All posts by Amy

A spot of lipstick shopping…

October 14, 2011

I needed a little pick me up yesterday so I bought a new book (The Radleys – meh!) and popped to my local Starbucks for a huge mug of tea. However, after I settled myself in to cosy arm chair it became apparent that I was sitting in the middle of some Mammy and toddler convention. Now I love kids but there was no chance of unwinding. I decided to take myself into Boots and treat myself to a few new lipsticks instead. I blame the hyper children :)

Boots are running 3 for 2 on Rimmel products so I had to buy three lipstick. Had to.

I swatched about twenty lipsticks and finally settled on three. I went for bright, current shades rather than my usual nudes/nude pinks.

The three I went for are 110 Pink Gossip, 620 Coral Queen and 340 Lily Extase (Left to right).

And here are some swatches…

All three are both creamy and pigmented, I think that’s why I chose them. Lily Extase and Coral Queen are a little outside my comfort zone so I’ll start with Pink Gossip. Face of the days using these bad boys to follow :)

What do you think?

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In love with Carmex Peach…

October 11, 2011

I’m a big fan or Carmex as you know. Whenever they release a new product I run out and buy it right away. Although I quite enjoyed the Strawberry version that came in a tube, I found it lacked the lip healing properties of the pot.

Last month Carmex launched Moisture Plus which are stick lipbalms that come in a few shades. I got my hands on Peach and I’m in love.

The colour of the stick is a little misleading – it appears like a bright mix of raspberry and peach. But when applied it gives a natural, sheer peach lip.

Is it just me or does the swatch remind you of Nars Orgasm blush?

I’ll still continue to use my traditional pot at night but I am delighted to have this more sheer, colourful option for day time.

It’s quite a glossy, juicy finish. Love it. I packed some on over Sephora Native Nude Lip Liner this morning.

The balm contains Vitamin E, Aloe, Shea Butter and all important SPF 15. It has an ultra-hydrating formulation will give you moisture, shine and colour all in one stylish slim line package, its slanted tip ensuring perfect application-no mirror required.

These balms cost €5.99 (from all the usual pharmacies and supermarkets). Now all I need is the pink version.

Recommended!

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Video: Airbrush Foundation & Eyeshadow System

October 10, 2011

I have been using an airbrush kit for the last year or so. I use it for foundation, bronzer, primer, highlighter and blush – unfortunately I’m useless at applying the eyeshadow. Here’s a little video on the product…

httpvh://youtu.be/5Qyk27cbYV0

Thanks for watching!

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Lush Celebrate Chocolate Week

October 10, 2011

This week is National Chocolate Week – like we needed an excuse to eat chocolate. In honour of the week in question I have a Malteser in my mouth as I type :) If you want to avoid adding inches though have a look at the goodies Lush have put together.

Friends with Benefits massage bar (€8.70 for 65g)

A massage bar with a delicious chocolate orange scent. The result is a massage bar with benefits, as tagetes oil is incredibly healing and soothing on the skin. There’s also shea butter to deeply moisturise and leave skin soft and smooth.

2. Cupcake facemask (€8.90 for 75g)

This facemask is also derived from the cocoa bean. Cupcake also contains deep cleansing Rhassoul mud to absorb excess oils on the skin, Fair Trade cocoa butter to moisturize and soften and spearmint and peppermint oils to gently stimulate. (As bought by Mischa Barton)

3. Double Choc lip tint (€6.50)

These lip tints contain delicious real dark chocolate making it one of the tastiest and most beneficial balms available. There’s also black treacle, cocoa and icing sugar to leave lips feeling super soft and tasting delicious. Double Choc also has a rich deep colour, leaving lips with a natural, earthy tint … the colour of the season. Lush’s tinted lip balms can be used on cheeks as a cream blusher too.

