Seventeen Phwoarr Paint

Hello Lovelies!

Today I wanted to talk about something I actually bought last year at some stage, I think it actually could have been back when it first came out! But I never actually got around to blogging about it which is abit strange considering that it has become a firm staple in my make-up bag and I use it every single day! The Seventeen Phowarr Paint is one of Seventeen's latest releases and I completely picked it up on a whim one random shopping trip! I had been on the hunt for a heavy duty all rounder concealer for awhile because my Collection Lasting Perfection just wasn't doing it for me any more, so I had picked up a couple to try and this was in with the bunch.

Now even though this says it is an under-eye concealer on the pot I actually have been using this for both under my eyes and on blemishes (which I have been getting plenty of lately...lucky me!) I picked up the colour "Fair" in it which I have been really happy with - it is perfect for covering up blemishes and it is a little bit brightening for under my eyes too! This concealer is really creamy so it blends in perfectly both under the eyes and on blemishes, and believe me when I say it can cover everything! Everything from scarring from breakouts to under-eye bags- they are gone with this little pot of magic! I have not had any problems with it caking up or creasing on me which is always a bonus! It comes in a really compact little pot, which comes with a mirror-really handy for when you need to touch up while you're out and about! 

 

I have read that some people have said this is a pretty good dupe for the Benefit Erase Paste, which I have wanted to try for a while but the price tag has always put me off! So if like me you have been eying up the Erase Paste maybe give this a go first to see how you like it! I have already repurchased another pot because I love it so much. Is it too soon to say Holy Grail?..lets not jinx it! 

Available online here for €6.99! Have you tried this concealer? What are your thoughts?

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Barry M Matte Nail Paints

Hello Lovelies!

As I mentioned in my Barry M palette review, I picked up two of their nail paints while I was purchasing that. (I have an uncontrollable addiction to Barry M polishes) A few weeks ago I posted about the Barry M Matte Nail Paint in Crush and all about my love for it, well I just had to pick up two other shades from this range. There are five colours in the range altogether but these three are definitely my top picks and I probably won't bother buying the other two, which are a matte black and a yellow toned nude shade. 

The new additions to my matte nail polish collection are Mocha and Vanilla. First of all I just want to comment on how appropriate I think the names are. They are just amazing and really suit the shades so well! Mocha a deep beigey-brown (excellent description there I know...) and Vanilla is a light nude shade. Vanilla actually reminds me alot of Lychee from the Gelly Hi Shine range but in a matte version which is brilliant because sometimes we're not in the mood for a whole load of shine! 

Since I don't wear a top coat with these polishes the wear-time is actually really good considering! They would last a good three days without chipping. The thing I did notice though, and I did mention this in my previous post too is that the matte effect can tend to wear off and it starts to become a bit shiny. That being said that is the only minor criticism I have with these polishes. I love them so much and I have been switching between these three colours for the past few weeks. I would love if they brought out some pastel shades for Spring/Summer because I am obsessed with matte nails at the moment! 

What do you think of the matte nail trend? Yay or nay? 

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What's in my Handbag | 2014

Hello Lovelies!

Yes I know...another handbag..but look how pretty! I have such a story about the purchasing of this bag, I actually had originally seen someone in town with it a couple of weeks ago and I actually went up and asked her if she had bought it recently, when she had I was instantly online on my phone looking to order it. It was out of stock on the River Island website so I checked ASOS where it was in stock! So I just closed out of it for a minute to look for my bank card and when I logged back on it..was out...of stock. When does that happen?! Anyway a few days later I decided to check again out of sheer hope and it was there! No hesitation this time it was in my virtual basket and checked out! 

It is alot smaller than what I would normally go for but surprisingly I can fit all of my essentials in it and still have space! I am trying to to limit myself to only the things I actually need so I'm not lugging around things I never actually use! My diary is actually from eBay, I couldn't find a nice one in the shops and didn't want to splurge on a Filofax so I settled for this cute little one! My purse was a Christmas present this year, and it is completely my style! I love the colour, the little bow detail on the front and it can actually fit all of my cards in it! As for make up I only carry around lip products as I have a mini make-up bag in my drawer at work with other bits in it. My picks at the moment have been MAC Hue with a Clarins Lip Perfector on top. I have my Little Miss Sunshine mirror to make sure everything is staying as it should be, and my favourite perfume at the moment which is Just Cavalli (this will probably be making an appearance in my January favourites!) And last but not least I have a pen, some mints and a mini can of Batiste! 

So that is what I am carrying around in my handbag at the moment, if you've done a "What's in my Handbag" blog post or video please link me to it in the comments because I am obsessed with watching/reading them! 

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Maybelline Baby Skin Primer

 Hello Lovelies! 

