March has absolutely flown by - with Paddy's Day in the middle and then Easter, it just seems to have gone by in the blink of an eye! Having said that, I have yet to eat any Easter Egg due to being ill all over the holiday and I'm only just starting to eat in small amounts again now so I have that to look forward to! I have a mixture of favourites to share with you today, so let's get started!
Honest reviews, regular hauls and all things beauty.
Thursday 31 March 2016
Saturday 26 March 2016
Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire Nail Polish in Red Heels
Guerlain is a high end brand that I always associate with luxury & sophistication. I have only tried a small number of products from them so when Debenhams got in touch to see if I wanted to try their new scented nail polish, I jumped at the chance! Who wouldn't like a little luxury in their life?! La Petite Robe Noire is Guerlain's best selling fragrance and as the name would suggest, it is classic & chic, just like The Little Black Dress. Guerlain have innovatively created a range of nail polishes and lipsticks that are scented with the La Petite Robe Noire fragrance. It is a grown up, sweet, fruity scent with a very subtle hint of spice that oozes sophistication, luxury and femininity.
The new ranges comprises of 20 lipsticks, 8 nail polishes, a top coat and a base coat, all scented with the perfume. The lipsticks are priced at €29.50/£21.50 and the nail polishes are priced at €23/£17, which is expected from a high end brand such as Guerlain. Both the lipsticks and the nail polishes feature an upside down heart on the lid, in keeping with the original fragrance bottle. This heart is for decorative purposes on the nail polish and when you remove it, there is a small black lid with the brush attached. The brush itself is quite wide, which makes it easy to get an even and precise application. One coat is ample for an opaque finish, which is very glossy. I was sent the shade Red Heels, which is a classic true red and apart from loving the scent (which reveals itself after application), I also love how long lasting the polish is. I am currently on my fourth day of wear without any chipping. There is a variety of pink and red shades to choose from and also a deep purple toned black, so something to suit everyone.
Debenhams are also offering a free gift with two or more Guerlain purchases at the moment (whilst stocks last) so check out the entire range here. I think these products would make a nice gift for any beauty addict, especially those who are difficult to buy for because these products are different from the norm!
I'd love to know if you have ever used scented nail polishes or lipsticks or if it is something you would like to try? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Thanks for reading!
Labels:
Debenhams,
Guerlain,
La Petite Robe Noir,
nail polish,
Red Heels
Thursday 24 March 2016
Rediscoveries #2 featuring MAC, Anastasia Beverly Hills and Becca
In an effort to actually use my make-up collection more and also be more mindful with my spending, I have been increasingly "shopping my stash" over the past couple of months. It's actually good fun to do and it also makes me decide if a product is worth keeping (and using!) or if I should just pass it on to family & friends. Today, I want to share with you my three most recent rediscoveries and why I definitely couldn't part with them.
Tuesday 22 March 2016
My top 5 Spring fragrance picks featuring Chloe, Marc Jacobs, Jo Malone & more!
So Spring has finally sprung and it's time to start rotating my make-up collection to reflect the change in season. I usually start with perfume, then nail polishes and finally, make-up so today I am sharing my top 5 fragrance picks from my collection for Spring!
Friday 18 March 2016
Products worth the hype #2 featuring BECCA, Tatcha, Clarins, Charlotte Tilbury & more!
It's very easy to get wrapped up in hyped up products and feeling that you absolutely need a product, only to buy it and then be disappointed - I think we've all been there! However, sometimes products are hyped up for a reason so today I am going to share with you the products that I believe are worth the hype and are definitely worth having in your collection. I actually had to narrow it down to just make-up because when I started to think about this post, there were perfumes and skincare products and it would just be too many products for one post so I will post about those categories separately at some point.
The first product that immediately sprang to mind is the very famous, very lusted after, Champagne Pop (or to give it its full title: BECCA Jaclyn Hill Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed - Champagne Pop). I think most people went crazy for this last summer when it was released and the fact that it was limited edition, made it one of the most coveted make-up products last year. It was initially only available in the U.S. but I managed to grab one from Rose's Beauty Store. It is now available from Cult Beauty & Space NK. All of the hype surrounding this product is real - it is so, so buttery soft and feels almost creamy even though it is a powder. It is extremely pigmented so only the smallest dusting is needed, so it will last a long time and it doesn't settle into any fine lines. The shade is extremely flattering as it isn't too gold or too silver/pink so I think it would suit all skin tones. For me, this is definitely worth the hype.
Next up is a product that I have used for years (long before I needed to probably!). It is Clarins Beauty Flash Balm. This can be used as a primer, a face mask or just when your skin needs a general pick-me-up on no make-up days. I have dry skin, so for me, this immediately adds moisture, plumps the skin and generally makes my complexion look brighter and more radiant. My foundation applies beautiful over it without clinging to any dry areas and everything looks fresh and more youthful. It is also perfect for sensitive skin and doesn't feel greasy or tacky on the skin. I cannot tell you how many tubes of this that I have gone through because I have used it for years and it will be forever repurchased. This is a hyped up product for a very good reason.
