Simple Christmas Make Up

Hi! Long time no see, right? I have taken a little blogging hiatus for a while. Life just got a little busy and of course with Christmas coming up and the horrible weather we had been having I just did not have time to blog. But today I wanted to show you quite a simple make up which I intend on wearing on Christmas. Nothing too fancy, I have really come to the realisation that "less is more" when it comes to make up. I really don't suit a whole big plaster of make up on my face and I have been enjoying simpler looks. By that, I mean no highlight, no contour, no bronzer. Anyway… here is what I have on.

Too Faced Born This Way foundation (shade Vanilla)

MAC Pro longwear Concealer (NW15)

Illamasqua Cream Blush (shade Dixie)

Clarins Loose Mineral Powder

MAC Painterly Paint Pot

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette (shades Salted Caramel, Milk Chocolate, White Chocolate, Semi Sweet)

MAC Blacktrack gel liner

Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara

MAC Reflects Pearl

Clarins Joli Rouge Lipstick (shade Joli Rouge)

I really like how it all looks together. For my eyes I like to use the matte browns in the Chocolate Bar palette just to give my eyes some definition. But then I remembered I had the Reflects Pearl glitter in my drawer from the MAC Cinderella collection which I have never really used. No better time than Christmas, right? I sprayed a little brush with MAC Fix+ and just dabbed it really in the centre of my eyelid. What I like about the Reflects glitter is that it really is quite subtle (despite being sparkly glitter! It's hard to describe). You don't see any big chunks of glitter, just a nice wee bit of sparkle. 

For my lips I just couldn't wait to use this Clarins lipstick for Christmas. I don't think I suit reds very much as they clash with my hair but for me this is such a classic true red, it makes me feel very old Hollywood movie star! Plus it's very creamy and nice to wear. 

Oh and for my hair I used the Remington Pearl curling wand and did really tight curls, then I just brushed through the curls with a big paddle brush.

Sorry I do not have a better pic of the make up actually on me! The lighting was so bad and it was just taken on my phone as I was heading out the door!

If I don't get speaking to you before then I hope you all have a lovely Christmas and wish you health and happiness for the new year xx

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!

The Best of 2013 (Beauty Edition)

It is so difficult for me to believe that 2013 is at an end. I have to say that it has been a wonderful year for me, and I hope 2014 will be just as good. I wish everyone a very happy and prosperous new year.

I started this blog in January 2013. I have always tried numerous, varied products but ever since I started blogging I find that I have bought things that I wouldn't normally have looked at, thanks to everyone's great reviews and blog posts. 

I had to think long and hard but I have chosen seven products which have entered my life in 2013 and hopefully will never leave!

1. Clarins Instant Eye Make Up Remover - This is one item which will now always be a staple in my skincare routine. This eye make up remover has an oil and water layer which you shake together and which really cuts through all eye make up with one swipe. It is so gentle on your eyes, there is no need to tug or pull on the skin. It is £15.00 a bottle which normally lasts me about 10 weeks. It is worth every penny!

2. Cocoa Brown 1 Hour Tan Mousse - I never used to wear fake tan, until I discovered this. Now I wear tan every single day. Isn't it funny how things change? I don't know what I would do without my Cocoa Brown. I don't look normal without it. Actually I don't even remember what I look like without tan. It is just the most natural looking tan, so easy to apply and it is dry almost instantly after applying. Sure it is so handy, why wouldn't you wear it all the time?!

3. Lancome Teint Idole Foundation - I decided to invest in a good foundation back in May and I am so delighted I chose this. I have not spent this much money on a foundation before, but I can tell you that you can actually feel the difference in quality compared to other foundations. This is without a doubt the best foundation to ever land in my make up collection. It is so light yet gives great coverage. It has a nice scent, and I love the glass bottle with the pump.

4. Art Deco Dip Eyeliner - I used to be so crap at applying liquid eyeliner. I don't know how I can apply this little beauty so easily, but I can. The formula, the brush, everything about it makes it so easy for me to line my eyes. And it has lasted so long too and hasn't started to dry up or anything. Although, I am incredibly upset now that I have just realised Debenhams do not stock this anymore! I don't know what I will do when this runs out!

5. Lancome Hypnose Mascara - After trying my first Lancome mascara earlier in the year (Hypnose Star) I can confirm that out of all the brands of mascaras I have tried, nothing even comes close to the quality of Lancome. I love the formula and the wand. My lashes are so amazing looking when I use this!

6. Illamasqua Cream Blush - Remember the Illamasqua 50% off sale everyone went crazy for? The only thing I bought was this cream blush in the shade "Dixie". I didn't really get on with it at first, but I have worn it every single day and have not even hit pan yet! I like to apply it with the Real Techniques Stippling Brush or I tap in on with my fingers. Even if I am wearing a powder blush, I always put on a bit of this underneath as a base. It is absolutely brilliant and well worth the money,

7. Urban Decay Naked Palette - I snubbed this palette for such a long time. I didn't like the idea of "nudes", I mean what is the point of wearing eyeshadow at all if you are going to go nude? But when I first saw this palette up close in real life, I quickly realised that my assumption was wrong. These shades are all so beautifully shimmery and in my opinion they are not what I would call "nudes". I love bronzey, gold shades and this palette is packed full of them. Since I got this palette I have worn no other eyeshadows! I like the idea of Naked 2 and now Naked 3, but in my opinion, the original Naked palette is the best.

Do you like any of these products? What products have you tried in 2013 that you love? Please let me know in the comments below.

