My current Makeup Routine / Makeup in a hurry

My go-to Makeup!

Inspired by the fact that I just don’t have as much time as I used to for applying makeup, I decided to share my makeup routine with you and the products I am using a lot lately 🙂  This is a great look for if you want to look bright and glowing or just presentable for work and you don’t have much time.

Also, because the real trick to applying makeup is the tools you use – your brushes – I’ve listed just a few of my faves and why I love them for super quick but precise makeup application.

It might seem like a lot of products and steps but I promise you I have this down to literally, 5 minutes so with practice and the right tools, it can be done!  Of course you can swap some products for ones you already have or leave some out that you definitely wouldn’t use but here’s what I use and how I apply it:

Using these products together will give you a lovely glow and hide any dark circles or signs of tiredness!

1. Apply a thin layer of Boots Botanics Radiance Balm to your face using your fingers, this gives a lovely glow to your skin.

2. Right now I’m loving BB creams because when the weather is a bit warmer they also double up as sunscreen and this Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector is my favourite since it is an oil free formula (I have oily/combo skin but they also do a hydrating one for dry skin) & it has an SPF of 20 which is great.  Of course you can use your regular foundation too if you’d prefer and mix it with the radiance balm for a dewy finish.  Just apply with your fingers for a quick application or a foundation brush if you have a bit more time.

3. Dab some Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer in a semi-circle under your eyes and using your ring finger, pat it in gently and evenly from the corner of your nose to the outside of your cheekbone.  This one is great for reflecting light and brightening up your under eye area.

4. Lightly load your powder brush with Catrice All Matt Plus Powder and dust gently down your T-Zone only as you don’t want the skin to have a matte finish, it needs to have a glow but ensure your base lasts the day.  Give a quick swipe under each eye to set your concealer too.

5. This is optional, but if you want you can use a bronzer lightly all over the face or on your neck to blend the foundation to your skin.  Also if you like a bit of contouring this Bourjois Mat Illusion bronzer is perfect for that and looks really natural, this one is a definite favourite of mine 🙂

1. This Smashbox Full Exposure Palette is a great one to have for doing your makeup in a hurry.  It has every neutral brown colour you could possibly need and the brush that comes with it is just fantastic, you will get great use from it which is a bonus!  I mostly use the first 3 colours on the bottom and I add the top middle colour to my lids for a bit of shimmer!  Also, when applied with an angle brush (like the one in the Real Techniques kit below) you can use the matte black shade as an eyeliner, you just literally press it along the lashline with the angle brush and it’s much easier than using a pencil I find.  You can also wet the brush for more intensity and staying power.  I love, love LOVE this versatile palette 🙂

2. If you’re not too confident with eyeshadow or just want something super quick, you can’t go wrong with a MAC Paintpot.  There is a good range of colours and you can literally pop them on with your finger and blend away the edges, job done!  I know they are pricey, but they’re worth it cos they last and don’t crease like some others.

3.  Eyebrows are really important to your overall makeup so if you don’t usually make time to enhance and define your eyebrows, try it and it will transform  your face, I promise!  The GOSH Eyebrow Kit is perfect because it comes with 4 powder shades and a small angle brush, just pop a bit on the brush and run through your brows following your natural shape.

4. Obviously mascara is a must-have and this Bourjois 1 Seconde Volume one is great it really does give your lashes volume and 1 application is enough.  This is one I always repurchase every time I run out!

1.  This Stila Convertable Colour is a great 2 in 1 product.  You can apply it on your cheeks (just pop on the colour and pat, don’t rub, gently with your finger to blend) and also to your lips and I love the range of colours!

2. I really rate the Topshop range of makeup and their Highlighters are to die for!  This Topshop Glow Stick highligher crayon is amazing and it blends really well.  Just swipe it lightly from the top of your cheekbones up to your browbone (in a C shape) and tap with your index finger to blend.  You can also take some on your ring finger and pop it on your inner tear duct area to give you a lovely wide awake look (perfect for busy Mammies!)

1. As I said, no makeup look will be perfected without the right tools so for eyes, I love the Inglot 4ss for blending everything out after you’ve applied your eyeshadow, this is the secret to a  professional look in a hurry!

2. I use the NIMA BRUSH “Nichola” brush when I want to apply colour to my crease as its tapered end is perfect and applies the colour exactly where you want it to go.

