My Visit To The Benefit Brow Bar

I recently made my very first visit to a Benefit Brow Bar. Having never visited one before I had no idea what to expect. I approached the Benefit Brow Bar in at Myer with caution as I wanted to suss things out before I committed to the experience.

The first thing I noticed was that there was a hive of activity around the Brow Bar. There seemed to be people everywhere both on seats and looking at products. I thought this was a positive sign but continued to lurk in the background trying to take as much in as possible.

Finally I was busted by a Benefit Staff Member who asked if there was anything they could help me with. I explained I wanted a brow shape and before I knew it my bum was on a hot pink seat and I was holding a hot pink mirror in my hand.

The first part of the process at a Benefit Brow Bar is to sign in. You sign your name in a book which puts you in order of waiting line. In my case there was no waiting time at all and I was taken straight to a Brow Station. The next step is to discuss whether you want your brows waxed or shaped using tweezers. They will also offer you a tinting service. A general brow shape using wax costs $25 or $30 for a shape using tweezers with no wax. Your service also includes a full mini makeover at the conclusion of your service.

The first thing I noticed was how clean everything looked at all the stations. There were bottles of alcohol and hand sanitiser everywhere. All sets of tweezers were all removed from sterile bags and every brow pencil was sharpened again after use on a client. This was all very important to me. The staff were also beautifully presented in their black and hot pink outfits.

In total about 15 to 20 minutes was spent waxing and shaping my brows. My consultant was extremely friendly and made me feel instantly at ease with her. She talked to me like a best girlfriend all the way through my brow shape. She did a great job of my brows and they were immaculately groomed at the end of my consultation. I was extremely happy with the brow shape provided.

However I sensed from the time I entered the Benefit Brow Bar that I was going to have Benefit products pushed onto me throughout the entire service. My hunch was spot on. Being very familiar with the Benefit brand and owning quite a lot of their products didn't seem to help me much because despite owning most products my consultant tried to sell me everything that I didn't have regardless of whether it suited me or not!

In the end it became quite uncomfortable. Every product she suggested she proceeded to collect from the stock cupboard and put in a pile for me to purchase at the end. I was sitting there thinking to myself ''how the heck am I going to get out of buying this stuff''! I ended up buying over $300 worth of product from the Benefit Brow Bar, some things I really love but others I certainly didn't need or even want for that matter.

My Mum also decided to get her Brows shaped and tinted so I had to wait around for her. To my horror despite having just had my brows done and purchasing $300 in products I had the very same girl that shaped my brows as well as two other Benefit girls trying to get me to buy more products. It even got down to them trying to bribe me with Gifts With Purchase if I purchased more items. It made me very uncomfortable in the end.

Overall I was really happy with the level of technical service given to me at the Benefit Brow Bar. These girls certainly know what they are doing when it comes to shaping brows. The entire team is incredibly friendly (there were about 11 girls working there on this day probably as it was so close to Christmas). I love that you don't need to book, you simply turn up and wait your turn which is so convenient. A little tip I was given was to avoid turning up between 5 and 6.30pm because that's when a lot of people finish work and it gets ridiculously busy.

However I must admit that I was turned off by the pushy sales assistants. They really put the hard sell on me as far as products were concerned and trying to get out of buying their suggested products that I didn't want was rather embarrassing and uncomfortable.

Benefit Brow Bars also offer services such as Body Waxing and False Lash Application.

Note: I am not sponsored by Benefit Brow Bars and all opinions are my own.

I'm Back With A Haul!

Hey everyone. Sorry for the long absence and lack of posting. I have been interstate on a little Christmas Shopping expedition and as it is the silly season things have been rather busy with Christmas parties to attend and shopping to be done. I have also been a little unwell and have had quite a bit of trouble with my Diabetes. Thankfully now I seem to be making some headway with that and appear to be on the right track.

I had a blast whilst I was away. I did some great shopping and caught up with some gorgeous friends and family. I ate at some amazing places also.

