October Beauty Favourites

Hello Ladies! 

When I sat down to write about my October favorites I didn't think I would have much to talk about, but the more I thought about it there was so many stand out products this month that I have discovered and absolutely love!  The change is seasons are a major factor in some of these picks, can't believe how cold its gotten already! I have bought so many scarfs and wooly bits so I'm fully prepared..bring it on Mother Nature! On with the favourites..

Boots Botanics Hot Cloth Cleansing Balm 

I bought this at the end of last month when I ran out of my beloved Liz Earle and needed something to fill the void until I got her back in my life. I had never tried a cleansing balm before this one and I was always intrigued. I instantly fell in love with this. It leaves my skin feeling lovely and cleansed but as well as that, it leaves it feeling moisturized! I am so glad I picked this up as it will be a nice addition to my skincare routine throughout the Winter months when my skin is feeling that little bit more dry. 

Seventeen Phowarr Concealer

This was a random purchase a while ago but since my under-eye area has not been the best behaved lately I have definitely put it to good use! Apparently this is a dupe for Benefit's Erse Paste (I haven't tried so I can't compare) If you are not into your heavy duty concealers this is most definitely not the one for you! I have never had a concealer as heavy duty as this before. It covers a multitude of sins and has saved me on many an early morning! 

Revlon Colour Stay Foundation 

Another new discovery this month has been this Revlon foundation. I have heard ravings about this for years but just never bothered trying it. It's a lot more full coverage than I would normally go for but this literally lasts all day on me. I have never had a foundation to last as well as this one does all day, without any touch ups. I really am amazed with it! It is definitely on the more expensive end of "drugstore" foundations but it is a complete revelation to me and I love it! 

MaxFactor Wild Shadow Pots -  Pale Pebble & Burnt Bark 

I have been eying these eye-shadows since they were released! Every-time I was at a MaxFactor stand I'd give them a little swatch but always walk away. So the other weekend I was having one of those days and decided to treat myself. I absolutely love these two eye-shadows! They look fantastic together, require minimal work, gorgeously pigmented and blend seamlessly together. They are amazing quality considering they are from the cheaper scale of the make up world. I'm really into cooler toned eye-shadows at the moment too so Burnt Bark is right up my street!

Ginger & Co "Hand it To Me" Hand Cream*

I was sent this during this month and it has become a permanent resident in my handbag ever since! I have become addicted to this tube! I have moisturised my hands so much this month because I am really feeling the weather change and this has worked wonders on them! It leaves them feeling lovely and moisturised but it sinks in so quickly so you don't get that horrible greasy feeling after application. The smell of this is gorgeous too!  

Charles Worthington Leave In Conditioner

 I have noticed my hair has grown so much the past while, I think that is partly because instead of the usual straightening/curling process, I have just been throwing it up in one of those hair donuts and not doing a whole pile with it..(bad blogger) But since I have finally gotten a few more inches on the ends I have been trying my best to keep it in the best condition I can. I have been loving this Leave In Conditioner from Charles Worthington. From the first use I really noticed a difference! My hair felt so much softer and less dry. It leaves a lovely shine to my hair and it comes in a handy pot with a flip lid so there is no messing about in the shower trying to unscrew a pot and dropping it everywhere.

So those are the monthly favourites I have for the month of October...craziness. I have actually started my Christmas shopping already, this will be the year I am organized! I refuse to be the girl running around on Christmas Eve doing things at the last minute, be proud ladies! 

What have you been loving this month? Have you made any new discoveries this month that I should know about or try?

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Barry M Matte Nail Paint | Crush

 Hello Lovelies!

Alot of you will have already heard about the new releases from Barry M, the Matte Nail Paints. Being the massive fan of Barry M that I am, I instantly knew I had to get my hands on them. Being honest I had never really tried a matte nail polish before, I had gotten the Gosh Matte topcoat but only used it once or twice.

The colour that I chose was Crush which is a gorgeous deep red colour. Perfect for Autumn/Winter some might say! The formula is slightly thicker than a normal nail polish, so you get much more coverage with just one coat than you would with a regular polish. You could get away with just two coats, but in the swatches above I did three just to show you the effect. I have become obsessed with matte nails since getting this polish. I think it is just really different and nice for the colder months. All the colours in the line are perfect for Autumn/Winter and I will definitely be picking up a few more! 

I had this on for about 3/4 days before I started to notice some wear around the tips but considering I didn't have a top coat on I think this is fantastic. There were no significant chips at all! One thing I will say is that the matte effect does seem to fade, when I took it off it was considerably shiner than when I put it on. So it does wear off eventually! But apart from that I really can't fault these polishes. I am really impressed with what I've seen and will definitely have to try some other shades from the range. I hope that Barry M releases some pastel shades when we eventually reach Spring again, I just think they would look really cute!