3. If you’re looking for a basic brush kit, you can’t go wrong with this Real Techniques Basics Kit it has a great angle brush as well as eyeshadow brushes that can be used on powder or cream products.

4. The Blank Canvas G25 powder brush is perfect for dusting setting powder or bronzer all over.  If you’re really in a hurry and prefer to use powder blush, you can apply just using the tip as it’s quite a big brush.

So there you go, I hope this was helpful 🙂 If you try it out please let me know here or on any of my social media pages, I’d love to see it.

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Review

I’ve been playing  with these gorgeous new lippies from Bourjois ever since I got three of them to try out recently.  They look like a lipgloss but act like a matte lipstick!  You apply directly with the doe foot applicator which helps to give a very precise finish so you don’t need to use a lipliner if you don’t want to.

 

I found the finish to be creamy on first application but then it dries to a matte finish.   Bourjois claims that it doesn’t  transfer but I’m not sure about that! I did find that it transferred to my glass when I had a drink, however, it didn’t remove the product completely from my lips.  Your lips are left with a long lasting stain which DOESN’T BUDGE!  So I would definitely agree that this is a long lasting lip product that needs very little maintenance throughout the day.

The three colours I tried were, 05 Ole Flamingo which is a gorgeous fuschia pink colour. 04 Peach Club which is a really nice understated peach and 01 Personne ne Rouge which is a cherry red colour. I would say that before you apply these, it’s important that your lips are in good condition so give them a good scrub with your toothbrush and slap on some lip balm a while before applying and that’ll give you a nice smooth result 🙂

 

There are 8 colours in the range, so plenty to choose from.  They are available from Boots & Superdrug around mid-April and will cost €12.49.

What do you think?  Do you need these in your life?!  I know I will be picking up more of these colours, they are absolutely gorgeous and I got so many compliments wearing them 🙂

 

 

Best of Beauty – Bloggers!

So we’re at the end of this series of “Best of Beauty” type posts and to finish things off, I’ll be revealing my favourite beauty bloggers of which I have a few that I go back to read every time for their honest product reviews as well as their witty writing style.  So here they are, click on the links below, you might like them too!

All The Buzz

Nurse Fancy Pants

The High Life of Mars

Lovely Girlie Bits

Fluff & Fripperies

Snapped Up.ie

The Beautiful Truth

Karla Powell Makeup Artist

Not Just Inside

Beaut.ie

So that’s it!  Be sure to check  them out, as they are all fantastic. Also don’t forget to search the hashtag #BOBBlogChallenge

Who are your faves?

Best of Beauty – Makeup Must-Haves

So here we are at week 3 of the #BOBBlogChallenge and we are moving onto a subject that’s very close to my heart, my Makeup Must-Haves!

I love every type of makeup so it was hard to narrow them down but I’ve broken them  into my favourites – the ones I reach for time and time again for each stage of makeup application and just can’t do without.

Foundation: Chanel Vitalumiere

This is a foundation I use a lot, particularly on clients when I’m doing bridal makeup.  It suits people with dry or mature skin best and it gives the most perfect coverage while still managing to look dewy and healthy looking and it lasts all day on that type of skin.  Sure, it is expensive but well worth it and no makeup artist should be without this in their kit in my opinion 🙂

MAC Studio Fix Powder

This is my favourite powder foundation.  Used very lightly over liquid foundation it gives the most flawless finish to your skin as well as a gorgeous airbrushed look.  If you are using it by itself, you need to use a cream concealer underneath to hide any blemishes or dark circles but it has fantastic coverage for a powder product.  Loving it!

MAC Eyeshadow in Satin Taupe

This is one of the first MAC Shadows I owned so it has a special place in my heart! It’s a satin finish and is a taupey brown with a purple/grey metalic fleck to it.  It just looks gorgeous on any colour eyes, but is particularly nice on Blue eyed girls.  If I’m in a hurry I apply this on my lid and in my crease, throw on some black liner and it looks amazing.

Maybelline Lasting Drama Black Gel Liner

This liner is fantastic, it lasts really well and comes with the best little liner brush ever so as long as you are confident and practice, you really can’t go wrong with it.  It comes in lots of different colours as well which is great.

