Kiehl’s arrives in Debenhams Cork

Kiehl’s has always been a brand that has intrigued me but until recently I didn’t actually know all that much about it simply because we never had a Kiehl’s counter in Cork until one opened in Debenhams Patrick Street earlier this year.

I decided that in order to get the proper low down on the brand I would contact the counter directly and see if somebody would be willing to walk me through the brand and what their products can offer. Enter Barbara the Counter Manager of Kiehl’s in Debenhams, Patrick Street. Honestly a nicer girl you couldn’t meet. She very kindly sat down with me and explained the ethos of Kiehl’s and even did a skin consultation on me to see what Kiehl’s products would suit me best.

My skin test re-affirmed my combination skin status

She was very honest at all times and it really just made me fall in love with the brand, they don’t ever promise to be a miracle in a jar, their products will enhance your skin to help make it be the best that it can be. With a blend of natural ingredients and science innovation I feel that Kiehl’s as a brand is definitely the best of both worlds.

So a few weeks after my initial consultation I decided to make my very first Kiehl’s purchase. I chose the Midnight Recovery Botanical Cleansing Oil , the most recent addition to the Kiehl’s family and a accompaniment for Kiehl’s most popular product, Midnight Recovery Concentrate. I have been using the cleansing oil now for about a month and I have to say I adore it.

I’ve gotten very much into the double cleansing phenomenon right now and this oil is always one part of this process. I know some might be put off by the idea of using an oil to cleanse their face, especially those on the oilier side, but it’s such a lightweight oil that changes to a milk as soon as you mix it with water so for me personally it was never an issue.

It’s non-comedogenic too so no worries about it clogging up pores and I have even found it agreeable using it around my eye area, which for me is unusual. On top of feeling like a wonderfully luxurious product on the skin it also smells divine, it’s like having a spa day in your own bathroom with the mixture of Squalane, Evening Primrose Oil and Lavender Essential Oil.

I have to say that this oil has happily lived up to every single expectation I had and I can truly say I can’t wait to buy my next Kiehl’s product which I’m almost sure will be the Midnight Recovery Concentrate as I can only imagine how amazing a combination these two will make.

So if you’re in the market for new skincare be sure to pop into the lovely Kiehl’s ladies in Debenhams Patrick Street and tell them I sent you!!

Update…. I bought the Midnight Recovery Concentrate yesterday, I knew I would!! 

Sleek Makeup Spring/Summer colours

I was recently invited to Dublin by the lovely girls at The Publicity Loft to attend a Blogger Brunch to launch the new Sleek makeup Spring/Summer colours. The event itself was absolutely stunning and so colourful in true Sleek style. We went through a beautiful fresh look perfect for Spring with their fabulous makeup artist Warren and then got a chance to peruse all of the new products after an absolutely yummy brunch.

First up I’m going to show you the new shades in the Lip VIP range (€7.49). I’ll start this by saying that I’m already a huge fan of this lipstick formulation, I have been since I tried one going back nearly two years now, FYI, that one was a stunning nude called Private Booth and I’d highly recommend picking one up if you’re a nude lipstick fan but back to the point, sorry!!
The Spring/Summer shades are all about pops of colour and if you have been following me for any length of time you’ll know I do love a statement lip colour and my goodness these do not disappoint!!

“Name in Lights”

Next up-

“Steal the Limelight”

And finally-

“Ready to Rock”

Honestly when I saw these shades first I fell in love with Steal the Lime Light immediately and thought that it was going to be my favourite of the lot once I tried them on but I was surprised to see that it’s actually Ready to Rock that was my very favourite.  I love how vampy it looks!!

The Lip VIP lipsticks are semi-matte so don’t feel drying on the lips and although they’re not as long lasting as others I don’t mind that because they help to keep your lips in great condition.
Next up are the new shades of Matte Me lipsticks (6.99), now these are probably a little bit more daring than the Lip VIP ones but they’re so much fun and I can see these being used a lot throughout the festival period.

I’m going to start off by saying that I have tried other shades in the Matte Me range before and have had mixed experiences with them, I’m not sure if some colours just have more of a matte finish than others but for instance I loved “Shabby Chic” and found it very comfortable to wear, I didn’t have the same experience with “Birthday Suit” unfortunately. On saying that though, when trying these three on they felt comfortable at all times on my lips so maybe I just got unlucky with that one I tried and found too drying.
So back to the shades, firstly French Fancy, a colour that couldn’t be more me if it tried, it’s gorgeous, feels gorgeous, it’s bright pink, I love bright pink lipstick..tick..tick…tick!!!

