Benefit Minis

Why is mini makeup so much harder to resist?? I picked these Benefit Cosmetics minis at the weekend as Boots. You get your choice of three makeup minis for €30, plus the free cosmetics bag. Pretty much the price of one full sized product & minis tend to last for ages for me!

- Dandelion Twinkle Highlighter 

-They’re Real Push-up Liner

-They’re Real Lipstick in Revved Up Red 

I prefer to carry minis around with me instead of full size products as they take up less room & don’t add as much to my day-to-day bag.

Milani Cosmetics

I recently discovered that US make-up range Milani Cosmetics was available in the UK from both their own UK website & also from Beauty Bay. So I ordered some of their "cult products" which featured prominently in a lot of US bloggers' "Best of 2016" Round-Ups to try out. I decided to order from Beauty Bay rather than their own website as Beauty Bay has free international shipping for orders over €18, also they seemed to have a better shade range in stock when I placed my orders (Beware though as Beauty Bay took aaaages to delivery, was waiting about three weeks for each order & tracking is not available with free delivery).

On my first order I purchased one bottle of the Conceal And Perfect 2 in 1 Foundation & Concealer in the shade 03 Light Beige (€13.10), two of the Baked Blushes in the shades Luminoso & Dolce Pink (€9.50 each) And one of the Powder Blushes in the shade Tea Rose (€10.70).

On My second order I purchased the Conceal And Perfect 2 in 1 Foundation & Concealer in the shade 01 Creamy Vanilla.

On my third order I purchased two Baked Blushes in the shades Rose D'oro & Berry Amore.

The foundation has quickly become my absolute favourite foundation, and is, in my opinion a close dupe for Estee Lauder Double Wear. It is a high coverage foundation when applied with a brush, but can be sheered out if applied with a Beauty Blender. This foundation does not settle into any of my fine lines & lasts throughout a full day's work, which would be about nine or ten hours. I don't set mine with a powder (except maybe my nose), I mist MAC's Fix+ over instead to keep it dewy looking, but those with oily complexions will probably need to powder. 

Be warned though, this foundation runs incredibly dark. From the description on the website I thought 03 Light Beige would be my perfect shade, but I could only wear this shade with a dark tan. The lightest shade 01 Creamy Vanilla is still very dark (and yellow toned) so I'd still need to have a bit of colour to match it. Milani Cosmetics has just announced that they have launched an even lighter shade 00, but this hasn't reached us yet.

Left: 01 Creamy Vanilla. Right: 03 Light Beige

The Powder Blush is beautiful to look at, almost too pretty to use! It offers a matte flush of colour. Very pigmented, so the brush definitely needs to be tapped off. Long lasting too. I probably won't order any more of these, as beautiful as they are, as I think they Baked Blushes give a much nicer & more luminous look, where as the matte finish can tend to look a bit flat on the skin

The Baked Blushes are fabulous! Although they swatch with chunks of glitter, this doesn't seem to translate when applied with a brush to the cheeks, instead you are left with this fabulous healthy sheen. Some of the brighter colours can be very pigmented, so a light hand is needed, but the glow you are left with is incredible. 

They come with a little portable brush in the little compact mirror underneath, but these are pretty useless, the wrong shape & they don't seem to pick up pigment. But you will not be disappointed with a proper blusher brush. 

Although most people's favourite shade seems to be Luminoso, mine is Berry Amore. It looks so good on the skin without leaning too pink or too orange.

Best of Beauty 2016

The I discovered so many new products in 2016, so it was hard to narrow it down to just one product per category. These products were not necessarily released in 2016, but they are the products which I discovered or used most during the year. 

Primer

I have included two primers as I generally use an illuminating one & a pore-filling one. The Catrice Prime & Fine Beautify Primer paired with Benefit's The Porefessional has been my favourite combination. As I have dry skin I don't use either to prolong my foundation, more to even out my complexion & smooth the texture.

