Benefit Roller Lash bloggers evening!

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?

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Travel | Santorini, Greece

It's that time of the year now when we are all ready and desperate for a summer holiday, I know I could do with a week or two in the sun! It's always difficult choosing where to go on holiday and I thought I would pick up where I left off with doing travel posts on some of the amazing places I got to visit on the Eastern Mediterranean Cruise that I went on last year. I fully intended to finish doing these in the summer but other posts just got in the way and I still want to share all of the beautiful places with you that I was lucky enough to visit. Santorini is one of the most talked about Greek islands at the moment, it's located 125 miles southeast from Greece's mainland and is well known for its picture postcard like backdrop and its multi-coloured cliffs soaring over 300m high from the sea. It was definitely a place on my bucket list and I can confirm that it is probably one of the prettiest, Instagram worthy places I have ever visited!! If you're stuck on ideas where to holiday this year then you might just fall in love with this pretty idyllic Greek island by the end...

Approaching Santorini by the sea on such a beautiful sunny day was spectacular.

Santorini was just one of the port of calls on our cruise, I think we had around 8 hours docked in Santorini. As the water surrounding the island was shallow and the boat in contrast is so huge we had to dock out to sea and get tenders in to the island which was pretty cool!

There was even pirate ships greeting us on the way in...

 Where the tenders brought us in to did just look like a typical greek town, a bit dirty and packed with touristy shops. But the cable car was literally about to take us to a different world...

In Mykonos there is 3 ways of getting up and down to the top from the port, walk 588 steps, ride the cable car (which we did for obvious reasons!) or ride a donkey. Riding a donkey sounds like a great, cute idea but we had heard such horror stories about people being chucked off them and bashing into the walls, plus I would never support anything like that as I think it's animal cruelty, but anyway.. riding the cable car is definitely the best option and it's worth the few euros that it costs!

 And we were up...

Excuse the sweaty forehead there... it was a very hot day ok?!

 We had reached paradise, otherwise known as Fira!

 The views were out of this world, it really did match up to the Instagram pictures I had seen!

The white washed villages are lined with touristy shops, like anywhere really but the beautiful buildings make up for it and you can quickly escape the hoards of tourists to the tranquil side streets.

 White washed buildings and colourful pretty flowers everywhere..

It was time for a pit stop before heading back to the ship of some Greek yoghurt ice cream, they don't make it like the Greeks - so delicious!

I wore my DIY co-ord, it was the perfect outfit for this island. Can it be summer again already?!

I didn't even have my dslr camera here..all of my pictures came out amazingly well, it's definitely helped by the clean kept white washed buildings! As we were time restricted to what we could do we only got to visit the top, but there are many other things to do if youre staying longer; you can go volcano hiking, swimming in hot springs, go scuba diving, stay in a cave hotel - it's hard to imagine such a small island could be packed of so many exciting things to do! If you like the look of Santorini then you will love Mykonos which I posted about in the summer. Out of the two Greek island Santorini is a lot more touristy, and in the summer months it is packed but it's well worth the trip to view this spectacular island and uncover the mysteries of the lost kingdom Atlantis or to soak up the views of the whitewashed villages and enjoy an ice cream or two...This post has made me miss this beautiful island very much and I'm now desperate to book a holiday for the summer, recommendations please!

Have you been to Santorini before? Would you like to visit this island? Where do you want to travel to this summer?

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6 ways to pamper your feet!

The party season is well behind us now and it's time to get our feet back on track for the summer without having to fear other people seeing our bare toes and feet in pretty sandals! I think I can vouch for most girls who find that by the end of a night out our feet feel like they are actually broken, and sometimes it really is time for a good old foot pampering session. You don't need to pay for any expensive treatments and you all probably have most of the products at home that you need anyway. I've been testing out a few new products recently from Premier Healthcare & Hygiene and thought I would share with you a step by step guide to having your feet feeling fab again!

Scholl Express Pedi £39.99

Exfoliate - This is perhaps the greatest invention of all time! A device that removes dead skin from your feet without having to spend hours scrubbing at your feet with your hands! It is on the slightly pricey side for a foot appliance but it's changed my life, it's so quick and easy to use and literally leaves my feet feeling ridiculously soft. If you want a quick fix for your feet then this is the one, but alternatively a good foot scrub and a flannel will eventually do the job!

Gehwol Footbath Powder* £2.79

Protect - Talcum powder is something I associate with babies and I never liked the stuff when I was little, I had never even heard of it being used on feet before. But if you use the gym a lot or suffer from athletes foot then this powder is a preventative measure as it keeps your feet dry, smooth and odourless. It's probably not something I would use in my every day routine and it is essentially talcum powder but if you're a fellow gym goer then I can see the benefits of using this.

CCS Footcare Cream* £3.95

Gehwol Emulsion Foot Cream* £3.01

Moisturise - Once you've scrubbed your feet silly of all the nasty dry bits of skin it's time to put that moisture back into your skin to stop them from drying out again. I've been testing out the two foot creams above which have been incredibly moisturising. The CCS cream is also specifically made to help feet from cracking whilst the other is more for preventing athletes foot again and the product itself is of an  antiseptic formula, the lavender smell of this one is gorgeous! But it really does not matter what cream you use as anything will help to nourish the skin on your feet, I also love the Soap & Glory foot cream!

 Footsie Roller The Body Shop (similar here)

Massage - You can't beat a good foot roller, I think we have had this Body Shop one for a good few years and the great thing is they never get damaged or wear out. It's a pretty self explanatory item and all you need to do is simply roll your feet over it which can help with foot pain that you get in the arch of your foot, if you suffer from foot cramps like me it's great at relieving that too.

 Gel Metatarsal pad* £4.33

Support - I was most excited about using this product out, as I said at the start it doesn't matter what size heels I wear or for how long I wear them, my feet will be in endless pain by the end of the night which always results in me going home early and the next day I have to walk bare feet because my feet are so sore. I've seen gel pads like this in the shops for years but have never tested them out because the price puts me off for something you can usually only use once. But I will try and buy anything to help with this pain as I do love wearing heels. As you can see below these two gel pads have a reinforced toe loop which I think is great as you wont have to worry about these slipping out. The best thing is that these are not only reusable but they are also washable so at under £5.00 they seem like a great product.

The gel pads are one size fits all so I'm pretty lucky they actually seem to fit my feet, the pads themselves are quite thick but completely soft once fitted into your shoes. I haven't had a chance to wear these over a long period of time with heels but first impressions are that they are comfy, discrete and made wearing heels a lot more comfortable. They help by taking the pressure off the toes from being in that constant position, I always wake up with blistered and puffy skin in the palm of my foot and I think this will definitely help in the future with preventing that.

Slippers Asda

Get cosy - Once your feet are feeling pampered, smooth and rejuvenated it's time to pop on some warm socks and your favourite slippers. Those aching and tired feet are a thing of the past!

What do you think of these tips? What are your top tips for pampering your feet? Do you struggle to wear high heels too?

*Products marked with an asterix (*) have been sent to me for review. However, all opinions in this post are 100% my own

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