July Beauty Favourites

I have tried so many different products this month, which is unusual for me. I normally find something I love and stick with it. But I have just been chopping and changing a lot of things in my everyday routines. That sounds like a risky move but it has been working fine (so far!) So I have a good mix of products this month, some skincare, make up and even some dental bits. 

MAC Burgundy Palette*

I wrote a blog post about this palette during the month going through it in more detail so I won't go on about it too much here. But I got sent this by MAC a few weeks a go and have not taken it out of my make-up bag since. When I first got it I was worried that the colours would not suit me and I wouldn't be able to get as much use out of the whole palette but I am pleased to report that I have used every single shade in this palette. You can create so many different eye looks going from day to night with this palette. The pans are a little bit smaller than your usual MAC shadow but in my opinion it is such a nice way to have all your shadows in one compact case and not have it over crowding your make-up bag. 

Kinvara Absolute Cleansing Oil

Again I have a blog post all about this cleanser so I will quickly run through it. This is the first cleansing oil that I have ever used and I have really fallen in love with this method of cleansing. It breaks down all my make-up with a maximum of two pumps and leaves my skin feeling so soft and moisturized. It is one of the most natural cleansers I have ever used and I would thoroughly recommend it for anyone with sensitive skin! 

Inglot YSM Foundation

I picked this up on a trip to Galway at the beginning of the month and it has been my go-to daily foundation since. I really didn't expect to love this as much as I do. I colour matched myself in a bit of a hurry and ended up going for shade 42 which is a nice neutral toned foundation. It works well if I have a little bit of tan on, which I usually do. It leaves a semi-matte finish to the skin but the thing I like most about this foundation is that it is incredible long-wearing. This will stay on my face until I go to take it off in the evening. It is perfect for long days at work, or even nights out since it has no SPF and won't create any flash back in pictures!

Rimmel Nude Lipsticks

Rimmel released a whole range of nude lipsticks earlier this month and of course I had to pick up one or two (three!) Everyone and their dog is all about the nude lips these days and Rimmel definitely hopped on that bandwagon while it was still rolling. The lipsticks are a part of the Kate Moss collection, which I am already a massive fan of. The idea behind the lipsticks is that they have a nude to suit everybody. They have them colour-coded depending on your skin tone, so there is ones suitable for cool, warm or neutral undertones. The one I have found myself reaching for the most has been number 45 (really wish they had names!) and sometimes if I don't have as much tan on I will go for 40. They are lovely moisturising lipsticks and feel really nice on the lips. Definitely check them out if you are passing a Rimmel stand, although most of the stands that I have been at have been cleaned out! 

No.7 Dramatic Lift Mascara

So No.7 launched a new mascara this month called the Dramatic lift, ad let me just say this one does exactly what it says on the tin. The wand reminds me of a mascara from No.7 that was out years ago named Exquisite Curl which I loved but sadly got discontinued. But this is the next best thing. It coats the lashes in product, lengthens and adds lovely volume. I curl my lashes everyday without fail and I have found this to really help the curl last. I also think that this is the kind of mascara that will only improve as it drys out! Really impressed with this one from No.7 and I will definitely be repurchasing. 

Beverly Hills Perfect White Black Toothpaste 

This is something I have been meaning to try out ever since I seen pictures of it doing the rounds on Instagram. This is a black toothpaste that helps whiten your teeth. It contains Activated Charcoal which is a very popular ingredient that people use to whiten their teeth. I have used a lot of whitening toothpastes in the past and can say confidently that I have found the best results with this. I have only been using it a few weeks but already I can see that my teeth are shades whiter than they were before. I do drink a lot of coffee and would be prone to staining but this completely counteracts that and reduces any staining. Love love love this and I couldn't be without it! 

MAC Fix+

This is a product I have reviewed on the blog a few weeks ago, but since then I have become obsessed with it. I am going to have to buy another bottle so I can leave one in my handbag and one in my make-up bag. This stuff was a god-send during the humid weather we had in Ireland a few weeks back. I can't stand the sweaty, heavy weather so I was drenching myself in this every hour on the hour. It leaves your skin feeling so refreshed and cool. It smells gorgeous and is a really nice step to add on to the end of your make-up routine as a finishing spray. 

So those are all my Beauty favourites of the month of July. I really feel like I have discovered some keepers last month. Let me know what your go to product has been for the month of July and I'll be sure to check it out!

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Rimmel Kate Moss Nude Lipsticks

So Rimmel have done it again. Their lipsticks are some of the best on the market (in my humble opinion) and they have only gone and released a nude lipstick collection as part of their Kate Moss range. Cue all the Kylie Jenner fan-girls tripping over themselves to get as far as them. But I have to say I am really impressed. Of course being the beauty blogger that I am, I had to pick up three all for the sake of the blog and Instagram. But I really like how they have done this collection.