“French Fancy”

Apricot Blooms surprised me a bit because I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I did but it’s beautiful and is the most perfect shade for when you have a tan, absolutely ideal.

“Apricot Blooms”

Then finally Crushed Lavender, I wanted to love this but I thought it did nothing for me I’m just too pale. I think it would be the most gorgeous colour on somebody with darker skin than mine so on it’s own it’s just not for me. I am thinking of mixing it with a darker lip liner though and experimenting with it that way to come up with a shade that works better for my skin tone but for now it remains my least favourite of the six new shades.

“Crushed Lavender”

So that’s my round up of the new colours available from Sleek, what do you think? Do you have any favourites? Any of the colours in particular speak to you, let me know and as always if you’ve any other questions just let me know.
Just to say that these products were given to me in a goodie bag at an event but that doesn’t influence my opinion in any way. 

Blue Sky Tag- 11 Questions!!!!

So I’m really excited to be nominated to complete the Blue Sky Tag by the very lovely Nicole from Beauty and the Least. This is a great way of discovering more about the bloggers who’s blogs you follow and read all of the time and it’s also a little bit of fun.
I’m going to pop a link to Nicole’s answers here so you can learn more about her too and thank you so much for the nomination.

THE RULES!!

Thank the person who nominated you

Answer the 11 questions

Tag 11 people

Give them 11 questions to answer

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And so here are my answers to the questions she asked;

Q1. How long have you been blogging and what made you start?

Well my blog turns one on the 3rd of May which I’m very excited about. I can’t believe it’s been a whole year already. I’ve made so many new friends and have had so many incredible experiences in that year. I originally started the blog because for the previous three years I had been a SAHM to my twin girls and they were heading to pre-school that September so I was going to have a lot more time to myself  and so the blog was born. I had worked in the beauty industry for many years before that and still had such passion for it that I wanted an outlet to share it.

Q2. If you could start your own line, what would you sell?

Oh I love this question so much because when I day dream I’ve dreamt about being able to do this. It would have to be lipstick, I’m a makeup fanatic but lipstick is my absolute weakness. I’ve no idea how many lipsticks I own but I never get fed up of them and I know each and every one of them. Quite often when I’m doing my makeup I decide what lipstick I’m wearing first and incorporate the rest of my makeup look around that….Obsessed isn’t even the word!!

Q3. What is your favourite Make up brand and why??

This is a tough one because I really am an equal opportunities consumer when it comes to buying make up, I love high end brands of course but I’m every bit as excited to buy high street if I’m honest. I think I’m going to say Urban Decay, I love this brand so much, I love their eyeshadow palettes, in fact I think they’re iconic when it comes to eyeshadow palettes. Their Naked Skin concealer is one of the best on the market, their collaborations are incredible, they launched 100 lipstick shades all at once, they’re cruelty free, they’re edgy and Ruby Rose is their brand ambassador. In short they tick all of my boxes and with the launch of their new skincare line imminent, I’m excited to see what the future holds for Urban Decay.

Q4. What is your dream job?

Currently I stay at home with my beautiful little girls until the time comes for them to go to school but if I was to get my dream job after that it would be working for a very makeup orientated beauty counter. I have worked as a Beauty Consultant most of my adult life but mostly for very skincare orientated companies, this time a company like Urban Decay or Benefit would be a dream come true.

Q5. Who is a woman who inspires you?

I would have to say Karen Geraghty. She is a fellow blogger over on Yankee Doodle Paddy she blogs about food, cooking and travelling mostly but everything she does is motivated by love. She is probably the most positive person I’ve ever encountered and not because she’s had an easy life or has no worries, she spreads her positive message regardless of the things she’s been through in her life. I came to know of her through her Snapchat blissbakery and then had the pleasure of meeting her at an event in Cork last year. She is so genuine, caring and has encouraged me at every turn. I will be forever grateful to her for the inspiration she has given me.

Q6. What is your all time favourite movie?

I’m not much of a movie person if I’m honest, it takes a lot to get me to the cinema in fact and usually what does that are Disney movies. Now that I have children of my own I have a “legitimate” reason to go to the cinema to see them lol!! I think because of this I’m going to pick a Disney movie as one of my all time favourites and that movie is Beauty and the Beast, it is just perfection.