Have you tried any of the other shades in this range? What ones would you recommend and what are your thoughts?

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October Empties

Hello Lovelies!

I haven't done an empties post in awhile, and this is because I kept forgetting to save the packaging of the empty products I finished up...oopsie! So eventually I gathered together enough empties to share with you in a post! I love writing up these posts because you can do quick reviews of individual products that you mightn't get around to reviewing or mightn't need a full post dedicated to them! So on with this months empties...

Vaseline Spray & Go Moisturiser

 I absolutely loved this product, I bought this about 3 months ago or when it first came out in Ireland and I just think it is an amazing idea! I have done a full review of it here. But I am seriously lazy when it comes to applying moisturiser to my body and this made it 100 times easier! You literally spray and rub it, it couldn't be any easier! I love the smell of the Cocoa one too. I will definitely be repurchasing this but I think I will try the Aloe one next!

 

Gilette Satin Care Olay

I can't even remember buying this, it has lasted me so long! I love the way this makes my legs feel after shaving, they always feel nice and moisturised afterwards compared to other shaving gels I've used in the past which have left my legs feeling dry and "tight". It foams up lovely and makes shaving so easy and quick! I would definitely recommend this!

 

Seche Vite Topcoat

I bought this back in March when I went a little mad in Boots one weekend...(it was my Birthday in my defence) and I have been obsessed ever since! This polish is actually amazing. It drys literally in seconds, makes your manicure last so much longer and the bottle I found lasted ages! I will definitely be repurchasing this and when I do I will post a more in depth review on it!

 

Soap & Glory Hand Maid

For the OCD in me I have been carrying around this little bottle of hand sanitiser the past couple of months and I have to say I was a little bit sad when it ran out. It smells so much nicer than your average hand sanitiser and as far as I could tell it did the job well without drying out my hands. I'll definitely buy another one of these because they are so handy for throwing in your handbag!

  

L'oreal Paris 3 in 1 Micellier water

I have recently done a comparison post on different Micellier waters including this one so if you want to have a read of that you can do so here. But I was extremely impressed with this offering from L'oreal and I have already repurchased it!

 

John Frieda Volume Conditioner

I actually finished both the Shampoo and Conditioner in this range but of course I forgot to hold on to the Shampoo so I'm afraid the conditioner will just have to represent both! I am totally in love with this shampoo & conditioner set! It feels so lovely and luxurious and gives my hair amazing volume. It's completely affordable and you can pick it up in Boots. I have already repurchased this too surprise surprise!

 

Batiste Dry Shampoo

And finally, no empties post would be complete from me without the bottle of Batiste thrown in! This is the one for Brunettes and I prefer it to the normal one I get. This one has a tint of colour in it so you're not left with massive grey patches in your hair that you have to spend ages trying to rub in! I have another bottle of this on the go at the moment but I might pick up something different next time, if you have any other dry shampoo recommendations do let me know!

 

So those are my empties that I can now finally throw them out and start hording again for another post!

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Battle of the Cleansing Waters

 Hello Lovelies!

Something that has blown up across the beauty world in the past couple of years is Micellier waters. The world went crazy for Bioderma (myself included) despite how hard it was and still is to get hold of. I thought I would compare some of the cleansing waters I have been using myself the past couple of weeks to see what ones are worth the money.

Bioderma Crealine H2O
Ah my first micellier water love. I originally bought this off eBay for a ridiculous amount of money but then the fabulous Jess sent me a double pack while she was living in France so that kept me going for awhile! This was the first micellier water I had ever tried and I fell in love instantly. A small bit of this on a cotton pad easily removes all of my make-up, eye make-up included! For my eye make up I just keep it on my eyes for about 10 seconds and then it comes out effortlessly! It has no scent either so I imagine it would be suitable for sensitive skins too!

 No.7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Water
This is one of the latest purchases I've made in my Micellier family. It comes with a very handy pump, so you have less waste while trying to get it out. This one is slightly fragranced but it is hypoallergenic, so again suitable for sensitive skins. I find this just as good if not better than the Bioderma, it removes all my make up easily and quickly! It's alot cheaper than the Bioderma too at just €11.75! Definitely worth picking up when the skincare vouchers

L'oreal Paris 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution 
A new micellar water that has taken the blogging world by storm is the L'oreal Paris 3 in 1 purifying micellar solution. I think this is the most similar to the Bioderma out of the ones that I have tried so far. It is scentless and again completely dissolves all make up so easily! The packaging for this is really compact and neat, perfect for traveling and it is the cheapest out of the three at  €6.69.

Have you any other recommendations for me? I love trying new Micellar waters, it's my new favourite thing! Have you tried any of these three? Which is your favourite? 

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Bourjois Blush Exclusif

Hello Lovelies!

