April Beauty Favourites

Hello Lovelies!

Another month down, another monthly favourites post. I have discovered alot of different products this month that I have been loving and using consistently throughout the past couple of weeks. 

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick - Hot Pepper
I think this has been the biggest discovery for me this month. I was so excited about these being released and the one I fell in love with was the very bright Hot Pepper which is an orange toned red. It is amazingly long lasting on the lips, literally no need for touch ups- one layer will do you the whole day. It feels so lovely on my lips too, unlike most matte lipsticks it is not drying at all and feels really nice and creamy on the lips.

No.7 Lash Impact Mascara
Another recent release that excited me greatly was this new mascara from No.7. My lashes have been looking so lovely and voluminous this past month and it is all down to this mascara. I love everything about it from the packaging (red & glittery what more could you want?!) to the voluminous lashes I have after using it. It gives such darkness and volume to my lashes and it also holds a curl amazingly well. I have a big rambly post already up about this which you can read here if you want to see before and after pictures of how it makes my lashes look!

Liz Earle Eye Bright Soothing Eye Lotion
This was a random purchase a few weeks ago, I think Liz Earle had free shipping and I decided to take advantage. I had been wanting to try this for quite a while but just never got round to actually ordering it. I can tell you now if you suffer from dark under eye circles you need this in your life. I have been using this in combination with the Origins Ginzing eye cream and all the dark pigmentation from under my eyes has completely faded and disappeared. It feels lovely and refreshing on the eyes, I just pop a bit on a cotton pad and either sweep it over my eyes or let it soak a little if I'm feeling a little puffy.

Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Huckleberry
This was something I was on the hunt for for a while before I eventually got my hands on it. It just seemed to be sold out everywhere but eventually it came back into to stock on ASOS and I had it in my hands in a few days. This is yet another pastel nail polish (did I really need another one) A very baby blue which looks gorgeous on the nails. Blue is normally a colour I stay away from on the nails, but this shade has converted me. As with all the Gelly Hi Shine's the finish is gorgeous and they are amazingly long lasting! 

Cocoa Brown 1hr Tan- Dark*
Just when you thought you couldn't improve perfection Cocoa Brown upped their (already high) game. You know I love all things Cocoa Brown and have bought so many bottles of the 1hr tan I've lost count. So when I received this new release in the post I had it on within minutes. This is everything the original was, but darker! It gives a gorgeous intense colour in 60 minutes what more could you need? If you loved the original but lusted after a deeper tan, get your hands on this! 

So those are my monthly favourites for the month of April, I am currently in the process of changing my everyday makeup in preparation for the Summer months-excited! So I may have made a few bold online orders so expect plenty of reviews of more Summery makeup in the coming weeks!

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The Concealer Edit

 

Hello Lovelies, 

For the past while I have gotten abit obsessive with concealers, I have bought far too many in the past couple of months trying to find "the one". So I thought it was only right to share with you my favourites! These three I use for different purposes and would feel so lost if I didn't have one in my collection. 

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer

This is the most recent purchase from the three I will be talking about. This was an impulse buy at the NARS counter but I could not be happier with it! It has amazing coverage so I actually use this for both under my eyes and on blemishes. It's name could not describe it better- "creamy concealer". It is such a lovely consistency, it is creamy, with brilliant coverage but doesn't look cakey or like it's sitting on top of your skin. It blends amazingly well and on me it lasts the whole day when I pop a little bit of powder on top. I have the shade Chantilly and I think I am actually going to pick up a slightly darker shade for the Summertime.

YSL Touche Eclat

Oh the cult favourite, now this is actually something I have had in my collection and loved for years but for the past six months or so I haven't really been using it. I received a new one for Christmas and got back into using it again. This is marketed more as a highlighter than a concealer but I love popping a little bit of this under my eyes. It really brightens up the area and gives enough coverage to get away with. It is great if you haven't gotten as much sleep as you would like the night before! This paired with the Touche Eclat foundation literally makes you look like you have been on a sun holiday and have got that natural glow to your skin. It makes you look so healthy and your skin instantly looks brightened.

