SMOKY TAUPE AND PINK OMBRE EYE LOOK

Today’s eye look is a departure for the neutral toned browns and golds that I usually go for, I felt like having a bit of fun with one of my favourite eye shadows MAC Satin Taupe. Satin Taupe is a really great colour to have in your collection because it’s very versatile. You can use it on its own all over the lid and in the crease. You can use it in the crease for a contour or use it on the lid with a darker colour in the contour. Another way of using Satin Taupe is as a base under other colours; it can completely change the colour that you layer on top of it. It’s also a really great colour for lining your eyes because its dark enough to define the eyes but it’s not too dark so it’s great for a softer look or if you are like me and feel that black looks too harsh all around your eyes. If I use black on the top lashes then I can use Satin Taupe on the bottom lashes to neutralise the harshness of the black. So here is today’s taupe and pink ombre look:

First I used Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Permanent Taupe as a base all over the lid and crease.

Then apply MAC Satin Taupe by loading it into the outer corner and blending it towards the middle of the lid and crease.

Next I applied MAC Pink Freeze by loading it into the inner corner and blending it towards the centre of the lid.

Then I dipped my brush into MAC Hepcat dabbed it right in the middle of the lid.

To finish I just lined the top lashes with MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack, lined the bottom lashes with Satin Taupe and loaded on Lancôme Hypnose mascara.
What eye shadows do you think are really versatile?

FRIDAY STYLE: COLOUR BLOCK DRESS

Today I am showing you another Jaime La Vie dress from Carraig Donn. This is another brand, whose dresses I am very fond of and I can usually pick up any of their dresses in my size and feel confident that it will fit perfectly.

The main reason I bought this dress is that I love the colours and style. Colour blocking almost always looks classy and I love orange and navy together. Let’s not forget the gold zips, we all know I love gold zips as a stand out detail on a garment. The panelling style is very flattering, which is always a plus. The other great thing about this dress is that it is really versatile. I have styled it here for a night out with heels, clutch and a statement necklace. It could easily be worn to work with simpler jewellery, a blazer and you could even put a blouse underneath to be extra professional.

I also plan on wearing this dress out to Sunday lunch with the family by wearing it with my nude wedge heel courts from Oasis and this neutral toned Guess bag.

My nude courts are Knightsbridge by Kate Appleby. These are really comfortable and comfortable nude courts, that you can actually walk in, should be a staple in every woman’s wardrobe.

I bought this necklace while on holiday in Portugal. I love picking up jewellery and accessories on holiday because it’s very unlikely that you will see it on anyone else when you get home.

The bag is a cross body bag from Penneys but I don’t really like cross body bags so I shortened the strap to use it as a clutch.

MAX FACTOR COLOUR ELIXIR GLOSSES: REVIEW AND PICTURES

Warning this post contains lots of pictures of lip gloss!
Lipstick and lip balm hybrids have been around for a while now and most of them are in pencil form. I have purchased and reviewed a few of these as have many bloggers because we just went mad for them. Now thanks to Max Factor we have lip gloss and lip balm hybrids in the form of these beautiful Colour Elixir Glosses. What makes these Colour Elixir Glosses different from other glosses is that they have smoothing mineral oil and nourishing candelilla wax along with shine enhancers for a comfortable and glossy finish. I find that these are very comfortable to wear so much so that I have been wearing one every day since I got them. I usually only use lip balm during the day and the fact that I have swapped my usually heavy duty Avène Cold Cream lip balm for any of the Colour Elixir Glosses says a lot about how comfortable and hydrating they feel on my lips. I love that they don’t feel sticky like many glosses and it’s nice to have a glossy pop of colour on my lips. These can also be used over lipstick to give a full on shine to any lipstick.

There are six Max Factor Colour Elixir Glosses, three nudes and three vibrant colours. I have five of them, two of the nudes and the three vibrant colours (I’m missing Pristine Nude). Bear in mind that my natural lip colour is quite dark so nudes don’t really show up on me as anything more than glossy shine but if your lip colour is paler then you might get more of a hit of colour from the nude shades so the swatches below might give you more of an indication than the pictures of the glosses on my lips.

