Highstreet vs Luxury: Brow Gels

Hey guys so today I wanted to discuss the Brows!

Back in June (I think it was) last year I discovered the Benefit Gimme Brow, a product that has 1000% sealed the 'holy grail' status, I mean I even buy back ups of this product these days as I literally don't think I could live without it. I use it every single day and even pop it on my brows on no make up days. My brows are so light and fair naturally but have a good shape to them and Gimme Brow just transforms them by tinting them and adding volume whilst keeping them set in place. Admittedly it is pretty expensive - at £17.50 a pop and it only lasts me a month, meaning I have to purchase one every single month. I get the shade Medium/Dark by the way and I reviewed it HERE for you to take a peak at.

Until a couple of months ago I wasn't aware of any other products that were up to the job and finish I was after and then I discovered the Rimmel London - Brow This Way. A cheaper alternative to the Benefit Gimme Brow Gel and at only £3.99 it was impossible for me to give it a miss. Luckily for me I had totted up enough Boots Advantage Points to be able to buy the product that way and I went for the shade 'Mid Brown'.

So there are two significant differences about the appearance of the two products, one of obvious being that the Brow This Way comes in larger packaging than Gimme Brow and the second is that the wand on Brow This Way is also a lot bigger to the Gimme Brow Wand, I would go so far as to say the Wand on the Rimmel product is far too big. I like to size of the Gimme Brow Wand as it allows you to maneuver around the sparse hairs at the end of your brows and shape them with precision. Brow This Way is great for adding colour and volume to the areas of my brows that are more bushy however I am reluctant to use it around the sparser areas as it just smudges onto my skin because of the wand being too big. Another slight note is that I have noticed the Rimmel London product gives your brows more a red/brown tint whereas the Benefit product is more towards the dark brown end of the spectrum. However due to the significant different in price I have now compromised and try to reach for the Rimmel product where possible on the larger areas of my brows and then just using the Benefit product for the sparser area's of my brows as I feel this combination works well together and despite the issues  on the Rimmel product with the packaging and the wand, the formula does actually deliver a pretty similar finish to Gimme Brow - just a slight difference in colour. Due to the price difference between the two products, I am trying to reserve the Benefit product for weekend occasions more and just for filling in the sparse brow area's on week days.

If I could choose just one of the two, it would undoubtedly be the Benefit Gimme Brow purely because it scores a 10 in all area's where as I would rate the Rimmel London product as a 6 out of 10.

Below I have added pictures of the result of the Rimmel London Brow This Way, Benefit Gimme Brow and another with a combination of the two.

I hope this helps you if you're trying to make a decision on which one to go for!

My Daily Make Up Routine

Morning guys! So today I thought I would share with you all - my daily make up routine. This is my quick fix, instant dewiness look that I tend to go for on week days or a lazy Sunday.

On week days, waking up at 6:30 and throwing a full face of make up on is not my idea of fun, but I could never leave the house without doing so, as much as  I loathe the task whilst half asleep! These are fool proof products I tend to grab to create the illusion of a super happy bright eyed Lara  - even if I really don't feel that way. Sometimes I mix up products, because well it's boring to use the exact same products on your face every day but these are my most reached for products.

So first off I start off by washing my face and then patting it dry with a warm flannel, then of course  I grab my moisturizer and whilst I'm letting that soak into my skin I brush my teeth, sort my hair out etc.

Next up I add the Clarins Beauty Flash Balm - this is my secret weapon. It is instant radiance in a bottle and it sits well under make up. For the base my usual choice is the YSL Touche Eclat Foundation in shade B10. This Foundation is one of those 'my skin but better' products, it doesn't cover up your actual skin but just enhances it. It doesn't conceal all of your blemishes but it makes them less obvious and red. I love this Foundation because it is just so easy to apply and blend! I usually use the Real Techniques Buffing Brush but I must admit that recently I've been favouring the Beauty Blender (which I got just before Christmas).

 I used to opt for more of a subtle contour to add a little bronze and definition to my face but at the minute I'm loving the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in shade Pink Quartz to just pop onto  my cheeks. It adds such as gorgeous shimmer and glow to the cheeks and works really well with the YSL Foundation & Beauty Flash Balm. I apply the Shimmer Brick with the Real Techniques Blush Brush - a fairly recent purchase that I am obsessed with!

To conceal those tired eyes and correct any discoloration under my eyes, I use the Revlon Color Stay Concealer in the lightest shade. As I think I've mentioned before, Concealer never used to be my thing for this product made me really see the reason why some people can't live without it - for me it's not a huge necessity because  I don't have really bad bags under my eyes but I definitely see the benefits of it and the Concealer really does highlight and brighten the under eye area.

I then apply my Benefit Gimme Brow (which I forgot to add to the picture, ooops!) and either the Soap & Glory Thick & Fast Mascara or the Benefit They're Real Mascara depending on what mood I'm in. The Soap & Glory Mascara requires minimal effort and literally takes seconds to apply. The Benefit Mascara does take a lot more time and working but the finished result is worth the effort because it gives your lashes so much length and volume!

The last thing I do once I'm showered, dressed and ready to head out the door is to apply my Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in either the shades Candy or Petal Shimmer as they're is so pretty on the lips but isn't sticky or uncomfortable to wear.

What products do you use on a daily basis?