July Beauty Favourites

 

Hello Lovelies!

How crazy is it that July is nearly over already? I am getting quite excited about Autumn coming. It is my favourite season for fashion and make up! I also love the weather when it's really crisp outside and the leaves start falling. I'm probably depressing all of you that love Summer so I will just crack on with the products I have been loving this month!

Vaseline Spray & Go Moisturiser

I picked this up at work the other week and have been utterly obsessed since. I love moisturising and as a complete tan-aholic we all know the number one rule is to moisturise! But I have to admit after a shower or a bath or even on a normal evening I hate the effort of applying moisturiser and waiting for it to sink in. With this you literally spray and give a quick rub in and you are good to go. It sinks in so quick and it sprays a nice light even spray too! I thought it might come out in a squirt and you would have to spread it out yourself but it actually comes out in a lovely light mist that is really easy and quick to rub in. The cocoa one smells divine too! This is exclusive to Boots at the moment I would definitely recommend it if you can be a bit lazy about the moisturiser like me!

 

L'oreal Matt & Messy Salt Spray

Another new addition to my collection over the past few weeks. I had seen this advertised on the television and I was intrigued. I have never used a salt spray before but recently (as you may have heard me harping on about on twitter) my hair has been abit lifeless recently so I have started taking steps to combat that. So along with the next two products I will be speaking about this has really helped! It just gives my hair lovely texture and makes it look like I have more hair than I have! It doesn't give a sticky feeling that I was afraid it would and it smells lovely! I spray this on my hair from about my ears down and just give it a ruffle.

 

John Freida Luxurious Volume Shampoo & Conditioner

These have been a god-send to me this past month. I don't think I have ever fallen for a shampoo and conditioner like I have with these! They give me so much volume, my hair has been feeling and looking so much thicker since I've started to use these! I will definitely be repurchasing these when I run out and that is a big thing for me to say because I normally just use what ever is in the house. I would even go as far to say that I prefer them to the Lush BIG shampoo that I have been using the past while. Plus they are easier for me to get, cheaper and they don't dry my hair out as much. So I will be using these on a more day to day basis and saving my Lush for special occasions!

 

Bourjois Color Boost Lip Crayon- Peach on the Beach

I think Bourjois are really doing well with their releases lately! Everything that I've tried from their new releases I've loved. Now I have only had the Lip Crayons for about two weeks but I swear its love! Particularly Peach on the Beach! I have been looking for something to use everyday instead of my beloved YSL Peach Passion and I think I've found it! I had never tried a lip crayon before these but now I completely see what the hype is about! I love the formula, the color, the lasting power, the packaging..everything! I really hope that they release more colors for Autumn/Winter like a nice berry or deep red! I am a woman obsessed!

 

Bourjois Cream Blusher- Healthy Glow

Again from Bourjois are their cream blushes. In particular Healthy Glow. I love a good peachy/coral cheek colour and the formula of these are just lovely. They are cream to powder blushes so they are really easy to blend but I find that they last longer than your average cream blush. The color really does exactly what it says, it perks up my face and makes me look alot healthier and more awake!

 

Maybelline Mint For Life

We all love a good mint nail polish and when I seen this much hyped maybelline one doing the rounds on youtube and the blogging community I thought who am I to pass up a good hyped product? I have had this on my nails constantly since I got it. The lasting power is absolutely amazing! I have really put them to the test the past week and have come away with little/no chips! Very impressed indeed! The brush is my favourite fan shape, I just can't be dealing with those tiny brushes! And this mint color may be passing out Mint Candy Apple as number 1 in my heart! I really want to try a few more shades in this line as I was so impressed with Mint For Life!

 

YSL Touche Eclat Foundation

In Ireland the past few weeks the weather has just been phenomenal! It's been so unbelievably warm here, so of course I have been wanting complete minimal make up but still wanting to look socially acceptable. Enter my Touche Eclat foundation. Perfect lightweight foundation and it gives me that glowy look to my skin that I constantly crave! It doesn't feel or look cakey at all on the skin but still covers anything I don't want shown. I think I will be reaching for this foundation all year round as it just is the most perfect foundation I have tried so far!

