Cocoa Brown Instant Tan Bronzing Gel Matte

Cocoa Brown just never lets a girl down, Marissa Carter just never gets it wrong and when I heard that she was releasing new Instant Tanning Gels I was so excited and couldn't wait to get my hands on them. There were two variations released- a matte version and a shimmer version. Of course they sold out almost instantly online so eventually when they came back into stock I snapped up the matte version. I will definitely pick up the shimmer to give it a go- I think it would be perfect for a night out on the legs. But I felt I would get more wear out of the matte on an everyday basis. 

This really was love on first application. I used the fabulous double sided tanning mitt- also from Cocoa Brown- to apply this tan. The first time I used it was a lazy day so I only tanned the areas that were on show, so my top half and my knees.(Ripped Jeans). It felt so light on the skin and absorbed instantly so there was no having to wait around with that horrible tacky feeling waiting for my tan to dry. 

The only way I can describe the colour that this gives is absolute perfection! It is the exact same shade that you get from the 1hr Cocoa Brown tan. I have layered it up to achieve a slightly darker colour. I can't wait to get the shimmer version to try layering the two of them together. One of the amazing things about these tans is that you can use them on your face which I think is brilliant because my face is something I always tend to neglect. So this makes it amazing for those last minute evenings where you need a bit more colour.

You really can't go wrong with any of the Cocoa Brown range and the latest additions are no exception! I would thoroughly recommend you give something from Cocoa Brown a go!

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Catrice Absolute Matt Eyeshadow Palette

Catrice is a brand that I haven't tried in years. When I was in Secondary School I used quite a few of their products but I have strayed away from the brand since. On a recent trip to Penneys I spotted this Absolute Matte eyeshadow palette and remembered seeing it featured on some blogs so I decided to pick it up and give it a go. The colours are right up my street, matte and cool toned is exactly what I tend to go for in eyeshadows and this looked perfect for me!

I have had this in my everyday make up bag for the past couple of weeks since getting it and have really put it to the test. I have been just using this for when I'm going to work or don't have much time to do my eye make-up and just need something neutral but which will still look like somethin' somethin' on the lids.

I have been so impressed with this palette since getting it. For the price (€5.49) it is absolutely amazing. If you are starting out in make-up or just want something to be able to throw on in the morning and not worry about ruining your "good" make-up, I would recommend that you pick this up. The pigmentation in the shadows are surprisingly good. The swatches in the picture above are from just one swipe. As you can see the powders are a little chalky so be sure to tap off the excess before you go near your eyelid or it will be all over your face. I always wear the Urban Decay Primer Potion under all my eyeshadows which I really think makes a difference to the longevity. I haven't worn them without the primer underneath so I can't really comment on how they preform otherwise- but with the primer they last all day on me without creasing or fading away.

The colours all work brilliantly together. I love having a palette where you don't have to think about what colours you are going to use. With this you can use any combination of shades and know that they will all go perfectly together. There are shades that are perfect for a quick everyday neutral eye look with two darker shades at the end to help smoke it up for a more dramatic look.

For €5.49 you really can't go wrong with this palette. I think there is a darker version too so definitely check them out at your local Catrice stand!

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MAC | Oh Darling Highlighter

This has blown up on social media since the MAC "Magic of the Night" collection was released a couple of weeks ago. The MAC "Oh Darling" highlighter seems to be the stand out product from the whole collection - and the one that seems to be the hardest to get your hands on, so I do apologize if you feel you need this highlighter after reading this! I was lucky enough to attend one of the preview nights that Brown Thomas were holding the week before the official launch. I had originally gone in thinking I might pick up a lipstick, but once I laid eyes on this highlighter I knew I had to have it. Myself and my two friends that were at the preview, snapped it up once the girl showed it to us. When I was paying, the girl that was serving me said that we managed to get the last three in the store and since then I haven't been able to find it anywhere.

Apparently this is a product that has been in a previous collection from MAC a couple of years ago, so it must have been popular enough for MAC to bring it back. Even just looking at this in the pan, without swatching it, you can see how gorgeous it is. In the pan it looks like a very pale golden colour, not a million miles away from my beloved The Balm's Mary Lou-manizer. The embossing on the powder itself was so pretty that I didn't want to even swatch it in case I spoiled it. (I got over that pretty quickly though!)

Once swatched, or applied on the skin it comes off as a slightly more champagne shade which is normally the type of tone I go for in a highlighter. It is definitely on the warmer side of champagne, so it is perfect for when I am slightly tanned and when I'm not. A good all rounder. There is the slightest hint of glitter in it, but it is so subtle that once it is applied on the skin you have to look very hard to spot it. It can be used to create a nice subtle everyday look or it can be layered up to look a bit more dramatic. I think that it would be suitable for most skintone, and it is a very easy highlighter to wear. I prefer wearing this to my MAC Soft & Gentle on an everyday basis, just because it is that little bit more subtle. I save Soft & Gentle for when I really want a more "in your" face highlighter look.