Unfortunately I can't show you any major purchases until after Christmas because my major purchases were bought for me as gifts and I have been asked not to reveal them until after December 25th. Rest assured I won't keep you in the dark and will be showing you my gorgeous gifts after Christmas! Yay for designer handbags I say!

I purchased a couple of things, little Christmas Gifts for myself whilst I was away that you might be interested in. What am I talking about, of course you'll be interested this is a blog for complete beauty junkies like me after all.

What is it that makes taking a look at other peoples hauls that makes us so happy? Is it living vicariously through others or more just getting a thrill that someone else is as mental as you are about pretty beauty products?

Without further ado here is my little haul of beauty loot from my recent trip:

Benefit So Hooked On Carmella Fragrance (30ml for $59.95) - This is my third bottle of this fragrance. I absolutely love it. As my regular readers will know I am a sucker for anything sweet smelling or gourmand. This fragrance has a gorgeous vanilla oriental type scent. The packaging is darling and looks like a little cocktail shaker (as do all the Benefit Crescent Row fragrances). This makes such a cute gift that I picked a couple up for friends!

Benefit They're Real Mascara ($38) - I haven't used this yet but I am so excited to give it a try as I have heard such amazing things about it. I will definitely review it after I give it a try!

Benefit Glam Therefore I am Palette ($69) - This is a Limited Edition set for the Holidays. This palette took my eye and I ended up buying it for the cuteness factor. I love the little mini sized Girl Meets Pearl and Bad Gal Mascara. Also a purchasing point was the limited edition face powder/highlighter combo. I love Benefit's Life On The A-List Gloss and who doesn't want another four eye shadows to add to their ten million others? Whether I end up using this will be a question to be determined in the coming weeks! I always buy things like this and put them away and forget to use them.

Benefits Ticket To Glossy Town Mini Lip Gloss Set ($49) - Another of Benefit's Limited Edition offerings for the holidays this set contains six of Benefit's best selling lip gloss shades.

Benefit Instant Brow Pencil in Light ($38) - Nothing special about this just a dark blonde brow pencil with a brush on the end to work through the product.

L'Occitane Almond Apple Cleansing Oil ($39.95 for 200ml) - This cleansing oil has been discontinued to my absolute horror! It is my favourite cleansing oil! I was horrified when I learned it had been discontinued but thankfully a L'Occitane store I visited had a supply stashed away and I was able to get hold of one.

Benefit Powderflage - This is a powder light reflecting concealer from Benefit. I was given this as a Gift With Purchase.

Soap and Glory Fab Pore Hot Cloth Cleanser ($36.95) - This is a deep pore cleanser that is deeply purifying. It contains essential oils and comes with a muslin cloth.

Mor Marshmallow Perfume ($69.95) and Scented Candle ($20) - Mor's Marshmallow range has been a long time favourite of mine. If you like musk you will love this scent. I was lucky enough to find the candles in a factory outlet store so purchased some for my Mum also.

Too Faced Glamour To Go Dream Edition Palette ($32.95) - I get these limited edition palettes from Too Faced every year. Initially I purchased this for a friend but I decided I liked it enough to go and get myself one also. They are awesome little palettes that contain eight eye shadows, a bronzer, blush and lip gloss. They are perfect for travel and the packaging is gorgeous!

Natural Company Duck On A Rope ($14.95) - Is this not the cutest little thing you have ever seen? It is scented with Sicilian Grapefruit and smells amazing. I got these for my God Daughters but couldn't resist one for myself. How cute is this going to look hanging in my shower?

Jelly Belly Travel Candles in a Tin ($12.50 each) - If you didn't know that the Jelly Belly gourmet jelly bean company also make candles to match their jellybeans you do now. These candles smell exactly the same as the flavours of the jellybeans. I got 2 x Blueberry, 1 x Bubblegum and 1 x Crushed Pineapple. The best thing about these candles is that they are calorie free.