Q7. Which celebrity would you say your style is most similar to?

I adore Gwen Stefani and I adore her style, she’s edgy and quirky and she loves print….as I do!! I’d like to think that my style is even remotely similar to hers but in fact I think the only similarity is is that we both wear a lot of Leopard Print lol!!!

Q8. What magazine(s) do you love?

Again I’m not much of a magazine reader if I’m honest but if I was to choose one it would either be Glamour or Look magazine.

Q9. Where is your favourite place you’ve ever traveled to?

I have been lucky to travel to many places all over the world but my most favourite place of all is actually one that’s quite a common holiday destination for sun worshipers. Lanzarote is my home away from home. I fell in love immediately with the island when I visited first in 2007, there was so much more to it than I had ever expected. A volcanic island with the most incredible landscape and stunning architecture and artwork dotted around it courtesy of the artist Cesar Manrique it honestly has something for everybody. For many years I used to travel to the island 2-3 times a year but unfortunately I’ve only been back there once since my children were born in 2013 but I know I’ll be there many times with them as they grow older, it truly has a piece of my heart.

Q10. What is your favourite part about blogging?

Hands down the people I’ve met. It has been so amazing meeting so many lovely, like minded people some of which I can genuinely now call friends. Being a stay at home Mum is brilliant but can be quite isolating especially if none of your friends are having the same experience at that time but blogging has made me feel relevant, it has helped me find my confidence and gives me an outlet to be Jo and not just Mum. I will be eternally grateful for all of the wonderful people it has brought into my life.

Q11. What is a brand that’s not really talked about a ton, that you love and wish your readers paid more attention to?

I think I’m going to say The Balm, in Ireland The Balm is really well known amongst Beauty Bloggers and Influencers but I still think people don’t know too much about it. It has become a little bit more mainstream this year with the introduction of counters in Debenhams stores across the country but they are stand alone counters, they don’t have consultants so I don’t people get to understand the full awesomeness of their products. Although it is a popular brand I do think it deserves more attention.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

QUESTIONS FOR THE BLOGGERS THAT I AM NOMINATING

Tell me your three desert island beauty products?

Tea or coffee?

Favourite current song?

What have you learned from blogging?

What’s one quote you live your life by?

Favourite budget brand?

What’s your favourite flower?

If you could live anywhere in the world where would you chose?

How would you spend your most perfect day?

What’s your favourite perfume?

Tell us one of your bad habits?

________________________________________________________________________________________

 I NOMINATE

Putting It Out There

MamaVoom

Yankee Doodle Paddy

Rouge Writing Hood

Highstreet Beauty

SoSo Dempo

The Style Guide Blog

Passions and Preening

A Paler Shade of Beauty

Frilly Flossy

You Are My Sunshine

Benefit Galifornia

If I had wanted to this could have been the shortest blog post I’ve ever written because four words sum up my feelings on this product…..I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!!
So yah there you go, see you later…on to the next post, but no seriously let me tell you why I love it so you can decide for yourself whether it’s something you might like to try.

On Thursday the 9th of March I bought a ticket for a Benefit Masterclass in Brown Thomas Cork. The Masterclass was with the wonderful Benefit Makeup artist Mike Standen and it was to help show us exactly how gorgeous and versatile Galifornia actually is.

After that I was hooked, Mike created such a stunning Summertime look, using Galifornia on both the eyes and the cheeks. Now I’m no stranger to the concept of using Benefit cheek products on my eyes and in case you don’t know this, Hoola Bronzer makes the most gorgeous transition colour ever so go and try it ASAP!! So unsurprisingly on the night I bought myself a Galifornia of my own.

Used Galifornia along with the Shaaanxo palette on my eyes

On top of being the most gorgeous coral pink shade it has a gold iridescent overlay which adds the tiniest amount of highlight to the product, not so much that you look like a disco ball but a gentle amount that makes your skin look healthy and fresh. This blusher also smells absolutely incredible, I know that that might sound funny but from the moment you open the box it smells like sunshine, it’s so uplifting.

Galifornia is the most beautiful shade of blusher

At the risk of sounding ridiculously cheesy here, this product just makes me happy!! It is so much fun, it’s a stunning colour, it smells beautiful, the packaging is to die for, I think it’s my most favourite Benefit boxed blusher release since Dandelion.

