February Favourites!

February is nearly over so it's that time again where we do a post dedicated to all the things (mainly makeup) that we've been loving this month! February has been a great month because we celebrated our 18th birthday and you can see the full post here. We also went to our first drum lesson which was great because we're both learing another instrument but it's also helping us overcome our social anxiety. We've also been loving the band Incubus - so amazing. Anyway, on to the February beauty favourites!

I think this is my favourite lipstick ever. I never thought I'd say that I ever had a favourite lipstick but I think MAC's Media is the one. Media is a satin finish and it doesn't in the slightest dry my lips. I also think it stays on for hours which I find with all MAC lipsticks except the lustre ones. Media is the perfect colour for me as it's a gorgeous deep, red wine colour.

We've also been loving Benefit's Fake Up which we got for our birthday. Fake Up is a hydrating crease control concealer for underneath the eyes and I didn't have high expectations as I've never heard of Fake Up before I went on the website. We got it in the lightest shade and it is the perfect colour for us. Fake Up smoothes out thin lines and the finish makes my skin feel so silky!

Next up is the new L'Oreal Paris Infallible matte foundation. We are both massive fans for the orginal Infallible foundation but it done nothing for our oily skin so we obviously had to get our hands on the matte version! We also got this foundation in the lightest colour and it's perfect. The coverage is also amazing but I still need to use concealer if I wanted maximum coverage. This is so easy to apply and it doesn't look cakey at all. My skin doesn't get half as oily as it used too but I still need use some powder through out the day. I love this concealer and I'll definitely get the Infallible matte primer when I run out of Porefessional.

I also treated myself to this Pandora ring with my birthday money. This ring was £80 and I fell in love with it the minute I saw it. It sparkles so much when the light hits it and is the perfect accessorie for every outfit. This ring is my new favourite and I'll know I'll have it forever. 

That was our favourites for this month. As you can see, we've been loving a lot of makeup recently. I literally can't even remember when I last bought a piece of clothing! 

What are your favourites for February?

Love Rachel & Leah, x

Benefit Roller Lash Mascara Review

I never buy many magazines but that was until I heard that the latest edition of Elle magazine included a little sample of the brand new Roller Lash mascara from Benefit! I knew I needed to get the magazine just for the mascara because I'm all for trying out new mascara's that make my lashes look great. Plus, Benefit is a favourite brand of mine and I loved They're Real! from Benefit. Needless to say, my expectations were very high.

First of all, I love the packaging of course! Benefit never get it wrong. I love the look of the pinky Rose Gold lid but the brush is the best thing about this. It's called a ''Hook and Roll'' brush and it apparently grabs each lash and separates, lifts and curls them to perfection! I find that the small brush also makes it really easy to apply mascara to my lower lashes without smudging it all over my under eyes. Benefit also claims that this stays put for up to twelve hours!

My verdict? This mascara is amazing. My eye lashes look super long and curled! The brush makes application really easy and this formula doesn't clump at all! With just one coat of this stuff my lashes look elongated, lenghened and don't feel weighed down with product at all.

Another one of the many reasons why I love this mascara is because it's so easy to remove at the end of the day. My pet hate is eye make up that just won't come off, no matter what! That isn't an issue with Roller Lash though.

One negative one though - It crumbles and flakes a little. Nothing to major but still, it's so annoying!

Would you buy Roller Lash?

Rachel and Leah, x

Benefit | Customized Makeup Kit!

I wanted a lot of Benefit makeup for my birthday as it's my current favourite makeup brand. I was so suprised when I found out I could customise my own Benefit makeup kit online for £66! The products I chose were The Porefessional primer, Rockateur blusher, Fake up concealer and a creaseless cream eyeshadow. I also love the super cute Benefit makeup bag that you get free with the kit!