 

So those are my July beauty favourites ladies (and gentlemen possibly?) What have you been loving this month? Please leave your recommendations below! Also my giveaway is finishing up this Saturday so if you would like to win a MAC lipstick of your choice you can enter here

 

Read More»

Bourjois Color Boost Lip Crayons

Hello Lovelies!

 

I hope you are all having a good week, I am so busy at the moment! Does anyone else find that in Summer there is just so much more going on and you always have plans? I love it! Myself and my boyfriend went shopping last weekend and low and behold I found myself in front of a Bourjois stand. I have been absolutely loving Bourjois lately, they can do no wrong in my eyes! I've been loving their cream blushes which I reviewed here and when I heard they were coming out with new lip products I knew I had to get my hands on some!

 

I've never actually tried a "lip crayon" before, I just never really got all that interested by them and they were always something I just never looked at when I was at a stand that did them. But I think it was the shade range in the Bourjois Color Boost line that really made me want to try them. They all seem so Summery and bright! (I hope they release some darker colors for Autumn/Winter time too!) The two shades that I picked up were Peach on the Beach (what a cute name!) and Orange Punch. You can see by the swatches I did about that they are actually really nicely pigmented, you can choose to have a nice sheer layer or you can build it up really easily to create a more bold lip. They feel lovely on the lips, they are very moisturising and they don't cling to any dry patches which is a massive bonus for me because it is something that I sometimes find a problem with! Bourjois claim that they last for 10hrs on the lips and that they are water-proof which are very high claims indeed! I don't know about 10hrs but they do last at least 3-4 hours before they look a little worse for wear and need a little top-up!

 

Another thing I was impressed with was the fact that they contain SPF 15! Now living in Ireland we're not exposed to massive sunshine or anything but my lips are always something I forget about when it comes to sun protection so to have it built in to a lip product I love and would wear on an everyday basis is perfect!

 

Have you tried any of the Color Boost Crayons? Are there any other colors that you would recommend because I can definitely see these fast becoming a new obsession!

Read More»

John Frieda Luxurious Volume Shampoo & Conditioner

Hello Lovelies!

I hope you all enjoyed the gorgeous weather we have all been lucky enough to have the past couple of weeks, I can't believe Ireland actually got a Summer this year. The rain is back with a vengeance though and the umbrella has been put back into my handbag.

Now if you know me at all you will know my hair is the bane of my life. I just never seem to be happy with it, the cut, the color, the length etc. But the thing that gets me most is how flat it looks. I've been starting to notice this more and more in pictures that my hair looks like it is stuck to my head. No amount of back combing or "fluffing up" has appeared to combat this. I have been using the Lush's BIG shampoo which I actually found worked lovely but dried out my hair pretty badly and since I don't live near a Lush I haven't been able to repurchase it since my last one ran out. Enter John Frieda Luxurious Volume* range. I'll be honest and say I hadn't tried any John Frieda products before this Shampoo and Conditioner, but I am overwhelmingly impressed by these two products! 

First of all it smells divine! There is nothing worse than a shampoo that smells less than desirable and your hair smelling like it forever! This shampoo reminds me of when I get my hair done in a salon. It really does smell lovely and luxurious. On to the main reason for me wanting to use this shampoo, the volumising aspect. I can report back and say it 100% gives my limp, flat hair lots of volume which I am so happy about! I couldn't believe it the first time I used it how much thicker my hair looked and felt. It also felt so lovely and soft too which is always a plus! I definitely prefer this to the Big shampoo because it hasn't dried my hair out like Big did, it's cheaper, it's easier to get hold of (for me anyway) and it's a lot easier to use! 

If like me you crave big voluminous hair I would definitely recommend you give these a go! I am utterly addicted and will be repurchasing once I run out of these! 