On the left Galifornia swatched no flash, on the right Galifornia swatched with flash

Priced at €34 it’s an excellent investment in my opinion, it’s a very versatile product and I know from having Benefit boxed blushers over the years they last for yonks…happy days!!

Will you be purchasing Galifornia? Do you have any other favourite Benefit blushers?

NYX Lid Lingerie

A few weeks ago I was sent one of the relatively new to the market NYX Lid Lingerie cream eyeshadows. I was sent the shade Morning Sky, it was one of the pieces they were highlighting as part of their St Patrick’s Day celebrations.

I’m not going to lie, I was a bit tentative about using this product at first because at 37 years old I am quite afraid of cream eye shadows especially teal ones!! I decided that I wanted to base an entire makeup look around just this one product, but making sure that it was the star of the show.

You can clearly see the Metallic finish here

I used it in conjunction with a beautiful jewel colour palette that I have from Sleek Makeup called Arabian Nights because I thought it suited it perfectly. I applied the NYX eye shadow using the wand that comes with it, little by little and then blended it in to the lid using a fluffy blender brush. I found the eye shadow blended beautifully, it was so soft and didn’t go a bit dry on the lid which I think was my biggest fear with it.
As I thought the Sleek palette matched it beautifully, accentuating the stunning teal colour of this shade. It has a bit of a metallic finish to it which you will see from the photos but again that wasn’t an issue on my eye, it didn’t look garish or over the top and I was complemented continuously yesterday about my makeup so that’s always good!!

So happy with the finished result

The best part of all for me though was that the eye shadow was still 100% in tact when I was going to take it off last night, there wasn’t even a sign of a crease in it and personally I find that absolutely incredible. They come in a variety of shades too just in case green really isn’t your thing and you can find them on here on Boots.ie priced at €9.00 each.
 

This item was sent to me to try but all opinions are my own. I was not asked to write a review and there are no affiliate links in this post. 

 

 

 

 

 

L.O.V Cosmetics

Back at the start of February I was very kindly sent out some new make up to try from L.O.V Cosmetics, a relatively new brand to Ireland but one that I have been dying to try if I’m honest.
The first thing that struck me about L.O.V. Cosmetics as a brand is how high end all of their products look. Their packaging is sleek and sophisticated and when I saw the price point of the products I was really, really surprised as I expected them to be a lot pricier than they actually are.

Here is a breakdown of some of the products that I’ve tried and how I found them.

LOVtime 18hr Long Lasting Foundation €12.95

Now I’m going to start this by saying that whoever chose this colour for me couldn’t have done a better job, it is almost an exact match for my skin tone which obviously makes my job a lot easier when trying it out. This foundation is marketed as a long lasting, medium to high coverage foundation and I for one absolutely agree with that. The coverage is completely buildable and the finish is beautiful, it’s a Velvet Matte finish which I have never experienced before but it feels lovely, matte without feeling like it’s taking moisture out of your skin. I have combination skin so this foundation suits me perfectly. It is long lasting and covered any blemishes or redness in my skin exactly how I wanted it to. I apply mine using a flat head Kabuki brush and I find this distributes the product perfectly giving me the finish that I want using minimal product.

I haven’t really put another foundation on my face since I was sent this one, I’m over the moon with it and I will definitely be buying it once I’m finished with this one.

COVERStory Serum Concealer €11.95

Well now, this concealer…. It might sound like I’m massively exaggerating BUT…I think it might just be the best concealer I have ever tried. It does exactly what I need it to do for me. Now at this point I’m going to put my hand up and say that I don’t have incredibly dark circles under my eyes (thankfully) but I do still like to brighten that area up. My biggest issue in this area is being 37 most concealers tend to sink into the fine lines under my eyes and get “craggy” as soon as I start to move my face which draws even more attention to the area in a negative way. This concealer didn’t do that, it lasted all day without seeping into the fine lines at all, I was absolutely thrilled with the results. I will say though that I didn’t apply the product using the dispenser on top because it confused me!! I just pumped some on to my hand and applied it under my eye using a concealer brush and then buffed it in using a slightly damp Beauty Blender and this worked perfectly for me.

The only negative I can see with this product is that it only comes in two shades, I really think that they should add some more because it is outstanding.