Complexion

The Porefessional primer has been on my wish list for a long time. Many bloggers have raved about this primer and I just couldn't wait to try it out for myself. Porefessional claims to minimize the appearance of  pores and I can definitely notice a difference! This is also amazing for oily skin as it keeps oil at bay for longer than my usual primers. My skin also feels super soft and smooth. Overall, at a pricey £24.50, this a great primer and I can see this staying in my beauty bag for a long time!

Cheeks

Rockateur is a rose gold blusher that is like nothing I've ever owned before. This is probably one of the most expensive blushers I've ever bought at £23.50. I don't really know why it cost that much as it's staying power is no different to Bourjois blushers. I find the brush that comes with the blusher useless but thankfully the blusher blends really well! It isn't as pigmented as other blushes but the colour is stunning with just the right amount of shimmer. I would buy this again but the price does put me off a lot!

Eyes

 I've never heard of Benefit's Fake Up until I saw it on the website. Fake Up is a hydrating crease control concealer for underneath the eyes. I got the lightest shade and it suits my skin perfectly! The concealer claims to hide lines and I did notice a difference! My dark circles also look 1000 times better too. Fake up also blends like a dream. I would definitely buy this again as at £18.50, this is one of the less expensive Benefit products but I also think it's one of their best!

Free Gift

 I was so excited that Benefit also included a free gift in the kit! I decided to choose a cream eyeshadow as I loved the ones in the easiest nudes ever kit and I just had to add another to my collection! This shadow is called Holy Smokes which a smouldering charcoal. I love using this as it blends amazing and is really pigmented. It also doesn't crease and it stays on for hours.

Overall, I love my costomized Benefit kit! All of the products come in a super cute Benefit makeup bag. I love the packaging of the products and they look perfect in my makeup stash! My favourite product is probably the porefessional primer as it definitely met my high expectations! At £66, I hope you all treat yourself to a custimized kit!

What is your favourite Benefit makeup product? 

Love Rachel.x

Things That Have Made Me Happy This Week | Our 18th Birthday!

  
Our presents | Our birthday cake! | Us on our birthday | Mum and Dad suprised us by putting our picture in the local newspaper :) | Birthday ring | The best boots ever | Birthday necklace

Today, we turned 18 years old! I don't know how I feel about this as I still feel about 13 but we've both has a great day :) We both got up really early as we were both so excited. We went downstairs to find the living room decorated with ballons and banners and the cutest birthday cake ever! It has a little rock chick on the top playing guitar! The cake is the first customized cake that I've ever gotten and I almost didn't want to eat it ;)

We've both felt very spoilt today as we got clothes, jewellery books and the dreamiest boots but a birthday wouldn't be complete without makeup! This year we got some Benefit as we're currently obsessed! The Rockateur and Porefessional primer have been on our wish lists for ages and we feel very lucky to have finally gotten them!

Thank you for all the birthday wishes :) 

Lots of love, Rachel and Leah x

Benefit | Foamingly Clean Facial Wash Review

 Introducing our new favourite skincare brand, Benefit cosmetics! I know many people love Benefit for their amazing makeup, us included, but we decided to try out the skincare for a change. Prior to this, I'd never even thought about using Benefit's skincare line before. It never really occured to me even though I did love the makeup! But now I wish I discovered it sooner! We first used the Benefit refined finish facial polish and we completely fell in love with it. It made my skin just glow and I was really pleased with the results. Needless to say we both wanted to try out more from the line.

So, here is our review on the Foamingly Clean Facial Wash! First off, I love the packaging. It looks really lovely and automatically makes me want to use this stuff.

I really like the smell of this. It's a really clean smell but it doesn't smell like it's got lots of fragrance in it. The consistency is creamy and really foams up and lathers so you don't need much product. After I use this my skin feels smooth and like it's had a real good clean. The difference in my skin is just incredible! I've even found that my skin doesn't break out in little spots anymore and redness is reduced.  This wash is not harsh at all and it doesn't leave my skin feeling tight. I use this wash every single day at night time after I take my make up off my skin just feels so refreshed afterwards. I very much doubt I'll ever find a face wash as good as this one. The price is definately worth it! Okay, it might be £17.50 but you only need the tiniest blob so a little goes a long way! The bottle is quite big too so I reckon I'll have this for quite a long time before I need to re-purchase. I know I'll always be getting this product again and again. It really suits my skin and makes me feel so much better about myself too! Paying that little bit more for skincare really pays off and feels like the ultimate pamper treat.

