ITS ALL ABOUT THE BROWS - BENEFIT BROW REVIEW

Over the years fashion and make-up trends come and go and I hate to admit it, but due to my age I've seen several come around more than once. 

However one make-up trend/focus that I'm really pleased to see currently shining in the limelight are the Brows.

Yes thanks to the American cosmetics brand benefit 

2016 is 

"all about the Brows"

benefit have recently launched a comprehensive range of 45 products available in 6 shades and there is no brow that cannot be teased, filled, defined or tamed, as benefit have really got all "brow bases" 

for all ages covered.

Never being one to worry too much about my eyebrows ,in recent years I have become more aware that with my age the colour of my brow hair has lightened and the odd grey hair has appeared... much to my horror! 

Also the hairs have become finer and my brow line is not as full as it use to be and all of the above led me to buy an Estée Lauder brow kit, to just create some definition and colour.

I was perfectly happy until benefit sent me four of the new products to try.

I was excited, yet somewhat apprehensive as to how to use or what the products were designed to do, as these products are very clever and sometimes not what they seem and that's what I love about benefit.

I do recommend popping along to your nearest benefit counter for a demonstration and some really good advice.

Once  you get past the kitchey names and are given some tips and shown some nifty tricks

they are pretty easy to understand and apply.

My shades were all Shade 3 

benefit KA BROW R335

KA BROW is perhaps my least fave of the 4 products, but this Brush on rich, build able colour I'm sure will be an absolute hit with many. This all-in-one eyebrow cream-gel easily fills, sculpts and defines brows. Plus the built-in hard-angled brush magically converts into a clever full-size brush for precise control & effortless application!

• Builds from natural-looking to dramatic
• Cream-gel color
• 24 hour waterproof wear

benefit GIMME BROW R335

GIMME BROW I was again unsure of how to use this product, but its a really quick and easy to use tinted eyebrow gel that contains tiny microfibers that adhere to skin & hairs, creating natural-looking fullness and definition. The custom, tiny tapered brush blends easily while the precision tip shapes hairs into place.

I have been using this daily and I love it!

Volumizes, tames & tints

 Water-resistant & long-wearing

benefit BROWVO! CONDITIONING PRIMER R395

BROWVO! is a nutrient-rich conditioning eyebrow primer and on first reading about this product I was convinced that this was a little gimmicky, but its turned out to be one of my favourtites, as despite cleansing over the eyebrows daily we never really use a specialised product to condition that area.  

Worn alone it both conditions & smooths the brows. Worn as a primer it enhances & extends the wear of other brow products. This conditioning formula contains keratin & soy proteins known to help brows look thicker, healthier and fuller, but I will have to revert back to you with regards to the latter claim in a "follow up" post.

• All-in-one eyebrow serum
• Clear gel suits all brows
• Custom soft-touch applicator

benefit GOOF PROOF BROW EYEBROW PENCIL R335

GOOF PROOF EYEBROW PENCIL is a super easy filling & shaping eyebrow pencil. 

It features a custom, non-sharpen “goof-proof” tip, soft color and a glide-on formula for easy & fast brow filling. 

Comes complete with built-in blending spoolie-brush

12-hour waterproof formula

I have been surprisingly happy with the products that I have tried and I've even earmarked a couple more that I would like to give a "Brow Whirl".
I hope this post has piqued your "Brow Interest" and I highly recommend you visit a benefit counter to find out more

after all...

"2016 is all about the benefit brows"

benefit 
have a great website and if you would like to find out more about the other products in their brow collection plus tips for brows then visit

www.benefitcosmetics.com

benefit is available in selected Edgars and Red Squares countrywide

www.redsquare.co.za

If you would like to read more about my other reviews on benefit products 

then just click on the links below

Benefit Roller Lash Mascara Review

Benefit Roller Lash Mascara They're Real Review

Benefit Porefessional Pro Balm Review

Benefit Air Patrol BB Cream Eyelid Primer Review

SHONGWENI FARMERS & CRAFT MARKET

 The Shongweni Farmers Market is held every Saturday from 6.30am - 11.30am and was started back in 1998. Initially just 12 stalls selling food and fresh produce, it was located on a field belonging to the Shongweni Polo Club which is in the far outer west region of Durban. From humble beginnings the market grew rapidly, attracting stall holders and customers from far and wide initially starting with 12 stalls and now has more than 150 of which over 80 are food and fresh produce related. Others are selling a variety of proudly South Africa home industry arts and crafts, too numerous to mention.

I hang my head in shame whilst I write this post as despite being relatively local and having been advised to pay the market a visit on numerous occasions...  I finally made the trek up the highway and went to have a look for myself.

This market was one of the very few where my hubby was totally engrossed, as there were plenty of stalls to interest him and with live music playing and craft beers to try,

 he was very happy. 

Shongweni is also a doggie friendly market and the pooches are well catered for and made to feel very welcome, as are the kids.

This market is by far the best in KZN and is truly a family market and I can't wait to return.