TheFORBIDDEN Dramatic Volume Mascara €9.95

I love Volumising mascaras, they’re always my go to type of mascara when I’m choosing one. I prefer larger, fluffier mascara wands versus thin, prickly plastic ones every time. The wand in this particular mascara is intriguing. It’s an hourglass shape, something I have never seen before myself but it works!! The shape of the wand is excellent for helping to curl the lashes but you don’t get any spidery effect from it. When I’m using it I would definitely apply two coats but that’s because I like to try and get as much volume and pigment into my lash as possible. Speaking of pigment, this is right up my street because it was sent to me in the Extra Black Provocation shade and when it comes to me with mascara and liquid eyeliner, the blacker the better. Fear not though if super black lashes aren’t your thing then it also comes in Provocation Black and Provocation Black Waterproof too.

This brand boasts an extensive range of mascaras though, so if this one isn’t ticking all of your boxes then I’m sure one of the other five available in the range will.

Confidentialiner Eyeliner Pen €7.95

Now if you ever watch my makeup tutorials on Snapchat “lipsticknleopo” or see my selfies on Instagram then you will know that I love a good winged liner. Although I have my “go to” liquid liners of course, I’m always on the look out to try something new. I’m going to be like a broken record here because what I look for most of all when it comes to liquid liner is pigment. Nothing makes me fume more than applying your wing and getting a wishy washy dirty grey colour instead of black….not cool!!

I’m a really big advocate of using eyeliner pens when you don’t have the steadiest hand in the world or you’re not too confident applying it. I think they give you more control over the application and it can be a little bit easier to get the colour to disperse evenly. This is a fantastic all round liner, pigment is spot on and it is incredibly easy to apply. Once again I’m blown away by the price of it considering the quality, big huge thumbs up.

BROWttitude Eyebrow Contouring Palette €12.95

This is such a handy portable palette for eyebrows on the go. It comes with three different powder shades and a fixing wax along with a double ended brush with an angled brow brush on one side and a spoolie on the other. It also has a really decent sized mirror in the palette (like it’s €12.95!!!)

This palette comes in two shades, Blonde Attitude and Brunette Attitude, now I was sent the Blonde Attitude palette and  unfortunately it was a bit too pale for my brows but I loved the feel of the product itself, I especially love the correcting powder that comes in the palette that you use to tidy up around the brows with once you’re finished shaping them, it’s incredibly good for lifting the appearance of the eye and bringing more definition to the brow shape. There’s a fab sticker that comes attached to the mirror that goes through step by step how to use the product so I think that’s brilliant for anybody who is a bit of a brow novice. As I say this shade didn’t suit me but I’d happily buy the Brunette Attitude shade now having used this one, it has everything you could possible need for creating perfect brows.

So overall my experience with L.O.V Cosmetics was fantastic, in fact I can’t remember a time when a brand has impressed me as much on a first try. Just to clarify again, these products were sent to me to try, I was never asked to write a blog post on them but I really wanted to because I ended up having such a positive experience. 

All of the opinions above are my own and trust me when I live test a product over on my Snapchat for the first time and don’t like it, you’ll know all about it, my face is incapable of lying!!

 

 

Love Me Beauty Subscription

So I’ve recently signed up to a 3 month subscription with Love Me Beauty. I would never have known about this brand of subscription boxes only for Little Miss Beauty Box Twitter account. 
They are different to most of the other brands simply because you chose the items that you receive yourself. Every month you get 60 credits to spend on products in The Edit although you also have the option of adding on extra credits for an additional charge.

The thing that really appealed to me about this one first and foremost was the brands that were involved. All I saw were Kat Von D Beauty miniatures and I was sold if I’m honest!! They also have Charlotte Tilbury kiss pockets included in the options which are one use only but still a great way of trying colours before you buy. 

Other brands I’ve seen included so far are Nuxe, Make up Forever and Aromatherapy Associates. As I said I signed up to a 3 month subscription which costs £9 a month plus £3.95 for postage. Herein lies the only catch I can see, Love Me Beauty currently don’t offer their service outside of the UK so if you are signing up then you need to do it with a Parcel Motel or equivalent address. 

I really wanted to try the subscription out so I opted to do it through my Parcel Motel account so that adds an extra €3.95 to each month’s delivery so just be aware of this. 