*PR Sample

Read More»

Top 5 Summer Lip Products

Hello Lovelies!

A few weeks ago I guest posted for the lovely Becky while she was on her holidays, so I thought I would share it here incase you missed it before! I wanted to share my top 5 lip picks for the Summer, and as you all know I am a massive fan of lip products so it was a bit of a challenge to narrow it down to just five but here are the ones that made the cut!

No.7 BB Lips - Blush Coral

I'm not normally a big fan of lip glosses but when I picked this up on a whim a couple of weeks ago, I fell in love! It's not sticky whatsoever on the lips which is a massive selling point for me because I hate the feeling of tacky, sticky lips. It gives a nice sheer wash of colour on the lips which is nice for a sunny day as it's not too heavy!

YSL Rouge Volupte - Peach Passion

Can you tell I'm going through a Coral phase at the moment? My boyfriend very kindly bought this for me a while ago, and even though I am trying to save it for special occasions I just can't resist and have been wearing it quite a lot recently. It is a gorgeous peachy-coral shade and I don't think I've seen another colour like it. I love this paired with my BB Lips from No.7!

MAC - Lady Danger

I swear after this one I will stop with the Orange colours! I think this is my all time favourite MAC lipstick. Perfect for a Summer night out, it is still a gorgeous statement colour but it is a nice variation on the classic Red lip that everyone seems to love. I think this is a lipstick that would look good on so many different skin tones and I would recommend you go and have a look at it next time you're at MAC!

MAC - Chatterbox

The most recent edition to my MAC collection and one I have found myself reaching for quite a lot throughout the Sunnier days. It is a gorgeous deep pink but I still consider it very wearable for everyday. It is an amplified finish so the colour you see is the colour you get on your lips. I love this paired with Well Dressed blush from MAC for an everyday look!

Revlon Lip Butter - Lollipop

And for the days where I'm not feeling in the mood for a lipstick but I still want some colour on my lips I have been reaching for Lollipop! I love the formulas of the Revlon Lip Butters, they are so lightweight on the lips but still moisturising while giving your lips some colour. Lollipop is a gorgeous fuchsia pink which can be lightly applied for a wash of colour or built up to be more a opaque colour!

So there you have it, those are my top five lip products for the Summer months! What would be in your top 5 picks? Please leave your recommendations below! 

Read More»

What's In My Makeup Bag | Summer Edition

Hello Lovelies!

I'm sorry I have been slightly absent on the blogging front recently, I have been really busy with my new job and life in general I suppose. But I'm back and I actually recently got a new makeup bag and I am completely in love with it! So it would seem a fitting time for a What's in my Makeup Bag post! I can't even remember the last time I've done one of these posts and they're always one of my favourites to read. I always love reading what other people have in their day to day makeup bags and to see what really has made the cut to make it into an everyday makeup bag. Sometimes I do change my products up but this is what has been in my bag the past few weeks!

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer
I bought this from a blog sale a while ago and it has been a staple in my make up bag ever since! It is the best primer I have ever used and I have used quite alot! I am a massive fan of primers and would use one nearly everyday. With this and a setting powder I found my make up to last all day with minimal touch ups. The only thing that is putting me off repurchasing this is the massive price tag!

YSL Touche Eclat Foundation
Fast becoming my new holy grail foundation. I have been trying so hard to keep this for special occasions and good wear (yes I have a special occasion foundation..that is how sad I am..) but it is just too addictive! It is definitely one of the top 5 foundations I have ever tried, it gives my skin such a radiant look and it brings light to all the right areas. It doesn't have a great deal of coverage to it but just enough to even out my skin tone and anything else I can just use concealer for!

Garnier Roll-on Under Eye Concealer
This must be one of the most random purchases I've made in a long time. I've always thought it looked really good but didn't think it was worth the money, then I seen it on sale for €3 and snapped it up. I actually have really been enjoying using it since I've picked it up. It's amazing at concealing under eye circles and the roller ball is so lovely and refreshing to use in the mornings.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer
No make up bag would be complete without this concealer in it. It covers up a multitude of sins and has been a lifesaver more than once for me. I honestly could not be without this concealer and if they ever discontinue it I would be heartbroken!

