*new* Clarins Joli Rouge lipsticks "Soft Plum" "Joli Rouge"

Recently I was sent 2 of the lovely new Clarins Joli Rouge lipsticks to try. As you all probably know I am a massive Clarins fan and I love their lip products, so I was excited to try out the new formulation of the Joli Rouge (have a look at one of the old Joli Rouge lipstick which I reviewed here )

First thing you will notice about the new formulation is that they are not as sheer as they used to be! Look at that gorgeous creamy colour. Also the packaging is a lot less heavy and chunky, a nice improvement!

Anyway, old vs. new comparisons aside, these lipsticks are really great. They are very soft and comfortable to wear. These lipsticks have a nice glossy finish, but they don't slip and slide on your lips either (I never wear lip liner and they wore perfectly on me).

According to Clarins these lipsticks can provide up to 6 hours of wear, and with their moisturising formula they are kind to your lips as well. Containing organic marsh samphire extract and mango oil (sounds fancy) and with Clarins signature red berry scent these lipsticks are an absolute pleasure to apply and wear.

Wearing "Soft Plum"

"Joli Rouge"

Of the 2 lipsticks I was sent, Soft Plum is my favourite! I have never worn such a dark lipstick before but I really love it, it actually is perfect for Autumn. Joli Rouge is a beautiful red (I call it a candy apple red) and isn't overbearing or garish. I don't normally wear reds for fear they clash with my hair but I really like this shade!

There are a whopping 25 shades available of these lipsticks so there definitely will be something there for everyone! They are £19.50 a pop but in my opinion they are definitely worth the money, I have been saying it for ages but Clarins really know how to do lip products! 

See any shades that you would like?

Best of Summer Beauty 2015

I am sorry to be posting this! But to me, Summer is well and truly over! Finito! I am now preparing myself for Autumn - my favourite season. But, here are some things that I either discovered over the summer or got great use out of.

First off I will start with sun cream. I bought this Vichy sun cream when I was in France. I don't know if it is sold in Ireland or not? But it comes in aerosol form, which was so handy on holiday, I just sprayed myself with it and didn't bother rubbing it in (saved me from the dreaded sticky hands usually associated with sun cream). It is SPF 50 too. It was absolutely brilliant to use and was amazing to use on the go. Definitely the best sun cream I have ever tried! It was so hot and sunny when I was in France but my skin was so well protected, I came home as pale as I went!

Also I bought the Clarins facial sun cream and it was great to use, it wasn't sticky or greasy at all and I was able to put my make up on over top of it. It smells amazing too. I used a La Roche Posay one last year and I really wasn't that fussed on it. I thought the Clarins one was miles better!

OK, I promise I won't ramble on about this but the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette has to be my star buy of the summer! The eyeshadows are bloody brilliant, beautiful shades and there is something in there for every occasion. I have been wearing this non-stop, every day since I got it! I just think it is so cute too, it looks (and smells) just like a giant chocolate bar! Perfect for a chocoholic like me.

I am kind of embarrassed to say that only over the summer I discovered MAC lipsticks! I know, I know, I am such a crap blogger! I already have 3 of them and definitely want to add more to my collection. I used to be such a big gloss/lip balm girl and I always thought lipsticks were too high maintenance for me to wear every day, but MAC lipsticks really are something else! I can't get enough of them!

Everyone has a summer scent I am sure, and this year mine is Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt. I got this in Dublin airport before I jetted off to France so this scent just brings me right back to my holiday. I couldn't even describe it to you, but it is just so fresh and lovely.

An oldie but a goodie, I just love the Illamasqua cream blush in the shade Dixie. I actually have this blush nearly 2 years and probably is my most used blush, but somehow over Summer I have rekindled my love for it. It's just the perfect colour for me and no matter if you use it in the most intense summer heat, it stays in place all day.

Another new (to me) MAC product was the Studio Careblend powder. I have never used a powder as good as this! It's so soft and is very forgiving on my dry skin. Sometimes all I need is to wear a tinted moisturiser but I always set it with this powder and it's great for taking down the shine. Somehow it makes your skin look pretty flawless too!

And last but not least is the famous Nuxe lip balm. When I first got this, I was impressed but I perhaps didn't think it was worthy of all the hype. Turns out, I was wrong! I cannot go a day without using this. Actually this lip balm goes hand in hand with the MAC lipsticks I was using. I cannot put any lip product on now without a good layer of this lip balm. Plus it was a saviour in hot weather when my lips felt really dehydrated. I'm nearly out of this pot but I will go straight out and buy another when it runs out!

So while I had a great time going on holiday in July, the Irish weather is really getting me in the mood for Autumn!

Chanel Stylo Eyeshadow - Laurier Rose

 This is another new product I picked up on holidays. I was just randomly swatching things in Sephora and this one really took my breath away. All of the Chanel Stylo Eyeshadows looked lovely, but the Laurier Rose shade in particular just looked fantastic to me. It was €30 from what I remember, so not cheap but I knew I'd get plenty of use out of it.

I actually used to be really obsessed with pink shades on my eyes but I haven't worn eye looks like that in a long time.

Isn't that swatch just heavenly? It almost has a metallic quality to it. It's a really warm toned pink with a subtle sparkle. Actually Chanel describe the shadow as having "fresh and iridescent effects". I definitely get that, and the eyeshadow has a cooling effect too when applied to the eyelid. It's very creamy and glides across the eyelid with ease.

I have never actually used an eyeshadow in a pencil form before, but I literally just swipe it over my eyelids and blend out the edges for a simple everyday look. It just adds a little "something" to the eyes, but when I want something a little more eye-catching I deepen the crease using some shades from the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette, as below. 

