Brand Focus #11 Ouai

Ouai is a brand that has exploded on to the beauty scene - everything about it from it's aesthetically pleasing and very instagrammable packaging to the fact that the creator (Jen Atkin) is also hairdresser to the Kardashians, has grabbed the attention of the beauty world. However, aesthetics and big names are not enough to sustain a brand - luckily, the products are pretty amazing so Ouai is here to stay! I haven't tried everything Ouai has to offer, however I think I have used enough to do a brand focus post as I have something to cover every step in a haircare routine.

Cult Favourites 2017: Discovery of the year

Today is the fourth and final instalment of my Cult Favourites of 2017, which coincides with Cult Beauty's Product of 2017 campaign, where you can win a £100 Cult Beauty voucher daily! More information on that at the end of the post. The focus of today's post is products that I discovered and fell in love with this year! I have seven products and then I will choose one to be my ultimate favourite!

Cult Favourites 2017: Bath/Body/Hair

I hope you've been enjoying this series of 2017 Cult favourites, which coincides with Cult Beauty's Cult Product of the year campaign. You can win a £100 Cult Beauty voucher daily so keep reading for more details on that! Today I am focusing on bath, body and hair products and I only have five products to talk about as I'm not overly adventurous in this area! At the end I will choose one of the five to be my Cult Product of this category!

Cult Favourites 2017: Makeup

Today's Cult favourites of 2017 is all about makeup and this is a category where I could easily get carried away but I narrowed it down to nine and then I will choose just one to be my absolute Cult Makeup product of 2017! Don't forget that you have the chance to win a £100 Cult Beauty voucher - keep reading to the end for details on that!

2017 Cult Favourites: Skincare

I usually post my end of year round up of favourite products in December but this year, I am posting them a little earlier to coincide with Cult Beauty's Cult Product of 2017 campaign, which is very exciting as you have the chance to win a £100 Cult Beauty voucher every day - keep reading to the end for details on that! Regular readers won't be surprised by any of the products as I have raved about them numerous times but it's good to put them all together in one post to showcase the best of the best! At the end, I will choose just one product from each category that is my Cult Product of 2017. Today, the focus is on skincare because we all know that I'm a total skincare junkie!

5 palettes that should be on your Christmas wish list!

As a palette addict, I had to do a separate post on them rather than include them in my Christmas Gift Guides! Today I am sharing five palettes that should be on your Christmas wish list if you don't own them already. All five were released this year and I think anyone who loves makeup would be delighted to find one of these under the tree at Christmas!

Christmas Gift Guide: Makeup & Nails

Today's gift guide is all about makeup and nail products. I have included some eye products but I will have a separate post on Friday with larger palettes, otherwise this post would be far too long! Everything here is under €50/£50 with most products being round the €25-30/£25-30 mark so hopefully there is something to suit all budgets!

Christmas Gift Guide: Bath & Body

I hope you enjoyed the skincare installment of my Christmas Gift Guide yesterday, today it's all about bath & body products. I personally love to receive a gift in this genre because I love a good pamper session and usually only use budget body products so to receive something a little fancier is a real treat! I have five products that I hope will serve as some inspiration as a gift for somebody in your life who needs a good pamper!

Christmas Gift Guide for skincare lovers!

All this week, I am going to be sharing my Christmas Gift Guides on the blog! There are so many amazing gift sets available at the moment but rather than just list everything that's out there, I am focusing on gifts that I have bought for friends and family (I hope they aren't reading!) or would love to receive myself so I hope they can provide some inspiration for those of you who have yet to start your Christmas shopping. Today, the focus is on skincare sets, which I love because they give the opportunity to try a number of products from a brand, usually for the price of one full size product. 

Is a tingle a good thing in skincare? Review: Herbivore Botanicals Blue Tansy Face Mask

Earlier this year, after using a product that was sent to me, my skin went crazy and broke out like never before. I have dry skin and don't normally have to worry about breakouts, apart from the odd hormonal spot that comes at a certain time of the month and even at that, it isn't every month. My skin reacted so badly to the product and triggered such a bad breakout that it honestly took around 6-8 weeks to settle down and clear up (shea butter and cocoa butter are not friends of my face!). I was really desperate for my skin to get back to normal because not only were the spots very painful but my skin was also very inflamed and I didn't like applying makeup as I didn't want to aggravate it further but sometimes I just had to! Why am I telling you this? Well during that time, I felt that I needed a new product to my routine to treat the breakout and prevent more occurring and that is why I bought the subject of today's post: Herbivore Botanicals Blue Tansy Face Mask. 