Some tips when a visiting the market:

1. Its advisable to arrive as early as possible armed with a shopping basket.

2. Wear layers, as it can be chilly, but it soon warms up, so some peeling off of clothes is to be expected

3. Wear comfy shoes.

4. Allow plenty of time to leisurely browse, as the market is far larger than I anticipated.

5. Go with an empty tummy as you really are spoilt for choice when it comes to food and drink whether it's for breakfast, tea time snack or brunch.

6. Take a cooler box in the boot of the car, so you can keep those take away food/drink purchases chilled.

7. Take plenty of money either in the form of cash or credit cards, as you will be tempted by all the goodies on sale.

8. Don't worry about the safety of parking the car as the parking is well organised and very close to the market.

9. Also if it rains shopping can continue as all of the stalls are under cover.

10. Lastly enjoy this lovely market that oozes charm, ambiance and friendliness.  

To find out more then visit

www.shongwenimarket.co.za

I will now let my pics do the rest

Enjoy!

SUNDAY SAMPLE - SAMPAR EQUALISING FOAM PEEL - REVEIW

For this past week I have been using a sample of the Sampar Equalizing Foam Peel.

I managed to use it twice and it's suitable for all skin types and is paraben and colourant free.
Its also a granule-free exfoliator (great news for the environment,seeing that there is a plan to ban the use of all plastic beads in facial cleansers and exfoliators)

SAMPAR Equalising Foam Peel 50mls

As with many exfoliators on the market this product claims to gently exfoliate the epidermal layer to remove unhealthy, dead skin cells and to stimulate new cell growth to eliminate fine lines and wrinkles and expose a smoother more luminous complexion.

This 3-in-1 product is applied to a cleansed skin like a mask, purifies like a peel and once you add the water it rinses off like a cleanser.

The product is applied all over the face and neck (avoid the eye area) as a clear, slightly runny gel and has a great Spa like fragrance.
It remains tacky on the skin and you leave for 2 minutes before it turns into a foamy creamy emulsion once you add water and rinses off really easily.
(Always remember to apply a nourishing mask, serum or moisturiser after exfoliating your skin to help replace the hydro lipid film that naturally covers and protects the skin)

I personally didn't notice any obvious changes to me skin, so I decided to do my tried and trusted  "apply to the back of one hand and not the other" test to get a more visual difference between the two hands.
Despite there being an ever so slight improvement of brightness and smoothness my tested hand felt incredibly soft, but it certainly didn't impress me enough to go out and buy. I expected slightly better and more impressive results, especially with a price tag of R690

Exfoliation is something that I have been doing weekly since I was in my early twenties and its a crucial step in my beauty regime and personally I think that there are better exfoliators/peels out there and at a lower price.
Having said this if you are a SAMPAR lover and user then this will no doubt work in synergy with those products and perhaps better results will be seen.

On a more positive note I recently posted my review on their "Creme de la Creme" anti ageing cream - Lavish Dream Cream, which I thoroughly enjoyed using, 
so click on the link below to read more.

Sampar Lavish Dream Cream Review

SAMPAR is available from selected Edgars and Woolworths countrywide and online

SAMPAR Woolworths

40 YEARS OF L'OCCITANE {LAVENDER FOAM BATH}

Despite only being around in South Africa since 2008 L'Occitane has been in existence since 1976, which makes 2016 its special 
40th Anniversary year.

I wonder if back then the founder of L'Occitane, Olivier Baussan, could ever have envisaged the outcome of his passion for his native Provence, love of plants and his desire to create wonderful products that were authentic, traceable and respected both the environment and people.

Alambic

With nothing but an alambic, a small truck and a solid knowledge of plants this young man of 23, set out to sell his distilled Rosemary essential oil on the local markets of Provence in Southern France.

Lavender is a fragrant iconic symbol of Provence and is renowned worldwide for its highest quality, especially that grown in the Haute Provence region and this seemed the most obvious choice for his next essential oil and today it's  still a core ingredient in many of the L'OCCITANE ranges and products.

40 years later and as they say "the rest is history" and L'OCCITANE is now available in every corner of the world for everyone to enjoy.

To celebrate its 40th anniversary, L'OCCITANE is celebrating Provence, the land of its birth, through a limited-edition collection based around its most famous flower. 

The packaging features a new design, inspired by fields of lavender seen from the sky, which trace diagonal lines across the plateaus of Haute-Provence, filling them with colour.

My "go to" weekly Lavender foam bath and one that I rave about constantly is the one below and quite simply it's the very 

Best!

It's a rich, delicate foam bath containing Lavender Essential Oil with a captivating lavender scent and more importantly voluminous long lasting bubbles.
The aroma lets your mind escape to Provence as you breathe in its fragrance and enjoy a soothing moment of relaxation. 

It leaves your skin feeling supple and fragranced with the delicate scent of lavender.

If you love your bubbles and enjoy the whole relaxing bathing experience then I cannot recommend a more beautiful relaxing product and maybe the 40th anniversary is a perfect time to treat yourself to a little bit of Provence.