Try this out, I don't think you'll regret it at all.

Leah, x

January 2015 Favourites!

The first month of 2015 is over and in my mind a new year always calls for new makeup. I've practically spent all of my Christmas money on makeup over this past month. If you read Beyond The Velvet, you will know how obsessed we've both been with MAC makeup and Benefit skincare so this post contains a lot of Benefit and MAC ;)

Makeup Favourites 

Makeup Revolution Ultra Flawless Eyeshadows - The blogging world is full of reviews on Makeup Revolution products and I couldn't wait to get my hands on one of their products. This is the Ultra eyeshadow palette and I couldn't be happier with it. This palette only cost £8 and it includes 32 pigmented eyeshadows. The shades are stunning and you can create so many eye makeup looks with this beautiful palette. I  don't think I could find a palette better than this one. Watch out for a full review on this palette soon!

 Benefit World Favourite Neutrals Kit - I won't ramble on about this kit too much as we've already wrote a review on it here. I have mixed reviews on this kit but saying that the cream eyeshadows are just amazing. The powder shadows could be more pigmented but when they are built up they look amazing. The kit also comes with cute little 'how to' cards for the perfect day and night looks.

MAC Lipsticks - I've discovered MAC lipsticks and my purse isn't happy. So far I've got seven in my collection and I'm feeling the urge to buy more. You really can't beat MAC when it comes to lipstick can you? You can see our review on these four shades here!

Favourite Skincare

St. Ives Apricot Scrub - I have oily skin and this is a great product to use as it's for blemish prone skin. This scrub smells amazing and it isn't harsh at all so it is great for sensitive skin too.

Benefit Foamingly Clean Facial Wash - I'm currently in love with Benefit skin care. I've never used any Benefit before so I bought the mini kit before I splashed out on the full sized products. The facial wash was on of my favourites in the mini kit and I just had to buy it. I use this everyday and it doesn't upset my skin in the slightest. It also doesn't leave my skin with that tight feeling either. I've definitely noticed a difference with my complexion since using this. I can see myself buying this again once it runs out.

St. Ives Microdermabrasion Scrub - I bought this to smooth out my skin as I am still left with acne scars after suffering with acne two years ago. This is a great scrub and it isn't harsh at all unlike the Botanics microdermabrasion scrub. I use this most days and it really is helping my skin smooth out.
  
Other Favourites This Month

YSL Black Opium Perfume - I've already done a review on this lovely perfume (see it here). My sister got us this after her holiday and it was a great suprise. The bottle is stunning and it looks great in my collection. The perfume itself is perfect for any floral/vanilla scent lover like us!

 Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Polish in 'Mad Women' - This is a great polish and the colour is just stunning! This polish has a gel finish and I am yet to buy the top coat that gives the polish a gel like shine. Sally Hansen do amazing polishes and this one is no different.

That's are favourites for January 2015! What have been your favourites for the past month? 

Love Rachel & Leah, xx

Things That Have Made Me Happy | January 2015 Highlights

Winter walks | MAC lipsticks (I know I'm obsessed, lol) | My new ring for my Birthday! | Our precious little Heidi | Benefit skincare is the best skincare! | More fashion finds | Blurry picture but this was us before Slipknot & Korn :) 

January has had it's highs and lows but I've had a great month and that is because I saw Slipknot and Korn on the 22nd of January! I've went on and on about this but it was obviously the best night of both of our lives. I still can't believe I saw my two favourite bands ever!

I'm still obsessed with MAC and I think I've got seven lipsticks in my collection but I know I'll get more soon as this obsession is growing stronger every time I go into MAC. I also love Benefit skincare. I've suffered with acne in the past so I always love it when I find skincare products that work of me.