I hope you all have had a good weekend! Yesterday I hit 900 followers on bloglovin' and may have done a happy dance! Thank you all so much, I always get so excited to see an new face appear on my follower list or a new comment! I love hearing what you guys think of my posts. This year I'm trying to put alot more effort into my blog, my hours have changed at work and it works out that I have alot more mornings free now so it gives me lots more chance to take pictures for my posts! If you live in Ireland or the UK you will know what I'm talking about when I say there is very limited day-light time for photo taking! So if you have any requests for blog posts you would like to see please let me know!

Anyway after that ramble, today's post is showing you one of my infamous lunchtime purchases. I'm such a disaster for buying on my breaks. I really should just leave my purse at home, I think it would be a safer option! The latest impulse buy was the Maybelline Baby Skin. Now we've all heard about the infamous Baby Lips which took the blogging world by storm. I think at this stage everyone owns at least one, I definitely have one or two around the place! But when I seen the new offering from Maybelline I was intrigued! My first thoughts was that it could be a drug store dupe for Benefit's Porefessional with alot friendlier of a price-tag!

Since trying it I am pleased to report back to say this is definitely comparable to the Porefessional. The main difference that I found was that the Porefessional has a little bit of a tint to it where as the Baby Skin is clear. When applying this I smooth it over my forehead, down the centre of my face and a little bit on my chin as I find these to be the areas where my pores are the largest and where my make up wears off the quickest. After application I can straight away see a difference to my skin, it is more even and pores are visibly reduced. You could even get away with just popping abit of this on if you were having a good skin day and it would just even out your skin a little bit without the need for foundation. It is lovely and lightweight on the skin so it doesn't feel like you are putting on a thick primer that is suffocating your pores. 

Throughout the day I find that it helps prolong my make up nicely. My chin is always one of the areas on my face where make up just seems to disappear from but with this applied under my foundation I find myself having to touch up less throughout the day. I really do love the way this feels on my skin, it also controls excess oil that may appear during the day which means less powdering.

For the price I really do recommend you give this a go, it is one of the best primers I have used and one I really do enjoy having in my make up bag. It is available to buy online here. Have you tried the Baby Skin? What are your thoughts?

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Top Ten Products for under €10

Hello Lovelies!

I have seen quite a few Bargain Buy posts floating around lately and have absolutely been loving them, and once I seen the Top Ten Under a Tenner post started up I knew I had to give it a go. Almost instantly regretted it then. In Ireland make-up is slightly more expensive than the UK so finding things under a tenner was a little bit more of a challenge than I had originally anticipated. So I sat myself down in front of my make up collection with google open beside me googling the prices of some of my favourites and this is what I whittled it down to! I did try and include the prices for all the products but these prices might vary a little bit depending on where you buy them from!

L'oreal Skin Perfection Micellier Solution €4.46

I have raved about this so much over the past year I'm sure you are all sick to death hearing me go on about it! Basically it is a drugstore dupe of Bioderma. Much easier to get hold of and a whole lot cheaper too! It removes all your make-up quickly and easily, and it is literally like water!

Cocoa Brown 1 Hour Tan €7.99

I was never going to write one of these posts and not include my all time favourite tan good old Cocoa Brown! You really can not go wrong with this tan, you can leave it on for an hour or so for a lovely natural glow or you can leave it on for a bit longer (sometimes I leave it on overnight) for a nice deep colour! It is such a massive bargain and the only tan I use! 

Vaseline Spray & Go Moisturiser €6.15

One of the more hyped products of last year was this little beauty. I am the laziest person when it comes to moisturizing as I have said many times before so I really do get my use out of this! As it says on the tin you literally spray and go. It sprays a nice even amount of moisturizer on your body in  fine mist too so it is really easy to just rub in really quickly! 

L'oreal TXT Spray €4.99

I discovered this late last year and haven't looked back. If you are obsessed with having big hair or hair with a little bit more texture then pick this up! A few sprays in your roots and boom your hair is literally twice the size! What I like about it also is that it holds the volume too so you don't necessarily need hairspray too, just a couple of sprays of this and your good to go.

 

Lush Lip Scrubs €6.75

These have become an essential for me in my make up bag since I've started wearing brighter colors on my lips. These are little sugar scrubs that you pop on your lips and rub in and they just take away any flaky or dead skin that may be there. They come in lots of different flavors too!

Rimmel Apocalips €7.95

Really I could have written this whole post about Rimmel, they have such amazing bargains and keep coming out with brilliant new releases! One of last years releases which took the beauty world by storm was the Apocalips. They are basically a cross between a lipstick and a lip gloss. They are so pigmented, longlasting and they feel nice on the lips too! 