Soft Coeur massage bar (€6.90 for 30g)

Soft Coeur is heart shaped and deliciously chocolatey. Made from fair trade, organic cocoa butter and shea butter, melt this heart to find the soft, molten chocolate centre. Best-seller. (Bought by Andie McDowell)

Mange Too massage bar (€10.45 for 100g)

Made with a blend of white chocolate, honey and fresh bananas, with softening and moisturising fair trade cocoa butter, shea butter and mango butter. This hexagonal bar will melt into the skin leaving a sweet, caramac scent you might be tempted to lick clean.

Ma Bar bubble bar (€4.45)

An irresistible toffee and chocolate bubble bar. Containing calming bergamot oil and de-stressing orange oil. It’s one of Lush’s best-seller.

Is it just me or is the chocolate angle making these more appealing?

Now back to chocoalte munching…

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Kim Kardashians Bridal Make-up – A breakdown

October 6, 2011

Kim Kardashian looked absolutely stunning on her wedding day - sure doesn’t she always. Makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic took care of her make-up saying that she wanted to look like the most polished and beautiful version of herself. Her certainly achieved that objective. If you want to see what products Mario used on Kim keep reading.

Mario used Lancôme 5 Pan Eyeshadow Palette in Golden Frenzy (available January 2012) – “I swept the golden shade all over lid, the darkest shade along her crease and the lightest shade I used on the brow bone to highlight. I swept the golden colors along Kim’s lower lash line for a super-soft smoky look.” And to give her lashes beautiful length and volume, “I applied two coats of Lancôme Hypnôse Doll Lashes mascara in So Black,” he explains.

Finishing off the look, he defined Kardashian’s voluminous lips using YSL Dessin des Levres lip liner in Nude Beige and Lancôme’s L’Absolu Nu lipstick in Coral Sand (a sheer peachy hue), adding a final touch of shine with Lancôme La Laque Fever lip gloss in Ravishing Coral.

The make-up breakdown makes me want to buy all of these products. Shame I won’t look like Kim after application though :)

*Quotes are extracted from an interview given by Mario Dedivanovic when speaking to People Magazine – http://stylenews.peoplestylewatch.com/2011/08/25/kim-kardashian-wedding-hair-and-makeup to read the full interview

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YSL Fall/Winter 2011

October 5, 2011

I’m excited about YSL’s Autumn Winter 2011 collection. Here’s a little look, let me know what you think.

OMBRES 5 LUMIERES

Greens and purples with matte and moiré effect. 5 eye shadows captured in a unique new palette
Dark green, mauve, aubergine, violet and green aqua -
Smoky crimson-purple, a halo of green infused with violet, dark mauve and aqua. The superimposition of an iridescent green with blue mother of pearl reflections, brightens and frames darker shades with an almost supernatural radiance…

LA LAQUE

Yves Saint Laurent style extends to the tips of your fingernails. The hand becomes a luxurious fashion accessory. Revealing the delicate obscurity of dark green to midnight blue essences. Metallic reflections in a moonlit sea.
LA LAQUE N° 43 – Wintergreen
LA LAQUE N° 44 – Moonlight blue

Blush Radiance

Color plays four ways. Cheeks are dressed in light. A half-matte, half-satin blush that captures the light and transforms it into color. 4 squares of matte and satin powder that, with a light sweep of the brush create a radiant veil.

And for lips…

ROUGE VOLUPTE PERLE

Pearl-like reflections on flowers and autumn vines… Full and sensual lips with a subtle, iridescent brilliance. ROUGE VOLUPTE PERLE is a new range of six shades, natural or nocturnal, each with shimmering reflections.

N° 107 – Impetuous Beige
N° 108 – Celestial Mauve
N° 109 – Brazen Plum
N° 110 – Incandescent Orange
N° 111 – Mysterious Red
N° 112 – Spellbinding Violet

I love the art work! The nail polishes and the eyeshadow palette shall me mine.

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Blush Earthy Palette & Brushes…

October 4, 2011

Blush Pro sent me a palette and a mini brush set to try out. Here’s a little lookie…

The 88 Earth Toned Palette…

And the 7 piece brush set….

The little brush set is actually usable. I wasn’t expecting this to be honest. The little round fluffy brush is lovely. It has even got its own position in my brush belt.

