Gem's November Favourites!

Cannot believe it is the start of December, mine and probably most people's favourite time of year!


However, I am here to talk about last months beauty offerings that I could not keep out of my make-up bag, shower, hand-bag... you get the idea :)

First off is a bit of a splurge item

It is the Jouer Matte Moisture Tint. I purchased this off www.cultbeauty.co.uk. It was 30 pound which is equal to about 36 euro, you do get 50 ml of product though which is a pretty decent size. This product is oil free which is perfect for my oily skin and also has an SPF of 15. It has nearly a gel like consistency. It has a decent amount of coverage for a tinted moisturiser and goes on smoothly with hands or a brush, depending on how much time you have. I find it stays on my skin well (with powder) throughout the day. I purchased the shade linen. My shade in MAC would be NC20.

My next fave is the Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer.
                                                 
I feel I am late to the party on this one, as I know many people have tried and loved this product. I bought it on a whim on my lunch break in the local chemist (6.99 euro) and it can be found in most chemists and Boots. It has a doe foot applicator, which isn't my favourite way to use it from a cleanliness point of view, I usually decant onto the back of my hand and use a brush to apply it. I love using this under my eyes. I find it creamy and very easy to blend and does a good job of covering my lovely bags of a morning. I use the shade 010 Ivory.
   
The Real Techniques Expert Face Brush is another one of my favourites this month.

 This brush is great when you are in a rush (which I always am). I use it for primer, base and concealer. It's big enough to get your base done quickly but small enough to blend concealer under your eyes and anywhere else you might need it. It is a dense brush too so it doesn't swallow up all the product. I think I might have to buy a back up. It retails in Boots for approx 13 Euro.


As the festive season is fast approaching I had to add in my favourite red lipstick of the moment, however it doesn't have to be Christmas to rock a red lip :)

I was a complete sucker and bought RiRi Woo in the rose gold packaging (22 Euro) from www.brownthomas.com It is a a beautiful matt red that's not too drying on the lips if you give them a good scrub and a good coat of lip balm before hand. It makes your teeth looks whiter which is an added bonus! It can be used straight from the bullet for a full on red lip or if you want a toned down effect apply a small amount to your lips and rub in with your finger for a more diffused but still beautiful look.

Something that I cannot keep out of my shower at the minute:

 The Nivea In Shower Body Moisturiser.
Here is a full review of this product if you want to check it out on our blog.
You can get this in most chemists and supermarkets and if you're lucky Boots  have it on special alot, for about 4 Euro It usually retails for about 6 Euro for the large size!
I have oily skin. I am in my late 20's and still get zits on my face, like a 16 year old. My body however gives me mixed messages, some of it wants to be oily, some of it likes to be dry. The Nivea In Shower Moisturiser helps my bipolar skin. You use on wet skin in the shower after washing and all that good stuff. You lather it on,wash it off and then dry as normal. I then use normal moisturiser on the parts of my body that need it more!

Finally, these have been a fave of mine this month (since I only bought them this month :) )

                                                                             
They are House of Harlow Sunburst Button Earrings. I bought mine from www.shopbop.com. They cost me around 25 Euro with tax and shipping which I thought was pretty reasonable.They are a medium disc earrings designed by Nicole Richie (daughter of Lionel), with faux leather inside the sunburst. I've had my eye on them ever since I saw Heart from http://www.youtube.com/user/ThatsHeart on Youtube rocking them.They are really good quality, can be worn casually but for me I think they will be kept for special occasions.

So these are some of my loves from the month gone by. Hopefully you'll enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.

Thanks and enjoy all of the Christmas build up :)

Gemma
 xxx                                                                                                                                                                           

TAG: My desert island beauty products

I am surrounded by beautiful makeup and beauty products all the time and am constantly updating my collection with the newest releases! But what products could I not "live without"??? In this post I will give you the answers while at the same time give you an insight into why I find these products so fantastic. 