Lancome Hypnose Drama

This is my favourite mascara, it gives lots of volume as well as length to the lashes and I’ve often been asked if I’m wearing false lashes when I have this on.

MAC 217 Blending Brush

If I had no other eyeshadow brush but this, I could get by and create gorgeous, well blended eye makeup!  It really is the best brush I’ve used.  You can use it to apply eyeshadow all over the lid and blended in the crease.  It also works to soften and blend colour in the crease.  It is amazing as a concealer brush for under the eyes too and really blends everything in seamlessly.  My must-have makeup brush for sure.

MeMeMe Arch Angel Brow Mascara/Browbone highlighter

Since I think that well defined eyebrows are an absolute must, I am in love with this!  On one end you have a brow colour and the wand is just the right size to apply without it going everywhere.  It really gives your brows definition and fills them in for a natural look.  And on the other side there’s a gorgeous highlighter for your browbone to really highlight the area and make your eyebrows look even more defined and polished.  Genius!

MAC Mineralize Blush in Dainty

I have recently used this blush up totally and need to buy another one so I thought it deserved to be included here as one of my faves.  It’s the most perfect corally pink and I find it looks good on all skintones.  You can really make it sheer or build up the colour slightly and it has a gentle shimmer to it so it highlights your cheekbones too.

No7 Stay Perfect Lipstick in Love Red 

Everyone needs a good red lipstick and if you find the right one for you it will just make you look fantastic!  For me it’s this lipstick from N07.  I’d never be without it, it’s AMAZING!!

MAC Lipglass in Nymphette

This is without a doubt, my favourite lipgloss.  It’s a gorgeous rose gold/pink colour and is shot through with gold shimmer particles that really show up on your lips.  You can wear it alone or over a similar coloured lipstick.

Ardell Demi Wispies False Lashes & Duo Adhesive

Finally, no makeup look is complete without a fab set of lashes and these are my favourites.  They give just the right amount of volume and look really natural but glam without being over the top!  I also love my Duo Lash Adhesive and couldn’t be without it.  I always throw away the glue I get with boxes of false lashes and use this instead.  It doesn’t smell very nice now, but it does a brilliant job and I just wouldn’t use anything else 🙂

So they are my absolute faves 🙂 I know some are quite expensive but for some makeup I really believe it’s worth forking out the extra for the quality and effect you get from the product whereas, there is some pharmacy branded makeup that really gives the higher end brands a run for their money, it’s just a matter of finding what works for you and maybe signing up to my blog so I can tell you all about them 😉

Don’t forget to check out the Twitter hashtag #BOBBlogChallenge to see what other bloggers are loving and also check out Samantha’s blog on All The Buzz

Wet n Wild Irish Launch & Review

So you may have heard of American makeup brand Wet n Wild?  Black Eyed Peas singer, Fergie is their poster girl and they are HUGE in The States, known as one of the leading “Drugstore” brands.  All for good reason too, the makeup is brilliant quality and are extremely low priced.  Wet n Wild are now branching out and have chosen us lucky Irish girls to be next to buy their fab products!  That’s even before the UK get a look in, how fab is that?!

I attended their Irish launch recently and really enjoyed trying out all the products on show and chatting to the Makeup Artists who were there on the night to showcase the brand and demonstrate some amazing looks.  We were also treated to some fab cupcakes and Cakepops by Monaco Cupcakes which were only delish!

I was also very kindly given some makeup to try for myself (They were given to me in a Wet n Wild bag which I carried home on the Luas and I got some strange looks I can tell you, the name is a bit cringe in all fairness!) and I also bought a few additional bits  which I couldn’t wait to try and review for you 🙂

Coverall Cream Foundation 

This cream foundation goes on like a dream!  It gives a medium to full coverage with a satin-matte finish and is really long lasting.  Cream foundation is fantastic on mature or dry skin but this worked well on my oily/combo skin also and made my skin look really dewy and glowing.  It seemed to even out imperfections and I got lots of compliments on my makeup when I wore it.  The only things I disliked about this was the smell which isn’t great and the shade range which doesn’t really cover us pale Irish girls, the colour I got was in Light/Medium but I can only really wear it if I’ve been fake tanning.  Still, it’s well worth the €4.49 cost and I would highly recommend it.

