Shadows and Concealer Stay and Don't Stray

While shopping at Sephora this weekend, I picked up Benefit's new eye primer - Stay Don't Stray.  I've used this for three days, and I must say, I absolutely love it.  I do need to tell you though, I'm not sure this product will work for all skin tones.  It's a very light nude shade that I'm not sure would work for olive or dark skin tones.  On me it works fabulous, but I am very pale.  I usually always put concealer and then my MAC MSF under my eyes, so this helps that stay there all day.   I have noticed a dramatic difference in the staying power of my concealer under my eye area which is the place I need it the most.  Using this as a concealer primer is quite tricky though.  You need to make sure it is completely blended and that you use a concealer that is quite thin...I use the MAC Select Moisture Coverage Concealer under my eye area so it works out great with that.  It also works similar to Powderflage, brightening the eye area to minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

As a primer for your eyeshadows, it works quite well. My eyeshadows have been staying on all day, but I much prefer their discontinued F Y Eye as a shadow primer.  Shadows don't blend the same on top of the new primer, but they do stay all day.  All in all, I think this is a great product.  Your eyeshadows stay vibrant and true to color all day.  It also hydrates the eye area to lock in moisture, and fights signs of aging with Vitamins C & E.  It's also free of parabens, which we all try to stay away from.  It really goes on smooth and covers darkness and redness really well. 

Just a note about application.  This product comes in a cylinder with a pump dispenser.  Be careful when pumping out your product.  About half a pump is all you need for both eyes.  If you have any remaining, you can use it on areas that you will be applying concealer to keep your concealer on all day.

A Note About My Lush Stash

Many of my youtube subscribers have asked to see my updated Lush "stash/collection".  To be honest, I don't have as much as I used to.  I did accumulate tons of soap over the holiday sale when they were buy 1 get 2 free.  Most of the bath bombs and bubble bars, my family and I have used and are continuing to use up.  Needless to say I do love Lush (and may be slightly addicted LOL).  There will be parties at Lush that I will be attending in the future, but as I said, I will not be posting an updated Lush collection video.  When I was recently going through a bad anxiety spurt, I used up a lot of my bath products (bath bombs, bubble bars, lotions, and emotibombs).  I do have shower gels, but most of them are running low or are half full.  Their shampoos and conditioners I use just about every day, but I have been trying some new products recently as well.

I do get many comments about how lush expires, and how it's considered wastefull to have so much Lush, but as I stated previously, everyone in my household uses it.  The soaps often don't expire for over a year, and if well kept sometimes even longer.  I also often cocktail my Lush products, using more than one at a time.  I just wanted to address this repeated request from my youtube channel.  I didn't want anyone to think I was ignoring their comments.

Lush - Valentines Day & Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes

So, if many of you watched my last video on youtube, you saw the Valentines Day goodies I bought from Lush Cosmetics.  I love my Valentines Day products!  If many of you out there have not tried Lush, I suggest now is the time to do so.  Not only do they have new products for Valentines Day, but they also have a new kit out: Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.  The kit is $25 and is a great deal for the products you get inside.  It's also a great way to try out many of the products that Lush sells that are not bubble bars, shower gels, bath bomb, or soaps.  Included in this kit (here in the U.S. as it is slightly different in the UK) is:

1 Fresh Face Mask (of your choice)

1 Shampoo Puck (of your choice)

1 Sample of Handy Gurugu hand cream

1 Sample of Lemony Flutter cuticle butter

1 Sample of Fair Trade Foot Lotion

1 Vitamin C Toner Tab

1 Mini Sugar Scrub

1 Mini Each Peach Massage Bar

1 Moiturizer Sample (of your choice)

 I chose for my face mask Catastrophe Cosmetic.  I love this face mask. It was the first face mask I had ever bought from Lush and continues to be my favorite although I have tried almost all of them.  It contains fresh blueberries which are rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals to reduce inflammation and act as a mild antiseptic. It's also packed with soothing chamomile, Irish moss and almond oil that work with calamine to revive your skin.  For my moisturizer I chose Celestial.  This moisturizer is one that I have not tried before as I have tried many.  It is supposed to be great for dry, sensitive skin.  It contains vanilla water and almond milk to moisturize and soften the skin and give it a beautiful soft scent. Fresh dove orchid extract is included in the mixture as it is traditionally used to reduce inflammation.  For my shampoo puck, I chose my favorite! Seanik...this shampoo puck is great for my limp, lifeless hair.  I would highly reccommend this for anyone who has thin, fine hair.  Lush makes this shampoo full of fine sea salt for volume and Nori seaweed to soften and nourish your hair. It also contains lemon oil to cleanse the hair and make it shine. The scent to me smells of lemon and mimosa blossom...very much like the ocean - crisp and clean.  The other products in the kits are also really great products.  You should definitely check this out. It is well worth the price.

The Valentines Day products are really cute and smell delicious!  The first product I picked up was the "Love Soap".  This soap is in the shape of a heart and smells of the sex bomb bath bomb.  For those of you who have never tried Lush or don't know what that scent is, it's a slightly floral scent of jasmine, clary sage and ylang ylang.  This soap also has a little glitter in it and lathers really well.

The Ex Factor Bath Bomb is shaped like a gingerbread man, except he's BLUE!  And he wears his heart on his chest.  Very Cute!  He will turn your bathwater a beautiful blue color.  This bath bomb is scented just like Lush's Butterball Bath Bomb - vanilla musk and ylang ylang.  It's a sweet scent that I absolutely love.  I was slightly disappointed that this one doesn't contain cocoa butter to moisturize your skin as the Butterball does, but I'm a sucker for holiday themed anything, so I couldn't pass this up.

The Magic Mushroom Bubble Bar is my favorite of all of the Valentine's Day products at Lush. For those of you who don't know what a bubble bar is or how to use it. It's a solid bubble bath.  To use this, you just crumble a piece of it (as I do), or the whole thing, whatever you prefer, under running bath water.  The bubble that this specific bubble bar creates are so soft, moreso than any other bubble bar I've tried from Lush yet which was surprising to me.  The Magic Mushroom has two different scents.  The top of it is scented with Lush's famous Yummy Yummy Yummy shower gel scent, and the bottom smells of vanilla.  It a great combination strawberry, honey water, almond oil, and vanilla.  It smells so good!

There are also a lot of great specials going on at Lush at this time. Each store may have different promotions and specials so check with your local store.  The U.S. website http://www.lushusa.com/ still has a few holiday products at buy 1 get two free sale.  Take advantage of the sales when you can!