So here we go, I have categorised this to make it an easy read...if I don't have a desert island product I will simply not put one in this post.......honesty is the best policy after all!!

Favourite Face Primer: Has to be hands down Benefits Porefessional. I have bought tubes of this stuff and always go back to it. It really smooths out my complexions and makes my makeup last all day

Favourite Foundation: Do you have to ask?? Of course its Rimmel's Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation (review here). I honestly cannot find a foundation as good as this and I have tried really high end products. This is definitely the best beauty find of 2013 for me.

Favourite Face Powder: AHHH Mac's Mineralized Skin finish natural. Leaves your skin flawless and perfected looking.

Favourite Blush: Very easy for me. Mac's Melba Blush. This is just the perfect peachy toned blush that looks amazing on everyone. A staple in anyone's collection I think.

Favourite Bronzer: I like many powder bronzers but one product that stands out to me is a cream based product and it is Boujours Bronzing Primer (Review Here). No matter how much or how little makeup I am wearing I always use this. It just adds a subtle warmt to the face that makes even the palest skin look naturally bronzed. 

Favourite Highlighter: The Balms Mary Lou Manizer. This is by far the nicest highlighter I have used. It gives your skin a glow but without looking overly glittery. A little goes a very long way so be light handed with this one!

Favourite Lipstick: Sarah G Cosmetics in 107 Pink Lady (review here). This to me is the perfect shade of pink and lasts so long on the lips.

Favourite Lipgloss: Mac's Cultured Lipglass. This paired with Pink Lady by Sarah G is my go to lip combo. Amazing pout at your finger tips.

Favourite Fake Tan: Oh this is a tough one. Its either between Karora's express bronzing mousse (Review here) or Cocoa Brown's 1 hour tan. (Review here) Both these tans give you a beautiful glow in a matter of hours and are so easy to use. Sorry but I cannot choose between these.

Favourite Body Scrub: I have never tried a body scrub so effective as Cocoa Brown's Tough Stuff (Review here). This is remarkable and doesn't leave any residue on your skin which to me is essential if you want your tan to be impeccable!

Favourite Perfume: Paco Rabanne Lady Millions. Everyone comments on this scent when I wear it. It's beautiful for every occasion I feel. If you haven't tried this you are definitely missing out.

Favourite Face Palette: Sarah G's "Face Kit" is a definite winner in this category (Review here). The blush and bronzer are some of my favourites and the eye shadows are perfect for creating a soft look or a more dramatic evening look. 

Favourite Eyeshadows: Urban Decay's Vice 2 Palette. This has everything you need for a day time look or a more colourful smoky eye. If all my eye makeup disappeared and I had to repurchase one product it would be this as it has every colour you would need for any occasion.

Favourite Eyeliner: In general the Inglot Gel liners are amazing and in particular no 77 (Black) and 90 (Brown). I wear one of these two almost every day.

Favourite Brow Product: MUA Pro Brow kit. This is so reasonably priced and has everything you need for perfect brows. 

Favourite Tool:  Shu Uemera eyelashes curlers. I never thought curling my eyelashes was so important until I used this. It transforms the look of your eyes and makes you look bright eyed and beautiful.

Well I think that is it for now!! I called this post my desert island products but I would need a suitcase for just these items if I was going to a desert island but you get the idea!? These are the products that are and have been staples in my collection for awhile and that I would repurchase over and over again.

What are your desert island products? What products could you not "live without"??? Leave a comment below.

I TAG ANY beauty blogger out there who is as much of a beautyaholic as I am! Leave a link to your blog down below. I would love to see what you are loving and get some recommendations on new products to try. Also please feel free to add in some products. I just left some out, like concealer and mascara as I haven't yet found my desert island products.

Have a wonderful day everyone. 

Anita xxx

October '13 Beauty Favourites

Yep another month has come and gone and because I didn't do a favourites post last month I have alot to share with you all this month so I will get straight into it.

Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation

I was and am still loving Matte skin. It just makes me so happy when my makeup stays flawless all day long. To achieve this my go to foundation was definitely Rimmel's Stay Matte Liquid Mousse. Absolutely adore this foundation because it gives great coverage and is so easy and beautiful to apply. You can read my full in depth review here.

Benefit's The POREfessional Primer

I am testing lots of new primers at the moment (stay tuned for a primer post) and so far my favourite is benefits Porefessional Primer. This claims to minimise the appearance of pores and fine lines while at the same time create a flawless canvas for your makeup to stay in place all day. I am not sure if it actually helps prevent or reduce with fine lines and pores but it definitely masks them and my makeup does definitely stay on longer when I use this. Very impressed so far!!

Urban Decay Vice 2 Palette

I got the Urban Decay Vice 2 Palette less than 2 weeks ago but I literally haven't used any other palette since getting this. It has such a huge variety of colours in it and you can create endless looks with it. The pigmentation of the shadows are amazing, they go on like cream but last so long. I just wish there were more matte shades in this palette because it can be shimmer overkill at times but other than that its great. Be sure to use a primer on your eyes to get the most from these shadows.

Gosh Growth Mascara

Staying with eyes I am loving Gosh's Growth Mascara. This makes my lashes look really voluminous and intense and doesn't smudge at all during the day. I did a review this month on this so for more info please take a look here .

Maybelline Masterdrama Eyeliner

I have been a fan of Avon's supershock gel pencil liner for years but when Avon was discontinued from Ireland I was on the hunt for a really intense black pencil liner, that looked like gel and lasts all day long. I think I may have found it. Maybelline's masterdrama eye liner is fantastic. The colour is super black and this will not budge throughout the day. I use this on my upper lid as eyeliner. I have also tried it in my waterline but it doesn't last as well there.

Urban Decay Venom Revolution Lipstick

I have been varying my lip colours a little this month. I adore Lime Crime's Lipstick in Geranium which is a pinky coraly colour but at the same time I am loving the berry lips this season and my favourite lipstick to achieve this look is either Mac's Rebel or Urban Decay's Venom. Both are really beautiful takes on this A/W trend and are definite staples in my lipstick collection for Autumn and Winter.

Karora's Express Bronzing Mousse

My favourite Fake Tan of the month has to be Karora's Express Bronzing Mousse. This gives the nicest glow to the skin without looking unnatural. It also wear extremely well and is so easy and fuss free to use. I have a full review here if you want to have a look see.

Indeed Labs Pepta-bright

I have been on a mission lately to finally get my skincare in line and to start working on my acne scarring. Indeed labs Pepti-bright has really made a difference to my skin. It is amazing to say the least. Again you can read my full review here. This is definitely my holy grail skin serum.

Pixy Lime Sorbet Shower Mousse

Finally I have been loving taking long shower or hot baths for the last few weeks now that the weather is getting colder and my two all time favourite products to help me on my way to bath time bliss are from the great Irish Brand Pixy.


For the shower I am literally obsessed with their Lime Sorbet Shower Mousse. This is a glass jar that has some semi solid product in the end and a shower puff which you wet and lift the product up then rub all over your body and it foams up to a beautiful creamy feeling foam that really hydrates, freshens and invigorates the skin. It is amazing to use in the morning time to wake up the senses.

Pixy Sensual Bath Oil

When I want to relax I reach for Pixys Bath Oils. You add a few drops to a warm bath and they tranform your bath into a luxury treat. Your skin feels wonderful after using these in your bath. Adding one of Pixy's bath bombs is great if you want that little something extra. Oh Bliss.

Well that's it for this months favourites. Thank you all for taking the time out to read my blog and please let me know what your favourite products are for October or if you have done a blogpost on these or Youtube video please leave the link down below.

Have a wonderful day
Take Care
Anita xxx

Products I Regret Buying Part One!!