L'OCCITANE

Lavender Foam Bath

500mls R450

100mls R130

L'OCCITANE Lavender Foam Bath

If you follow me regularly on my blog and other social media platforms you will already know that L'OCCITANE is my one of my favourite brands and if you just type in the word L'OCCITANE in the "search for my Shout words" on the side bar, so many L'OCCITANE reviews will pop up and if there are any reviews that you would like me to review in the future, then just leave me a comment below.

Available from L'OCCITANE Boutiques countrywide and online 

L'OCCITANE

SUNDAY SAMPLE

My sample jar is literally overflowing and I really need to have a good clear out of some and get writing reviews on some of the others.

Today I pulled out a sample tube of the

SAMPAR - Equalising Foam Peel. 

I'm a huge believer of including a weekly exfoliating product into you beauty regime, as the instant results can make such a difference to your skin. so after giving this sample a try over the next week my thoughts and opinions will be up on my blog on Sunday.

I posted a review on the SAMPAR Lavish Dream Cream recently, so if you would like to pop over to my blog to read my review click on the link below.

SAMPAR LAVISH DREAM CREAM REVIEW

SAMPAR LAVISH DREAM CREAM {REVIEW}

Confession time...My one and only product that I have tried from the French face and body care brand SAMPAR was frankly a disaster. A fellow blogger passed on the SAMPAR Crazy Cream for me to try and as it's name suggests it was CRAZY and I didn't understand the concept or enjoy the product.At that time I decided not to post a review on my blog, but now I need to make mention of my previous experience in order to give you a back story for this review.  

As with most disappointing product experiences it always leaves you feeling somewhat let down and sceptical about trying anything again from that particular brand and even more so if it's your first encounter with the brand, which mine was. 
On this point if I had one piece of advice to give you it would be... 

"don't write off a brand because of one fail". 
(Over the years I would have missed out on so many wonderful products if I had done so) 

I actually won this SAMPAR Lavish Dream Cream some months ago, which was exciting as I don't have much success with winning competitions however this rich day and night anti-aging cream especially suited for over 35 years of age sounded perfect for "moi".

Sampar Lavish Dream Cream R1,130 50mls

I'm a bit of a pushover when it comes to the name of a product and I was intrigued by this pink product called

Lavish Dream Cream
Straight away it sounds luxurious, rich and dreamy and that's exactly what this cream is. It's rich but not heavy, as it has a light souffle texture and with its delicate soft fragrance it truly is a dream to use.
This luscious cream not only hydrates, protects and nourishes the skin, but leaves it feeling rested and renewed.

 SAMPAR Lavish Dream Cream 

contains the following collection of active complexes and ingredients, some are familiar to me and some are not. 
The groundbreaking Urban Advance complex is exclusive to SAMPAR and this could be why my skin has responded so positively to this cream.

 Key Ingredients:

- Peptides minimise the depth and length of wrinkles by encouraging cellular renewal.

- Walnut extract jumpstarts cellular activity, resulting in immediate tightening, improves skin elasticity and targets wrinkles at their foundation.

- Shea butter hydrates and nourishes epidermal cells.

- Urban Advance Complex, a powerful alliance of 3 active ingredients (shea butter serum, mint endorphin and probiotic sugar), acts as an anti-oxidant shield, neutralising any cutaneous imbalances linked to pollution, strengthens the skin’s natural defenses and shocks the skin back to life on a cellular level.

This product is Paraben Free

Directions: 

Apply SAMPAR Lavish Dream Cream in the morning and/or evening on perfectly cleansed face and neck.
(I highly recommend that you use am/pm to maximise the effects of the anti ageing ingredients) 

Packaging:

The Lavish Dream Cream comes in a 100% airless container, which allows the product to remain the same from start to finish, as no contaminants can enter the jar. 
Once I had gotten to grips with the amount of pressure to apply equally on both sides of the dispenser it allowed me to release the perfect amount of product hygienically.
I loved the packaging and I wish more skincare companies would adopt this airless system.

Overall:

Not having any high hopes for this cream from the onset, I was certainly proven wrong.
This is the Rolls Royce of anti ageing products from SAMPAR and a jar will set you back R1,130  so it's up there in terms of price. 

Many of the benefits of using an anti-ageing product are sometimes not hugely visible, as the active ingredients are working their magic below the surface of the skin,
but after using both day and night for nearly 3 months,I was super impressed, as I consider my skin to be in a really good condition for my age.
I not only loved the way the product made my skin feel,as in comfort and nourishment, but I noticed my skin was more radiant  and there has been a degree of softening of my deeper lines and wrinkles.
(I thought I would spare you the ordeal of any before and after photos)

I'm so happy that I won this product as it's made me more curious about this brand and its one that I will investigate further and hopefully I won't encounter anymore 
Crazy creams...



*GOOD NEWS*

Woolworths are currently running a promotion on SAMPAR

WRewards 
Buy any 3 SAMPAR products and only pay for 2

SAMPAR is available at selected Woolworths and online


Woolworths