I look forward to giving the palette a try.

The palette and brushes are available from Blush Cosmetics. The brush set costs £12.99 and the Earth Tones palette £8.99

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New Sally Hansen Favourites…

October 3, 2011

I have some new favourites from Sally Hansen. These two products have made it into my manicure bag.

1. Cuticle Gel Remover

I had never actually used a cuticle gel that actually did anything other than moisturise before. This smells lovely, worked fast and loosed my cuticle. It has a built-in pusher tip for easing back cuticles. It’s nice to find a cuticle product that actually works.

2. Insta-brite Nail Whitener

This seems to be a love-it-or-hate-it kind of product. Personally, I love it. There are very mixed reviews on Makeup Alley with some saying it did nothing for their yellow nails and others claiming it worked wonders. I was a little hesitant to try it. I don’t have very yellow nails, rather a little hint of discolouration following weeks of skipping a nail polish base (not recommended). Two coats of this made my nails look bright and healthy. Loves it!

Have you any nail care favourites?

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Light Touch Foundation by IsaDora

September 28, 2011

I am a self-professed foundation addict. Ironically, I wear very little of the stuff but I do like to try them…all of them.

I’m a fan of the natural but flawless foundation effect. This is notoriously hard to come across. I have found Nars Sheer Glow meets these requirements for my skin type but it hasn’t stopped my search for a more affordable option.

With that in mind I have been testing Light Touch Foundation by IsaDora.

The shade I have is 54 Almond which doesn’t really suit the undertones to my skin although the colour isn’t far off. I recommend testing the three closest shades to your own skin before you buy.

The foundation itself is for natural radiance and designed to be a protective moisturiser It’s very sheer, not unlike a tinted moisturiser. Although this is not comparable to my beloved Sheer Glow, it does stand on it’s own. I found that it evened out my skin tone, which is what a foundation should do primarily. It didn’t provide a whole lot of coverage though but then again it’s designed to a ‘light touch’ product. It’s not one for those of you who like medium to full coverage.

My skin is far from perfect and so I require a little more coverage on my chin (thanks the heap loads of scars from old spots!). That being said, I like to keep my overall base sheer and build the coverage or add a concealer to the dodgy areas.

This is fragrance free, tested for sensitive skin and contains SPF15 which is always a bonus.

This is a good day to day product for those who like sheer coverage.

IsaDora is available in pharmacies nationwide, including Unicare. It costs €19.95.

What do you think of IsaDora?

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September’s Glossy Box

September 26, 2011

My September Glossy Box arrived last week and I have been dipping into its contents already. By the way, if you haven’t heard of Glossy Box basically you sign up, pay £10 per month and you’re sent a box of five themed goodies each month (link to my blog post).

Here’s a look inside Septembers box…

Here’s a breakdown…

1. Spa Magik Salt Brushing (x2) – These are gorgeous. It was great to exfoliate my skin after my holiday. They smell lemony and refreshing.

2. Plum by Mary Greenwell sample – described as a contemporary chypre, blends top notes of peach, blackcurrant, plum, bergamot and lemon. Harmonious heart notes of Gardenia, tuberose, orange flower absolute, rose absolute and jasmine absolute. Followed by Dry down of woods, Sandalwood, Oakmoss, Patchouli, Amber, and White Musks. Unfortunately this one’s not for me.

3. Neal Wolf Glow – This is a gorgeous hair shine spray. It smells beautiful and doubles up as a hair perfume for me. I have used this the most. It doesn’t weigh my hair down and leaves it shiny and smooth.

3. Fruitful Nights by Green People – this is an organic night cream. It left my skin smooth and soft without clogging my pores. Best of all, it’s gunk free.

5. HD Brows – this is a great product, one that I would have gone out and purchased alone. There are 4 shades and a mini angled brush (that’s actually useable). Love.

I’m delighted with my Glossy Box samples this month. Wonder what lies in store for October, love the surprise element. Here’s a link to the site if anyone is interested. (link)

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