Concealer 

Too Faced's Born This Way Naturally Radiant Concealer has been a game changer for me in 2016. It has a large doe foot applicator, which distributes just enough product, doesn't crease & lasts all day under my eyes. Love. Definitely better than any of the cheaper concealers I tried over the last year.

Foundation 

Foundation has been one of the hardest categories, not because I had too many to choose from but because I didn't have enough to choose from... I didn't come across a foundation that I was 100% happy with during the year. My skin has changed a lot in the last few years, going from oily/combination to dry/dehydrated. The one that I have worn the most has been Inglot HD Perfect Cover-up Foundation. It's been the best so far, giving me the coverage that I want with the best shade match (73 or 74 depending on how tanned I am) I still find that it can cling to some patches of dehydration & emphasise some fine lines. The search continues...

Highlighter

The Balm's Mary-Louminizer has been my most used highlighter in the last year, it gives a high impact shine with no glitter chunks. Perfect for cheekbones, brow bone & inner corner of the eyes. There is nothing bad to say about this highlighter, I've no doubt that I will continue to use it in 2017 (although I suspect my new Becca highlighters will also feature strongly...)

Eyebrows

I didn't experiment with too many eyebrow products in 2016 because the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow Pomade is the best there is. I've heard of a few people complaining that theirs dried out fairly fast, but I've had two pots for over a year & there's no sign of either beginning to dry out, a pot will last forever (almost). I use the Anastasia 12 Eyebrow brush with the pomade & it's the perfect combination.

Eyeliner

I've always been a black liquid eyeliner girl, but in a whim ordered the teal gel eyeliner from Colourpop. This has completely changed up my eye looks, adding a pop of colour to otherwise neutral looks. The teal is a softer look than the black, so a great option for day time. The gel has a very creamy consistency that glides onto the eyes  then dries to a matte finish  which does not budge (I have to use an oil-based remover to take it off). I use an Inglot 31T brush to apply, which allows me to do a thick or thin wing depending on my mood. Just make sure to clean the brush after each use as the eyeliner can tend to really dry into the bristles. Not bad for $5.

Bronzer/Contour

I've lumped these two categories together as I've been using the same product for both. Benefit's Hoola Bronzer is the perfect contour shade for my skin tone & blends so easily. I got a mini size well over a year ago & I still haven't hit pan. I usually hate the little brushes that come with blushers/bronzers, but this one is just the perfect size for contouring. I don't actually bronze my skin too often as I think it can look too muddy on my fair skin, but if I need to, just a light dusting of Hoola works perfect as it can be buffed in to the skin. The deluxe size is €12 & full size is €35.

Eye shadow Pallet

The break-out product for me in 2016 was definitely this pallet. I had seen it around for while & was recommending it to people based on the reviews that I had watched/read. I did have the Pippa Pallet from Blank Canvas which I loved, the texture of the shadows was amazing but I generally only use it for travelling. I recently received The Master Series Pallet as a gift from a very generous friend and I have used it almost every day since. The shadows are so buttery, they blend seamlessly while still maintaining their colour integrity. 

The brush that comes with it is the same as one which is sold separately, so it is great quality & blends the colours out perfectly. Its not like a cheap version that comes with some pallets (Like some Urban Decay ones). €35 from Blank Canvas.

Blusher 

Before 2016 I tended to wear the same colour blusher with every make-up look that I did. Always a medium rosy pink as that was the colour that best suited my complexion (blue eyes, fair skin & dark hair), but I also used to just use a wash of a cool toned taupe on my eyelids, so when I started experimenting with warmer colours on the eyes I needed a few warmer toned blushes (Orange eyeshadow & pink blusher is NOT a good look on me). I decided that a blush palette would probably be the best & most cost effective option. I came across this Make-Up Revolution palette in a pharmacy near where I work. I am not usually a fan of Make-up Revolution products, I find that the eyeshadows turn messy on the eye & blend into one colour. But when I saw that this was only €8  I decided to give it a go. I wasn't disappointed, their blushers perform much better than their eye shadows on me. The is a mixture of nudes, pinks, corals & oranges which means that there is a blusher to match pretty much any look. The colour pay-off is good for all pans except  for the highlighter/blush- topper shades on the right hand side of the palette, these didn't really show up on my skin, but as I already have highlighters that I love, this isn't an issue for me & I still have six usable shades in the palette.

