Who doesn't love a MAC Haul….

So….yesterday I spent the day in Dublin - I was going to see a show in the evening but I thought I would take the day out of it and go shopping as well. I kind of planned in my head some things I would like from MAC but to be honest I got a little carried away with myself and I have the guilts for buying all of this. Especially when my car insurance is due next month…oops! At least I will have nice make up, right? Anyway, here is what I got…

I have been really unhappy with how my makeup sits on my face so I thought I'd give the Skin Base a go. I've never used a primer in my life so it will be interesting if this will make a difference for me. I've wanted to try the Pro Longwear concealer for a while so I got it in the shade NW15. I needed a new gel eyeliner so I got Blacktrack (I used this today and oh my god! It's so creamy and easy to use!) and of course I couldn't go without getting a couple of lipsticks. I also got Fix+, I had been meaning to get this for a while so that I can spritz my brushes with it and enhance certain eyeshadows. I didn't know that MAC have just come out with scented Fix+ so I got the lavender one! It smells really nice!

The lipsticks I got are Syrup and Peach Blossom! I wore Syrup straight after I bought it and I really love it! It really is such a gorgeous neutral shade and it doesn't come out as purple as it looks. Haven't tried Peach Blossom yet but after seeing it feature on makeupmonster.ie a few times I knew I had to have it!


So there you have it, that is what I got in MAC. I have to be honest, it was really busy in the store and I didn't quite enjoy being in there but I am really happy with what I got, even if I did spend a little bit more than anticipated! I could have gone even more overboard, I'd love to try one of their blushes and even experiment with some pigments or something!

Cocoa Brown Cocktail Evening at the Vintage Cocktail Club

I was absolutely delighted to be invited to the latest Cocoa Brown event to celebrate the launch of their three latest products- a cocktail evening in the Vintage Cocktail Club in Dublin! Which was so exciting to me. The Vintage Cocktail club is a venue unlike anything I have ever been to, it seems very "exclusive" and was so atmospheric. I loved this fabulous Cocoa Brown sweetie display!

We were all presented with this menu featuring Cocoa Brown themed cocktails! How awesome is that?! Each one named after Cocoa Brown products. I had the "Lovely Legs"! 

...And after this I was very bad and neglected my camera so I have no more photos! I was too busy chatting away with fellow bloggers. It was so great! As was chatting to the Cocoa Brown team about their recent stint in Los Angeles, something which I was so excited about almost as if I was there too! It just shows you how fabulous Cocoa Brown is, that in just over a year it has come so far and I have a feeling that the success of Cocoa Brown can only expand and onto even bigger things! 

I tried to go for a more "vintage" look due to the venue I was attending. I used my favourite Lancome Teint Idole foundation as my base, my Clarins Splendours eyeshadow palette and Lancome Midnight Rose lipstick.

At the end we were all given fabulous goodie bags containing the three new products - Cocoa Brown1 Hour Dark, Lovely Legs Spray and Gentle Bronze Gradual Tan! I am super, super excited to try these out! I tested a teeny bit of the Gentle Bronze already and the scent of it is so divine!

A huge thank you to Marissa and the rest of the Cocoa Brown team for having me. I really appreciate it and I had such a brilliant evening. Cocoa Brown deserves every success, not only are their products absolutely amazing but the team behind it are so lovely and genuine. Many thanks!

Cocoa Brown - "Tough Stuff" !

Well here we go, another fab product from Cocoa Brown! I was so excited to try this out. You know when you have stubborn tan that you just can't get off? This is what you need!!

..And it is pink! What a nice touch! You can barely see the exfoliating beads here, they are so tiny and yet so "tough"! This exfoliator also features the signature Cocoa Brown scent, Tahitian Gardenia. So nice!

This is by far, the most effective scrub I have ever used. I have used this both in the shower and also when my skin is dry. I find it is more effective for removing tan when your skin is dry. Give yourself a good scrub, and when you shower it off, you can actually see the tan washing off your skin. I couldn't believe what I was seeing! It gives a slightly more gentle exfoliation when your skin is already wet.

After using this product, my skin has never felt in better condition. No rough patches, no lumps or bumps, just super soft skin. This really is a wonder product in my opinion! The sachet is good for maybe 2 full body applications. If you are worried about storing an open sachet, then don't worry, this product will be available in a tube come October. In the mean time you could store the Tough Stuff in those little travel bottles you can get it Primark.

Now because I was already wearing some fake tan (Cocoa Brown 1 Hour of course), I thought I would show you all how good "Tough Stuff" works at removing tan!


At the weekend, I was invited down for afternoon tea, courtesy of the lovely Cocoa Brown team. It was held in the fabulous Radisson Blu St Helens, Blackrock, Dublin. I had an amazing time, I met some lovely bloggers and just really enjoyed myself. Here are a few pics...