First of the packaging is just gorgeous. It is the same packaging as the other Kate Moss for Rimmel lipsticks except instead of being black they are a gorgeous pale peach-pink. So pretty to have in the make-up bag. So one of the main things Rimmel have tried to do with this collection is to have a nude to suit every skin tones. They have ones for warm, cool and neutral undertones so based on what your skin is like, you will be able to find a nude to suit you.

They are very like the original Kate Moss lipsticks formula wise. Very moisturising and comfortable to wear on the lips. They are not the longest lasting lipsticks I have ever worn but for the price you really don't mind topping up every now and again. They have a very medicinal smell to them which doesn't linger thankfully but might not be for everyone. The shade I have been reaching for the most out of the ones that I picked up is 45, which reminds me of MAC's "Brave" lipstick which I adore. I also picked up the shades 40- which is a more "concealer lips" nude and 43- which is a more orange-brown nude.

The lipsticks are currently priced at €6.99 which is a-mazing, and they are available to buy online here.

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No.7 Dramatic Lift Mascara

  
In the last few weeks No.7 have launched a new mascara and I have been putting it to the test. You may have seen that I posted a before and after picture on my Facebook and I have been so impressed since then it has taken up permanent residence in my make-up bag. Aside from having ridiculously hard to photograph packaging, I have been really enjoying using this mascara. 

It has a good old fashioned curved bristle wand which, reminds me of the old No.7 Exquisite Curl mascara which I adored. It grips the lashes really well and makes it so easy to get an even layer of mascara on all the lashes. This mascara claims to lift lashes by 70% and to give the ultimate wide awake look. Now I religiously curl my lashes everyday before I apply mascara, and I can't remember the last time I didn't do this as part of my make-up routine. But since using this mascara I found that the curl lasts so much longer. It really helps plump up my eyelashes and keep the curl in the eyelash for longer. 

The formula is super light weight and I haven't had any problems with clumping because of this. It doesn't feel heavy on the lashes, and I have worn this on nights out and have been known to add more layers while I'm out. I still had no problems with clumping or flaking. Another thing I really like about this mascara is that it is really long-lasting on the lashes. I use my Kinvara Cleansing oil to remove it in the evenings but it won't budge before that. I haven't tested to see if it's waterproof, I doubt it is but it seems to be a really hard wearing mascara. 

It is currently on an introductory price of €13 in Boots so I'd recommend you snap it up now if you want to give it a go! New holy grail mascara? I don't want to speak to soon but...

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Kinvara Absolute Cleansing Oil

 There has been a lot about the Kinvara Skincare range all over social media lately, and we all know I have yet to meet a bandwagon I haven't jumped on yet so of course I decided to have a nosey and see what the hype was about. As far as I can tell there are three items in the range, a cleanser, moisturiser and a serum. So I picked up what I thought would be the easiest thing to test out - the oil cleanser. My skin is very particular - it knows what it likes and it doesn't take long to show me what it doesn't so I thought I would find out quickly if this worked for me. 

I have never properly tried out an oil cleanser before, and with having slightly oily skin I thought it would be a bit unnatural to apply it all over my face. Which to be fair it did at first, it's a very strange feeling rubbing an oil all over your dry skin and make-up. But I quickly learned that the oil broke down my make-up so quickly and much easier than anything I had used before. I have been getting back into wearing a little bit of liquid eyeliner along my top lash line and this just wipes it all away with minimal effort. It has a very slight natural scent of eucalyptus which doesn't over-power while cleansing but is a nice addition to the product. I tend to use one or two pumps for my entire face, I rub it between my hands and then massage it onto my skin. Once I think all my make-up is broken up I take a warm, damp face cloth and buff it off my skin.

If you have sensitive skin I would definitely recommend you give this a go. All the ingredients are listed on the back and is nothing there that you can't understand (or pronounce!) and it also says that there are no parabens, artificial colours, fragrances, SLS, nasties and no animal testing. Kinvara is available across Ireland in health food shops and also online here.

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MAC Fix+

  

This is one of those products that has been around forever, and has been raved about forever but i just never picked up. But one of the girls at work had it in her bag and told me to try it, and I fell in love. I was only after buying the Smashbox priming water which I really like, so I tried to put off buying it for as long as I could...which was about a week or so. 

This is one of those magic water sprays that can both set your make-up and be a refreshing spray for throughout the day. They say that it adds radiance and is a good finisher for your make-up, which I definitely agree with. Lately I have found my skin to be very oily and make up just doesn't seem to be sitting right. So I have been powdering to set my foundation and then adding a couple of sprays of this on top to take away that cakey, flat look. 