I often find blogs can concentrate on reviewing products that they love. I have to admit this has been the same for me so far on my blog. I tend to pick things that I like to write about because I find it easier to review them. However, I think that often we get more information from reviews of products that people don't like simply because it will give us an insight into why the product didn't work for that person and maybe make us more cautious of buying the product in the future.

Just a little disclaimer before I begin. This blog post is my honest opinion and the products mentioned are ones which I found didn't work for me or ones that I found a better alternative product for. This doesn't mean that they won't work for you and if you have tried them and loved them please comment below this post as this will also be helpful for other readers to see who the products do work for. This post is not being in any way offensive to the brands, its simply me telling my readers what I would not buy again.

So lets begin....

I am a big fan of the Macadamia Deep Repair Mask. This leaves my hair super soft. However, the same cannot be said about their Rejuvenating Shampoo and Moistuirizing Rinse Conditioner. These products did nothing at all for my hair. They made my hair greasy and I felt like no matter how much I rinsed my hair it always felt like there was still product left on my hair. I couldn't style my hair properly afterwards either. Definitely didn't like these products.

I bought a Mally set from QVC over a year ago and the kit contained a face primer, eye gel and eye primer. I liked the face primer and I used up all the eye gel but I really didn't like the eye primer. It says to apply this under your concealer to make it last longer and keep the skin hydrated. All this did for me was make my concealer crease and eventually disappear from my under-eye. Mally in general is a great brand but this product just did nothing for me.

Another eye product which I bought and didn't feel stood up to the claims was Boots Botanics Hydrating eye cream. As the name suggests this is supposed to hydrate the eyes but it didn't do this for me. I didnt see any difference in my eye area after using this product and I used almost the full tube.

It's all about eyes for me in this post so far and another one to add to the list is Clinique's all about eyes (rich formulation). This claims to help diminish the look of dark circles, fine lines, shadows and puffiness. I have used this for a long time now and really have not seen any of the above improvements.

Now on to some makeup....

Everyone and their mother seems to love the Collection 16 Hour Wear concealer and I did love this for awhile last year but for some reason this year it just isn't doing anything for me. If I apply it under my eyes it makes me look like I have 90 year old wrinked eyes and if I apply it to a spot I feel it just cakes over the spot and makes it look more obvious. For me their are much better products on the market than this one.

For a while everyone in the blogging world raved about the Chanel Soleil tan de Chanel Bronzing Makeup base so of course being the addict that I am off I went to Chanel and spent a ridiculous €40+ on this bronzer. When I got it home I was happy enough with it and did use it. I would have a relatively sallow complexion but this is a little too orangey on me. I also don't like the way it is such a hard consistency. This means you have to really work your brush into it to get some product out and then your brush bristles end up getting stuck in the product.....not a good thing at all. To be honest its not the worst product but for the price I would have expected something amazing. I have found a much cheaper and in my eyes a much better product in the Boujour bronzing primer. You can read my review on this beauty HERE.

I trained as a makeup artist with Makeup Forever and am a massive fan of their products. Their foundations for me are second to none. So on a trip to top up on some kit essentials I decided to try one of their liquid highlighters. I bought the Uplight Face Luminizer Gel in Shade 22. The girl in the shop said it looked great on skin over foundation or mixed in with a foundation. I tried it both ways and when I layered it on top of foundation it was very intense looking and almost glittery looking and when I mixed it with foundation it just made my skin look oily and way too shiny. Also this product seemed to go off very quickly. After awhile it began to smell funny and broke my skin out very bad. This was over €30 so I definitely regret buying it because I didn't get much use out of it.

Bobbi Brown bronzers have been a favourite of mine for over a decade and on my trip to IMATS in June I decided to pick up one. The makeup artist there recommended I bought shade Medium 2. I thought this was fine because I used this shade previously but when I got it home and tried it it was completely the wrong colour for me. It was very dark and had a red tonne of it which is not suitable for my skin tone at all. I was watching a Youtube video and one of the girl I am subscribed to who is much darker than me had the exact same problem as me. So I included this bronzer in this blog, not because the product isn't good but because the shade they recommended for me was totally wrong. I would recommend the bronzers in general but just be very careful what shade they give you.