 L-R: myself, Danielle from The Imperfect Beauty, Rebecca from Give a Posy and Laura from Life, Laughs and Laura

Myself and the lovely Marissa Carter

Cocoa Brown have done it again for me! Tough Stuff is a great accompaniment for you fake tan wearers. Amazing at removing stubborn patches of tan, whilst leaving you skin super soft, ready for your next application! 

Inglot Products - my first impressions

I had never really heard of Inglot before, I came across their name while reading a few blogs but I genuinely did not know what they had to offer. I have actually heard that their eyeshadows are of a much better quality than MAC eyeshadows, and much cheaper too. Wow.

Well, at the recent Irish bloggers meetup, we were very kindly given two of the above products, the nail polish and the eye pigment. I couldn't leave without an eyeshadow palette too! Here is a closer look.

I was a bit apprehensive at using this polish as it is quite a Barbie pink, but I absolutely love how it looks on, and it applied like a dream! It is shade 817.

This is the eye pigment, in shade 42. This looks absolutely stunning, I have not actually used it yet - I think I am a little intimidated by it - but I think it would look amazing on!

Then, I chose three of their eyeshadows... I loved their Freedom system. You pick up a magnetic board and stick on whatever shades you want, and the girls at the counter will make up a palette for you. This is great as in the generic palettes that you buy, there is always a shade or two that you will not use!

Unfortunately I do not know the shade numbers of these! I was especially drawn to the orange shade, it's so beautiful!

Here I have blended the three shades together, but I cannot wait to see what I can do with the orange shade on its own! The other two colours I could definitely use every day. The eyeshadows were very silky to apply and blend, they were lovely to use and I definitely would like to try more. I'll have to get a bigger palette next time!

I don't think they show prices on their website, but for this 3x eyeshadow palette it cost €24. Their nail polish formula seems to be just superb, and I have fallen in love with their eyeshadows too. Next time I am in Dublin I will most definitely be stopping at the Inglot counter!



EDIT: I should probably add that several hours after the photo was taken of my eye make up, my eyes started feeling quite itchy. I removed the eyeshadow and I could see my eyelids looked a little swollen and red. My eyelids felt really sore and by that evening it looked like I had burns on my eyelids. I fear I am allergic to Inglot :( I was just starting to love this brand!

Dublin Haul & Cocoa Brown Lovely Lady Lunch

A few days ago, I received an email from the lovely ladies at Cocoa Brown, inviting me to lunch on Saturday at the Shelbourne in Dublin. I was so thrilled to be invited, the Shelbourne is a magnificent hotel and I couldn't wait to meet some bloggers in "real life". I arrived in Dublin a little early on Saturday morning, so I did a little bit of shopping! And I do apologise in advance if this post turns out to be a little picture-heavy.

I love Forever 21, their clothes are super stylish and extremely affordable too. I especially really like their skinny jeans, they are a perfect fit for me and so comfortable. Recently I ordered online some lovely coloured skinny jeans, and I thought I'd buy some nice tops to go with them.

 I thought this top was real nice. I love the beautiful colour, the floaty style of the top and the pretty gold detailing on the front and the cuffs.

 I got this nice coral shirt for casual wear

And because it's still a bit chilly out, I got this nautical style cardigan!

Then of course I had to stop by Penneys, I wanted a few more tops for everyday wear, and I wanted to check out the Essence stand too!

 These tops were just €3 each, cheap and cheerful for everyday wear

I thought these two tops were really pretty, I think they €6 each. 

 I was so impressed with the last Angelica nail polish I got I just had to pick up another couple of colours! Can't wait to try these!

I got these from the Essence stand. I recently included the Gel Tint as part of a beauty swap I took part in, and I really wanted to try it for myself! I also can't wait to try the Volumizing Lash Powder. 

OK, now it was time to head to the Shelbourne. I have never seen such luxury, it is the fanciest hotel I have ever been in! It was so nice to meet Marissa and Sarah, and of course some fellow bloggers. We had an amazing lunch, here is a peek at the menu...

The food was just to die for, I have never tasted anything like it in my life! I had to take a photo of the dessert, it was so beautiful!

It was so great to talk to Marissa about her amazing tan, it is for sure the best tanning product I have ever used, and I really mean that. We all had a really great time, and we were all very generously given these amazing goody bags...

You will see included is the new Night and Day tan, which was taken off the production line just for us bloggers to get a sneak peek. A review will be coming very soon! 

I had the most amazing day out, and I want to say a huge thank you to the lovely Marissa and Sarah, I feel so honoured to have been invited to the Shelbourne. To all the bloggers who were there, it was so great to meet you and I hope we will meet again soon.

So all in all, a very productive Saturday! I cannot wait to try out all my new products!