Today I wanted to show you my new favourite blusher from Bourjois (yes I realise I have a new favourite blusher every second week...I'm fickle!) I blogged during the Summer about the cream blushes that everyone fell head over heals for, and this new release from them is no different. 

Advertised as a "bespoke" blusher, this is a cream blusher that adapts itself to a unique shade of pink when it reacts to the PH of your skin. This process does take a couple of minutes to happen so don't pile it on if you don't get the shade you want at the start because it could change within a couple of minutes. It does change in the pot too, so it doesn't stay as neat looking as it does originally! 

Like the other Bourjois Cream blushes it is really easy to apply and blends like a dream. My shade was a cooler toned pink which is something I would normally go for (MAC Well Dressed, Illamasqua's Sob) so this was right up my street. The packaging is so compact too so it's perfect for popping in your make up bag or bringing out with you incase you want to touch up.

Have you tried the latest offering from Bourjois? Were you happy with your colour? Available online here.

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Mary Jane Fashion

 

Hi lovelies!

 

I just wanted to do a quick post today to tell you about another website I was introduced to recently! It's called Mary Jane Fashion and I have literally been browsing it constantly since I heard about it!

 

They do everything from gorgeous, affordable High Heel Shoes to funky wet look leggings, perfect for winter and all the prices are amazing! I have found so many dresses and pairs of shoes that I have fallen in love with, and again they deliver worldwide which is an added bonus!

 

Let me know what you think of the website and if you've found anything you liked!

*This is a sponsered post

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ImPress Nails

Hello Lovelies!

A couple of weeks ago I was going out for a meal with my family and after a week of work my nails were not looking their best. So last minute (of course) I picked up a set of the ImPress Nails to pop on for the night. I had never tried ImPress nails before so I didn't know what to expect. I had heard good reviews so I was just hoping that they wouldn't pop off into my soup!

One of the main bits I liked about these nails was that instead of glue there was a sticker on the back of the nail that you press down on to your own nails, so that when you eventually take them off there will be no damage like there would be on nail glue. I was pleasantly surprised with how long they lasted on me. I put them on (not carefully) last minute on Saturday evening, I was working Sunday and they lasted me until Tuesday evening when they began to look a little worse for wear! 

You get 24 nails in a packet and 12 sizes so you shouldn't have a problem finding ones to fit! They're not too long either which I found fantastic especially for work! They have lots of different colours and cool designs available too! 

Have you tried the ImPress nails? They're available online here!

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Autumn Nail Picks

Hello Lovelies!

Since it is the season and all I thought I would show you my top 5 picks of nail polish for Autumn! Now I love Autumn. Without a doubt it is my favourite season. I love the weather, the clothes, the make up and of course the nail colours! You can probably see a theme running through my picks based on the pictures above, and yes you would be correct..I love my dark colours. So I will go through them a bit more in detail.

Essie Bahama Mama

First up is a nail polish that I was utterly obsessed with last Autumn/Winter and the obsession has continued on this year. It is a very deep plumy-red colour that looks amazing on the nails. I love Essie polishes in general (and I know Jess is partial to one or twenty too!) and the brush on this polish makes it all the easier to apply!

Barry M's Racing Green

 One I picked up late last year but instantly fell in love with was Barry M's Racing Green. I don't have anything like this in my collection (and trust me, I own a lot of nail polish!) It is the most gorgeous deep forest green with a metallic sheen to it. I wore this quite abit around Christmas last year and I can imagine I will continue to get the use out of it this year too!

Revlon Facets of Fushia

This is the nail polish I can tell you now will be on my toes pretty much constantly for the next couple of weeks. I bought this yonks ago but still really like it. It is a polish with purple glitter suspended in a black gel, I normally put a layer of black polish on under this just to make it look more intense. It looks fantastic on the toes but it is impossible to get off!

Rimmel Celebrity Bash

The last two polishes are of a similar family but different enough to both be included. First up is Rimmels Celebrity Bash, a classic red shade that you really can't go wrong with. I love the formulas of these polishes and the brush again makes application all the easier!

Chanel Rouge Noir

And secondly is my favourite nail polish of the moment. I really am trying hard to keep this for special wear because it is so expensive, but that is just not happening. It is a gorgeous deep red shade, you could almost mistake it for black in some lights. I think it looks so classy with short manicured nails.

So those are my 5 nail polish picks for Autumn! I hope you all have a fantastic weekend! What are your plans? Mine as always include food and relaxing! 

What are your favourite nail colours for Autumn? Let me know your recommendations!

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Boots Botanics Hot Cloth Cleansing Balm

Hello Lovelies!

I hope you are all having a good week so far! Lately my skin hasn't been its best, I've been having break-outs left right and centre. I have pin-pointed the blame completely on the weather but I still wanted to pick up a new cleanser to give my skin a bit of change. So after reading many rave reviews online I picked up the Boots Botanics Hot Cloth Cleansing Balm. 