 

Bumble & Bumble Thickening Hairspray 50ml €8.00

This was one I was unsure about including but I decided to include it because you can get the mini travel size bottles which is what I have been using the past couple of months. I spray this all over my hair from root to tip after washing it, then after blow drying it just gives my hair that little bit extra oomph! (I hate flat hair..can't you tell?)

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder €5.99

Another Rimmel that is such an amazing bargain is their Stay Matte Powder! It sets my make up for the day and also controls any shininess that may occur! My only fault with it is the packaging, not the safest for bringing out in your handbag so do take care with it! 

Maybelline 24hr Color Tattoos €10.49

As I was writing this I realized these are not under €10 which annoyed me no end...I'm really sorry but I promise they are worth that extra .49c! If you are looking for an eyeshadow that is guaranteed to last all day look no further. These little pots of happiness have saved me so much time over the past couple of months its unreal! They take no time at all to apply, make it look like you've put in some effort when you haven't, and they last all day! 

Barry M Nail Paints €5.99

Now you all know about my problem with Barry M polishes...I just can't seem to stop myself from buying them! Plus they keep releasing new colours and formulas so really it is just not my fault! There is such an amazing range of colours to choose from and you can also choose from glitters to matte finishes. There really is something for everyone! 

So those are my top ten picks for under ten euro! That was really alot harder than I had originally thought but it just goes to show there definitely are some amazing bargains out there if you take the time to look! 

What is your all time favourite bargain product and why? I love hearing about other peoples bargain finds!

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Barry M Natural Glow Shadow & Blush Palette

Hello Lovelies!

I have been on a hunt for this particular palette for awhile now. Everytime I was at a Barry M stand it was always the only one that was sold out so eventually I just ordered it online (along with some nail paints..oops!)

Since getting it I have been putting it to good use. As you can see from the swatches above all the colours are neutral with a mixture of both matte and shimmer shades so really you can't go wrong. The palette also includes a blush which compliments the eyeshadows nicely. Now these are not the most pigmented eyeshadows I have ever used by any means but this is still a lovely palette to have in your collection. The range of shades is lovely, there is a mixture of warm and cool tones in there so it should suit most skin types. All the colours can be used nicely together so you can create lots of different looks with it for both day-time and night-time.

The packaging would almost remind you of the infamous Naked palette and I have to say this is a nice drugstore option, with the addition of a blusher in there too. For the price I would definitely recommend you pick this up. There is also the "Smokin' Hot" version and the "Glamour Puss" version if neutrals aren't your thing! 

I'm not sure if they are limited edition but they are always sold out in store so I'd definitely snap one up if you do happen to see one! 

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2014 Aims & Resolutions

(Picture- Weheartit, Edited By Me)

Hello Lovelies!

Moving on from the standard 2013 Beauty Favourites posts that are filling up our blog feeds this week, I have decided  to do another traditional Blogger post for this time of year and tell you all about what my resolutions and aims are for 2014. 

Worry Less

Anyone that knows me knows that I worry a ridiculous amount. Things that most people wouldn't even think of I worry about. In the past few months its gotten particularly bad and I really just want to snap out of it. I've wasted enough time worrying about things that didn't even happen. It's really time to just chill out abit and enjoy life. 

Eat Healthier

Myself and my boyfriend are always partial to the odd take-away but this year we are both really trying to cut down! More fresh cooking and a bit of variety in meals too. We always seem to go for the same things so I'm going to start to try new and different foods and try and get more vitamins and nutrients and essentials into my body! 

Work Out More

I'm ashamed to say even though I work part time in a leisure centre I have never used the gym...I know it is bad. So this year I am going to take it upon myself to get more active. I'm going to try and come in early before work and get my workout done or even try some of the classes. I want to loose a little bit of weight this year and tone up so I really need to get in gear!

Be More Confident

Not be cocky, just be more confident in my decisions and when I know I'm right I need to stick with it and not doubt myself. 

Stick to my Skincare Routine

Over the past few months I have gotten a tad lazy with my skincare. I may have once or twice resorted to facewipes (gasp!) So another one of my aims this year is to get back to my proper routine no matter how tired I am or how late it is. My skin has really been playing up the past while and I know its completely down to the fact I have been slacking with the old skincare. 

So those are my 2014 aims, whether I stick to them or not remains to be seen but I do have good intentions! (don't we all!) Let me know what your New Years Resolutions are and if you have managed to stick to any from previous years! 

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2013 Top Products | Hair, Body & Skincare

Hello Lovelies!

Today is the second part of my favourite products of 2013 posts. In the last one I spoke all about make up, today is going to be more about hair and skincare!

Starting off with skincare, my all time favourite beauty discovery this year has without a doubt been Cocoa Brown tan. Since discovering this I haven't looked back, I use it every week and it has never let me down! It gives a gorgeous natural looking tan and lasts for ages! As you all know to help make a tan last longer you must moisturize, but I literally am so lazy when it comes to body moisturizing so the Vaseline Spray & Go moisturizer has changed the way I look after my skin! It makes moisturizing your body so easy and fast, I would be completely lost without this! Definitely one of the stand out products of 2013. 

