Carnaby Benefit Boutique / Makeup Lesson and Hair Blow Out Review

Carnaby Benefit Boutique Review / Makeup Lesson and Hair Blow Out
When I realised that London’s flagship Benefit Boutique was only a few minutes walk from the Blogger Meet (see my post on it here if you missed it!) it seemed too good an opportunity to pass up.

They welcome drop ins, but I’d phoned ahead to book an appointment since Saturdays can get very busy. Throwing caution (and my debit card) to the wind I booked in for a makeup lesson and hair blow out.

London is hands down my favourite place to explore and for once I had a bit of spare time before my appointment, so I had a leisurely stroll down Carnaby Street. 


I admired the mod bikes at the
Lambretta store where a crowd had gathered to take pictures and gazed longingly at the Plyones window display. I love their kitchenware
and accessories, it’s all so cheerfully bright and quirky. Why have normal pegs, when you can have crocodile pegs? Snap snap!

Carnaby Benefit Boutique Review / Makeup Lesson and Hair Blow Out

Carnaby Benefit Boutique Review / Makeup Lesson and Hair Blow Out

At the Benefit store there were people browsing the counters and perched on stools receiving demos from the friendly Benebabes, but I was whisked downstairs into the calm quiet for my pamper session.

Beautifully decorated in the Benefit retro style, there is a champagne bar, chill out booths and, of course, plenty of makeup and beauty products to entice you.
Carnaby Benefit Boutique Review / Makeup Lesson and Hair Blow Out
Carnaby Benefit Boutique Review / Makeup Lesson and Hair Blow OutCarnaby Benefit Boutique Review / Makeup Lesson and Hair Blow Out

Carnaby Benefit Boutique Review / Makeup Lesson and Hair Blow Out 
First my hair was washed and conditioned by Hilary, a glamorous American
with perfect liquid eyeliner flicks. When asked what sort of style I
was looking for, I replied helpfully, “I don’t know… bouncy??” With an
assured nod, Hilary set to work and my flat, frizzy hair was
transformed in no time into a glamorous wavy do, complete with the
merest hint of backcombing. With a flourish she spritzed on a little
hairspray before smiling and saying “oh your hair blows out so nice!” to which I became all “aw shucks really??” whilst swishing my hair back and forth in wonderment at the transformation.

Carnaby Benefit Boutique Review / Makeup Lesson and Hair Blow Out

I was then handed over to the equally lovely Cara for my makeup lesson. She asked me questions about my usual makeup routine and what sort of look I’d like to go for. As I was heading to a bar afterwards we decided upon smokey eyes, a nice berry lip and soft dewy skin.

Upon admitting that I had a gift sized version of Benefits Porefessional at home that I had never used, she demonstrated how to use it, why and where, passing me the mirror so that I could see the difference after application. I also confessed that I had bought two Brow-zing kits in different colours but felt that one was too dark and the other too red. She suggested Gimme Brow which is easier to apply and a more suitable colour for my eyebrows and I had to agree after seeing the results.

I was originally set on black eyeliner, my ‘go to’ makeup look, but Cara
persuaded me to try a softer brown to enhance the smoky eye and I
really loved how it turned out.

My biggest concern about having my makeup applied was foundation. I never ever wear it myself as I have such pale skin that I’m petrified of looking caked and orange. She explained that my complexion is ‘yellow’ based as opposed to ‘red’ and recommended a colour from their Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow range, which gave me an even skin tone but still felt very light and natural. I’m a convert!
Carnaby Benefit Boutique Review / Makeup Lesson and Hair Blow Out 
Here’s everything used to create my look:
Carnaby Benefit Boutique Review / Makeup Lesson and Hair Blow Out

Carnaby Benefit Boutique Review / Makeup Lesson and Hair Blow Out

I really enjoyed the lesson. It was very relaxed and I picked up lots of tips on how best to apply my makeup and prep my skin correctly. Now that I know it’s so close to Kings Cross (Oxford Circus is 4 minutes
on the tube) I will definitely be making a return trip at some point.

Here are a couple of selfies at the end of my day out (pictures taken on my phone). As you can see, the hair held up very well – in fact I think it actually looked better as the day went on! I did check in the mirror at one point and found a few smudges of the They’re Real mascara under my eyes which I wiped off as soon as I spotted them, but other than that the makeup lasted all day.
Carnaby Benefit Boutique Review / Makeup Lesson and Hair Blow Out

Carnaby Benefit Boutique Review / Makeup Lesson and Hair Blow Out
If you are lucky enough to be close to a Benefit Boutique I thoroughly recommend a visit, whether it’s a ‘just because’ treat to yourself or ahead of a big day/night out.

The only side effect I shall warn you of is the urge to never wash your face and hair again for fear of losing the look – the struggle is real…
 
Hair blow outs are from £26.50 and the makeup lesson cost £40 which is redeemable against purchases.

I was not approached to review/endorse Benefit and the views expressed in this review are my own. However when I asked permission to take a few photos for my blog they could not have been more welcoming, allowing me the run of the store and were kind enough to give me a 10% discount on the day.

You can find out more about the Benefit Beauty Services and store locations here.

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Peterborough | UK
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