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder
I have recently reverted back to my trusty Stay Matte Powder for the summer months. I find that my skin can tend to get very shiny throughout the day which is never a good look (I'm looking for dewy!) so I have been using this just on a kabuki brush to keep the shine at bay!

NARS Laguna Bronzer
I recently repurchased my all time favourite bronzer Laguna and it feels so nice when it's all clean and new! I have loved this bronzer for a year now and it has never let me down. It has never made me look muddy or too over done and if I want to I can use it for contouring too!

MAC Well Dressed Blush
This is one of my all time favourite blushes that I own so it is permanently in my make up bag. It is my go to blush on days that I really can't be bothered to make an effort because I know I love it. It's such a nice subtle blush too so I won't be left looking too over done! 

Bourjois Healthy Glow Blush
One of the more recent additions to my make up collection is the Bourjois Cream Blushes. My favourite is number 02 Healthy Glow, as I find it really does do what it says- gives you a nice healthy glow! I find them really easy to blend without a blush so they're perfect for on the go make up application! 

MAC Omega & Espresso and MUA Clear Brow Gel
I love doing my eyebrows. It is safe to say doing my eyebrows is one of my favourite parts of my makeup routine. For ages I was just using MAC's Omega but recently I decided I wanted a slightly darker colour just for a bit more definition, so I picked up MAC's Espresso which I find to be perfect just on days where I do want that little bit more definition. I usually just use a mix of the two for my everyday look. 

Essence I Heart Stage Eyeshadow Primer
I have been using this for the past couple of months and have been loving it! It really does help my eyeshadow stay in place all day and for a couple of euros you really can't go wrong!

Urban Decay NAKED Basics palette
This comes everywhere with me. If I was not able to get to my make up collection but I had this palette in my makeup bag I would be sorted. I love the colours in this and I love that they are all matte - perfect for an everyday look!

Rimmel Scandaleyes Black Eyeliner
I've been going back to wearing black eyeliner recently just to define my eyes more, some days I just use this to line alone my top lash line and smudge it out using a brush. I love the formula of these eyeliners too, once they set they do not budge! 

Benefits They're Real Mascara
One of my all time favourite mascaras (joint first place with Maybelline Falsies) It literally makes your eyelashes look like you are wearing eyelash extensions. It is quite hard to get off but I am willing to put up with that for the look that it gives!

Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara
I love using this teeny little mascara for my bottom lashes. I can get right into the tiny little lashes with the brush because it is so small. This mascara doesn't smudge at all and it lasts all day long!

Shu Uemura Eyelash Curlers
I use these everyday without fail. They were expensive but in my opinion completely worth it! They curl my lashes perfectly and the curl actually stays in my lashes longer. If you are thinking of purchasing them I would definitely recommend them, they are amazing and really work! 

Nivea Lip Butter Caramel Cream
I always have a lip balm in my makeup bag, it doesn't necessarily need to be a particular brand or type just whatever I have at the time. I do love this one though, it smells good enough to eat! 

YSL Rouge Volupte Peach Passion
Yes I know I said I was trying to save this for special occasions too but its just not happening, I love it too much! I love this colour especially for the summer months and I find it does last a decent amount of time on my lips too! It is the perfect peachy colour and you all know how I feel about those kinds of colours for the summer! 

So that is what I am currently carrying round in my everyday makeup bag. It takes a really good product to be able to take up permanent residence in my makeup bag so these are the products that have passed the test! 

Read More»

Bourjois Cream Blush | Healthy Glow & Rose Tender

Hello Lovelies!