M.A.C Creme Color Base in Pink Shock ($36) - This colour is avaialble from M.A.C Pro only. It is an amazing bright pink shade. I will use it on my cheeks and lips.

Illamasqua Powder Blush in Nymph ($42) - This is a gorgeous bubblegum bright pink. The Illamasqua packaging is just gorgeous and their products are highly pigmented. I purchased quite a few things from Illamasqua but you will have to wait until after Christmas to see them!

Jo Malone Rosewater and Vanilla Cologne Intense ($230 for 100ml)- This is my second favourite Jo Malone scent. I am absolutely obsessed with Jo Malone fragrances. Come to think of it I must do a post on all my Jo Malone Products. Jo Malone products are not cheap. However they are so unique and special that I can always justify the spend. This is my second bottle of Jo Malone Rosewater and Vanilla. It is very soft and feminine not sickly sweet at all. It lasts a lot longer than the regular line of Jo Malone Scents because it is from the intense range which come in a black bottle as opposed to clear and are more concentrated.

I hope you enjoyed my little Pre-Christmas haul. I am looking forward to sharing my Christmas Haul with all of you!

Note: I am not sponsored by any of the above mentioned brands. All products were purchased by me and all opinions are my own.

Christmas Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations Fluffystuff73 who has won the Pink Powderpuff's Christmas Giveaway! Please e-mail me your address at banjoandmolly@hotmail.com and I will get your package express posted to you next week in plenty of time for Christmas.

For those of you who didn't win, don't stress as I am going to be doing other epic giveaway in the new year! Perhaps even more fabulous than this one!

Cheers

Kxo

Christmas Gift Ideas For Her!

So Christmas is basically 24 more sleeps away which means if you haven't started your Christmas shopping you had better get your skates on.

Buying gifts for other people can be a traumatic experience. We've all been there, running around the shops, looking for the perfect gift only to find the left over dregs of cheap rubbish still sitting on the shelves. You have to stick to a budget but you want to find something that you know the recipient will like and get some enjoyment out of.

Shopping for friends if often the most fun but also often the most difficult. Sometimes you just want to give a token gift to say Merry Christmas, have a good one and other times you want to spend a little more and make the gift a really special one.

Here I have some gifts that cost under $50 that you can give to the girls in your life, your Sister, Bestie or even your Aunt. You could even give them as a stocking stuffer. I hope these ideas give you some gift buying inspiration.

Philosophy Candy Cane Trio $22 from www.sephora.com or www.skinstore.com A great gift that comes in a cute as a button festive gift box. It contains peppermint scented shower gel, body lotion and lipshine.

O.P.I Best Of The Best Collection $44.95 from www.adorebeauty.com.au This gorgeous set of nail polishes includes ten of O.P.I's best selling shades. You could give this to one person or break them up and give to multiple people.

Kikki-K 2012 Mini Diary $24.95 from www.kikki-k.com I always buy a Kikki-K diary every year. I usually get the big one but this year I decided to get the smaller one mainly because it will be easy to keep in my bag. They are the cutest diaries and contain little slots and pockets to store things and also have cute stickers included.

Glitzy Glam Small Terry Makeup Bag ($10) and Key Chain ($10) with Personalised Initial from www.shopglitzyglam.com Glitzy Glam is an online store owned by You Tube Beauty Guru Sisters Elle and Blair Fowler. I love their store and have purchased many items from them over the past couple of years. Items usually only take around 7-10 days to ship to Australia and the turn around time is super fast and there is something in everybody's price range in the store. I purchased these two items for myself and a few friends. They make such adorable gifts and are really great quality.

L'Occitane Mini Hand Creams $9.95 from www.adorebeauty.com.au These make an awesome little stocking stuffer. They would also make a nice gift for the host of a Christmas Party or even your friends Mum.