How Much Is My Face Worth?

I saw this tag on a few blogs, and I was so intrigued to do it myself.... I'm frightened of the result though!

These are the products I would use on weekends when I have a lot more time to do my makeup. During the week when I work I just use whatever is the quickest and easiest! But I enjoy taking time to do makeup for going shopping, going for lunch, etc.  So let's take a closer look at what I use and how much they cost...

Illamasqua Cream Blush -  £9.00 - I absolutely love this blush and I use it every day. The RRP is £18 but I got this when Illamasqua had their 50% off sale. This is the shade "Dixie".

MUA Highlighting Powder - £3.00 - I don't often use highlighters to be honest but I am trying to get in the habit of using them. I love this MUA one, and I actually prefer it to the more expensive ones like Benefit High Beam.

Lancome Teint Idole Foundation - £27.50 -  Oh, I cannot say how much I love this foundation! It is on the expensive side, but it isn't comparable to any other foundation in my opinion. It's just the best and is so beautiful to wear.

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer - £5.49 - This is a recent purchase. I am constantly trying out new concealers. I am completely paranoid about my undereye area. This one is probably the nicest one I have tried so far for under the eyes.

MAC Prep & Prime Line Filler - £16.00 - I told you I was paranoid about my undereyes! I got this recently too and although it makes only a small improvement, it is a great product and leaves the skin silky smooth.

Urban Decay Naked Palette - £37.00 - I am so in love with this palette. All my other eyeshadows have been neglected since I got this! All the shades are excellent and I use them all. This was so worth the money, if you break it down it costs around £3.00 per shadow.

Art Deco Dip Eyeliner - £9.00 - This eyeliner is fab. I am terrible at using liquid eyeliners, but for whatever reason I can apply this no problem. The applicator is just the right size/shape for me, and the formula is just the best and lasts all day.

Art Deco Eyeshadow Base - £8.00 - Many bloggers recommended I get this to prolong eyeshadow, so I went ahead and ordered it from BeautyBay.com and I have never looked back. It is, by far, the best eyeshadow base I have ever used (even better than Urban Decay Primer Potion, in my opinion). I use this every day I wear eyeshadow, and even after 12 hours of wear my eyeshadow still looks perfect.

Lancome Hypnose Star Mascara - £22.00 - I love this mascara so much! Sadly I am using the dregs of this one, I have put this mascara on my Christmas wish list though! I don't think I can go without it! What makes it so good, I think is the wand. It is just brilliant and it makes my lashes so long and full.

Essence Eyebrow Pencil - £1.50 - I have pretty horrid brows, but you can forget your fancy HD palettes and waxes, give me a brow pencil and I am a happy girl. This pencil is of an excellent quality and I wouldn't really bother spending any more than this when this one works so well for me!

EOS Lipbalm - £5.99 - Today, I cannot really be bothered wearing lipstick or anything that needs touching up! So long as my lips feel hydrated I will be happy enough. I am using my EOS which I love. The scent is lovely and the balm feels so nourishing. I wish they were tinted balms though, but nevermind. I ordered this one from Naturismo.

So the total is.... £144.48 .... I must say I am in total shock! I really didn't think it would be so much! Although this really is cheating, I should be dividing this amount by the number of times I will use these products, which will be many more times of course. But the final figure is quite shocking initially!

If you have done one of these posts, please leave me the link below because I would love to have a look!

My Blush Collection!

I do love a nice blush on my cheeks. These are the products I currently have in my collection. I have tried many over the years but you will notice they are all of a similar colour. I have definitely found the shade that I think suits me and that I wear every day. So here is what I have...

 Catrice - "Gone With the Wind" 

This is from the Catrice Fabulous 40s collection, named after my favourite novel/film of all time! It is a pinky, corally shade that I love. It is matte too. I absolutely adore this one, I wore it quite a lot during summer and I think it is the most natural, flattering shade.

 Illamasqua Cream Blush "Dixie"

I got this in the 50% off sale Illamasqua had a few months ago. It was purely an impulse buy to try something by Illamasqua and only pay half the price. Their cream blushes were recommended to me and I chose this shade as it is just very "me". At first I was kind of disappointed by it, then I started using it with my Real Techniques stippling brush which I think is the best way to apply it. I think this is brilliant, it is currently my only cream blush and this is the one which I use pretty much every day as it is so quick and easy to apply while I'm getting ready for work!

 No.7 "Soft Damson"

I got this one in a goodie bag at the recent Cocoa Brown Afternoon Tea. I was a little apprehensive as the shade has kind of a lilac tone to it, which is not something I would usually wear. I find this one looks best when I am not wearing fake tan and have paler skin. It turns out a very pale pink colour and looks so sweet. It feels so silky soft too.

 Benefit "Hervana"

This once well loved blush has been neglected in my make up drawer for I'd say close to a year. I used to love Benefit cosmetics. I don't really anymore. This blush cost me over £20.00 and while it is nice it is definitely not worth the money. I loved it for its peachy tones but it is definitely not something I would repurchase in the future.

Lancome Blush Subtil "Nectar Lace"

I think I have saved the best for last! This is the pride and joy of all of my blushes. This one is a real standout. This blush is the most corally, shimmery blush ever and I adore it. I try to only use this one I guess on special occasions or if I am going somewhere nice. I don't consider this an everyday blush. It looks fantastic on and the contour and highlight shades are fabulous too.


How many blushes do you have in your collection? Which one is your favourite?