Seventeen Phowwar Paint

Cringy name aside, I am in love with this concealer. This is my second one of it in a little over 6 months which I think is pretty good going and I'm already running low on this one too! This is a very heavy duty concealer that will literally cover anything! This has saved me many many times, I like using this for covering blemishes (even though it says on the packaging it's an undereye concealer...whoops!) Even though it is such heavy coverage and it is a cream product, again it doesn't look cakey which is something I've very wary of with concealers (nothing worse than a cakey mess on top of a blemish!) It is the cheapest out of the three and something I will always repurchase! 

So those are my three favourite concealers at the moment, they are all very different but I do love (and need!) them all. Please let me know what your favourite concealer is at the moment and what you use it for!

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Spring Pastels

 Hello Lovelies,

Unless you have been living under a rock you will have noticed that pastels are everywhere, which of course can only mean it's Springtime! I have always been a massive fan of a pastel nail but this past month or so I have gone abit cray for the pastels. I have been pretty much wearing only pastels (and Nail's Inc Porchester Square,.obsessed!) on both my fingers and toes and I just love them so much. So I just thought I would share with you the five I have been going between the past while. 

Essie Fiji- I have this on my toe-nails at the moment. I have loved this for quite awhile, it is just a perfect baby pink that comes out exactly how it looks in the bottle. You only need two coats for it to be opaque and it looks aaaamazing with a tan (which is actually the case for most of these polishes) 

L'oreal Nouvelle Vague- This is one of the polishes I picked up last month and blogged about here. I absolutely love this range and it will come as no surprise that I have actually two of the polishes from the range in this post. They all are off-white shades with a touch of colour to them. This is the lilac version and I have nothing else like it in my collection. 

L'oreal Lemon Meringue- Again from the L'oreal collection, can we just appreciate the name for a moment please? How cute! Again I have nothing like this in my collection and to be honest before picking this up I don't think I've ever worn a yellow nail polish! It is such an unusual colour, in some lights it looks white and in others you can see the yellow, again perfect with a tan and I can see myself wearing this alot during the Summer!

Barry M Huckleberry- This seems to be a colour that everyone is going mad for at the moment, and of course by the time I decided I wanted it, it was sold out...everywhere. Which of course made me want it all the more (does that happen anyone else!?) I eventually got it on ASOS and had it on my nails almost instantly. This colour is just amazing but it's downfall is defintely the formula. It took me a good 3-4 coats before getting a nice opaque colour. But having said that the finish is amazingly glossy and really longlasting..pros and cons I suppose! 

Essie Absolutely Shore- This I think has gained the spot of my favourite mint nail polish. I was lusting after this for months after seeing Jess mention a few times. I eventually gave in and bought it off Beauty Bay and have loved it ever since. It's kind of like the baby sister of Essie Mint Candy Apple which I did love but it was always a little too bright and blue toned for my liking. Absolutely Shore is the perfect muted mint which again makes your hands look nice and tanned.

So those are my picks of the pastel bunch this Spring! Have you been loving the pastel nail trend as much as me? Let me know what your favourites have been lately and I'll be sure to check them out!

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No.7 Lash Impact Mascara

Hello Lovelies!

Yes I know what you're thinking, another mascara!? Yes I know I can be a tad disloyal to my mascaras, but I will justify that by saying I am just constantly on the hunt for a bigger and better mascara when truth be told there are so many in my collection that I adore. So yes I have just added another one to the mascara family. This is the No.7 Lash Impact mascara. To say I was excited about this release was an understatement. First of all, just look at the packaging! It is red and glittery, can you get any more fabulous? This is definitely one that will look good in your make up bag! 

This mascara claims to give "Great volume in 1 coat and an amplified false lash effect in 2 coats" and you all know how I feel about a voluminous lash. Now I have fairly long eyelashes to begin with and I curl them everyday without fail but after one layer of this mascara it gives such thickness to my lashes, and even though it doesn't really say- it gives amazing length too! When I layer it up it makes my lashes really dark and voluminous without looking clumpy - which I'm sure we can all agree is not the look we are going for! 