Now onto the products!! Out of my 60 credits I chose the following;

KVD Studded Kiss Lipstick in Underage Red

Back in the summer of last year I invested in the Kat Von D Limited Edition “London Calling” set in Debenhams. Included in the set was another one of these Studded Lipsticks in “Lolita”. Now to be honest I wasn’t blown away by that particular lipstick but I absolutely loved the look of this colour so I decided to give them another try. 

The beautiful make up bag in the background was also included in my order

KVD Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Outlaw

I love, love, love the texture of these lipsticks. They’re not one bit drying considering that they dry matte. They also last for ages. The Holy Grail when it comes to matte liquid lipsticks, long lasting and non drying… What’s not to love and this is the ultimate Hollywood Red shade. I would buy one of these lipsticks in every shade if I could afford them!! 

KVD Ink Liner in Trooper 

Having not had the greatest experience in the world with the Kat Von D Tattoo Liner I decided to try this one instead. I’m not going to lie, I’m still not overly impressed with this one either but I do think it’s slightly better than the Tattoo Liner. Maybe I’m expecting too much from both of these liners but I just thought considering they’re made by Kat Von D that A- they’d be super pigmented and B-they’d glide on!! Not the worst liner I’ve used but I definitely won’t be purchasing the full size product because you can get so much better for a fraction of the price!! 

Nuxe Reve de Miel Hand and Nail Cream 

Probably the item I was the least interested in to be honest, I chose it simply because I had 5 credits left to spend and that was one of the few 5 credit products available. Nuxe is a lovely brand if not a little bit on the boring side but you can never go wrong with a miniature hand cream for your bag!! 

Make Up Forever HD Deluxe Compact Powder

I love this idea, a teeny tiny translucent pressed powder to pop into your handbag. It has a little mirror inside the compact too so it’s just ideal. This is the first product I’ve used from Make up Forever and I hope they’ll have more options from this brand available over the next few months. 

So after my first months subscription I have to say that I’m relatively impressed so far. I think as Beauty Subscription boxes go this one is a very unique one, I’m interested to see what other brands come on board in the coming months. 
UPDATE: So just as I was about to post this blog post my 2nd months credits were due to be added to my account. There were big problems with this. The credits were due to be updated on the 1st of March, that’s the day that all of the new products were added to The Edit. I waited all day for my credits to be added, it never happened, they landed in my account at about 10.30am the next day instead after LOTS of interaction on Twitter and by email with their customer service department. Unfortunately by the time I had my credits a few of the products that I wanted to choose were sold out and there really wasn’t a great selection of products left to chose from at all. 

At that point I did place an order because I was afraid that nothing at all would be left by the time I heard anything back from their customer service team so I’ve now ended up with an order that I’m far from enthusiastic about and unfortunately they added beautiful Laura Mercier products after my order was placed that I would have loved instead so that was an even bigger pity. 

Customer service did reply to me and “as a gesture of goodwill” they have added an extra product to my order. Better than nothing but not ideal obviously. 

Hopefully they’ll have the issue sorted by the time next months credits are due to be added to my account but I’ll come back and let you know how that goes, so for the moment I’m very much on the fence about the Love Me Beauty subscription box.  

Just because it’s nearly Valentine’s Day here are my top 5 favourite red lippies!

Valentine’s Day is coming and this holiday always makes me want to wear red lips. Hardly original I know but I think there’s nothing more classic than an eyeliner flick teamed with a red lip!! In celebration I thought I’d share with you my favourite red lipsticks.

1. Urban Decay Vice Lipstick- Spiderweb

Now this colour was first released as part of the Limited Edition collaboration with Gwen Stefani back in January of 2016 but thankfully it was then released later the same year as one of the 100 Vice Lipsticks so happy days that it’s now available without any restriction.

UD Spiderweb with UD Wonderland lip pencil

2. The Balm Meet Matte Hughes- Loyal

I have a miniature one of these liquid lipsticks, I got it as part of the Meet Matte Hughes miniatures set and I have to say that out of all of the different types of matte liquid lipsticks I’ve tried these are right up there at the top of my list of favourites. Incredibly long lasting and not one bit drying….big huge thumbs up!!!

Meet Matte Hughes liquid lipstick in Loyal with UD Wonderland lip pencil

3. Wet n Wild Megalast lip colour in Red Velvet

One of the very best budget lipsticks on the market by far. If you don’t have one of these beauties in your collection then you need to fix that…..quickly. The Megalast range is a long lasting lipstick but isn’t one bit drying on the lips. I absolutely love them but I love this colour in particular, it’s so comfortable!!