Brand Focus #10 Huda Beauty

It's time for another Brand Focus post (see previous posts here) and this time, it's all about Huda Beauty, which also coincides with it being Cult Beauty's Brand of the Month. If you aren't already aware, that means that there is free shipping on all Huda Beauty products for the month of November. Unless you have been hiding under a rock, you will know who Huda Kattan is but if you don't, what you need to know is that she is a hugely successful American-Iraqi makeup artist and youtuber who is now C.E.O. of her own beauty empire. Her first release was false lashes but she has since released eyeshadow palettes, highlighters, lip products and, more recently, a foundation and today I will give you an overview of all of the products I have tried. I love that Huda's face is on all of her products - I have heard some people say that it's narcissistic but I think that there couldn't be a better model or ambassador for her own brand. Remember that Huda Beauty is a relatively new brand so more products will be added to the line in time.

Jo Malone Christmas 2017 Limited Edition products: Orange Bitters Cologne and Pine & Eucalyptus Candle

Every year when the Christmas limited edition Jo Malone products are released, I tell myself that I will buy everything something but every year, the products sell out really quickly, plus it's at a time of year when I should be thinking about buying for others so I generally miss out. This year, I happened to be going through Duty Free around the time of the release and managed to bag myself two of the products that I had wanted last year - Orange Bitters Cologne and Pine & Eucalyptus Home Candle. It was hard to resist them because of the savings involved!

The Natasha Denona Holiday Collection 2017

If you have read my blog for any amount of time, you will know that I am a huge fan of Natasha Denona products (brand focus post here), particularly her glow collection but more especially, her eyeshadows. The pigmentation, texture, blendability and wear time of her shadows is second to none - they practically blend themselves. I had planned on buying one of the limited edition 5 pan palettes from her new Holiday Collection but to my total surprise and utter appreciation, I was kindly gifted the entire Holiday 2017 collection! I have been playing with the products for the last few weeks and am ready to share my thoughts with you today! Grab a snack because it's gonna be a long one!

Current loves #3 featuring Charlotte Tilbury, Hourglass, Natasha Denona & more!

I no longer do monthly favourites posts but when I find that there are products that I am using pretty consistently, I want to share them with you, which is what I am doing today! These are the products that are my go-to, and they are all also easy and quick to use so on days where I am unsure what to do with my makeup, I use these products!

Charlotte Tilbury Instant Eye Palette - do you need it?

If you have read my blog for any amount of time, you will know that I am a huge fan of Charlotte Tilbury - the lady herself and her products. (See Brand Focus post here.) I love the whole aesthetic of the brand and the quality of the products - I know the price point is high but this is a luxury brand and the prices are on a par with YSL, Dior etc yet still a lot less expensive than Tom Ford. I bought some products from her recent Hollywood range (review here) but the product I was most excited about was her Instant Eye Palette, which is due to be released this Thursday, but my husband kindly treated me to it when it was in a 24 hour presale last month. I have mixed thoughts on it and want to share them with you today.

The new & improved Clarins Double Serum

Clarins Double Serum is by no means a new product, in fact it has been around since 1985, however this summer they released an updated and improved edition of this serum, which is packed with even more anti-ageing and beneficial ingredients. I have been using it for the past month and I want to share my thoughts on it with you today.

Seasonal switch up: makeup picks featuring Charlotte Tilbury, Wet N Wild, Nars and more!

It feels strange to me to be switching my makeup up for the change in season because I'm only a week back from my holiday and still pretty tanned (hoping it will last for another few weeks at least because of Lancaster Tan Maximiser Aftersun - it really works!), but as much as I would love Summer to stick around, the reality is that Autumn is here and therefore my wardrobe, makeup and nail picks will have to change accordingly. Today I want to share some products that I will be reaching for most often over the coming months.