If you follow me on twitter you will have read all about my excitement about the releases of these products! I was so excited because if you know me you know I am a massive fan of cream blushes so for there to be a new release on the high street excited me no end! It did take me a little while to get my hands on them though, when I was in London I did see them in Boots but to be honest I wasn't blown away by them. I swatched the testers and thought they felt really horrible and chalky so I walked away empty handed. But then by the time I got home the blogosphere had completely fallen in love with them and after reading many reviews I started to think that the testers were just abit bad so I continued on my hunt for them! I eventually bit the bullet and ordered 02 Healthy Glow online, starting using it and fell in love. Less than a week later I won a Bourjois Twitter competition and I recieved 03 Rose Tender. 

Healthy Glow does exactly what it says on the tin, it literally gives you the warmest healthy glow ever. I have been on the hunt for a peach coloured cream blush for quite awhile and this is right up my street. It looks amazing with a tan! Rose Tender I save for my paler days, it gives you a lovely rose-y look (nice naming there Bourjois!) and really warms up my complexion on days where I'm not wearing any tan.  

I normally apply these blushes with my fingers and either blend using my fingers or my Real Techniques Stippling brush. They're not a traditional cream blush formula either, they're not as watery as normal cream blushes. They are said to be a cream to powder formula but once applied they're not completely matte or powdery looking. They just give the right amount of sheen on the cheeks in my opinion and they look really nice and natural!

I think I will just have to pick up the other two colours in this range! Have you tried these blushes? What are your thoughts? 

Read More»

Philosophy Soul Owner & Footnotes

Hello Lovelies! 

 

Isn't the weather amazing?! We are currently having a heat wave in Ireland and the heat is just unreal, I'm afraid to even step out into the sun without being slathered in SPF because I fear I will just burst into flames! Yesterday I actually started my new job in Boots which was amazing! I'm so excited about it! 

 

Lately I was lucky enough to be sent some Philosophy products to review. I have never tried any of Philosophy's products but heard nothing but good things about them so of course I jumped at the chance! I was sent the"Soul Owner" Foot Cream and "Footnotes" Foot Scrub. Now I'll be honest before I tried these products I was never really a foot girl. I would paint my toe nails but never really go any more than that with it. I have never really used anything specifically for my feet and I just never paid that much attention to them. I'm sure this will send some people into complete and utter shock but to be honest I don't normally have my feet on display anyway! But since it is getting hotter and I'm breaking out the sandals and flip flops I decided it was time to embrace the foot care! 

 

Once I received them I put them to the test straight away, and having not paid much attention to my feet before you can only imagine the state they were in (I won't go into details) so I was expecting great things..and I wasn't disappointed! The Footnotes foot scrub just amazed me. First off it smells of Lavender and contains both Lavender and Eucalyptus oil. The exfoliant in it is really fine and gritty, perfect for getting all the dead skin off the bottoms of my feet! It was a lot more of a watery consistency than I was expecting so that was a bit of a surprise the first time I used it!  It also felt lovely and moisturising which was so nice because theres nothing worse than that dry, itchy feeling you can get after any kind of exfoliating! 

 

Now on to my personal favourite, the Soul Owner Foot Cream. It says it's an exfoliating foot cream and to be honest I haven't really noticed much of that but that may be because I'm using it directly after my scrub and I just can't tell. Again this smells of lavender which is so lovely and relaxing to use just before bed. It's so soothing and nice it would just send me straight to sleep! It's such a thick, creamy consistency that it just feels like such a luxurious treat for your feet! 

 

My feet have improved so much since I've started to use these two products. They feel so soft and I don't feel as ashamed as I used to when I wear sandals! This little foot treat set is available online at QVC here! I'll definitely be checking out some more of their products, I'm currently eyeing up a few moisturisers that they have on their site! 

Have you tried these products? What are your thoughts? What other Philosophy products would you recommend me to try?

Read More»

MUA Undress Your Skin Highlighter

Hello Lovelies!

I know surprise surprise another highlighter...I'm sorry but I'm obsessed! I love nothing more than a good highlighter and it is one of my favourite steps in my makeup routine. So I thought I would show you one of my cheaper (possibly my cheapest) highlighters that I use! 