I love the look of bright undereyes and so was very excited to try the Bare Minerals well-rested eye brightener. The idea of this is that you can use it alone or over concealer under the eyes to make your eyes appear brighter. This really did not work for me and I tried it every way possible. It dried out my under eyes and made my fine lines much more visable. I have heard other people rave about this so it may be worth a  go but I just didn't like it at all.

MUA (Makeup academy) do some really great product at very reasonable prices but one product I have tried that really didn't work for me is the Brush-On Concealer pen. This claims to hide under eye discoloration and blemishes on the face. I tried it for both and it did neither. It is too watery and thin to give any amount of coverage.

Another Makeup Forever product that I wasn't too happy with is the Aqua Eyes pencil in 0L Black. This is a waterproof eyeliner and I have to say it does last all day. My main problem with this eyeliner is the colour, it is almost like a dark grey colour rather than a carbon black colour. Really not what I was expecting from this pencil. I wouldn't purchase this again because I believe there are alot of other much cheaper and much better products on the market.

Another eyeliner that I bought which I was let down on was the infamous Mac Blacktrack Fluidline. Don't get me wrong its not a bad eyeliner but when compared to the likes of Inglot's gel liner in No 77 it really doesn't stand up to the challenge. It is not as long wearing or as dark as the Inglot or other liners on the market. I definitely will use this on myself for everyday use but wouldn't repurchase it because I know there are better alternatives.

I also do not like the e.l.f Cream eyeliners. They are not very strongly pigmented and they dry out super fast. Not my favourite e.l.f product at all.

I always loved Hypnose mascara by Lancome and purcahsed this a few months back. It just didnt give me the same wow factor as before. With this mascara you can build up layers to create more impact. I found with one coat my lashes just looked darker and when I began to build it up it would add slightly more volume but the mascara would clump. Again this won't be a repurchase for me and I have tried many other mascaras which for me work much better.

Another mascara I am just not pushed on is Maybelline's the Falsies. It did nothing for my lashes and really didn't make them look like I was wearing fake lashes. In general I like Maybelline mascara's but this one was not for me.

Some lip glosses which I really do not rate are e.l.f's minty lip gloss or their Luscious Liquid Lipstick. I do love alot of e.l.f products which you can check out in this older blog post.

I adore some of the Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker lip glosses but the shade pink apricot is not for me. It went off very quickly and the shade was in my opinion not the nicest. It isn't a peach nor a nude shade so I didn't think it looked great on the lips.

Last but not least is Stila's Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer. This is supposed to add luminosity to the skin and make it looks fresh but it just made me look overly shiny, greasy and just down right unattractive. This didn't come cheap so I was very disappointed with this purchase.

I think that is enough for now. I have rambled on long enough. I hope you found this useful and I will continue to take note of the products I don't like because I think this would be so useful to my readers as it will save them wasting time on money on buying products that really don't live up to the hype.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and let me know if you found this helpful.

What products do you regret buying? Do you love any of the products I mentioned above, as ever you are welcome to comment below and tell me what you think.

Have a wonderful day xxx

Update Ur makeup wardrobe for A/W '13

Alot of people I talk to get very frustrated trying to decide how they should update their makeup for changes in seasons. Just when you got it right for last season suddenly there is a new trend in fashion!!! Very annoying. We see so many makeup trends gracing the catwalks and the problem is most of the time they are too exaggerated for everyday wear so in this post I will give you some great advice and inspiration on how to change up your makeup look for Autumn/Winter '13 aswell as how to make some of those crazy catwalk looks much easier to pull off.

I would like to firstly say that not all of the looks below will suit everyone, but you sure can have fun experimenting to find the perfect one for you. Also, not all of these looks should be worn together. Just because the nights are getting darker doesn't mean we have to go crazy on the makeup to make us stand out that bit  more!!