ColorIcon Bronzer 

This was a lovely matte bronzer and looked very natural on and not too orange looking.  Lovely for contouring the face or warming up the neck/chest area.

MegaGlo Illuminating Powder

I love this powder illuminater which can be swirled together and swept over the high points of your face for a lovely glow to your skin or the individual colours can be used as a highlighter or eyeshadow.  Very versatile product and comes in plenty of different colours.

Eyeshadow Palette

There are numerous Eyeshadow Palettes to choose from and in a wide range of complimentary colours with the instructions printed on the individual pans so even if you’re not a makeup expert, you really can’t go wrong.  I tried this one out in the colour “The Naked Truth” and was very impressed with the colour payoff, buttery texture and blendability of the product.  I also loved how there were matte shades included in each palette also.  They are never going to compare to your MAC’s and Urban Decay’s but they are pretty damn good I have to say.  With the price starting €2.49 for a single shadow to a bargaintastic €6.49 for an 8 pan palette you can well afford to pick up a few of these.

XXL Lash Mascara

I wasn’t impressed with this mascara to be honest.  It didn’t give me the volume I expected, it did an okay job but didn’t give the “thickened amplified” lashes it claimed.

H2O Proof Liquid Liner

I had heard great things about this liquid liner but it didn’t quite make the cut for me, mainly due to the applicator which was one of those nib types rather than a thin brush which would have been better.  I found it impossible to apply and you can see in the pic of the look I did below, I couldn’t get it on evenly at all!  Also it seemed to go everywhere it shouldn’t I had to clean up a lot more than I normally would have.  Having said that, this stuff didn’t budge!  My eyes were watering quite a bit that day which would usually mean goodbye to my perfectly drawn flick but not this time, it stayed perfectly, so it definitely is H2O proof!  If I was trying this again, I would probably tip the liquid out onto a palette and use my own brush to apply and I’m sure it would work better that way.

Megalast Lipcolour & Megaslicks Lipstain

Left: Megalast Lipcolour in Mauve Outta Here                                              Right: Megaslicks Lipstain in Rico Mauve

I love both of these lipcolours, they are really fantastic.  The Megalast Lipcolours come in a wide range of colours and are great dupes for some more expensive  lipsticks and they are really last a long time after applying.  I love this colour (left) which is a beautiful mauvey pink and feels really good on too and they only cost €2.99 so pick up as many as possible!

The Megaslicks Lipstain is a similar pinky colour and girls, this doesn’t BUDGE!  Long after you think it’s worn off your lips, you’re left with a subtle stain of colour which lasts for most of the day so I am loving these.  Again they come in a wide range of colours and cost less than €3 which is a serious bargain.

Here is a look I did with all of the above which will give you an idea of how the makeup looks on, note the messy liner which has transferred all over the place!

Wet n Wild is available from larger Dunnes Stores and range from €1.49 to €6.49 so you can well afford to slip some of these fab products in your weekly shop!

Below pic of myself and the lovely Sam from All The Buzz blog practicing our best Duckfaces in the photobooth that was at the Wet n Wild launch, we got great craic out of it  🙂

 

So what do you think?  Will you be picking up some of these?

First Look at Clarins Opalescence Spring Makeup Collection 2014

Yes, I know we are currently in the depths of winter and Christmas is only round the corner, but today we’re taking a sneeky glimpse into Clarins’ beautiful makeup collection for Spring 2014.

Opalescence is all about a luminous complexion with light pastel and plum colours on the eyes topped off with juicy, glossy lips in pinks and corals and a flush of glowing youthful colour on the cheeks.

Clarins Makeup Artist Siobhan working on the beautiful Pippa Ormond (left) and the Opalescence Collection (right)

In the luxurious surroundings of  The Penthouse Suite in The Morgan Hotel, Dublin, Clarins head makeup artist Siobhan O’Mahony demonstrated the beautiful Opalescence Makeup Collection on Irish model Pippa Ormond.  Siobhan explained that this collection was all about women being their own makeup artist.  Mostly using just her fingers, she created a stunningly fresh look on Pippa which made her look radiant (well moreso than she normally does!).

The collection itself consists of 3 Instant Light Radiance Boosting Complexion Bases ( 01 Rose, 02 Champagne, 03 Peach – €30) which bring light and luminosity to the complexion as well as correcting skin redness and dullness and providing a base for foundation.