From an old favourite to a new one - Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist. I have only had this for around 3/4 months but I have fallen hard for it. If you like a dewy finish to your skin or make-up, then you need this in your life. I have never used anything else with the ability to transform your entire face in the way that this does. If your skin is looking dull, a quick spritz of this fine mist and you will look like you've had 9 hours sleep. If your make-up is looking a little flat or cakey, this will soften the whole look as though you have used an Instagram filter or a soft focus setting on your camera. It will literally transform your skin before your eyes in an instant and it doesn't unsettle your make-up. It feels very soothing on the skin and adds some hydration so would be perfect for a touch up during the day. I love the colour of the packaging but the bottle is glass so quite weighty and not great for in your handbag, but perfect for on your desk. I cannot recommend this product highly enough and I definitely plan on exploring the brand more.
MAC eyeshadows have been been very hyped for years now. I know that people are saying that Make-Up Geek eyeshadows are the same quality but more affordable, but I personally have yet to try them so cannot comment on the comparison but for me, MAC eyeshadows are definitely worth the hype. I have around 60 of them and I would say that there are only one or two out of all of them that aren't very pigmented. The rest are easy to blend, pigmented and have great staying power. I love the huge variety of shades and finishes there are to choose from. I have over 30 eyeshadow palettes but there is something about my MAC palettes that make my heart skip a beat.
Now on to lipsticks. I took me around a year after they were released, to try Nars Audacious lipsticks but they were worth the wait & worth the hype. First up, I love the sleek black packaging and the crisp click sound of the magnetic closure (it's the little things sometimes!). There are so many colours to choose from and I only own two currently (that will have to change soon!) but both are extremely creamy but not so slippy that your teeth will be covered in lipstick! They are very moisturising and so pigmented that just one swipe is sufficient for full coverage. Amazing! Expensive at €30, but so worth the hype.
The final products that I am going to mention today are also lipsticks and they are from Charlotte Tilbury. Again, these are priced at €30, so not exactly cheap but they are a real treat. I adore the rose gold packaging, although it is much more lightweight than YSL packaging because it is plastic. There are two ranges available: Matte Revolution & K.I.S.S.I.N.G. I own some from both ranges and love them both equally. The matte lipsticks are very creamy, which is surprising and I don't find them to be at all drying or clingy on the lips. They are long lasting and I find them to fade pretty evenly. The K.I.S.S.I.N.G. range give a glossy finish and are really moisturising on the lips. They also give the appearance of fuller lips and whilst they aren't as long lasting as the mattes, they will still last around 5 hours on me, which is pretty good going. I've seen posts about lots of new shades being released this summer so I will be keeping my eye out for those and adding to my collection!
I would love to know what products you think are worth the hype? Do you sometimes get caught up in hype only to be disappointed? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Thanks for reading!
Wednesday 16 March 2016
Disappointing product: Sarah Chapman Skinesis Liquid Facial Resurfacer
Regular readers will know that I'm a bit of a skincare junkie and I don't mind investing in skincare products. You will also know that I am a fan of Sarah Chapman skincare products - the Intense Hydrating Booster is one of my favourite ever serums, so when I saw that she had an acid exfoliator in her range, I decided to try it. I have been using Sarah Chapman Skinesis Liquid Facial Resurfacer for around 5 weeks now and want to share my thoughts with you today, but as you can tell from the title of this post, it won't be a rave!
Monday 14 March 2016
Too Faced Love Flush Long Lasting 16-Hour Blush Wardrobe
Too Faced is a brand that goes up & up in my estimation with every product I try - their eye shadow palettes are amongst my favourites and I wanted to try one of their blushes from the Love Flush range since they were first released but could never decide which one to buy so when I saw that they were releasing a blush palette with all of the shades, I knew it had to be mine! I was eagerly keeping my eye on the Debenhams website, as they are the only Too Faced stockists in Ireland the UK as far as I am aware, but months after the U.S. release there was still no sign of this palette arriving. I know we can order directly from the Too Faced website but when I checked, it was sold out - of course, all of this made me want it even more so when I spotted it on Rose's Beauty Store, I snapped it up! I've had a little time to play with it & want to share my thoughts with you today.
Labels:
Blush Palette,
Blush. Rose's Beauty Store,
Love Flush,
review,
Too Faced
Monday 7 March 2016
How much is my face worth?
I've seen this post on some blogs before and yesterday when I did my make-up before we took my Mam out for Mother's Day, I took a photo in order to do this post today! I only decided to do it after I had applied my make-up, so I didn't intentionally use either budget or high end make-up - just what I felt like wearing yesterday. I'm half-dreading adding it all up at the end of this post, but here goes!
Labels:
Anastasia Beverly Hills,
Armani,
BECCA,
Champagne Pop,
Charlotte Tilbury,
Dior,
Luminous Silk,
Marc Jacobs,
Nars,
sheer glow,
Smashbox,
stila,
Too Faced
Thursday 3 March 2016
Empties & speedy reviews #22 featuring Omorovicza, Nars, Clinique, Nivea, No7 and more!
It really doesn't seem that long since my last empties post but my "empties bag" is full again so here goes! I have a good mixture of skincare, body and hair care and a few miscellaneous products in here so let's get cracking!
Tuesday 1 March 2016
Urban Decay/Gwen Stefani blush palette - the palette of dreams! You also have a chance to win it!
One of my Christmas gifts was the beautiful Urban Decay/Gwen Stefani eyeshadow palette, which I really love so when I heard she was releasing a blush palette, I knew I would have to own it so I ordered it as soon as it was released and fell in love immediately - so much so that I then bought one for one of my lovely readers. The link to the giveaway is at the end of this post, so keep reading!
Labels:
blush,
Blush Palette,
Bronzer,
Gwen Stefani,
Highlight,
review,
Urban Decay
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