L-R: Radiant Rose, Lustrous Sand, Enchanting Coral, Luxurious Berry, & Polished Fuchsia
When I first looked at them laid out, I thought that Enchanting Coral would be my favourite, that beautiful coral colour was just calling to me. Them when I swatched them I thought that maybe Luxurious Berry might be my favourite because it looks like it might be a perfect “my lips but better” shade. After trying them on I think that it’s Polished Fuchsia that wins my vote, it’s so pretty and bright on. But I also love Radiant Rose and Lustrous Sand for a more subtle hit of shine when I am at work. Also the packaging of these is lovely and sleek and looks like it’s a far more expensive product than €9.99.

No product

Radiant Rose

Lustrous Sand

Enchanting Coral

Luxurious Berry

Polished Fuchsia
Have you tried any of these yet? Which is your favourite?

MAX FACTOR CLUMP DEFY EXTENSIONS MASCARA: REVIEW AND PICTURES

Let’s start this Monday with a new mascara. Mascara is probably most women’s desert island product; however I don’t actually wear mascara on a daily basis. I usually only wear mascara when I do full eye makeup at the weekend or for a night out. My week day makeup routine is more about creating perfect clear skin quickly rather than trying to emphasize any features. Instead of doing a full face of makeup every day, I reserve eye and lip makeup for when I am getting dressed up for a reason so I can feel like I made an extra effort and with that effort I look much prettier than every other day when I am just at work. Plus it would take forever to get ready because my morning routine takes long enough already and I am not a morning person.

My preference for mascara is volume because my natural lashes are quite long already, however they are blond tipped so you don’t really see the length without mascara, but some extra length is always a plus. Max Factor Clump Defy Extensions mascara promises to give buildable volume and length without clumping. The colour of this mascara is priest socks black and the formula is that perfect not too wet, not too dry, easy to work with formula. I also really like the brush, I definitely prefer working with a curved brush, it makes it a lot easier to get into the corners. The small bristles brush through nicely to prevent any clumps. I found it really easy to go back and add another coat with this, sometimes the second coat can be a messy clumpy nightmare with some mascaras, especially when they are new. As for length and volume, you can see in the pictures below one coat is pretty good, and would be perfect for day time or a subtle look. The picture of the second coat shows that it is buildable for more fluttery lashes. It’s not the most amazing length or volume I have ever gotten from a mascara but it is pretty good, especially for the price tag of €13.99.

What do you think, is this enough length and volume for you? What is your favourite mascara?

 

FRIDAY STYLE: DISTRESSED BLACK JEANS

 

Well it’s been a scorcher this week and I have been loving it. Unfortunately the temperatures have eased off a bit for the weekend but at least it’s still nice enough out. This week’s outfit should provide some inspiration if you are heading out this weekend and want to keep cool while also hiding a bit of the lobster coloured skin. We all know many of you got totally burned this week. Yea the old “I was only out for a bit” without any sun cream. When will we learn?

This top is from River Island. I love the colours and print of this top but it is sheer so I wear it with a black vest top underneath.

The jeans are also from River Island and I am just loving almost everything in River Island at the moment. I am also big fan of distressed or ripped jeans and just can’t seem to have too many pairs. These are supposed to be ankle grazers but they are more or less normal length on me because I am, what my husband likes to call, a short arse.

The blazer is from Swamp and here it is in another recent post. The light chiffon and crepe fabric makes it perfect for this warm summer weather. It’s a nice light cover up for when it gets cooler in the evenings or if you need to hide scalded shoulders.

The necklace is from Carraig Donn and here is another look at it in a recent post.

These shoes are from Dune. I love them but they are total ankle breakers. One of these days I will get round to trying to get the heel shortened. I like the colour of them so much though and the colour ties in nicely with the top.

How will you be keeping cool this weekend? What are you going to wear if you head out?