It smells gorgeous- really refreshing so it is perfect for a spray first thing in the morning or mid way through the day as a perk me up. The only niggle I have with it is the same as what I had with the Smashbox one, the spray. I really wish it distributed a more even mist because at the moment you could either get a light spray of product or a heavy squirt (lovely) in the face, but that's just me being picky. 

I'd definitely recommend you give this a go if you around a MAC counter. They have mini sizes available too! Or if you're not near a counter, it is available online here!

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MAC Burgundy Palette

 

Eyeshadows are one of my favourite make-up products to use and review. They are one of those things that you know straight away whether or not you like it. There are thousands of colours and looks you can go for, but I always seem to go for the same neutral, brown, lightly smokey eye. So when this palette from MAC came through the door I knew it would be the chance to try something different. The shadows I tend to reach for are normally more cool toned where this, as you can see from the pictures is very warm toned 

in comparison to what I am used to. 

This eyeshadow palette is part of the new 9 palette range from MAC. The one I received is the "Burgundy"* palette, but as far as I know there are four different variations to choose from. I think these palettes are so perfect to pop in your make up bag as part of your everyday look. They are so much more compact than the 15 palette, but they still give a decent amount of colours to choose from. The pan sizes are 0.8g which are slightly smaller than the usual MAC 1.5g eyeshadows, but since it's a rare occasion that I hit pan on any eyeshadow this doesn't bother me! I have found these shadows to be just as good quality as the regular sized shadows. They are amazingly pigmented, long-wearing and really easy to work with. Another major bonus with these pre-filled palettes is that all the colours work perfectly together and you can create so many different looks with just the one palette! They have a mixture of both matte and shimmer shades, ranging from light to dark so there will be something to suit every eye look. These palettes are permanent to MAC and would be perfect to pick up if you are either starting out in make-up, or even if you are a make-up artist and needed some shades for your kit-these would be perfect!

Like I mentioned the one I have is in "Burgundy" and the shades included are #Noir, Honey Lush, Quarry, Antiqued, Star Violet, Haux, Embark, Sketch and Poppyseed. This palette can create anything from a nice everyday look to a really smoked up, dramatic eye look.

I'd definitely recommend checking these palettes out if you are in the market for some good quality eyeshadows! They are available online here for €40!

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Essie | Peach Side Babe

It is impossible to show any form of restraint when Essie release their new collections. There is always at least one colour that draws you in and before you know it you have the whole collection in your basket and you are checking out. This years Summer collection was no exception, the colours are absolutely stunning! I haven't even seen the collection in stores yet, and I have still managed to pick up one of the colours. 

I spotted this on Lily Pebbles in one of her recent videos and I ordered it straight after watching it. It is such a Summer shade. It is on the pinker side of coral and will look amazing on toes with a tan! But if you follow me on Snapchat you will know that this is not the most unique colour in my collection but I still had to have it. If you are looking for a dupe I think that Barry M's In a Heart Beat is really similar!  

Over all the collection is absolutely stunning and I will definitely be picking up more from it. I have my eye on Chillato which is like a pastel lime green (sounds rank but it looks gorgeous I swear!) and Salt Water Happy which is a corn flower blue shade. I really don't need another blue nail polish, but I will end up getting it- who are we trying to fool.

Let me know if you have picked up any shades from the new collection and if you like them! The collection is available online here!

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Micro Pedi Nano

Since it is coming into the Summertime and the weather is (slowly) getting warmer, it is time to break out the shorts and sandals (one day event here in Ireland) I'm not going to lie, my feet were not a pretty sight up until I received the Micro-Pedi in the post. It just get really lazy when it comes to my feet, maybe because they aren't on display 90% of the year and I just can't be bothered with all that effort. But when the Micro Pedi landed in my post box I decided to step it up and make the change. 

I can't actually get over how amazing this little machine is! I feel like a new woman after using it for a couple of weeks and I am 100% converted. First of all the size of it is so dinky, it fits perfectly in your hand. All you do is switch it on (battery operated) and the file starts to spin. You just run it against any areas of dry skin on your feet and it exfoliates it off for you. The first time I used it I couldn't believe how soft my feet felt afterwards. I drenched my feet in a heavy foot cream and the next morning they were softer than I think they have ever been! 

The Micro-Pedi's are normally on offer so keep an eye out and even though it is a little bit expensive you only have to buy it once and it will last you ages. It really is a tool that I won't be without again! Such a quick and easy step that makes such a difference! It is currently on offer for €29.99 here!

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