taken the time to draw lines on to where the arch should be and where the brows should end, it really helped to reassure me and she kept me updated throughout the whole process to make sure I was happy with what she was waxing off.
My skin looks slightly reddish in the photos afterwards but I am overwhelmed with how much better they look, I cant believe I have been putting it off for so long! The whole experience was enjoyable and the small amount of pain is worth getting your brows properly shaped by an expert and it now means I wont have to tweeze them for a couple of weeks which is an added bonus! I haven't been able to stop looking at them in the mirror since, the arch has opened my eyes up much more and by thinning out the ends of the brows it makes them look much neater and cleaner. I would fully recommend anyone to get their brows waxed at Benefit, they offer various different prices and also tints, a standard brow wax is only £11.50, slightly more than a standard salon but worth it for the expertise and the knowledge that they take their time and care in doing so, you definitely pay for what you get. I didn't even have to leave with the top half of my face looking bright red as she touched it up with some concealer and filled my brows in with gimme brows too which was such a great touch to the whole process! (FYI also wearing Roller lash in this picture!)
This cute little dog on front of the bag is called Rolo and he is the icon for the Roller Lash launch, I think he's adorable, if only I could have met him at the evening too!
We even got to take home these cute little goody bags with some little benefit treats inside, I absolutely love the mini samples of benefit products and I always save them up for my travels as they are the perfect miniatures! I'm also ridiculously excited about the cute bag with Rolo on, definitely adding that to my paper bag collection..
I had such a fab night at Benefit, learning more about the exciting launch of Roller Lash, going behind the scenes of some of the other products and having my first Benefit brow wax which I love ! It goes without saying that I also got to meet some more lovely bloggers that I hadn't met before, I think the amount of bloggers in Plymouth is definitely growing which is a great thing, a Plymouth blog meet could be on the cards one day I hope?! Anyway, a big thank you again to Jasmin, the retail manager at Benefit who organised and hosted the event, I had a great time and I can't wait for more events like this in the future! Don't forget you can still pick up your own sample of Roller Lash with Elle magazine for only £4 before it launches on 28 February, eek I can't wait!
What do you think of their new launch? Have you used Roller Lash yet? What Benefit products are your favourite?