Divine by Name, Divine by Nature: L'Occitane Immortelle Divine Cleansing Balm

It's no secret that my preferred method cleansing is using a balm and I must have tried almost every brand out there and I have my few favourites that I have been using consistently as my skin freaks out if I chop & change products too often, but every so often, a product will come along that will knock my socks off and makeup it into my regular lineup - L'Occitane Immortelle Divine Cleansing Balm is one of those products. 

Liquid highlighters I'm currently loving featuring Cover Fx, Marc Jacobs & more!

I've always loved wearing highlighter but more recently I have become obsessed with liquid highlighters because they suit my dry skin really well. It actually all started with the really cute sample of Cover Fx Enhancer Drops in the shade Moonlight. These drops weren't really on my radar prior to this sample being available from SpaceNK because I wrongly assumed that they would be too metallic on my skin but I am now absolutely obsessed with them. 

My holiday skincare picks featuring Omorovicza, Clarins, Sarah Chapman & more!

I am going on holiday today - in fact, when this goes live, I will be on a plane on my way to Majorca for 11 nights with my husband! I haven't been there since 2007 but I have good memories from that holiday and I'm hoping this one will be even better - can't be much worse than our holiday in June when we went to Lanzarote where I became very ill and it was a bit of a nightmare! Fingers crossed for a better one this time! I showed you my holiday makeup picks last time around and I'm bringing pretty much the same products again so instead, I thought I'd show you the skincare products I am bringing. I went through my sample and mini product stash and have chosen my favourites because I still like to maintain my skincare routine as much as possible when I'm away.

Some Charlotte Tilbury purchases & initial thoughts

It's a while since I made some Charlotte Tilbury purchases even though I always have a CT wishlist as long as my arm. Although I have quite a few products (see brand focus post here), I basically want to try everything and when I saw that she was releasing a new Hollywood range of products, I knew I would have to place an order. I also have my eye on her new Instant Eye Palette but that won't be released until later this year, as far as I am aware.

Brand Focus #9: Sarah Chapman Skinesis

I thought it was about time that I did another skincare brand focus post because this category has been dominated by makeup brands for the past few months (check them out here). The brand I am focusing on is Sarah Chapman Skinesis, which is a luxury British brand whose aim is to create products that will give radiant, healthy, glowing skin. To find out more about Sarah who is the name behind the brand, see Fleur's video here. As with all of my other brand focus posts, this is not sponsored and I bought all of the products myself.

Two amazing overnight masks for bright and radiant skin

Night-time is when our skin repairs, renews and regenerates (all pretty much meaning the same thing, but I liked the alliteration!) so obviously what we put on our faces at night is very important because we can accelerate the repair and renewal process. Also, when we apply products at night, the active ingredients can really get to work because they have nothing else to compete with - makeup, spf etc. My dream is to wake up with fresh, radiant, glowing skin and I know I am not the only person with that wish so today I am sharing my thoughts on two amazing overnight masks that I think would work for all skin types.

Disappointing Products from Brands I Love

It's not that often that I end up disappointed by products that I buy because I do a lot of research first and love to read reviews from bloggers I trust,  but sometimes a dud slips through the checks and I have four of them here today. What makes these products even more disappointing is that they are from brands that I generally love!

The ultimate nourishing mask for dry skin - Clarins SOS Comfort Mask

Regular readers will know that I am a skincare lover - I love nothing more than pampering myself and taking care of my skin. I have a good routine going so for a product to make it into my regular lineup, it has to be pretty amazing but that is what has happened since I received Clarins SOS Comfort Mask. Clarins recently added three new masks to their line up: SOS Hydra for dehydrated skin, SOS Pure for oily and combination skin and SOS Comfort for dry skin, which is the one I chose as my skin is more dry than dehydrated, although I must admit that I am tempted by the Hydra mask too. 