For facial skincare one product I couldn't be without this year was the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo. I discovered this late last year and it has become a firm staple in my skincare routine since! It has completely changed the way my skin looks and feels and keeps break outs to a minimum! In the line of face masks, I have tried a lot this year and the one that I have stuck with has been the Una Brennan Pore Purifying Clay Mask. I picked this up in Boots on a whim and it has worked wonders on my skin since! It works so well at deep cleaning your skin but doesn't leave it feeling stripped or dried out.

For hair I have been on a mission this year to get big hair. A late discovery in this year has been the L'oreal TXT Spray which has been a complete revolutionary product! I just spray some of this at the roots of my hair and give it a little ruffle and boom..big hair! To go along side that I have been using my Denman Back Combing brush to death! Its perfect for giving that extra bit of va-voom to your hair for nights out and just an every day basis if you're like me! 

So there you have the second part of my top products of 2013. I am really looking forward to discovering lots new and exciting products for 2014! 

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2013 Top Products | Beauty

Hello Lovelies!

A big Happy 2014 to you all, I hope you all have an amazing year and all your dreams come true! As per the usual Beauty Blogger tradition I am writing about my favourite products of 2013. This year I have discovered so many new and different beauty products so it was extremely difficult to narrow it down, but I have split it up into two sections beauty and miscellaneous. 

So today I am starting off with the beauty, for foundation it has been all about the YSL Touche Eclat foundation for me this year, I bought it while I was over in London and instantly fell in love. It gives your skin the most gorgeous glow and lasts ages on the skin too! For concealer I discovered the Seventeen Phwoarr paint later on in the year and I have been using it ever since. It is an extremely heavy duty concealer and it literally covers everything! I use it both under my eyes and on blemishes, I find it does an amazing job at covering both without looking cakey or too obvious! To set my base is another late discovery and it is the Bourjois Healthy Mix powder, I am a massive fan of the foundation and concealer in this range so it is no surprise that I also love the powder. It leaves a lovely natural finish without looking powdery or chalky, I find it brilliant to bring with me during the day for touch ups. 

My favourite bronzer is the same as last years and it is my beloved Nars Laguna. This is just constantly in my make-up bag and I use it at least once a week. For blusher I have dabbled in and out of different ones this year, there has been lots of new releases such as the Bourjois cream blushes but the one that has not left my side is the Maxfactor Cream Blush in Soft Pink. It blends like a dream, stays put and the colour is gorgeous too! My favourite highlighter of the year is one that I lusted after for an age, and debated about getting for so long and it is the Nars Copacabana Illuminator. This is just beautiful. I wear it under my foundation, over it and sometimes I mix it in with my foundation for a bit more of a glow!

For brows the one stand out product is a new release from Maybelline and it is their Brow Drama, which is basically a tinted brow gel. It keeps my eyebrows in place while adding a little tint of colour which I love because if I don't want to do the whole filling in my brows thing! For eyeshadow the only palette I've really been reaching for this past year has been the Urban Decay's Naked Basics palette. It is a neutral palette consisting of mostly matte shades. You all know I love my mattes and my neutrals so this definitely served me well this year and I am tempted to purchase another one because I have hit pan on this one and it is practically falling apart! Mascaras again I have dabbled with quite a few but the one I seem to keep going back to is Maybelline Falsies. Such an amazing mascara that gives unbelievable volume to my lashes, I have also been using my Shu Uemera eyelash curlers on a daily basis and they really do make all the difference!

For lips it has been a combination of my beloved MAC Hue which I have gone through many many tubes of, and the Clarins Instant Lip Perfectors which literally stole my heart this year! I have never been a lip gloss girl up until I tried these. They smell lovely, last ages, are not sticky in the slightest and their shades are just gorgeous! 

I also had to do a quick mention of the gorgeous make-up bag making an appearance in this post and my festive make-up look post. Yes it is the beautiful Paul & Joe make-up bag that everyone has been talking about. I literally couldn't find this anywhere apart from Selfridges where I seriously contemplated paying €50 for it and for it to get shipped to Ireland - yes I wanted it that bad! That was until the fabulous Beth posted on twitter that she was selling hers and I jumped at the chance! It is the best thing for an organizational fiend like myself, there are so many sections, pockets and even separate bags that you can take out and bring with you if that's all you need! Love love love!! 

So those are my beauty picks of 2013, my miscellaneous post is coming soon! Let me know what your top beauty pick of 2013 has been, I'd love to know if we have been loving the same products or discover some new products for 2014!

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