Look at my birthday ring too! It's so stunning and I can't believe it's mine. January has also been a good month for fashion and I recently discovered Urban Outfitters so I have no money at all. Why is everything so expensive?!

☾ Life: We suffer with depression and anxiety and it's been pretty bad recently :( I won't ramble about this as it is quite depressing but I hope things will get better soon. I'm turning 18 next Saturday so at least that's something to look forward to. I'm also thinking about getting a tattoo but I have no idea what to get!

☾ Music: It's been a great month for music. I've been obsessed with Korn and Slipknot but I love listening to Marilyn Manson too. He is amazing, haha. My favourite song by Marilyn Manson is probably 'Tourniquet' Oh my God, I'm constantly singing it!

☾ Watching: I don't watch much tv but I love watching Stalked. I can't believe it's not going to come back on until March but I can't wait for when The Following starts again! 

☾ Reading: I just love reading amazing story books. I got the 'Angel' series for Christmas and I've been obsessed. I've finished all of the books now and I just feel lost not reading them!

How has your January been?

Love Rachel and Leah, x

Things That Have Made Me Happy This Week

MAC Cyber Lipstick | The best boots that have ever existed | Benefit's easiest nudes ever kit | Slipknot ticket! | Slipknot selfies haha :)

We started off the week with buying a Benefit eyeshadow kit which we love. The kit is perfect for a neutral eyeshadow lovers and you can see our review on it here. We've also continued our obsession with boots by buying these beauties in the River Island sale. They're honestly the best boots I've ever seen and they've even got fur inside them!

I've had my eye on Cyber lipstick from MAC for ages now and I finally got it! It's a really dark purple lipstick and we both wore it to the Slipknot concert on Thursday.
Thursday was honestly the best night of our lives. We saw two of our favourite bands; Slipknot AND Korn. Korn were SO amazing and I still can't believe I saw them. It all feels like a dream :') By the time Slipknot came on my voice was already going with all the screaming to Korn, haha! Slipknot were amazing and we're definitely going to see them next time they come. Time just went so fast and we left the arena in a daze. Now I'm just sitting here and wondering if it ever happened at all. I just had the best time of my life. Slipknot and Korn are magical.

How has your week been? :)

Love Rachel and Leah, x

Benefit World Famous Neutrals Easiest Nudes Ever... Eyeshadow Kit | Review & Swatches

We've recently became obsessed with Benefit after trying out their skin care range. So next up for us to try was some Benefit makeup and what could be better than an eyeshadow kit? Just look at the packaging! I've never seen an eyeshadow kit that looked so beautiful as this one does. I love wearing nuetural colours on my eyes so this kit was perfect for me.

In the kit are four long wear powder shadows including two highlighting shades called 'call my buff' and 'pinky swear'. The other two powder shadows are 'thanks a latte' and 'quick, look busy' which are matte brown shades. The kit also includes two creaseless cream shadows in 'rsvp' and 'no pressure!' 'No pressure!' is definitely my favourite eyeshadow of the bunch and I can see myself reaching for this everyday.

The cream eyeshadows glide onto the lid effortlessly and I think they blend so well. At first, I did think the formula felt a little greasy but that wouldn't stop me from buying more cream eyeshadows from Benefit. I haven't tried out many cream eyeshadows before but I'm so suprised at how amazing the staying power is. The cream shadows are so pigmented too and they don't crease at all during the day.

The longwearing eyeshadows are also great but they do take a lot of time to build up as they could be more pigmented, especially the lighter colours like 'rsvp'. That being said, the longwearing shadows last all day long and look beautiful when they're applied.

DAYTIME LOOK

The kit even has 'how to' cards and this one I'm wearing is the day time look. 'R.s.v.p' makes the perfect base for a natural illuminating shadow and I love how 'thanks a latte' defines my eye. This look is so simple yet it looks like I've made effort with my eye makeup. The day time look is just a gorgeous understated eye makeup look that I know I'll wear a lot!