5 brilliant foundations for dry skin

All skin types face problems when it comes to finding a foundation that works. Oily skin faces the battle of foundation becoming shiny and not lasting longer than a few hours, for those with combination skin, it can be difficult to find a foundation that is even all over and lasts in the t-zone and for dry skin, like mine, it can be difficult to find a foundation that doesn't age the skin, cling to particularly dry patches and cake. I have spent many years (and a lot of money) trying lots of foundations and have compiled a list of five that I find work really well on my dry skin, which I want to share with you today. I tend to favour a dewy finish but some of these are more satin or luminous than dewy but if you generally like the "lit from within" look, you will like all of these foundations. Obviously, skincare is very important no matter what your skin type and all bases will apply better to exfoliated, moisturised and primed skin.

Brand Focus #8: Too Faced

It's brand focus time again (check out my other brand focus posts here) and this month it's Too Faced. I know that this is a brand is quite divisive due to the kitsch packaging but I would urge you to get past the packaging if it isn't to your taste, because the majority of the products are excellent quality - the eyeshadows being some of my favourites ever.

Five products that I have repeatedly repurchased for 10-17 years!

No matter how many new products I add to my collection, there are five that are constantly repurchased - I'm talking staples that have been in my life for between 10 and 17 years at this stage and will be for the foreseeable future! If that isn't testament to how amazing they are, then I don't know what is. They have all appeared on the blog several times but today I thought I'd compile them into one post and tell you why I love them so much.

My MAC Lip Pencil Collection with swatches

Much like my lipstick collection, MAC is also the brand that I own most of when it comes to lip liners. I have always worn lip pencils because my bottom lip is fuller than my top lip so I like to even it up with liner without going too Kylie Jenneresque. I really like MAC lip pencils because they aren't too stiff in texture so they don't drag on the lips, are pigmented, comfortable to wear, pretty long-wearing and they offer a huge variety of shades. 

5 products that I am currently loving.....

As you know, I am not doing monthly favourites this year but when I have a collection of products that I am using repeatedly, I am sharing them with you and today's post is about five products that I am currently obsessed with! Some are old favourites, some new and one rediscovery.

Brand Focus #7 Anastasia Beverly Hills

A few years ago if Anastasia Beverly Hills was mentioned, most people would immediately have thought of brow products but now it's hard to know if it's eye shadows, lip products or highlighters that would come to mind first because they basically do everything so well. I first heard about the brand when I read that Kim Kardashian will only let Anastasia do her brows - the entire beauty world paid attention at that point! I've tried quite a few products from the brand so I've decided to compile my thoughts into a brand focus post (others in the series here) and as with all of my other brand focus posts, this post is not sponsored. Frustratingly, not all ABH products are available this side of the Atlantic but if you are interested in buying any of the products mentioned here today, they are available from Beauty Bay, Cult Beauty (free shipping on ABH products this month) or directly from Anastasia Beverly Hills UK site.

My skincare routine extras: masks, oils, exfoliators featuring Omorovicza, Pixi, Hey Honey & more!

To finish off my series of skincare posts, today I am sharing the "extras" in my routine - products that I don't use daily but they are used at least weekly, if not two or three times a week. As with my previous two posts, all of these products are consistent in my routine, especially the "holy trinity" of masks that I've spoken about a lot previously on the blog.

My current evening skincare routine featuring Estée Lauder, Alpha H, Dr Botanicals & more!

Following on from Sunday's post all about my morning skincare routine, today I am sharing my current evening routine. Again, these products are all consistent in my routine and all that I have been using over the past 4/5 weeks - obviously some I have been using for longer but this group of products are the only I have used in recent times and consistency is key for me. 

My current morning skincare routine featuring Omorovicza, Hey Honey, January Labs and more!

All this week on the blog, I am going to post about my current skincare routines - morning, evening and the extras, beginning today with my morning routine. I have a LOT of skincare products but after getting my skin back on track after its meltdown a few months ago, I decided that I needed to streamline my collection and just use certain products consistently. Around 4/5 weeks ago I cleared out my bathroom cabinet and kept a curated collection and now my skin is looking better than it has done in months and I'm no longer fighting breakouts and redness, my pores appear more refined and overall my skin looks more radiant. I think, for me, the key is not to chop and change my products too much as consistency has worked wonders. Some of the products were sent to me but most I bought myself and details of both are at the bottom of the post - either way, my opinion is honest. For reference, I have dry, quite sensitive skin with some texture issues and visible pores.