The brush is not normally something I would go for, it is straight bristle brush (if that's the correct term for it) which has a lot of bristles on it. I would normally go for a plastic wand or a curved wand,  but this works amazingly well for grabbing the lashes and fully coating them in product. It even gets those tiny lashes in your inner corner covered too! I found this lasted really well on me all day, it held the curl of my lash which is one of the main things I look for in a mascara. There was no smudging or "dropping down" happening either, so there will be no panda eyes situations happening either, woohoo! 

I don't think I can rave about this mascara enough to be honest. You need it in your life. Plus it is on an Introductory offer in Boots at the moment for €13 here! Go on give it a go and let me know if you love it as much as I do!

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Origins GinZing | Moisturiser & Eye-Cream

Hello Lovelies, 

I have changed my skincare routine alot the past couple of months, and one of the main changes which I have been loving has been my moisturizer and eye-cream. Now I had been eying up (pardon the pun) this eye-cream for months before I actually bought it but once I got it I ended it up loving it so much that I had to get the moisturizer too! 

Origins GinZing Eye Cream

This had been on my wish list for months before I ended up buying it. I really don't know why it took me so long to order it but I am so glad I did. I always have had really dark circles under my eyes and no amount of sleep or any other eye cream will get rid of them. People always noticed them and commented on them so it was starting to get a little annoying because concealer couldn't even help at this stage so when I discovered the GinZing eye cream with its promises to brighten up under the eyes and reduce puffiness I had fallen in love without even trying it! It contains a tiny bit of shimmer so it instantly makes your under-eye area look brighter which is great for no make-up days but in the long run I have really found such an improvement with the discoloration under my eyes, the purple-ness has faded completely and I have actually got normal colored skin under my eyes for the first time in what feels like forever! It's ingredients include caffeine which is brilliant for reducing puffiness under the eyes. It is really lightweight and sinks in instantly so if you want to put make up on over it you don't have to wait around for it to dry. It really is a fantastic brightening eye-cream and if you have similar issues with your eye area I would definitely recommend you give this a go! 

Origins GinZing Moisturizer

This was something I knew I had to try after using and loving the eye-cream. I had read reviews about this before and the one thing that did put me off was the fact that it smelt of oranges. But when I seen it in store and give it a sniff the smell wasn't too bad and I knew I would be able to deal with it especially if it gave me results as good as the eye cream did! This is an extremely lightweight moisturizer which I actually like because I find alot of moisturizers are really heavy on my skin and don't sink in properly. It is described as an "energy-boosting moisturizer" and I would definitely agree. After a few weeks of using this both morning and night my skin has become so much brighter and healthy looking. I am so glad I didn't let the smell of this put me off because once you apply it you really can't smell it and for the effect it gives it is definitely worth it! 

These were actually the first products I have bought from Origins and since trying these I am a firm fan of the brand! I also have been using the Super Spot Remover which is just amazing! If you have any other recommendations from Origins, please let me know because I really want to try some other things but I just don't know where to begin!

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NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer

 Hello Lovelies! 

If you read my previous posts you'll know I recently purchased the NARS Sheer Glow foundation on a recent trip to Dublin. Now that was a purchase I was planning for awhile but while I was at the counter I made a bold impulse buy. It wasn't my fault I swear! But it just looked so nice when the girl applied it to me and I had heard such amazing reviews I really really wanted it..so I bought it...oops. 

The product in question is of course the much raved about NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer (what a mouthful) and I got mine in Light 1 Chantilly which shockingly is the lightest shade they do. I did go a shade lighter because I did want this to be brightening for under my eyes and the shade works brilliantly for this and for blemishes. There are an impressive 10 shades in the range so they really did try and have one to suit everyone. The packaging is the exact same as the "Larger than Life" lipglosses with the usual matte black lid which can tend to get a little grubby after awhile- babywipes at the ready!

 My first impressions of this concealer was that it was very similar to the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer which I loved for a long time but evenutally had to stop using because it was just starting to look too heavy and cakey on my skin. This concealer on the other hand has brilliant coverage, from dark circles to horrible red blemishes it covers it all while still feeling and looking light on the skin. The formula of this concealer is exactly what the title says- creamy. Under the eyes it feels lovely and moisturising and doesn't settle into those pesky lines, it is also brightening without being shimmery which is great as you can use it for both under the eyes and on blemishes. 