I have been lusting after the Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm for ages, but I'm a bit wary about spending all that money on something that might not work for me plus I also have not tried a Cleansing Balm before this one. I have to say I really really liked it and I am so tempted to purchase the Emma Hardie one, which is not good news at all! 

Now to tell you a little bit more about it..first off the smell, it's very fresh and almost citrus-y smelling. It did take me a while to get used to the cleansing balm concept. It's basically a balm which once you massage into your face turns into more of an oily consistency. It completely dissolves all make up so easily. I've been using a warm flannel to buff off the excess and I find it leaves my skin feeling so fresh and so soft. It also left my skin feeling nice and moisturized after using it. This would be completely suitable for people with sensitive skin too because it is 97% organic. It contains shea butter, rosehip, beeswax, almond oil and jojoba oil. 

Since starting to use this my breakouts have been few and far between. My skin is feeling alot softer and looking more radiant than before! I would definitely recommend this if you are looking for a good drugstore/highstreet option for a cleanser! 

Available online here. Have you tried the Boots Botanics Hot Cloth Cleansing Balm? What are your thoughts? What else would you recommend from the Botanics range?

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Pauls World Website

Hello Lovelies!

If you follow me on twitter or know me in any way you'll know the absolute bane of my life is trying to grow my hair past shoulder length. I had it cut a few years back and to be honest it just hasn't been the same since! So I have been relying on the beauty of hair extensions to give me the impression my hair as long as I would like it to be! 

I recently came across the fabulous Paul's World website online, who are currently stocking a great selection of hair extensions and accessories. There is a colour match service on the website along with many different options for hair extensions including synthetic, human, clip in and feather hair extensions! I've been mad to try feather hair extensions so I think I'll be making an order!

The quality of the hair extensions look fantastic and the prices are very reasonable! The website itself is also amazing, they stock everything from contact lenses to GHDs! I'm loving the website and I'm afraid I'll be in alot of trouble on payday!

Another excellent feature of the website is that they deliver worldwide! So you can shop online at Paul's Hair World  and I apologise to the damage to your bank accounts!

*This is a sponsored post.

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Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge

Hello Lovelies!
 

I'm sure you've all seen a million and one bloggers talking about the latest edition to the Real Techniques family at this stage but I thought I would tell you my opinions because for some reason I was really intrigued about this new release.
 

I have previously used the Cosmopolitan Make Up Sponge and was impressed with the results I got, but as far as using sponges go that is all I tried. The latest release from Real Techniques is shaped a little differently to the standard beauty sponges. It has a one flat surface, one curved and a pointy tip on the bottom which is meant to be for precise application.
 

I wasn't sure if this was one of the sponges you were meant to wet before you use it so I used it once dry and once when it was wet. To be honest I wasn't as blown away as I had hoped. The flat side was alot easier to use to apply my foundation compared to the normal one, but other than that I didn't find any difference compared to the Cosmo one. When I used it when it was slightly damp I did like the finish it left on my skin. I used it with the Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation and it gave a very light finish to it. When I did try to wash it though, it wasn't very successful. Unfortunately I think it's just one of those things that will always look dirty.
 

Over all I would recommend it if you were looking to try a beauty sponge for the first time, it is very easy to use and gives a gorgeous finish to your make up. But if you have tried other make up sponges before and own others, I really don't think this is that different to make the purchase.
 

Have you tried the latest edition to the Real Techniques collection? What are your thoughts?
 

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Maybelline Babylips

Hello Lovelies!

I hope you are all having a good week so far, I can't believe its October already! It's been pouring down with rain here as soon as it changed to October! Time to get the winter woolies on I think!

Yes yes, I know what you're thinking...not ANOTHER Babylips review! But I couldn't not review them! I was so excited to hear that Maybelline were finally releasing the very coveted Babylips in Ireland and the UK. I had heard so many ravings coming from across the pond about these lipbalms that I knew I had to get them ASAP.

 

The ones I picked up were Peach Kiss, Mint Fresh and Pink Punch. Both Pink Punch and Peach Kiss do have a (very) slight tint to them while Mint Fresh is clear. First of the packaging, it is definitely cheap and cheerful. They do jump out at you from the shelves because they look so bright and fun! They are so handy and compact to throw into your bag for the day.

 

Being honest they are not the most hydrating lip balms, the 8 hour moisture claims might be slightly exaggerated but for the price you can't really complain, plus I think they are really just a bit of fun. My favourite at the moment is Peach Kiss, it gives a nice nude colour on the lips. Pink Punch gives alot more colour to the lips I find so I save that for days when I don't want to bother with much else on my lips!

 

Overall I think these are nice to try, but if you need some intense hydration Babylips are not the one for you. They are available online here for €4.49.

 

Have you tried the Babylips? What are your thoughts?

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