Pressed Powder

I only received this baby at the end of November (My parents picked it up in Sephora in the States for me) This. Changed. My. Life. No exaggeration. This is one of my favourite products that I discovered in 2016. It's described as a finishing powder, meaning that it won't actually set your make-up, its used as the last step to add an almost airbrushed look to the skin. This works perfectly for me as I have dry skin & don't need to set my make-up. This powder gives a lovely sheen to the skin & can also be used as a highlight if you build it up enough. It stops my skin looking dehydrated & blurs fine lines. I actually use all three colours together most of the time to give dimension to the face. I use a big, soft powder brush to gently sweep across my face after I have finished the rest of my make-up.

Mascara

The only reason I picked up this Soap & Glory "Thick & Fast" mascara was because I was away for the weekend & forgot my make-up bag. It was the first one I saw in Boots at around €12 (I think it was also on a Buy One Get One Half Price offer). I wasn't really expecting too much from it as I only needed it to fill the hole until I got my Benefit Roller Lash back, but this product has absolutely become my Holy Grail Mascara. It gives incredible length, thick volume & blacker than black lashes with no fall out or smudging throughout the day. Often times I haven't even bothered with false lashes on nights out when I use this.

Eyeliner

I don't really wear much pencil eyeliner anymore, mainly just when heading out at night. I prefer to use shadow under the eyes as it gives a much softer look & doesn't melt or migrate after a few hours. However, this Sephora Contour Eye Pencil is perfect for the waterline as its waterproof & doesn't smudge into the lower lash line.

Lip Combo

Colourpop's Ultra Satin Lips liquid lipstick is hands down my favourite formula. I started off wearing the Ultra Mattes, but when I discovered the Ultra Satin I was instantly converted. Its similat to the Ultra Mattes, but it doesn't completely dry down & isn't as drying on the lips. My absolute favourite shade is "Echo Park", a pinky nude colour perfect for everyday. I have been pairing it with Colourpop's Lip Pencil in Skimpy. The only annoying thing about Colourpop products is that the holographic logo rubs off as soon as you put it in a make-up bag. Ultra Satin Lip €6, Lip Pencil €5.

Setting Spray

While technically not a setting spray, Mac's Fix+ is an absolute must have in any make-up collection. Its uses are endless. My favourite use for Fix+ is to spray it on my brushes before applying pigments/glitter shadows, it helps the colour "stick" to the lid & intensifies the colour. Another use is to spray over the face at the end of make-up application to take down any powdery look & fuse the layers together. 30ml for €10.

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The Best of Liquid Lipsticks Part 1: Kylie Cosmetics

A few weeks ago Kylie Cosmetics had a free shipping offer, so I decided to try one of her Liquid Lipstick Sets. The colour I chose was "Dirty Peach" as I thought it would be a good autumnal neutral & didn't look like any of the other liquid lipsticks I owned (I have a lot).

The Lip Kits are $29 & international shipping is usually $14.95. With the free shipping I paid €26 for the lipstick & lip pencil. Irish customs are applicable for international orders over €22, but luckily this time mine wasn't chosen.

I found that the best way to apply this lipstick is to exfoliate the lips, apply a lip balm & let in sink in for a few minutes, then wipe off any residue left on lips.

Next, apply the lip liner all over the lips & top with lipstick. The formula of the lipstick is fairly runny & doesn't dry too quickly, giving you time to work with it.

The Lip Liner appears very similar to MAC's Prolong wear lip liners & applies very similar too. It's nice & soft so it doesn't drag the skin.