My holiday makeup picks featuring DHC, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Stila, NYX & more!

I'm going on holiday to Lanzarote for a week on Saturday and I really cannot wait! The last time I was there was 10 years ago for my friend's wedding but I got pneumonia and missed her special day. Obviously I am hoping to put those bad memories behind me and create new, happy ones on this holiday. I won't be posting again before we go so today I want to share the makeup that I'm bringing with me. I love having my entire collection at hand so I really find it difficult to pack my makeup bag (I find it easier to pack my clothes!) but I'm trying not to be too ridiculous with what I bring. I never wear makeup during the day on a sun holiday (except for a mascara) so everything is aimed toward evening/night time. Let's get started!

Brand Focus #6: Charlotte Tilbury

It's time for another Brand Focus post and this time it's all things Charlotte Tilbury. If you haven't seen my other Brand Focus posts, you can check them out here. As with the other posts in this category, this is not a sponsored post and I bought all of the products here myself or they were gifts from family. When Charlotte Tilbury first released her range, I was initially overwhelmed by the choice and I pretty much wanted everything (like everybody else, I'm sure) but I started with one of her eyeshadow quads and her famous Lip Cheat Lip Pencil in the shade Pillow Talk and from there, the love affair began and today I am going to share my thoughts on the range with you! I absolutely adore the art deco packaging of the entire range - it looks and feels very luxurious and definitely looks great on the dressing table but it's the products inside that count so let's get started....

My current favourite bronzers featuring Gosh, Becca, Make up For Ever and more!

I've always loved using bronzer to add some life and dimension to my face but I used to only ever use MAC Refined Golden - I literally repurchased it for years until one day curiosity got the better of me and I decided to try a different one. I'm not sure how I went from being staunchly loyal to one product to having around 10 in my collection - totally ridiculous, I know! Today, I've narrowed down my favourite six and I've put the other four into my friends/family pile - just call me a minimalist already! 

The products that rescued my skin from the worst breakout & allergic reaction of my life!

One of the great things about writing a beauty blog is that I am sometimes sent products to try but this can also be one of the worst things. Around Easter I was sent a moisturiser and I first applied it at night and was happy that my skin felt soft and was therefore excited to see how it would work over the next month or so. The next morning I woke up to skin that didn't look like my own - I had huge, cystic, painful spots and my skin was bright red, sore and angry. There was obviously something in the moisturiser that my skin hated so I obviously stopped using it immediately but it took around 6 weeks for my skin to look and feel like my own again. Today I want to share the products that got my skin back on track again - I had to deal with spots, sensitivity, inflammation and flakiness so whatever your skin issue, there is bound to be something here to help you. 

My MAC lipstick collection with swatches

L-R: Peach Blossom, Creme Cup, Sunny Seoul, Brave, Rebel, Angel, Costa Chic, Ruby Woo, Fast Play, Plumful, Syrup, Alessandra, Mehr, Please Me, Velvet Teddy.

I don't have the biggest MAC lipstick collection compared to a lot of bloggers but it is the brand that I have the most lipsticks from in my collection so I thought I would share it with you today. MAC lipsticks have crept up in price over the years and are currently priced at £16.50/€20/US$17 and an eye-watering $36 in Australia so whilst they are more affordable than YSL or Charlotte Tilbury, they still aren't exactly budget-friendly. I tend to buy them in Duty Free where there's a €3 saving. MAC lipsticks come in a range of finishes - matte, retro matte, satin, lustre, glaze, cremesheen, amplified, frost and liptensity - so there really is something for all tastes. I have tried all except the liptensity but that needs to change!

The glow setting spray edit featuring Pixi, Glamglow & more!

Setting sprays have been a regular feature in my daily makeup for years (MAC Fix+ or Urban Decay All Nighter Spray) because I have dry skin and until recently, I hadn't found any setting powders that didn't accentuate my dry skin and make me look 10 years older (that's now changed, thanks to Hourglass). More recently, I have seen the release of setting sprays that also add some glow to the skin and I am hooked! Today I am sharing my thoughts on four glow setting sprays that are currently in my collection and hopefully it will help you choose one if you are looking into adding one to your collection!