On blemishes it never looks cakey or like there is too much on. One thing I've learnt with this concealer is that little goes a long way, it is amazingly pigmented that you only need a tiny amount to start off with and if needed it is very easy to build up. I apply two dots under each eye and blend and if I have any blemishes one dot of the concealer and they are hidden away from the world! It is amazingly blendable and once it sets it does not budge! 

I am so glad I did buy this concealer, it really is a brilliant all rounder! You can buy it online here. Have you tried this concealer? What are your thoughts on it?

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La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo +

Hello Lovelies,

You all have probably heard about the original Effaclar Duo, it took the beauty community by storm nearly two years ago - and not being one to let a band wagon pass me by I hopped on and absolutely loved it! It made such a difference to the way my skin looked and the texture of it. All the little under the skin bumps disappeared and it helped speed up recovery time of any blemishes that might appear. Sounds like holy grail material doesn't it?

This year La Roche Posay upped their game and released the Effaclar Duo + which is the same basic product so it still helps fight blemishes both on the surface of the skin and underneath and helps reduce any redness also, but this new product also has the additional features (is that the right word to use?) which helps reduce any redness or scarring that may appear after the spot has gone. I have always suffered with discoloration after a spot, I could have a red mark where a spot has been for weeks after the spot has disappeared which is as much of a pain as having the actual spot! 

I found the Effaclar Duo + to have a slightly thicker consistency to the original which was quite watery. Since starting to use this at the beginning of March I have seen such an improvement. I moved straight onto this one from the original so my skin was still smooth and breakouts were limited, but I did notice the scarring and redness that was present on my skin at the time started to fade a lot quicker than it normally would. I mentioned before that my skin went a bit mad in March and I was really dreading how long it would take for it to get back to normal, once I sorted out the dryness this helped with the blemishes and redness. Just when you thought it couldn't get any better! La Roche Posay are so sure of their product (and who could blame them?!) that they are actually running a money back guarantee if you don't see a difference in your skin! I would definitely recommend you give this a go, whether you have tried the original or are new to the whole Effaclar Duo scene, it's definitely worth trying - plus you'll get your money back if you don't like it! 

What are your thoughts on the new Effaclar Duo +? Available to buy online here!

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Benefit's Gimme Brow

Hello Lovelies!

I'm sure you are all sick of hearing about this product from everyone but I couldn't not give my two cents about it. After hearing all the reviews I knew it was something I wanted to try eventually but I didn't go out and buy it straight away. But then my mum of all people arrived home with it absolutely delighted with her purchase and of course I had to test it out! Now my mum wasn't blessed with the best of eyebrows. She has one full one and then the other kind of fades away halfway through. The lovely girl at Benefit applied the lighter shade for her and she actually had eyebrows ladies and gentlemen! It was amazing. I couldn't get over how natural they looked when she came home with her new eyebrows and her new purchase.

The shade that she picked up was the Light/Medium which I think will suit most skin-tones and hair colour. I actually swatched the darker shade when it first came out and I know I wouldn't get away with it. So when I tried out my mums one the first thing I noticed was the size of the brush. It was absolutely teeny! Extremely similar to the Clinique Bottom Lash mascara brush, seriously small which is brilliant for detail and definition compared to the brush of the Maybelline Brow Drama which I had been using up until I started using this. The colour itself is a very ashy brown - perfect for blonds right up to medium brunettes. It is very similar to MAC's Omega only in liquid form.

The main idea behind the Gimme Brow is that it has mini lash-like fibres in it so when it adheres to the eyebrows it instantly creates a more natural fuller brow. Now I am all about the nice thick eyebrows but I still want them to look as natural as possible. When I first used this I used the tip of the wand to almost draw through the areas where I wanted more shape and definition. The colour is a perfect match for my brows so it really does give a more natural shape to them. Once I have filled in using the tip I run the brush through my brows to hold them in place. The hold that this product gives is amazing. Your brows will not go anywhere all day, it's like hairspray for the eyebrows, amazing!

I ended up loving the result it gave me I went out a couple of days later and bought one for myself and have been using it everyday since! I just use it on its own for everyday - work etc. but if I am going out and want a more dramatic look I apply my Soap & Glory Brow Arch pencil first and then put this on top - match made in heaven!