Benefit Ticket To Glossy Town Lip Gloss Set $49 from www.adorebeauty.com.au I think any beauty loving girl would love to receive this set of lip glosses for Christmas. This set contains 6 mini sized glosses.

Woodwick Bakery Cupcake Candle $35 from www.candelabra.com.au This candle would be perfect for anyone who loves vanilla gourmand scents. Woodwick are beautiful candles and contain a wick which crackles ever so lightly as the candle burns.

Too Faced Glamour To Go Palette $32.95 from www.kitcosmetics.com.au A gorgeous little palette containing everything you need for a complete makeup look. It includes 8 eye shadows, a lipgloss, blush and bronzer. I get these palettes from Too Faced every year. They are fabulous to travel with.

Smashbox Life Is Your Set Holiday Pencil Kit $39.95 from www.kitcosmetics.com.au This set contains 5 Smashbox Eye Liners in shades of Black, Gold, Espresso, Emerald and Sapphire. It would be great for anyone who enjoys experimenting with makeup.

The Body Shop Candied Ginger Mini Gift Cube $24.95 A gorgeous little Candied Ginger gift containing a shower puff, 50ml body butter and a 60ml shower gel.

Kikki-K Sundae Ipad Case $49.95 from www.kikki-k.com.au - This would make a cute gift for anyone with an ipad.

I hope some of these suggestions will give you some ideas for Christmas gifts for your friends and family.


Note: I am not sponsored by any of the brands or companies listed above. All opinions are my own.

Australia's 1st Glossy Box

Today I received the very 1st Glossy Box. I was really excited to receive this one as I have been checking out the British version for a while and let me just say that the British version is awesome.

So here is what arrived on my doorstep today:

The contents of Australia's very 1st Glossy Box Includes:

Jurlique Age-Defying Ultra Firm & Lift Cream - 5ml Sample Tube.

Bio Oil - A full sized 60ml bottle.

Essie Nail Polish Mini - I got Meet Me At Sunset.

Bobbi Brown Cleansing Oil - 15ml Sample Size.

Mirenesse 3D Forever Gloss - Full sized in LA Nude.

A bag of Pink Jellybeans.

So there you have the contents of the very 1st Aussie Glossy Box revealed.

My First impressions of this box are good. I really liked everything in it and was especially happy to get to try the Bobbi Brown cleansing Oil. I really like Bio Oil and the Mirenesse Lip Gloss looks like a gorgeous colour. I will stick with Glossy Box for a few more months to see what else is on offer.

Note: I am not sponsored by Glossy Box, I purchased my own subscription and all opinions are my own.

NPSET Time To Shine Lip Gloss Set!

Wandering through Target the other day I happened upon this cute as a button mini lip gloss trio by Napolean Perdis's NPSET range. The best part of all was the price tag, priced at just $15 I thought this would make a gorgeous Secret Santa gift or stocking stuffer for any pink loving girls. Naturally I had to get myself a set and I also picked up a few sets for some girlfriends.

I would be stoked to receive these for Christmas as I am sure any pink loving girl would be. They are great for people who perhaps don't have the budget to spend on brands such as M.A.C or perhaps have a limit on how much they can spend on things such as Secret Santa. As far as I know this pack is the only pack available. There are no other packs with alternative colours. I wish there had of been, I would have gone off!

The glosses are really pigmented and not at all sticky. I think $15 for a pack of three different shades of glosses is very reasonable.


Note: I am not sponsored by Napolean Perdis or NPSET. All products were purchased by me and all opinions are my own.

M.A.C Dazzlesphere Haul

I have been very well behaved so far this season. I normally sweat on M.A.C's Holiday Collections like an alcoholic waiting for the nearest pub to open in the morning!

In the past five years I have just about purchased every single thing from the M.A.C Holiday collections. Of course I didn't really need any of it but since it was there staring me in the face and I was able to purchase it for less than half the price in America as opposed to here in Australia through Hopshopgo I thought I may as well go ahead and get it.