Some of you will be happy to know that perfected skin never goes out of fashion. This is as beautiful in the summer as it is in the colder months. I personally love a matte foundation for winter but alot of people opt for a more hydrating glowy skin in the winter. Find what suits you best and work with it. Whatever foundation finish you choose be sure to use a good concealer to hide any imperfections to create that perfected canvas. My product recommendations would be Rimmel's Stay Matte Liquid Mousse foundation (review here) or Estee Lauder's Double Wear for the perfect matte look, Revlon's Colour stay foundation or Laura Mercier's silk creme foundation for medium to full coverage but with a natural finish and Revlon's nearly naked foundation for a natural light coverage finish. Makeup Forever's full coverage concealer is amazing at hiding facial imperfections and discolouration or for a cheaper alternative I would recommend Revlon's Photo Finish concealer.

On trend this season is to wear no blush. Personally I would not wear this trend as for me blush is the finishing touch to any makeup look, even if it is only a slight wash of colour.

Your perfected skin will look amazing with a just pinched look to the cheeks. Peaches, pinks and plum tones are stunning on the cheeks. Opting for a cream blush is great for this time of the year aswell as summer to ensure makeup last longer while keeping skin hydrated. Absolutely loving Max Factors cream blush in soft pink aswell as boujours cream blushes. Benefits cheek and lip stains are great for adding a wash of colour and their original Benetint cheek stain would be perfect for this time of year. If you love the reddish, plum tones on cheeks but prefer powder blush Mac's Frankly Scarlet is to die for.

Vampy lips are HUGE this season. Hues of wine, pink, purples, plum and beautiful berry's graced the catwalks. But don't be scared if you are not brave enough to wear a full on lip then a nice berry tint on the lips is also spot on trend. A great tip is to buy cheaper lipsticks if you are not sure if a shade will suit you so that you don't waste your money on an expensive lipstick that you will never wear. Great A/W lipsticks are Urban Decay Venom, Mac's just a bite matte lipstick, Mac Rebel, Mac Up the Amp, and a lovely reddish orange is Mac's Ruby Woo Lipstick.

If you are not a fan of deep lips then how about dark eyes??? Deep colours on the lid are a fab way to update your look. I love navy blues, golds, greens and purples in Autumn/Winter time. Smoking this up with a grey, chocolate brown or black is a great way to add definition and drama to the eyes. My favourite smoky shades are :Inglot Shadow Pearl 428 (navy blue) or 426 (cobalt blue), Matte 348 (grey), Pearl 414 (dark green), Pearl 439 (deep purple) and Pearl 404 (Gold). I also love Mac's espresso which is a deep brown matte shade, perfect for smoking the eye.
If you don't want to do a full on smoky eye, dusting a matte grey eye shadow across the eyelid will give a really nice smoked up effect without looking overdone. This is great for wearing during the day or pairing with those deeper lips.

Deep dark eyes are best paired with nude lips. I love Revlon's lip butter in Creme Brulee or Inglot's lipgloss cube in shade 14. These are my go to nude lip products for this season.

Bold brows are never going out of fashion and autumn/winter is a great time to wear them. Deep lips, big brows and minimal eyes are amazing for this season but bold brows are equally as nice with smoky eyes. Just be sure not to bring the eyeshadow too high on the eye as this begins to look messy if you have big thick brows.

Winged cat eyeliner is also another trend that is great this A/W. It looks super sophisticated with any look and adds so much definition to the eyes. Don't be afraid to pair this with a nice set of flirty eyelashes to add some glam. My favorite eyeliners of all time are Catrice's Liquid Liner or Inglot's gel liner in shade 77 Black. Both do amazing jobs and last ALL day.

So that's all I have to say about makeup, just remember not to wear all of these looks together and have fun experimenting.