I just adore this Stylo Eyeshadow so much, it's a fantastic product and I am so delighted how easily it applies. I actually would love a couple more shades so that I can play around and experiment and try out a whole entire look using the Stylos.
The wear time is really good, I got a good 8 hours wear time before it started to crease (I always wear it over my MAC Painterly Paint Pot).

I'm just so in love with this Stylo Eyeshadow. It's so incredibly easy to apply, and you can make it as simple or dramatic of a look as you like. It has definitely impressed me! Who doesn't love a bit of Chanel!

Urban Decay new eyeshadows for Summer 2015!

I do love Summer make up releases. Urban Decay have some fantastic new bits for Summer 2015. I was very lucky to have been sent one of their new eyeshadows to try out. There are 8 new shades available, and I have here "Sideline" which is described as gold with a green shift. 

First of all, let me say that the packaging is absolutely stunning! The eyeshadow itself is very unusual, it is a very yellow gold into an almost olive green. It's definitely up my street. I much prefer duo tone shadows like these compared to any other shadow. They are just something a bit more interesting!

I found it really easy to apply, it is just bursting with pigmentation and it's quite soft and easy to blend out. It's such a unique colour, that I really didn't know what to do with it or what to pair it with! In the photos below I am just wearing it alone with minimal eyeliner and I just went for a neutral lip. I think it speaks for itself but I would like to pair it up with more eyeshadows for a more intense look.

Because it is such a soft eyeshadow, I found that it had creased on me after abut 8 or so hours (I always use an eyeshadow base, currently using a Mac Paint Pot) which is a fairly decent wear time in my opinion.

I am kind of an Urban Decay newbie and have just discovered that these eyeshadows pop out and you can create your own palettes with these! That sounds very handy if you have a few of these single pots. The new shades all seem to be absolutely stunning and that little something different. I would love to try "Fireball" next! But I am very happy with how Sideline looks and performs.

The new Urban Decay eyeshadows are available now from select Debenhams www.debenhams.ie and House of Fraser at Dundrum Town Centre and cost €18 each.

What do you think of the new eyeshadows?

Clarins Aquatic Treasures collection for Summer 2015

Hooray for outdoor photos! Isn't this lovely sunny weather just the perfect tonic? That means it is almost time for Summer make up, and who does Summer make up better than Clarins? I have been so obsessed with their Summer collections the last couple of years, so I am so delighted to be able to try out some bits from the new Aquatic Treasures collection!

Aquatic Treasures Summer Bronzing Compact £30

Every year Clarins release a knockout bronzing compact. This one really is a stunner! The exterior of the compact is just beautiful, I could stare at it all day! Inside is a wonderful matte bronzer, with four segments of different shades. I love the embossed design on the powder. I just swirl my brush around the entire compact and I have been using it pretty much all over my face to bronze up my make up. The powder is extremely soft, and is very pigmented so a light hand is needed. Gorgeous!

Instant Light Radiance Boosting Complexion Base £26

The Instant Light Radiance Boosting Complexion Base is a permanent fixture in the Clarins make up range,  though they are bringing out 2 limited edition shades for summer. I have the shade "04 Apricot" and there will also be a shade "05 Golden Bronze". This can be worn alone or as a base for your make up. I have tried it both ways, and love it! I love how the tube has a pump and it dispenses the perfect amount to apply all over your face and neck. It's not shimmery but just gives an incredible "glow" - I am not one to use base products like this but I have to say there is a noticeable difference in my complexion when I wear this! Although the shade Apricot looks rather dark in my swatch here, it blends in beautifully and looks perfect on me, especially if I am tanned. It doesn't particularly give any coverage if you did decide to wear it on it's own, but I think it would be the perfect face product to wear on a holiday. It has a gorgeous scent and just feels so fresh and light on the skin.

Clarins Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil £17

Next up I have been trying the double ended eye liner pencil, which I have been loving very much! The pencil has a gel/cream texture and is so easy to apply and smudge with the little rubber end. It's great for a quick smokey eye! It stays on your eyes all day long and because it is waterproof it will be great for summer heat, or at the pool!

Clarins Ombre Iridescente £19

Last up, we have a gorgeous little eyeshadow pot in the shade "01 Aquatic Rose", which is a beautiful neutral, rose gold shade. I can imagine this colour suiting everybody. I got on a lot better with this eyeshadow than I did with the Ombre Mattes which were released last Autumn. I think probably because these are a little more shimmery, there is more "stick" to them and this has been lasting on me all day without creasing. Anyway, these are definitely a powder formula and I guess you could apply with an eyeshadow brush but I just prefer to use my ring finger and really pack it on all over the lid, much the same as if it were a cream eyeshadow. I have really been loving this eyeshadow, after the heavy eye make ups of the Winter season it is just so nice to pare it all back with beautiful, simple neutrals like this. And I do love a pearly, iridescent shade! There is also a darker shade available, "Aquatic Grey" if that is more your style! They are absolutely brilliant and hassle-free to apply.

Another close up of the bronzer, I just think this is the most beautiful piece of make up I have seen in a long time!

Wearing all of the products….I have the Complexion Base on under my foundation (Clarins Everlasting+ - love this stuff!), the bronzer all over my face, Ombre Iridescente all over my eyelids with the bronzer as a crease colour, the waterproof eyeliner pencil on the lash line smudged out, Clarins Blush Prodige 02 Soft Peach, Clarins Jolie Rouge lipstick in "Coral Dahlia".


What do you think of this collection? Isn't it just gorgeous and perfect for Summer? I must admit I was looking forward to a Clarins summer eyeshadow palette like the last couple of years, but I guess because they brought out a palette in the Spring collection, they didn't do one for summer. I feel like this collection is all about very understated make up, glowing bronzed complexions. I am so into that right now!

The Clarins Aquatic Treasures collection is available in May 2015.



Products provided for review. All opinions my own.