Benefit Stay Don't Stray Primer

I love eyeshadow primers, my favourites being Urban Decay, Too Faced and MAC's paint pots (Painterly and Utterly Becoming), so I decided to get this two-in-one primer using my Birchbox points, so this beauty item was completely free. 

As you can see I got it in the shade Light/Medium, it comes in a nice large tube, with a doe foot applicator for precision primer-application. 

I like how the lid has "Stay" and the bottom of the tube says "Don't Stray". Cute. 

It says put three dots on the eyes (both on the lid and three under the eye) and blend, then apply eyeshadow (and concealer under the eyes). This dries down pretty fast, so once it's on your skin you have to work with it quickly. I put a fair amount of primer on my upper lid (I always do, I find it prevents creasing) but less on my undereye area, as I don't have trouble with my concealer moving or straying, especially once it's set with a powder.  

Picture taken at 4pm

I used MAC's Mineralism & Showstopper and Feather (from Little Mix loves All About The Eyes Palette) for the highlight. I used Bourjois Healthy Mix concealer and set with Bourjois Healthy Balance Unifying Powder to set it. 

Pictures taken at 3am

After eleven hours, my eyeshadow still looked pretty good. There was less eyeshadow in the crease, but it hadn't become so oily that a crease had formed, so thumbs up there. As for my concealer, that was still there, but as I've already stated, that's never been an issue, so I can't say with any certainty that it works. I think I'll stick with my MAC Paint Pots as a primer for the time being but this one would do for me in a pinch. 

Any eyeshadow primer suggestions? Love/hate? I'd love to hear xx

May 2014 Birchbox

The title says it all. Come see what I got in this month's Birchbox! 

My thoughts: I actually didn't like this box at all, but I am not complaining as they put some rather lovely and expensive stuff in there.

Although the shampoo & conditioner looked promising, I'd only be able to use them twice as I use massive amounts of both in each shower as I have so much hair. 

I'm not a huge nail varnish user, and I think the colour I received was awful as I dislike that colour quite a lot but I'm sure other people would love that colour.

I'm sure that most people that receive a sample size of Benefit's They're Real mascara would squeal for joy, but not me. I bought it a fair few years ago and it did not work for my crappy lashes at all, so I threw it away. Biggest waste of £19.50 ever! 

I don't use body oil. Maybe I should but meh. 

The hot cleansing cloth & cleanser is also something I will not use. I work long hours and don't have time for long beauty skin regimes, especially if it requires me to stand in my freezing cold bathroom getting all my makeup off. 

I decided not to open any of it; I carefully rewrapped up the hot cleansing cloth stuff, popped it all back in the box and gave it all to a work colleague to give to his wife. Waste not, want not!