MAC PEACHYKEEN BLUSH: REVIEW AND PICTURES

You may already know that Peaches is my all time favourite blush so I tend to keep it for nights out and special occasions, which means Peachykeen is my go to everyday blush. It just occurred to me that Peachykeen is the blush that I wear most days and yet I have never done a post of it on its own to give you a proper up close look at it, and what better to post about on a bright sunny day than blush. So Peachykeen is finally getting its own post.

(L-R: with and without flash)

Peachykeen is a powder blush in MAC’s permanent line. As with all of MAC’s powder blushes this lasts all day without any need to touch up. I find that MAC’s powder blushes are the best that I have tried for staying put on my oily skin all day and the powder doesn’t settle into my pores. According to MAC, Peachykeen is a sheertone shimmer finish but I find that the fine gold shimmer is extremely subtle on the cheeks; it’s more of a glow than a shimmer. The colour is described as “very baby peach”, and I would say it’s a gives a pinkish gold glow to cheeks. It’s strongly pigmented so a light handed approach is advised but the colour is buildable from a sheer glow to a strong punch of colour, if that’s the look you are after. It works well with my fair complexion but it also looks great with a tan. I have had this for ages and there is still loads left, MAC blushes may seem pricey at €23 but I think they are great value because they last so long.
Here are the pictures:

(no blush in 1st picture, with Peachykeen in the rest)

 I have a real affinity for MAC blushes and have yet to try one that I don’t like. What are your favourite blushes?

FACE OF THE DAY

Sorry but as much as I love blogging, when the sun is shining the last place I want to be is inside writing a post. It is such a rare treat in Ireland for us to have beautiful clear blue skies and warm sunshine especially two whole days of it at the weekend when I am off work so I feel it’s important to take full advantage and get out and enjoy it. With that in mind this will be a quick face of the day post using a BB cream for a lighter base. When the sun shines we are all about pared back more natural looking makeup so we go all BB mad.

Although when I lay out all the products that I use for a “pared back natural look”, I have to wonder.

Base:
Max Factor Facefinity Primer
Garnier BB Cream for Oily/Combo Skin
Max Factor CC Colour Correctors yellow for under eyes and green for redness at sides of nose
Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer
Nars Light Reflecting Setting Powder
MAC Peaches blush

Eyes:
MAC Paint Pot in Rubenesque all over lid
MAC Omega for brows and crease
MAC Blacktrack Fluidline liner
MAC Coffee liner on lower lashes
Clarins Eyeliner in Gold on waterline
Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara

So there we have lots of products for a “natural” bright eyed summery look.

FRIDAY STYLE: TWO FAVOURITE BRANDS

There is nothing better than finding a brand that is always the perfect fit, this post contains two brands that I can always rely on to fit perfectly. I can buy with confidence online or even buy in the sale without trying on and know it’ll be fine. Closet is a brand, whose clothes I can pick up anything in my size and it fits perfect. And for shoes my go to brand is Menbur, their courts never slip off my heel and they are so comfortable.

It’s been a while since I did a post with my new favourite colour for this summer, lime, so I picked this dress from Closet. Navy always works well with strong vibrant colours like the neon lime beading on this dress. Navy can also be more flattering than black on pale Irish skin tones. The beading means you can keep accessories to a minimum so a dress like this can be really handy when you are in a hurry as there is no need to rummage around looking for the perfect necklace. I also love the unusual strap placement on this dress and the way it goes into a V at the back.

You’ve probably already guessed that the shoes are from Menbur. Menbur shoes may be a bit pricey but since I’m a size 4, I often get lucky and find them in my size reduced in the sales. For the price you are getting great comfort. Noting makes me more smug than when my friends decide to move to a different pub when it is raining and I can power walk on and keep up with the boys, while the other girls are struggling and hobbling along behind in shoes they can barely sit in, never mind walk in. The lime may not be a perfect match to the neon beads on the dress but I still think these shoes work fine with the dress.

I don’t have a lime clutch (but I do have my eye on one in River Island) so I was going to use a neutral toned clutch, when I thought, one bright colour deserves another. This coral pink bag was a free gift with purchase from The Body Shop.