There are 4 Multi blushes in this collection (01 Peach, 02 Candy, 03 Grenadine, 04 Rosewood – €22) which are cream to powder products that can be used as a blush as well as a lip colour.  These are really beautiful and have the most unusual texture.  They don’t slip about once applied and can be used over cream or powder bases.  Used as a blush, they create the most stunning lit-from-within glow which can be sheer or buildable depending on what finish you want.  I REALLY love these 🙂

For lips, Clarins have 3 beautiful colours (19 Tropical Pink, 20 Coral Tulip, 21 Pink Orchid – €21) in their Joli Rouge Brilliant Perfect Shine sheer lipstick range. These lipsticks give a sheer slick of glossy colour and are perfect for spring/summer, I actually wore this lipstick on my wedding day, it looks and feels really gorgeous on.

They also have 2 Gloss Prodige Intense Shine and Colour lipglosses in the line, (11 Coral Tulip & 12 Crystal – €18.50) which are full of shine and sparkle and make your lips look juicy!

Then there’s my favourite of the collection, the Eye Quartet Mineral Palette in 12 Vibrant Light (€41, above) This stunning palette consists of a beautiful light pink, an irridescent purple, a smoky grey and a shimmery silver which all compliment each other perfectly.  This would create a beautiful soft smoky eye and I will definitely be using this on my spring brides. as it’s just perfect for that.

There is also a mineral eyeshadow mono in 17 smoky plum (€19) which is exactly as it’s description, and can be swept all over the lid for a smoky look.

Lastly, the Opalescence Face and Blush Powder (€37) combines a face powder, blush and bronzer in one.  Lightly dusted over the complexion, it gives a glowing radiance while controlling shine and contouring.

Overall I am loving this collection.  It is the essence of spring with it’s radiant bases,soft romantic eye colours and glossy lips and would be absolutely perfect for brides.  All products are easily applied with fingers and give a great effect.  I also love the high shine gold packaging which add to the luxe feel of the products.  Clarins is normally associated with older women, your mother most likely has one of their palettes or a lipstick floating around in her makeup bag but I have to say my mind has been changed on this.  There really is something for everyone in this collection!

The Clarins Opalescence Collection is available from 20th January 2014 at Clarins counters nationwide.

MeMeMe Cosmetics Review and Makeup Look

I have been a fan of MeMeMe Cosmetics since I got one of their fab liquid highlighters in my Glossybox a while back.   They do everything from primers and foundations to lip products and nail polishes.  I love the packaging and the quality of the products and I’ve tested them out when I’ve seen them in chemists and they’ve always looked amazing.  Plus they have some great dupes for more expensive cosmetics and are just as good, if not better!   So I was absolutely thrilled when they sent me out some bits to try out for myself.

Longwear Satin Lip Cream in China Rose €10.50

This gorgeous peachy coral lipstick (pictured above) was a real treat for my lips.  It felt so creamy moisturising when I applied it but yet it was really long lasting.

Light Me Up – High shine Lipgloss €8.99

This fab lipgloss comes with a light in the applicator.  Yes you read that right, A LIGHT!   Handy for if there’s ever a power cut or if you need to top up your lipgloss in a nighclub where you can’t see a thing! How fab is that?! 🙂 It also has a snazzy little mirror on the tube of the lipgloss so it’s just perfect for bringing on a night out.  The gloss itself is fab, I couldn’t see where it was named but this one was a light pink with gold sparkly bits and I really loved it.  It’s actually a great dupe for one of my absolute favourite glosses – MAC’s Nymphette.

Shimmer Stack – Bronze Illuminating Powder €12.50

This beautiful highlighter gives a gorgous glow to your face and body and you can sweep your brush through it to get a mix of the colours or else use the individual colours as a bronzer or even an eyeshadow.  This is comparable to Bobbi Brown’s shimmer brick, but at a fraction of the price.

Arch Angel Shape & Define Tinted Brow Gel and Highlighting Cream €10.50

This is one of those fab makeup products that you don’t realise you need until you actually start using it!  On one side is a tinted brow gel for shaping and defining your brows and on the other is a creamy highlighter for your browbone or you can also use it dabbed lightly along your cheekbone.