There has been a lot of talk about the similarities between Kylie Cosmetics & Colourpop Cosmetics. While it's fairly common knowledge that the two are made in the same factory, some believe that Kylie Cosmetics is simply Colourpop repackaged. While there is certainly some similarities between presentation & packaging type the formulas do feel different & the Bottle of Kylie Lipstick is heavier & much better quality than Colourpop.

One issue I had with the lipstick is that it wouldn't apply to the inner rim of my lips, this does happen with a lot of liquid lipsticks, but was even more pronounced with this one.

I loved the colour & the formula but this was not a long lasting lipstick on me (I tried with & without primer) after two cups of coffee this had all but disappeared. Touch-ups are definitely needed throughout the day.

PS... Pro Range

Primark has had a beauty/make-up range called "PS... Beauty" but they have recently launched a premium range called "PS... Pro" which promises high quality, professional products at a value price.

I decided to try some of the products out after hearing great reviews from the likes of Celebrity Make-Up Artist Wayne Goss.

My local Primark is very small, so the selection of the PS... Pro products wasn't great, that & a lot of the products had been opened & used. But I managed to pick up a few unopened bits & pieces to try.

The first product I picked up was the Longwear Mineralized Foundation, which comes in a frosted glass bottle and a pump applicator. There was only two shades available,the very lightest & the very darkest. I settled on the very lightest, which turns out is a shade too light for me but can be warmed up with a bit of bronzer. This foundation was €6, and was amazing! It has SPF 15 & Vitamins A & B. The initial smell wasn't great but this soon wore off. This foundation is medium to high coverage that's buildable & can be applied using either a brush or a beauty blender, I used a beauty blender to sheer the coverage out slightly as on my skin it's VERY high coverage.

This foundation is much better than more pricier ones, covered all blemishes & lasted 10+ hours on my skin. As my skin is very dry I didn't powder & it dried down to a comfortable satin finish. If you have oily skin you may want to powder though. I will definitely e purchasing this foundation again

This was my first time using a lip scrub, it has a subtle vanilla fragarance & smells good enough to eat. As I have long nails I wasn't able to apply with my fingers, instead I used a cotton bud & then massaged into lips. 

At first the texture was very grainy but as I rubbed it in the graininess disappeared leaving a Vaseline like substance behind so I had little hopes for much exfoliation. But when I rinsed it all off I was left with incredibly smooth lips with no flakiness, at €3.50 this is a product I would definitely purchase again as I wear matte liquid lipsticks most days & need a smooth base.

The PS... Pro lip primer is also €3.50, but it's not as good as the other products. It does not go on smoothly for me & leaves a white cast on the lips. It's almost painful to apply as it drags on the lips depositing very little product. I much prefer the Colourpop primer as it glides on smoothly & is about the same price.

For me the stand-out product is the foundation, it feels more like a luxury product than a budget one. But I would give the Lip Primer a miss, there are better performing primers around within the same price range.

ColourPop Haul!

Our prayers have finally been answered, Coloupop are finally delivering to Ireland! Colourpop is an American cosmetics brand based in Los Angeles. what sets this brand apart from the multitude of other brands out there is its low price point & quality products. As a relatively new brand,  Colourpop uses social media as one of  its main marketing tools, using Beauty Bloggers & Social Media Influencers to spread the word. 

Also some people have suggested that Colourpop may in fact be the makers behind Kylie Jenner's hugely popular Kylie Lip Kits, a claim that both camps have strongly denied, saying that they merely share the same factory, but completely different formulas.

The reason why I actually ordered Colourpop on the day that I did was because I was waiting to order some of the Kylie Lip Kits from the Birthday Edition, but they had all sold out within one second... 

So on a whim I logged onto the Colourpop site to have a look at their liquid lipsticks to see if I could get anything similar. At only $6 per lipstick compared to $17 for the Kylie ones, I went a bit mad...