Have I convinced you to buy anything lime yet? Have you found any brands that are always your perfect fit?

OLAY REGENERIST LUMINOUS MOISTURISER AND EYE CREAM: REVIEW

I briefly introduced these two products a few weeks ago when I gave my initial impressions of them in this Current Skincare Routine post. If you remember my first impressions of both products were good and I am happy to report that my opinion hasn’t changed now that I have been using them for more than six weeks.

Olay Regenerist Luminous products are designed to renew skin “layer by layer to reveal brighter, luminous, healthy looking skin. The products provide instant and noticeable hydration as well as brightening the appearance of dark spots with continued use to reveal younger looking skin.

First up I’ll tell you about the eye cream; Olay Regenerist Luminous Dark Circle Correcting Eye Swirl. Obviously I like the futuristic sciencey looking packaging, but it’s what’s inside that’s really important. The formula is a gel and cream hybrid so it feels nice and cooling on. You only need a tiny bit and you can use it all around the eye, even on the lid. You just gently massage it in so no special technique or tapping required. You can see in the picture the pearlescent shimmer, you don’t actually see that when it absorbed in but it does seem to slightly reflect the light so my dark circles are less obvious and easier to conceal. It is really hydrating so the fine lines around my eyes are less obvious. I am quite happy with how smooth and even my eye area is looking these days.

Olay Regenerist Luminous Skin Tone Perfecting Cream is a lovely moisturiser. I have been using it day and night and a good pea size is enough. I have oily combo skin but I am prone to dehydration and dry spots now and again but not since I have been using this moisturiser. Funnily enough I would expect a cream with the word luminous on it to leave my skin shiny and greasy but when this is absorbed and dry my skin is left beautifully matte. Since my skin is so well hydrated, I have no dehydration lines and the permanent fine lines are less obvious. It doesn’t make any promises about pores but I think that mine are less noticeable, maybe it’s because my skin is in such good condition at the moment. I definitely think my skin is smoother and more even with no blotches. I can’t express how happy I am with the condition of the skin on my face and how good I think it looks; I wouldn’t be horrified at leaving the house without makeup, but let’s not go crazy, I won’t be ditching the pile of slap.
These two are €39.99 each so not cheap. I’m torn because the price is fair for products that delivered so well for me but part of me thinks that it’s a steep price for Olay, which is a pharmacy brand. But then again Olay is a brand that has been around and loved by many for years. Another point to remember is that a little goes a long way with these; I’m a little over half way through the moisturiser after a good six weeks. I am really enjoying using them both and I am very happy with the results so I would repurchase both products.

EYE LOOK WITH MAC SUMMER HAZE AND TWILIGHT FALLS

It’s Monday and it’s the start of a full week so I thought I would ease us into it with a light and easy picture heavy eye look post. You may have noticed that I have done eye looks with these two eye shadows before both using them separately and together because they really are favourites of mine. I haven’t used them in a while though because I have been playing with lots of new eye shadows and these beauties have been left aside. However, when I was in a rush to get ready on Saturday night, it was these two that I reached for, reminding me of why I love them. I liked how my eyes looked so much on Saturday night that I decided to use them to do a softer day time look on Sunday. The colours in Summer Haze are perfect for brightening up my eyes the day after the night before, while the Twilight Falls is perfect for contouring and defining.
The best thing about mineralise or marbled eye shadows is that you can either run you brush over all the colours to create a different shade every time or you can dip the tip of your brush into the individual colours, which is what I have done it the look below.

1. Light pearlescent champagne colour – highlight in inner corner
2. Metallic orange shade – all over lid and crease, taking it slightly above the crease
3. Dark mauve colour – outer corner and into the centre of the crease
4. Metallic bronze – Liner

I also used the Clarins Eye Pencil in Gold on the waterline to cover a bit of redness and then finished it all off with Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara.

Do you prefer to sweep your brush across marbled eye shadows to get a mix of all the colours or dip the tip of your brush into the individual shades?