I picked this up on a whim a few months ago and was pleasantly surprised at the quality of it! I had never tried any MUA make up products before this, (I have tried some nail products which I also liked!) so I was abit sceptical about it since it was so cheap, £3 to be exact! I honestly did not have high hopes for this at all and I think it was actually the design of the product that tempted me to pop this in my shopping basket! I love the embossing in the product. I think it gives it such a luxurious feel and it looks so pretty! 

Like I said I was pleasantly surprised with this product. I had expected it to be really chalky and not very pigmented but when I tried it I found it to be lovely and silky and very nicely pigmented. In the picture above that is just one swipe with my finger and rubbed onto the back of my hand. I actually prefer using my fingers to apply this instead of a brush because I think it looks more natural that way. It doesn't contain any glitter in it which is always a massive plus for me, it just gives you a nice sheen without looking too overdone!

I would thoroughly recommend you pick this up, at £3 you really couldn't go wrong! 

Read More»

The Coral Edit

Hello Lovelies!

During the past few months I have become addicted to all things Coral. So I figured I would do what any normal Beauty Blogger would do and blog all about it. Since we have been getting a small bit of sunshine I have been of course wearing tan a bit more and I just find that a coral lip or cheek compliments the tan more than my usual pink would.  I have always been more of a pink lip/cheek girl so this is quite the change for me! 

The lip products that have helped towards this major change are the No.7 BB Lips in Blush Coral, YSL Rouge Volupte in Peach Passion and MAC's Shy Girl. I love these because they are all long lasting, moisturizing and they look gorgeous on the lips! I have loved Shy Girl for well over a year now, it's always been that lipstick I've always gone back to. Peach Passion is a more recent addition to my collection and while I have been trying to save it for special occasions I just can't help but use it, and finally I always layer a bit of Blush Coral over the top of everything! 

For the cheeks there has only been two items that I have been reaching for, one an old faithful and one a more recent addition. I have had MAC Melba for nearly a year now and I honestly couldn't be without it. It is the perfect matte peach shade which looks nice and subtle on the cheeks! Bourjois Healthy Glow has been a recent love of mine! Its name suits it so well because it actually does give you a Healthy Glow to your cheeks, and since it is a cream to powder finish it isn't as matte as Melba but not overly sheeny either. 

And finally for the nails there has been one stand out product for me the past few months and that is Rimmel's Hip Hop. I fell in love with this polish as soon as I seen it on the shelf in Boots and knew it had to be mine. It is such a gorgeous, vibrant colour which is perfect for the Summertime! I have had this either on my fingernails or my toenails pretty constantly these past few months!

So those are my Coral picks! Have you any other recommendations for products you'd think I'd like? Have you been changing up your makeup to suit the weather?

Read More»

MAC Chatterbox

Hello Lovelies!

I hope you are all having a good week so far! Like I said last week it's my boyfriends birthday today so I'm spending the day with him and I think we may be getting a Subway (fingers crossed!.I get way too excited about food!) So I thought I would get this post up before I go!  

A few weeks ago I posted all about my MAC lipstick collection but the week after I went to London..and I visited MAC.. and I think it would have been wrong if I didn't pick up a lipstick! I have actually been lusting after Chatterbox for months. It was always on my "to buy" list but for some reason I never got around to actually buying it. So when I was in Selfridges last month I quickly added it to my shopping basket (I didn't actually have a basket but metaphorically speaking..) and I haven't looked back since! Chatterbox is an amplified finish so literally the colour you see is the colour you get. It is so amazingly pigmented, in the swatch above it only took one swipe to get that amazing colour!

I have worn this out on nights out and the lasting power is amazing! It also feels nice on your lips and it's not at all drying. This is fast becoming one of my favourite MAC lipsticks to wear because I would wear this for during the day and for nights out. 

Have you any other MAC lipstick recommendations for me? What are your favourites?

Read More»