This year has been different. I have realised that I have so much makeup that I have hardly or never used that I have decided to curb my spending. I am finding it hard to justify spending a huge amount of money on makeup when there are people dying from famine overseas and people living in poverty here in Australia.

So for the M.A.C Holiday 2011 I have purchased two things. One of them is for me and the other is for my giveaway which you all need to enter if you haven't done so.

I really liked the look of the Dazzlesphere Ornaments. Priced at $65 from M.A.C Counters and www.maccosmetics.com.au

Being a pinkaholic of course I had to get myself the Pink Ornament and I thought the safe option was to get the Neutral Dazzlesphere to giveaway to a subscriber.

(Pictured Above Left to right- Dazzleglasses in Rags To Riches and Like Venus and Cremesheen Glasses in Fashion Scoop and Petite Indulgence).

This Pink Dazzlesphere is my dream set of lip glosses. By now you would all know that I am obsessed with pink makeup products but usually when I buy things like glosses in sets there's always one shade that I don't like or wouldn't wear, this is not the case with this set. I love every single colour. I like to get a bit of sparkle on my lips over the festive season and I really enjoy M.A.C Dazzleglasses and I am obsessed with Cremesheen's. I think this would make an awesome gift for someone. It is so pretty and I can tell you with no uncertainty that I will not regret this purchase.

I am not going to undo the Neutral Dazzlesphere because I want it to be lovely and new for the winner of my giveaway. However it includes two Dazzleglasses and two Cremesheen Glasses in Boy Bait, Bare Necessity, Over Indulgence and Get Rich Quick.


Note: I am not sponsored by M.A.C Cosmetics. All products were purchased by me and all opinions are my own.

Christmas Giveaway!

I am really excited to do this giveaway for Christmas. One lucky subscriber will be taking home an Urban Decay Naked Palette, Too Faced Naked Palette and finally a M.A.C Dazzlesphere Neutral Ornament containing 2 M.A.C Dazzleglasses and 2 M.A.C Cremesheen Glasses in various neutral shades.

If these are not your thing, you could always give them away for Christmas or Birthday gifts.

The Rules:

1. The competition is opened from today November 25 2011 until Thursday December 9th 2011 at 5pm Hobart Time.

2. You Must be a subscriber to The Pink Powderpuff.

3. Competition is opened for Australian and International Subscribers.

4. The winner will be selected randomly by www.Randomorg.com

5. The Pink Powderpuff will not enter into any correspondence once the winner is selected. The Pink Powderpuff's decision is final.

6. To win the three items all you have to do is comment below saying why you want to win.

Good Luck!

MeMeMe Cosmetics Haul

Here's a few things I have picked up for myself over the last few weeks. I have been doing quite a lot of shopping recently but because a lot of my purchases are for Christmas gifts I can't post them here.

I hope you enjoy this haul and perhaps get some inspiration for your own Christmas shopping or wishlist.

1. MeMeMe Cosmetics Pink Best Seller Bundle - I hadn't even heard of MeMeMe cosmetics until my friend Glossy (www.beautifullyglossy.blogspot.com) reviewed one of their products on her Blog. I decided I needed to investigate the brand further. Upon browsing their website (www.mememecosmetics.com.au) I couldn't believe how similar their products were to Benefit products but for just a fraction of the price of Benefit. Being a big Benefit fan I was concerned about the quality of MeMeMe products but decided to go ahead and make an order anyway to see for myself.

I decided to purchase the Pink Best Seller Bundle for $39.95 and their Beat The Blues Skin Illuminator in Sunbeam for $13.95.

My order from MeMeMe was dispatched the very next day after I placed it and reached me in just four days. Best of all with all purchases over $40 postage is free.

Now to my thoughts on the actual products. The Pink Best Seller Bundle contained a Light Me Up Lip Gloss in the shade Illuminate, Blush Me Pink Blush and a Nail Polish in shade 78 Ambitious. I also purchased the Skin Illuminator in Beat The Blues Sunbeam.