NIGHT TIME LOOK

This is one of my favourite eye makeup looks ever! I love wearing brown toned eyeshadow and this looks perfect. I can't believe how amazing the cream eyeshadow blended onto my eyelid. Although the longwearing eyeshadow took a while to build up, I love how pigmented it looked when I finished applying it. This kit isn't called the easiest nudes for nothing, applying this makeup look was so easy and barely took any time at all!

I am so happy with this kit. This was my first ever Benefit eye makeup kit and I can see myself buying many more eye products in the future. At £23.50, I think this is a great kit for any Benefit makeup newbie like us. The creaseless cream eyeshadows are definitely my favourites in the kit as they are pigmented and long lasting. I do wish the longwearing eyeshadows were more pigmented but they look great if you build them up. The packaging is so girly and will look stunning your makeup stash. The 'how to' cards are amazing and I didn't even expect the kit to come with makeup guides. This is a kit that I think every nuetral eyeshadow lover should try!

Have you ever tried a Benefit eyeshadow kit? What do you think of Benefit eye makeup products?

Love Rachel & Leah, x

Wish list | Benefit

The Porefessional | Rockateur | High Brow | Longwear Powder Eyeshadow | Total Moisture Facial Cream | Hello Flawless Powder | They're Real! Mascara | Boi-ing Concealer | Hoola Bronzer | Benetint

It seems we've both gone make up mad already this year! Once a makeup junkie, always a makeup junkie. I love buying clothes and shoes but is there anything better than getting a new piece of makeup? I don't think so!

Benefit is a brand I've always be intrested in. The amazing packaging, the names, the products. It's just a brand that is perfectly girly and such a treat to invest in. Okay, so it might be really expensive but I think treating yourself to nice skincare and make up really pays off and you can definately tell the difference. This is our wishlist. It's our 18th birthday on the 7th Feb so I'll be hoping to see some of these in my presents! Doesn't make up you can't affort make the best presents? :) We've both been loving the skincare range recently! We bought the mini set from ASOS to try it out and it's sooo good. It's made a real difference to our skin! Obviously, the make up is just beautiful too but I haven't bought much Benefit makeup. I really want to try out the Porefessional primer and Rockateur blush! I tried a tester of the primer and it's simply amazing!

Have you tried any Benefit products?

Things That Have Made Me Happy This Week

Rachel wearing MAC 'Diva' lipstick | Our four new MAC lipsticks! | Amazing tees in Topshop | Benefit mini skincare kit | Birthday necklace | Urban Outfitter's tie dye dress | Best friends Heidi & Megan | Leah wearing MAC 'Dubonnet' lipstick | Finally finished my Audrey Hepburn drawing!

As complete lipstick junkies, we went along to MAC on Sunday and bought four new lipsticks. The shades we bought were 'Diva, Spirit, Dubonnet and Spice it up!' We're gonna write a review on them all that should be up on the blog on Moday :)

Topshop have amazing tees in at the moment like this Megadeth one! Our birthday is coming up in February and my birthday necklace arrived and I can't believe how stunning it is. It's from Swarovski and it was luckily in the sale. This dress from Urban Outfitters was also in the sale and you can see it in our ootd post here. We're also testing out the Benefit skincare for the first time with this mini kit from ASOS. I'm so suprised at how amazing it as and it's definitely on my birthday wish list!

I'm also really happy because I finally finished my drawing of Audrey Hepburn's eyes! I'm still a newbie to art after not drawing for years but I'm really happy with how it turned out at the end! I also included a pic of Heidi & Megan. Megan is our older sister's dog and she's 11 years old. Meg is best friends with our dog Heidi and she's so happy to be staying over at our house for a week while her mum is on holiday!

We hope you all enjoyed this post as we're wanting to do more lifestyle posts on the blog! I hope you all had a great week and have a great weekend! 

Love Rachel & Leah, x