I would thoroughly recommend this especially after seeing the difference it has made to my mums brows, it really is amazing! It is available from Benefit Counters and online here.

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NARS Sheer Glow Foundation

Hello Lovelies!

In my last months favourites I said how much I have been loving the new foundation in my life, and I wasn't going to bother doing a post about my Sheer Glow foundation but honestly...I love it too much not to tell you about it. Now you all know I love my higher-end foundations, Chanel, YSL, Clarins etc but they are all on the lighter coverage side. So I decided to go on a foundation hunt for a heavier coverage foundation that still looked nice and natural so I could use it for nights out. It was between this and the Gorgeio Armani Luminous Silk but NARS won out in the end. It was literally love at first application, the lovely girl at the counter matched me up to Monte Blanc which after being on the Findation website I knew was going to be a good match for me. As soon as she put it on my skin looked flawless- please note that this was halfway through a very sweaty shopping day in Dublin so my make-up was definitely looking worse for wear at that stage. It felt amazingly light on my skin but still covered my red cheeks that I had at the time. I had purchased in a matter of minutes.

I have literally used this everyday since getting it, and at €40 a bottle I probably should go easy on it but I just can't get enough. I am in love with the way it makes my skin look! It glides on and leaves the most flawless finish to the skin. I would say it is medium coverage but I can build it up if needed in places for a more full coverage. It is amazingly longlasting, in terms of wear the only foundation I could compare it to that I've tried is Revlon's Photoready which is the only other foundation that literally does not budge when I wear it. It leaves a very natural look to the skin, it is not too matte or two dewy. I would call it a "Satin" finish which literally looks like your own skin, so it looks lovely and natural for daytime and as I said before it can be built up for a more flawless look for nights out. On an everyday basis I would use 2 and a half pumps on the back of my hand and buff it into my skin using my Real Techniques Buffing Brush and then set it using my Bourjois Healthy Balance powder.

The packaging feels lovely and luxurious, a gorgeous glass bottle with the Nars logo down the side and a matte black lid. The only problem that I would have with this foundation is that it doesn't come with a pump which you have to buy seperately which is a major pain considering it is €40 for the foundation you would think it would come with a pump! I did buy the pump because I couldn't be bothered messing around with pouring it on the back of my hand, because that just never ends well! When you have the pump on it though the lid doesn't fit on top so you have to be careful if you are carrying it around in your makeup bag everyday!

Overall I really do adore this foundation, I am so happy with the finish and the coverage it gives. If you are considering giving this foundation a go I really recommend you do! I just can't get enough of it. It is available online to buy here or at any NARS counter.

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What's in my Handbag | Date Night Edition

Hello Lovelies!

So the other night myself and my boyfriend decided to treat ourselves and go out for a meal and drinks for no particular reason. Of course I took this as an excuse to get all dressed up and make up done all nicely (probably a little OTT for a Chinese but I don't get out much haha!) So I was going to do the usual OOTD post but I decided to change it up abit and show you what I carried in my handbag on the night!

So the bag of choice on the night was my beloved Rebecca Minkoff Mini Mac with rose gold hardware. I never thought I would love a bag as much as I love this one. I have been using it everyday since I got it and even though its a smaller bag, I can still fit all of my essentials in it! So starting off with the obvious I carry around my iPhone everywhere I go, honestly at this stage it's like another limb and I feel genuinely lost without it! I love the phone case I have on it at the moment which is from MrNutCase it has pictures of myself and my friends on it and it always cheers me up when I look at it. Next is my card holder. Since getting this bag I've taken out my massive Guess wallet and got this lovely card holder from Debenhams, and I normally carry around a little coin purse from Penneys/Primark but I took this out for that night. 

I didn't bring out a whole pile of make-up with me other than my lipstick of choice which was YSL's Peach Passion- I love this lipstick so much, and Bourjois's Healthy Balance powder which is amazing and it has a nice big mirror too! I brought my No.7 kabuki brush to use with it. I brought my little travello rip-off that I got off eBay for about €5 and it has Just Cavalli in it which is my perfume of choice lately! And finally I have some Smints..pretty self explainatory! 

So that is what I brought out with me on Saturday night, what are your "going-out" handbag essentials? 

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