magazines + freebies = what's not to love?

I, probably like many of you, like magazines, but blimey aren't they expensive? OK so I don't have any subscriptions to any mags and so I know I could save myself some pennies there, but as I'm a magazine whore and don't stay faithful to any particular publication it's probably six of one half a dozen of the other.  But what I do love is when a publication I like to read has a freebie (usually of the beauty related variety) and if it has then I'm all over it like a rash.  So I thought I would share with you some of the freebies I've collected over the past few months.

Lets start with the Jemma Kidd Instant Lift Skin Perfecting Primer.  Now I have a love/hate relationship with primers, some days I think they aren't worth the money and other times I think they are worth their weight in gold.  I think it depends on what foundation I am using on any given day. This primer retails for £14, I got 10ml worth of product but I am unsure how much you get for your £14 hard earned pounds.  Jemma Kidd say this has a natural tensing agent to lift and firm your skin and help decrease wrinkles.  If I was looking to choose a primer, that would sell it to me alone!

This primer is of quite a watery gel consistency and a little goes a long way.  I found on application it left my skin quite tacky.  Although once my foundation was applied it wasn't affected by any tackiness which had been left by the primer and just felt as my foundation normally would.

Excuse my bony looking knuckles here!!!

I, like many, have combination skin and I usually have to blot or powder my t-zone several times a day but I found this primer definitely helped with this and I didn't need to powder my face more than once a day when using this product.  Would I recommend this primer? For sure.

Next up is the Super Extend Extreme Mascara by Avon.

This costs £10 and I got a full-sized freebie.  I prefer to wear a black-brown mascara and if I was splitting hairs I would complain that freebie mascaras tend to come in black.  But like I said that's splitting hairs.  Unlike many of my other make-up products (high end), I am not bothered where I buy my mascara or who it is made by.  As long as it lengthens, thickens, separates and doesn't clump and is easy to remove (don't ask for much do I?!) then I am happy.  Avon say take even the shortest lashes to new heights, lengthening mascara with lash-lifting brush visibly lenthens top lashes by up to 87% (tested on 25 people), doesn't flake, clump or smudge.  There aren't wrong there; no flaking or clumpiness and my lashes looked doll like pretty plus it was a breeze to remove.  Would I buy this mascara?  The answer is no because I just can't stand those rubbery wands and this mascara had one of those.

Murad is next.  Now I know Murad is a tad expensive for many but I believe with their products you get what you pay for.  This is their Essential-C Cleanser which retails at £10 for 45ml or you can get the larger size of 200ml for £34.  The freebie I got was 45ml.

Murad say this antioxidant cleanser neutralizes free radicals and restores moisture.  My skin felt thoroughly cleansed after using this cleanser without it leaving my skin dry.  If you like orange this cleanser is for you, it smells just like Haliborange vitamin tablets which I used to have as a kid and loved!  Would I recommend this cleanser? Yes.  Would I buy it? For sure.

Lastly we have Benefits Benetint, which is their original rose-tinted stain which was developed in the 1970s.

Now I don't have many Benefit products so I was keen to try this.  This freebie was 4ml and 12.5ml retails for £24.50 so this was a good way of trying out a cult product without having to fork out a lot of cash for something which may or may not suit.

The thing I liked about this the most, was the scent; Oh My it smells of turkish delight which I love.  This is also the first cheek stain product I have tried (it is also a lip stain but I've not tried it on my lips yet).  Gotta say I wasn't a big fan.  Don't think it was of the product itself, more the type of product.  I think stains, in my very limited experience, are quite a faff.  Although this is a pricey product, a little goes a long way so you are probably getting your moneys worth in the long run.  Would I recommend this product?  If you love stains and turkish delight then go for it.

So, are you like me and choose the magazines with the freebies and if so what have you been collecting lately?