A small note before I finish up. During the colder months our skin tends to get dehydrated as we are fighting colder weather and central heating alot of the time. To ensure your skin looks its best and stays hydrated its often a good idea to use a richer face cream if your skin needs it. If you don't want to do this during the day then use a richer cream at night and add in a hydrating serum during the day which will not make your skin greasy.
If you are going to attempt the deep bold lip be sure to use a lip scrub and lip balm on regular occasions to keep your lips plump and ready for beautiful lippy.

I hope you found this post helpful. What trends will you be trying for Autumn/Winter 2013? Let me know

Have a great day

Anita xxxx

August 2013 Beauty Essentials

August was a bit of a whirl wind month for me. I had a hectic few weeks between starting back college, doing loads of courses and just generally trying to have a life. So when I was reaching for products this month I was either looking for something quick and handy that I knew would do the job or something more luxurious that would make me feel all "awwwwhhh" inside.

Lets start with bodycare......
I wear fake tan alot but hate the thought of it clinging to my dry patches. To avoid this I use body scrubs religiously. Up to this month I had a few favourites but I was never 100% happy with them. Then I was introduced to Cocoa Brown's Tough Stuff which blew my mind. This comes in a sachet and honest to god it will get rid of any stubborn tan while at the same time removing any dead skin....all you are left with is glowing baby soft skin. It's a new must have for me and at €2.99 per sachet why would you not want this in your bathroom cabinet? Oh and it's pink!! You can read my full review on Tough Stuff right HERE!

Pic from Tesco.ie

After a full body exfoliation I love to slather myself with a really rich, beautiful smelling body cream. I found a new one in August which is to die for. It's called Flower Pharm Orange Flower Body Butter and I found mine in Tesco for €5.99 for a big 300ml tub. The texture is rich but its not too rich that it won't soak into your skin. I never have a problem with it rubbing on to clothes or anything, even if I get dressed straight after. I usually apply this in the morning and still in the evening time my skin would be well moisturised. It also smells divine. I believe the fragrance is Neroli which I have discovered recently is one of my all time favourite scents. It also has coconut oil, sweet orange and chamomile essential oils so it is bound to be very nourishing for the skin. The scent lingers throughout the day but it is in no way overpowering. It reminds me of the really nice oils spa's use for massages....Ah Bliss.

Pic from michaeltoddtrueorganics.com

I am all about Body this month and another product I was loving in August is the Michael Todd Pink Grapefruit Body Lotion. This is very different to the Flower Pharm butter. This is much more lightweight in texture but yet it is still so hydrating. I loved this for sunny days. I applied it after sun exposure for a refreshing boost to the skin. The scent reminds me of a milkshake for some reason. Really does smell good enough to eat. You can purchase this HERE and I would recommend checking out some of their skincare while you are there. Its so reasonable and I love it. 

L'oreal is becoming one of my go to brands the last while. I never really used the brand alot in the past but they have come up trumps with their recent releases. I am only obsessed with their new hair care line. Anyone I have spoken to feels the same. They do an entire range for all different hair types. I have curly hair which can get dry and frizzy so I choose the Ever Sleek range and I really can notice a difference. My curls are more defined, less fuzzy and the best thing is if I wash my hair and style it I don't need to fix my hair during the day because it doesn't get unruly like it does with other products. Definitely check this out if you are in the market for new hair care. It's a must try. I just repurchased some a few days ago and they were on special in Boots (2 for €12)!

Another L'Oreal product I am in love with for the last while is the Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Water. This is basically a cleansing water that will remove even stubborn mascara but is very gentle on the skin. Check out my full review HERE. Let's just say I had a slight panic attack when I realised this had run out and I didn't have a backup....does that tell ya something hey???? Again this on special in Boots at the moment for around €4.50 (or maybe a little less).

Ok...so now let's get on to makeup. 


I started off the month of August saying I wasn't going to buy any new products....that I was going to use up what I had..... Did not and never will happen!!! 