So the one downfall is the shipping cost.... €25 to Ireland. Ouch. So I wouldn't order these products for the price, more for the formulas of the make-up, which in terms of liquid lipsticks, I have definitely found Colourpop to be the best. It's dries to a matte finish which feels odd initially but settles to a comfortable matte feeling.

I also wanted to try some of the Super Shock Eyeshadows, which I have seen mixed reviews about. I decided to order one of the sets so I'd have a few shades which would work together. I ordered the Kathleen Lights collaboration "Where The Light Is" as I would be a regular viewer of her YouTube channel.

Shipping was incredibly fast for an international order, I had my parcel a week to the day that I ordered. I don't even get that with some of my orders from the UK, so almost makes up for the €25 shipping fee. Almost.

Everything in my order was absolutely beautiful, just one problem: They had sent me the wrong eye shadow quad... They'd sent "Where The Night Is" instead of "Where The Light Is" still a beautiful set, but darker than the colours I'd originally wanted. I emailed their customer service, not expecting an answer for a day or two due to time difference etc, but received n answer in less than hour asking me to send them a picture of my delivery docket & a picture of the eye shadows received. They then said that they would send out the correct quad & that I could keep the wrong one. Nice. I have to say that even over email they were incredibly polite & helpful. 

As well as the Ultra Matte Liquid Lips I also picked up a few other bits...

The Super Shock highlighter ($8)is absolutely beautiful, gives an insane highlight, but as the formula is a slightly wet texture I can't work out a good way to apply it, brushes don't seem to apply enough product & applying with fingers doesn't blend it too well, but it's so pretty the search shall continue until I find a suitable method.

The Lippie Pencils (cringe name) are LIFE, for $5 they are much better than my previous  MAC favourite pencils, so smooth & pigmented. Can't figure out how to sharpen though as they're plastic, not wood.

The Super Shock Shadows look beautifully pigmented in the pots, but be aware that the pot colour doesn't necessarily transfer as such to the eyelids, it's a slightly shearer look than when swatched. You are recommended to apply these with your fingers, which doesn't bother me, but some people don't seem to like this. I generally use these shadows if I'm looking for a single wash of colour on the lid, which they work well for.

Korean Activated charcoal mask

Traditionally I have always had fairly oily skin growing up. This changed about the time that I turned thirty, as well as moving to a new home which has very hard water. The combination of the two has now turned my skin to dry/dehydrated.

One side effect of my new skin type is that I now have to use heavier products to moisturise my skin, resulting in clogged pores & blackheads on my nose!

I have tried several different masks & pore strips over the last couple months, but all these have done have dried out my skin more without actually removing the blockages. It was during my daily dose of YouTube viewing that I came across a 3 Step Korean Activated Charcoal Mask, which claims to first soften the blockages, drawing them to surface & then removing them via a peel off mask

I ordered this mask on Amazon for approximately €15 & took a week to arrive.

 

So this was my nose before. I started of by thoroughly cleaning & drying the area.

The instructions which come inside the box are much easier to understand than those printed on the back of the box, for example: " Penetrates pores deeply to quickly dissolve accumulated oil & dirty old horny to promote normal metabolism of skin keratin & recupertion of skin"... Enough said.

So step one of the process involves massaging the Deep Pore Sebum Softner into my nose, leaving on for about 5 minutes, rinsing off & then patting dry.

Next step was to smooth the Blackhead Removal Activated Carbon Mask to my nose (I used a cheap flat head make-up brush to ensure even coverage) I let that dry for approx 30 mins & then slowly peeled up from the bottom of the mask to the top.

It was not sore to peel of the mask, just made my eyes water slightly.

After I removed the mask I patted on the Skin Clarifying Pore Treatment Essence which they highly recommend to tighten the pores.

So this was my mask after I peeled it off. My nose felt noticeably smoother with a lot less congestion, especially around the corners of my nose.

Overall I would give this mask 4 out of five. Definitely made athe biggest improvement from any mask I've tried, the only downsides being that there is three different products to use & also that ordering off Amazon means that with the postage cost, the price can add up.