The Light Me Up Lip Gloss in Illuminate is a beautiful shimmering baby pink shade. It is the perfect dupe for M.A.C's Dazzleglass in Baby Sparks. It has a minty flavour and comes with a handy mirror on the side. When removing the doe foot wand from the gloss two lights come on making the gloss packaging literally light up. I think Modelco may have made gloss with a similar concept in the past. The best thing about the gloss to me is that is is not at all sticky. I think the gloss is gorgeous and I will get a lot of use out of it.

Blush Me Blush in Pink is absolutely gorgeous. It is actually a lot brighter than it appears in the pictures. It reminds me a lot of M.A.C's Pink Swoon. The MeMeMe blush in Pink does have a small amount of shimmer in it. The blush packaging is identical to the packaging of Benefit's Powder Boxes. It even has the same little plastic insert and a very similar brush as the Benefit powders do. One difference with the MeMeMe boxes is that there is a mirror in the lids of the boxes which is a genius idea. The Blush itself is highly pigmented and blends beautifully. I am so impressed with the quality of the product. The Blush Me Blushers come in Bronze, Coral, Pink and Rouge and are a steal at just $21.95 here in Australia as opposed to the Benefit Box Of Powders Priced at $51. Alternatively you can purchase the bundles for $39.95.

The Long Lasting Gloss Nail Polish in Shade 78 Ambitious is a very pale pink. Only one coat of this polish will give you a glossy opaque finish. I have only had it on for 24 hours but so far there is no chipping.

Beat The Blues Skin Illuminator in Sunbeam is a perfect dupe for Benefit's High Beam. It is a beautiful pale pink colour which has a cool silvery tone to it. It is perfect for highlighting or mixing with foundation for a dewy luminous finish. Priced at $13.95 it represents excellent value for money. I absolutely love this product and have decided to order the other cheek and lip tints and the other Skin Illuminator shade available in Moonbeam.

I think the Best Seller Bundles would make a beautiful Christmas or Birthday gift idea for any makeup junkies in your life. They come beautifully packaged in a box and there are four colour variations to choose from. The quality of the products is great and the value for money is excellent. Where else are you going to find 3 great quality makeup products for under $40. Alternatively you can purchase individual products which would also make great gifts. MeMeMe also include a gorgeous little packet of lollies, with their company name on them, tied with a black bow in each order. I would be stoked to find anything from MeMeMe under my tree this Christmas.

Note: I am not sponsored by MeMeMe Cosmetics. All products were purchased by me and all opinions are my own.

Update

Hi Guys,
Firstly I would like to apologise for my absence. The past week has been a little hectic with myself not being well and then having a sick puppy (Molly) to care for. Sometimes life gets in the way!

I haven't done a whole bunch of hauling for myself although I am well into my Christmas Shopping now (Thank God)! I am usually one of those people who is still running on Christmas Eve looking for something for someone. This year I am determined to be organised!

So for those of you who do celebrate Christmas who is organised for Christmas 2011?

Tomorrow I will have a haul for you and there are lot of exciting things coming up here on The Pink Powderpuff so stay tuned!

Mor Hand Cream Winner!

Congratulations to the lovely The Bellelumiere who has won the Mor Hand Cream Giveaway!

A Candied Vanilla Almond Hand Cream is coming your way. Please e-mail your address to banjoandmolly@hotmail.com so I can send it off to you.

When Only A Pink M.A.C Lipstick Will Do!

How many pink M.A.C Lipstick does a girl need? A lot evidently. Don't even get me started on how many pink lipsticks I actually have from different brands. It's quite disgusting actually.

So for your light entertainment here is a picture of my M.A.C Pink Lipstick collection.

Note: I am not sponsored by M.A.C Cosmetics. All products were purchased by me and all opinions are my own.