I am shade 180 Sand Beige with no/slight tan

But with my good intentions came me searching through my makeup collection trying to find products that I only used a little bit or ones that I have loved in the past that would be fun to try again. So I came across my Revlon Colour stay foundation. This was a firm fav of mine for many years and I still do love it but have really gotten back into using it the past while. I do have to say though that I think the Normal to Dry skin formula is streets ahead of the Oily/Combo skin one. No matter what skin type you are I would recommend the Normal to Dry type because it will still last all day (if you are really oily make sure to set with powder) but it just gives a much nicer finish than the Oily/Combo one. The last time I bought the foundation I used it for a day and hated it and its because it was the oily version. Its just not as nice. Overall, I adore the coverage this foundation gives without looking cakey and I love that it really does last on me all day long. This is a cult favourite amongst makeup artists and it will be one that I will always go back to when I need something long wearing and reliable. There are however two downsides to this product. I HATE the packaging. It doesn't have a pump so you have to pore the product onto your hand which means that if you spill out too much you are wasting your product....Revlon should really sort this out. Also I do feel its a little on the pricey side. Its around €18 which isn't expensive for a higher end brand but when its sold next to Rimmel and Maybelline it does seem over priced. Although I would like to add that it is well worth every cent because it really does do the job well.

Image from www.sarahgcosmetics.com

For my eyes, bronzer and cheeks this month I have really only reached for one product and that is the Sarah G Cosmetics Face Kit Palette. I won't go into too much detail on this because I plan to do a full in-depth review on my purchases from this line very soon. In a nut shell I love this palette, its convenient, easy to use, great pigmentation and very reasonably priced for the quality and amount of product that you get. You have everything you need for face and eyes in this little gem so it is amazing for reaching for in a hurry or carrying with you on the go. I am really glad I have added this to my collection so stay tuned for my full review very soon. 

Shade 010 Dating Joe Black

The Sarah G Palette does have a lovely dark grey/black colour that can be used to line the upper lash line but if you want a more defined look or want that sought after winged eye liner then I have found your new best friend. The very inexpensive brand Catrice have in my opinion the best liquid eyeliner. Its simply called Liquid Liner and its in the shade 010 "Dating Joe Black". The brush on this is so fine it allows you to create a very neat and precise line without getting it all over your face. I find this so easy to use and do believe that it would be perfect for beginners and for under €4 its a steal. Catrice is available in some pharmacy's and also alot of Dunnes and Penney's stock this brand. I would highly recommend giving this a go if you have wanted to master liquid liner but haven't been able to. 

Left Vegas volt alone..Right with Decoderm gloss over it

While I was in London at IMATS I bought a beautiful Mac lipstick called Vegas Volt. Its a bright orange coral type colour. I love how it just wakes up my complexion and adds a pop of colour to my face without looking OTT. This colour is part of the Amplified range of lipsticks which means that it has a really opaque finish, vibrant colour and is long wearing. Usually I need to topup every 3-4 hours depending on how much action my lips have gotten that day. If I want to add some gloss to this lipstick I am loving it paired with the Decoderm 3D Magnificent Gloss in shade 03. This just adds another dimension to the lipstick. I love this look. You can read my full review of some of the Decoderm range HERE.

Pic from www.eyeslipsface.co.uk

My final product this month is not a makeup item but is definitely makeup related. Its the e.l.f Daily Brush cleaner. This is great for spot cleaning your makeup brushes on days when you don't have time to give them a full on clean. Its anti bacterial so I find it great for cleaning the brushes which I use on my face so that I don't spread acne or bacteria around my face. I use this everyday on my foundation and concealer brushes and it gives me peace of mind that my brushes are clean even when I am in a hurry. This is so reasonably priced at less than €5 for a 60ml bottle. I have used this for a very long time and will continue to repurchase.

Well that's all my favourites for this month. I hope you enjoyed them and find my recommendations helpful. If you love or hate any of the products above please let me know or if you have any products which you have been loving during the month please say as I am always on the hunt for new things to try. Have a wonderful day and talk to you all soon xxxx