Red Velvet lipstick with UD Wonderland lip pencil

4. Clinique Chubby Stick Intense in Mightiest Maraschino

An absolute handbag staple the Chubby Stick has been a long time favourite of mine but when it came to pick up one of these in a red shade I went for the Intense version. This still isn’t a full on lipstick as such but the colour isn’t as opaque as the regular Chubby Sticks, Mightiest Maraschino is a divine shade, so moisturising and comfortable on the lips and even though it’s a cream finish it still has very decent lasting power. 

Chubby Stick in Mightiest Maraschino

5. Benefit They’re Real Double the Lip in Revved up Red. 

So last and most certainly not least is my most recent addition to my red lipstick collection. This colour is so beautiful and I love the idea of having the lip pencil shade on one side and the lipstick on the other, it’s absolutely genius. So comfortable to wear and I’ve been so impressed with the lasting power when it’s on. Another big thumbs up for me can’t wait to try some more shades!! 

So those are the nicest red lipsticks I own, what do you think? Which one is your favourite? Do you have any of these already in your collection or do you have any others that you’d recommend to me? Let me know!! 

Please note that all of these products have been bought by myself and all opinions expressed are my own. 

To me love is…..

This is a very different type of post for me but I wanted to take up the opportunity of being a guest blogger over on Karen Gerahty’s blog Yankee Doodle Paddy and the topic she chose us to speak about is what love means to you….

Now in my opinion I have a very unique tale of love for this day and age. I met my now husband when I was 16 years old, that’s 21 years ago now and despite all of the obstacles put in our way over the years we’re still going strong.

I think we’re constantly sold a very unrealistic image of what love is in the movies, we’re used to seeing Hugh Grant stumbling over his words in the rain professing his undying love to Andie McDowell or seeing Richard Gere hanging out of the sunroof of a limo and climbing up the fire escape to give Julia Roberts her fairy tale… Life is very different from that and when it boils down to it, the over the top gestures don’t matter a thing.

To me, these are some of the things that matter most.
To me love is, letting me warm up my freezing cold feet on your legs even though you don’t want to.

To me love is, you coming home from a full days work and still cooking us a dinner because I’ve had a difficult day with the girls.

To me love is, you sending me messages or phoning me throughout the day just to see how my day is going.

To me love is, being able to cry in you arms just because I’m sad and you know you only need to be there you don’t have to try and fix it.

To me love is, you re-arranging all of your starting times at work when I was doing my injections for IVF because you knew I was scared of doing them on my own.

To me love is, seeing you look at our girls, our precious girls that were so longed for and are so loved.

To me love is, you not giving out about all of the makeup that I buy even though I only have one face 😁

To me love is, you constantly being my biggest cheerleader and always encouraging me to believe in myself.

To me love is, you and I knowing each other so well that sometimes we can finish each others sentences.

To me love is, the most important thing in the world. We have shared so much already during our life together and yet you’re still the first person I want to talk to when anything good or bad happens to me.

To me love is you xx

My favourites from 2016- AKA “The Lippies”

Since I started my blog in May of last year I’ve gotten to try and find some incredible products most of which I’ve shared with you either here or on my various social media channels. But with it being the start of a new year I’ve decided to do a round up of what I consider to be the creme de la creme of the products I found in 2016, my absolute favourites. True to form I’ve decided to give these awards a name, hence forth they shall be known as “The Lippies”!!
1. Favourite Foundation- I think this is going to be one of the easiest ones for me because since discovering Flormar Perfect Coverage Foundation during the summer there really hasn’t been another foundation come close perhaps with the exception of the Cailyn Super HD Foundation but there is quite a significant price difference between them. The Flormar Perfect Coverage Foundation is full coverage but light weight, it lasts all day and you need the tiniest amount ever to cover your entire face. I cannot speak highly enough about this product, in fact I gave it it’s own dedicated blog post here back in September.