Brand Focus #4: Hourglass

Time for another brand focus post and this time I am focusing on Hourglass - a high end, cruelty-free brand. They are probably most known for their blushes (that's what initially got me hooked) but this is not a one-trick pony brand. Apart from the stunning, luxurious packaging, Hourglass has a lot to offer. Read on for my thoughts!

The makeup staples featuring Nars, Marc Jacobs, Clarins, Charlotte Tilbury & more

No matter how many new products I buy, there are still some products that are my default, go-to makeup staples. Products that I grab without having to think too much if I'm in a hurry because I know that I love them and can depend on them. At this stage, I feel that even my husband could choose these if I asked him to throw some makeup in a bag and bring it to me if I wasn't at home because they are my overall most-reached for products. Everybody has makeup staples and today I am sharing mine with you.

The bad skin day makeup edit: dull, inflamed or spotty skin

No matter how well we take care of our skin, we all have bad skin days - sometimes due to lack of sleep, over-indulgence, illness, medication, reaction to products - the list goes on! Today I want to share my favourite products to use on my skin to combat dull, inflamed or spotty skin. I'm focusing solely on makeup rather than skincare because this is for quick fix solutions and I'm only talking about base products - no blushes or highlighters.

Brand Focus #3: Oskia

This month's brand focus features only five products, which is a lot less than I usually review when doing a brand focus but, as with all of my other posts, it's all about honesty and I only own five products from the brand, which this month is Oskia. That being said, some of these have been repurchased on several occasions so my love for them is real and I think I can still give you an insight to what this brand is about from these products. As with my other Brand Focus posts, this is not sponsored.

The coral/peach blush edit featuring Nars, Urban Decay, Benefit, MAC, Hourglass & more!

I'm the kind of person who knows what she likes, has a type and (I like to think) knows what suits her. I also, clearly, have an obsession or addiction some people might like to call it! I think the photo above speaks volumes in that regard! Today I want to show you my favourite peachy/coral blushes and enable you if you also have a weakness for them!

Spring eye, cheek, lip and nail picks featuring Too Faced, Essie, Charlotte Tilbury & more!

Now that Spring has finally arrived, I have rotated some of my makeup and put my most Spring-appropriate products in the top drawers of my Muji storage. Today I want to share the eye, cheek, lip and nail products that I will be getting most use out of over the coming months. I tend to go lighter with my base and introduce more pinks for Spring.

10 high end products worth the hype/splurge featuring Marc Jacobs, YSL, Hourglass & more!

It's no secret that I'm a lover of high end beauty products  - it's an accessible way to add some luxury to your life if you don't have €1k + to drop on designer handbags or shoes. Similarly, not everybody wants to spend €50 on a makeup product but for those times when you feel like treating yourself or somebody wants to buy you a luxury makeup gift, it is handy to know what it worth splurging on. Today, I am sharing the 10 products that I believe are worth the splurge.

I loved the sample so much, I bought the full size featuring Hourglass, Charlotte Tilbury and Alpha-H

We've all been there - bought products that disappointed and then wondered why we had wasted our money and what we would do with them because, unlike in the U.S. we can't return opened products here in Ireland. This is why I love deluxe samples of products - I can make an informed decision/purchase or just disregard a product that didn't live up to the hype. The three products featured here today were purchases made as a result of loving a deluxe sample and I am delighted to now have the full size in my life.

The A-Z of my favourite beauty products

I saw a similar post on From Roses a few months back and it got me thinking that whilst I often say that I must have an eyeshadow in every colour under the sun, I must also have a product for every letter in the alphabet so today I have complied my favourites for each letter (some brands, some specific products) and I would love to hear what your favourites are too!

Brand Focus #2: Natasha Denona

Following on from last month's first brand focus post, I thought that I would choose a makeup brand for my next post to switch it up a little. I lusted after Natasha Denona products for months before Beauty Bay began to stock them and as soon as I tried the first eyeshadow palette, I knew that it was a brand that I wanted to explore more. I don't have the largest collection but have tried enough products to give you an overview of the brand. The packaging is quite simple - I like that it is white, rather than black or gold like a lot of high end brands, although the eyeshadow packaging could do with being a bit sturdier.