If you find this at a MAC counter anywhere- I definitely recommend you pick it up. You won't regret it!

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Tan Eraser

This post is well over due, I have been meaning to write about this product for ages because over the past couple of weeks since using it- it has changed my life! A touch dramatic, but that is actually how I feel about this glove. I was generously sent this a few weeks ago to try out, before it launched in pharmacies in Ireland. Over the past couple of weeks I have been giving this a go, and I have been genuinely surprised at how much I like it. Before I first gave it a go, I was thinking to myself- I'm sure it will give a good exfoliation but I was doubtful as to whether it would remove any my tan on its own. 

The tanning mitt has a pink and a black side to it, the pink is the slightly softer side and the black is a little rougher so it is perfect for the tougher areas that tan tends to cling to (knees!) I started off with the pink side on my arms and legs and it instantly took off the bulk of my tan. I always find my ankles, elbows and my knees are where the majority of my tan hangs around- and it is always the hardest areas to remove it from. The pink side didn't cut it for this so I switched to the black side and managed to get almost all of it off. 

The thing I like the most about this glove is that it doesn't feel like you are scrubbing the life out of your skin. It still feels very gentle to use and doesn't leave my skin red raw at the end. If like me, you struggle to remove the last few bits of tan off, I would 100% recommend that you give this a go! It is available in Pharmacies across Ireland or on their website here.

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October Beauty Favourites

  

Coming to you a little later this month with my monthly favourites. I asked on twitter the other night if it would be too late to post a monthly favourites and everyone said no. So I decided to share the few bits I have been loving throughout October with you.

Charlotte Tilbury | Dolce Vita Palette

You all knew this was coming. This has been my go-to eyeshadow palette this month. It screams Autumnal, and is absolutely perfect for this time of year. The shades go absolutely perfect both together and paired with other eyeshadows. I have worn this during the day for a subtle pop of colour but it is so easy to amp it up and create a really gorgeous smokey eye look for night time. The quality of the eyeshadows are unsurprisingly amazing. The pigment is really vibrant and they blend together so easily. They last all day on my eyes too which is one of the main things I find hard with eyeshadows, because I have hooded eyes some shadows tend to fade really easily on me throughout the day. I haven't had any problems with these shadows, and although they are expensive at €50 a palette I do think that they are worth it for the quality you are getting!

MAC Mineralise Skin Finish | Soft & Gentle

This is one of those products that has been talked about so much in the beauty community that it really has achieved somewhat of a cult status among beauty lovers. You all know that I have been obsessed with  my Mary Lou-manizer from The Balm for ages and I haven't felt the need to change it up in the highlighter department. But I eventually cracked after seeing this featured in so many YouTube videos and on people's Instagram posts. I have already done a post all about this, but just to say it is definitely on par with my Mary Lou. It is a more champagne shade compared to the Mary Lou's golden under tone. It packs some serious highlighting punch and it is definitely worth all the hype it gets! 

MAC Lipstick | Viva Glam II

I have definitely been on a major MAC obsession these past couple of months and I have really built up my lipstick collection. One of the most recent additions to the family has been Viva Glam II. This has been compared to Velvet Teddy but as a lighter version. I feel that this works slightly better with my skintone, both when I'm tanned and when I'm pale. It is a gorgeous brown toned nude that really goes with every eye look I have been wearing the past month. It is a very easy shade to wear, and if you feel that Velvet Teddy was too dark for you I would definitely recommend you give this a go! 

Flormar | Dipliner

I have heard nothing but good things about the Flormar products the past couple of months so when I discovered that there was a counter in one of my local pharmacies I picked up a few bits, including their liquid liner. I find it so hard to find liquid liners that I like, for the same reason as eye shadows, they always seem to transfer on to my upper lid or wear off. But with this I find it to last all day without moving or smudging. It is a lovely dark black colour and I find it to be really long-wearing. It has one of those hard nib applicators which is quite easy to work with. I would prefer if it had a bit more flexibility but for the quality of the liner I will learn to work with it! 

No.7 | Eye Make-Up Remover

This is actually something that I have been using for months, but never thought to put it on my blog because it just slotted straight into my routine and I forgot that it was a new addition. I didn't actually realize how much I loved it until I ran out of it and had to go back to using my micelliar water on my eyes. The No.7 eye make-up remover is the most effective way I have found to remove the bulk of my eye make-up. I always tend to go a bit heavy on the eye make-up, I love lots of shadows, eyeliner and lately I have been trying out some water proof mascara. I found this to remove all traces of the make-up (including the water proof mascara) around my eyes without having to pull at them too much. If you get it when the vouchers are doing the rounds it works out at only €5.50- Bargain!

So that is the round up of my October favourites, I can't believe we are already in November and the countdown to Christmas is well and truly on! Let me know what your favourites were this month, and if you have tried anything I have spoken about here!

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