Runner Up- Cailyn Super HD Foundation. Read more about that here

2. Favourite Eyeshadow Palette- This one is so, so hard. If you follow me on any of my social media platforms I think you’ll know that my obsession with eyeshadow palettes is real, so to narrow it down to one is quite difficult. I think in my heart though I know it has to be Anastasia Beverley Hills “Modern Renaissance”. I can’t actually believe that I haven’t done a dedicated blog post for this palette yet because I love it so much but yah, believe the hype, because everything you’ve heard about it is true. I’ve never experienced eye shadows that blend the way these ones do. I also have the Huda Beauty Rose Gold palette and it’s not a patch on Modern Renaissance so save your money. A cult product really at this point because it’s so hard to get your hands on it so keep your eyes peeled on Beauty Bay and Cult Beauty because they release a limited amount of them every couple of months (with an ever increasing price tag unfortunately) but if you’re a palette nerd like me or you’re just looking for that one Holy Grail palette then I think this one might just be for you.

The truly beautiful Modern Renaissance palette

Runner Up- This is even more difficult to be honest so I’m going to pick two. First runner up is Meet Matte Trimony from The Balm. This is a stunning palette, The Balm are fast becoming one of my favourite brands but this palette stands out. I love the shades, they blend so well, the pan sizes are huge and although there is a little bit of fallout when you use it the shadows themselves are extremely long lasting on the eye. A massive thumbs up from me.

The Balm Meet Matte Trimony in amongst some of my other favourites

Second runner up is the Death by Chocolate palette from I Heart Makeup. The quality of this palette really surprised me. There’s a beautiful selection of colours especially suitable for everyday wear. There’s a mixture of matte and shimmer colours in the palette and they’re really easy to work with. A complete bargain at €12.

 

Death by Chocolate palette by I Heart Makeup

 

3. Favourite Liquid Liner- Up until about three weeks ago the product that I have as the runner up today would probably have been the winner until my friend Joyce from Makemeupmua introduced me to this absolute beauty from Essence Cosmetics. The Liquid Ink Waterproof Eyeliner from Essence is quite incredible. The precision that the wand allows you is phenomenal and the pigment, the pigment is exactly what I look for in an eyeliner, as black as coal!! To top it all off this eyeliner is barely over €3!!! A real gem, try it yourself, I know you won’t be disappointed.

My favourite liquid liner teamed with my runner up for favourite mascara

 

Runner Up- My runner up and all time favourite until a few weeks ago is the liquid eyeliner from Inglot. At €12 this is obviously more expensive than the Essence product but it’s a really fantastic liner. The main difference between the two is the Inglot eyeliner has a nib type applicator whereas the essence one is a flimsier type one which is ideal if you’re confident with liquid liner application but if you’re not I’d always recommend using a nib type product or an eyeliner pen as they will help you grow your confidence. The Inglot liner is really pigmented too and doesn’t move once you apply it. I’d highly recommend it especially because the product itself lasts absolutely ages.

Inglot Liquid Eyeliner

4. Favourite Mascara- I have spoken about this mascara on my blog before see here but I’ve yet to find one as good as it and it’s an absolute bargain to boot. My favourite is Catrice Glam n Doll Curl & Volume Mascara, Ultra Black & Curl, my God what a mouthful. I love it, I love everything about it. It’s so pigmented, I love the brush, it’s amazing for curling the lashes. It doesn’t flake or smudge even though it’s not waterproof and it’s €4.49!!! Yah €4.49…..tick, tick, tick!! I usually buy mine in Penneys but it’s available anywhere there’s a Catrice stand.

Runner Up- My choice of runner up for this category is another bargain and it’s Lash Princess Falsh Lash Effect Mascara from Essence Cosmetics. Again it’s under €5, has fabulous pigment and lasts all day. The Catrice mascara pips it to the post for me because of the wand, I personally just loved a curved mascara wand.

Special Mentions- These are products I’ve used pretty much every day regardless of how I’m doing my makeup and they deserve special mentions of their own.

Benefit Precisely My Brow Pencil- I’m 100% not exaggerating when I say that I have used this product on my brows every single day since I bought it during the summer. It is the most straightforward product ever, I adore it. It helps to give your brows definition and look precise without looking overly drawn on. All I can say is it’s the best Brow product I’ve used to date and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

*Wetnwild Megaglo Contouring Palette  All day every day I use this product. If you follow any of my social media pages you’ll know firstly how much I wear this product and secondly how much I love it. Just in case you don’t I included it in a blog post I wrote a few months ago that you can find here

Well there you have it, some of my top makeup picks for 2016. Are any of your favourites mentioned here? Have you any others you’d add to the list?
Please note that I’ve paid for all of the products mentioned except for those marked with a * This in no way affects my opinions