Eye Inspire Quad Baked Eyeshadow €8.50

This shimmery gold eyeshadow quad has everything you need to create a gorgeous golden/bronzey look and comes in one fab little compact so it won’t take up much room in your makeup bag.  The shimmery finish is perfect to for a night out!

I did a makeup look to show how the products look when applied and this is how it turned out:

Overall I really love this brand and I wish it was sold in some of the bigger pharmacies like Boots.  The packaging is perfect and the products are just gorgeous with an emphasis on giving you a heavenly glow.  Plus, the added bonus is that they feel much more luxurious than the price tells you they are.  Although they are at the higher end of the price scale for a pharmacy makeup brand, I really think the products are worth it and I can’t say enough good things about them.  I’m really looking forward to trying more products, their blushes seem like great dupes for the Benefit ones and the Dew pots (cream eyeshadows) look like the perfect eyeshadow base for a colourful smoky eye.

If you’re on Facebook check out their page here, they have pics of some of their fantastic Christmas sets, I’ll be stocking up myself!: MeMeMe Cosmetics Ireland Facebook Page

You can buy MeMeMe Cosmetics in the following places:

Pharmacy O’Regans Balbriggan

Roches Rathmines

Cottage Drogheda

Pharmacy O’Regans Clontarf

Rathoath Pharmacy

Barnhall Pharmacy Leixlip

Pharmacy O’Regans Old Bawn Tallaght

Dalkey Pharmacy, Dalkey

Walshs Pharmacy, Tesco SC, Celbridge

Pellys Pharmacy, Cabra

Fitzmorris Pharmacy, East Wall

ODC Pharmacy, Kilnamanagh SC, Tallaght

Mc Cormacks Pharmacy, Maynooth

I posted a pic of my goodies on my Facebook page and I got tons of feedback from people so it seems there are a lot of MeMeMe fans out there.  Have you tried them and if so what’s the verdict?

Christmas Cranberry Makeup Tutorial

So… I decided to bite the bullet and do another Youtube Video 🙂  This time I did a tutorial showing how to do a Cranberry Smoky Eye which would be perfect for wearing out over the Christmas Holidays.

I am just learning about how to edit videos so you’ll have to forgive me if it’s sloppy in places but I will improve over time I’m sure.  My daughter is really into photography so I borrowed her Canon camera to record this and it really makes all the difference!

Keep an eye out for more videos coming soon 🙂

October Beauty Favourites Video!

So instead of my usual post on my monthly favourites, I decided to go one step further and do a video!  It’s slightly scary for me if I’m honest but I’ve put myself out there a lot since starting my blog so this is the next step for me!

Check it out and let me know what you think 🙂

Going Out Makeup – Gold Glitter Smoky Eye

I did this makeup look when I was going out last weekend.  It’s a gold smoky eye with browns and a bit of glitter added for good measure 😉   Since we’re into November now and not too far from the party season I thought I’d share it here to show you how I did it.  This is the look below before I went out:

Below is after I got home so the glitter managed to stay on well despite all the dancing and drinking and not end up all over my face which was good!

These are the products I used on my eyes:

• Maybelline Colour Tattoo cream eyeshadow in Eternal Gold all over the eyelid
• L’Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Goldmine over lid
• INGLOT Freedom System Eyeshadows in Browns in the crease & outer corner & Black to deepen the crease
• Mix of 2 different INGLOT Bodysparkles Glitter placed on the lid with LA Splash Eyeshadow Sealer to make it stick (this is a must-have if using glitter!)
• Maybelline Gel eyeliner in Black flicked out at the end
• Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara & False lashes
• I also used my MAC Dainty Blush and Makeup Forevers Matt Plus Foundation (not pictured here)

Then, for my lips I used this Lip Duo Lipgloss from Inglot in #17

And that was it 🙂 You just need to take your time when using glitter and use something to make it stick so you don’t end up having more of it on your face than on your eyelid by the end of the night!  I’d highly recommend the LA splash eye sealer, you can get it from here: http://www.makeupshop.ie/LASplash-Cosmetics/Gift-Sets/Eyesparkle/Sealer-Kit-Classic/p540

Don’t forget to check out my previous hair tutorial post and you’ll be sorted for the weekend 🙂

What do you think? Will you be giving this a go for the upcoming party season?